from Jesse Spector of The Sporting News,

How about a real new NHL this time?

It is clear that even with the implementation of a salary cap coming out of the last lockout, several teams simply cannot compete financially with the league’s heavyweights. So, why not cut the dead weight?

Contraction? No. Not only would shuttering franchises be a public relations disaster for the NHL, it would be needlessly cruel to the people who work and root for those teams. Besides, the NHL’s longstanding problem is that the poobahs of the sport shy away from big ideas.

So, here’s a big idea—one that would change not only the NHL, but the North American sports landscape: The NHL should start a second league, with promotion and relegation as seen in global soccer.

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