Houston Mayor Backs City for NHL's 33rd Team Over Austin as League Eyes 2 Expansions
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
Houston Mayor Backs City for NHL's 33rd Team Over Austin as League Eyes 2 Expansions
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
Summary
John Whitmire said Houston is "definitely" a better NHL destination than Austin, arguing the city is ready to support one of the league's two planned expansion franchises.
The pitch leans on Houston's scale: it is the largest U.S. media market without an NHL team, a factor Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently said matters in the decision.
Whitmire said multiple interested parties are already in talks and pledged city support if a formal proposal requires arena or system upgrades.
The Texas winner would become the NHL's 33rd club and the state's second team, while Atlanta is also pushing for the 34th slot with 2 suburban arena projects.