National Hockey League seeking expansion in Houston and Austin as potential targets

HOUSTON, Texas -- The NHL is looking to start the expansion process in Texas, with Austin and Houston as potential targets, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The expansion news is being discussed at the NHL's board of governors meeting, which is being held on Tuesday in New York.

The NHL went from 30 to 32 clubs when it added the Vegas Golden Knights (began play in 2017-18) and Seattle Kraken (debuted in 2021-22). The expansion fee for Vegas was $500 million and for Seattle was $650 million.

Earlier this month at the Stanley Cup Final, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated that the league has fielded calls from across North America from prospective cities and owners who are interested in bringing in an NHL franchise.

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Bettman has previously told the board of governors that any potential expansion team would likely come with at least a $2 billion fee for it to make sense.

The league has seen record revenues this season -- projected to be between $7.5 billion and $8 billion. The NHL salary cap is set at $104 million for the 2026-27 season, a $8.5 million increase from this past season.