Why Toronto can't sustain a second NHL team

Discussion in 'EAST: Atlantic Division' started by truebluefan, Sep 1, 2014.

  1. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2010
    Messages:
    212,768
    Likes Received:
    821
    Trophy Points:
    113
    This past week, news has been circulating about the possibility of the NHL expanding, adding another four teams by 2017 as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations. To be sure, the league is in fine shape, thanks to a strong collective bargaining agreement and a 12-year, $5.2-billion broadcasting deal with Rogers. And while there has been talk of expansion on and off for several years, relocations have been the norm since the NHL’s last expansion to its current 30-team roster in the 2000-2001 season when Columbus and Minnesota were added. So the timing seems good — the question now is where?

    What gives the notion that expansion is indeed on commissioner Gary Bettman’s agenda some credence is the source of this week’s news. Howard Bloom of Sports Business News broke the story and he is usually right on the money, and certainly not one to exaggerate or opine carelessly about such matters. According to Bloom, Las Vegas and Seattle are in the mix, as well as Quebec City and Toronto.

    Quebec City is in the midst of constructing a new arena and it is no secret that they are doing so in the hopes of bringing back an NHL franchise to the city. Tim Leiweke, the soon-to-be-departing CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment stated last year that the NHL “owes” Quebec City after relocating the Nordiques to Denver in 1995. Think of Winnipeg and the Jets as a comparison.

    Seattle and Las Vegas make sense, if only to better align the western and eastern conferences, which now have 14 and 16 teams respectively.

    Read more http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/08/30/why_toronto_cant_sustain_a_second_nhl_team.html
     

Share This Page