Fidelity National Financial Chair Bill Foley, the prospective Las Vegas NHL team owner, yesterday said that the drive to bring a club to the city "is entering a second phase with the league's blessing," according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. Sources said that the trial season-ticket drive that began in early February "had exceeded its original target of 10,000." Down payments on those tickets "reflect grass-roots buyers, individuals and small businesses throughout the Las Vegas area." Now, Foley is "reaching out to larger corporations in Las Vegas, including major casino operations." Large banking institutions, telecommunications companies, food services operations and logistics enterprises like UPS or FedEx "also are in Foley's sights." Foley said that his group will "continue to take down payments on season tickets from individuals even as they move into discussions with these larger entities, many of whom have already reached out." A source said that there are "many individuals and business operators that are also interested in buying tickets, but that are waiting for a sign from the NHL that they are serious about having a team in Las Vegas before they step forward to make financial commitments that would drive that number even higher" (ESPN.com, 3/30).
