[News] Update: NHL green lights season-ticket drive for Las Vegas

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Hockey Fan #751

10,000 seems like a really low goal. I think you need at least 13,000 to create sufficient demand in the marketplace in an 18,000 seat building. It's good that they're off to a good start, sounds like they'll exceed their goal. Hopefully they keep selling after they've reached it.

Winnipeg:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/winn...d-out-1.999140

13,000 were sold in 17 minutes.

http://www2.tsn.ca/returntowinnipeg/story/?id=367846

The tickets sold out in just 17 minutes, but the company said the online queue was actually full in two minutes and that the remaining 15 minutes were required to process the sales.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by troutman

Winnipeg:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/winn...d-out-1.999140

13,000 were sold in 17 minutes.

http://www2.tsn.ca/returntowinnipeg/story/?id=367846

The tickets sold out in just 17 minutes, but the company said the online queue was actually full in two minutes and that the remaining 15 minutes were required to process the sales.

I find it interesting that Vegas has had a more successful ticket drive in 2 weeks than Quebec City did over ~5 years

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

I find it interesting that Vegas has had a more successful ticket drive in 2 weeks than Quebec City did over ~5 years

This is an element of the NHL not letting this happen.

I don't understand how the NHL won't let QC have a team or another team in the GTA, makes such little sense to me.

[scottish_flame]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Honestly, posts like this only degrade the quality of this forum.

Also brings out the people who can't take joke

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Was kinda hoping the NHL was done trying to do gimmicky expansion attempts into sunbelt areas (Seattle, Quebec City and Portland would be much better alternatives). Just don't see how this is successful longterm, but we'll see how it goes, I guess.

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.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

or another team in the GTA, makes such little sense to me.

$$$

That's pretty much the last true honeypot left in North America... they'll be another team there but I think the NHL wants to wait until it has a bigger footprint on the North American Professional Sports landscape. Then they can charge a huge expansion fee.

[spetch]

I threw down a one year commitment for two seats in hopes it brings a team. We have a house down there and it sure would be nice to catch a game once in a while if we are there.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by scottish_flame

Also brings out the people who can't take joke

Well, people who can't take tired, crappy "jokes", sure.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

I find it interesting that Vegas has had a more successful ticket drive in 2 weeks than Quebec City did over ~5 years

I'm fairly certain that if Bettman required QC to meet a target as a condition for getting a team, that they would also sell-out the building in 15 minutes.

[Resolute 14]

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.

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.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Probably most of them so that they can be written off to tax by the owners.

I really hope you realize
a) most of the casinos are owned by large corporations, it's not like Joe Bellagio is buying hockey tickets on the casino's dime
and
b) "writing something off to tax" doesn't mean it's free

Yeah, casinos give away a lot of free stuff and they certinaly write it off as business expenses, but they have a finite budget for this kind of stuff, it's not like they can go out buy $1000 season tickets, and pay $1000 less in taxes.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Hockey Fan #751

10,000 seems like a really low goal. I think you need at least 13,000 to create sufficient demand in the marketplace in an 18,000 seat building. It's good that they're off to a good start, sounds like they'll exceed their goal. Hopefully they keep selling after they've reached it.

It sounds like the 7000 are all locals or local businesses, while the major casions have not been approached yet.


http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/...e-reaches-6950

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

I wonder if you were an NHL player if you would generally feel the same. I would imagine that for temperature, privacy and tax reasons the 'gimmicky' locations are pretty enticing.

Oh I don't doubt that at all. But I bet players feel the same way about Arizona, and we know how that's going.

Hey, if it works and they become a stable, successful (on AND more importantly off the ice), great. I just can't shake the feeling it won't, and for every successful sunbelt franchise, there's been two or three Florida/Phoenix/Atlanta's, etc. With Atlanta relocating to Winnipeg, and all the renewed Seattle/QC talk, I was just hopful Bettman had finally realized hockey's a regional game, and thus will never really make sense in desert/tropical climates. But it looks like I was wrong.

It's looking like we're going to find out either way, with how full on the NHL's going with this. But would any of us really be surprised if 10-15 years from now, we're saying "Remember when Vegas had an NHL team? Jebus, what a mess that was". Guess we're going to find out..

[Wammer]

I know for a fact that the casinos have been approached, and a decent amount of tickets have been sold to them(I don't know the exact number). However those tickets are not included in the 7000 sold so far.

[spetch]

Nice, they are giving free jersey's to any fan who put a deposit down on two seats.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Wammer

I know for a fact that the casinos have been approached, and a decent amount of tickets have been sold to them(I don't know the exact number). However those tickets are not included in the 7000 sold so far.

Curious how you know this.


Also, I hope as a Canadian living in the USA, Vegas gets a team. That would be so awesome on so many levels for me.

Will it work? I'm torn on the issue. There is ton of money in Vegas, but will the local population follow a pro hockey team is the real question. I hope it does.

[Wammer]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Curious how you know this.


Also, I hope as a Canadian living in the USA, Vegas gets a team. That would be so awesome on so many levels for me.

Will it work? I'm torn on the issue. There is ton of money in Vegas, but will the local population follow a pro hockey team is the real question. I hope it does.

Family friend on the inside. I'd prefer not to say who. He was pretty vague on the whole casino involvement but that's what my dad and I got out of him.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

It sounds like the 7000 are all locals or local businesses, while the major casions have not been approached yet.


http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/...e-reaches-6950

According to Bob Strumm who resides in LV and supports a NHL coming there. Former HC and GM of LV Thunder referenced that he believes 5000 are LV business's through out the city that were already pre committed and aprox 2000 are public since the announcement of the drive. That it is on course to what he expected.
JMO This pales in comparison to the public level of immediate STH support the Jets received.
He also said when asked do you think there would be a problem with visiting players being out on the strip... he chuckled that the Thunder had the best home record in the league and he said they only lost 3 or 4 home games out of 41 one particular year.
I havn't been a fan of the NHL going to LV in the first place but after hearing that interview it only reinforces my opinion the NHL should be looking at much more practical hockey climate in QC or Seattle.

[Resolute 14]

Of course it pales compared to Winnipeg's sale. And honestly, it is rather dumb to even try making the comparison.

[Resolute 14]

David Pagnotta @TheFourthPeriod · 1h 1 hour ago
The whispers are getting louder and louder over an NHL franchise actually happening in Las Vegas. (1/2)

David Pagnotta @TheFourthPeriod · 1h 1 hour ago
Foley, who is supposed to meet the NHL today, is expected to meet with their Board of Gov in June, where an expansion vote may follow (2/2)

David Pagnotta @TheFourthPeriod · 54m 54 minutes ago
Keep in mind, the ticket drive, which is around 8000, doesn't include casino/corporate buys. Goal remains to open the 2016-17 NHL season.