Could Austin Be Skating Toward an NHL Franchise?
The National Hockey League has officially begun weighing whether Austin — or Houston — will become home to its 33rd franchise, kicking off a six-month evaluation process following a June 23 Board of Governors meeting.
The prospective owner is the Friedkin family, led by Dan Friedkin of The Friedkin Group, who has entered an agreement with the NHL granting exclusive rights to bring an expansion team to Texas.
According to Austin Business Journal‘s Justin Sayers, Friedkin’s group has signed an office lease in Austin, and Pursuit Sports CEO David Beeston is expected to spend significant time in the city for the foreseeable future as negotiations continue.
Through their ownership platform, the family framed the decision as a close one, noting both cities have “the infrastructure, passionate fan bases, and economic strength” to support a franchise.
The stakes are significant: roughly $3.5 billion, covering both the NHL’s expansion fee and construction of a new arena.
Already there is speculation online as to where a potential new hockey arena might be located.
Public incentives are expected to enter the conversation as city, county, and state officials weigh in, though nothing has been finalized. The NHL’s Board of Governors holds the ultimate vote, which reporting suggests could come as early as December 2026.
Expansion Investment Breakdown
| Component | Estimated Share |
|---|---|
| Expansion fee to NHL | Portion of $3.5B |
| New arena construction | Portion of $3.5B |
| Total investment | $3.5 billion |
Key Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 23, 2026 | Board of Governors approves exploration; six-month clock starts |
| June–Dec 2026 | Market, arena, and feasibility review for Austin vs. Houston |
| ~December 2026 | Possible Board of Governors vote |
Notably, Texas already fields an NHL team in the Dallas Stars, but the league has said the Stars hold no exclusive territorial claim over the rest of the state — meaning Austin’s bid isn’t blocked by its in-state neighbor.
Whether the Lone Star State’s capital lands the franchise over Houston will hinge on market strength, arena readiness, and what Commissioner Gary Bettman has called the ultimate question: what does it do to make the league stronger?
Sources:
- NHL.com — “NHL exploring Texas expansion opportunities in Houston, Austin”
- ESPN — “NHL exploring Austin, Houston for expansion team”
- CW39 Houston — “Houston and Austin vie for new NHL expansion team”
Central Texas health officials are investigating a recent spike in Cyclospora infections, but Austin shoppers can safely buy lettuce at H-E-B and Whole Foods. (Austin American-Statesman)
Recall Exclusions: Neither H-E-B nor Whole Foods received any products involved in the voluntary, multistate Cyclospora recall.
Official Findings: Austin Public Health reports that local cases have not been tied to any specific grocery store, restaurant, or produce item.
Austin City Council members are scheduled to take up final adoption of the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget Wednesday, kicking off a three-day session of tax rate hearings and budget votes that will decide how the city closes a projected $26 million shortfall.
The roughly $6.6 billion spending plan proposed by City Manager T.C. Broadnax has drawn debate over competing priorities, including a proposed $25 million increase in police funding against more than $5.3 million in potential cuts to social service programs.
Council is expected to finalize amendments and adopt the budget, along with the coming year’s property tax rate, before the vote concludes.
A town hall meeting was held Monday evening in District 3.
Mackenzie Kelly is a former Austin City Council member who represented far northwest Austin’s District 6 from January 2021 to January 2025:
A massive 2,600-acre development is officially coming to Austin, featuring housing, retail, office space, and parkland—anchored by Amazon’s robotics division as its main tenant. However, the Austin City Council’s approval last month has sparked controversy, coming with minimal public input. (KUT 90.5)
CapMetro transit workers have avoided a potential strike after ATU Local 1091 reached a tentative contract agreement with subcontractor Keolis on Monday. Following months of negotiations, the proposed deal includes higher wages and expanded vacation time, with a union ratification vote scheduled in the coming weeks. (KXAN-TV)
In other CapMetro news, the transit agency’s Bikeshare program is returning to service today.
The service is returning in phases beginning today after a fire damaged its charging facility in May.
Leander ISD could see a multimillion dollar bond on the ballot in November, with projects that would address campus needs, safety and security, and technology. (Community Impact)
Leander ISD Superintendent Chris Clark spoke with KXAN-TV about his background in education, managing growth, long-term planning and the district’s facility needs.
Austinn police are looking for 20-year-old Kevin Eduardo Aguilar Yak in connection with a collision last December that resulted in bodily injuries.
Meanwhile, effective August 24—the first day of classes at UT Austin—University Parking and Transportation Services is introducing a new “Pedestrian Friendly Zone” across high-foot-traffic areas of main campus. Within this designated boundary, students must dismount and walk all personal electric vehicles (PEVs). (Daily Texan)
Effective Date: August 24.
Affected Vehicles: Single-rider personal electric vehicles, including e-scooters, e-bikes, e-boards, and Segways.
Core Requirement: Riders must completely dismount and push their vehicles through the zone.
An extension to East Braker Lane is complete, improving connectivity in Pioneer Crossing, a neighborhood in Austin’s City Council District 1.
Austin Energy is hosting a pop-up event to highlight home improvements to help make your home energy efficient.
Travis County and Pflugerville authorities battled a residential structure fire off of Betterman Drive Monday afternoon.
And Pflugerville water customers can once again irrigate twice per week before 10 am or after 7 pm on a certain schedule.
Good news out of Burnet County: the Saxon Fire was fully contained Monday.
