Building a 32 Team NHL From Scratch

[@brianschlaf5996]

Portland and Seattle totally agree they love hockey

[@kolasillers7776]

You are right about Seattle.

[@LTisKing]

Hey look, seattle is here now

[@Mitchell2311]

Well you predicted the future Seattle is getting a team

[@roccosteo8328]

I wouldn’t put Portland in.

[@bingbong17760]

yeah winterhawks fans are diehard

[@SenorFlamyHD]

Shannon is the type of guy to buy a jersey with just the NHL logo on it because he's a fan of the league not a team

[@jaded_piper]

yeah wheres the all star jerseys

[@mephenstessina6081]

Im that guy

[@TheIronyGiant]

As an Atlanta native, I’m so glad you acknowledged that ownership failed the Thrashers, not the fans.

[@stevep8445]

While fans still supported the team ticket sales declined after the housing market crash of 2008 and a bad economy in Atlanta.

[@ottomackensen]

@@stevep8445 And the bankers responsible for that crash got bailed out. Thanks government.

[@Nickleblanc41]

There is a reason the original six teams were the ones they were. that reason being they were the only 6 teams who survived the depression and WW2

[@erikhalvorseth3950]

That was then. Now is now. In 20 years Detroit will be a ghost city if current development continues

[@harrisonotton6715]

@@erikhalvorseth3950 that might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard

[@brendan859]

@@moappleseider1699 Michigan’s last governor was conservative and he poisoned a city and stripped our schools funding. It has nothing to do with “little douche bags from places like New York”.

[@brendan859]

@@moappleseider1699 Or maybe what you’re proving is that petty partisan games isn’t what matters, and that politicians on both sides are deceiving the people they’re elected to serve. Flint wasn’t solely the republicans fault or the democrats fault, it was both of their faults. Believe it or not, conservatives CAN do wrong, and Rick Snyder certainly did wrong. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been charged and thrown in jail this week, would he have? This isn’t a fucking team sport, you don’t have to root for one side regardless of what your messiah Trump says. Who’s really the one insisting they’re right, you literally have a playlist on your account named “liberal crime” yet you turn a blind eye to your own corrupt leader.

[@MDK2_Radio]

@@moappleseider1699 😂

[@robertsantos3945]

I would think somewhere in Wisconsin might work like Milwaukee, what do you think?

[@NicCageCDXX]

There's a few reasons I think Milwaukee could work: - support for a current AHL franchise, along with far above-market attendance for the Brewers - proximity to one of the largest cities on the continent, being less than two hours from Chicago - natural rivalries with Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul - natural AHL affiliate site in Madison

[@Thrashman-ye4cf]

For sure wisconsins hockey market is huge and it could create a new rivalry between minnesota and them. Just like they're trying to do with Vegas/Arizona

[@denisjordan3111]

of course it would work in Wisconsin!

[@chrisbenoit3822]

Chicago & Minnesota would never let it happen.

[@MegaJustGeorge]

A few years ago, someone suggested Madison, Wisconsin - not too good, but not too bad, either.

[@randomations1]

I live right out of metro Detroit and have been going to Wings games for about decade now, and the economic situation hasn't really been a major attendance factor. The city has been booming and is at it's highest point in a while, yet attendance is currently at it's lowest. But in the late 2000's when Detroit was it's lowest, there was never an empty seat. The city just funded a new ~$750million arena in downtown, and there are a handful of ownership groups in Detroit (Illitch's, the Fords, Dan Gilbert, Tom Gores), so it's not like getting a good owner and arena would be a problem. The real factor right now is that ticket prices have skyrocketed, while team performance has plummeted. It's not that unemployed people can't afford tickets, it's that full-time working people can't afford tickets, and there isn't a great or promising team in Detroit that would otherwise make people splurge on tickets. And you look at cities like St. Louis (also just got an arena upgrade) that have similar economic problems as Detroit, but the attendance keeps rising because they have a competitive team and more affordable tickets among a multitude of reasons.

[@JPConklinMusic]

randomations1 Well said.

[@harrisonotton6715]

Also Oakland county is one of the richest in the nation

[@profo4544]

Detroit to me, is the hockey capital of the US, its like the toronto of the US for hockey, the midwest has always been like that it shares a connection with canada like that, i watched detroit in the 90s, i never thought they would become what they are nowadays, i thought they always would of been a big money team always winning. But New york is probably the only state that could support 4 teams, its already supporting 3 people tend to forget buffalo is a new york team, adding another team to the City itself would work, but it might pull fans off of one of the other teams, the only one they could really do that to though is Buffalo and buffalo is so far up north from the city that the fans are almost in a different state distance wise, and i doubt theyd steal islander fans. So New york could actually in theory support 4 teams, 2 teams based out of the city itself, and 1 based out of long island, the other way upstate.

[@TimFrith24]

Next year, the NHL will welcome its 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken.

[@chelseafan111]

this was so fun to watch. reminds of me doing this kind of stuff all the time as a kid/teen.

[@mathwiz3145]

the interesting thing about omitting Anaheim from your list is because of disney. that team was LITERALLY made because of disney. so, i'm fine with omitting that city from the league

[@audibletapehiss3764]

The team should have always been in San Diego. Their minor league team is a huge success down there, and that's where the NHL should be.

[@jaythomas38]

Agreed 💯 dude!

[@captainblackeye3138]

How I'd do it *Atlantic* 1. Toronto 2. New York 3. Montreal 4. Boston 5. Ottawa 6. Hamilton 7. Quebec City 8. Jersey City *Eastern* 1. Chicago 2. Philadelphia 3. Detroit 4. Cleveland 5. Pittsburgh 6. Buffalo 7. Washington 8. Nashville *Western* 1. Minneapolis 2. Winnipeg 3. Milwaukee 4. Denver 5. St. Louis 6. Kansas City 7. Dallas 8. Houston *Pacific* 1. Vancouver 2. Calgary 3. Edmonton 4. Los Angeles 5. San Francisco 6. Seattle 7. Portland 8. Salt Lake City With this setup, every team east of the Mississippi River with the exception of Milwaukee is in the Eastern Conference.

[@DivePlane13]

I like adding Milwaukee

[@kade88]

@evan williams Halifax is way too far away.

[@kade88]

@evan williams arizona is a lot bigger tho

[@kade88]

Williams geologically Halifax just wouldnt work

[@kylepw4885]

I love the fact that jerseys team is in jersey city. Partially because it's my home town, but also because of the dense population and all of the public transportation. Easier to access than Newark in my opinion.

