Quote:
Originally Posted by hulkrogan
I thought Nashville was gimmicky. I stand corrected. Solid decision.
Bettman's thoughts on Vegas were interesting. A large portion of the workforce works nights, tons of tourism, competing entertainment ventures galore...
Scary place to go first.
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Scary place, but also a bit of a destination market. Vegas already has a few things the NHL wants: namely, western market (to balance conferences), committed ownership group and arena under construction. But I think this is also likely the last of the wildcard markets the league is likely to go into. If they can get a good local base with a decent percentage of tourists filling the rest of the building, I rather wonder if the league isn't hoping that the nature of Vegas helps create new fans who return home with new interest.
Other than Vegas, the other markets brought up are either "traditional" or already have established hockey followings. Seattle and Portland are multi-decade junior cities with pro histories. Milwaukee is a huge college hockey area. Toronto and Quebec City are obvious.
Personally, I think Quebec City and Seattle/Portland are being held open in case the Panthers and Coyotes fail. That really leaves Milwaukee (Western) or Toronto ($$$) as the preferred markets for team 32.