NHL wants to expand to 36 teams

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0 reason why Toronto should not have a 2nd team.
Erm, there would be *more* Toronto fans running mouths.

Definitely worse than more Quebec mouth-running considering the language gap.

That said:

Houston

Atlanta (4th time a charm)

Phoenix (last chance)

Queebec City

Gary goes out with generational money for his fam, and retires as a Canadian hero.
 
If the owners thought Bettman was on the wrong path, they would have replaced him. Bettman does exactly what the owners (NHL BOG) tell him to. That is money. Increased revenue. These billionaires didn't become billionaires by not looking for more money.
Precisely. Fans think the NHL is for them. They are wrong. So painfully, totally wrong.
 
It would likely be the highest revenue team of any 4 new teams.
A significant portion of that revenue (and almost all of their fans!) would just be diverted from the Leafs and a new team in Canada doesn't help at all with a new TV deal. The corporate money is also not as strong in a GTA suburb than it would be in a major American city.

It's not happening without massive changes in the broader economic landscape.
 
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I doubt most fans will be able to tell if the league gets further "diluted." The NHL is a gate driven league that thrives on these expansion fees. Of course, the NHL is going to push the envelope with expansion. My guess:

* Houston
* Return to Phoenix
* Return to Atlanta
* Second team in the GTA

This will be adding the #s 8. 10, and 12 media markets in the U.S. to the league. They will never stop until these markets are in the fold.
 
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Halifax has a metro population of ~530k, placing it on par with cities such as Hunstville, Alabama and Modesto, California.
And has a surrounding population of 10 million within an hour.
Edit: read Hamilton not Halifax
 
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I have to agree 36 is too many. Save these cities for the next relocation. I'm not Canadian but I would love to see Quebec City get a team back. I just don't see how any Canadian expansion is possible with the current state of the economy
 
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