NHL Expansion back on agenda?

[Takuto Maruki]

It's also humorous to me you mention the "last two Cups" since Colorado was a team that joined the NHL in the 1990s amid the "Southern expansion" and while not in the Sun Belt, would be one of the southern-most franchises if not for the Sun Belt expansion. Ditto STL and WAS, who won Cups before Tampa won back-to-back. So basically 9 of the last 13 are from "Not North"

It is funny how, for these arguments, Washington especially is considered 'the north' when, by most regards of geographical location and especially culturally, it is much closer to the south then anything else. But hey, they've been in the league for 50+ years and successful for 30 of those years...besides, those same people wouldn't have whined about putting a hockey team in the US capital in 1974, would they?

 

[Tawnos]

I frame it more in terms of like "For each franchise to be average in revenue in each league, what's the cost per fan in the market?" What's the real-world application of that percentage gap you just displayed?

The real world application for $ per person in the market is that you can compare apples to apples across all the markets in the US and see just what to expect for financial health

For example, you sort the list of $ per person among the baseball teams. Well four playoff teams are from the top four markets: SD, NY, LA. How is San Diego paying Tatis, Machado and Bogarts and had Snell and Soto, and Darvish and carrying a payroll that big when they're "small market" ? Well, they only need $78 per person to be league average in revenue. New York teams need $88. Cincinnati, who's kinda sucked forever, needs $263 per person.



The one caveat I'd make to your comment about "a Houston team would have very little penetration" position would be "where's their AHL team?" because that's something that would help.

It would help, but not as much as you think... speaking as someone who lives in a market that once had the AHL affiliate of the NHL team 2.5-3 hours away.