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NHL - Seattle Expansion


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#1 Jackerbie

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Posted 24 September 2018 - 03:49 PM

Seattle has approved a $700mil renovation of Key Arena, paving the way for the much hoped for NHL franchise. It's expected that the NHL Board of Governors will make a decision in December whether a new expansion team will be awarded to the Emerald State.

 

Key Arena is owned by the City of Seattle and is located in Seattle Center, the former World Fair site home to other notable attractions such as the Space Needle and the Museum of Pop Culture. The upgrades are being paid for by ArenaCo, and additional community amenity funds will be collected by the City.

 

via The Seattle Times: https://www.seattlet...on-of-keyarena/

 

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Edited by Jackerbie, 24 September 2018 - 03:51 PM.

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#2 AllseeingEye

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Posted 24 September 2018 - 06:56 PM

Makes sense, balances out the league at 32 teams, 16 each in each conference and all but guarantees that Quebec City - if it does get an NHL team - almost certainly is dependent upon a relocation scenario as opposed to getting a new franchise, Thinking Carolina might be an option unless their attendance picks up dramatically.

 

OTOH I'm not entirely sold on Seattle as it is a football town first and foremost and (especially) a UW Huskies college football and also a professional soccer hotbed. And they can't rely on selling the Canucks "rivalry" as the salvation of a Seattle team as they have to play 74 games against other opposition so like Las Vegas they better hope they are good from the get go. Very good....

 

Further now that they have committed to the Key Arena there are huge concerns in Seattle itself about how many regional sports fans are willing to make the 2 hour or more trek to that location for hockey; even local hockey proponents agree the now defunct, or at least in limbo, SoDo arena proposal was a far, far better locale from a commuting standpoint for professional NBA/NHL Seattle teams. It'll be interesting to see how attendance figures at Key Arena hold up in the event a new Seattle NHL team struggles for 4-5-6 seasons. The league has already said the Vegas situation was a one off: Seattle and other future potential NHL team aren't going to be the recipients of any sweetheart draft day or "plum roster picks" off other team rules.....

 

The worst average attendance in the league last year was the NYI but there is no way the league ever re-locates a NY team. Carolina was the third worst and Arizona, a complete joke of a franchise, was second worst. The evolution of the NHL into a US-centric entity under Bettman is really underscored by the ludicrous lengths the league has gone to literally footing the bill to float that (Arizona) team however from a Quebec standpoint Carolina by virtue of being in the East is the franchise to covet....


Edited by AllseeingEye, 24 September 2018 - 06:57 PM.


#3 johnk

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Posted 25 September 2018 - 02:16 AM

I would like to see it happen. It would make for a natural rivalry, one the Canucks don't really have right now. Seattle does have a good hockey history from the old WHL Seattle Totems (great name), something places like Carolina and Miami dont have. And Seattle is loaded with money looking for places to spend it once football is done. I imagine there are investors available, too. The two richest guys in America might have some loose change in the petty cash drawer. I think it could work.

#4 Cassidy

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Posted 25 September 2018 - 05:46 AM

..... I imagine there are investors available, too. The two richest guys in America might have some loose change in the petty cash drawer. I think it could work.

The money is already in the bank, they don't need investors - they only need to be awarded the franchise to pull this off.

Of the two primary owners, one is from Texas, and the other is from Los Angeles ... the rest of the smaller investors are local.

 

This would be a great boost for Seattle, a city still suffering (some would say reeling) from the loss of the SuperSonics ten years ago ... a loss largely attributable to the city and states failure to develop a new arena for them (the Sonics played primarily at the Key).



#5 mbjj

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Posted 25 September 2018 - 07:13 AM

Too many teams already. So many that sometimes when I hear the scores I think, oh, that team exists. Been watching hockey since 1967, used to really enjoy it. Couldn't care less about 90% of the American teams.



#6 Jackerbie

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Posted 02 October 2018 - 02:09 PM

The NHL Executive Committee voted unanimously to grant an expansion team to Seattle. The next step is for the NHL Board of Governors to vote on the matter in early December.



#7 AllseeingEye

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Posted 02 October 2018 - 07:04 PM

A foregone formality; Bettman's Bunch wanted this franchise real bad. Hard to fathom though that $700 million US 'only' gets you a renovated facility, and in a far less than ideal location. Seriously a renovation? And at that it'll only seat 17,000 for hockey making it one of the smaller venues in the league. Huge mistake IMO that the city and/or bid group didn't go for the SoDo location, which virtually every Seattle sports fan was clamoring for.



#8 Mattjvd

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Posted 02 October 2018 - 08:20 PM

A foregone formality; Bettman's Bunch wanted this franchise real bad. Hard to fathom though that $700 million US 'only' gets you a renovated facility, and in a far less than ideal location. Seriously a renovation? And at that it'll only seat 17,000 for hockey making it one of the smaller venues in the league. Huge mistake IMO that the city and/or bid group didn't go for the SoDo location, which virtually every Seattle sports fan was clamoring for.


