Do you see expansion in the NHL's future?? If yes, in how many years, and what Cities??

Question

Do you see expansion in the NHL's future?? If yes, in how many years, and what Cities??

Answer 1

Well the NHL has put thought into expanding to Europe because thats where a lot of the players come from, but it won't happen anytime soon, at least 10+ years

Answer 2

Most likely there will not be any more expansion for a while. Possible teams on the move though could be Nashville and Florida. The cities in the running for a moved team or expansion in the future:

- Oklahoma City

- Houston

- Portland, OR

- Winnipeg

Answer 3

With at least 6 franchises losing money right now I don't see a line up of rich owners wanting to loose more money.

Contraction or relocation first. But Batman will not relinquish his dream of Hockey being the number three sport in the USA.

So any moves that happen are like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. The iceberg is still coming.

Answer 4

Oklahoma City just got a basketball team...there's no way they are getting a hockey team too.

I don't see expansion anytime in the near future...maybe a couple team moves here and there...but no expansion

Answer 5

i heard talks about Oklahoma City wanting a hockey team

Answer 6

winnipeg regina some north states 2015

Answer 7

I see teams moving before I see expansion. The NHL can't keep all it's teams afloat now. Expansion would be a mistake.

Answer 8

Unlike most here, I think we will see expansion. Two more teams probably, it give owners a quick shot in the arm, and with the cap rising they'll want something to offset costs.

As for talent, I don't think we need to worry. There's such a pool of talent available that I don't think it'll be an issue. You have a lot of guys in the AHL that could serve third line duty on NHL teams- you have guys like Jordan Stall bumped back to third line Checking centers.

I don't think expansion would be a bad thing. 32 is a very nice number for organizing things. exactly half the teams make the playoffs, 4 team divisions and 4 divisions in a conference- scheduling would be simpler, so on and so forth. Travel on teams would be lessened, saving money.

I think that teams would go to Kansas City, Seattle (with new arena) or Hamilton. All expansion teams would probably go to the west, moving Detriot or Columbus to the east- I would bet Columbus due to the relative histories of the teams.

Answer 9

I think Nashville could move in the next decade. And I've heard possibly Florida.

Answer 10

Kansas City came freakishly close to getting my Penguins, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a team land there, whether it is an expansion or a relocation

Answer 11

Where the NHL will move- Kansas City, Oklahoma City,any other place that makes no sense to put a hockey team.

Where the NHL should move- Hamilton, Milwaukee, Seattle Quebec

Answer 12

Not in the near future.

Answer 13

the state of NHL team locations is very, very bad.  by far the worst in ANY professional sport in the world.

the predators just went bankrupt.  there were already talks of them moving to hamilton, just gary BUTTman shot them down, because he thinks nashville will become a more fertile hockey market than effing CANADA.  r****d.

anyway, portland, seattle, houston, cleveland/cincinatti, possibly san diego, hamilton, winnipeg, quebec city, saskatoon, halifax, and last but most certainly not least,  milwaukee/green bay really should have teams.  

they're all either already hockey fans (canada, northern USA), or known sports towns that will welcome an NHL team with open arms (houston is a definite, others could be a gamble).

Columbus should not have a franchise.  It's not a sports town, even though it's the most populous in Ohio.  Move the BJ's to CinCin or Cleveland.

Houston needs an NHL team bad.  Dallas has a huge fan base, so texas can clearly work for hockey.  Houston is a huge town and love their other sports, and really deserve a hockey team.

The biggest set of travesties are canada and the northern US.  Biggest hockey fans in the world, least amount of teams.  Milwaukee or Green Bay (somewhere in Wisconsin) should really get a franchise by default.  So should Seattle and Portland.  Quebec City and Winnipeg need teams again.  They should never have left (maybe not Winnipeg, too cold for any sport, but if freaking atlanta can have a hockey team, i darn well hope every canadian city in the country has a team.)  Saskatoon should have a team just so it can represent Saskatchewan, as should Halifax for Nova Scotia.  Canada is not repesented enough.

Teams that should move:

1. Nashville - already went bankrupt once.  clearly a small fanbase.  too warm.  not a receptive sports area (football does not count, everywhere in the US could have a successful football franchise).

2. Florida Pathers - no hockey interest outside of wildly popular Tampa.  Tampa has Lightning, Florida still represented.  Miami has no support for Marlins, mediocre turnout for the Heat as well.  Also very small fanbase.  way too warm.

3. New Jersey -  I live in Jersey, I should know.  This team makes no sense.  South Jersians (myself included) are all Flyers fans.  North Jersians are all Rangers fans.  This leaves no room for the Devils.  Their attendance records prove this.

4. Atlanta - already failed once with flames.  don't seem to care about anything other than the Braves.  too warm.

5. NY Islanders - Why is this WHA leftover still here?  They just split fans from the Rangers.  Moving would surely strengthen the NY area hockey fan base around one team.

6. Carolina - too warm.  hartford whalers sucked as the original franchise.  mediocre turnout despite a recent stanley cup win.

7. Columbus - dumbest idea for an Ohio team.  Columbus is the biggest city in Ohio, but it's mostly business-oriented.  Cincinatti and Cleveland are storied sports towns.  Cleveland would make the most sense, considering they border Lake Erie, which borders Canada, and strongly support their other three teams, but CinCin makes sense too.  This team just needs to move down the road.

8. Possibly Phoenix - have all four sports teams, but little support.  a mostly business city.  may change in time however.  for now, it's too warm there, and they don't seem to care.

9. Anaheim - formerly a team named after an Emilio Estevez-starring Disney movie.  Play 15 minutes from Los Angeles, who have the Kings, who have pretty good numbers, would definitely be better if the team was ever good.  They play in Anaheim, which contains DisneyLand.  Should save themselves the constant embarassment and just leave for somewhere smarter.

And so I end my rant.

Answer 14

No... I can see a few teams moving though in the next 10 years but the league won't add any new teams.  A lot of people don't really realize this but European leagues (especially the Swedish league) are getting more competitive with the NHL... salaries are sky rocketing in European markets.  The talent pool is is drying up here.

But if any teams leave their cities look at Las Vegas and Oklahoma City to bid for one.

Answer 15

I don't see expansion, but you might see some small market teams moved.  As for their destination i'd say either Kansas City or Oklahoma City they're the main ones I've heard want a team, or it'll be because Jim Balsillie finally landed a team in which case they'll be Canadian bound.

Answer 16

In this economy, I cannot see expansion.

But I do see teams leaving and going elsewhere- Nashville is on borrowed time. Also, Florida and Carolina are on the fringe too.

Answer 17

Expansion probably not. But teams moving from cities who don't appreciate hockey to markets that do yes.

Answer 18

I'm on board with everyone else that has expressed that they don't see expansion happening. But, we ARE talking about the NHL.

I do see it happening within the next 7 years and I need to be convinced that any new teams will spring up in Canada. Even likelier to happen is some contentious movement of current franchises.

I learned a long time ago that nothing ever said is set in stone.