Stars' 2027 Stadium Series Could Point to Next Expansion

NHL Expansion Rumors Come to Houston

Houston has been a city that has long-time been rumored as one of the next cities up in terms of getting a potential NHL expansion team.

Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States. The city currently has five professional major league teams including the Houston Astros (MLB), the Houston Texas (NFL), the Houston Rockets (NBA), the Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) and finally the Houston Dash (NWSL).

An NHL team is the most likely sports team next up for the city to provide to its residents and the Texas hockey fanbase.

The admin of @NHLtoHouston on X has been a long-time advocate of the Houston hockey community as a whole, but specifically in regards to the NHL expanding to include a Houston-based team.

"I hope the 2027 Stadium Series Game shows hockey can work in Houston and shows that a team is on the way," the owner of the social media account told Breakaway on SI.

Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S., but it is also the sixth-most populous city in North America. The population comes to be at around 2.4 million, as of 2024.

In the NHL, the state of California has three teams, New York follows with three as well and then both Pennsylvania and Florida have two. Texas — one of the largest states in the country — could easily host another NHL team.

The Stars have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times in the past seven seasons, advancing as far as the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, showing that success in the sport is very much possible and expected in the south.

Bettman said he expects very high attendance numbers for the 2027 Stadium Series rendition in Texas.

“This place is incredible," Bettman said. "[The NHL] think[s] it’s going to be awesome. We had a great experience at the Cotton Bowl with 84,000 people. My guess is that we're going to beat that number, and I think our fans and everybody in attendance at that game is going to be thrilled to be here. We're excited and we're grateful to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys for sharing their home with us."

Should a NHL team come to Houston, it's expected the Houston Toyota Center would serve as the venue. Reports previously circulated that Bettman has already met with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and billionaire Dan Friedkin already in regards to the potential expansion franchise.

Regardless, the 2027 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series brings tons of excitement to the Dallas Stars' franchise and the entire Texas hockey community. The news only adds fuel to the fire in furthering expansion efforts across the "great state of Texas."