Courtesy of Maddy Grassy/The Associated Press
The NHL is one of the “Big Four” leagues in North America for a reason. The league encompasses 32 teams spread out across the United States and Canada, with more than 20 countries represented among its players. Since 1990, the NHL has expanded 12 times and relocated three times. Now that’s a lot of movement and growth.
Since it was founded in 1917, the NHL has come a long way from the “Original Six” teams. The sport of hockey has seen significant development and has gained a lot of interest, especially in southern states or other areas labeled as “unconventional” – thanks in part to the recent Stanley Cup success of the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lighting, consistent playoff runs from the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, and Carolina Hurricanes, and teams out west, such as the San Jose Sharks, getting the top draft picks. Additionally, adding another Canadian team might bring back some hope of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canadian soil.
Though the NHL expanded in 2021 and relocated a team last year, if they were to expand or relocate again, here are some cities that would be perfect for a new NHL team.
Atlanta, Ga.
Courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hmmm, Atlanta looks familiar.
Well, because it is! Atlanta was home to the Atlanta Thrashers, an NHL team from 1999 to 2011, before it relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba and became the current Winnipeg Jets. Prior to that, Atlanta was home to the Atlanta Flames, an NHL team from 1972 to 1980, before it relocated to Calgary, Alberta to become the current Calgary Flames.
May seem like hockey was a failed experiment in Atlanta, right?
Wrong! The Atlanta Flames were the forerunners to the NHL’s southern hockey “experiment,” which many once laughed at. Hockey in the south has seen so much success, with teams having consistent Stanley Cup Playoff runs and wins in the past five years. The “experiment” teams have stood the test of time and cemented themselves as forces to be reckoned with.
So, what about the Thrashers?
The team simply wasn’t in the NHL at the right time and were never given the chance to succeed. Sure, they had top talent originally, but not before it was shipped off to other teams. Was weak management to blame? We’ll never know. But as of right now, people in Atlanta still seem to love hockey. In fact, the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators just hosted their first-ever “Thrashers Night,” where they dressed in old Thrashers jerseys to revive the city’s NHL tradition. It was a raging success with a sell-out crowd!
Could now be the right time for Atlanta to give NHL hockey another try? It certainly seems like it!
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Courtesy of Sports Illustrated
It’s safe to say that hockey is Canada’s sport. Many kids are in skates and given sticks before they can walk. Millions of Canadians tune in to their TVs on Saturdays for Hockey Night in Canada. Canada is currently the most successful nation in the Olympics for ice hockey, having won 23 medals since the sport was first added, including 14 gold medals. Recently, Canadian hockey was in the international spotlight when Team Canada won the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.
Despite all the hype around Canadian hockey, a Canadian NHL hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens won in 1993–nearly 32 years ago!
What’s one potential solution to this drought? Adding another franchise! Where? Look no further than Canada’s smallest mainland province!
Saskatchewan is the only Canadian province that doesn’t have an NHL team. However, many successful players have come from there, including all-time greats like Gordie Howe, who played 1,767 games in a 26-season career that spanned five decades, current talent like Haydn Fleury, Matt Dumba and Ethan Bear, and rising stars like Kevin Korchinski. In fact, Saskatchewan has produced more NHL players per capita than any other Canadian province, with between one and three per every 100,000 people.
Though there are many small cities in the province, Saskatoon would be the most ideal because it is the most populous city with 260,000 people. Is that smaller than most cities that have an NHL team? Yes, but hockey is popular, so it should be successful. Having an NHL team could also add to the unique hockey culture of the city.
With the amount of incredible talent Saskatchewan has produced, a potential franchise could be a lethal force in the NHL and might even bring Canada one step closer to reclaiming the title.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Courtesy of Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
Yes, you read that right. Honolulu, Hawaii, known for stunning scenery and sandy beaches. A winter sport in paradise? Now that’s unheard of.
But it’s not impossible.
Honolulu is currently home to the Islands’ only rink, the Hawaiian Ice Palace. Even though it’s the only ice rink in the area, many Hawaiians hold the Ice Palace near and dear in their hearts and travel from all over to go there. Additionally, many native Hawaiians who have never seen hockey before enjoy watching games when they are in town. Additionally, because Honolulu is one of the biggest cities in Hawaii, it boasts a fairly diverse population. In fact, many Honolulu residents are from California and miss watching their hometown teams play.
While those are all arguments for why hockey may be popular in Hawaii, but would an NHL team be successful?
Maybe. During the 2023-24 NHL season, the NHL Global Series took to the Pacific, with the then-Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings playing two games in front of a sellout crowd in Melbourne, Australia. Yes, Australia is a totally different place than Hawaii. But, what the Australian games in the Global Series proved was that hockey is more popular than what was initially thought in Pacific, coastal cities.
So, is an NHL team in Hawaii a long shot? Maybe. But it's never been attempted, so it might be hugely successful–you never know!
From the beaches to the mountains, and from cities that have had an NHL franchise before to those in which hockey is just beginning to take off, the NHL has plenty of candidates. It will be exciting to see where the NHL goes next!
Edited by Jenna Mandarano
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