According to our sources, the NHL should be close to announcing some very big news. We’re so close I can hear the Zamboni’s warming up their engines. You all know what an NHL team would mean to Dana, Ken, and I, but what about everyone else in Las Vegas? I set out to find the pulse of the city and asked a dozen or so locals one simple question, ‘What would an NHL team in Las Vegas mean to you?’ Here are some of their responses.
Dude, I love hockey. My team is the LA Kings, so I’ll be pumped to see the Kings dominate. Haha, just kidding. No seriously, I would love to to go to an NHL game here in town. Especially if they were playing the Kings. -Kyle, Gas Attendant
Honestly, I know nothing about hockey but I know it’s something that I would like. I really only watch football, but if there was a team in town I would watch them. I grew up in Las Vegas so I didn’t have much exposure to hockey but a local team would be great. To tell you the truth, just talking about getting a team is making me excited. -Allen, Mechanic
It would be great if the NHL came to Vegas. I grew up in St. Louis so I love hockey but my boys don’t really pay attention to it. I’m sure they will if a team comes to town. I know my wife and I will go to all the Blues games. -Richie, Sports Book Ticket Writer
**Let us know what an NHL team in Vegas would mean to you. Post it in the comments below.**
“Hockey would be so much fun here. I would go to as many games I can. I love going to NHL games, I’ve been to a bunch of Kings games. I had a blast every time. I even made it up on the Kiss Cam… Hahaha, I can’t believe I just told you that. -Ashley, Bartender
I’ve been here for so long, and I’ve been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a team. So I apologize if I’m still a little skeptical. Its more of an ‘I’ll believe it, when I see it’ approach. But if a team comes here, oh I think it would be great for the town. Especially, for the kids. I always say there’s not enough positive influences on kids in this town, and NHL players could be that positive influence. Overall, it would mean a lot to me if the NHL played here and I will be at as many games as I can. -Irwin, Long Time Hockey Bettor
I’m not the best person to ask this question. I’m really not a sports fan, but I have been to hockey games before. When the Wranglers were still playing at the Orleans I would go to a couple of games a year. It was fun, the kids were dancing, and having a good time. I really don’t know the rules , so I’d like to go to a game with someone like you. That way I can go home and watch it on my own and know what’s happening. -Gary, Friendly Neighbor
I just think of my kids and how much they’ll love a team. I know my 12 year-old, and 10 year-old will be ecstatic. They both love sports so it will be fun to see them cheer for a local team. They’re always wearing football jerseys so I’m sure they’ll want hockey jerseys next. -Lynn, Apartment Manager
I think a team would mean a lot to me. I know my son and daughter will love going to hockey games. We’re not really a hockey family, but my kids play sports and they’d be excited about a local team. I love hockey, I grew up a Flyers fan but I can root for two teams. It will be fun being a fan of the same team my kids root for. -Tony, Police Officer
Overall, a good response from Las Vegas locals. Of course there were a few negative responses that I left out, but you’re going to get a few nitwits. I did get a couple “who cares about hockey, lets got Raiders” responses. Mostly, people I asked were looking forward to live NHL games in town. As well as having a local team to cheer for. Parents, Kids, Cops, Servers, Chicks, and Dudes of Las Vegas are all ready for the NHL. Now hurry up already Gary.
**Let us know what an NHL team in Vegas would mean to you. Post it in the comments below.**
George King
Watched the Bruins win a Cup with Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito as a kid when we lived in the Boston area. So I know how exciting following a hometown hockey team can be.
For Las Vegas, we finally get a chance to show that we’re a first rate sports town and major city in our own right. The other major sports leagues are going to be falling all over themselves to get here once the NHL breaks the ice. It’s going to be the best thing since short skirts. Once they see how successful a Las Vegas major sports franchise can be, they’re all going to be kicking themselves for having waited so long. Kudos to the NHL for (hopefully) being first out of the gate.
Dennis Morrissey
Being a former season ticket holder for the Anaheim Ducks since 1993, having a team in Vegas would be easier for me to see hockey live. It would be a tough transition from a Ducks fan to a Black Knights fan. I’ll always have Ducks in me but I would fully support a team here and would welcome bring a fan. I have already bought season seats and cannot wait for the announcement. My 4 kids love hockey and love going to games. The city is ready and so are the fans!
Michael Bishop
I did but I don’t know I now have tossed feelings, I want hockey here but fear that it will be short lived unless the team wins 90% of the time the fans here will just dry up & I really don’t want to see it happen again as it did a few years back when hockey was here with two teams from two different leagues so I don’t know. I miss going to games I grew up on long Island saw 19 Series wins in a row 4th Street Stanley Cups in a row and the drive for five so I miss it alot but I fear how people here will respond when the team is not winning
Chris
Been a huge Kings fan for about 15 years. Recently moved to Vegas but would love a team to support here. Hockey is the perfect sport for Vegas and would be awsome to get the youth involved in the sport is exciting. Growing up in a rural part of Northern California I wasn’t exposed to hockey early on and probably thought it was a sport for mostly Canadiens . I think part of the reason you get some ignorant responses from people is because it’s people who have never been exposed here in Vegas and haven’t had an opportunity to learn the game . I think it really is something the whole city will start to rally around.
