Expansion to 36, which city is number 36?

[Big Z Man 1990]

The Canadian teams should also want my arrangement put in place because it would prevent things like in 2016 where no Canadian team made the playoffs.

 

[rojac]

The Canadian teams should also want my arrangement put in place because it would prevent things like in 2016 where no Canadian team made the playoffs.

I don't think there are many posters on these boards that would support your idea let alone Canadian teams.

 

[Golden_Jet]

The Canadian teams should also want my arrangement put in place because it would prevent things like in 2016 where no Canadian team made the playoffs.

If they don’t make it, they don’t make it,
It doesn’t work for Canadian teams, and even worse for fans.

 

[Headshot77]

Tier 1 - Cities the NHL "needs" to be in:
Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix

Tier 2 - Cities on the NHL's radar:
San Diego, Portland, Kansas City, Quebec City

Tier 3 - Very unlikely:
Cincinnati, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Omaha?!?

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

There is no Arizona so put that to bed but cities like San Diego,Quebec,Houston and Cincinnati and maybe Omaha,Portland,Kansas city,Cleveland and Atlanta or Birmingham NHL hockey with GT added to the mix to make it a 44 team NHL...I forgot Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Hartford would be good too so 46 teams with 32 teams making the play-offs

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

I don't think there are many posters on these boards that would support your idea let alone Canadian teams.

Rogers holds a lot of sway though. If they want this arrangement they shall have it. Or any other major media company in Canada. If the NHL resists, it could very well cost them national TV coverage in Canada.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Rogers holds a lot of sway though. If they want this arrangement they shall have it. Or any other major media company in Canada. If the NHL resists, it could very well cost them national TV coverage in Canada.

They would have no say, luckily.
Just move on, it’s a poor idea, as many have mentioned.

 

[ForumNamePending]

Ya, as far as ideas that sound interesting and/or reasonable until you give it more than a few seconds of thought, the "North Division" is right up there with "a tournament to determine draft order".

 

[sneakytitz]

There is no Arizona so put that to bed but cities like San Diego,Quebec,Houston and Cincinnati and maybe Omaha,Portland,Kansas city,Cleveland and Atlanta or Birmingham NHL hockey with GT added to the mix to make it a 44 team NHL...I forgot Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Hartford would be good too so 46 teams with 32 teams making the play-offs

Maybe not at the moment but you have to realize that Phoenix is a MASSIVE media market. The NHL essentially just traded the #11 media market for #27 by moving Arizona to Utah. They're about halfway through their current broadcast deal. When it comes time to shop around for the next one they absolutely want to say that they either have or are about to have a team in media markets #6 (Houston), #7 (Atlanta), and #11 (Phoenix-Prescott).

If the NHL can pull this off, they would join the MLB and NFL by having a team in all of the top 15 U.S. media markets. That is a massive selling point.

And it is a pipe dream and a guy can wish, but media market wise, Hartford-New Haven is larger than Kansas City, Omaha, and Austin. I'd love to see the Houston Aeros, Atlanta Thrashers, Phoenix Coyotes, and Hartford Whalers be 33 through 36.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Maybe not at the moment but you have to realize that Phoenix is a MASSIVE media market. The NHL essentially just traded the #11 media market for #27 by moving Arizona to Utah. They're about halfway through their current broadcast deal. When it comes time to shop around for the next one they absolutely want to say that they either have or are about to have a team in media markets #6 (Houston), #7 (Atlanta), and #11 (Phoenix-Prescott).

If the NHL can pull this off, they would join the MLB and NFL by having a team in all of the top 15 U.S. media markets. That is a massive selling point.

And it is a pipe dream and a guy can wish, but media market wise, Hartford-New Haven is larger than Kansas City, Portland, and Austin. I'd love to see the Houston Aeros, Atlanta Thrashers, Phoenix Coyotes, and Hartford Whalers be 33 through 36.

Quebec Nordiques should added next in my opinion just for the great rivalry they had with Les Canadiens and of course the crazy,passionate, and emotional fans of Quebec would be awesome to see and hear

 

[sneakytitz]

Operative words: pipe dream. I know Hartford is never going to happen.

 

[dj4aces]

Rogers holds a lot of sway though. If they want this arrangement they shall have it. Or any other major media company in Canada. If the NHL resists, it could very well cost them national TV coverage in Canada.

Eh... not really. They could certainly propose such an alignment, but it faces approval of the other members of the BoG.

