NHL Expansion: Six Cities Looking to Get In The Game

The NHL recently said there are many people from different markets interested in a franchise. Which cities could we see take on a team in the future?

Looking at the success of teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken, it’s easy to wish for NHL expansion. There are plenty of talented players out there, so skill dilution wouldn’t be a problem. And it seems there are also plenty of cities that would support an NHL club with open arms.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in March the NHL isn't in expansion mode in the near future but noted there's interest from multiple cities. In his annual press conference at the Stanley Cup final with deputy commissioner Bill Daly, they said that while expanding isn't a priority, they don't appear to be ruling it out in the long term, only adding to the excitement.

That begs the question of what lucky city will claim team No. 33, but also who else will follow suit. There’s a big difference between cities that have the infrastructure, investors and fans to support a team and the cities that are still figuring out the options. Nevertheless, NHL expansion seems likely to be coming, but with it comes some tough decisions.

Let’s break down the scenarios:

Compared to other cities on this list, Utah seems destined to join the NHL landscape rather soon. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has already told the league he’s interested in being a financial backer. There’s also a familiarity with hockey in the region thanks to the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. Adding Utah would be a huge boon for the league, as it fills in a major blank canvas in the United States’ western plains.

The vast emptiness of that region, though, creates issues as much as opportunity. About 200,000 people live in Salt Lake City, with about 1.26 million people in the metropolitan area, but there aren’t many secondary cities to support fandom. The major cities nearby root for their own teams, like the Golden Knights and Avalanche. So, consistently drawing fans to this new market could take time to develop.

Nickname ideas: Utah Copper Miners, Salt Lake Mudsharks, Utah Cougars

Houston has long been rumored as a potential expansion city, even before Seattle became the 32nd team. The fourth-largest city in America, Houston’s passion for hockey has already been seeded by the AHL’s Houston Aeros, as well as their World Hockey Association progenitors. Words can’t even describe the rivalry Houston could develop with the Dallas Stars, which would inevitably drive interest.

However, the population doesn’t always dictate popularity. Phoenix has the fifth-largest American population – including many northern, hockey-loving retirees – yet the greater Phoenix area has run into trouble keeping its team afloat. Not to mention, a specific Houston ownership group needs to materialize before serious expansion talks can begin. Houston is on the right track, but expansion there isn’t a guarantee.

Nickname ideas: Houston Roughnecks, Houston Moonmen, Houston Ranchers, Houston Aeros

Third time’s the charm, right? Atlanta housed two prior NHL teams: the Atlanta Flames (now the Calgary Flames) and the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets). A victim of poor management in the past, Atlanta holds plenty of potential for a hockey market with its strong economy and large regional population. Learning from the past will be essential to keeping hockey in Georgia for good.

Chief among those lessons: arena placement matters. Old fans steered clear of the traffic battles induced by Thrashers games of old. Not only does Atlanta need an arena that can support ice (especially in the Deep South), but it also needs to place it strategically to draw the most fans. With enough investment, Atlanta could join the NHL fold once again. Daly seemed to agree.

“Quite frankly, look, when we first expanded there, it was 1972,” Daly said at the annual Cup final presser. “So the world has changed a lot since 1972. Some might argue that the second time we expanded there with the Thrashers, the building was not built in the best part of Atlanta in terms of facilitating support for hockey. So are there better options going forward? We’ve been told there are.”

Nicknames: Atlanta Thrashers (you just can’t abandon that logo)

Every time expansion talk kicks up, fans clamor for an NHL team to call Quebec City home again. Ever since the Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995, tens of thousands of diehard hockey fans have gone without a local team to root for – especially given how deep Quebec’s rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens became over time. All that spells success for a Quebec return.

But much like Houston, who exactly is putting up the money? Quebec provincial officials met with the NHL last year to pitch expansion, but clearly, those conversations weren’t enough to vault a Nordiques comeback. Interest and history are on Quebec’s side, but the almighty dollar has to fall in line, too.

Nickname idea: Quebec Nordiques (almost legally required at this point)

Houston isn’t the only southwestern city that might host an NHL team in the future. While it’s not an established market, Oklahoma City’s aviation-based economy offers two things – money and fans – that the NHL can use to soar.

However, this is more of a dream city, so to speak, as the lack of a hockey market doesn’t exactly have investors lining up at the door to support a team. Not only that, but locals haven’t even seen minor-league hockey there since 2015 and had attendance issues with the Oklahoma City Barons. Similar to Vegas, fandom will have to be intentionally cultivated to support this team, which takes longer to plan.

Nickname ideas: Oklahoma Aeros, Oklahoma Oil Barons, OKC Outlaws

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun generated plenty of conversation when he dropped a second Toronto club as a solution to expansion. Spreading the Maple Leafs’ fan base across two teams could drive hockey-related revenues, a trade name for the funds that dictate salary cap and league success. That could significantly expand the coffers of the NHL, helping it compete with counterparts like the NBA and NFL.

Toronto can certainly love two teams, but splitting a historic hockey market’s fan base is a huge ask. Leafs fans aren’t exactly bandwagoners by any stretch of the imagination, and you can guarantee some would shiver at the request to support another club. Even if markets like New York and Los Angeles show that it’s possible, a two-team solution would require the new Toronto club to compete with the old almost immediately. That’s lofty at best.

Nickname ideas: Toronto Ice Bears, Toronto Rail Dogs, Toronto Two (fully embrace the absurdity!)