TheNational Hockey League (NHL) has undergone several rounds ofexpansion and other organizational changes during itshistory to reach its current 32 active teams: 25 in the United States, and 7 in Canada. The newest additions to the league are theVegas Golden Knights in 2017,Seattle Kraken in 2021, and theUtah Mammoth in 2024. The league has also relocated several franchises, most recently in 2011 when the formerAtlanta Thrashers became the second and current incarnation of theWinnipeg Jets.
In April 2024, the league established the new Utah Hockey Club (now theUtah Mammoth) under the ownership of the Smith Entertainment Group, with the hockey assets of theArizona Coyotes franchise, which was simultaneously deactivated with the option to rejoin the league as an expansion team, contingent on constructing a new arena within a five-year period;[1] however, then-ownerAlex Meruelo voluntarily relinquished his franchise rights only two months later.[2]
During the2024 All-Star Weekend, commissionerGary Bettman publicly listed six cities that had expressed interest in expansion.[3] At the June 2025 Board of Governors meeting, Bettman stated that the league is not formally pursuing expansion; however, the league informed interested parties that the likely future expansion fee will be $2 billion USD, with Bettman informing the board thatAtlanta,Austin,Houston,Indianapolis, andNew Orleans had expressed interest.[4]
The potential of adding additional franchises in Canada had been an ongoing source of controversy for the NHL in recent years[when?] as numerous groups proposed expanding the league into a new Canadian city, or purchasing a struggling American franchise and relocating it north; to a certain extent, these issues continue even after the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg to become the country's seventh active team.Quebec City and theGolden Horseshoe area ofSouthern Ontario are most frequently proposed as locations for new Canadian teams, as was Winnipeg prior to the announced relocation of the Thrashers.
Throughout the history of the NHL, attempts to bring franchises to Canadian cities have caused points of contention. Among them, the league's existing Canadian teams, especially theMontreal Canadiens, historically have raised concerns about further dividing the NHL's Canadian television revenue.[5]
Vancouver's rejected bid for one of six newfranchises added in 1967 outraged Canadians, who felt they had been "sold out".Prime MinisterLester B. Pearson stated that "the NHL decision to expand only in the US impinges on the sacred principles of all Canadians."[6]Three years later, theVancouver Canucks joined as the league's third Canadian franchise.[7]
The 1979 defeat by a single vote of amerger agreement between the NHL and the rivalWorld Hockey Association that would have resulted in three Canadian WHA franchises (theEdmonton Oilers,Quebec Nordiques, andWinnipeg Jets) joining the NHL led to a mass boycott ofMolson products across Canada. In a second vote, the Montreal Canadiens, owned by Molson, reversed their position, allowing the Oilers, Nordiques (who were owned at the time by then-rival breweryCarling O'Keefe), and Jets to join the NHL for the1979–80 NHL season (along with theNew England Whalers, who would be renamed theHartford Whalers).[8] TheCalgary Flames became Canada's seventh franchise in 1980, relocating from Atlanta.[9]
There was considerable upheaval amongst Canadian franchises in the 1990s. In 1992, the NHL returned toOttawa with the second incarnation of theSenators, beating out Hamilton for an expansion team to become Canada's eighth franchise.[10] However, the declining value of the Canadian dollar at that time, coupled with rapidly escalating salaries, placed hardships on Canadian franchises.[11] As a result, the Nordiques and Jets left Canada, becoming theColorado Avalanche in 1995 and thePhoenix Coyotes in 1996 respectively. Fears persisted up to the2004–05 NHL lockout that the Flames, Oilers, and Senators could follow suit. The financial fortunes of Canada's teams rebounded following the lockout: Canada's six franchises represented one-third of NHL revenues in2006–07, primarily due to the surging value of the Canadian dollar.[12]
In May 2011,True North Sports and Entertainment, an ownership group with the support of billionaireDavid Thomson, 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet, purchased theAtlanta Thrashers and moved the team toWinnipeg,Manitoba. This was the first franchise relocation since 1997 and the first franchise to locate in Canada since the Ottawa Senators entered the league in 1992. At the2011 NHL entry draft, it was announced that the team would be named theJets.
