Bill Daly's latest NHL expansion comments won't please Canadian fans as agreement is in place
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bill Daly says a Texas franchise is trending in the right direction while Canadian expansion interest stays limited outside Quebec City's ownership search.
The NHL's road to a 33rd franchise is starting to look a lot more like Texas than Toronto or Quebec.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with reporters this week and made it clear that momentum is building for a franchise based in the Lone Star State, with talks progressing steadily behind the scenes.
Houston has emerged as the clear frontrunner over Austin, and Daly indicated the two sides have already agreed on the framework of a transaction.
The goal now is locking in definitive agreements by December, with the new franchise potentially hitting the ice as early as the 2029-30 season.
It is a timeline that would make this one of the more fast tracked expansions in recent league history.
What about Canada
So where does that leave hockey crazed cities north of the border?
According to Daly, not exactly first in line.
He explained that ownership interest in Canada right now simply does not compare to what the league is seeing from certain American markets.
"I'd say the interest in terms of owning and operating a franchise in Canada is less vibrant than it is for some markets in the United States."
- Bill Daly
- Bill Daly
He went further, noting that genuine, bona fide interest from Canadian cities looking to land a franchise is fairly low at the moment, largely because the NHL already has a presence in most of the country's major markets.
"With respect to other expansion interests in Canada, kind of bona fide interest from real cities, is fairly low. I think we're in most of the big cities in Canada already.”
- Bill Daly
- Bill Daly
Quebec City remains a wild card
Quebec City is still the name that keeps coming up whenever Canadian expansion gets mentioned.
Daly acknowledged the city's arena is top notch and that the passion for hockey there is undeniable, but the missing piece continues to be a committed ownership group willing to step up and buy in.
Until that changes, Quebec City stays on the outside looking in, even as Texas edges closer to becoming the NHL's next new home.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Maple Leafs reportedly place veteran defenceman on trade block with three teams linked
Maple Leafs reportedly place veteran defenceman on trade block with three teams linked