Houston NBA owner wants NHL team, too

New Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is interested in bringing an NHL team to Houston, a possibility that didn’t exist under the NBA team’s previous regime.

Fertitta released a statement Thursday confirming interest in a hockey team in Houston. He recently met with league officials.

“I’m very interested in the possibility of bringing the NHL to Houston, but it will have to be a deal that makes sense for my organization, the city, fans of the NHL throughout the region, and the NHL board of governors,” Fertitta said. “We are in the very early stage of evaluating what opportunities may exist. We are simply asking questions and exploring our options.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Associated Press before the season that if Fertitta had any interest in a franchise, he’d expect to hear from him. Former Rockets owner Leslie Alexander had been considered a roadblock to the NHL in Houston.

“It’s the fourth-largest city in the United States, which is interesting, but there hasn’t ever been any interest because the [former] owner, Les Alexander, controlled the arena and never wanted a hockey team unless he owned it, but he was never prepared to acquire one,” Bettman said.

Fertitta’s interest changes that equation. The businessman and restaurateur has previously indicated interest in owning a hockey team, and the NHL currently has 31, including 15 in the Western Conference. Because of the NHL’s desire to balance out its conferences geographically, Seattle figures to be the most likely expansion destination. Oak View Group with former Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, billionaire David Bonderman and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer received key approval Thursday from a Seattle city council to advance plans to renovate Key Arena.

An arena has been the biggest thing standing in the way of Seattle getting an NHL team. Houston doesn’t have that issue because of Toyota Center, which seats over 17,000 for hockey.