Steve Carp on Potential Success of Vegas Team

Steve Carp on Potential Success of Vegas Team

By: Matthew Blittner
Las Vegas is fast becoming one of the hot topics now that the Nevada metropolis has been accepted into the NHL fraternity.
How well it will do and who will coach the new franchise are questions being discussed throughout Bettman, Inc. For insights yours truly interviewed the premier hockey writer in Vegas, Steve Carp, of the city's Las Vegas Review-Journal.
THOUGHTS ON SUCCESS OF TEAM IN VEGAS: “With population of over 2 million, previously having two successful minor league franchises, and the freshness of expansion this team is well positioned to succeed in drawing fans.”
VIEWS ON FOLEY’S AIDES: “Bill Foley trusts Murray Craven thanks to Craven’s background in the sport, (played 18 seasons.) Craven has a great vision of what should go into building the practice facility and has also advised that the team has its’ offices there as well. The hiring of George McPhee was great, as McPhee brings instant credibility thanks to his time in Vancouver and Washington. McPhee had a tremendous tenure with Vancouver as they reached the cup Finals in 1994. He then began to establish Washington as a powerhouse team through the acquisitions and development of Ovi and Braden Holtby. McPhee has a good foundation thanks to his meshing of old-school tactics and use of modern analytics.”

ON POTENTIAL FIRST HEAD COACH: “Foley, Craven and McPhee want a guy who is patient yet determined to win as well as to teach. Some names that I feel might be a good fit are: Paul Mclean (Former Ottawa Head Coach), Claude Julien (if Bruins let him go after coming season) and Marc Crawford (former player for the Canucks and Avalanche.)”
RESPONSE TO SKEPTICS OF HAVING TEAM IN VEGAS: “People have primarily focused on Vegas being the center of gambling as a cause for the team to not be successful, but gambling in hockey is relatively small and if anything it could bring more fans to the games, as they would place a bet and then want to go see if it pans out. Even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has recently taken this stance on gambling, as leagues are now starting to look at gambling in a different light. As for the accusations that Vegas isn’t a hockey town, people said that Los Angeles, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Nashville weren’t hockey towns either and yet those franchises have succeeded. For the team as a whole to be successful, they must be successful on the ice in the short and long-term.”
BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO BECOMING SUCCESS: “The hockey scouts need to not only find good players but players that have good chemistry and create the right culture right away. Every expansion team has struggled initially, but McPhee is in a good spot as they have a fresh start and will likely hold onto their draft picks and target some top unrestricted free agents.”
ON FUTURE COMPETITION FROM OTHER LEAGUES: The NHL has first dibs on local sponsorships, and there is a lot of interest from the business perspective. The NFL is still around four years away from coming to Vegas, (likely the Raiders), and the NBA is not in the mix.”


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