LAS VEGAS (AP) NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shares the sports world’s amazement at the Vegas Golden Knights‘ ability to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first year of existence.But if the league adds another team in Seattle in the near future Womens Tom Pyatt Jersey , Bettman expects it to have every opportunity to accomplish the same feat under the same favorable expansion terms given to Vegas.The commissioner also acknowledged that the Emerald City could secure that expansion team within the year.The Golden Knights are hosting the Washington Capitals after winning the Western Conference in an inaugural season that ”quite simply astonished the sporting world,” Bettman said in his usual state-of-the-league remarks before the Final opened on Monday night.Sour grapes were understandable among the fans of other NHL teams after Vegas’ incredible ascent to the top of a league with 12 other teams that have never won the Stanley Cup and seven more that haven’t won it in the last 20 years.The Golden Knights cleverly built this winner with an undeniably generous expansion draft that allowed them to select the likes of franchise goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and many other proven NHL players. Yet Bettman said he has received ”no pushback whatsoever” about the favorable expansion draft from the league’s other 30 owners”I think people (around hockey) are excited,” Bettman said. ”I think it’s gotten their attention.”Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly both confirmed the NHL plans to keep the same rules on the next expansion draft. If it happens within the next two years, as increasingly expected, Vegas won’t have to lose any of its players, Daly added.The vote on adding a Seattle franchise won’t happen in June when the board of governors meets during the league’s annual awards show in Las Vegas, Bettman said. But the board will get an update on Seattle’s plans, and a formal vote could happen later this year, perhaps at meetings in September or December.”There is a lot of due diligence that has to be done, a lot of interaction with the prospective ownership group,” Bettman said of the group headed by billionaire investment banker David Bonderman. ”We think we’re on target, and depending on how everything goes http://www.senatorsshoponline.com/authentic-zack-smith-jersey , it wouldn’t surprise me that there is a possibility that in the fall, early winter at the latest, that this could be addressed by the board. But we’re not there yet, and there is still work to be done.”Seattle hopes to be ready to become the NHL’s 32nd franchise in 2020, pending a $600 million renovation of Key Arena. But after the energizing effect of the Golden Knights on this hockey season, the league’s appetite for expansion – and the likely $650 million fee that will be split among the league’s other owners – has been whetted.The NHL also has talked about adding a franchise in Houston, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. or Canada without a team. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has showed interest in joining the league, but a bid likely is years away.”I don’t think at this point in time there’s interest in filing for an expansion franchise,” Daly said. ”I think they’re relatively new NBA owners. They’re getting their feet under them in terms of operating that franchise, knowing that that means. At some point in time, we’ll have a discussion with them about whether there’s an NHL team to pursue.”—More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals Talk about your dramatic wins.The Minnesota Wild might not have a better win this season than their first, a 4-3 overtime decision Thursday night over the Chicago Blackhawks that featured a short-handed equalizer in the last 25 seconds of regulation and a game-winning breakaway goal from Jason Zucker.“If this is how the year is going to be Brandon Manning Jersey , I won’t have any hair left at the end of it,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau quipped.Article continues below ...With a two-point game in their pocket for the first time, the Wild try to push above .500 Saturday in a late-afternoon clash with the Carolina Hurricanes that finishes a three-game homestand.Minnesota (1-1-1) came into the game against Chicago looking for offense. The Wild found it, outshooting the Blackhawks 46-30 after being outshot 82-51 in the first two games. They finally sustained puck possession and drove play.Chicago goalie Cam Ward made a spate of outstanding saves that probably prevented Minnesota from scoring six or seven goals, yet the Wild were in danger of losing again after Mikael Granlund took a holding minor at 18:43 of the third period.But Minnesota took advantage of the Blackhawks’ inability to maintain puck control. Eric Staal and Zack Parise pumped shots at Ward, who saved them both. However, defenseman Ryan Suter, who rarely ventures below the point on offense, got to the top of the blue paint and poked home a rebound to force overtime.“Just desperation … just trying to get to the net and help out,” Suter said.Zucker wrapped things up in overtime with his second goal of the night, capping one of the best games for anyone in the league during the first week-plus. He finished with three points, a plus-four plus-minus rating and put 10 shots on net.He was a prime reason why the Wild tied their fourth-highest shot total in a game and equaled their second-most shots on goal in a home game.“I wasn’t happy with how I played the first two games Brian Elliott Jersey ,” Zucker said. “I thought I had some good spurts. It just wasn’t good enough. I know the way I can play and tonight was much more like it. I think everybody would have said the same thing about the first two games.”While Minnesota found some footing, Carolina (3-0-1) has been on solid ground from the opener, when it outshot the New York Islanders 46-20 but lost 2-1 in overtime. It has won three straight since then, including a 5-3 decision Tuesday night over Vancouver.Under first-year coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes have found their scoring touch, registering 17 goals, the third-highest total through four games in franchise history.“We want to play that way offensively,” he said. “That’s the way we have to play. We have good talent, and we have to use it to our advantage. Now we have to get better at the other end. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement, which is a positive that we’re still finding ways to get wins.”