HF Habs: Out Of Town Thread: 2024 Off-Season edition

[Deebs]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836768357036568980

If they are wanting to expand, I hope it's Houston over Atlanta.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Yeah not a fan of more expansion. 32 is a nice number and I really don't want the playoffs to expand beyond 16 teams, and it seems odd for the NHL to be the first one to be looking at 34 to 36 while the NBA/MLB aren't even past 30 yet and the NFL hasn't expanded past 32 even though they could put a team on the moon and make huge profits with their TV contracts.

I guess the NHL's reasoning is that they have the unique advantage of having 7 Canadian markets. The other sports only have the Jays/Raptors while the NHL has the Leafs and Montreal as huge cash cows alongside Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary as very financially healthy franchises and Winnipeg/Ottawa at least treading water with some upside when they're good. I get that line of reasoning but it just seems like at some point they risk overextending as a league, particularly when the NHL has a lot of poverty franchises that are an interest rate hike, a recession, or a bad couple seasons away from being in real trouble.

Outside of the financial side I think we're around the tipping point of watering down the league's talent too much with continued expansion as well. I think there are still enough forwards out there, but on defence and in goal it's dicey.

 

[Leto]

I guess the NHL's reasoning is that they have the unique advantage of having 7 Canadian markets while the other sports only have the Jays/Raptors while the NHL has the Leafs and Montreal as huge cash cows alongside Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary as very financially healthy franchises. I get that line of reasoning but it just seems like at some point they risk overextending as a league, particularly when the NHL has a lot of poverty franchises that are an interest rate hike, a recession, or a bad couple seasons away from being in real trouble.

Yeah, pretty much. Here's what Bill Daly said recently :

We have seven teams in Canada, and we’re really only in the 22 U.S. markets because we have three teams in the New York market and two teams in the L.A. market. And so that means we’re at 22 U.S. markets when the other professional sports leagues are basically at 30, 31 markets. So that means there’s market availability, which I think helps.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Yeah, pretty much. Here's what Bill Daly said recently :

Where would they go in Canada? They will never got to Quebec City - no corporate support. I suppose Hamilton would work but Rogers would never allow it unless they owned the team.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836828179173884188

 

[Wats]

Not too bad, he's definitely a top pairing guy.

 

[Leto]

Where would they go in Canada? They will never got to Quebec City - no corporate support. I suppose Hamilton would work but Rogers would never allow it unless they owned the team.

I don't think they are looking to expand in Canada. Daly is basically saying that the NHL is underrepresented in the US market. Plus, that's where the money is.​

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

I don't think they are looking to expand in Canada. Daly is basically saying that the NHL is underrepresented in the US market. Plus, that's where the money is.​

I am sure they aren't. Quebec City has an arena and a solid fan base. If there was a lot of corporate sponsership money they might have considered them. They would be another solid franchise to support the loser franchises.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Yeah, pretty much. Here's what Bill Daly said recently :

It makes some sense for sure, but I think it's pretty risky to just assume that the NHL can comfortably get to 26-28 US markets just because the other leagues are comfortable at 30 or 31. The poorest NFL franchises are worth almost double what the Leafs/Rangers/Habs are worth, and a lot of NHL teams are basically just loss leaders for real estate/stadium grifts by their owners. On the one hand it's a huge luxury that the NHL can count on Toronto and Montreal being two of the three richest franchises in the sport, but on the other hand it's a little suspect to be expanding into 4 new US markets when the NHL can barely pull more money out of Boston and LA than they can out of Edmonton.

I just wonder if there's ever going be a tipping point where the money coming from Canada changes and threatens the expansion project, as Tampa is the only southern team that's really become a genuine financial success. Like I said, I think the grumbling from Canadian fans is mostly just sour grapes, but as long as enough fans genuinely feel that way there's a risk people will start tuning out a bit. I don't think Canadian fans will ever abandon the NHL en masse, but it would be really dangerous for the NHL if Canadian fans stopped being rabid NHL psychos and instead just followed an NHL team the same way they follow the Raptors/Jays and their chosen NFL team. If the Oilers became financial peers to the Wild/Blues instead of the Kings/Bruins the league would be in real trouble. Sorta reminds me of Nascar's late 90s/early 00s expansion strategy and changes to playoff formats to juice casual interest which drove away core fans and backfired as well.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

If they are wanting to expand, I hope it's Houston over Atlanta.

