NHL Makes Expansion Official - Texas Is the Target

The NHL has officially begun evaluating Houston and Austin as potential homes for franchise number 33, marking the league's most concrete expansion move in years. This isn't exploratory chatter anymore - the league is doing the real work of assessing markets, infrastructure, and ownership groups. The decision to focus on Texas specifically tells you everything about where the NHL sees its growth opportunities, and it could reshape the entire competitive balance of the league within five years.