Report: Austin among 5 cities vying for NHL expansion

Austin, Texas, has expressed interest in bringing a second NHL team to the Lone Star State, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

The group joins prospective expansion bids from Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, and New Orleans, Seravalli notes. The league has set expansion fees at $2 billion and heard from the hopeful markets during this week's Board of Governors meetings.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league isn't formally chasing expansion. The NHL and NHLPA recently agreed to an extension of the collective bargaining agreement, which is still pending ratification.

MLS club Austin FC is the only major sports franchise in the city, but it is also the home of the massively popular Texas Longhorns of the NCAA.

Atlanta has generated plenty of buzz as an expansion destination, with a $3-billion potential arena site recently approved in Forsyth County.

The NHL has expanded to Vegas and Seattle in recent years and currently has 32 teams in operation.