First step to an NHL team in Las Vegas?

Question

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=Aq3n9vkMhMm2guzv0FRRbIE5nYcB?slug=ap-harrahs-aeg-arena&prov=ap&type=lgns

Me thinks so indeed. NHL will be in Vegas by 2011. Book it, heard it hear first. NBA, hhmmm, not so sure after the recent scandal.

Lubers-I don't understand the big deal either. I bet on hockey games, right here on my PC. I think it would really create great exposure actually, Vegas knows how to sell stuff. Attendance would be great and Suites would be sold out before they went on sale.

Chris- though I am sure I could, I would lean toward probably not wanting to because I just do this a favor to people for their own keepsakes. I don't charge people and pay the postage myself. Therefore, I wouldn't want to do it for people just so they can make a buck. I also usually do it for kids. If I wanted to turn it into a business with authenicity I could but I'm not in it for the $. I just like to brighten the world for some people, especially young hockey fans.
That said, if you wanted a pic of him signing one of your cards for your own piece of mind, I would consider that.......but not if it is for profit.

Answer 1

Wow..... I'm not impressed. and like some, I'm on both sides of the fence, I've lived in Las Vegas for almost 8 years, and as much as I'd like to see more teams north of the border I have to say that there would be increased visibility to Hockey if there was a team here, keep in mind Las Vegas is the vacation capitol of the USA, and I know that if I were on vacation with my family, and had the opportunity to see a hockey game while I was at it...... no question, I'd be all over it. As far as all you haters out there who say there is no local fan base here in Vegas, you are dead wrong, there are many people (hockey fans) from both Canada and the eastern United States (transplants) that live and work here in Las Vegas, and if you add the tourists, I'm sure a local team would sell out every night, no question. Las Vegas still has a Semi-Pro team called the Wranglers, check out the ECHL website !
I'm not for expanding the league at all, and I think the NHL talent pool is spread way to thin, "right now" I think it's a bad idea to expand or move an NHL team here, but in my opinion I believe it's a definite possibility in the future.

Answer 2

Bill Daly said during the Stanley Cup finals in June that Vegas was a strong candidate to have a team, and the team will be owned by a group that includes Jerry Bruckheimer. No news as far as I'm concerned.

With all the leagues frowning on Vegas because of it's sinful nature, I find it hilarious that two leagues started in Canada (the CFL and now the NHL) are the first two leagues to put franchises in Sin City

Answer 3

I think you're right Bob. While the NHL might not say it outright....putting an NHL team in Vegas, the home of the sports book, it could bring some increased visibility to the sport and it would certainly make headlines.

I'm don't think we need expansion in Hockey but if it can get more people watching then maybe it can be a good thing in Vegas.

As far as the NBA goes, you hit the nail on the head...not after the latest scandal.

Answer 4

Hmm, topless show girls for cheerleaders, flawless cocktail waitresses pedalling keno tickets at your seats. I can see it all now.
One problem that I can see, people in Las Vegas have no interest in hockey and the visitors may have other things to do in Vegas so if they aren't big hockey fans I doubt they'll take 3 hours to catch a game. However, my guess is, the guys involved, Harrah's etc. did a little market research before dumping a mountain of cash into a new arena in the desert. Odds are 5:3 that I'll eventually be wrong on something, this might be it, but I don't see it being a huge success.

Answer 5

Honestly I don't see what the big deal is about putting a team in Vegas, especially hockey. The Tim Donaghy scandal in the NBA along with the well documented gambling related incidents in all 4 major sports over the years highlight the fact this is something they are going to have to deal with despite the fact that they are not in Vegas. The problems any league is going to run into is not likely going to be with legalized gambling anyway.

Answer 6

It wont be the same, because how much of a fan base is it gunna have? cause look at it this way, most people who live in vegas werent born there, so they have different home teams they like, so even if the odd person decides they like The Vegas team, then they would go bankrupt, cause their games wouldnt sell out.

But you can also look at it this way, for all the people who moved to Vegas and like other teams, they will want to go see their team when Vegas is Playing at home, so then they will end up selling some tickets to people who dont even like them, their just there to see them lose.

Its Defenently a great Argumentable debate, but Vegas would obviously go into the western conference and then they will have to redo the divisions, and then they will need to expand for another eastern conference team to make things even, and throwing around the divisions could be good for the league.



Add: Oh, and when you get those crosby cards, if they do get signed, can you try and get a picture of him signing them? kind of like a picture of authenticity, if you know what i mean lol.

Answer 7

The NHL in Vegas will make the league more popular. They won't be the first hockey team in Las Vegas however. Remember the Las Vegas Thunder of the old IHL? They played in the Thomas & Mack Center.

Any sports league that tries to distance itself from the gambling angle is hypocritical. Gambling has made the NFL what it is. Consider that they print football lines in the local paper. These aren't for "recreational purposes only" as they will claim. The NHL can use any publicity it can get. Vegas can only help.

Answer 8

I'm on "both sides of the fence" about it.

There is the stigma that NHL honcho's would like to avoid about operating a franchise in Nevada. While that is hypocritical in my mind, it does seem to have left the state without a major league franchise.

But at least it is being considered, and there are other sports leagues that have put teams in Las Vegas. I think it will happen eventually.

Answer 9

Nooooooo, the NHL does NOT need a team in Vegas, and the NHL does NOT need to expand. I sure hope Bettman isn't commish in 2011. I would not like a hockey team in Vegas. It's a stupid idea. Only tourists would watch games there, not the native population. They would have temporary fans for each game.

Answer 10

no, not in vegas, give a team to winnipeg, and quebec city, not vegas. and if not back in the great north, look at a city with more hockey tradition than a city in the southwest US that has an East Coast Hockey League team and an annual exhibition game with the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche @ MGM Grand Garden in September.

in my opinion new teams belong in

Hartford
Quebec
Winnipeg
Indianapolis
Cleveland ( i know Columbus sucks and Cleveland just got their 5th or 6th AHL team)
Seattle
hell why not put a team in Fargo, North Dakota it would at least be relatively close to the homeland of hockey. JUST FOR THE LOVE OF HOCKEY AND ALL THAT IS RIGHT IN HOCKEY DONT PUT A TEAM IN VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!