Report: NHL met with New Orleans expansion group

The NHL recently met with a group interested in bringing an expansion team to New Orleans, sources told ESPN's Kevin Weekes.

The league has expanded twice since 2017, adding teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. Prospective ownership groups from Atlanta and Houston have also expressed a desire to establish franchises in recent years.

The Arizona Coyotes relocated to Utah prior to this season. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman previously stated the league could return to that market under different ownership.

Bettman said in October that expansion isn't a "front-burner topic" for the NHL, citing record-breaking revenue from the 2023-24 season as well as upcoming collective bargaining negotiations.

New Orleans currently has NFL and NBA franchises.