Why Doesn't the NHL Just Relocate Some Teams to Canada?

I don't like franchise relocations, but I understand that my wishes will never get in the way of a team being moved to a different city.

If my hands were tied and I had to dissolve teams I would still argue that you cannot make wholesale changes just because hockey seems out of place in the south.

Teams like Tampa Bay and Dallas are exceptions to the rule as far as attendance is concerned, and the fans of Nashville came through to keep their team. I don't know how they do it, but the Blues have remained in St. Louis, while the Kings seem to do okay in L.A. despite their new neighbors - the Ducks.

When this subject has come up in the past I once responded that they should move the Habs to Winnipeg, Leafs to Halifax, and the Senators to Saskatoon (or something like that) not to be a smartass but to get people to consider how it would feel to lose their team to another city.

I know I'd bounce off the ceiling, floor, and walls if the Flyers were to move to Quebec City (even though they actually had to for a few games of their inaugural season). But those are just my feelings.

On the business side of things, we all know that the NHL owners agreed to expand into non-traditional markets to grow the sport. A lot of failures were built of good intentions and I think that in time, the NHL will be faced with relocations of some franchises. Not all of them will be from the south.

The most likely franchise to move FROM Canada will be the Edmonton Oilers. The new arena in Kansas City is one of the major selling points that will be used to lure a franchise. The NBA Supersonics are now in Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies are in Memphis, and the Hornets in New Orleans because their new cities were "up and comers" that had the money to bring them in.

The sympatheic thinking suggests that there should be more NHL teams in Canada, but the realities of today's sports economics dictate that franchises will go where the money is. That's why some cities that have traditionally been home to minor-league hockey teams are beginning to compete with the big boys to have a big league team of their own - no matter how they obtain one.

I do agree that Winnipeg and Quebec City should have a team while I'm on the fence about Regina/Saskatoon, Hamilton, and Halifax. If the teams with the poorest financial performance are to be relocated there, then so be it. But I don't wish to risk offending fans of other teams by arbitrarily voting that their team be the one that gets moved because I am still angry that the Athletics left Philly 6 years before I was born and I'm dying to have them back.

Everybody is thinking short-term here. The canadian dollar is stronger than the US dollar right now but it always hasn't been that way. Winnepeg and Quebec moved for financial reasons, not because those cities didn't love their hockey. Winnepeg couldn't sell out their smaller arena before they bolted for Phoenix. Now you have a slumping US economy and some cities have felt the pinch @ the ticket office. If you moved teams everytime the economy slowed down you would never have any teams to root for. This is not the AHL where teams are always changing cities etc etc. Also.. If the NHL doesn't put teams in the south.. the sport will not be able to grow (looking 15-20 years) down the road. Cities like Tampa, San Jose and Anaheim are proof that non-tradtional markets do enjoy the sport and can fully support a team financially. Just 2 years ago the Islanders, Blues and the Blackhawks were the bottom 3 in attendence (well close too it) and I don't recall hearing anyone say the NHL should move these teams to Canada.

Yes I think Canada should have more teams.. and @ some point they will get them. How or when who knows. But like someone else mentioned.. The US Population is almost 10-1 over Canada yet the NHL team ration is 4-1.

Sorry Canadian hockey fans.. if a team relocates anytime soon I expect it to be to Kansas City. If another team moves after that then maybe it'll be across the border.

Because then the NHL would have to buy the teams themselves and then find a buyer in the cities they would be moving to, and considering the cost of these things that sort of thing is not easy.

Individual owners own the teams and make the decision to move the team or not. The team will not move if the owner thinks they can still grow the market and make money there.

Atlanta has a very lousy team right now. That hurts attendance a lot. Atlanta is also a large financial center. Lots of banks. What's happening with banks right now?

When the team is not very well established, lousy, and the economy is bad for one of your demographics, what the hell do you think happens? Crowds will pick back up once the economy does and the team gets better.

Glen Greene's plan is even dumber. It looses the NHL revenue, and dissolving popular teams that are becoming profitable like Carolina is a really dumb idea. Again, the NHL has to buy those teams, and I would bet that the owners of several of those teams would flat out refuse to sell. Not to mention the plan would have to be approved by a vote of the owners.

