The New Economics of the NHL: Why Canada Can Support 12 Teams

For four decades, the NHL has pursued a Southern Strategy, increasing the number of teams in the United States, particularly in the fast-growing Sun Belt, in an effort to grow interest in hockey in the US. These efforts have been largely unsuccessful, with many of these franchises suffering from low fan interest and low revenues. As a result, there is increased pressure to relocate some of these teams to Canada where demand for hockey is stronger. In this Mowat Commentary, we estimate how much stronger this demand is, and identify which Canadian cities would be the best locations for new NHL teams.