NHL players make next expansion city obvious in anonymous poll

Over the last decade, the National Hockey League has expanded into two new cities: Las Vegas and Seattle, while also moving a team to Utah.

Expansion is natural in any sport. It's a signal of the times. There are more college hockey players than ever, and more kids are playing junior hockey. The highest level of professional hockey will grow as the sport continues to grow in lower leagues and among kids. Expansion creates more roster spots and jobs in the front office and behind the scenes, like equipment managers or athletic trainers, which creates more jobs and allows more hockey players to play in the NHL.

The NHL has moved teams all over North America. However, in a recent poll by The Athletic, NHL Players discussed where they would like new franchises to go, teams to be restored, and many other details.

The next expansion city, decided by players

Overwhelmingly, players polled cited Houston as the next city to get an expansion team. Behind that, Quebec City, Arizona, Atlanta and a second Toronto team round out the top five answers.

The reason for this is because Houston is a city with a population of 2.304 million (as of 2020), making it the fourth-largest city in America. It's got an MLB team, an NFL team, and an NBA team; the only thing missing is a hockey team.

Players named their reasons for this thinking — it's a tax-free state, has nice weather, and with the depreciation of the Canadian Dollar, they think another team in Canada right now would not do well.

If they were to bring in a Canadian team, they named the city of Quebec as a prime location. In a city rich with hockey history, the return of the Nordiques (or a new franchise altogether) isn't that much of a stretch.

A return to a franchise in Arizona could happen. Or at least that is what the players want. Teams loved going to Arizona, but the poor ownership ultimately led to the end of hockey in the desert.

Having a second Toronto team makes things interesting. It instantly creates a rivalry between an Original Six team and a newcomer — but what would it look like? Would they share arenas or practice facilities? Would Toronto even accept a second team?

Is there potential for international expansion?

In another poll done in September, there was a question about teams in other countries.

While the NHL has teams in Canada and the United States, other leagues like the KHL have expanded outside Russia and into China. While it wouldn't be the first time the league would be international, getting a team into a continent like Europe seems tough.

The players named London and Prague the top two cities to receive an international NHL franchise. London is a "quick" flight for all the East Coast teams, as a flight from New York to London takes approximately eight hours. The teams on the West would have a longer trek. There is also a time change, and preparing to go to London would be a long process.

Prague got votes because the NHL played there in the preseason this year. One player in the poll noted that the NHL would have to go to a city where it has already played, like Prague or Stockholm.