[@janellemaynait]

Indianapolis or Milwaukee

[@eriklakeland3857]

The Pacers NBA arena was not designed to accommodate an NHL sized rink. It would be similar to Barclay's for NYI, possibly worse. The real issue is taxpayer fatigue on paying for private stadiums here. Put up hella public money for the Colts stadium before the old one was paid off, with the Pacers arena construction and upgrades. I can't see a benevolent owner building an NHL arena himself or the voters supporting yet another stadium. I could see Milwaukee. More of a hockey culture in Wisconsin. Icing on the cake is the Buck's arena can better accommodate NHL.

[@loriwalding2175]

@@eriklakeland3857 Indianapolis led the WHA in attendance there first year so there is hockey interest, Milwaukee should have been in the league 20 years ago as even when the IHL was faltering they still drew huge crowds .

[@scottlow6342]

@@loriwalding2175 no they didn't they weren't even close they were 7th out of 14 teams in attendance

[@DM-zj8ij]

Scott Low actually Lori Walding is correct the racers did lead the league in attendance when the team was good, the were actually out selling the NBA pacers in the same arena with fewer seats. If fell off in the end when it became clear they weren’t trying to actively complete

[@DM-zj8ij]

Erik Lakeland actually Bankers Life Fieldhouse is undergoing a big upgrade and from the drawings of what the finished product will look like it looks like a lot of overkill for just basketball. And one of the new additions will be an outdoor public ice rink 🤔

[@nicktapio2822]

Cool video, I like stuff like this. I think it's a misconception that MN could support two teams. Yes, we are hockey mad. Yes, the wild get pretty great attendance. The High School Hockey tournament is enormous for heaven's sake. However, MINN-STP is the 15th biggest media market in the US, and that stat only has American cities, it gets bumped out of the top 15 of USA+CAN cities. The idea that 2 teams could work and both be supported gets tossed around a little on the internet but I don't think it would really ever work. I think Portland makes sense, they are wild for the Timbers out there too. Curious why the NHL and you aren't in for a Wisconsin team.

[@bobkloth57]

Hey Shannon, I appreciate your videos, you put a lot of thought into them. I respectfully disagree with your choice of Oakland, California for an NHL team. Crime, homelessness, and poverty is increasing in the Oakland and San Francisco

[@maximilianrabbitt4849]

San Jose and Sam Francisco would be better choices (look at the A’s)

[@urban.drooid71]

nice vid. digging the old school Caps jersey. memories of Mike 'master blaster' Gartner

[@aidank5659]

I believe that Milwaukee should fit in the west

[@bent6293]

Who knows if you'll ever see this. I think Milwaukee should definitely be considered as a spot for Florida or Phx (just move them already) but Chicago owners would die on the hill to prevent this.

[@roccosteo8328]

Hawks would never allow a team that close

[@JHockeyFan]

Milwaukee over Kansas City. Saskatoon or Regina is better over plenty of places too, except the population size is small.

[@edawg7137]

Ya but Regina would support Saskatoon just like how Saskatoon supports Regina’s football team that would add to half a mill people

[@canucky76]

Name the team Saskatchewan _____ and you'd have Saskatoon and Regina both supporting

[@eriklakeland3857]

Jonathan Kansas City has an NHL arena though

[@WoodenBoogabonga8688]

do Saskatoon or Regina have NHL-size arenas though? I know Milwaukee does. Ultimately, it comes down to how close Chicago is to Milwaukee and if they think the cultural difference of Wisconsin against Illinois would be enough to really draw fans. I think you have to look at the teams already there in basketball and baseball and how much they draw, while also realizing that hockey interest would likely be higher than those two sports

[@leopoldveritas5592]

Sorry no chance in hell. Regina and Saskatoon are just north of 500k combined and are 2.5 hours apart. Traveling a few times per summer to the Riders on the weekend is a whole different ball game than 41 times per year in the middle of the treacherous winter. You’ll frequently leave work at 4:00, make it to the game just in time, get home after midnight with a combined 5 hours driving on a Tuesday all season, year after year?

[@Reignerific]

Shan: "So where do I put team 32? It's gotta be in the west right?" Me: "Kansas City." Shan: "Kansas City." Me: "OHOKAY."

[@lgmmrm]

Think about a KC-St Louis series though. It would be absolute murder. Have you ever seen the Cards and Royals play each other? It'd be a bigger series than Dallas v. Houston.

[@jasonprigge9562]

Hey Shannon, love the channel. I understand why you left Raleigh out and I'm not upset. As a Canes fan, I'm well aware of the perception of our club in the hockey world - and in terms of our on-ice product and attendance rates, that perception is justified whether or not you factor in the fact that we did make a profit last year (which I know you mentioned). With that said, I would like to address two things that I hope begin to change the perception of the Canes and Raleigh, North Carolina (this isn't a direct knock at you). I think the majority of people do not know that Raleigh consistently has one of the top growth rates in the country and is also consistently at the top of the "best places to live in the US" according to Forbes. Does this justify Raleigh as an NHL market? Maybe, maybe not. But people tend to throw Carolina around as a joke when they do not know the facts and it can be extremely frustrating. Also, not to mention the fact that most of that growth came from migration from traditional hockey markets up in the northeast. Personally, my family is from NY and PA and moved down here for the same reasons so many currently are.

[@Fernando-iy3fg]

I've been a critical of a lot of southern teams in the NHL, but never because of the economic potential. Let's face it, that in this aspect the south is better than the north. But my reasons revolve arround the fact that you have to serve your fans before trying to grow the game in non traditional markets

[@totalhockeyfan6649]

Although I was raised in Newfoundland, and am currently a fan of the Ottawa Senators, I was born in Kitchener, Ontario, and would absolutely cheer for Hamilton as my new number one (forever), but I would obviously prefer a team in Kitchener

[@RichardChips]

I think a team in Norfolk, VA could work because the Hampton Roads area of Virginia is the most populous place in America that doesn’t have a professional sports team. Instant rivalry with Washington. For the West I definitely think Wisconsin could support a team. It’s a cold place similar to Michigan or Minnesota. Instant rivalries with CHI, DET (brought from the NFL/NCAA), and MIN. But you’re also forgetting Wood Buffalo has one of the fastest growing economies IN THE WORLD. Great video.

[@Rao665]

RJ Pugs No. Problem with Norfolk is the same problem that most of CA has. Too many damn transplants. What ends up happening is, fans who moved to Hampton Roads will end up rooting for their childhood team when said team comes to town. The area is too spread out as well. Not to mention you guys had the Admirals...and you werent able to keep them. I'm from San Diego lived in Norfolk. Easy to guess why. As for the Gulls, I got a feeling they arent gonna get the support they need a few years down the line. I see them folding or moving out of SD.

[@im_sorry_i_forgot_my_username]

Hah, nice Wood Buffalo meme. I understood that reference.

