The big story off the ice in the 2023-24 season involved the Arizona Coyotes and their relocation. After much speculation, drama, rumors, and questions about the team’s future in the desert, they relocated to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Hockey Club. The Coyotes became the first team to relocate since the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011, who are now the Winnipeg Jets.
In Utah, there’s a lot of unknown with how the team will fare in a market hosting an NHL team for the first time and their second professional sports team overall. It’s unclear if hockey will thrive in the new city but the early signs are promising. Their owner, Ryan Smith, is invested in the team and putting in all the effort to make Utah a big hockey market. The team has a lot of upside and the sky (like the altitude of the city) is the limit.
Salt Lake City brought relocation back into the hockey conversation and it has many fans wondering what city or area could be the next to host an NHL team. There’s a lot of talk about the league expanding and other cities are thrown into the discussion, with some being untapped markets while others have passionate hockey fans eager for a team.
Additionally, plenty of teams have been linked to relocation in recent seasons with low attendance being a driving force along with teams in smaller markets eyeing better destinations. There are a lot of cities in North America that would love to have an NHL franchise and more importantly, would be great markets for the game and the team they would host.
Houston
Houston is always the city that is referenced for NHL teams that are considering relocation. With a population of over 2.2 million and being the fourth most populated city in the United States, Houston is the most populous city without an NHL team (interestingly, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city). With professional sports teams in all the major sports except for hockey already located in the city, it’s also clear that there is a big sports market in the Gulf of Texas.
The Case For Relocating To Houston
The success of the Dallas Stars, a franchise that relocated from Minnesota in 1993, not only won a Stanley Cup and saw team success but has garnered a large fanbase, proving that hockey in Texas can be a great success. A rival team in Texas would only make the game more popular in the area and likely see similar success as one of the most populous cities.
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Houston also already hosts the Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at Toyota Center, located in the heart of the city. So, if a team were to move in, they’d already have an arena to suit an NHL team. The owner of the NBA team, Tilman Fertitta, has expressed interest in moving a team to the city to make it a prime destination.
Houston is a sports city with the Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB), the Rockets, and the National Football League’s (NFL) Texans already having loyal fanbases. On top of that, Texas is a sports state, dominated mostly by football but shows its love for all sports. Hockey would fit right in.
The Case Against Relocating To Houston
There isn’t a great hockey tradition in Houston, excluding the World Hockey Association’s Aeros, which played in the city from 1972-78. While the risk paid off with Las Vegas, a city with no prior hockey (or professional sports) tradition but has embraced the team and seen great success, there have been countless times when teams have folded as well.
Likewise, NHL teams in warmer, southern regions of the United States have failed previously to sell tickets and attract fans, most notably, the city of Atlanta lost both the Flames and the Thrashers with low attendance numbers being a primary reason. Houston is an intriguing city for the NHL to consider but also one that carries great risks as well.
Arizona is still a fresh wound. Yes, the NHL has seen a lot of success in the Southern states in recent seasons, notably with the Florida teams appearing in the Stanley Cup Final in five consecutive years and winning the title three times, but the league’s also seen the dark side. Some of the cities are transient towns that don’t have loyal fans but instead, fans of other teams who happen to live in the warmer climate. Houston isn’t one of those cities per se but the Coyotes proved a populous city doesn’t translate to a big hockey fanbase (for what it’s worth, five of the 10 most populated cities in the United States don’t have NHL teams and they are all Sun Belt cities).
Portland
Portland, Oregon is the second-most populous city in the Pacific Northwest behind Seattle but only has a professional NBA team in the Trail Blazers and a Major League Soccer (MLS) team in the Timbers. Though the city hosts the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Winterhawks, it doesn’t host an NHL team, and with Portland constantly being rumored as an expansion city for MLB, and professional sports altogether, the city could be the next in line for an NHL franchise.
The Case For Relocating To Portland
Portland would not only be a great city for an NHL team because of the population and the potential fanbase that can rally behind its team, but also by playing nearby the Seattle Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks, the team would create instant rivalries. In the process, it would also make the Pacific Division an easier one for visiting teams to travel to. Instead of flying to the corner of the continent for two teams, they can play three teams in one road trip.
Moreover, the city has the infrastructure in place to host an NHL team with the NBA’s Trailblazers already playing in Moda Center which already hosts the Winterhawks and is easily accessible to the residents of the city. Any team that moves to Portland can play in a 19,000-seat arena and there won’t be obstructed seats (something many teams struggle with when they play in an arena predominantly used for basketball).
