Winnipeg long term was a mistake.
Winnipeg has made money nearly every year since they returned in 2011. How on Earth was it a mistake to bring the NHL back to Winnipeg. If we really look back at NHL history in the past 50 years, there are not too many examples of the NHL making a mistake by placing a NHL team in a certain market. Even granting a hockey team to Atlanta was definitely not a mistake.
IN the late 90s, the group led by Time-Warner, spearheaded by ted Turner, were awarded an NHL team. They had just opened a 17,000+ seat arena. If the AOL-Time Warner deal had not been an unmitigated disaster, the Thrashers would still be here. In spite of what people think, what did in the Thrashers was the new ownership, who purchased the Thrashers, NBA Hawks, and the arena in 2003.
Unless the population skyrockets and all of a sudden you get a massive surge of corporations there it's going to be a drag on the league.
Winnipeg could be on the cusp of a population boom. The Winnipeg CMA has increased from roughly 740,000 people in 2011 to 910,000 today. Considering the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are being priced out of the BC and Southern Ontario market, and moving to Alberta and the Maritimes in the past few year at record numbers, suggests this phenomenon will soon hit Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Many have predicted in the trend continues, the Winnipeg region could hit 1,000,000 in as little as 5 years.
Ottawa has similar issues with corporate support too.
The big issue in Ottawa was horrible ownership with Eugene Melnyk for the last several years, not to mention the mistake of building the arena on the far west end of the city, where it is difficult for the majority of people in the region to commute to. Aside from that, the Senators are in great shape, and have made money literally every year since the late 90s.
Anyone clamoring for a Quebec City return has to understand how the NHL would only go there if there is no other option at all including owning the team and waiting it out.
This is exactly what happened in Winnipeg, as the NHL has no intention of owning two NHL clubs. However, I can't see the NHL wanting to repeat the Coyotes fiasco, and take over a franchise. Aside from that, there is interest from billionaires in Utah and Texas, that would love to have an NHL team.
I don't expect tv deals to increase substantially in the future. Cable subs are dropping and hockey's popularity in the States is stagnant at best (that's the media market that can help prop low attendance). Doubt that after Rogers lost money on the current NHL deal anyone will give them a substantial increase too.
First off, hockey's popularity is not dropping in the US. The only sport that has seen ratings plummet for the last few decades is MLB baseball. Additionally, NHL attendance is as strong as ever, averaging over 17,100 fans/game.
