Expansion to 36, which city is number 36?

[StreetHawk]

Kind of depends on alignment. Is it 4 divisions of 9 or 6 divisions of 6?

PST
Van, Sea, SJ, LA, Ana, LV
MST
Edm, Cal, AZ, Col, Uta
CST
Dal, Nas, Chi, Win, Min, StL, Hou

So, unless the NHL does a North/South alignment where one of STL/Win play with the MST teams, it becomes a pain to do one with Van, Edm, Cal, Sea, Uta, Col and then SJ, Ana, LA, LV, AZ and likely STL if they don't add another team in the PST/MST time zone, which is pretty much limited to SD, Portland, Sacramento most likely.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

and who's gonna build that 17k seat arena that doesn't involve tax payers dollars.

where's the arena.... when Cedar Park essentially covers said market

Atlanta, Utah, and AZ are building new arenas for expansion. Joey Billionaire in Austin can do it too.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Atlanta, Utah, and AZ are building new arenas for expansion. Joey Billionaire in Austin can do it too.

you're forgetting UT-Austin..... HENCE LIKELY why Cedar Park became the option.....

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

you're forgetting UT-Austin..... HENCE LIKELY why Cedar Park became the option.....

Not forgetting...I have no idea what this is.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Not forgetting...I have no idea what this is.

UT-Austin IS Texas

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

UT-Austin IS Texas

So, why does this mean you can't put an arena somewhere around Austin?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

So, why does this mean you can't put an arena somewhere around Austin?

H-E-B Center already exists.... TO avoid the University conflicts..... it's also why Houston has its own arena in the Fertitta Center in addition to Toyota Center....

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

H-E-B Center already exists.... TO avoid the University conflicts..... it's also why Houston has its own arena in the Fertitta Center in addition to Toyota Center....

Does it accommodate hockey?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Does it accommodate hockey?

Texas Stars..... and Austin Spurs, the last remaining piece of SSE..... after the SilverStars and Rampage were transferred to Vegas as the Aces and Henderson Silver Knights

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Texas Stars.....

So, I'm still not following why Austin can't have an NHL team (minus no potential ownership being named).

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

So, I'm still not following why Austin can't have an NHL team (minus no potential ownership being named).

Cedar Park=Austin.... market is already served.... Dallas owns that territory since they brought the Stars to that market after ownership terminated the Iowa franchise because it was leveraged against AHL BYLAWS..... it's why Minnesota relocated the Aeros from Houston after Alexander ended the lease there and they became the Iowa Wild.... it's also why the Iowa Wolves are in Des Moines as the co-tenant....

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Cedar Park=Austin.... market is already served....

So? Columbus=Columbus.

Pretty much every city has a big university.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

So? Columbus=Columbus.

Pretty much every city has a big university.

so Austin should have iyo..... MLB.... MLS..... NFL..... ALL in the same market as the University of Texas... let me know how successful that goes.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

so Austin should have iyo..... MLB.... MLS..... NFL..... ALL in the same market as the University of Texas... let me know how successful that goes.

Yeah...that's the point. I'd love to find out. Well...an NHL team anyway. That's the point of the thread and my post.

MLS team there gets over 20K a game.

Columbus has a pretty big college there you may have heard of. Vanderbilt is in the heart of Nashville. Boulder is just outside of Denver. Athens is only 40 minutes from Atlanta. LA has like 5 big sports schools in/near it. Raleigh has NC State, Duke, and UNC nearby.

I can probably keep going.

 

[These Are The Days]

In no particular order

1. Atlanta
2. Houston
3. Phoenix
4. Quebec City

It not only makes the most sense all around with 3 absolutely massive markets getting teams, but it follows an established pattern of cities getting their teams back with Atlanta once before, Minnesota and Winnipeg. Phoenix and Quebec would join that list too. The talent coming out of Quebec just isn't there lately and I think the hockey world as a whole will benefit tremendously with an NHL presence in Quebec City again.

