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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - As we speak, the city of Las Vegas is entrenched in the exploratory phase of a ticket drive meant to assess its readiness to accept an NHL franchise in the near future. Coming out of last weeks Board of Governors meeting in Boca Raton, commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant that expansion and relocation were merely topics discussed and not a dead certainty. There are 30 teams currently, and, if you believe the conspiracy theories that pop up whenever the league decides to realign its divisional format, two more spaces open for clubs in a 14-team Western Conference to balance out a 16-team Eastern Conference. There is no formal expansion process, Bettman said. There is no vote that was taken today. There is no vote that was contemplated. We dont have an agreement to sell anybody an expansion process. Still, its not difficult to read between the lines when billionaire businessman Rick Foley practically falls over himself in the last year to get the leagues attention and set out and prove that this former desert stop-over for GIs in World War II could field a hockey team at the continents highest level. Mr. Foley, who is investing a considerable amount of time and effort in expressing his interest, wants to have a good idea as to whether or not its a good idea, Bettman said last Tuesday. Were interested to know the results, as well ... if he just wants people to sign a piece of paper and say Im interested, Im not sure thats the same as somebody taking a deposit. Reports have surfaced that an expansion fee for Vegas could reach as high as $400 million, a number which seems to have discouraged all talk of a club coming to Seattle. Thats absurd, but thats apparently enough of a windfall to remedy any lingering cash flow issues from the 2012-13 season which began in late January due to 3 1/2 months worth of discord over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A league seemingly impervious to business decisions which at times have pushed it to the brink of ruin would be stupid not to consider it. Its amazing that Bettman -- who has presided over three work stoppages and one entire cancelled season under his watch while revenues and a salary cap have seen a net increase in that time -- can simply sit back and let potential owners flock to him without really lifting a finger. But thats where we are. The National Hockey League, for all its faults and shortcomings and occasional labor battles which truncate season schedules and alienate hard-core fans, has reached a point on the North American sports landscape where starry-eyed civic-minded heroes are lining up to grab a piece of the rock on little more than the promise of an audience with the king. In Vegas, its the lure of legitimacy for a city eternally left out of the professional sports picture due to the stain of gambling and the possibilities of regional rivalries with southern California and Phoenix. In Quebec, now approaching 20 years since the Nordiques left for Denver, a whole new arena to replace the famed Le Colisee is being built on nothing more than the hopes of attracting either a wayward franchise or a totally new one. Lets not forget theres a brand-new arena in Kansas City which was all set to welcome the itinerant Penguins seven years ago before the deal of the century kept the team in Pittsburgh. And then, theres Florida. Nobody should be focusing on the Panthers as a relocation candidate. Period, Bettman said. Its inconsistent with everything we know and believe, its inconsistent with everything (owner) Vinnie Viola would be telling me and inconsistent meaning he has no intention of moving the club. He is committed to South Florida. With an average of well under 9,000 fans per game -- numbers which recently doomed the second NHL club to be placed in Atlanta -- its laughable that Bettman could keep up that charade for much longer. Just as when he preached patience and confidence for the Thrashers franchise and then allowed it to bolt up to Winnipeg in May of 2011, if the economics of a new locale will strengthen the overall brand, you can bet Bettman -- and by extension the rest of the BOG -- will sign off on the move before the first plastic rats hit the ice in protest. The devil, as always, is in the details. To wit: If were having this conversation in two or three years, it might be a different issue, Bettman said. And why wouldnt Bettman and Viola have this conversation by then? Its taken more than a decade for things to become so pear-shaped, how could it turn around in such a short time frame even with a winner in the building? While the puppets dance around him, sometimes by his own hand and sometimes to the beat of their own drum, Bettman and the NHL can just bide their time. Expansion and relocation is coming. Its simply more dramatic to hear the hedging and denials first, because thats what makes the final decision so explosive to the public and so ecstatic to the hopeful. In the meantime, pray for Vegas and Quebec and all points in between dont become too swept up in the sweepstakes because its all just a game in the end. Cheap Brian ONeill Jersey . 