New NHL franchise owner Bill Foley and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stand for photos after the announcement of Las Vegas’ first professional sports franchise during a news conference Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at Encore. The NHL expansion team is expected to begin play in the 2017-18 season at T-Mobile Arena.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 | 3:35 p.m.
The wait for a professional sports franchise is finally over for Las Vegas with the National Hockey League announcing Las Vegas today as its 31st franchise.
Social media was instantly buzzing with talk of the soon-to-be-named Las Vegas franchise. Commissioner Gary Bettman even commented on the impact that social media will have on the league’s first expansion in “the digital era.”
"This will perhaps be the most covered expansion in our history,” Bettman said.
Everyone from Nevada politicians, to other NHL teams and the Las Vegas locals that have waited years for this moment took to Twitter and Instagram to connect during one of the biggest sports moments in the city’s history.
Here is a sample:
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy