NHL Not in 'Expansion Mode' amid Atlanta, Houston, Quebec City Interest, Bettman Says

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman ruled out expansion for the time being despite the league receiving interest from a few different candidates.

"We're not in an expansion mode right now," he told reporters Wednesday. "There continues to be a number of people, entities and cities expressing interest in having an NHL franchise where they don't have one, places like Atlanta, like Houston, like Quebec City."

Still, Bettman explained that expansion is not "anywhere close to the front burner for us."

The comments echo exactly what he said in January when asked about a possible team in Quebec City.

Still, hockey fans will recall how Bettman has offered similar sentiments toward expansion in the past, only for the NHL to admit new teams not too long into the future.

In December 2015, he was vague on when or if expansion would happen, and Las Vegas was formally awarded a franchise the following June. In November 2017, Bettman cautioned the NHL was "very careful" and "very cautious" when it came to expansion. Seattle's bid was formally approved in December 2018.

Any league, even one as entrenched historically as the NHL, has to be deliberate when it comes to expansion. Adding too many teams within too short a time frame or moving to the wrong market can cause serious headaches and negatively impact the bottom line.

The NHL might be particularly cautious about Atlanta after having twice tried putting a franchise in the city. Most recently, the Atlanta Thrashers made it 11 seasons before relocating and bringing the Winnipeg Jets back from the dead.

In general, Bettman is pretty emphatic on where he and league officials stand on expansion. Give it a few months, though, and he might be changing his tune.