Building an expansion team in the NHL is not an easy feat, especially when you are set to play in the 2017-2018 regular season. This however is the case for the Las Vegas hockey franchise owner Bill Foley, the man with this daunting task on his shoulders. After fighting to beat out Quebec City and putting down a staggering 500 million dollar down payment, there is a large amount pressure upon Foley’s shoulders for success. After putting his sights on a Stanley Cup within the first 8 years of the team’s history, you can definitely assume that all eyes will be on Foley, whether he has success or fails.
Foley has to find a GM with the resume that doesn’t falter and the ability to build a franchise from the ground up. He needed to find someone who has built masterpieces in the past and set foundations for powerhouse teams, and then in walks George McPhee. McPhee is the first piece to this puzzle, the cornerstone needed to build a team and franchise around. McPhee was formerly a general manager for the Washington Capitals for an impressive 17 years, building the talent filled team we know today. He also was a director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks and a senior advisor to the New York Islanders. Foley was looking for a man to build his franchise and bring the experience, he definitely found it in George McPhee.
Picking a team name and logo comes next, the team name has to appeal to the location of the team. A city based around tourism and gambling has plenty of opportunities, but after Foley made it clear that he did not wish to associate the team with gambling, he was left with one name left, the Las Vegas Knights. This name comes from Foley’s connection to the West Point Black Knights, and the name fits perfectly to Las Vegas. Las Vegas is set to play in two years and whether they rise or fall, they will be the newest addition to the NHL.
In the last sentence it should be “addition” instead of “edition”.
Good catch, thank you