When you have a 7M population base and a high% of Canadian expats (compared to other states) due to the Oil and Gas industry, Houston would have a better foundation for supporting a NHL longterm compared to the Florida teams and many Cali teams.Houston would be a marginal NHL market (which is fine) and the only realistic guy capable of owning a team knows that and there is therefore no way in hell it is worth it to pay the kind of prices the NHL is asking for a team.