Daniel Negreanu Believes There Is a 92.4% Chance Las Vegas Gets An NHL Team
NHLEP – According to Negreanu, who is a member of ‘The Las Vegas Founding 75,’ an advisory board tasked with promoting and gauging interest in the team, as well as front-running the current ongoing ticket drive, NHL in Las Vegas is much closer than most people think. In fact, the six-time World Series of Poker and two-time World Poker Tour champion, is almost willing to go all-in in saying that the Sin City bid will be successful. “I put it at a 92.4% chance that Las Vegas gets an NHL team,” Negreanu told the NHL Experts during an interview this week. We were initially a little taken aback by this specific percentage, but Negreanu doesn’t just spit out numbers without intricate calculation. He bases this prediction on a number of factors, which he claims are in favor of Las Vegas’ bid. “All the pieces are already in place. We have a great owner in Bill Foley. He is a blessing. He is a hockey guy. He is committed and he wants to win. A state of the art arena is already being built and should be completed in May. A successful ticket drive is the only thing left. There are over 2 million people in the Las Vegas area, we just need to sell 10,000-12,000 season tickets, and we are already on the way,” Negreanu explained.
That’s a bold, bollllld statement from Mr. Negreanu. But I think I believe it. It makes sense to me. Every since the idea came up 6 or so months ago, I’ve always been on the side that the NHL would work in Vegas. There’s always enough tourists that if they build a 14,000 person arena, drunk people will stumble in and have a great time. You’ll have your season ticket holders who are either 1) Normal people who live in the outskirts of Vegas (people forget that somehow, someway, real people live there), and 2) rich people who live in Vegas and are looking for something to do. If they market this correctly, I really do think it could be a success. Say you’re from DC and having a bachelor party– why not plan it for when the Caps are in Vegas? Games start at 7, it’s the perfect pregame spot and chance to see live hockey in the middle of the desert.
One question is do you have an advantage if you play for the Vegas team? I say no. I don’t buy the thought that opposing teams will get too Vegas’d out and play worse. I’d rather only have to fly in and play their once or twice a year as opposed to 41 home games. WAY more chances to get way too drunk and show up to a game hungover when you live there.