NHL settles on Las Vegas for expansion

The league will hold its Board of Governors meeting on June 22.

A strong competitor against Las Vegas in the bidding process was Quebec City, which filed for expansion last summer. However, it is widely believed that the Board would lean heavily on the recommendation of the executive committee – a select group of owners and National Hockey League execs – for guidance in their decision.

According to the AP, the earliest the league would expand to Sin City will be the 2017-18 season. The $500 million expansion fee is more than six times the amount paid by organizers for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild when those two franchises came into the league in the late 90’s and early 2000’s (approximately $80 million).

Bill Foley, owner of the potential Las Vegas team, did not respond to a request for comment.

“This could be a watershed moment for our community and sports in Southern Nevada”, said Jonas Peterson, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.

Clark County Commission chairman Steve Sisolak, who was the first to put a deposit down on season tickets, said in a statement: “H-E double-hockey-sticks yes!” It’s expected to pass and could be announced officially next week. Las Vegas has been waiting for this for decades.

National Hockey League expansion to Las Vegas has its champions and its detractors – including some that would rather see relocation rather than expansion – and that’s understandable.

But as Sportsnet and Yahoo state, despite the fact that there are still hurdles left to clear, odds are high that the Las Vegas Black Knights will take the ice next year.

This large tourists number would not only expand the market to new USA fans, but also across worldwide borders. The arena’s first sporting event was Saul Alvarez vs. Amir Khan for the WBC middleweight championship on May 7. Seattle and the Toronto area have both popped up in expansion rumors in the past, too. Being able to utilize the cities history, landmarks, and insane night life could be huge areas to make a logo or team name that encompasses what the city is and what it stands for.