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

[Stay Golden]

A City that relies on their #1 income generated from Casino's, gambling, bookies, hookers, strippers, nightclubs and drugs.
Vegas is a city unlike any other in North America we all know it is called Sin City for a reason.
A bunch of young men making millions where to spend it.
Imagine how the players wives will respond to everytime their husbands travel on a road trip to Vegas.

No red flags at all right
The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL could have been in Vegas decades ago but have stayed clear of Vegas for good reason.
And Bettman wants to be the first one to venture there
Pro sports has a real fear and concern that players could be involved in fixing games by getting in bad gambling debts.
I could easily see the many lures of Vegas ruining players careers.
Quebec City, Seattle etc are much more sensible for the NHL.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by troutman

I would debate that point. There is more talent available to the NHL now than there was in the 1980s. There has been a big influx of European players, and there are now more minor hockey players in the USA than Canada.

Ok but everyone complains about Edmonton/Florida/buffalo/whoever. So just lump in Las Vegas? Cause you know they will be awful for a long time.

[codynw]

There are already Southern US teams losing money, Quebec City and Seattle are still without teams, but sure, VEGAS!

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

A City that relies on their #1 income generated from Casino's, gambling, bookies, hookers, strippers, nightclubs and drugs.
Vegas is a city unlike any other in North America we all know it is called Sin City for a reason.
A bunch of young men making millions where to spend it.
Imagine how the players wives will respond to everytime their husbands travel on a road trip to Vegas.

No red flags at all right
The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL could have been in Vegas decades ago but have stayed clear of Vegas for good reason.
And Bettman wants to be the first one to venture there
Pro sports has a real fear and concern that players could be involved in fixing games by getting in bad gambling debts.
I could easily see the many lures of Vegas ruining players careers.
Quebec City, Seattle etc are much more sensible for the NHL.

NHL players are grown men, it's not up to the league to babysit them.

Considering that anyone can bet on sports from the comfort of their living room today, I don't that the threat of match fixing becomes a greater problem with having a team located in Vegas.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by JetsFlamesFan

With any luck this will blow up in Bettman's stupid face and the BOG will finally take him out behind the shed

Why he does a great job? Oh I see, Jets fan who still thinks its Bettman's fault Winnipeg became a non viable market in the 90's. Carry on.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by codynw

There are already Southern US teams losing money, Quebec City and Seattle are still without teams, but sure, VEGAS!

Quebec City is my first choice for expansion too, but that's just because I love more Canadian teams. From a business perspective though don't understand why people throw Quebec City around like its a slam dunk. A team there will be dependent on fan attendance to make it work amount other things, and not unlike Winnipeg, a city that size is borderline sustainable in the NHL market. People like to critique Bettman for being very cryptic when Winnipeg got their team back, but he knows the fine line a market that size walks in viability for this league. They basically need to sell out each game, and charge a solid price for tickets to make it. No room for error, and something's are out of their control, such as the Canadian dollar value or the increasing cap. Same would be the case in Quebec, although I believe to a lesser extent, they'd be walking a very fine line of sustainability, and that has to make the league nervous when picking locations.

[Nehkara]

I haven't read the whole thread yet... but I'm guessing this is what happens:

Las Vegas: Expansion

Seattle: Expansion

Florida -> Quebec: Relocation

League to 32 teams permanently.

[calgarywinning]

I think looking to other markets before Las Vegas makes far more sense. Can't understand what they are thinking?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Las Vegas is no good.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Why he does a great job? Oh I see, Jets fan who still thinks its Bettman's fault Winnipeg became a non viable market in the 90's. Carry on.

Even better, the bitter Jets fan seems to have missed the part where the BOG itself is allowing this to proceed.

[Samuelsson]

So then, name game; will this be the first team to have it's name be a sponsor?

Las Vegas Bellagios

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I haven't read the whole thread yet... but I'm guessing this is what happens:

Las Vegas: Expansion

Seattle: Expansion

Florida -> Quebec: Relocation

League to 32 teams permanently.

Columbus is losing $ badly. Probably Carolina and Tampa too.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozan...ms-in-the-nhl/

http://www.forbes.com/nhl-valuations...on:asc_search:

[868904]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Pro sports has a real fear and concern that players could be involved in fixing games by getting in bad gambling debts.

That's the thing I think. The NFL is as big as it is because it has one of the highest gambling profiles. I think the NHL wants to be in Vegas because it wants to increase its gambling profile. There's no better way to get people "invested" in your sport, by having them literally invested.

I really don't think the NHL cares about the ticket sales because the increased gambling profile and TV exposure with a market like that is worth much more.

[Frequitude]

Bettman and the collection of NHL owners aren't stupid. If they think it will work, who am I to question them. I'm just very interested in what the business model and marketing strategy will be. The dynamics of the Las Vegas market are unlike any other, so the traditional business model being debated over in here doesn't (or shouldn't) apply.

Some out of the box ideas:
-make tourism your target market and they'll partner with airlines to offer city specific deals when the various teams are in town. The casinos have a lot more ability and incentive to do so than, say, the city of Glendale.
-make casino employees the target market and have casinos include them in compensation packages or benefits/incentives programs
-lobby for a more weekend heavy home schedule

[squiggs96]

MOD EDIT: No rumors about players social lives, please.

[spetch]

Having a place in Vegas off the strip I find it a very different "Vegas Experience" than close to the strip. It just feels more like a regular city when you are away from the strip. Even the slots in the grocery stores are forgotten about. I don't see as many personal problems players would have as many on her think there would be.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

I think looking to other markets before Las Vegas makes far more sense. Can't understand what they are thinking?

Seattle, Portland, and Quebec are probably better options from a location standpoint.

But none of those have a rink just ready and waiting, and deep pocketed owners lining up to purchase the team.

As someone else mentioned there will be two teams that expand and likely 1 or 2 teams that move (Florida, and Phoenix). So really you need 4 potential locations for the NHL to move into.

You probably end up with something like this scenario:

2016: Expansion to Las Vegas
2017: Florida moves to Quebec
2017: Phoenix moves to Seattle
2018: Expansion to Toronto 2

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

MOD EDIT: Post removed.

Sounds like the type of National Enquirer crap that Burke (and likely the moderators) wouldn't approve of...

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Bettman and the collection of NHL owners aren't stupid. If they think it will work, who am I to question them.

On the flip-side, they're not infallible, either.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Seattle, Portland, and Quebec are probably better options from a location standpoint.

But none of those have a rink just ready and waiting, and deep pocketed owners lining up to purchase the team.

As someone else mentioned there will be two teams that expand and likely 1 or 2 teams that move (Florida, and Phoenix). So really you need 4 potential locations for the NHL to move into.

You probably end up with something like this scenario:

2016: Expansion to Las Vegas
2017: Florida moves to Quebec
2017: Phoenix moves to Seattle
2018: Expansion to Toronto 2

Then you end up with 17 in the East and 15 in the west. Or you have to redo alignment and begrudgingly move someone back to the west.