NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league will expand to Las Vegas, and "after decades of trying" the city "skated into" a professional sports league, according to a front-page piece by Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The expansion team will be the NHL's 31st and will begin play at T-Mobile Arena for the '17-18 season. The team "collected more than 15,000 season-ticket deposits as part of its 'Vegas Wants Hockey' campaign." Principal Owner Bill Foley said, "Well, Las Vegas, we did it!" The Maloof family, which previously owned the NBA Kings, will have a 15% stake as minority partners. The NHL BOG vote was 30-0 in favor of Las Vegas, while Quebec City "had its expansion plans placed on hold." Bettman said, "The Las Vegas market was intriguing. The worldwide reputation it has was appealing and it's a city that was ready for major league sports. But I can't overstate the importance of the season-ticket drive which got everyone's attention. It demonstrated there's a community that is ready and willing to support the NHL." The team will "participate in an expansion draft a year from now" and will "have the opportunity to pursue free agents starting July 1, 2017." NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the team will be "required to spend" 60% of its cap space, or roughly $48.3M, "on players in the expansion draft." Foley: "We're going to establish a culture of winning. This is a team that will be built to win" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/23). Foley: "We are going to bring a really competitive team to the ice. We're going to be very serious about that. This is not going to be a 10-year program. The future is now. We're going to win right away" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/23).
NEXT STEPS: Las Vegas team VP/Ticketing & Sales Todd Pollock said that anyone who "put down a deposit will be contacted before late July when an open house will be at T-Mobile Arena." The REVIEW-JOURNAL's Carp notes all season-ticket holders "will be allowed to tour the venue and see the location they've selected," and near the start of the '16-17 NHL season, the actual seat selections will be made. Twenty percent of the bill "will be due when the seats are secured," and the balance "will be paid on a nine-month schedule interest free." Priority will "go to those who have purchased the longest plans -- 10 years -- then five years, three years and one year." Pollock: "We want to be fair to everybody. We're adding a dozen salespeople to the staff and make sure we have the best customer service." The team "changed its 'VegasWantsHockey.com' website name to 'VegasIsHockey.com.'" Pollock noted the "number of deposits was close to 15,000" after yesterday's announcement (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/23). Foley: "We won't sell out every game with season-ticket holders, but I believe it's going to be 85 percent, 90 percent (filled by season-ticket holders)" (ESPN.com, 6/22).
I KNIGHT THEE: Foley said that work "has been ongoing on a team nickname and a logo." Foley noted that while it is "assumed" the team will be called the Black Knights or Knights in tribute to his days at West Point, he said that "may not be what the team is ultimately called." Foley: "We've submitted several names and logo designs to the NHL, and we will work with them. It may not be until September that we have our name and logo. But when we do, that's when we'll have our big public celebration. We want to sell a lot of jerseys that day." The REVIEW-JOURNAL's Carp notes former NHLer Murray Craven "has been advising Foley" as the team now looks to add a president, GM, scouting staff, analytics person, capologist and a coaching staff. Foley also has "had discussions with possible TV networks to show the team's games." Ideally, he "would like to establish his own" RSN (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/23). Also in Las Vegas, Case Keefer notes Black Knights has been the "presumed favorite team name for more than a year," but for the first time, Foley "hedged on" the name. Foley: "I like the name, maybe it's political correctness that's not perfect" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/23). There is a "mutual understanding between Foley and the league to avoid any allusion to gambling in the nickname." Foley: "They'd prefer we don't go in that direction" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/23).
CHECK THE BOOKS: In Las Vegas, Matt Youmans notes "all signs point to the NHL showing a willingness to play" by the city's rules and there has "been no hint of the league requesting a betting ban on the local team." MGM Resorts VP/Race & Sports Jay Rood said that he is "not aware of discussions regarding any type of betting blackout." Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino VP/Race & Sports Operations Jay Kornegay said, "I have not heard the possibility of some kinds of restrictions or guidelines." Most bookmakers said that hockey "accounts for only" about 2% of the annual wagering handle (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/23). In L.A., Helene Elliott writes Bettman said that he is "not concerned about possible ill effects" of gambling in the city. Bettman: "Compared to say basketball or football, our game is less susceptible to gambling, which is why we're a very small percent of the book, the take, in Las Vegas and everywhere. ... We like the atmosphere in our 30 buildings and we believe that at the T-Mobile Arena we can maintain that atmosphere consistent with what the realities are here" (L.A. TIMES, 6/23). But Bettman added, "We're not going to make it all that easy for you to pick up a ticket, a gambling ticket, on your way into the arena" (ESPN.com, 6/22).
MERCH MAN: Foley cited research revealing that the team could make $4M "off merchandising in the first year alone, and he believed that figure was beatable." Foley: "If I can't sell a lot of jerseys in Las Vegas to 42 million people that come here, then I'm not a very successful salesman or businessman. My goal is to make it an international brand" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/23). YAHOO SPORTS' Josh Cooper talked to a number of execs who launched sports team start-ups and wrote under the header, "Las Vegas NHL Team Faces Important Decisions With Logo, Team Name" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/22).