[@aschmitt48]

RJ Pugs Agreed! Put a team in Norfolk, VA. Yes we have an ECHL team but the possibility that we were gonna get one a while ago was pretty high

[@danameyy]

Bay Area native here: Trust me, San Jose makes more sense. The population is more than double that of Oakland. It's actually the 9th biggest city in the county. Being right in the Silicon Valley, you have a large population of wealthy young adults with some cash to burn in the evening.

[@joeykangarusso6840]

Detroit has consistently been at the top of the league for ticket sales (as a percentage of arena capacity) for years!

[@UnhappyPensFan]

They also dominated for a decade and a half

[@peterphillips9541]

New arena ticket sales suck tho

[@HashtagWhattaNerd]

Even in the Dead Things era, Detroit kept JLA and Olympia well stocked with fans. I get the premise that Detroit is a poor market (it's not any more, there's a reason the city is finally bouncing back), but hockey is the one that's been consistently supported throughout. The only one close is baseball the area. Basketball has gone with the team performance. Football has been there, but never as big as the college game is in Ann Arbor and Lansing. The money is in hockey, unquestionably.

[@13DatsyukDangle13]

Detroit is at 100% ticket sales in the new arena. It looks empty due to two big things. One is corporations mainly buy lower bowl tickets and don't always get someone in those seats. Another is the concourse is always packed. I went to two games and the arena is so insanely nice and I would bet it's a top 3 arena in North America if not the best, but I can't really make a real ranking because I haven't been to enough arenas. People are always in the two concourses to just look at the new arena because it's so nice. Those two things make it seem like tickets aren't sold. Also ticket prices are insane, especially on resale. If you want to go to a game against a decent team, you're easily spending $100 for upper bowl tickets. You're spending $250-$300 for lower bowl tickets at center ice.

[@rickhaavisto9023]

Joey Kangarusso Did you not listen to the beginning of the video...

[@frosty9441]

I hope Hamilton gets a team they support the tiger cats so much

[@FrancoAccounting]

I'd love for Hamilton to get a team!

[@brownsfan6447]

Frosty I feel like that’s the only CFL team I ever hear about down here. They seem to have the most NFL-caliber players.

[@jasonkh3943]

Plus it's one of Canada's best cities!!

[@lelouchvibritannia4028]

What about Saskatoon?

[@BAaKeD15]

S Choudhry Saskatoon couldn’t support a nhl team. There will never be a team in Saskatchewan. Saskatoon has like 220000 people and the smallest nhl city is Winnipeg with like 750000 people. They would fold with 2-3 years

[@nickbezanson3549]

If expansion drafts were the same back then as they are now, some of those expansions may have never failed in the first place. It would have been interesting to see where a Kansas City team would be now with a Vegas-style expansion draft.

[@MDK2_Radio]

Seattle blew it, so it goes to show that it’s no guarantee of instant relevance, never mind contention as happened with Vegas. Why take Joonas Donskoi from the Avs when they didn’t protect Gabe Landeskog? Still, better than having to make do with a team entirely consisting of guys who couldn’t make any NHL roster when there was one fewer team around.

[@aidan8473]

@@MDK2_Radio very few expansion teams have ever been successful off the bat. It took the lightning a decade before a cup and most don't have that

[@captainblackeye3138]

36 team league from scratch 2 conferences of 18 teams each 6 divisions of 6 teams each *Eastern Conference* _Atlantic_ Atlanta Miami New York (Queens) Philadelphia Tampa Bay Washington _Metropolitan_ Buffalo Cincinnati Columbus Detroit Mississauga Pittsburgh _Northeast_ Boston Montreal New York (Manhattan) Ottawa Quebec City Toronto *Western Conference* _Central_ Chicago Dallas Houston Kansas City Nashville St. Louis _Northwest_ Calgary Denver Edmonton Milwaukee Minneapolis Winnipeg _Pacific_ Los Angeles Portland San Diego San Francisco Seattle Vancouver *Miss the cut* Cleveland - Slightly smaller metro population than Cincy and Columbus, already has teams in NBA, NFL, and MLB to stretch the sports dollar Hamilton - Smaller population than Mississauga and smaller metro population than Buffalo Halifax - Small metro population Charlotte - Southern location, smaller metro population than Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa, already has an NFL and NBA team to stretch the sports dollar Baltimore - Too close to Washington Hartford - Metro population not big enough, can't draw from a big enough region due to proximity to New York and Boston Raleigh - Southern location, college sports town, metro population not big enough Newark - Two teams in the Tri-State area is enough Phoenix - Hot location, not big enough region to draw from, already has teams in the NBA, NFL, and MLB to stretch the sports dollar Saskatoon - Small metro population Salt Lake City - Metro population not big enough, already has an NBA team to stretch the sports dollar Anaheim - Three teams in California is enough Austin - Two teams in Texas is enough Las Vegas - Hot location, not big enough region to draw from, too close to Los Angeles and San Diego *Give or take* St. Paul over Minneapolis San Jose over San Francisco

[@rorymacdermid5217]

Swap Mississauga with Manhattan and Pittsburgh with Queens and Denver and Chicago. That way you have Mississauga and Toronto in the same division, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in the same division, all New York teams in the same division, Kansas City and Denver in the same division, and Chicago, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee will be in the same division. It would be better to have all those natural rivals as divisional opponents.

[@callumloader8713]

Mississauga won’t work they’re all leafs fans already lol. Coming from someone who grew up two cities over in Burlington. Pretty much Everyone in the GTA who follows hockey is a leafs fan but ottawa and montreal have some fans as wel

[@shawnerickstad6974]

Not putting Vegas in 4 years ago hasn’t aged well as it’s thrived and better attendance then most Canadian teams

[@rickkaine2878]

I also did a 32 team NHL from scratch buddy, Here’s how I did mine Western Conference Northwest Division Edmonton Oilers Calgary Wranglers Vancouver Canucks Seattle Grey Wolves Portland Cascades Colorado Avalanche Central Division Milwaukee Choppers Chicago Blackhawks St.Louis Blues Kansas City Twisters Minnesota Lumberjacks Winnipeg Jets Pacific Division Phoenix Sidewinders Los Angeles Kings San Jose Sharks Anaheim Mighty Ducks Dallas Desperadoes Houston Saturns Eastern Conference Atlantic Division New York Islanders (but in Queens/Brooklyn instead) New York Rangers New Jersey Devils Boston Bruins Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Northeast Division Buffalo Sabres Cleveland Blue Jackets Detroit Red Wings Toronto Maple Leafs Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Quebec Nordiques Southeast Nashville Predators Atlanta Thrashers Carolina Hurricanes Tampa Bay Lightning Rays Washington Capitals Miami Panthers

[@johnnymarzetti9130]

I think many nhl fans would be shocked at how much support Columbus shows for the CBJ. Same with the crew soccer team and of course the Buckeyes. The crew fans save the team from a crap owner moving them. This is a legit sports town, no question about it. The support for the CBJ has continued to grow and still is on the upswing.

