LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 10: Fidelity National Financial Inc. Chairman and President of Hockey Vision Las Vegas Bill Foley speaks during a news conference at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino announcing the launch of a season ticket drive to try to gauge if there is enough interest in Las Vegas to support an NHL team on February 10, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A Las Vegas franchise would play in a USD 375 million, 20,000-seat arena being built on the Strip by MGM Resorts International and AEG that is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Report: Vegas season ticket drive passes goal of 10,000

The effort to bring the NHL to Las Vegas recently hit a significant milestone. Reports indicate that the group has surpassed their goal of 10,000 down payments on season tickets. The report states that the 10,000 figure is made up of individuals and small businesses and not any of the major businesses or casinos in the area. Those larger corporations are now the new target of Bill Foley and company.

Via ESPN:

The group will continue to take down payments on season tickets from individuals even as they move into discussions with these larger entities, many of whom have already reached out to Foley and his group, he said. It’s possible that along with the sale of suites, which are at about 750 seats, the ownership group that includes Foley and the Maloof family, former owners of the Palms casino and resort in Las Vegas and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, could top the 13,000 mark for season-ticket deposits.

In other words, the ticket drive has been a pretty big success. One of the criticisms was that a team in Vegas wouldn’t be able to maintain a consistent fanbase as the games would be filled with people who received tickets as a promotion or as a comp from a casino. The proposed Vegas team would effectively lack the home ice advantage. This may not be the case if the description of the individuals who made the 10,000 deposits is accurate.

You can debate hockey in Vegas until you’re blue in the face, but all signs are pointing to the NHL expanding out in the desert.

About David Rogers

Editor for The Comeback and Contributing Editor for Awful Announcing. Lover of hockey, soccer and all things pop culture.

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