Potential National Hockey League expansion The National Hockey League ( NHL ) has undergone several rounds of expansion and other organizational changes during its nearly 100 - year history to reach its current number of thirty teams : twenty - three in the United States , and seven in Canada . A number of potential owners have sought a franchise for other cities , but as of April 2010 , the NHL has repeatedly asserted that is not planning any expansion or franchise moves . NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently stated " we ' re not planning on relocating . We ' re not planning on expanding . Anyone who wants a franchise really is out of luck for the foreseeable future . [ . . . ] If at some point we ' re in the business of relocating or expanding , we ' re going to open it up because the number of people and the number of places that want franchises is a fairly lengthy list . " The league made an exception in the case of Winnipeg , Manitoba with Bettman repeatedly having stated a desire to return to the city ; the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011 – 12 NHL season . Two potential ownership groups have submitted applications for prospective teams in Las Vegas and Quebec City . The geographic distribution of teams between the NHL ' s two conferences is not a primary consideration for expansion , and the earliest time when a new franchise could start play is the 2017 – 18 season . Expansion sites within Canada . The potential of adding a seventh franchise in Canada had been an ongoing source of controversy for the NHL in recent years as numerous groups proposed expanding the league into a new Canadian city , or purchasing a struggling American franchise and relocating it north ; to a certain extent , these issues continue even after the awarding of a seventh franchise to Winnipeg . Quebec City and the Golden Horseshoe area of Southern Ontario are most frequently proposed as locations for new Canadian teams , as was Winnipeg prior to the announced relocation of the Thrashers . Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie has made several significant attempts to bring a team to Hamilton , including a $ 242 . 5 million offer in 2009 to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes , immediately after the team filed for bankruptcy protection . Balsillie ' s efforts have been resisted by the NHL during commissioner Gary Bettman ' s tenure . Balsillie ' s latest efforts include a public relations campaign based around Canadian nationalist feelings and the perception that the NHL is " anti - Canadian " . Background . History of Canadian franchises ( 1967 – present ) . Throughout the history of the NHL , attempts to bring franchises to Canadian cities have caused points of contention . Vancouver ' s rejected bid for one of six new franchises added in 1967 outraged Canadians , who felt they had been " sold out " . Prime Minister Lester B . Pearson stated that " the NHL decision to expand only in the U . S . impinges on the sacred principles of all Canadians . " Three years later , the Vancouver Canucks joined as the league ' s third Canadian franchise . The 1979 defeat by a single vote of a merger agreement between the NHL and the rival World Hockey Association that would have resulted in three WHA franchises join the NHL led to a mass boycott of Molson products across Canada . In a second vote , the Montreal Canadiens , owned by Molson , reversed their position , allowing the Edmonton Oilers , Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets to join the NHL for the 1979 – 80 NHL season . The Calgary Flames became Canada ' s seventh franchise in 1980 , relocating from Atlanta . The 1990s saw considerable upheaval amongst Canadian franchises . In 1992 , the NHL returned to Ottawa , while a potential expansion into Hamilton failed . However , the declining value of the Canadian dollar at that time , coupled with rapidly escalating salaries , placed hardships on Canadian franchises . As a result , the Nordiques and Jets left Canada , becoming the Colorado Avalanche in 1995 and the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996 respectively . Fears persisted up to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout that the Flames , Oilers , and Senators could follow suit . The financial fortunes of Canada ' s teams rebounded following the lockout : Canada ' s six franchises represented one - third of NHL revenues in 2006 – 07 , primarily on the back of the surging value of the Canadian dollar . In May 2011 , True North Sports and Entertainment , an ownership group with the support of billionaire David Thomson , 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet , purchased the Atlanta Thrashers with the intention to move the team