Gary Bettman Archives - Page 3 of 9

On June 21, 2016

Tomorrow is set to be a historic day for the city of Las Vegas as the NHL is scheduled to officially announce expansion to Sin City.

Gary Bettman will hold a special press conference in advance of the NHL Awards. It will take place at 1PM Pacific time from the Encore at the Wynn Hotel.

In the US, the event will likely be carried on NHL Network (TV), but to be safe our friends at the RJ are streaming it live on their Facebook. It’s also expected to be aired live on Sirius XM’s NHL Network Radio.

For Canadians, SportsNet TV is airing the press conference in it’s entirety and it will likely be on streamed on their website as well. Here’s the link to their live feed.

Check back on this page tomorrow at around noon or so, we’ll be sure to update this with working links to stream the event online.

What We Learned From Yesterday’s Presser

On May 31, 2016

Surprisingly a lot more came out of Gary Bettman and Bill Daly’s “State of the NHL” press conference in Pittsburgh than we expected. Of course, they did not give us the good news we’ve been waiting for, but they were much more forthcoming on the remaining timeline than they’ve ever been before.

Here’s the new timeline. The NHL’s Executive Committee will meet “a week or so” in advance of the full Board of Governors meeting on June 22nd. We’ve been told through the grapevine that June 7th will be the date of the Executive Committee meeting, but that’s yet to be confirmed. The full Board of Governors will meet on the morning of June 22nd in Las Vegas, and then an announcement will follow, most likely at the Hard Rock Hotel at the NHL Awards.

But that was just the beginning of what the commish and vice-commish had to say.

The most telling quote from the entire press conference for me was about the NFL.

Our own belief is if the NFL comes to Las Vegas at some point, so be it. -Gary Bettman

Not only did he once again say that the NFL has no bearing on the NHL’s decision, but the way it was said pretty clearly indicates the NHL is already in bed with Las Vegas. If the league wasn’t planning to expand to Vegas, why would he even care what the NFL’s plans are?

The next comment, which came after the official press conference was about the NHL Entry Draft and an expansion team’s role in it. I have always guessed the league would hold the lottery for the top three picks and then slot the new team(s) in at 4th. Well, that’s not going to be the case as Bill Daly told reporters any expansion teams would be placed in the lottery. Therefore, when the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in Chicago takes place, Las Vegas could be first to the podium, something I never expected to be a reality. Still have to win a lottery, but at least there’s a chance.

Finally, a lot has been made of the commissioner’s “three possible outcomes” comment. Those being, no expansion, deferred expansion, or expansion of one or two teams. It is the first time we’ve heard the NHL use the term deferred or defer in regards to the process, however those have been the possible outcomes all along. Nothing has changed other than them introducing a new word.

I believe the word deferred is being used as a way for the NHL to let Quebec City down softly. Rather than expanding to Las Vegas while killing off the possibility of Quebec City, they’ll use the word deferred to keep from creating riots in Canada.

All in all, the press conference brought nothing but positive news for Vegas. Las Vegas is getting a team, and they’ll be on the ice in 2017-18. Believe me.

Commissioner Bettman Nails Down June 22 For Expansion Announcement

On May 30, 2016

Gary Bettman delivered his “State of the NHL” today at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

As expected, the commissioner didn’t have much to say about expansion when asked, but he did at least give us one specific date.

Prior to the Awards event the Board of Governors will meet and I anticipate being able to provide a more definitive word on where the expansion process stands. That word will probably come in one of three following forms. Whether there will be no expansion, whether expansion will be deferred to a later time in the future, or whether there will be expansion and if so whether will be a one team or two teams expansion.
I am not going to handicap what’s going to happen, but again when the board meets in Las Vegas on June 22 I am fairly certain that we will know more than we do today I also anticipate that the executive committee will be making a recommendation to the board in advance of that meeting. -Gary Bettman

On when the Executive Committee may make official recommendation…

Bettman’s Next State Of The NHL Presser Scheduled For Monday

On May 25, 2016

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will address the media in a “State of the NHL” press conference an hour before the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals. He’ll be in St. Louis, Pittsburgh, or San Jose at the rink to do the presser.

