The Next Two NHL Expansion Teams Appear to Have Been Identified

The National Hockey League has been growing exponentially over the last few years, especially after everyone's post-COVID recovery. Expansion has always been a topic that has been brought to the forefront for years and despite having brought in 2 new teams in recent years in Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken, the NHL could be expanding relatively soon with Houston and Atlanta as the two cities gaining steam.

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweeted that NHL owners will be meeting very soon to approve the opening of expansion and that Houston and Atlanta are currently leading the charge.

Kevin Weekes also added that while the NHL was looking at expanding beyond 32 teams, there's a very strong possibility that we see anywhere between 34-36 teams in the near future with how many capable suitors there are beyond Houston and Atlanta.

Other cities that have gained steam over the years include Kansas City, Portland, and Quebec City. It remains to be seen if Canada gets an 8th team as the NHL has a keen view of expanding the game in the United States.

The Vegas Golden Knights have been a great success story in regards to NHL expansion with playoff appearances being prevalent and their Stanley Cup win in 2023. The Seattle Kraken have also tasted some success with an early playoff appearance, which should give way to optimism for any new cities that eventually get approved.