In a stunning turn of events, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made it crystal clear on Monday that the whispers and speculations regarding the league’s expansion to 34 teams are nothing but pure fiction. Reports circulating in the hockey world indicated that Houston and Atlanta were on the brink of becoming the new homes for NHL teams, but Bettman squashed those rumors without hesitation.
“Everything that’s been written in the last week is categorically wrong,” Bettman emphatically stated to the Toronto Star. “We’re not going through an expansion process. And other than updating the board on Oct. 1 as to places that have expressed an interest, there’s nothing else that’s going to be done on expansion.”
After a lengthy 17-year pause on expansion, the NHL finally decided to add another team in 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights, bringing the total number of teams to 31. Just recently, the Seattle Kraken joined the league in 2021, rounding out the count at an even 32.
Salt Lake City was once rumored to be a prime candidate for expansion, only to see those hopes dashed when the Arizona Coyotes set up camp there earlier this year. However, all is not lost for the fans in Utah, as the newly minted Utah Hockey Club made an impressive statement by starting the preseason with a strong 2-0 record. Their most recent victory came against the Los Angeles Kings in a thrilling overtime match in front of a packed arena.
Forward Lawson Crouse expressed his excitement about the team’s early success, stating, “We’re all excited to be a part of this. It’s something truly special, and tonight’s an example of that. With the fans that we had in here, we could really feel it on the bench, and a lot of credit to them. We love having that energizing impact in the game, and it gives us a huge edge. We hope we put on a good show for them, and we hope to have them back here.”
The driving force behind the Utah Hockey Club, owner Ryan Smith, made a significant investment of $1.2 billion to acquire the franchise back in April, showing his commitment to bringing top-tier hockey to the state. With the team off to a roaring start and the enthusiastic support of the fans, the future looks bright for hockey in Salt Lake City.
