Golden Knights Show How It Is Done

Expansion franchises can go one of two ways: either adapting to their new surroundings quickly and going on to succeed or riling the local population and dooming themselves to an early grave.

Thankfully for Las Vegas sports fans the former applies to their new Golden Knights NHL franchise, which have been ever present in the playoffs since they first got the puck rolling back in 2017.

The key for the Golden Knights was that they swiftly identified what their team identity was and then skated with it as fast and as hard as they could, meaning that the best NHL tipsters in the game are loath to ever back against them.

The Kraken are ready to get off the bench and into the NHL action

Off to a Kraking Start

Positive signs are already there that Seattle is getting pumped about its newest sports team, with the franchise reporting that much of its initial lines of merchandise are selling out fast.

This shows that the Kraken brand is a strong one, and that fans are willing to get behind the team.

Now all they need to do is build a roster to match the appetite that the local populous has for the game.

The Kraken cannot wait to suck the life out of some NHL foes

Who Will Be Next?

Almost as soon as it was announced that Seattle had been successful in convincing NHL execs to bring a team to the city, other destinations were voicing their desire to follow suit.

Among the contenders are Hartford – who are crying out for a team to follow since the town’s beloved Whalers became extinct – along with places such as Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Even Helsinki and Stockholm (Finland and Sweden respectively) have been mooted as possible foreign expansion options, as the league looks to follow the lead of the NFL and NBA in expanding their brand globally.