to Winnipeg , Manitoba . The relocation marks the first franchise relocation since 1997 and the first new Canadian franchise since the Ottawa Senators entered the league in 1992 . At the 2011 NHL Entry Draft , it was announced that the team would be named the Jets . Current views on Canadian expansion . Former National Hockey League Players Association executive director Paul Kelly has repeatedly argued in favour of bringing a new team to Canada . In early 2008 , he described the Canadian market to " The Palm Beach Post " : " The six Canadian franchises do so well , they pack the buildings , get great TV , great revenue streams . If you put another team up there , be it in Nova Scotia or Hamilton , it would be more of the same . " Prior to the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg , Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke in favour of another team in Canada , stating he has spoken with NHL owners in the past about bringing a new team to southern Ontario . A study published in April 2011 by the University of Toronto ' s Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation concluded that Canada can support 12 NHL teams , double the amount it had at the time of the study , including second franchises for Montreal , Toronto and Vancouver . Hamilton . Hamilton mayor Jack MacDonald attempted to lure the Colorado Rockies to Hamilton in 1980 , an effort that ended when he lost his re - election bid . Hamilton was also a candidate for expansion in 1991 , being one of the favorites , but it lost out to the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning . Hamilton ' s bid group attempted to negotiate the $ 50 million expansion fee ; a condition the NHL rejected . While it was speculated that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres did not want an NHL team in Hamilton due to territorial competition , former league president Gil Stein has denied that was the case . Research In Motion founder and co - CEO Jim Balsillie has made numerous attempts to purchase an existing NHL team with the purpose of bringing it to Southern Ontario . He signed an agreement in principle to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins for US $ 175 million on October 5 , 2006 . Penguins ' majority owner Mario Lemieux agreed to the sale after struggling to gain support from local governments to build a new arena . Balsillie ' s purchase agreement offered to help finance a new arena , but also contained a stated intention to relocate the team to Hamilton or Kitchener - Waterloo if no deal on a new arena could be reached . Balsillie later retracted his bid , claiming that the NHL had placed conditions on the sale that he was not comfortable with , including a commitment to keep the team in Pittsburgh under any circumstances . Balsillie then reached an agreement to purchase the Nashville Predators for $ 238 million on May 24 , 2007 , and began a season ticket campaign in Hamilton a week later intended to prove that the city was capable of hosting an NHL team . Thousands of fans purchased tickets , however the sale again fell through a month later when Predators owner Craig Leipold opted to terminate the agreement . The Predators were later sold to a group of ten investors , led by Nashville businessman David Freeman , who promised to keep the team in Nashville . Leipold accepted $ 40 million less from Freeman ' s group than Balsillie offered , and later ended up as the majority owner of the Minnesota Wild . During the 2008 – 2009 NHL season , the future of the Phoenix Coyotes was on shaky ground as the team expected to lose as much as $ 45 million , and the league had to step in to assist with paying the team ' s bills . Coyotes ' managing partner Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early May 2009 , and immediately afterwards , an offer by Balsillie to purchase the team was made public . The NHL challenged the Coyotes ' ability to file for bankruptcy , claiming that as a result of the financial support the league had been offering the franchise , the league itself is in control of the team , and that Moyes did not have authority to act as he did . Balsillie ' s launched a public relations campaign aiming at igniting Canadian nationalistic feelings and the perception that Bettman has an anti - Canadian agenda , including a website . His bid to purchase the Coyotes failed as the bankruptcy judge ruled his offer did not meet the NHL ' s rules on relocation . " The Hamilton Spectator " reported on May 9 that a Vancouver - based group led by Tom Gaglardi was planning to make a bid to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and relocate the team to Hamilton in time for the 2010 – 11 NHL season . This never materialized , and the idea was eventually