NHL executive says a Texas expansion team could be approved and announced by year’s end

MUNICH (AP) — The NHL is hoping to award an expansion franchise to Texas as soon as the end of this year, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic this week.

In an interview at the NHL’s European media tour in Munich on Friday, Daly told the publication that he’s expecting the league to get an update from a group working with Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin within the next few weeks. Friedkin's group has already agreed to pay the $2 billion expansion fee to bring a team to Houston or Austin, dependent on the ability to build an arena in one of those cities and get final approval from the NHL’s Board of Governors for the league to add a 33rd team.

“We’re moving forward in Texas,” Daly said. “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,” he continued.

Houston is the most likely location but Austin continues to be explored as an option.

The Texas team could debut within three years and Daly said the NHL is engaged in talks with ownership groups looking to land the league's 34th team.

“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.”