Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta remains interested in bringing an NHL franchise to Houston, but he has conditions.
At the grand opening of the Rockets’ new training facility on Tuesday, Fertitta was asked about his interest in a professional ice hockey franchise, which he has expressed on multiple occasions since purchasing the Rockets in October 2017.
“I know anything I say is going to be in the headlines on ESPN, so I have to be really careful here,” said Fertitta, who has also expressed interest in a WNBA franchise. “The NHL would be great for Houston. They’re looking at expansion. We’re just hoping that there aren’t any expansion teams right now that meet the price they want, and being one of the best cities in America, and paying the right price for an NHL team, we can somehow get a team.”
It’s speculated in hockey circles that the NHL will seek $2 billion for its next expansion franchise (Fertitta paid a record $2.2 billion for the Rockets). In April, the Arizona Coyotes’ hockey assets were sold to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith for $1.3 billion, and they will relocate to Salt Lake City and begin playing games this fall as the Utah Hockey Club.
The NHL Board of Governors is scheduled to meet in New York on Oct. 1. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Toronto Star on Monday that “we are not moving forward with the expansion process” and that “everything that was written last week is completely wrong.”
Hockey insiders have speculated in recent days that Houston and Atlanta are the front-runners to acquire the franchise, with one source reporting last week that Fertitta is considered the front-runner to become owner of the Houston group.
“Tillman is not the only one interested in Houston,” Bettman said in May, without elaborating.
Fertitta controls access to Toyota Center under the Rockets’ lease, so anyone wanting to play hockey there will have to work with him.
Staff writer Daniel Learner contributed to this report.