The National Hockey League has placed expansion franchise fees at $400 million and over, FanSided reports, calling into question the league's denial of expansion.
Although the league's commissioner has not publically addressed expanding its franchise, the financial success stemming from the NHL's sale of the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes has renewed rumors.
"First, the long-suffering Islanders sold for $485 million. That's nearly two-and-a-half times a recent Forbes estimate of their worth, but the team is moving to a new Brooklyn arena and resides in the nation's biggest media market," the Seattle Times wrote about the expansion franchise, according to FanSided.
"It's the Coyotes' sale that's really garnered attention. The team's owner, the IceArizona consortium, is selling a 51 percent stake to hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway for a reported $155 million based on a recent franchise appraisal of $305 million."
Some have suggested that the NHL is planning to expand and is in the process of collecting funds for its own growth. Others, citing the league's silence on the issue, remain skeptical.
There are currently 30 member teams of the NHL: 23 are based in the United States and 7 are based in Canada.
