NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Has A Lot To Say About Cincinnati and Salt Lake City For Next Possible NHL Expansion Destination

During the NHL All-Star weekend in Toronto, NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman was asked about the possibility of adding another expansion team. In his response, Bettman mentioned several cities that have expressed interest. "If somebody wants to express interest and tell us they want an expansion team, we'll talk to them, as we've talked to people in Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Salt Lake City," Bettman shared.

Bettman highlighted that Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Kansas City, are all competing for expansion teams, but he singled out Utah's approach as the "most aggressive."

Cincinnati boasts three professional sports clubs—FCC, the Bengals, and the Reds—but currently lacks an NHL and NBA team. When asked about Cincinnati's potential, Bettman described it as "preliminary." He noted a growing and vibrant interest in having an NHL team in areas where there currently isn't one. With the presence of the Cincinnati Cyclones, an ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, the idea of rebuilding a stadium to accommodate two teams isn't far-fetched.

As discussions are still in early stages, Cincinnati must await further developments. In the meantime, fans can continue to express and support the possibility of an NHL team coming to the city. Bettman emphasized that the league's approach to expansion differs from previous instances, stating, "We have no formal expansion process set up... we're listening to the expressions of interest."

Regarding Utah's interest, Bettman mentioned strong support from the state's governor and legislators. "The Utah expression of interest has been the most aggressive and has generated significant energy, including from the governor and legislative leaders," Bettman remarked. The effort to bring an NHL franchise to Utah is being spearheaded by Ryan Smith's Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake, among other companies, as previously reported. "SEG envisions a near future where the NHL will thrive in Utah, and we are 100% focused on making this happen as soon as possible," Smith said in a statement last month. 

On Monday, Smith and his wife, Ashley, visited with Utah lawmakers about their NHL dreams ahead of the state Senate’s unanimous vote in favor of a resolution supporting their effort. ​“I think it’s fair to say that the Utah expression of interest has been the most aggressive and has carried a lot of energy with it, including from the governor and leaders of the legislature," said the commissioner.