Sources Reconfirm NHL Expansion To Las Vegas, Update Timeline

Here at SinBin.vegas we previously confirmed the NHL is coming to Las Vegas with a mid-May announcement from the league to make it official. Sources close to the team have reconfirmed the franchise is coming, but the information they received indicating it would be announced in early to mid-May was premature.

According to our source, NHL owners were prepped by the league to be ready for a special Board of Governors meeting to finalize the expansion process. This info was relayed to the Las Vegas organization through an owner and not directly from the league, leading the Vegas team to expect an imminent Board of Governors meeting with an announcement following shortly there after.

When Bill Daly visited T-Mobile Arena last week for the Canelo/Khan boxing match he would not confirm any specific timeline only to consistently reiterate that he and the league are optimistic.

The Las Vegas organization is now back in wait and see mode and when we asked when they expected the announcement to come, we were told, “we honestly don’t know if it’ll come next week, at the NHL Awards Show (on June 22nd) or sometime in between.”

We have also been told on multiple occasions the plan remains fully focused on 2017-18 and that 2018-19 has never been discussed. “We have no motive or reason to wait until 2018-19,” our source said.

The remaining steps to complete the process are unchanged. First there will be a Board of Governors Executive Committee Meeting to finalize their recommendation on expansion. Then, a full Board of Governors meeting will occur with a final vote, still expected to be 30-0 in favor of expanding to Las Vegas and only Las Vegas. The league will then present The Creator with the final contract in which he will have an unspecified amount of time to sign and return. Then Gary Bettman will make the official announcement that Las Vegas will become the NHL’s 31st franchise.

As to when exactly this process will commence? Only Bill Daly and Gary Bettman know, and all they’re willing to tell Las Vegas is, “we’re optimistic.”