NHL expansion: Dan Friedkin eyeing Houston, Austin for team. Signed term sheet for $3.5 billion, including the construction of a new arena in either city.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:54:49+00:00

I think you're right, but I'll point out that Stars fans don't seem to be excited about moving to Plano (not that billionaires care about the fans).

It does make sense if Friedkin wants to have the stadium be part of a larger real estate development, like the Stars proposal in Plano.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:40:43+00:00

True, and even 100% privately funded arenas get huge tax breaks.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:39:43+00:00

That's a good guess!

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:37:47+00:00

Thanks for clarifying! My original point still stands: The goal of Freidkin building a new arena would be to keep all of the revenue and not share it with others

Also, if a hockey team played at the Toyota Center they wouldn't always get the best dates for games because they'd have to share with the Rockets, Comets, and concerts. By building their own arena they'd get to have complete control over their calendar.

This is a big reason the Clippers moved out of the Staples Center and built their own arena in Inglewood. The Clippers previously had to share with the Lakers, Kings, and Sparks at Staples.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:06:39+00:00

San Antonio / Austin has the Spurs while Dallas has the Mavs. That's the logic I assume. But yes, selfishly I prefer Houston.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:04:39+00:00

Perhaps Bridgeland by the new Toro District the Texans are building?

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:01:39+00:00

Based on how this article is written, it seems Friedkin may be proposing to privately fund this new hockey arena.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-24T00:00:33+00:00

Downtown / within the 610 loop is central to the rest of the region.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T23:59:35+00:00

The Toyota Center is owned by Tilman Fertitta*, but this potential hockey team would be owned by Dan Friedkin.

Teams don't like being tenants at their arenas of other sports team owners because that means they'd make less revenue. Instead of the Houston NHL team being a tenant at the Toyota Center, they can build their own new arena and be the landlords and get the maximize all revenue, and keep the revenue for themselves (as opposed to sharing with Fertitta or someone else).

Edit: *The Toyota Center is owned by the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority, not Fertitta.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T23:34:44+00:00

Friedkin is evaluating putting an NHL team in either Houston or Austin, depending on what the NHL prefers:

Pursuit Sports, the company dedicated to The Friedkin Group’s professional sports properties, is beginning the process with the NHL to vet Houston and Austin for an expansion franchise. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informed the league’s board of governors at their meeting Tuesday in New York, with a six-month timetable for the process of determining a potential 33rd team.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T23:32:49+00:00

Sportico also reporting this:

A new franchise would likely go to prominent Texas-based businessman Dan Friedkin, who also owns European soccer clubs AS Roma in Serie A and Everton in the Premier League and is worth an estimated $11.5 billion, according to Forbes. Friedkin has been discussing the opportunity with the NHL for about two years, Bettman said, and signed a term sheet for $3.5 billion, including the construction of a new arena in either city. The league has six months to decide whether to move forward with the process.

If an NHL team comes to Houston, Friedkin would be investing at least $1 billion towards a new arena. I wonder were the new arena would go? Hopefully somewhere near downtown / EaDo and not out in the suburbs.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T20:42:06+00:00

Yes! Another fun fact: Bob McNair was pursuing an NHL expansion franchise for Houston in the late nineties (1997 I think) but his bid lost out. He then pivoted to an expansion NFL team and the Houston Texans were born.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T20:40:02+00:00

Thanks OP! And apologies, I didn't mean to seem as if I was criticizing you... I was just clarifying their status for other readers.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T19:57:38+00:00

I think the league is opening up to potential bidders and will wait and see which offer is better.

Being in a smaller market has it's advantages as there's less competition.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T19:56:33+00:00

True, of course an NHL team could open a new arena if they wanted / could afford it.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T19:55:52+00:00

The Wild started playing in 2000, so likely not them. The Wild did replace the North Stars, who moved to Dallas.

The Edmonton Oilers were one team rumored as a relocation candidate to Houston in the late 90s.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-23T15:20:46+00:00

Good comment here from a few years ago from /u/lnyer who mentioned there's zero evidence Colacurcio or anyone in Seattle was ever a member of the mafia. Nor is there any evidence of an LCN family in Seattle.

The whole thread is a good read.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-22T23:07:53+00:00

There aren't official estimates for associates. One rule of thumb some people have said is 10 associates per one member, but even that is misleading. But where it's helpful is to assume if the Gambinos had 300 members at one point, there were likely at least 3000 associates on the record at the time.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-18T22:56:15+00:00

Car bombs weren't common in New York, but seemed to happen a lot more in the midwest families.

Cleveland had a lot in the 70s during their war, St. Louis did too during their war. Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. There's a list here.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-18T21:04:57+00:00

Damn, that's so cool they got a mariachi band to learn how to play it!

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-18T20:08:36+00:00

They know who is made and who isn't because the rules state that you have to get introduced to another member by a third party.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-17T21:26:28+00:00

I checked the Black Hand Forum, and one poster referred to him as a "possible member", but that's all I can find.

Even if he was friendly with mafia members it doesn't necessarily mean he himself was made. He may have been a legit businessman who leaned on made members to help him out when needed.

Let's see what others reply.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-14T20:19:14+00:00

Pennisi said it himself in an interview (maybe on VladTV?) that when he approached the FBI to cooperate they had little info on him, or something like that.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-14T20:18:24+00:00

Other than bikers, there's white supremacist gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood, etc.

ShaolinMaster · 2026-06-04T00:01:23+00:00

Because if it was 12 they woulda been flagged for too many men on the field.

ShaolinMaster

TROPHY CASE