True. The NHL should cut all but one Canadian franchise to be more like the MLB and the NBA.
Assuming the NHL expands to 36 teams, what will schedule look like?
- Thread starter PistolPete
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True. The NHL should cut all but one Canadian franchise to be more like the MLB and the NBA.
I think there are offices or something tied to it as well (at least last I checked into it)
Either way, it's the main thing driving the value of teams in all sports today- as an anchor for real estate development deals
landy
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Hmm "only" 4 more games compared to now. Preseason started 9.23 for the Avs and the regular season started 10.12. I like to think we could easily fit the 4 games in there.Wow. That's ambitious.
No breaks for the players then?
What about fatigue? Can't really compare a preseason game to a regular game since the main roster hardly plays during the preseason and they certainly don't go all out for those games
In terms of breaks for the players, as of today 75% of the league is already done (87.5% in a couple days), assuming they arent voluntarily playing in the WC, so 4-5 months should be more than enough of a break, right?
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The main argument is that because of 7 Canadian teams, there are only 25 US teams in 22 markets which leaves a lot more room for US expansion than the other leagues.
They do.
There are groups clamoring for Atlanta and Houston. If they'd pass the NHL gatekeeper? That's another question
Given the population shift going on in the U.S. I wouldn't be surprised to see teams in Charlotte and Austin- especially Austin since there's only ab MLS team there and it's far enough away from Houston to not be swallowed up by it
I meant more so recovery time between games.
4 games may not seem like much but the body does need time to recuperate.
I think your proposed 4 expansion teams lead really naturally to 6 divisions of 6 in two conferences:
Pacific
- ANA, LAK, SJS, VGK, VAN, SEA
Mountain:
- ARI, COL, UTH, CGY, EDM, WPG
Central:
- DAL, MIN, STL, CHI, HOU, KC
Southeast:
- TBL, FLA, ATL, CAR, WSH, NSH
Atlantic:
- PHI, PIT, NYI, NYR, NJD, CBJ
Northeast:
- TOR, OTT, MTL, BUF, BOS, DET
The geographies make much more sense for everyone and I think the only change you could even debate making are swapping Washington and Columbus or Arizona and Vegas. The Central picking up two expansion teams could also be a problem but the Pacific got Vegas and Seattle.
35 home/away vs. every team in the league = 70 games
5 home/away again vs. every team in your division = 10 games
6 home or away again vs. every team in one other division (could be out of conference) that rotates every year = 6 games
86 game regular season
Division winners are seeded 1-3. Division runner-ups are seeded 4-6. Next four best teams in the conference are seeded 8-10 and rip the exact format of the NBA's play-in for seeds 8 and 9. Straight bracket, don't re-seed the second round.
PlayersLtd
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The NHL has undergone continual expansion since the 90's and yet valuations and league wide revenue have risen dramatically, especially so in the years since Vegas joined, and salaries have gone up with it. The bubble hasn't burst.
Since every new team represents approximately $750M to the pot as well as other streams of revenue and since Bettman still talks about expansion it is clear that we haven't maxed out on teams yet, through they eyes of the owners anyway.
From a fan perspective I am not at all in favour of this kind of growth strategy but from an economic perspective you can bet the owners are going to keep pushing.
Also, even if you were right about Ottawa (which you're not, they are perfectly stable under new ownership) since when has the health of one or two teams ever had an impact on Bettman's willingness to expand? Arizona, Florida, Carolina, Buffalo, Ottawa and others have all had well documented P&L issues yet only one went by the wayside, and that had nothing to do with the losses that piled up.
Also, Winnipeg isn't going anywhere. True North Sports and Entertainment is a multi billion dollar juggernaut that owns half of the city and beyond. They can and will sustain losses by just offsetting them elsewhere in their portfolio, which the Jets overall help to prop up.
PlayersLtd
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Not to take anything away from your point but Lebreton is very unlikely to happen and the valuation of the franchise was independent of the memorandum of understanding that was in place with the NCC, which wasn't worth the paper it was written on.
I've heard the opposite on all counts.
Well! Looks like one of us is getting some bad info! Ah well
landy
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Im into it, but we need to re-seed. 1v4 right now with the Nuggets and Thunder is a crime when 6v7 is playing on the other side.
Giant Panda
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Or we just go full thunderdome.
