NHL Expansion to Vegas "Done Deal"

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > NHL Expansion to Vegas "Done Deal"

An NHL team in Vegas will: This poll is closed.
Never happen	39	14.08%
Be moved Thrashers-style after a decade or so	114	41.16%
Lead to contraction in a decade or two	28	10.11%
Flourish, or at least amble on as well as the Panthers	96	34.66%
Total:	277 votes

[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/563625

quote:

The Commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman, has repeatedly insisted that the league is not engaged in an active "expansion process," but reports insisting otherwise continue to crop up.

The latest is from veteran Vancouver Province columnist Tony Gallagher, who suggested on Tuesday that the NHL will expand to Las Vegas, Nev. sooner rather than later:

Sources close to the situation have indicated Las Vegas is a done deal, the only thing to be determined being which owner will be entitled to proclaim that he brought the first major league sports franchise to Sin City.

Gallagher also insists that there's fire behind all of the NHL-related smoke emanating out of Seattle, Wash. and reports that Vancouver-born billionaire Victor Coleman would be among the bidders interested in bringing a second NHL club to the Pacific Northwest.

While rumors about Las Vegas expansion continue to swirl, to the consternation of players like Chicago Blackhawks nofunnick Jonathan Toews, NHL brass has been steadfast in their insistence that nothing is imminent for the league on the expansion front.

"We're not ready to expand," Bettman said in early May, addressing rumors of potential NHL expansion in Las Vegas. "We, as I repeatedly have said, have received expressions of interest from people who might want to own a franchise in Las Vegas - as we have from a number of other cities - but we're not involved in any expansion process."

The NHL has aspired to expand for a while now, and they likely had semi-immanent plans when they created the current unbalanced division structure.

Discuss.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 02:57

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 22:33

The Golden Man: Aug 4, 2007

Bad rear end

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:00

Pleads: Jun 9, 2005; pew pew pew

I hope they are called the Vegas Slots.

Also first vote, "amble on" by a landslide!

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:00

T-Bone: Sep 14, 2004; jakes did this?

So...Seattle too I would imagine to even up the conferences?

Quebec or Toronto metro hosed unless they expand?

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:03

Aphrodite: Jun 27, 2006

They're going to call them the Vegas Strip, have the skimpiest Ice Girls and play The Stripper 24/7.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:04

CBJSprague24: Dec 5, 2010; another game at nationwide arena. everybody keeps asking me if they can fuck the cannon. buddy, they don't even let me fuck it

Hope you Western boys enjoy your "One less team in the division to beat" while it lasts.

I'm only for it if the ice girls wear the showgirl costumes making them look like peacocks on ice.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:05

tofes: Mar 31, 2011; #1 Milpitas Dave and Buster's superfan since 2013

I'll believe it when I see it

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:05

achillesforever6: Apr 23, 2012; psst you wanna do a communism?

I'm trying to come up with a Fallout New Vegas related team name, but am blanking

I can't wait for Root sports to tell me every loving game how bad the ice is because we are in the desert and the Penguins just can't score in those conditions.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:07

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

T-Bone posted:

Quebec or Toronto metro hosed unless they expand?

I think that rests upon a mix of the Canadian economy and the owners' ability to restrain themselves from seeking more of those sweet sweet relocation/expansion fees.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:08

ThinkTank: Oct 23, 2007

tofes posted:

I'll believe it when I see it

Pretty much. With no new stadium available until the 2016/17 season, I can't imagine the NHL is finalizing anything at this juncture.

e: also keep in mind this is coming from Vancouver's resident hack reporter Tony Gallagher.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/hockey/canucks-hockey/Gallagher+Bettman+changed+tune+expansion/10150984/story.html

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:08

Gio: Jun 20, 2005

yeah it looks to be entirely based on one columnist's over-zealous phrasing.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:12

Aphrodite: Jun 27, 2006

achillesforever6 posted:

I'm trying to come up with a Fallout New Vegas related team name, but am blanking

I can't wait for Root sports to tell me every loving game how bad the ice is because we are in the desert and the Penguins just can't score in those conditions.

Las Vegas Legion

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:19

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

I really don't see it happening, but if it does, I'm sure someone will figure out a way to make money off of it some way other than the traditional "get people to pay for tickets" method.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:22

Neodoomium: Jun 20, 2001; You are now hearing this
noise in your head.

Las Vegas Cazadors.

gently caress them already.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:23

GoonGPT: May 26, 2006; Posting for a better future, today!

I'd like to see more people other than the Whitest Man in Sports Journalism, Tony "The Orignal G" "Crypt Keeper" Gallager as a source on this.

GoonGPT fucked around with this message at 03:30 on Aug 27, 2014

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:27

the talent deficit: Dec 20, 2003; self-deprecation is a very british trait, and problems can arise when the british attempt to do so with a foreign culture

tony gallagher is just playing to the bizaare enthusiasm in vancouver for a seattle nhl franchise. he's got zero information here, guaranteed

# ? Aug 27, 2014 03:41

ElwoodCuse: Jan 11, 2004; we're puttin' the band back together

nature6pk posted:

I'd like to see more people other than the Whitest Man in Sports Journalism, Tony "The Orignal G" "Crypt Keeper" Gallager as a source on this.

Dickey Dunn wrote that, it must be true!

# ? Aug 27, 2014 04:09

Rotten Cookies: Nov 11, 2008; gosh! i like both the islanders and the rangers!!! :^)

Expansion draft would be interesting. But nerve-racking. I wonder how competitive new teams could be right off the bat. How much of a punching bag would they be for the rest of the west? Also, Vegas should not be allowed to draft Jagr.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 04:43

UnmaskedGremlin: May 28, 2002; I hear there's gonna be cake!

