Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.

You can have 30 stable teams, if people stop attending because their team sucks they aren't real fans. Real fans enjoy watching hockey. It doesn't matter if their team missed the playoffs 2 seasons in a row or if they have won the cup 2 years in a row. A hockey fan goes to watch hockey because they love the sport. In 2007 I travelled down from Canada to watch the Flyers play even though they were the worst team in the league. Hell I have gone to Toronto to see games, I saw Toronto play the Isles and I'm not a fan of either team, I have gone to Buffalo to watch them play. I've seen them play Caps, Ducks and Habs. If you don't enjoy hockey and don't go to games because they suck, you end up like the Pens and almost lose your team.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

you're turning this into a "those fans aren't real fans" tirade however "those fans" buy a heck of a lot of tickets when the teams are good and you can't manufacture more diehards. I stand by my points and I'm still waiting for you to explain how you can have 30 stable teams at once. Keep in mind Pittsburgh even with Mario's history and their cups almost lost their team when they were bad.

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

I'm canadian and I'm telling you to get bent regarding this "idea"

the nhl playoffs are the best in any sport, slanting it towards a canadian team is bullsh!t. Teams get to the final because they earn it.


also, 8 out of 9 teams would make the playoffs? what is this, kindergarten? everyone's a winner? fvck that noise, that's crap.

Rangers, Isles, Sabres- Makes three NY teams.
Whats the hurry with expansion? Or relocation?
Lets give florida the chance to realize the potential coming along on it's roster. If in 4-5 years they are still irrelevant. Then move them.

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

Don't agree with this idea at all, but the ratings would be Gary Bettman wet dream...

Rangers, Isles, Sabres- Makes three NY teams.
Whats the hurry with expansion? Or relocation?
Lets give florida the chance to realize the potential coming along on it's roster. If in 4-5 years they are still irrelevant. Then move them.
- camfor

As long as the nhl isn't funding the team like in Phoenix previously then leave them in place, if the new owners are willing to take the hit and see if they can build a contender and turn it profitable then there's no need to move it.

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

One of the dumbest suggestions I have ever read on HB....and there has been some doozies.

Typical Flyers moron who doesn't know sh*t about the team. The Pens almost moved because of bad ownership and an ancient building.

During the worst of the worst times the fans still nearly filled that horrible building at nearly 80%. That was after the team literally sold off their best players and were charging 100 bucks a ticket for an AHL team. Fans support was never the problem.
- madmike71

"The Penguins attendance had dwindled in the late 90s. In 1998–99, the Penguins had an average attendance 14,825 tickets at home games, the lowest it had been since Lemieux's rookie year.[11] Reducing revenue on top of the previous bankruptcy necessitated salary shedding. The biggest salary move was the trading of superstar Jaromir Jagr to the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2001. The return for Jagr was mediocre, at best, as it returned prospects Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, and Ross Lupaschuk. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years in 2002, finishing in a tie for third-to-last in the conference. Further financial difficulties saw them trade Alexei Kovalev to the New York Rangers the next season, quickly followed by the departure of Lang in free agency. The 2002–03 season was even worse, with the team finishing second-last in the conference. The situation began to echo the dark days of the early 1980s. However, just like in the 1980s, the Penguins used the opportunity to rebuild through the draft and acquire elite prospects. In the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins picked with their first-overall selection goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

The 2003–04 season was a difficult ordeal, with Lemieux suffering a season-ending hip injury early in the season, and attendance dipping to an average of 11,877 (the lowest average out of any NHL team) and only one game sold out.[11] As the season went on, the Penguins signed new head coach (and former Penguin and commentator) Eddie Olczyk, traded Martin Straka to the Los Angeles Kings, and opted not to include the highly rated Fleury in the lineup for the bulk of the 03–04 season. This culminated in the worst record in the NHL, winning just 23 games, putting the Penguins in line to draft 'can't-miss' Russian phenom Alexander Ovechkin with the number one pick. However, the Penguins were unable to secure the first overall draft pick as they lost the draft lottery for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft to the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin went to Washington, but the Penguins did select Evgeni Malkin with the second overall pick.

The Penguins had collapsed financially since the cup winning years of the early 90s. The situation was so dire that there was a suggestion that the franchise be moved to Kansas City, Missouri.[12] The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to the NHL lockout. One of the many reasons for the lockout included disagreements on the resolution of the financial struggles of teams like the Penguins and Ottawa Senators, who had filed for bankruptcy protection.[13] In the midst of the lockout, the Penguins dispersed between the club's American Hockey League affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and European leagues. Morozov and Milan Kraft would elect to not return to the Penguins after the lockout, and instead remain in the European leagues."

