Five places I want to see the WHL expand

This is based solely off which teams I see giving great support. But this isn't including Winnipeg who doesn't have a WHL team anymore but I think they could get another minus their issue being without a small arena. I want a place like Nelson to get a team, but the town is too small and think maybe in the future it is do-able. 

HM: Flin Flon, Manitoba - This one raises eyebrows, but they have the most dedicated fans in the CJHL. So dedicated that they even have their street names coloured in crimson for their team. I think it could also help their economy as the entire community supports that team. The downside is their arena is outdated, but I think The Whitney is a jewel. The reason I don't see it happening is because they are a ways up north and if they did join the closest team for them would be the Prince Albert Raiders. But I think they could support a WHL team. They also have some of the richest hockey history in Canada. 

5. Campbell River, British Columbia - Campbell River only lacks an arena, but they would have a good fan base and be a popular spot for players. But it's an underrated option. 

4. Steinbach, Manitoba - A growing city on southeast Manitoba, and I think would be the best place to put a second team in Manitoba as they have a population of 17,000 people as of today. They also built a brand new arena that seats over 2,500, which is good for the WHL. I think the people of Steinbach would be more motivated to see a hockey game rather than drive up to Winnipeg to see the Jets or Moose play on a winters day. But if Jets fans wanted to see potential young players, they can make a slogan for when people go there to buy a car: Worth the trip.

3. Brooks, Alberta - Great hockey fans with an arena and infrastructure good enough for the WHL. But if they were to join the WHL I think they'd be a staple to that league. 

2. Cranbrook, British Columbia - Once had the Kootenay Ice, but now have the Cranbrook Bucks. WHL returning to Cranbrook wouldn't be a bad idea, but is nothing to be rushed just yet. But I also think it's great considering if a team is travelling from Alberta to BC they could get a break playing there before going onto the next team. 

1. Nanaimo, British Columbia - I mean this one is obvious, but what's holding it back is their lack of an arena. But I think they could work with what they have now until moving forward to building a new arena. I think it'd be great for the Victoria Royals to have a rival when Chilliwack rejoins the WHL to have a rivalry with the Vancouver Giants. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dakota Joshua traded to Toronto

Where do I begin... maybe that I wrote how he was one of the underrated players in the NHL. Except the thing is it's no longer Vancouver. Now, for all I know maybe Dakota Joshua wanted out, but this return is beyond brutal and unacceptable by the Canucks. With Toronto, I think we'll see Dakota Joshua's true potential as he truly is an underrated player who can do a lot more than your average hockey fan thinks. Vancouver getting a forth for Joshua, this is just like the Silovs trade but maybe worse given they were key players for the Canucks. If I'm trading Dakota Joshua away I'm expecting something as high as a second-round pick and a player with a good contract.  As for Toronto, this is an excellent pick-up for the Leafs and this is going to improve their penalty kill a lot which in my opinion is something that could use work this off-season. Toronto is the clear winner of the trade.
Read more

The curious case of Elias Pettersson

I think Elias Pettersson is still a good player who can return to his full form one day and still has potential to be an offensive threat in the NHL. Based on what I've seen he does work hard, but there's parts he needs to learn to improve his game. He was well on track once upon a time, but I think locker room issues soured things for him last season. It may take one or two seasons, but I think he has a similar comeback Marcus Naslund did.  Pettersson had an outstanding season before they brought JT Miller in. In Miller's defense, he was not one for a young core but needed to be on a team he could do a lot more on. But if the Canucks never traded for Miller I think Pettersson would've been the producer every single season. In 2019-20 he finished second in scoring after JT Miller; in the playoffs that year in the bubble, he and JT Miller both tied the lead in team scoring with eighteen points. In 2020-21 he missed most of the season but had twenty-one points in twenty-s...
Read more

PWHL Draft First-Round Recap and Predicting the 2026 PWHL Season

 The third ever PWHL Draft had happened recently held at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Ottawa, Ontario, which was special considering they introduced two new teams: PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle, both of which held the final picks of the draft.  1. New York Sirens -  Kristýna Kaltounková - F - Colgate University - A consistent point producer from the Czech Repbulic, the Sirens took what is believed to be the best player in this draft. Can be looked to either make plays and has a promising shot bringing what is believed to be a long PWHL career. What  Kaltounková also has in her game is height which is a huge advantage in this sport. I think this pick instantly improves the Sirens and gives Sarah Fillier a line-mate for a long time. 2. Boston Fleet - Haley Winn - D - Clarkson University - The Boston Fleet take an offensive defenseman from Clarkson and defender of the year. But another key highlight of her career is winning various gold medals in junior tourname...
Read more