33+ seems like it would be too much. I think you’d have to at least do 2 more if you expand at all. If Houston is one you would need one in the east. Question is where?
The_Dale_Hunters
Awesome! I’m sure us fans will see this in the form of consumer savings!
NeonTempzzz
Give one to Milwaukee already for cripe’s sake.
millsy1010
No fuck off. Please stop expanding. It waters down the league and there are a couple of struggling franchises that need to be focussed on instead. How can you think about expansion when Arizona has been on life support for years and the team plays in a college hockey arena. 32 is more than enough
Amurderer74
I personally am all for more expansion. I love hockey, and I love that I have a HOME team I can cheer for. I’m all for more people having the amazing privilege to be able to really cheer for a home team. If that means my team/this team/that team might not be as good because the talent is more stretched, fine! Boo hoo hoo. It’s not all about you or me. More people should be able to truly enjoy this sport in the best way possible. Nothing beats cheering for a home team (I obviously don’t mean give every city and their mother a team, but I genuinely would be fine with 40 teams). I now await the downvotes
postmadrone27
Lived in Houston for 6 years. An expansion team might be the only way for the NHL to have success in Houston. That city fucking SUCKS as a sports city. They are without question the most fair weather sports fans in the world. The Astros are the only team that they care about right now…. Because they are the only team that is good. The Rockets and Texans used to be good when I first moved there. And the Astros were mediocre (before they cheated to win a WS). This city loves their sports teams when they’re good, but could not care less when they aren’t good. The only way hockey will be successful in Houston is if the team is good.
FormerCollegeDJ
If 32 teams isn’t too many, why would 33 teams be too many, except for having one division with more teams than the others?
BillyJayJersey505
The 32 teams with 16 teams qualifying for the playoffs is perfect for the NHL.
Countcoolboy
I just like having an even number of teams in each conference so yea it’s a little too much
amach9
I think 32 teams is good enough, but I can see Bettman wanting to get to 36 teams with the markets he wants: Houston, KC, 3rd attempt at Atlanta and the Quebec City to shut us Canadians up
Kevsbar123
If the NHL continues to expand, I think they need to change the format of who teams play. How do you build rivalries when you only play a team three times a year?
Mahockey3
Quebec City, Houston, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and either Hamilton or Atlanta. Coyotes relocate to one of those, and then NHL expands to the other four for an even 36.
hockeyguy26er
32 teams is too much, but it works perfectly for playoff seeding. Anything beyond 32 is greedy af.
Jackadelic23
Yes
23major
Have as many as possible, then start a relegation league (English soccer)
No-Material-23
The Coyotes attendance is a maximum of 5,000, which is a third of the other 31 teams. They are being subsidized by the rest of the league, so it makes sense to relocate them to a city where they can generate enough revenue to at least be self sustaining.
Hutch25
Right now, yes. The talent is already spread too thin in the league, most namely for goalies.
There was not too long ago a time when every single team had a starter caliber goalie, at least one superstar, and a clear cut top defence.
That is not the case anymore. So yeah, 33 is too much, I’d argue 30 is too much. How can the league be competitive when a good portion of the teams lack an actual starter goalie? It doesn’t work.
TorontoMapleQueefz
Yes. There are already too many teams
Electrical-Floor-996
You can add teams when the refs stop managing the game. Otherwise it really just feels like milking betting platforms and economies for new money. NHL was hard to watch this year. Call penalties or don’t.
IdyllicOleander
No more expanding
32 teams is enough
albertanStuckinTexas
Houston as expansion, Quebec City as Arizona Relocation
ShitHouseMcTits
Does anyone actually trust Gary Bettman to get relocation done correctly? The man is a fucking idiot and hadn’t been able to admit his Phoenix experiment has been a disaster.
Keep lighting that money on fire Gary.
Batsinvic888
If they go past 32, I think we are likely to see a play-in round.
merle317
I think the NHL can easily expand to 34 teams. Get rid of divisions and have conference teams play each other 4x for 64 games and play opposing conference teams 1x for 17 games for 81 games. That 82nd game could be for rivalry teams so like the Leafs and Canadiens could play each other a 5th time.
therealphoodie
32 is fine, no thanks
CranberryAmbitious74
That’s the reason Quebec City isn’t getting the Coyotes. The league knows it can get crazy expansion fees from places like this.
Chungo420lol
Here is a great idea only 7 teams. Vancouver Winnipeg Ottawa Edmonton Calgary Montreal and Quebec
RMZ13
Nooo. 32 teams is the right number of teams
JuNoNoWhatJewrTalkin
32 is literally perfect. Even divs, confs, and half the teams make the playoffs.
Low_Farm2827
Quebec 🙄
LibbbTearCollector
Any major professional league should be capped at 32. It’s the perfect amount. More teams would dilute the league and make it too busy.
BrandNewSin
Yes 33 is too much
No_Cartographer_3819
Yes, given that each team seems to have several not-ready-for-prime-time players already, adding one more team further diminishes the NHL-level talent available. I think 26 teams would provide a much better product. But the “grow the game” enthusiasts see only money to be made, not the reduction in overall quality of the play.
yournextdoorneighour
32 is good.
djn808
Considering Seattle and Vegas are both super expensive and are the two most recent expansions, I’d rather the Yotes relocate I think. Houstonites aren’t going to pay Seattle prices to see a game.
