More from Neal:

Northerners, rooted and transplanted, sniff at the travails of Phoenix, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and the Panthers as proof that hockey should remain the province of cities that have snow days. It doesn't fit their prejudices to note that each of those four franchises has a history of ineptitude that few markets would support these days. You don't, for example, hear much griping about a team in San Jose. And the last time a lake froze in St. Louis, a glacier covered Chicago.

Great article by Neal, with impeccable timing.