Two NHL PODs

ONE: in the late 1940s, the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League played to sellout crowds in that city. Moreover, Barons ownership apparently paid better salaries than did a few of the contemporary NHL teams. That led many Barons to opt to stay in the AHL rather than step up to the big time. There was some serious discussion about reviving the dormant Montreal Maroons franchise, awarding it to Cleveland and promoting the Barons en masse to the NHL. However, some questions about financial irregularities squelched that move.

Thus: suppose the financial questions were resolved satisfactorily / did not occur, and Cleveland became an NHL team for, say, the 1950-51 season, forming an Original Seven?

TWO: four of six WHA franchises (Edmonton, Hartford, Quebec, Winnipeg) were admitted to the NHL after the '78-'79 season. The Cincinnati Stingers and Birmingham Bulls were paid off but left out. Suppose all six were added to the NHL, with Birmingham (not really a hockey hotbed to say the least) moved to, say, Seattle? I say Seattle since Kansas City, Atlanta, and Denver had been recent short-lived NHL cities and would not likely have gotten repeats very quickly.
 
Yes please keep a team in Cleveland. I don't care about hockey but I care about Cleveland sports and we haven't had a good Cleveland sports wank since Pellegrino's brilliant Dawg Pound Dynasty.
 
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