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Great news. I think the NHL will do very well there. I'm sure many will be happy that Vegas is getting a team from any sport. I always thought the NBA would be a better fit, but T-Mobile Arena looks awesome and it has a very good location. I don't think they will have trouble filling the seats.
But the siren call of divvying up that $500 million between the 30 current teams is too strong - they'll take the quick cash over the long-term good of the league. They always do.
Hockey & Basketball don't really need even numbered teams in each league like football & baseball does but seeing the NHL with 31 teams now seems odd, since the West will still be down a team from the number in the East. If they keep the division set up the same, I assume the new Las Vegas team will go into the Pacific division, and if they keep the same playoff format that would mean 3 of the 4 divisions have 8 teams fighting for at most 5 playoff spots, and 1 division having 7 teams fighting for those same playoff spots. I can't imagine the NHLPA is too happy about that! Should be interesting to note is that according to a Larry Brooks column in the NY Post maybe about 6 or 8 weeks ago is that the Wildcard wasn't even on the discussion plans when Atlanta relocated and they changed the divisions. The original format, according to Brooks, was for the top 4 teams in each division to make the playoffs and they playoffs would've gone in a bracket format (1 playing 4, 2 vs. 3 in the division, winners playing each other, and then those winners playing the other conference winner from the conference in the ECF). HOWEVER, that plan got nixed by the PA because they didn't think it was a fair plan since the 2 Western conference divisions would've had 4 of their 7 teams make the playoffs while the Eastern conference teams would've only had 4 of their 8, so that's when they settled upon the top 3 in each division, and then the next 2 best records regardless of division got in. The Central, the last few years has arguably been the toughest division in hockey, but if the playoff format holds true it's conceivable they could have 5 of 7 teams make the playoffs while the Pacific could only have 3 of 8, so now they are about right back where they were on playoff reform when Atlanta moved to Winnipeg. I think they'll have to add another team anyways, but I'm very interested to see how this effects the playoffs.
But the siren call of divvying up that $500 million between the 30 current teams is too strong - they'll take the quick cash over the long-term good of the league. They always do.
That article doesn't do very fair or valid comparisons. You can't compare a minor league team to a major league team. Period. The Las Vegas team has taken deposits on 14,000 season tickets. That's pretty good in anyone's book. Plus they'll have the hotels/casinos buying the luxury suites. FYI the hotels/casinos were NOT allowed to put deposits down on season tickets.
The interest is there, but the question is long-term viability. Nobody knows the answer to that. The expansion draft to be held next summer will be set up so the new team can be competitive. If they're even halfway decent they'll be fine. Florida, not exactly a hockey hotbed, made the Stanley Cup Final in its 3rd year. New teams don't have to be cellar dwellers forever anymore.
Personally, I think they'll do okay although they'll have to get used to a lot of out-of-town fans rooting for their home teams. But they will get butts in the seats that spend money, and that always helps.
I can understand why the NHL is expanding to markets down south. They hockey to be as successful there as it is up north. Why not Seattle or Quebec City? Maybe Hartford? They're taking chances here while knowing many teams down south are doing terrible financially.
Quebec City is crying in their poutine.At tax payers expense they built the stadium and thought that was all they needed to do to acquire an NHL team.Obviously they had an NHL team and they let it get away from them, getting another chance at an NHL team may prove difficult.
Bettman is a terrible commissioner. Move a floundering franchise instead of expanding the league and watering down the talent pool.
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