Could the NHL expand to 34 teams with Houston and Quebec ?
With the announcement of Seattle as the 32nd NHL franchise in December 2018 and the Seattle team will take the ice in the 2021–2022 NHL season. The league will be balanced out with 16 teams in each conference. There has been NHL interest from Houston,TX and Quebec City,QC to have NHL teams in those cities. If those cities get an expansion team the league would go to 34 teams.
We know the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, & Ottawa Senators are looking for new arenas to stay in their current cities long term. If any of these teams don’t get new stadiums in the near future, we could possibly be seeing be seeing the Coyotes or Flames moving to Houston and/or Senators to Quebec which would be the most logical way to keep things even or Senators to Houston with Nashville going East. If the Coyotes, Flames, and Senators get new arena to stay we’re they are, then we could possibly see Houston and Quebec get expansion teams to become the 33rd and 34th NHL franchise. Some people may like the idea because it’s a win win situation for people in Houston & Quebec, and the fans in Arizona, Calgary, & Ottawa, and some people will say a 34 team NHL team league would delude the talent. At the NHL board of governors meeting in December, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly saying there’s no magic with the number 32.
Video can be seen here:
It’s possible the league could expand after Seattle with Houston and Quebec if no one has to move. If the league goes to 34 teams we would 17 teams in each conference and one division would have 9 teams & other would have 8 teams.
The divisions could like it this
Pacific:
- LA
- San Jose
- Anaheim
- Vegas
- Arizona(possible shift back to Pacific if Houston expansion comes in)
- Edmonton
- Calgary
- Vancouver
- Seattle
Central:
- Chicago
- Winnipeg
- Colorado
- Minnesota
- St.Louis
- Nashville
- Dallas
- Houston
Metropolitan:
- Pittsburgh
- Philadelphia
- Washington
- NY Rangers
- NY Islanders
- Columbus
- New Jersey
- Carolina
Atlantic:
- Toronto
- Montreal
- Ottawa
- Boston
- Buffalo
- Detroit
- Tampa Bay
- Florida
- Quebec
If the NHL expands to 34 teams, I’d say it could happen sometime after Seattle starts play, and I think it would likely happen in 2023–2024 or 2024–2025 NHL season. I think Houston and Quebec could get relocations at the earliest if they don’t get expansion teams, which Houston could likely get the Arizona Coyotes sometime soon and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has expressed interest in buying & relocating the team to Houston, and Quebec would probably have to rely on Ottawa’s situation, and people would say Florida Panthers should move to Quebec but the Panthers are on a lease until 2028 with their arena.
Back in May 2018, Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs had this to say about Quebec City,
“Quebec is challenged, OK, I’m going to put it nicely. They’re challenged,” Jacobs said. “Look at the income base and the population base and there probably isn’t a smaller market, so they’re going to really have to distinguish themselves in some other way, I would think.”
“The decision to defer was based on elements over which Quebec City, the Quebec City group, had no control whatsoever,” Gary Bettman said in 2016 when Vegas was confirmed as the 31st franchise. “Significantly, the fluctuation of the Canadian dollar throughout the process, including its decline to a low of 68 cents earlier this year, was a factor. In considering both applications for expansion, it was a priority of the board to create conditions that would place an incoming club or clubs in the best position to exceed on an expedited basis. Unfortunately, the state and volatility of the Canadian dollar undermined the achievement of that objective relative to the Quebec City bid.”
Then in the same interview, here’s what Jacobs had to say about Houston and Quebec,
“You look at Houston and you look at (Quebec) … fifth largest in North America versus, you know, 105th, let’s say,” Jacobs continued. “So they have a different situation. Economically they’re challenged and numerically they’re challenged. They just don’t have the numbers.”
Based of that, Houston is the most preferred destination over Quebec and we know Seattle is going to be team 32, & Houston is more the preferred relocation city or Expansion team 33. Quebec will have to wait when Canadian dollar is better.
Then Jeremy Jacobs had to say this about Houston in October 2018,
“ Clearly the one area that is missing is Houston because that’s such a great city.”
Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs is one of the higher ups on the NHL’s board of governors and that’s another sign the league wants a team in Houston. Also NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly had to say this about Houston & Quebec earlier this year,
Bill Daly on Quebec:
“We’re in fairly regular touch with Quebec City,” said Daly. “They continue to have an interest in an NHL franchise. We’re not in a position to promise them one at this point, but the dialogue continues for sure.”
Bill Daly on Houston:
“There’s an interest in NHL hockey in Houston,” said Daly, echoing a sentiment long held by Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs. “Houston is a very interesting and attractive market. Part of the issue is that they have one arena [Toyota Center] and the owner of the team [Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta] owns the facility, so there has to be an interest from that owner in wanting to use the facility of hockey.”
Bill Daly then adds:
“I think NHL hockey could be very successful in Houston”
As we know Tilman Fertitta has said he wants an NHL team in the Toyota Center and hasn’t been shy of showing his interest in bringing a team in Houston.
Quote from Tilman Fertitta:
“I’m very interested in the possibility of bringing the NHL to Houston, but it will have to be a deal that works for my organization, the city, fans of the NHL throughout the region, and the NHL Board of Governors,” Fertitta said in November 2017.
Fertitta is clear that he would love a team in Houston because he would love to see the arena in use every night. That means that it is possible that Fertitta would not have to own a hockey club, just be a landlord to an NHL franchise as owner of the Toyota Center lease. But his wording also made clear that he himself is open to adding NHL franchise owner to his portfolio.
Also NFL Star and Houston Texans player JJ Watt said he would like to help Bring an NHL To Houston,
“Maybe we could get an NHL team here,” Watt said, via Houston Chronicle. “I’d love to get in on that.”
Not only does Watt hope that a team eventually finds its way to Houston, he also says he’d ideally like to be part of the franchise’s ownership group.
“Just from a figurehead standpoint, I don’t have that much money,” Watt said. “Tilman, if you want to just give me the job, I’ll take it.”
Looks like JJ Watt has career plan in place when he’s retired from playing in the NFL, and Tilman Fertitta can hire him for a job for the Houston NHL team.
Conclusion:
It’s an established fact that Seattle will be the leagues 32nd Franchise, and will begin play in 2021. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is exploring his options to get a team in Houston, and only team will tell if the Coyotes, Flames, or Senators get a new arena, if one of them don’t get a new arena, we could possibly be seeing one of them in Houston not long before Seattle starts or the same year as Seattle’s inaugural season. With Quebec, they could likely get the Senators or if not they could look into the Florida Panthers if they continue to struggle down the road, and when Canadian dollar is in the good spot. But it’s possible Houston and Quebec City could become the 33rd and 34th NHL franchise, and only time will tell on what the league has in store for Houston and Quebec.
Go follow these social media sites,
Twitter: @NHLtoHouston and @AerosNHL
Instagram: @NHLtoHouston
Join this Facebook group: Help Bring The NHL To Houston,TX
Reddit: r/NHLHouston
Sign and share the petition for NHL To Houston:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/797/108/225/bring-the-nhl-to-houston/
