The NHL's new expansion team will be based in Las Vegas. After much speculation about where the NHL would expand next, the league has decided on Vegas. The NHL in Vegas is dependent on the Vegas owners coming up with a $500 million expansion fee and the league's board of governors voting on it later this month. Neither is expected to be an issue in getting a team to Vegas.
Vegas beat out Quebec City to land the new expansion franchise. The decision to go with Vegas over Quebec was due in large part to Vegas getting the recommendation from NHL's executive committee.
This is the first time the league has expanded since the 2000 season, when the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets joined. At the time, their entry fee was only $80 million, a major difference to Vegas' $500 million. The earliest the new Vegas team can join is for the 2017-18 season, and the team is expected to begin play then. The expansion fee isn't considered an issue for prospective Vegas owner and billionaire Bill Foley.
The new Vegas franchise already has an arena built. The T-Mobile center opened in April and was funded entirely by private money. The arena can seat 17,500 people and 13,200 have already signed up for season tickets.
The NHL is not the only league linked to a move to Vegas. The Oakland Raiders and owner Mark Davis have expressed interest in moving there, and David Beckham has suggested the MLS could move there as well.
As for what the nickname of the team will be, the Vegas Knights or Vegas Black Knights are a logical selection. Foley's bid is run by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, which is the same name as Foley's financial services company. Foley also graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, aka the Army Black Knights.
An expansion draft is also on the horizon, with current teams able to only protect a certain number of players. Vegas will also get at least a top six pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
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