[@spartans5952]

I dont know which one of these teams Id take out but id put in Milwaukee as a natural rival to Chicago and Minnesota

[@logansheffield8641]

I'd drop Nashville for Milwaukee on his board. I think Wisconsin would support hockey better than Tennessee. I also understand why Hamilton is on the list, but I'd look at putting a team in either Hartford or Baltimore. Maybe even Las Vegas over Kansas City. Most of his picks make pretty obvious sense though.

[@Zobin211]

I love this. I would put Detroit and Chicago together because they are ancient rivals. I would consider a 36-team NHL and create six divisions of six teams each ... Canadian East: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Hamilton, Halifax Canadian West: Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatoon American East: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Washington American North: Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland American West: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City American South: Nashville, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, Charlotte As much as I'd love to see Hartford back in the NHL, they are odd man out ... for now. If we expanded to 42 teams, where each region had to add another team, then Hartford comes back! I'd love to hear the Hockey Guy's thoughts on whether Halifax and Saskatoon could support NHL hockey. I'm from Wisconsin. I think Milwaukee or Madison could support a team, but who knows.

[@rougelion1213]

Wish the Nordiques would come back, though I assume we'd have to have a urgent relocation ala Thrashers, as I don't see NHL going to 33.

[@reiko57]

i always thought hockey in KC would work too, natural rivals denver st. louis and chicago, those are good choices overall.

[@los_reyes9517]

Salt Lake City as well, it snows there. So it would be a good fit

[@CircleTheWagonsOG]

Buffalo is a hockey city. Ever since I was born hockey has been in my life. We have the best fans in the league, in pretty much every sport we have. No matter how much we suck, we still show up! Haha! #SharpenYourSwords

[@bdh177]

Bills!!!! Beat those pats!!!

[@CircleTheWagonsOG]

bdh17 let's hope! Love seeing fans from Toronto! It's awesome!

[@pkoerner6]

Buffalo does a great job supporting it teams! Atlanta does not.

[@CircleTheWagonsOG]

pkoerner6 appreciate the love!

[@SSFlyer]

Bill's mafia!

[@williambudjac1110]

Totally missed on Wisconsin. I would have a team their before at least 10 teams on this list especially Oakland, Portland,Columbus,Atlanta,Houston and Hamilton. You talk about location and the potential rivalries in Chicago,Minneapolis and St. Louis that are close.Not to mention the Wisconsin Badgers put a lot of quality players in the NHL. I believe hockey would do very well in Wisconsin as Wisconsin fans in general are loyal and supportive. I live in Arizona but I was born and raised in Wisconsin and I’m loyal to this day.Just my 2 cents keep up the good work as You are one of my favorite you tubers.

[@isabellarios7489]

You gotta give Salt Lake a chance, man. Utah is absolutely a sports state but most people wouldn't know that since they aren't from here. Utah Grizzlies have some good attendance and would for sure embrace another pro team

[@tmoney9539]

Hey Shannon! What teams do you think will be the top ten in the 2018 draft?

[@adolfcuckler8125]

I hope Buffalo gets the #1 pick.. Fans there deserve it.

[@tmoney9539]

Jar Jar Trumps I hope Detroit gets it. They are in dire need of a proper rebuild, And a star dedenseman. I think this would replenish the hopes of most Red Wings fans.

[@user-bw9oz1kw8l]

the red wings had a dynasty for 2 decades, i think they can tank for a few more years

[@tmoney9539]

Marko GD Hopefully, I just hope they get a good pick this year.

[@CircleTheWagonsOG]

Jar Jar Trumps THANK YOU! #Tank4Dahlin

[@smala017]

Agreed, that would be a fun league to watch! But please stop pretending that MLS doesn't exist... the Crew have been in Columbus since 1996.

[@boomdos4265]

Not for long it seems.

[@cubeofbeef1972]

He’s a hockey channel.

[@scottlow6342]

@jmd2789 ya ok bud Atlanta United FC averages over 50,000 per game

[@scottlow6342]

@@cubeofbeef1972 doesn't matter he said Columbus had NO pro team which is wrong

[@scottpreston976]

Also OSU eats big bowls of Benjamin's for breakfast lunch and dinner with sports. I realize it's not pro but that's still a huge draw for sports in general.

[@TylerEL]

Makes me think of the WPHL. Ever do any reading on the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, based in Pittsburgh, started in 1896? First hockey league to have professionals, first to trade players, and first league to import players from Canada. It's pretty interesting.

[@dank81]

If I had this task at hand my league would turn out almost identical to yours with one exception: the Ohio NHL team would be in Cincinnati

[@robertevans00]

If your going Bay Area it has to be San Jose or San Francisco. Oakland hasn’t supported its teams and a lot of Canadian transplants are in San Jose and the SF Peninsula.

[@dominickrinaldi6727]

Love the addition of Hamilton, I didn't see that coming. Awesome!

[@anrkylad1]

i would have said milwaukee, wisconsin for the last west team. wisconsin has huge hockey fan base.

[@ghmongo]

I'm surprised Milwaukee wasn't on the list.

[@bulkhogan5]

Love seeing Quebec City on here. I miss the Nordiques and that rivalry .

[@rugbyelite1361]

What an awesome channel. I also reside in Vancouver good sir and love your content. keep on loving these Wonderful Surprising exciting, dominant and courageous iteration of the Van Canucks, and i hope it lasts a real long time. well here's to you my friend! love yeah, buddy :D

[@brianschlaf5996]

Indiana a NHL team they love hockey there and lots of Blackhawks fans there and Norte Dame hockey fans

[@pkoerner6]

Ft. Wayne Komets are one of the oldest minor league franchises

[@eriklakeland3857]

I think in Indiana's case there are too many markets competing. You're right there are a ton of Blackhawks fans, Red Wings fans, and I can catch the Blues on tv regularly here. The Indy Fuel of the ECHL haven't been well supported, I know they've been bad but I've been to games with 1,500 people. There is taxpayer fatigue with stadium funding in Indianapolis, after Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life FIeldhouse, RCA Dome, Victory Field... growing downtown Indy as a sports destination was a strategy in the the past that culminated in hosting the Super Bowl in 2012, but diversification in what we spend our money on is desired chiefly building a real transit system. Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers arena, is not suitable for NHL hockey. The Indy Fuel's stadium only holds 6,000 people.

[@thomas-dr1is]

@@eriklakeland3857 I agree, I live in southern Indiana and we have Columbus and Nashville fans here, other teams are too close

[@sergeiyzerman7240]

Indianapolis could never support an NHL franchise. Fort Wayne has 1/4 the population and has a bigger turnout for games.

