NHL Board of Governors updates expansion talks; Ted Leonsis named chairman, Murray Edwards vice-chair

The NHL Board of Governors met Tuesday and received an update from the League regarding expansion interest the NHL has fielded over recent months, while also completing leadership changes at the top of the Board. According to the NHL, Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Governors that the League is evaluating feasibility related to a second club in the state of Texas, amid interest led by The Friedkin Group.

The NHL said Bettman previously discussed, in June, The Friedkin Group’s interest in bringing a second team to Texas, with potential locations in Houston or Austin. The League and The Friedkin Group are assessing the feasibility of those markets, and the evaluation remains ongoing, with the NHL identifying December as the next time the League will formally update the Board of Governors on expansion.

Bettman emphasized that the League is not operating under a fixed deadline. Speaking at the meeting, he said, “We're not under any time constraint,” adding that the interest has come in as “unsolicited” expressions and will be handled on a timetable that works for all parties, rather than a scenario with a submission deadline set by the League. Bettman also stated the League has received “strong expressions of interest” for expansion from groups in Atlanta and Arizona, along with other markets.

The NHL Commissioner tied the complexity of expansion to the scope of the decision for the league-wide structure. Bettman said expansion is a “multibillion-dollar transaction” with impacts on every club, and he described the process as requiring extensive preparation before a recommendation could be supported by the Board. He added that if expansion were to proceed, the Board would need a substantial level of governor support, and that it is not something the NHL would do “overnight.”

In addition to the expansion update, the Board of Governors unanimously selected Ted Leonsis to become chairman, with Leonsis replacing Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs. The NHL identified Leonsis as the Governor of the Washington Capitals and chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment. The League also named Murray Edwards, Governor of the Calgary Flames, as vice-chair.

The NHL said Jacobs announced his retirement as chairman after serving in the role for 19 years. With the transition complete, Leonsis and Edwards discussed their approach to working together as part of the Board’s leadership structure, according to the League’s account of the meeting.

Leonsis described the partnership in terms of different responsibilities across strategy and operations. He said, “I'm more strategy, big picture, vision, new media; Murray is operations, finance.” He also stated that the Board leadership team includes both him and Edwards working alongside Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, and he referenced how the NHL has grown over time alongside changes in ownership. Leonsis also commented on the role of continued growth, saying the Board aims to “continue to have the tree grow to heaven,” describing the mission as sustained momentum for the league.

Leonsis also addressed the franchise role in their local markets, describing how NHL teams function as major enterprises within their communities. He said, “The role that we play in our cities, in our communities, we're becoming the most important enterprises in many of our cities,” and connected the role of franchises to growth that supports “more customers” and “more sponsors,” along with ongoing social responsibility.

Edwards, meanwhile, said he viewed the chairman transition as an opportunity to maintain representation at the top leadership level. The NHL reported that Edwards emphasized the importance of Canadian representation within the executive committee structure, pointing to the league’s connection to hockey in Canada. Edwards said, “When we talked about a transition at the chairman role, I thought it was important to have balance,” and added that by having Leonsis involved at the chairman level, Canadian representation could be maintained through Edwards’ vice-chair role, specifically to ensure a Canadian perspective is brought to discussions.

The NHL also reported that Commissioner Bettman informed the Board of Governors about the league’s financial outlook for the season. The League stated it is projecting revenue to reach $8.1 billion in local currency during the current season, as shared during the Board’s update.

Written by Vancouver Television Sports Desk