NHL will explore expansion, with Las Vegas among candidates

The NHL is officially exploring expansion. The league is opening a formal expansion review process to consider adding new franchises to its 30-team league, commissioner Gary Bettman announced Wednesday in Las Vegas. Seattle, Las Vegas and Quebec City are the markets that have expressed the most serious interest. A second team in Toronto is an additional possibility for any prospect owner with the likely $500 million expansion fee. “The fact we are going through this process doesn’t mean we are going to expand,” Bettman said. “All it means is we’re going to stop just listening to expressions of interest and take a good, hard look at what they actually mean and represent.” The league will take formal applications for new franchises on July 6, closing the process Aug. 10. – Associated Press