NHL Becomes First Major Sport to Put a Team in Las Vegas

[Dapper Dan]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-22/nhl-becomes-first-major-sport-to-put-a-team-in-las-vegas


Las Vegas is getting a major league team.
The National Hockey League voted Wednesday to add a franchise in Las Vegas, a city big-time professional sports leagues have until now avoided because sports betting is legal there. The team, which doesn’t have a name yet, will play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a press conference in Las Vegas. An expansion draft for the new team will be held at the end of the 2016-2017 season.

[FanInAZ]

So Las Vegas, & possible Quebec, are going to bring the NHL up to the same # of teams as the NFL. Is the talent pool sufficient to support that many teams? I know that hockey is far more popular in Europe & Canada, but is it enough?

[OrangeHoof]

NFL = 50+ players on roster
NHL = 20 + players on roster.

Sure,the can handle the talent level, particularly since they can bring in players from Scandanavia, Russia, Canada etc

Congrats to Vegas. What do you think the team should be named?

[FanInAZ]

NFL = 50+ players on roster
NHL = 20 + players on roster.

Sure,the can handle the talent level, particularly since they can bring in players from Scandanavia, Russia, Canada etc

Congrats to Vegas. What do you think the team should be named?

Do you go for something related to the mob, gambling or its proximity to Area 51.

[Dapper Dan]

Vegas Golden Knights

9787

[weazel]

I don't think Quebec is going to be an expansion team. They will probably move a pathetic franchise like Carolina or Arizona there.

[Dapper Dan]

I don't think Quebec is going to be an expansion team. They will probably move a pathetic franchise like Carolina or Arizona there.

Quebec Coyotes

[weazel]

Quebec Coyotes

lmao horrible.

Coyotes start in Phoenix and the stadium sucks so they build a new one. The new one is paid for by taxpayers and they still owe $120 million on it over the next decade or so. The stadium is empty because nobody in Phoenix wants to drive out to the stadium and watch hockey so the only people that show up are vacationing Canadians. Watch the games, there are very little Coyotes fans, its 90% opposition fans and even then. the place is half full unless its a Canadian team.

The Coyotes/NHL's answer to this is to once again build a new stadium! They are now planning a new stadium to be built near the University at a cost of $400 million, with half of that being paid by the tax payers again.

So in the end you have a team in Phoenix that nobody in Phoenix gives a shit about, with one stadium forgotten about, another stadium still being paid for thats going to sit empty and now a third stadium for the tax payers to pay for. How in the **** does that make sense. Just move the team and stop wasting peoples money.

[OrangeHoof]

And all these years, Houston (the nation's 4th largest city) has never had NHL hockey. Go figger.

[weazel]

to be fair, didn't they lose the Aeros? Hard to demand an NHL team when you don't support a minor league team. I don't know the dynamics behind it so maybe I'm wrong. The size would definitely be fine for sure.

[Dapper Dan]

to be fair, didn't they lose the Aeros? Hard to demand an NHL team when you don't support a minor league team. I don't know the dynamics behind it so maybe I'm wrong. The size would definitely be fine for sure.

Not enough white people. Same with Phoenix.

[Timmy!]

I bet they do ok.

[Dapper Dan]

I bet they do ok.

Bold prediction.

[OrangeHoof]

The WHA Aeros played in Houston until they were folded into the Hartford Whalers after it was clear the league was merging with the NHL and Houston had already been ruled out as a new franchise. IOW, the WHA was imploding by that time. As for the minor league Aeros, that's apples and oranges. Some cities that see themselves as "big league" don't support "minor league" teams.

[weazel]

The WHA Aeros played in Houston until they were folded into the Hartford Whalers after it was clear the league was merging with the NHL and Houston had already been ruled out as a new franchise. IOW, the WHA was imploding by that time. As for the minor league Aeros, that's apples and oranges. Some cities that see themselves as "big league" don't support "minor league" teams.

I was talking the minor league team, but thats what the major legues look at. If a city cant sustain a minor league team they sure arent going to waste their time and money trying to force a major league team

[Poet]

Shit is dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope.

[weazel]

word