NHL Rumors: NHL Expansion Talk Should Include Toronto, But It Won’t Be Under Gary Bettman

TSN: Pierre LeBrun on TSN Overdrive talking about whether there should be a second NHL team in Toronto. In terms of league finances, it would make more sense than other markets but Gary Bettman doesn’t care. Property rights will play into it nicely.

LeBrun: “I’ll tell you, there’s one market that would make me happy, if Gary Bettman were willing to go down that road, and that’s where we live.”

Brian Hayes: “Yes.”

LeBrun: “The second team in Toronto. For years, I’ve been pushing it and so have others, of course, but you want to talk about HRR, and you don’t think the NHLPA will agree to that.

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You know, we have two teams in LA basically, the Ducks and the Kings. Three groups in the New York area. Why don’t we have two big market teams in this game? And not just the biggest market in the game, but the market that, you know, has a population that likes to spend at big events.

I mean, it can, I think, definitely, easily, support two parties financially. And not just everyone will say, well, even though everyone is a Leafs fan here. You live here. There are a lot of people who have moved here from other parts of the world, and the country, who would jump into that second group in a heartbeat.”

Jeff O’Neill: “Yes. Yes.”

LeBrun: “Just like we saw each other in New York decades ago. Everyone thought it wouldn’t work to put a team, another team, back in New York against the Yankees. So guess what? I tell you, it would be untrue.

But I’ve asked Gary Bettman before in news conferences. In fact, I asked him, I looked at this yesterday, and I asked him two years ago, and he, you know, actually shot me down a lot. But I would like to see you. That’s the increase we have to talk about.”

Hayes: “I’m with you. I agree with you there. Yes, there is no question that it can work. It would work. I don’t think Bettman is the guy to do that. I think Bettman should retire and someone new should come in to push that.

The problem is if they go to 34 or 36 or whatever, and Toronto is not included. Will they go to 38 to get Toronto the 40th team? “

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LeBrun: “Well, don’t forget, they’re going to want to come back to Arizona one day. I can confirm that.”

Hayes: “Why not”

LeBrun: “They haven’t given up on that market yet.”

Hayes: “Sure.”

LeBrun: “They’re going back to Arizona.”

Hayes: “That’s really what puts it into perspective.”

O’Neill: “How that jumps ahead of Toronto, the second team. Like, how does that jump forward? That’s crazy.”

Hayes: “Atlanta for the third time. Arizona second, over the second team in Toronto is just blastphlamy. “

Jamie McLennan: “But don’t you think, I mean, I hear 100% yes, but doesn’t that come down to property rights? He thinks the Leafs want to stop any kind of MLSE. “

LeBrun: “No”

Hayes: “Not really.”

McLennan: “They print money there. “

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LeBrun: “Like, that’s been an issue and a threat, you know, going back many years. You know, we’ve always heard about it, the conversation that Larry Tannebaum had with Gary Bettman years ago. And you know, whether there’s a promise or there’s no promise, you know, whatever it is, it’s always hard to get, you know, a good understanding of what went down. But there was always this sense that Gary Bettman, you know, to some degree, always, you know, told the Leafs that this was never going to be the way he was going to go down. But, but again, we can dream.”

Hayes: “Yes, we can go well. The buffalo is also part of that. You know, like Buffalo, there’s a lot of people in Niagara Falls, St. Catherine’s, Hamilton they just go to Buffalo, you know if you like yes, I will be a fan of the Sabers or go there if, if you come, if there is a second team in Toronto, maybe in the perfect world, the tickets are a little cheaper if you get at the lower level. that, that, would have a negative impact on the Sabres, too.”