One last note: if you want to do San Diego, Nashville has to move east. No buts about it.

 

[adsfan]

in what arena.... if the Cavaliers own the arena in Cleveland and already own a team in said arena.... it's why Cleveland has had hockey there since 2006.... there is no Barons franchise it's now the Barracuda.

Sorry, Hutch. The NHL Cleveland Barons were absorbed by the Minnesota North Stars. They became the Dallas Stars.

The AHL Barracuda may have come from Cleveland, but they aren't the Barons. They came from Lexington, KY and moved to Cleveland.

 

[JMCx4]

Sorry, Hutch. The NHL Cleveland Barons were absorbed by the Minnesota North Stars. They became the Dallas Stars.

The Barracuda may have come from Cleveland, but they aren't the Barons.

They both start with "Bar" ... that's close enough for me!

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Like to see a 40 team NHL maybe even 42 teams by 2048... of course Quebec city becomes 33rd franchise in 2026, Atlanta,2029, Houston or Austin 2032, San Diego 2035,Milwaukee 2038,Portland 2041, GTo 2043,Montreal 2045,Cincinnati 2046 and Cleveland 2048...maybe some of those cities could resurrect names like the Stingers,Crusaders and course Nordiques and maybe Maroons,Rosebuds,Mariners

 

[hammer42]

I think every major sports league in North America is going to have between 36 - 40 teams in the near future say around 10 -15 year period depending on how much demand there is for each sport .

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

I think every major sports league in North America is going to have between 36 - 40 teams in the near future say around 10 -15 year period depending on how much demand there is for each sport .

Count the NFL out of that equation. They don't want to do anything that will jeopardize the schedule format they have now, which guarantees each team will play the others at least twice in an 8-year period (once home, once road). The best hope for markets without an NFL team getting pro football (outside of NFL team relocation) is the UFL.

 

[joelef]

Count the NFL out of that equation. They don't want to do anything that will jeopardize the schedule format they have now, which guarantees each team will play the others at least twice in an 8-year period (once home, once road). The best hope for markets without an NFL team getting pro football (outside of NFL team relocation) is the UFL.

The only markets I can see for the nfl is Toronto and maybe Mexico city

 

[hammer42]

I do believe we will see a 36 team NHL within the next 10 to 15 years or so & here is what cities are my opinion are the best markets to host NHL. team Houston , Hamilton , Kansas City & Cincinnati .

I don't think the NHL. would want to give Atlanta a 3rd chance because it just to much of a risk of failure as for the Arizona Coyotes coming back within 5 years most likely won't happen either unless ownership gets the Phoenix Suns on board to help fund the arena as co tenant unless that happens no NHL. team is ever coming back to Arizona .

You wondering why I left Quebec City off my list first of all I am all for a return of the Nordiques but Quebec City might have a brand new world class arena but it is in a small market & I don't think NHL. wants another small market team plus the NHL. is already making money off the Nordiques merchandise right now also I think if the NHL. had to choose between Hamilton & Quebec City they would choose the larger of the 2 markets where they can make the most money & that market is Hamilton or the GTHA (Greater Toronto Hamilton Area) where there over 6 million people & that is not including southwestern Ontario.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

It's not how these things work, but if Gary could retire with the Nordiques, the Thrashers and the Coyotes all getting their teams back it would be a nice and poetic close to the era.

 

[nhlfan79]

I don't think the NHL. would want to give Atlanta a 3rd chance because it just to much of a risk of failure

This false narrative is so tired and tedious, and I can't wait for this hot take to be buried forever. There is literally no reason to think that Atlanta would fail as a hockey market unless ownership actively tries to kill the franchise, like ASG did the last time.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

This false narrative is so tired and tedious, and I can't wait for this hot take to be buried forever. There is literally no reason to think that Atlanta would fail as a hockey market unless ownership actively tries to kill the franchise, like ASG did the last time.

He's had that comment on copy/paste and has been shot down with no returning reply a million times. He's just wanting a reaction. Ignore.