Portland would also be a great city for relocation largely because of the hockey tradition in the city. Along with the Seattle Metropolitans, the Portland Rosebuds were one of the original non-Canadian teams that competed for the Stanley Cup in the early years of the NHL. While that era was over a century ago, considering the enthusiasm currently surrounding the Kraken and the fanbases for the sports teams currently located in the city, an NHL team would be a great fit.
The Case Against Relocating To Portland
A great risk of moving to Portland is the oversaturation of teams in the same region, in this case, the Pacific Northwest. While the rivalries could be a driving force in the team’s popularity, there can conversely be a decrease in popularity for one of the teams in the area, and with teams already in Seattle and Vancouver, there wouldn’t be great urgency from the NHL to move another team to the area.
In addition, there hasn’t been a local owner or the city government that has expressed interest in bringing a team to Portland, unlike other popular cities like Houston, Quebec City, or Salt Lake City which was granted a team in part because of Smith. The city would need a driving force or an ownership group to persuade NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to bring a team to the area, which otherwise looks like an ideal destination for a hockey team.
Kansas City
Kansas City has a population of over 500,000 and already hosts the professional NFL, MLB, and MLS teams, with Chiefs fans being known as some of the most passionate in the NFL (even before they became the modern dynasty with multiple Super Bowl titles). In addition, the nearby Kansas Jayhawks have one of the biggest and most popular college basketball schools. With the city and region being a popular sports destination, the NHL would strongly consider moving to Kansas City.
The Case For Relocating To Kansas City
Kansas City already has big fanbases for their sports teams, which play year-round but could easily host a hockey team and be a popular destination as well. An NHL team would not only attract sports fans in the area but would also expand hockey’s popularity in the Midwest region of the United States.
In addition, Kansas City is in the same state as the St. Louis Blues, creating an instant rivalry, and is also relatively close to both the Colorado Avalanche and the Stars, making them an ideal team to play in the Central Division. The city doesn’t have a professional basketball team, but has an arena in place for an NHL team in T-Mobile Center (formerly known as Sprint Center) which can not only host NHL games but is located in the middle of the city, making it easily accessible to the residents.
The Case Against Relocating To Kansas City
Kansas City already hosted a professional team that never took off in popularity and was forced to relocate. During the expansion era of the NHL, the Kansas City Scouts joined in 1974, but with weak attendance numbers and a struggling sports market at the time, the Scouts moved to Denver in 1976, where they played until 1982. They eventually settled in New Jersey as the Devils, who still remain in the league today. This took place over 30 years ago, and it’s easy to think that the city is now prepared for an NHL team, but the previous failure is a red flag for the league.
In addition, unlike Houston, the city doesn’t have an ownership group or corporate interest in bringing an NHL team to the area despite owners that are heavily invested in the region for the Chiefs and Royals respectively. While the city is a great area for sports and would likely embrace a hockey team, the league is going to be skeptical of moving a team to Kansas City.
The biggest strength of the city can also be a big weakness for an NHL team. Specifically, the Chiefs have a strong fanbase and interest not just in the area but nationally as they’ve won multiple Super Bowl titles in recent years. While the NFL and NHL seasons don’t overlap a lot and the NFL schedule differs as they only play once a week, a struggling hockey team can easily get buried in the market.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisc. is one of the most populous cities in the Great Lakes region of the United States, and already hosts the Brewers and Bucks for the MLB and NBA, respectively. Don’t forget the Packers playing in nearby Green Bay, as well. While the city has the Milwaukee Admirals, an American Hockey League affiliate with the Nashville Predators, they don’t have an NHL team, which is surprising for multiple reasons.
The Case For Relocating To Milwaukee
The state of Wisconsin has a great hockey tradition from the development stage to the collegiate level, with many NHL players growing up in the state, including Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter. Detroit is known as “Hockeytown,” and Minnesota is known as the state of hockey, but in between, there is a state that is similarly passionate about the game and the largest populated city in Milwaukee would be a great destination for an NHL team.
A team in Milwaukee would be a popular attraction among residents but also form great rivalries with nearby NHL teams. The Chicago Blackhawks would be the closest team, and likely the greatest rival being a quick drive away from Milwaukee, but the Red Wings and Minnesota Wild would also be nearby and make for plenty of great matchups. Even with the Red Wings in the Atlantic Division division, a team in Milwaukee would be a great fit in the Central Division to pair with the Blackhawks, Wild, and Winnipeg Jets.
