After years of over expansion and team movement, the NHL has recently done a complete 180, and now abjectly refuses to move any of its teams. This is despite the fact that attendance is consistently low in certain markets, whether or not the on-ice product is any good.
Then there are markets which see steady attendance, despite poor results. Typically, this kind of loyalty is found in Canada.
The Maple Leafs, for instance, have the 3rd worst record in hockey. Yet also draw the 4th most fans to their games. Even on the road, they attract 18,319 per game, 3rd most in the NHL.
Then there's the Coyotes, who are 10th in the West, only 2 points out of a playoff spot, yet are dead last in attendance, drawing 10,282 fans per game.
The Thrashers are 5th in the East, and have scored the 2nd most goals in the NHL. Yet nobody in Atlanta cares. They're 28th in attendance.
The Dallas Stars have the 2nd best record in the NHL and are 12-3-2 at home, despite only drawing the 26th most fans per home game.
These markets don't care about the game. Why should they? In Canada, the Northeast, and the Midwest, hockey is part of the culture. There are countless youth teams, high school teams, college teams, amateur teams, and so on. Do you think they play high school hockey in central Texas? How about Arizona? To them, it's probably like rugby or cricket is to us: an unfamiliar, obscure, sideshow attraction played by a bizarre subculture of people from another land.
So why not bring the game back where it belongs? A few weeks ago, 1,100 Quebecois traveled via bus to Long Island to watch the Islanders play the Thrashers, and make a statement that Quebec City wants the NHL back. Why not move a team up there?
Why not give Winnipeg their Jets back? Why not send a team to Hamilton?
If the Thrashers or Predators won a playoff series, would those cities stop to celebrate? Would the people even notice? No. So play the top level of hockey where people actually give a damn about the game.
-The Commodore
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