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Post by Vegas on Apr 7, 2016 12:28:59 GMT -5
Last night T-Mobile Arena opened for a concert by a local hometown band called The Killers-and I was there! Great to see my hometown (at least since 1999) open up a NHL caliber arena like T-Mobile last night! I will be back at T-Mobile for Money in the Bank in June.   |
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on Apr 17, 2016 23:13:37 GMT -5
Rumor circulating around in Canuckland is that the NHL could announce if Las Vegas is getting an expansion team as early as the NHL Draft Lottery which is scheduled for April 30th.
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on Apr 18, 2016 23:55:15 GMT -5
Las Vegas owner chimes in on NHL expansion
By Frank Seravalli
Source: TSN.ca
Bill Foley has it all planned out.
If the NHL were to award him a 31st franchise in Las Vegas, Foley said he has a “good idea” who his first GM will be. He has a logo ready to go. He knows what he will wear for the expansion announcement press conference.
“Black suit, white shirt, nice tie,” Foley said Friday on AM 1400 in Las Vegas.
Foley even has a pre-game ceremony in mind for opening night if his team is dubbed the Black Knights.
“You’re in the arena and the lights go out and Excalibur is in centre ice,” Foley was explaining on Sportsbook Radio. “Then, the opposing team’s mascot skates out and tries to pull it out and he can’t. Maybe we’ll have to impersonate the other team’s mascot. Then the Black Knight skates over and pulls it out. The ice starts cracking. The lights go on and the players come out. That would be an awesome thing to see.”
Except, right now those visions are still little more than dreams for Foley. It may seem like a formality, but almost everything he said in Friday’s engaging and revealing interview was couched in hypotheticals, while the NHL’s executive board deliberates on expansion.
Foley said Friday he is hoping to have an answer in June, possibly even before the NHL Awards return to Las Vegas on June 22. Many have speculated an announcement could come during the Stanley Cup final.
“Every day matters,” Foley said on AM 1400. “I think every sign we’ve had is good, but we don’t have word. We don’t have definitive information … There is so much to do and there are hundreds of things that we don’t even know we’ll have to do.”
For now, Foley’s proposed franchise is steadily moving forward. Their glitzy, 17,500-seat T-Mobile Arena opened just off the Vegas Strip to rave reviews on Wednesday with a concert. The 8,500-square foot hockey locker room inside the arena is 80 per cent completed, Foley said.
Vegas Wants Hockey has secured season-ticket deposits from 14,000 local residents. Foley said they are still selling deposits, and only approximately 50 people have requested their money to be returned in the 14 months since the process began.
Foley has secured land and fronted money for a practice facility to be located in nearby Summerlin. Ground could be broken on the two-sheet facility in August or September, allowing his new team to train there from Day 1.
The NHL did not give the go-ahead to begin the practice facility project’s engineering, Foley said, but they also did not instruct him to hold off.
“They said ‘It’s your risk capital,’” Foley explained on AM 1400. “There’s just a bevy of activity coming at you all at once. We’ve done a lot, but I’m trying to be judicious in terms of how I spend my money.”
Foley’s group has entertained discussions with potential municipalities to locate a minor-league affiliate. One possibility is Reno, Nev., according to Foley, where tax benefits could help land a team. Another option is the Central Valley in California. Foley said the priority is to ensure players “can get up and down quickly.”
Foley has also discussed the creation of a regional sports network with Cox Cable and Fox Sports to hold his team’s television rights.
“We don’t know how big the territory would be yet, that’s another avenue we need to get down,” Foley said on AM 1440. “We’re talking to them. It’s all predicated on if and when and maybe.”
So would be hiring hockey personnel. Former Philadelphia Flyer Murray Craven is serving as Foley’s hockey advisor, but Foley said he would not be the GM. Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby, who was Craven’s teammate for parts of six seasons, has already been linked to the role.
“I think we’d have a GM by July (2016),” Foley said on AM 1400. “We haven’t talked to any GMs or assistant GMs. We didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ll have a pretty good idea who we’re going to approach. We’ll have to move pretty quickly.”
One thing that does not seem like it will be up for debate is the team’s name. Foley is obviously predisposed to the Black Knights, in homage to his alma mater at West Point, the United States Military Academy. He wanted to be “community minded,” but it didn’t sound as if time would allow for a public team naming contest.
