NHL All Star Game May Come To Vegas Sooner Than You’d Think

I’m saying it now, if when Las Vegas gets a team, an NHL All-Star game will be on the Strip soon after.  While in Calgary this week, Gary Bettman stressed that NHL arenas need to be up to date and modern. All because the Calgary city government is at an impasse on a new arena project for the Flames… Do you think Bettman enjoys visiting Alberta?

During his meeting with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Bettman tried his best to sound like a disappointed father.

Bettman said the project “needs to happen” in order for the city and its NHL team to stay current with others in the league. “This is not a threat. I’m expressing the realities,” he said after noting Calgary won’t get the NHL Draft or All-Star Game, for example, without a new arena. – CBC.ca

He sounded like my dad growing up. “Son, I’m not threatening your plans or anything, but if you don’t pass that English Lit test you can kiss this weekend goodbye.”

I missed many high school parties because of that bleeping English Lit class, so I know what Bettman is getting at. He’s telling Calgary to wake up and build a state-of-the-art arena that competes with the NHL’s best. This way the city can bring in more business with NHL drafts and All-Star games, which will boost Calgary’s economy. Duh, that was obvious but I felt the need to say it. That’s probably what Bettman was thinking in Calgary.

Now, down here in Las Vegas the setting couldn’t be any better for big, modern events. Las Vegas has a brand new arena, boatloads of hotel rooms, world-class restaurants, 24-HR gambling, booze, escorts… you get the point. Still Bettman had to have been envisioning Las Vegas when pleading to the Calgary pols. That’s why it’s a no brainer to award Las Vegas an All Star Game within the first 3-5 years of the team’s existence. It’s all here, it’s all modern, and it’s a city that can handle big events. Hey, we’ve all learned since 2007’s NBA All-Star debacle.

I know some of you are gonna bitch at me and tell me to get a team first, I completely understand. If I was an outsider, I’d probably say the same things. It just seems real, as a guy who doubts every wager he places this feels like a lock. By the way I had Bama -6.5 so you see why I doubt my bets.

Back to the All-Star talk, it’s obvious in the past the NHL likes to promote their new expansion teams. The Wild got awarded the All Star Game four years after their inaugural season. San Jose and Colorado in five seasons, and seven seasons for Tampa. You see the NHL goes out of its way to shine the national spotlight on some of the leagues new franchises. In some cases the NHL turned things around quickly, maybe it helped the Wild, Sharks, Avs, and Bolts a little. You never know, but I do know this, NHL Vegas All Star Game 3-5 years from inagural season. Book it.

Now I’m going to doubt this article…