Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reveals the next NHL expansion team and Canadian fans may be mad
The NHL currently has 32 teams, of which seven are located in Canada.You'd think a Canadian league would have more than seven teams in their own country?
You're incorrect, as Gary Bettman has focused on expansion in American markets, with the latest being the Utah HC.
Utah will be named eventually, but the former squad which was once the Arizona Coyotes had to find a new home after the previous owner couldn't find land to build on.
And needless to say after the Mullett Arena debacle, Bettman may be more cautious about Hockey in the Desert.
But nevertheless, he persists as the US market is still prime real estate for hockey, as the NHL currently has fewer teams than major leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NFL.
Elliotte Friedman of the 32 Thoughts Podcast explains that this is due to the limited amount of teams in Canada.
So, it sounds like the goal is aggressive expansion, and where will Bettman choose next? Houston? San Diego?
It sounds like Quebec City may be out of the question, unfortunately.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the NHL should expand more in America or Canada? | ||
| America | 33 | 35.9 % |
| Canada | 59 | 64.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
