Relocation Candidates in NHL After Calgary Flames Threaten to Leave
NHL relocation hasn't been seen since 2011 when the Atlanta Thrashers moved north of the border to Winnipeg to become the second incarnation of the Jets. But could the league be set for further moves?
And somewhat ironically, it's another relocation franchise which has been attracting attention this week.
The Calgary Flames are making noises about gaining a new arena to replace their current Scotiabank Saddledome and Flames' president of hockey, the ever-quotable Brian Burke has gone as far to say that without a new rink, the 2004 Stanley Cup finalists – who arrived in Alberta via Atlanta in 1983 –could up sticks and relocate.
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Nov 12, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Scotiabank Saddledome prior to the game between the Calgary Flames and the New York Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Every year it seems there's some talk of relocation with rumors suggesting Quebec, Seattle, and even Portland are among the front-runners to gain a franchise either through relocation or further expansion.
But for one city to gain a franchise in a relocation, another market must lose theirs. So which clubs may be seeing a change of scenery in the not so distant future?
Arizona Coyotes
Long since mooted to be the favorites to be moved, annual chatter about the 'Yotes moving out of the desert has become somewhat of a summer sport.
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As recently as March 2017, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was quoted as saying – similarly to Calgary's Burke – that if a new arena isn't built, the team is gone. AZ Central reported the threat even went as far as Bettman claiming that the Coyotes "Cannot and will not remain in Arizona."
The desert dogs looked set to move to Hamilton, Ontario in 2009 before prospective buyer Jim Balsillie's offer was rejected.
But factor in the Coyotes averaging the second-lowest attendance in the league – behind only the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona look like prime candidates for a switch in location – and surely it's only a matter of time before the original Winnipeg Jets move on once again.
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Apr 9, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) celebrates with teammates after the Panthers' game against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. The Panthers won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Florida Panthers
A regular fixture in the bottom third of attendances, with rafts of empty seats a regular sight in Sunrise, it's not like hockey and the sunshine state don't mix. State-mates the Tampa Bay Lightning have Stanley Cup experience, having won it in 2004 and continue to push for divisional titles and annual playoff spots.
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Puck Prose 1 dNHL Off-Season News: Ottawa, Florida, and Toronto
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1 d - NHL Daily: Panthers Add Six, Sabres Want Housley and More1 d - New Jersey Devils Trade Partners For Ilya Kovalchuk: Florida Panthers2d - Florida Panthers AHL Affiliate Sign Six Players To Contracts2d - Florida Panthers: Bob Boughner Likely To Be Named Next Coach3d - Florida Panthers: Kyle Rau Is Not Quite NHL Material YetMore News at The Rat Trick
But could the two teams, one state issue be further hindering the Panthers? After all, in a non-traditional hockey market like Florida, perhaps understandably, people will be drawn toward a winner in Tampa Bay. That begs the question, does Florida really need two teams?
The Panthers have had success – making the 1996 Stanley Cup final before being swept in four games by the dominant Colorado Avalanche – however
Financially, The Hockey News reported in 2015 that the Panthers have lost more than $150m since 1997 they have only made the playoffs an astounding FOUR times since.
The Florida panther after which the team is named is endangered, and unfortunately, barring a switch in the backdrop, the team could soon also become a thing of the past.
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Apr 9, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield (42) and center Alan Quine (10) and right wing Stephen Gionta (24) react in the second period against Ottawa Senators at Barclays Center. Islanders win 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports
New York Islanders
The Isles have already undergone somewhat of a relocation moving from the Nassau Coliseum to the new Barclays Centre in Brooklyn in 2015. And while the new building may have been a good idea, in theory, it seems that hockey in Brooklyn might not have been the best idea after all.
Concerns over the ice in a building that was primarily build to host the NBA's Brooklyn Nets (after they also relocated from New Jersey) are just the tip of an iceberg-laden with injuries and the third lowest attendance in the league.
Many have cited a return to the Coliseum which was the Islanders' home for over 40 years and saw an 80's dynasty. Between Barclays Centre appearing to want the Isles to leave and Nassau Coliseum having seen renovations,iceberg-laden be too much of a stretch to think that the Islanders could be going home to Uniondale sooner rather than later.
