If, and when, the NHL expands, look for it to land teams in what it considers virgin markets. That was the word from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who was in Buffalo on Thursday taking part in a sports business panel discussion presented by Business First of Buffalo, sister publication of THE DAILY. Bettman said despite a lot of chatter about adding a second NHL franchise in the Toronto market, that does not seem likely. The commissioner prefers to have new teams in untapped NHL markets. Last week, the NHL accepted bids from possible expansion sites. Only potential ownership groups from Quebec City and Las Vegas responded. “In terms of Toronto, there was a lot of talk but not a lot of action,” Bettman said. He was coy on whether the NHL’s BOG, which is chaired by the Bruins' Jeremy Jacobs, will accept any or all of the bids. “It is conceivable we could add just one team, or add two teams, or no teams,” Bettman said. The commissioner noted that the NHL is only in two-thirds of the same markets as the NFL, MLB or the NBA. In addition to its seven Canadian teams, the NHL has three teams in the N.Y. metro area and two more in the greater L.A. region. The league has thrived in non-traditional hockey markets like Nashville and San Jose but struggled in others such as Atlanta, Phoenix and Miami. Atlanta has twice seen its NHL teams leave for Canadian markets, when the Flames headed to Calgary and Thrashers moved to Winnipeg. Both teams are now doing well financially and on the ice. “Our focus should be on expanding our footprint,” Bettman said. “It will make us a stronger league.” On other topics, Bettman noted the league is at one of its strongest points in its history. He said, "We’ve got the strongest group of owners that we’ve ever seen.” He also praised the current TV contract the league has with NBC that includes complete coverage of the Stanley Cup Final. “The league has been historically under served by TV,” Bettman said. “I think we’ve just scratched the surface."
James Fink writes for Business First of Buffalo, a sister publication of THE DAILY. He can be reached at jfink@bizjournals.com.
