Next expansion team in Las Vegas - How does everyone feel about it?

[Viqsi]

the nhl product is already watered down enough, every team has at least one line that is just there to absorb minutes while the others rest with no real hope of ever scoring. i enjoy shutdown, cycling hockey but i'd rather see more talented players on the ice going at it. that's part of why olympic hockey brings in so many eyeballs, the talent level on the ice at any given time is enormous and everybody's actually trying to win. the fact that teams in so many areas dont get the support of locals is another sign that the product is watered down. when hockey leaves winnipeg and QC to go to US cities, it's a pretty big sign that something's up.

expansion is a bad idea. i think the nhl needs to contract a few teams actually, not expand, but if other cities are going to get a chance at a team i gutwrenchingly offer up my ducks as prime relocation candidates.

as a former season ticket holder i can tell you that they do not receive the support that they deserve. the fact is they won the SC within the last decade, have been elite for the last several years and still dont draw support in the HC. it's really disheartening to know that they are condemned to be a budget team because revenues dont even match the cap.

the OC crowd just wont ever be what the LA crowd is, it's far too conservative to become rowdy and hostile for fans of other teams. that and the arena is just really hard to get to on weeknights, those freeways are brutal.

i'd be okay with moving the ducks to seattle. it would hurt and i'd have to buy gamecenter to watch them, but it would be healthier for the franchise and prevent an expansion that would water down the league's product.

While I still generally do not approve of the idea of relocation and do feel that the "diluted talent" argument is overblown, I must say I appreciate your willingness to offer up your own team. I don't think I've ever actually seen somebody take me (or MB, who also frequently suggests it) up on that one before. Bravo.

...that said, I do still believe that such a sacrifice would be unnecessary.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

The issue is that longevity isn't what Vegas is about.

Everything changes.

In a dynamic entertainment market like that, continuity isn't a selling point.

One...not everything changes in Vegas. That's just a stereotype because it is a town that does heavy tourism.

Two...the dynamic entertainment market thing isn't really the focus here. Those entertainment options are generally geared for tourists. This product will be geared for the locals that don't have a major league franchise and have been clamoring for one for a long while now. People are vastly underselling the local people in the Vegas market because of their preconceived notions of the tourism Vegas sees on a regular basis.

How is it a myth? The league needs more players. Players who wouldn't currently make the cut suddenly make the cut when the league needs more players. Every team will have to give up current roster players, and it's more likely than not that most of those teams don't just have backup NHL-ready players sitting around. Every team will force players who otherwise wouldn't make the cut onto their rosters. With one team it's not a huge deal I guess, but it's a slippery slope.

On top of that, the league already has a team in AZ which is doing terribly financially speaking. Why put another one, and force an expansion draft for a team that seems at least decently likely of not working out?

Just because they couldn't make the cut in the current league doesn't mean that adding them on another team makes the product worse. People need to stop pretending that there aren't at least 50-100 people not in the NHL that can play in the NHL.

As for your Arizona part, go through history. Every expansion has had struggling current franchises. Part of what will help those franchises is some cash flow. But the real point is that that doesn't matter. They will deal with Arizona when it is time if there comes a time. They can't just uproot any franchise at any given time but that shouldn't stop an expansion if it makes sense. It makes sense when there's an owner willing to shell out the money for one and a place for them to play that doesn't impact negatively one of their current franchises.

 

[icerocket]

In Bettman's NHL the state of florida has two hockey teams while the province of quebec has only one and las vegas will get a team before quebec city.

Amazing

 

[TT1]

who cares about hockey in quebec.. think of all the potential scandals/juicy drama we can have w/ a team in vegas. i'd be the happiest person alive if vanek and malone played for them.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

I'd have to see a market study, but I have a hard time believing Vegas is the best option. I don't really care though.

 

[Brooklanders*]

I hate the idea.

Quebec deserves it more anyway.

 

[KapG]

I hate the idea.

Quebec deserves it more anyway.

This times a million.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I hate the idea.

Quebec deserves it more anyway.

Deserves has nothing to do with business so I'd check that at the door. It comes down to what makes sense for the NHL. Besides, Quebec is probably going to get the first eastern team that relocates.

 

[Jacob]

The first outdoor official NHL game wasn't in Chicago or Detroit or New York or Philadelphia or Pittsburgh; it was in Las Vegas in 1991.

I know, I watched it. What does it have to do with putting a team there?

 

[ThirdManIn]

I hate the idea.

Quebec deserves it more anyway.

Obviously it does have something to do with it, but the NHL is still a business. They are going to go where they think the money is, and that could very well be Vegas before a lot of more deserving markets.

 

[jeangauthier]

Swilling,gambling,debauchery ..........where in the Hell do you fit in a hockey game?...........last I heard Vegas was in financial trouble and looking for a government bailout with one of the highest unemployment rates?................

 

[OldSchoolSabreFan]

I think this is really spot on. I have met many sports fans (including hockey ones) out in Vegas. There is a huge transplant of fans that get moved out there for work. Just had a couple of friends that are diehard Kings fans move out there and wishing for a team.

For the people saying that the casinos would buy the tickets and give them out are wrong. You don't know how that business works I guess. The casinos wouldn't want people to leave the tables because that's money walking out the door, even if it is for 3hrs.

I don't think it will be a crazy success but it will be as good as Dallas, Nashville and Columbus. They might struggle for a couple of years, but it will catch on. Even if it's from fans of other teams. I go to almost all the Kings home games and I see at least 5-6 other teams jerseys that aren't even the 2 teams playing. So that would help the Vegas team out.

I think a Seattle/Portland team will get much more crazy hardcore fans than Vegas and I'd like to see them first but Vegas wouldn't be bad. Canada is going to have to wait until after the conferences even out before they get a new team in the east.

