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Should the NHL expand to 36 teams?

Tyler Kuehl
Oct 15, 2025, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 15, 2025, 13:59 EDT
Should the NHL expand to 36 teams?
Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Even though there’s already a lot of hockey going on today, could we add more?

With 32 franchises across the National Hockey League, fans all across North America have a great chance to see the best hockey in the world. Yet, there seems to be a desire for more teams in an already busy league.

The NHL has remained quiet regarding expansion since the Seattle Kraken’s introduction in 2021. A “new” team was added in Salt Lake City when the Arizona Coyotes relocated, now known as the Utah Mammoth, despite Utah having been on the league’s radar for an expansion team.

However, there are still opportunities for more teams in the league. Houston has long since been a city that could be explored, along with the forever-pining fans in Quebec City. Atlanta has made an effort to establish a team again (although many of us would prefer it not to happen).

On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Carter Hutton explains whether the league should ever go as far as having 36 teams in operation.

Carter Hutton: It’s a lot. I guess the player in me, I love it, because then it’s more jobs, it’s more guys being able to get jobs. For a guy, for me, who was on the outside looking in at times. There’s only so many seats at the table, which I do love. But in the league that lacks superstars to begin with, when we look at a lot of these teams and we can say, they just don’t have the superstar firepower compared to the Edmonton, the Vegas, the Torontos, you know, it’s gonna get even more watered down in that sense. So, I feel like the brand starts to hurt in that sense, but for players, for the union, for everything involved, I love it. More teams, more paychecks, more guys in the league. 

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…

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