Shocking decision revealed by NHL Board of Governors regarding expansion
The topic of NHL expansion has resurfaced over the past couple of weeks but earlier today during the NHL Board of Governors meeting the group have made a shocking decision.
They have chosen not to vote on expansion for 2025-2026. This was according to Elliot freeman of the 32 thoughts podcast as he tweeted out, but the decision was made, and that the salary cap will likely be rising to $92.5 million next year.
Several NHL pundits and reporters have discussed expansion as there seemed to be an appetite to grow the league to a 36 league over the coming years. Former NHL goaltender and NHL analyst Kevin Weekes insisted that the NHL would like to grow between 34 and 36 teams and that it was a virtual lock to come up sooner rather than later.
Other NHL reporters such as Andy Strickland have stated locations within the United States as potential landing spots for new teams which includes Houston TX and Atlanta GA. Houston would make sense as it's one of the largest TV markets in the United States and it seems odd that the NHL would like to come back to Atlanta for a third time.
After a disastrous string of expansion teams in the 90s where there was no chance of competing for a Stanley Cup let alone a playoff spot for many years, the NHL learned their lessons and have now made expansion a lucrative business as the league continues to push up it's value of the expansion fee, let alone the cost of running a team.
With the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in less than six years of existence, the Seattle Kraken making the playoffs in their second year of operations and the developing story out of Salt Lake City after the Arizona Coyotes were relocated to Utah, perspective owners feel that this could be a gold mine for their businesses and for the city that could support a team.
Time will tell if this comes back to life in their next meeting but for the foreseeable future the NHL will remain at 32 teams.
Source: HockeyFeed
NHL Board of Governors rules on expansion in 2025-26
| POLL | ||
Should the NHL expand to 36 teams ? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 27 % |
| No | 65 | 73 % |
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