Expansion: the USA is the answer for Bettman

No doubt the NHL wants to make further expansions in the coming years.

After Vegas, Seattle and Utah (which is officially an expansion franchise having purchased the assets of the Coyotes), Gary Bettman is no doubt close to adding a few more clubs.

With expansion costs so high, he’d be crazy not to.

But even though we’ve been talking about expansion for a long time, it’s still very unclear. How many clubs will be added to the league? In which cities? When will it happen?

And do the Nordiques have a chance of coming back?

On this subject, Elliotte Friedman, in his most recent 32 Thoughts, wrote about the fact that yes, the NHL is indeed thinking about going through with an expansion process down the road.

And by reading Friedman’s piece, which he wrote in conversation with Bill Daly, we begin to answer some big questions.

Trying to go dark this week (“no chance,” says the boss), but here’s a written 32 from the NHL/NHLPA European media tour.

Enjoy the last week of summer, everyone. https://t.co/kZOYGX4VBh

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 25, 2024

American expansion. The word “American” is important because Gary Bettman, from what we understand, feels he’s behind the other big leagues with only 25 clubs south of the border.

That’s why the questions we’re asking are mostly about the U.S. and not about places like Quebec City, for example.

Which cities? Of all the possible U.S. cities, we can assume that two or four teams will be added. Atlanta and Houston are two cities that come up quite often.

Remember: Quebec City isn’t in the United States… and people in the capital are starting to lose hope. You can see it in the hype – or lack of it – surrounding the Kings’ visit to Centre Vidéotron.

But when? It’s hard to say when the NHL will want to expand its ranks, but it’s safe to assume that if investors are willing to put money on the table, Gary Bettman won’t wait long.

Does it make sense to tie the issue to the collective agreement, which expires in 2026 or 2027? Perhaps, yes.

So even if nothing is decided, we still have to assume that Bettman and his group have a clear vision in mind of what they want. And now that Arizona’s lame duck is out of the league’s hair, expansion can surely happen even more easily.

To be continued.