A special secret meeting has been scheduled between now and the All Star Game to discuss and possibly vote on expansion.

Expansion will be the primary agenda item as the league and its designated leadership continues to work through the information compiled from Las Vegas and Quebec City, the two official expansion applicants. – Darren Dreger, TSN.ca

The All Star Game has been highly rumored as the next possible chance for Gary Bettman and the NHL to announce whether or not the league is planning on expanding. However, there had not been any news of a possible vote, so it was growing increasingly more unlikely to happen. This news changes that as now it appears the powers that be will meet, and a decision could very well be made sooner than later.

It’s highly unlikely the executive committee will emerge with a formal decision, but the fact the NHL has called this meeting suggests it is inching toward a conclusion.

We’ve speculated that 15 months is the absolute shortest amount of time The Creator and his team would need to properly prepare for a 2017-18 puck drop. But based on many of The Creator’s quotes, he seemed to want much more time. An announcement in January would likely suffice as it would give the organization about 17 months to get ready.

It’s not all good news though as a competing source has tweeted something almost completely opposite to Dreger’s information.

**Apparently that’s not translating for everyone. In English it says, “No vote on the expansion at the meeting of Governors later this month in Nashville. Executive Committee meeting by then.”**

I’m more inclined to believe Dreger than Lavoie, but maybe that’s just me trying to be optimistic.

Nonetheless, if that secret meeting does indeed occur, January 30th or 31st could absolutely be the date we’ve all been waiting for. Cross your fingers.