Vegas NHL application moves to next phase

Bill Foley's application to the National Hockey League for a new franchise in Las Vegas has moved to the next stage as Foley will now submit information about the Las Vegas market to the league.

Foley's VegasWantsHockey website said, "We are pleased to report that the NHL has invited us to participate in Phase II of the application process to secure an NHL team in Las Vegas. In this phase, we will be providing the League with additional information, including information about the Las Vegas market.

"We will also be permitted access to information provided by the League that it deems important to us. We are hopeful that at the conclusion of this phase, the league will invite us to participate in Phase III."

Foley and his minority partners, the Maloof brothers of Las Vegas, are trying to start an NHL team that would play at the new $375 million arena under construction behind New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Strip. Foley hopes the NHL Board of Governors will approve a team by January that could potentially play in the 2017-18 season at the privately financed arena that is owned by MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group.