Yahoo! Sports Contracts NHL to 15 Teams

Those crazy folks over at Puck Daddy have taken the axe to those failing markets that can't sustain professional hockey. Despite Gary Bettman’s best efforts, hockey is never going to catch on in places like Toronto, Montreal, and Winnipeg. In fact, under advisement from NBC sports we are sure; they have eliminated every single team from Canada. They have taken the league down to 15 teams, all from tv friendly big US metro Areas. See their “work” below:

RIP Atlanta Thrashers 1999-2011

We were holding out hope for a struggling American Hockey Market with a piss poor ownership situation, having lived through such times ourselves. But it is now official; the Atlanta Thrashers will be bought by True North Sports and Entertainment with the intention of relocating the Franchise to Winnipeg.

A press conference has been schedule for 11:00 AM today (Winnipeg Time), and reports are that Gary Bettman is flying out to Winnipeg for the announcement. Something tells me he wouldn’t be going out to the prairies of Central Canada on the precipice of the Stanley Cup finals for a social engagement.

The league owners will have to vote on June 21st to confirm the purchase by True North and approve the move, but that is just a formality at this point. My regards to the true Atlanta Hockey fans and congratulations to the folks in Winnipeg. Check this out for my take on what division realignment may look like.