Truth & Rumors > NHL

Vegas hot for NHL expansion

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09:24 AM ET 12.09 | Las Vegas remains hot on the rumor mill to land an NHL expansion franchise. According to one source long connected with league dealings, the fee will be some $300 million - more than three times the asking price prior to the CBA fixing player salaries. Hollywood's Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of such hits as "Top Gun" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," is the rumored money man for a franchise that could open for business in 2009-10. Mr. Blockbuster, 62, was born in Michigan and went to high school in Detroit, which means no one will have to tutor him on a Gordie Howe hat trick. Los Angeles Kings billionaire Philip F. Anschutz already is fronting a state-of-the-art arena that will stand only a couple of blocks off the famed Strip.

Boston Globe

Jerry Bruckheimer, Junko Kimura/Getty Images Jerry Bruckheimer, Junko Kimura/Getty Images
December 9, 2007  12:25 PM ET

Great idea! What happens when the novelty wears off? People don't go to Vegas to watch a hockey game. Attendance will be worse than Nashville after the excitement of "something new" wears off. You'll be able to hear the buzzards and crickets in the arena, which no doubt will be cavernous. Bettman can't be this stupid, can he? OOPS, almost forgot who I was referring to. To rephrase, I hope Bettman doesn't come down with a bad case of the stupids, again.

December 9, 2007  01:34 PM ET

That would be so stupid.

December 9, 2007  03:44 PM ET

Bruckheimer will have and excellent CSI episode where they try to figure out how the fans and all of his money went missing after the one year honeymoon period.

December 9, 2007  06:20 PM ET

How about improving the current American market before throwing another team in there?...

December 9, 2007  07:06 PM ET

we dont need anymore teams

December 9, 2007  07:12 PM ET

i wouldn't mind a team in vegas... but another team? i don't see watering the talent level down even more helps anything... they get rid of 3 or 4 teams then relocate one to vegas, throw one in winnipeg... wishful thinking... obviously contraction is unrealistic as the NHLPA would never allow it, but it sure seems like a better idea then expansion...

December 9, 2007  08:13 PM ET

Another shot in the dark US market. Heaven forbid we try a proven market in Canada.

December 9, 2007  09:03 PM ET

RETRACTION, NOT EXPANTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 9, 2007  09:23 PM ET

Stop expanding, idiots.

December 9, 2007  09:35 PM ET

Retraction is stupid. Why give someone a team and then take it away? The goal of expansion is to spread the game of hockey to all. People need to chill out and let these young markets grow. I do agree that more expansion right now is not smart though.

December 10, 2007  07:05 AM ET

dont be the first sport to make this mistake. It will turn a major league sport into a circus act.

December 10, 2007  08:09 AM ET

Why would it be a circus act? While expansion is a bad bad idea... relocation of certain teams isn't. Las Vegas, and Nevada in general, has college teams that perform well. It isn't a joke for them. I think most people forget that there's actually a HUGE population that lives in Las Vegas year round. Hockey in the desert though? Sounds a little odd....

December 10, 2007  09:43 AM ET

This doesn't sound like a good idea. Although there are no other "major" pro sports in Vegas, so perhaps they'd get a good following. I doubt it though. The people that spend money in Vegas aren't there to see a hockey game.

Why not try a northern city? You know, where some people actually know what hockey is. Or, better yet, how about Canada? You know, where they are NUTS about the sport. And considering the economic disparity between the US and Canada is shrinking, Canadian teams are even more economically viable.

December 10, 2007  10:44 AM ET

Maybe he can get Michael Bay to coach the team! I'm pretty sure they wouldn't win a game though because the team would constantly skate in slow motion...

 
December 10, 2007  02:33 PM ET

The more teams you add the more you water down the sport. There are already too many players in the league that don't belong! If anything, relocate teams like BuffaloTF suggested. There's enough mediocrity!

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