Early last week we shared all the information we received from our source close to the team and confirmed an NHL franchise is indeed heading to Las Vegas. The league, in the form of Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, was quick to jump all over our report and say what they’ve been saying the entire time, “the process is ongoing, no time table has been set.”
Gary Bettman came out yesterday and did just the same.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a group of sports editors Friday that there was nothing new on expansion, which he again repeated wasn’t a guarantee for 2017-18 or at all. -Associated Press
He went on to once again rule out Seattle saying even if a building broke ground tomorrow (which it isn’t) it wouldn’t matter.
Throughout the entire week we’ve continued contacting our sources and can confirm nothing has changed. Daly is correct in saying no meeting is currently scheduled, however a meeting will be scheduled, and it’ll be up to the league on whether or not to comment on that meeting when it happens in early May.
The practice facility will continue moving forward, ticket sales are still racking up pushing toward 14,500, and in a few weeks, Las Vegas will have its first major professional sports franchise.
Even if the league won’t give us a “guarantee.”
Jeff
Just my opinion….I think you guys should bite your tongues when it comes to rumors. I come to this site for all current info on the Vegas hockey team right now. I don’t think I’m alone. More and more as the rumors you post don’t come to fruition it lowers the legitimacy of the info this site posts. What happens if/when the league doesn’t announce the expansion to Vegas the first 2 weeks of May? Your news legitimacy will take a big hit. You guys are starting to become another hockeybuzz.com. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with that site but it’s more about fantasy trades then actual real fact. If your intention for this site is that then keep going the way you are….but if you truly want to become the place where serious hockey fans come for real news on the team you may want to rethink the rumors your posting.
Ken Boehlke
We are absolutely in the business of being the go to place for anything an everything regarding Las Vegas NHL. As far as rumors go, nothing we have reported we view as a rumor. Our sources close to the team and in the city have consistently confirmed the accuracy of our previous report so until we learn otherwise we will continue to report that as fact.
You mentioned the more and more our rumors do not come to fruition, I’m interested in which articles you are referencing.
Our intent is that of any other news site in that we strive to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.
In the event a team is not awarded by the first two weeks of May, we intend on having an in depth update as to why.
I appreciate your concern and hope this clears up some of the confusion.
Jeff
Here’s a few examples……
Posted 4/2/16. “Please One could easily sense that a Las Vegas expansion announcement is eminent perhaps on the 6th of April when the new T-Mobile Arena will open for its first official event, that would be Killer.”…….No Announcment?
Posted 4/1/16. “Canadian Rumour Mill indicates Hurricanes moving to Quebec, Announcment coming April 7th”. ……No Announcment?
Posted 3/18/16. “A late March or early April announcement is expected, in fact, a source has flat out told me that they are being prepped for a major arena announcement at the end of the month or early April.”
Shall I go on?? Either this is going to be a site for news or a site for rumors…..which is it going to be?
I’m not trying to be argumentative. I enjoy this site very much. I’m just looking for news not rumors. I have a feeling posting false rumors, even if you are being told by legitimate sources, could ultimately be harmful to the future of this site. Especially after the team is actually a reality and there is real legitimate news to post hourly.
Bill
4/2/16 – Comment is referencing the Killers concert.
4/1/16 – “the timeline of an April 7th announcement doesn’t make a lot of sense.” AND “As we always say, where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire, but I have a feeling there’s not much merit to these rumors.” -Pretty sure that means it’s a rumor and they don’t believe it.
3/18/16 – I have no idea about that one. Did they announce something then?
Either way, I’ve never seen anything as concrete as the one saying Mid May anywhere before. That wasn’t presented as a rumor. Maybe it’s just me, but rumors and facts from sources are different. I personally don’t think this site has ever put out rumors without basis.
Are there others?
Jeff
There are plenty but there is no need to go into every one of them. Here is my point….you even admit that the site indulges in broadcasting rumors by saying the site has never put out rumors without basis.
My point is this…. Do you want to be a site that broadcast rumors even from reliable sources or do you want to be a site like the lakingsinsider.com that deals only in 100% fact and therefore gets scoops on factual hockey related news before anyone else in the league when it comes to news about the Kings.
If you want to be a site that puts out rumors then fine. If you want to be the site that trusted NHL higher ups will give information to down the road then be that. I highly doubt that the future GM of the Las Vegas team will share information with a site that puts out every rumor they hear. I doubt that future players for the Las Vegas team will want to speak and grant interviews with a site that broadcasts rumors. Do you think Gary Bettman likes that you are spreading a rumor that the league is going to announce the expansion within the first two weeks of May when he repeatedly says he isn’t? Do you think that now that you have done that you will ever get a scoop on the team or the NHL directly from the league?
You guys are in the cat bird seat when it comes to the team in Las Vegas. If I was you I would be very careful about what I would post on this site in the next few months.
Just my opinion…..
Dana Lane
No doubt I get your point but the last announced date came from a VERY reliable source. If that doesn’t pan out then I’ll be the first one to talk about it and say we’re wrong.
Unfortunately, at this point, the focus is when are we going to get a team and the league has made sure that answer had very little in the way of facts only speculation.
However, until we get a definitive ‘yes’ I think it’s fair to talk about things we have heard.
Again, the first two weeks of May post is a fact you can hang your hat on, that we are reporting as fact. When a team is announced we can deal in 100% facts everyday but we are not the team web site so it gives us the room to speculate.
I appreciate your comments but we’re not throwing things out there without some backing of information and if that source turns out to be wrong then they won’t be a source.
It’s fair to say that people want to know what we’ve heard and that’s what we give them.
@DanaLaneSports
Dana Lane
Jeff,
No one ever said that April 6th would be a definite announcement date. It clearly states it would be great if it was.
Karmanos was in Quebec and did offer the Hurricanes to Quebecor.
And the source was being prepped for an announcement that never came. Wasn’t false just didn’t happen.
Point is that every news agency covering NHL expansion has speculated when this would happen based on the information they have at the time. I can’t tell you how many false trade rumors are reported everyday. Mock NFL drafts are always wrong.
We do the best we can with why we have to go on but I’m not sure until recently have we ever said it’s definitely going to happen.
@DanaLaneSports
Jeff
It’s your website. I’m just making an objective observation. Thank you for all the info you supply.
Dana Lane
Jeff,
We love the comments and are thankful for them. Unfortunately the league has given us next to nothing so we are just left to speculate when an announcement may come .
I will say that of a source turns out unreliable information they will not be used in the future. If the last information that was released is wrong then we really would have a story.