NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL is exploring potential expansion in Texas in either Houston or Austin under an agreement with billionaire Dan Friedkin and his family, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.

Bettman said the Board of Governors executive committee endorsed a term sheet agreed to with the Friedkins over the next six months. The total investment required between an expansion fee and the cost to build a new arena in one of those cities would amount to $3.5 billion, according to Bettman, who said discussions over the past two years largely revolved around Houston before Austin joined the conversation.

kAm“%92E’D A2CE @7 E96 AC@46DD 😀 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E H@F=5 36 36DE[ 3@E9 7@C E96 =628F6 2?5 7@C s2? uC:65<:? 2?5 72>:=J[” q6EE>2? D2:5] Qq@E9 4:E:6D H:== C6BF:C6 2 ?6H 2C6?2] xE >2J 36 >@C6 762D:3=6 😕 @?6 A=246 E92? E96 @E96C] p?5 2D H6 5:8 2 =:EE=6 566A6C 2?5 5@ E96 5F6 5:=:86?46[ H6’== 7:8FC6 @FE H9:49 >2<6D E96 >@DE D6?D6]”k^Am

kAmuC:65<:? 😀 492:C>2? 2?5 rt~ @7 E96 uC:65<:? vC@FA H:E9 2 ?6E H@CE9 @7 Se]c 3:==:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ u@C36D] %96 w@FDE@?\32D65 4@?D@CE:F> 92D :?G6DE>6?ED 😕 E96 2FE@>@E:G6 :?5FDECJ[ 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ 9@DA:E2=:EJ 2?5 DA@CED[ :?4=F5:?8 DE2<6D 😕 tFC@A62? D@446C 4=F3D tG6CE@? 2?5 p$ #@>2]k^Am

kAm}@ 3@2C5 G@E6 H2D E2<6?] %92E H@F=5 @?=J 4@>6 :7 E96 D:56D :?G@=G65 >@G6 7@CH2C5 H:E9 2? 28C66>6?E]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E96C6 😀 ?@ 8F2C2?E66 E96 }w{ 255D 2 bbC5 E62>[ E96 >@G6 😀 2 7:CDE DE6A E@H2C5 364@>:?8 E96 =2C86DE AC@76DD:@?2= DA@CED =628F6 😕 }@CE9 p>6C:42[ DFCA2DD:?8 E96 }u{] q6EE>2? 92D D2:5 @77:4:2=D H6C6 =:DE6?:?8 E@ 6IAC6DD:@?D @7 :?E6C6DE 7C@> AC@DA64E:G6 @H?6CD 😕 A=246D =:<6 w@FDE@? 2?5 pE=2?E2 3FE F?E:= ?@H ?@E J6E 6?82865 😕 2 7@C>2= A2E9 E@H2C5 6IA2?D:@?]k^Am

kAm“%96C6 H2D 2? FA52E6 @? pE=2?E2[ E96C6 H2D 2? FA52E6 @? pC:K@?2 2?5 E96C6 H2D 2? FA52E6 @? $@FE9 %6I2D[Q q6EE>2? D2:5] QqFE ?6:E96C pC:K@?2 ?@C pE=2?E2 2C6 BF:E6 2D 72C 2=@?8 😕 E96 AC@46DD 2D E96 uC:65<:? @AA@CEF?:E:6D]”k^Am

kAm|@?EC62= r2?25:6?D @H?6C v6@77 |@=D@?[ H9@ 😀 @? E96 6I64FE:G6 4@>>:EE66[ 42==65 :E 2? :>A@CE2?E 564:D:@? 2?5 D2:5[ “xE’D ;FDE 2? 6IA=@C2E:@? 2E E9:D DE286]”k^Am

kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E C6=62D65 E9C@F89 !FCDF:E $A@CED[ E96 uC:65<:? 72>:=J D2:5 :E 925 C624965 2? 28C66>6?E H:E9 E96 }w{ 7@C 6I4=FD:G6 C:89ED E@ 2 7C2?49:D6 😕 $@FE9 %6I2D H:E9 2 7@4FD @? w@FDE@? 2?5 pFDE:?] xE D2:5 :E H@F=5 36 >6E9@5:42= 😕 2DD6DD:?8 E96 36DE @AE:@?]k^Am

kAm“t249 4:EJ 3C:?8D F?:BF6 2EEC:3FE6D E92E H@F=5 >2<6 2 ?6H E62> 2 9F86 DF446DD — 3@E9 92G6 E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ A2DD:@?2E6 72? 32D6D 2?5 64@?@>:4 DEC6?8E9 ?66565 E@ DFAA@CE 2 492>A:@?D9:A\42=:36C 7C2?49:D6 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6[Q E96 72>:=J D2:5] “(6 92G6 H2?E65 7@C D@>6 E:>6 E@ 3C:?8 2? }w{ E62> E@ %6I2D[ 2?5 H6 2C6 6I4:E65 E92E E96 AC@46DD 92D ?@H 368F?]Qk^Am

