It's now confirmed for the next NHL franchise and we have an announcement

Houston Mayor John Whitmire says the city is ready for the NHL, and he's not waiting on Austin to catch up.

Whitmire went public this week, confirming his office is already talking with parties tied to the League's expansion push.

"We're ready. In fact, we're talking to multiple parties that are interested," Whitmire said. "We'll definitely be a better location than Austin."

The NHL is running a six-month evaluation between Houston and Austin for its 33rd franchise, a process that started after a June 23 Board of Governors meeting.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and The Friedkin Group are steering that process, and the family is reportedly ready to commit $3.5 billion to land a team, arena included.

That number covers both the expansion fee and construction costs. For context, Seattle paid $650 million just for the right to join the League back in 2018.

Texas already has one NHL team. The Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars for the 1993-94 season and never left.

Population and market size favor Houston over Austin

Whitmire isn't shy about the numbers, either. Houston sits at No. 6 nationally in media market size. Austin ranks 32nd.

The population gap is even wider. Houston's metro area holds 7,796,182 people, compared to 2,550,637 around Austin.

"I think the NHL would never regret it if they gave a franchise to Houston," Whitmire said. "Austin is a great city, but it's not Houston."

It's the kind of line you'd expect from a guy pitching a franchise like it's his own free agent recruiting call. Blunt. Direct. No hedging.

Houston already fields six major pro teams across the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NWSL, with a WNBA franchise landing in 2027.

Whitmire has leaned into that track record before, handing out 10,000 free tickets to Dynamo and Dash matches this year to build local buzz around pro sports.

Both finalist cities still need a new arena before any deal closes, and that's no small detail in a $3.5 billion bid.