NHL expansion into Texas looked like a done deal, and now Elliotte Friedman isn't so sure.
The next Board of Governors meeting is in December. Friedman said he "thought for sure we'd see one major vote" there, on expansion.
That's changed. "I'm not sure now; there was more pushback than I'd thought," he said on Sportsnet.
His bottom line was blunt. "It looked like an absolute certainty. Not anymore."
Friedman didn't detail where the pushback is coming from. That's the question everyone around the league will be chasing now.
Texas already has the Dallas Stars, so a second team would create an in-state rivalry. That's part of the appeal, and possibly part of the concern too.
The market in question is Houston, the largest city in Texas and still without an NHL team.
It has been floated as an expansion target for years, which is why this sudden pushback lands as such a surprise.
December's Board of Governors meeting just got more interesting
Expansion decisions shape the league for decades. Ownership groups, arenas, markets and the expansion fee all factor into how owners vote.
When a vote that looked certain suddenly isn't, it usually means someone in the room wants more answers.
-
Friedman's wording matters too. A reporter doesn't walk back a call this clearly unless he's hearing doubts from people close to the vote.
Pushback is healthy. Adding a team is permanent, and owners should be sure about the market and the money before they rubber-stamp anything.
Rushing expansion is like signing a 30-year mortgage after one open house.
For the Stars, a second Texas team would mean new competition for fans and attention in the state. Jim Nill would be watching that vote as closely as anyone.
December will tell the story. If the vote slips, Texas fans will be waiting a while longer, and the league will have plenty of explaining to do.
Should the NHL add a second team in Texas?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Auston Matthews destroys golf course property and gets caught in embarrassing scene
