Austin, suburban Atlanta, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Houston individuals are expressing interest in joining the NHL.
According to a report, there are individuals in five markets who are interested in getting a National Hockey League expansion franchise. But before the marketing people in those markets start churning out t-shirts and hats with a logo on it, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said no so fast. “We have no pending applications and we’re not seeking to initiate a formal process at this point.” The market that seems to have the most complete package for the NHL is the northern Atlanta suburb near Alpharetta. The other markets mentioned in the Daily Faceoff report were Austin, Texas, Houston, Indianapolis and New Orleans. Houston is a big market that might have a building available. Austin has a major college football team, the University of Texas, and a Major League Soccer franchise. It is a growing market and has hosted a few National Basketball Association San Antonio Spurs’ games. There are people in Austin, the Texas state capitol, who are pushing to land a Major League Baseball expansion franchise, if MLB ever expands.
Indianapolis and New Orleans are head scratchers. The National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans ownership wants a new arena or a renovated arena because the present venue is antiquated. There seems to be no movement in New Orleans in getting the facility issue settled. The Pelicans ownership lease to use the municipal building ends in 2029. New Orleans’ problem is the lack of a major corporate community and a small TV market. The area is not affluent either and the National Football League’s Saints franchise and the Pelicans franchise have been heavily subsidized by state funding. Indianapolis may also have an arena problem and the city is heavily subsidizing the National Basketball Association’s Indiana Pacers ownership to keep the team in town. The NHL is not in an expansion mode yet.
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