FormerNational Hockey League Players' Association executive directorPaul Kelly has repeatedly argued in favor of bringing a new team to Canada. In early 2008, he described the Canadian market toThe Palm Beach Post: "The six Canadian franchises do so well, they pack the buildings, get great TV, great revenue streams. If you put another team up there, be it inNova Scotia or Hamilton, it would be more of the same."[13] Prior to the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg,Prime MinisterStephen Harper spoke in favor of another team in Canada, stating he has spoken with NHL owners in the past about bringing a new team to southern Ontario.[14]
A study published in April 2011 by theUniversity of Toronto'sMowat Centre for Policy Innovation concluded that Canada can support 12 NHL teams, twice the number it had at the time of the study, including second franchises for Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.[15]
In May 2013,Nate Silver, editor of the polling and statistical analysis websiteFiveThirtyEight, concluded that there were about as many avid hockey fans in Canada as in the United States, despite the US having nine times Canada's population. He determined that among current NHL media markets, the average Canadian market had considerably more hockey fans than the typical US market, and that Canada could support 11 or 12 teams, with two additional franchises in theGolden Horseshoe, a second franchise in Montreal, and a team in Quebec City. Silver also believed Vancouver could support a second franchise, although he thought that some of the Vancouver-area hockey market could be drawn by a Seattle-based team.[16]
Although Toronto is already home to theToronto Maple Leafs and that team'sAHL development team, theToronto Marlies, its suburbs have been mentioned as potential sites for an NHL franchise, under the premise that theGreater Toronto Area, or GTA, is the most-populous metropolitan area in Canada and therefore could support two NHL teams.[17] Unlike other potential expansion markets, a new arena would need to be constructed, and most of the proposals for a new Toronto area team include a new arena along with them.
In April 2009, a group of businesspeople met with NHL deputy commissionerBill Daly to discuss the possibility of bringing a second NHL franchise into the Toronto area, most likely inVaughan, Ontario. Despite the talks, Daly reportedly stated the NHL is "not currently considering expansion nor do we have any intention or desire to relocate an existing franchise."[18]
In June 2009, a group headed by Andrew Lopez andHerbert Carnegie proposed a $1 billion plan for a second Toronto team, called theLegacy, to begin play no earlier than 2012. The group announced a plan for a 30,000-seat arena, half of which would be priced atC$50 or less. The arena would be situated inDownsview Park in the north of the city. Twenty-five percent of net profits would be given to charity.[19]
In 2011, a proposal surfaced to build a multi-purpose 19,500-seat arena inMarkham, Ontario, northeast of Toronto, that could be used for an NHL team. TheC$300 million arena was proposed as part of a proposed entertainment complex.[20] The company behind the proposal, GTA Sports and Entertainment, was headed byW. Graeme Roustan. Roustan, a Montreal-raised private equity investor whose firm Roustan Capital partnered with Kohlberg & Company and purchasedBauer fromNike, was also the chairman of Bauer.[21][22] The proposed location for the arena was near theUnionville commuter train station on land owned by Rudy Bratty, chairman and CEO of Remington Group, an organization that is charged with the development of Markham's downtown.[21] However, the GTA Sports and Entertainment Group did not file an application for expansion prior to the July 20, 2015 deadline for that round of league expansion.[23]
Hamilton was the home to theHamilton Tigers from 1920 to 1925 prior to their move toNew York City to become theNew York Americans. The city was a candidate for expansion in 1990, being one of the favorites, but lost out to theOttawa Senators andTampa Bay Lightning.[24] Hamilton's bid group attempted to negotiate the $50 million expansion fee; a condition the NHL rejected.[10] While it was speculated that theToronto Maple Leafs andBuffalo Sabres did not want an NHL team in Hamilton due to territorial competition, former league president Gil Stein has denied that was the case.[10]
