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The desert versus the Great White North: A look at Las Vegas and Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets are facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League's Western Conference final.
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WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets are facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League's Western Conference final. When it comes to NHL cities, you can't get much different than Winnipeg and Las Vegas — one a desert metropolis of glitz and glam and the other a northern city known for brutal winters.

Here's a look at how the two cities compare:

Population: Las Vegas, 640,174; Winnipeg, 825,700

Size: Las Vegas, 352 square kilometres; Winnipeg, 464 square kilometres

Founded: Las Vegas, 1905; Winnipeg, 1873

Number of visitors each year: Las Vegas, 42,300,00; Winnipeg, 3,800,000

Number of hotel/motel rooms: Las Vegas, 149,000; Winnipeg, 7,600 

Number of conventions: Las Vegas, 21,864 in 2017; Winnipeg, about 200 a year 

Common city slogans: Las Vegas, "What Happens Here, Stays Here" and "Sin City;" Winnipeg, "One Great City" and "Heart of the Continent" 

Number of marriages in 2016: Las Vegas, 81,325; All of Manitoba, 5,506

Average temperature in May: Las Vegas, high of 32 C and a low 18 C; Winnipeg, high 18 C and a low 7 C  

NHL mascot: Las Vegas, Chance the Gila monster; Winnipeg, Mick E. Moose

Home ice: Las Vegas, T-Mobile Arena with 17,500 seats; Winnipeg, Bell MTS Place with 15,321 seats 

Number of times Celine Dion is to perform in June: Las Vegas, 6; Winnipeg, 0.

Number of polar bears: Las Vegas, 0; Winnipeg, 11

Number of Manitoba players on team: Vegas, 4; Winnipeg, 0

(Sources: City of Las Vegas website, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Clark County website, AccuWeather, Environment Canada, Vegas Golden Knights website, Celine Dion website, Statistics Canada, Tourism Winnipeg, Assiniboine Park & Zoo, Travel Manitoba, Winnipeg Jets website, Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency)

The Canadian Press