OgeeOgelthorpe
Riccis per 60 record holder
- Feb 29, 2020
- 18,022
- 19,535
What would a 40 team NHL look like
- Thread starter FoxYou727
- Start date
That is the one position that I disagree with the most about watering down the NHL talent pool in expansion. There are a half dozen AHL goalies that are NHL-ready talent wise already (Shepard, Driedger, Domingue, Källgren, Chrona) and another group of NHL teams that are potentially carrying 3 NHL-ready goalies (CAR, DET, LAK, TOR, WPG). Not to mention the guys that went overseas or remain unsigned due to lack of opportunity (Lankinen, Jones, Raanta, Genoni, Hrubec, Krasotkin, Rybar, Gudlevskis, Kickert, Alnefelt, Prosvetov, Halak, Khudobin, Koskinen) and the guys that are NHL-talented prospects (Wallstedt, Askarov, Levi, Zherenko, Stevenson, Suchanek, Greaves, Bussi, Sogaard, Blomqvist, and Commesso).
Goalies, outside of the elites, are really products of the system in front of them and their playing style/technique so I don't think this would be an issue.
Rather think Buffalo is the one to veto it more than Toronto. Not saying TML wouldn't, but Sabres would be more hurt economically than the Leafs would
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
Why do posters here always bring up Portland as some potential location for a franchise? Is there something I'm missing there?
Sgt Schultz
Registered User
I don't know because I am missing it, too. Maybe somebody closer to the situation there knows different, but I have not heard anyone express substantial interest since Paul Allen died. And his interest was along the lines of looking at it "every now and then."
The Trail Blazers seem to be the focus of potential franchise owners. They are still owned by Paul Allen's estate. Paul's sister, Jody, is the trustee. She just turned down an offer at market value (a little north of $2B) and has said they are not for sale, but will be sold at some point. The last part of that statement I think will cause any potential franchise owners to wait for that situation to be resolved. Not to mention figuring out who will own the arena down the road.
That same statement means this could drag out for a looooong time. I don't think anybody outside of the inner circle knows what Allen's will said about disposal of the Blazers and arena, including any deadline.
It's the demographics, arena, and geography. Portland is comparable in Metro-area population (Top 25 US market) and GDP to St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Nashville; while they also have an 17,544 seat arena (when Moda Arena is configured for hockey) that hosts an NBA team and was built to host an NHL team (in 1993). With Nike HQ in the state of Oregon along with Columbia Sportswear as well as many tech (FLIR, Tektronix, and Intel) and manufacturing companies (Precision Castparts Corp, Leatherman, and major steel production) to go along with a huge brewery industry and my favorite: Bob's Red Mill there is a diverse base of major companies to support an NHL team.
As a major metro area without NFL or MLB, a Portland hockey team would not have to compete for corporate advertising and entertainment dollars as would some other similiar-sized major league cities like Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cleveland, Charlotte, or Baltimore.
There are also historical rivalries with Seattle and the Bay Area in many sports (especially collegiate) that have been embedded in the area for decades. The city has also been one of the few "hockey areas" in the western US with the WHL Winterhawks since 1976; which was the first CHL team to be located in the USA. The Portland Rosebuds became the first American team in the NHL-precursor league, the PCHA, and the first American team to participate in the Stanley Cup finals (1915-16). One of their early teams was disbursed when the first WHL folded and they formed what became the Chicago Blackhawks NHL expansion team (1925-26) notably including hall-of-famer Dick Irvin.
With snow-capped Mount Hood on the skyline, it just has a very "hockey feel" for a city as well.
Last edited:
BLNY
Registered User
Sgt Schultz
Registered User
Thanks, and I get the demographics.
The problem I see is they would be competing with the Trail Blazers with seasons that are largely aligned,. KC and Baltimore don't have that overlap (I'm not advocating for either of them and I doubt that Baltimore is on many lists as a candidate, especially with the Capitals about 40 miles away).
As somebody who has friends in the Charlotte area, some would say they don't have an NBA team to compete with, either!
As for Portland, the arena situation is certainly a checkmark for them. From what I have read, it needs nothing in the way of renovations to be ready, which is good because with some of the problems going on there, public money would be a hard sell. That is true in a lot of potential markets, making the arena important.
