An NHL team in Las Vegas appears inevitable, but perhaps the league is going about this the wrong way?
It’s the one scenario that the NHL doesn’t want to acknowledge: instead of filling the Las Vegas market with an expansion franchise, move one of the financially struggling teams instead. Relocation rumors are always swiftly denied by the NHL, as Gary Bettman will not move a team until all options to keep it in its preset city are exhausted. After a tumultuous period in the mid-90s that saw several teams move to different markets, the NHL moving vans have been relatively inactive (with the exception of the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg).
While the NHL applauds itself for this era of stability, we all know that things might not be as stable as they seem. Let’s not forget that this past off-season was the first one in five years where we weren’t tuning into Glendale City Council meetings to see the fate of the Phoenix Coyotes play out. When an empty arena in Florida is the most talked about thing on Twitter on certain nights, you have to ask yourself if the NHL is ready to take on the financial risk of Las Vegas. I understand why the NHL would prefer expansion – relocating a franchise never looks good for a league. However, in terms of securing the long term success of a non-traditional hockey market, a relocated franchise may be the best option.
The last time the NHL expanded it was 2000 and they added the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild. Hockey was pretty much destined to succeed in Minnesota, but Columbus was expected to be a challenge. Both teams have struggled over the last 14 years and attendance in Columbus has suffered. When the Blue Jackets are successful – as they were last season – you see the potential of Columbus becoming a big hockey market. However, with just two playoff appearances in 14 years, earning the respect of fans has been difficult.
If the NHL chooses to expand to Las Vegas, there is going to be a quick honeymoon period where fans want to go watch the new team in town – we saw this during the first few seasons for the Blue Jackets. However, since the majority of expansion teams struggle you can expect attendance to start to trail off. If you move a team like the Coyotes or Panthers to Las Vegas, at least they already have a core group established and you aren’t building from scratch. A team like that can become successful quicker and keep fans interested in the team past the honeymoon period. There might not be a competing major sport in Las Vegas, but there are plenty of other things for people in the city to do than watch a crappy hockey team.
Expansion would be much more successful in a city like Quebec. First, the NHL can collect a hefty expansion fee from the new ownership group (something a Canadian market wouldn’t think twice to pay). Second, the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers have already proven that Canadian fans will still show up to games despite the terrible on-ice product. Simply bringing back the Nordiques ensures financial success for the first few seasons – enough time at least to build the expansion franchise into something that resembles an NHL team. That patience just does not exist in a market like Las Vegas.
I would hate to see a fanbase lose their team, but having a Wayne Newton show outsell the Las Vegas team would be an even bigger mess for the NHL. If the NHL is truly committed to Las Vegas as a new market, they need to do things the right way and ensure the long term success of the team.