Official: NHL expanding to Vegas for '17-18

[shrader]

I'd be curious to see if Vegas could build up their own style of in-arena atmosphere like we always hear about in Nashville. That would be an absolute must if they were to get a team.

[IKnowPhysics]

I'd be curious to see if Vegas could build up their own style of in-arena atmosphere like we always hear about in Nashville. That would be an absolute must if they were to get a team.

 

They'd have to. Nashville (Smashville) has done an excellent job getting fans engaged. Only having an NFL team to compete with has helped in the entertainment dollar arena. Tampa's done a good job too. Florida, Columbus, Phoenix have all failed to do this. Even Dallas and the Islanders have more recently failed to do this. Carolina's been slipping again too.

 

AEG (owner of the LA Kings and others and manager of several arenas) and MGM broke ground on a 20,000 seat arena on the Las Vegas Strip in May. That's the fuel for the Vegas rumors.

 

Meanwhile, Seattle's willing to build an arena if they secure a team first, but the NHL may not want to expand there until an arena's built. You'd think they could straighten this out, but they might get jumped by LA.

[Campy]

On Wednesday, a bucket of cold water was tossed on the whole thing. Make that buckets of cold water.

First, from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly:

“We are in no different position today with respect to expansion than we were the last time we answered the same questions,” he wrote in an email to National Post on Wednesday. “There has been interest expressed, we have and will listen to the interest, but we haven’t defined a process and certainly no decisions have been made.”

Then, from outgoing MLSE CEO and president Tim Leiweke (per Toronto’s Fan 590):

“The commissioner and I had other business this morning, so we talked for a while and this came up. I asked him, ‘did I miss a meeting?’ And he laughed and said, ‘no.’

“What I can tell you, 100 percent, as of this morning, for sure? This isn’t on the agenda right now.”

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/08/27/nhl-expansion-talks-emphatically-shot-down/

[LGR4GM]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/may/01/mgm-new-arena-new-strip-wont-stop-lv-mayor-goodman/

As ground is broken today on a privately funded arena on the Strip, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman remains adamant that a downtown stadium will be built and that both venues could be home to professional sports franchises.

“We would always look to be complementary to what’s being offered elsewhere in the city. We would never build another wheel or observation tower or something like that,” she said ahead of today’s groundbreaking for the arena backed by MGM Resorts International and partner AEG. “What we are all working for, comprehensively, is to make Las Vegas continue to be a tourist attraction. Not only nationally, but internationally. So, yes, we are going to go ahead (with arena plans).”

[PASabreFan]

I'd be curious to see if Vegas could build up their own style of in-arena atmosphere like we always hear about in Nashville. That would be an absolute must if they were to get a team.

We could ask the Pegulas to do this in Buffalo. The arena experience needs a total teardown. They could start by jettisoning The Pointer and The PA Guy Who Stutters.

[IKnowPhysics]

We could ask the Pegulas to do this in Buffalo. The arena experience needs a total teardown. They could start by jettisoning The Pointer and The PA Guy Who Stutters.

 

PAStutterFan?

 

Well, they did get rid of Nicholas Picholas.

[LGR4GM]

Part of what kills the arena feel is that a large number of season ticket holders sell tickets because the team stinks. Another reason and no offense to anyone with a family but it has become overly family friendly.

[LabattBlue]

I'll say this about an NHL team in Vegas, it would make for a great Sabres road trip once a year. I always enjoy going to see the Bills in Miami(especially if the game is in November/early December), but a combo Vegas trip/Sabres game would be AWESOME! :devil: :devil: :devil:

[pi2000]

They need to even out the conferences.

[shrader]

We could ask the Pegulas to do this in Buffalo. The arena experience needs a total teardown. They could start by jettisoning The Pointer and The PA Guy Who Stutters.

 

It's a completely different animal though. Nashville and Vegas are towns known for their entertainment industry. If any other town could make for a unique in-arena experience like Nashville has done, it is Vegas. This may very well be the kind of thing needed to draw fans to that market, especially since attendance there will probably be driven by tourists and not locals.

 

If you want to address arena atmosphere in Buffalo, that's a story for another thread, not this one.

[Doohickie]

No hockey culture there, of course, but the size of the market is hard to ignore.

 

As a DFW resident, I thought the same about here. Even thought their last run was '99, it got some buzz going for hockey in Dallas and it's still pretty well supported. I think the same could happen in Houston, and like y'all (see what I did there?) said, there's a natural rivalry with Dallas.

 

 

Anyone ever think of OKC as a place for the NHL?

[SabresBillsFan]

I live in Las Vegas being a Buffalo transplant. I think it's not gonna work here. Yeah they sell out during the preseason games due to tons of Kings fans making the drive. U have heard Movie producer Jerry Brukheimer being a driving force but I think it's plain stupid to expand here. We can only draw 4-7 thousand people at minor league hockey what makes them think we are gonna draw 15-16 thousand. It will be another Coyotes squad. Dumb absolutely dumb!!!!

[Cereal]

The ONLY problem the Houston Aeros had was that the owners of their arena declared it much more profitable to rent out the venue for concerts/shows/etc. rather than AHL games 38 times per year. They filled the sits there just fine.

 

As others have stated, Las Vegas would be interesting regarding season tickets. A relatively large portion would be owned by the casinos, etc., and many seats would not have butts in them.

 

I like what others have suggested; move a team from Florida to QC, and add KC and Seattle/Houston. KC is ready to go; they have backed a huge resurgence in their MLS team.

