NHL announces expansion process for Houston and Austin to be owned by Friedkin family

[Brodie]

I have maintained from the beginning that if they're going to do this, Austin is a better market. Being the only big four team in a huge and rapidly expanding market has to be more valuable than being a fifth priority in Houston

 

[qcal1427]

Bipolar, from the sound of things.

I have to think this is "we want Houston, and Austin is a fine plan B if we can't get an arena deal secured."

I agree that the arena will and should be the number one decider, but as I alluded to in an earlier post I think Austin actually checks a lot of boxes of some of the NHL's most successful expansions/relocations (Vegas, Columbus, Nashville, Raleigh). Be first to medium but growing markets rather than fourth or fifth to bigger ones

The most interesting thing to me about this is who the owners are. It really signals to me that the NHL does not believe Krause or the NYL group have the money in Atlanta

 

[Mightygoose]

If Houston, I'm curious on the arena plan. I can't see the team being a tennant in the Toyota Center.

Could they add both? Interesting Atlanta is not mentioned

 

[LadyStanley]

 

[qcal1427]

"You guys remember the two other times in the past 10 years where you got a gigantic pile of cash for doing nothing and helped bring overall league revenues to historic highs? Let's do that again with an even more gigantic pile of cash"

 

[GKJ]

 

[GKJ]

If Houston, I'm curious on the arena plan. I can't see the team being a tennant in the Toyota Center.

Could they add both? Interesting Atlanta is not mentioned

The Atlanta thing seems like it has become a mess based on the ongoing thread, and is a case of no news being bad news. It’ll get there but there’s a difference between wanting to be serious and actually being serious. It’s waiting for who emerges.

This is more how Bettman wants things done. Very quietly until it’s time to he made known. There’s been talk of the second Houston group being out there. Frank pointed out Austin a year ago.

 

[Brodie]

The fact that they're doing this without Atlanta is very interesting to me, I wonder if they're trying to encourage them to shit or get off the pot. Dream scenario of course is that this leads to Indianapolis getting a team

 

[nhlfan79]

The most interesting thing to me about this is who the owners are. It really signals to me that the NHL does not believe Krause or the NYL group have the money in Atlanta

I don't see how you infer anything about Atlanta's finances from today's news. That might be so about Krause, who we haven't heard anything from in a long while, but the competing North Point Mall redevelopment proposal is fully on track for final city approval in August. Jamestown is not going through all of these public meetings and an imminent city vote for nothing. There's 0% chance they would put their neck out there if they didn't have the wherewithal to meet the league's criteria.

 

[qcal1427]

I don't see how you infer anything about Atlanta's finances from today's news. That might be so about Krause, who we haven't heard anything from in a long while, but the competing North Point Mall redevelopment proposal is fully on track for final city approval in August. Jamestown is not going through all of these public meetings and an imminent city vote for nothing. There's 0% chance they would put their neck out there if they didn't have the wherewithal to meet the league's criteria.

Bettman has just taken a more significant public stance on Houston/Austin than he has on Atlanta.

As markets, they are very comparable in terms of how badly the NHL wants to be there and if anything I'd have Atlanta a little ahead there. We know that Atlanta is way ahead in a potential arena, which is key issue #2 for expansion. By process of elimination that leaves ownership/the fee. It is the one thing that makes sense to me as an explanation for why Houston seems to be further along without getting into borderline conspiracy theories.

ETA to consolidate everything to this thread:
There's no guarantee that the new Texas team will be playing at an existing arena in Houston, and as much as I agree with the idea that Austin is probably a backup plan it is still a backup plan that Bettman announced publicly that requires an arena that is further behind than either of the two projects in Atlanta. Both of which once again signal to me that the TX group has the money and the ATL groups don't (or do but aren't willing to pay)

 

[FlyguyOX]

Austin would be very NHL expansion in a good way

Games would resemble those in Toronto IMO

 

[hockeyguy0022]

good for saskatoon in 10-15 years. haha.

 

[GKJ]

I don't see how you infer anything about Atlanta's finances from today's news. That might be so about Krause, who we haven't heard anything from in a long while, but the competing North Point Mall redevelopment proposal is fully on track for final city approval in August. Jamestown is not going through all of these public meetings and an imminent city vote for nothing. There's 0% chance they would put their neck out there if they didn't have the wherewithal to meet the league's criteria.

