The MOST LIKELY Future Expansion Cities For The NHL

Flames would relocate to Atlanta Georgia and they would return to the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League as the Atlanta Flames while the Hurricanes would relocate to Portland, Oregon where they would be the Portland Pirates and would move to the Pacific Division of the NHL's Western Conference and the NHL would bring the Houston Areos, Calgary Cowboys to the National Hockey League as new expansion NHL Teams that would play in the Western Conference as former original WHA teams, the revived Calgary Cowboys would play in the Pacific Division with the relocated Portland Pirates and the Houston Areos would play in the Central Division with the relocated Minnesota North Stars and Milwaukee Wild and a new NHL Expansion team Dallas Broncos

On June 24, Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler, Connecticut Sports & Entertainment Group, Phoenix Suns majority owners Mat and Justin Ishbia, and Quebecor will pay an expansion fee of $2 billion each to award 4 expansion teams to Atlanta, Hartford, Phoenix, and Quebec City for the 2027-28 NHL season, on September 24, the new Hartford expansion team will again be known as the Hartford Whalers, who will play at the PeoplesBank Arena in the 2027-28 NHL season, on November 10, the new Atlanta expansion team will again be known as the Atlanta Thrashers, who will play at State Farm Arena in the 2027-28 NHL season, on November 24, the new Phoenix expansion team will again be known as the Arizona Coyotes, who will play at the Mortgage Matchup Center in the 2027-28 NHL season, on December 3, John P. McConnell, Nationwide, Ron Pizzuti, and the Crane and Wolfe families will sell the Columbus Blue Jackets to RDV Sports for $1.88 billion, on December 10, the new Quebec City expansion team will again be known as the Quebec Nordiques, who will play at Centre Videotron in the 2027-28 NHL season, on January 7, 2027, the NHL Board of Governors will approve the sale of the Blue Jackets to RDV Sports in a unanimous vote, on March 25, 2027, the NHL and RDV Sports will announce that the Blue Jackets will relocate to Orlando to become the Orlando Cosmos and play at Kia Center in the 2027-28 NHL season, on April 12, 2027, San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises will sell the San Jose Sharks to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for $1.92 billion, including a relocation fee of $2 billion to relocate the Sharks to Houston for the 2027-28 NHL season, and on April 15, 2027, the NHL Board of Governors will unanimously approve the sale and relocation of the Sharks to Houston, so after 35 seasons in the Bay Area (2 in Daly City, 33 in San Jose), the Sharks will relocate to Houston to become the Houston Outlaws and play at Toyota Center in the 2027-28 NHL season, so here’s what all 36 NHL teams will look like for the 2027-28 NHL season:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Hartford Whalers
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Northeast Division
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Quebec Nordiques
Toronto Maple Leafs
Southeast Division
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Orlando Cosmos
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
Western Conference
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Houston Outlaws
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Northwest Division
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Seattle Kraken
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
Utah Mammoth
Vegas Golden Knights

The only way Bettman would let a team go to Toronto, is to see if he can kill the Leafs. He hates Canada and the Leafs most of all. There will never be another team in Canada. If he thought he could get away with it he would get rid of all the Canadian teams. There will never be another team from Canada win the cup. Bettman will see to that. As for a team to Atlanta, it seems like this is the 65 time. I know it is only 3 so far but this is too many.

Quebec is a natural there in

KC had a team no go, out of this race

Hamilton is out it is halfway between Toronto and Buffalo the new owner would have to PAY BOTH TEAMS TERRITORY RIGHTS, that would be a big nut to swallow entrance fee to NHL is huge, so there out

Atlanta is a joke have had two teams already can’t support hockey good for a few years then nothing, easy way for NHL to get money

Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix & Quebec.

Atlanta again?? Fool me once, shame on you....Fool me twice, shame on me. But a third time? Do you know what you're even doing?? Population and market size do not directly correlate to a team's success.

