NHL Reportedly Chooses Las Vegas for Expansion over Quebec City

The NHL is reportedly set to add a 31st team, settling on Las Vegas over Quebec City to receive an expansion franchise as early as the 2017-18 season. 

According to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, a source close to the situation said Tuesday that a Las Vegas expansion team is a "done deal" as long as organizers are able to pay a $500 million expansion fee.

Per ESPN.com, the NHL board of governors will vote on the matter June 22.

Provided the Nevada franchise is accepted by the league, the team will play its games at T-Mobile Arena after having already received "more than 14,000 season-ticket deposits," according to Beacham.

The NHL is in line to become the first major professional sports league to have a team in Las Vegas, which could potentially open the door for others, such as the NFL's Oakland Raiders.

Nate Silver of ESPN's FiveThirtyEight remains unsure of Las Vegas' viability as far as the NHL is concerned, however:

The Las Vegas franchise will mark the NHL's first expansion team since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild joined the league in 2000.

While only Las Vegas is in line to be part of the expansion, the door could be open for an additional expansion team in the future.

There are 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference. The addition of Las Vegas would bring the league closer to being balanced, but there would still be room for one more team out West.

Vegas remains the sole focus, though, and the authorization of a franchise in the City of Lights would be a groundbreaking moment for professional sports in the United States.

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