Quote:
Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus
Why is it that teams like NJ, NYR and the NYI all exist in a relatively small area then? LA and ANA are also in a relatively close proximity.
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Media.
National media in the U.S. are pretty much irrelevant to the success or failure of an NHL team, and in New York and L.A. particularly, there are many different corporate owners of local media and you can carve out a niche for a new team.
In Toronto, all sports media is in the hands of Bell and Rogers, both of which have a direct financial interest in the Leafs, and an obvious reason to snub a second GTA team.
Back in the day, ‘Molson Hockey Night In Canada’ (as it was then officially known) showed the logos of all six Canadian teams in the opening titles: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Yes, six, not seven. They didn't even show the Quebec Nordiques' logo, and almost never broadcast Nordiques games outside of the playoffs – because the Nordiques were owned by a rival brewery and Molson did not wish them to be on national TV.
This is the level of corporate oligopoly and ego-driven pettiness that you get in the small, incestuous world of Canadian media. Bell, Rogers, and MLSE would do everything in their power to strangle a second Toronto team in the cradle. So far, they've prevented anyone from even bidding for an expansion franchise.