Potential Las Vegas Franchise

[LeafsYotesBlues]

Ok let us think a couple of steps further.
Imagine you was owner, what would you do in another way like other southern franchises did in the first time of their start up?



I would first of all start with the franchise´s name. The name of it should have some response to the city of Las Vegas. It would be so easier to identify themselves with their franchise.
I think there are good examples like RedWings, Leafs and Blues.
An Las Vegas Franchise could shuffle because of this reason on merchandiise a lot of bucks if you could really combine hockey with gambling on their logo or jersey.
Tourists would love it and buy it in tons.....

I was bored so i started to be creative.
Take a look at the poss thumbnails.

This could be possibly the most important step.


2nd
Las Vegas is hungry after pro sports. IMO you shouldn´t put too much money in advertisement for the private sector. You are in a good position because there isn´t as much erverydays sports. boxing events aren´t that often that they could concure to the nhl team. You should take the local companies into your boat, especially the big casinos.

3rd
The crowd is hungry at the start of the new franchise. They want to get into the playoffs. If you can make good trades, do it. If not build on the youth. If you are able to make the croud identify themselves with the team you will make it in the city of $$$.

Click to read more...

 

[Brazz]

If I went to Vegas I don't think going to a hockey game would be first thing on my list, not sure how many tourists do the same. I also know Vegas is one of the fastest growing areas in the States, if not the fastest. I know they are hungry for a prosports franchise but IMO that best bet would be if they got an NBA franchise first.

 

[PhotoCrasher]

If I went to Vegas I don't think going to a hockey game would be first thing on my list, not sure how many tourists do the same.

I totally agree... I went to Vegas in January and the only thing on my mind was the casino's.

 

[SerialSeb]

If I went to Vegas I don't think going to a hockey game would be first thing on my list, not sure how many tourists do the same. I also know Vegas is one of the fastest growing areas in the States, if not the fastest. I know they are hungry for a prosports franchise but IMO that best bet would be if they got an NBA franchise first.

Well ya you have hockey readily availlable.

But the local population is growing really fast and this would be a completely different form of entertainement.
ALso tourist go to LV in massive numbers and many wuld be coming from area that don't have hockey.

Hell if I'm in LV when the Habs are playing I would deffinetly go.

 

[kivaerijo]

still looking for the horse that jockey is riding. pretty bad sweater design.

 

[Resolute]

If I went to Vegas I don't think going to a hockey game would be first thing on my list, not sure how many tourists do the same. I also know Vegas is one of the fastest growing areas in the States, if not the fastest. I know they are hungry for a prosports franchise but IMO that best bet would be if they got an NBA franchise first.

Personally, I'm the complete opposite. I wouldn't mind going to Vegas and dropping $20 on the roulette table at Caesars Palace, but it isn't something high on my list of things to do. I would head down to see the Flames play in Vegas, then go spend that $20, then go home, however. A hockey team would draw me to a town where I might otherwise never bother going.

 

[SoCalPredFan]

Vegas:

Population:
1.8mil

Tourists in 2006:
38.9mil

Not EVERYONE needs to "think hockey" ... just a few.

Vegas is an absolute GOLD MINE for a pro sports team. Period.

-t

 

[lvwranglersfan]

Vegas:

Population:
1.8mil

Tourists in 2006:
38.9mil

Not EVERYONE needs to "think hockey" ... just a few.

Vegas is an absolute GOLD MINE for a pro sports team. Period.

-t

I live in Vegas, I disagree. In my opinion there is no way we support any sport that has a lot of games. If an NHL team moved here it would be too expensive for most of us to go to and a lot of people couldn't go to most games because they would be working. This city is driven by the casinos and as most people know, casinos are busier at night. Also, of the hockey fans I know in this city, and that would be a few since I am a season ticket holder for our ECHL franchise, we already have teams that we love. Do you honestly think we will drop that allegiance in favor of a local expansion team? Didn't think so. In this city, we all moved here from somewhere else and a lot of times that somewhere else has hockey. I see a lot of Kings, Sharks and Ducks gear in this town, mainly Kings. And counting on the tourists would be a bad idea. Unless they come here specifically to follow a hockey team, they probably aren't leaving the casino floor. Plenty of tourists come to our ECHL games, but most of them are rooting for the visiting team, so they came here for that. And don't forget the tickets are much cheaper.

I think the only sport that has a shot here is football and the NFL won't move here in the foreseeable future because of their fear of gambling, which they have helped promote.

 

[pelts35.com]

If I went to Vegas I don't think going to a hockey game would be first thing on my list, not sure how many tourists do the same.

Pretty much the reason why the ECHL Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies failed. I believe that ownership expected tourists to go to the games, but they didn't (neither did anyone else).

 

[Brazz]

Hell if I'm in LV when the Habs are playing I would deffinetly go.

With the current NHL scedual that will happen once every three years. Only way tourist would go see a team in Vegas if they had a Crosby calibre player.

 

[shakes]

This first thing I think of when I think of Vegas is hockey. It's a no brainer..

 

[SoCalPredFan]

I go to to Vegas at least 3-4 times per year. Gambling is great, but 3 hours at a hockey game would be a blast ....

Again, not everyone needs to go --- just a fraction of the 1.8mil people that live there and the 38.9mil tourists.

You guys expect Canadian-like cultural-love for the game in order for the market to be viable --- -and that's just unrealistic and frankly unnecessary for a team to make money and the league to benefit.

-t

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Pretty much the reason why the ECHL Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies failed. I believe that ownership expected tourists to go to the games, but they didn't (neither did anyone else).

