Thunder may be homeless after 1998-99

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 1998 | 9:30 a.m.

Its lease expires after the 1998-99 season and, when it does, the Las Vegas Thunder may be homeless.

Team owner Ken Stickney said Monday he expects Thomas & Mack Center officials to make concessions to UNLV men's basketball coach Bill Bayno that will bump the International Hockey League's Thunder from its home arena. Bayno has asked the T&M (via the university) for greater access to the building.

"That decision may be made for us," Stickney said, when asked if he anticipated the Thunder staying at the Mack beyond its current lease. "Coach Bayno holds a lot of sway with them."

Bayno wants the building for increased practice time.

Stickney believes he'll get it.

"I think the Mack people are counting on Rebel basketball to be everything for them," he said.

If so, and if the T&M doesn't re-up with the Thunder, what's next for the IHL team?

"We're looking feverishly for a place to play," Stickney said.

One potential site, a new 12,000-seat arena that will be attached to the under-construction Mandalay Bay casino, appeared to be a perfect match for the Thunder's needs -- except for one problem.

"I've had a number of meetings with them," Stickney said. "It seemed promising but then they said if we'd play Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays they'd be more than happy to accommodate us. Honestly, I thought they were kidding.

"But then it became obvious they weren't kidding."

Needless to say, Stickney found the Mandalay Bay proposal impractical, as the Thunder wants and needs weekend home dates.

Mandalay Bay is not affiliated with Mandalay Sports, which includes the Las Vegas Stars and Thunder among its holdings.

Failing to reach agreement with Mandalay Bay -- which intends to use the arena for concerts and, perhaps, boxing -- has Stickney investigating every proposal coming his way.

"I bet I've had 30 meetings in the last two years with people who want to build an arena here," he said. "They were all in various stages of development, ranging from whimsical ideas written on a napkin to some that were fairly serious.

"I'd say one or two of them are interesting and I expect to be in a couple more meetings with those people."

Stickney is hopeful not only that a new arena will be built that enlists the Thunder as its primary tenant, but that it can get built in time for the team to move when its lease expires with the Thomas & Mack. Another option for the five-year-old franchise is the existing MGM Grand arena.

A third option is extreme: Las Vegas loses its IHL team to a city that has an available arena.