On top of that, the city already has an arena provided for NHL games with the Bucks playing in Fiserv Forum, located in downtown Milwaukee, allowing a team to easily relocate without needing to build a new arena. The city is already a great sports city and adding an NHL team to the mix makes all the sense in the world.
The Case Against Relocating To Milwaukee
Milwaukee is one of the smaller markets in professional sports and as a result, fails to bring in the same revenue as some of the larger cities like New York or Los Angeles. A population of just over 500,000 makes both selling seats for an 82-game season a tall task and harder to compete with some of the other teams around the league attendance-wise.
In addition, with an AHL team already in the city and the Blackhawks playing nearby, the NHL would likely prefer to move a team to a larger city with a greater opportunity for hockey growth. Milwaukee was almost granted a team in the 1990s when the league was expanding but a bid was withdrawn considering the price tag attached to acquire a team. In the end, Milwaukee is a great city for hockey and a professional hockey team would likely thrive in the area but the league would likely look elsewhere first before turning to a smaller market in Wisconsin.
Hamilton
Hamilton is one of the largest cities in Ontario and with a population of just over 500,000, it is one of the ten most populous cities in Canada. The city was put on the map for casual fans when Tim Hortons Field hosted the 2022 Heritage Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Hamilton already hosts a Canadian Football League (CFL) team in the Tiger-Cats, and the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Bulldogs, but has more than enough reasons to be granted an NHL team as well.
The Case For Relocating To Hamilton
Not many would think of Hamilton as an NHL destination. However, the city has tried multiple times to get an NHL team with other cities outbidding them throughout the history of the game for expansion franchises. Hamilton is a city that is passionate about its sports teams but more importantly, has a great tradition for the game of hockey with Dave Andreychuk, John Tonelli, and Darnell Nurse (plus his sister, women’s hockey star Sarah Nurse) all coming from the city.
In the province of Ontario, a team in the city would create an instant rivalry with Toronto and similarly, could attract hockey fans in the area that aren’t fans of the Maple Leafs. The two teams would have a big brother-little brother complex but one that would become super interesting if that little brother (in this case a Hamilton team) wins the Stanley Cup before the Maple Leafs do.
With the OHL Bulldogs already in the city, an arena is also ready for a team as well in FirstOntario Centre which has a capacity of 19,000. Sure, the argument can be made there already is an OHL team and plenty of other junior league teams in the area but Hamilton makes all the sense if the NHL wants an eighth team in Canada.
The Case Against Relocating To Hamilton
Hamilton tried to earn an NHL team in the 1990s but was outbid by the Ottawa Senators. There have been rumors that the teams located near Toronto, Buffalo, and even Detroit, didn’t want a team in Hamilton, and thus the NHL rejected the bid, but those reports were denied by the league commissioner at the time.
That said, the location is one of the primary reasons the city wouldn’t be granted an NHL team in the future, with the league likely selecting a city that can garner its own market and a fanbase of its own as well. In the end, the residents of the city want an NHL team more than the league, and possibly a team considering relocation would want to move there.
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital of Quebec and the second-largest city in the province, behind Montreal. In a province that cherishes hockey, the capital city has been itching for an NHL team for years. In fact, Quebec City already has an arena built in Vidéotron Centre with the hope of the NHL returning to the city.
The Case For Relocating To Quebec City
Since losing the Nordiques in the 1990s, Quebec City has constantly been in demand of an NHL team. Eager to have a team back, commissioner Bettman has expressed interest in bringing the NHL back, including conversations with representatives of the Quebec government.
With Las Vegas, Seattle, and Salt Lake City being granted teams, Quebec City is on the shortlist of cities that would earn a team that chooses to relocate, making the capital city of the province an ideal fit for a return to the NHL. Quebec is a force in the Memorial Cup, winning it four times in a row before the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit won it in 2024. The city gave the NHL dozens of pro players with Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy being the most prominent. The one thing missing is an NHL team.
The Case Against Relocating To Quebec City
The NHL would likely avoid granting Quebec City a team largely because of the Nordiques, who relocated to Denver. They struggled financially before the move and since relocating to the Mile High City, they’ve been one of the more successful franchises both on and off the ice. Yes, winning helped with the Avalanche winning three Stanley Cup titles including one the year after the move but the team is a hot ticket and sells out regardless.
Quebec City was the smallest market in the NHL at the time, and while the city currently has a population of over 500,000, it would still be one of the smaller markets in the NHL. The city is passionate about hockey and wants a team, expressing interest multiple times as the league has recently expanded, but in the end, the recent failure of the Nordiques stands out and has convinced the commissioner to relocate elsewhere.
