It was a close race, but after carefully tabulating thousands of votes, we have a winner! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit about the number of votes cast, however the ones we received did seem to fit with the general consensus around the hockey world. Here are your results for which city should have an NHL franchise:
1. Seattle, Washington: Though Seattle has never had an NHL team, the city has a long history with hockey. In 1917 the Seattle Metropolitans, then of the Pacific Coast Hockey League, were the first American franchise to have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup, defeating the mighty Montreal Canadiens. The Seattle Totems were a member of the minor-pro Western Hockey League from 1958-74 and won three championships. But for some reason, despite repeated efforts, establishing an NHL team in Seattle just hasn't worked out. However, the dream of NHL hockey in Seattle may have been given new life thanks to a group headed by hedge-fund manager Christopher Hansen. His group, in partnership with the city, have proposed to build a new $490 million dollar arena project in Seattle, one that would ideal for NHL hockey. Hansen has already secured ownership of the NBA's Sacramento Kings with the intent of making them the first tenant in the building, and speculation from around the league indicates an NHL franchise could be next. Comissioner Gary Bettman has stated publicly that the league has no plans for relocation or expansion at this time, but I would bet they have a list of cities just in case and that Seattle is sure to be near the top of it. With a population of 3.5 million people in the greater Seattle area, the market could easily bear an NHL franchise. Additionally, Seattle would fit seamlessly into the new divisional alignment and would already have a natural rival in the Vancouver Canucks.
2. Quebec City, Quebec: Many hockey fans still remember the Quebec Nordiques, an NHL team that existed from 1979 until 1995. Though the team was not as successful on or off the ice as their provincial brothers to the south, the Montreal Canadiens, Quebec had a passionate fanbase that loved hockey. However with skyrocketing player salaries, a slumping Canadian Dollar and a francophone marketplace relatively isolated from the outside world due to language, the finances became simply to much to bear for owner Marcel Aubut and he was forced to sell them to a group in Denver who relocated the team. Since then, there's been a noticeable void in Quebec without the Nordiques, and hockey fans there are hungry to get a team back. In 2009 Quebec City's mayor Regis Labeaume spoke with Bettman about the possibility of a return by the NHL to Quebec, and Bettman admitted that they would consider it, but only if a new arena were built in the city. Construction on a new arena did in fact begin in September of 2012, with plans for it to be ready prior to the 2015-16 NHL season. After seeing what happened in Winnipeg this year with the return of the Jets, and with a salary cap in place to ensure financial sustainability, there should be no doubt that a franchise in Quebec would be a success, it's only a matter of time.
3. Kansas City, Missouri: Kansas City had a franchise in the NHL from 1974-76 before moving to Colorado to become the Rockies (who then moved again in 1982 and became the New Jersey Devils). During this brief period the team was not profitable, with an average attendance of a little over 8,000 in a 17,000 seat arena. At a time when ticket sales were a leading source of income for NHL clubs, they had little choice but to move on. There have been a few other professional ice hockey teams in Kansas City since then, but a return by the NHL wasn't considered until recently. In 2007 a new arena owned by the Anshutz Entertainment Group, the same group that owns the LA Kings, opened without a tenant for the building. During that same year, when the Pittsburgh Penguins were having financial trouble, they very nearly moved to Missouri before they were able to find funding for a new arena and ultimately stayed in Pittsburgh. Recently a few NHL pre-season games have been held in the arena, but otherwise it has remained vacant since it was built. Kansas City is a fairly large metropolitan area with a population of more than 2 million but the question remains whether NHL hockey would actually succeed there or not. However if the NHL ever gets it's back up against the wall and needs to relocate quickly, there is a bright, shiny, new building just sitting there waiting for them.
4. Other: There are many other markets around the NHL that have been speculated as capable of supporting an NHL franchise. Foremost is Markham, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. The natural supposition is that if the New York area can support three franchises, then Toronto should have no problem supporting two. However there are obstacles, as a team moving to Markham would likely have to pay huge fees to both the Buffalo Sabres as well as the Maple Leafs for infringing on their market territory and therefore their profits. Another possible location is Houston, Texas, which is the largest metropolitan area in North America without an NHL franchise. Despite the non-traditional climate, Houston actually has a strong tradition of professional hockey. The Houston Astros of the AHL currently play in the Toyota Center, a 17,000+ arena which is also home to the NBA's Houston Rockets. The catch is that as part of the lease agreement, only an NHL team owned by Rockets owner Les Anderson would be allowed to play in the arena, and to this date he has yet to make a successful bid for one.
Thanks for reading everybody! I know that was a long one, but there's lots of intriguing possibilities out there for a city that could support an NHL team and I couldn't help myself. As a reward for sticking with me to the end, please enjoy your evening gif. Check out these slick moves by Ranger captain Ryan Callahan:
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