Las Vegas’ US$375m (£264.7m, €333.1m) multi-purpose T-Mobile Arena looks set to become the home of the latest National Hockey League (NHL) franchise.
Reports in the US suggest the NHL has chosen the Nevada city over launching a franchise in Quebec, although the league’s board of governors will hold a formal vote on 22 June.
If, as expected, the franchise is given the green light, the earliest it will be able to take part in the league is the 2017/18 season, and organisers wanting to bring the team to the city will have to pay a US$500m (£353m, €444.1m) fee.
The new Populous-designed arena – which was built with money provided by MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group – will be home to the team. It has a capacity of 17,500 for professional hockey.
Las Vegas, with a population of just over 2m, is the most densely-populated city in the US without a major sports franchise. The National Football League (NFL) franchise Oakland Raiders have held talks about moving the team to the city, after its bid to relocate to Los Angeles was rejected by the NFL board in favour of the St Louis Rams.
