Even though it’s been repeated over and over again the only plan in place for a team to come to Las Vegas is via expansion, the topic of relocation just won’t seem to go away.
The latest to stir the pot on relocation came from a tweet from ViceSports and Dirty Water Media‘s Jimmy Murphy.
Spoke to two NHL executives today that believe the Carolina Hurricanes could be relocated to Las Vegas & expansion put on hold for now.
EA Sports know gamers like more interaction than just playing the game. With the updated ‘Be a GM’ mode, NHL gamers can move teams to other cities. You want a team in Quebec? Move the Hurricanes to Quebec. Or maybe back to Hartford. How about Portland, Milwaukee or another team in Toronto? Well, EA Sports says have at it. It’s been an option in EA Sport’s Madden Football games for years. I’m sure someone has already moved the Raiders to Las Vegas.
One of our goals here at SinBin.vegas is to be the voice of the valley when it comes to the NHL. In trying to do so we often have the opportunity to interact with some incredible people (and excellent writers) who are equally as passionate about hockey in Las Vegas as we are. Therefore, we wanted to give you, our readers, the opportunity to let your voice be heard via guest posts to the site.
Las Vegas is getting a hockey team, just not how you think we are.
We all know Las Vegas is very likely getting an NHL team in the near future to play at the new T-Mobile Arena on the Strip. Bill Foley has got the money and desire to bring the NHL to Vegas and it looks like it’s happening soon.
But what if the team we’re all excited to watch is already playing? Down Highway 93 is the Arizona Coyotes, the constantly rumored relocation candidate. Every time a city or potential owner shows interest in purchasing an NHL team it’s going to be the Coyotes that gets relocated. It’s not a secret the Coyotes haven’t done well in the Valley of the Sun. Through poor ownership, bankruptcy, terrible on ice performances, etc. the Coyotes have always had a good base of support in the Phoenix Metro area. However, it’s never really been enough to financially support the team and keep the red ink off the Coyotes’ balance sheet.
Logic has always been that Quebecor, the company behind the efforts to bring the National Hockey League back to Quebec, would be better off being the landing spot for a current franchise in need of a new home.
The league has no interest in leaving the Phoenix market no matter how many columns guaranteed the Coyotes were Vegas bound last Summer. They may move out of Glendale eventually but the moving vans are not headed to Vegas, they will probably head to downtown Phoenix where the team belongsThe Panthers are staying in Surprise, Florida until at least 2023 thanks to a Broward County $86 million financial package.
That brings us to the Carolina Hurricanes who are filling only 65% of the PNC Arena. The obvious reason is because the Hurricanes will once again not take part in the postseason…which doesn’t inspire the folks of Raleigh to attend… which sparks talk of relocation. To give this proper perspective the Columbus Blue Jackets are second from the bottom while filling only 77.7% of the Nationwide Arena.
Owner Peter Karmanos has talked about how stupid it would be to leave with ten years on their lease which really just runs through 2024. He receives 100% of all parking and concessions for all non-North Carolina State events and a discount on utilities. The reality is that no matter how good of a deal Karmanos has he needs to either fill his arena or sell the team which he has been trying to do for some time.
It seems like we’ve all come to the conclusion the league will expand and Las Vegas will be the recipient of a shiny new NHL franchise, the league’s 31st. But, that Gary Bettman is a tricky little (mean word of your choice) and as long as there has been an announcement there’s always the chance he and the league pull the plug on The Creator.
Our favorite Wyshynski, Greg Wyshynski, laid out a pretty nice backup plan if indeed the expansion rug is indeed pulled out from under Las Vegas.
It would even out the conferences at 15 and 15. It would give Vegas a team that’s closer to contention than an expansion draft would provide. And it would potentially take a team that’s losing money with ownership looking to get out to a city where revenues could be more consistent and new ownership. It does make a little sense. -Greg Wyshynski, Puck Daddy
In fact, it would actually get The Creator a team at a discounted rate, and if you aren’t buying the loose expansion draft rumors, Las Vegas could actually get a team closer to contending quicker via this route.
I’ll still argue that an expansion team has a much better chance at succeeding in the long term in the valley, but if the options are the Hurricanes or no one, I’m pretty sure we’re all on the same page with that answer.
We seem to have come far enough that expansion seems like almost an inevitability, but it’s always great to have a fail safe, and Peter Karmanos and the dumpster fire he created in Carolina might just be the perfect safety net.
We should note late last night Deputy Commish Bill Daly said there’s “no chance” the Hurricanes move to Quebec. But, that’s pretty much what he has to say, so we aren’t reading too deeply into it.
Remember way back when, there was some news that the Arizona Coyotes were picking up and leaving the Phoenix area to relocate here in Las Vegas? Well if you don’t, here’s the now clearly false story.
Talking to an Arizona radio station, Coyotes co-owner Anthony LeBlanc had some positive news to share about his franchise potentially getting a new home, and soon.
I’m very positive that we will have something out in the community if not in the next month or two but certainly by the end of the regular season. -Anthony LeBlanc
Why is this significant for Las Vegas? Because it shores up another situation that could have caused the league to have to move one or more of its franchises. With the Broward County deal bailing out the Panthers (and the fact they are dominating) and now this new stadium on the horizon, only the Carolina Hurricanes remain in a tumultuous position.
Speculation has been Quebec City may be a better place to move a team rather than be home to an expansion team. With just the one team left that might have move, the path is completely clear for the NHL to feel comfortable expanding their league and opening up shop in Las Vegas.
