...well in terms of his NHL expansion, anyways. See what I did there? Zing!
Anyways, the talk of NHL expansion has sort of died down over the past few weeks, but the people are still talking. Talking about what could be if only Bettman would pull his head out of his ass.
Recently, the talks of Canadian expansion have dwindled down to almost nothing, especially after all of the major analysts noted that it will likely be an American city if any to get a team.
While us Canadians disagree with this and are calling for Bettman's head, when looking at the American cities, they aren't necessarily all that bad. Maybe Americans like hockey too? Maybe their bids are just as good or better than ours. So, on that note, let's take a look at the front-runners for another NHL franchise in the states.
Kansas City, Missouri: Another city that has been home to an NHL franchise in the past, although it was only for two seasons. KC gained a team in the 1974 expansion, but lost them due to the poor economy (hmm...remind anyone of many American teams now?) as they were moved to Denver. Kansas was also the only city really pushing for a team when the Penguins were discussing relocation (Balisillie wanted Hamilton, but they never really made a push until that happened.) A population over 1 million, this city has proved it can support major sports teams, with the Chiefs of the NFL and Royals in MLB. Despite both these teams being awful, there has been a fan base in the city. Throw in the fact that the city just built a brand new arena in 2007 that seats over 17,500 for hockey, and Kansas just could bring another team to the midwest. Also, the NHL could really build-up the KC-St. Louis rivalry.
Hartford, Connecticut: Ahh, the former home of the Whalers. Most hockey fans still have rather good thoughts of Hartford, still not understanding why the team was moved to Raleigh of all places. It boasts a metro population of over a million, and is within an hours drive of New Haven and Springfield, two other large New England cities. The city held a team for almost 20 years, with good fanbase but a lack of corporate interest. The recent growth in New England over the past decade could prove to eliminate this problem, as Hartford is making a push for a team. They also currently support an AHL team, and still have the XL Center (formerly Civic Center) which housed the Whalers. Hartford could have a huge rivalry with most of the teams in the Atlantic Division, as well as Boston. Hartford is, another, good US candidate proving teams may survive.
Houston, Texas: Now, I am a Dallas Stars fan. I am a University of Texas Longhorns fan, and I am just overall a fan of the Lone Star State. Houston is making a push for an NHL team, again. While you may be asking what the again means, few fans know that Houston was just barely beaten by Dallas for the Stars back in 92, when the most recent expansion took place. An absolutely huge city with a population of about 5 million, Houston has proved it can host teams, with franchises in four of the other major sporting leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB & MLS). They also have the Aeros, an AHL team which has tremendous support and attendance. Dallas has proved that teams in the southern states can work, and with the state-of-the-art Toyota Center able to seat about 18,000, there's no need for an arena to be built like in the Canadian cities. Houston should be hot in pursuit of another ice hockey franchise.
Las Vegas, Nevada: Las Vegas wants a sport team, bad. And the NHL seems to be one of the few that's willing to test the market. The city has been dipping its toe into the icy waters of the league, hosting the awards ceremony and being shortlisted for a future Outdoor Classic. It has also been speculated that the city has been in talks with the commissioner and other NHL teams, and that Bettman wants to put another team in the desert. Despite the evident problems of placing a team in the gambling capital of the universe and a city whose economy is more based on tourism than anything else, there is no current rink in the area. They do have an ECHL team, but their home barn only seats 8000, far below NHL standards. While the city continues to push, they need an arena before they can be taken seriously...I think.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Another southern city making a buzz is the capital of the Sooner State. The city has a population over a million, and currently houses the Thunder of the NBA as it continues to try to mark itself a sports city. It also has a new arena, the Ford Center, which seats over 18,000 for hockey, and is home to a team in the Central Hockey League (whatever that is). The city has been known to host many NHL exhibition games, which could again be an example of the league testing the market. As Oklahoma City continues to grow and become more prominent, this bid should be taken more seriously. While it is definitely the quietest of the four major cities, it is not by any means the weakest.
So there are the Fab Four if you will. There are still a couple others, including good bids by Seattle and Portland (Oregon), and some weaker bids by Milwaukee and Indianapolis. The point is that while us Canadians think we are the high and mighty of the hockey world, there is a demand for the league in some American cities, so we better make real bids and show that we want a team, not just that we deserve a team, if our nation should ever get a seventh or eighth franchise.
And, Bettman, for one of the very few times, I am excited to see what you will do. You have proven it may not necessarily be the worst idea.