rendered moot by the Thrashers ' sale and relocation to Winnipeg . Under NHL rules , an expansion or relocation of a team to Hamilton could potentially be blocked by the Buffalo Sabres , because Copps Coliseum , the likely venue for a Hamilton NHL team , is located less than 50 miles from the Sabres ' home arena . Roughly 15 % of the Sabres ' business comes from residents of the area of Ontario between Hamilton and Buffalo , and the Sabres could require " an enormous indemnification payment " to allow an additional team to be established within a 50 - mile radius . A pre - season NHL game was played in Hamilton between the Sabres and the Ottawa Senators on September 28 , 2010 as part of the Kraft Hockeyville promotion , as a result of the city winning a fan vote . The game was hosted at the much smaller J . L . Grightmire Arena in the Dundas region of the city and not at the Copps Coliseum . An unnamed bidder made a bid for the Sabres in February 2011 , offering $ 259 , 000 , 000 for the team to move it out of Buffalo , which would either mean the team itself would relocate to Hamilton or it would clear the way for another team to make such a move . The bid was rejected in favor of an offer from Terrence Pegula , who planned to keep the team in Buffalo . A popular choice for a new Hamilton team is the Tigers , the name of an NHL team in the 1920s . However , that name is very similar to the Hamilton Tiger - Cats football team , whose name is derived from a Hamilton Tigers football team . While two professional teams sharing names is not unheard of in professional sports , any Hamilton franchise would need to seek permission from the Tiger - Cats to use the Tigers name to avoid any trademark disputes . Greater Toronto Area . Despite the fact that Toronto already houses the Toronto Maple Leafs , its suburbs have been mentioned as potential sites for NHL franchises , under the logic that Toronto is the largest metropolitan area in Canada and can support two NHL teams . Unlike other potential expansion markets , a new arena would need to be constructed , and most of the proposals for a new Toronto area team include a new arena along with them . In April 2009 , a group of businessmen met with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to discuss the possibility of bringing a second NHL franchise into the Toronto area , most likely in Vaughan , Ontario . Despite the talks , Daly reportedly stated the NHL is " not currently considering expansion nor do we have any intention or desire to relocate an existing franchise . " In June 2009 , a group headed by Andrew Lopez and Herbert Carnegie proposed a $ 1 billion plan for a second Toronto team , called the Legacy , to begin play no earlier than 2012 . The group announced a plan for a 30 , 000 seat arena , with 15 , 000 for tickets of a price of $ 50 or less . The arena would be situated in Downsview Park in the north of the city . Twenty - five percent of net profits would be given to charity . In 2011 , a proposal surfaced to build a multi - purpose 19 , 500 seat arena in Markham , Ontario , north - east of Toronto proper , that could potentially be used for an NHL team . The CAD $ 300 - million arena is to be part of an entertainment complex and could be ready as soon as 2014 . The company behind the proposal , GTA Sports and Entertainment is headed by W . Graeme Roustan , the company ' s chairman and CEO . Roustan is also the chairman of sports equipment maker Bauer . Roustan is a Montreal - raised private equity investor whose firm Kohlberg & Company , purchased Bauer from Nike . The land proposed for the arena , near the Unionville commuter train station , is owned by Rudy Bratty , chairman and CEO of the Remington Group . The Remington Group is at the heart of Markham ' s proposed downtown - style development . Markham has a population of 261 , 573 , almost exactly equal to that of Buffalo , New York , the smallest city with an NHL franchise . As to the likelihood of getting a team , the NHL ' s Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with the ownership group and advised them " for purposes of their analysis , they should assume it will never happen . " Quebec City . Quebec City has been home to two NHL hockey teams . The first , the Quebec Bulldogs , lasted from 1878 to 1920 , after which they moved to Hamilton , Ontario . The second , the Quebec Nordiques , called Quebec City their home from 1972 to 1979 in the World Hockey Association , and from then on to 1995 as a National Hockey League team , at which point they moved to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche . Part of the challenge for both the Bulldogs and Nordiques was that Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL . According to the Television