Las Vegas expansion ticket drive slows; Rangers-Isles epic on tap

The NHL's Las Vegas expansion team ticket drive has slowed, but the outlook is still hopeful; Rangers-Islanders rivalry resumes for a final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum.

Allan Muir | Mar 10, 2015

Las Vegas expansion ticket drive slows; Rangers-Isles epic on tap /

Off The Draw

Ideally, this would have worked out differently.

In a perfect world there would have been 10,000 fans (and then some) waiting with cash in hand, eager to plunk down deposits to reserve season tickets for a possible NHL team in Las Vegas. It would have taken a matter of hours—or even minutes, as it did in Winnipeg before the Atlanta Thrashers received the league’s approval to relocate there—allaying all concerns about the viability of hockey in the middle of the Nevada desert and fast-tracking the franchise for approval.

Ranking the NHL expansion options

Instead, the folks behind the Vegas bid were forced to issue a press release on Monday that expressed their enthusiasm about reaching the 8,000-commitment mark … 27 days after they made a splash by getting 5,000 ticket reservations in the first 36 hours of their ticket drive.

“This announcement is great news,” Bill Foley, the potential majority owner of the franchise, said in the statement. “The goal of the season ticket drive is to demonstrate the long-term viability of an NHL franchise in Las Vegas. Securing more than 8,000 season ticket deposits—in less than one month—helps demonstrate that Las Vegas wants hockey. There is significant momentum in this campaign and we are looking forward to the day we can announce that we have hit our goal of securing 10,000 season ticket deposits.”

Foley’s definition of “significant momentum” might differ from your’s and mine. After all, at this rate we’re probably looking at another six to eight weeks before his group closes in on their goal.

But there’s no denying that they are closing in. And that’s a huge win for the Vegas campaign, because in the end it won’t matter whether it got those commitments in three hours or three months. This is all about the result, not the journey. As long as the support for a team eventually reveals itself, the NHL is coming to town.

Sure, the slowing pace of commitments suggests that the campaign still has some work to do, both in raising awareness now and in fan retention later on. There’s clearly some skepticism about hockey in Sin City, something that might become an issue down the road. But it’s worth noting that those 8,000 commitments represent real people, not casinos, buying into the dream. That has to please the league. NHL officials have kept their own expectations for this ticket drive quiet, but they want locals to have a significant presence in the new MGM Grand arena before the casinos fill in the blanks with tourist comps.

Sharks in bubble trouble with long playoff streak in jeopardy

“If you look at it through that lens, I think the response has been good,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last week. “Because if you add to that what they probably have already in corporate and casino commitments, they basically have a full building.”

That’s a pretty powerful endorsement, one that suggests there might even be some wiggle room on that 10,000-ticket goal. And by offering support now, Daly has given the organizers a pretty powerful marketing tool for the home stretch. “If you were on the fence before,” they can say, “the time to climb off is now. This is really happening … and this is your chance to be part of something special.”

So maybe the path to 10,000 hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. But organizers are clearly on target for a storybook ending: the announcement of franchise approval at the 2015 NHL Awards on June 24 in Las Vegas.

What to watch tonight

#http://www.120sports.com/video/v111986616/rangers-battle-the-islanders

Rangers at Islanders (7 p.m. EST; NHLN-US, TVA, SN1, SNO, MSG 2, MSG+)

The latest installment of this epic rivalry will have extra significance on Tuesday night. Along with a potential four-point swing atop the Metropolitan Division, this game marks the final regular-season meeting between the two teams at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. And if it’s anything like the last one—a wild 6–5 comeback victory by the Rangers on Feb. 16—it’ll be a beauty.

The Isles come into this contest off a gritty 4–3 OT victory over the Maple Leafs last night. New York came back twice from two-goal deficits before center John Tavares, who leads the NHL in points, scored the winner with 22 seconds left in the extra frame. The captain has scored in three of the four previous meetings between the teams this season, and will be front and center tonight. So will his wingman, Kyle Okposo, who will be seeing his first action since he suffered a detached retina on Jan. 19. Jaroslav Halak will get the start in net after yielding to Michal Neuvirth against Toronto. Halak is 3-1-0 against the Blueshirts this season, with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

The Rangers will answer with Cam Talbot in net. He has been brilliant in his last three starts (2-0-1, .965 save percentage), but Talbot wasn't particularly sharp in the 6–5 win over the Isles last month. Hardnosed winger Tanner Glass is expected to dress in place of James Sheppard, an indication perhaps that the Rangers are anticipating that tempers could flare. Just one more reason to watch.