Halifax
As part of the Nova Scotia province in Canada, Halifax isn’t a largely populated city, with under 500,000 people, and isn’t thought of as an ideal destination for an NHL team as a result. It’s also on the far eastern part of the continent to the point where they are in a different time zone (an hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time).
The Case For Relocating To Halifax
Despite being a small location, the city has a great hockey tradition and has particularly developed some of the NHL’s best players including Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Brad Marchand. The city has hosted preseason games for the Boston Bruins in the past as a home away from home for the team, and the hockey fans of Halifax would eagerly take on an NHL team that would rival the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division.
Already hosting the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the city has an arena in place to host an NHL team in Scotiabank Centre. While Halifax isn’t thought of when it comes to Canadian cities for an NHL team, it’s likely the game would thrive in the city and the Nova Scotia area altogether.
Halifax is an interesting city as the league’s next frontier for two reasons. The time zone can give them a unique TV time slot and draw a lot of hockey fans to earlier start times (a 7:00 PM puck drop is 6:00 PM in the Eastern time zone and perfect for fans looking for a hockey appetizer on a full slate of games). Another thing the league will want to keep in mind is if they expand and having a team in Nova Scotia can signal that they are willing to move into eastern markets along with other ones.
The Case Against Relocating To Halifax
Halifax would be a high-risk move for the NHL with a lot of concerns. The small market is an obvious issue for the NHL with the small population and little room for growth in the popularity of the game altogether. Likewise, the current arena, Scotiabank Centre, has a capacity under 12,000 and isn’t suitable for a professional hockey team. A team can play there in the short term but the city would need to build a new arena if granted an NHL team.
Halifax is inconveniently located for league travel, with the closest team being the Bruins, who still require flight travel to play in the city. Adding a team to the area is more of an ambitious project that the league might eventually explore but not one that is realistic for the time being.
Other Cities That Could See An NHL Team
All eyes are on Salt Lake City for the time being. Smith is the primary reason for optimism but the market itself has plenty of reasons to be cautious. There’s a reason the team is referred to as “Utah” and not “Salt Lake City” and it’s because Smith is hoping to build a fanbase in the state and not just the city. The population is just over 200,000 and it’s one of the reasons there’s only one other professional sports team in the area. With a small population and no prior hockey history, this move can flop in a few seasons, especially if the team isn’t playing well.
If Utah doesn’t work out, there are many cities in North America that not only can host an NHL team but would eagerly embrace a team relocating. Cleveland and Cincinnati are two big markets in Ohio that could rival the Columbus Blue Jackets. Baltimore would be neighbors to the Washington Capitals. A team in San Francisco or Oakland would rival the San Jose Sharks and Oakland particularly could use a sports team after watching all three of their team relocate within the past decade. The Winnipeg Jets have been a perfect fit despite being in a small town in the Manitoba province and a team in Saskatchewan could see similar success, playing in a province that loves the game of hockey.
If Utah doesn’t work out, there are many cities in the United States and Canada alike that not only can host an NHL team but would eagerly embrace a team relocating. Cleveland and Cincinnati are two big markets in Ohio that could rival the Columbus Blue Jackets. Similarly, a team in San Francisco would rival the San Jose Sharks. The Winnipeg Jets have been a perfect fit despite being in a small town in the Manitoba province and a team in Saskatchewan could see similar success, playing in a province that loves the game of hockey.
Another city that has been in expansion and relocation discussions is Atlanta. The city is home to Turner Network Television (TNT) which is one of the major broadcasters for the NHL in the United States and a great city in theory for hockey. History suggests otherwise.
The league has failed twice in the market and the region has a lot of obstacles preventing a new team from thriving. In Georgia, football is king with two prominent College Football programs the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets while the Atlanta Falcons have a strong NFL presence. On top of that, the Braves, the MLB team in the area, have a big fanbase and as one of the best teams in baseball, easily lure fans away from teams in other leagues by the spring and into the fall as well. A hockey team, especially one that isn’t good, loses interest fast in Atlanta.
Like Atlanta, Arizona could be a place the league eventually revisits. However, a lot must happen before the league brings a team back to the area. For one, there must be competent and stable ownership willing to spend on the team, something Coyotes’ owner Alex Meruelo wasn’t willing to do. In addition, the city needs an arena that can host the team and a long-term home that can keep a franchise stable. Once those things happen, hockey will be back in the desert.
There are plenty of cities where hockey would thrive. If there is one we left out or a location you think the NHL would be successful, let us know either in the comments section or on social media!