Typical Moron Penguins fan, has no ideas about the teams history BEFORE Crosby

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

Drugs are bad

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

I hate this idea. You're actually giving Canadian teams a big advantage.

Drugs are bad
- mochoson

M'kayyyy

I hate this idea. You're actually giving Canadian teams a big advantage.
- RogerRoeper

Oh yeah, it's essentially the worst idea in a thread where people didn't know what irony was or what anti-semitism was.

Oh yeah, it's essentially the worst idea in a thread where people didn't know what irony was or what anti-semitism was.
- James_Tanner

The people that even through first the term "anti-semitism" out in this thread probably don't know what anti-semitism is.

Oh yeah, it's essentially the worst idea in a thread where people didn't know what irony was or what anti-semitism was.
- James_Tanner

If that was in reference to my comment, trust me, I know what anti-Semitism is - and I was trying to make a humorous (apparently not vey) comment.

But I'm sure my explanation will also go over everyone's head here, too

Slash revenue sharing in half and see who the weak sisters are. Take those bottom 4 teams and relocate them. No more 4 tickets, 4 soda and 4 hot dogs, for $99.00 deals. Why should the large market teams like the Rangers, Habs and Leafs, have to prop up these weak sisters? Either eat the loses or get out of the league!

If that was in reference to my comment, trust me, I know what anti-Semitism is - and I was trying to make a humorous (apparently not vey) comment.

But I'm sure my explanation will also go over everyone's head here, too
- StLBravesFan

Yup. In a convo between you and I. I figured it was a joke.

One of the dumbest suggestions I have ever read on HB....and there has been some doozies.
- Jeropotato

Actually. Its (frank)ing brilliant. He wants to set the NHL back about a 100 years to a time when the Senators were relevant.

I don't think that's a legit fear. I mean, I don't know, maybe some people do think like that, but it seems as idiot as cheering for Seguin to fail so getting Kessel looks better. The thing is, the Leafs would be hurt - maybe not right away, but eventually they will take a lesser market share. Just because the market is big and the team is popular does not mean that it's infinite.

Plus, again, the idea that tickets would be cheaper and more available is like saying because Molson owns the Habs they are going to sell discount beer. No, they'll gouge you for as much money as often as they can.
- James_Tanner

the whole thing James, is that even if (that's huge if) say 20% of the Leafs current fan base went over to the new team... it wouldn't affect anything other than league profitability... which would likely be made up by the new team jersey sales alone.

if the tickets were approximately 10% cheaper, and the team were in Markham (or some other suburb) parking would be less than downtown Toronto, food and drink would also be less - perhaps not as much as we would like.. but enough that the average guy MIGHT be able to get to a few games a year.

Besides , the new team would be marketed to the Raptor crowd, the tweenies and the young professionals who don't have the history with the team - and who because of the internet believe that it is easy to manage a team an construct a winner.

perhaps if they decide to expand soon enough McDavid goes to the franchise in Toronto.. .you know ... the same way Crosby was gifted to the Penguins.

Slash revenue sharing in half and see who the weak sisters are. Take those bottom 4 teams and relocate them. No more 4 tickets, 4 soda and 4 hot dogs, for $99.00 deals. Why should the large market teams like the Rangers, Habs and Leafs, have to prop up these weak sisters? Either eat the loses or get out of the league!
- PrinceLH

An argument like this is really frustrates me. It's just so completely unrealistic. The NHL makes so much of their money on TV that attendance is a secondary priority. There are only maybe half the league, maybe not even that much, who can support their teams with full buildings even in a losing season.

There are very good arguments to made for why the Leafs and Rangers should continue to support small market teams. There are literally so many reasons that you could right a book about the subject. The main one is that it makes them money. If it didn't, there would have been contraction and not expansion. The fact is, the Leafs and Rangers are two of maybe 8 teams who stand to win more if there were no salary cap, but even though they are probably the two most influential teams, they went along with it, just as they do not mind sharing their money. The reason is that long-term, it ends up being more profitable to them to have 30 teams, even if some aren't in the best condition.

You can then break it down from there, but the arguments are all basically the same as to why you shouldn't just let poor people sink or swim on their own - because arguments about "fairness" never tend to be applicable to the real world.

Don't care how expansion works. But would like to see all Canadian Division of 9 teams. 8 teams would make playoffs and have three playoff rounds to declare Canadian champion and Stanley Cup contender. 16 US teams would make playoffs and play 4 rounds for US champion. Canadian and US champions would play in finals for the Cup.
- spatso

They already have Canada vs US. It's called olympic and world play. Besides, why on earth would 8 teams from a 9 team division be allowed to make the playoffs when only 2 of the current seven are even good enough to make the playoffs now??!