Insider reveals seven NHL expansion possibilities
At the moment, the National Hockey League seems to be expressly interested in expansion. With the extreme successes of Vegas and Seattle, the league is seemingly looking to expand further in the coming seasons, with several cities and large markets showing interest for an NHL team.
Currently at 32 teams, the NHL will likely want to add an additional two teams when the next expansion wave comes. From a financial standpoint, the league stands to gain massively, as that would bring in more than $4 Billion dollars in expansion fees from prospective owners.
We've known for decades that Quebec City is yearning for the return of the Nordiques, and they've gone through due process to do so, but lost out on their most recent expansion bid to the Golden Knights in 2015.
Now with two expansions to the west in Vegas and Seattle, NHL insider Kevin Weekes shared some eastern cities interested in expansion, including Quebec City.
"Similar to @NHL in terms of no official process, yet plenty of interest expressed from the following and more ** In No Particular Order**
- Quebec City
- Salt Lake City
- South Forsyth (Metro Atlanta)
- Houston
- Portland
- San Diego
- 2nd Club GTA Toronto
#HockeyTwitter"
- Quebec City
- Salt Lake City
- South Forsyth (Metro Atlanta)
- Houston
- Portland
- San Diego
- 2nd Club GTA Toronto
#HockeyTwitter"
Although this is still likely several years away from seeing the league expand to the expectation of 34 teams, there's no doubt the league is beginning the process and fielding offers from prospective destinations.
Commissioner Gary Bettman met with reporters at the Board of Governors meetings this week, and said that although the league isn't currently looking to expand, if ownership groups are interested, they will listen to offers.
"The best answer I can give you is yes, we have continuous expressions of interest from places like Houston, Atlanta, Quebec City, and Salt Lake City, but expansion isn't on the agenda," Bettman said. "But we're not in a mode to say 'OK, if you're interested in expansion, submit your applications, and we will evaluate,' as we have done previously."
Bettman added, "We aren't there yet, and it's just an expression of interest. As you all know, I take meetings all the time on a variety of subjects, so if someone wants to talk, I'll talk to them."
Bettman added, "We aren't there yet, and it's just an expression of interest. As you all know, I take meetings all the time on a variety of subjects, so if someone wants to talk, I'll talk to them."
Which city do you think should be the highest on the NHL's list for potential expansion? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below!
Source: Daily Faceoff
| POLL | ||
Which city should be the highest on the NHL's list for potential expansion? | ||
| Atlanta | 17 | 6.1 % |
| Houston | 34 | 12.1 % |
| Quebec City | 180 | 64.3 % |
| Salt Lake City | 49 | 17.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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