Discussion Next NHL Expansion City

[Bombastik der Teutone]

3 minutes ago, 24K PureCool said:

With how Boise ID population growth is going, wouldn't count it out if expansion occurs in the next decade. 

Yeah, also took a look at Boise Today . Around 700 K PPL living in that Metro Area and Boise has allready an Hockey Team. 

[Fanuck]

Stockholm,  St. Petersburg,  Moscow,  Beijing...

 

If the NHL has shown anything it's that they want to be leaders out of the major NA leagues in terms of taking money from new markets. 

 

Imo it's not if but when & where. 

[grumpyone]

Reno nevada would be a natural rival for Vegas.

New Orleans could be the Ice Pelicans ( hockey's nod to the nba team )

 

[Alflives]

I’m thinking the Coyotes are relocated to Quebec City.

[JM_]

Moscow and Stockholm. 

[King Heffy]

Would be nice to see Toronto finally get an NHL team.  Realistically, we'll probably see Quebec, Portland, Houston,  Cleveland.

[BoKnows]

Arizona -> Houston

8 team European division bringing the league to 40 teams

London

Berlin

Stockholm

Helsinki

Moscow

Prague

Copenhagen

Paris

[Nucker 67]

Should be another GTA team, Quebec City or Portland - but I think it'll be Kansas city. Sounds like a Bettman move.

[Coconuts]

Hopefully none, we've got too many teams as is. 

[GB5]

I say Quebec City but I hope no more expansion becase 32 teams is plenty.

 

I would prefer that the league move some underperformers to better markets which should help the bottom line for the league.

[StanleyCupOneDay]

My thoughts on possibilities:

 

Canada:

 

Saskatoon

Halifax

Quebec City

 

US:

 

Houston or Austin or San Antonio

Indianapolis

Portland

Milwaukee

 

Longshots imo:

 

Albuquerque

Kansas City

Omaha

Salt Lake City

 

Saskatoon might be too small, but Canada’s hockey crazy and Saskatchewan is one of a few big provinces (over 1m people) without one so I’m gonna throw it out there as an off the board pick.

 

The Maritime provinces need a hockey team to cheer for and Halifax makes the most sense for its geographic location. Lots of Canada’s elite players come from the far east of the country, there’s definitely a market for it.

 

Quebec City is an obvious choice after the Winnipeg relocation success and its past history hosting a NHL team. Doesn’t hurt that the Quebec province is quite literally hockey mad. It can easily support two teams.

 

Another Texas team makes a lot of sense after the Dallas Stars settled in nicely. California has 3 teams, Texas should get another given the size and proof that the NHL works there.

 

Indianapolis is a place that I haven’t seen mentioned before. I think it would make a lot of sense and with it being the 16th biggest city in the country it shouldn’t have too much trouble selling tickets and building a fanbase. Hoosiers getting a hockey team would be great.

 

Portland would probably have to wait to see how Seattle does, but given the advance season ticket response from the newest NHL club I think there would be a market for it.

 

Milwaukee is another one I haven’t seen mentioned that would make a lot of sense with Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois all having hockey teams that are doing well. Wisconsin would love to have a NHL team too.

 

I think the other 4 I listed are more unlikely then not. Albuquerque only has 1 hockey team: the NAHL New Mexico Ice Wolves, which just formed a couple years ago. Kansas City could work seeing St. Louis success, but given the previous relocation of KC’s NHL team after it flopped I think it’s probably not something they want to try again. Omaha has a NCAA and USHL team plus a few smaller league ones, but I doubt there’s enough of a market for the NHL. Salt Lake City has an ECHL team and did host the olympics (which is nothing to sneeze at) so I think they’d be the most likely of this group though still a dark horse.

 

Only US cities that could work that I didn’t list would have 0 interest in a NHL team or be unfeasible: Anchorage (would be cool, but travel logistics would be a nightmare/disaster) New Orleans (it’s a swamp, not happening), Virginia Beach (given Carolina struggles seems doubtful a team could succeed here, SE US just isn’t into hockey), Atlanta (already proven to be a failure, twice, obviously not), Louisville (Appalachia is not for hockey) or Oklahoma City (the plains states aren’t interested). Metro areas elsewhere are either too small or already have a team/s in the state.
 

The states for the most part where NHL teams succeed in the US is the west coast, southwest, midwest and north east. The others couldn’t care less. There are exceptions of course, like Nashville and Tampa Bay, but very few.

Edited July 21, 2021 by StanleyCupOneDay

[coolboarder]

The logical expansion city have to be out in the west to get more teams in the West Coast, preferably Portland or 2nd team in BC (Victoria?)

[coolboarder]

8 hours ago, Iron Fist said:

 

You need to update Seattle logo in the map.

[Iron Fist]

2 hours ago, coolboarder said:

The logical expansion city have to be out in the west to get more teams in the West Coast, preferably Portland or 2nd team in BC (Victoria?)

it'll be Surrey over Victoria, Surrey's blue collar city, there be more money to go around for a pro team

[Iron Fist]

3 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

Should be another GTA team, Quebec City or Portland - but I think it'll be Kansas city. Sounds like a Bettman move.

Kentucky or Alabama sounds more like Bettman move or Atlanta again

Edited July 21, 2021 by Iron Fist

[Iron Fist]

5 hours ago, Alflives said:

I’m thinking the Coyotes are relocated to Quebec City.

Coyoes shouldn't move. Hockeys working in the dessert ie. Austin Matthews.  They just need their own arena in a good location so ownership can make money from other entertainments acts off the arena like they're doing in Florida

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, Iron Fist said:

Coyoes shouldn't move. Hockeys working in the dessert ie. Austin Matthews.  They just need their own arena in a good location so ownership can make money from other entertainments acts off the arena like they're doing in Florida

The TV audience for games there is less than 15,000 viewers, and that’s during the pandemic.  It doubled from 7,000 because only 3000 people were allowed in the arena.  Hockey is nothing there.  

[canuck73_3]

If there is one, Houston. It is the next biggest market 

[Iron Fist]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

The TV audience for games there is less than 15,000 viewers, and that’s during the pandemic.  It doubled from 7,000 because only 3000 people were allowed in the arena.  Hockey is nothing there.  

Thats what people said about Hurricanes but look at em now. Proper ownership does wonder

[Petey Castiglione]

Relocation seems the most logical and healthy move for the league.  Get relocation fee's to inject revenue, merch/ticket sales for new teams, another team to add to the profit share instead of subtract and the talent pool stays the same.  Panthers/Arizona, Bada Bing Bada boom billion dollars.