kAm%96 =628F6 =2DE 6IA2?565 E@ ba E62>D H:E9 E96 $62EE=6 zC2<6? 368:??:?8 A=2J 😕 a_a` 27E6C E96 ‘682D v@=56? z?:89ED DE2CE65 😕 E96 a_`f\`g D62D@?] q67@C6 E92E[ E96C6 925 366? b_ E62>D D:?46 a___[ H96? r@=F>3FD 2?5 |:??6D@E2 6?E6C65]k^Am

kAm%96 C646?E DF446DD DE@C:6D[ 4@>3:?65 H:E9 3@@>:?8 7C2?49:D6 G2=F6D 24C@DD DA@CED[ DAFCC65 E2=< @7 6IA2?D:@? 😕 9@4<6J 4:C4=6D[ 6DA64:2==J 3642FD6 6IA2?D:@? 766D 4@F=5 6I4665 S` 3:==:@?] $62EE=6 A2:5 Sed_ >:==:@? 2?5 {2D ‘682D Sd__ >:==:@?]k^Am

kAmuC@> u=@C:52 E@ %6I2D E@ r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 A=246D 😕 36EH66?[ E96 }w{ 92D 6?;@J65 DEC@?8 A@AF=2C:EJ 24C@DD E96 $F? q6=E 2?5 ?@?\EC25:E:@?2= 9@4<6J >2C<6ED @G6C E96 A2DE 7@FC 564256D] %62>D H6C6 25565 😕 $@FE9 u=@C:52 2?5 %2>A2 😕 u=@C:52[ $2? y@D6 2?5 p?296:> 😕 r2=:7@C?:2[ }2D9G:==6[ %6??6DD66[ 2?5 {2D ‘682D[ H9:=6 C6=@42E:@?D AFE E62>D 😕 s2==2D[ #2=6:89[ }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ s6?G6C 2?5 6=D6H96C6]k^Am

kAm%62>D 😕 E9@D6 A=246D 92G6 H@? E96 $E2?=6J rFA E96 A2DE D6G6? J62CD 😕 2 C@H 2?5 `b E:>6D 52E:?8 E@ r@=@C25@VD 492>A:@?D9:A CF? 😕 `hhd\he]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mq@2C5 2AAC@G6D !6?8F:?D D2=6k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmq6EE>2? D2:5 E96 3@2C5 925 2AAC@G65 E96 D2=6 @7 E96 !:EED3FC89 !6?8F:?D 7C@> u6?H2J $A@CED vC@FA E@ E96 w@77>2?? 72>:=J] %96 562=[ C624965 2 J62C 28@[ 😀 H@CE9 S`]f 3:==:@? E@ S`]fd 3:==:@?]k^Am

kAm“xE’D ?:46 E92E E96 w@77>2??D 8@E 2 8@@5 562=[ 2?5 :E’D ?:46 E92E u6?H2J 😕 7:G6 J62CD 5@F3=65 :ED :?G6DE>6?E[” q6EE>2? D2:5] Qx DE:== E9:?< :E’D =@H[ 3FE E92E’D ~z]”k^Am

kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E C6=62D65 3J E96 E62>[ :?4@>:?8 }w{ 8@G6C?@C v6@77 w@77>2?? 42==65 :E 2 567:?:?8 >@>6?E 7@C 9:D 72>:=J]k^Am

kAm“%96 !6?8F:?D C6AC6D6?E 6G6CJE9:?8 w@77>2?? u2>:=J @7 r@>A2?:6D DE2?5D 7@Ci 4@>>F?:EJ[ 6I46==6?46 2?5 =@?8\E6C> E9:?<:?8[” w@77>2? D2:5] Q(6 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 3F:=5:?8 @? E96 E62>’D DF446DD 3J AC@G:5:?8 DFAA@CE 2?5 C6D@FC46D E@ 3@E9 W86?6C2= >2?286CX zJ=6 sF32D 2?5 E96 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D E62>[ 2D H6== 2D E96 6DE23=:D965 =6256CD9:A 8C@FA @? E96 3FD:?6DD D:56] (6’C6 AC@F5 E@ C6AC6D6?E E9:D DE@C:65 7C2?49:D6 2?5 2C6 6286C E@ 364@>6 2? 24E:G6[ :?G6DE65 A2CE @7 E96 !:EED3FC89 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am