Relocation: Five Hot Tickets For Hockey

There has been so much talk lately about the "relocation" of certain teams in the NHL because of their fan base and attendance and such.

So I looked at statistics, history, and the economy, and determined the best five cities worth spending the money for, and putting our next NHL team in!

1.) Seattle, Washington (population: 594,000)

Hockey may not be the most common sport in Seattle, but it was the city that held the first Stanley Cup Champion—the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917.

Seattle is the home of Amazon.com and Starbucks. In Expansion Magazine, Seattle was said to "be among the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation for climates favorable to business expansion."

With that said, Seattle sports teams have never been the most popular. However, this season's Seahawks went 4-12 this season, but held around 67,000 fans (or stadium capacity) every single home game this season.

Seattle's football team has been said to be "so loud" that it is infamous for the false start penalty in games, and is infamous for its 12th man, the fans!

With the fall of the Supersonics in Seattle, a hockey team is definitely a possibility in the Emerald City of Seattle.

2.) Las Vegas, Nevada (population 599,000)

First off, many people are gonna argue this one. I just feel it. But I am being as unbiased as possible on this one! So let me start.

Hockey and Nevada don't mix. But Las Vegas is always growing. It has a constant population growth and is still a growing city. Also, tourism is high in Las Vegas. With the exception of Madison Square Garden, it is pretty much the center of the boxing world.

Las Vegas has a minor-league hockey team in the ECHL known was the Las Vegas Wranglers who have had three-consecutive 100-point seasons, a first in the ECHL history. And despite being a minor-league team, they host about 5,500 a game.

With the economical status, and population in Las Vegas, you can't ever count out Sin City as a possibility of holding the next NHL team.

3.) Winnipeg, Manitoba  (population 694,000)

Infamous for their Jets, Winnipeg was the home of one of the more beloved teams in hockey in 1996 (now the Phoenix Coyotes). But Winnipeg is the home of one of the highest economical growths in Canada.

Winnipeg was in controversy in 2007 when the MTS Centre was constructed, for a "supposed" NHL team. There has been major heat in Phoenix this year with low attendance and a loss of millions of dollars, and there are rumors that Winnipeg could be a city that hosts the next NHL team. I am not saying that it's true. I'm just saying that's what out there.

Winnipeg is located in Manitoba, and is one of the largest cities in Canada (Top five ranked) If Winnipeg isn't on your list of cities worth hosting an NHL team your an idiot. My only problem is the size of the MTS Centre. Winnipeg would pretty much need to sell out every single home game to be a team in contension for a city. The MTS Centre hosts 15,000 people. I believe that would make it the smallest arena in the NHL.

However, with the Manitoba hockey maniacs, i believe 15,000 would be easy to reach for Manitoba fans. However, it would still make it a low attendance in the NHL. There is a chance, though!

4.) Kansas City, Missouri (population 447,000)

Kansas City was the home of the Scouts in 1974, but due to their economy couldn't hold the team and poor attendance and a loss of money burned their team to the ground. However with the new times Kansas City, is a possibility for a team in the NHL.

Kansas City had one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, yet the fourth-highest attendance. Kansas City's a slight possibility—but just like Las Vegas, I am just saying the facts, I am not saying I agree with them!

5.) Houston, Texas (population 2,200,000)

Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the most popular team in the United States without a hockey team. It is home of the best Energy sources, and Oil. Economy is not a problem in the wonderful city of Houston.

Houston is home to many sports teams, such as the Astros, Texans, and Rockets. All of those teams have top 15 attendances in their respected leagues. They have held a Wrestlemania, MLB All Star Game, the Masters, two Super Bowls, and the World Series, but have never in their history even hosted an NHL game.

It's almost unfair Houston doesn't have a hockey team, but they are among one of the cities on the list that well deserve one!