Seattle investor group has 'strong interest' in NHL franchise

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Now, just be fair and unbiased...Seattle has spoken.

Kirby Lee - USA TODAY Sports - 13 Sept 17

"Seattle would like to house a NHL club.

Oak View Group reached an agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on Tuesday to privately fund the construction of a $600-million arena at the Seattle Center.

The building would be a prime location for a NHL franchise, and the league's deputy commissioner said that appears to be part of the group's plan.

"The group has confirmed having a strong interest in owning and operating an NHL franchise," Bill Daly said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "We will be continuing to monitor the situation."

Oak View Group leader Tim Leiweke says billionaire David Bonderman - a potential NHL owner - has put money into the building, according to KING 5's Chris Daniels.

Leiweke is a former president and CEO of both Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, whose holdings include three major sports franchises, and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Los Angeles Kings as well as several other sports teams and arenas.

In November, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a conference in Toronto that the NHL would not focus on Seattle until the city "actually build(s) a building."

Works Cited: Seattle investor group has strong interest in NHL franchise

"Hockey...The Coolest Game on Earth"!! NHL Official Slogan
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl...s-strong-interest-in-nhl-franchise/ar-AArPw4x

 

[Pebcak]

Seattle Flames?

 

[Porgy Tirebiter]

Seattle Golden Knights...give it time.

 

[Doc4]

Oak View Group reached an agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on Tuesday to privately fund the construction of a $600-million arena at the Seattle Center.

Seattle Flames?

IIRC, Calgary Flames want the City to build them a new arena ... or else "hint hint nudge nudge ... nice hockey team you got here. Shame if something were to ... happen to it." So nice to see (prospective) owners actually ponying up their own money to build the arena. That's how it should be.

I think a franchise in Seattle would be good for the western side of the NHL, and in particular for Vancouver to build up some local rivalry. I'd rather not see the Flames leave Calgary ... I'm not a Calgary taxpayer, but if I were I'd certainly hope the City wouldn't buy them a new arena ... the team can do that and make it profitable all on its own.

My suspicion is that Seattle falls into that large swath of "non-wintery United States" that isn't terribly interested in hockey in general, so I worry that finding a large enough active-&-paying fan base on an ongoing basis may be a problem, but hopefully that works out.

 

[beginish]

Bring back the Pilots. And how about some Cleveland Barons while we’re at it.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Heads-up...the NHL is moving forward with Seattle expansion bid!

Assicoasted Press - 3 Oct 18

"New York — The NHL is moving forward with plans to expand to Seattle [and it would great if they pick the Seattle Sandpiers as their team name].

Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday the Board of Governors' executive committee recommended proceeding with Seattle's expansion application, with an eye on voting to approve the league's 32nd franchise in December. The recommendation came a few hours after key stakeholders presented their case to the committee and hit it off enough that Seattle could be awarded the league's 32nd team two months from now.

"The notion is have the board vote on expansion," Bettman said. "And assuming, as I think everybody is, that it would be approved — I don't want to be presumptuous of the board's prerogative — but everything seems to be on track."

It's the best possible news that could have come out of the meetings for proponents of the NHL in Seattle. Bettman agreed with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan that the preference is for the team to begin play in the 2020-21 season, and that's still a very real possibility as long as renovations to KeyArena in downtown Seattle proceed as scheduled.

"I'm very confident we're going to be able to move forward and get what we need from the NHL and the team and stick to the schedule so we have hockey in 2020," Durkan said. "They know we want it in 2020 and (the league would) like to have it in 2020, too, if we get the team."

Read More: NHL movcing forward with Seattle expansion bid

"Emerald City Hockey...Game On"! CBJ

 

[Doc4]

I wonder if they will do as attractive an entry draft as they did for Las Vegas. Vegas got a whole raft of bona fide roster players ... heck, they almost won the Cup! ... rather than what previous expansion teams got. Teams like the Ottawa Senators got the dregs of the dregs and were marginal at best for years.

 

[Pebcak]

They'll get it, the Weasel hates Canada so it will be a cold day before he gives us another team. At least Seattle knows what hockey is and isn't a desert state.

 

[Doc4]

They'll get it, the Weasel hates Canada so it will be a cold day before he gives us another team. At least Seattle knows what hockey is and isn't a desert state.

