4 Traditional Hockey Cities That Don't Have an NHL Team but Should

[doniceage]

Unfortunately for many hockey fans across North America, there are several traditional hockey cities that are without an NHL franchise to cheer for.

Many of these cities should have an NHL team, but for various reasons, they have been passed over when teams have been relocated or introduced through expansion.

Let's look at four traditional hockey cities that don't have an NHL team but should.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...eam-but-should

[centrehice]

Saskatoon cannot support an NHL franchise. London doesn't deserve one, Hamilton - not plussed. I'd rather see a franchise in Halifax before any of those 4 other places. It's a shame Halifax wasn't twice as large as it is. I understand the economies of scale.

Why did this guy say Saskatoon? I've lived there twice and went to University there, they don't even support the Blades, probably because even Sasktatonians hate the Blades, everyone else does. Lol/

Canada just does not have enough concentrated population. However, if the smoke clears and a new league comes up where the maximum salary is 500K, then all these places will have franchises.

[30ranfordfan]

I'd be shocked if there was ever a team in SK..... while the population is where it is now. Maybe as a result of natural resource booms over the next decade we could see either Saskatoon or Regina hit a population big enough, but I still doubt it.

London? No way. The city itself isn't big enough, and you're talking a 200 KM drive for people in the GTA to get there.

If the NHL is going to stick another team in Canada, Toronto would still (by far) be the best spot for it. Hamilton, or Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph, would probably work too.... though I have my doubts if there was a Toronto #2 already.

Quebec City is the only other one where it could work.

[mikecole141]

I will agree with centrehice, that Saskatoon cannot support an NHL franchise, but I will qualify that with a right now. Saskatoon is booming and if the Oil, gas and resource expansions that are going on in that Province continue there will be enough corporate sponsorship and a large enough Population to possibly warrant a team in the future.

I do wonder why you would say London doesn't deserve one though? I would use the same arguement for London as I do for Saskatoon, Population, and lack of corporate sponsorship, and add on the 9000 seat arena to say that they could not "support" a team; but I wouldn't say any city is not deserving of a team that hasn't already had one, and even then I would more likely say they couldn't support the team.

Halifax would make for an excellent NHL city, if like you said they had the Population to support it.

The most surprising thing I took from the article is that they don't make reference to Seattle. I know many would say that Seattle is not a "traditional" hockey market. But they had a team in the PCHL and were the first American city to win the Stanley Cup, they also have the Seattle Thunderbirds in the city and Everett Silvertips 25 miles away. The metro population is 3.5 million people which ranks 15th in the U.S. for metropolitan population and and is only one of three metroplolitan poulatins in the top 15 that don't have an NHL team, Atlanta who lost their team, and Houston. I am only surprised that it has taken this long for Seattle to get on the Hockey radar. That said they need a building first.


As for the other two cities that were on the list:

I would put an NHL team in Quebec City today if I could filling Le Collisee until a new building is built. Likewise for Hamilton until either Copps is renovated for Luxury boxes or a new building can be built.

One last city where I would put a new team, which is definitely a traditional hockey market is Toronto, the Leafs need rivalries besides the Habs and Detroit and the team would thrive and even get the Leafs to worry about actually being competitive and drive to suceed for fear of losing their fan base to upstarts in an expansion or relocated club. I sure hope the people building the Arena in Markham get a team as soon as they are ready to open the doors.

[wild4life]

Forget Saskatoon or Regina, Dog River needs an NHL team! lol In all seriousness, is it true that there are more NHL players from Saskatchewan than any other Canadian province? I heard that somewhere and was wondering if it's true. Btw...yes I am a huge Corner Gas fan.

[centrehice]

Saskatchewan has provided more players than any other area in the World in terms of overall player commitment to all ranks of the NHL in it's history. That is correct.

More NHL Players in the league's history come from Sask, than anywhere else, however that number is rapidly dwindling. It's because many of us had rinks in your back yards and all our communities still have outdoor rinkds. We learned to play outside (and still do), I had a rink for 18 years in my yard. My Dad had me on skates exactly 4 days after I could walk.

[30ranfordfan]

That's not quite correct. Ontario has actually produced the most NHL players - by far. A little better than 4x the number of players that Saskatchewan has produced. (I actually used hockey-reference.com to look up exact numbers - 487 from SK, vs 2114 from ON).

However, what Saskatchewan can lay claim to is producing the most amount of NHLers, per capita...... and I believe it's not even close. To get a true representation you would have to look at population over time, and that's a little too much effort, but just look at current populations. SK has about 1.03 million people living in the entire province. Four of the top 10 'metropolitan' areas in the country are located in Ontario, and they combine for 8.238 million people - while Toronto has 5.83 million on its own, and Ottawa has about 1.23 million. Ontario's two largest cities have more people than SK does.

