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[Quick]

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expands-to-las-vegas/c-281010682?tid=281011650

LAS VEGAS -- The NHL is coming to Vegas baby, Vegas.

Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Wednesday in the ballroom of Encore at Wynn Las Vegas that the League has granted an expansion franchise to Las Vegas that will start playing as its 31st team in the 2017-18 season. The Las Vegas franchise was approved in a vote conducted during the Board of Governors meeting here Wednesday.

The NHL becomes the first of the four major North American professional sports leagues to put a team in Las Vegas. This will be the NHL's first expansion team since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild came into the League in the 2000-01 season.

The League will receive a $500 million expansion fee from Bill Foley, the billionaire businessman who spearheaded the Las Vegas expansion bid and will be the franchise's principal owner. The $500 million will be distributed equally among the existing 30 franchises.

Further details:

Expansion draft is happening next year, with rules set to give Vegas a good opportunity to put together a more competitive roster than past expansion teams.

The NHL put Quebec City's bid on hold for now, citing Canadian dollar fluctuation and the geographic need to balance out the conferences.

Las Vegas is expected to ice the team in time for the 2017-18 season.

No team name has been announced yet, but "Black Knights" was said to be one of the choices and possibly a leading candidate.

 

[shadowkat]

Stupid. Should have gone to QC.

And Black Knights is a terrible name. Though I suppose it's no worse than some other team names.

 

[CREMSteve]

Can't wait to go to a game in Vegas!

 

[Smiley90]

Can't wait to go to a game in Vegas!

Yeah I'm pretty sure the flight to Vegas&tickets would cost me the same as going to a Canucks game...

 

[joeygreco1985]

Nobody Remembers the Las Vegas Posse?

 

[Amory]

[No team name has been announced yet, but "Black Knights" was said to be one of the choices and possibly a leading candidate.

Just be the Blackjacks and make your logo the club or spade symbol.

Let's go full "team name we chose when we relocated our Madden franchise"

 

[astroturfing]

Black Knights? holy shit, so Dark Soulsy. my fave team already.

 

[SpecX]

Hockey in the desert? Going to attract a ton of fans to get out of the heat.

 

[Fusebox]

Are their other teams anti-sports?

 

[CraigerGamer]

Works for me. I have no allegiance to a hockey team anywhere else so there is finally a team I can root for. Next up, MLS. pls.

Whatever happens, please don't let the Raiders (fans) inside the city limits.

 

[Quick]

Are their other teams anti-sports?

Considering they don't exist, yes.

Spoiler

God damn it, didn't mean to hyphenate.

 

[Dishwalla]

Thinking the Raiders will be watching to see how this turns out, and may use it as a persuasion to have the NFL approve their relocation there.

 

[Team Alucard]

Sin City Raiders baby!

 

[CosmicQueso]

Yeah I'm pretty sure the flight to Vegas&tickets would cost me the same as going to a Canucks game...

You can always fly to Phoenix too...

Hockey in the desert? Going to attract a ton of fans to get out of the heat.

Totally. This will be an amazing new experience of having a hockey team in the desert. Real trailblazers in Vegas on this one.

 

[greyshark]

Weird that there will be an odd number of teams - I wonder if it will over-complicate the schedule.

 

[RBH]

I like Black Knights as a possible name.

Reminds me of the Atlanta Knights of the IHL!

 

[CraigerGamer]

Hockey in the desert? Going to attract a ton of fans to get out of the heat.

Its rarely hot out here during hockey season. October - May its pretty mild/cold surprisingly. Doesn't start getting bad until June through September.

 

[Robot Pants]

Stupid. Should have gone to QC.

And Black Knights is a terrible name. Though I suppose it's no worse than some other team names.

Agree with all of this.

Nobody Remembers the Las Vegas Posse?

That was so so long ago

 

[DMczaf]

We made it, fam!!!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[captmcblack]

Vegas Aces or something...I like it.

 

[CosmicQueso]

We made it, fam!!!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, Vegas!!!!

Welcome to the NHL!!!

<3, Phoenix

 

[Quick]

I like Black Knights as a possible name.

Reminds me of the Atlanta Knights of the IHL!

With the throwback/retro design movement in pro sports in North America recently, this would work so well as an alternate logo to be used as a shoulder patch or pants logo.

 

[CraigerGamer]

Vegas Aces or something...I like it.

There's already a Reno minor league baseball team called the Aces. I still don't know where the Black Knights comes from. The Las Vegas Let It Rides. Anything is better than the racist ass racist mascot of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.

 

[Slayer-33]

Las Vegas Chips

 

[HawksWinStanley]

 

[Robot Pants]

It'd be nice to move away from a name that has anything to do with gambling.
Just at least GIVE the illusion it's not another Las Vegas joke team

 

[Moonkeis]

I'm a local, so more business is always good.

 

[CosmicQueso]

I still don't know where the Black Knights comes from.

The owner is an Army guy.

 

[Shalashaska]

Yeah I'm pretty sure the flight to Vegas&tickets would cost me the same as going to a Canucks game...

