SI/Weekes: Houston, Atlanta leading NHL expansion list

[LadyStanley]

Speculation or rumor

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[dj4aces]

One could call it speculation or rumor if they'd like, but it's also not exactly new. There's a lot of smoke in both prospective markets surrounding the NHL, after all.

 

[StreetHawk]

One could call it speculation or rumor if they'd like, but it's also not exactly new. There's a lot of smoke in both prospective markets surrounding the NHL, after all.

If there isn't a new arena for Houston, it's Tilman Fertittia. He's been interested, but not at the valuation that the NHL has wanted. He didn't agree with the $650 mill value Seattle paid. Is he willing to pay $1 billion or more than that now?

 

[gstommylee]

If there isn't a new arena for Houston, it's Tilman Fertittia. He's been interested, but not at the valuation that the NHL has wanted. He didn't agree with the $650 mill value Seattle paid. Is he willing to pay $1 billion or more than that now?

yea and the NHL has so far has not been interested in expanding again so its a total moot point until the NHL wants to expand.

 

[nhlfan79]

yea and the NHL has so far has not been interested in expanding again so its a total moot point until the NHL wants to expand.

They clearly do. Bill Daly wouldn't be talking on the record about the topic and specific cities if there wasn't mutual interest from the league.

 

[tucker3434]

We’ve known that for ~2 years but I guess it’s nice to know there’s still momentum.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Probably the only two realistic candidates, though I’d prefer to see other cities involved

 

[StreetHawk]

Probably the only two realistic candidates, though I’d prefer to see other cities involved

At the expansion price point that they are discussing at $1.5 billion to upwards of $2 bill in 2-3 years down the line, it's got to be the larger markets.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Would a team in Houston create a good rivalry with Dallas?

 

[aqib]

Speculation or rumor

Clickbait. Any one of us could have written that article. We all know the NHL isn't going to budge on its price and we know Fertitta has a number in mind that he won't go above. If he had been willing to pay $1.2 billion he would have gotten the Coyotes (it would have been smoother than Utah since the arena is pretty much ready).

 

[Dirty Mind]

A Houston team should be called the Aeros but the NHL likely wouldn’t allow it due to it’s association with the WHA. But Aeros has a clearly defined connection to Houston and even had Gordie freaking Howe win a couple of championships for them. If the NHL was smart they would honour this when they eventually go to Houston.

Spaeking of WHA associations, when the leagues goes back to Phoenix (they will), they can’t be named Coyotes because that’s gotta be a toxic brand. I would absolutely love to see a Phoenix Roadrunners franchise. Fans can identify with that more and the marketing opportunities are off the charts like “Beep beep!” before a powerplay for example.

 

[LadyStanley]

@Dirty Mind that nickname is trademarked by AHL team owned by Merulo (former NHL Coyote owner).

He may drop nickname when he relocates team to Reno after building new arena.

 

[gstommylee]

They clearly do. Bill Daly wouldn't be talking on the record about the topic and specific cities if there wasn't mutual interest from the league.

The league gets asked questions so they answer. Daly and Bettman don't get to decide if expansion happens again the owners do. Until the owners says they want to expand again, the NHL will remain at 32.

 

[S E P H]

Would a team in Houston create a good rivalry with Dallas?

it would make a natural rivalry like Vancouver and Seattle or Toronto and Detriot, so yes.

 

[dj4aces]

If there isn't a new arena for Houston, it's Tilman Fertittia. He's been interested, but not at the valuation that the NHL has wanted. He didn't agree with the $650 mill value Seattle paid. Is he willing to pay $1 billion or more than that now?

Last I heard, he thought the asking price from the league was currently too much. The question is, does he think $1bn-$1.2bn is too much, or did the league give him a much larger number ($1.5bn+?)

 

[tucker3434]

The league gets asked questions so they answer. Daly and Bettman don't get to decide if expansion happens again the owners do. Until the owners says they want to expand again, the NHL will remain at 32.

Yeah, then they have a vote one day and it changes. But we’ve all seen the expansion process before. Plenty happens behind the scenes before that official vote. It’s pretty clear what’s happening here. It’s following the same script as Vegas and Seattle.

 

[StreetHawk]

Last I heard, he thought the asking price from the league was currently too much. The question is, does he think $1bn-$1.2bn is too much, or did the league give him a much larger number ($1.5bn+?)

Can look at the valuation of the stars to get a fair comp for what a Houston team is worth.

 

[dj4aces]

Can look at the valuation of the stars to get a fair comp for what a Houston team is worth.

I suppose that's one way to do it. As per CNBC, The Stars are valued at $1.9bn. For Atlanta, one could get that value from Nashville ($1.5bn) and/or Carolina ($1.3bn).

Fertitta balked at the $650m figure in 2018 too, though. According to Forbes, the Stars were valued at $525m. What's interesting though, is the Forbes link has a league average of $630m listed as well. The expansion fee for Seattle was $650m, so a little more than league average. For context, the Canucks were valued at $735m in 2018.

For 2024, the average franchise value is $1.91bn. So, IF that's the ballpark figure for expansion fees, and IF the league plans to announce expansion in June, I could see the asking price at $2bn per franchise. It sounds high, but if it's Fertitta, he's gotta know that number isn't coming down, and thus needs to shit or get off the pot.