Could an NHL team land in Cincinnati? Local official says city needs a new arena first

Could an NHL expansion team call Cincinnati home?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said there's some interest in Cincinnati, as well as in several other cities. However, it probably won't be anytime soon.

During a pre-All Star Game news conference Friday to announce NHL's involvement in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games, Bettman was asked whether the league currently has plans to expand or relocate.

He said the league "has no plans for either at the moment."

"If somebody wants to express interest and tell us they want an expansion team, we'll talk to them as we've talked to people in Houston, in Atlanta, in Cincinnati, Kansas City," he said. "There seems to be an increasing and vibrant expression of interest in having an NHL team in places where there aren't."

Bettman didn't specify who has shown interest in bringing an NHL team to Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he hasn’t heard anything about an NHL team coming to Cincinnati. But if one did, it would be helpful to any potential plan to build a new arena. Most arenas in the United States have a major tenant, though not all.

Cincinnati business and tourism leaders are pushing for a new Downtown arena to replace the aging Heritage Bank Center, which is currently home to the Cincinnati Cyclones, a minor league hockey team that draws crowds of over 6,000 per game.

Related: Could this be where a new Cincinnati arena goes?

'All are pipe dreams if we don’t have an arena'

For the last few years, there have been high-level conversations in Cincinnati about what’s next for the dated Heritage Bank Arena east of The Banks. Should it be renovated or rebuilt? Should it be in the same spot or elsewhere? Who would pay?

Jeff Berding, board president of Visit Cincy, the area’s tourism bureau, has said a new arena is critical to bringing in tourists and that it doesn’t necessarily need a major league tenant. During Wednesday’s public Visit Cincy annual meeting, Berding announced an arena study would be done, led by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

“The plans all focus on the study,” said Berding, who is also president and co-CEO of FC Cincinnati. “We don’t have a professional tenant yet. Perhaps the Cyclones could come over.”

He’s heard people mention a professional soccer team, a national women’s volleyball league and an NBA team.

Berding said he has no knowledge of any specific plans.

As Visit Cincy board chairman, he remains focused on building the arena.

“All are pipe dreams if we don’t have an arena,” Berding said. “I have encouraged people who have these thoughts to share their vision. Those can be data points that help influence decision makers and ultimately citizens.”

Berding said the question is, what's the return on investment for building a modern public/private arena? He sees the first step as the study, followed by public deliberation and construction. Once that happens, he said, talk of a tenant becomes possible.

“We need the arena first,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NHL in Cincinnati? Hockey commissioner says there's interest