Rumor Owners meeting today to approve expansion to 34 teams

[TheKiprusoffResurrection]

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.

If by "at the best of times" you meant in helicopter, then a bit over an hour could be possible. In a car, best case scenario is 2 hours. Most likely 2.5 if your going from London to the ACC.

If they were ever going to do another GTA team, I think Balsille was on the right track; Hamilton would be the ideal spot. You would be able to draw from the Niagara region, most of those people go to Buffalo to watch live NHL. You'd also draw from the K&W corridor, and even London isn't super far away. Just far enough away from Toronto to have a bit of a regional rivalry, close enough that players wouldn't have to live in Hamilton! Though to be fair, Ancaster/Dundas have some giant homes and beautiful properties that would likely suit rich NHLers.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by 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

I dont know about that man. There are precious few places in Canada that could realistically support another team.

I know there are the 'Usual Suspects' of Ontario or Quebec City, but I just dont see it happening.

In a lot of ways Canada is it's own worst enemy. Who is going to switch from being a Habs or Leafs fan?

I don't know. That would be a hard road.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dont know about that man. There are precious few places in Canada that could realistically support another team.

I know there are the 'Usual Suspects' of Ontario or Quebec City, but I just dont see it happening.

In a lot of ways Canada is it's own worst enemy. Who is going to switch from being a Habs or Leafs fan?

I don't know. That would be a hard road.

It seemed to work relatively well for Ottawa which was mostly Habs and Leafs fans until the Senators franchise was reinstated. More so for those switching from the Leafs. The minute you cross into Gatineau, there are more Habs die hards.

I love Quebec City though. When I lived out east, I used to vacation there for 2 weeks in the summer and 1 week in the winter. If I could function in French, I would have moved there. The funny thing about Quebec City is that after the Nordiques left, it doesn't seem like the Habs picked up the market completely. In the winter I would see a lot of Bruins gear and Bruins games playing in the pubs. For a lot of the fans there, they hated the Habs so much, they steered toward one their historical rivals instead. Culturally, they also identify differently than Montrealers (almost more like Maritimer-French fusion). If the Nordiques came back, I have no doubt people would switch right back.

I think a franchise there could be viable and I would love to see it. I agree with others though that just being viable isn't good enough. The NHL wants to capture large media markets and expand their brand to newer markets with more diverse demographics, therefore Quebec City is down the list. It would have to be another midnight move like when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg.

[Ped]

I believe Ottawa still has trouble with Leafs and Habs fans taking over the arena when those teams visits - and I believe both the and WInnipeg have had attendance issues the past few years.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

More proof Gary Bettman is well past his expiration date.

Too bad he only work$ for 32 people....who don't agree.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

More proof Gary Bettman is well past his expiration date.

Not sure why we continually see this when all Bettman does is make the owners a ton of money, who are quite happy with him.

When you start paying his salary, your dislike of him will matter.

Until then, you are yelling at clouds.

[Enoch Root]

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.

There's also the matter of density - percentage of the population that are hockey fans. The Canadian cities are at about 60%. Most of the US cities are more like 6%. The NY area is probably higher than that, but let's say it's 15% for ####s and giggles. That would mean that the greater NY area and Toronto have about the same number of hockey fans (but 3 teams to 1).

And I would argue that your 6M number for TO is low. The larger area is more like 10 million. Having 60% penetration on 10 million people, there should probably be 3 teams in the area. And it would still be 3 larger fan bases than CGY or EDM.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

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

This, from the article in the original post:

According to a report from NHL insider Andy Stickland, NHL owners are meeting today to formally approve the opening of an expansion period that will see the league grow from 32 teams to 34 teams.

Stickland further reports that Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia are both frontrunners for expansion.

It says "meeting today to formally approve" ... I was asking if anyone had reported (confirmed) that the meeting had actually happened.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Not sure why we continually see this when all Bettman does is make the owners a ton of money, who are quite happy with him.

