When we talk about expansion in the NHL, we seem to think a lot about Houston and Atlanta. These are two names that have been attracting public attention for some time.
Meanwhile, people in Quebec are resigned.
But we must not forget the Salt Lake City candidacy. We know that the owner of the Utah Jazz (which plays in a 19,000-seat basketball arena in Salt Lake City), in the NBA, would like to go see what’s happening in the NHL.
And obviously, the plan is more and more concrete.
Mr. Smith has formally asked the NHL to initiate an expansion process for the city of Salt Lake City to bring a franchise to Utah. This was done through the company Smith Entertainment Group.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has formally asked the NHL to initiate the expansion process and bring a team to Salt Lake City. Release just went out via parent company Smith Entertainment Group
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 24, 2024
Note that the request came out just after the news of the five men who must surrender to the London police in the 2018 Junior Team Canada case.
Is it a coincidence? I do not believe. But right now, the NHL owes Ryan Smith one for timing of his announcement. I expect this Salt Lake City to have its own club one day.
The NHL, in recent years, has made successful expansions. The Vegas (2017) and Seattle (2021) teams are doing very, very well at the moment.
Would SLC do as well? Who knows.
We can also wonder, that being said, if this could not be the alternative solution for the Coyotes, leaving the task to Houston and Atlanta to increase the league to 34 clubs.
Note that the governors have not yet had their say on this. Expansion is not imminent, but it is in the plans.
Regarding Utah’s expansion request to the NHL: the league would need to go through a process with the Board of Governors, which is not something that’s happened yet. So we’ll see where this goes as far as next steps with the league and its owners.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 24, 2024
Note also that Ryan Smith, who owns an arena in SLC, mentions being able to welcome a hockey club right now. There are only 14,000 seats for hockey, but in preparation for the 2034 Olympics, there will be a new arena built in town.
All signs point to a club there…and I expect it won’t work out in Arizona. 14,000 seats is better than an NCAA arena, I dare say…
A lot of
– Nice contract for the goalkeeper.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 24, 2024
– Things are going well in Winnipeg.
Flashback to late June in Nashville. The Dubois trade went down and there was a sense of doom at the draft for what was next for the Jets. Seven months later, they’re one of the best stories in the NHL.
My sit down with Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff:— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 24, 2024
– It was expected.
It’s the same for Bartolo Colon.
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) January 24, 2024
– Gerard Gallant reminds us that he is available. [JdeM]
– News from the Rocket.
This becomes clearer during the Rocket’s morning training. Justin Barron forms a pair with William Trudeau, and Logan Mailloux is with Tobie Paquette-Bisson. Mitch Stephens finds himself in the center of Lucas Condotta and Gabriel Bourque.
— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) January 24, 2024
2024-01-24 16:04:29
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