The NHL expansion battle between Houston and Austin became a little more intriguing this week when Dan Friedkin’s firm inked an office lease in Austin.
The Friedkin Group, headed by chairman and CEO Dan Friedkin, is next in line to become the 33rd franchise in the League. David Beeston, the CEO of Pursuit Sports, is expected to spend considerable time in Austin to assess the market.
Houston doesn’t require an office lease. The Friedkin Group is already there.
So why the Austin relocation? Friedkin’s camp isn’t leaving either city just yet, and the League has left the door open.
On Jimmy Murphy’s The Sick Podcast, deputy commissioner Bill Daly expressed the League’s preference in no uncertain terms. Houston comes first.
“Our owners and we are mostly interested in a possible expansion business in Houston,” Daly stated. “We also left open the possibility that we might review, take into account, and assess Austin, TX.”
Daly also established a calendar goal. The goal is to have a team in the 2029–30 season.
Houston’s advantage is supported by the numbers. According to Canada Sports Betting.ca, Austin has one TAHA-sanctioned hockey organization, whereas Houston has three.
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The Houston Junior Aeros have ten THL travel teams scheduled for 2026–2027, which is one more than the nine that the Austin Capitals have. That’s 11.1 percent more teams at that level.
With Houston winning 55.4% of the time vs. Austin’s 42.3%, Houston had the higher rating in three of the four similar 2025-26 AA age groups.
A comparable tale is told by USA Hockey’s registration. There are 2,404 registered players in Houston, which is 17.4% more than Austin’s 2,047.
Austin has ammunition. Dallas’s AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, already play there.
However, Houston is creating something fresh. Season tickets have already been sold out for the Houston Bulls of the NAHL, who will begin their first season in 2026–27.
More than 4,000 spectators have expressed interest before the Bulls’ home opener on Oct. 2 at the Deep South Ice Sports Plex in Richmond, Texas. That isn’t a rounding mistake. That’s a fan base with momentum, the sort that appears in juniors long before it ever shows up on an NHL account.
Years have passed since organisations like the Houston Girls Hockey Association, WHOAH, and Hockey Day in Houston started building the grassroots infrastructure that the League usually recognizes.
Following the Board of Governors conference on June 23, the six-month assessment period began. Houston is currently on the ball, with a judgment anticipated in December.
Austin has an office. Houston discovered a case.
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