National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman is interviewed in his office, in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Bettman is flattered that North American cities without hockey teams are interested in adding one to their towns, but it just isn't in the plans Bettman said Tuesday Oct. 7, 2014 during an interview with The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

MGM Resorts is building a $350 million sports arena and event center behind New York New York. That building is going to need things that will fill its 20,000 seats. They believe the National Hockey League could be that thing.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the company and an ownership group seeking to bring a team to Vegas have had preliminary talks:

In an interview following MGM Resorts third-quarter earnings conference call, company CFO Dan D’Arrigo said preliminary discussions had taken place with a group interested in housing an NHL team at the MGM-AEG arena, which will have 20,000 seats, along with luxury boxes and other amenities.

D’Arrigo didn’t go into details on the talks and whether the group was looking to move an existing NHL team to Las Vegas or seeking an expansion franchise.

“We would be supportive of an NHL team coming to our arena,” D’Arrigo said. “We’re highly interested and we have been in discussions with a group.”

So “discussions with a group” doesn’t mean “discussions with the NHL”; and if that group has had discussions with the NHL, the NHL would simply say “well, we talk to everyone! Nothing to see here!”

But the wheels are in motion to potentially bring a team to Vegas; whether one works there is the gamble.