Quebec Nordiques fans have long waited for the time when they will find a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, but in the meantime, wildly popular markets like Las Vegas and Los Angeles continue to attract investors.
On Thursday, major baseball owners voted unanimously to move the Athletics from Oakland to the Nevada city in 2028. Before the A’s, here are the last six teams that have packed their bags for a fresh start.
• Also read: MUST SEE: Ideal ending for Nylander!
• Also read: WATCH: Struble lets the bad guy out
Las Vegas Raiders – 2020
No fewer than three teams in five years have decided to leave Oakland, a city sandwiched between several major markets such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Golden State Warriors started the movement by moving to the latter city in 2019, then the Raiders followed suit to Las Vegas. Just like the athletics, it was the decline of the Oakland Coliseum that led them to look for another alternative. Negotiations took five years, but the Raiders found their new home at Allegiant Stadium.
Los Angeles Chargers – 2017
This year, the City of Angels inherited a team they didn’t want. The reaction from the fans was very cold since the Rams had also just returned. In San Diego, the Chargers were unable to negotiate the construction of a new stadium. Owner Dean Spanos paid $650 million in relocation fees to the NFL, citing the small market the team had played in since the 1960s. The Chargers are now playing in front of excellent crowds, and with young quarterback-fullback Justin Herbert, the future is looking brighter.
Los Angeles Rams – 2016
As unlikely as it may seem, Los Angeles did not have an NFL team between 1994 and 2016. A year before the Chargers arrived, the Rams came to “LA”. It was an expected return, as they defended the honor of the California city from 1946 to 1994 before moving to St. Louis. After winning the Super Bowl in 1999, the magic faded and the Rams did not appear in the playoffs between 2005 and 2015. Success didn’t take long to come in their second stint as Sean McVay’s men won the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2021.
Brooklyn Nets – 2012
The new Barclays Center in Brooklyn will have made at least one person happy, as the Nets moved there after several decades in New Jersey. The Islanders in the NHL didn’t find what they were looking for in this basketball-friendly amphitheater. This is another return as New York hosted the Nets from 1968 to 1977. The Big Apple’s famed district hasn’t had a professional sports team since the Dodgers left major baseball in 1957.
Winnipeg Jets – 2011
In the NHL, the 1990s were pretty busy in terms of moves: the North Stars moved to Dallas, the Nordiques moved to Colorado, the Whalers moved to North Carolina, and… the Jets moved to Phoenix. Justice was served in Winnipeg in 2011 when the Atlanta Thrashers’ financial problems became unbearable. In the end, the Jets only stayed away from the Bettman circuit for 15 years.
Oklahoma City Thunder – 2008
The city of Oklahoma City was well prepared to host an NBA team, having served as a temporary refuge for the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Unable to finance a $500 million amphitheater project, businessman Clay Bennett and his group, the new owners of the Seattle SuperSonics, quickly headed to Oklahoma. In order to terminate the rental agreement in the KeyArena, several court visits were necessary and an amicable agreement was reached. The team’s finances had been undermined several years earlier in 2001 by owner Howard Schultz, who was then president and CEO of Starbucks.