NHL on the verge of approving expansion: two cities emerge as favorites

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Axel Williams
September 19, 2024 (2:08 PM)

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NHL expansion is one of those topics that can be quite polarizing for fans as some believe the league made a big mistake by going to 32 teams.

The only other major sports league in North America with that many teams is the NFL, and that is the biggest league on the planet. The NHL is far from having the same popularity as the NFL, the NBA, and even Major League Baseball. However, it has more teams than two of those leagues and is even considering an expansion to 34 franchises.

According to reporter Andy Strickland, it has actually just been revealed that the league's owners are meeting soon with the intention of approving expansion efforts.

As previously reported, the two cities being targeted remain the same. Houston and Atlanta are the two most likely options. Atlanta has tried twice before and both franchises have had to relocate to Canada. Meanwhile, Houston would create a second market in Texas that has been left untapped despite the success of the Stars.

These cities will be controversial as yet again, it is Gary Bettman going down south. However, you have to appreciate the NHL trying to expand its horizons and create fans all across the United States.

Should the NHL go through with more expansion? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.