What's in a name?

There's discussion today that Jim Balsillie will consider referring to a Hamilton based NHL franchise as Ontario or Southern Ontario, rather than Hamilton - if that day comes that a team plays out of the city. The idea is not a new one.

I assisted with the research and writing for a Hamilton application during the NHL's 1997 expansion, which welcomed Nashville into the fold. One of the key elements of the Hamilton application was to present the team as a southern Ontario or Ontario based team, not Hamilton.

At the time, the idea of positioning the team as an Ontario team, would hopefully address an NHL perception that Hamilton was not an 'A' market and as such 'Hamilton' would impact negatively on television revenue, as well as local attendance when playing in other markets.

The idea has been floated once before, without success. Will it work a second time?