Yup

Vegas has hockey fans transplanted from colder climes including a large Retiree population (who financially planned well) with leisure time money that could be better spent than gambling. Coupled with corporate sponsors (Casinos and others) to support the luxury boxes it presents a very compelling model.

If I were Mr. Foley, purchasing a financially distressed would be my 1st option, with expansion being 2nd.... but I am a consumer not an owner.

 

[Bradys Boys]

Seattle is a good choice. The west needs more teams before any east conversations starts.

 

[57special]

Seattle is NOT a hockey town. Vegas isn't either, obviously. Not a fan of putting teams in areas where you have to explain an offside during the broadcasts.

 

[Panteras]

I could see it as a possible success.

For one they will be the only major league professional team. So that's something for the locals to cheer about.

Also, sine Vegas is a purely turist place, I can see it as being a sort of "show" for tourists to see. Specially people coming from places where they don't see hockey or what not.

Why would anyone be mad? Lol ....there's probably more hispanics in Miami than any other city except LA? and yet Miami doesn't have an MLS team..boohoo

 

[ItRisesFromTheWaves]

Seattle is NOT a hockey town. Vegas isn't either, obviously. Not a fan of putting teams in areas where you have to explain an offside during the broadcasts.

Seattle is more of a hockey town than many existing places, like Denver/Colorado or California etc.

It's also a sports crazed market that will support its teams with a roar. You should see the ridiculousness of a Sounders game and no one in the US cares about soccer (comparatively).

Don't talk about things you clearly know nothing about.

 

[haveandare]

Relocate a team instead. There are already teams struggling, why gamble on another one in a climate that couldn't be further removed from where hockey thrives? I don't want another expansion draft and I don't want an even more diluted talent pool.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Seattle is more of a hockey town than many existing places, like Denver/Colorado or California etc.

It's also a sports crazed market that will support its teams with a roar. You should see the ridiculousness of a Sounders game and no one in the US cares about soccer (comparatively).

Don't talk about things you clearly know nothing about.

Seattle is more of a hockey town than California? Well yeah because Seattle is a town and California is a state. That's kind of a ridiculous comparison. More than San Jose in particular? I have my doubts. More than LA? I also have my doubts.

 

[Stjonnypopo]

It all depends how it's marketed. If you manage to get tourists to go see an NHL game then I'm sure it's going to be very profitable. If Celine Dion can sell out shows in Vegas year after year why couldn't the NHL sell out as well?

It's all about the Marketing. The NHL seems to be getting pretty good at marketing but they've always concentrated on young men. Will Vegas be the same thing?

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Québec clearly deserves a team over Las Vegas. Fans who live and breathe hockey as part of their national culture vs. casuals who won't fill a 10000 seat arena and couldn't care less about the sport.

But it's an easy choice for the commi$$ioner.

Blame your own damn country then. It's pretty pathetic when the "country that lives eats injects farts hockey" is a less financially viable option for expansion than Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

[CrypTic]

I'm kinda tired of the "growing the game" argument. Yeah it's cool that there's a small handful of players that come from California and Phoenix might have one after almost 20 years of the Coyotes there.

But so what? It's not the NHL's mission statement to put teams everywhere (no less than three in California) just so 1 or 2 seven year olds can eventually become inspired to play the game and eventually make it to the big show.

I don't understand this position. I thought the primary reason to expand was increased revenue (especially from TV contracts), not more players. I think having more kids play is a benefit to growing the game but not the primary one, at least from the NHL's POV.

I really don't understand the apparent hatred of the California teams. Until the most recent lockout, none of them were even eligible for revenue sharing. (Now they can get up to 50% of the amount they'd otherwise be eligible for.) Only Anaheim is in the bottom half of the league in terms of revenue (though the Sharks are close) and they were around #18 so they aren't close to the bottom. Winnipeg, Buffalo, and especially the NYI made less. Ottawa, DC, and SJ all made essentially the same revenue and it was only a bit less than Edmonton. ($117M per Forbes for DC, SJ, and Ott vs $119 for Edmonton.) Calgary only made $122 so it's not like they are far ahead of SJS either. LA had the 7th highest revenue in the NHL. ($146M)

Why is it bad to have hockey in California? (Or in Las Vegas if the team can support itself?)

 

[Boy Hedican]

Seattle is more of a hockey town than many existing places, like Denver/Colorado or California etc.

It's also a sports crazed market that will support its teams with a roar. You should see the ridiculousness of a Sounders game and no one in the US cares about soccer (comparatively).

Don't talk about things you clearly know nothing about.

Please explain why Seattle is more of a hockey town than the town of California.

 

[Crabapple]

Feels pretty gimmicky to me. Will they be able to support an actual fan base, or will tickets be bought by the casino's and distributed to clients? I dunno I think there's a lot of better options for expansion than Las Vegas.

 

[HBK27]

Amazing that this league is considering expansion when they have a few of the worst struggling franchises of any professional sport. 30 teams is more than enough in this league. It also screws over fans of the existing franchises as it becomes even harder to make the playoffs/win a Cup, and the talent gets watered down a bit.

 

[Crede777]

From what I understand, a Vegas team would be counting on the hotels and casinos to buy a lot of tickets which they would distribute to guests (who may or may not actually attend, but as long as the tickets are bought...). The rest will be covered by the permanent residents.

Blame your own damn country then. It's pretty pathetic when the "country that lives eats injects farts hockey" is a less financially viable option for expansion than Las Vegas, Nevada.

I don't agree with this. I think the choice to expand to some place like Las Vegas is more due to the league's approach. Instead of preaching to the converted, they're going some place where hockey is a relatively foreign concept (although I must admit they have a decent ECHL team).