Two expansion teams in the NHL soon and Quebec have the answer of Bettman

As Marco Normandin mentioned in one of his recent columns, this is probably the worst-kept secret in the NHL for several weeks already. By all indications, the commissioner is expected to announce two new expansion teams shortly.

We should prepare to see no less than 34 teams, at a minimum, in the Bettman league in the near future.

You read that right.

Even though it sounds ridiculous and far-fetched, everything suggests that the NHL will once again try to establish a team in the Atlanta area, in the state of Georgia, where professional hockey has faced numerous failures over the years. Even with a star player like Ilya Kovalchuk, the market did not attract many fans. At the same time, basketball and football garner much more attention from African-American sports fans in this region.

According to journalist Andy Strickland, NHL owners are about to vote on this proposal.

Strickland adds that the two leading candidates are Houston and Atlanta, or in other words, two cities in the southern United States where hockey is not particularly popular at the moment. The risks for these markets are much higher than adding a franchise in Quebec, but let's just say it wouldn't be surprising if Gary Bettman does everything in his power to kill the ambitions of François Legault's government.

Without assuming his intentions, Gary Bettman has never seemed like a strong supporter of Canadian markets. Recent decisions for the Las Vegas and Seattle markets show that Quebec is far down on his list, even though hockey tradition is deeply rooted in Quebec's second-largest city.

If this comes to fruition, it would be another blow to the head of the Minister of the Nordiques, Éric Girard. This slap could rekindle an intense flame among Quebec City residents towards Gary Bettman. At the same time, one should doubt that it will have any impact on a future decision in favor of Quebec.

Renowned insider Kevin Weekes goes even further with his predictions on this matter.

We may need to pray to Brother André if we hope for the return of the Nordiques, but surprises can always happen in the hockey world.

Source: HABSolumentFan
La LNH serait sur le point d'approuver l'arrivée de deux nouvelles franchises d'expansion