IHL: Thunder will return to Las Vegas at later date

The Las Vegas Thunder's tradition now can be compared to that of the Cleveland Browns.

The International Hockey League has decided to keep the Thunder nickname, logos and history in Las Vegas, even if Mandalay Sports relocates or sells its homeless franchise.

The National Football League did the same when the Browns moved and became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996. The new Browns start playing again this fall.

The Thunder was rendered idle when its Thomas & Mack Center lease expired at the end of the season and no other arena rolled out the welcome mat.

"I think we'll be in Las Vegas, but not for the 1999-2000 season unless something miraculous happens," IHL president Doug Moss said Monday.

"But once we find a building the Thunder will be back in Las Vegas. It could be under different ownership, but the Thunder name will stay in Las Vegas."

According to Moss, Mandalay Sports is aggressively searching for a new city to place its franchise. He has remained in close contact with Mandalay Sports and claims to have spoken to partial-owner Ken Stickney last Thursday.

"They're not going to make any money by shutting down for a year," Moss said. "They're looking for a new market."

A Thunder source said Mandalay Sports has looked into relocating the team to Sacramento, Calif., and two Arizona cities: Tucson and Flagstaff. All three prospects have been ruled out for various reasons.

Moss is not actively assisting in the franchise's possible relocation.

He did, however, step in on behalf of Mandalay Sports to deal with the T&M and proposed a plan that would have brought in Houston Aeros owner Chuck Watson as the Thunder's owner.

Moss expressed his dismay that talks never reached the negotiation stage.

"There never was a negotiation," Moss said. "They didn't put forth one number. It was one excuse after another.

"They have every right to run their arena however they want. But I would have loved to have seen what it would take to make a deal. I never found out.

"I just wanted to step up to the plate. I only got as far as the on-deck circle."

T&M director Pat Christenson insists he gave Moss and Mandalay Sports "every opportunity" to make a deal.

"For him to say we never gave this its due attention, he is mistaken," Christenson said. "I would disagree that we gave excuses.

"All we had ever talked about was the possibility of the Thunder, and in the end he came in with another concept of another team. By that point I felt we were too far down the road."

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