BlackBerry former co-CEOJim Balsillie has made several attempts to purchase an existing NHL team with the purpose of bringing it to Southern Ontario. He signed an agreement in principle to purchase thePittsburgh Penguins forUS$175 million on October 5, 2006.[25] Penguins' majority ownerMario Lemieux agreed to the sale after struggling to gain support from local governments to build a new arena. Balsillie's purchase agreement offered to help finance a new arena, but also contained a stated intention to relocate the team toHamilton orKitchener–Waterloo if no deal on a new arena could be reached.[26] Balsillie later retracted his bid, claiming that the NHL had placed conditions on the sale that he was not comfortable with, including a commitment to keep the team in Pittsburgh under any circumstances.[27]
Balsillie then reached an agreement to purchase theNashville Predators for $238 million on May 24, 2007, and began a season ticket campaign in Hamilton a week later intending to prove that the city was capable of hosting an NHL team.[25] Thousands of fans purchased tickets, however the sale again fell through a month later when Predators ownerCraig Leipold terminated the agreement.[28] The Predators were later sold to a group of ten investors, led by Nashville businessman David Freeman, who promised to keep the team in Nashville.[29] Leipold accepted $40 million less from Freeman's group than Balsillie offered, and later ended up as the majority owner of theMinnesota Wild.[30]
During the2008–09 NHL season, the future of thePhoenix Coyotes was on shaky ground as the team expected to lose as much as $45 million, and the league had to step in to assist with paying the team's bills.[30] Coyotes' managing partnerJerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early May 2009. Immediately afterwards, an offer by Balsillie to purchase the team was made public.[31] The NHL challenged the Coyotes' ability to file for bankruptcy, claiming that as a result of the financial support the league had been offering the franchise, the league itself is in control of the team, and that Moyes did not have authority to act as he did.[32] Balsillie launched a public relations campaign aiming at ignitingCanadian nationalistic feelings and the perception that Bettman had an anti-Canadian agenda,[33] including a website.[34] His bid to purchase the Coyotes failed as the bankruptcy judge ruled his offer did not meet the NHL's rules on relocation.[35]
The Hamilton Spectator reported in May 2009, that a Vancouver-based group led byTom Gaglardi was planning to make a bid to purchase theAtlanta Thrashers and relocate the team to Hamilton in time for the2010–11 NHL season.[36] This never materialized, and the idea was eventually rendered moot by the Thrashers' sale and relocation to Winnipeg. Gaglardi later purchased theDallas Stars and kept the team in Dallas.
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Under NHL rules, an expansion or relocation of a team to Hamilton could potentially be blocked by theBuffalo Sabres or the Toronto Maple Leafs, becauseTD Coliseum, the likely venue for a Hamilton NHL team, is located less than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from the Sabres' and the Leafs' home arenas.[37] Roughly 15% of the Sabres' business comes from residents of the area of Ontario between Hamilton and Buffalo, and the Sabres or the Leafs could require "an enormous indemnification payment" to allow an additional team to be established within a 50-mile radius.[37] An unnamed bidder made a bid for the Sabres in February 2011, offering $259 million for the team to move it out of Buffalo, which would either mean the team would relocate to Hamilton or it would clear the way for another team to make such a move. The bid was rejected in favor of an offer fromTerry Pegula, who planned to keep the team in Buffalo.[38] Relocation to Kitchener–Waterloo would avoid the territorial rights compensation as it is more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Buffalo and Toronto.[17]
