Las Vegas’ case for hockey: Desert aside, we could have a leg up on other cities

by Las Vegas Arena · February 21, 2015

Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League, and Bill Foley, chairman of Fidelity National Financial, share a private moment after the “Let’s Bring Hockey to Las Vegas!” press conference at the MGM Grand Ballroom on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015.

With an arena under construction and an ownership group in place, Las Vegas appears to be ahead of the competition if the National Hockey League decides to add one or more teams in the coming years.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman emphasized the league hasn’t decided whether to expand, but it spoke volumes that he appeared Feb. 10 at the MGM Grand as an ownership group launched a drive to collect 10,000 season-ticket deposits. If multimillionaire Bill Foley and the Maloof family reach their goal — and they were halfway there after a day and a half — the league will have to seriously consider Las Vegas as a hockey town.

Other potential expansion cities have issues the valley doesn’t. Seattle has possible owners but an imperfect arena. Kansas City, Mo., and Portland, Ore., have NHL-ready arenas but no clear ownership groups. Quebec City already has lost an NHL team and faces cultural hurdles as a francophone city. Houston has ownership limitations because of its arena deal.

Las Vegas isn’t a perfect candidate. It would be the fourth-smallest NHL market in the country, ahead of Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; and Buffalo, N.Y.

But market size doesn’t guarantee success, as Houston, the nation’s fifth-largest metropolitan area, has never had an NHL team, and two NHL teams have moved away from Atlanta.

Although adding teams could dilute talent across the league, it would make financial sense. Foley’s group would have to pay an expansion fee estimated to be about $450 million.

A closer look at Las Vegas and some of the other possible expansion cities:

TORONTO
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak (42) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the first period of an NHL hockey game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015.

Frank Gunn / AP

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak (42) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the first period of an NHL hockey game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015.

Arena: The Maple Leafs play in Air Canada Centre, but a second Toronto team could share the venue, the same way the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers share Staples Center in Los Angeles. New arenas also have been proposed in Toronto and the suburbs Vaughan and Markham.

Metro area population: About 5.6 million.

Ownership: It’s unclear who potential owners would be.

Hockey history: The Leafs are one of the NHL’s Original Six teams and have won 13 championships. The city, which also has had minor-league and junior teams, has been home to the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1958.

Potential obstacles: The market appears to be large enough to support two teams, but the ownership and arena issues are significant.

LAS VEGAS
Construction continues on The MGM Arena behind New York-New York and Monte Carlo on January 12, 2015.

Mikayla Whitmore

Construction continues on The MGM Arena behind New York-New York and Monte Carlo on January 12, 2015.

Arena: MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group are building a 17,500-seat, $375 million arena on the Strip behind New York-New York, scheduled to be completed by April 2016.

Metro area population: About 2 million.

Ownership: Bill Foley heads Hockey Vision Las Vegas, a partnership with the Maloof family. Foley is CEO of insurance and mortgage company Fidelity National Financial. The Maloofs have a minority stake in the Palms and used to own the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

Hockey history: Las Vegas was home to the minor-league Thunder from 1993 to 1999 and Wranglers from 2003 to 2014. Both teams folded because of arena problems.

Potential obstacles: Las Vegas is a nontraditional hockey market where many people work irregular hours, which could make it difficult to build a stable fan base. Nevada residents’ economic health ranks among the nation’s worst, so many people can’t afford season tickets.

QUEBEC CITY
Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers goes airborne in front of Quebec Nordiques goalie Ron Hextall as he gets tripped by Quebec defenseman Kerry Huffman at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 30, 1992. Nordiques players Mike Hough, Curtis Leschyshyn and Claude Lapointe and Rangers forward Mike Gartner watch the play.

Ron Frehm / AP

Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers goes airborne in front of Quebec Nordiques goalie Ron Hextall as he gets tripped by Quebec defenseman Kerry Huffman at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 30, 1992. Nordiques players Mike Hough, Curtis Leschyshyn and Claude Lapointe and Rangers forward Mike Gartner watch the play.

Arena: New Quebec City Amphitheatre, a $400 million venue funded by the city and province of Quebec, is scheduled to open in September. It will seat 18,482 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 765,000.

Ownership: Since the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche, many potential ownership groups have pursued a team.

Hockey history: The city has been home to two top-level teams: the Bulldogs from 1878 to 1920 and the Nordiques, who played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1979 before joining the NHL.

Potential obstacles: The market would be one of the smallest in major North American sports. Also, Quebec City is almost entirely a francophone city with little English-language media. That could make it difficult for a Quebec City team to attract players who don’t speak French.

SEATTLE
KeyArena in Seattle is shown Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

Ted S. Warren / AP

KeyArena in Seattle is shown Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

Arena: KeyArena, which opened in 1962 and was renovated in the mid-1990s, seats 15,177 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 3.6 million.

