NEW YORK -- The NHL Board of Governors on Tuesday received an update from the League on the expansion interest it has received in recent months.
In June, Commissioner Gary Bettman discussed interest from The Friedkin Group, led by CEO Dan Friedkin, to bring a second team into the state of Texas in Houston or Austin.
The League and The Friedkin Group are evaluating the feasibility of those markets. The evaluation is ongoing, and the next chance for the League to formally update the Board of Governors on expansion will be in December.
"We're not under any time constraint," Commissioner Bettman said. "This isn't a situation where we said we're going to expand by X date, get your applications in. We're dealing with unsolicited, but we're grateful to have them, expressions of interest. It'll sort itself out on whatever timetable makes sense to everybody."
Commissioner Bettman said the League has also received strong expressions of interest for expansion from groups in Atlanta and Arizona, as well as other markets.
"Expansion is a multibillion-dollar transaction which has an impact on all the other clubs in the League," the Commissioner said. "A lot of i's have to be dotted and t's have to be crossed, and if there is going to be expansion three-quarters of the governors are going to be comfortable that this makes sense to them. That's not something you do overnight."
In addition to the update on expansion interest, the Board of Governors unanimously selected Ted Leonsis, Governor of the Washington Capitals and chairman of Monumental Spors and Entertainment, to replace Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs as chairman.
Calgary Flames Governor Murray Edwards will take on the role of vice-chair.
Jacobs announced his retirement as chairman after serving in that role for 19 years.
Leonsis discussed his and Edwards' shared vision for the Board and how they plan to work together.
"I'm more strategy, big picture, vision, new media; Murray is operations, finance," Leonsis said. "He reads the minutes of the reports. He understands the balance sheets. In my 28 years the League has grown so dramatically. Gary is obviously the longest tenured of the commissioners, but the growth of the League has been unbelievable and the turnover and change in ownership, we're a big public company.
"Bill (Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner) and Gary are a team. Murray and I and the executive committee are a team, and I think we have the opportunity to continue to have the tree grow to heaven.”
Leonsis also outlined the important role NHL franchises play in their cities and what that means for the future of the League.
"The role that we play in our cities, in our communities, we're becoming the most important enterprises in many of our cities," Leonsis said. "The social responsibility and the role we are playing all comes from growth: more customers, more sponsors. You've got to keep that spiral going up. So having that growth dynamic and mindset, I think, is what our job is at the executive level."
Edwards said it was important to have Canadian representation at the top of the executive committee.
"When we talked about a transition at the chairman role, I thought it was important to have balance, and by having Ted there, clearly America is a big part of the NHL, but I felt it was a very important part to have Canadian representation," he said. "I think being there at the vice-chairman level makes sure that the Canadian perspective is brought to the table. Hockey in Canada, it's important. It matters."
Commissioner Bettman also said the League informed the BOG it is projecting revenue to reach $8.1 billion in local currency this season.
