NHL Expansion: 5 Potential Cities for Future Franchises

Since 2016, the National Hockey League has added two franchises: the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken. There have been rumors about the possibility of the expansion of the league. Some cities that could potentially get an NHL team in the future include Houston, Kansas City, Portland, Halifax, and Salt Lake City. People have already started making concept names for the mentioned cities if they were to obtain a team.

Houston

Houston is home to a team in the NFL (Houston Texans), MLB (Houston Astros), and NBA (Houston Rockets). The only professional sports league the city is missing is the NHL. Houston used to have a team in the AHL, the Houston Aeros.

Many people would like for Houston to bring back the Aeros, but this time, to the National Hockey League. Other Houston NHL team name concepts include the Houston Wranglers and Houston Bulls. For those unaware, a “wrangler” is a “person in charge of horses or other livestock on a ranch.” This would make sense for the team name as it fits Texas themes. The same concept goes for the “Bulls” idea for the name.

Kansas City

Some cool and unique name concepts for a Kansas City NHL franchise are Kansas City Cobras, Kansas City Scouts, Kansas City Mustangs, and Kansas City Brewers. Kansas City Cobras is my favorite choice from all of these options because it honestly sounds the coolest out of all of them.

The Kansas City Scouts were once an actual NHL team from 1974 to 1976. It would be nice to have them return to the NHL one day, as Kansas City currently doesn’t have a team.

The Kansas City Mustangs was a recommendation from a friend, and it sounds pretty neat. Whether this particular version of “Mustang” is unknown, no matter what definition it refers to, the name is something different, and many people would most likely support it.

Lastly, the name Kansas City “Brewers” has some inspiration from the history behind it. Kansas City is known for its cultural traditions and cuisine. Craft breweries are pretty popular in the area, so the name “Brewers” fits perfectly, in my opinion.

Portland

Ideas for an NHL team located in Portland are the Portland Mountaineers, Portland Stags, and the Portland Rivermen. It would be nice to potentially have Portland come to the NHL one day.

Regarding the inspiration behind Portland Mountaineers, there are many mountains in Portland. There are 67 named and known mountains. “Mountaineer” has two main definitions. The first is someone who climbs/hikes mountains as a job or hobby. The other is someone who’s a native or inhabitant of a mountainous region/area.

The Portland Rivermen idea was influenced by the geographical location of Portland, as it is near the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. “Rivermen” are people who live and/or work on or along a river. There is also some inspiration for the “Stags” name idea. There is a white stag on the Portland, Oregon sign. That was to advertise “White Stag,” an apparel manufacturer.

Halifax

Halifax would be a very cool place for an NHL team. Ideas for the name of the team include Halifax Raptors, Halifax Highlanders, and Halifax Raiders. These are all awesome suggestions for the team. Halifax Raptors is also a name recommended by a friend of mine. I think this concept sounds awesome, and it’s kind of different. That’s why many would probably love this idea.

The Halifax Raiders also sounds pretty soothing. A “raider” is “someone who attacks an enemy in the enemy’s territory.” This would especially be fitting for the team when they’re playing in their opponent’s arena.

Similar to how the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim name was created, there would be a reason behind the “Highlanders” idea. The Halifax Highlanders were a team featured in the comedy movie “Goon.” The movie was about an enforcer, Doug Glatt, who makes his way onto a local minor league hockey team.

Salt Lake City

Some concepts for a Salt Lake City NHL team are the Salt Lake City Stallions, Salt Lake City Pioneers, Salt Lake Eagles, and Salt Lake City Saints. Some of these ideas have a history behind the name. These are the Pioneers and Saints.

The background behind the “pioneers” name is interesting. In 1847, Salt Lake City was founded by early pioneer settlers. “Pioneers” are known as “people who are among the first to explore or settle in a new country or area.” Regarding the idea of “Saints,” the Salt Lake Temple, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, represents The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints.

Over the past few months, Salt Lake City has been one of the most talked about cities when it comes to expansion, and they already have an ECHL team in Salt Lake City, which averaged an attendance of 5,344 in a building that can fit a little over 10,000 for a hockey game.

The names Stallions and Eagles are some neat-sounding ideas for the team. There isn’t much history behind the inspiration for these two names. They both fit pretty well for a potential franchise.