Bureau of Canada , a prospective Quebec City team would now be in the league ' s second - smallest market , ahead of only Winnipeg . However , Silver ' s story suggested that the Quebec City market was comparable to those of Winnipeg , Buffalo , and Washington D . C . in terms of avid hockey fans . In 2009 , Kontinental Hockey League founder and president Alexander Medvedev stated his interest in purchasing an NHL team for Quebec City , saying that it was " very strange " there was no NHL team there . Medvedev later shelved plans to buy a North American team after NHL representatives told him that the league would never allow a Russian to own one of its clubs . In October 2009 , Quebec City mayor Regis Labeaume spoke with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and former Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut regarding a team . Bettman stated that Quebec City could be considered as a candidate for an NHL team provided it built a new arena and a team were for sale . In May 2011 , Labeaume stated that Pierre Karl Peladeau , then - president and CEO of Quebecor Inc . , was in talks with the NHL regarding a franchise in Quebec City . He has since become a politician for the Parti Québécois , a sovereignist political party in the province . In September 2012 , then - Quebec premier Jean Charest ( whose government had invested in the new arena ) claimed that the political aspect might hinder Quebec City ' s chances of getting the Nordiques back , saying that Bettman might be less likely to allow a team to move if sovereignists were in power . According to " Sports Illustrated " , the league is wary of the Quebec sovereignty movement because of concerns that it could destabilize the Canadian dollar . However , Mayor Labeaume insists that Péladeau ' s involvement in politics will hinder neither the management of the new arena nor the negotiations over the return of the Nordiques . Prior to the 2011 – 12 NHL season , an exhibition game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning was played at the Colisée Pepsi , the former home of the Nordiques . The Canadiens were well received despite being from rival Montreal , and the designated away team of the game . Montreal was also scheduled to host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Colisée Pepsi in 2012 ; however , that game was canceled due to the lockout . In September 2012 , construction started on an 18 , 000 - seat arena in Quebec City that would eventually become known as Videotron Centre , the cost of which ( C $ 400 million ) was split equally between the provincial and municipal governments . The arena opened on September 12 , 2015 . In July 2013 , ex - Nordiques coach Michel Bergeron accused Bettman of arranging a Glendale City Council vote concerning the relocation of the team then known as the Phoenix Coyotes , although the team would have more likely moved to Seattle . Bergeron called it " an obvious lack of respect and I find it disgusting , " and claimed that Bettman is averse to moving teams out of the United States . In March 2014 , news broke that former Canadian prime minister and vice - chairman of Quebecor Brian Mulroney was also involved with negotiations . Labeaume pointed out that Mulroney and Bettman had been negotiating directly for some time , and that " Mr . Bettman is a businessman . The Quebec sovereignty project will not bother him . " On June 24 , 2015 , Quebecor announced that it planned to apply for an NHL expansion franchise , with the aim of bringing the Nordiques back to Quebec City . Nearly a month later , on July 20 , 2015 , Quebecor formally announced it had submitted an application to the NHL for an expansion franchise . On July 21 , 2015 , the NHL confirmed it had received an application from Quebecor . On August 5 , 2015 , it was announced that Quebec had moved on to Phase II of the expansion process . The bid subsequently advanced to Phase III , which ended on September 4 . Videotron Centre hosted a neutral - site preseason game between the Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins on September 28 , 2015 . The following day in New York City , Quebecor and the Las Vegas ownership group presented their bids to the NHL ' s executive committee . However , NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated in a press conference after the NHL ' s Board of Governors meeting that though the league continues to explore the possibility of expansion , no deadline has been established for a decision . Commissioner Bettman also said that expansion requires a three - quarters affirmative vote from the Board of Governors , but the members of the executive committee would first have to make a recommendation to the group . In 2016 , reports emerged that