In December of 2018, the NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved a hockey franchise in Seattle. The franchise, now called the Seattle Sockeye, is the 32nd team in the NHL. Here are five reasons why an NHL franchise would be successful in Houston.

1. We have the fans. 2.131 million of them. The city of Houston and all major suburbs combined have an enormous population, and it is rapidly growing. All of these fans create a prime environment for a new sports franchise.
2. No new stadium needs to be built. The new Houston Aeros could play in the Toyota Center, splitting time with the Rockets. Many NHL/NBA teams do this right now, including the Knicks and Rangers in Madison Square Garden and The Clippers and Kings in the Staples Center.
3. The fact that we live in Houston, where there is never ice, isn’t an issue. Successful teams in the NHL right now include: The Tampa Bay Lightning, The Arizona Coyotes and The Dallas Stars.
4. Many people in Houston enjoy hockey. For me, saying I enjoy hockey is a great conversation starter with people who thought they were alone in the world of hockey fans. Now, hockey fans like me can bond over something in our own city, instead of following different teams with fanbases thousands of miles away.
5. Merchandising. With all 2.131 million people in Houston, a good amount of fans will buy merch. However, if that fails, the NHL has revenue sharing. Revenue sharing works like this: all revenue generated by the 32 teams goes into one big pot and is then split evenly among the teams, regardless of how much money that team generated. Basically, this guarantees the Houston team money from other teams’ merchandise sales, which it can use in its beginning years to become good.