[@carsonnovelli8746]

Hi Shannon, Great video as usual I really enjoyed the concept behind it and found myself agreeing with most cities, and I would absolutely love to see an updated version of this video.

[@IGame4Charity]

Would love a NHL team in Hamilton.

[@MrLucasD123]

Utah City, Utah would be a decent market I think

[@JWarrior_81]

Ah yes. The famous Utah City.

[@fourdoorsmoresmores]

Can you do a continuation to 50 teams, I know it would get pretty far out of hand but it would be fun to see where you put it next

[@Shadowtoast76]

Thank you for choosing my hometown of Kansas City. We love sports and I frequently see other hockey fans like myself.

[@bdh177]

I would support Hamilton 100%!!!!

[@hafeezkhaliq7776]

buff will fold!!!!

[@jasonkh3943]

Buff current roster in Hamilton would be the cat's ass!

[@alecboyyes]

Hamilton Mustangs 😁

[@jasonkh3943]

@@alecboyyes meh, I was thinking Steelers, but even that is somewhat unoriginal 😏

[@alecboyyes]

@@jasonkh3943 Not seen the film Youngblood? It's a (cheesy 80's) hockey film in which Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze play for a fictional team called the Hamilton Mustangs. Their uniforms mirror that of the Detroit Red Wings, which is partly how I ended up a Red Wings fan.

[@kevinhover461]

Watching this in March 2024 Amazing to see growth of this channel. From the location now used, this looks like it was filmed in the washroom 😂

[@ParagonKevin]

Yay Portland!

[@original6hockey402]

Maine

[@jimbobogie8204]

Kevin-the MODA Centre is ready to go. If the league were to go to 36 teams (the next "perfect" number) Portland, Seattle and Vancouver would : 1. Add a 6th team to the Pacific Coast 2. Set up a three-way with Seattle and Vancouver. The other 3 teams are: Houston Quebec Indy, Milwaukee or KC...in that order.

[@robertmcnearny9222]

@@jimbobogie8204 I really like the Moda Center. As a Nuggets fan in Washington we drive down once a year for a game. I guarantee that place would be hopping during an NHL game.

[@rgakballantyne]

As habs fan I want to believe that the birth place of is Montreal but alot have argued that the birth place is actually Kingston Ontario. However the birth place of organized hockey is Montreal

[@kadfriesen]

Very interesting picks. 👍🏻 You should do a 16 Canadian teams only NHL.

[@JoeOsChannel]

I'd enjoy seeing that one :) I second the motion.

[@icewyre]

Canadian Conference and an American Conference. Thatd be quite something

[@GI_Jimbo]

Fun in theory, but in reality it makes more sense to base conferences around time zones.

[@ianzellick4980]

Too bad there isnt 16 Canadian cities big enough lol

[@marsbolcan9311]

16 Canadian cities? here's how I think you could do it. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Halifax, Oshawa, Victoria, Saskatoon, Regina. Some other cities were considered (Opted out of St. Cathrine's because I feel like that market is really sandwiched between Hamilton and Buffalo. Never had Windsor for the same reasons as St. Cathrine's although with London and Detroit instead. Sherbrooke was considered but ultimately beat out by bigger cities. St. John's is isolated and the economy hasn't been doing great in Newfoundland. Barrie was beat out by larger Ontario cities. Kelowna could have been interesting to divide coastal and interior British Columbia but again was beat out by larger cities. Gatineau could have fueled an Anglo-Franco rivalry with Ottawa, but it got bet out by larger cities. Something maybe in Moncton to serve New Brunswick but it got bet out by larger centres. Beyond those cities you're pushing it)

[@BIGDEW14]

I'm from wisconsin and we really need a hockey team. Wisconsin Badger mens and women's hockey is huge. And with a few renovations the Bradley center is a perfect place now that the bucks have a new arena.

[@nfslegend2280]

Personally i like the ideas, but would want Regina or saskatoon, cleveland over columbus, a team in Windsor Ontario over Hamilton

[@gabingston3430]

WIndsor is right across from Detroit, so I think that market is already covered (yes I know I'm four years late).

[@sartajdhaliwal9462]

4y later and I'm saying Vegas DEFINITELY should stay in the NHL

[@brandonboudreau235]

I might have a bit of a San Jose bias because I was born and raised there until the military got me......but go to Oakland and you’ll understand why teams are leaving Oakland. Fingers crossed they hold on to the A’s and the warriors. I’d say San Jose or San Francisco.

[@ExcelGenerations]

Brandon Boudreau technically Oakland is the better location via its smack dab in the middle of the East Bay, but yea they have political problems when it comes to sports. I don't blame them though. Public funds for sports is totally messed up lol. If the Bay Area had 2 teams Oakland is better than SF since San Jose has a team already. SF gets around 40% of their fans from the south bay. Putting a team in Oakland is much more successful if you can build it.

[@boomdos4265]

Man, unfortunate about the Warriors. They became too sexy as of recent years, and BOOM now they move into SF.

[@jrcook-394]

I think what would be awesome is (really far into the future) putting together a mega-league with around 50 teams or so. Rather than dividing it into multiple subleagues like the CHL, just restructure the playoffs. Let 12 teams make the playoffs along with, not four, but eight wildcards. The wildcards could play each other in a three game series till only four remained, then it would be normal playoffs (4 rounds, 7 games each). That would give the league the chance to expand into markets and relocate others. On top of your main list, I could see teams in SLC, Windsor, Oshawa, a second Toronto team (probably just named "Ontario ___"), Miami, Saskatoon, a second Chicago team, perhaps Victoria, and a multitude of other places. That would be a really cool thing to see one day, and I hope that's the general direction the league is moving with it's growth.

[@CoryGrace19]

As a person who grew up in nova scotia I was wondering could you do a video looking at the possibilities of an nhl team coming to Halifax, what are the chances of it happening, I'm a firm believer that it would work there, they have the mooseheads in the QMJHL and all of nova scotia and cape breton have major hockey fans all over. Could I be right in saying this could work and should happen or am I wrong and the market here is too small. Let me know what you think and make a video about it if you think it's worth talking about. Love your channel keep up the great work.

[@ravensfan1961]

Cory Grace I agree. Halifax is a better choice than at least 2 teams on his board. They would sell out for sure.

[@JoeOsChannel]

I'm originally from Nova Scotia as well. I too would love to see a video talking about this idea.

[@agent00puffball]

I would love to see a team in Halifax and I think the entirety of the Maritimes would support it. I certainly think Halifax would work.

[@Drknnja]

Here's a wild card: Mexico City. Huge population and plenty of sports fans. Hockey interest would have to be cultivated but imagine a 50,000 seat arena filled to the rafters.

