ESPN.com/nhl is running this poll question, with some very interesting results.

Looks like sunbelt fans stick together. Take a look:

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Wheelhouse

If they really wanted to put a team in a new, northern market, it would be a good idea to explore Portland Oregon. My friend lives there, after living in WNY for several years. Say's it is basically the Buffalo of the West. Great city, not a ton to do, and no major sports teams. They are northern enough to know hockey, live in a good spot to form rivalries with both the kings and the canucks, not to mention the flames. Wouldn't really invade anyone elses market either. It's a pretty untapped market area.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

I'm more surprised with some of the states that actually voted.

Florida would have voted Winnipeg, but the butterfly ballot is confusing...

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

the portland trailblazers

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I'd leave them be, at least since their winning people in Phoenix are taking a look into it, plus it gets even more kids in that area into hockey with the NHL mandating all NHL teams to have youth programs around.

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Sorry, I always forget basketball is a sport.

But yeah, they have the Trail Blazers, and they actually do exceptionally well at drawing a crowd.

They draw between 15-20,000 every home game. If hockey could do 12-15000 per night, thats much better than what Pheonix, Atlanta, etc do now.

I think it would be a profitable market to try and tap.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Goddamn South Carolina. Phoenix and Winnipeg aren't good enough for you?

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They must want a team then.

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I think Portland would be a good choice. Of course, if they did wind up in Portland, the residents would be spoiled rotten for hockey - they already have the Winter Hawks.

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mechaphil

I know i thought seattle would be able to handle a team. they have a baseball, football, soccer, minor hockey team, and Basketball team. it snow's in washington. Starbucks could be a major sponsor.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Had a basketball team...

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

That still pisses me off

I think the Pacific NW would be a solid hockey market.
Rose Garden (Portland) holds 18,280 and should be "modern enough" to pass the NHL's standards for new teams. Seattle would need a new arena, I think it holds about as many people as the MTS Center here in WPG.

Move PHX to Portland/Seattle, and Move the Avs to the Pacific (Stupid name) and no division realignment is needed...

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

Corporate Sponsorship and support for a a team in Seattle would be much greater than Winnipeg

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"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

Absolutely. All I'm saying is that they would need to build a new arena first, because it would likely be too small...

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

Move the Coyotes and Thrashers to Portland and Seattle, and move Detroit or Nashville to the Eastern Conference. Tweak the divisions from there, and it's all good

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mechaphil

It doesn't snow that much in Seattle, they get much more rain throughout the year than snow.

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This is true.

I've seen Seattle's Arena. I believe it is called the Key Bank Arena, or just the Key Arena.

It's pretty small, and parking is ridiculous.

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Wheelhouse

It's the same thing in Vancouver. It snowed in 49 states but not in Vancouver for the Olympics.

They get so much moisture from the Pacific it just mostly rains in that area. It snows, but it's nothing like other Northern places within the same latitude.

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According to wikipedia its about 15,200 for ice hockey. Not terrible, but certainly too small for NHL standards going forward. If there was a clear plan of action for a new arena or some renovations to the old one in place, I think a city like Seattle, (now dying for a major sports team outside of football season) would be a great place to relocate a team like Pheonix or Atlanta (that experiment is just NOT working)

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"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking