The Colorado Avalanche might be getting a new neighbor moving into the Central Division.
Talk has begun to pick up regarding the possibility of the NHL adding another expansion team. In particular, prevailing wisdom suggests that the next franchise will land in Texas.
In late June, the latest Board of Governors meeting yielded the possibility of the league adding a 33rd team, specifically in either Houston or Austin, Texas.
The new franchise would technically be the NHL’s 34th. It’s worth noting that the Arizona Coyotes still exist in principle. Long story short, when the Coyotes relocated, the Utah ownership group paid the Coyotes owner a fee for the team.
But the league gave the Coyotes a five-year window to get its arena situation sorted out. If it manages to do that, the Coyotes would need to return the $1 billion fee to the NHL and have the Coyotes reinstated.
Coyotes aside, who also play in the Central Division, a new Texas-based team would also be in the Central time zone. That would make the franchise logically situated in the Central Division.
It’s also worth pointing out that the NHL has been rumored to lean towards 36 teams. That would ideally consist of 18 teams per conference. Depending on the cities getting teams, it would mean having to re-align some of the divisions in order to ensure some sort of balance.
When would Avalanche’s neighbor be moving in?
On the whole, the Avalanche’s new neighbor would be moving in roughly in time for the 2030-31 season. That may seem like a long time away. But as NHL.com noted, Commissioner Gary Bettman has begun the formal evaluation process to determine if Houston or Austin could be ideal for a new team.
The future franchise would be under the ownership of The Friedkin Group. As such, the ownership group only needs to determine which city makes the most sense. And Houston would be the most logical choice.
Sports Media Watch ranks Houston as the sixth-largest market in the United States. That’s right behind Philadelphia and Chicago. It’s also a step up from Atlanta and Boston. Austin is ranked 35th.
Incidentally, the NHL has been rumored to want a third team in Atlanta, with another Florida-based team. If those two areas get teams, plus the next Texas-based club, and, say, the return of the Coyotes, the NHL could easily get its 36-team league within the next decade or so.
In a perfect world, each division would get one new team. But that remains to be seen. The NHL hasn’t been shy about some wacky configurations. So, let’s see where this heads.
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