2 min read

Fertitta Interested in Bringing NHL, WNBA Teams to Houston

Tilman Fertitta, the proprietor of the Golden Nugget casino empire, is interested inwards bringing NHL and WNBA franchises to Samuel Houston where he already owns the NBA’s Rockets.

In a February question with Bloomberg, Fertitta said he’s been inwards talks with the NHL almost the possible action of bringing a team to the fourth-largest US city, noting those discussion had lately turned more serious.

We would same to work on to let an NHL team up in Samuel Houston — I’m working on it,” he said inwards a Midweek question with CNBC.

Fertitta’s interest inwards bringing an NHL franchise to Houston dates plump for to 2017 when he acquired the Rockets for $2.2 billion. The Samuel Houston Aeros — a nonaged league hockey that sporadically called the metropolis home — played at the Toyota Center. That’s the Rockets’ nursing home court. The arena seats 19,000 for hoops games and when fitted for a hockey rink, it tin can admit 17,800 fans.

The billionaire man of affairs said he’s unresolved to either an expansion NHL team up or moving an existing enfranchisement from another city to Houston, which is currently the largest US metropolis without an NHL team. The league doesn’t make imminent enlargement plans, but the fate of the genus Arizona Coyotes in Phoenix is upwards in the transmit due to controversies in getting the team up a young arena. However, the Coyotes could run to Salt Lake City as soon as next season.

Not Fertitta’s First Effort to Add to Sports Holdings

Efforts to potentially convey NHL and WNBA teams to Houston aren’t Fertitta’s first in terms of expanding his sports ownership portfolio beyond the Rockets.

Last year, he call $5.6 billion for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, but dropped come out of contention for the team up when a bidding war took the toll tag to $6 billion. At that time, he said he offered $5.6 billion because that’s the value Forbes assigned to the team, adding that he didn’t $6 one thousand million was an appropriate price.

NHL teams extend significantly get down terms tags than NFL counterparts. The value of the Seattle Kraken — the NHL’s newest team up — was $1.22 one thousand million at the cease of shoemaker's last year, according to Forbes. The defending Francis Edgar Stanley Cup title-holder Las Vegas Golden Knights, the second-youngest team up inward the league, are worth an estimated $1.12 billion.

The most valuable NHL enfranchisement according to Forbes is the Toronto Maple Leafs at $2.8 billion.

WNBA Interest

Fertitta also verbalised interestingness in returning the WNBA to Houston. From 1997 through 2008, the urban center was place to the Comets — the WNBA’s first-class honours degree dynasty — before the conference disbanded the team.

“I would consider, definitely, i cerebrate it’s a outstanding matter with women’s sports to verbalise virtually a WNBA team inward Sam Houston also,” said Fertitta inwards the CNBC interview.

His Fertitta Entertainment Inc. (FEI) controls the Landry’s eatery empire and the Golden Nugget casinos. The chemical group owns to a greater extent than 600 restaurants across the Bubba Gump’s, Chart House, Del Frisco’s, Mastro’s, and Morton’s brands, among others.

Get ready to experience the ultimate in online casino gaming with LPE88 platform. Join now to win big and enjoy the most popular and trusted casino games in Malaysia! With its seamless gameplay, exciting features, and impressive jackpots, LPE88 offers an exceptional gaming experience that guarantees excitement and big wins.