What’s in Store For the NHL?

Right now in the National Hockey League, Alexander Ovechkin's knee-to-knee hit that landed him a two-game suspension is all over the web. But lost in this mess of a star player earning a suspension for a dirty hit is that the league's commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced that the NHL will expand before relocating teams.

Interesting concept, Gary. Adding more teams to a league before relocating dying teams? I'm sure that will work out just fine. Now, though, Bettman said, isn't the time to expand the league because of the “economic climate.” Okay, that one makes sense.

But soon we'll be out of this recession and into a new era. That's good on many levels. But for the NHL, it means we will eventually see teams in:

Cleveland — This one I like. Here, we have a city with a rich history of rivers catching on fire. Events in the past are one way to name a team, so there is no problem with that: the Cleveland Conflagrations. And there is reason to think this team can be successful from the start. That's because with their first round pick in the expansion draft, the Conflagrations will select the king: LeBron James. He's saved basketball in Cleveland. He could have saved football in Cleveland. And now he can save hockey in Cleveland. It's a win-win-win.

Detroit — Yes, there is already a team in Motown. But if any city is going to be better after this recession, it will be Detroit. The newly formed Blagojeviches will play in the same arena as the Red Wings, Joe Louis Arena. They won't be nearly as successful as their cross-town rivals, but with Ford and General Motors finally inventing a street-legal hovercraft, the Blagojeviches will be among the league's most valuable franchises.

Quebec City — Desperate to get a team back in Canada, Bettman heads retro and reintroduces the Nordiques to the NHL. Unfortunately for Bettman — and Denver — every member of the Colorado Avalanche decides to sign with Quebec City. It's a de facto relocation and a frustrated Bettman hurries to save the Avalanche but to no avail. It's the first dark spot — excluding the Phoenix Coyotes' bankruptcy, the 2004-05 lockout, the Todd Bertuzzi incident, Brett Hull's foot and countless others — on the league in its 92-year history.

Europe — With moderate success good enough for Bettman, he will form one team in Europe after testing the market with exhibition and regular season NHL games overseas. But unable to make up his mind on where to place the new team, he has it rotate among three cities in Europe. Arguments among the different city leaders and the NHL create an awkward naming situation, as the European Nationals are the newest team to join the league. Due to time zones, traveling and costs, the Nationals play 41 consecutive home games before finishing the season with 41 consecutive away games.

There we go. A four-team expansion to the NHL. We all know that it's better to add to a broken system rather than fixing one — and nobody knows this better than the commissioner himself.

So, Gary, here are my suggestions for expansion. Take them seriously.