When it was announced that Vegas would be the NHL’s 31st city, the news was met with quite the backlash. People argued that Quebec City or Seattle were much more deserving of an NHL franchise, and people also worried that a warm-weather climate in a city that could be described as transient could lead to a lack of a consistent fan base.
Pish posh, Vegas has arrived.
Of course part of the reason why they’ve become such a prominent hockey city is because of their surprising success on the ice, leading to a truly unexpected 109-point season, but that’s not the only reason. Vegas has delivered an atmosphere that reflects their team in a way that could be compared to how their city is thought of in the country – the fun getaway, party experience. On top of that, their social media team has certainly left a lasting footprint by picking fights with other teams, as well as using interesting techniques like obscure movie references to peak their following’s interest.
They are also delivering on television ratings, as NBC Sports reports that they are actually out here raising the bar even higher.
Pretty impressive for an expansion team that was told by some they would sink faster than a lead zeppelin (yes, we are aware that is not how the band spells it).
While it will be interesting to see how the market develops as the novelty wears off, it is certainly worth a healthy hat tip to the team and it’s owners.
(H/T NBC Sports)
