*expand

(unfortunately 'growth' too often means 'add another franchise' to owners)

oops. yeah i don't feel like we need another franchise. adding seattle and vegas is enough. maybe quebec tho. under bettman it's never going to happen. and they want to bring back atlanta.. just not going to work. same with houston.

At the winter meetings, they discussed expansion again. There are potential owners with buckets of cash ready to wade in.

Salt Lake City, Austin, Indianapolis, Milwaukee would be my guesses. In that order.

Milwaukee would be cool

European division? That's the biggest longshot but would be super interesting.

How exactly?

How would it work or how would it be interesting? Or how is it the biggest longshot?

Too hard as NHLPA will never allow. Would have to be done in way with second class of contracts, so makes better sense as affiliate structure like AHL.

Yeah that's fair. I just remember them talking about it a few years ago. Not that there isn't a decent following of NHL hockey in Europe, it would be a way to expand the game.

Houston would work, big population, natural rival with Dallas, wealthy state and a long hockey history with the Aeros,
Gordie freakin Howe played there!

Seems like they're the next location to get a team, the league doesn't need anymore teams though imo.

How would it work

is houston going to be a passionate hockey city? Don't really think so. Quebec would be tho. They have a 20k arena ready waiting for them. Just imagine how it's going to impact the league. More than Seattle. I don't know tho, maybe it's because i'm from Montreal and im biased a little?

Why not a world club championship… 2 games, home and away…football style…Euro club champ vs Stanley Cup winners? Maybe in October/November…

Would be a logistical nightmare but they would have to create a whole new division. Multiple teams would have to fly over at one time I would expect. They talked about it a few years ago, obviously it would take a ton of work. But in terms of this post, it would grow the league overseas.

I would love to see a best on best clubs match with the KHL. But I think the NHL would easily win that. Maybe they could do something with none playoff teams with the European champions? Some sort of tournament like that.
Maybe the AHL champion against the European champs?

Just throwing darts.

i like it and it would be super nice but.. bettman already has trouble growing the league in north america so europe wouldn't be his priorty. seems like he doesn't even want world championships and world cups..

For sure nhl team is better but anything can happen in that format. In the EPL 3rd division teams beat giants. I mean Czechia beat Canada today in a 1 gamer.

Ya Bettman is all about growing in current US markets and these proposals of ours are just for some cool games, for the sport side of it.

I feel like getting countries involved would grow the league. Olympics, World Cups, World championships, any best on best is good for the sport and the league. Owners are just too worried about their players getting hurt and losing their superstars for their own season, which I get, but the risk would be worth it in my opinion.

I get that sentiment, but I feel like it’s harder when you’ve got tens of millions of dollars in some of these guys. It’s unfortunate cause it really would be cool, but more hockey is almost definitely going to increase the odds of players getting hurt and I don’t think they’d ever shorten the regular season to accommodate something. Sucks for the fans most of all.

I remember watching that Marchand goal vs Slovakia in the world cup i believe. It was in 2016 i think. Was super dope. Been almost a decade since we didn't have something like that.

Idk, I assume there was a big following when Howe played there with his sons many years ago, if theres passionate fans in Dallas, Tampa and Nashville why wouldn't there be passionate fans in Houston?

I don't think the NHL is ever going back to Quebec City UNLESS something drastic happens and a ownership group desperately needs out which is possible but seems unlikely.

Big business chases growth opportunities, theres no growth opportunity in Quebec City cause its a smaller population thats already a hockey mad market that follows and supports the Habs.

Having the Nordiques back would be awesome but I don't think its ever going to happen.

1rst thing, raise the cap floor, too many bad teams. You have 12-14 teams chasing #1 pick, thinking it's going to change anything. Yeah 1 team gets Bedard, the rest just still suk, w/ a bunch of kids that don't know how to win. It's getting watered down and unwatchable. The Playoffs is the only good/decent hockey.

I think there's a lot of teams that are roughly the same talent level but a big issue is these GMs do **** all all season to adjust their lineup/roster, they do all their work at the draft, first few days of free agency and the TDL, the rest of the time its minor trades and waiver claims, they're too complacent with their roster building so the product is a reflection of that.