How about..........say.........Houston, New Orleans, and Memphis

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Greatest Five to Ever Play:

1)Gretzky
2)Lemieux
3)Orr
4)Howe
5)Messier

Yeah. I doubt it would ever happen though. I think the PA would be the most against it, considering that's what... 150ish players that have to look for work elsewhere?

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1 yr H2H, 10 teams
G(3),A(2),+/-(1),PIM(0.2),GWG(1),W(5),SO(3)

3C-Stamkos/Kane (RW)/Shaw
3LW-Ovechkin/Lucic/Pacioretty/Ryan (RW)/Hagelin
3RW-Sharp (C)/St. Louis/Stewart/Brunner/Neil/Gallagher
4D-Pietrangelo/Goligoski/Ekman-Larsson/Leddy/Phaneuf/Beauchemin/Corvo
1G-Rinne/Ward/Anderson/Bishop
+1 Util

Mathematically, 32 teams is ideal for a sports league.
2^5. It's a numbers-guy's number.

I think the NHL will land at this number... but I think the league (the "owners") really want to see what shakes out with Phoenix & perhaps Florida first.

The NHL has already indicated it's desire to go to 4 conferences.
You want to have a set plan before you add the last two teams.
So... I think expansion revolves around the NHL finding out what is going to happen with Phoenix.
i) Are they stable?
ii) Should they become TOR-2?
iii) Should they become QUE?
iv) Seattle? (my guess)

We'd likely be looking at the following conferences:
WEST (Smythe): LA/ANA/SJ/COL/VAN/CGY/EDM... SEA/PHX. (I predict Phoenix ends up in Seattle)
CENTRAL (Norris): WPG/DAL/STL/MIN/CHI/DET/CBJ/NAS
^These two conferences are actually set for next year - and likely the NHL wants to keep them in tact. Hence, my prediction Phoenix goes to Seattle. (or stays in Phoenix)

NORTHEAST (Adams): TOR/OTT/MON/BOS/BUF... +Tor#2, +Que, +FLA?
EAST (Patrick): PIT/PHI/NYR/NYI/NJ/WAS/CAR/TB?


It's a no-brainer (IMO) that the NHL will become 32 teams.
But dealing with Phoenix HAS to be step #1.
Everything else will fall in place after that.

just be prepared for more lockouts...

Cant wait for my hometown to get a team...go markham!

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XBOX 360 Gamertag: praba911

Dude, there's really only 2 teams in poor hockey markets. FLA and PHX other than them most teams have experienced some success and seen some interest. But to cut out 10 American teams would just be stupid for the league to do. Keep in mind Americans out number Canadians 10 to 1.

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H2H Each Cat - Yahoo - 14 teams - Cap Hit
Start: 2C 2LW 2RW 4D 2U 2G 7B
Cats: G A +- PIM SOG PPG PPA SHP GWG FW HIT W GAA SV SV% SO
Svalbard Armored Bears:
C: Getz, M Richards(LW), Turdis, Little
LW: Kovy(RW), Moulson, Kunitz, _
RW: Eriksson(LW), Clarkson, _, _
D: Pietrangelo, JJ, Streit, Spurgeon, Brodie, Nikitin
G: Lundqvist, Holtby, Harding
JV: Tarasenko, Bishop, Eakin, Killorn, Grigorgenko, Grimaldi, Collberg, Faksa, Lindholm, Irving

I get why contraction would never happen. On top of all the lawsuits the PA would file for killing jobs there's the whole spectre of "growing the game" in these large American markets. But I'm talking more about improving the quality of the game overall. Crush the league down to 24 teams and consolidate the talent level so that every game is that much better and more stars get to play together.

And then there's the reality that while some teams have experienced some level of success in non-traditional markets in the US I can't help but wonder what happens if/when those teams start losing consistently. It's not hard to pick out five or six franchises that could be simply plucked off the face of the earth. But again, it would never happen, it's just my ideal world.

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Also on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw

You can count on that.

Fits in with the NHL's proposed "4 conference model" nicely.

1. MTL, QUE, LEAFS, OTT, BOS, BUF, FLA, TBL
2. TOR(new Toronto team), NJD, WAS, NYR, NYI, CAR, PIT, PHI (Toronto team gets the "Winnipeg treatment")
3. WPG, MIN, CHI, STL, DET, NAS, CLB, DAL
4. VAN, CGY, EDM, COL, SJS, ANA, LAK, PHO

Obviously relocation makes much more sense but the NHL fights tooth and nail against that. If arenas are ready and waiting in Quebec and the GTA the league will expand their and collect mega $$$. Seattle will remain as a solid relocation option if needed for a Phoenix/Florida/Columbus/Etc

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2nd Year 12 Team Dynasty H2H, Daily Starts
G, A, +/-, PIM, SOG, Hits, PPP, SHP
W, GAA, Sv%, Svs, SO

C: B.Richards, J.Pavelski, D.Roy, A.Killorn
LW: I.Kovalchuk, D.Heatley, R.Clowe, B.Dubinsky
RW: C.Perry, M.Gaborik, B.Wheeler, B.Boyes
D: A.Pietrangelo, P.K Subban, N.Kronwall, C.Franson
G: R.Miller, S.Varlamov, A.Khudobin, B.Elliott
IR: J.Spezza, E.Karlsson

Prospects: Galchenyuk, Johansen, Kuznetsov, Teravainen, Dumba, M.Foligno, Orlov, Pickard, Ramo

Water down the talent and the beginnings of super teams ala the NBA will happen in some way, shape, or form. It already is. The league will blame the players, but it's their own damn fault.

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" You said you don't give a f*ck about hockey. I've never heard anyone say that before."