The NHL will be expanding and according to Associated Press, the team will call Las Vegas home. Per AP source, Las Vegas expansion is a “done deal” following the recommendation of the league’s executive committee which met last week in New York.
A final vote by the Board of Governors to approve the expansion will occur June 22 in Las Vegas. The league has already stated the earliest it would expand is the 2017-2018 season. Quebec City was also considered for expansion.
Bill Foley has led the charge for an expansion team in Las Vegas. The billionaire and Las Vegas organizers will have to pay the $500 million expansion fee. They’ve already received more than 13,000 deposits for season tickets to show their is an interest for the game in Las Vegas.
T-Mobile Arena, which would be the home of the expansion team, opened in April. The arena’s first sporting event was Saul Alvarez vs. Amir Khan for the WBC middleweight championship on May 7.