Arizona Coyotes arena vote gives Houston hockey fans hope

“The NHL is terribly disappointed with the outcome of the Coyotes’ referendum on the Tempe arena project,” Bettman said. “We’re going to look with the Coyotes at what options there might be going forward.”

Coyotes general manager Xavier Gutierrez also expressed his disappointment Monday and looked forward to the future. In a statement, he wrote: “While we would have preferred a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talents. Our owners and the National Hockey League will be evaluating what happens with the franchise over the next few weeks.”

Nothing concrete has connected Houston to the NHL except for fan speculation, and there are other frequent move options such as Atlanta and Quebec City. But it’s also impossible to deny that Houston should be among the top picks if the Coyotes decide to move.

In 2021, there were rumors that Arizona was looking to sell to a buyer with the intention of moving to Houston, and although Bettman called this “totally wrong” At that time, Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, has been interested in the NHL. In a 2017 article The AthleticBettman was quoted as saying, “If Houston expressed interest in getting an NHL franchise under the right circumstances, we might consider it. Fertitta is fresh offer to buy The NFL’s Washington Commanders didn’t work out, so maybe he could be in the market to buy a professional team in another sport.

The Rockets owner discussed bringing the NHL to Houston during his time preliminary press conference in 2017, although he stated that the support of local sports fans would be a deciding factor in whether or not he would go ahead with the project. Houston was previously home to TheAeros, a successful minor league hockey team, for nearly two decades beginning in the 1990s. TheAeros also won the AVCO World Trophy twice during a short stint in the now-defunct World Hockey Association in the 1970s. The minor league Apollos also called Houston home at various points in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Professional hockey has been absent from the Houston sports scene since the Eros moved to Iowa in 2013. Perhaps that may change in the near future.