The National Hockey League has shot down any speculation that franchises are in danger of moving or that the league is expanding in the near future.

"We have no intention to expand in the foreseeable future, and there is no desire to relocate any of our existing franchises," the league said in a statement on Thursday.

The NHL confirmed that last week, deputy commissioner Bill Daly met with a group of businesspeople interested in bringing a second team to Toronto, but the league says nothing came out of it.

Rumours swirled last week that investors targeted northern Toronto, specifically Vaughan, as a possible site for a new NHL franchise.

Paul Kelly, executive director of the NHLPA, was more receptive to the idea of a second team in Toronto.

"Without discussing specifics, I have previously met informally with groups that have expressed an interest in putting a second team in Toronto or Southern Ontario," he said in a release.

"The viability of a second team in Toronto or Southern Ontario should be explored, so, in the event that relocation needs to be considered for franchises that are struggling where they are currently located, a well-informed decision can be made."

With files from The Canadian Press