Quebec City may be out of the running due to the value of the Canadian dollar . These reports were however , denied by the NHL . Further rumours arose in April of 2016 that the Carolina Hurricanes were possilbly relocating to Quebec City due to poor attendance at the PNC Arena in Raleigh , North Carolina . The issue was quickly dismissed by owner Peter Karmanos Saskatoon . The Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon , with full seating , can seat up to 15 , 000 fans , a capacity roughly equal to that of the MTS Centre in Winnipeg . Wild Bill Hunter , the founder of the Edmonton Oilers , had an agreement to purchase the St . Louis Blues and move the team to Saskatoon as the Saskatoon Blues in the 1982 – 83 NHL season ; however , the NHL ( who did not want to leave the St . Louis market ) vetoed the sale . Faced with the prospects of either having to allow the sale or contract the franchise , the league found an owner ( Harry Ornest ) willing to keep the team in Missouri and , in an eleventh - hour deal , preserved the Blues in St . Louis , where they remain to this day . A proposal from Ice Edge Holdings to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes would move a portion of the team ' s home games to Saskatoon in an effort to maintain the team ' s viability in its main home in Phoenix , similar to the current Bills Toronto Series arrangement in the National Football League ; the group , had it bought the team , was ready to go forward and had leased the Credit Union Centre for five home games in the 2009 – 10 season . The group is believed to lack the funds to buy the team outright , but remained in contention as potential minority owner until May 2011 , when it pulled out of negotiations . An exhibition game was played prior to the 2011 – 12 NHL season at the Credit Union Centre . The Chicago Blackhawks faced a split squad of the Edmonton Oilers losing 4 - 2 to Edmonton . Halifax . A long shot under the best of odds for either an expansion team or a relocated team . The area ' s smaller population base and distance from the nearest team would make the possibility very unlikely under the best of circumstances . Moosehead Breweries worked to bring a QMJHL team to the city after the AHL teams started to abandon Atlantic Canada and in the process became the first Q team to be based in the region . The team has been a sucess on the ice and at the box office including winning the 2013 Memorial Cup and regularly being near the top of league in attendance . Discussion had heated up for a while around 2010 to 2012 about building a replacement facility for the then named Halifax Metro Centre , which seats 10 , 595 for hockey and opened in 1978 . A naming rights deals was announced just prior to the start of the 2014 - 15 hockey season that would rename the facility the Scotiabank Centre . The money from the naming rights deal was announced as being earmarked for improvements to the facility effectively ending any potential for a new arena and any possibility of an NHL expansion team for the foreseeable future . Expansion sites within the United States . Several cities in the United States have been mentioned in the media as possible future sites for new or relocated NHL teams . In December 2007 , organizations from Kansas City , Las Vegas , Houston , and Seattle presented their proposals for a franchise to the NHL ' s Executive Committee . Other possible locations include San Antonio , Salt Lake City , Portland , Hartford , Cleveland , Milwaukee , Oklahoma City , Norfolk , New Orleans , Cincinnati and Baltimore . The five largest metropolitan regions without NHL franchises are ( in descending order of population ) Houston , Atlanta , Seattle - Tacoma , San Diego , and Cleveland . Cleveland , Houston and Atlanta have previously hosted major professional hockey teams . During the 1970s , Cleveland was home to the Cleveland Barons ( the former Oakland Seals ) , which failed to draw fans or revenue , and was merged with the Minnesota North Stars ( now the Dallas Stars ) after two seasons . The Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) existed from 1972 until 1978 . The Atlanta Flames joined the NHL in 1972 and played in the city for eight years before being moved to Calgary in 1980 and becoming the Calgary Flames . The Atlanta Thrashers played in the NHL from 1999 to 2011 , until its move to Winnipeg for the 2011 – 12 season . Houston ( Toyota Center ) , Atlanta ( Philips Arena ) , Cleveland ( Quicken Loans Arena ) , Tacoma ( Tacoma Dome ) and Portland ( Rose Garden ) have arenas capable of hosting NHL games . Other arenas specifically designed for NBA franchises such as the Barclays Center in Brooklyn , San Antonio ' s AT & T Center , Seattle Center Coliseum in Seattle , and