Prospective NHL expansion to Salt Lake City sees new ray of sunshine in connection to 2034 Winter Games

There have been an abundance of rumors and speculations swirling around a possible NHL expansion, which could see the addition of two more teams joining the National Hockey League in the near future.

The two most recent teams to join the league as part of the expansion were the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken.

The 2023 Stanley Cup winner, the Golden Knights, made their way to the NHL in 2017 for $500 million. And, four years later, in 2021, the Seattle Kraken became the 31st team to be part of the league for $650 million.

The NHL expansion to Vegas and Seattle has turned out to be a huge success for the league. League commissioner Gary Bettman has time again ruled out the possibility of a relocation – at least for now – but he says the league keeps receiving interest from prospective buyers in Houston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta and Quebec City.

Among the cities mentioned above that remain favorable for a potential NHL expansion, Elliotte Friedman identified Salt Lake City as the likely location for the National Hockey League's relocation in his "32 Thoughts" column on Sportsnet.

According to Friedman, the International Olympic Committee awarded Salt Lake City the preferred bid status for the 2034 Winter Olympics. If the bid succeeds, the city will get a hockey arena and could eventually become an NHL destination:

"Apropos of nothing, the International Olympic Committee bestowed Salt Lake City with “preferred bidder” status for the 2034 Winter Games. Basically, it means the organizing committee enters exclusive talks with the IOC to close the deal. (The official decision will be made next July.)

A successful Olympic bid means a new arena for hockey, which makes Utah an even more attractive (and likely) NHL destination."

It is worth noting that the IOC has not yet made an official decision on Salt Lake City. It will be made in July 2024.

NHL expansion rumored cities

Houston, Salt Lake City, Quebec City and Atlanta are among the cities rumored for NHL expansion. The National Hockey League has previously established a hockey club in Quebec City, which was known as the Quebec Nordiques.

The Nordiques played in the league from 1979 to 1995 before relocating to Denver to be known as the Colorado Avalanche. Moreover, Atlanta is another city where the NHL has expanded twice in the past. The first time they formed the Atlanta Flames, which only lasted from 1972 to 1980 and became the Calgary Flames.

In 1999, the NHL formed the second team in the city, known as the Atlanta Thrashers. However, just like the previous attempt, the club could not last for long and was taken over by the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.