NFL-NHL MARKETS
The following markets support both NFL football and NHL hockey: Market NFL team NHL team Boston Patriots Bruins Buffalo Bills Sabres Chicago Bears Blackhawks Dallas Cowboys Stars Denver Broncos Avalanche Detroit Lions Red Wings Las Vegas Raiders Golden Knights Los Angeles Rams Kings
Chargers Ducks Miami Dolphins Panthers Minneapolis Vikings Wild Nashville Titans Predators New York Giants Rangers Jets Islanders
Devils Philadelphia Eagles Flyers Phoenix Cardinals Coyotes Pittsburgh Steelers Penguins San Jose 49ers Sharks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lightning Washington Redskins Capitals Foley said. “But I learned a long time ago not to worry about things that were out of my control. We welcome Mark Davis and the Raiders to Las Vegas.”
But what was first considered fan- tasy has become reality. And the reality is hockey now has football to deal with in vying for the consumer and corporate dollar in Southern Nevada. Monday, the NHL was also taking a softer stance regarding the Raiders.
“We continue to have every confidence the Vegas Golden Knights franchise will be successful regardless of whether (and when) an NFL franchise might enter the market,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in an email to the Review-Journal. “The team is committed to working hard to establish close and lasting relationships with its fans and sponsors and to becoming a valued member of the local community — things it has already begun to do.
“At the end of the day, relationships with the two teams offer different value propositions to potential partners, and we believe both can be successful in Las Vegas.”
While the Raiders’ proposed 65,000seat domed stadium won’t be ready until 2020, that won’t stop the NFL team from establishing business relationships in the Las Vegas community. It will have plenty of selling points, not the least of which is the NFL itself, the most powerful brand in American sports. The team will also sell the Raiders’ rich history, which is well-known to football fans.
The Golden Knights don’t play their first-ever game until early October. And while the hockey team has been working diligently on securing those necessary sponsorship deals within the local business community, the fact is they no longer have exclusivity to the market.
“We anticipated this would happen and we’re not surprised by it,” Knights president Kerry Bubolz said. “We’re embracing it.
“You can’t think in a vacuum. You have to look at the big picture. The Raiders are going to increase the visibility of this market and create more opportunities to do business.” Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.