NHL to expand by four by '17?

None of the big boys are running with this yet, but it's starting to get some national attention.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/08/27/reports-claim-the-nhl-will-expand-the-league-to-include-franchises-in-las-vegas-seattle-and-more/

 

Gary Bettman will kill this league yet.

 

Of course, Bettman responds by saying, uh, nothing to see here:

http://www.si.com/nhl/2014/08/27/nhl-responds-to-las-vegas-expansion-team-report

 

Dumb question: Does a team in Vegas mean no betting on the NHL in Vegas or just no better in Vegas in games involving the proposed and rumored Vegas team?

 

Even if they have decided to expand by four teams, and decided on the cities, would they do it all at once?

I'd think they'd want to do two teams first, and then do two more a couple of years later.

And, wouldn't they want to give the franchises a couple of years to put minor league teams in place first, and let them start filling those rosters?

 

Any expansion into Seattle is dependent upon building a new arena.

That proposal continues to be bogged down in details like obtaining permits and, oh, finalizing a site:

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2014/08/18/14038960/

To summarize, there are several infrastructure/development issues with the preferred site, near Safeco Field and the Seahawks stadium.

 

Was Columbus the last expansion team?

 

It's one of the last two. Columbus and Minnesota both came into the league in 2000-01.

 

Yeah, it's easy to get confused in the NHL. These teams were Canadian teams that re-located to the States, and this is one that relocated back.

I could see Vegas and Seattle doing well. Were they talking about a second team in Toronto? I like seeing the Canadian cities that lost teams get one back.

 

Wouldn't Hamilton make more sense than a second team in Toronto?
Can't see the Leafs letting another team in.

 

Which teams are you talking about? Both Columbus and Minnesota were straight-up expansion teams, not ones that relocated from Canada.

Colorado and Phoenix are the teams that were once based in Canada.

 

Technically he led the first expansion team for Italy.

Hey-yo!