Rest of the schedule:Stars at Flyers (7 p.m. EST; FS-SW+, CSN-PH); Blue Jackets at Hurricanes (7 p.m. EST; FS-O, FS-CR); Lightning at Canadiens (7:30 p.m. EST; SUN, RDS, SNE); Bruins at Senators (7:30 p.m. EST; NESN, RDS2, TSN5); Jets at Blues (8 p.m. EST; TSN3, FS-MW); Devils at Wild (8 p.m. EST; MSG+ 2, FS-N, FS-WI);Kings at Avalanche (9 p.m. EST; NBCSN, SNW, SNP)

What you missed

#http://www.120sports.com/video/v111969204/chemistry-issues-for-preds

• That Tavares kid who plays for the Islanders is pretty good, judging by this nifty tally.

• Minnesota’s popular high school tournament has become a showcase for the state’s finest hockey hair.

• The Blackhawks have an entry in the Best Sports Jersey debate.

The 20 Worst NHL Jerseys of All Time

#20: 1995-97 Vancouver Canucks thirds

The spaghetti skate might be the NHL's biggest logo fail outside of Vancouver's own original stick-in-a-rink, but it never seemed quite so excessive as when it was applied to these shocking alternates. Add in the unbalanced yellow V that bisects the logo and slides off to the right side and take away the shoulder and arm piping and you're left with a jersey that's somehow overly busy and sadly plain at the same time.

#19: 2009-11 Ottawa Senators thirds

The Canadiens have an abbreviated nickname too, but you'd never catch them slapping it on the front of a jersey.

#18: 1998-2006 Calgary Flames thirds

Their home/roads from 1995-2000 could have made the cut as well—does anyone know what was going on with the section of trim that leapt up from the bottom and pushed the logo higher?—but the silliness of the flame-snorting horse gives these the edge. That black base didn't go over too well with fans who loved the C of Red, either.

#17: 2001 All-Star Game

This one feels like the designer was romancing fans of soccer or rugby kits, because it doesn't much look like hockey ... oh wait, there's the NHL logo all tucked away over there!

#16: 2003-07 Atlanta Thrashers thirds/homes

The burnt red “motocross” thirds worn from 2008-11 might be more universally despised, but these get the nod because they went from seldom-worn thirds to their standard home kit. The baby blue base that works for the Penguins fails here because of the complementary colors, but the real disaster is the trim that runs down the left sleeve only emblazoned with the word Atlanta—you know, in case the fans watching at Phillips Arena forgot what town they were in.

#15: 2001-07 Nashville Predators thirds

Honestly, the alternate logo on these is pretty awesome, maybe better even than their traditional tiger head. But that hideous mustard yellow base and that square-cut neckline ... did Anne of Brittany design these things?

#14: 2001-07 Edmonton Oilers thirds

Books should have layers of meaning. Movies, songs ... sure, they can too. But team logos? They just need to look cool. That point was lost on artist/minority owner Todd MacFarlane who tried waaaay too hard when he was asked to come up with something new. Ditching the traditional colors was another big mistake.

#13: 2015 All-Star Game

2015-NHL-All-Star-Game-Jonathan-Toews-Ryan-Johansen.jpg — Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Yes, these were widely panned when they were revealed late last year, but I don't think we've quite yet come to terms with how awful these really are. Give it time, though. The oozing toxic green trim and oversized chrome NHL shield will soon be as fondly regarded as KISS's disco years.

#12: 2011-14 New York Islanders thirds

You know how things work these days. Nothing gets into production without market testing, focus groups and God knows how many meetings. At some point in the process, there had to be alternatives on the board ... and yet somehow, a black jersey with a “dynamic” Islanders wordmark above a player number was the option everyone agreed on. Or maybe they just left the whole thing up to an intern.

#11: 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings Burger King

Ray Ferraro wrote just today on Twitter that the worst-dressed game he ever saw was when the Kings trotted these paeans to fast food out against the salmon-clad Canucks. Why am I hungry all of a sudden?

#10: 1998-93 Phoenix Coyotes thirds

A reminder of just how bad things got in the '90s, these green alternates combined an under-designed alternate logo with a desert green background and a cactus-festooned trim that was as richly detailed as the old 8-bit High Noon game. Peyote may have been ingested during the design process.

#9: 1978-85 Vancouver Canucks deep V

This beaming yellow sweater with deep black and red V neckline instead of an actual logo was the first of many ill-conceived designs trotted out by the franchise. Many fans revere it as an important part of the Canucks' history. And this is why that team can't have nice things to wear.