Salt Lake City ' s EnergySolutions Arena are also not suitable as permanent hosts for NHL hockey , although San Antonio also has the Alamodome . Kansas City . Kansas City , Missouri has hosted NHL hockey before . The NHL Kansas City Scouts played out of Kemper Arena from 1974 until 1976 . The team averaged only 8 , 218 in attendance per game in the 17 , 000 seat arena , leading to the team ' s sale and relocation to Denver , Colorado to become the Colorado Rockies . Professional hockey continued at the arena in the form of the minor league Kansas City Blues , followed by the Kansas City Blades and the Kansas City Outlaws . Kansas City opened an NHL - ready arena named the Sprint Center in 2007 . The arena is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group ( AEG ) , which owns the Los Angeles Kings , among other sports interests . In 2007 , when the Pittsburgh Penguins faced financial troubles and no prospect of a new arena , the president of AEG offered to relocate the team to Missouri to play in the new Sprint Center rent - free and to become managing partners in the facility . The Penguins , however , remained in Pittsburgh and ultimately got their new arena in 2010 . In 2009 , the New York Islanders played the Los Angeles Kings in a pre - season game at Sprint Center . The game was poorly attended , ending speculation that the Islanders would move to the arena . The Sprint Center hosted another pre - season game of the Los Angeles Kings ; this time versus the Penguins , in September 2011 . As AEG already owns the Los Angeles Kings , it would not be allowed to own another NHL team under NHL rules , although the rule has been circumvented in the past . The pre - season game between the Penguins and Kings was a sellout , drawing over 17 , 000 fans . Seattle . The 1917 Seattle Metropolitans were the first American winners of the Stanley Cup , but folded in 1924 , while the Seattle Totems played in the borderline - major Western Hockey League from 1945 to 1975 . During the mid - 1970s , Seattle was even granted a conditional franchise that never came to fruition because of the Western League ' s instability ( according to season ticket promotions the team would have kept the WHL name of Totems ) . A Seattle group made an unsuccessful bid on an expansion franchise in 1990 . The Seattle Center Coliseum ( also known under an expired naming rights deal as KeyArena ) is less than ideal for NHL in terms of capacity and sightlines , due to a 1994 renovation that made the arena basketball - specific for the arena ' s major tenant , the now - relocated Seattle SuperSonics ; the league has stated that the Coliseum would be " a difficult arena for hockey . " The Tacoma Dome , a multi - purpose stadium that has hosted NHL exhibition games in the past , could function as a temporary facility , though issues with the facility include its distance from Seattle ( 30 miles ) , poor sightlines , awkward ( and largely temporary ) seating configuration , and a general lack of modern amenities . The city of Tacoma is studying a possible renovation of the Dome to meet major league standards . An unnamed Seattle group expressed its interest to the NHL in 2007 . In 2011 , the NHL acknowledged that there was interest expressed by a group in Seattle for a team . Multiple reports suggested Chicago Wolves owner and businessman Don Levin had expressed interest in building a new arena in nearby Bellevue that could host an NHL team . On February 16 , 2012 , a plan was announced to build a new arena in Seattle ' s SoDo district just south of Safeco Field . An investment group , headed by hedge - fund manager Christopher Hansen , is proposing to seek a return of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) to Seattle and is seeking an NHL team for the arena . The arena would be built as a public - private partnership between the City of Seattle and Hansen ' s group . Hansen ' s group would invest $ 290 million and the public sector ( city and county ) $ 200 million . The project will not proceed without the confirmed purchase of a professional team as the arena ' s tenant . Hansen ' s group has already purchased several acres of land at the site . Commenting later that day , NHL Commissioner Bettman stressed that the NHL has no plans for expansion or relocation . Levin has spoken to Hansen and expressed his interest in being involved as the owner of the NHL franchise that would be the tenant in the arena . Levin has also expressed his interest to Bettman . Las Vegas . Ice hockey interest in Las Vegas dates back to 1991 , when the first ever outdoor game in the NHL ' s modern era was held in Las Vegas , with the Los Angeles Kings facing the New York Rangers outside Caesars Palace in the preseason . The minor league