Report: Indianapolis interested in NHL expansion team

INDIANAPOLIS — The city of Indianapolis has reportedly expressed interest in launching an expansion team for the National Hockey League, according to recent reports.

The NHL’s Board of Governors was updated last week on prospective owners and markets that have expressed interest in an expansion franchise. At least one report says that Indianapolis is one of four major cities that are interested.

NHL news website Daily Faceoff

reported over the weekend that there were prospects for an expansion team in four cities: Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans.

The reported expansion fee is $2 billion, although the NHL has yet to officially confirm this. This would be a much higher fee than the last two expansion teams faced, with the Las Vegas Golden Knights paying $500 million in 2017 and the  Seattle Kraken paying $650 million in 2021.

According to our partners at the Indianapolis Business Journal, the two local groups most likely to be involved in such a bid say they are not involved. The IBJ reports that neither the Fishers-based Indy Fuel nor Pacers Sports and Entertainment is involved.

“While the prospect of NHL expansion in Indy is exciting and great proof of the growth and dedication of our fan base, the Fuel remains an active participant in our affiliation with the Chicago Blackhawks and have no current involvement in a potential NHL franchise at this time,” Fuel President Larry McQueary said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company told IBJ that “Pacers Sports & Entertainment hasn’t been part of any discussions involving the NHL in Indianapolis.”

One group that has not been ruled out of involvement, according to the IBJ, is Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration.

A spokesperson for Hogsett’s administration replied to IBJ’s question with a vague statement that did not explicitly deny involvement.

“It’s no surprise the NHL is interested in bringing a team to America’s greatest sports host city,” Aliya Wishner said in a statement. “We always welcome conversations about ways we can build on Indy’s sports and entertainment legacy.”

When asked for clarification on whether the administration was involved in the push for an NHL team, Wishner referred back to her statement. The report from Daily Faceoff did not clarify who would be involved in a push either, but said Austin, Texas, may also be in the mix.

However, any plans for adding an expansion team to the 32-team NHL appear to be quite distant.

“There is nothing new,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We have no pending applications and we’re not seeking to initiate a formal process at this point.”

For more information on recent NHL developments, click here. To read the IBJ’s full report, click here.