Voisin’s article is centered around the Maloof’s who currently own the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.  They apparently want out of their marriage to the Kings and according to Voisin, a deal is in the works to sell the team to Seattle investors Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer.  The pair would then look at relocating the club to Seattle and thus freeing the Maloof’s of their ties to the NBA.  All so that they can venture into the idea of owing a franchise is another major sports league, either the MLB or the NHL.

While Voisin focuses on the Kings and how the Maloof’s are trying to leave town as quickly as possible, she does mention that the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has met with the interested owners.  Furthermore, the Maloof’s have “for months looked into buying a hockey franchise, with Las Vegas among the possible destinations” writes Voisin.

So could this actually be a potential point of expansion for Bettman and the NHL?  I’m sure he’d love to get into business with the Maloof’s who would come with deep pockets.  What about having them buying the Phoenix Coyotes and moving the team to Las Vegas?  Bettman has said he wants to keep the team in Phoenix, but if no owners can be found and this family of investors is knocking on the door, would Gary be foolish to not at least listen to what they have to say?  It appears he already has listened but no one knows how far the league’s commissioner would actually go to explore the possibilities of putting a team in Vegas.

With no other professional sports team currently in the highly populated city of tourists, it would be a hard sell to many hockey fans to put a team in Vegas.  Known more for it’s night life, high profile gambling and the ideal bachelor and bachelorette parties, the frozen game of hockey would be a side show that would rank somewhere after Carrot Top, Criss Angel and The Men Down Under.

Mr. Bettman had best use his better sense of judgement on this one and take off his rose colored glasses before looking at expanding to Nevada.  Dollars and cents aside, Las Vegas is not a hockey market.  In fact, you could argue that it’s not a football market, it’s not a baseball market and it’s not a basketball market.  It’s a niche market that has one sole purpose; entertainment.

Are major sporting events not entertainment?  Yes they are, but not the kind that drums up the interest when people venture to Las Vegas.  Would a group of young men who are heading to Vegas for a weekend to celebrate their pals’ last weekend of freedom rather take in a hockey game or play cards, drink and find mischief on “the strip.”  If given that choice I know which one I’m taking if I was back in my early twenties, and it doesn’t involve ice (well maybe a little but it wouldn’t be used to skate on).  You get the picture.

A second team in Toronto or better yet a team back in Quebec City has the most logic when looking at the impact on the game of hockey.  You don’t have to look any further than the Winnipeg Jets and how they’ve strived since receiving their beloved team back.  Corporate dollars aside, Winnipeg has proven to Bettman that the city and it’s fans will support the club for a guaranteed five years. After that, if management can’t put a winning product on the ice, then you can call it a failed experiment for the second time around.  Until then, they have the season ticket sales to prove that moving the Trashers from Atlanta to north of the border was the right call.

So when looking at Las Vegas as a potential home to a NHL team or one of the aforementioned Canadian cities it becomes clear what the answer is.  Expanding the NHL to include Las Vegas would be like betting on double zeros all night long.  The payoff “could” be great, but the odds are stacked firmly against you Gary.

It’s your bet Mr. Bettman.  Choose wisely.

Nov 1, 2012; San Diego CA, USA; Fans of the NHL and the San Diego Chargers hold a sign that reads “Lock out has got us down so we

While Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr are sitting in the boardrooms, and some of the NHL favorite are playing in separate countries, fans need to find something else to fill the whole caused by the NHL Lockout. I have come up with five things we could do while the lockout hovers above us. Here is the list.

1) Go Skating – People can fill the void of the NHL season by going out and skating. There are plenty of ice rinks around that can help ease the pain. Grab your stick and a few pucks and hit the ice with some friends and start a game. Wear your favorite jersey to the rink and pretend to play as your favorite player.

2) Watch the NHL Network – The NHL Network has been showing great things this lockout. Not only do they play old classic games, but they also have series that are very interesting. They feature a show called “Pioneers”, where they preview stars like Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. They also have a series that I live by, called “Day That Changed The Game.” They feature stories including Patrick Roy’s last game in Montreal, Eric Lindros’ draft crumble, and Stan Mikita discovering the curved stick. You can also find OHL and WHL games airing, which brings us to the 3rd item on the list.

3) Watch AHL/OHL/College games – Many can see college games near their homes. If you have the luxury of living near one of the 20 OHL teams, I recommend going to them. Their ticket prices are cheap and the teams consist of NHL prospects. I watched a Plymouth Whalers game where Radek Faksa played against them. I also witnessed Dale Hunter coach the London Knights. These games are fun to watch, and any kind of hockey is good enough right now.

4) SHOP! – Go to the NHL Store and by all of your favorite memorabilia. You can find just about anything there and most can be customized. Many people find their favorite Christmas gifts coming from the NHL Store. I got a Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic Jersey of Jordan Staal from there. Sure, my  parents were mad that he got traded, but I still got a great player’s jersey. Buying merchandise for your favorite team not only shows you love your team, but that you are attempting to feel better about no hockey season.

5) Buy NHL 13 and play it – My brother bought this game, and it is the best NHL video game yet. The new features for the game, including speed burst, take the game to a whole new level. They include a feature called NHL Moments Live, which has been seen in Madden games for a few years. The first challenge you face is playing as Wayne Gretzky, scoring two goals to win the game. The kicker is you have to play with today’s roster. Instead of Paul Coffey, it’s Ladislav Smid.

Whether you can stand the sight of the NHL lockout or not, you need to find something to do. Go buy some of your teams memorabilia. When you bundle up for the harsh winter, get a scarf or some gloves and a hat, representing your team. Many things can be done this lockout, even though it pains us to cover up the hurt of the lost season.

I would like to thank Billy Bryson and Derek Stykalo for bringing me back to Too Many Men On The Site. You can reach me on Twitter @NardoneDylan.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In what some are calling an “attempt to save the season,” the NHL and NHLPA are headed back to the bargaining table this Wednesday at a secret location after a round of unorthodox labor talks between NHL owners and players quickly disintegrated last week.

The talks will be coming on the heels of the NHL canceling another round of regular season games through December 30th. Which leaves the door open for an abbreviated season to occur if the two sides can agree on a new collective bargaining agreement soon (although I would argue that the door is only about a tenth of the way open).

As I reported yesterday that brings the total number of games lost to this lockout up to a whopping 526 games and counting, which works out to be roughly 43% of the season. But, like I also said there is still a chance for a shortened season and no thats not me trying to get your hopes up. I’ve never tried to do that but there is a chance but thats all it is at this point, a chance. There’s also a chance I could get hit on by Carrie Underwood tomorrow or win the lottery and trust me neither of those will be happening (when I’m awake anyway).

So, I don’t care what happens anymore at this point and maybe I won’t be disappointed. It’s my Vince Vaughn as Peter LaFleur in Dodgeball theory, “I found that if you have a goal, that you might not reach it. But if you don’t have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya — it feels phenomenal”. It does feel phenomenal and I think that it applies perfectly to this lockout or any other NHL work stoppage for that matter.

I’ll leave you with one last little nugget, today marks the 20th anniversary of Gary Bettman becoming NHL commissioner. Yeah, I felt like I just got kicked in the stomach too when I first read that, maybe watching this awesome YouTube video montage of Gary Bettman getting booed everywhere he goes will make it all go away.