Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - The NHL Could Be Expanding To Atlanta AND Texas?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

Pinder, Rhett and Bobby dig into the latest NHL expansion talk and where the league could be headed next. Could Atlanta really get another shot at an NHL franchise? Is Texas the next major market the league wants to crack, and would Houston or Austin make more sense? Plus, the guys discuss Arizona and whether the NHL could eventually find its way back to the desert after the Coyotes' departure. Where should the NHL go next?Video Link: https://youtu.be/_qlX_f3EXx8#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #texas #atlantaCHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NHL news. Don't be surprised if we're talking a lot about expansion in the next year because Bill Daly says he wants a team playing in three years. Houston or Austin. Weird to have two cities named with one ownership group and one amount of money that will be committed, but this is how you play one market against the other. Where they end up will be interesting.

Houston's a way bigger TV market. Austin does not have a pro team in the big four. Do you want the exclusivity in a growing market or do you want the big TV audience? They want to have two more teams in this league in time for a new TV deal when the U.S. one expires in what five years? I think they don't care as long as they get the most. They just want two and a half billion. They don't have to share with the players.

I agree. They're probably happy in either. Yeah, it doesn't matter. And then you should say, we'll go to the other city if you don't build us a ring with your money. You soak the taxpayers. And then you spread the $2.5 billion for all the owners. And you don't have to share with the players. Bill, do whatever you want.

Interesting. Now, long term, what do you think would be the more successful franchise? What city? I lean Austin because Houston's been there forever and it hasn't happened. Yeah. And Austin doesn't have any pro sports. I mean, they have the MLS and they have Texas Longhorns. There's no big four.

Yeah, it feels like the type of move the NHL has made. You know, they went to Columbus with no one at. They went to Nashville and no one had. San Jose when no one had. They didn't go to the big crowded markets with other teams to compete against. If you're in Houston, you're now trying to sell sweets to people that probably already have sweets to the Astros and the Texans and rockets. Rockets, never mind, Houston universe.

Like there's, NHL is number four in most markets. You have a chance to go be not number four in Austin in a growing city. And sure, in Houston, you might get the biggest TV deal just because of the audience. I think it's the six biggest TV market in, in the United States. But I think in Austin,

I think you'll get that kind of grassroots movement where the entire city gets behind the team, because it's all they really have. They also have the stars farm team. they love that team. It's, it's, Houston does have a hockey history. The WHA House played there.

They had HL team forever until about 10 years ago. Rich Preston. Rico, how can you forget? But I would lean Austin. And the question is, like, you probably don't want 33. Like,

we're literally going to be talking about 34. Yeah. Can Arizona get their shit in order in time? I can have another one out of West, could they? It's going to be Atlanta. It's going to be Atlanta. Well, they want it to be Atlanta for some reasons.

I think they have two counties. going to build brand new arenas. So what you need is the equivalent in Scottsdale, and then we have a debate. And is that going to happen? Doesn't that screw up the divisions? You just slide someone over, I don't know. Or whatever.

She moved Chicago. The East two cares. Just for example. We're Nashville. Look at Nashville's in the West. Look how far east there. What the hell you're fighting for Scottsdale for? Screw Scottsdale.

I think it's a great hockey market that said shitty owners and shitty buildings. Totally. And so if they get a great owner and a building in the right part of town, I think it'd be a hit. What the hell are you taught? Really? You don't think so in Scottsdale? That would work?

There's so many people that move out from like out east, New York, Boston, Chicago that are like big hockey fans that would support that team. No one wanted to charge the Portland base there. It doesn't have to be people from elsewhere. That's a hockey city that had the shittiest owner we've ever seen. What are you talking about? In the last 30 years, how many have they had a hockey team? Who cares? Like, they've had the worst owners.

They played in a college rink. They played in a suburb where nobody who had money to go to hockey games live. They've only had the worst setups there. I think it'd be a hit I think it would be a hit I think it would work I think there's the money there I think there's the corporate support

So when it fails It fails because Well don't don't have the worst Shitty owners Professional sports Hosey Rhinelho Shitty Rinks Well the Ranking

And like from It's beautiful It's just a wrong part of town Yeah From Scottsdale It's literally a 45 to an hour drive To get out there And you're gonna do that

You know 41 times a year So again you're two idiots Because you're dumb So you're going to Atlanta instead No I'm saying That Atlanta is saying Yeah we'll build you Austin, Houston,

we'll build. Probably, yeah. And Scott Stills saying, nothing. I think the Thunderbirds, the dudes with all the money in that city are grinding to try to get caught up to Atlanta. All I'm saying is that they had a franchise.

It wasn't that hard to just keep it there. And they could not get anything past city council. Because of the shitty owner. Yes. All that is true, but we have to understand how awful odds. That team was for sale. That team was for sale for a lot.

Professional sports. More than once. More than once. Correct. And nobody stepped up and did it right. Yeah. And again, if you have to fart out a $600 million rank,

I get why I know I bought it. But if you can somehow get someone else to pay for it, I think it's going back there. Atlanta's failed twice too, right? They should not expand there. It will happen, but I just, they should not go there. How do you fail twice and get a team back again?

It's not a hockey market. Even if they're a really good team. So they love you declare how to Scott's sale a hockey market. Atlanta not? because one's had a team most of my life and the other one has not. Like Atlanta's had a small window and it was poorly supported.

And look, it was an unmitigated disaster in Arizona, but they never had good teams and they had shitty, shitty owner that everyone hated and the rinks were never convenient. That's the one that doesn't get talked about enough is that they had terrible teams there forever.

Jack, it's inconvenient so I can't go. No, but I would see this. Like if the flames played in the injury, I would go less. They would get less of my money. Totally. Yeah. And that's kind of what,

were asking people. You're not a real fan. Sure. I mean, I'll bet Jerry, she's almost for you. You're drunk all the time. It's hurt. Uber's, man. I can be driving out there. Keep moving. We'll see how that evolves. I don't love it going to 30. Like, 32's

a lot. Oh, it's too much already. I think 30 was enough as it is. It's going to make it impossible to win the Stanley Cup. Talent dilution is going to happen. The game's not going to be quite as good. It's impossible. They're going to give one away every other, right? They will. You could go centuries without. Oh yeah, yeah. As a single team, I see what you're saying.

It's already hard enough. It's already hard enough. And you know what they're going to do now? It's like 34. It's like, oh, less than a half team of the post. Now we're going to get a play in rounds. Oh, fuck, here we go. I like playing rounds. I like in the NBA, but the NHL's first round does not need fixing. It is unreal. Oh, it's the best. It's the best. It's so good. What if one team's limping in after a playing round? Oh, so what? It's part of the playoffs. You got to get through it. But I mean, if you're the NHL and you're the owners, like, obviously, you want to expand. And think of the check. Think of the check. Think of the check. Murray Edwards is going to get written if two expansion teams come in. The other wrinkle is over $100 million U.S. It's going to be huge for him.

And you're not sharing with Vegas and Seattle. That was written into their expansion rules. Oh, interesting. Okay. They don't get future expansion monies. So you're splitting by 30, which sounds like a little thing, but it's like, ooh. Well, when it's $5 billion total or $4 billion total, that's a lot of money.

Absolutely.