With the National Hockey League in Las Vegas this week to have their annual NHL Award show there has been one topic that no one who is there covering the event can seem to resist talking about. Expansion. With the NHL putting a test on Las Vegas earlier this season to see how many season tickets would sell without even a guarantee that the city would be getting a franchise. The test seemed to work. With a target of 10,000 tickets to be sold, last heard was Vegas was around 9,000 season tickets sold, without an arena and without a real team. That was in March when the 9,000 tickets were sold who knows where they’re at right now.
Las Vegas isn’t the only city that has been linked to a expansion or relocated hockey team however. As many as six cities have been thrown out there as possible cities that could support an NHL franchise. Some more serious than others but possible nonetheless. With the Las Vegas rumor almost seeming to be a forgone conclusion these days, what are some other cities that could soon get an NHL team?
Seattle. Poor Seattle always seeming to be in a great position to get a sports team whether that be basketball returning to the city or getting a NHL team for the first time ever. Still hockey has seemed to take a backseat in this discussion to basketball, whenever you hear of a deal for a new arena in Seattle it’s always talked about getting a basketball team back and they “might” be able to accommodate a hockey team as well. Still it seems Seattle will someday be getting an NHL franchise, it’s just a matter of when not if now. And why not? If Seattle got a NHL team they would have instant rivals unlike a Las Vegas Team. Seattle vs Vancouver, would be big and you would have plenty of people come over from Vancouver going to the games as well. San Jose would be a good rivalry as well, there are definitely reasons this should be a city the NHL wants to get into.
Quebec City. A team similar to Seattle where they have been waiting for their beloved sport to return after the Nordiques left for Denver in 1995. Unlike Seattle though, if the NHL wanted to go back to Quebec City they would have a brand new arena waiting for them. The Videotron Centre will be opened in September this year being able to hold over 18,000 people for hockey. There isn’t much left to be discussed after that. Quebec City is obviously in Canada so it’s not like the city can’t support a hockey team. As for rivalries, they have easy rivalries with Montreal, Toronto and Colorado since they left in 1995. Quebec City seems like one of those teams destined to be an expansion team at some point.
Hamilton. This Ontario city has popped up a lot by some media people especially in Canada. Just a one hour drive from Toronto, some people even saying Toronto itself can support two NHL franchises, if you want to do that, just put the team here. A city that has more than 500,000 people living in it, it should be able to support a NHL team. If you want to Natural Rivals you obviously put the Maple Leafs right on the top and you could put Buffalo and Detroit on there due to the close proximity. The arena situation is something that could hold this up. FirstOntatrio Center formerly known as Copps Coliseum was opened in 1985. That would be one of the oldest building in the NHL if they got a team. With Detroit and Edmonton getting new arenas soon the only buildings that would be older would be Calgary’s Saddledome and Madison Square Garden. Money would have to be put into the arena or get a brand new one instead. A problem that has caused some other relocation bids to fail.
Kansas City. This isn’t going to happen as far as I know but there is one giant reason it could. There is a nice arena with nothing in it here. The Sprint Center is one hell of a nice arena being opened in 2007 and has yet to lure a NBA or NHL team to its facilities. With passionate fans for the Chiefs and Royals it’s a shame Kansas City hasn’t received a chance to wow people with an indoor team in this arena. Why not try to get the NHL expansion started here.
Portland. Again, this probably isn’t going to happen but they also have an arena if they wanted to use it. Moda Center also known as the Rose Garden is a nice arena opened in 1995. Even at that age it’d be one of the older arenas of the NHL but plenty capable of holding 18,000+ for an NHL game. Plus, as of right now the NHL is two teams short in the western conference. The eastern conference has sixteen teams, the west has fourteen teams, if they wanted to put a team in Seattle or Las Vegas, those two teams would be instant rivals along with Vancouver and San Jose. I’m a little surprised this city hasn’t come up more often but that could simply be because Portland itself isn’t that interested but the city does have a Junior hockey team the Portland Winterhawks and they do just fine, so why not try a NHL team, it couldn’t be any worse than Arizona or Florida, cheap shot but true.
Expansion is happening, just a matter of where is it happening. Not only when, but what happens after. If they do put an NHL team in Las Vegas do they put another one in the western conference to even out the conferences? I can’t imagine the NHL would want to put another one in the eastern conference and maybe have to deal with realigning the league again.
It seems to simplest thing the National Hockey League can do is add two western teams and even up the conferences. Just where do they go though? Let me know where you want them to go, Vegas, Seattle, other? Leave a comment or contact me on twitter @CJSportsrambler.