No idea what you are talking about. If there were to be an expansion into the Toronto area, it would be Hamilton the other Canadian location would be .Quebec City

I say they GET RID of the Seattle Kraken ONCE AND FOR ALL & move them somewhere where I will not have to let down my teams from their network while I am still stuck LIVING IN THAT STUPID NORTHWEST. And it is a DISGRACE because of those STUPID LOCAL BLACKOUT RESTRICTIONS! I am having to LET DOWN MY COLORADO AVALANCHE FROM THEIR NETWORK THEIR FINAL GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON. We should have those Sports Packages including NHL Center Ice continue & have there be NO SUCH THING AS LOCAL BLACKOUT RESTRICTIONS. Local Blackout Restrictions ARE ABSOLUTELY STUPID.

I can see maple leafs leaving Toronto someday for Hamilton Not a pipe dream.

Saskatchewan deserves a team

Atlanta has had 2 chances already. Houston and Kansas City deserve it more than anyone. Especially Houston.

Halifax Regina Hamilton Kelowna London st.johns Moncton Quebec City

The best way to get a team in Quebec City...
1. Expand to Atlanta
2. Wait

Q. Why doesn't the NHL put a team in Hamilton?
A. Then Toronto would want one too.

Hamilton Ontario

Quebec City best option for NHL.

The NHL needs less, not more teams. 10 teams in each conference, that's it. It will always be a distant 4th in the US and will never grow the game

Would be nice for Toronto to have a NHL team. 🤷🤷

It's a bad idea. If the NHL keeps doing it, especially in the non-traditional markets the league is heading for collapse.

Maybe not today or tomorrow. It will be like a roller coaster where it reaches its peak and then dives. When that happens, it will be nothing like it's former glory.

Expansion is getting crazy, like where the hell is Utah?

Saskatoons

I would love to not drive 6-8 hours to go to a NHL game in Atlanta, but other cities getting franchises wouldn’t upset me. The Gladiators here are hit or miss with attendance, but Rock Lobsters in Athens seem to be thriving early on.

Hamilton needs its team back! It already has had an NHL-class venue since the mid 80's in anticipation of a team that's never arrived... so far. And its now been given a head to toe makeover to meet modern standards as well! Quebec City, Portland and Milwaukee would be my choices to round out expansion... NEVER Houston or Atlanta. Sorry. Hockey in the Confederacy will never take off unless we enter a new ice age...

Ridiculous!

Unfortunately,
Expansion will happen in the cities that have the most opportunity to grow revenue.
(Not cannibalize current revenue)
As a Toronto fan, that means no chance of a second team here

I know New Orleans might be a longshot but it would be cool to see hockey return to the Cresent City. We used to have the New Orleans Brass in the ECHL until 2002 and I saw a couple games in my childhood.

I’m hoping for Atlanta to get an expansion team because it’s failed. There’s so many times before and all the times that that fails a Canadian city ends up gay team. I think people in Quebec should hope for Atlanta to get an NHL team so when it failed more likely Quebec will end up getting a team. But obviously this is not for sure. Who knows. Maybe this time it was working in Atlanta, but I doubt it.

Hartford and Quebec

No more expansion, please! It waters down the talent!

The narrative around Atlanta reminds me of how LA was once thought of as a no go for the NFL after 1995.

Houston is not a hockey city. Leave it off the list

Montreal should get a 2nd team before Quebec City and Kansas City

Toronto would watch both teams!

Markham Scarborough border!

Hamilton, Hartford, Quebec City and Portland.

I think the best cities for the league would be Quebec City and Houston.
After those two, any 4 of these 5 cities:
Portland, Kansas City, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis.
Thhen go back to Atlanta, and Phoenix to settle at 40 teams.
Any team that comes in must have its arena in the downtown core, not 40 miles away where the fans won't show up.

Quebec sould be No. 1

Put a team in Mississauga we have the population

Nobody cares about hockey in Atlanta hockey in Atlanta is a black hole. It failed twice already.

Quebec city!

I think the nhl has enough teams.