Gary Bettman Sounds Off on Upcoming NHL Expansion & Towns

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has refuted recent reports suggesting the league is preparing for imminent expansion to 33 or 34 teams in the near future.

Speaking to the Toronto Star on Monday, Bettman was clear in his message. “Everything that’s been written in the last week is categorically wrong,” Bettman told the Star.

Despite ongoing rumors about potential new franchises in cities like Atlanta and Houston, the two favorites to land a new hockey team, Bettman insisted that no formal expansion process is currently underway.

“We’re not going through an expansion process,” he said. “Other than updating the board on Oct. 1 as to places that have expressed an interest, there’s nothing else that’s going to be done on expansion.”

Bettman didn't acknowledge that Atlanta and Houston, both having shown interest in hosting NHL teams, are leading any sort of race to land a team.

The commissioner was adamant that no action had been taken beyond gauging interest, labeling any reports to the contrary as “speculation” from people not in the know.

“Everything was either speculation, or I don’t know what to call it, but it had no basis in fact,” Bettman said.

The NHL has seen significant growth during Bettman’s tenure, expanding from 24 to 32 teams since he became commissioner in 1993.

Recent expansion teams, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken, paid entry fees of $500 million and $650 million respectively, while franchise valuations continue to rise.

Despite this, Bettman emphasized that there is no immediate plan to add more teams.

Related: Report: NHL Expansion Leaning Toward 1 Southern American City