Why Is the NHL So Anti-Canadian?

Is it me, or is it time to be more than a little concerned about the state of the NHL in Canada?

A fair amount of the overall league revenue is being generated by only six franchises. In a league that has 30 teams, the fact that so much revenue is coming from six teams in Canada should serve as a notice to the powers-that-be. 

The NHL is obviously about hockey, but it's also a business that exists to make money. 

And how does the NHL propose to do that?

By burying franchises in markets that either don't know or don't care about the game.

It's time the NHL woke up up and realized that the Deep South experiment, for the most part, is dead. Every franchise will have its loyal fans, but unless those fans have 15,000 friends they can convince to attend every home game, the writing is on the wall.

It's time to put teams where they won't only be profitable, but also well-enjoyed.

The NHL has many "reasons" for the dearth of Canadian teams. None of them make sense. 

Winnipeg, for example, has been crying out for a second chance. They have a brand new arena to replace the old ice rink—which was cited as a major reason for the Jets' departure. 

The biggest objection?

Not enough seats.

The new rink holds roughly 15,000. When most US franchises are only averaging 8-10,000 a game, the argument doesn't hold water. 

Whatever the smokescreens thrown up, it appears that the NHL simply doesn't want teams in Canada. 

The proposed move to Hamilton would have been a huge boon to the league, developing new rivalries with both the Leafs and the Sabres. The fans in Hamilton would fill the rink to capacity, and league revenues would go up. 

The NHL has no viable reason not to allow a struggling franchise in the States to relocate to markets in Canada. 

I do know this: Both the Jets and the Quebec Nordiques would still be in their respective markets had the NHL fought as hard to keep them in Canada as it's fought to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh and the Predators in Nashville.

For a league struggling to find an identity and claiming to be concerned about the bottom line, the NHL's insistence on keeping hard-up teams in indifferent markets is puzzling. Owners are losing money, fans aren't showing up, and teams are being forced to sell off their talent to keep costs down. 

The salary cap was supposed to make it viable for more Canadian teams to survive in the league. Something isn't adding up. 

The NHL is about making money. The lockout was a cold slap in the face reminding us about the business side of hockey. The NHL cited losses by the millions as a force propelling them to make changes.

The result?

Not much has changed.

The quality of play has gone down, the league is still losing money, and salaries are just as outrageous as before.

The solution is simple: Move some teams to hockey-mad cities in Canada. The NHL needs to stop the insanity and recognize this as the only real way to increase revenues.

It's great to share our game—but how long does the NHL intend to share the game with people who just don't care?