[@Ithical_]

Instead of Oakland, why not San Diego? Gulls have been well supported since coming back.

[@mikel957]

Jeremy B San Diego would be a good location for a team but the entire sf Bay Area has too many people (and frankly too many Canadians) living there to not give them a franchise.

[@BGerbs66]

San Diego has lost 2 other sports franchises and the Padres are only still there because of their new stadium. The city is cancerous for sports and generally can't support anything.

[@mendelsonja]

@@BGerbs66 I know your post was a year ago but I figured I'd point out the irony of mentioning San Diego losing 2 sports franchises when arguing for Oakland. Oakland lost the Seals, the Raiders, the Raiders (twice because they came back and they're leaving again), and the Warriors are now leaving too (admittedly they're not moving far, just into San Francisco).

[@BGerbs66]

@@mendelsonja I actually learned recently that San Diego also lost the Rockets, making 3 teams: 2 basketball and 1 football. Their pathetic attendance at the AAF games (although admittedly the AAF sucked) was proof that they shouldn't have a team. The thing about Bay Area teams is that there are 2 football and baseball teams with 1 hockey team and 1 basketball team. The Golden Seals may have left, but they were replaced by the Sharks which are successful. Look at the Avalanche or Wild for similar stories. The Raiders may be leaving again, but the area can still support a football team. The closest football team for San Diego is the LA Chargers, ~100 miles away. Not the same as in the Bay where it's only 50 miles or so and accessible by a couple trains. San Diego is still cancerous for sports and unless the Padres and Gulls start selling out every game, nothing will convince me otherwise.

[@golfking3447]

Also California has 3 teams Texas has on

[@nickhfda223]

For 15, what about Cincinnati? Or do you think the draw from NE Kentucky would be too weak?

[@mrep8938]

Why does everyone have Minnesota so low on their own lists. Literally is the most "hockey state" out of all the states. That's why it's called the state of hockey... more hockey players than any other state even with their small population. I literally just get in my truck and can have a choice of 5 outdoor rinks filled with rink rats within a 5 min drive. During the winter of course...

[@fiftyin07]

MrEp Minnesota also gets a lot of fans from us folks in the Dakotas. Although I’m a Jets fan being from northeast North Dakota, most hockey fans in ND are Wild fans

[@HoyesPoi]

A lot of comments are suggesting Milwaukee and Indianapolis, but it's not so logical. The markets are smaller comparatively, and whether or not they deserve teams, hockey fans in those states will be Chicago fans. Chicago's market has a large reach, from Iowa to Eastern Michigan and Indianapolis. With a few more locations availabe, they would be next on the list, other than a Canadian city like Regina that could support a team. And to all the Isles fans, he explained his why there's only one team in NY. I assume that New Jersey team could really extend up to Albany and out to Long Island or Trenton, NJ anyways.

[@cooperterry3900]

Milwaukee? Saskatoon/Regina? Halifax? Indianapolis? and why did you cut carolina?

[@cooperterry3900]

BTW thanks for cutting the Islanders

[@13johnnyemo]

Nah were still there, last team in :D

[@leftywith4strings201]

John Dombroski no, that was the Devils

[@13johnnyemo]

Im a random person Who wrote this for the internet he said any ny metro team, so I choose to see it as the islanders

[@leftywith4strings201]

John Dombroski oh, ok. That makes more sense. Sorry for snapping

[@Bigcheecho]

Pretty reasonable list! I'd probably move Nashville down a few notches - probably below Dallas/Houston/Portland simply because Texas Triangle markets are far larger and Portland is much less risky than Nashville IMO. A lot of people do mention Milwaukee, but I think KC wins out due to Milwaukee's relatively small size and proximity to Chicago. In terms of NJ, I'd personally put it in Trenton rather than Newark to create a central Jersey team to create an additional split in the traditional North Jersey/South Jersey division between NY & Philly. IMO Columbus wins out over Cleveland since there's far more for hockey to compete with in Cleveland than there is in Columbus. I'd probably also pick either Miami or Orlando over Tampa Bay in regards to Florida since Miami is large and Orlando is in a more central location for Florida. I'd also consider Indianapolis, Cincinnati if you put Cleveland in, Charlotte if you want to push more southward, Baltimore, or a third CA franchise, though I do believe you picks probably win out over those. Overall, you have some very good picks!

[@CMench26]

New Jersey!! 😈

[@jessiegandhi4340]

I was this close to being like how do you not include NJ

[@rickkaine2580]

This is coming from my other channel but I also did a 32 team NHL from scratch Here’s how I did mine East Toronto New York (Manhattan) Montreal Ottawa Detroit Boston Philadelphia Pittsburgh Quebec Buffalo Washington New York (Queens) Tampa Bay Nashville Atlanta New Jersey Cleveland West Chicago Minnesota St.Louis Los Angeles Vancouver Winnipeg Calgary Edmonton Milwaukee Seattle Denver Kansas City San Jose Anaheim Dallas Houston Phoenix Portland

[@brianschlaf5996]

Alaska not many people but it's cold there and they love hockey

[@MrPeabody67]

Brian Schlaf I’d put a chl team there.

[@camerongibson5660]

The closest city to another tean would be Juneau. Even then, it's about a 38-hour drive from there to the nearest NHL city (Vancouver), and traveling would be horrendous for everyone.

[@daquaviousbingleton7471]

travel problems

[@mysticmac4017]

Imagine a trip from Florida to Alaska. Wouldn’t work

[@Thenorthelect]

LONDON ONTARIO! as a south west ontario resident we are constantly forced to cheer for either the red wings or the leafs, we have no one in between. London and surrounding area has maybe the most blue collar hockey fans per square kilometer i know hundreds maybe thousands of people from my hometown sarnia would make the trip and thats coming from a city who is still 1 hr. away from london. this should happen!

[@goalie5630]

I like your idea but I would at two more teams in the East, Baltimore and in the West, Milwaukee.

[@scottpreston976]

I think a Baltimore/Annapolis team would be amazing. Great competition in DC and New York.

[@gntorres61]

The Caps would never go for this. Too close

[@JFoxman]

Love, love, love the idea of bringing Houston and Dallas in at the same time! The expansion draft alone would be the highest rated TV show in the state before the season started. #nhlinhouston

[@oldsrocket8841]

It's a shame that Quebec City hasn't already gotten their team back. No other team entering would have brought such rivalries right off the bat. Mtl, Bos, Tor, Ott, Buff. To have those battles once again would have been great for the NHL and about as exciting as it gets to watch.

[@johnfeathers1055]

Great video Shannon. Maybe next expand on this video and show what team names you would give along with uniform colors and logo ideas? That'd be pretty sweet. Keep it up, I look forward to your videos everyday after work.

