COLUMN: Writer Sydney Mott argues that the never-ending expansion of the National Hockey League indicates a focus on the wrong thing — making games more accessible to fans.
COLUMN: Writer Sydney Mott argues that the never-ending expansion of the National Hockey League indicates a focus on the wrong thing — making games more accessible to fans.
“Expansion” has been a keyword in the latest iteration of the National Hockey League, ever since the Arizona Coyotes were upended from their desert and rebranded as the Utah Hockey Club in April 2024.
This is the third new team in the past eight years, following the additions of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2016 and the Seattle Kraken in 2021. Despite the NHL’s most beloved, or despised, commissioner Gary Bettman publicly declaring there are no immediate plans for expansion, rumors have run wild in the hockey community.
The problem with these expansion rumors is fans are focused on the wrong thing. It’s not a matter of when and where expansion will happen, but what happens if they do and how long the trend continues.
The potential growth of hockey is insignificant if the NHL pulls a move from “Jack and the Beanstalk” and reaches mammoth proportions. Who truly cares about an increase in fervor from fans if said fervor is because they’re eager to get away from this hockey oversaturation?
The NHL needs to stop while they’re ahead. They’ve already had an increase in viewership as of late. The 2024 Stanley Cup’s first-round games averaged 2.26 million viewers in North America — a six percent increase from the same round last year, according to the NHL.
In-person fan experience has seen an increase, with a total attendance of over 22 million fans in the 2023-2024 regular season, a record-breaking number for the league.
Although growing the game is paramount for the NHL’s success, there are better ways to do it than cramming as many teams into as many places as possible. Instead, the league could concentrate on making their games more easily accessible for fans, similar to how the Professional Women’s Hockey League broadcasts their games on YouTube, in addition to various sport networks.
Beyond expansion, the NHL has seen an offensive scoring surge among the current crop of teams — largely evidenced by Toronto Maple Leafs’ newest captain Auston Matthews and his 69 goals in 79 games. This was an impressive feat for the 27-year-old, as well as for the tortured Toronto fans.
Teams as a whole have also been lighting it up. During the Detroit Red Wings’ game against the San Jose Sharks in December 2023, six goals were scored in three minutes and one second, beating out the previous established record of fastest six goals scored in the same period in 1944.
Moreover, the Edmonton Oilers now have the second longest win streak history in the NHL with their 16 wins in a row — spanning from Dec. 21, 2023 to Feb. 6, 2024. This was quite the redemption for a team who started the season with a 3-9-1 record.
The NHL is not lacking in goals, nor wins and while more teams may add more excitement for fans, it looks like teams aren’t done surprising anyone quite yet.
It’s time to stop thinking about potential expansions and start paying attention to the 32 teams already in the league which are filled with remarkable talent. There needs to be a greater focus on the promotion of these teams and the skills they have, instead of flooding the league with an obscene amount of new ones.
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