The trial season-ticket drive by Fidelity National Financial Chair and prospective NHL Las Vegas Owner William Foley is "expected to top the 11,000 mark" by the end of today, according to a source cited by Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. It is "now believed that the earliest a team would begin play" in the city is the '17-18 season. A source said that corporate clients "have committed to 1,000 season tickets and there is an expectation of 500 more." Along with 735 suite seats that "have been sold as part of 10-year deals, it is believed the group will shortly have commitments for more than 13,000 seats." It is a "distinct possibility that, without formally identifying the Foley group, the NHL could take the opportunity" at its June BOG meeting in Vegas to "formally open the expansion process and begin the vetting process for interested owners, including the Foley group." A source said that if that was the case, a "possible timetable for an announcement of expansion to Las Vegas, which would include payment of at least part of the expansion fee, would be in September." That would give the Foley group "two years to assemble its hockey operations staff to begin the process of scouting and planning to build a team" (ESPN.com, 4/19). NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Foley with the ticket drive "wanted to assess the strength of the fan base, potential fan base in Las Vegas." Bettman: "Las Vegas in that regard is at least perceived to be an unusual market. He began his ticket drive, and while I'm not prepared to announce the results, because it's actually still ongoing, it has been very successful to date" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/18).
