A common name within a community with a sole focus of playing poker for high stakes is none other than Daniel Negreanu. The 44 year old pro poker player knows his hand at cards and has decided to branch out to get his share of the NHL hockey franchise. The six time WSOP (World Series of Poker) bracelet winner made his fortune and is angling to drop some serious cash to make his dream come true.

About Daniel Negreanu’s Poker Career

Daniel's net worth is over an estimated value of $36 million in poker earnings alone. Having played his third all-time, he cashed out $17 million at the WSOP and on the World Poker Tour he had over $6.4 million in earnings, cashing out a total of 23 times.

Negreanu currently resides in Sin City, where the NHL has a new franchise with the Golden Knights - the perfect location for him to enjoy his most favoured sport. What's surprising is that Daniel has a long history with hockey, being a fan for over 15 years.

The NHL and Daniel Negreanu

The National Hockey League recently released the name of its new franchise in Las Vegas, making headlines in hockey news. The Golden Knights team owner Bill Foley made his efforts known to Negreanu that he planned to launch a franchise in Las Vegas, home to the famous card player. This information only spurred Daniel to help the dream come into fruition by launching a ticket drive and promoting the team. The ticket drive was a massive success, tallying 13 000 votes in favour of watching the intense sport at a Vegas arena.

For the NHL it was a toss-up between two applications; Bill Foley for Las Vegas and Quebecor for a franchise in Quebec. Upon learning about this information, Negreanu told Toronto Sun’s Mike Strobel that he believed the odds of Las Vegas being awarded with a franchise were extremely high. He was quoted; “I just don’t see it happening.”“Vegas has 2.2 million people. It’s a sports town,” he continued. “We’ve been starving for a professional franchise of any kind for many years.”

Considering how seriously Daniel Negreanu took his involvement with trying to win the NHL over and basing their franchise in Las Vegas, Nevada, many are wondering if the famous poker player will have a permanent role with the Golden Knights. However it would appear the Daniel Negreanu’s role with the team will remain as is, simply being an avid supporter and hockey nut. The championship poker player stated to the media; “I was heavily involved with ticket sales and a group of 75 of us who were basically trying to prove to the NHL that hockey would work in Las Vegas, I helped to do that. As far as investing in the team, I’m just going to be a supporter, a fan.”

The news may come as a surprise to some, but as far as Daniel is concerned; his future is awaiting him at the poker table.

Negreanu’s Involvement with Hockey

It’s no secret Daniel Negreanu has a passion for the sport, perhaps for as long as he has loved playing poker. As a sincere NHL fan, the poker player once claimed on Poker After Dark that he was potentially considering declining the offer of one of the biggest poker events. His reasoning was that the tournament event fell in the middle of hockey season and some of the best hockey events.

More often than not, Daniel Negreanu can be spotted sporting the National Hockey League jerseys of various hockey teams. In fact, he is the proud owner of a No.92 sweater once worn by Tomas Nosek. Daniel claims to believe he owns the only one, making the sweater an incredible sentimental piece in his collection of hockey wear.

Being Canadian himself, it’s not hard to see why Daniel Negreanu’s passion for hockey plays such a major role in his life. With Las Vegas being one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, we can hope to see many events being held in Sin City and may even bump into this hockey fan.