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.
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