2021-22 NHL season thread

I think that many large urban areas could support additional sports teams. For example, Toronto metro ash a population of 6.2 million people. Vancouver has a population of 2.6 million and is the third largest Canadian market, by a pretty wide margin, and seems to support the NHL pretty well.

But the owners of existing franchises do not want competition in their markets. That is why Fort Worth will never get an NBA team even though is has a population of more than two million. Or that Riverside and San Bernadine counties will get an MLB team even though their combined population is close to five million and the commute to Chavez Ravine or Anaheim must be a bitch. Or Hamilton will get an NHL franchise.

 

Not helping was that Jim Balsillie was backing that cause. The existing owners wanted no part of him.

Hamilton has about as much chance as Durham, NC.

Houston leads the markets who want a team … best combination of market size along with no conflict from a nearby competing market.

 

Boston fans were beating on the glass. Woops.

 

Every recent number I’ve seen for Fort Worth’s population is a little less than 1 million (in the 950,000 range).

 

i referred to the population of Tarrant County. Because Fort Worth is the largest city and I think more recognized than Tarrant County I described the area as Fort Worth. The latest population estimate for Tarrant County is 2,165,000. I should have been more clear.