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The NHL’s latest round of expansion, which included the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken and, if you want to get technical, Utah Mammoth, has been nothing short of a success, so why not go from 32 teams to 33 or maybe more?
Well, according to a report from ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the NHL is preparing to begin its next expansion process with two options from the Lone Star State: Austin and Houston.
Kaplan reported that this was discussed at the league’s board of governors meeting Tuesday in New York City, and shows where the league’s top brass might be when it comes to where they would like to go next.
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The NHL is reportedly looking at Houston or Austin for its next expansion team. (iStock)
Atlanta (yes, for the third time) has emerged as a potential expansion destination, and a return to Arizona has also been mooted in the past. Of course, Quebec City is always part of the conversation and the idea of a second team in the Toronto market continues to generate interest.
But according to Kaplan’s report, the league is focusing on Texas, a giant state that is home to just one team, the Dallas Stars.
The Texas Stars of the American Hockey League currently play in a suburb of Austin. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/Getty Images)
Both cities have some hockey history. Austin has been home to minor league teams, including the current Texas Stars, Dallas’ AHL affiliate, who play in one of the city’s suburbs.
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As for Houston, it has been home to a few different versions of the Houston Aeros, the most notable being the World Hockey Association version in the 1970s, which at one point featured Gordie Howe.
Gordie, Marty and Mark Howe played for the Houston Eros of the WHA in the 1970s. (Bettmann / Contributor)
Of course, there are plenty of factors that go into expansion, including finding someone who can afford the rumored $2 billion expansion fee, but the markets themselves present two very different opportunities.
Austin is the largest market in the country without a team in one of the four major North American leagues. The NHL would have a chance to go first, and that was a strategy that worked well in Las Vegas.
Of course, it also didn’t hurt that the Golden Knights have been competitive every season since entering the league.
But on the other hand, Houston is one of the largest markets that the NHL is not a part of. Sure, Houston is a huge television market, but they would also be trying to compete for fan attention and money with established organizations in the Astros, Rockets and Texans.
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Who knows what it will be, or if they will ultimately head to another destination.
Whatever the case, it appears the NHL is getting serious about expansion.
