Is Bettman plotting for a 36-team NHL?

[Siludin]

Expanding 4 more teams without a team in Quebec should be grounds for a riot

 

[cowboy82nd]

Pacific: Salt Lake City
Central: Kansas City/Milwaukee
Metro: Atlanta/Houston
Atlantic: Quebec City

You would want the Metro to have either Atlanta or Houston, while Dallas plays in the Central? I can see if it's Atlanta but not Houston.

Expanding 4 more teams without a team in Quebec should be grounds for a riot

Why????

 

[Siludin]

Why????

Because the NHL can suck a bag if it thinks that it is acceptable to return to Atlanta twice before returning to Quebec. I consider it terrorism - an act of aggression.

 

[ViD]

Pacific: Salt Lake City
Central: Kansas City/Milwaukee
Metro: Atlanta/Houston
Atlantic: Quebec City

Houston would be in the Central with Dallas

 

[Nineteen67]

If hockey isn’t growing at least at the same rate as overall population growth, the sport is in very big trouble.

It is in big trouble. The population growth will likely hurt revenues more than increase them.

 

[cowboy82nd]

Because the NHL can suck a bag if it thinks that it is acceptable to return to Atlanta twice before returning to Quebec. I consider it terrorism - an act of aggression.

Look, I'm NOT at all against Quebec getting another team, but can you explain it to me how it would be terrorism if they didn't get a team?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

The NHL will continue to expand as long as someone can pay the money to do it. It's the same reason the price of goods from milk to housing to shoes will continue to rise: inflation.

But one might ask the honest question: has a higher dollar paid for a gallon of milk over the past five years led to better milk?

More teams similarly dilutes the value of the NHL. People who defend expansion, who say "which team would you contract," who say Atlanta can *certainly* make it work this time, are simply people who have no memory of the value of the NHL back before the Columbus and Minnesota expansions began to prove that there are not an infinite number of people who are NHL-level athletes. And the more that subpar players got NHL roles, the worse the sport became. It's hard to watch these days. It's hard to play fantasy hockey unless you're in a six-team league because of how few goalies there are. And it's impossible to maintain with a straight face that the league will be better off with more teams -- when fewer and fewer youths are signing up, fewer and fewer parents can afford it, less ice occurs naturally in the world, ad nauseam....

Bad idea.

 

[tucker3434]

It is in big trouble. The population growth will likely hurt revenues more than increase them.

You're going to have to dumb that one down for me. Revenue has largely risen faster than population growth over the last ~20 years.

 

[Snuggs]

Because the NHL can suck a bag if it thinks that it is acceptable to return to Atlanta twice before returning to Quebec. I consider it terrorism - an act of aggression.

It'd be the owners, and from their point of view they're not exactly adding new viewers in Quebec City, they're stealing fans/viewers them from existing franchises.

Good for Quebec City, their fans, and the owner(s) of the team, but doesn't expand the game necessarily or create more revenue for the league.

If you're another owner, you only want to accept expansion where new and more viewership will happen. Not recycling or stealing Canadian fans.

TBH, the only way I see Quebec City getting a team again is through "relocation" of an already existing franchise.

I don't think Atlanta should have a team, if you're asking me, other cities very capable. Atlanta is about as good of an idea as New Orleans.

 

[CanMerc]

It's been said numerous times...

But what about expansion to Europe. 32 Teams in North American playing in the NHL. Winner wins the Stanley Cup.

Create an NHL Europe or something slowly expanding teams as the game grows.

Stockholm
Oslo
Berlin
St Petersburgh
Moscow
Prague
Bratislava
Paris
London

NHL Europe plays for a new trophy......the Bettman Cup.

Than, the winner of each League plays off in the International Cup or something similar.

Some variation on that idea in my opinion is the best way to grow the game. Get the NHL truly in Europe as the top marketer for all things Ice Hockey.

Only way this happens is if the NHL buys the other European leagues which are already established. The owners of those teams, leagues, would never willingly give up the revenue they make

 

[vandymeer13]

If they go to 36 teams but limit to playing other conference teams to once a year and the other division in your conference twice then the rest of the games played against divisional foes to try and have rivalries. With the watered-down rosters even more the goons come back, and fighting makes a comeback. I'm all for it.

 

[ijuka]

A salary capped league and contracts with term make this an obvious non starter. If a team with multiple multi-year multi-million dollar contracts (which is to say, all of them) is ‘sent down’ - what happens to the contracts? Think the team still has to pay them (so, instant bankruptcy?). Players forced to move, or contracts voided (sell that to the nhlpa).


A relegation system doesn’t work at all in a system like the salary capped nhl.

Well, then keep it a 32-team league. Pretty obvious.

 

[Snuggs]

Only way this happens is if the NHL buys the other European leagues which are already established. The owners of those teams, leagues, would never willingly give up the revenue they make

Yeah, way too many leagues over there that generate a lot of revenue. (NLA/SHL/Liiga/KHL/DEL)

Though I circle back and maybe you could establish a league between UK/Ireland/France/Belgium.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

The NHL will expand again simply because the existing 32 owners will happily pocket the expansion money. The problem is that 34 teams will cause another unbalance but 36 is workable.

It is becoming obvious that Atlanta 3.0 will happen

Arena project 'full speed' ahead in hopes of landing NHL franchise

Gathering at South Forsyth district gaining steam as 2023 concludes, NHL analyst relays

atlanta.urbanize.city

The NHL has a willing suitor in Salt Lake City with the owner of the NBA Jazz.

Then we have Houston



Team 36?

