With the NHL expanding to Las Vegas next season, the league will be up to 31 teams. With commissioner Gary Bettman adding Las Vegas and looking at future expansion. He should take a look at these teams even though they currently have an affiliation with an NHL club who are ready to move up to the NHL and already have a following.
This is good as the NHL would already know the market they’re getting into and won’t have to worry about if the market is a hit or miss and these teams already have a strong fan base. So here are the teams who should move up to the NHL in the future.
First is the San Antonio Rampage who are currently the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. This team is owned by Spurs Sports and Entertainment, who own the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA, and the San Antonio Force FC. The Rampage currently plays at AT&T Center where they join the Spurs and Stars playing in that arena. The Rampage would automatically give the NHL its own Texas rivalry along with the Dallas Stars.
The AT&T Center can hold over 16.000 fans for the Rampage games. According to hockeydb.com, the Rampage average attendance for the 16-17 season is 6,408 fans a game. That would change if the Rampage moves up to the NHL. The NHL should look into adding San Antonio in the future.
The next team the NHL should target is the Cleveland Monsters. They are the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Monsters are owned by Dan Gilbert who also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA and the Cleveland Gladiators of the AFL. The Monsters play at the Quicken Loans Arena which seats over 20,000 fans and would make a great addition to the Central division of the Western Conference.
According to hockeydb.com, the Monsters for the 16-17 season averaged 9,055 fans for the Monsters games. If the Monsters did go to the NHL, it would be a return for the NHL since the Cleveland Barons, who played from 1976 to 1978. Adding Cleveland also would give an Ohio rivalry with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The NHL should also look into adding Cleveland in the future.
The final team who should join the NHL are the Charlotte Checkers, the current affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. With rumors of the Carolina Hurricanes relocating once a new owner buys them, North Carolina will be without an NHL team.
The Checkers are owned by MAK Hockey, LLC. In order for Charlotte to become an NHL team, they would have to relocate from Bojangles’ Coliseum to a temporary home in the Spectrum Center which holds 14,100 fans for hockey games until they can get a new arena to hold more fans.
The reason I say they need a new arena caused the Checkers have played at the Spectrum Center for 10 years and with some of the seating, the fans can’t see the ice which led to the Checkers going back to the Bojangles’ Coliseum. The Checkers were average near 7,000 fans at the Spectrum Center during their 10-year run there.
So North Carolina fans of the NHL shouldn’t worry about losing the Hurricanes. If the NHL is looking to stay in North Carolina, they should let the Hurricanes relocate and promote the Checkers to the NHL so North Carolina fans are not losing a team.
With these teams being promoted to the NHL. The league would stand at 34 teams. These teams would be added to the current divisions. As for the Carolina Hurricanes, in order to make this work would have to relocate to Quebec City and resurrect the Nordiques. Each conference would have 8 in one division and 9 in another division. Here is what the divisions would look like with these 3 teams added to the league.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Charlotte Checkers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Quebec Nordiques
Metropolitan Division
Tampa Bay Lighting
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Western Conference
Pacific Division
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Arizona Coyotes
Anaheim Ducks
Los Angeles Kings
Edmonton Oilers
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
San Antonio Rampage
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Cleveland Monsters
What teams would you like to see move up to the NHL? Leave a comment below.