We do NOT expect there to be an official expansion announcement at this press conference. The guys at HockeyBuzz.com seem to disagree.

The timing wouldn’t make a lot of sense as an announcement would take away from the Cup Finals, which is the last thing the commissioner and the league would like to happen.

However, any time the commissioner speaks to the media, the question of expansion always comes up. Therefore, we’ll certainly have a quote or two that should help to key us in on when the official announcement may come.

The NHL Awards Show is scheduled in Las Vegas on June 22nd, and the NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo two days later on the 24th. Both the commissioner and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have referenced the Entry Draft as a date in which GM’s must know prior to, if the league is going to expand for 2017-18.

Bettman’s press conference will be televised live on SportsNet TV in Canada. As for us here in the States, no network has confirmed to be airing the presser live. We’ll keep digging and will update this post with the best way to watch Gary Bettman’s press conference when we have it.

SportsNet.ca is streaming it live. Here’s the link.

Sources Reconfirm NHL Expansion To Las Vegas, Update Timeline

On May 16, 2016

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.”

T-Mobile Arena’s “NHL Locker Room”

On May 9, 2016

In T-Mobile Arena

As if you needed a little more proof the powers that be believe the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas, check this out.

But, maybe it’s for Frozen Fury. Shut up!

It’s clear MGM and AEG believe the NHL is coming to Vegas, and soon. They’ve held off the paint in the locker rooms, they’ve purposely not booked the arena from September 2017-June 2018, and they’ve got a Zamboni Room, a skates and sticks room and now NHL locker rooms. (And also, you are now caught up on everything we know about hockey and T-Mobile Arena)

Oh yeah, and don’t forget, T-Mobile Arena also had a pretty significant visitor over the weekend for the big fight.

We have on very good authority that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is at Canelo/Khan sitting in Foley’s box.
— The Sin Bin (@SinBinVegas) May 8, 2016

If the saying goes, “where there’s smoke there’s probably fire,” then there’s a mushroom cloud in between New York New York and Monte Carlo, and it’s just a matter of time Gary Bettman tells us it is indeed a fire. (I love that picture by the way)

TSN Reporter Offers Three Ideas For Expansion Silence

On May 8, 2016

The wheels inside the head of one of the best reporters in hockey, Gary Lawless, were spinning after the first week of May came and went without any significant expansion news.

Lawless, who brought us this huge news last week suggested relocation, a year long expansion delay, and a timeline that has the official announcement coming before the Stanley Cup Finals. Here’s the recap of what he wrote…

One other rumour making the rounds on Friday has expansion being announced this spring but pushed back by a year until the 2018-19 season.
There’s the possibility the league will wait until the beginning of June. Bettman may want to squeeze the announcement into the days between the conference finals and the Stanley Cup to not take any attention away from the games on the ice.
One National Hockey League Players’ Association insider suggested this week that Carolina relocating to Las Vegas is a storyline to watch. –Gary Lawless, TSN

Let’s start with the 2018-19 idea. According to sources in direct contact with the organization here in Las Vegas, 2018-19 has never been suggested to The Creator at any point.

Next, the Carolina stuff. No matter who you talk to, or what is written in the media, relocation rumors are nearly impossible to decipher. Could it happen? Maybe. Is it likely? No.

Official Expansion Announcement Will Come From Bettman Not Foley

On May 3, 2016

It’s been a point of contention among many close to the expansion process since the beginning; who exactly will make the announcement when the league officially awards Las Vegas the 31st franchise in the NHL?

All along here at SinBin.vegas we assumed it would be Gary Bettman and the league to surprise us one morning and make it official, but when we were apprised on the timeline of events that has to occur to seal the deal, it started to look like the announcement would fall into The Creator’s lap as approving the contract is the final step.

Well, we’ve now confirmed it will indeed be Gary Bettman and the NHL, probably with The Creator in attendance, that will make the announcement, and it will most likely occur in New York.

Gary Bettman Holds Party Line, Says Expansion Not Guaranteed

On April 23, 2016