There are at least two (Quebec and Hamilton) and probably about four cities/areas in Canada that could easily and consistently support an NHL franchise in terms of fan attendance filling a 15,000-seat arena ... but ... not enough "big money" in those places to support the sky-high prices for "good" season ticket seats and luxury boxes, to pay for high-priced adverts on the boards and ice, to pony up for the other means of subsidizing an $80 million (USD) payroll plus the other costs of keeping an NHL team going strong.

The salary cap and all the player contracts are counted in $us ... noticeably more expensive than $cdn at present and generally consistently over time. This makes it even harder for Canadian teams to compete.

Like me, you probably remember the good old days of the 80's and early 90's when Calgary and Edmonton were perpetual powerhouses, Winnipeg appeared to be going strong, and Quebec was able to foment perpetual rivalry with Montreal and seemed headed toward playoff success if they could only get a good goaltender. Those were the days when, in the spring, talk among the media turned to which, if any, Canadian teams wouldn't make the playoffs, rather than looking for the few that actually would.

I'd love to see more Canadian NHL teams. It'll be a "tough sell" to the NHL that they can prosper financially, though.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

ich

There are at least two (Quebec and Hamilton) and probably about four cities/areas in Canada that could easily and consistently support an NHL franchise in terms of fan attendance filling a 15,000-seat arena ... but ... not enough "big money" in those places to support the sky-high prices for "good" season ticket seats and luxury boxes, to pay for high-priced adverts on the boards and ice, to pony up for the other means of subsidizing an $80 million (USD) payroll plus the other costs of keeping an NHL team going strong.

The salary cap and all the player contracts are counted in $us ... noticeably more expensive than $cdn at present and generally consistently over time. This makes it even harder for Canadian teams to compete.

Like me, you probably remember the good old days of the 80's and early 90's when Calgary and Edmonton were perpetual powerhouses, Winnipeg appeared to be going strong, and Quebec was able to foment perpetual rivalry with Montreal and seemed headed toward playoff success if they could only get a good goaltender. Those were the days when, in the spring, talk among the media turned to which, if any, Canadian teams wouldn't make the playoffs, rather than looking for the few that actually would.

I'd love to see more Canadian NHL teams. It'll be a "tough sell" to the NHL that they can prosper financially, though.

Doc:

...to 'eveything' you stated above!

That said, I can't understand why The Weasel (

), won't give Canada a few more teams

I bet this time around for Quebec and a new club in Hamilton...the 'base, vision and excitment' is there and to help out any expansion team regardless of georgraphy.....we can't forget about the [new 2017] expansion draft rules which will make it easier for any team to roster a quality club;

Clubs will have two options for players they wish to protect in the Expansion Draft:

a) Seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender
b) Eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender

* All players who have currently effective and continuing "No Movement" clauses at the time of the Expansion Draft (and who to decline to waive such clauses) must be protected (and will be counted toward their club's applicable protection limits).

* All first- and second-year professionals, as well as all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward their club's applicable protection limits)].

A 'savvy' GM could put together a real good club...unlike the past in which expasion teams had to deal with the despair of years of losing.

“Hockey...The Coolest Game on Earth ”!! NHL Official Slogan

 

[davent]

Seattle Flames?

Maybe then they'd get a decent logo on their jersey.
dave

 

[davent]

Hamilton's arena is now considered ancient and NHL inadequate so that's a killer right off the top. $375 for an hours ice time if you want to go out and pretend.
dave

 

[pbrmhl]

I office about 15 yards away from the KeyArena, which will be the venue for the Seattle Steelheads, or Sockeyes, or Metropolitans, or Flames, i.e., the new NHL team, so I've been following this chapter closely (as part of my job). It's astounding to me that the private developer is spending $700 million to renovate the arena, backed by folks like Irving Azoff, Jerry Bruckheimer, David Bonderman and others who don't live in Seattle. Even more astounding is that it took only 12 minutes for 10,000 Seattleites to place season ticket deposits this past spring. This city is changing very quickly.

 

[BigJ]

They'll get it, the Weasel hates Canada so it will be a cold day before he gives us another team. At least Seattle knows what hockey is and isn't a desert state.

We can only hope at this point!!