By The Canadian Press
The NHL is officially rolling the dice on Las Vegas.
Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league’s board of governors has accepted an expansion bid from Las Vegas with the new team to begin play in the 2017-18 season.
He says the vote was unanimous.
The decision means Quebec City is left out in the cold despite having a brand new arena as part of its application to become the 31st NHL franchise.
Joining the word’s top hockey league doesn’t come cheap. Prospective Las Vegas owner Bill Foley will need to pay a US$500-million expansion fee to the NHL, which hasn’t added a team since 2000.
Back then, Minnesota and Columbus paid $80 million each to join the league.
Las Vegas officials secured more than 14,000 season-ticket deposits for the new team, which will play in T-Mobile Arena, the sparkling new multipurpose building on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.
