MTS Centre barely holds 15,000 for games and Manitoba barely has 1.2 million people. A 15,000 seat arena with a 700,000 metro area doesn't scream success to me. You'd be better off putting a team in Hamilton and letting them play at Copps Coliseum (older but bigger than MTS Centre) while they build a new arena. Hamilton is basically the same size as Winnipeg but also has Kitchener and London (450,000+ metro areas) and Burlington (125,000) closer than Toronto. I'd try Houston. You could keep them in the same division, create a rivalry with Dallas and Houston is a huge metro area with nearly 6 million people that could support the Rockets and an NHL team. The Aeros have had a lot of support as well. In the last 5+ years they've averaged over 6,000 per game. They also have a fairly new arena, the Toyota Center where the Aeros play that holds 17,800 for hockey, so they wouldn't have to wait to build a new arena they could just move right in.