This report is less optimistic than others I've read. Still waiting for the official confirm, but this would be good news for me, and for anyone who would've had to deal with me had my team left.
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"As long as those gnome elite molecules emerge, we certainly can reduce casualties. Their warplanes troops would be nice."
I still think the NHL should beat the NFL, NBA and MLB to Las Vegas: the media attention, public attention, glitz, money, surprising amount of blue collar types.
And the Northwest has to get a team some day, please, ideally Seattle but I'd settle for Portland.
And Houston is such a natural as the 4th largest media market and the rivalry with Dallas.
But Kansas City? Oklahoma? ... does nothing for the league or for me.
Las Vegas is an awful place for sports. Let the others go there. It's a tourist spot, so there would be no real fans. The TV market would be awful because very few people would be sitting in their hotel rooms watching the games. There aren't many people surround the city that would watch. Finally, the fans of hockey can go to pretty much any game they want in their home city so why would they travel to Vegas and go to a game when there are plenty of other shows to see let alone gambling?
I wouldn't mind a team in the northwest. There are more pure hockey fans in the north. I think Seattle would be a great place.
OilersBrent wrote: Las Vegas is an awful place for sports. Let the others go there. It's a tourist spot, so there would be no real fans. The TV market would be awful because very few people would be sitting in their hotel rooms watching the games. There aren't many people surround the city that would watch. Finally, the fans of hockey can go to pretty much any game they want in their home city so why would they travel to Vegas and go to a game when there are plenty of other shows to see let alone gambling? The luxury boxes would be filled and corporate support not hard to find in a city of millionaires. Done.
As for fan base: Las Vegas is very BLUE COLLAR.. despite what you see on t.v., the city is run by the working class folk who supported the IHL team and now support the ECHL team. LOCALS would make up the fan base, with tourism just a bonus. The city is growing and the only reason a major league sport hasn't gone there yet is the issues with gambling. But it'll happen sooner or later.
LV is a much better fan base market than Anaheim or Nashville or Washington or New Jersey (though the Devils' upcoming rink in Newark might turn things around there, maybe).
OilersBrent wrote: Las Vegas is an awful place for sports. Let the others go there. It's a tourist spot, so there would be no real fans. The TV market would be awful because very few people would be sitting in their hotel rooms watching the games. There aren't many people surround the city that would watch. Finally, the fans of hockey can go to pretty much any game they want in their home city so why would they travel to Vegas and go to a game when there are plenty of other shows to see let alone gambling? The luxury boxes would be filled and corporate support not hard to find in a city of millionaires. Done.
As for fan base: Las Vegas is very BLUE COLLAR.. despite what you see on t.v., the city is run by the working class folk who supported the IHL team and now support the ECHL team. LOCALS would make up the fan base, with tourism just a bonus. The city is growing and the only reason a major league sport hasn't gone there yet is the issues with gambling. But it'll happen sooner or later.
LV is a much better fan base market than Anaheim or Nashville or Washington or New Jersey (though the Devils' upcoming rink in Newark might turn things around there, maybe).
The NBA belongs in Vegas more than the NHL and I have serious doubts the NHL would work down there.
I do agree that the NBA would probably work better there. But I think the NHL has to seriously consider the opportunity to be the only pro sports team in one of the bigger cities in the U.S.. Las Vegas is growing by the second, it's quite a city. And to place an NHL team there would be interesting. Maybe the NHL tries to convince the AHL to move a team there? Gauge any interest with an AHL team.
I do think it's a viable opportunity. But at the same time, come playoff time (provided that a team there would make it that far), the Attendence and TV ratings might not change from the regular season. I agree with Brent, that since it is such a tourist spot it might be tough to get a legitimate fan base. But I do think the NHL should entertain the idea.
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"As long as those gnome elite molecules emerge, we certainly can reduce casualties. Their warplanes troops would be nice."
