Canadian media outlets have reported the possibility of Toronto being awarded a second NHL franchise. Here are four reasons why the Maple Leafs should be the only team in town:
NHL Overexpansion - The league is currently at 30 squads, with 23 players on each club, totaling 690 players already in NHL uniforms. With talent already thinned out, where could you find another 23 NHL quality players to dress nightly for a new expansion franchise, and at least another 23 or so for an AHL minor league affiliate team?
What might be more realistic is for the league to have a current team relocate to Toronto. The most obvious candidates for relocation would be current teams in more nontraditional U.S. markets, such as Phoenix or Florida. But those franchises are locked into long-term leases that would cost millions to break. That would then leave the Nashville Predators, who have an exit clause in their lease that would allow them to leave town if their current sagging attendance fails to increase. Ironically, the Predators were once nearly owned by Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who had announced if he purchased the franchise that he would move them to Hamilton, Ontario, not too far (40.9 miles) from Toronto.
Over-saturation of Hockey in Toronto - If any city can support a second NHL franchise, it would be Toronto. The infrastructure is in place, and it is a large metropolis with a sizeable population. But that was also once said about the New York market when a third team, the New Jersey Devils, was added to the region in 1982. And while the Devils have had a great deal of success (three Stanley Cup Championships) and have a decent sized fan base, they have never captured the region the way the Rangers and Islanders have. Hockey fans in that area have been entrenched with cheering for their respective teams for years before the Devils arrived in New Jersey, and probably few fans have since witched allegiances to the Devils. Like with the Devils, you would potentially be asking fans in Toronto to either change allegiances from the Leafs to the new team in town, or asking people to currently aren't hockey fans to become fans of the sport and cheer for the new franchise.
Falling Loonie and Falling U.S. Dollar - We live in a world that some economists are speculating to be in the midst of a global recession. Even the NHL is not immune this international monetary crisis, with several franchises struggling financially even before the current batch of economic problems. Some analysts expect the worse is yet to come. So perhaps it would be better to sure up some existing franchises in the U.S. and Canada before adding another to the mix?
NHL Expansion in Winnipeg - The Jets left Winnipeg in 1996 and relocated to the deserts of Phoenix to become the Coyotes. Since then, Winnipeg has built the 15,000+ seat MTS Centre, which could be upgraded to NHL standards should a franchise become available for expansion or relocation. The Centre is the current home of the AHL's Manitoba Moose, a team that has consistently good attendance numbers, proof that Winnipeg is a very viable option for a future NHL franchise.
