They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that could include the NHL’s footprint in the Lone Star State.
The NHL is exploring the expansion process in Texas, as Houston and Austin are being eyed as potential cities to land a franchise. The matter was discussed at the NHL’s board of governors meeting in Manhattan on Tuesday.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters that the league has been in conversations with the Friedkin family about a potential expansion team in Houston or Austin for two years, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Bettman said that Houston and Austin would need new arenas as part of any expansion bid and the expansion fee would be a whopping $3.5 billion if it happens in either city.
The NHL will take its time before making a decision and Bettman said it would take a six-month process to make up its mind whether it will go forward with expansion in one of those markets. Dallas has been home to the Stars since the franchise relocated from Minnesota in 1993,
Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, a member of the NHL’s board of governors executive committee, told reporters, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, that expansion in Texas is “just an exploration at this stage and it’s an important decision.”
Dan Friedkin, whose net worth is estimated at $10.3 billion per Bloomberg, emerged as a possible ownership option last year when he was written about by ESPN.
Friedkin is the CEO of The Friedkin Group, a conglomerate that has its hands in everything from Toyota distributors to award-winning resorts, according to the company’s website.
The company is based in Houston and Friedkin already has a growing portfolio of sports assets through Pursuit Sports, which is a company dedicated to TFG’s sports properties.
The company owns Italian soccer club AS Roma in Serie A and The Friedkin Group took majority control of Premier League club Everton.
“Pursuit Sports, our family’s global sports ownership and operating platform, has reached an agreement with the NHL that provides us with the exclusive rights to bring an expansion NHL team to the State of Texas, with a primary focus on both Austin and Houston as potential markets,” the Friedkin family told the Houston Chronicle in a statement.
“Each city brings unique attributes that would make a new team a huge success — both have the infrastructure, passionate fan bases, and economic strength needed to support a championship-caliber franchise for years to come.
“We have wanted for some time to bring an NHL team to Texas, and we are excited that the process has now begun. Selecting a new market for an NHL franchise is a special and important responsibility, and we are grateful to the league for their faith in us and their support. Working with Commissioner [Gary] Bettman and the NHL, we will undertake a principled, disciplined, and methodical process to ensure we find the right long-term home for this new franchise.”
Houston is the biggest market in the United States or Canada that does not have a pro hockey team, and was home to the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros until the team relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013.
