Long Time Gone

Wow, don't post for a while and so much happens.

First let me tackle Gary Bettman's expansion proposal. The NHL is thinking of expanding to Kansas City and Las Vegas. This is absolutely absurd thing for this league to do right now. Bettman needs to work on the teams it has now. Instead of making the sport better, Bettman wants to dilute it even more.

Bettman is trying too hard to stuff the sport down the throats of U.S. audiences. It is not working. Instead of trying to do more grassroots campaigns, the league is wasting money on poor marketing and crossed fingers. The league must do a better job at helping the teams it has now. Markets where hockey is dying like Chicago and yes even Washington.

The league too much is trying to mirror the NBA, but they are not as popular as the NBA and never will be if the league continues to screw up. The league is clearly unaware of the danger they are in, if expansion is the right route to go. If the league was so hopped up about getting teams in KC or LV, it should have moved the teams that are struggling to make any cash off ticket sales.

The league needs fixing, not adding-on-to. I agree with Dan Wetzel's column.

Second, the Nashville Predators are going to move. I absolutely believe that. Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie bought the team and even though claimed that the team wouldn't move, you can see clearly that he is ready to make that a broken promise. Rumors are Hamilton will have a NHL team instead of an AHL one. Even if they did win the Calder Cup.

Finally, Josef Boumedienne is making a comeback in a Capitals sweater, probably to help make Backstrom more at home with another Swede on the team. That means there is no room for Bryan Muir who will be looking for work elsewhere. Wash Post has the details among other news.