5 cities the NHL must consider relocating the Arizona Coyotes to in the near future

Hartford

It’s been refreshing at times in recent seasons when the Carolina Hurricanes played a few home games as the Hartford Whalers, but wouldn't it be exciting to see the Whalers back on a full-time basis? Like the Nordiques, the Whalers (again, assuming we’re sticking with the classic name) had an outstanding color scheme, nickname, and logo. Also like the Nordiques, there would be a rivalry renewed, this one with the Boston Bruins. 

While Hartford, like Quebec City, is a small market, it’s been less than a year since the state of Connecticut’s governor, Ned Lamont, expressed interest in bringing a team back to town. 

While the fans in Quebec City had to witness the Colorado Avalanche win a Stanley Cup shortly after the move to Denver, it wasn’t long before fans in Hartford had to endure the same thing when the Hurricanes won it all in 2006. 

Like Quebec City, seeing the NHL return to Hartford would be a feel-good story, and it would immediately spur fan interest in a hockey town. But once again, the downside is obvious: We would be looking at another realignment because you can’t put the Whalers in a division other than the Atlantic so they could renew that rivalry with Boston. 

As with the Nordiques, the Red Wings would be the most likely team to switch conferences, given their proximity to Central Division teams.