The NHL has seen success in its recent expansions, bringing teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken into the fold. As the league looks to grow further, there is talk of adding more teams. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that Austin and Houston are being considered in the next expansion phase.
This topic came up during the NHL’s board of governors meeting in New York City. It highlights a keen interest in expanding within Texas, a state currently home to a single NHL team, the Dallas Stars. Both cities, Austin and Houston, have connections to hockey history that the league finds appealing.
Austin hosts the Texas Stars, an American Hockey League team affiliated with the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, Houston boasts a rich hockey past, most notably with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in the 1970s, which featured legends like Gordie Howe and his sons.
Texas is seen as an opportunity for NHL expansion due to its large markets. Austin, the largest U.S. market without a major league team, offers a chance for the NHL to be the first to set roots there, a strategy that has worked well for Las Vegas.
Conversely, Houston’s vast TV market presents both opportunities and challenges. The city is a major market but features well-established teams in other sports, including the Astros, Rockets, and Texans, which could create competition for fan engagement.
Atlanta and Quebec City have also been mentioned as possible expansion locations, as has the potential of a second team in the Toronto market. But Texas appears to be at the forefront of considerations, reflecting the league’s serious intent for expansion in the near future.
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