Could the NHL be expanding to 34 Franchises with New Teams in Atlanta and Houston?

[Brawndo]

Both John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes have made cryptic tweets about possible expansion teams to both Atlanta as well as Houston in the past couple of days. 
 

given the fact that Seattle and Vegas are two of the biggest revenue teams in the NHL it would make sense to consider this from a financial standpoint. The question becomes does Atlanta deserve another attempt at a franchise after having two move to Calgary and Winnipeg, respectively. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Brawndo

[Contempt]

No Atlanta does not, but neither does Phoenix IMO.

[Pimlach]

God I hope not.  

To many teams right now.  We don't play our division enough as it is.  

STOP Expansion.  Forget Atlanta for good and leave Arizona.  

[shrader]

Atlanta failed twice already. Anyone who even considers giving them a team needs to be shot out of a cannon. 

[Taro T]

Please do not expand beyond 32 teams. There is something very right about having 2^5 teams in the league.

The regular season knocks out 1/2 of them out and then 4 rounds of playoffs trims down to the winner.

 

[Rasmus_]

Atlanta does not deserve another team.  Quebec should easily receive a team before Atlanta.  Houston is fine, by me.  

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

Atlanta does not deserve another team.  Quebec should easily receive a team before Atlanta.  Houston is fine, by me.  

Houston couldn't fill the Astrodome for the state's national sport.  Randall's Food Markets was responsible for almost all of the sellouts for games against teams not from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or Dallas.  And that was for a team that had made the playoffs 6 or 7 years in a row.   They didn't support the Aeros after the Howes left.  Don't put a team in Houston.

That city only supports frontrunners (and even that is reluctantly).

[Dr. Who]

The Atlanta Flames were a likeable team. They had a fan base of mostly transplants. The Thrashers were a disaster. There's minimal natural interest in Atlanta for hockey. I can't imagine trying a third time there. 

[Marvin]

I keep wondering why the NHL thinks that it is not in its best interest to have stability for a longer time.

[French Collection]

36 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Please do not expand beyond 32 teams. There is something very right about having 2^5 teams in the league.

The regular season knocks out 1/2 of them out and then 4 rounds of playoffs trims down to the winner.

 

16 teams make the playoffs and it takes 16 wins to raise the Cup.

Perfect.

[Sabel79]

Ew.  Hard pass.  
 

 

 

Of course, Arizona has to go somewhere… 

[Don Dokken]

It's a terrible idea so it makes perfect sense that the NHL would be considering it

[bunomatic]

Who we going to lose to the expansion draft. I hate the thought of giving away people we draft and develop to teams that are given every opportunity to be better than us off the bat.

[Night Train]

LOL at Atlanta, which has failed twice. It's like the NFL twice trying St. Louis and failing. Yet they still talk about it yet again. 

 

 

 

[Night Train]

 Some other great ideas the NHL had that failed quickly during my time..(I'm old) 

Oakland/California Seals

Kansas Ciy Scouts

Cleveland Barons

 

Quebec had an owner that got wiped out financially and Colorado got the team.  That's a place they should actually revisit. Big fanbase. 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I find it hilarious that people who don’t live here, don’t know anything about the sports market here and don’t why the Thrashers failed are commenting on whether or not a new team would prosper here.

 

[bob_sauve28]

If it will make the NHL money they will do it. 

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

Atlanta failed twice already. Anyone who even considers giving them a team needs to be shot out of a cannon. 

There's already fake news out there saying that Atlanta failed twice because of bad ownership.  It's like the league planted these pieces.  

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I find it hilarious that people who don’t live here, don’t know anything about the sports market here and don’t why the Thrashers failed are commenting on whether or not a new team would prosper here.

 

We all watched it.  Some of us watched it twice.  And somehow, you feel free to comment on the sports market in Buffalo, where you do not live.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Eleven

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, Night Train said:

 Some other great ideas the NHL had that failed quickly during my time..(I'm old) 

Oakland/California Seals

Kansas Ciy Scouts

Cleveland Barons

 

Quebec had an owner that got wiped out financially and Colorado got the team.  That's a place they should actually revisit. Big fanbase. 

 

Owners are more interested in the TV market and TV revenue than they are in the fanbase. Houston is a big market that can become a rival to another Texas city that is already in the NHL i.e. Dallas. 

[Scottysabres]

46 minutes ago, Sabel79 said:

Ew.  Hard pass.  
 

 

 

Of course, Arizona has to go somewhere… 

Quebec

[LGR4GM]

35 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I find it hilarious that people who don’t live here, don’t know anything about the sports market here and don’t why the Thrashers failed are commenting on whether or not a new team would prosper here.

 

Sports market in Atlanta: Braves, Georgia, ... occasionally the Falcons.

If the nhl was smart, they'd put a team in Charlotte. 

[Eleven]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Sports market in Atlanta: Braves, Georgia, ... occasionally the Falcons.

If the nhl was smart, they'd put a team in Charlotte. 

If the NHL was smart, it would GTFO of the south, which wants to become its own country.

[Crusader1969]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

Atlanta failed twice already. Anyone who even considers giving them a team needs to be shot out of a cannon. 

3rd time the charm? 

[Crusader1969]

47 minutes ago, Night Train said:

 Some other great ideas the NHL had that failed quickly during my time..(I'm old) 

Oakland/California Seals

Kansas Ciy Scouts

Cleveland Barons

 

Quebec had an owner that got wiped out financially and Colorado got the team.  That's a place they should actually revisit. Big fanbase. 

 

KC had amazing uni’s.  I’m all for bringing them back 

[GASabresIUFAN]

46 minutes ago, Eleven said:

There's already fake news out there saying that Atlanta failed twice because of bad ownership.  It's like the league planted these pieces.  

We all watched it.  Some of us watched it twice.  And somehow, you feel free to comment on the sports market in Buffalo, where you do not live.

I’ve never commented on the Buffalo sports market of today. Nice try.