Quebec City has been home to two NHL hockey teams. The first, theQuebec Bulldogs, were founded in 1878 and joined the NHL upon its founding in 1917. After 1920, they moved toHamilton, Ontario. The second, theQuebec Nordiques, played from 1972 to 1979 in theWorld Hockey Association before joining the NHL as part of theNHL–WHA merger. In 1995, they moved toDenver to become theColorado Avalanche. Part of the challenge for both the Bulldogs and Nordiques was that Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL. According to the Television Bureau of Canada, a prospective Quebec City team would now be in the league's second-smallest market, ahead of onlyWinnipeg.[39] However, Silver's analysis suggested that the Quebec City market was comparable to the US markets ofBuffalo andWashington, D.C. in terms of avid hockey fans.[16]
In October 2009, Quebec City mayorRegis Labeaume spoke with NHL commissionerGary Bettman and former Nordiques ownerMarcel Aubut regarding a new Nordiques team (no relation to the previous team of the same name).[40] Bettman stated that Quebec City could be considered as a candidate for an NHL team provided it built a new arena and a team were for sale.[41]
In May 2011, Labeaume stated thatPierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO ofQuebecor, was in talks with the NHL regarding a new Nordiques' team in Quebec City.[42] He later became a politician for and leader of theParti Québécois, asovereignist political party in the province. In September 2012, Quebec premierJean Charest (a member of the rivalLiberal Party and whose government had invested in the new arena) claimed that the political aspect might hinder Quebec City's chances of getting a franchise, saying that Bettman might be less likely to allow a team to move if sovereignists were in power.[43] According toSports Illustrated, the league is wary of the Quebec sovereignty movement because of concerns that it could destabilize theCanadian dollar.[44] However, Mayor Labeaume insisted that Péladeau's involvement in politics would not hinder either the management of the new arena or the negotiations over getting a franchise.[45]
In March 2014, news broke that former Canadian prime minister and vice-chairman of QuebecorBrian Mulroney was also involved with negotiations.[45] Labeaume pointed out that Mulroney and Bettman had negotiated directly for some time, and that "Mr. Bettman is a businessman. The Quebec sovereignty project will not bother him."[46]
Prior to the2011–12 NHL season, an exhibition game between theMontreal Canadiens and theTampa Bay Lightning was played at theColisée Pepsi, the former home of the Nordiques.[47] The Canadiens were well received despite being from rival Montreal, and the designated away team of the game. Montreal was also scheduled to host theCarolina Hurricanes at the Colisée Pepsi in 2012; however, that game was canceled due to the2012–13 NHL lockout.[48] In September 2012, construction started on an 18,000-seat arena in Quebec City that would eventually become known asCentre Vidéotron, the cost of which (C$400 million) was split equally between the provincial and municipal governments.[46] The arena opened on September 12, 2015.[49]
On June 24, 2015, Quebecor announced that it planned to apply for an NHL expansion franchise, with the aim of bringing a Nordiques team back to Quebec City.[50] Nearly a month later, on July 20, 2015, Quebecor formally announced it had submitted an application to the NHL for an expansion franchise.[51][52] On July 21, 2015, the NHL confirmed it had received an application from Quebecor.[53] On August 5, 2015, it was announced that Quebec City had moved on to Phase II of the expansion process.[54] The bid subsequently advanced to Phase III, which ended on September 4.[55]
Centre Vidéotron hosted a neutral-site preseason game between the Canadiens and thePittsburgh Penguins on September 28, 2015.[56] The following day in New York City, Quebecor and the Las Vegas ownership group presented their bids to the NHL's executive committee.[57][58] However,NHL CommissionerGary Bettman stated in a press conference after the NHL's Board of Governors meeting that though the league continued to explore the possibility of expansion, no deadline had been established for a decision. Commissioner Bettman also said that expansion requires a three-quarters affirmative vote from the Board of Governors, but the members of the executive committee would first have to make a recommendation to the group.[59]
