Fidelity National Financial Chair William Foley, who is looking into possibly bringing an NHL expansion team to Las Vegas, recently sat down with SPORTSNET.ca's Elliotte Friedman to discuss his interest. Foley said he and his team are "very confident that Las Vegas is ready" for an NHL franchise. Foley said of the concept for an expansion team in Vegas, "It was an idea a year ago. It was evolving six months ago. I met with the executive committee about six months ago. They were receptive, they loved the arena, we made our presentation and we left. There was no commitment. There’s never been a commitment. ... I would say over the last 60 days, 90 days, that my confidence level has increased pretty dramatically." He added, "We want to have our tickets priced so we’re at the league average and that’s one of the commitments we’ve made to the league that we’re going to sell tickets for that average $62 to $65 dollars a seat. ... We do want to have these three- to five-year packages, but we’re probably going to be a little more open about having one- and two-year packages to start with." Meanwhile, Foley said of a possible name for the franchise, "I love the name Black Knights because I was a West Point guy and went to Army. It’s close to my heart" (SPORTSNET.ca, 12/13).
CRAVING FOLEY'S ATTENTION: ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reported former NHLer Murray Craven "has Foley's ear when it comes to hockey matters and could very well be part of the management structure if and when the NHL dream comes true in Vegas." If Foley gets a team, Craven "would certainly be interested in being part of that administration." Craven said of the potential role for him, "Until they have a firm commitment, Bill is of the mind that there’s no use talking about that kind of stuff until we know whether we’re going to get this team or not." For now, Craven "is there to have his hockey brain picked by Foley" (ESPN.com, 12/12). Meanwhile, in Boston, Fluto Shinzawa noted NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "issued multiple signals of caution when noting that ... Foley has been given approval to conduct a season-ticket drive in Las Vegas." But the permission granted to Foley "underscores what everyone has known about the league for a long time: The bosses are ready to expand." In some ways, the NHL "is in a good place to welcome another team or two," as the "big markets are healthy." TV money also "is flowing into the league," which "has star talent at multiple tiers." Shinzawa: "But I fear the NHL is due for long-term weakness. With 30 teams, there already are fourth lines that don’t belong in the league. If two expansion clubs joined the ranks, that would introduce at least 40 additional employees to make the talent pool even weaker" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/14).
WORTH THE GAMBLE? In N.Y., Pat Leonard wrote just the idea of "considering a professional sports venture in Vegas is intriguing." Last week's update by Bettman "does not make Vegas the league’s most likely expansion destination." An enormous turnout in the season-ticket drive "might only draw Vegas even as a viable expansion option with cities such as Seattle or Quebec City." Expanding to Vegas "is tempting, just like the city itself, but Foley is doing well to gauge the landscape before diving in head-first" (
N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/14). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Larry Brooks noted for the first time in
NHL history, the next round of expansion "will be conducted under a hard cap system." This means that when the next expansion draft "is completed, these new teams could well have an essentially unlimited amount of cap space with which to sign free agents while perhaps as many as half of the Original 30 are all but capped out when the market opens."
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that capping the amount of money an expansion team could spend on free agency "would not be an option" (
N.Y. POST, 12/14).
CAUTION AHEAD: In Las Vegas, Glenn Cook wrote under the header, "On Pro Sports, Proceed With Caution." The plan to possibly add an MLS expansion team in Las Vegas "is under constant tinkering behind closed doors, preventing the kind of scrutiny necessary to determine whether it’s too risky, or whether it’s even viable." The more time passes, the more "desperate the dealmaking becomes." The hockey plan "is exceptionally cautious and deliberate because the NHL hasn’t even announced an expansion plan" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL, 12/14). Meanwhile, in Seattle, Geoff Baker writes while there is "little doubt" the NHL wants to expand there, the city "lacks a venue" to host the possible team. Baker: "Here’s the kicker: Approval for the Sodo arena project pitched by entrepreneur Chris Hansen is unlikely to happen before 2016. That’s right. We’re probably a year or more away from Hansen gaining permission to touch the ground with a shovel" (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/15).
