Arena upgrades may have revealed the next NHL expansion city.
Reports coming out of a major U.S. market appear to indicate it could be the next NHL city.
We are all expecting that the National Hockey League will continue to look to expand its reach by adding more and more expansion teams as time wears on, and the league's hand may have been tipped today.
Our first indication that something was up came courtesy of Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle on Saturday, who reported that the Toyota Center in Houston was currently undergoing a massive renovation estimated to cost somewhere around $30 million. Of course that in and of itself wasn't enough to lead us to believe an NHL team was headed to Houston, despite the years of rumors that have floated around that city, but there's more.
NHL insider Chris Johnston is now also covering this story and has provided an additional detail that has now led to rampant speculation regarding the future of the NHL in the city of Houston. According to Johnston, included in that $30 million for renovations will be "the installation of ice-making equipment that will ensure the building can ultimately be NHL-ready."
The NHL expanding with a team in the city of Houston has been a rumor that has floated around the league for several years now, but those rumors have gained considerable steam with the news breaking this weekend.
It's too early to call this much more than a rumor at this time, but this is a developing story you will definitely want to keep your eyes on.
