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Why further NHL expansion is a very bad idea

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Finnegan Frost
September 24, 2024  (9:53 PM)
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Photo credit: Brock Hebner

The NHL is one of the most rapidly expanding pro sports leagues in the world, and it has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

Recently, the NHL has announced that it plans to expand the league yet again. The current front runners for a new NHL team are Atlanta and Houston, but the league plans to expand to 36 teams by 2030. (Ridiculous)

So why does the NHL feel the need to expand even further? This can be surmised in one word, which is money. All four cities will pay hefty expansion fees to enter the league, which will boost the league's revenues, making the owners more money, and could help raise the salary cap, which makes the players more money.

Oilers insider Tyler Yaremchuk has a different take on NHL expansion, stating that it's bad for the league, and bad for fans.

Yaremchuk: First off, 32 teams works perfectly in the NHL's current format. 32 teams divides perfectly into four divisions of eight and I personally like that exactly half the league makes the playoffs. It's a good number and keeps it at a point where you need to be a truly good team to make the playoffs but it isn't impossible for a team to go from bottom-feeder to a playoff team the next season. The balance is perfect.

Also, I already think the NHL has a problem with not having enough games between divisional rivals. The fact that the Oilers only play the Canucks and Flames three times each is criminal. Adding two or possibly even four more teams would either mean a longer regular season, which no one expect the owners would want, or it would mean fewer rivalry games. The fans lose.


Yaremchuk suggests that further expansion only waters down an already great product and affects the authenticity of the league. More doesn't always mean better, and the NHL should think twice about ruining their image. And if the league feels so strongly about adding more teams...give Canada some darn consideration.

source: Oilers Nation
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Why further NHL expansion is a very bad idea

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