More NHL Expansion?! Who Would Be the New Rivals in the Pacific?

There have been quiet rumblings about potential NHL expansion. It's something the Vegas Golden Knights know well, who went on a historic run in their inaugural year. Part of that has come from Kevin Weekes, who has stirred the pot.

These rumblings have given new life to more cities to the thought of more North American hockey. But when is expansion too much?

That being said, let's set the limit for the NHL. 40 teams altogether, with 20 per conference, makes sense. There isn't a relegation system in place... yet. That might be something the NHL will look into in the future.

With that, it's time to expand our horizons and add more hypothetical teams to the National Hockey League. Let's tap into our inner Gary Bettman and see which cities will get teams and who will be Vegas's rivals.

1. Why the NHL Can Do More Expansion

While the NFL has had similar rumblings, the NHL has one distinct advantage: a larger talent pool. I know what you're thinking:

"The NFL is the largest league in North America! How can this be?"

Here's how.

Most NFL players are American, so pulling talent from a singular pool dilutes it quickly. While the NFL is making efforts to expand globally, it's still a predominately American game. The NHL can pull talent from countries such as Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Canada (of course).

Plus, the NHL has two countries they can tap into for expansion. Having both the United States and Canada gives it an advantage, with markets such as Quebec City, Houston, and Atlanta being targeted. The NFL doesn't have that yet, and their prospects of going to England are a ways away.

3. Let's Set the Eastern Conference Up

With the West set, it's time to look at the Eastern Conference. Home to numerous hockey bluebloods, it was tough arranging the pieces around to make everything fit. Still, we managed to make it work. Here's how the Eastern Conference would play out.

Toronto has always been the talk of a second team, yet that's never come to fruition. Have no fear because Hamilton's here. Well, Hamilton isn't in Toronto. But it's close enough to make it work. As for the name, it's in honor of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

Also, bonjour, Quebec Nordiques. Comment allez-vous? While the Montreal Canadiens lose a good rivalry with the Boston Bruins, they regain an old foe in the Nordiques. C'est tres bien!

While the Bruins lose the Montreal Canadiens as their divisional rival, a classic city rivalry is revived. In fact, it's an Original Six rivalry, where the New York Rangers have Boston in their division. Also, Hartford is back! Cue the "Brass Bonanza!"

Essentially, this is the "New York" division, with the Bruins and Devils. This is a fun division with quality rivalries. You can't go wrong with giving the Rangers more rivals to play with, especially if they're as big as the "Big Apple."

Now this division doesn't seem like much. But you have the two Keystone State teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. You also have two Buckeye State teams in Cleveland and Columbus. Then, you have... the Buffalo Sabres.

Now, this would have been Pittsburgh's division back in the day. However, it's anybody's game if it happened today. If Buffalo could get some goaltending or Columbus would stop being anonymous, the Atlantic Division would have some wings.

Welcome back, Southeast Division of the late 1990s-2000s! We missed you and watching either the Carolina Hurricanes or Washington Capitals win your division. Of course, this might be one of the more unstable divisions in hockey. You don't know what will happen with the Florida Panthers, despite their success.

That is also a problem with the Atlanta Thrashers (part two), who had attendance issues and ownership problems. However, a potential move to the suburbs will rectify this. Take the Atlanta Braves as an example. They've hit over three million fans in the past two seasons in Cobb County.

4. How This Affects the Vegas Golden Knights

For one, the Vegas Golden Knights wouldn't have the western Canadian teams in their division. Now, they can chill in Las Vegas and California, playing their divisional games without a hitch. Let's call it... California Dreamin'.

Plus, you'd have the other current Pacific Division teams in your neighboring division. Vegas wouldn't have to leave the Pacific Time Zone much, which would help the Golden Knights rest. No more having to hop over to the Eastern Time Zone, for that's a thing of the past (unless Vegas goes to the Stanley Cup Finals).

In short, this would work nicely for Sin City's hockey team. Considering the NHL is a physical sport that takes a toll on you, you can't deny this would benefit the Golden Knights. After all, there's nothing better than chilling in Sin City, especially if you're a hockey team.