Quebec City's 2015 bid on an expansion team, while not entirely ruled out, was significantly weakened after theCanadian dollar declined in value against its US counterpart.[60] As of June 2016[update], the Quebec City bid was said to be still being seriously considered, but not yet decided.[61] Accepting the Las Vegas bid, the league ultimately decided to defer the Quebec City bid in 2016, citing the value of the Canadian dollar (78 cents to oneUS dollar when the deferment was announced) and the distribution of teams across the two conferences, which at the time placed 14 teams in the West and the other 16 in the East; the league was therefore more interested in adding teams to the West.[62]
Centre Vidéotron was awarded some exhibition games leading into the2016 World Cup of Hockey, an international tournament operated by the NHL, as well as a pair of NHLpreseason games in successive years; on October 4, 2016, and September 18, 2017, between theBoston Bruins andMontreal Canadiens. In November 2021,Quebec PremierFrançois Legault stated that he would meet with Commissioner Bettman in the coming months to "find out what we need to bring back the Nordiques".[63]
In October 2024, it was reported that Quebec-based land developer and billionaire Luc Poirier had made two bids to bring an NHL team to Quebec, with the first being a $380M USD offer to purchase and relocate theArizona Coyotes in 2017, and an $800M USD expansion bid around 2018, after Quebecor's original bid was rejected. Both of Poirier's bids were rejected by the NHL.[64]
Saskatoon came close to landing an NHL team in 1983 when Saskatoon native "Wild"Bill Hunter, one of the founders of the World Hockey Association and its Edmonton Oilers, led an investment group that made an agreement to purchase the strugglingSt. Louis Blues fromRalston Purina, with a plan to relocate the franchise to Saskatchewan in time for the 1983–84 season. Hunter secured provincial backing to construct a new NHL-sized arena, thousands of season-ticket deposits, a multi-million dollar sponsorship arrangement withMolson's, and even provisionally hiredDon Cherry to coach the team.[65][66] However, most NHL owners, wary of Saskatoon as a market and of Hunter as a key figure in the WHA, were opposed to the move, and the NHL's board of governors vetoed the sale. Instead, the league took over the team and eventually sold it toHarry Ornest, who agreed to keep the team in St. Louis.[67][68] Even though the scheme fell apart, Saskatoon went ahead and constructed a new arena,Saskatchewan Place, which opened in 1988. Hunter made one more attempt to land a team for Saskatoon, applying for an expansion franchise during the league's 1990s expansion rush. Hunter reportedly raised $50 million, but after failing to secure the remaining $20 million he required from the province, withdrew the bid.[69]
When the Ice Edge Holdings investment group made a bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009, they planned to move a portion of the team's home games to Saskatoon in an effort to maintain the team's viability in its main home in Phoenix, similar to the formerBills Toronto Series arrangement in theNational Football League. The group had leased Saskatoon'sCredit Union Centre for five home games in the2009–10 season.[70] The group was believed to lack the funds to buy the team outright, but remained in contention as potential minority owner until May 2011, when it pulled out of negotiations.[71] Some members of the Ice Edge group later joined the ownership group led by Canadian businessman George Gosbee, who ultimately purchased the Coyotes and kept them in Arizona.
On Ice Management, an ownership group backed by auto racer, formerMoncton Wildcats owner, and former professional hockey playerJohn Graham, backed a long-shot bid to bring the NHL to Saskatoon.[72] TheCalgary Flames were scheduled to host theOttawa Senators in Saskatoon for a preseason game, sponsored by Graham, in September 2013. That game led to speculation that the city may host the Flames if the team's regular arena,Scotiabank Saddledome, which had been damaged in the2013 Alberta floods, did not complete its repairs in time for the 2013–14 season.[73] In the end, repairs were completed on a compressed schedule, and the Saddledome reopened in September 2013.[74] Although neither Graham nor any other bidder representing Saskatoon placed a bid in the expansion window, the city again hosted neutral-site preseason games in 2015,[75] and 2017.[citation needed]
Several cities in theUnited States have been mentioned as possible future sites for new NHL teams.