It's very much expected to be both.

 

[OnTheRun]

It's very much expected to be both.

It's only going to be one, because it's currently a 33 teams league (yes, the Yotes still exist), so they need to brings that number to 34. In 4 years time if the Yotes still don't have a building to play in, which seems very likely right now, that franchise is going to be sold and moved somewhere else.

 

[Saundies]

34 teams is too many, simple as that. I am being selfish and it will objectively be harder to win the cup in a league that has an insane amount of teams.

Like many have already said: 16 team playoffs, half of each conference makes it. It's perfect. Why ruin it?

Sports betting commercials every 2 seconds, jersey/helmet ads, and now this. Garbage.

 

[morhilane]

It's only going to be one, because it's currently a 33 teams league (yes, the Yotes still exist), so they need to brings that number to 34. In 4 years time if the Yotes still don't have a building to play in, which seems very likely right now, that franchise is going to be sold and moved somewhere else.

Didn't the Yotes owner recind his NHL rights a few months ago?

 

[the valiant effort]

It’s always fascinating to skim the main boards where pro-expansion HFers jump through hoops to convince others that what’s in the best interest of the NHL BoG is what’s best for the game itself and existing fans.

 

[OnTheRun]

Didn't the Yotes owner recind his NHL rights a few months ago?

Kindof. He told to the NHL he wouldn't pursue reactivation, so it's an inactive franchise from the NHL point of view.

 

[Nashy]

Hughes has gotten me interested in hockey again....unfortunately, Bettman is going to make me apathetic again......2 more teams? There's too many now as it is. And Atlanta is a front runner? Come the f*** on....third time's a charm, right? Forget the TV markets put them in hockey markets. Has Arizona taught the NHL nothing?

 

[OnTheRun]

Hughes has gotten me interested in hockey again....unfortunately, Bettman is going to make me apathetic again......2 more teams? There's too many now as it is. And Atlanta is a front runner? Come the f*** on....third time's a charm, right? Forget the TV markets put them in hockey markets. Has Arizona taught the NHL nothing?

I mean the NHL can sells empty shells for ±1 billion dollars, it's a real knee-slapper for the current owners. They obviously know that what they want to do isn't in the best interest of the sport but... Cash is king.

 

[OldCraig71]

I mean the NHL can sells empty shells for ±1 billion dollars, it's a real knee-slapper for the current owners. They obviously know that what they want to do isn't in the best interest of the sport but... Cash is king.

The NHL is not exactly moving up the ranks popularity-wise in the States and is expanding with hopes of building popularity. It is a quick cash grab but only serves to water down an already thin talent base.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I mean the NHL can sells empty shells for ±1 billion dollars, it's a real knee-slapper for the current owners. They obviously know that what they want to do isn't in the best interest of the sport but... Cash is king.

There's a decent chance it's going to be closer to 2 billions IMO. Money in pro sports has gotten real crazy and with the latest NBA tv deal it seems like the sky is the limit. The owners are all looking to build giant entertaiment districts now, the team is just one piece of the pie in that scenario.

 

[Nashy]

4 Divisions with 6 teams was perfect.....4 divisions with 8 team.....ok.

34 teams? Divide that shit up evenly.

Yeah, you'll play certain teams once every 4 years.....like a leap year

 

[GrandBison]

I hope they don't add teams to the playoffs. With more than 32 teams, they should think of a 2nd division with relegation.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I hope they don't add teams to the playoffs. With more than 32 teams, they should think of a 2nd division with relegation.

Rêve de tuyau

The NHL is a partnership of franchises each worth close to at least 1B if not more, where most teams have hit rockbottom at some point. The great majority of them will laugh and scoff at the very proposition.

It ain't soccer, bub.

 

[Fatbiggie]

Bring back the old 4 divisions (Adams, Patrick, Norris & Smythe) and 21 teams. I want to see these old Adams playoff series. Miss old Dave Babych stache with the Whalers

*end nostalgic rant*