[Kelly the Dog]

My closest friend had plans to build an arena in Vegas at least eight years ago. It went to the final stages but was one of numerous ones like it that fell through at the end because of politics (of which he was wired to) and public funding, etc. It was going to be at The MGM property off the strip, by Southern Highlands. He had direct sit down meetings with Bettman who basically assured him they would allow a team there. He had an ex-NHL owner already willing to move a team there, begging him to be a tenant. He had talks with David Stern who wasnt against an NBA team there if hockey was first although Stern didnt 100% commit. But Bettman has been in favor of this behind the scenes for a long time. They just needed the arena and the timing to be right.

[Taro T]

The ONLY problem the Houston Aeros had was that the owners of their arena declared it much more profitable to rent out the venue for concerts/shows/etc. rather than AHL games 38 times per year. They filled the sits there just fine.

 

As others have stated, Las Vegas would be interesting regarding season tickets. A relatively large portion would be owned by the casinos, etc., and many seats would not have butts in them.

 

I like what others have suggested; move a team from Florida to QC, and add KC and Seattle/Houston. KC is ready to go; they have backed a huge resurgence in their MLS team.

 

They filled a very tiny arena with very cheap ticket prices. Houston will not support NHL hockey.

[Cereal]

They filled a very tiny arena with very cheap ticket prices. Houston will not support NHL hockey.

Hrmmmm, alright fine, you made me do at least a little research here..... Houston Aeros' AHL attendance (~6000) versus Seattle Thunderbirds' WHL attendance (~4000). Yes, I know it's AHL versus juniors. Not sure I have a point here, after typing it out.... Houston's average attendance in their final year (6793) good enough for 7th in the AHL, 1000 above the average.

 

At any rate, it seems to me that Seattle is an eventuality, but maybe not quite yet, with hat investor saying he'll build an arena for NBA and NHL as soon as he lands an NBA (first).

[Taro T]

 

Hrmmmm, alright fine, you made me do at least a little research here..... Houston Aeros' AHL attendance (~6000) versus Seattle Thunderbirds' WHL attendance (~4000). Yes, I know it's AHL versus juniors. Not sure I have a point here, after typing it out.... Houston's average attendance in their final year (6793) good enough for 7th in the AHL, 1000 above the average.

 

At any rate, it seems to me that Seattle is an eventuality, but maybe not quite yet, with hat investor saying he'll build an arena for NBA and NHL as soon as he lands an NBA (first).

My bad. They DIDN'T fill the arena for the AHL games at cheap prices. They sold ~1/3 of the seats. :P

 

If it still stands, they'd've been better off in the Sam Houston Coliseum. Smaller venue, MUCH larger beers.

[X. Benedict]

My closest friend had plans to build an arena in Vegas at least eight years ago. It went to the final stages but was one of numerous ones like it that fell through at the end because of politics (of which he was wired to) and public funding, etc. It was going to be at The MGM property off the strip, by Southern Highlands. He had direct sit down meetings with Bettman who basically assured him they would allow a team there. He had an ex-NHL owner already willing to move a team there, begging him to be a tenant. He had talks with David Stern who wasnt against an NBA team there if hockey was first although Stern didnt 100% commit. But Bettman has been in favor of this behind the scenes for a long time. They just needed the arena and the timing to be right.

 

I was wondering about this.

 

[wjag]

If it needs to be balanced, it should be Saskatoon and Quebec City. The next two should be Canadian teams.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I really think that Vegas is a bad idea.

 

It would be the Panthers all over again.

 

Most people in Vegas with disposable income are tourists. With so many options to see / do would an NHL hockey game be up there on that list?

 

Many residents work shift work and are not generating the kind of income to through around much on entertainment. Often people go to Vegas to work for a few years and then leave.

 

Just my 2 cents (Canadian) and I have nothing against Vegas, or the people who call it home.

[Hank]

If it needs to be balanced, it should be Saskatoon and Quebec City. The next two should be Canadian teams.

 

Why?

[TheAud]

Fascinating article on this topic from Nate Silver over 1 year ago in NY Times:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/why-cant-canada-win-the-stanley-cup/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

 

The summary of where he thinks the NHL could profitably expand are (in priority order):

1) Toronto (2 additional teams)

2) Montreal (additional team)

3) Vancouver (additional team)

4) Quebec City

In other words, Canada.

Plenty of things to potentially pick at in the analysis but it certainly makes interesting points too.

 

Las Vegas certainly looks like a bad idea. Seattle is a lot more viable than Vegas but still not a great idea unless you get some of the potential Vancouver 2nd team fans in the process (since a 2nd team in Vancouver isn't going to happen).

[IKnowPhysics]

Fascinating article on this topic from Nate Silver over 1 year ago in NY Times:

http://fivethirtyeig...type=blogs&_r=0

 

A notable aside: Buffalo has the highest "percentage of avid NHL fans" among US markets at 33%.

 

But make no mistake, that metric is ######. Do you think folks in Seattle, a city that's never had an NHL team, are going to google "nhl" at any rate comparable to Toronto, a city with an NHL team, some of the league offices, and a fervent fan base. No wonder the article concludes that Toronto should get an expansion team.

[Huckleberry]

The only time i can See QC getting another team is if one of the Florida teams get moved there.

 

for the western conference its wide open, for Seatle, portland (one of the two , can't see both getting one), and kansas or las vegas (wich i can't see happening with all the gambling going on there).

[Doohickie]

Why?

 

Yeah, why? They have about 1/9 of the population of the US and roughly the same ratio of GDP. Adding more teams to Canada means US teams propping up more small market teams.