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Last year, Islanders forward Colin Mcdonald released a "Do It For Colin" campaign to promote his teammate and friend John Tavares for the EA sports honour:The most popular sports voting video ever has to go to Chris Bosh who showcased his comedic abilities in his effort to get fans to vote him into the 2008 All Star Game:You can vote for TJ and other star players for the NHL 15 cover vote here.TORONTO - The moment Nik Stauskas had been waiting for since he was a boy finally came late in the first quarter Wednesday night.He stepped on the court of Torontos Air Canada Centre as a professional player.The Sacramento Kings rookie scored eight points in a 119-102 loss to the Raptors in what was a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old who grew up shooting hoops on his backyard basketball court in Mississauga, Ont., just down the highway from the ACC.Ive been in this building 100 times as a fan, this is my first time as a pro, Stauskas said. Everywhere I looked I saw someone who knew me and started waving at me, so I tried to focus as much as I could on the game and not get distracted, and hopefully now I can go say hi to a bunch of people.Wednesday night wasnt his first time on the Raptors court. Stauskas was a nine-year-old at an open practice when then-Raptors star Vince Carter plucked the boy out of the crowd for some one-on-one fun. Stauskas hit a three-pointer on Carter, who promptly tackled Stauskas to the floor, and, as his dad Paul remembered it, gave his son a noogie.Some 200 friends and family members — many in No. 10 Stauskas jerseys — were at the ACC on Wednesday to cheer on the Canadian, who was part of one of Canadas most successful NBA draft classes. His mom Ruta had purchased a block of 50 tickets alone for the closest friends and family. His dad Paul followed the action with a video camera in hand.Section 104. I saw them, Stauskas said, smiling.The Canadian checked into the game to a warm ovation.I heard em, he said. It was good to hear that, and it definitely helped me take out the nerves coming into the game here, the support.Stauskas went in with 2:09 to go in the first quarter, and scored his first points a minute into the second, running away from his defender to drain an open 21-foot jumper.There was some worry that Wednesdays game wasnt going to happen. The Kings were in New York to play the Knicks on Monday but the city was pounded by a snowstorm and that game was cancelled.I got really scared when they started talking about the storm because they were like We might not be able to get to Toronto, and I was like Man. Dont do this to me, Stauskas said, laughing. It was good we were able to get out here, and just happy (Tuesday) to go back home and see some family and friends. It was a lot of fun.It wasnt quite the storybook return Stauskas would have liked to write however. The Kings eighth overall pick in last summers NBA draft hasnt seen the floor as much as hed like. In two recent games, against the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trailblazers, Stauskas didnt play a minute.He came into Wednesdays affair averaging 3.7 points and 14.2 minutes in 41 games off the bencch.ddddddddddddIve obviously struggled this year, said the six-foot-six guard. Everybodys just told me keep my head up. For example. . . Ben (McLemore) kind of went through the same things as I have this year. Everybodys just told me keep working hard, keep my head up and good things will come.The toughest adjustment for the former University of Michigan star has been mental, Stauskas said.Just being ready all the time, not focusing too much on the highs and the lows, he said. A good example, Klay (Thompson of Golden State) the other night had 37 on us in a quarter and then last night he went 0-for-13 from three. Its crazy how from night to night things can change like that and you cant let it affect you too much. Just going through times where I wasnt playing a lot or I wasnt playing well, I didnt know how to handle it day-to-day, with those kinds of things going on. Ive just kind of learned how to stay even-keeled more often and not worry about those things all that much.Stauskass name has also been swirling about in trade rumours, which he said was a surprise.But this is the NBA, I feel like everyone is in trade rumours at some point, he said. Growing up a huge fan of the game, its been tough to switch that part off. He still checks his phone nightly to see, for example, how many points LeBron James had. Im still a fan of the game, that doesnt change at all, but you try to separate it a little bit because youre competing against these guys, Stauskas said.When youre a kid, you look at these guys like theyre not human, at least thats how I saw them growing up. Youve just got to realize everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning, theyre just like you, and were all competing against each other.Stauskas was complimentary of the Raptors.Theyve got a great team, very talented, one of the best teams in the east and one of the best teams in the league, he said. And DeMar (DeRozan) has been out for the majority of the season with that (groin) injury but I think when everyone on this team is healthy and theyre playing together, theyre a really tough team to stop.As for Stauskass first-year struggles, Kings coach and former Raptor Tyrone Corbin said the young guard is going through the growing pains of any NBA rookie. Hes learning whats going to give him a chance in this league, Corbin said. Hes a shooter. . . (he has to) find his shots, be ready for his shots, when you get the double teams on the weak side, to come off and be ready when the shots there, if not read and take things that are available for him quickly.On defence, his body has to get stronger to be able to defend guys in this league. But hes working hard, hes a rookie in this league so hes trying to find his way. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Braves Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Tigers Jerseys Cheap Astros Jerseys Cheap Royals Jerseys Cheap Angels Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys ' ' '