In today’s episode of The FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed the NHL’s possible expansion, noting that the league wants a “large number”, around $2 Billion.
Despite many recent rumblings of further expansion in the league, perhaps such a staggering amount will slow the roll somewhat. In the last few months it has been a hot topic. Atlanta has been brought up continuously, along with Arizona, Houston, and even Austin, Texas.
Given all the change in the last several years, even the most hardcore NHL fans back in the mid 2010s would be stunned to see the Golden Knights, Kraken, and Mammoth in existence. And while the idea of the league surpassing 32 teams is questionable, there is no denying that expansion has done tremendous things for the development of the sport as a whole. From California, to Florida, Dallas, Nashville, Vegas, and all the others, youth hockey hotbeds emerge as a result of the NHL coming to town, and it is hard to ignore.
Interestingly, just four years ago, the Seattle Kraken paid an expansion fee of $650 million, along with the Golden Knights’ $500 million in 2016. Clearly, if the NHL is going to go even further on expansion, it will only be to the most serious suitors who are willing to pay an exorbitant amount.
Friedman’s comments suggest that a possible league expansion is further away than it may seem. While it is a very exciting concept for fans of untapped and deserving markets, the NHL having the most teams of any major North American professional sports league is a debatable concept, especially if they were to return to a city which has already had an NHL franchise come and go.
Seems reasonable
No one is paying $2 billion. This is the NHL throwing out an unrealistic number so when it becomes $1 billion it feels like a bargain.
It’s bargain at twice the price!
Why would they ever float Arizona as an expansion city?! Bettman cant get over that it never worked there so he’s going to keep trying. Bad move.
I know the League is finally made changes that benefit the game and is looking healthier than it has in quite a while but to ask for that much higher a % to own a team seems a tad high I think. I mean you can ask for whatever you want but I wonder how long it would take a Hockey Team to even make anywhere near that much money back from their investment to make it worthwhile. Even if I had the dough I think I’d pass. Billionaires like to make money and this seems like a losing investment to even break even. Don’t really think the NHL needs expanding right now anyway.
No more expansion!