Insider Reveals New Top Candidate for NHL Expansion, And Fans Are Going to be Angry

Despite being one of the few American professional sports leagues with 32 teams already, the NHL is not backing down from potentially adding more franchises.

There are already talks of going to 34 teams, although it remains to be seen when this expansion would take place. What we do know is that certain cities have become favorites for expansion.

Of course, Houston is one of the cities as Texas has proven to be a proven use case of hockey in the state. However, the NHL is also thinking of going back to Atlanta.

According to insider John Shannon, an expansion to Atlanta is likely being lined up for 2028, which is in just three years from now.

However, the big shocker is that Phoenix might get a team in 2030, especially since a new arena is being built.

Quite frankly, this is a terrible look for the NHL, and a terrible idea on the whole, and everyone understands why.

The Phoenix experiment was one of the biggest failures in the history of the NHL, and there was no reason to bring a franchise back.

One has to assume that Atlanta and Houston are the two priorities right now. Even Quebec City should get a team back before Phoenix.

Whatever the case may be, NHL expansion remains a hot button issue and that will be the case for years to come.