**The information in this article has been updated here.**
The wait is about to be over… soon. A source close to the team has confirmed the expansion announcement awarding Las Vegas an NHL franchise will come within the first two weeks of May.
According to our source, the NHL will call a “not-so-secret” meeting of the Board of Governors. This is expected in the first week of May and will be held in Boca Raton, Florida.
The owners will vote and will almost certainly be reported as 30-0 in favor of expansion to Las Vegas and only Las Vegas. At that point the league office will finalize the contract and send it off to The Creator and his lawyers.
As expected, the expansion price will be $500 million and The Creator will have approximately 30 days to finalize the contract. According to our source, it should not take more than a week for the contract to be accepted, at which point The Creator will either make the announcement to the fans of Las Vegas himself or he will join the Commissioner to make a joint statement.
We should learn much more about the exact specifics when news breaks of the Board of Governors meeting in Florida, but the timeline has apparently been laid out and communicated to The Creator and his team.
Nonetheless, it’s happening, and it’s happening soon. Prepare your champagne bottles, because the NHL is coming to Las Vegas, and it’ll be official before you know it.
Steve Dion
Another non hockey market that will struggle to make $$$.
FuckYou
like tampa, nashville, LA, anaheim, SJ, etc. right? lol people like you are morons.
J
No, I think he means Florida, Arizona, Carolina, and actually Anaheim was one of the lower teams in the league attendance-wise (94.9% full, which is still pretty good). Why bring another team to a risky area when you could give one to Quebec City and guarantee a fanbase?
Smegma Princess
Because they’re trying to grow the sport, Quebec doesn’t fit that plan. Expect a team in Quebec before too long anyways. They’ll pay up for a team and get one through future expansion or relocation
J
True. Just seems bizarre when they have franchises they keep trying to breath life into. Las Vegas certainly has the population to support the team.
Go Wings!
Arizona got screwed bc Scottsdale mayor and city hall vetoed twice what the voters wanted and voted in.
The fans are in Scottsdale, not Glendale and too few wanted to go to the West Valley.
As for Anaheim, I find that hard to believe.
Karlsson65
As a resident of both Toronto and Scottsdale, I 100% agree with this. Sometimes I even have to debate upon whether or not driving down to Glendale is even worth it
Karlsson65
As a resident of both Toronto and Scottsdale, I 100% agree with this. Sometimes I even have to debate upon whether or not driving to Glendale to catch a game is even worth it
youreadumbass
that’s why florida was sold out all year and made the playoffs. teams have down years.
Paul
I think it’ll be big for people already visiting Vegas to pop in and watch a match. I’m looking forward to it!
Gehrig
“A match”. Lol this isn’t soccer.
.
This is going to be Phoenix 2.0
Eric
If there were three other professional teams and the arena was in Henderson I might agree.
There isn’t and it isn’t.
Omari
Wrong! Las Vegas has a big population of over 2 million people. Now include that with 42 million visitors a year. Las Vegas is a HUGE market with locals and tourist. Phoenix doesn’t stand a chance when compared to Las Vegas . No competition.
OJ
Las Vegas
Chris
Lets support this new team can’t wait to be a fan.
Guy Laurin
While a non hockey market will get a team, a real hockey market will be left in limbo…Bettman is a joke!
Henry
There’s no sense in expanding to a small city two hours from Montreal if your goal is to make hockey more popular. Las Vegas has 2 million residents, over 40 million tourists per year and no pro sports team. It’s a growing, untapped market.
J
Nevada might have 2.8ish million, Las Vegas has under 700k. The tourism point is valid, but do we really want a franchise that is more of an attraction and less of a staple?
Jason
Pittsburgh has under 300k…
George King
Like many major cities, the actual incorporated area bearing the namesake city’s name is only a small portion of the overall metropolitan area. The Las Vegas metropolitan area — not relying on other parts of the state of Nevada — has over 2 million population. Not 700,000.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Valley
Another instance of someone who’s not from here not knowing what they’re talking about. It’s a major market ready for a major league sports franchise, with a growing population that includes many transplanted hockey fans from back east.
Chris
That’s Las Vegas proper, the actual city limits. Las Vegas metropolitan area has around 2 million people.
