Houston Puts NHL Expansion Back on the Front Burner

Being the NHL Commish is a weird job.

Which is probably why Gary Bettman is in his element.

In recent times, the league's quest has been to find two cities in the West that'll take expansion franchises so its two conferences will even out at 16 teams each.

It finally bought into Las Vegas when Bill Foley ponied up half a billion smackeroonies to buy into them, but the search for that elusive other Western city continues.

For years, the league's been in a courtship dance with Seattle. It's been so ready to put a team there, but the city's never been able to get its collective act together.

However, that seems about to change.

The outstanding issue has been an NHL-suitable arena, and the city council is now adamant they have plans to refurbish their existing Key Arena -- where the Sonics playe -- and welcome a team by 2020.

Game. Set. Match?

The Oak View Group has proven their ability to finance and renovate the facility, and well-connected sports exec Tim Leiweke -- the dude shown in the video thumbnail above -- has guaranteed that an NHL team will be secured.

So, what's happened in the meantime?

The Houston Rockets' new owner got the NHL bug. Here's a report from last July:

Houston's metropolitan area checks in as the fifth-largest in the USA. Seattle's is fifteenth.

How does any league say no to No 5?

Especially when the owner there has deep pockets and owns the building.

With only one expansion team being the NHL's goal in the imminent future, if Tilman Fertitta says he's in, something's gotta give.

Of course, that could be an existing team.

Perennial candidates for relocation -- Arizona Coyotes and Florida Panthers are still working to make a go of it in their current cities. The Carolina Hurricanes proposed sale now seems tentative, but Bettman insists they're staying in Raleigh.

Then, incredibly, there's Calgary. The Flames have the oldest non-renovated arena in the league, they want a new one, and they're getting nowhere with the city. Here's their president, Kevin King in September:

Does that sound like a bargaining stance? Don't think so. That's pure, unadulterated acrimony.

Some things should be unthinkable, and a major Canadian city losing an NHL team is one of them.

Winnipeg got lucky. Québec City didn't.

Financial considerations were obviously at the core of each dispute, but the acrimony between teams and city officials tunneled any shot at resolution.

Keeping in mind pro sports franchises are a cultural luxury and not an economic boon to a city, history says it's time to do some serious soul-searching in southern Alberta.