[Rumour] Four New Expansion Team by 2017

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

NFL has 32 teams. We would be matching that if this is true.

Sure. But does anyone think the NHL is remotely as popular or healthy as the NFL?

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

Fans will show up if they are in the playoffs, or right on the bubble, but it has to be done year over year.

While I agree the Panthers have a good shot at real improvement this year, the year over year thing is the real problem. In the last 12 years the Hurricanes have won the Cup once and been to the finals another time, but they still haven't seen any sustained popularity. At some point these markets need to show they have a large base of fans of the sport, not just fans of a temporarily successful team.

[Mister Yamoto]

So, if there are all of a sudden 120ish new NHL jobs, that means that the Ben Streets and David Van Der Guliks will become full time NHLers.

People are worried about the talent being diluted in the NHL?

Imagine what the AHL would look like after losing their top 100 players, and likely also expanding by 4 teams. It is already the most boring brand of hockey on the planet.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

So, if there are all of a sudden 120ish new NHL jobs, that means that the Ben Streets and David Van Der Guliks will become full time NHLers.

People are worried about the talent being diluted in the NHL?

Imagine what the AHL would look like after losing their top 100 players, and likely also expanding by 4 teams. It is already the most boring brand of hockey on the planet.

Expanding 4 teams at once would be a poor move but a 2 team expansion wouldn't affect the AHL much. A lot of the players would come from Europe as well.

Your knock at the AHL is ridiculous. Apparently you haven't watched no hit Swedish hockey and college hockey isn't much better.

[Rick M.]

Bettman is dismissing the whole idea.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle20334393/

[Flamescat]

He dismissed Winnipeg until his phone started ringing in the middle of that Tampa game he was watching too..