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The NHL’s last 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 gearing up to start its next expansion process with two Lone Star State options: Austin and Houston.
Kaplan reported that this was discussed at the league’s board of governors meeting on Tuesday in New York City, and it shows where the league’s head might be when it comes to where they’d like to go next.
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The NHL is reportedly eyeing Houston or Austin for its next expansion team. (iStock)
Atlanta (yes, for a third time) has emerged as a potential expansion destination, and a return to Arizona has also been floated 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 zeroing in on Texas, a giant state home to just one team as it stands, the Dallas Stars.
The American Hockey League’s Texas Stars currently play in an Austin suburb. (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 iterations of the Houston Aeros, with 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 WHA’s Houston Aeros in the 1970s. (Bettmann / Contributor)
Of course, there are a ton of factors that go into expansion — including finding someone who can pony up the rumored $2 billion expansion fee — but the markets themselves present two very different opportunities.
Austin is the biggest market in the country without a team in one of the four major North American leagues. The NHL would have a chance to be the first, and that was a strategy that worked out well in Las Vegas.
Of course, it also didn’t hurt that the Golden Knights have been competitive every season since they entered the league.
But, on the other hand, Houston is one of the biggest markets the NHL is not a part of. Sure, Houston is a massive TV market, but they would also be trying to compete for fans’ attention and money with established organizations in the Astros, Rockets and Texans.
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Who knows which one it will be, or whether they ultimately turn to another destination.
Whatever the case, it seems the NHL is getting serious about expansion.