Ownership: Minnesota Wild Vice Chairman Jac Sperling and New York investment banker Ray Bartoszek could lead the push to bring a team to the Seattle area.

Hockey history: The Seattle Metropolitans were the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup but folded in 1924. The area has two Western Hockey League major-junior teams: the Seattle Thunderbirds, who moved out of KeyArena in 2009, and the Everett Silvertips. The Thunderbirds now play in Kent.

Potential obstacles: KeyArena’s renovation made the venue less than ideal for hockey capacity and sightlines. An arena has been proposed for the city’s SoDo district but has hit snags. Suburban cities such as Tukwila and Bellevue are possible sites for a new arena.

HOUSTON
Work continues on Toyota Center, the home of the Houston Rockets, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003, less than 24 hours before the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Houston.

Pat Sullivan

Work continues on Toyota Center, the home of the Houston Rockets, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003, less than 24 hours before the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Houston.

Arena: Toyota Center, which opened in 2003, seats 17,800 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 6.3 million.

Ownership: As part of the lease agreement between the arena and the NBA’s Houston Rockets, only an NHL team owned by Rockets owner Les Alexander is allowed to play at the Toyota Center.

Hockey history: The Aeros played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978 but folded when the league merged with the NHL. A top-level minor-league team, also called the Aeros, played from 1994 to 2013.

Potential obstacles: Ownership questions and a lack of hockey culture could make Houston a challenging proposition.

PORTLAND, ORE.
The Moda Center in Portland, Ore., home to the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team, is shown Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014.

Don Ryan / AP

The Moda Center in Portland, Ore., home to the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team, is shown Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014.

Arena: Moda Center, which opened in 1995, seats 18,280 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 2.3 million.

Ownership: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen owns the arena and its primary tenant, the NBA’s Trail Blazers. He came close to acquiring the Pittsburgh Penguins in the late 1990s.

Hockey history: The city has been home to the Western Hockey League’s Winterhawks, regularly one the league’s leaders in attendance, since 1976.

Potential obstacles: Who besides Allen could afford a team? Although the MLS’ Timbers have been a hit in Portland, doubts remain about the city’s ability to fill an arena for professional hockey.

HAMILTON, ONTARIO
Jim Balsillie, right, chairman and co-CEO of Research in Motion, shows the Pittsburgh Penguins logo on his BlackBerry with Penguins Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux behind him Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, in Pittsburgh. Lemieux’s ownership group agreed to sell the franchise to Balsillie, but the deal fell through when the NHL wouldn’t let Balsillie move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

Jim Balsillie, right, chairman and co-CEO of Research in Motion, shows the Pittsburgh Penguins logo on his BlackBerry with Penguins Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux behind him Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006, in Pittsburgh. Lemieux’s ownership group agreed to sell the franchise to Balsillie, but the deal fell through when the NHL wouldn’t let Balsillie move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

Arena: FirstOntario Centre, which opened in 1985, seats 17,383 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 720,000.

Ownership: BlackBerry founder Jim Balsillie has made three attempts to purchase a team and relocate it to Hamilton. Instead, he could pursue an expansion team.

Hockey history: Hamilton had an NHL team in the early 1920s, but the team folded in 1925. The minor-league Bulldogs have been in Hamilton since 1996.

Potential obstacles: The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, both within 50 miles of FirstOntario Centre, oppose a team in Hamilton. A team could have trouble drawing fans from established fan bases nearby.

KANSAS CITY, MO.
This Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, photograph shows the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Orlin Wagner / AP

This Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, photograph shows the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Arena: The Sprint Center, which opened in 2007, seats 17,544 for hockey.

Metro area population: About 2 million.

Ownership: Although the city has an NHL-ready arena, it’s not clear who potential team owners are.

Hockey history: The NHL’s Kansas City Scouts struggled with low attendance from 1974 to 1976 before the team moved to Denver. Minor-league teams in the area have included the Blades, who played in the International Hockey League from 1990 to 2001.

Potential obstacles: The lack of an ownership group, a poor history with the NHL and a small market combine to make Kansas City look like a long shot.

Frank Gunn / AP

Metro area population: About 5.6 million.

Ownership: It’s unclear who potential owners would be.

Potential obstacles: The market appears to be large enough to support two teams, but the ownership and arena issues are significant.

LAS VEGAS
Construction continues on The MGM Arena behind New York-New York and Monte Carlo on January 12, 2015.

Mikayla Whitmore

Construction continues on The MGM Arena behind New York-New York and Monte Carlo on January 12, 2015.

Arena: MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group are building a 17,500-seat, $375 million arena on the Strip behind New York-New York, scheduled to be completed by April 2016.

Metro area population: About 2 million.

Hockey history: Las Vegas was home to the minor-league Thunder from 1993 to 1999 and Wranglers from 2003 to 2014. Both teams folded because of arena problems.

Brian Deka can be reached at 702-259-4073 or brian.deka@lasvegassun.com. Follow Brian on Twitter at twitter.com/briandeka.
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