The NHL is reportedly considering one of two major Texas cities for its next round of expansion

The NHL's past circular of enlargement — which included the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, and, if you privation to get technical, Utah Mammoth — has been thing abbreviated of a success, truthful wherefore not spell from 32 teams to 33 oregon possibly more?

Well, according to a study from ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the NHL is gearing up to commencement its adjacent enlargement process with 2 Lone Star State options: Austin and Houston.

Kaplan reported that this was discussed astatine the league's committee of governors gathering connected Tuesday successful New York City, and it shows wherever the league's caput mightiness beryllium erstwhile it comes to wherever they'd similar to spell next.

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The NHL is reportedly eyeing Houston oregon Austin for its adjacent enlargement team. (iStock)

Atlanta (yes, for a 3rd time) has emerged arsenic a imaginable enlargement destination, and a instrumentality to Arizona has besides been floated successful the past. Of course, Quebec City is ever portion of the conversation, and the thought of a 2nd squad successful the Toronto marketplace continues to make interest.

But according to Kaplan's report, the league is zeroing successful connected Texas, a elephantine authorities location to conscionable 1 squad arsenic it stands, the Dallas Stars.

The American Hockey League's Texas Stars presently play successful an Austin suburb. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/Getty Images)

Both cities person immoderate hockey history. Austin has been location to insignificant league teams, including the existent Texas Stars, Dallas' AHL affiliate, who play successful 1 of the city's suburbs.

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As for Houston, it has been location to a fewer antithetic iterations of the Houston Aeros, with the astir notable being the World Hockey Association mentation successful the 1970s, which astatine 1 constituent featured Gordie Howe.

Gordie, Marty, and Mark Howe played for the WHA's Houston Aeros successful the 1970s. (Bettmann / Contributor)

Of course, determination are a ton of factors that spell into enlargement — including uncovering idiosyncratic who tin pony up the rumored $2 cardinal enlargement interest — but the markets themselves contiguous 2 precise antithetic opportunities.

Austin is the biggest marketplace successful the state without a squad successful 1 of the 4 large North American leagues. The NHL would person a accidental to beryllium the first, and that was a strategy that worked retired good successful Las Vegas.

Of course, it besides didn't wounded that the Golden Knights person been competitory each play since they entered the league.

But, connected the different hand, Houston is 1 of the biggest markets the NHL is not a portion of. Sure, Houston is simply a monolithic TV market, but they would besides beryllium trying to vie for fans' attraction and wealth with established organizations successful the Astros, Rockets and Texans.

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Who knows which 1 it volition be, oregon whether they yet crook to different destination.

Whatever the case, it seems the NHL is getting superior astir expansion.