LAS VEGAS –*The Las Vegas heat sweltered behind the New York-New York casino at 9 a.m. There was an active construction site with workers buzzing around a circular building. It was taking shape, but not built yet.
Hours before the NHL Board of Governors announced they would start looking into expansion as a possibility*with Vegas as one of the prospective markets,*I got to see the arena where a possible Las Vegas NHL team will play. If the league decides to pursue expansion in the area.
The $375 million arena will be ready next spring and has a reported 20,000 seating capacity.*
And judging from what I saw it’ll be very Vegas-like with a view of the strip and some areas outside for entertainment.
Below are photos of the arena and what I saw on my tour today. Warning, I'm not a great photographer, but this was the best I could do with my iPhone.*
This first shot is of the floor level of the arena. We were standing in dirt and my shoes got dusty. But it was an active construction site. What else did you expect?
*Below is a view from the patio outside the arena. Would be a great place for live music before a game! New York-New York was a little to the right. Sadly, it was not fully captured in this shot.*
The below will be your nosebleed view. This is the arena's highest level for fans, and it's really not that high at all. The building feels like it's pushed out more than up from a seating perspective. Fascinating that this place will hold 20,000 and not feel that high up.*
*There are parts of the arena where you can see the strip from inside. Gives you a real Vegas feel.*
Yet another eagle-eye view of the arena. Again, it did not feel very high. I'm afraid of heights and was not scared at all, which is amazing for me.*
*The most important part of the arena for us at Puck Daddy ... the press box!
And finally suite level, if you get lucky at a casino before a game.*
So there you go, the Las Vegas arena! It’s coming along. It’s not quite there. And there it doesn't have an NHL team to fill the building … yet.*

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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