For the moment, it’s official. The NHL will only be evaluating Las Vegas and Quebec City for an expansion team for the time being. After the league released its statement earlier in the week, there had been reports of several people coming to the league’s New York office. There had been speculation that the league might still be entertaining a possible bid by Seattle or Toronto (or even the rebirth of the Hartford Whalers). Gary Bettman quashed those rumors earlier this week.
“Yeah. As we say in the release, we’re focused on the two bona fide applications and that’s the basis on which the process will proceed, said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to the Boston Globe. “We’re not going to bring in late applications. And we’re not, I don’t believe, focusing on another wave of an expansion process.”
So now the league has locked itself in on two potential teams. There are several factors that will decide if the NHL with move forward with one or both of the proposals made by the prospective teams.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
One of the biggest factors is the Canadian dollar. The Canadian dollar has a rough go of it due to falling oil prices, and the slump had an impact on this season’s salary cap. The Canadian dollar recently hit an eleven-year low against the US dollar. It’s currently at a 1.305:1 rate against the US dollar (about 76.6 cents to the dollar).
“It’s something the process will have us evaluate,” said Bettman of the devalued loony. “We’ll have to see . . . The Canadian dollar, it tends to get overstated. Our system accounts for the Canadian dollar. The Canadian franchises are seven out of 30 and it gets factored into the system.”
When asked if this would negatively affect the league if more Canadian teams entered the league, Bettman stuck to his guns. “No,” Bettman said. “Because the Canadian clubs are doing fine. Other than player salaries, most of their expenses are in Canadian dollars.”
Puck Prose
Geography is also a serious factor for the league moving forward. While a Las Vegas team is certainly desirable to help balance out the league’s conferences, Quebec City would find itself deep in Eastern Conference territory. Rather than maintaining the disparity between the conferences, the league just might put any Quebec team in the Western Conference. While it wouldn’t be a long-term solution, there would be immediate pushback and friction from the new franchise. Long-distance relationships haven’t helped the league in the past.
“The experience with Winnipeg in the Southeast was less than ideal,” said Bettman any possible misalignment with either Vegas or Quebec. “The experience over time with Detroit and Columbus in the West — and they’re farther west geographically — they couldn’t wait to get into the East. So geography is an issue. But the fact that we identify it as an issue doesn’t mean we’ve reached a conclusion. It means it’s one of the things that has to be considered.”
Then there is the money. On that front, it appears that Las Vegas and Quebec City seemed to have that covered. Bill Foley is more than willing to put up the expected half a billion dollars to get the franchise in Las Vegas. Quebecor is also similarly committed to bring back the Nordiques. The Board of Governors can at least relax on that front.
After all the Board of Governors could decide to allow only one NHL expansion team. It’s within the scope of reason that the league could turn down both cities. In the end, it will come down to the NHL front office looking at the numbers to see if they can expand the league in time for the 2017-18 season.