NHL 2015-2016: Expansion! 3 on 3 OT! Coaches Challenge!

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Sofos

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Bettman just announced that the NHL is beginning the expansion process. Vegas, of course, will be one of the teams. The other is likely going to be Seattle or Quebec City (Please be Seattle).

The Board of Governers also ratified a few rule changes today:

1) OT will now be 3-on-3 for 5 minutes. No 4-on-4 at all.
2) Coaches Challenge for off-sides/goalie interferene.
3) Team in defensive zone will put stick down first for faceoffs. Neutral ice will be visiting team.
 

Vostre Roy

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Bettman just announced that the NHL is beginning the expansion process. Vegas, of course, will be one of the teams. The other is likely going to be Seattle or Quebec City (Please be Seattle).


Nay, I want my Nordiques back!
 

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MFB

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I could see it staying that way though, I mean it's kind of divided evenly for teams that fans in the area can root for. Further north-western fans have the Canucks to root for, and those in the Portland area can go either way with them or with the Sharks.

I'd be fine with seeing a team added in that region, but I just don't know how the draw will be. Vegas seems like it'll be a waste since it's a more tourist-y Phoenix.
 

Sofos

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Seattle has been begging for a team for years. Every time I see a hockey fan, they always say "Seattle needs a team", even if they are fans of other teams. And every time I wear one of my jerseys/shirts out in public (Bruins, Rangers, Kings, Avalanche), I get quite a few people complimenting on them and saying how much they want a team, and that isn't even counting when I actually go to Seattle. Seattle is a whole new monster, hockey fans left and right. Team stickers all over cars and trucks. Plus Vancouver is a ferry ride away (a few hours, but still a ferry ride). Would make for a fantastic friendly rivalry, seeing as both cities are friendly to each other but also like to poke fun at one another.

tl;dr, Seattle has a much better chance of success than Vegas, Kansas City, Portland, or anywhere not called Quebec or Hartford that doesn't already have a team.
 

Vostre Roy

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I'd say I'd prefer to see Seattle and Quebec city getting a team, but it seems that Vegas has the leagues favor. Its funny to see how Bettman wants hockey to works in desert cities, he never had put that much effort in keeping teams in the north in the past.

That being said, Price had a pretty great night yesterday, glad for him after that incredible season he had
 

protest

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They should be contracting, not expanding. Relocation would also make sense. Move Phoenix and maybe Florida. I doubt that a team would be added to Quebec because that would put 17 teams in the East. They should be trying to even out the conferences, so you would think they would be adding both teams to the West....this is the NHL though. I'd rather see them do like Milwaukee or something before Vegas. That might be to close to Chicago though.
 

MFB

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Biggest problem with Vegas is that it'll never have a consistent fanbase. People might go out and see a game when they're on vacation, but I highly doubt you'll see a large number of season ticket holders.

Hockey in the desert just doesn't seem to work.
 

Pav

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Biggest problem with Vegas is that it'll never have a consistent fanbase. People might go out and see a game when they're on vacation, but I highly doubt you'll see a large number of season ticket holders.

Hockey in the desert just doesn't seem to work.

Except the guy that wants to bring the NHL to Las Vegas (Bill Foley I think his name is?) already has commitments for over 13000 season tickets in anticipation of a franchise. Vegas never made sense to me either but there does seem to be some serious interest on their end.
 

protest

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Except the guy that wants to bring the NHL to Las Vegas (Bill Foley I think his name is?) already has commitments for over 13000 season tickets in anticipation of a franchise. Vegas never made sense to me either but there does seem to be some serious interest on their end.

My guess is that all those tickets belong to casinos.
 

technomancer

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Unless something has changed Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the US so the idea that nobody is there except tourists is a bit ridiculous. The group in Vegas has done more to show they can support a team than the other interested cities put together at this point so why not give it a shot.

In other news apparently overcoming mediocrity as opposed to actual hardship is now what wins you the Masterton trophy :scratch:

Also looks like GMJR is going to sit with his thumb up his ass and lose players to free agency instead of getting some draft picks back for negotiating rights. Niskanen and Orpik went that way last year, and it looks like Martin and Ehrhoff will go that way this year (though being able to trade Ehrhoffs rights is questionable due to his season). As insane as free agent salaries have gotten you can't tell me there aren't teams out there willing to trade to get rights to these guys to potentially save some salary.
 

Pav

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I'll be interested to see how that works out for the Bruins. Martin Jones seemes like the type of backup that could be asking for a starting role any day now.
 

Sofos

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Fvck Sweeney. Already worse than Chiarelli.

3 picks in a row, with Barzal and Connor on the board, and they pick 2 2nds and a 3rd.

We now have ONE top 3 dman, and he's 38 years old. We went from best D in the league a few years ago to bottom 5. I hope Rask asks for a trade, because he deserves so much better than this.
 

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Unless something has changed Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the US so the idea that nobody is there except tourists is a bit ridiculous. The group in Vegas has done more to show they can support team than the other interested cities put together at this point so why not give it a shot.

I'm relatively sure that hasn't been the case since the economic recession. I definitely am sure there are ....loads of huge abandoned projects all over the city, I personally just don't see it happening, especially not a winter sport.
 
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