[@eugenestaples1887]

I was watching your video again. the thing the stuck with me was you had Oakland has one of the cities. Just remember Oakland is losing there NFL team.

[@laGhost710]

Eugene Staples yah but Raiders fans aren't happy about it. They support the team it's just an ownership decision with the intent of making a bit more money in Vegas' tourist culture

[@jameskirkikis4127]

I liked your approach, though I have a few comments and disagreements:1) I know you said only one team per city. However, I may have started (or later added) another team in NY and Toronto. As you said, these could easily support two teams. Would suggest an urban team and a suburban team, like one on Long Island and one in Mississauga. 2) Would have added St Louis, and possibly Denver at the same time as Minneapolis3) Would have added a San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose team at the same time as LA and Vancouver to better anchor the west and create more rivalries.4) I would have not included Atlanta. Two failed franchises, for whatever the reason, in a relatively short period of time, is enough to keep me away5) Putting teams in non traditional hockey cities is very risky. In my opinion, if there if an NBA team exists in the non traditional city, the NHL team will struggle. Nashville and Tampa do well, while Miami, Phoenix and Carolina (NCAA basketball) have it tough. I know there is more than one reason teams struggle. However being the new kid in town, with a semi-unknown sport and competing against an already established league that has solidified their presence may be too much. BTW, Dallas and LA do well as the metro area is huge and can support the four major leagues. 6) Continuing with the above thought, to me Houston is a question mark. Its a big sports town, and has a large population, but hardly a hockey town (Aeros anyone?). It may be too hard to complete with the Rockets.7) KC is an interesting choice. They love their teams and I believe the NHL will thrive there. May have picked them ahead of Portland. 8) Yes, bring Quebec City back! And Hartford too!

[@Simon-tc1mc]

What ticket issues does detroit have. Every game is a sellout, for years

[@golfking3447]

Simon not now they don’t

[@andrewgram3039]

London Ontario . If the OHL ‘s London Knights fans are any indication London fans would be delirious! They could build an 18000 seat arena out South Wellington.

[@ildibaba11]

Switch around Calgary and Edmonton so Calgary is 6th and Edmonton is 7th 😉

[@sherissetraff3545]

super555555555555 yeah

[@FHL-Devils]

Looking at NFL and MLB, the Oakland choice didn't age well... but it can start there and just move to Vegas like all the other teams.

[@sshurmatz]

Atlanta for the third time. No thanks.

[@bjnt922]

Chicago had three times with the NBA. Team number 3? The Bulls.

[@jimbobogie8204]

Pensfan...that's how Quebec gets les Nordiques back: 1. Put another team in Atlanta, 2. Wait...VOILA-Les Nordiques sont la!😁

[@TjSamson]

David McCalla Yup Chicago failed twice but went successful on their third attemp.

[@escjacob541]

pensfan 77 Contrary to popular belief, OWNERSHIP drove us to Canada, not attendance

[@shaunfitzpatrick6660]

My familly owned season tickets from 2002-2011 and for a Atlanta team that was shit we drew decent. Compare it to the Hawks or Braves when they slump and i would say we would have been fine with better ownership.

[@TheRangerJoel]

You're off on Detroit. The actual city of is the mess you describe but the suburbs are quite affluent and they draw a lot from Windsor area in terms of support. Ticket sales are a direct reflection of quality of the team over the last almost 10 years.

[@NinjaPig831]

Hamilton is a miss for me, I think only having Tampa bay and Atlanta down south makes other E.C. Teams very angry. That’s an awful road trip. Gotta have Carolina or even Nashville in the eastern conference to keep other organizations happy in terms of travel.

[@tylerjones5972]

Solid list, I still hope Hartford can make a comeback some day!

[@thumbthump]

Cali would need 3 or 4 teams.

[@dnlprkns]

Agree. Population of canada 36M. California 39M. 2 teams isn't gonna cut it.

[@LockeDemosthenes2]

Speaking as someone from there: Salt Lake City really should be considered for NHL expansion or relocation. Cold weather sports are huge here, especially after hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. Also our support of the Jazz shows that we are capable of supporting a professional sports team, they're consistently in the top 10 in attendance despite being one of the smallest NBA markets. The only issue is with the arena. Vivint Arena is a great venue for basketball, but admittedly has TERRIBLE sightlines for hockey (no worse than Barclay's in Brooklyn though, just saying). If given a team, a new arena would likely have to be built within 5 years, something that is definitely possible considering Utah was able to build a great 20k professional soccer stadium about 10 years ago despite obstacles, so it's not unprecedented. They could play at Vivint for the time being, or even at Maverick Center in West Valley City, it only seats 12,000, but is a great place to watch hockey. If they were to sell out those games (I'm certain they would), that would still be about the same attendance that teams like Ottawa, Florida, and the NY Islanders routinely get now.

[@brianschlaf5996]

Some place in Wisconsin they love hockey and crazy about college hockey

[@Jacobthekid28]

Brian Schlaf Probably Milwaukee

[@kayleighlehrman9566]

I personally love the idea of neutral site rivalry games; base the NYC team in Bronx or Brooklyn, have them play Jersey once or twice a year in Madison Square Garden, Seattle and Vancouver play a game in Victoria, Winnipeg plays the Alberta teams in Regina or Saskatoon, Atlanta and Tampa play a game in Jacksonville, Cleveland plays a game or two in Cinncinati, Chicago and Minneapolis play a game or two in Milwaukee or Madison, Minneapolis and Kansas City play a game in Omaha or Des Moines (venue permitting), Atlanta and/or Nashville play one of the Texas teams in New Orleans, hell you could have the Texas teams and the California teams play a couple of games a year in Phoenix

[@thatguyuknow1837]

Canadians do you guys hate that there is soo many US teams even though Canada invented hockey and wish there was more Canadian teams?

[@10far2many]

As an American who has lived in Canada most of my life the answer is: not really. Some people, sure, but most Canadians just loathe seeing empty arenas and unloved teams. Especially when they know a place like Quebec City could so easily support a team and would adore them. Edit: I'm talking about the hate part of the question, most Canadians would like another team in Canada.

[@brianbenson3669]

Almost 50% (49.2%) of the players in the league are Cdn., so we are getting pretty fair representation. [ vs 21.3% USA ... 11.1% Swedish... etc ]

[@agent00puffball]

As a Canadian, not at all. I just want to see successful teams and people support the sport and their team. I will always respect a loyal fan no matter where the team is located. I'd love to see Canada get another team or two, but only because I know there are markets here that could support it and fans that would come out in droves. Quebec City, Hamilton, and I'd even say Halifax could all probably support a team. Out West either Saskatoon or Regina might be able to support one as well. But I do think there are untapped American markets that could do really well, too. Seattle (who basically already have a spot), Portland, and Houston I think could all support a team. So short answer is no, we generally don't care about how many American teams there are. We love the sport and want a team to be successful and loved no matter where they may be located.

