NHL Thread Because There Isn't An NHL Thread

Hollywood said:
I agree but I think the only way Québec City gets an NHL franchise is via relocation from an eastern conference team i.e. Florida or Carolina. The NHL is a 32 team league now with 16 teams per conference so by moving the Coyotes to Québec you would have unbalanced conferences again. Besides Arizona has already been moved from the Pacific to the Central so I doubt the league would want another realignment 🤷‍♂️
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Looks like it's time to make the Canadian division permanent.
 
I wonder if Portland isn't a bad landing spot for the Coyotes. Hockey is already a commodity with the Winterhawks in the WHL. They would need to figure out if they could play in the Moda Center with the Blazers, but you would have an instant rivalry with the Kraken.

As much as I would love to see the Whalers or Nordiques come back, I don't see realignment happening either. Where else could they go and stay in the Western Conference? KC, Milwaukee, Indianapolis........maybe another NorCal team, possibly Sacramento or San Fran?
 
The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a one-year deal worth $3.75 million, the team announced Friday.

Zadorov was a restricted free agent and had filed for arbitration. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 season.

The Flames acquired the 26-year-old from the Chicago Blackhawks in July in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick.


Zadorov skated in 55 games with the Blackhawks last season, recording one goal, seven assists, and 190 hits. He's collected 23 goals and 60 assists in 411 career games split between the Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and Buffalo Sabres.
 
Hollywood said:
I agree but I think the only way Québec City gets an NHL franchise is via relocation from an eastern conference team i.e. Florida or Carolina. The NHL is a 32 team league now with 16 teams per conference so by moving the Coyotes to Québec you would have unbalanced conferences again. Besides Arizona has already been moved from the Pacific to the Central so I doubt the league would want another realignment 🤷‍♂️
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Yeah, they'd have to realign again... but they did go from quebec to colorado before so fuck them if they use that excuse this time.

(Edit: and Atlanta to Winnipeg)
 
BazookaTooth said:
Hamilton ? would the Leafs let that happen ?
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Indeed. That's basically why it's never happened. Same with Kitchener/Waterloo, I think. But southern Ontario could probably support 3 teams, no problem. But the Leafs have historically been defensive of their monopoly. I personally think the rivalries would more than make up for it by getting fans to be even more passionate (I basing this on the MTL-QC rivalry of the 80's, that was nuts). But who knows what type of data they have on this...

The main issue for the NHL overall is that moving a team to canada doesn't open a new market and just takes away from existing ones. I think it would amplify those markets (sort of like how London can have 4 football teams in the same city).
 
Turbo said:
Indeed. That's basically why it's never happened. Same with Kitchener/Waterloo, I think. But southern Ontario could probably support 3 teams, no problem. But the Leafs have historically been defensive of their monopoly. I personally think the rivalries would more than make up for it by getting fans to be even more passionate (I basing this on the MTL-QC rivalry of the 80's, that was nuts). But who knows what type of data they have on this...

The main issue for the NHL overall is that moving a team to canada doesn't open a new market and just takes away from existing ones. I think it would amplify those markets (sort of like how London can have 4 football teams in the same city).
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The only move that I could think of where that wouldn't be the case is somewhere like Saskatoon. The NHL would never do it, as the corporate possibilities are so much lower than in other markets, but an NHL team there would do absolute gangbusters. Population wise, Saskatoon is about the size of Buffalo not including the surrounding area. They would also definitely getting fans coming in from Regina, if the bus loads of fans that go the other way for RoughRiders CFL games are considered. Hockey is king in the prairies, and easy rivalries with the Jets, Oilers, and Flames would be an instant draw.

Like I said, it won't happen because it would be considered too risky, and I'm sure the last thing the league wants is more teams in Canada. But that would be a market where it would open a new market without taking away from the teams surrounding them.
 
The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.55 million, the team announced Friday.

Valimaki's entry-level contract expired after the 2020-21 campaign, making him a restricted free agent.

The 23-year-old appeared in 49 games for the Flames last season and registered 11 points in just over 15 minutes per contest. Calgary drafted him in the first round in 2017.


With Valimaki's new deal in place, Calgary has approximately $6 million to sign remaining RFAs Dillon Dube, Glenn Gawdin, and Connor Mackey, according to Cap Friendly.
 
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