NHL, Rockets owner discuss viability of Houston team, report says

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has met with the new owner of the NBA's Rockets to discuss the viability of a hockey franchise in Houston, The Athletic reported Wednesday night, citing multiple unidentified sources.

The meeting between Bettman and Tilman Fertitta is believed to have taken place in the past few weeks at the league's offices in New York, according to the report.

Bettman told The Athletic on Wednesday evening, “We’re not relocating any clubs right now,” but declined to comment further.

Honing in on the "right now" part of Bettman's remark, he was asked whether Houston would be considered if that changes. The commissioner's response: “If Houston were to express an interest in having an NHL franchise, under the right circumstances, it's something we might want to consider.”

Fertitta, who bought the Rockets in September for $2.2 billion, told Houston's KRIV Fox 26 last month, "I would love to bring an NHL team here,” however noting at that point that "(z)ero has happened" in that regard.

Three NHL teams — the Senators, Flames and Coyotes — are seeking new arenas and, The Athletic noted, "encountering significant difficulty," while the Islanders have said they will leave the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

And now, more than zero has happened for Houston.

Fertitta's purchase of the Rockets included the Toyota Center, built in 2003 and able to seat 17,800 for hockey.

“Do I want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year? Definitely,” Fertitta said at a press conference last month (via the Houston Business Journal ). “I would put an NHL team here tomorrow.”