Quote:
Originally Posted by getbak
The biggest hurdle for a potential 2nd team for Southern Ontario is the century of Leafs fandom that is ingrained in the population.
They would need to find an untapped market, whether geographic or other, in order to have success.
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Wouldn't regional fan bases (and who they cheer for) just naturally align as has proven in the past? I mean extra teams were added to the Eastern Conference after the original six (in various ways) and it seems most of them were successful.
Rangers -> Philadelphia, Long Island, Buffalo, New Jersey
Boston -> Hartford
Chicago -> Minnesota, St. Louis, Columbus
Montreal -> Quebec City
Detroit -> Maybe Pittsburgh? Toronto? Chicago?
Toronto -> Buffalo?
Even beyond the OG six (just to name a few):
California Golden Seals -> Los Angeles
Rangers, Philadelphia -> Washington, New Jersey
Kansas City -> St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago
Toronto, Montreal -> Ottawa
Los Angeles -> San Jose, Anaheim
Tampa Bay -> Florida
Vancouver -> Seattle
Phoenix -> Las Vegas
Even with possible expansion:
Dallas -> Houston
Florida -> Atlanta
Toronto -> Hamilton, Mississauga, Markham
I think my point is that fans will gravitate to the team they want to cheer for, as long as the product is good, the owners are competent, and the game experience is worth coming back for.