The Athletic conducted an anonymous survey of 161 NHL players from September 27 through November 10, 2024. It asked players which city they would prefer for an NHL expansion team. 175 votes were cast, and nearly 1/3 of the ballots selected one city.
Houston was the top choice garnering 54 votes. This seems an obvious answer since Houston is the most populated city in Texas, and all other professional sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, MLS) have teams headquartered in Houston. The other prominent sports league, the WNBA, had a team, the Houston Comets, from 1997-2008. Given the current appetite for WNBA play and expansion, Houston could get a team again.
Houston has not had any hockey since the AHL Aeros moved to Des Moines, Iowa over a decade ago. The idea of bringing the NHL to Houston has been debated for 30 years but surprisingly has never come to fruition. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has lobbied for an NHL team since he bought the Rockets in 2017.
It seems the obvious choice, but it remains to be seen if it will happen.
Which Other Cities Were Selected By NHL Players?
Quebec City finished in second with 47 votes. Seven of the current 32 teams are Canadian-based. Like Houston, Quebec has been a potential expansion destination for some time. Most recently, a bid to bring the NHL back to Quebec was deferred in 2016 when the Vegas Golden Knights were established. Quebec was the home to the Nordiques from 1972 to 1995 before the team relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche. The Seattle Kracken and Utah Hockey Club have since received expansion teams who began playing in the NHL in 2021 and 2024 respectively.
Arizona and Atlanta were the third and fourth most popular choices. The Arizona Coyotes are inactive as the team moved operations to Utah for this season. The Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg to become the Jets for the 2011 season.
