re: Report: Toronto, Seattle, Quebec City to join Las Vegas in 2017 NHL expansion

2 East and 2 west is good.. Vegas and Seattle good choices. need more Canadian reps also. Hamilton would have to pay both Toronto and Buffalo a ton. Rumor is the suburbs of Toronto and forget Copps. Quebec absolutely.

Now let's hope the NHL aligns them properly.

What about Cleveland or Milwaukee?

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It's a big enough sport in that area that I think it would work, and work well. Plenty of cities can support two teams and do, for hockey, Toronto would be the best case for that to happen.

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I understand that Toronto is a big city and - by the numbers - may be able to support 2 franchises, but I just find it hard to think any true Leafs fans will just switch teams. The Hamilton angle makes a bit more sense. I know that's been talked about for a while.

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Little surprised Kansas City isn't one of the teams, they've wanted a team in the Sprint Center for so long whether NBA or NHL.

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Same here. I know that KC has courted the NHL a good bit. But haven't they had poor showings at preseason exhibition games?

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Seattle

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Yes!

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What about Cleveland or Milwaukee

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Cleveland can barely support the 3 teams they have now. Cleveland, for the second year in a row is dead last in MLB attendance...with a good team! The population loss in Cleveland is really starting to show itself.

Ill say this again, why not the Salt Lake or Portland market along with Seattle? Las Vegas will be an absolute failure! I also agree that no way Toronto fans are going to just up and stop rooting for the Maple Leafs. This expansion is a C at best. 2 great choices in Seattle and Quebec and two really poort choices in Las Vegas and Toronto.

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You'd become a bigger fan than you might think, going to the games is a blast to put it lightly.

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I've been to a couple Avi games and some WCHL games in Tacoma years ago. They're fun, which is why I'd go. Much better in person.

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Las Vegas will be an absolute failure!

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Meh, the city will support it and the powers that be here in town won't let it fail. Las Vegas needs a team badly. The last mayor was reelected and his wife was elected mayor after he was term limited out with one of their major campaign promises being getting a major league sports franchise in the Valley. There's a major push for it, and this is a really big metro area population-wise to not have at least one pro team.

13% more players, but the US population has grown by 10% since the last expansion. I'm sure the Canadian growth is similar.

So, we'll basically return to late 90s quality of player for a while.

Dont they remember why the Nordiques left the first time? Why Lindros never played there?

Great locations. I am just a bit worried this is too much at once.

Love Seattle and Quebec. Think both will be great choices. Las Vegas is a big gamble (hahahahahahaha!!!). It's a pretty big market to not have a pro sports team at all. As the only major sports team in the metro area, you have to think that will help. But its economy fluctuates quite a bit and it will probably have to rely at least a little on tourists wanting to catch a game while in town to really thrive. Don't really get the Hamilton move (can it really cut that deep into the Leafs market?). Would rather see Kansas City.

Honestly, I think if you're going to expand, it should be to either 32 or 36. Thirty-four is kind of awkward with divisions (much like 30 is now). Thirty-six teams, while a substantial increase, would actually be pretty intriguing. You can have four conferences with nine teams each. Play each team not in your conference once home and once away (27 teams, 54 games). Play each team in your conference twice home and twice away (eight other teams, 32 games. This would be 86 total games, so the PA would have to agree to up it from the current 82). Top four teams in each conference make the playoffs:

1) Move to Detroit to the current Metro.

2) Quebec and Hamilton in the current Atlantic.

3) Vegas and Seattle to the current Pacific.

4) Houston and Kansas City to the current Central.