Keep in mind, I have been open in my belief that the NHL is going to (continue to) be conservative on expansion. They essentially just lost a franchise that they worked hard (and maybe excessively) to keep in place, including running it themselves for a while. I think they will be gun shy and not go anywhere that is not a slam dunk/open net breakaway goal. So, all of my views on expansion numbers, timelines, and possible locations are colored by that.
true, KC and Baltimore have been brought up on forums here and similiar forums to this.... mostly by fans who haven't understood why those markets have said no.... the issue w/ KC isn't just the arena management there you need the local leaders ie mayor in that yes category.... the other issue w/ KC is the regional marketing that Independence and Gwinnett have undertaken in regards to their franchises... the Mavericks ownership also rejected St. Louis' attempt to pr.omote the Mavericks up a league, like you've seen w/ Colorado promoting the Eagles up a level.... Baltimore has been tried, but if Monumental is the issue there w/ the Capitals umder that umbrella, but if you look at the history further, it's the arena that drove Ebright and the Capitals north and out of the DC Metro in 1993 to New England.... granted, Anaheim tried that a few years later w/ the Bandits.... but it's not a winning idea.... same when the Oilers tried backing in to Toronto w/ their affiliate they owned at that timeThanks, and I get the demographics.
The problem I see is they would be competing with the Trail Blazers with seasons that are largely aligned,. KC and Baltimore don't have that overlap (I'm not advocating for either of them and I doubt that Baltimore is on many lists as a candidate, especially with the Capitals about 40 miles away).
As somebody who has friends in the Charlotte area, some would say they don't have an NBA team to compete with, either!
As for Portland, the arena situation is certainly a checkmark for them. From what I have read, it needs nothing in the way of renovations to be ready, which is good because with some of the problems going on there, public money would be a hard sell. That is true in a lot of potential markets, making the arena important.
Keep in mind, I have been open in my belief that the NHL is going to (continue to) be conservative on expansion. They essentially just lost a franchise that they worked hard (and maybe excessively) to keep in place, including running it themselves for a while. I think they will be gun shy and not go anywhere that is not a slam dunk/open net breakaway goal. So, all of my views on expansion numbers, timelines, and possible locations are colored by that.
Terrible. Canadian division was a dumb experiment last time, so why repeat this dumb experiment? So canucks will always be playing in eastern time zone which is completely dumb and travel distance is dumb too. 40 NHL teams is a stupid idea, especially if each division will have 10 teams.
Omaha having a major league sports team would make NHL look like college hockey. Probably same talent level as NCAA too when there will be 40 teams vying for 2000 players, assuming each team fills the 50 players signing limit
Why not add more, Bellingham, Yellowstone, Santa Monica, Abbotsford, Aggasiz, Merritt etc.
SmoggyTwinkles
Go Leafs Go
thegazelle
Registered User
- Nov 11, 2019
- 318
- 538
I think too many teams would ultimately make for a lot of games amongst dog bottom dweller teams for which few would notice or express interest. I actually think the league would be better suited FOR THE FAN to be slightly smaller, not bigger. Also the travel between teams would be brutal.
That said, a second GTA team would be great for fans and competition. Not sure Hamilton is the answer though - New York has two teams under its moniker. Toronto can be the same, even if the second team played in Hamilton.
I would love to see Quebec get a team back. Atlanta - oh my gosh, I would be shocked if they try this again. Gary Bettman won't last forever and who knows who the next commish may be. Daly may take over but he ain't a spring chicken either. If they get another US guy, it will be full steam ahead with continued US expansion.
Surprised if Columbus lasts another 20 years.
That said, a second GTA team would be great for fans and competition. Not sure Hamilton is the answer though - New York has two teams under its moniker. Toronto can be the same, even if the second team played in Hamilton.
I would love to see Quebec get a team back. Atlanta - oh my gosh, I would be shocked if they try this again. Gary Bettman won't last forever and who knows who the next commish may be. Daly may take over but he ain't a spring chicken either. If they get another US guy, it will be full steam ahead with continued US expansion.
Surprised if Columbus lasts another 20 years.
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
But they do have "competition", not only the Blazers but also the Timbers. The Timbers they could co-exist with but I highly doubt the Blazers and an NHL team can thrive together in a market that size. Thats 82 combined home games in overlapping leagues. I think an NFL team is less competition. That's just 8 home games on Sunday afternoons and people can plan that easier.
Fwiw I'm not convinced Utah is going to thrive for the same reasons why I don't think Portland would make a good NHL town. Ryan Smith thinks differently, but I think he's going to be in for a rude awakening at some point.
Only certain fans matter? Trust me, whoever the next commish is will not drag the NHL back to the 80s. Atlanta is happening again and it will be fine and it will be great for those fans. There's no justification for adding more Canadian teams.
unlikely you'll ever see a Newfoundland based franchise at MBC AT any level/pro or junior due to the interference of the arena operator in Newfoundland after the collapse of the Growlers and DSE GETTING TERMINATED late last season in the ECHL.... it's probably why Toronto hooked Cincinnati as their new affiliate this season...