Yeah the location is questionable. Ask the Senators how an out-of-town arena works. They couldn't sell out conference finals games, in Canada!
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#9 AllseeingEye

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Posted 02 October 2018 - 08:24 PM

Yeah the location is questionable. Ask the Senators how an out-of-town arena works. They couldn't sell out conference finals games, in Canada!

Oh man....the Canadian Tire Center is so far out of town that it might as well have its postal code. Same issue dogs the Coyote's arena way the hell and gone in Glendale AZ. As if ticket prices weren't high enough in the NHL these facilities practically demand that home fans tune up their vehicle in advance as a precautionary move.....



#10 Cassidy

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 05:57 AM

The Key Arena isn't "out of town".

Where's that coming from?

 

Key Arena is in downtown Seattle, whereas the Canadian Tire Centre is some 15 miles away in a different town!

 

The Key Arena is less than a mile from the downtown core of Seattle, it's at the North end of downtown as opposed to the South end of downtown.

IMO, distance isn't remotely an issue.

Parking is better in SoDo than it is at the Seattle Center, but saying that the Key Arena is "out of town"? ... no way.


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#11 jonny

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 07:42 AM

Yeah the location is questionable. Ask the Senators how an out-of-town arena works. They couldn't sell out conference finals games, in Canada!

 

Key Arena is right downtown. What the hell are you going on about?


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#12 Jackerbie

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 07:51 AM

A foregone formality; Bettman's Bunch wanted this franchise real bad. Hard to fathom though that $700 million US 'only' gets you a renovated facility, and in a far less than ideal location. Seriously a renovation? And at that it'll only seat 17,000 for hockey making it one of the smaller venues in the league. Huge mistake IMO that the city and/or bid group didn't go for the SoDo location, which virtually every Seattle sports fan was clamoring for.

 

It's basically a new facility with the same roof, and the money is coming from the private sector. Capacity will put it at 7th smallest in the league. 

TD Garden, Boston - 17,600

SAP Centre, San Jose - 17,600

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas - 17,500

Key Arena, Seattle - 17,400

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa - 17,400

Honda Centre, Anaheim - 17,200

Gila River Arena, Glendale - 17,100

Prudential Centre, Newark - 16,500

Barclays Centre, Brooklyn - 15,800

Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg - 15,300


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#13 Mattjvd

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:05 AM

The Key Arena isn't "out of town".

Where's that coming from?

 

Key Arena is in downtown Seattle, whereas the Canadian Tire Centre is some 15 miles away in a different town!

 

The Key Arena is less than a mile from the downtown core of Seattle, it's at the North end of downtown as opposed to the South end of downtown.

IMO, distance isn't remotely an issue.

Parking is better in SoDo than it is at the Seattle Center, but saying that the Key Arena is "out of town"? ... no way.

 

 

Key Arena is right downtown. What the hell are you going on about?

 

My mistake, the SportsNet broadcast I was listening to was whining about the location and gave me the impression it was really out of the way. 


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#14 RFS

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:12 AM

Whatever happens they will never come up with a better name than the Super Sonics



#15 jonny

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:29 AM

The San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins seem to be doing fine with 17k capacity arenas. The the Seattle team sells 17,000 tickets per night, they'll be ahead of 10 other NHL teams in terms of ticket sales. 

 

It's basically a new facility with the same roof, and the money is coming from the private sector. 

 

Correct. They are substantially replacing the majority of the facility and massively upgrading it. For all intents and purposes this will be a new arena. For those who do not know, Key Arena is a basketball specific arena. Changing it to fit a hockey rink is a massive undertaking in and of itself. 



#16 jonny

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:32 AM

Of course the NHL wants a team in Seattle. It's the 16th largest metro area in North America, and certainly one of the largest with a wealthy population. It's also headquarters to several major companies. They have bad weather in the winter and no permanent pro winter sports team.

 

Also, a team in Seattle perfectly balances the divisions and conferences. 



#17 Cassidy

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:43 AM

Whatever happens they will never come up with a better name than the Super Sonics

I have quite a few friends in Seattle, and after a couple of pints of beer they still (in 2018) have to hold back the tears when speaking of the Sonics leaving town.

 

Lots of Seattle residents of the appropriate age will tell you that the Super Sonics were indeed the heart and soul of Seattle.


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#18 Jackerbie

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:58 AM

I have quite a few friends in Seattle, and after a couple of pints of beer they still (in 2018) have to hold back the tears when speaking of the Sonics leaving town.

 

Lots of Seattle residents of the appropriate age will tell you that the Super Sonics were indeed the heart and soul of Seattle.

 

Unfortunately, probably not too many people left who will tell you that the Stanley Cup-winning Seattle Metropolitans were the heart and soul of Seattle. First ever American team to hoist the ol' mug! Hopefully they don't recycle the name, though....



#19 RFS

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 09:12 AM

Unfortunately, probably not too many people left who will tell you that the Stanley Cup-winning Seattle Metropolitans were the heart and soul of Seattle. First ever American team to hoist the ol' mug! Hopefully they don't recycle the name, though....

 

I dunno, I kinda like it



#20 lanforod

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Posted 03 October 2018 - 10:03 AM

If they're gonna pick one of the 13 they've registered (https://www.sportsne...tles-nhl-group/) I'd go for for Seattle Kraken.



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