When you start paying his salary, your dislike of him will matter.

Until then, you are yelling at clouds.

Isn’t this the whole point of this board… and sports?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Ped

I believe Ottawa still has trouble with Leafs and Habs fans taking over the arena when those teams visits - and I believe both the and WInnipeg have had attendance issues the past few years.

My relatives in Ottawa (50+ years old) all cheer for the Habs or Leafs.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by troutman

My relatives in Ottawa (50+) all cheer for the Habs or Leafs.

Isn't it the same in Calgary though? No matter what Canadian market they are playing in those two teams are going to have a lot of fans.

[mjk123]

expand, grow the game! More cities to visit our Flames in!

[Samonadreau]

Hamilton area population is 800K, St.Catherines is 25 minutes away and is 150k. Kitchener 30 minutes and 300k. London is an hour away and is 450k. Plus people from South Toronto area may go to games if tickets are half the price.

It would work.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Isn't it the same in Calgary though? No matter what Canadian market they are playing in those two teams are going to have a lot of fans.

Older fans (from the NHL 6 era) often still cheer for their original team. And maybe their kids have been brainwashed to do the same.

And those teams are often Montreal or Toronto.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

Isn’t this the whole point of this board… and sports?

Absolutely true.

But the opinion being posted suggests it's universally held, when the 32 team owners love what Bettman is doing.

Their is literally no tangible proof that Bettman is past his prime as Commissioner. Although I do concede that listening to him speak is cringey at best. But that's always been the case.

Sanctioning expansion being proof of past his prime? When that's literally the easiest way for the owners to make free money? Another 50 NHL spots, so players win.

Watered down? Sure, but it won't stop the fans from coming.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Hamilton area population is 800K, St.Catherines is 25 minutes away and is 150k. Kitchener 30 minutes and 300k. London is an hour away and is 450k. Plus people from South Toronto area may go to games if tickets are half the price.

It would work.

Easily. They're all hockey fans and they have money. People from Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph...even Oakville, Milton, and maybe Mississauga would also be attracted. So easy to make money with a team like that.

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Watered down? Sure, but it won't stop the fans from coming.

The 641st-680th players aren't going to water down the league. They are just as good as the 601st-640th players who are in the league now. And the new teams will grab players in the expansion draft and the amateur draft.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Easily. They're all hockey fans and they have money. People from Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph...even Oakville, Milton, and maybe Mississauga would also be attracted. So easy to make money with a team like that.



The 641st-680th players aren't going to water down the league. They are just as good as the 601st-640th players who are in the league now. And the new teams will grab players in the expansion draft and the amateur draft.

They are though. Expansion wouldn't result in 46 more 'average' players, it would add 46 players from the bottom of the pyramid. The question is: how much weaker would it be? And, as you say, there isn't much drop off to those players, so I think the drop would be marginal and the league could digest it with little impact to the quality of the game.

There are more available players all the time, as countries like Germany, Norway, Slovakia, etc, are starting to churn out more and more NHLers. And the US is producing many more quality players than they used to. I think the quality of the product is fine, and could easily absorb 2 more teams over the next 5 years or so.

[Enoch Root]

And I forgot to mention Russia. I remember seeing a stat several years ago (maybe 10-20 years ago), that there were less than 30 Russians in the NHL at the time. I was shocked at how low that number was. I don't know what that number is now, but I do know that we are seeing a pretty steady influx of quality players from Russia each year.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

And I forgot to mention Russia. I remember seeing a stat several years ago (maybe 10-20 years ago), that there were less than 30 Russians in the NHL at the time. I was shocked at how low that number was. I don't know what that number is now, but I do know that we are seeing a pretty steady influx of quality players from Russia each year.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...ers-by-country

57 according to that link.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

https://worldpopulationreview.com/co...ers-by-country

57 according to that link.

Thank you.

That doesn't sound like a big change, but that growth ices another team and a half. And I bet that number continues to rise, going forward.