NHL Expansion

[Jason]

Link

Q: What the latest on NHL expansion? Where and when?

McKenzie: The NHL party line hasn't changed. There are no formal plans for expansion but if they expand and everyone assumes at some point, they're going to, the common knowledge is that Seattle is the primary target in the Pacific Northwest. ]The strong sense I'm getting now is that Las Vegas is second on that *list behind Seattle and the NHL wants to be the first major professional sports league to put a franchise in Las Vegas. People in Quebec City may be saying, 'Hey, what about us?' Well, keep in mind, there's not rule that says if they expand, that they only expand by two teams. The possibility of expanding by three teams, with Quebec City being one of them, is at least something that will be considered. There's lots of money in expansion; over $300 million per franchise, close to a $1 billion winfall that isn't shared with the players or anyone else, just the owners.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Seattle and Vegas seem like some pretty weak markets. Quebec City? Come on now.

[B Kat]

There are already too many teams. Dollars are nice but keep expanding and an already diluted product will become more so.

[ScubaSteve]

Seattle fills a 60k seat stadium for freaking MLS soccer every week. It's a good sports town, and they're about to get a brand spanking new NHL/NBA venue built. They're getting a team.

[wonko80]

I don't mind Seattle getting a team. There are probably enough Canadian transplants there to make it work.

[starsfan18]

I want Seattle to get a team so that if I have to relocate there some day, I'll have a local product and the ability to see the Stars 2-4 times a year or so.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Soccer is kind of the exception and not the rule in Seattle. No one understands why it works so well there.

[ScubaSteve]

Seattle losing the Sonics was a complete screw job, which is why the NBA is about to put another team back there. It had nothing to do with the market.

[wonko80]

Don't they also have one of the best home team crowds for football?

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Seattle losing the Sonics was a complete screw job, which is why the NBA is about to put another team back there. It had nothing to do with the market.

True.

[SaintAngerBH]

There are already too many teams. Dollars are nice but keep expanding and an already diluted product will become more so.

I wholeheartedly agree. I am actually in favor of shrinking back down to 28 or 26.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

A more "diluted" product imo is just as likely to increase scoring and perceived quality of the product. I'm not sure that matters too much to me. The reason why every Dallas/Winnipeg game is about 10 goals is those teams don't have much talent.

The end result, however, would be fewer teams have that excitement of getting to the playoffs every season. That would kind of suck.

[starsfan18]

A more "diluted" product imo is just as likely to increase scoring and perceived quality of the product. I'm not sure that matters too much to me. The reason why every Dallas/Winnipeg game is about 10 goals is those teams don't have much talent.

The end result, however, would be fewer teams have that excitement of getting to the playoffs every season. That would kind of suck.

I bet they'll go to an MLB play-in model.

[ToddM]

I welcome another terrible expansion team into our division. We could use the free points.

[5minmajor]

Why would fewer teams make the playoffs?
A lower % of the total but not fewer teams.

[The Frugal Gourmet]

Why would fewer teams make the playoffs?
A lower % of the total but not fewer teams.

Yes. A lower percentage.

[Phats]

Seattle fills a 60k seat stadium for freaking MLS soccer every week. It's a good sports town, and they're about to get a brand spanking new NHL/NBA venue built. They're getting a team.

Remember when Atlanta was all gung-ho about hockey? Twice?

[SaintAngerBH]

Seattle fills a 60k seat stadium for freaking MLS soccer every week. It's a good sports town, and they're about to get a brand spanking new NHL/NBA venue built. They're getting a team.

Remember when Atlanta was all gung-ho about hockey? Twice?

No.

[CycloneGU]

Why would fewer teams make the playoffs?
A lower % of the total but not fewer teams.

I was about to quip about how 16 teams still make the playoffs.

[Jason]

Seattle NHL team soon? Bettman says it would be 'pretty fun'

The league is reportedly expected to issue a letter of intent for a Seattle expansion team.

[ScubaSteve]

[SaintAngerBH]

[CycloneGU]

Seattle NHL team soon? Bettman says it would be 'pretty fun'

The league is reportedly expected to issue a letter of intent for a Seattle expansion team.

[Jason]

Michael Russo @Russostrib 5h
Bettman says he continues to get #nhl expansion interest from Seattle, Vegas, Kansas City, Quebec City

[Troy McClure]

He throws the last one in to troll Canadians.

[ToddM]

I'm all for two expansion teams in the West.

[CycloneGU]

He throws the last one in to troll Canadians Quebecors.

Fixt.

[Jason]

Shoalts: Conference imbalance works in favour of Seattle and Las Vegas

As reported earlier in this space, Seattle, Las Vegas and Quebec City are the cities in play when it comes to NHL expansion.

A priority for Bettman is eliminating the imbalance between the Eastern Conference, which has 16 teams, and the Western Conference, which has 14.

The plan is to add two teams in the west – which leaves Quebec as the long-shot even though it is the only city of the three to have an arena under construction.

[CycloneGU]

Shoalts: Conference imbalance works in favour of Seattle and Las Vegas

As reported earlier in this space, Seattle, Las Vegas and Quebec City are the cities in play when it comes to NHL expansion.

A priority for Bettman is eliminating the imbalance between the Eastern Conference, which has 16 teams, and the Western Conference, which has 14.

The plan is to add two teams in the west – which leaves Quebec as the long-shot even though it is the only city of the three to have an arena under construction.

Give one to Quebec and move Detroit back to the West. Problem solved.

[CycloneGU]

Report: Gary Bettman, Bill Daly went to Seattle to meet with Mayor, King County Executive

Sauce

There are older stories below about Seattle's NHL activities.