Last week, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the National Hockey League was steadfast in introducing a second team to the state of Texas. Even though the expansion fee has spiked to $2 billion (a 300% increase from the price Vegas paid less than ten years ago), the NHL has a buyer in the Lone Star State who is interested in bringing a team to either Houston or Austin.

That official announcement could come as soon as soon as the end of this year, with the goal of the league’s 33rd team hitting the ice at the end of the decade. And whether billionaire Dan Friedkin brings a team to Houston or Austin, his purchase will kickstart a new wave of expansion in the NHL.

Much like when Vegas was first inaugurated a decade ago, the NHL knew they couldn’t stay at an odd number of teams for very long. Though the league was a wonky 31-team group for four seasons, Seattle was formally announced as the league’s 32nd club just two and a half years after Vegas was first approved in June of 2016.

So naturally, the NHL probably won’t want to stay at 33 teams for long. Yes, because it creates a logistical nightmare (and forces one division to carry an extra team), but also because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like upwards of $2 billion?

Some future expansion destinations, though not official, are easily guessed. To the dismay of sections of the hockey fan base, the NHL will likely head back to Atlanta sometime in the 2030s as well. Nearby Alpharetta, Georgia’s city council approved new zoning for a mall that can include an NHL-size arena. We can argue the validity of a third NHL club in Atlanta (and we will one day), but Georgia’s capital city has multiple parties interested and is a top-ten US market.

That’s 34 teams. It’s an even number, sure, but it doesn’t allow for any workable division format, and unless the league decides to get rid of divisions altogether, the league would need two more teams to even things out. Plus, let me say again, who doesn’t like upwards of $2 billion…although by that point, it’s probably closer to $3 or $4 billion.

So, we need two more teams after Houston/Austin and Atlanta.

If I haven’t angered you already, get ready for this one: one of Team 35 and Team 36 probably goes back to the Grand Canyon State. Whether they call themselves Arizona, Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, or any other location we heard tossed around during the dying days of the Coyotes, the NHL will still be determined to make that market work.

That leaves just one team left. And once you get past 35, the road to 36 gets a little more murky. Less conventional (or talked about) markets like Kansas City and Cincinnati could be in play, beloved former markets like Hartford, Connecticut could jump into the mix, or a whole new idea can claim that 36th spot.

But in my mind, that 36th team must go north of the border.

Quebec City is the obvious headliner on the list of Canadian cities vying for an NHL spot. The former home of the World Hockey Association refugee Nordiques from 1972 to 1995, Quebec City has longed for the return of their team.

However, Quebec City has suffered from several roadblocks to getting into serious contention for an NHL club. The city most recently put forth an expansion bid in 2015, alongside the eventual winner in Las Vegas.

Since then, the city has still hungered for it, but the lack of corporate dollars and the low Canadian dollar has contributed to the NHL staying away, even if they concede that Quebec absolutely has the passion for a team.

But Quebec City isn’t the only possibility for an eighth Canadian team.

There’s the suggestion for a second team in Toronto, which the Maple Leafs would protest for as long as they possibly could. Other Canadian cities could step up, too, though.

Hamilton, Ontario was home to an NHL team in the early 1920s, but in much more recent time is set to welcome a new American Hockey League team starting this season. The population gap between them and a Quebec City does not look favorable, but Hamilton is growing and can rival the size of Winnipeg, current home of the Jets.

The NHL has made it clear they have prioritized US markets in their recent expansion endeavors. The NHL’s larger presence in Canada, compared to the NBA or MLB, has left it without footholds in US markets that other leagues take for granted.

But once the sunbelt trifecta of Atlanta, Arizona, and Austin/Houston is complete, there’s no clear-cut 28th market in the States. The sport’s home country deserves an eighth team.