After claiming NHL expansion in the cards, Gary Bettman has meeting with billionaire to bring NHL to new market
Only weeks after Gary Bettman and the NHL made it clear the league had no immediate interest in expansion, Gary Bettman appears to be proving otherwise. According to hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, Gary Bettman has taken major steps to speak with a potential owner in regards to a market fans likely haven't even considered before.
Friedman shared the following information this week.
Salt Lake City hosted the excellent 2002 Winter Olympics and is considered the favourite to do it again in 2030. That could lead to new facilities, including a future home for the NBA team and an NHL brother.
Ryan Smith, the owner of the Jazz has a net worth of nearly 2 billion dollars and is the exact type of person the NHL is looking to get into partnership with. A new facility in Utah could certainly intrigue the NHL enough to look at this market.
Historically the teams connected to expansion have been Quebec City, Kansas City, Houston and recently Atlanta. Throwing Salt Lake City into the mix could certainly give the NHL options as they look to expand eventually to 34 teams. With the success of both the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken, it's easy to see why the league is looking at all options.
If recent news is true, the NHL could also be looking for a new home for the Arizona Coyotes if they continue to lose out on a potential Tempe Arena deal.
| POLL | ||
Where would you like to see the NHL expand most? | ||
| Quebec City | 65 | 69.1 % |
| Houston | 11 | 11.7 % |
| Salt Lake City | 14 | 14.9 % |
| Somewhere else | 4 | 4.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
