50 Miles and Runnin': MLSE's Territorial Rights

The Toronto Star posted the NHL constitution and by-laws today. The NHL Constitution is here. By-laws are here (part 1) and here (part 2).

Not exactly prime reading for a Sunday afternoon but there is some interesting stuff in there, especially as it pertains to moving a team to Hamilton (or Downsview park - quit laughing, you).

According to the NHL Constitution:

Section 4, Territorial Rights defines a team's home territory as "exclusive territorial rights in the city in which it is located and within 50 miles of that city's corporate limits."

Section 4.3 Territorial Rights of Members states "No other member of the league shall be permitted to play games...in the home territory of a member without the latter member's consent. No franchise shall be granted a home territory within the home territory of a member without the written consent of such member."

Now, I'm no lawyer (much to my mother's chagrin, man was she crushed when I decided not to go to law school) but it strikes me that a team in Copps Coliseum would be in violation of section 4 of the NHL constitution.

The City of Toronto corporate boundaries follow highway 427 and Copps Coliseum is a shade over 50kms from the Gardiner and 427. As that's just 31 miles, Copps is well within the Leafs' exclusive territory rights.

Maybe when it comes to another team between Brantford (51 miles) and Coubourg (49 miles) MLSE has the hammer afterall...