"3 of the four cities experience winter"?

You're conveniently forgetting that while Dallas doesn't have the same pedigree, it does have a Stanley Cup. And Mike Modano, the greatest American-born goal-scorer.

Don't dismiss the passion people in North Texas have for hockey...

Dallas stands out as the only Sun Belt team to have built a strong hockey following. I'm not saying there aren't hardcore fans in Carolina, Florida, or Nashville, but there's just something different and almost magical about watching hockey in a hockey city.

Washington D.C. came pretty close to this during the playoffs. Here's hoping that Ovechkin, Boudreau, and HDTV can make hockey a permanent fixture in the capital.