[@mckenziedowney9112]

Not really. I don’t really look at Canadian teams any differently from American teams. Anyways there aren’t enough Canadian cities with the population to support profitable teams. But i think You could maybe add four Canadian teams (Quebec city, Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan, Toronto area) most just wouldn’t bring in the same $ and would have to have lower ticket prices or smaller arenas. I would like to see other pro sports teams in places other than Toronto, preferably western Canada, maybe in Vancouver.

[@canucky76]

No. Simply because the US has more large, major cities than Canada does.

[@FightCentralTV1]

I’m not too late to be the thousandth comment Shannon. Love your work. Started watching a couple seasons ago, I couldn’t imagine my days without your videos

[@Trustmemynameisnttom]

Toronto and the surrounding areas could support so many hockey teams, i have never understood the north american system of distributing teams, to be one per city... the english premier league has 6 teams in london currently and in the North West of England there are 7 teams within 1 1/2hrs of each other and again some of the teams are in shared metro areas, a lot more interesting when you've got an equal number of fans from each team in the stadium /arena and makes for some fierce rivalry

[@frantisekvtelensky820]

English Premier League and the whole system in England football works very different, cause teams must qualified first to be available play in EPL. So basically, there can be as many teams from one town as possible. Every year, clubs in the EPL must fight and collect points to avoid falling back to the lower league. On the other hand, NHL is closed league, works in completely different mode and money is really huge huge factor in this. If the team wants to play the NHL, they need to have money and a tactically positive financial plan. Membership is being bought. Also, in the EPL and generally in football in England, there is more working with the fans' relationship to individual clubs and the fans are more closely connected with the history of concrete teams in the given city or even neighborhoods. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to buy a ticket even in the third league, because the year-round tickets are often inherited from their fathers to their sons or transferred to the family. NHL is simply a totally different world/system, which can't be compared to EPL. :)

[@Trustmemynameisnttom]

František Vtelenský well id argue that those teams can't get into the most expensive and competitive league in the world without money coming from ticket & merch sales and the fanbases are organic rather than forced

[@boomdos4265]

"well id argue that those teams can't get into the most expensive and competitive league " Well I'd argue they can, because that is EXACTLY how it happened. Look at the Vegas Golden Knights. Inorganic franchised team that bought their way into the league. Which is how its' done here. So you get a team like Vegas who HAVE come into the most expensive and competitive hockey league in the world. The EPL isn't gonna work like that. Baseball and the NFL, same thing. There is a large amount of the league which were franchise expansion teams whose fanbase were forced in mainly due to geography, and whose owners paid a fee to get into the league: Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Toronto Blue Jays to name only a few. For Hockey: Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes etc. Sports leagues in the US started organically, like the EPL. But eventually someone realized due to geography and the vast length of this country, having 4 clubs within say, New York isn't efficient when there's money to be made. It works in England, because you know, England is the size of Alabama.

[@boomdos4265]

And i know this is a hockey video, but what I've said is basically why Promotion-relegation isn't gonna work within the Soccer game in the US.

[@boomdos4265]

And one more thing, the Dallas Cowboys according to Forbes is the most valuable sports CORPORATION in the world. More valuable than Real Madrid, Barca, Man U, and the New York Yankees. Do you know how they arrived in the NFL? They BOUGHT their way into the league (expansion team 1960), and the fanbase was "forced" due to geography. They didn't sell merch or tickets...that came AFTER. It's just how its done in North America.

[@stevep8445]

One thing people who say "The South" or "The West" etc "Don't deserve" hockey need to keep in mind that there is a mass population exodus from the Northeast and midwest to the South and Arizona/New Mexico. So that means lots of hockey fans that may not have been in these areas 15-20 years ago..

[@ajspicer2131]

Norfolk maybe?? Name them the sailors navy port there give the troops there something 2 do create a solid fan base also for all the people in the city since there is no sports team there

[@jbtrains]

Virginia Beach has an arena in the making near the ocean front. Would be a steal for the NHL since it would be he first team in the market and most pro sports fans would flock to it as there’s no other pro sports teams to go to. But if the city got NBA the NHL would be dead in the water in Virginia Beach

[@ajspicer2131]

Tiffany W if they went with a idea. Theme or like ship like the sailors sea dogs or something along those lines they would build a hardcore navy fan base and the base is only a short drive that's half of your nightly tickets

[@jbtrains]

Fick Rick lol if you threw the Jets there (not that they would though they do need a new facility sometime soon) you could call them the jets! NAS oceana is right there and they fly over the ocean front all the time

[@ajspicer2131]

Tiffany W true or just move the avalanche coyotes or the hurricanes and rebrand them

[@jbtrains]

Fick Rick not the coyotes. They are on the slow rise but rise non the lease to be a bigger presence in the valley. But the east west divide is he biggest thing cause you don’t want to have to realign

[@supaidameme]

On your note about Minnesota teams, I would say that an NHL team in both Minneapolis and St. Paul would not do as well financially as people would think. Historically, Minnesota sports teams that keep to one city don't work. In baseball, when the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota, Cal Griffith had a huge fear of town history. Back then, Minneapolis and St. Paul didn't much care for the term "Twin Cities" because they hated each other. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul had their own minor league ball clubs and both of them were fierce rivals, and an often cited reason for the Lakers moving to Los Angeles was the low attendance by St. Paul residents who refused to go to a "Minneapolis Lakers" game. The reason The Twins logo is two dudes shaking hands over a river is because it's supposed to represent the union between the cities. It's also why Metropolitan Stadium was built in Bloomington to host The Twins and The Vikings since it's sort of between the two. Obviously with a much larger population and that rivalry no longer existing, I could be wrong, especially since Minnesotans have such a huge love for hockey, but I thought I'd point that out.

[@nhlhouston4963]

Bring NHL To Houston

[@scottlow6342]

if I was designing a league Canada and the US would have separate leagues Canada could easily have it's own 16 to 20 team league and we would take our cup back as well

[@armatageshanks06]

Ottawa? They cant even sell out a game in the conference finals. Its a government town. Mabe a good place to have a cricket team based on the demographics.

[@Demonkah]

The fans absoloutly hate Melnyk what I've heard. + the arena is in Kanata not downtown Ottawa

[@RobertRescot]

How about a north American division for the KHL? I'd pin Seattle, Portland, San Francico, and Sacramento. That gives each American team threw domestic rivals, and let's Asian and European clubs have a meaningful trip with multiple games in same time zone.