http://www.thehockeynews....da-through-expansion.html

Interesting story on why the NHL should expand to Canada over Seattle because they owe it to Canada.

Ideally, they could do it all and bring in Seattle as an expansion team, relocate the Panthers to Quebec, relocate Phoenix to Portland (which almost happened this year), expand into a Toronto outlier as rumored, and shift Tampa into the western conference, being that they'd travel almost an equal amount as before, and it'd even out the conferences. Then the divisions would be

Pacific: Edmonton - Vancouver - Calgary - Seattle - Portland - San Jose - LA - Anaheim

Midwest: Winnipeg - Minnesota - Chicago - St. Louis - Colorado - Nashville - Dallas - Tampa Bay

Atlantic: Quebec city - Montreal - Ottawa - Boston - Toronto - Markham - Buffalo - Detroit

Metrosexual: NYI - NYR - New Jersey - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - Columbus - Washington - Carolina

Per Wikipedia:
"The lockout was resolved when the NHLPA agreed to a hard salary cap based on league revenues, with the NHL implementing revenue sharing to allow for a higher cap figure. "
- JAKEw1234

I'm not exactly sure, how this works, so please tell me if I'm wrong.

The NHL makes $XXX in revenue and has 30 teams. In a basic sense, they take that revenue, divide it by 30, and that is the cap.

So, if they remove the lowest revenue-producing teams, the overall revenue goes down, but the amount of teams to spread it to also goes down, which would lead to a net increase in the cap.

Is that anywhere near right?

That is true. I do feel that if he is not signed when camps open, he'll be invited somewhere, just like Knuble was to the Red Wings camp, before signing the deal with the AHL
- Jsaquella

That's true, he could wait for invites and earn a spot the old fashioned way.

That's true, he could wait for invites and earn a spot the old fashioned way.
- jmatchett383

The strange thing with Morrow's case is, teams have shown interest. But with the artificially lowered cap, a lot of teams are scrambling a bit.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/52988-NHL-can-show-goodwill-to-Canada-through-expansion.html

Interesting story on why the NHL should expand to Canada over Seattle because they owe it to Canada.

Ideally, they could do it all and bring in Seattle as an expansion team, relocate the Panthers to Quebec, relocate Phoenix to Portland (which almost happened this year), expand into a Toronto outlier as rumored, and shift Tampa into the western conference, being that they'd travel almost an equal amount as before, and it'd even out the conferences. Then the divisions would be
- JAKEw1234

WTF?

The strange thing with Morrow's case is, teams have shown interest. But with the artificially lowered cap, a lot of teams are scrambling a bit.
- Jsaquella

Yep.

If it wasn't for the lowered cap, he'd be signed by now.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/52988-NHL-can-show-goodwill-to-Canada-through-expansion.html

Interesting story on why the NHL should expand to Canada over Seattle because they owe it to Canada.

Ideally, they could do it all and bring in Seattle as an expansion team, relocate the Panthers to Quebec, relocate Phoenix to Portland (which almost happened this year), expand into a Toronto outlier as rumored, and shift Tampa into the western conference, being that they'd travel almost an equal amount as before, and it'd even out the conferences. Then the divisions would be

Pacific: Edmonton - Vancouver - Calgary - Seattle - Portland - San Jose - LA - Anaheim

Midwest: Winnipeg - Minnesota - Chicago - St. Louis - Colorado - Nashville - Dallas - Tampa Bay

Atlantic: Quebec city - Montreal - Ottawa - Boston - Toronto - Markham - Buffalo - Detroit

Metrosexual: NYI - NYR - New Jersey - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - Columbus - Washington - Carolina
- JAKEw1234

Why does Canada need to be shown good will?

They can't even be trusted with the maple syrup reserves!!!

http://www.businessweek.c...anadian-maple-syrup-heist

Cote wasn't very talented as a player. But he never hurt the team. He was responsible defensively, and constantly worked on the little things such as positioning on the ice. His work ethic was second to none. I had no problem with Riley Cote on the team.
- MJL

I'm 8 pages of comments late on this, but MJL's point is pretty much what I meant with my original post this morning. I get that he wasn't good. But he certainly wasn't a wasted roster spot.

WTF?
- jmatchett383

Struggling to find words?

I'm 8 pages of comments late on this, but MJL's point is pretty much what I meant with my original post this morning. I get that he wasn't good. But he certainly wasn't a wasted roster spot.
- Tartan69

I wouldn't go so far as to call him a wasted roster spot.