Dry-Honeydew2371
If they would expand beyond 32 teams, I would like to see them go to 34 and keep the conferences even. Stay at 16 teams in the playoffs, no tournament to get in.
They can expand as well as relocate. Atlanta moved to Winnipeg in 2011, and Vegas (and Quebec City) applied to expand in 2015. The Arizona expirement has failed, and Quebec City has been waiting for a long time and deserves a team, and I think relocation is their best option. If Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, or Milwaukee want to join in too, then the more the merrier
As an aside. How crazy is it that Milwaukee doesn’t have a team?
suburban_paradise
33 teams is too many. Relocate Coyotes.
ADKwinterfell
If you go to 33 have to either go to 36 or 40. 33 ain’t even for anything
Leafsnthings
More hockey = better world
mA90ngo
yes
TheRealAttalos
If they did this they should find another city and just got to 34 teams to keep it even for playoffs
Fuzzy_Ruin_1152
There’s a lot more money to be made by moving the team out of Arizona. Who cares how much more an expansion team would make, think of the money that’s being wasted every year the coyotes stay in AZ. The team is bleeding money playing in a 5,000 seat arena. With revenue sharing and the players still having to pay escrow because of 2020 it’s really not fair to anyone.
cody-has93
32 literally perfectly divisible number as far as im concerned.
MariachiArchery
The Texas Triangle needs another team. Fastest growing region both by population and GDP, one of the biggest economies in the world, catching up to CA in nearly every metric.
A team in Houston would be great for the league.
worm_livers
Does it really matter? US sports media only cares about Penguins Bruins and Rangers with Vegas a distant fourth.
LewManChew
Personally I want more teams give Huston one, Austin, Milwaukee, Quebec, Atlanta, Orlando, Kansas City, fuck it give Hershey PA one the Bears sell more tickets than Arizona does
-Starlegions-
32 teams, no more, no less, no play in, seed 1 to 8 playoff format.
CinnamonOolong30912
It’ll be 36, though I think they wait a few more years for the league to get stacked again. People complain about a watered down league, however the talent the league has now is among the deepest ever (like compare the league now to 20 years ago — yikes, plus there’s 2 extra teams now).
They’ll expand to Houston and Quebec City because of the stupid franchise prices they’ll pay. That leaves KC, Atlanta, and SLC, one of which I assume would get the Coyotes (probably not Atlanta because it’s in the east).
My guess would be: SLC gets the Coyotes this or next year. Houston and Atlanta get new teams in 2025 or 2026. QC and KC get teams around 2028.
​
The NHL would probably rather give KC the Coyotes because you can charge SLC more for an expansion, however SLC seems to be fast on the Coyotes, so it makes more sense to send them there given the dire situation right now.
Fearless_External932
36 and robin-robin regular season would be good, imo. Local derbies would be fire.
49 Comments
33+ seems like it would be too much. I think you’d have to at least do 2 more if you expand at all. If Houston is one you would need one in the east. Question is where?
Awesome! I’m sure us fans will see this in the form of consumer savings!
Give one to Milwaukee already for cripe’s sake.
No fuck off. Please stop expanding. It waters down the league and there are a couple of struggling franchises that need to be focussed on instead. How can you think about expansion when Arizona has been on life support for years and the team plays in a college hockey arena. 32 is more than enough
I personally am all for more expansion. I love hockey, and I love that I have a HOME team I can cheer for. I’m all for more people having the amazing privilege to be able to really cheer for a home team. If that means my team/this team/that team might not be as good because the talent is more stretched, fine! Boo hoo hoo. It’s not all about you or me. More people should be able to truly enjoy this sport in the best way possible. Nothing beats cheering for a home team (I obviously don’t mean give every city and their mother a team, but I genuinely would be fine with 40 teams). I now await the downvotes
Lived in Houston for 6 years. An expansion team might be the only way for the NHL to have success in Houston. That city fucking SUCKS as a sports city. They are without question the most fair weather sports fans in the world. The Astros are the only team that they care about right now…. Because they are the only team that is good. The Rockets and Texans used to be good when I first moved there. And the Astros were mediocre (before they cheated to win a WS). This city loves their sports teams when they’re good, but could not care less when they aren’t good. The only way hockey will be successful in Houston is if the team is good.
If 32 teams isn’t too many, why would 33 teams be too many, except for having one division with more teams than the others?
The 32 teams with 16 teams qualifying for the playoffs is perfect for the NHL.
I just like having an even number of teams in each conference so yea it’s a little too much
I think 32 teams is good enough, but I can see Bettman wanting to get to 36 teams with the markets he wants: Houston, KC, 3rd attempt at Atlanta and the Quebec City to shut us Canadians up
If the NHL continues to expand, I think they need to change the format of who teams play. How do you build rivalries when you only play a team three times a year?