Atlanta was formerly the home of theFlames andThrashers, both of which respectively relocated toCalgary in 1980 andWinnipeg in 2011. Despite the failure of Atlanta's two prior franchises, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly made remarks in September 2023 that the league was open to returning to Atlanta, stating that past challenges the league had faced in Atlanta could be overcome, noting that the demographics of the Atlanta metropolitan area had changed significantly since the Thrashers' departure.[76] Daly also stated that arena location would be a factor towards the success of any potential Atlanta franchise, asState Farm Arena, the former home arena of the Thrashers, had undergone major renovations that make it no longer suitable to host an NHL franchise long term, stating that an arena in the northern suburbs, closer to the Thrashers' former fanbase, would provide a better chance for long-term success. As of March 2024, there are two separate groups vying for a third Atlanta NHL franchise, with both parties planning to build an NHL-sized arena as part of a larger mixed-use development in or nearAlpharetta.[77]
On April 17, 2023, Krause Sports & Entertainment, led by Atlanta businessman Vernon Krause, announced plans to buildThe Gathering at South Forsyth, which is planned to be built on an undeveloped 100-acre (40 ha) tract near theForsyth–Fulton County line.[78] In late March 2024, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved subsidies of up to $250 million towards construction under the stipulation that Krause's group secures an NHL team for the proposed arena.[79] In theNovember 2024 general elections, residents of Forsyth County voted 56–44 in favor of granting the county redevelopment powers over The Gathering at South Forsyth, creating a tax allocation district to repay the county's bonds towards the project.[80] In a special session held on June 11, 2025, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners gave their final approval for the development plans for The Gathering at South Forsyth, allowing Krause to make his presentation to the NHL for expansion; however, the league is unlikely to consider expansion until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached with the players' union before the end of the2025–26 NHL season.[81][82]
In March 2024,Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment (ASE), headed by former NHL playerAnson Carter, who has lived in the Atlanta metropolitan area since retiring in 2008, unveiled a competing bid.[83][84] ASE plans to redevelop theNorth Point Mall site, located six miles (10 km) south of The Gathering at South Forsyth site, with the support of the mall's current owner,New York Life Insurance Company. The proposed arena would be designed by renowned architectFrank Gehry.[85] In early May 2025, the city of Alpharetta's Convention and Visitors Bureau and ASE approved jointly funding a feasibility study, commissioning sports consulting firm CAA ICON, to see if the city could support an NHL franchise and if redeveloping the North Point Mall makes financial sense.[86][87]
TheECHL'sAtlanta Gladiators, of which Carter is a minority owner,[88] have played atGas South Arena in nearbyDuluth since 2003.[89]
Greater Houston is the largest market in terms of bothcity proper andmetro population in the US or Canada without an NHL franchise; since 2016, Houston is also now the largest metropolitan area without a complete set of teams in themajor professional sports leagues.[90]
Professional ice hockey dates back to 1946 in Houston with the establishment of theHouston Skippers. This was followed by theHouston Apollos, theHouston Aeros of the WHA and theHouston Aeros of the AHL. The WHA Houston Aeros were an original member of theWorld Hockey Association. From 1972 to 1978, the Aeros twice won theAVCO World Trophy and featured the first father/son combination to play together in professional hockey,Gordie Howe and his two sonsMark andMarty. The Aeros, despite being a successful franchise, were left out of the NHL–WHA merger and were forced to fold in 1978. Another team also named the Aeros, of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL), played atThe Summit (renamed the Compaq Center in 1998 and converted to a megachurch after the Aeros' departure), and moved to theToyota Center in 2003; the Aeros were unable to negotiate a lease extension, leading to the team's departure from Houston in 2013.[91]
TheMinnesota North Stars briefly considered Houston when applying for relocation in 1993, but ultimately choseDallas (and became theStars) instead due to frosty reception from theHouston Rockets towards the idea of sharing The Summit.[92] As part of the lease agreement between Toyota Center (which has NHL capacity, with 17,800 seats in its hockey configuration) and the Rockets, only an NHL team owned by the owner of the Rockets is allowed to play at the arena. The Rockets have twice explored the purchase of an NHL team for the building, with the closest being then-ownerLes Alexander's attempt to purchase theEdmonton Oilers in 1998[93] which was thwarted when a local ownership group came together and matched his offer.
