It’s been a while since the movement to bring an NHL team to Las Vegas had an update, but prospective owner Bill Foley recently unloaded a bunch of noteworthy info to the media. Foley outlined the surge in ticket commitments as well as the new expected start date for a new franchise.
Here are the key takeaways, as seen in the Las Vegas Sun:
The ticket commitment for a team in Vegas has swelled past 13,000. That includes 11,500 season ticket commitments, 1,000 corporate commitments and 735 suite seats. The group is now offering half-season and quarter-season packages which should push the total numbers even higher.
The rumored start date of 2016-17 may not be a possible scenario. Foley mentioned that 2017-18 is more realistic.
The team name will be voted on by the season ticket holders. The colors will be black, gold and gray and the official city name will be Las Vegas and not Nevada.
Foley recently moved his company to Vegas, signaling that he views the city as home and that he’s dedicated to the future of the franchise. This move should sit extremely well with the league which hopes to have local owners for each team.
Finally, Foley said he’s willing to be patient. He’s not eager to join any meetings or push the issue as he believes the process will run its course.
Long story short, the movement to land a team in Vegas seems to be only gaining steam. Few people, even those directly involved in the effort, expected over 13,000 deposits to be made at this stage of the game. With plenty of time left, that tally should only rise. It’s also pretty impressive to see Foley move his company to Vegas. If the NHL is looking for commitment, they appear to have it in Foley.
