Tilman Fertitta Wants An NHL Team In Houston

Tilman Fertitta Wants An NHL Team In Houston

There appears to be a bidding war for when the Coyotes eventually leave Arizona. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has already come out and said he wants a team in Salt Lake City. Now the Rockets owner is doing the same. Tilman Fertitta really wants an NHL team in Houston.

VIA Bloomberg (subscription required):

“We are talking to the NHL, but it’s got to be good for both of us… We just know that when there’s a concert downtown, how it activates downtown, we know what the Astros do for downtown, we know what even soccer does for downtown.”

Fertitta doesn’t even need a real sales pitch for this one. Of course, Houston makes sense as an expansion team. The city has held an NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS team since 2005. Houston is also the fourth largest city in the country in terms of population.

The arena wouldn’t be an issue either. The NHL team could just play where the Rockets already do. The Toyota Center is really nice and is a ready-made venue to start hosting games right away. Playing at Arizona State is obviously one of the biggest hurdles for the Coyotes right now. Something that wouldn’t be a problem in Houston.

Is the NHL moving back to Atlanta?

Feel free to comment below on this one. Do you think Houston should be a priority if and when the NHL expands? If not, which city in North America do you consider to be a better fit? Let’s hear from you on this one.

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