NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday following a meeting of the Board of Governors that the League will open a six-month process to evaluate the possibility of expanding to either Houston or Austin, Texas.
Commissioner Bettman identified the Friedkin family, led by Dan Friedkin, the CEO of The Friedkin Group, as the prospective owner of the Texas expansion franchise, which would be the NHL's 33rd.
He said the League has entered into an agreement with the Friedkin family to explore the feasibility, adding it would be approximately a $3.5 billion investment made by the family, which includes the expansion fee that goes to the NHL and the cost of building a new arena.
Commissioner Bettman said the exploration phase will determine which market, Houston or Austin, is best suited for an NHL team.
Both markets require a new arena, he said.
NHL exploring Texas expansion opportunities in Houston, Austin | NHL.com
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-exploring-texas-expansion-opportunities-in-houston-and-austin
1 Comments
baronvonj@piefed.social · 2 pts · 30d
I certainly wouldn't mind moving back to Austin for a number of different reasons, but I do think Houston is a better market for sports in general. Comparing AHL teams, the Houston Aeros had more seasons with a >6k average attendance than the Texas Stars in Austin have.
And having the Texas Stars, Austin aren't currently without professional hockey. Would they feel compelled to adjust the ticket prices so they don't overlap in order to avoid competing for fans? Would they intentionally try to offer some cheap seats for the NHL to undercut the most expensive AHL tickets to pull some of those fans over? Would they move the Stars somewhere else to keep each team as the only game in town?