Around the NHL - Playoffs? We're Talkin' 'bout Playoffs?

[Chainshot]

It'll be something cheesy like Seattle Rain.

 

[joshjull]

Seattle Spice

We aint so nice

 

[Der Jaeger]

It'll be something cheesy like Seattle Rain.

i can see the conversation going something like this:

Seattle: We want to name our team the Kraken. Have you seen the badass jerseys we already designed?

NHL: Right. How about something more historical? Like Metropolitans? You can use it. We'll rename that Eastern conference division. Lots of history there.

Seattle: Are you serious?

NHL: Not sold? How about Totems?

Seattle: Native Americans would love that.

NHL: Yeah... ok. How about something like Thunder or Sounders?

Seattle: You're not letting us go with Kraken, are you?

NHL: Not a chance.

 

[haseoke39]

Forbes did their valuations: The Business Of Hockey

Sabres come in around the bottom, losing around $13M/year (ahead of only Arizona).

 

[Duddy]

 

[Icicle]

Expansion draft again is so fking stupid

 

[Jim Bob]

Expansion draft again is so fking stupid

Having 15 teams in the west and 16 teams in the east is dumber than adding another team to even things out.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Jim Bob]

It’s Seattle’s time - Article - TSN

The NHL expansion train, destination Seattle, is now on the track and ready to leave the station – perhaps as soon as this week.
As soon as Seattle city council voted yes Monday to a radical refurbishment of Key Arena, Seattle checked off the final of three boxes the NHL requires to expand.
Market? Check.
The NHL has always had eyes for Seattle and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. That region has been the most notable missing part of the NHL’s so-called national “footprint” in the U.S. In 2013, the NHL’s internal rankings for most desirable expansion locations were: 1. Seattle; 2. Las Vegas; 3. Quebec City.
Quebec City was a distant third, and still isn’t seriously in the NHL expansion picture (more on that later). But in the years since 2013, Seattle was quickly eclipsed by Las Vegas because the former didn’t have its arena and ownership buttoned down like the latter.
Hence, the Vegas Golden Knights became the NHL’s 31st team.
Arena? Check.
The Oak View Group, led by former Los Angeles King and Toronto Maple Leaf executive Tim Leiweke, has navigated tricky political waters in Seattle to get approval on the Key Arena renovation. The bottom line is, barring any unforeseen issues, Seattle will have a state-of-the-art facility worthy of the NHL or NBA no later than the fall of 2020.
(A wise guy might suggest just in time for the next NHL lockout, but no wise guys here.)
Ownership? Check.
Billionaire investment banker David Bonderman and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer head up the group that is not short on money or star power or, in the case of Bruckheimer, someone who’s been a friend of the NHL for quite some time.
Now, it needs to be said up front: The NHL is not expected to grant, or commit to, a Seattle expansion franchise, conditional or otherwise, this week when the NHL board of governors and executive committee meet in Florida on Thursday and Friday.

 

[dotcommunism]

Expansion draft again is so fking stupid

Idk, I'm looking forward to people wanting to leave Eichel exposed to get out from under his contract.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Beerz]

Stupid

In 3 years I probably won't be watching this sport.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Der Jaeger]

32nd team was inevitable. Glad they are doing this fast.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Seattle makes a ton of sense for the Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, California teams. It's a more equitable market than that of Carolina, Florida and dare I say the in market (where I live) Coyotes.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I think they'll be re-alignment. Seattle fits better with the NW teams. Seattle to the Pacific and Arizona to the Central?

 

[ende]

Seattle Sea Lions, or gtfo

 

[Sabre the Win]

A lot of Seattle fans are already Canuck fans, this shall be interesting.

The boarder between Vancouver and Seattle is a lot like the boarder between Fort Erie and Buffalo with 'Freindship Festivals' and all.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Seattle has a bandwagon a mile long though. You're not looking to flip dudes with Bure jerseys, you're looking to get 12th man yokels and Sounders fans.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The real question is how many years ahead of the NBA will they be? They have a very small window to build support before getting dwarfed by that city finally righting its biggest sports wrong.

Fortunately, even with that threat, I think Seattle has a strong enough sports culture to bring that atmosphere to the NHL and grow from there..

 

[SundherDome]

That's a pretty big f*** you to Quebec. But sure I like the sound of the Seattle Seals.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

It'll be interesting to see if they play Houston and Seattle against each other. Frankly, with the current divisional lineup, it makes more sense to add Houston, but if they decide to go with Seattle, I imagine Arizona gets moved to the Central?

 

[Der Jaeger]

The two old franchises were named Metropolitans and Totums. Second one isn't happening due to Native American sensitivities. First one makes sense only historically.

Seals is OK. Thunder?

There's no way the stuff board of directors lets them go with Kraken.

 

[joshjull]

It'll be interesting to see if they play Houston and Seattle against each other. Frankly, with the current divisional lineup, it makes more sense to add Houston, but if they decide to go with Seattle, I imagine Arizona gets moved to the Central?

Houston can have the Coyotes