In 2017, the Toyota Center and Houston Rockets were purchased byTilman Fertitta. In a press conference, Fertitta expressed his interest in bringing an NHL team to the Toyota Center[94] and he had reportedly met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Fertitta has stated his intentions of possibly finding a tenant that could help fill the building throughout the year, including the mention of attracting an NHL franchise.[95] In 2023, it was reported that the Toyota Center was beginning a staged $30M renovation of the facility, which notably included the installation of permanent ice-making equipment.[96] In 2024, reports indicated that discussions between Fertitta and the NHL were "turning more serious," and that Fertitta hoped an ice hockey franchise could boost activity inDowntown Houston.[97][98]
In March 2025, it was reported thatDan Friedkin and the NHL met to discuss placing an expansion team in Houston.[99]
During the sale of theArizona Coyotes' assets toRyan Smith and their transfer toSalt Lake City after the2023–24 season, it was announced that rather than function as an official relocation, the Coyotes franchise instead was marked "inactive" by the NHL, with theUtah Mammoth considered an expansion team in a similar manner to theCleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Former Coyotes ownerAlex Meruelo remained part of the NHL Board of Governors and retained the rights to the Coyotes brand; Meruelo also was granted a five-year window to build a new arena in thePhoenix area, after which he would have been awarded a new expansion franchise acting as a "reactivated" Coyotes.
Two months after being granted the aforementioned opportunity, Meruelo stepped away as owner of the Coyotes, ending the initial possibility of an automatic reactivation;[2][100] PHNX Sports journalist Craig Morgan later stated there are other suitors who are interested in bringing an NHL team back, and Phoenix remains on the table for future expansion.
Mat Ishbia, owner of thePhoenix Suns andPhoenix Mercury, has shown interest in bringing the NHL back to Phoenix. Ishbia stated he was disappointed that Arizona was without an NHL team, and would try to fix that in the near future.[101]
In 2025, newly-electedMaricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Galvin announced the formation of a committee of political and business leaders to bring the NHL back to Phoenix, meeting with Gary Bettman overZoom before Christmas in 2024.[102] Former Coyotes' captainShane Doan's wife Andrea was named chair of the committee later in September of that year.[103]
During the2024 All-Star weekend, commissionerGary Bettman publicly listed six cities that had expressed interest in expansion;[3] besidesSalt Lake City, which was later awarded theUtah Mammoth franchise when theArizona Coyotes were deactivated, and the aforementioned Atlanta and Houston, Bettman noted that groups fromCincinnati,Kansas City, andOmaha, Nebraska had reached out to the league.[3] During the June 2025 NHL Board of Governors meeting,Austin,Indianapolis, andNew Orleans were also noted as having interest in expansion.[4]
Austin has expressed interest in bringing a second NHL team to Texas.[4] Austin previously hosted the minor-leagueAustin Ice Bats, with theTexas Stars, theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL'sDallas Stars, playing at theH-E-B Center at Cedar Park in nearbyCedar Park.
Cincinnati's professional ice hockey lineage includes theWorld Hockey Association's (WHA)Cincinnati Stingers, for whom futureHockey Hall of FamersMike Gartner andMark Messier played, as well as the AHL'sCincinnati Mighty Ducks and multiple incarnations of the now-ECHLCincinnati Cyclones. Potential expansion, however, is made difficult by the need to replace the agingHeritage Bank Center with a more modern arena, as well as a lack of interested ownership.[104]
Indianapolis was previously home of theIndianapolis Racers of theWorld Hockey Association (WHA), whereWayne Gretzky started his professional ice hockey career.[105] Indianapolis's ice hockey history also includes theIndianapolis Capitals,Indianapolis Chiefs,Indianapolis Checkers, andIndianapolis Ice. TheIndianapolis metropolitan area is the home to the ECHL'sIndy Fuel, who play atFishers Event Center in nearbyFishers.
