While I agree, part of the problem with that is you can’t realistically fly a whole hockey team into any one of those places, especially on short notice. Unless you charter, and I don’t see that happening.
So, depending on your destination you are looking at flying into Minneapolis or Detroit, which may very well involve a connection from Huntsville (or Duluth or Green Bay, which would definitely be an extra connection), or a bus ride to Atlanta. And at minimum a 5-ish hour or longer bus ride to the UP or Bemidji.
Suddenly, that long-*** bus ride from Huntsville doesn’t sound nearly as terrible. A better solution, at least from a hockey perspective, would be to get to the destination more than 24 hours before the puck drops.
I have said this for a long time, and I know you disagree...travel to the UP is almost as much of a pain as flying to Alaska for a good chunk of the league. At least with Fairbanks and Anchorage, once you’re there then you’re there. No long bus rides.