Why NHL is likely to lean towards Houston over Austin for expansion team

· Yahoo Sports

Why NHL is likely to lean towards Houston over Austin for expansion team originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Visit newssport.cv for more information.

The NHL has already announced that the League will be exploring their 33rd franchise through an expansion to either Houston or Austin, Texas; but, which Lone Star State city will get the nod?

Following a June 23 Board of Governors meeting where the topic was introduced, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the NHL will open a six-month process to analyze the possibility of expanding to either Houston or Austin.  The Friedkin family, led by Dan Friedkin, has been identified as the prospective owner of the Texas expansion franchise; this would mark the NHL's second team in Texas, with the Minnesota North Stars being relocated to Dallas as the "Dallas Stars" for the 1993-94 season and having remained ever since. Bettman has revealed that the league has entered into an agreement with the Friedkin family to explore the possibility of another Texas expansion team.

It would be an approximately $3.5 billion investment made by the Friedkins, which includes the expansion fee that goes to the NHL and the cost of building a new arena — which the League is requiring. 

"We have been in discussions for the better part of two years with the Friedkin family, principally for the last two years about Houston as an expansion opportunity," said Commissioner Bettman per the NHL.com media release. "But as we continued to focus with them, particularly on the need for a new arena in Houston, the discussions morphed into also a discussion about Austin, which would also need a new building. But we are going to work together under the terms, a term sheet that we were able to agree upon, in terms of a framework to consider what makes the most sense moving forward."

The six-month "exploration phase" will determine which market, Houston or Austin, is best suited for a NHL team — but as more research and reports have come out, it appears that Houston just might be the city better suited for the League.

Hockey already proven to work in Houston

Austin may have the AHL Affiliate of the Dallas Stars (the Texas Stars) in their backyard, but the city of Houston does already have them beat in terms of pre-existing hockey and numbers.

While not publicized as often as it should, hockey is already alive and well in the fourth most populous city in the United States. The North American Hockey League/NAHL's Houston Bulls are approaching their upcoming inaugural season in Aug., with a multi-million dollar facility (Deep South Ice & Sports Center) well on its way in Richmond and season ticket sale requests already over 3,100.

Bulls Head Coach and former NHL player Nathan Oystrick said it is already clear to him that the city of Houston is ready to support a high-level hockey organization.

"Seeing the excitement when the Houston Bulls was announced from the community was really cool to see," said Oystrick.

Pre-existing rinks — such as the Aerodrome Ice Skating Complex and Bellerive Ice Rink in addition to others — are also frequently in use year round for public use and local hockey enthusiasts.

Per a USA Hockey District Director, USA Hockey total player numbers are at 2,404 for Houston, beating a compared 2,047 for Austin.

The "AA" Developmental Hockey League of the ECHL is also on the way, per original reporting from Michael Shapiro with the Chron. NHL alum and combined founder/CEO Michel Petit of Blueline SlapShot LLC will be bringing an ECHL club to North Houston in the next two to three years with a brand new, state-of-the-art, minor-league hockey stadium. 

Speaking to Petit on the morning of June 24, the NHL alum — who recorded over 325 League points in his career — said hockey organizations want to come to H-Town.

“It’s all good news,” Petit said about hockey developments for Houston in an exclusive. “This city deserves hockey. I've been talking about this for probably seven years now and I’ve been involved with the NHL and talking to people — especially the name they mentioned. This is exciting news and with the ECHL, as of right now we have several teams that are willing to move in the Houston area.

"[The NHL] would be extremely well received here.”

In addition, Rice University and the University of Houston both have club hockey programs — with the Cougars being a varsity team competing at the America Collegiate Hocker Association (ACHA) Division II level. 

The Houston Girls Hockey Association, the HTX Storm, have tripled growth in five years. The organization had around 175 girls across the ice in programs this year, after originally starting with 50 in 2021-22. For women's hockey, the Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston has seen 140 unique individual skaters since inception in Nov., 2024. 10 new women skaters have also joined WHOAH throughout June.

At the 2026 edition of Hockey Day in Houston — which was the third annual — saw a new attendance record of over 6,000 people and over $90,000 raised with over $50,000 to be reinvested into growing the sport across the city.

In addition to hockey being present and supported throughout the city at, arguably, higher levels than Austin, Houston also does have the home of the University of Texas at Austin beat in terms of population, other professional sports and media markets as well.

The Census Reporter notes that the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, Texas Metro Area population is 7,796,182. The Census Reporter also indicated the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas Metro Area population only comes in at 2,550,637.

Houston currently has six major professional sports franchises across the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NWSL, with the WNBA arriving in 2027. Austin's professional sports teams include only Austin FC (MLS), the Austin Spurs (NBA G League), the Round Rock Express (The MLB's Texas Rangers Triple-A affiliate) and the previously mentioned Texas Stars.

Per an inside source, the NHL is wanted their 33rd team added prior to the next Television Rights Negotiations. The NHL's U.S. media rights deals expire after the 2027-28 season. Via TV market rankings, Houston comes in No. 6 over Austin that checks in at No. 34.

While the six-month process to analyze the possibility of expanding to either Houston or Austin is underway and it is still anyone's game, it is safe to say Houston certainly has the leg up.

MORE:All to know from the recently announced Texas NHL expansion

Read full story at source