By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
From the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, LVSportsBiz.com suggested the NBA, NHL and WNBA use Las Vegas’ hospitality infrastructure and venues like T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Thomas & Mack Center and Mandalay Bay Events Center as a bubble base to stage their games.
Well, I guess one out of three isn’t too bad for Las Vegas. With the NBA heading to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports in metro Orlando and WNBA looking at IMG Academy sports training center in Bradenton an hour south of Tampa on Florida’s West Coast, it looks like the NHL is going to use Las Vegas as a host market to stage the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The New York Post reported the Rangers and Islanders are heading to Sin City to play in the Eastern Conference playoffs as part of the NHL’s return-to-play plan during the summer.
Las Vegas is one of 10 NHL cities vying to be a host market for the Eastern and Western Conference playoffs. T-Mobile Arena is surrounded by MGM Resorts International properties that could house the Eastern Conference teams. Fans would not be allowed to attend games and it’s clear players would need to be tested and quarantined under safety and health protocols as part of the COVID-19 “bubble” scenario.
The NHL will announce the two host cities later this month.
If the NHL picks Las Vegas as a host city, it would have little impact on local residents and fans. It would boost occupancy rates on the Strip and help generate hotel room tax revenues, which are being collected to finance the public’s $750 million contribution to build Raiders stadium on the west side of Interstate 15 across from Mandalay Bay.
The Vegas Golden Knights, which are in the playoffs, will play in another NHL city because the league doesn’t want a team having a home ice advantage in the playoffs — even if there’s not a single fan in the building. The Eastern Conference is filled with powerful teams like the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Again, with players in a bubble, fans from those cities would not have access to them even if they travel to Las Vegas. They could watch the games on TV like the rest of hockey fans across North America.
Speaking of fans attending a sports event in Las Vegas, Top Rank founder and chief Bob Arum said in a video on an ESPN Ringside Twitter post that his people are talking with Raiders President Marc Badain about using the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium to host a third fight between WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and his rival, Deontay Wilder, later this year.
“Well that’s a possibility,” Arum said in the video.
Arum said Fury vs Wilder 3 could potentially be staged before a limited audience at the 65,000-seat domed football stadium, which is scheduled to be ready July 31.
Arum said the boxing match could not be held at 15,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena because only 3,000 seats would be available for social distancing purposes during the coronavirus pandemic.
But a stadium like the Raiders’ new home could have 15,000 boxing fans in the spacious 65,000-seat venue to see Fury vs. Wilder, Arum said in the video.
Las Vegas has already hosted UFC’s fight night event May 30 and the Professional Bull Riders at South Point this month.
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