WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- While attending the Winnipeg Jets' first Stanley Cup playoff game in 19 years Monday at MTS Centre, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gave a brief update on the trial season-ticket drive for a possible expansion team in Las Vegas.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation about it. What I'm hearing is the season-ticket drive has gone, and is going, extraordinarily well," Bettman said. "When we get to the board meeting in June, I will report to the board as to where things stand, based on the expressions of interest, and we'll figure out then what, if anything, we want to do."
ESPN.com's Scott Burnside reported that the drive is expected to top 11,000 by the end of Monday.
Bettman said Bill Foley, the main investor in the group, is keeping the league updated on the progress of the season-ticket drive.
"He's under no time pressure," said Bettman.
Bettman was asked how he could compare what Vegas is trying to do with how Winnipeg gained a franchise back in 2011 after a 17-year hiatus.
"My guess is Mr. Foley in Vegas had some conversations with [Jets chairman] Mark Chipman about the mechanics of doing a season-ticket drive," Bettman said. "The time frames are a little different, because here [Winnipeg] it took 20 minutes and everybody knew a team was coming.
"What they're doing in Las Vegas to gauge interest is to ask people to commit and give a deposit on a franchise that doesn't exist. In terms of introducing a team to a market, whether it's an introduction or reintroduction, I don't know how anybody could have done it better than the Winnipeg Jets did here."