I don't think it's ridiculous at all. It's a transient/transplant population with a highly competitive entertainment marketplace and a large segment of the workforce engaged in said marketplace. I think the landscape is still dotted with foreclosed real estate, and if it's not anymore, it's because Albertans bought second homes, and they're not really going to support a team. What's ridiculous is the idea that every medium-sized metro in the U.S. from Columbus to Oklahoma City needs a professional sports team, subsidized by local taxpayers and by teams in big cities. Doubly ridiculous is that Las Vegas would be gifted an NHL team, of all leagues, the one most reliant on locally entrenched fans and local revenue. If they need a team, give them an NBA team or something. I'm tired of the NHL dicking around in warm-weather cities of infinite sprawl while they tell Canada, New England, and the Midwest to go fuck themselves.

For your specific complaints about hockey, the ability to generate money in a city like Las Vegas is much higher than any random Canadian city.

Las Vegas expansion team for 2016-17, unfortunately. The NHL's never had a bad idea they've been talked out of. The real question is where's the arena for the Seattle expansion team? Doesn't exist yet!

What's even better is that he applied for an NHL expansion team in the '90s, then got to the meeting with the league and said he didn't want a team anymore -- the whole maneuver was just to keep anyone else from getting a team to compete with the Sonics. Now they can't host the NHL and the Sonics left anyway. Also, he's dead.

It is semi-ridiculous that Vegas doesn't have a major sports franchise. By MSA population, they rank #30... all 29 above them have at least one major sports franchise. Of the 19 below them, 12 have at least one major sports franchise. This whole worrying about corruption and gambling may have made sense in the 1940s, but in 2010s, anybody who wants to corrupt a team or player doesn't need them to be based out of Vegas to pull it off.

NHL owners split the expansion fee amongst themselves. They will put a team anywhere, as long as someone ponies up the $500 mil plus expansion fee.

For example, Columbus, even though Ohio State already had an arena and hockey team of its own and the government had to bail out the NHL team.

i think the only thing left that could possibly make that any worse would be "and his 13 year old grandson was caught jerking off to pictures of caitlyn jenner..... he didn't know"

It is simply astounding that Bettman & the NHL havent yet learned their lesson regarding expansion in the south.

NEW YORK – The National Hockey League today released the following update relative to the NHL expansion application process:

"As previously announced, NHL expansion applications were made available to all potentially interested applicants on July 6. Since that date, we have received requests from, and responded by sending applications to, 16 separate groups/individuals.

"The deadline for filing an application and proceeding in the NHL expansion process was last night. We can confirm that we have received two applications: one from Bill Foley for a franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one from Quebecor for a franchise in Quebec City, Quebec.

"Our purpose, in initiating the expansion process in the manner we did, was not only to explore the possibility of admitting new members to the NHL but also, at the outset, to set realistic guideposts to distinguish between bona fide expressions of interest (i.e., those which have at least substantial ownership capabilities and an arena or the realistic possibility of an arena) from those indications of potential interest which were, at best, merely hopes or aspirations. Apparently, only Mr. Foley and Quebecor have the confidence in their ability to secure an arena and suitable ownership capability to move forward with this process.

"We now intend to focus exclusively on the two expansion applications that have been submitted in accordance with the previously announced process. The process we have outlined for qualified applicants includes at least two more stages of documentation submission. We will provide no further updates until there is something substantive to announce."