Is Las Vegas about to get an NHL team?
The NHL is reportedly planning to expand to Las Vegas, according to a person with direct knowledge of the decision who spoke with The Associated Press. Quebec City was also considered for the expansion, but a second source told the AP that Las Vegas is all but a "done deal" thanks to the recommendation of the NHL's executive committee.
An NHL team would bring the nation's gambling capitol its first professional sports franchise, but such an expansion won't come until the 2017-18 season at the earliest. Organizers in Vegas would now need to raise the $500 million fee to confirm the expansion to their city, something multi-millionaire businessman Bill Foley has skirted around saying he'll pay. However, he's told CBS that "I am the man that wants to bring hockey to the desert and we're really, really close."
An official decision from the NHL will come on June 22.