The NHL continues to "proceed cautiously on expansion," as the league's 10-member Exec Committee met yesterday in N.Y. to "discuss what to do next," according to Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. There was "nothing forthcoming from the meeting to indicate the NHL is any closer to making a decision." A source said that while both the Las Vegas and Quebec bids "were discussed, no decisions were made and the process will continue." Fidelity National Financial Chair Bill Foley, who is leading the Las Vegas bid, said that a final decision is "still a couple of months away." Carp notes the NHL BOG will meet at next week's NHL All-Star Game and "be brought up to speed" by the Exec Committee, which is chaired by Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs. Foley sensed that the owners are "struggling to find a solution for a potential expansion draft" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/21).
WINTER'S BONE: TSN.ca's Elliotte Friedman wrote NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr "finds himself in a very difficult spot." He is "in the middle of a bitter lawsuit" between former NHLer Claude Lemieux and agent 4Sports North America President Ritch Winter. Last October, Winter "sued Lemieux, accusing him of fraud, stealing employees and interfering with contract negotiations." But Lemieux "fired back in court filings, stating Winter lost 'a substantial sum' of money after entering into a 2016 World Cup of Hockey marketing partnership with the NHLPA." There are some "questions Fehr needs to answer." Friedman: "Chief among them: Isn’t it a conflict of interest to do business with one particular agent?" (TSN.ca, 1/19).
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: USAToday.com's Nate Scott said in lieu of the John Scott affair, the NHL needs to "decide if the All-Star Game means something or if it doesn’t." Nate Scott: "If it means something, you can’t have these ridiculous exhibition games. You can’t have fans voting some people in. If bonuses are tied to this, if this is going to have historical context ... then you really need to pick the players that deserve it and find a body of people that can do it." The AP’s Jim Litke said, “What we’ve got right now is just this crazy free-for-all, and this John Scott thing just proves perfectly how out-of-control things are” ("OTL," ESPN, 1/20).
STAR GAZING: In Columbus, Rob Oller writes fans "should be disappointed the NHL has no superstar player ... who transcends the sport." Oller: "No Orr, Gretzky or Lemieux to elevate the game." The NBA "benefits from the marketing power" of Cavaliers F LeBron James, while Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski "brings appreciated levity to the super-serious NFL." The NHL would "profit from having similar high-profile athletes," and it can by hyping Oilers C Connor McDavid as "the next big thing in hockey." He could be the "new face of the game," and a "recognizable one at that" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 1/21).
