Houston Mayor Supports NHL Expansion Plans: 'We'll Be There' Houston Mayor John Whitmire has expressed strong support for the possibility of his city hosting an NHL expansion team, emphasizing the city’s readiness to secure the 33rd franchise for the league. Whitmire, speaking to The Sporting News, stated that Houston is prepared to take all necessary steps to attract the new team, positioning the city as a more viable option than Austin. “We’re ready. In fact, we’re talking to multiple parties that are interested… So when we get a proposal, if the city can do something to a system, we’ll be there,” he said. Whitmire also asserted that Houston would be a better location than Austin, despite acknowledging Austin’s strengths as a city. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced in June that the league and The Friedkin Group would undertake a six-month evaluation process to determine whether Houston or Austin would be the better fit for a new franchise. Bettman noted that both cities would require new arenas, with the feasibility of each location being a key factor in the decision. “That’s part of the process is to determine what would be best, both for the league and for Dan Friedkin and family,” Bettman explained. The Friedkin Group, which owns the Houston Dynamo and the NRG Stadium, is expected to bear the majority of the costs associated with the expansion, including the construction of a new arena and the expansion fee, which Bettman estimated at $3.5 billion. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly provided further details on the timeline, revealing that the NHL aims to finalize a deal for the new franchise by December 2024, with the team set to begin play in the 2029-30 season. “We have agreed on the framework of a transaction, and we’re all working to get toward that,” Daly said during the NHL media tour in Munich.#nhl #john_whitmire #houston_mayor #gary_bettman #the_friedkin_group
