The largest metropolitan area in North America that currently does not host its own franchise in the National Hockey League is Houston, Texas, a massive urban center with a sprawling population that comfortably exceeds seven million residents in its greater metropolitan statistical area. Houston boasts a robust and diverse sports culture, supporting powerhouse franchises in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, Major League Soccer, and the National Basketball Association, yet it has never secured a permanent, dedicated NHL team of its own despite possessing a world-class arena in the Toyota Center that is fully capable of hosting professional hockey games. Other massive metropolitan areas that lack a local NHL franchise include cities like Atlanta, Georgia, which previously hosted two different unsuccessful expansion and relocation attempts, as well as massive populated regions in Mexico and various other parts of the United States. The absence of a team in Houston remains a frequent topic of speculation among league executives, sports economists, and expansion enthusiasts who look at the massive television market, corporate sponsorship potential, and overall economic power of the region as an untapped goldmine for future professional hockey expansion or franchise relocation efforts.