#8: 2011 Calgary Flames Heritage Classic

Okay, so maybe they do have a bit ol' timey flavor, but they also look a lot like Ronald McDonald's outfit, especially next to the Canadiens' more dignified threads.

#7: 2003-06 Dallas Stars “Mooterus” thirds

No less a fashion expert than Sean Avery ranked this design as the worst jersey ever in an article in Men's Vogue, and he's not far off. In introducing the design, the Stars said “the new logo depicts a constellation of individual stars aligning to form an unstoppable force of nature, a charging bull.” What they overlooked was that stars also aligned to resemble the female reproductive system.

#6: 1995-97 New York Islanders fish sticks

New-York-Islanders-fisherman-uniform-1995-Darius-Kasparaitis-Travis-Green_0.jpg — Jim Leary/AP

It could have been worse. They could have been inspired by another islander for the logo ... like maybe Gilligan.

#5: 1996-99 Tampa Bay Lightning thirds

Another standout of the sublimation era, this one was the work of someone who finally made the connection between slashing rain and high seas and hockey. And we're all better for it.

#4: 2013-14 Buffalo Sabres thirds

Before #thedress, this horrorshow was the social media fashion phenomenon ... except in this case, everyone agreed: it was mustard yellow and it sucked. In fact, the online animosity was so relentless that Buffalo president Ted Black was moved to utter one of the greatest lines in hockey history: “If it's a turd burger I'll have to put it on a bun and eat it.” We hope that burger came with a shake to wash it down, Ted.

#3: 2009 Montreal Canadiens 1912-13 throwbacks

Looking more like the uniform of a 1920s chain gang rock breaker than a legendary hockey team, this tribute to Montreal's centennial season was so ugly that coach Bob Gainey refused to let his team wear it a second time after its Feb. 1, 2009 debut. Boston's Shawn Thornton, whose Bruins beat the Canadiens 3-1 that night, thought that was the right call. “I was really concerned about it in warmup,” he said. “When there were 23 guys skating around, I was dizzy and I didn't know if I got enough sleep or what.”

#2: 1995-96 Anaheim Ducks Wild Wing

This is the “Showgirls” of hockey sweaters, a debacle so gallingly bad that for some it comes all the way back around to great. Featured a cartoon version of the team's mascot leaping forward in an apparent 'roid-fueled rage along some of the worst name/number graphics ever.

#1: 1995-2006 Bruins Winnie The Pooh thirds

Objectively, this wasn't even the worst third jersey introduced in 1995, but it stuck around so long—10 humiliating seasons—and was such a downgrade from their classic traditional sweaters that it earns the top spot. The dijon yellow body and jagged trim were bad enough, but that sleepy bear head logo? It's like replacing San Jose's fearsome fish with Katy Perry's left shark, only there's no kitsch value here. It was no coincidence the team was so bad for so many of those years. Wearing these took two inches and 20 pounds off those poor souls.

The numbers game

• Of the 991 games that have been played in the NHL so far this season, 577 (58.2%) have been decided by one goal or two due to an empty-net score.

• Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard has tied a franchise mark of six straight seasons with at least 20 wins. He joins Harry Lumley(1944–45 through ’49–50) and Chris Osgood(’95–96 through 2000–01) in the team’s record book. Howard is also one of only four goalies to have won 20 or more games in each of the last six or more seasons. The others: Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers(10 straight), Marc-André Fleury of the Penguins(7) and Antti Niemi of the Sharks(6).

• The Islanders are at least 22 games over .500 for the first time since they went 50-26-4 in 1983–84. That team lost in the Stanley Cup finals to Wayne Gretzky’s budding Oilers dynasty after a run of four straight championships.

Hot links

[daily_cut]

• A CBA loophole could lead to Columbus losing a potential top-pairing defenseman.

• Will a second playoff DNQ in three years mark the end of the line for Craig Berube in Philadelphia? It seems more like a talent issue than a problem with coaching, but if the rumors of internal unrest are true it might be hard to justify bringing him back.

• For the first time all season, one of these didn’t go the Ducks’ way.

• Ken Campbell says that the Sabres, the Coyotes and Edmonton aren’t tanking to get a better draft pick. They’re just really bad at hockey.

• This should possibly be a cause for concern as Detroit rolls toward a playoff berth in the Atlantic Division.

Published Mar 10, 2015

ALLAN MUIR