If you could move any current NHL franchise to a new location who would you pick?

[pwaldo]

If you could move any current NHL franchise who would you pick? Where would you move them and why? They would keep the same players they have now but you could changed the name, location, and uniforms etc.

[centrehice]

Phoenix or Columbus to Seattle.

[Dr Kicker]

Pheonix to Quebec , Florida to Hamilton,You put either of these two franchise in P.E.I i bet there would be more attendance.

[Estovia]

The clear choice would be Phoenix. I feel sorry for the local fans there, but the fact alone that there's so much issue over getting an owner for the team is a clear representation of the fact that the team doesn't belong there. Moving Phoenix can only help both the team and the NHL, and I still have to believe that only Bettman's ego is keeping the team in that city.

The only other team I would consider moving would be Carolina - considering that even when they're winning, hell even the year they won the Cup - they still couldn't fill their arena. When your team is taking a back seat not only to the other "major" sports but NASCAR as well, then you would probably do well to go where you're.... more appreciated.

As to where? Seattle seems an easy choice. They want a team, and the NHL needs some more true Western Conference teams. A border rivalry with Vancouver is almost unavoidable, and from a fan perspective it's nice to have someone to hate who's team isn't 10+ hours away.

Quebec is the second choice, since they never should have lost their team anyway. In fact that only reason I would put Seattle first is because of their location - the league needs Western teams far more than Eastern.

I know Kansas City wants a team, but I would really have to question what kind of fan base hockey would garner there. The fact that they want it so bad keeps them on the list, but would they see anything more than what Carolina does?

I think Hamilton would support a team as well, but I would pick Quebec if I were going East, so they would probably be the last viable choice.

[mreskaus]

the logical choices seem to be phoenix&florida&maybe tampa bay.i would move them to hamilton,seattle&would really check into south dakato.south dakota you ask?they have a huge college following,it is the #1 state in the us that is growing economically.i would really have to think about quebec;they had a team there b4.kansas city as well;they were ther in the early 80's7couldnt sustain a franchise.if not moving teams,then bettman has to think contraction.but he wont,because his ego is as big as the city he works in.

[Dustint]

Quebec makes more sense to me than Seattle because it would allow Winnipeg to just slide over into the western conference

[Estovia]

Quebec makes more sense to me than Seattle because it would allow Winnipeg to just slide over into the western conference

Which would be fine if North-East teams didn't already comprise almost half of the NHL.

Tampa and Florida I wouldn't consider moving. Their popularity is EXTREMELY regionalized, but that can be said for any team in Florida. I lived in Orlando and you wouldn't know there was another professional sport team in the entire state other than the Orlando Magic. The only thing that was popular outside of the immediate area the team was in down there was college football. If we're just going by attendance as a sign of viability, FLA and TB fill their arenas better than Dallas, Anaheim, and Colorado - and I doubt we will see anyone try to justify moving any of those three in this discussion.

[miscs75]

Not an actual move but i'd keep the Islanders on Long Island. Moving to an arena in Brooklyn with obstructed viewing for hockey will just kill the Long Island fanbase and make it harder for people to see them.

[Devlin]

Phoenix to Quebec

[Wickabee]

Move: Phoenix, Columbus and Florida
To: Seattle, Quebec City and Kansas City