Bill Daly unveils the NHL's next expansion team and when we can expect to see it.

The National Hockey League's Deputy Commissioner has just broken up the quiet of the summer with some huge news regarding the future of the NHL.

During the NHL's European Media Tour, Daly revealed that the NHL would in fact be moving a second franchise to the state of Texas and going into business with The Friedkin Group. The Friedkin Group will become the owners of a new franchise in either Houston or Austin, which of those cities will inherit a new team has yet to be finalized.

"They’re projecting the ability to start play in 2029-30," said Daly as per The Athletic. "So we will have one down and potentially one to go. We have ongoing discussions both with people in the Phoenix marketplace, but also Atlanta, and then we’ll see what comes of those discussions."

Having a new NHL franchise up and running in the span of just 3 years would be an impressive accomplishment but after investing $2 billion towards the project in the form of an NHL expansion fee, The Friedkin Group is very much committed to becoming the 33rd or 34th NHL franchise.

Becoming the second team in the state of Texas could easily fuel a natural rivalry with the already established Dallas Stars, something that we have seen across several American states and Canadian provinces in the NHL already. Some of the fiercest rivalries in the league have been between intrastate rivals like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers or interprovincial rivals like the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, famously named the Battle of Alberta.

Once the city has been finalized the only question left to ask will be, what should they be called?