“If it were to be the Black Knights, I’ve got an awesome logo. Already done,” Foley said on AM 1400. “(The colors) are black, gold and grey - non-negotiable. It’s a great logo. It makes you feel strength, power, dignity.”
Foley said one thing he’s “screwed up” is not securing a web site domain name for his potential team before the announcement of the ticket drive. Foley owns the rights to variations linked to Black Knights and Silver Knights, but domain prospectors already reserved “all of the other names you might think be names” like the Rattlers, Scorpions, Aces and Rat Pack. If a name other than Black Knights were selected, he’d have to buy the domain off that holder.
For now, though, Foley continues to wait.
“We’ve got to be patient,” Foley said on AM 1400. “The arena is open. It’s unbelievable for hockey … I’ve learned if I’m honoured to be the 31st owner, it’s a privilege, not a right … We’ll really have a great team. We just have to get the team.”
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on Apr 19, 2016 0:05:26 GMT -5
Hurricanes rumored to relocate to either Vegas or more likely Quebec City
The financially struggling Carolina Hurricanes could be on the move. The team does have a lease with their arena until 2024 which could hinder a move.
The current owner is rumored to be looking to sell the team, which could include the owner in Las Vegas buying and moving the team. More than likely Las Vegas will get an expansion team while the Carolina Hurricanes could end up moving to the brand new arena in Quebec City. If that is the case look for Seattle to eventually get the 32nd NHL Team.
From the sounds of things the NHL is looking into how contracts with a "No Movement Clause" would effect player availability for any expansion team. They would also have to figure out they would work a new team into the Draft. Personally I would give them the first pick overall the year they enter - they could trade that pick away for a quality player right away.
If the NHL can get the player contract issues sorted out with the NHLPA soon I can see the rumored announce date of the Draft Lottery actually happening.
As the article above states it sounds like the Las Vegas owner is just waiting on an official announcement to announce the teams inaugural front office.
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Post by guiltyparty on Apr 26, 2016 12:12:11 GMT -5
The Hurricanes are my idiot brother-in-law's favorite team; so I would get some serious schadenfreude from them moving. But, I wouldn't put a lot of stake in any rumors of the Hurricanes leaving. Though Carolina is last in attendance, they have upside in terms of talent (finishing above .500 by NHL standards this year) and a favorable arena deal that, like Sinclairiverse pointed out runs for another 8 seasons, and an owner who says he's not relocating (though, granted, he's also trying to sell the team). If Carolina starts winning, which they look primed to do, the attendance woes will be fixed because it's a fair-weather fan base and a basketball first fan base.
The existing franchise most likely to move is still Arizona. Second lowest attendance, worse on ice prospects for the future, financial loses since day one, and a contentious and litigious relationship with their landlords, the city of Glendale. Last year, Glendale terminated the 15 year lease they had signed and switched to a 2 year deal; which will be up at the end of next season. That means a relocated Coyotes team could start play in Quebec City the same season as an expansion Vegas Black Knights (or Aces).
Realignment is a little trickier, because of the odd number of teams, but I think the best solution would be to put Vegas in the Pacific in place of Arizona, move Columbus to the Central (making it an 8 team division like the two in the East), Either Tampa or Florida into Columbus' spot in the Metropolitan division (not a great fit, but all the other rivalries in the Atlantic are better and more worthy of preserving. Strictly by geography, I'd prefer Boston or Buffalo), and then put Quebec City in the Atlantic with natural rivals Montreal... I feel I've said this part before. Anyway, that would leave the Central, Metro, and Atlantic with 8 teams, and the Pacific with 7 (unavoidable without two expansion teams).
