What would it take for Cincinnati to get an NHL team? Here's what we know

Is another professional sports team coming to Cincinnati?

During a pre-All-Star Game news conference Friday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said there's interest around fielding an expansion hockey team in the Queen City.

"If somebody wants to express interest and tell us they want an expansion team, we'll talk to them as we've talked to people in Houston, in Atlanta, in Cincinnati, Kansas City," he said.

Here's what we know about the possibility of an NHL team coming to Cincinnati.

What did NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman say about Cincinnati?

During a pre-All-Star Game news conference Friday, Bettman was asked whether the league currently has plans to expand or relocate teams, to which he replied by saying the league "has no plans for either at the moment."

"If somebody wants to express interest and tell us they want an expansion team, we'll talk to them as we've talked to people in Houston, in Atlanta, in Cincinnati, Kansas City," he said. "There seems to be an increasing and vibrant expression of interest in having an NHL team in places where there aren't."

Bettman didn't specify who has shown interest in bringing an NHL team to Cincinnati.

What has Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said about the NHL?

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he hasn’t heard anything about an NHL team coming to Cincinnati. But if one did, it would be helpful to any potential plan to build a new arena. Most arenas in the United States have a major tenant, though not all.

Would Cincinnati need to build a new arena to join the NHL?

For the last few years, there have been high-level conversations in Cincinnati about what’s next for the dated Heritage Bank Center east of The Banks. Should it be renovated or rebuilt? Should it be in the same spot or elsewhere? Who would pay?

Heritage Bank Center is currently home to the Cincinnati Cyclones, a minor league hockey team that draws crowds of over 6,000 per game.

Jeff Berding, board president of local tourism bureau Visit Cincy, has said a new arena is critical to bringing in tourists and that it doesn’t necessarily need a major league tenant. During Wednesday’s public Visit Cincy annual meeting, Berding announced an arena study would be done, led by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

“The plans all focus on the study,” said Berding, who is also president and co-CEO of FC Cincinnati. “We don’t have a professional tenant yet. Perhaps the Cyclones could come over.”

Berding said he has no knowledge of any specific plans to add another professional team.

“All are pipe dreams if we don’t have an arena,” Berding said. “I have encouraged people who have these thoughts to share their vision. Those can be data points that help influence decision makers and ultimately citizens.”

Berding said the question is, what's the return on investment for building a modern public/private arena? He sees the first step as the study, followed by public deliberation and construction. Once that happens, he said, talk of a tenant becomes possible.

“We need the arena first,” he said.

Columbus was granted its team in 1997 after Nationwide Insurance pledged $150 million to construct a new arena. Seattle's expansion bid, which was accepted in 2018, also included a major stadium investment. According to the Seattle Times, the multi-purpose Climate Pledge Arena, which hosts the Seattle Kraken, Seattle Storm and other teams, underwent a privately funded $1.15 billion redevelopment from 2018 to 2021.

How old is Heritage Bank Center?

Heritage Bank Center, originally known as Riverfront Coliseum, is 49 years old. Built in 1975, it seats more than 17,500 people.

By comparison, Nationwide Arena in Columbus holds 18,500 for hockey games.

When did Columbus join the NHL?

Up the road on Interstate-71, Columbus began its NHL expansion process in 1996.

Nationwide Insurance pledged $150 million to build a new arena, which the team needed. Columbus was granted the franchise in 1997, and the team paid an $80 million expansion fee. Construction on the arena began in 1998, and it opened in 2000 with the Columbus Blue Jackets' first season.

How much is the NHL expansion fee?

In addition to securing the funding for a new arena, Cincinnati would have to pay for its team to join the league.

To join the league in 2000, the Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild each paid $80 million expansion fees. Nearly two decades later, the Vegas Golden Knights paid a $500 million expansion fee, followed by the Seattle Kraken, which paid $650 million.

So how much would a Cincinnati team have to pay? According to Sportico, the going rate is much higher.

The average NHL team is currently worth $1.31 billion, up 40% from two years ago, the outlet writes.

How much was FC Cincinnati's expansion fee?

FC Cincinnati paid a $150 million expansion fee to enter the MLS when it was awarded a franchise in 2018.

How many teams are in the NHL?

The NHL currently has 32 teams, 25 residing in the U.S. and seven in Canada.

What division would Cincinnati's hypothetical NHL team play in?

There are two NHL conferences, Eastern and Western, and each conference has two divisions: Metropolitan and Atlantic in the Eastern, and Central and Pacific in the Western. Each division has eight teams.

The NHL has changed teams' divisions in the past to rebalance, so it's unknown which division Cincinnati would fall under. Geographically, it would make sense for the Queen City to join the Metropolitan division with the likes of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins.

But it would also likely depend on the other cities looking to join the league, as the NHL could make changes to ensure the divisions have an equal number of teams.

What would an NHL team mean for the future of the Cincinnati Cyclones?

It's unclear whether the Cyclones, who are part of the East Coast Hockey League, would relocate if Cincinnati were to welcome an NHL team. The ECHL and the American Hockey League are the only minor leagues directly affiliated with the NHL.

Multiple cities have both NHL and minor league teams, including Calgary, Canada; Toronto, Canada; Chicago; and San Jose, California.

The Cyclones are currently an affiliate team for the NHL's New York Rangers. In cases like in San Jose, the city's AHL team, the Barracuda, is an affiliate of its NHL organization, the Sharks.

Who won the 2023 Stanley Cup?

The Vegas Golden Knights, one of the league's newest teams, won their first Stanley Cup last year after defeating the Florida Panthers in five games. Vegas joined the NHL during the 2017-18 season.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NHL expansion: Could Cincinnati actually get a team? What we know