Las Vegas Thunder professional ice hockey team operated out of the Thomas & Mack Center from 1993 until 1999 when the team ' s lease of the facility expired . Every year since 1997 ( except the lockout year of 2004 ) , Las Vegas has hosted Frozen Fury , a pre - season competition between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche at the 16 , 800 - seat MGM Grand Garden Arena . Although the NHL Awards ceremonies are held in Las Vegas , NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said it " has nothing to do with " it being a potential relocation or expansion spot . The media had speculated openly about a plan involving the Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer to bring the Phoenix Coyotes to Nevada . Rumors of a Las Vegas expansion team surfaced again in August 2014 , focusing on a new indoor arena , now called the T - Mobile Arena , being constructed in the city as a joint venture between Anschutz Entertainment Group ( owners of the Los Angeles Kings ) and MGM Resorts International . " The Province " newspaper reported that a Las Vegas team was a " done deal " . Deputy commissioner Bill Daly denied claims that the NHL had plans to expand . On November 12 , 2014 , it was reported by the " New York Post " that the league had selected the Maloof family — former owners of the National Basketball Association ' s Sacramento Kings , and a minority owner of the Palms Casino Resort — along with Bill Foley , to lead the ownership group for a Las Vegas expansion team . However , neither Foley , the Maloofs , AEG , or MGM commented on the speculation . Daly was reportedly in Las Vegas for a meeting , and had checked on the progress on the new arena ; Daly again denied that the NHL had any plans to expand , and that the league had " not discussed or identified potential ownership groups publicly . " On December 8 , 2014 , following a meeting with the NHL ' s board of governors , commissioner Gary Bettman announced that he would not object to Foley holding a season ticket drive to gauge interest in a Las Vegas team , indicating the possibility that the league may actually consider a Las Vegas team . However , Bettman also warned the media to " [ not ] make more out of this than it is . " During an interview with " Hockey Night in Canada " ' s Elliotte Friedman aired on December 13 , 2014 , Foley revealed that Wayne Gretzky was acting as an " unofficial " advisor to the proposed team , and that , although there would most likely be a vote to determine its name , his preferred name for the proposed team was the Las Vegas Black Knights — named in tribute to the Army Black Knights . On February 10 , 2015 the season ticket drive began with interested parties placing ten percent deposits on season tickets for a Las Vegas NHL team to begin play in the 2016 – 17 season at the under construction T - Mobile Arena . Within 36 hours of the beginning of the drive , 5 , 000 season ticket deposits were collected by Hockey Vision Las Vegas , an organization representing the Bill Foley and the Maloof families as owners of the potential franchise , bringing the ticket drive 50 % of the way to the self - determined goal of 10 , 000 season ticket deposits . Hockey Vision Las Vegas confirmed the season ticket drive achieved their 10 , 000 season ticket deposit goal by April 2015 and has begun a push into corporate and casino ticket sales to supplement the 10 , 000 local individual / small business season ticket deposits with a new stated goal of 13 , 000 total season ticket sales for the team ' s inaugural season . Las Vegas appears to be the front - runner in the announced start of the expansion process , on June 24 , 2015 . Prospective owner Bill Foley has secured more than 13 , 200 season - ticket deposits for the multipurpose arena under construction near the Las Vegas Strip , and Bettman doesn ' t hide the league ' s intrigue about being the first major pro team in this growing desert town — while also realizing the risk of jumping into another non - traditional market and a gambling mecca . " We ' re going to take a deep dive and look at what there is in terms of the interest that ' s being expressed , " Bettman said . " Obviously , Bill Foley got a great response to his season - ticket drive . " On July 21 , 2015 , the NHL confirmed it had received an application for an expansion team from Bill Foley for Las Vegas . On August 5 , 2015 , the NHL announced it had invited Las Vegas to move into Phase II of the league expansion bid . The bid subsequently advanced to Phase III , which ended on September 4 . On September 29 , Bill Foley and Quebecor met the NHL ' s executive committee in New York City to present their respective bids . However , NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated