Toronto Emerges As Top Destination For New NHL Team Based On Latest NHL Player Poll
The Athletic recently polled NHL players about what city they want to see have the next NHL team, and Toronto was near the top in getting a second team in the city.
There have been two expansion teams over the last few years with the emergence of the Vegas Golden Knights as well as the Seattle Kraken.
Both cities were expected to have a team when the NHL expanded and true to their word, they are a part of the league today.
There is no word on when the next team is going to come into the league, or where they are coming from but if you were to ask the NHL players, they certainly have some ideas.
The Athletic recently released a poll that asked 175 anonymous NHL players which city they would like to see next expanded into the league and Toronto ends up being a prominent destination for a second team.
The current rankings are as follows:
1. Houston (54)
2. Quebec City (47)
3. Arizona (24)
4. Atlanta (17)
5. Toronto (8)
6. Austin (4)
7. Saskatoon (3)
8. San Diego (3)
9. Kansas City (2)
10. Helsinki (2)
11. Miami (2)
It's unsurprising to see Houston get a lot of love, as they have been bandied about as a a potential destination for years. Quebec City hasn't seen a team since they moved to Colorado in 1996 and would undoubtedly spark a new money-making rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens.
Arizona gets some love as players want them to return to a place that holds significance in NHL history.
Atlanta is always a fun destination, though hockey isn't as popular as other sports, especially football and basketball.
It did have a loyal and passionate Flames and Thrashers fanbase, and could be a good team for the NHL to promote as a potential expansion team given its history.
Speaking of loyal and passionate, Toronto gets votes to bring a second team.
It would be interesting to see a second team though it would be hard to see where they could fit in unless they were to have a team in each conference.
There's no doubt a second team in Toronto would bring in unreal amounts of money for the league, and the inner-city rivalry would create a really interesting and unique caveat to the league.
Though given how much the league is seemingly resentful of the Maple Leafs, having a Canadian team, in Toronto at that, doesn't scratch Gary Bettman's US takeover itch.
The rest of the numbers drop off after there.
Austin is intriguing but Houston is definitely more marketable. Saskatoon would have a diehard fanbase but not bring in enough as a big market team to satisfy Bettman.
San Diego is probably not the biggest city in California they could go to, and if the NHL returned it would likely be San Francisco or Sacramento.
Kansas City gets an NHL team again from a few players; KC was a part of the league from 1974-1976 before becoming the Colorado Rockies, and Miami is a great money city but the fanbase isn't hockey-focused.
Helsinki is the most interesting city on this list, and it would be curious to know if those who suggested it were Finnish or not. It would be the first NHL team outside of North America and would garner an incredible amount of support overseas.
However, the struggle of traveling across the world for away games would be too much for players and fans; not to mention the scheduling and timing nightmare.
It's great to see the NHL players show some love to some places that would otherwise be overlooked, however given the trajectory of the NHL and its increased need for more money: The loyal fans may lose to the investors with deep pockets.