What had to happen during the abridged pandemic season will not necessarily work long-term.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Eh... not really. They could certainly propose such an alignment, but it faces approval of the other members of the BoG.

What had to happen during the abridged pandemic season will not necessarily work long-term.

Approval could be required for the NHL to stay on national TV in Canada. If the NHL won't budge then they won't be on national TV in Canada after the current contract expires. Neither Rogers, Bell, CBC, or Corus will agree to broadcast NHL games on national TV if the NHL doesn't budge. Though regional broadcasts of Canadian teams would be unaffected.

Remember Apple walked away from the NFL Sunday Ticket rights when they couldn't get all the things they wanted.

So believe it or not, the NHL cannot afford NOT to be on national TV in Canada (which would be ironic given they weren't on American national TV for years) and at the end of the day the NHL will do anything to keep that national TV exposure in Canada, even if it means American teams have to fight much harder than Canadian teams to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

In what world is Canadian TV going to start dictating alignment terms to the NHL?

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

In what world is Canadian TV going to start dictating alignment terms to the NHL?

A lot of Canadians, especially those who work in mass media, are mad that there has been no Cup winner from Canada in over 30 years. So I wouldn't rule anything out.

Remember back when the Stanley Cup was first starting (well before even the NHA), only Canadian teams could play for it.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

No, I don’t remember that, because I’m not over a hundred years old.

 

[BMN]

Neither Rogers, Bell, CBC, or Corus will agree to broadcast NHL games on national TV if the NHL doesn't budge.
I'm convinced you are at the very least not Canadian. Because any Canadian aware of their surroundings that thinks these entities would all strong-arm the NHL.....for the benefit of a TV contract only one, two tops, of them were going to actually get......is quite hysterical.

I had proposed in a different thread that an eight Canadian team NHL would be great to split Canadian coverage into two deals (for e.g., you could have a Montreal/Ottawa/Vancouver/Winnipeg deal, and a Toronto/Quebec City/Edmonton/Calgary deal, or however you thought it'd be most beneficial for two parties). That'd be a way to maximize the value of the Canadian television market. Even that idea was greeted with some incredulity but it looks quite rational in comparison to your idea.

 

[Takuto Maruki]

I'm convinced you are at the very least not Canadian.

He's not, because he seriously thinks that The CW will be a major player in sports broadcasting other then spot appearances.

A lot of Canadians, especially those who work in mass media, are mad that there has been no Cup winner from Canada in over 30 years.

The vast majority of those working in television in Canada are more mad, and more cognizant of the fact that they are facing the same challenges, across the entire industry, as their brethren south of the border. I doubt they (and really, Rogers since they're the ones that actually hold the rights) give that much of a shit about a lack of a cup winner when they have more care about being utterly dog walked by streaming services, across the entire board, and losing potential revenue from cord cutters.

 

[Melrose Munch]

There should be no rush to go back into Phoenix

 

[Bixby Snyder]

There should be no rush to go back into Phoenix

Who's rushing?

 

[Melrose Munch]

Who's rushing?

This Board. Atlanta and Houston are more of a priority at the moment.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

A lot of Canadians, especially those who work in mass media, are mad that there has been no Cup winner from Canada in over 30 years. So I wouldn't rule anything out.

Remember back when the Stanley Cup was first starting (well before even the NHA), only Canadian teams could play for it.

I'm pretty sure Rogers execs are happy with this years playoffs especially the final. At the end of the day what matters is how many people are tuning in.

 

[Golden_Jet]

A lot of Canadians, especially those who work in mass media, are mad that there has been no Cup winner from Canada in over 30 years. So I wouldn't rule anything out.

Remember back when the Stanley Cup was first starting (well before even the NHA), only Canadian teams could play for it.

Canadians think Columbus should move to the Pacific division as well . Get it done Gary.

That’s how much sense your Canadian division alignment makes.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Remember Apple walked away from the NFL Sunday Ticket rights when they couldn't get all the things they wanted.

The NFL has been ordered to pay $4.7 billion due to antitrust violations surrounding its “Sunday Ticket” package, but an even larger penalty is still on the table.

 

[dj4aces]

This Board. Atlanta and Houston are more of a priority at the moment.

Honestly... even if *this board* is rushing to re-enter the Phoenix market, it all depends on whether infrastructure is built (or in progress, at the very least) and an owner is available. Phoenix will almost certainly come after Houston and Atlanta, unless the league themselves hold back.