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Since the addition of Minnesota and Columbus for the 2000-2001 season, the NHL has achieved a decade of hockey without losing or moving a franchise. Not every team has thrived during this period, but the less successful ones have stayed put thanks to new buyers. Stability is key when it comes to making a business work. In order to build a good team and make it a profitable business, it needs time to grow into its market and into the collective heart and mind of its potential fan base.
That being said, the bleak economic picture over the past few years has done little to boost the financial security of the league's less successful teams. Phoenix, a franchise that began in Quebec, avoided another move last year when the league took control of the Coyotes until a suitable owner could be found. The atrocious attendance records for Phoenix, along with the Thrashers and New York Islanders are seriously jeopardizing the future of those respective franchises under their current business models. In order to sustain the overall prosperity of the league, it may finally be time to make the change.
Despite a storied history and some great championships, it's time for the Islanders to move on. Here's the plan:
-The Isles would relocate to Kansas City and join the Central division.
-The Nashville Predators would be moved from the Central division to the Southeast Division.
-The Washington Capitals would be moved from the Southeast to fill the vacancy left in the Atlantic division by the Islanders.
This shift in the league's alignment is the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate multiple markets. Kansas City, looking to bring a professional sports tenant to its new Sprint Center, is in a prime location to build rivalries with other Central division cities. Sharing the state with St. Louis, the club would instantly have a nearby rival to contend with and attendance at the Sprint Center would be strengthened by the close proximity each time the two squads face-off. Kansas City would also have the benefit of playing two sturdy franchises in the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks on a regular basis. The talent of these two squads each year is enough to attract considerable attention on the road. Lastly, Kansas City would develop a rivalry with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
While Columbus has struggled with attendance since it's inception in 2000, the team has the potential to make serious strides forward. Signing forward Rick Nash long-term, and developing young goalie Steve Mason, Columbus needs to go out and resign the underrated but always steady Jan Hejda for defense when his contract expires at the end of this season. If GM Scott Howson gets active in the off-season and uses some cap space to add a top d-man to the roster, the Jackets can edge their way into the playoff picture of the always competitive Western conference. As it solidifies it's faithful fan base at Nationwide Arena, the Jackets can develop a rivalry with the Kansas City club and turn Columbus into a hockey hotbed.
Similarly, the introduction of the Predators into the Southeast, along with Florida, Tampa, Carolina and Atlanta would stimulate rivalry through geography more than Washington could. Tampa, under the direction of Steve Yzerman, is quickly shaping up as a serious force in the East with young shooter Steven Stamkos and a supporting cast of vets like Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and Simon Gagne. A bright future seems to be in store for the Hurricanes as well, with Jeff Skinner as one of the front runners to take home this year's Calder trophy for the league's best rookie. While Florida has struggled to stay competitive in the Southeast, a wealth of speed at forward and some promising goalie prospects highlight a team with plenty of raw talent to begin rebuilding. The Predators, although often overshadowed by the West's current powerhouses, have consistently maintained a great hockey team while competing in one of the league's toughest divisions. Moving Nashville to it's most appropriate geographic category would generate the rivalries every team in the division needs to thrive and give the Preds more exposure to the league community at large. The main beneficiary in the Southeast of this switch would be the Thrashers.
With the current financial state of hockey in Atlanta looking dismal, the Thrashers are getting significant attention from Canadian cities. Still, I contend that the league should, and more importantly, the sport should continue its growth in the United States, through a proactive and very aggressive attempt by the NHL to strengthen the game's presence in non-traditional markets. Atlanta's early years were marked by the dynamic duo of Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, but with only one playoff appearance in their brief history, fans were hard to come by. Since the departure of Kovalchuk, Atlanta has refocused its efforts to make the playoffs by assembling an explosive stable of young forwards such as Evander Kane, Andrew Ladd and Aleksandr Burmistrov along with an equally impressive core of offense-minded d-men including Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. Picturing this young team on the rise doing battle with the likes of Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber and Patric Hornqvist six times a year has all the makings of a marquee match-up in tomorrow's NHL.
Finally, Washington's addition to the Atlantic is a no-brainer in terms of geography and league marketing. Since the first battle between the Great 8 and Sid the Kid, the league has done everything in its power to play up the rivalry between Washington and Pittsburgh. A six-game season series would make that rivalry a fixture in the schedule and turn up the intensity one more notch. Washington would also have six dates with Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York, making for some excellent match-ups all season long. This proposed Atlantic grouping, given the current status of its five teams, would do wonders for the Devils, who could use some help on the attendance front compared to their division rivals.
In looking at the current map of NHL teams, this move just makes sense. With 24 of the league's 30 teams based in the U.S., special attention should be paid to the cultivation of those markets in the midwest and southeast with franchises operating under the shadow of the east coast. Providing teams in these areas with the ability to generate ticket revenues through a more geographically relevant schedule will enhance the quality and intensity of the game as viewed by new fans in these areas. Over time, as these areas earn a loyal fan base and improve their hockey operations, they will cement the existence of the sport in the future.
