After months of speculation around where the NHL will expand next, mayor John Whitmire is making his case for Houston, Texas to be the host city for the league's 33rd franchise.
Expansion in the NHL is coming, and the mayor of Houston is embracing the potential of a franchise landing in his city.
John Whitmire spoke about the prospect of securing the league's 33rd team in an interview with The Sporting News on Monday, expressing his confidence in the city's infrastructure and fanbase.
"We're ready. In fact, we're talking to multiple parties that are interested ... So when we get a proposal, if the city can do something to a system, we'll be there," Whitmire said. "We'll definitely be a better location than Austin."
This news comes after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced in June that the league would begin conducting a six-month evaluation process with The Friedkin Group in order to determine whether Houston or Austin, Texas will be better suited to host the next organization.
"I think (the NHL) would never regret it if they gave a franchise to Houston," Whitmore said. "Austin is a great city, but it's not Houston ... If you talk to the sports franchises in town, I think they'd tell you we're great partners."
Bettman also revealed earlier this summer that the cost for expansion would be around $3.5 billion, taking into account the financial implications of developing a new arena in the host city.
In an exclusive conversation with The Hockey News' David Alter in August at the NHL player media tour in Munich, deputy commissioner Bill Daly shared that the league was prioritizing Houston as a market over Austin.
“We’re just farther along in our discussions with the interest that developed in Texas,” Daly said. “As we began those discussions, it was focused on Houston. As we progressed, the alternative to Austin was raised, and certainly I think our ownership group is willing to consider the benefits of expansion at Austin, although I still think the priority is probably Houston.”
Daly added that the NHL hopes to have a commitment from an ownership group by as early as December this year, with the expectation to ice a team in the 2029-30 season.
The NHL has added two expansion franchises in the last decade, with the Vegas Golden Knights entering the league in the 2017-18 season and the Seattle Kraken joining in 2021-22.
The league is expected to provide updates on the progress of The Friedkin Group's evaluation process at the next board of governers meetings, which will take place in September and December.
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