Le retour des Nords?

[eva unit zero 271]

Atlanta, Columbus, Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay are all teams that could potentially end up moving given current financial situations and historical fan support. Furthering that, potential market locations to move to would include Houston, Kansas City, Madison/Milwaukee, Portland/Seattle, Quebec City, or Winnipeg.

There is also of course the expansion issue. I have mentioned many times the number 32, which was just mentioned, as the ideal number to expand to. So we would be looking at any teams which would be moving, plus two expansion teams.

Phoenix seems likely to move, and Florida has not been doing well financially. So figure those two teams move; Phoenix to Winnipeg and Florida to Quebec. Then, expand to perhaps Houston and Portland or Seattle, and we see a 32-team league.

I would have included Hamilton as a destination but I wouldn't expect Balsillie to have a shot unless there were no other bids.

[grwingfan 21]

I'm all for any proposal that would move Detroit to the Eastern Conference.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

I'm all for any proposal that would move Detroit to the Eastern Conference.

I think that will all depend on who is the lucky SOB who gets to fix the mess Buttman has the league in.

If it's a traditional hockey guy, I think the entire "conference" structure may be re-arranged so that the east and west thing may disappear entirely.

I'd also like to see a return to the named divisions instead of the geographically aligned divisions.

[StevieY9802 6]

Atlanta, Columbus, Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay are all teams that could potentially end up moving given current financial situations and historical fan support. Furthering that, potential market locations to move to would include Houston, Kansas City, Madison/Milwaukee, Portland/Seattle, Quebec City, or Winnipeg.

There is also of course the expansion issue. I have mentioned many times the number 32, which was just mentioned, as the ideal number to expand to. So we would be looking at any teams which would be moving, plus two expansion teams.

Phoenix seems likely to move, and Florida has not been doing well financially. So figure those two teams move; Phoenix to Winnipeg and Florida to Quebec. Then, expand to perhaps Houston and Portland or Seattle, and we see a 32-team league.

I would have included Hamilton as a destination but I wouldn't expect Balsillie to have a shot unless there were no other bids.

I'm with you on the likely moving teams, or teams that are on the list to be moved. Phoenix is obviously #1 and then #2 for me FLA and ATL are tied. I still believe CBJ can be successful they just need to win and more people will start to show. TB has shown they can at least draw fans in. I still don't know why they felt the need to put two teams in south FLA virtually at the same time.

As for Hamilton, yeah it won't happen even though I think it should. EK, while being full of it, said in the blog that Southern Ontario is still very possible but just probably not Hamilton. Whatever article I read it in made a great point, that going back to Canada to Quebec and/or Winnipeg would help the league get rid of that "we hate Canada and like the southern US more" label they have right now.

Edited October 21, 2009 by StevieY9802

[eva unit zero 271]

I'm with you on the likely moving teams, or teams that are on the list to be moved. Phoenix is obviously #1 and then #2 for me FLA and ATL are tied. I still believe CBJ can be successful they just need to win and more people will start to show. TB has shown they can at least draw fans in. I still don't know why they felt the need to put two teams in south FLA virtually at the same time.

As for Hamilton, yeah it won't happen even though I think it should. EK, while being full of it, said in the blog that Southern Ontario is still very possible but just probably not Hamilton. Whatever article I read it in made a great point, that going back to Canada to Quebec and/or Winnipeg would help the league get rid of that "we hate Canada and like the southern US more" label they have right now.

As I have said many times and continue to say:

The NHL doesn't just go and say "Let's put some teams 'here', 'here', and 'here' and then do it. They announce plans for expansion, and then potential owners submit bids, which include things such as where the team would play and the like. The NHL then picks the bids it likes, based on the number of teams it wants to increase by. The NHL expanded by 4 teams in the early 90s, and then again by 4 teams in the late 90s. Those bid processes did not include any "Hey, let's stick two teams in Florida RIGHT NOW!" or "Wow guys, Nashville and Atlanta would be great spots for teams!" but rather they included bids from owners who wanted to place teams in those cities.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From Toronto Star :

The call of the soaring loonie could help chart a northward migration path for NHL clubs.

Once an economic albatross blamed in part for the failures of the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques, the ascending Canadian dollar is suddenly enriching Canadian-based clubs, single-handedly increasing NHL revenues and crafting a new financial argument for more NHL hockey in Canada.

"A host of southern U.S. cities might now be more likely to lose their NHL teams," said Andrew Zimbalist, an eminent sports economist based in Massachusetts who testified on behalf of Jim Balsillie in his recent failed bid to purchase and move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton.

"Canada becomes that much more attractive."

Every three-cent jump in the value of the Canadian dollar triggers a 1 per cent revenue increase for the NHL, say league insiders.

Consider, then, the current winfall: The suddenly Herculean Canuck buck has vaulted more than 10 per cent over the past year, a surge that has dragged the economic fortunes of Canadian clubs with it. One estimate puts the increase in league revenues at approximately $100 million as a result of the dollar jump in the past year.

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NHL officials did not respond to requests for an interview.

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