The National Hockey League and a group spearheaded by billionaire Dan Friedkin have engaged in discussions regarding the possibility of introducing an expansion team to Houston, as confirmed by deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
Friedkin, whose estimated net worth is around $6.4 billion, recently acquired a significant stake in the English Premier League’s Everton club. His Houston-based Friedkin Group has diverse investments across various sectors including automotive, entertainment, hospitality, and sports.
Requests for comments sent to the Friedkin Group have not yet been answered. Reports indicate that Friedkin is emerging as a primary candidate for a franchise should the NHL decide to grow beyond its current 32 teams.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that the league is not currently in an official expansion phase. However, there has been expressed interest from multiple groups in Atlanta to revive hockey in the Georgian capital for a third time.
In September, Bettman mentioned that any NHL expansion would be a highly selective process.
“If a candidate fulfills all criteria and wishes to proceed, I will present it to the executive committee to gauge interest,” Bettman stated. “We will not repeat past practices of announcing widespread interest and inviting applications by a specific date for consideration. Any expansion would be a unique, one-off situation, if it happens at all.”
The topic of expansion was not addressed during Bettman’s press conference on Wednesday, which concluded the annual general managers spring meeting in Florida.
Just over a year ago, Ryan Smith’s group declared their interest in securing an expansion team for Utah. Subsequently, the Smith Entertainment Group purchased the Arizona Coyotes and relocated the team to Salt Lake City, where they are now known as the Utah Hockey Club for the current season.
The NHL’s successful expansions into Las Vegas and Seattle, accompanied by increasing expansion fees potentially reaching $1 billion in the future, have fueled discussions about further expansion to 33 and potentially 34 teams. Before the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, the league had not expanded since the year 2000, when the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild joined.
Friedkin, who accumulated his wealth through Toyota distribution in Texas, was also reportedly in contention to bid for the NBA’s Boston Celtics before their sale on Thursday.