in a press conference after the NHL ' s Board of Governors meeting that though the league continues to explore the possibility of expansion , no deadline has been established for a decision . Commissioner Bettman also said that expansion requires a three - quarters affirmative vote from the Board of Governors , but the members of the executive committee would first have to make a recommendation to the group . Though Reno and Las Vegas have had ( and still have ) minor league teams in various sports , an NHL team in Las Vegas would likely be the first ever professional sports team from one of the " Big Four " major leagues in Nevada ; its only potential competition would be the National Football League ' s Oakland Raiders , who are also exploring the market as a potential relocation candidate . Houston . Professional ice hockey dates back to 1946 in Houston with the establishment of the Houston Skippers . This was followed by the Houston Apollos , the Houston Aeros of the WHA and the current Houston Aeros . The WHA Houston Aeros were an original member of the World Hockey Association . From 1972 to 1978 , the Aeros twice won the AVCO World Trophy and featured the first father / son combination to play together in professional hockey , Gordie Howe and his two sons Mark and Marty . The Aeros , despite being a relatively successful franchise , were left out of the NHL - WHA merger and were forced to fold in 1978 . The current Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League ( AHL ) were founded in 1994 . The team plays in the Toyota Center , which seats over 17 , 000 for hockey . As part of the lease agreement of the Toyota Center with the Houston Rockets , only an NHL team owned by Les Alexander , owner of the Rockets is allowed to play at the Center . The Rockets have twice explored the purchase of an NHL team for the building . According to comments made by Harris County officials , ( Harris County owns the Center ) there is no current interest in an NHL team . The other arenas in Houston with the capability of hosting an NHL team are The Summit , although that building has been sold to a megachurch and has been decommissioned as a sports venue , and the currently vacant Astrodome . Possible relocation candidates . As of 2015 , the leading candidate for relocation is the Arizona Coyotes . The team has been unprofitable since its relocation to the Phoenix metropolitan area in 1996 , and went bankrupt in the late 2000s . The league actively resisted selling the team to interests that would have relocated the team out of Arizona , and made numerous efforts to sell the team to owners that had intended to keep it in the state . The league convinced the eventual owners of the Winnipeg Jets to buy the Atlanta Thrashers instead of returning the Coyotes to their original home in Winnipeg . None of the numerous prospective owners the league had hoped would buy the team , and keep it in Arizona , followed through on their sale until 2013 , when IceArizona ( a group led by George Gosbee ) purchased the team . Within a year of that sale , IceArizona spun off the team to hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway . The Coyotes ' lease on Gila River Arena was revoked in June 2015 due to concerns the lease was illegal under conflict of interest laws . The Coyotes intend to fight the revocation in court . The team has indicated that if it cannot stay at the Gila River Arena , it could move back to downtown Phoenix and the Talking Stick Resort Arena . On July 24 , 2015 , the Coyotes announced that Glendale City Council had enacted an agreement allowing the Coyotes to stay in the Gila River Arena for the next two seasons . Expansion into Europe . Speculation as to NHL expansion to Europe took place as far back as the 1960s . David Molson , then - owner of the Montreal Canadiens , stated that he looked forward to a " world playoff " for the Stanley Cup . In 1969 , Clarence Campbell , president of the NHL , was quoted as saying " It is conceivable that the Stanley Cup will be played for in Moscow in the not too distant future . When it does , the World Tournament as we know it will just disappear . . . The game will continue to expand . " While no specific European cities have been named in recent years , NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has stated in 2008 that expansion into Europe is a possibility " within 10 years time . " In August 2010 , the IIHF president René Fasel stated that he would strongly oppose any expansion by the NHL into European markets . Time zone complications would also be an obstacle . Possible contraction . Conversely , contraction of the NHL has also been suggested , with several teams experiencing financial and / or ownership difficulties .