NHL Commissioner Says Texas Expansion Team Could Play By 2029-30 Season

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The NHL is reportedly expanding to either Houston or Austin as early as the end of 2026, NHL commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic.

Friedkin’s Pursuit Sports is paying a $2 billion expansion fee. The exact city of the expansion team will be based on where a stadium can be built and will require final approval from the NHL’s Board of Governors.

“We’re moving forward in Texas ,” Daly said in an interview at the NHL’s European Media Tour. “I expect ultimately we’ll be in a position to bring something to the board to get their view on it. So, that’s proceeding at a pace. We’ll probably get together with the group again in September and kind of see where they are in the process and what they want us to do to help, to the extent they need anything.

“If we finalize that and the board approves it, then (at the) end of this calendar year we’ll have an announcement that we’re expanding to either Houston or Austin.”

Daly told reporters the Texas expansion team could play as early as the 2029-30 season. He also said the NHL is discussing the possibility of another expansion team in either Phoenix or Atlanta.

“They’re projecting the ability to start play in 2029-30,” Daly said. “So we will have one down and potentially one to go. We have ongoing discussions both with people in the Phoenix marketplace, but also Atlanta, and then we’ll see what comes of those discussions.”

The Texas expansion team will be the 33rd team in the NHL.

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