Nick Piccone
The NHL has been flirting for years with more expansion teams, and the most recent cities to lead the pack were Las Vegas in Nevada and Quebec City in Canada. Today, the Associated Press reported that the NHL will award an expansion team to Las Vegas, with an official announcement coming next week.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/AP) – The NHL will settle on awarding an expansion team to Las Vegas when the league’s Board of Governors reconvene to make an announcement on June 22, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Citing an anonymous source close to discussions, the league determined Las Vegas’ bid worthy of the NHL’s 31st franchise, pending the fulfillment of a $500 million fee. The earliest the league can expand is in the 2017-2018 season.
Quebec City was the other metropolitan considered for expansion.
Earlier this month, the league’s Board of Governors voted to determine the viability of expansion bids, including the one for Las Vegas headed by Bill Foley.
Through his Hockey Vision Las Vegas organization, Foley eyed putting a team on ice inside the newly opened T-Mobile Arena, which seats 20,000 people.
To convince the league of the city’s commitment to a team, Foley’s organization opened a season ticket drive long before the NHL’s board met. In that drive, more than 13,200 season-ticket deposits were collected, surpassing the goal of 10,000.
The report also included a second source “with knowledge of the league’s decision” who said it was a done deal.
After the news became public, Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, released this statement:
H-E double-hockey-sticks yes! I’m excited but I’m waiting for the official announcement from the NHL,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, who was the first person to put down a deposit on season tickets for the hockey team. “Las Vegas has been waiting for this for decades. We’re a major league city. We deserve major league sports. I can’t wait to see that first championship parade down the Las Vegas Strip! This is a tremendous achievement for Bill Foley, the Las Vegas Founding 75, MGM Resorts, the 14,000-plus season ticket holders, and everyone who played a part in making this a reality. We just need to cross our fingers for the NHL Board of Governors to make it official.”
Who says “H-E-double hockey sticks” anymore? Come on, Sisolak. We’re not in second grade anymore. Gimme a hell yeah… like so:
If ya smeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllalalalalalalaalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalaoooooowwwwwwwwwwwww: