When it comes to NHL hockey in warm-weather states, success is hard to find, but Las Vegas is set to change that.
Forbes’ 2015 Business of Hockey Report indicates five of the league’s six lowest-valued teams are located in warm-weather states of Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The sixth team on that list, the Columbus Blue Jackets, was the NHL’s last expansion team and joined the league in 2000.
What those NHL cities don’t have that Las Vegas does is a reputation as the world’s entertainment capital, a record 42.3 million visitors last year, and more expected this year.
Many of those visitors come from New York, Chicago, Canada, and other areas where hockey is a big draw, and team owner Bill Foley already secured deposits for about 14,000 season tickets, in an arena capable of seating up to 17,500 for hockey matches.
As an expansion team, the Las Vegas franchise will have to select players from among those that other teams don’t deem important enough to protect, along with the traditional NHL draft.
That means a Las Vegas franchise likely won’t be competitive right away. But the right team owner can make virtually any team a title contender.
The Anaheim Ducks won Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2007 and made it to the NHL finals another time.
The San Jose Sharks qualified for the NHL playoffs 14 times in its 25 years, including three trips to the Western Conference finals.
If Foley and his team executives build wisely, there’s no reason to think similar success can’t happen in Las Vegas.
Even an Original Six team like the Detroit Red Wings languished for years as the “Dead Wings.” Yet, owner Mike Ilitch reversed the club’s fortunes after he bought the team and helped guide it to another three more NHL titles.
Whether or not Foley can establish his Las Vegas franchise as a top franchise remains to be seen, but he stands an excellent chance of producing sell-out crowds for most hockey matches.
Las Vegas has a highly transient population. It also has many visitors from many states and nations where hockey remains a very popular sport.
Add the potential for casinos and others buying tickets for seats and suites for treating high-rollers to one of the most unique events held in Las Vegas about 42 times per year, plus the revenue potential from food and beverage, and professional hockey at T-Mobile Arena stands a strong chance of success, whether or not the team ever wins Lord Stanley’s Cup.
And, watching a hockey game or other sporting event at T Mobile comes with another potential benefit—the ability to wager on
While there is no gambling at T-Mobile Arena, that does not mean hockey fans won’t be able to lay wagers on sporting events held there, even while in progress—so long as they have a cellphone service.
Several Las Vegas-area sportsbooks offer free mobile wagering apps for smartphones and tablet devices. Unless cellular signals are blocked during hockey matches and other sporting events on which local sportsbooks lay odds, it could be possible to lay in-game wagers on events as they are being held.
The sportsbooks also don’t anticipate laying off on betting action when the Las Vegas NHL team plays home games. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has not mentioned a potential gambling ban on NHL events in Las Vegas, and one is not expected.
The Las Vegas team also will have a former casino owner as part of its ownership mix.
The Maloof family, former principal owners of the Palms and former partners in the Sacramento Kings agreed to buy a 15 percent ownership stake in the Las Vegas NHL team.
That leaves Foley with the majority 85 percent ownership, while lessening his financial risk in the team.
