Quote:
Originally Posted by kq76
From that I take it that anybody can start a team cheap there and then work their way up through the divisions?
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Yes, but it's more than that: there is no such thing as exclusive territories. That means anyone can set up a team in a city, regardless of how many teams may already be there. With no territorial monopoly, clubs have to remain competitive on the field (rink) or else they risk losing market share to the competing teams in the area.
The Maple Leafs are a pretty good example of what happens when a team has a territorial monopoly over a hungry market: it has no incentive to put anything on the ice other than a barely sufficient team because its monopoly ensures it will get every hockey dollar in the market.