NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman greets fans to start the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft in June 2025.
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
Austin is undoubtedly a sports town, despite its lack of a “Big Four” pro league team. And that could soon change.
The NHL announced last week that it’s looking to expand its footprint in Texas with a team in Austin or Houston. The Dallas Stars are currently the only Texas NHL team, and another in the Lone Star State would be the league’s 33rd.
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The NHL Board of Governors said it will start a six-month process to evaluate an expansion in either city.
“The NHL entered into agreement with the Friedkin family to explore how feasible it would be for the family to make the nearly $3.5 billion investment,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
Who is the Friedkin family?
Bettman identified the Friedkin family as prospective owners for a new Texas hockey team.
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Talks began two years ago with — Dan Friedkin, CEO of The Friedkin Group — about a Houston team, but over time, Austin was also added for consideration.
The Friedkin Group is based in Houston and owns companies in a variety of industries, from automotive and entertainment to hospitality and sports.
They currently own two professional soccer teams: AS Roma, based in Rome, and Everton FC, based in Liverpool.
“Selecting a new market for an NHL franchise is a special and important responsibility, and we are grateful to the League for their faith in us and their support,” Pursuit Sports said in a statement. Pursuit Sports is the Friedkin Group arm dedicated to its pro sports teams.
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What’s next in the process?
Over the the next six months, the NHL will determine the feasibility of adding a team in Texas. Then, the board will take a vote.
“Both cities will require a new arena. It may be more feasible in one place than the other, and as we dig a little deeper and do the due diligence, we’ll figure out which makes the most sense,” Bettman said.
An NHL team would be the final “Big Four” pro league in Houston, already home to NFL, NBA and MLB teams.
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A new NHL team in Austin or Houston would be located be more than 150 miles from the Dallas Stars — a requirement under article 4 of the NHL constitution.
How have NHL expansion teams performed in their first years?
In the last 10 years, a few new NHL teams have launched.
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The Las Vegas Golden Knights first played in 2017 and set the standard for what an expansion team could do in year-one by advancing to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Washington Capitals. Golden Knights Bill Foley paid the league $500 million for the expansion.
A few years later in the fall of 2021, the Seattle Kraken emerged from the Pacific Northwest, paying a $650 million expansion fee. Even though the Kraken finished the season 27-49, they made it to the second round of the NHL Playoffs in their sophomore season. They haven’t been back since.
Two years ago, the Arizona Coyote’s migrated east to Salt Lake City to become the Utah Hockey Club, which played its first game in October 2024. The rebranded to become the Utah Mammoth in 2025.
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