By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, June 14, 2016

photo by androidheadlines.com: The future home of the new NHL expansion team T-Mobile Arena located on the Las Vegas strip

As of Tuesday, there are strong rumors circulating throughout the media that the National Hockey League is set to expand to Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season.

With a population of 2.2 million according to the 2010 census, Las Vegas is the largest population market in the U.S. that does not have a major league sports franchise.

The Associated Press is reporting that an unnamed source “with direct knowledge” of the NHL’s decision, said the league is waiting for the primary franchise applicants to come up with the record $500 million expansion fee.

The last time the NHL expanded was 2000, when Columbus and Minnesota paid $80 million each to join as the 29th and 30th teams. If approved by the Board of Governors, the NHL’s 31st team would be the first major league franchise of any kind in Las Vegas, which has had minor league baseball and hockey in the past.

Quebec City, which lost the Nordiques when that club moved to Denver, has since built a new NHL-ready arena. But “geographic imbalance,” and concerns over the current strength of the Canadian dollar, were cited for choosing Las Vegas instead.

Reportedly, Quebec City is still under consideration for either an expansion team, or a franchise relocation. But the NHL currently has 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the West.

According to reports, the Vegas states it has secured more than 13.000 season tickets for the yet-to-be-named team, which will play in the new, 17,500-seat T-Mobile Arena.

In recent years, the NHL has discussed possible expansion to Seattle, suburban Toronto – Hamilton, Ont., in particular – and there were rumors of the Arizona Coyotes possibly moving to Las Vegas. The NHL remains optimistic about pro hockey in the Valley of the Sun, where the Coyotes are looking to move closer to downtown Phoenix.

The Oakland Raiders have been negotiating with Las Vegas city leaders about a possible move to Nevada if the city can build a proposed $1.4 billion domed stadium near the Strip, using mostly public funds. That move could also make an MLS team in Vegas a possibility.

Daniel Dullum covers the NHL for Sports Radio Service.com

TAGS: Las Vegas,NHL,expansion,Quebec City,