As per my Forbes colleague @MikeOzanian, the Arizona Coyotes are "for sale again with idea of buyer eventually moving team to a new arena in Houston."

— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) December 2, 2021

An NHL team moving to Houston makes perfect sense. They have an NHL ready arena and are the 6th largest metropolitan city in North America. Just a matter of time until the city gets a team.

— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) December 2, 2021

The reasons Houston is such an attractive NHL market:
1) 4th largest metropolitan city in the U.S.
2) 7th ranked GDP in the U.S.
2) NHL ready arena (Toyota Center)
3) NHL ready owner (Tilman Fertitta)
4) Strong corporate support (24 Fortune 500 companies)
5) Growth potential

— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) December 2, 2021

I'd be really excited for this.

I'd probably watch some games and try to get into it.

Seattle's owners just paid a $650 million expansion fee to get an NHL team. I imagine the NHL won't approve a sale unless the purchase price + relocation fee were at least in the $500-600 million range.

bearkatag15 said:

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Arizona Coyotes are vehemently denying media reports this morning that the team is for sale again:

“This is false. Totally false. We’re not selling. We’re not moving. The Coyotes are 100 percent committed to playing in Arizona.”

— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 2, 2021

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That sounds like something a team that is looking to move would say...

This is Charlie Pallilo's favorite topic.

South Texas Coyotes

themissinglink said:

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Seattle's owners just paid a $650 million expansion fee to get an NHL team. I imagine the NHL won't approve a sale unless the purchase price + relocation fee were at least in the $500-600 million range.

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Relocation fee is much lower than an expansion fee, so that could still be roughly in line. When ATL moved to Winnipeg it was $60 million. Also, even though Tillman footed the entire bill for the Rockets and is the sole owner, doesn't mean he'd need to do the same for an NHL team.

I'd very much like to see it happen. Could bring back the name Aeros even, but would likely need a new color scheme since its a little too similar to Dallas I'd imagine.

Also, since I currently live in the northeast and have quite a bit of hockey fanship around me, I'd love to have a team to get behind. Its hard for me to adopt another cities team, so I end up just generally watching as an agnostic fan

The Milkman said:

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I'd very much like to see it happen. Could bring back the name Aeros even, but would likely need a new color scheme since its a little too similar to Dallas I'd imagine.

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saw these mocked up uniforms from a random twitter account. I kind of like them.

Well those are pretty sexy

Panama Red said:

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South Texas Coyotes

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Do not confuse Dar'shun Kendrick again - she will tweet about coyotes, cartels, and illegals playing hockey

Did @realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they can't find their parents for came over through "cartels and coyotes"?! How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border?! Lord-----stop talking. #FinalDebate

— Dar'shun Kendrick (@DarshunKendrick) October 23, 2020

I'd want the ownership group to be anybody but the Fertitta's or McNair's

Agreed.

I hope it happens. The Coyotes gutted their roster before this season, so the payroll is favorable for a buyer.

I went to a couple of Aeros games way back when. They were a blast. Hockey is so much better in person than on TV.

FarmerJohn said:

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Didn't we lose the Aeros to Iowa? I guess that was more to Les Alexander being a vindictive a-hole, but it did make me question the viability of hockey in Houston.

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We didn't so much "lose" the Aeros to Iowa as rather Les Alexander doubled the Aeros rent and made it financially impossible to stay in Houston. The Aeros were in the top quarter for attendance in the minor leagues. That still resulted in only the lower bowl being available for most games, but its not like they were playing to an empty arena. On some weekends and during playoffs the arena would be full.

FarmerJohn said:

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Didn't we lose the Aeros to Iowa? I guess that was more to Les Alexander being a vindictive a-hole, but it did make me question the viability of hockey in Houston.

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There were multiple reasons including the arena, but I think theres a huge difference in support for a pro sports team vs a minor league one.

TexAgs1992 said:

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I'd want the ownership group to be anybody but the Fertitta's or McNair's

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If they are going to play in the Toyota Center it has to be Fertitta unless he is willing to strike that clause from the lease. I don't see Harris County or another area county/city building a new NHL level arena with suites unless some random buyer is willing to finance this all himself.

bearkatag15 said:

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The Milkman said:

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I'd very much like to see it happen. Could bring back the name Aeros even, but would likely need a new color scheme since its a little too similar to Dallas I'd imagine.

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saw these mocked up uniforms from a random twitter account. I kind of like them.

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Maybe bring it even closer to the Oilers color scheme and it would be very unique for the NHL to distinguish

"Cause I don't live in Dallas, I live in Texas
Where we ain't got no hockey and no damn metroplexes"

(I would actually like to see a team here. I can't stand hockey on TV, but I went to a few Aeros games and had a blast. I just couldn't not post these lyrics as I heard them the whole way through reading this thread)

Ferris Wheel Allstar said:

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troy_y said:

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Panama Red said:

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South Texas Coyotes

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Do not confuse Dar'shun Kendrick again - she will tweet about coyotes, cartels, and illegals playing hockey

Did @realDonaldTrump just say 545 kids they can't find their parents for came over through "cartels and coyotes"?! How the hell does a coyote bring a whole human across the border?! Lord-----stop talking. #FinalDebate

— Dar'shun Kendrick (@DarshunKendrick) October 23, 2020

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is that engrish?

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How does somebody that stupid graduate HS let alone college, law school, and get an MBA too?

The history of hockey in Houston (specifically of the multiple iterations of the Aeros) is actually a pretty interesting rabbit hole to run down if you're bored one day.

Essentially, when the WHL merged with the NHL, the Aeros were one of the teams that were initially chosen due to their revenue and attendance numbers.

The NHL's Canadian-based teams were struggling financially objected to the merger of 6 WHL franchises and also insisted that 3 of the 4 had to be Canadian teams. Long story short, the Aeros (despite huge attendance and performance) were left out of the merger which instead pulled in the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques & Winnipeg Jets....plus a back room deal in the 11th hour that cut the Aeros out as the only US based team in lieu of the New England Whalers.

The Karmic laugh here is that 3 of those 4 teams have relocated:

Hartford --> Carolina
Winnipeg --> Atlanta (They did move back 10 years ago....but still)
Quebec --> Colorado

I had an old neighbor who used to go to Aeros games back in the mid-70s and he told me that the crowds were absolutely insane.

I think hockey would do really well in Houston b/c it'd be novelty for some, an enigma for others and there are so many Canadian transplants living in Houston that they're dying for it to happen.

I had decided to pick-up hockey when I turned 30 and played several years in leagues around town and there's definitely no lack of interest in the sport.