As THN.com has covered for months now, the prospect of NHL expansion is a very real thing. Whether we’re talking about a new team in Atlanta, Arizona, Quebec City, Houston or Hamilton, Ont., many interested parties want to bring NHL hockey to their city.

NHL expansion is a hot-button topic these days. They've already expanded twice in the last decade, increasing the number of NHL teams from 30 to 32 in the process. Despite the growth, the chatter continues.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN reported Wednesday that he had been informed by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and other sources that the league recently met with a group interested in bringing an expansion team to New Orleans. The reported meeting took place at the NHL's league offices in New York.