As the waiting game continues we have to start wondering if expansion is ever going to happen. Maybe the team will come via relocation. Mark Warner of The Vegas Hockey Podcast joins the show to discuss that and much more. Hosted by Ken Boehlke.
The badass music that kicks off the Vegas Hockey Podcast; where did it come from? Where do we get our own? Can we ever be as cool as Mark?
Vegas is the best, why do people continue to hate on us?
If one of the currently struggling franchises were to move to Las Vegas, which team would we most like to have?
Ken mistakes CBS Sports Football anchor Adam Zucker for Las Vegas hero Jason Zucker.
Mark offers up a brilliant (yet surprisingly simple) way to fix the traffic issues that will occur outside the stadium.
Which coaches should The Creator be looking at when we do get a team in Las Vegas?
Did anyone else see the Arizona Coyotes smoke the LA Kings last night? The Yotes sported their sparkling new road sweaters as they quickly jumped on Jonathan Quick 4-1. I know it’s the first week of the season and the Kings are notorious slow starters, but this is the same Arizona team that’s the consensus pick to finish last.
The Coyotes have high prospects in their vault and decided it’s time to break some out. Highly ranked and son of the NHL player I hated most, Max Domi debuted with his first NHL goal in the second period. Max looks like Tie and probably could become an effective brawler someday but that’s not why he was a top pick.
Max is a skilled skater, with high shot accuracy. His high slot, wrist shot was so fast and accurate it was almost as Quick didn’t see it. It looks like the twenty year old Center has a bright future ahead of him.
Another fine prospect that was in the Yotes lineup was left winger Anthony Duclair. Already one of my favorite players, Duclair plays a little bigger and rougher than his young age of 20. Duclair made his NHL debut with the Rangers last season, but was moved to Arizona in the Keith Yandle trade. Not only can he check but he can score. In his last season of Canadian Juniors, Duclair scored 50 goals in 56 games.
All are lead though by the Yotes underrated star defenseman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Swede is overlooked when it comes to being named a top defenseman in the NHL, but he’s good enough to be mentioned. His superb ice intelligence (Googled, “smart cold guy,” this came up, so we are going with it, here, click it again, I know you want to) is what makes a top blue liner. Which will most certainly rub off on his young teammates. Proving that against the Kings with a goal in the first.
Even their coach, Dave Tippett, is regarded as one of the NHL’s best coaches. He’s had past success in a very tough market plus he’s good with developing talent.
So why am I pumping the Coyotes tires much? And why do you care? Well, worst case scenario is Las Vegas isn’t awarded a franchise. Boo, I know right that would suck. So second worst case scenario would be Las Vegas isn’t awarded a franchise but will be rewarded with a relocated team. And it’s pretty obvious with their stadium debacle that team would be Arizona. If the team and the region still struggle Las Vegas makes the most sense.
So it might make sense to pay attention to a young team in the making. Plus if projections come true the Yotes will have the first pick. Which would be a dream come true in Scottsdale native Auston Matthews. Likely next years overall top pick Matthews has NHL scouts raving, check him out.
All of those young talented players would be fantastic to inherit. Plus a solid coach, Ekman- Larrson, and a bad-ass mascot, the Coyotes might be worth watching.
From the beginning, The Creator and his team have said that their intentions on bringing a team to Vegas are through the expansion route. Rather than purchase a team and relocate them to the valley, they want that “new car smell.”
While an expansion team would absolutely suit this city well, there’s absolutely no reason not to be the home to relocated team if it’s the only path available.
When the expansion process began there were groups from Las Vegas, Kansas City, Sacramento, Seattle, and Quebec City all vying for a team. But when all was said and done, only Vegas and Quebec came through.
The initial thought was that the NHL would like to add two teams bringing the league from 30 to 32 franchises.
But with the possible issues with the Quebec (market size, strength of the Canadian dollar, effect on the Canadiens, etc.), Vegas is put in a peculiar place as the only true strong (and that’s not to say we aren’t without concerns either) option. The NHL simply cannot add a single franchise. So relocation may be the only option.
“When it comes to the NHL, it’s simple: Las Vegas needs that new car smell.
Leave all the troubled franchises and nutjobs tasering city officials exactly where they are,” says Ed Graney of the LVRJ.
I have an issue with one word. “Las Vegas NEEDS that new car smell,” should really be, “Las Vegas WOULD PREFER, that new car smell.”
If a team were to relocate to Vegas, who’s to say The Creator could not change the logo, brand the team with new colors, blow up the front office, take a hacksaw to the roster, and anything else he wants to do? If treated like an expansion team, within a few years, everyone would completely forget where they came from in the first place.
It’s absolutely true that the best case scenario would be for Las Vegas to be awarded one of two brand new franchises and start from scratch, but there’s no reason to think that a relocated team would be received any differently here than a new one.
There’s going to be challenges one way or the other. They are different in each case. But the goal stated by The Creator was “to bring NHL hockey to Las Vegas,” not “to be awarded an expansion franchise.”
New car or used car smell, they both wear out with time. In the end you wind up with the same thing, a vehicle. Give us our vehicle, and let The Creator drive.
VGK vs SEA (10/10/23) VGK -165 SEA +140 O/U 6 (O -125)
VGK at SJS (10/12/23) VGK -235 SJS +192 O/U 6.5 (U -120)
VGK vs ANA (10/14/23) VGK -350 ANA +275 O/U 6.5 (U -115)
