from Jack Witthaus of Houston Business Journal,

Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the new owner of the Houston Rockets, didn’t rule out a National Hockey League franchise for Houston during his first press conference Oct. 10 at the Toyota Center after acquiring the team for $2.2 billion.

It would be the second NHL franchise in Texas behind the Dallas Stars.

“Do I want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year? Definitely.” Fertitta said. "I would put an NHL team here tomorrow (but it has to make sense)."

NHL executive Larry Tanenbaum is “very excited” to meet with Fertitta, Rockets CEO Tad Brown said at the press conference. Houston and the NHL have discussed deals in the past to bring a team to the Bayou City but nothing has worked out, Brown said.

continued