Bill Daly doesn't seem too concerned about the possibility of the NFL invading hockey's new turf.
The NHL deputy commissioner said his league isn't worried about the Oakland Raiders' potential relocation affecting the expansion Vegas Golden Knights when reached via email by Yahoo Sports' Josh Cooper on Saturday.
Related - Report: Raiders to submit relocation papers for Vegas move
Daly took a predictable stance when asked whether the NHL views the NFL franchise's possible arrival in Sin City as positive, negative or neutral.
"I would say overall, it's neutral," he told Cooper. "We were certainly aware of the talk and the possibility of the NFL locating a franchise in Vegas at the time we made the decision to expand into Las Vegas.
"So, obviously, we felt an NFL team - if it transpired (and certainly time will tell on that) - wouldn’t materially affect the business of the hockey team. That continues to be our feeling. I think while fan bases undoubtedly overlap, the sports ‘buy’ for sponsors is materially different as between football and hockey.”
Las Vegas was granted an NHL expansion franchise last summer, and the Golden Knights' name and logo were awkwardly revealed in November.
They'll take the ice for the first time this fall following the expansion draft in June.
Raiders owner Mark Davis has said that if the team's relocation is confirmed when NFL owners vote on the matter in the spring, the club will still need to play in Oakland for several additional seasons while a new stadium is built in Las Vegas.
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