It’s because there’s names we can put to in Atlanta, so them not being named here is surprising because of the consciousness.

Houston, we don’t know who these people are and we always presumed that there were more red tape because of Fertitta. So it’s either too hard and/or not taken seriously.

Bettman has just taken a more significant public stance on Houston/Austin than he has on Atlanta.

As markets, they are very comparable in terms of how badly the NHL wants to be there and if anything I'd have Atlanta a little ahead there. We know that Atlanta is way ahead in a potential arena, which is key issue #2 for expansion. By process of elimination that leaves ownership/the fee. It is the one thing that makes sense to me as an explanation for why Houston seems to be further along without getting into borderline conspiracy theories.

ETA to consolidate everything to this thread:
There's no guarantee that the new Texas team will be playing at an existing arena in Houston, and as much as I agree with the idea that Austin is probably a backup plan it is still a backup plan that Bettman announced publicly that requires an arena that is further behind than either of the two projects in Atlanta. Both of which once again signal to me that the TX group has the money and the ATL groups don't (or do but aren't willing to pay)

I don’t think it has to be a backup depending on if another group is around. Austin is large enough that it doesn’t have to be one or the other nor should it be.

 

[qcal1427]

I don’t think it has to be a backup depending on if another group is around. Austin is large enough that it doesn’t have to be one or the other nor should it be.

I think "backup" is probably ungenerous but as much as I am pro-Austin I would assume the league and the mystery ownership group probably see Houston as the primary.

Either way, the fact that they're going public with it and still haven't necessarily decided on the exact city once again causes me to raise my eyebrow about Atlanta

 

[Jets4Life]

It should be Austin. 2.5 million people, fastest growing metro area in America. No pro sports teams. It would sell out for years.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

A new team in Austin would do really well. Tons of money and growth there with no competing pro teams (outside of MLS).

 

[GKJ]

I think "backup" is probably ungenerous but as much as I am pro-Austin I would assume the league and the mystery ownership group probably see Houston as the primary.

Either way, the fact that they're going public with it and still haven't necessarily decided on the exact city once again causes me to raise my eyebrow about Atlanta

Like I said, if you see the Atlanta thread there, you’ll see why. They will happily go there if the people there sort their shit out. There’s people there who were overconfident in where they stood, which is why they tried rushing to the front a few years ago hoping they were Bettman’s preferred group. That’s not how Gary works though.


They want Houston more than Austin, but Houston has been harder because of the leverage Fertitta asserts. This is suspect though to say they will look at both and choose one. They’re implicitly admitting they’re interested in both. If they can get Fertitta to get in the game here, the other group goes to Austin and they expand to both. If this group finds a way in Houston, then Gary’s rolodex will know that they can jump the line if they can put a group together to be in Austin. I can’t see the NHL being public that Austin is of interest, then saying nevernind and see you in 50 years.

 

[MMC]

 

[MMC]

 

[LadyStanley]

New arena in either location.

 

[Brodie]

I know people don't necessarily agree with the speculation, but I really have my doubts about Atlanta being able to pony up this much money

 

[MMC]

 

[GindyDraws]

If Houston, I'm curious on the arena plan. I can't see the team being a tennant in the Toyota Center.

Could they add both? Interesting Atlanta is not mentioned

Houston is notorious for not having zoning laws, so it's not an issue of building the place, but a matter of where you can build it. If they build it too far away from major population centers, that could affect the fanbase and you'd need the team to be really good right away to get fans to show up.

Austin would be easier, but then again, they just built a brand-new arena for the University of Texas, so unless the ownership decides to build one themselves, I'm not sure if Austin could support dueling venues for events.

 

[ForumNamePending]

That $3.5 billion number is wild. Just up the road in Dallas, the Stars, depending on the source*, are valued at between $2 and $2.3 billion. The only 2 franchises valued at more than $3.5 billion are the Leafs and Rangers.

*Ya, I know those lists aren't the be all and end all.

 

[uhlaw97]

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!

GOTTA BE HOUSTON!!!!

BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR MY HOMETOWN ON THIS BOARD FOR YEARS NOW!!!!

BRING BACK THE AEROS IF YOU CAN!!!!

AND IF NOT, THEN NAME THEM THE APOLLOS!!!!

The NHLPA has already OVERWHELMINGLY named Houston as their preferred site, and it's the largest North American market without a team.

Also has a WHA history with Gordie Howe.

MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!