Whoever scores the NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas is about to shell out around $13 billion, a cost that includes building a whole new arena. And NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman? Yeah, he already knows both of the reported finalists, Bill Foley and Bill Laurie, intimately from his own league business. The NBA is expected to drop the news on these expansion plans before the end of 2026, possibly in the next few weeks.
Bettman Plays It Cool (Sort Of) On Vegas Showdown
Bettman was just in Pittsburgh, chilling at a Golden Knights-Penguins game, and he weighed in on these two heavy hitters. He called both Foley, who owns the Golden Knights, and Laurie, the former owner of the St. Louis Blues, “high character” guys, and he genuinely believes either one would kill it with an NBA team in Sin City. Seriously, he even said Laurie ran a “first class organization” back in St. Louis and the NHL had “no complaints” when he owned the Blues from 1999 to 2011. Sounds like a glowing endorsement, right? Well, just wait.
Laurie’s Rocky Past, Foley’s Winning Smile
But here’s where it gets interesting: Bettman hasn’t even chatted with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about all this Vegas buzz, and he’s not about to pick sides on who’d be more successful. He even gave Laurie a nod, saying, “I think he’d say that first and foremost, he’s a basketball guy.” Yet, Laurie’s track record for snagging a basketball team isn’t exactly stellar. He tried and failed to get the Vancouver Grizzlies back in 2000, hoping to move them to St. Louis. That team eventually bolted for Memphis. He also struck out trying to acquire the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets. So, when Bettman was asked to compare their ownership styles? He smiled. A full-on, knowing smile. And then he dropped the line, “I think Bill Foley had a little more success.” Ouch. Maybe not a side, but definitely a lean, huh? Bettman did add he’s “more than happy with the Vegas Golden Knights,” which, fair. Foley’s got a winning team, after all.
NHL’s Own Attendance Woes, and Our Hawks Get Slammed
Beyond the NBA chatter, Bettman also touched on the NHL’s own expansion plans, or lack thereof. He said there’s “no news to report” right now, even though Houston, Austin, and Atlanta keep popping up as potential spots if the league expands past 32 teams. He’s “still working through it.” What *is* happening? There are empty seats in NHL arenas this season. Rising costs and a struggling economy are apparently keeping fans away. The Vegas Golden Knights, of all teams, even saw their epic 420-game sellout streak end last month when only 15,977 fans showed up for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite T-Mobile Arena seating 17,367 for hockey. Bettman tried to spin it, saying “Overall, attendance is up,” and these are just “a couple of instances.” Okay, Bettman, we hear ya.
And speaking of things that are “up” but really aren’t, if you’re a Seattle fan, you probably don’t even want to remember what happened with *our* squad. Our Seahawks got absolutely clocked by the Chicago Bears, 34-17. Yeah, that’s right, 34-17. The pain is real, 12s.
So, while Vegas sorts out its $13 billion NBA drama and Bettman navigates NHL attendance, for us, it’s about picking up the pieces from that Bears game. Mike Macdonald has got to figure out what went wrong, and fast. The season is still early, but that kind of performance just won’t cut it. We know what this team is capable of, and we need to see it on the field next time out. We bleed green and blue, and we’re ready to see a fight. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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