Andrew C
I grew up in Colorado, and am an Avalanche fan. I saw them win the cup twice growing up. It’s the greatest thing you can see. My problem with Denver though is it is not a hockey town. The Avalanche live in the shadow of the Broncos. When the team comes here Vegas will become a hockey town, and I cannot wait to live in a hockey town. Of course I’ll still be an Avs fan, but I’ll cheer for the team here the same way. I’m excited to see the Avs at the T in October!
Eric
I love hockey and I’ve said for years that hockey would do very well here. We did really well with the IHL and ECHL attendance-wise. I’ve been fighting this battle for years in the comments section of ESPN articles and Facebook posts, so personally I’ll get to watch my favorite sport and it’s a chance to retroactively say “I told you so” to people that I’ll never actually talk to again.
However, I think it means a lot more as a city than what I’ll personally get out of it. My better half is from San Jose and San Jose is a city that is easily forgotten in the Bay Area, even though it’s the largest one. People just don’t think of San Jose, yet everyone with pride in San Jose is out wearing teal, people have shark tattoos to represent their home town, people’s Facebook pages are covered in “City of Sharks” stuff. I think getting something like that would be huge for Las Vegas.
We can finally all have something in common that represents our city instead of individually rooting for teams from our hometowns or teams we picked up as children. Pro sports isn’t huge in the overall scheme of everyday life, but having something we can all be proud of that represents us as Las Vegans going up against other cities on national television 82 times a year can really help move us along towards having a real sense of pride that I think is missing in a lot of Las Vegans.
Mark Guerrero
I’m born and raised in this city. A pro team means the world to me. It’s the one thing this town is missing and I’m looking forward to supporting it as a die hard fan
Andrew Wilson
I grew up in Reno, NV and remember watching the 1996 Finals between the Avalanche and the Panthers I was not even 6 years old. Soon after I began attending Reno Renegades games (the WCHL team at the time) which featured female goaltender Manon Rheaume. The team unfortunately disbanded after 3 years. I soon went to my first Sharks game in 1997 and have been a fan ever since. Unfortunately hockey really does not exist in the state of Nevada and there really were not many people I knew who were true fans of the game either.
I still remember one year trying to play roller hockey in Reno and the league was two teams, we would just play each other every weekend. It was pathetic. If, excuse me, WHEN Las Vegas receives an NHL team it would mean a lot as a hockey fan especially since I plan on going back to Nevada to practice in the medical field. Knowing that it could create a similar youth hockey phenomenon that California has seen and even a soon to be #1 overall draft pick like Auston Matthews from Arizona would mean a great deal coming from the state of Nevada.
Robert
I would love for Las Vegas to get a hockey team. It would be a great thing for the city and be able to see a game in Vegas what more can you ask for.
Jeff
My reply is very simple. Finally having a pro sports team, especially the NHL (my favorite sport by far), in Vegas is the difference for me if I want to continue living here or not. Quite frankly I’m tired of living in a city with no culture and nothing to rally around except gambling.
JJ
Jeff—You took the answer right out of my mouth. I’m in the exact same boat as you. If we don’t get the team then my family and I are gone too. The way I look at it is if it’s not going to happen now then it’s never going to happen. Everything is perfectly aligned and if the NHL Fs this up then it’s on them. The NHL can’t let it get to this (14,500 season seats for a team that has no name and no logo) and then say “sorry…just screwing with your emotions folks”. I have a good quality of life with my family here and generally like many things here. But that void of not having an NHL team here is just too big for me to continue to go without. I own a home, have a professional job, and feel like I am a good citizen in this community, but without the team coming I’ll just have to kick my own ass down the road to an area that has an NHL team.
Isaac
I only really started getting into sports around last year and started following everything UNLV from football to basketball to hockey and tried to go to as many games as possible. When I heard the NHL would allow a season ticket drive, I started to realize that we could very well get an NHL team so I started designing jerseys for fun and thats when the sinbin team approached me! If we get this team it would be the first local pro sports team for me to root for. Im from LA but lived most of my life in vegas. Enough to consider it more of my home than California ever could. Im proud of my city and couldnt be happier living here and to have a team to represent us on a professional level would mean the world to me and so many others! I, like many I imagine, dont know much about hockey but when I heard we were in the running, I quickly learned the rules and became hooked so I know for sure that if a team does come here, Locals would become interested and learn the sport to root for their team like I did. It fascinates me that so many people believe we could never support a hockey team and think we are just a tiny town full of drug addicted gamblers who live in hotels and gamble all day. I want this team so we can prove them all wrong!
Timothy Pietrzak
I grew up in Buffalo for 20 years. Then lived in Arizona for 20, (moved there the same year as the Coyotes started). My wife is from Detroit.. ( boo Red Wings). I really miss going to games on Saturday night. I, like a few others, want to show Ignorant North America that we are sports fans. I’d also like to go to a sports bar where everyone is cheering for the home team, not watching 7 different games that are on. I even thought about joining a pick up league, haven’t played in a looong time, but would be good exercise.
Stephanie G
Hockey is large part of our household… Being originally from back East (Buffalo), we were use to easy access to live games. Currently we have season ticket package for AZ Coyotes just to get our fix. It would be great to have a local team to get behind and would save us a ton on gas & wear n tear on my car!
Steve
It wouldn’t mean anything to me. It would be such a waste of the league’s time and a tease to the people of Vegas to get a team only to see it leave in ~7 years.
Chris
Lol this team is not leaving we will be a hockey town soon enough …nice try negative nancy