There are a host of cities waiting to become home to the next NHL franchise. The most recent relocation was the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg in 2011. The Seattle Kraken joined the league as the 32nd team in 2021 so it's unlikely the league will expand any time soon. So which current NHL teams are at risk of relocating?
The main issue for Buffalo is their small market size. That's why the NFL's Buffalo Bills are linked with relocation and the reason the Buffalo Braves relocated to Los Angeles via San Diego. It also doesn't help the franchise that they've had questionable draft selections and poor on ice performances in recent times.
While Buffalo remains a hockey town, Southern Ontorio and more specifically Hamilton, is one of the favourite cities for NHL relocation and the nearby Sabres could very well be in their sites to relocate. The Sabres are the fourth lowest valued franchise in the league with a value of $500 millions and have had lowering attendances to deal.
The Ottawa Senators are regularly linked for relocation to Quebec City. The NHL would likely prefer further expansion into Canada but moving a team from the Canadian capital to Quebec wouldn't mean that they're losing numbers up north.
Ottawa is the weakest NHL market in terms of corporate support, the fifth least valuable franchise and they had to resort to placing tarps over seats to shrink the arena due to having one of the worst average attendances in the league.
A small city like Ottawa needs a stadium located centrally in a downtown spot and the Canadian Tire Centre is just too far away in the western suburb of Kanata. LeBreton Flats has been discussed as a possible location for a new stadium but they need to do it fast before Quebec City pounces in and relocates the Senators.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are worth $475 million which is the third lowest in the league. They're also one of the weaker teams in the league with no notable success since their first season in 2000. Do the Blue Jackets give off Atlanta Thrasher vibes?
The franchise practically makes a loss each year but what's saved the Blue Jackets is the fact they've been able to play rent free at Nationwide Arena since 2012 when the arena became publicly owned.
Any new owner looking to relocate the franchise would also have to pay $39 million in damages but if the franchise continues to bleed money it may be worth it. For the time being, it's enough of a hindrance to keep the Blue Jackets safe for now.
...I'll be back tomorrow with the top three teams for relocation. Can you hockey heads guess who they are?
Wolfgang Sport started in 2017 as a way to connect my passion for American and British sports. Today it's evolved into a blockchain sports blog pushing the boundaries into the crypto world and embracing Web3 technologies.
