Bettman reiterates that the NHL is not currently considering candidates for expansion.

On Thursday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reaffirmed that the league has no immediate plans to grow beyond its existing 32 franchises. “Tremendous interest from a number of places that don’t have franchises — Quebec City, Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Omaha,” he added of the league’s reception. But this isn’t like what we did a few years ago, when we said, ‘Well, if you want a team, we’re going to expand,'” he clarified.

A beauty pageant will take place. Send in your application by X date. We meet, listen, and consider the expressions of interest. However, we are not currently considering taking any action. Bettman did allow himself some leeway, stating that the position “may change” in response to various circumstances.He said, “You should think about ownership, the arena, the market, and whether it will strengthen the league overall when thinking about growth.” 

That may apply to many of those potential interest-expressers. In “Face Off,” NHL Network Radio, June 13, he did revert to his original position, stating, “We don’t see an urgency to do it right this moment.”