Will there be an expansion announcement next week?

[Overkamp]

As the 2016 NHL season comes to a close and the draft is less than two weeks away, can we expect there will be an expansion announcement?

Is Las Vegas and Quebec City still in the cards?

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[craws]

I'm wondering why Kansas City fell out of the discussion. They built a brand new arena and have nothing to put in it. That could be a great rivalry if they were to get a team.

 

[Robb_K]

I'm wondering why Kansas City fell out of the discussion. They built a brand new arena and have nothing to put in it. That could be a great rivalry if they were to get a team.

I really don't think Kansas City would support an NHL hockey team. I don['t like Las Vegas as a choice, but they WILL be in within 2 years. Quebec and Seattle are the best choices. Quebec may received a transferred team Such as Carolina, Florida, or Brooklyn/New Jersey.

 

[joshyhockey26]

I really don't think Kansas City would support an NHL hockey team. I don['t like Las Vegas as a choice, but they WILL be in within 2 years. Quebec and Seattle are the best choices. Quebec may received a transferred team Such as Carolina, Florida, or Brooklyn/New Jersey.

Vegas is essentially a lock. Quebec gets it through relocation. Likely from Carolina

 

[MissouriMook]

I'm wondering why Kansas City fell out of the discussion. They built a brand new arena and have nothing to put in it. That could be a great rivalry if they were to get a team.

There was a deadline months ago for potential ownership groups to submit a bid for an expansion team. Groups from Vegas and QC were the only ones to submit. No one from KC was willing to put the group together and put up the non-refundable deposit.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'm wondering why Kansas City fell out of the discussion. They built a brand new arena and have nothing to put in it. That could be a great rivalry if they were to get a team.

The Sprint Center is nice for what it is, but I wouldn't consider it pro league caliber. KC really doesn't want a team, they'd rather just have year-round events and concerts, not be tied to 1-team. They want to keep it open for Power & Light, because if they had a pro team there, they'd be required to keep the playoff schedule open, and by the time a team gets eliminated, it's too late to schedule events, or at least marquee events.

KC doesn't really want a team, but it's a good city for other cities to use as leverage in getting a new stadium built.

 

[Bluesfan54]

The city only wants a local owner for any team using the arena and KC just doesn't have that many extremely rich folks. The owner of the NFL Chiefs is rich AND a big hockey fan, but he's really only interested in minor leagues and developing youth hockey, not the NHL. He owns the local ECHL team and was just awarded a USHL expansion franchise for his new small arena but that's about as far as he wants to go.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

There was a deadline months ago for potential ownership groups to submit a bid for an expansion team. Groups from Vegas and QC were the only ones to submit. No one from KC was willing to put the group together and put up the non-refundable deposit.

Between the lines, I think there was some disappointment and surprise that there was no bid from Seattle.

 

[Louie the Blue]

Between the lines, I think there was some disappointment and surprise that there was no bid from Seattle.

There likely won't be a bid from Seattle until a new arena is built and they're having issues building said arena currently

 

[bleedblue1223]

The city only wants a local owner for any team using the arena and KC just doesn't have that many extremely rich folks. The owner of the NFL Chiefs is rich AND a big hockey fan, but he's really only interested in minor leagues and developing youth hockey, not the NHL. He owns the local ECHL team and was just awarded a USHL expansion franchise for his new small arena but that's about as far as he wants to go.

They do, they are similar to St. Louis. Stillman has some heavy backing from other guys. Neil Patterson is worth over a billion, as is Cliff Illig, both Cerner execs/fouders. Then you have Garmin founders Min Kao and Gary Burrell. If KC wanted a hockey team, they could easily finance one. There just isn't enough interest, especially by the Sprint Center and the Blues are close enough.

 

[nicholas89alex]

The city only wants a local owner for any team using the arena and KC just doesn't have that many extremely rich folks. The owner of the NFL Chiefs is rich AND a big hockey fan, but he's really only interested in minor leagues and developing youth hockey, not the NHL. He owns the local ECHL team and was just awarded a USHL expansion franchise for his new small arena but that's about as far as he wants to go.

I think he would love a NHL team eventually but he has to build up an interest in the sport first. The mavericks were really successful this year and are popular in kc but there just is not a big enough hockey base to fill a 16 k+ stadium nightly.