Why Paul Kelly thinks expansion would help end NHL lockout

[doniceage]

As we’ve all come to know over the past couple of weeks, solving the impasse that has led to NHL Lockout, Part III isn’t exactly as easy as people would like to believe. On the one side you have owners who have undermined their own objectives time and again, but still have the right to try to fix it this time. On the other side you have the players, who are simply asking that the full value of the contracts they signed in good faith be honored.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...daily_20121030

[centrehice]

That's ridonkulous.

The reason the NHL is the way it is today is because of un-needed expansion. This league would have prospered and had money for all without having to fiscally babysit the now weak franchises, by having a mandate of no more than a 16 to 18 Team league, 20 teams at the very extended range.

When the NHL crossed the 20 team threshold, that was the TSN Turning Point I'm afraid. It's been a very slippery slope since.

[Devlin]

They need to contract , not expand

[centrehice]

They need to contract , not expand

The NHL does not contract, this is not Baseball. They cease to exist, are sold, or moved. Hockey has more manners than silly MLB.

They've already done one idiotic MLB move by taking over Phoenix.

[30ranfordfan]

It's pretty obvious that expansion is inevitable. It's going to happen after this CBA gets hammered out (finally) but before the next.

Quebec City will be back in the league in the next 5 years, and Toronto will have a second team. These WILL NOT be relocated teams... they will be new ones.

Maybe the Coyotes will still have to pack their backs and move - Seattle, Kansas City, someone will take them - but the league isn't going to let what happened in Winnipeg happen in larger Canadian markets.

Two new expansion teams will likely bring in, at least, $600m for the current owners to split amoungst themselves. That money won't be counted as 'HRR'. It also looks great on a balance sheet for the other owners..... becuase if a new team sold for $300m, what's the team they paid $85m for worth?

It would create 46 new union jobs, and more importantly - it would increase total league revenues, by adding two more 'high' revenue teams. That means that the players would have a bigger pie to take their piece from, and as the author suggests.... it would help ensure that they'd be able to maintain current contracts, under a lower cap number.

32 teams would also allow for much needed re-alignment. They could move back to a 4 division model (8 teams each) and scheduling, travel, etc - it all gets much easier with those extra two teams.

[scottkoz20]

It's pretty obvious that expansion is inevitable. It's going to happen after this CBA gets hammered out (finally) but before the next.

Quebec City will be back in the league in the next 5 years, and Toronto will have a second team. These WILL NOT be relocated teams... they will be new ones.

Maybe the Coyotes will still have to pack their backs and move - Seattle, Kansas City, someone will take them - but the league isn't going to let what happened in Winnipeg happen in larger Canadian markets.

Two new expansion teams will likely bring in, at least, $600m for the current owners to split amoungst themselves. That money won't be counted as 'HRR'. It also looks great on a balance sheet for the other owners..... becuase if a new team sold for $300m, what's the team they paid $85m for worth?

It would create 46 new union jobs, and more importantly - it would increase total league revenues, by adding two more 'high' revenue teams. That means that the players would have a bigger pie to take their piece from, and as the author suggests.... it would help ensure that they'd be able to maintain current contracts, under a lower cap number.

32 teams would also allow for much needed re-alignment. They could move back to a 4 division model (8 teams each) and scheduling, travel, etc - it all gets much easier with those extra two teams.

I started to write something this, but I think you did a better job of capturing the fact that Toronto and Quebec will be expansion franchises.

[ravens_creed]

Exactly, 32 teams total, expansions into Quebec and Toronto would be easy and profitable, and Phoenix and Florida moving to Kansas City and Seattle, and boom, things should be in decent order until the next unforeseeable issue arises. But, in the meantime, let's ignore the fact that moving Phoenix and Florida right now, pretty much solves all of the issues that created this lockout. Good luck getting Bettman's ego to allow it to transpire, though.