Kevin T
The City of Las Vegas is 700 k. But it is in Clark County, which also has, City of North Las Vegas, Henderson, Unincorporated Las Vegas (where Las Vegas strip actually is), Boulder City, Laughlin. Total 2 million residents in Clark County. Fifth largest school district in the US. UNLV hockey is about to go Division 1 by NCAA. Hockey is rising big-time in the suburbs.
Exit12Drummer
The metropolitan Vegas area has right around 2 million. The City of Las Vegas itself is about 800K. Aren isn’t even technically in the City of Las Vegas..
Kyle
Obviously you don’t live in Las Vegas. Sure, statistics show our population to be 700k, because it refers to Las Vegas proper, which doesn’t even include the Strip. Other than 200k people, the entire population of Clark County resides within 20 miles of the arena and consider themselves residents of Las Vegas.
OJ
I agree Las Vegas is a huge market to invest in. It’s a international city known worldwide.
Sam
You had ur chance with your team and they skipped town and went to colorado so why do you deserve another chance.
George King
Kudos to the NHL for not listening to knee jerk naysayers who know nothing about Las Vegas.
We’re finally going to get the chance to show all the other leagues what they’ve been missing by not having a franchise here. It’s a major league sports town, in every sense of the phrase.
Maxime Jean
I’m a Quebec city resident and I’m so angry. When Nordiques left it was about an Arena issue. Now we have a top notch arena and a solid owner with deep pocket but it’s not enough. When Nordiques left the arena was FULL, but the stupid commisionner is still beleiving in place where nobody play hockey. NHL needs Canada, but Canada doesn’t need the NHL. One of those day there will be an elite Canadian hockey league and Bettman will sudently realize all the trouble he made to our national sport! That’s it that’s all!
JP
How many Canadian teams are in the playoffs this year?
Bob
The NHL does not need Canada. If Canada wants to start their own Pro league go right ahead. It won’t hurt the US at all. Canada has 35,000,000 people compared to 330,000,000 for the U.S. And again, NONE of the (7) Canadian teams even made the playoffs. So much for their national sport.
JP
How many Canadian teams are in the playoffs this year????
Maxime Jean
What is the % of USA players in the NHL? What is the % of Canadian players in the NHL? What is the value of the NHL broadcasting right in USA? What is the value of the NHL broadcasting rights in Canada?
Tim-may
Well played. Would like to see expansion in northern cities, more obvious choices like Seattle or Quebec City, hell I’d rather see a team in Hartford again then in Vegas.
Maxime Jean
I share the same philosophy. But unfortunately Bettman try to build a rivalry between Phoenix and Vegas. The desert battle on ice!
Holycowitsjenn
It’s ironic you use that argument when the guy slated to be this years #1 overall draft pick is front Arizona and grew up a coyotes fan?
Also, why does everyone want to talk about how bad teams do in non-traditional markets but ignore the teams doing badly in the traditional ones too.
Kevin
I think the nationality of the players is largely irrelevant though. Certainly, Canada generally produces better hockey players than the US does, but the players will go where they can make the most money. That’s why the best players from Europe usually come to the NHL. A Canadian hockey league would need to pay players as much as the NHL does to woo away the best Canadians. Given that the US has more big cities, more people overall, a larger economy, and more opportunities for advertising, that seems a stretch.
Canada has the passion, but not the numbers. The big cities already have NHL franchises, and places like Windsor, Hamilton, Saskatoon, Halifax, etc. just don’t have the numbers to bring in the kind of revenue that NHL teams do. In the end, people want to watch the best product, and the best product is the league featuring the world’s best (not just Canada’s best) talent. I don’t see how anyone can knock the NHL off.
I do think Quebec deserves a team though, and hope they get one.
Jay Kay
Thats nonsense. Most Europeans want to play in the NHL because it is by far the best league. If Eiropeans want to earn good money they can stay in Europe and join a team in the KHL.
Dan
Maxine this time around, its a balance of conferences here. The Nordique would not play a year or two in the Western Conference, fly over a million miles more than any other team in the NHL. Detroit won’t move back to the West, and the best chance Quebec City gets a franchise is through relocation. I’m sorry the league has not given a franchise back to Vegas, but this is still not all official just yet, just speculation.
