Quote:
Originally Posted by Comrade
It's not just about market size.
If that was the case, LA wouldn't have spent 20 years without a NFL team after the Raiders and Rams bolted (and before the return of the Rams and the relocation of the Chargers).
You've got to also have a willing owner and an arena/stadium plan that actually has a strong chance of happening. It's why when the Sonics left Seattle, a much larger TV market than Oklahoma City, for Oklahoma. Oklahoma had the support system in place to get a NBA team.
Also, just because the NHL is giving the appearance they're exhausting every avenue to keep the team in Phoenix, that doesn't mean they really believe it'll happen. It's doing your due diligence. Hell, the NBA did it with Seattle for the last couple years before relocation.
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Once SLC has an approved and funded stadium plan then things may get real. If the NHL is destined to be in SLC then Mr. Smith or whomever can pony up the estimated $1B price tag and land an expansion team. That's how it went down in Seattle and Vegas, easy as that.
https://theathletic.com/4302822/2023/03/14/nhl-expansion-houston-atlanta/
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