Ugh. Don't wanna see an expansion draft.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 04:57

Gina like vagina: May 8, 2007; "Tears of the Mariners."

I think I read a review of that. Thought it was one of those baseball stories like "Pride of the Yankees", you know? But it's just about some crabby old sailors, stuck in this little town.

I'm not opposed at all to the idea of Vegas getting an expansion team but I hope that Seattle does as well, doesn't matter as this all seems to be hot air anyhow.

ThinkTank posted:

e: also keep in mind this is coming from Vancouver's resident hack reporter Tony Gallagher.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/hockey/canucks-hockey/Gallagher+Bettman+changed+tune+expansion/10150984/story.html

# ? Aug 27, 2014 04:58

Krime: Jul 30, 2003; Somebody has to do the scoring around here.

Living in Salt Lake City, I approve!

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:05

Schremp Howard: Jul 18, 2010; What attitude problem?

Guess it won't just be Las Vegas.

Sports Illustrated posted:

Apparently Las Vegas isn't the only city adding a National Hockey League expansion team: Seattle, Toronto and Quebec City will add NHL franchises as well with by a target date of 2017, according to a tweet from SportsBusinessNews' Howard Bloom.

Bloom said the four-fold expansion, which would increase the number of NHL teams to 34 and the number of Canadian team to nine, could raise $1.4 billion in expansion fees.

full story here

This is going to end well.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:09

Boomer The Cannon: Oct 27, 2011; Gotta see it live!

IF we get Las Vegas, Seattle, Quebec City and Toronto Jr., then someone's going to move East, or one of the Canadian franchises will be hosed.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:11

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

They could just fold an existing franchise or two to keep it at 32. Or relocate Florida and Arizona to the moon and center of the Earth, respectively, where they belong.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:13

Gina like vagina: May 8, 2007; "Tears of the Mariners."

I think I read a review of that. Thought it was one of those baseball stories like "Pride of the Yankees", you know? But it's just about some crabby old sailors, stuck in this little town.

Schremp Howard posted:

Guess it won't just be Las Vegas.

full story here

This is going to end well.

Please don't get my hopes up for a Seattle NHL team before dashing them again.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:14

Boomer The Cannon: Oct 27, 2011; Gotta see it live!

I think Gary Bettman has a copy of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_No._227 on the wall of his office, so nope.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:14

dyn: Jan 9, 2005; Barn duelin' since '07

There is no way Toronto will get another team. MLSE will not let that happen.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:18

Krime: Jul 30, 2003; Somebody has to do the scoring around here.

Boomer The Cannon posted:

IF we get Las Vegas, Seattle, Quebec City and Toronto Jr., then someone's going to move East, or one of the Canadian franchises will be hosed.

Would Nashville be the most likely candidate?

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:18

Boomer The Cannon: Oct 27, 2011; Gotta see it live!

I would think so.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:22

Schremp Howard: Jul 18, 2010; What attitude problem?

I can't wait for the owners to get all of these expansion fees and throw another lockout in celebration.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:24

Mr. Kite: Aug 28, 2004; SHUT UP AND PLAY HOCKEY

I think it would make more sense to move the Coyotes and the Panthers to Seattle and Vegas. But whatever.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:24

Zamboni Jesus: Jul 3, 2007; We don't really care about what that bug-eyed fat walrus has to say

expanding to 32 makes sense only in that it would give the league balanced conferences, 34 makes no sense

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:27

Darude - Adam Sandstorm: Aug 16, 2012

What in the fuckity gently caress?

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:35

Zamboni Jesus: Jul 3, 2007; We don't really care about what that bug-eyed fat walrus has to say

isn't las vegas also one of the most economically depressed cities in the us right now?

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:39

Franks Happy Place: Mar 15, 2011; It is by weed alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the dank of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by weed alone I set my mind in motion.

dyn posted:

There is no way Toronto will get another team. MLSE will not let that happen.

If you don't think they wouldn't be happy to take a big fat compensatory payout, you don't know Bell and Rodgers. Plus they get a decade of exclusive rights to rivalry games... Good God they'd love it.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:42

Gio: Jun 20, 2005

Zamboni Jesus posted:

isn't las vegas also one of the most economically depressed cities in the us right now?

not really, no.

i mean cities not named "new york" or "boston" or "san francisco" are all doing not good so i dunno.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:45

Zamboni Jesus: Jul 3, 2007; We don't really care about what that bug-eyed fat walrus has to say

Gio posted:

not really, no.

i mean cities not named "new york" or "boston" or "san francisco" are all doing not good so i dunno.

their unemployment rate is really high and the housing market completely crashed and never actually recovered plus most of the jobs that they do have pay absolute crap because it is all service industry. if you actually live in las vegas is is pretty poo poo.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:48

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

Franks Happy Place posted:

If you don't think they wouldn't be happy to take a big fat compensatory payout, you don't know Bell and Rodgers. Plus they get a decade of exclusive rights to rivalry games... Good God they'd love it.

What makes you think they couldn't figure out a way to own the other Toronto team too? Or maybe they'd let their fierce competitor Telus co-own the ~~Oakville~~ Burlington Burger Kings.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:49

the talent deficit: Dec 20, 2003; self-deprecation is a very british trait, and problems can arise when the british attempt to do so with a foreign culture

i thought bell and telus were already the same company basically?

all this expansion talk seems really fantastical to me. until there are owners with buildings lined up talking about which cities deserve/are going to get teams is pointless

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:52

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 22:33

FuzzySkinner: May 23, 2012

Can we move the Panthers to Cleveland?

Would be kind of cool.

# ? Aug 27, 2014 05:57

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