Filip Hronek agent Allan Walsh dropped an NHL expansion bombshell Thursday night, and the Vancouver Canucks defenseman is suddenly part of the story.
Walsh, who represents Hronek and a long list of other NHL players, posted on Twitter/X responding to a Sports Illustrated expansion report from Jennifer Streeter.
"NHL expansion is coming. Houston and Atlanta," Walsh wrote, no hedging, no qualifiers.
That kind of directness from a heavyweight agent carries weight around the league, whether the league confirms it or not.
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The last time the NHL expanded, Seattle got the Kraken in 2021. Vegas got the Golden Knights in 2017.
Before that, you had to go back to Columbus and Minnesota joining ahead of the 2000-01 season.
Adding Houston and Atlanta would push the league from 32 franchises to 34, and plenty of fans are already grumbling about competitive balance getting watered down further.
Hronek himself just finished a tough team season. Vancouver went 25-49-8 for 58 points, landing dead last in the standings with a minus-100 goal differential.
Atlanta could get its third shot at NHL hockey
If the league does land in Atlanta, it would mark the third attempt at making the Georgia capital work. The Flames left for Calgary in 1980. The Thrashers packed up for Winnipeg in 2011.
Ex-Canuck Anson Carter has been pushing for a return since 2019, according to his own account of talks with commissioner Gary Bettman.
Carter formally launched a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment in March 2024 and submitted a request to the league for Metro Atlanta.
Texas is a different fight entirely. Dallas already has a team, and Tom Gaglardi owns it.
Dan Friedkin, who heads a group that owns AS Roma and Everton, has emerged as the frontrunner to own a second Texas franchise.
Bettman announced in late June that the league opened a formal evaluation period with Friedkin covering a South Texas franchise.
Walsh's tweet suggests Houston has already beaten out Austin for that slot, though nothing from the league itself confirms it yet.
Hronek posted 49 points across 82 games this season, tallying 8 goals and 41 assists while carrying a $7,250,000 cap hit for Vancouver.
None of that has anything to do with why his name is trending tonight. It's a strange spot for a player to end up in.
Hronek didn't say a word. His agent did all the talking, and now half the hockey world is parsing a tweet instead of a box score.
Bettman hasn't put his name on anything publicly yet. Until he does, this stays exactly what it is.
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An agent's read on where two new logos might land, and a fanbase already bracing for what a 34-team league actually looks like.
Should the NHL expand to Houston and Atlanta at all?
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