(Photo credit LEFT: Cassie Volunteer Fire Department/Burnet County ESD 2)
(Photo credit RIGHT: Reilly Ruggiero)
Officials report a debris burn got out of hand and started the blaze.
There is a large active wildfire in Stephens County, estimated at 1000 acres.
WEATHER
MONDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Look to the skies Thursday night!
(Episode from August 10, 2026)
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton is taking his economic message to Latino voters across Texas, releasing a Spanish-language ad Monday that translates his “Protecting the Texas Promise” agenda for a demographic increasingly seen as pivotal in his tight race against Democrat James Talarico.
The spot marks Paxton’s first Spanish-language ad of the general election, extending an affordability push built around tax breaks for housing, health care and families — themes he’s carried through stops in McAllen and San Antonio, two cities with large Latino populations, as recent polling shows him trailing Talarico by slim margins statewide.
A possible change to polling locations in Caldwell County is already drawing sharp criticism.
Meanwhile, in North Texas, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to table and delay a controversial proposal that would have cut the county’s Election Day polling locations
A federal judge has refused to temporarily block Texas’ ban on THC products, leaving the state prohibition intact while a broader legal challenge plays out in court.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on Sunday, ruling that hemp retailers and distributors failed to prove the ban would cause irreparable harm to interstate commerce. The decision keeps the ban active as the court prepares for a fuller hearing on a pending preliminary injunction.
Communities and politicians are starting to push back against an industry fueling both the AI boom and a national debate. While supporters argue the economic benefits more than offset any tax breaks, lawmakers are facing pressure to scale back lucrative incentives ballooning into the billions of dollars.
A proposed data center in Bastrop County has residents there, like in many other Texas communities, concerned.
A Texas Tribune report found that information about data center development is often scattered across multiple agencies, making it difficult for communities to understand how large-scale data centers could affect their area. Governor Greg Abbott has also called for an audit of data center operations.
Governor Greg Abbott on Monday announced the formation of the Texas Classroom Commission, a group of over 20 educators tasked with identifying strategies to help Texas achieve the goal of ranking number one in the nation for public education.
The Texas Education Agency is expected to release its annual A-F accountability grades for Texas schools next week, with districts like Austin ISD awaiting scores that could determine future state intervention.
Newly filed bankruptcy documents in a Houston federal court reveal that Camp Mystic’s annual revenue dropped by almost 50% following the deadly July 2025 flood. Despite these financial losses, the century-old Christian girls’ summer camp disbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars to its operating family members.
The Friday filing offers a rare glimpse into the organization’s financial standing as it navigates multiple wrongful death lawsuits and intense regulatory scrutiny. (KUT 90.5)
Matthew McConaughey, joined by his wife Camila, received a special honor at Alamo Drafthouse as the theater chain dedicated its Mueller location to the Oscar-winning actor ahead of a special screening of The Rivals of Amziah King.
SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Monday morning at Lake Travis High School, a student-athlete experienced a serious health emergency which required the assistance of Travis County STAR Flight.
There’s been no official word on that player’s condition but Hank Carter, the team’s head coach reported he is receiving “the absolute best possible care available”.
MLB: The Houston Astros are maintaining their half-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West after both teams notched extra-inning victories on the West Coast last night.
Jeremy Peña hit a go-ahead single with none out in the 10th, Isaac Paredes added a two-run double one out later and the Houston Astros rallied for a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. (Associated Press via MSN)
Brandon Nimmo singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Monday night to snap a five-game road losing streak.
Texas has won five of its last six overall and is a half-game behind AL West-leading Houston.
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Rank | Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Astros | 61 | 59 |
| 2 | Texas Rangers | 60 | 59 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 56 | 63 |
| 4 | Athletics | 47 | 72 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Angels | 45 | 74 |
Houston’s holding a slim lead over Texas — just a half-game separates them at the top, while Seattle sits a bit further back in the wild-card mix.
COWBOYS: The Dallas Cowboys are set to hold a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams today ahead of their preseason matchup this week.
TEXANS: After spending his rookie season working his way back from injury, Graham Mertz enters his second Texans training camp without the knee brace he wore last year. He discusses building strength throughout the offseason, becoming more confident in the system and preparing to make the most of every preseason opportunity. Mertz also explains how Houston’s quarterbacks keep their meeting room loose while still pushing each other to improve.
2026 PRESEASON
Houston Texans
Chargers @ Texans — Thursday, Aug 13, 7:00 PM CDT
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks — Saturday, Aug 15, 7:00 PM CDT
MLS: Austin FC returns to the field Thursday night in Leagues Cup play.
This week, Austin FC’s undefeated Leagues Cup run, and discuss why things are clicking now.
25 DAYS UNTIL TEXAS FOOTBALL
The Texas Longhorns’ offense gains a potential game-changer as Cam Coleman draws a bold comparison to Julio Jones from Steve Sarkisian. Could Coleman’s catch radius, body control, and vertical threat re-energize the Longhorns’ passing game and boost Arch Manning’s playmaking?
NBA: The Houston Rockets announced they’re playing San Antonio in Austin in October.
There’s a stretch of Texas coastline where the road simply stops and the beach takes over, and it happens to be the longest undeveloped stretch of beach anywhere in the world.
Padre Island National Seashore runs 60 miles from the Malaquite Visitors Center all the way to the Mansfield Channel, and the only way to see all of it is to drive straight down the sand.
The latest episode of The Daytripper.
