NHL's Bill Daly Reveals Timeline for Texas Expansion Team to Debut amid Ongoing Talks

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly divulged that the league could be ready to announce the location of its next expansion franchise by the end of 2026, which would allow the team to officially join the NHL by 2029.

Speaking during the NHL's European Media Tour, Daly told reporters, "We're moving forward in Texas. I expect ultimately we'll be in a position to bring something to the board to get their view on it. So, that's proceeding at a pace. We'll probably get together with the group again in September and kind of see where they are in the process and what they want us to do to help, to the extent they need anything. If we finalize that and the board approves it, then [at the] end of this calendar year we'll have an announcement that we're expanding to either Houston or Austin."

Per Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Houston-based billionaire Dan Friedkin has already committed to purchasing an NHL expansion team for $2 billion with an eye toward putting the team in Houston or Austin.

Daly noted that Friedkin and his ownership group are "projecting the ability to start play in 2029-30" in either Houston or Austin.

That would mark the NHL's 33rd franchise, and if it comes to fruition, then the plan is for another expansion team to be added as well in order to get to 34 teams.

The location of that potential franchise is less certain, but Daly told reporters, "We have ongoing discussions both with people in the Phoenix marketplace, but also Atlanta, and then we'll see what comes of those discussions."

Texas has been home to an NHL franchise since 1993 when the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and became the Stars.

Houston is among the most populous cities in the United States, and it boasts franchises in the NFL, NBA and MLB.

Although Houston has never had an NHL team, it did have a popular World Hockey Association team called the Houston Aeros from 1972 to 1978.

Austin had an estimated population of just over one million people as of July 2025, according to the United States Census Bureau. That makes it the most populated U.S. city without a team in only of the four major professional sports leagues.

Beginning play in 2021, Austin does have an MLS club called Austin FC, though, and the team is averaging over 20,000 fans per match this season, according to Transfermarkt.