Hello all and welcome the Hockeybuzz weekly point-counterpoint debate

Back in May, Travis Yost and I conceived this idea to keep readers interested and to really explore new ideas and new viewpoints on the NHL’s most controversial topics.

The first debate is the debate of all debates: why doesn’t the NHL add a seventh team in Canada. This week Travis will take the Pro portion, debating why it should and I take the con, why it shouldn’t

So without further ado, here we go:

Now we all know that Canada is the birthplace of the coolest game on Earth, scores of people up in the Great White North get their skates out, go to a frozen pond and play the game we all know and love.

When it comes to their interest in hockey, Canadian hockey fans are second to none. No group, not even the PTA, is more dedicated and passionate than these Canadian fans. But could they support 7 Canadian teams?

Fan wise, I think the game could certainly use another team up in Canada but what about the business side? We all know the NHL loves business as they are run by business men who do business-type things with this business called hockey. So Canada is to get another team, the NHL must be assured that there’s business to be had.

Now I’m not just talking about fan support, I’m talking owners, sponsors and all the other stuff that franchises need to survive.

Truly there’s only one owner up north who could truly fund a team and get it running- Jim “Blackberry” Balsillie. However, the thought that the NHL would suddenly allow Balsillie to buy a team is just silly. Sure the guy has money but he also doesn’t have a good rapport with Bettman and Co.

Aside from one guy, there really isn’t one group that truly would strike the NHL as a viable business operation, capable of running a team smoothly and efficiently. The last time the NHL did that, they ended up owning the team they moved, ironically enough, from Canada down to Phoenix.

To make matters worse, the two cities most ready to have the NHL back are Quebec and Winnipeg, two cities who have already lost their original team. And while the citizens of those fine cities still do lament the loss of their team, they haven’t shown enough Capital growth that would make the NHL ready to put a team back there.

Finally, where would these new teams get their sponsorship money? Would they be able to get enough revenue from them to be a stable team in all facets? Could they convince the NHL that they can support a team on more than just fan support? Look at it from the perspective of a big sponsor. Is Winnipeg doesn’t ring a bell when one is looking at getting consumer dollars.

So, for now, the NHL should not put another team in Canada until they have ownership from a big-time guy like Kroenke or Molson-Coors and big sponsorship dollars to along with the rabid hockey fans that live in these wonderful cities. Canada will eventually get a seventh team but not within the next few years, I’m afraid.

Please continue on and read the Pro debate piece by Travis.