The moment we’ve been waiting for may have just gotten it’s official time.
In a press release sent out to the media the NHL has confirmed Commissioner Gary Bettman will meet with the media at “approximately 1:00 PM” at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas.
The league did invite cameras to broadcast the event live.
The commissioner does hold a press conference in advance of the NHL Awards every year, but in the last State of the NHL presser he revealed they would have more information on expansion on the 22nd. This appears to be the press conference in which Las Vegas is finally awarded its first major professional sports franchise.
We have reached out to the organization to see if The Creator has been invited to this press conference but have yet to hear back at this time.
Start your timers people, it’s about to go down… Probably… At 1 PM on Wednesday.
Daoloth
You should mention how the AP report about Vegas came out when Army turned 241 years old or so… I think Foley wanted to have it leaked on that day since he is into the Black Knights. I would guess that 1 PM is really 4 PM in real time or EST which rules the world ;). I’ve had a real tough year, Vegas getting a team is like the only positive going forward :). I find it sad how clueless people are thinking it wont do well or claiming a reason or so… Like a post I read about Fan Loyalty was being used to try to smear this a bit…
I think if Vegas has fans who are hockey fans loyal to other teams it will only help grow Vegas… You have people who will want to see the games against the team they like… Then the expansion draft should give a few fans who liked the teams the individual player was on… For example when CBJ leaves Sergei Bobrosky exposed to free up his heavy cap hit when the got Forsberg who just won Cleveland’s only title in decades as goal with Joonas who could play net too… They have a guy in Sweden who is rated about the same as those two from HF 7.0 with a fair chance to become a backup much cheaper than 7.5M that the former Vezina in the 2013 lockout costs them… For Vegas it would be a fair gamble he only gets paid 6.5M then around 6.3M in actual salary…
Why would CBJ let a Vezina trophy winner go unprotected? Well for a poor team their current payroll is ranked only below Fixburgh and LA… So they are even higher than Montreal, Toronto, Rangers, along with usual cap problem Flyers. Granted they have a contract or two that will become LTIR it still don’t change they are the top 2 or 3 poorest NHL teams. Missing the Post Season along with Bob’s issues I think it will lead to him coming to LV. The SCF has doomed goalies to become paid along with treated like punters in the NFL… All the high priced goalies are losers like Henriq, Rask, Rinne, nobody with a cap hit 7M or higher is a positive for the team. You can’t win when over paying a goalie when a guy costing 1/10th can give better numbers and effort.
Anything can happen this season, though either way I think a solid 2 or 3 goalies should be unprotected. All I hope is that the team don’t use laces on the uniforms that is something I never liked ;). Remember most writing negative stories want the failed franchise Quebec to get a team which I hope they never get another NHL one… That was a failed franchise for a reason, Colorado won 8 Divisions in a row with 2 Cups… People would refuse to sign or play for Quebec just like Lindros was smart to do. Wheeler wouldn’t even sign with the Coyotes, I don’t see players living in a forced French speaking anti English xenophobic small market… If Canada gets another team it should be Halifax, Hamilton, anywhere but Quebec which I’d like to see get a KHL team :).
I don’t know if I ever met Foley, though I did meet people associated with Army Black Knights at West Point opening game vs. like Holy Trinity when was in HS. So remembering my conversations with them about the team, I think there will be a very strong passion to do well for the NHL Franchise and Fans… My friend’s dad at the time knew people associated with them personally so it was a nice experience.