SHL Expansion

I think with this people forget that the league can grow to be as big as we want it to be in theory. But how far do we want to go? Like if we could pick the number of teams and 100% garuntee that every team fills out, we wouldn't have 1000 teams. Would we cap at 31 like the NHL? 32 to make it even? Do we want a more intimate league with say half that? 16? I think saying we need expansion is fine, and I agree that we have more active players than we have room (I want to make that abundantly clear that I do think we have enough actives to warrant more teams). But we need to know how far we want to go. Cause say that number is 16. Then eventually we'll get to a point again where we'll have more actives than we have roster spots, and we just have to let it be and accept people will leave.

That question aside. I think the league is ready for 16 teams and 4 in the playoffs 4 out in each conference works. Or could add a layer of excitement by going 3 in then 4-5 have a 3 game wildcard series to make it, so 5 have a shot and 3 don't. An SHL team can hold AT MOST nine active forwards, six active defencmen and an active goalie, thats 16 players. 16*14 = 224. We can hold 224 actives in the SHL. The SMJHL you don't want to be a 3rd liner or a 3rd pairing guy, 11*8 = 88. So overall if everything was evenly spaced out we could have 312 active users, assuming that 1/3 of the league is okay being on the third line or third pairing. How ever you cut it we need to grow to 16 teams if we don't want people to get bored and leave.

I think the expansion rules should be made clear a season in advance and all GM's know so nobody is screwed or blind sided by it. And Philadelphia or Chicago should get teams tbh. Or Montreal or Vancouver should move up to the SHL and new SMJHL teams replace them.