Ontario has produced about 4x as many players as Saskatchewan has, but it also has about 12x the total population. That makes it pretty plain to see that something that's been happening in SK over the last 75 years makes that province MUCH more efficient at producing elite hockey talent.

Looking at per capita numbers, I did do some looking around and I found someone else's math that figured it out. This is based on players that were in the NHL in 2009 - so I assume 2007 populations (that would have been the most recent census at the time):

1. Saskatchewan- 4.76 players/100,000 residents
2. Manitoba------ 2.63 players/100,000 residents
3. Alberta-------- 2.46 players/100,000 residents
4. Ontario-------- 1.58 players/100,000 residents
5. British Columbia-1.18 players/100,000 residents
6. Quebec-------- 0.73 players/100,000 residents


That's not even close. That's a HUGE gap.

[xelloss1012]

Hamilton will probably never get one as long as the Leafs and Sabres are around, considering the close proximity to each city.

London is in a similar situation to Hamilton, but now involves the Red Wings in the mix of encroachment concerns since London is about the same distance from those three NHL cities.

Saskatoon is too small to even support an NHL franchise. Also a reminder of Shanahan's grumblings while he was in Hartford help accelerate the team moving out.

Quebec City of those four have the highest chance of getting (or regaining) an NHL team. However it would depend on their financial stability and Bettman no longer being a commissioner since the shortened 1994-95 season help send the Nordiques to Denver last time.

[centrehice]

Hamilton will probably never get one as long as the Leafs and Sabres are around, considering the close proximity to each city.

London is in a similar situation to Hamilton, but now involves the Red Wings in the mix of encroachment concerns since London is about the same distance from those three NHL cities.

Saskatoon is too small to even support an NHL franchise. Also a reminder of Shanahan's grumblings while he was in Hartford help accelerate the team moving out.

Quebec City of those four have the highest chance of getting (or regaining) an NHL team. However it would depend on their financial stability and Bettman no longer being a commissioner since the shortened 1994-95 season help send the Nordiques to Denver last time.

Shanahan was instrumental in coming to the Red Wings. The Red Wings Jimmy Develano said when he drafted Primeau "We will never trade Keith Primeau, as long as I'm here".

Shanahan always remembered this, he then contacted the Red Wings when Primeau was being an average player and put the ball into motion, he suggested that the Red Wings trade him for Primeau, he then told Hartford I will never sign with you again, so you might as well trade me to the Red Wings for Keith Primeau.

Shanahan and Pronger leaving led to the only thing in favour in Hartford being Brass Bonanaza..... Franchise flounders, nobody cares except Ron Francis and .......

The rest they say is history.

[mooneyes]

That's not quite correct. Ontario has actually produced the most NHL players - by far. A little better than 4x the number of players that Saskatchewan has produced. (I actually used hockey-reference.com to look up exact numbers - 487 from SK, vs 2114 from ON).

However, what Saskatchewan can lay claim to is producing the most amount of NHLers, per capita...... and I believe it's not even close. To get a true representation you would have to look at population over time, and that's a little too much effort, but just look at current populations. SK has about 1.03 million people living in the entire province. Four of the top 10 'metropolitan' areas in the country are located in Ontario, and they combine for 8.238 million people - while Toronto has 5.83 million on its own, and Ottawa has about 1.23 million. Ontario's two largest cities have more people than SK does.

Ontario has produced about 4x as many players as Saskatchewan has, but it also has about 12x the total population. That makes it pretty plain to see that something that's been happening in SK over the last 75 years makes that province MUCH more efficient at producing elite hockey talent.

Looking at per capita numbers, I did do some looking around and I found someone else's math that figured it out. This is based on players that were in the NHL in 2009 - so I assume 2007 populations (that would have been the most recent census at the time):

1. Saskatchewan- 4.76 players/100,000 residents
2. Manitoba------ 2.63 players/100,000 residents
3. Alberta-------- 2.46 players/100,000 residents
4. Ontario-------- 1.58 players/100,000 residents
5. British Columbia-1.18 players/100,000 residents
6. Quebec-------- 0.73 players/100,000 residents


That's not even close. That's a HUGE gap.

Great research, with Saskatoon booming, I think it would be easy to see their NHL team having one of the most fanatical fan bases in ALL of the NHL. See the CFL and rider Pride, and the secong province on your list, the Jets are sold out for the next 5 years!!

I think an incredible passion, bordering on a religion, for the game, is more important the size of the market. See the NBA experiment in Vancouver....Huge population, but what % of that population are die hard basketball fans through good times and bad...

Quebec's #'s are surprising, although the % of NHL players they do produce seem to be exceptional players....and the Quebec/Montreal rivalry, or bloodbath, was unequaled! One could only imagine or hope a Hamilton/Toronto rivalry would develop into something incredible as well!

MTL/QB, TO/Ham, WPG/Sask, EDM/CGY...one can dream!