50-save win for Devin Cooley. Second 50-save game for a Shark goalie this year. The first one was the funniest Shark game this year. a 2-1 SO loss when Blackwood stopped the first 49 shots of the game and didn't concede until a minute left
It’s been a mess since the move from Winnipeg. The whole franchise was an utter embarrassment for decades. I live here and I’m glad they’re leaving. A fresh expansion start, should it come, is better than letting this drag on.
the worst part is they’re trying to convince the poor few fans they have left that they’re coming back in 2030 with a new complex
The next expansion franchise, with SLC off the table, is probably Houston, Atlanta, or Phoenix (and sure we can toss QC for completeness I suppose). I do think hockey can work here but it needs a refresh and not with Menulo. But my working conspiracy theory is if Menulo wins the land auction they'll get an expansion franchise. Bettman put up with so much shit here I can't believe he'd just let it end like this when it should have years ago. Gets SLC a team that can play in a real arena immediately, AZ takes a breather while the new arena gets built, and hockey remains in the Phoenix metro.
Can’t imagine Phoenix is in the top 5 for franchise expansion options. Also we are already at 32 so the next number that makes any sense is 36 and that’s just too watered down.
What do you have as a top 5? I'm not saying Phoenix absolutely deserves it but just curious. Spoiler Hartford #1
US: Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City Canada: Ontario #2, Quebec City Heck, I’d rather Portland or Halifax get teams.
Houston would do well. Doesn’t seem to matter how many teams in Texas there are in any sport, they always do well.
KC is currently engaged in a struggle to keep the teams it has. Feel kind of gross defending the Coyotes/Phoenix now. I think this is starting to trigger the Whaler fan in me.
This is a completely arbitrary number you devised. If someone wants to pony up $1B or close to put a team in Atlanta, Houston, or Phoenix (or hell maybe somewhere else) the league isn't going to say no.
i love that city also but Quebec City is their best shot at a nhl team close. And that is partly why it will never happen. Mtl doesn’t want that and it makes no sense for the nhl to split that market. It is way better to try to implement in the Atlanta area and in utah to get more tv money.
not so sure, but I wish I bought a ton of nordique stuff. The difference is that the nordique stuff is beautiful
Whenever I see these white jerseys I get a smell of pop corn and cheap hot dogs coming inevitably to my brain.
The NFL expanded to 32 22 years ago. The NHL did 2 years ago. What does NFL and NHL expansion have to do with each other? Why hasn't MLB and the NBA expanded to 32? Great straw man here.
that is early 90’s they were absolutely beautiful for not being a classic and in that time with what they were working with
I think it further proves my point. These franchises print money if you can get in the door. Why is the NHL the only one supposedly open to >32?
Because they are more eager for that kind of entry money than the rest of them. I'd be shocked if at least 2 of KC/ATL/HOU/PHX don't have expansion teams by the end of the decade. The NHL has so much open market in the U.S. considering of that 32 several are in Canadian markets none of the other leagues would ever consider touching. If any league is going to be the largest in North America, it'll be the NHL.
The Canadian franchies are the difference, in my mind. The NFL has largely saturated the US market with most major cities having teams and no obvious place to expand to. I don’t know that that means the NHL should expand past 32, but having a major metro to invest in is a difference.