NHL Rumors: Two Frontrunners to Be Next Expansion Cities

Thursday, March 26, 2026
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks at 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

It's not a matter of if anymore, but of when and where. 

With the NBA pushing through its own expansion process in Las Vegas and Seattle, and MLB openly discussing adding franchises, the NHL is quietly getting its ducks in a row for the next wave of growth. 

The league isn't running a formal expansion process, and commissioner Gary Bettman has been careful not to wave a green flag publicly, but multiple insiders are telling us it's coming.

David Pagnotta, speaking on The Sheet with Jeff Marek, said the NHL already knows its options, has the markets identified, and when somebody is ready to write a check for two to three billion dollars, the league will pick up the phone.

NHL Expansion Frontrunners: Why Atlanta and Houston Lead the Race

Marek named Atlanta and Houston as destinations A and B. 

Houston is the sixth-largest market in the United States, already home to the Astros, Rockets, and Texans, and the Dallas Stars are far enough away geographically that a second Texas franchise wouldn't cannibalize the existing fanbase. 

There has been serious ownership interest in Houston for years, and with the market the size it is, the revenue potential is hard to ignore. 

Atlanta is obviously the more complicated, and controversial, conversation. 

The NHL has tried twice in that city, the Flames from 1972 to 1980, and the Thrashers from 1999 to 2011, and both ended in relocation. 

But Vernon Krause's group is currently building a new entertainment district and arena in the Atlanta area, and Pagnotta says all indications point to Atlanta being ahead of the curve among expansion candidates. A new building changes the math considerably. 

Beyond those two, Austin has also entered the conversation, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, who reported that the Texas capital joined prospective bids from Indianapolis and New Orleans that were heard during the league's Board of Governors meetings.

NHL Expansion Fee and Timeline: What to Expect Going Forward

The money side of this is staggering compared to where it was even a few years ago. 

The Vegas Golden Knights paid $500 million when they came in. Pagnotta and Marek both put the current expansion fee somewhere in the two to three billion dollar range, with Marek suggesting three billion is probably closer to reality now. 

For context, the Carolina Hurricanes recently had their valuation pegged at $2.66 billion after selling a 12.5 percent stake, and Vegas is likely sitting at three billion or more. 

The NHLPA's Marty Walsh said that expansion to 33 or 34 teams is an intriguing idea on both sides, and that the recent success in Vegas, Seattle, and Utah has made a strong case for growth. 

The most likely timeline points toward the 2030s, partly because the league wants to run out the five-year grace period on the Arizona Coyotes' relocation before officially closing that chapter and opening a new one. 

The concern for adding more teams will always be a watered-down league, and many would already argue that you're seeing that with the current NHL. So this will be a controversial decision, no matter which city is chosen.

Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Go To: NFL Rumors | NBA Rumors | MLB Rumors