With the news coming out that the NHL is interested in exploring further expansion into the United States, many Canadian fans are feeling left out of the fun.
Despite hockey being Canada’s most popular sport, the NHL has not expanded in the country since the Ottawa Senators joined the league in 1992. The second iteration of the Winnipeg Jets began play in 2011 but came as the result of the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers, not expansion.
It does seem odd that the league has been resistant to adding another team in Canada, especially given that there are several great candidates.
Here are six Canadian NHL expansion candidates ranked from best to worst:
1. Quebec City, Quebec
Population: 549,459 (2021)
Potential arena: Videotron Centre (18,259)
Astonishingly, Quebec City hasn’t gotten another shot at having an NHL team since the Nordiques left town to become the Colorado Avalanche in the mid-1990s.
With a relatively new NHL-sized arena built in 2015 and a fanbase as eager as ever to have their team, Quebec City is the Canadian city best poised to once again host a professional hockey team.
Having the Nordiques return would also re-ignite a Quebecois rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens, something the league and fans would absolutely benefit from.
The only concern is that Quebec City’s population would make it one of the smallest markets in the entire league.
2. Hamilton, Ontario
Population: 569,353 (2021)
Potential arena: FirstOntario Centre (17,383)
Every time the topic of Canadian NHL expansion is discussed, a second team in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is always mentioned.
Out of all the locations in the GTA, Hamilton appears to be the best fit for an NHL team to call home. Not only does it boast a decent population (though still on the smaller side compared to most NHL markets), it is also one of the only other areas directly outside Toronto with an NHL-sized rink.
Multiple efforts have been made over the last few decades to bring an NHL team to Hamilton, and all have failed thus far. An NHL team would certainly add a new level to the already-existing battle of Ontario between the Leafs and Senators.
3. Saskatchewan (Regina/Saskatoon)
Population: 1.13 million (2021, province-wide)
Potential arena: SaskTel Centre (15,195)
Moving an NHL team to either Saskatoon or Regina is probably not in the cards (even in this imaginary scenario) due to low populations in both — but a province-wide Saskatchewan team could make some sense.
This would broaden the team’s appeal and bring together fans from across the province to root for them.
There is an NHL-sized arena (albeit a tad small) based in Saskatoon that could work as the team’s base of operations. An effort was made in the 1980s to relocate the St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon and considering the hotbed of hockey-mad fans in the province, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give it another shot.
4. Halifax, Nova Scotia
Population: 439,819 (2021)
Potential arena: Scotiabank Centre (10,500)
The hockey world got a taste of what the atmosphere of an NHL team in Halifax would look like during the 2023 World Juniors tournament.
Canada had an electric crowd in the maritime city and did a lot to show just how passionate they are for high-level hockey in Nova Scotia. The province is the hometown of some of the NHL’s brightest stars with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, so having a team in Halifax would certainly pass the vibe check.
The issue is the lack of an NHL-worthy arena, with the largest one holding a capacity of just 10,500.
5. Mississauga, Ontario
Population: 717,961 (2021)
Potential arena: TBD
On the surface, Mississauga seems like a good place to bring another NHL team to the GTA.
The population is the highest of the individual cities on this list, and it smack-dab in the middle of one of the densest population centres in the entire country. So, why does it land at second-last on this list? They simply do not have any arenas that are even close to the standards of the NHL.
Right now, the largest arena in Mississauga is the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, which has a capacity of just 5,612. This is just a little over what the Arizona Coyotes had with Mullett Arena, which the NHL deemed unacceptable.
6. Surrey, British Columbia
Population: 568,320 (2021)
Potential arena: TBD
Seeing Surrey on this list instead of Victoria might seem like a bit of a shock, but it does make some degree of sense.
First off, Surrey has a surprisingly large population that eclipses Quebec City and is a hair under Hamilton. If the GTA wants another NHL team, why wouldn’t the Greater Vancouver Area?
Like Mississauga, Surrey does not currently have an arena where a team could play, but interesting negotiations have been taking place on that front. Previous Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum was a big proponent of adding a 60,000-seat stadium to the area a few years ago.
That idea seems to have been downsized a bit, with current Surrey mayor Brenda Locke advocating for something in the range of a 12,000-seat arena. That could potentially put the area in the ballpark of an NHL arena.
Until then, however, it’s not looking great.