ECHL and NHL are completely different beasts. If I was visiting Las Vegas I would definitely watch a NHL game. Going to a Wranglers game wouldn't even be on my radar.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I don't really believe in a Vegas team because it'd be the Florida problems times three, a bunch of people but their allegiance is elsewhere, it's a city without many natives and loads of temporary residents. Whoever cares about hockey there is likely a fan of another team already.

Also, it's a service industry city meaning people work a lot and have bad pay i.e. they are not people who can be counted on to show up for games at 1 pm on the weekend or 7 pm on a weeknight because they might be working or just can't afford NHL prices.

Tourists may go to games but I wouldn't count on it being a huge factor, people from Toronto or Detroit going to see their home teams in Vegas coupled with a mini vacation in Vegas is probably not going to cut it numbers-wise especially if you talk about TV ratings.

 

[Jazz]

I could easily see ticket packages being offered that would combine air-tickets, hotel-stay and game-tickets.

 

[ARS]

ECHL and NHL are completely different beasts. If I was visiting Las Vegas I would definitely watch a NHL game. Going to a Wranglers game wouldn't even be on my radar.

Exactly, you can't compare a minor league to a pro league. If there was an NHL team in Vegas and the NHL season was going on when I went, if the tickets weren't overly expensive I'd have went to see a game as well.

Also, radio here in Ottawa mentioned an interesting point, with the amount of casinos in Vegas and the wealth each casino possesses, a lot of them would buy season tickets that could be given away as prizes or as incentives.

 

[VanIslander]

Move the ECHL franchise and name the new NHL franchise:

Ask the league for plenty of weekend afternoon games.

Nothing like a little cooling down at an ice hockey game with a brewsky on a hot desert day. It'd be on my list of things to do when I visit LV !

 

[lvwranglersfan]

Exactly, you can't compare a minor league to a pro league. If there was an NHL team in Vegas and the NHL season was going on when I went, if the tickets weren't overly expensive I'd have went to see a game as well.

Also, radio here in Ottawa mentioned an interesting point, with the amount of casinos in Vegas and the wealth each casino possesses, a lot of them would buy season tickets that could be given away as prizes or as incentives.

I think you can. First, as a resident and a potential fan, I would want people going who would be fans, and the tourists, if they do go, wouldn't be fans. They would just be looking for something to do. I understand monetarily that might make it seem like it is working, but you need a season ticket base to make it work. I don't work in casinos so I could go whenever, but the money would be an issue. No one in this city outside of the casinos is paid overly well. And on a side note, do you honestly believe the casinos would give away tickets to make you leave the casino? They wouldn't fight people wanting to go, but I find it difficult to believe they would enable you to do so.

Hypothetically say we do get an expansion team. This city doesn't have the patience to put up with losing. I would guess that if an expansion team came here, the attendance would be OK to start, but if they perform like most expansion teams, by the end of the first season Nashville would look like a crowded arena. Just an educated guess.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I think that appraisal is more on the money. I think you'd see a situation like you have in Florida with the sports teams there if they suck: half-empty arenas unless the game is against a good big market team coming to visit so all the people originally from that market and a bunch of tourists go to see the games.

How many tourists would go to see last placed Las Vegas against the Phoenix Coyotes or the St.Louis Blues or Columbus Blue Jackets?
People seem to totally discount the fact that the competition for the entertainment dollar would be more intense in Vegas than almost anywhere else. Just because the option of a hockey game exists does not mean it's an option people take with so many other options on the table.

 

[pondnorth]

The nhl in Vegas,why?Since when is Vegas a hockey city,let alone an nhl franchise?Oh ya i forgot the new nhl is only interested in growing the game in non-hockey markets because they have so much upside and potential compared to areas that actually have fans and know the game well.Wonder if the new team in Vegas will be as successful as Nashville or Pheonix? Maybe they can have a contest to see who loses the most money in one season in the history of hockey.

 

[SoCalPredFan]

The nhl in Vegas,why?Since when is Vegas a hockey city,let alone an nhl franchise?Oh ya i forgot the new nhl is only interested in growing the game in non-hockey markets because they have so much upside and potential compared to areas that actually have fans and know the game well.Wonder if the new team in Vegas will be as successful as Nashville or Pheonix? Maybe they can have a contest to see who loses the most money in one season in the history of hockey.

It's pretty much a useless debate with you guys, eh?

We need to have 18 teams.... 14 of them north of the 49th and the other four in Detroit, NY, Boston, and Minnesota.

Let's give Medicine Hat and Moncton teams --- they fans are more deserving and hockey is liked more there.

You guys have defeated me. I'm crawling back into my cave --- gonna go back to my Preds board and continue to talk hockey with real fans --- those that encourage new fans and growth of the game.

Fighting against a brick wall of elitist Canadians is pointless. I'm not saying all Canadians are elitist, but the majority of this board certainly is.

-t

 

[EventHorizon]

Wonder if the new team in Vegas will be as successful as Winnipeg or Quebec? Maybe they can have a contest to see who loses the most money in one season in the history of hockey.

Fixed it for you.

 

[jkrdevil]

Las Vegas will be able to sell tickets. I would think that the Casinos would buy large chunk of tickets and luxury boxes and use them as comps for customers and high rollers.

Also you would have to think that other teams (especially eastern teams) fan clubs would take trip out to Las Vegas when there team goes out there.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Las Vegas will be able to sell tickets. I would think that the Casinos would buy large chunk of tickets and luxury boxes and use them as comps for customers and high rollers.

Maybe if the arena is integrated into a casino. I always figured the entertainment options the casinos put up were put up to lure people into the casinos, not away from them.

 

[jkrdevil]

Maybe if the arena is integrated into a casino. I always figured the entertainment options the casinos put up were put up to lure people into the casinos, not away from them.

Well in this case they would be used as a reward for people who are gambling a lot. So yea they might leave for a few hours but you lure them back to that Casino because they gave the reward.