The NHL is not yet ready to commit to adding a 33rd franchise.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that "no decisions whatsoever were made on NHL expansion" after a meeting of the league's board of governors in New York.
The comment came after Bettman announced in June that the league was exploring potential expansion to Texas in either Houston or Austin under an agreement with billionaire Dan Friedkin and his family.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly added that there is no timeline for a decision on whether to proceed with the Friedkin Group, but the initial timeline shared in June was for six months. Any expansion would require a vote of the league's board of governors, which will next meet in December.
The term sheet agreed to with the Friedkin Group states that an expansion to Texas would require a $3.5 billion investment, with $2 billion allocated for an expansion fee and $1.5 billion required to build a new arena. Bettman and Daly said Tuesday that the Friedkin Group continues to explore possible arena sites in both Houston and Austin and no decision on a preferred market has been made.
Bettman and Daly were asked if other markets were also nearing the same stage the Friedkin Group had reached. While they acknowledged interest from other markets, most notably Atlanta and Phoenix, they cautioned that the league wasn't seeking to expand and was instead just considering proposals as they came. Bettman added the league isn't concerned about being off balance with 33 teams instead of an even 34.
A vote on expansion requires approval from three-quarters of the league's 32 governors. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and others have reported that there is some uncertainty about the idea at the governors' level.
Bettman said the league has not polled governors on expansion, but he said he wouldn't be surprised if some were more interested in the idea than others.
Dan Friedkin is chairman and CEO of the Friedkin Group with a net worth of $6.4 billion, according to Forbes. The Houston-based consortium has investments in the automotive industry, entertainment, hospitality and sports, including stakes in European soccer clubs Everton and AS Roma.
The NHL has expanded twice in the last 10 years, first to Las Vegas in 2017 and again to Seattle in 2021.