40 teams. No playoffs. You lose 20 games, you get eliminated for the season. If you lose 5 times to the same team, you get eliminated. Draft happens midseason, you have to make your first round pick within 12 hours of being eliminated. Trades can happen at any time up to the point where your team get's eliminated, so in that way every team has their own trade deadlines. All elimination games have 5 on 5 overtime, OTL count as losses, salary cap is...
I'm kidding but I would love to see what the NHL's long term plan is other than 'give me money'.
40 teams. No playoffs. You lose 20 games, you get eliminated for the season. If you lose 5 times to the same team, you get eliminated. Draft happens midseason, you have to make your first round pick within 12 hours of being eliminated. Trades can happen at any time up to the point where your team get's eliminated, so in that way every team has their own trade deadlines. All elimination games have 5 on 5 overtime, OTL count as losses, salary cap is...
I'm kidding but I would love to see what the NHL's long term plan is other than 'give me money'.
Bonk
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Question: Is the number of people playing hockey increasing?
Someone mentioned that the Euro influx in the past made it easier to justify adding teams to balance out the diluted talent. We're adding more Americans from non-traditional markets thanks to grassroots programs by Carolina, Dallas, Nashville, etc., but I have no idea what the numbers are.
I get that it's all about expansion fees and overall revenue, but from a talent perspective, I don't mind expansion as long as there's proportionally more people playing the sport.
Someone mentioned that the Euro influx in the past made it easier to justify adding teams to balance out the diluted talent. We're adding more Americans from non-traditional markets thanks to grassroots programs by Carolina, Dallas, Nashville, etc., but I have no idea what the numbers are.
I get that it's all about expansion fees and overall revenue, but from a talent perspective, I don't mind expansion as long as there's proportionally more people playing the sport.
RayMartyniukTotems
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A NHL with 40 teams would provide more jobs for US born players and Europeans as well as Canadians who at one time were the sole providers of talent...Atlanta,Houston,Quebec city,KC,SanDiego,Milwaukee,Cincinnati and...Phoenix with TO and Hamilton added to make 41 and 42...and of course 32 teams make the play-offs...1 plays 32,2 plays 31 and so on and so forth...
Dirty Mind
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Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix are givens imo.
Québec City should be 36.
Québec City should be 36.
RayMartyniukTotems
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And lets have 4 on 4 hockey...no more 5 on 5 and gimicky 3 on 3 and no OT until playoffs...
If you're talking about Tilman Fertitta, the word for years has been that he's not willing to pay anything near what the NHL is asking for an expansion fee.
Considering he owns the operating rights to the Toyota Center, that kinda throws a wrench into things.
Hmmm....rhst name isn't ringing a bell but that would throw a wrench into the league's plans. They won't give an inch when it comes to the expansion fee
BTO
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Dirty Mind
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Those three cities also slot in perfectly into every existing division:
Pacific: Phoenix. But absolutely can’t go back to the Coyotes brand when they come back (and they will).
Central: Houston
Metro: Atlanta — putting them with the big market NY and Penn state teams is critical imo.
Atlantic: Geographically QC would be perfect. I know it’s not exactly at the top of the NHL’s list but keep in mind from 1996-2011 Manitobans clamouring for the return of the Jets were seen as idealistic dreamers too.
If not this would be a decent reason to justify a 2nd Toronto team. I’ve long been a proponent of another Toronto franchise, there are a LOT hockey fans in Toronto who want to cheer for a local team but not the Leafs. According to some Leafs fans who know Toronto’s traffic and populations patterns, Markham would be the best choice for their arena.
Pacific: Phoenix. But absolutely can’t go back to the Coyotes brand when they come back (and they will).
Central: Houston
Metro: Atlanta — putting them with the big market NY and Penn state teams is critical imo.
Atlantic: Geographically QC would be perfect. I know it’s not exactly at the top of the NHL’s list but keep in mind from 1996-2011 Manitobans clamouring for the return of the Jets were seen as idealistic dreamers too.
If not this would be a decent reason to justify a 2nd Toronto team. I’ve long been a proponent of another Toronto franchise, there are a LOT hockey fans in Toronto who want to cheer for a local team but not the Leafs. According to some Leafs fans who know Toronto’s traffic and populations patterns, Markham would be the best choice for their arena.
Homelander
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Ridiculous. They should be downsizing. The talent at the NHL is diluted enough. f***ing Barclay Goodrow was on a roster last year!
Youd have to actually expand to 42 teams for 2 games against everybody 82 game schedule. Because a team cant play itself.
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