NHL could expand to 34 teams by 2030

NHL could expand to 34 teams by 2030 originally appeared on The Sporting News

Expansion is always a popular talking point over the dog days of the NHL offseason and this summer is no different. The dilemma of expansion is a tricky one as the current 32 team structure works out nicely from a logistical standpoint. For one you have 16 teams that make the playoffs and 16 that do not, a perfect 50-50 balance. And you also have an even 8 team spread across all 4 divisions. 

With that said the NHL is a business like any other major sports league, so the prospect of adding new teams is always enticing. According to John Shannon on Inside Sports, he expects the NHL to expand to 34 teams by 2030. The 3 markets mentioned in play being Atlanta, Arizona and Houston. 

Atlanta appears to be the most likely of this bunch and we could see them added as soon as 2028. Atlanta has of course hosted NHL teams twice before with the Flames and Thrashers. 

Houston has been rumored in expansion talks for years due to the enticing market size being the 4th largest city in America. Not to mention, the obvious in state rivalry that would create with the Dallas Stars.

Arizona is the most recent NHL destination of the trio with the defunct Arizona Coyotes last season played recently in 2024. The issues at hand there are the need for a new arena and management team. 

It will be fun to track how expansion talks progress throughout the 2020s. There are clear pros and cons to bringing in more teams in the fold, we'll see what direction the league takes soon.