Discussion about an expansion NHL team in Las Vegas "has swirled for months," and while players "don't pretend to be experts on the details ... they hope the NHL will do what's in everyone's interest long term," according to Kristen Shilton of USA TODAY. Jets LW Andrew Ladd said, "If you talk to the players, they would love to come to Vegas a couple times a year." But Shilton notes debate "remains about whether it would be good business for the NHL to become the first major professional sports league to place a team" in Vegas. Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews said, "I don't know the ins and outs of what it takes to make an organization thrive, especially in a non-traditional hockey market." He added, "As a hockey player, you love to go on the road, you love to go to exciting cities. So at the end of the day, if it's a potentially successful hockey market, then (great). What makes the game grow and that's going to last and be successful in the long term (is what we want)" (USA TODAY, 6/24). Kings D Drew Doughty said, "I think everyone would be happy to bring a team here. The visiting teams when they come here obviously would enjoy it, and the players living here would have a lot of fun. I think it's good for the league." Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf: "I'm all for anywhere they can make money at this point. There's teams that are struggling a lot, and if (Vegas) has the support that goes behind it, then I'm all for it" (AP, 6/23). Panthers D Aaron Ekblad: "I don't think any player would say no to coming to Las Vegas." Sharks D Brent Burns: "Why wouldn’t it work? It is one of the biggest entertainment places in the [world], for one. It would be exciting. A lot of people would come down from Canada and other cold-weather cities [for games]" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 6/24). YAHOO SPORTS' Josh Cooper wrote as the NHL "still struggles with its identity in non-traditional markets this would be the most different of all places it has gone." But if the league "moves forward, it could be one of the most important moments" in the NHL’s post-lockout history (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/23).
