What's Going With Houston and the NHL?

[rkhum]

It seems Houston is on the brink of being passed over again with Salt Lake City getting the Coyotes, Phoenix getting first dibs on an expansion with Atlanta getting constant mention.

1. Why was Houston never a serious consideration for the Coyotes rather than small market Salt Lake City?
2. With Phoenix having 1st rights and the Atlanta buzz, why is Houston being disregarded?

I thought the NHL really wanted to be in Houston, it's the largest market without hockey. The state is growing, Dallas want them and they have some history with the Aeros and Gordie.

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[tucker3434]

Houston’s only problem is Houston. If they have an owner and an arena, the NHL will be there.

 

[Cas]

Because there was a man in Utah who was willing to pay over a billion dollars to get a team to put in Utah immediately.

 

[nturn06]

It seems Houston is on the brink of being passed over again with Salt Lake City getting the Coyotes, Phoenix getting first dibs on an expansion with Atlanta getting constant mention.

1. Why was Houston never a serious consideration for the Coyotes rather than small market Salt Lake City?
2. With Phoenix having 1st rights and the Atlanta buzz, why is Houston being disregarded?

I thought the NHL really wanted to be in Houston, it's the largest market without hockey. The state is growing, Dallas want them and they have some history with the Aeros and Gordie.

They were probably not willing to pay 1.2 billion dollars for that gong-show, a.k.a. coyotes.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

The potentially interested party, Rockets owner Fertitta, didn’t seem to be willing to pay as much as Jazz owner Smith.

All there really is to it.

 

[These Are The Days]

Easy. Utah owner was willing to pay up a cool billion. Houston owner said "that's a naw for me dawg. But I still want a team"

You want a team in Utah? That's how you get a team in Utah

 

[TheKingPin]

Atl and Houston met with the NHL regarding Arz

 

[Bondurant]

Find an owner with a caravan of Brinks trucks and you'll get a team.

 

[ViD]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2024/04/15/nhl-arizona-coyotes-sale-move-fertitta-houston.amp.html

 

[BrokenFace]

My guess, Flames go to Houston, Jets go Calgary, Alex Meruelo buys the Utah team and relocates it back to Phoenix, Ryan Smith buys an expansion team in Tempe, but the NHL can't charge him an expansion fee of more than $1 billion because of the deal they previously had with Meruelo buying back in, and somehow no one technically owns the history/intellectual property of the Arizona Coyotes.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

My guess, Flames go to Houston, Jets go Calgary, Alex Meruelo buys the Utah team and relocates it back to Phoenix, Ryan Smith buys an expansion team in Tempe, but the NHL can't charge him an expansion fee of more than $1 billion because of the deal they previously had with Meruelo buying back in, and somehow no one technically owns the history/intellectual property of the Arizona Coyotes.

 

[rkhum]

Does Houston want a team?

 

[Maple Leaf]

Can you make ice in Houston?

 

[LOFIN]

Winnipeg will eventually relocate to Houston

 

[ViD]

Does Houston want a team?

Yes

 

[StreetHawk]

Does Houston want a team?

City and fans probably yes. NBA owner Fertitia does but only at a price he wants. He felt seattles $650 mill was too high.

Houston has an nhl arena. But that is the reality of being second to a market. NBA team holds the arena management agreement so that basically locks out anyone else who wants a team in the building. Currently no nhl team with a different owner than nba team, plays in an arena where the nba team owns the arena or has the arena management agreement.

Fertitia has to pay the price the nhl wants otherwise he doesn’t get a team. Conversely, if the nhl wants to be in Houston it has to be Fertitia to own it.

 

[sxvnert]

Houston will get it in the next few rounds. I expect expansion to 36 within the next decade.

 

[LOFIN]

City and fans probably yes. NBA owner Fertitia does but only at a price he wants. He felt seattles $650 mill was too high.

Houston has an nhl arena. But that is the reality of being second to a market. NBA team holds the arena management agreement so that basically locks out anyone else who wants a team in the building. Currently no nhl team with a different owner than nba team, plays in an arena where the nba team owns the arena or has the arena management agreement.

Fertitia has to pay the price the nhl wants otherwise he doesn’t get a team. Conversely, if the nhl wants to be in Houston it has to be Fertitia to own it.

So, it makes sense that Houston gets a team via expansion for cheaper than what an expansion team would cost. Sooo... Winnipeg?

 

[GKJ]

It seems Houston is on the brink of being passed over again with Salt Lake City getting the Coyotes, Phoenix getting first dibs on an expansion with Atlanta getting constant mention.

1. Why was Houston never a serious consideration for the Coyotes rather than small market Salt Lake City?
2. With Phoenix having 1st rights and the Atlanta buzz, why is Houston being disregarded?

I thought the NHL really wanted to be in Houston, it's the largest market without hockey. The state is growing, Dallas want them and they have some history with the Aeros and Gordie.

Fertitta doesn’t want to do it unless he thinks he has to, which is to say he only wants to if there is a threat to the empire. Elliotte Friedman said on Monday he thinks there’s a second Houston group. But the bottom line is that the league doesn’t think anyone there is serious enough yet. Fertitta has only recently seemed to get serious, and plus does he want to own a team (and get a new building?) or does he simply just want to stop someone else from doing so? If the question lies in the latter, you already have your answer.

They’ve known about Ryan Smith and as we just saw is a pretty engaging person and enjoys the challenges he takes on. Timing is everything, and he had it.

 

[StreetHawk]

So, it makes sense that Houston gets a team via expansion for cheaper than what an expansion team would cost. Sooo... Winnipeg?

Nope. Because the nhl wants to maintain their valuations. TB sold at a $1.4 billion valuation. Sounds like Utah ends up all at around $1.2 bill.

 

[StreetHawk]

Fertitta doesn’t want to do it unless he thinks he has to, which is to say he only wants to if there is a threat to the empire. Elliotte Friedman said on Monday he thinks there’s a second Houston group. But the bottom line is that the league doesn’t think anyone there is serious enough yet. Fertitta has only recently seemed to get serious, and plus does he want to own a team (and get a new building?) or does he simply just want to stop someone else from doing so? If the question lies in the latter, you already have your answer.

They’ve known about Ryan Smith and as we just saw is a pretty engaging person and enjoys the challenges he takes on. Timing is everything, and he had it.

Toyota Center is only around 20 years old. So long as the square footage is there it will be around for a while but with a major renovation.

 

[GKJ]

Toyota Center is only around 20 years old. So long as the square footage is there it will be around for a while but with a major renovation.

Doesn’t mean they don’t want new buildings. Some places just feel better about new things. Look at Atlanta and them getting a new stadium when Georgia Dome was only like 20 years old.

 

[LOFIN]

Nope. Because the nhl wants to maintain their valuations. TB sold at a $1.4 billion valuation. Sounds like Utah ends up all at around $1.2 bill.

It's not the same market though. The potential of making so much more money via Houston could offset the price.

 

[ViD]

Can you make ice in Houston?

You never heard of Houston Aeros ?

 

[NVious]

If the Leafs don't win this year, that could be a good place to put them.