NEW YORK — The National Hockey League is exploring potential expansion into Texas, with Houston and Austin identified as cities under consideration. The discussion occurred during the annual post-Stanley Cup Final and pre-draft meeting of the NHL Board of Governors on Tuesday in New York.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the league has received calls from prospective cities and owners about bringing an NHL franchise to their areas. Bettman told the Board of Governors that a potential expansion team would likely require a fee of at least $2 billion.

The league is listening to expressions of interest from prospective owners in locations such as Houston and Atlanta; however, Commissioner Bettman said officials were not yet engaged in a formal path toward expansion. The NHL previously expanded to 32 teams with the Seattle Kraken, which began play in 2021.

Before the Kraken, the Vegas Golden Knights started playing in the 2017-18 season. The expansion fee for the Seattle Kraken was $650 million, while the Vegas Golden Knights' expansion fee was $500 million. The NHL had 30 teams from 2000, when Columbus and Minnesota joined the league, until subsequent expansions.

Over time, the NHL added teams in locations such as South Florida, Tampa, San Jose, Anaheim, Nashville, and Las Vegas. Other franchises were placed in Dallas, Raleigh, and Denver through team relocations. Teams from Sun Belt and non-traditional hockey markets have won the Stanley Cup in each of the past seven years, accumulating 13 championships since the Colorado Avalanche's win in the 1995-96 season.

Projected NHL revenues for the current season are estimated to be between $7.5 billion and $8 billion. The NHL salary cap is set at $104 million for the 2026-27 season, an $8.5 million increase from the prior season.