Quebec City, Houston, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and either Hamilton or Atlanta. Coyotes relocate to one of those, and then NHL expands to the other four for an even 36.
32 teams is too much, but it works perfectly for playoff seeding. Anything beyond 32 is greedy af.
Yes
Have as many as possible, then start a relegation league (English soccer)
The Coyotes attendance is a maximum of 5,000, which is a third of the other 31 teams. They are being subsidized by the rest of the league, so it makes sense to relocate them to a city where they can generate enough revenue to at least be self sustaining.
Right now, yes. The talent is already spread too thin in the league, most namely for goalies.
There was not too long ago a time when every single team had a starter caliber goalie, at least one superstar, and a clear cut top defence.
That is not the case anymore. So yeah, 33 is too much, I’d argue 30 is too much. How can the league be competitive when a good portion of the teams lack an actual starter goalie? It doesn’t work.
Yes. There are already too many teams
You can add teams when the refs stop managing the game. Otherwise it really just feels like milking betting platforms and economies for new money. NHL was hard to watch this year. Call penalties or don’t.
No more expanding
32 teams is enough
Houston as expansion, Quebec City as Arizona Relocation
Does anyone actually trust Gary Bettman to get relocation done correctly? The man is a fucking idiot and hadn’t been able to admit his Phoenix experiment has been a disaster.
Keep lighting that money on fire Gary.
If they go past 32, I think we are likely to see a play-in round.
I think the NHL can easily expand to 34 teams. Get rid of divisions and have conference teams play each other 4x for 64 games and play opposing conference teams 1x for 17 games for 81 games. That 82nd game could be for rivalry teams so like the Leafs and Canadiens could play each other a 5th time.
32 is fine, no thanks
That’s the reason Quebec City isn’t getting the Coyotes. The league knows it can get crazy expansion fees from places like this.
Here is a great idea only 7 teams. Vancouver Winnipeg Ottawa Edmonton Calgary Montreal and Quebec
Nooo. 32 teams is the right number of teams
32 is literally perfect. Even divs, confs, and half the teams make the playoffs.
Quebec 🙄
Any major professional league should be capped at 32. It’s the perfect amount. More teams would dilute the league and make it too busy.
Yes 33 is too much
Yes, given that each team seems to have several not-ready-for-prime-time players already, adding one more team further diminishes the NHL-level talent available. I think 26 teams would provide a much better product. But the “grow the game” enthusiasts see only money to be made, not the reduction in overall quality of the play.
32 is good.
Considering Seattle and Vegas are both super expensive and are the two most recent expansions, I’d rather the Yotes relocate I think. Houstonites aren’t going to pay Seattle prices to see a game.
If they would expand beyond 32 teams, I would like to see them go to 34 and keep the conferences even. Stay at 16 teams in the playoffs, no tournament to get in.
They can expand as well as relocate. Atlanta moved to Winnipeg in 2011, and Vegas (and Quebec City) applied to expand in 2015. The Arizona expirement has failed, and Quebec City has been waiting for a long time and deserves a team, and I think relocation is their best option. If Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, or Milwaukee want to join in too, then the more the merrier
As an aside. How crazy is it that Milwaukee doesn’t have a team?
33 teams is too many. Relocate Coyotes.
If you go to 33 have to either go to 36 or 40. 33 ain’t even for anything
More hockey = better world
yes
If they did this they should find another city and just got to 34 teams to keep it even for playoffs
There’s a lot more money to be made by moving the team out of Arizona. Who cares how much more an expansion team would make, think of the money that’s being wasted every year the coyotes stay in AZ. The team is bleeding money playing in a 5,000 seat arena. With revenue sharing and the players still having to pay escrow because of 2020 it’s really not fair to anyone.
32 literally perfectly divisible number as far as im concerned.
The Texas Triangle needs another team. Fastest growing region both by population and GDP, one of the biggest economies in the world, catching up to CA in nearly every metric.
A team in Houston would be great for the league.
Does it really matter? US sports media only cares about Penguins Bruins and Rangers with Vegas a distant fourth.
Personally I want more teams give Huston one, Austin, Milwaukee, Quebec, Atlanta, Orlando, Kansas City, fuck it give Hershey PA one the Bears sell more tickets than Arizona does
32 teams, no more, no less, no play in, seed 1 to 8 playoff format.
It’ll be 36, though I think they wait a few more years for the league to get stacked again. People complain about a watered down league, however the talent the league has now is among the deepest ever (like compare the league now to 20 years ago — yikes, plus there’s 2 extra teams now).
They’ll expand to Houston and Quebec City because of the stupid franchise prices they’ll pay. That leaves KC, Atlanta, and SLC, one of which I assume would get the Coyotes (probably not Atlanta because it’s in the east).
My guess would be: SLC gets the Coyotes this or next year.
Houston and Atlanta get new teams in 2025 or 2026.
QC and KC get teams around 2028.
​
The NHL would probably rather give KC the Coyotes because you can charge SLC more for an expansion, however SLC seems to be fast on the Coyotes, so it makes more sense to send them there given the dire situation right now.
36 and robin-robin regular season would be good, imo. Local derbies would be fire.