The way Benning is ruining the team, that won't be the case for long.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Yeah I'm pretty sure the flight to Vegas&tickets would cost me the same as going to a Canucks game...

Trips to vegas are super cheap. So many crazy deals out there cause of all the hotels competing with each other. Vegas is only expensive when you go nuts on dining and gambling aspect

 

[yankeehater]

I guess this is one good thing about being trapped in this city. I will be at the first game the flyers play here for sure.

 

[Quick]

It'd be nice to move away from a name that has anything to do with gambling.
Just at least GIVE the illusion it's not another Las Vegas joke team

I just thought about this, and I do agree.

Bill Foley (team owner) said he'd be consulting with the NHL on various stuff including team name. I'm assuming the league is going to tell him not to stick to anything gimmicky.

 

[krae_man]

We made it, fam!!!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which wrestlers will be your official mascot?

Ryback, Disco Inferno, or The Godfather?

 

[geardo]

The owner is an Army guy.

Lol. Fans will be greeted by Army recruiters upon entering the arena.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

How does the expansion draft work?

 

[peteykirch]

I would rather see Seattle get a team.

They got screwed losing the Sonics and deserve to either get a NBA or NHL team.

 

[Parch]

Nobody Remembers the Las Vegas Posse?

That was an interesting experiment, but football in Vegas heat wasn't a very good idea. Trying to expand the CFL into the US wasn't a good idea.
At least Baltimore proved they deserved an NFL team. That was the only success story from the expansion, but having the Baltimore Stallions etched on the Grey Cup is like having a scab on one of Canada's most iconic trophies.

 

[peteykirch]

How does the expansion draft work?

This is what happened last time they had an expansion draft;

26 of the 28 teams existing in the league at the time of the draft were each allowed to protect either one goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwards or two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards. The Atlanta Thrashers and Nashville Predators had their entire rosters protected, as they were the two newest franchises in the league, only being in existence for one and two years respectively.

For teams protecting only one goaltender, there was no experience requirement for those left unprotected. For teams protecting two goaltenders, each goaltender left unprotected must have appeared in either 10 NHL games in the 1999–2000 season or 25 games in the 1998–99 season and 1999–2000 seasons combined. A goaltender had to be in net for at least 31 minutes in each game for the game to be counted against these totals.

At least one defenceman left unprotected by each team had to have appeared in at least 40 games in the 1999–2000 season or 70 games in the 1998–99 season and 1999–2000 seasons combined. At least two forwards left unprotected by each team had to have met the same requirements.

52 players were chosen in the draft, two from each participating franchise. Only one goaltender or one defenseman could be selected from each franchise. Both the Blue Jackets and the Wild were to use their first 24 selections on three goaltenders, eight defensemen, and thirteen forwards. The final two picks for each team could be any position.

 

[DMczaf]

Which wrestlers will be your official mascot?

Ryback, Disco Inferno, or The Godfather?

The Las Vegas Ricos

 

[Azuran]

The NHL and Gary Bettman are a fucking joke.

Fuck this stupid league.

 

[Quick]

I would rather see Seattle get a team.

They got screwed losing the Sonics and deserve to either get a NBA or NHL team.

Same, but at the same time, Vegas was inevitable with the trajectory of the NHL.

I'd definitely like to see Seattle to be the 32nd team to balance out the conferences, but their arena situation might not work out.

 

[RBH]

Nobody Remembers the Las Vegas Posse?

Don't forget the Las Vegas Outlaws!

 

[KingBroly]

Las Vegas Dealers

you heard it here first

 

[ShinRPGamer]

Stupid. Should have gone to QC.

And Black Knights is a terrible name. Though I suppose it's no worse than some other team names.

Don't worry, we'll see Carolina become the new Nordiques by next year if all goes according to plan.

 

[peteykirch]

Same, but at the same time, Vegas was inevitable with the trajectory of the NHL.

I'd definitely like to see Seattle to be the 32nd team to balance out the conferences, but their arena situation might not work out.

Why not? They let the Islanders move to Brooklyn to an arena that wasn't designed at all to play hockey in, and is tiny when it comes to league standards.

If I was part of the team pitching Seattle to the NHL and Bettman I'd just point at the Islanders and what they allowed them to play in for years, and what they currently play in now.

 

[gutter_trash]

I hope the NHL implodes from this

Vegas = Coyotes Part 2

Black Knights??? really? sounds like a Junior league name. Lame,

the Kings should go back to Purple and Gold

He Hate Me

 

[VendettaRed07]

Just be the Blackjacks and make your logo the club or spade symbol.

How the hell was this not the actual name

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Welcome to the realm, Vegas.

-The One True King, Pittsburgh Penguins

 

[Azuran]

I would rather see Seattle get a team.

They got screwed losing the Sonics and deserve to either get a NBA or NHL team.

Sorry bro but there's not enough deserts in Seattle for Gary Bettman to even consider that place.

New Mexico still doesn't have a team after all. Priorities first and foremost.

 

[the1npc]

Vegas over quebec wtf