Tilman Fertitta looking to draw NHL team to downtown Houston

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta sees a professional hockey team as the “next building block for the downtown Houston economy,” according to Hagan & Wethe of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Fertitta said, “We are talking to the NHL, but it’s got to be good for both of us.” Hagan & Wethe note Fertitta has been “courting the NHL about bringing a team to Houston” since he bought the Rockets for $2.2B seven years ago. But Fertitta said that discussions have “recently turned more serious.” He added that he is “open to helping bring in either an expansion franchise or acquiring a team from another market.” Hagan & Wethe note the Kraken paid the league a $650M fee to start playing in 2021 and last year, the owners of the Senators sold a 90% stake in a deal valued close to $1B. Outlying suburbs of Houston have “reached out to Fertitta about helping them attract an NHL team.” However, he said that "boosting the downtown district" -- where he owns restaurants -- has “been a goal of his for decades” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/21).