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on Apr 26, 2016 21:21:16 GMT -5
The Hurricanes are my idiot brother-in-law's favorite team; so I would get some serious schadenfreude from them moving. But, I wouldn't put a lot of stake in any rumors of the Hurricanes leaving. Though Carolina is last in attendance, they have upside in terms of talent (finishing above .500 by NHL standards this year) and a favorable arena deal that, like Sinclairiverse pointed out runs for another 8 seasons, and an owner who says he's not relocating (though, granted, he's also trying to sell the team). If Carolina starts winning, which they look primed to do, the attendance woes will be fixed because it's a fair-weather fan base and a basketball first fan base. The existing franchise most likely to move is still Arizona. Second lowest attendance, worse on ice prospects for the future, financial loses since day one, and a contentious and litigious relationship with their landlords, the city of Glendale. Last year, Glendale terminated the 15 year lease they had signed and switched to a 2 year deal; which will be up at the end of next season. That means a relocated Coyotes team could start play in Quebec City the same season as an expansion Vegas Black Knights (or Aces). Realignment is a little trickier, because of the odd number of teams, but I think the best solution would be to put Vegas in the Pacific in place of Arizona, move Columbus to the Central (making it an 8 team division like the two in the East), Either Tampa or Florida into Columbus' spot in the Metropolitan division (not a great fit, but all the other rivalries in the Atlantic are better and more worthy of preserving. Strictly by geography, I'd prefer Boston or Buffalo), and then put Quebec City in the Atlantic with natural rivals Montreal... I feel I've said this part before. Anyway, that would leave the Central, Metro, and Atlantic with 8 teams, and the Pacific with 7 (unavoidable without two expansion teams). Here's the thing, at least in my opinion, the Coyotes are not going to move until Bettman and company are out of power. Columbus has a building rivalry with Detroit, so I can't see them jumping into the Western conference unless Detroit does the same. If and when the Coyotes do move I see them ending up in either Seattle or Kansas City (who recently build a massive arena in hopes of luring an NHL or NBA team to the city. Teams I could see relocate to Quebec in the next couple of years are either Tampa Bay, Florida or Carolina. The next two expansion teams will end up on the western part of the map, and Vegas will be the first one with either Kansas or Seattle being the other. Unless one of the three teams I listed ends up in Kansas or Seatlle, then Quebec will get the next expansion team |
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on May 5, 2016 0:59:53 GMT -5
No announcement made about Las Vegas at the draft lottery, so the next realistic date for an announcement would be at the Entry Draft it self. From the sounds of things Vegas will be announced as the next expansion team in the NHL. The only thing that could push the announcement further back could be that the NHL is still trying to work out how an expansion draft would work. With more and more players getting "No Movement Clauses" in their contracts it could really restrict the level of talent that would be available for Las Vegas in the Expansion Draft.
Last time there was an expansion draft the teams were each able to select a player from each of the NHL teams given the teams 28 NHL caliber players a piece to start off. This time around Vegas could conceivably select a player from the other 30 teams giving them a decent, if not star loaded team to start. If those players with "No Movement Clauses" are put on a limited "Protected Players" list submitted by each team it could open up higher end players for Las Vegas to select from.
Once again last time teams were able to protect just a small handful of players which left several decent second and third line players available for the incoming teams. On big issue will be how Goalies will be treated. There are several really good goalies who are just waiting for the chance to shine as a number one. Will teams be able to protect one or two goalies? Last time teams were allowed to only protect one goalie, yet there were two teams looking for a total of four goalies then.
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on May 5, 2016 1:04:02 GMT -5
One other thing to wonder is how would Las Vegas factor into the Draft Lottery? The last time there was an expansion the Draft Lottery didn't exist. Do you automatically give Vegas the number one pick, and have the remaining teams draw for picks 2-4 or do you simply enter Las Vegas into the draft and give them the best odds at getting the number one pick?
In the latter format the worst Vegas could draft in their first year would be fourth overall.
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Post by EventHorizon on May 5, 2016 11:55:51 GMT -5
The only thing that could push the announcement further back could be that the NHL is still trying to work out how an expansion draft would work. With more and more players getting "No Movement Clauses" in their contracts it could really restrict the level of talent that would be available for Las Vegas in the Expansion Draft. It's already been worked out between the NHL and the NHLPA. Anybody with a no movement clause must be protected by his team. No trade clause players are fair game however. ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/expansion-draft-rules-agreed-upon-by-nhl--nhlpa-153933538.html |
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Post by Sinclair Promotions on May 5, 2016 22:06:19 GMT -5
One thing mentioned by the Winnipeg Jets GM. Teams are being told that they'd have to leave X amount of cap unprotected in an expansion draft, and Vegas would have to draft up to the cap minimum
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