The NHL Could Reportedly Announce Two Expansion Teams, with Two Cities Prioritized Over the Nordiques
Now that 2025 is well underway, it's always interesting to look at what's ahead, both in the hockey world and for the NHL.
During a recent appearance on BPM Sports, TVA Sports journalist Renaud Lavoie stated that several decisions will be made by NHL executives, and there are three major points to watch in 2025.
Three Key Issues to Watch in the NHL and for Gary Bettman in 2025, Including a possible expansion
These include the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement, league expansion, and hockey broadcast rights in Canada.
The latter issue has been a hot topic of discussion, particularly with the arrival of a major player like Amazon Prime. Many hockey fans are concerned about the future of game broadcasts on traditional television.
However, Lavoie was reassuring regarding hockey on TV.
We expect TSN to get some games, RDS to get some, TVA Sports as well, and Sportsnet too. But what about streaming?»
Renaud Lavoie
As for the other two issues, they go hand in hand. If there hasn't been progress on expansion, it's because NHL executives want to resolve the collective bargaining agreement before moving forward with awarding new franchises.
According to Lavoie, it seems that two new teams will join the NHL in the coming years, and Houston is almost guaranteed to be one of them.
Wow!
As for the second franchise, it seems Atlanta has the upper hand, though nothing is certain yet because there has been no confirmation of a new arena in the Atlanta suburbs.
As for Quebec, despite players reportedly being in favor of a team relocating there, the decision isn't theirs to make. Lavoie mentioned this might be the last chance to see the Nordiques make a comeback.
Quebec is ready.. but is the NHL ready for Quebec?