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Kansas City previously hosted the NHL'sKansas City Scouts, who played two seasons atKemper Arena from 1974 to 1976; the team ultimately relocated toDenver to become theColorado Rockies, owing to poor attendance and on-ice performance in Kansas City; the Scouts' former franchise survives today as theNew Jersey Devils.[106][107][108] The city has since hosted a succession of minor-league teams, most recently the currently-activeKansas City Mavericks of the ECHL; it was also a candidate for relocating thePittsburgh Penguins in 2007, though it did not materialize.[109][110] TheT-Mobile Center is capable of hosting an NHL team,[111] having previously hostedSt. Louis Blues preseason games,[112] and both local officials (including mayorQuinton Lucas) and prominent Kansas City individuals (including Mavericks ownerLamar Hunt Jr. andKansas City Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes) have expressed interest in either expansion or the relocation of an existing team.[111][112][113] However, no interested ownership groups have publicly come forward, with Hunt previously describing the NHL's $500 million USD expansion fee as "ridiculously big" in 2015,[112] and later stating in 2023 that an expansion team "doesn't seem realistic".[114]
In February 2025, it was reported that NHL officials reportedly met in New York City with a group fromNew Orleans regarding bringing an expansion team to the city. New Orleans's last hockey team was the ECHL'sNew Orleans Brass, who played from 1997 to 2002 atMunicipal Auditorium andNew Orleans Arena until increasing costs from converting the arena between basketball and hockey configurations for theNew Orleans Hornets and a lack of a suitable alternative arena in the area caused the team to fold.[115]
Omaha has had a comparatively limited ice hockey history, with its professional lineage limited to multiple incarnations of the minor-leagueOmaha Knights/Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. The city currently hostsNCAA collegiate ice hockey at theDivision I level with theUniversity of Nebraska Omaha, andUnited States Hockey League (USHL)junior ice hockey with theOmaha Lancers. While Omaha lacks an NHL-capable venue, local property developer Rod Yates has publicly stated a desire to build an arena inGretna, as part of a proposed "Good Life District" surrounding theNebraska Crossing, an outdoorlifestyle center;[116][117] Yates and Nebraska governorJim Pillen additionally met with NHL officials inNew York City in February 2024, in order to pitch the league on expansion.[116]
Speculation about NHL expansion to Europe took place as far back as the 1960s.David Molson, then-owner of theMontreal Canadiens, stated that he looked forward to a "world playoff" for theStanley Cup.[118] In 1969,Clarence Campbell, president of the NHL, was quoted as saying "It is conceivable that the Stanley Cup will be played for in Moscow in the not too distant future. When it does, the World Tournament as we know it will just disappear.... The game will continue to expand."[118]
NHL deputy commissionerBill Daly stated in 2008 that expansion into Europe was a possibility "within 10 years' time."[119] In August 2010, theInternational Ice Hockey Federation presidentRené Fasel stated that he would strongly oppose any expansion by the NHL into European markets.[120] Time zone complications would also be an obstacle.[120] 2008 was also the year that theRussian Superleague evolved into theKontinental Hockey League, which is recognized[121] as one of the world's premier professional leagues after the NHL and has grown to include teams inRussia,Belarus,Kazakhstan, andChina.
In 2024, Daly once again did not rule out the possibility of a European expansion, noting it was a possible "longer-term play."[122]
Gary Bettman a récemment déclaré que le retour éventuel d'une équipe de la LNH à Québec était lié à la construction d'un nouvel amphithéâtre. Même s'il n'a donné aucune assurance, le commissaire a ajouté que la candidature de Québec pourrait alors être considérée, advenant un élargissement des cadres ou un déménagement d'une équipe de la LNH.
Selon un échéancier préliminaire, le projet sera complété en septembre 2015.