View attachment 795020

Personally the idea of a 36 team NHL makes me ill but the NHL BOG has historically

View attachment 795022

Can I make a case for Atlanta 3.0? Yes because it wasn't lack of fan support that caused the Flames and Thrashers to move.

Salt Lake? The owner of the NBA Jazz wants a NHL team.
Houston? Second largest state in the US and a natuaral rival with Dallas.
Quebec? A huge Francophone TV market that would embrace the team.

Bettman at this point will not walk away from Phoenix.

Obviously the best market for a NHL expansion team is Toronto or the Golden Horseshoe but...............

Capitalism, baby!

Seriously tho.. could work for the NHL? It’d differentiate the league and get us in the news if it’s 4 expansion teams all at once or in quick succession.

I think Bettman just wants to make money for him and his rich friends, but if you want greater market share just making new teams effectively does that.

I get the worry over talent drain, but honestly, there are so many fringe grinders anyways, and we love seeing a skill guy turnstile a 6th D plug. Purists will bitch, new fans won’t know the difference and just see an awesome goal- f*** it, make it 40.

 

[Hollel]

I only support this if they agree to remove the ads on helmets, jerseys and those god awful digital ads in game. But I am resigned to an even more diluted product with what surely be a continuation of accelerated in game ads and gambling features

 

[GeeoffBrown]

If we go to 36 teams, then I wouldn't mind adding the play-in round

 

[Tilden Katz]

I love these expansion treads. Quebec is not a good option for the NHL. It wants markets that are either huge or untapped. Atlanta, Houston check the boxes for huge markets.

As for untapped, you're looking for locations that only have one, maybe two big fours, and ideally, no NBA presence (direct season competition).

Kansas City certainly fits the idea of a relatively big market with no NBA presence. I don't know what else they would look at. I'm aware of SLC rumors.

The reality that is so hard to grip for some folks is that all the feel goodery and nostalgia-baiting of the idea of QC does not line the pockets of the owners. Didn't before, doesn't now, won't at any time in the future. I'm sure they would sooner look at Jacksonville, Florida than QC (which I'm not suggesting is a good option either).

 

[robertmac43]

I love the idea of Portland being another option. Some potential for some west coast rivalry with Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.

 

[PaulD]

Why is that?

perhaps he thinks the league has been watered down enough.
Ask any fan out side of Vegas if they really like their bottom pair or 3rd and fourth lines?
and how many teams are looking for real NHL calibre goalies?
Ha! Why not just round it out at 40 teams and merge with the AHL?

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

Don't understand why people care so much about the talent pool being watered down. Is it supposed to be a big deal that the average fourth line/bottom pairing gets worse relative to everyone else? Talent dilution just means more ice time/more opportunity for star players to influence the game which is good for the league

 

[CanMerc]

I’m hoping Bettman gets the boot, quits, retires, dies, gets abducted by aliens,…what ever gets rid of him…, and the new guy/girl/monkey/pet rock finally moves that team in Arizona to a viable market.
Then we can talk expansion.
First, QC definitely should be the next market to get a team in the Atlantic. They would be far more self sufficient and profitable than that team in ARI
Second, I’m 100% against another team in Toronto, the GTA, Hamilton, or the Golden Hourseshoe area… We have TML, BUF, DET, all within 2-3 hours drive from each other…depending on traffic…enough

I’d love to see a Maritimes team that consolidates the fan bases of the whole are, but thats impossible to predict or accomplish.

I think Houston or KC would be a great choice for a Central expansion team.

So Houston in the Central and QC in the Atlantic…That leaves the Pacific and the Metro divisions

 

[Moose Head]

Because the NHL can suck a bag if it thinks that it is acceptable to return to Atlanta twice before returning to Quebec. I consider it terrorism - an act of aggression.

It’s in Quebecs best interests that there is large scale expansion in the US. The NHL won’t expand to Quebec, that’s obvious. If all the best available US markets are filled by expansion teams, Quebec will be in a better position to get a team that’s moving locations.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

People like to blame Bettman for stuff, you gotta understand that in any major sport, the commissioner does the job that the owners want him to do.

Bettman has served as commissioner for what, thirty years? There's a reason he's still in the job, and it's because (now) 32 guys with a lot of money like the way he's doing it.

 

[Tilden Katz]

I’m hoping Bettman gets the boot, quits, retires, dies, gets abducted by aliens,…what ever gets rid of him…, and the new guy/girl/monkey/pet rock finally moves that team in Arizona to a viable market.
Then we can talk expansion.
First, QC definitely should be the next market to get a team in the Atlantic. They would be far more self sufficient and profitable than that team in ARI
Second, I’m 100% against another team in Toronto, the GTA, Hamilton, or the Golden Hourseshoe area… We have TML, BUF, DET, all within 2-3 hours drive from each other…depending on traffic…enough

I’d love to see a Maritimes team that consolidates the fan bases of the whole are, but thats impossible to predict or accomplish.

I think Houston or KC would be a great choice for a Central expansion team.

So Houston in the Cengtral and QC in the Atlantic…That leaves the Pacific and the Metro divisions

Provide any evidence that QC would be "more self sufficient and profitable" that ARI, and that another team in Southern Ontario is more financially lucrative than a large American market (ATL, HOU). Anything evidence apart from you gatekeeping hockey as exclusively popular in Canada.

 

[Konnan511]

If we are adding 4 more teams, I'd like to see Houston, SLC, Cleveland, and maybe Milwaukee (I find it weird there is not an NHL team in WESconsin)?