from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

The expectation seems to be that Vegas will get a team, but Quebec probably won’t; that William Foley, the billionaire entrepreneur who has been patiently awaiting news from the NHL’s executive committee about his bid, already has the bones of a hockey hierarchy in place.

Murray Craven, the former Philadelphia Flyers player, would assume a leadership role, maybe even as team president. Craven has a previous relationship with Foley and has been acting as his unofficial adviser throughout this process.

Scott Mellanby, a former teammate of Craven’s, is one of a handful of candidates for a position in hockey operations, maybe even as general manager.

Whenever the NHL wants to admit new ownership – either via expansion or relocation – it requires three things: An owner with deep pockets, a building that’s ready for occupancy, and a market that can help the league grow the game. It helps, too, if the prospective owner isn’t too public about his wishes, but is willing to quietly bide his time while the NHL ponders the pros and cons of taking this next step.

Once upon a time, expansion was nothing short of a money grab for NHL teams. Nowadays, the primary decision-makers in the game can see beyond the short-term windfall that a $500-million expansion fee will produce.

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