Hockey fans…. Can you explain NHL expansion teams to me?

[Fletch]

I usually don't watch hockey except the occasional Rangers game and when they are in the playoffs. But just seems like every time a hockey game is on it was some weird team I never heard of before eg.Minnesota Wild; Vegas golden knights ; Seattle krafken ; Nashville whatever's.

Were these teams in Canada before and just moved to the US?

[DaveBrown74]

No, those are all brand new expansion teams that didn't have a previous home. Minnesota used to have a team called the Minnesota North Stars, but they became the Dallas Stars. The ones you mentioned are all expansion teams that were nothing before what they are today. Some have been around for a while. Others like the Kraken and Golden Knights are very new (last 5-7 years).

The league (in my opinion) is too generous with expansion teams under the current rules. Basically, these expansion teams are able to become good very quickly. The Golden Knights for example were founded in 2017 and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season. Then they won it all last year. I don't have an issue with them being a contender six years later, but a Cup run in your first year?

[Fletch]

Thanks for this. Maybe it is just a small sample size or coincidence but, it seemed like 1/2 the league was in canada when I watched more regulary, and I never see or hear about any of those old Canadian teams eh.

[GIANTS1]

7 out of 32 are in Canada.  they are even talking of more expansion houston kc salt lake city which i think is crazy. they are actually talking atlanta which has failed twice already.