The Fix for the National Hockey League: Expansion

Recently the Stanley Cup playoffs broke records of low attendance, bad television ratings, and showcased the worst TV package sales in all of sports. With a few lockouts, lost seasons, and bad ratings there is nothing left to revive this dying sport but to make matters worse and expand.

That's right. If you are at the lowest point, might as well put millions of dollars into expanding the leagues number of teams. Two franchises to be exact. The 31st and 32nd clubs will be located in the hockey towns of Las Vegas and Kansas City. Nothing like throwing more grease on the fire.

The plan is no add new towns to support an already thriving sport. How is hockey going to survive in Vegas with all the other attractions? With the excitement of losing money gambling and watching men with white tigers, who would wait out on hockey? The rumored expansion fee is $150 million per franchise and the owners wouldn't have to share the earnings with the people who earn it; the players.

Spreading resources thin isn't the answer. Spending money on advertising and promoting the current product would do more good. Creating more teams would just spread the talent across the board making each team less appealing than it already is. Not to mention ruin the small rivalries still left in the game.

The NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has already been in the hot water for creating horrible ideas in his 15 year tenure. With someone having to pay all the unpaid expenses the NHL can't afford, it might be placed down upon the franchise cities to take over the bill with the use of tax money. That's exactly what is happening with the Predators who violated their lease due to unfilled seats.

But what about outsourcing the teams to Canada? At least there will be some sort of a fan following. The Stanley cup was brought back to Anaheim but the average sports fan would rather read about Ron Artest's court battles with animal abuse.

The expansion idea isn't new. The league tried that back a few years ago and the horrible market is what led to the loss of the entire 2004 missed season.

The problem with the NHL is that it makes their fans protest. With so many false hopes and let down seasons, fans are forced to get their sport fix elsewhere. With no low blow on the women's basketball, but the WNBA has better chances of surviving in the states than the dirty towel we call NHL.