The longshot: Portland, OR
Of all the cities on this list, probably the one that would have to be considered the biggest dark horse would be Portland, OR. Most recent reports and discussions surrounding the NHL expansion conversation haven't shown a ton of interest in getting a team established in Portland.
But I think there are some underrated characteristics with Portland that make it worth considering as a potential dark horse option in this conversation for NHL expansion going into the future.
First, Portland already has an established professional sports team and a regional geographic rivalry with multiple West Coast teams. The devoted fan spirit and potential day-one rivalries already exist with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and the regional Pacific rivalries with cities like Seattle and Northern California.
If the Trail Blazers were able to work something out both with the city and the NHL to get a new multi-purpose arena that could serve both the existing NBA team and a possible expansion hockey team, that could be an ideal scenario for the city that makes every party involved in these discussions a winner.
Second, Portland has an established large TV market that would be easy for the NHL to tap into. Atlanta, GA, and Portland, OR, are the two biggest TV markets in the country that don't already have at least one NHL team in the state or haven't had one for at least the past decade.
There is also the fact to consider that there is already a WHL team in the Portland Winterhawks that is doing pretty well with attendance. The Winterhawks rank in the top five in the WHL in home attendance for this past season, at over 5,000 fans per game in Portland.
The fact that there is already some established hockey support in Portland, combined with the size of the TV market, gives the NHL at least some foundation to build on it interest in the city grows in the future.
According to the 2025-26 USA Hockey Registration data figures, the Pacific is one of the fastest-growing hotbeds for youth hockey participation in the United States. That could make the Pacific Northwest, and potentially Oregon, a more appealing market to tap into for possible future growth candidates in the NHL expansion conversation.
Add us as a preferred source on Google