Could We Do 40?

I was having an interesting conversation today with a colleague from work who was around during the heady days of the WHA. There were a number of teams and players that he felt could really change the NHL's landscape if they still existed today thanks to smart owners and fun marketing ideas. I'll be honest in saying that there are cities that likely should get NHL teams over other cities, but he was convinced that the NHL could go to 40 teams - ten per division - without too much trouble in realigning the league for better travel and better rivalries.

As much as this is an intriguing idea, it's simply an academic exercise as I'm not sure there are eight more billionaires looking to invest in hockey beyond the 32 owners and ownership groups that currently exist. The introduction of these eight teams would also push other solid minor-pro teams out of cities where they've carved out nice markets for themselves, but, being that this is an academic exercise, we're not going to worry too much about the factor.

So could there be an expansion? In theory, anything can be done. Reality says it's a much more difficult possibility, but let's take a look at this idea in a little more depth.

Let's set a few ground rules, though. Firts, if a city already has an NHL team, it cannot receive a second team. That will exclude WHA teams seen in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Winnipeg among the many place that the WHA called home. Being that the number of excluded WHA teams exceeds the number of teams remaining, this should make the job much easier.

Second, the only factor I will consider among the many variables that could be included is fan support. As we know, ticket sales still play a large role in the success of NHL teams, so having fan support is vital. We've seen the fans come out to support teams like Seattle and Las Vegas in a big way after being granted NHL teams, so I'll factor in the local market's population when it comes to being successful.

Ok, so ground rules are set. Are we ready to do this? Let's go!

TEAM: Houston Aeros
MARKET: 7.15 million (2020)
SUCCESS: Probable

Based on what we know, Houston seems like the perfect market for an NHL team. It's massive in terms of its collective population, and it is one of the most diverse centers in America when it comes to culture, ethnicities, and sexuality - fanbases into which the NHL really needs to invest. There are a number of major corporations who call the city home, so it would seem like corporate support wouldn't be a problem either.

TEAM: Hartford Whalers
MARKET: 1,213,531 (2020)
SUCCESS: Probable

Let's be honest: the Hartford Whalers were always going to be on this list. The New England Whalers played in Boston for a short time before moving to Hartford, though, so they'll need some fans to drive into the city for games. However, I won't deny Hartford their amazing logo and beautiful green uniforms. Bring back the Whale in this experiment!

TEAM: Quebec Nordiques
MARKET: 827,000 (2020)
SUCCESS: Probable

If we're bringing back the Whale, the Nordiques have to be included as well. While they would play in the smallest market in the NHL, there's no doubt that Quebec City fans are as passionate about their team as they are their city when it comes to the rivalries they once had with Montreal, Boston, and Hartford. There would be a chance for French media to expand their coverage of the game, and the eastern Canadian road trips get one city longer for visiting teams.

TEAM: Cincinnati Stingers
MARKET: 2.23 million (2020)
SUCCESS: Possible

When the NHL absorbed four WHA teams in 1979, there was discussion about both Houston and Cincinnati being potential NHL franchises. With the Aeros being brought into the fold above, we need to include the Stingers as well. There's a good hockey history in the city, a strong media presence, and there would be an immediate rivalry with Columbus!

TEAM: San Diego Mariners
MARKET: 3.33 million (2020)
SUCCESS: Possible

As crowded as the southern California landscape is with hockey teams, there's still a distinct divide between the greater Los Angeles area and the greater San Diego area. Technically, the greater San Diego area is the third largest settlement in California, and represents a city that, like Houston, features a diverse population in terms of culture, ethnicities, and sexuality while having a strong media presence.

TEAM: Cleveland Crusaders
MARKET: 2,088,251 (2020)
SUCCESS: Possible

We already know the NHL failed once in Cleveland, so there might be a bit of hesitation in going back there. It would seem that the market would support the franchise if they were to develop into a winner, but Cleveland's long history of supporting their other franchises could make this viable. They have a very diverse culture thanks to their population, and they have a solid media presence. The Crusaders could work, and there would be immediate rivalries with both Columbus and Pittsburgh!

TEAM: Baltimore Blades
MARKET: 6.7 million (2022)
SUCCESS: Unlikely

It would seem like Baltimore is a perfect market for the NHL in terms of its size, but the Washington Capitals might have something to say about that market. The fact is that all of the AHL, IHL, and WHA have had franchises both play there and leave there for greener pastures. With the Capitals being as popular as they are in terms of the DC-area teams, plopping a team down in Baltimore 40 minutes away wouldn't make much sense. I can't see the Blades surviving for very long nor the Capitals being very happy about a team encroaching on their market.

TEAM: Indianapolis Racers
MARKET: 2.09 million (2020)
SUCCESS: Unlikely

Indianapolis has had a few teams pass through the city in its time, and none ever seemed to find the support from the market that one might expect. They're far enough away from Columbus, Chicago, and St. Louis that they should be a fairly open market for team loyalty, but the WHA's Racers lost money and the IHL's Ice lost money. There has been some good redevelopment in the downtown area, but nothing seems to be ready for hockey. Indianapolis would be a hard sell, it seems.

TEAM: Birmingham Bulls
MARKET: 1.1 million (2020)
SUCCESS: Unlikely

Birmingham, Alabama seems like an odd place for hockey, but the WHA called the city home for three seasons. This is the only city on the list without a franchise from the "Big Four" leagues, so the market seems primed for a potential hockey expansion team. The problem is that any and all teams that played in the city haven't made it to a seventh season of existence. Despite there being more people in the area than both Winnipeg and Quebec, hockey in Birmingham simply hasn't caught on at any point. It would take some major effort to grow the game big enough for the city and area to support an NHL team.

Of the nine WHA cities above that once had teams, it would seem that you could likely squeeze four teams out of that mix. Houston, Quebec City, and Hartford seem most likely as the places to which the NHL could return, but I'd love to see a team in San Diego or one of the Ohio cities as well. 40 teams seems like a big stretch in terms of bringing most of the WHA cities back, but four cities could work.

Will it happen? I'm leaning heavily in favour of "no" simply because the NHL, at 32 teams, feels maxed out. This was nothing more than an academic exercise; a thought turned into a premise without any expected results other than asking "can it work". Don't put any additional stock into this examination of WHA cities without current NHL teams.

To answer my own title, it's a "no" in terms of hitting 40 NHL teams. In some ways, 32 NHL teams feels like too many with the length of the regular season at this point, but let's not rush into further expansion when it isn't vitally necessary.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!