The Las Vegas NHL Franchise Ducat Drive Is on a Roll

They're gonna do it.

All projections are that Bill Foley has 10,000 season tickets in the bag to support Sin City's drive for an NHL expansion team.

If he didn't, there'd be no way Gary Bettman would grace the 'official' launch of their effort to sell that many of them. That event is tomorrow, and the Commish has got his VIP pass.

Foley knows a thing or two about planting seeds. Last month, he rounded up a Group of 50 -- including poker pro Daniel Negreanu -- who pledged to sell 60 season tickets each. It's already expanded to the Group of 75.

Word is they're almost at their goal already. Before the launch.

So there's about as much suspense about the outcome as there is in a Chinese election.

The drama might be elsewhere in the West, compliments of the Commish. Comments to the contrary aside, the league's itching for Las Vegas to begin play in 2016-2017 with a fellow newbie. Bettman's acknowledgement that two proposed arena sites in Seattle are actively being pursued leaves no doubt that undercurrents have accelerated for the movers and shakers up there to get a move on.

If the Emerald City's captains of industry falter, perhaps Milwaukee will step up. Their officials are motivated:

Meanwhile, in Québec City:

Maybe the city should just announce it's moving to British Columbia.

Click on a photo to enlarge.