NHL in Houston emerges as top expansion preference

For years, Houston hockey fans have dreamed of the day professional ice hockey would return to the Bayou City.

Since 2014, the city has been without a team after the Houston Aeros — the American Hockey League affiliate of the Minnesota Wild — relocated to Iowa. The move came amid failed lease negotiations with then-Rockets owner Les Alexander, leaving the Toyota Center without ice hockey for the first time in more than a decade.

NHL to Houston seems more possible than ever.

That tide began to turn in late 2018 when billionaire Tilman Fertitta purchased the Rockets from Alexander. During his introductory press conference, Fertitta hinted that bringing the NHL back to Houston was a possibility, reigniting hope among local fans eager to see the sport return.

Houston remains the largest U.S. market without an NHL franchise and has consistently ranked high in league expansion speculation. The city offers a massive TV market, a modern downtown arena, and a proven appetite for major sports — factors that NHL leadership has publicly acknowledged as appealing.

Earlier this week, in a poll of 118 anonymous NHL players conducted by The Athletic, Houston received 48 votes as the preferred destination for the next expansion franchise. Quebec City finished second with 25 votes, followed by Arizona with 15, Atlanta with nine, and Austin with four. No other city received more than two votes, showing that most players see only a small group of markets as realistic options if the NHL chooses to grow again.​

One player who picked Houston cited the city’s size and business base as a major draw, saying, “I think Houston is a great market. Right in the middle, and there’s a lot of corporate money there. It’s a great city so I think that would be a top one.”

While there are still no definitive plans or timeline for a team, Fertitta’s interest has kept the conversation alive. As well as major interest groups in the city, such as the Hockey Day in Houston event, which has attracted the likes of NHL Alumni. With the NHL’s steady expansion into nontraditional markets such as Las Vegas and Seattle, many believe Houston’s turn could come sooner rather than later. 

MORE: How Lindsey Vonn plans to ski at the Olympics with a torn ACL