The NHL board of governors is meeting today to vote on whether to expand the league to 31 teams.
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Vegas will be involved in the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery.
Teams submit their protected lists on June 17, 2017 while the Vegas team will select its players by June 20.
It takes time, it takes effort, it takes commitment and Bill Foley has what it takes to do that, he said. Those groups paid only $80 million to enter the National Hockey League. Vegas is known for its entertainment and nightlife, providing this new team with hordes of competition for attention. Foley said with a smile to open his remarks. The delay was a mere trifle in a city that had waited so long for a major professional sports franchise. It’s the best of the leagues, it’s a legendary league. “My obligation is to hold this team in trust of the community”.
Bettman also announced that the league deferred the expansion bid by Quebec City, led by media corporation Quebecor. Only two cities came forward and from the very beginning it seemed like Las Vegas had always been the preferred destination, with Quebec City likely a strong option for relocation if a team like the Carolina Hurricanes ever decides to move.
Say what you will about cultivating a fanbase in a city of transplants, but it helps that numerous physical barriers that have hurt other expansion teams don’t factor here.
The Sharks will play Las Vegas at least four times.
Bill Foley speaks during a news conference Wednesday, June 22, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Protect seven forwards, three defensemen, one goaltender.
Foleys group which includes the Maloof family, former owners of the NBAs Sacramento Kings will pay a $500 million fee for the National Hockey League franchise.
Another strike against the Quebec City was the NHL’s reluctance to adding another team to its Eastern Conference, which now has 16 teams, compared to the West, which will have 15 teams when Las Vegas begins play in 2017.
Las Vegas officials have secured more than 14,000 season-ticket deposits for the new team, which is expected to play in the T-Mobile Arena located on the south end of the Las Vegas strip. I’m not talking about pushing season tickets, though that’s important too. “The success that it had really got everybody’s attention”.
Sports leagues once rejected the city outright due to concerns about corruption from Vegas’ massive sports betting economy, but the NHL and the NFL no longer share those worries, with Bettman calling his sport “less susceptible” to gambling interests due to the small volume of bets placed on hockey. He likes things done in an orderly fashion, with a clear chain of command, much like Bettman does.
Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, the board chairman, reflected the sentiments of the owners as he ticked off the league’s requirements for expansion: viability of a potential franchise owner, quality and suitability of a prospective market, NHL-readiness of the arena; and to prospectively build a team that would strengthen the league. The ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers previously operated from 2003 until 2014. Foley said the team will focus on community and charitable initiatives, as well as educating fans about hockey.
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“The fans deserve this and I ask them to continue to support us and continue to be patient”, Dion said. “I’m an Army guy, but maybe that’s not the right name for the team at this time”.
