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

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

how many players are the Flames allowed to protect from the expansion draft?

There is no way anyone here could possibly answer this with any kind of knowledge or insight at this time.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

There is no way anyone here could possibly answer this with any kind of knowledge or insight at this time.

Especially in the cap era. Things are so much different now.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So if the NHL actually does expand to Vegas (and one would think a Quebec City team would enter the league the same year) how many players are the Flames allowed to protect from the expansion draft? Obviously our core pieces like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, Giordano, and Brodie wouldn't be going anywhere, but could we end up losing some promising B-level prospects like Granlund, Ferland, or Wortherspoon?

In past expansion drafts, new teams have only been able to select one player from each NHL roster. Likely that will be the case again, so there is a chance of us losing a decent prospect, but only one.

Another thing that will be interesting is the effect of No-Movement-Clauses on the expansion draft. Whether players with NMC's in their contracts will be considered part of a team's list of protected players, or separately protected, or not protected at all unless placed on the list.

According to the archived CapGeek (god I miss that site) our list of NMC players for a likely 2016 expansion draft would be Stajan, Raymond, Wideman, and Giordano. Brodie's contract may include an NMC, but I couldn't find any information on that.

[spetch]

Not a huge update but I did get this email today.....

Thank you for your continued support of the drive to bring NHL hockey to Las Vegas. We are happy to report that the ticket drive is going very well and the progress that has been made in this campaign has been phenomenal. Las Vegas has really shown that it is “all in” for an NHL team in our great city.

While we are not ready to make a formal announcement, we DO anticipate having an announcement in the next several weeks.

Not really sure what else they could be announcing, maybe making it an official bid to the BoG for a team?

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So if the NHL actually does expand to Vegas (and one would think a Quebec City team would enter the league the same year) how many players are the Flames allowed to protect from the expansion draft? Obviously our core pieces like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, Giordano, and Brodie wouldn't be going anywhere, but could we end up losing some promising B-level prospects like Granlund, Ferland, or Wortherspoon?

Not at all an expert on expansion drafts - but I don't think a team in Quebec City is a foregone conclusion. With the unbalanced conferences, I'd think it's far more likely that a second western city gets a franchise over an eastern city.

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by driveway

In past expansion drafts, new teams have only been able to select one player from each NHL roster. Likely that will be the case again, so there is a chance of us losing a decent prospect, but only one.

Another thing that will be interesting is the effect of No-Movement-Clauses on the expansion draft. Whether players with NMC's in their contracts will be considered part of a team's list of protected players, or separately protected, or not protected at all unless placed on the list.

According to the archived CapGeek (god I miss that site) our list of NMC players for a likely 2016 expansion draft would be Stajan, Raymond, Wideman, and Giordano. Brodie's contract may include an NMC, but I couldn't find any information on that.

If I recall correctly, most prospects weren't eligible to be drafted. I think it was pretty much only players who've played enough games to be waiver eligible were eligible to be drafted. So we might lose Drew Shore.

In the past teams didn't have a Salary Cap nor a Salary Floor to work with. An Expansion Draft could be interesting to see how teams would be strategically picking to get above the floor, and also staying under cap.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Not at all an expert on expansion drafts - but I don't think a team in Quebec City is a foregone conclusion. With the unbalanced conferences, I'd think it's far more likely that a second western city gets a franchise over an eastern city.

Yeah, you'd gotta think they'd be more keen on getting established in Seattle or Portland, especially with the CAD continuing to decline.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Not at all an expert on expansion drafts - but I don't think a team in Quebec City is a foregone conclusion. With the unbalanced conferences, I'd think it's far more likely that a second western city gets a franchise over an eastern city.

Yeah, I think the only hope for Quebec City would be for an eastern team to eventually relocate. Ex. Florida Panthers

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

If I recall correctly, most prospects weren't eligible to be drafted. I think it was pretty much only players who've played enough games to be waiver eligible were eligible to be drafted. So we might lose Drew Shore.

In the past teams didn't have a Salary Cap nor a Salary Floor to work with. An Expansion Draft could be interesting to see how teams would be strategically picking to get above the floor, and also staying under cap.

Unrestricted free agency was a lot different during the last round of expansion too. I believe that you couldn't become a UFA until you were 31 under the old CBA. Now, it's 27.

If expansion teams are awarded for 2016, it will be interesting if there's an increase in the number of one-year deals given out this summer to make pending UFAs less likely to be chosen by the new teams.

[JBR]

Originally Posted by spetch

Not a huge update but I did get this email today.....



Not really sure what else they could be announcing, maybe making it an official bid to the BoG for a team?

I didn't realize Ken King's brother is working with the Las Vegas group. Can't announce, but something in a few weeks!!

[sevenarms]

Originally Posted by JBR

I didn't realize Ken King's brother is working with the Las Vegas group. Can't announce, but something in a few weeks!!

I'm betting that they announce close to, or during, the NHL Awards show.

[Buff]

Here is an update on the new arena being built on NYNY's land.

It includes a picture of the build as of yesterday.

[Flame12]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/...-fan-1.3027895
this is awesome!!!!!

[CroFlames]

Cirque du Hockey hahaha

[Resolute 14]

It is honestly pathetic how much of CBC's content now comes from taking twitter comments and blog posts from fans.

If we're paying billions of tax dollars for CBC, I expect better quality than Buzzfeed or Bardown.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It is honestly pathetic how much of CBC's content now comes from taking twitter comments and blog posts from fans.

If we're paying billions of tax dollars for CBC, I expect better quality than Buzzfeed or Bardown.

It's ridiculous that private enterprises like CTV, TSN, etc compete against the CBC which is government funded, yet they still have commercials.

Disband the CBC and the extra money can go to healthcare. Voila.

[Derek Sutton]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns...p-ticket-sales

They are trying to sell the suites for a million a with a ten year committment.

They also state that "If we sell 10000 season tickerts and don't get a franchise they will be amazed." I cannot see a 20 000 seat building being more then 1/2 full for their games especially once the honeymoon wheres off. In other news Las Vegas will be getting an Ikea as well.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns...p-ticket-sales

They are trying to sell the suites for a million a with a ten year committment.

They also state that "If we sell 10000 season tickerts and don't get a franchise they will be amazed." I cannot see a 20 000 seat building being more then 1/2 full for their games especially once the honeymoon wheres off. In other news Las Vegas will be getting an Ikea as well.

As goes with any franchise no one gives a rat's ass if there are butts in seats so long as the seats are paid for.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I'm impressed as well... I was very skeptical to begin with, but this could be a big win for the NHL. Full kudos to Bettman for sticking this through.

I think one thing a lot of people didn't take into consideration when it comes to Vegas is that unlike most larger cities in the US, the majority of those living in LV are not from there. It is very much the most "transient" city in the USA. Meaning a lot of folks who do move there for employment and the weather are from colder climates and have a fondness for hockey already.

Im not surprised that it works in this case, at least initially, as the city has the right kind of population, all kinds of money flowing through it, and backers who can absorb the initial losses to try and make things profitable.

IMO the biggest obstacle for this thing to happen is the zillion temptations available to the players that could derail a career in a hurry. I do hope there is some sort of check and balance/oversight system set up for those that go there to play.

[Resolute 14]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/pr...00-seats-sold/

11,500 seats sold to individuals, 1000 to corporations, 735 in suites.