According to a report, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta held a meeting in recent weeks to discuss the viability of an NHL team in Houston.

Multiple sources told Katie Strang of The Athletic that the preliminary meeting took place at the NHL offices in New York.

"As I've mentioned before, I'm very interested in the possibility of bringing the NHL to Houston, but it will have to be a deal that works for my organization, the city, fans of the NHL throughout the region, and the NHL Board of Governors. We are in the very early stage of evaluating what opportunities may exist but look forward to a thorough process," Tilman Firtitta said in a statement Thursday. 

Bettman declined to comment on the meeting to Strang, but did say that the league is not relocating any clubs right now.

But asked if Houston might be considered if an opportunity arose, Bettman said, “if Houston were to express an interest in having an NHL franchise, under the right circumstances, it's something we might want to consider.”

Fertitta's ownership of the Rockets includes operation of the Toyota Center in downtown Houston, which opened in 2003. It holds 17,800 for hockey, and Fertitta has commented in the past about his interest in bringing NHL hockey to his building.

“I would love to bring an NHL team here,” Fertitta told Houston’s Fox affiliate station in October. “It's just got to make sense. It'd be hard to fathom that we can't support an NHL team here. Zero has happened, but we will start looking at it.

“Do I want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year? Definitely.” Fertitta told the Houston Business Journal. “I would put an NHL team here tomorrow.”