Another pitch on behalf of New Orleans to the NHL – this time, it’s Governor Landry and Congressman Steve Scalise meeting with league officials about a potential expansion team to the Big Easy.
The Metairie Congressman says New Orleans would be a great addition to the league.
“Coming off of the heels of probably one of the most successful Super Bowls any city has put on, everybody in the world knows that New Orleans is a world class city that can host world class events,” says Scalise.
Scalise says having the NHL in New Orleans would open up an entirely new market to the sport of hockey.
“They’re moving into the South more,” Scalise says. “Florida has got two teams. You see other southern cities that have had big success with the NHL.”
Scalise says the NHL would also boost tourism in New Orleans.
“If you’re a fan of another team and your team is playing in New Orleans, you’re going to have even more incentive to come to New Orleans,” says Scalise, “and it promotes tourism even more as well.”
Skeptics may point to the fact that New Orleans is not a big media market; if the NHL ever does come to New Orleans, it would be the league’s second smallest U.S. market, ahead of only Buffalo.
That would presumably give the edge to other cities, like Atlanta, who are lobbying the NHL for expansion teams.
Scalise points out that when it comes to Atlanta, it’s been there-done that — twice.
“Atlanta has had hockey before at the NHL level, and it’s failed,” says Scalise. “And so while Atlanta might be in the mix, Atlanta has not worked out so well for hockey.”
The Atlanta Flames played in the NHL from 1972-1980 before moving to Calgary.
The Atlanta Thrashers played in the NHL from 1999-2011 and are now the second iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.
Scalise points out that a city very similar to New Orleans in both size and stature has made the NHL a must-see attraction.
“New Orleans and Las Vegas are both big entertainment cities,” Scalise notes. “We (both) host big venues, and we host the world. And within just a few years, (Vegas) won the Stanley Cup, and they made hockey incredibly successful in the desert.”
The Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL in the 2017-18 season and went to the Stanley Cup Final in that inaugural season, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.
The Golden Knights made it back to the Final five years later and beat the Florida Panthers in five.
Las Vegas is a much smaller TV market than another desert city that didn’t have that good of luck as an NHL city.
The Phoenix — later Arizona — Coyotes started playing in the 1996-97 season after moving from Winnipeg and never turned a profit.
After being evicted from their arena in Glendale in 2022, they played in a 5,000-seat college arena for two seasons before suspending operations, with their hockey assets transferring to the temporarily-named Utah Hockey Club.
Speaking of names, what should a New Orleans NHL team be named?
Scalise says it ought to be reflective of the City of New Orleans.
“People love coming to New Orleans because of the uniqueness. I mean, we’re a European city that’s a world class city — food, culture, people,” Scalise notes. “And the name ought to reflect what’s great about the culture that brings people from all around the world to New Orleans.”
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