Rumor Owners meeting today to approve expansion to 34 teams

[Ped]

I believe one of the concerns about a 2nd team in Toronto is, are they hockey fans, or are they Leaf fans? Certainly other professional hockey leagues have trouble in the GTA with getting fans to go to games.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Ped

I believe one of the concerns about a 2nd team in Toronto is, are they hockey fans, or are they Leaf fans? Certainly other professional hockey leagues have trouble in the GTA with getting fans to go to games.

A second team in the GTA would be enormously popular. Loads of hockey fans would love to jump on the bandwagon of a new franchise (look at the Golden Knights), it would give younger generations their own team, and it’s not as though the Leaf’s franchise has a pedigree of excellence.

[Rick M.]

And what did the owners decide?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Every new team added makes the chances of us living long enough to see another Flames Cup that much smaller

That ship has already sailed.
We're headed towards a gambling driven viewership with top players going to certain markets like they do in Basketball or baseball.
The small team winning will be few & far between & fan experience will be centered around betting, the business of sport & elevated live experience.
Yeah it sucks.

[FanIn80]

Has anyone else confirmed that this even real?

[Finger Cookin]

This meaning this report, or, like, anything??

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Has anyone else confirmed that this even real?

No, no one has confirmed this rumour two days later man.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

A second team in the GTA would be enormously popular. Loads of hockey fans would love to jump on the bandwagon of a new franchise (look at the Golden Knights), it would give younger generations their own team, and it’s not as though the Leaf’s franchise has a pedigree of excellence.

100%

There would be a subset of the fanbase that would adopt the new team, just because it would seem cool to do so. If 10% of hockey fans in the GTA adopted the new team, that would make them one of the stronger fanbases in the NHL - at least middle-of-the-pack, for size of fanbase. If 20% switched, they would be one of the larger fanbases in the league. Any more than 20%, and they would be top 5 in the league.

[#-3]

I actually think Richmond VA is probably one of the biggest metros that could use any kind of pro franchise team. Getting there first might be a play for the NHL, agree Austin would be smart. In reality because Toronto actually has 3 other big franchises, Montreal is more under served by pro sports than Toronto.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by #-3

I actually think Richmond VA is probably one of the biggest metros that could use any kind of pro franchise team. Getting there first might be a play for the NHL, agree Austin would be smart. In reality because Toronto actually has 3 other big franchises, Montreal is more under served by pro sports than Toronto.

Bring back the Maroons!

[getbak]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Has anyone else confirmed that this even real?

Rather than a second-hand report of someone saying Andy Strickland said something (which couldn't even be bothered to spell his name right), here's Strickland's original tweet...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1836768357036568980

No indication that this supposed meeting was happening that day, or even in the short term. This could be on the agenda for the GM meetings in December for all we know.

So far, Strickland seems to be the only one reporting that such a meeting will be happening soon. A lot of people have been reporting that expansion beyond 32 teams is likely, but most have also said it isn't a high priority right now.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Ped

I believe one of the concerns about a 2nd team in Toronto is, are they hockey fans, or are they Leaf fans? Certainly other professional hockey leagues have trouble in the GTA with getting fans to go to games.

Like who? The PWHL sold out season tickets in back to back seasons.

No reason why Toronto has 1 team and New York has 3. There aren't 3x the amount of hockey fans in the New York metro as there are in Toronto.

[Junglist]

30 teams was perfect. 32 sucked. 34 will be awful.
Watering down the talent.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Junglist

30 teams was perfect. 32 sucked. 34 will be awful.
Watering down the talent.

It isn't going to matter a hill of beans. Talent distribution is like a y=1000/x function and a bunch of the top players in that range are playing in the KHL or Europe already. Whether you kill it at 600 players or 680 is trivial.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Like who? The PWHL sold out season tickets in back to back seasons.

No reason why Toronto has 1 team and New York has 3. There aren't 3x the amount of hockey fans in the New York metro as there are in Toronto.

I agree the GTA could support another team with ease as there's 6 million people living there but the 12 miles between the NYC/Newark/Long Island CSA has 23 million people so on paper there could be almost 4x the hockey fans.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I agree the GTA could support another team with ease as there's 6 million people living there but the 12 miles between the NYC/Newark/Long Island CSA has 23 million people so on paper there could be almost 4x the hockey fans.

Yeah, according to Wikipedia that doesn't include Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph, London, Hamilton, etc.

I'm sure there are people in that area who go to Leafs and Sabres and even Red Wings games. They will probably be the Clippers of Toronto but it would be hilarious if they won before the Leafs.

If I had the money and the NHL let me put a team anywhere, I'd put it somewhere in Toronto or Southern Ontario. Way too easy.

[DeluxeMoustache]

It’s been a while since Atlanta got a franchise

For those playing the long game, bodes well for Canada sometime in the coming decades

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Yeah, according to Wikipedia that doesn't include Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph, London, Hamilton, etc.

I'm sure there are people in that area who go to Leafs and Sabres and even Red Wings games. They will probably be the Clippers of Toronto but it would be hilarious if they won before the Leafs.

If I had the money and the NHL let me put a team anywhere, I'd put it somewhere in Toronto or Southern Ontario. Way too easy.

Personally I wouldn't want to commute from any of those places to watch a game in the GTA, London to Toronto is well over an hour at the best of times.

Ontario is massive, has a population around 16 million and has 2 teams, NYC/Long Island/Newark area is extremely small but has 23 million, Toronto could support another team but the 3 teams in the NY area are wanted and supported.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Personally I wouldn't want to commute from any of those places to watch a game in the GTA, London to Toronto is well over an hour at the best of times.

Ontario is massive, has a population around 16 million and has 2 teams, NYC/Long Island/Newark area is extremely small but has 23 million, Toronto could support another team but the 3 teams in the NY area are wanted and supported.

Certainly, I don't think that they deserve revocation of their teams. It's just wild to me that there are 3 times as many teams over there and twice as many teams in SoCal compared to Southern Ontario.

If anywhere deserves an expansion team, it's there - no need to explain hockey to anyone or try to draw fans. They already know. You could print money owning a team there. Which is likely why they will not get one, since the NHL knows the people who live there are already fans and they won't gain anything from 'converting' people into hockey fans.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by heep223

NFL 32
MLB 30
NBA 30

NHL 32 -> 34?

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to add two more teams. But they should cap it at that. Right now the NHL isn’t any more watered down than the other big leagues.

Expansion will never be capped.