Basically, both of you are uneducated and completely misinformed on this issue. Tampa is consistently in the top 5 in NHL attendance, and Carolina has a sellout streak since about the all star break last year.

I definitely think that this is their last season there, i was watching that game too, and i swear i heard the announcers voice echo when they were talking, it was pathetic. Don Waddell is the problem with the organization, they were close to going bankrupt last year, and only averaging 5,000 fans will mean they are definitely gone, especially since i think their payroll is higher this year due to a rise in the salarie floor. Being a canadien, i will say canada is not always the answer. Even though a city of maybe 250,000 in canada could sell out every game, they would not get enough TV revenues being a small city, and they will not make enough money, and advertisements will not be any better. But if in Canada, Hamilton would be the perfect place, it is close to two hockey loving cities in Buffalo and Toronto, and the Toronto area is like 1/6 of the Population of Canada, so they would have large amounts of people watching, it shouldnt be too hard to get to games, and they are not in the same city as the Maple LEafs. The only thing would be it would take them a while to become popular, because all of Ontario is practically Leafnation, but Canadiens do love the game enough to go to the game

I think that Jo hit the nail on the head. While there is not many NHL teams in Canada at moment, there are a lot of lower level hockey clubs, such as AHL, IHL, junior hockey, so forth. In a touch economy, a family might perfer to go to 3 or 4 games at the lower levels in a year instead of 1 pro game. I live in Grand Rapids, and go to the AHL team here about 3 times, and the IHL team in Kalamazoo about 4 times, but never to the WIngs games due to costs, and the fact that my children are only 6 and 8, and travel time.

If the states to the south never get exsposed to hockey, it will never grow there. Besides, I am sure those same teams get big attendece boosts when teams like the Wings, Stars, Penguins so forth come into town.

Well idk. You are right in many aspects on this. I'm from the US, but yes you are right most people don't understand or care for hockey and idk why because it is the best sport in the world. I think there should be more teams in Canada and hopefully there will be someday. Yes, why are some teams like the Thrashers even in Atlanta....I'll never know. Atlanta is not a hockey town. Winnipeg Jets should have never left and the same with Quebec. Hopefully they will get teams again soon and yes Halifax would be great also. I don't think things will change though till we get the awful Gary Bettman out of the NHL commissioner chair. But in some defense there are cities in the US that love their hockey teams. Maybe someday there will be more teams in Canada. Hopefully, because I love to go to games when we play the Canadian teams. Good luck on getting your team!

Very true. I found it funny too that at that game in Atl. they offer $39.00 all you can eat buffet seats for the game, & still can't get people in the stands, Now I'm not sure if the stands are empty cause hockey is weak in Atl. or that Atl is week in hockey? See Dallas sells tickets and there not far (southern state, newer team) from what Atl is as a team. I believe Fla. sells decent too.

IMO there is so much "other" hockey rather then NHL in Canada the locals might rather spend a 1/3 the ticket price to see a great Jr. game as opposed to a crap, pro game.

The U.S has 300+ million people, Canada has 30 million...

I went the the penguins game tonight and there were 17,030 people there. Depends on which city you're in.

But no, the South is no place for hockey and neither is the West. I think the Thrashers and Panthers should relocate the most though.

I agree that Atlanta is pathetic but instead of relocating team, I would rather see teams dissolved.

Atlanta and Miami (Panthers) would be phase 1.

Nashville and Carolina would be phase 2.

Phoenix (After the Grezky Era) and sadly the Islanders for phase 3.

Phase 3 could go either way, Either move the teams to Canadian markets or like phase 1 and 2 eliminate the teams and shore up the talent pool in the NHL because I would estimate around 50% of NHL 4th liners should be in the AHL and around 30% 6th D-Men

People want to relocate teams to canada but theres several factors in the way.

1) you have to find a city that is willing to build you an arena.

2) you have to find an owner that wants to move the city

3) you have to somehow convince garry bettman that hes a prick thats killing te nhl with his stupid rules, useless designs and of coarse his retartedly stupid rulings (not approving for a team in Hamilton and not to move teams out of the south(most recently the Nashville predators))

and winnipeg already proved they cant handle an NHL team, however are regaining trust with the Manitoba moose.