What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas—even if it has to do with the puck being dropped in Sin City.
The NHL are planning to expand and create even more revenue for the market value of hockey. This idea took a major step into progression with an announcement that an expansion team in Las Vegas has been approved. No revelation of the name of the team as yet, but the players will begin competitive play in the start of the 2017-2018 NHL season.
Sources from the AP had this to say about this transaction:
A person with direct knowledge of the NHL’s decision says the league has settled on Las Vegas as its choice for expansion, provided organizers can come up with a $500 million fee.
The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because details have not been released by the league ahead of its Board of Governors meeting on June 22. Quebec City was also considered for expansion.
Billionaire Bill Foley has been the main person pushing for a franchise to come to Vegas. With the preliminary idea of hosting games at the T-Mobile Arena, Foley was able to already pay the expansion fee, along with receiving 13,000 season ticket deposits. With talks of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders potentially moving to the City of Lights, the NHL score a huge goal in bringing a huge market to a surrounding area where entertainment and gambling reigns supreme. Only time will tell if the “Entertainment Capital Of The World “will eventually turn into “Championship Ring City,” as the sports world will await and see if the NBA and MLB will follow suit and bring franchises to Vegas. The Las Vegas Supersonics and Las Vegas Expos don’t sound bad at all; let’s hope these two billion dollar corporations follow suit.