But let's be honest.....they could do better with that spot he did have.

I wouldn't go so far as to call him a wasted roster spot.

But let's be honest.....they could do better with that spot he did have.
- johndewar

I'm not a fan of carrying an out and out enforcer on the roster anyhow. Cote worked his ass off and did everything he was asked to do, and was rewarded with a job in the organization.

Still would rather see spots used on guys that are better players. Not sure I see the need for Cote type guys anymore.

Prolonging a messy situation could well cost him his job, or at least support among the BOG.

I have no idea why such a strong effort has been made to save Phoenix, when the NHL seemingly made little or no effort to repair the Atlanta situation. I realize that the ownership situation in Atlanta was tied up in the courts, but there was no public effort that approached the one by Bettman or Daly in Arizona to resolve the situation and save the Thrashers.
- Jsaquella

Did the abandonment of the Thrashers have something to do with the fact that the owners of the Atlanta Hawks owned the arena in total, thereby putting any prospective Thrashers ownership at a severe financial handicap?

I do remember part of the Dallas Stars deal being that Gagliardi got something like 49% ownership of the arena when he bought the team. For some reason, I believe it was a 49/51 split.. but in this as in all things, I reserve the right to be wrong.

Struggling to find words?
- ob18

What Tampa really needs is for all their away games to start at 8 and 10 o'clock. No one works in the morning down their.

Did the abandonment of the Thrashers have something to do with the fact that the owners of the Atlanta Hawks owned the arena in total, thereby putting any prospective Thrashers ownership at a severe financial handicap?

I do remember part of the Dallas Stars deal being that Gagliardi got something like 49% ownership of the arena when he bought the team. For some reason, I believe it was a 49/51 split.. but in this as in all things, I reserve the right to be wrong.
- Doc_Sarcasm

That was part of it, because the Thrashers were originally owned by the same entity that owned the Hawks. I'm not sure what the Coyotes ownership stake is in Jobing.com Arena

I'm not a fan of carrying an out and out enforcer on the roster anyhow. Cote worked his ass off and did everything he was asked to do, and was rewarded with a job in the organization.

Still would rather see spots used on guys that are better players. Not sure I see the need for Cote type guys anymore.
- Jsaquella

So you really dig the Rosehill signing?

I'm not a fan of carrying an out and out enforcer on the roster anyhow. Cote worked his ass off and did everything he was asked to do, and was rewarded with a job in the organization.

Still would rather see spots used on guys that are better players. Not sure I see the need for Cote type guys anymore.
- Jsaquella

Yup, agreed.

That was part of it, because the Thrashers were originally owned by the same entity that owned the Hawks. I'm not sure what the Coyotes ownership stake is in Jobing.com Arena
- Jsaquella

I believe none. The arena is solely owned by the City of Glendale hence all the twisting in the wind over the management and leasing deal.

The strange thing with Morrow's case is, teams have shown interest. But with the artificially lowered cap, a lot of teams are scrambling a bit.
- Jsaquella

if it were feasible, i would actually really want him back on the pens. i think his postseason bedwetting was more about an injury. he looked pretty good in the regular season

So you really dig the Rosehill signing?
- mayorofangrytown

Not especially. It's not a big deal, but I still disagree with that mindset

- Crimsoninja

if it were feasible, i would actually really want him back on the pens. i think his postseason bedwetting was more about an injury. he looked pretty good in the regular season
- stayinthefnnet

I don't think he was as bad in the playoffs as Iginla...I was really surprised/disappointed at how badly he played, because I have always been an Iggy fan.

Not especially. It's not a big deal, but I still disagree with that mindset
- Jsaquella

I thought it was a waste of a contract spot and what little money he got. I'll probably be wrong when he scores the only three goals against Toronto to get the Flyers into the playoffs in April.

WTF?
- jmatchett383

It doesn't like it makes sense geographically, but consider this map (it was made before the divisions were named so don't mind that),


The distance they'd go to play the midwest teams is very close to the distance they go now to play the teams in the north east.

I thought it was a waste of a contract spot and what little money he got. I'll probably be wrong when he scores the only three goals against Toronto to get the Flyers into the playoffs in April.
- mayorofangrytown

At least he's making less than Shelley, and can be sent to the Phantoms without any cap penalty

- Flyskippy

Stop encouraging him!