I posted this in the Predators Sold thread - but the expansion aspect of the story probably deserves its own discussion. In today's Toronto Star there is a story that the NHL is in discussions to grant expansion teams - likely to KC and Las Vegas with Nashville expected to move to Hamilton (or Kitchener-Waterloo).

That way the league can claim each country is gaining a team and the league will have a more manageable 32 teams in total. Apparently it is Jerry Bruckheimer - TV and Pirates of the Caribbean producer who is vying for the Vegas franchise.
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/222714

This is pure genius.

it seems to me that the last NHL team in KC failed miserably.

This is just asinine. The league needs FEWER teams, not MORE.

The Canadian Press story on expansion/Bruckheimer talking to Bettman states that expansion is 4-5 years away. The article also throws out Winnipeg as some place that Bettman would like to see hockey.

Please, please no Vegas.....Winnipeg yes, but not Vegas......

I think Houston would be a good place to expand.

Aaron, the more I think about it the more that I'm thinking that too.

Maybe not a market in the traditional sense, but it does have a solid history during the past thirty years or so. It was home to the two time Avco Cup champions in the WHA in the 70's and has had a solid minor league existence during the last fifteen years or so.

As non traditional markets go this seems to be a far better fit than in Vegas or Kansas City. Larger, more affluent, track record of supporting the sport.

Actually Houston may be a very good choice for an expansion team. The Houston Aeros of the AHL have seen their average attendance increase in each of the last 5 years and this past season averaged over 6400 a game.

And speaking of the AHL - my Hamilton Bulldogs (who I assume Montreal would have to move if the Preds move in) - won the Calder Cup last night with a 2-1 victory over Hershey. Over 14,000 fans cheeered them on at Copps Coliseum.

And finally there was an article in today's Star trashing the idea of Vegas saying it would be another disastrous NHL decision. Just like the decision to give their cable TV rights to OLN last year instead of ESPN. Many reasons were given but the bulk of them can be summed up in this excerpt.

" Put simply, the city is not the burgeoning market some say it is. Las Vegas is merely the 51st largest media market in the U.S., smaller than some cities such as Albuquerque, N.M., Harrisburg, Pa., and Greensboro, N.C. And as a Wells Fargo analyst put it in a March report, "The Las Vegas economy continues to cool (and) the unemployment rate continues to trend higher."

Fact is, many Las Vegans are low-income employees, card dealers, waiters and hostesses who would probably find it impossible to attend many NHL games even if they were so inclined. As one sports banking source put it, Vegas is an "upside down" market. While much of North America works 9 to 5, the standard shift in Las Vegas is 5 p.m. to midnight. "I don't know, maybe they're thinking afternoon games all the time would work," the source said. It's similarly doubtful visitors would be interested in hockey – or that casinos would help promote the sport. Every three hours at a game would mean less time for the tourist to play slots, roulette or baccarat."

No place is a good place for expansion. Relocation for sure. But the last thing this league needs is MORE teams.

A great article here about this issue...



and...

are the preds having that much trouble in nashville