from Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal,

“It would be a cool place to have a hockey team,” said Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player), Vezina Trophy (top goalie), the Jennings Trophy (fewest goals allowed) and the Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player, awarded by the players association). “It would be fun. It’s a glamour city, and I could see a lot of hockey fans coming here to visit and watch their team.”

San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, a finalist for the NHL Foundation Award, said of expansion: “Why not? More jobs for guys. And Vegas is a great city to visit.”

Jonathan Toews, the captain of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, said he hopes owners will give careful thought to the issue before they decide to expand and go into yet another nontraditional hockey market.

“I guess there’s a lot of hype about Vegas,” said Toews, a finalist for the Mark Messier Award and the Frank Selke Trophy. “I’ve said all along I’m no businessman, so I hope as a league we see through our successes and our failures and make a smart decision and do whatever will make the game grow and give it long-term success.”

League general managers, who met Tuesday at the Bellagio, were a little more guarded in their comments.

“I’m going to leave that one to brighter minds — our owners,” Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “I think Las Vegas is a great spot. But there’s a lot more that goes into it than a great place to come to. But I think in the dead of winter I wouldn’t mind coming here.”

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