Maxime Jean
I know that it’s all about balance of conferences, but you will agree that it’s a problem created by Bettman himself. Conference appeared in 1993-1994 under Bettman. The fact is that Bettman comes from the NBA and he is copying this model, but NHL is not the NBA! And Bettman doesn’t care about hockey market but only about market size which is a mistake…
Holycowitsjenn
Market size isn’t a mistake tho. The nhl wants to make money. Bettman is literally the place head for owner who, guess what, want to make money.
Andrew
While I’d love to have another team in Canada I don’t know what you’re talking about with an “elite Canadian Hockey League”, one that would apparently rival the NHL. Because that will not happen unless Bettman comes out and says “No more Canadian teams or players, the NHL is now strictly the world minus Canada.”
Maxime Jean
Imagine the WHA but only with Canadian teams. It’s not my wish. The fact is that there are plenty of hockey mad markets in Canada without a team like Quebec, Hamilton, Halifax, Saskatoon etc…
More that 40% of the NHL revenue come from Canada with only 7 clubs!
Holycowitsjenn
Where did you get that figure from? The 40%
St. Lou Blue
There will never be a league in Canada to supplant the NHL – you are in fantasy land! How about getting the Canadian dollar back up to par with the US Dollar – that is the real reason Quebec isn’t getting their team… Quebec is much more likely to get a relocation franchise than an expansion franchise. NYI, Florida and Phoenix are the possible candidates right now…
TimmyHate
So much hate from up north. I love it.
Beat of luck Vegas!
Not a Canadian
VEGAS BABY! I’m excited
Kevin T
Clark county NV is home to City of Las Vegas, unicorporated Las Vegas, Henderson, City of North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Laughlin. Clark county has 2 million residents. Clark county scool district is fifth largest in the US. Very smart to get hockey now with such a young growing potential future fan base. Way more than just the LV Strip. Plus the new TMobile Arena is outstanding. UNLV hockey is doing well and about to be given Division 1 status by NCAA. Hockey is rising in Vegas.
Maxime Jean
What is the average attendance of the Quebec Remparts in the LHJMQ(Junior team)?
Answer: 13 835/Game (It’s better than Carolina, Phoenix and Brooklyn in the NHL)
What was the average attendance during the worst season of the Quebec Nordiques(12-61-7): 15 067 (FULL)
Jeff
All of you saying Vegas isn’t a traditional hockey market are exactly correct. But at the same time it isn’t Tampa, Peoenix, Florida, etc….either. Vegas is the most unique market in the world by a million miles. You all might be very surprised.
TK -O
If I’m going to Vegas it’s not to watch hockey even as a hockey fan .- I’m a season ticket holder. So many awesome things to do there. I think they may have put too many eggs in the tourist basket.
As a player – sweet road trip!!
Mark Haycock
As a resident of St George Utah. I certainly am going to make trips down there to see this. I think this will be a great thing for the city of Las Vegas. As far as Phoenix is concerned Kama they built the arena too far out they’re going to build a new Arena closer to downtown Phoenix and it will be much better. Also. Bring on the Raiders
Exit12Drummer
Funny thing about hockey is population does’t necessarily guarantee attendance. I’d argue you could have a thriving NHL team and put 25K per night in the seats in Grand Forks or Fargo, ND. College hockey base is fanatical in Grand Forks.
Parametric drummer
Funny thing about hockey is population does’t necessarily guarantee attendance. I’d argue you could have a thriving NHL team and put 25K per night in the seats in Grand Forks or Fargo, ND. College hockey base is fanatical in Grand Forks.
Laura
Why do people that don’t live her presume to know what we like and don’t like ? We have over 2 million people a lot of those from “hockey markets” like myself. Worry about your own town.
Mike7002
So excited and hoping this happens. NHL in Las Vegas is a great idea. One of the things people say that Las Vegas lacks is a sense of community and a team to rally around brings people together maybe better than anything else. Plus instant rivalry with the California teams right down Interstate 15; what am I talking about…….instant rivalry with half the NHL, everybody comes to Vegas.
Rob jasin
Las Vegas will make it.
And the team name will be,
LAS VEGAS BANDITS.
(ONE ARM BANDITS )
XFA
Yesssss!! 3 years ago in a hockey forum I opened a thread about NHL possible expansions and someone suggested Vegas xD, so I replied him to name it “Las Vegas Croupiers”, with a logo based on two crossed sticks holding casino chips, backed with a fan of cards…
I will definitely support that team xD