NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday hinted that league expansion "seems far more likely than continued Olympic participation," according to Kevin McGran of the TORONTO STAR. Bettman during his annual press conference prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final said that he "has met regularly with would-be owners in Las Vegas and Quebec -- and he has not met anybody recently from Seattle." He expects "to have a definitive decision on expansion" when the NHL’s BOD meets June 22 in Las Vegas for the annual awards show. He said that it "remains possible there could be no expansion, whether expansion could be deferred and whether the league would expand by one or two teams." Meanwhile, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the rules for an expansion draft to "stock a new team or two have been agreed upon" with the NHLPA (TORONTO STAR, 5/31). SPORTSNET.ca's Chris Johnston noted the decision on whether or not to expand "will be made in the form of a recommendation from the board’s nine-member executive committee." Daly said that the group "is scheduled to meet in early June." A source said that a decision "could come as soon as Thursday or Friday when the Stanley Cup Final takes a break to shift to San Jose." From there, a "two-thirds majority of the 30 team owners is needed to approve the recommendation." Many around the NHL "feel that Las Vegas will likely be chosen as the sole expansion team at this time, with possible entrance coming" during the '18-19 season, rather than '17-18 as "originally expected" (SPORTSNET.ca, 5/30). Daly said that it is "still feasible for a new team to be on the ice in time" for the '17-18 season, but "that window is quickly closing." The NHL "has already said the current 30 teams would need at least one calendar-operating year (July 1 - July 1) to prepare for the upcoming changes" (TSN.ca, 5/30).
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION? THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell wrote there is "a lot of consternation" over the expansion decision, both among the "members of the all-powerful executive committee and among members of the board of governors." The Exec Committee "had consisted of the league’s 10 most powerful owners, but that number has been reduced to nine with the death of Philadelphia Flyers Owner Ed Snider." When the exec committee makes a recommendation on something, the BOG "usually rubber-stamps it." But Daly said that this issue "is a contentious one." He said, "I wouldn’t presuppose a board vote. And I wouldn’t do that on this issue in particular. There is some difference in opinion among board members" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 5/30). USA TODAY's Kevin Allen writes NHL owners "could say no to expansion, but it's hard to see why they would." Both Las Vegas and Quebec City "are attractive for different reasons, and both are willing to pay" a $500M expansion fee. It "seems likely that at some point, both cities will end up with an NHL team." If the league grants franchises to both cities, it "will have to realign." But a $1B "expansion payday, split among 30 teams, would heal any wounds caused by re-alignment" (USA TODAY, 5/31).
WAITING FOR THE GO-AHEAD: In Las Vegas, Steve Carp reports Bill Foley, who is behind the Las Vegas expansion effort, has been "quietly working behind the scenes to be ready should he get the green light from the NHL." He has been "locking up domain names for the team to be used on the Internet and he has settled on black, gold and gray as the team’s colors." Foley from the outset has "liked the idea of calling his team the 'Black Knights,' in part in tribute to the United States Military Academy of which he is a graduate." No names are being looked at "with gambling references because he knows the NHL would not approve such branding." Foley also has been "lining up the support of corporate sponsors so once he has the go-ahead, he can begin signing companies to be part of the business end of the operation." He has a "list of names for the people he wants to hire to run his hockey team, when and if it comes to pass" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/30).
