NHL to Seattle Volume XIII - UPDATE 12/7 NHL will accept Seattle application - Expansion fee $650 M

[gstommylee]

Both the NHL and the NBA have no problems/concerns the key arena remodel. Its basically almost double the orginal footprint. Its 660k to 680k (last i hear) square foot arena.

Silver and Bettman are both on record saying that.

regarding owners of the NHL team. Bruckheimer a hollowood guy and Bonderman , minority owner of the boston celtics. 600m or what ever the price out be is nothing to them. We have an actually $$$ guy.

Both of these two at one point wanted to be owners of a NHL team.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

So your averse to further Expansion because you feel the talent pool simply cannot sustain without experiencing an immediate and serious drop in quality of play with a 32 or 34 team NHL along with the same numbers at the AHL & ECHL levels?

yes, it has already been seen with Vegas, what are they on their 5th contracted goalie, and that is without the expansion or forthcoming expansion

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Both the NHL and the NBA have no problems/concerns the key arena remodel. Its basically almost double the orginal footprint. Its 660k to 680k (last i hear) square foot arena.

Silver and Bettman are both on record saying that.

regarding owners of the NHL team. Bruckheimer a hollowood guy and Bonderman , minority owner of the boston celtics. 600m or what ever the price out be is nothing to them. We have an actually $$$ guy.

Both of these two at one point wanted to be owners of a NHL team.

yea, but the line has to be drawn at some point in retrofitting existing arenas, tommy, AND THE CONCERNS over the Storm getting paid while the retrofit occurs.... 78/79 ring any bells?

 

[gstommylee]

yea, but the line has to be drawn at some point in retrofitting existing arenas, tommy, AND THE CONCERNS over the Storm getting paid while the retrofit occurs.... 78/79 ring any bells?

Have you even seen the designs of the arena. Its a complete new arena under the current shell. It doesn't even come close to be looking like Key arena. They are digging 15ft lower to get the larger bowl.

The leagues have no problem with it and the NHL group has no problems with it.

The reason why it has to be a remodel and with the digging down another 15 feet. The roof line is now a historic landmark aka they can't even tear it down.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Have you even seen the designs of the arena. Its a complete new arena under the current shell. It doesn't even come close to be looking like Key arena. They are digging 15ft lower to get the larger bowl.

The leagues have no problem with it and the NHL group has no problems with it.

The reason why it has to be a remodel and with the digging down another 15 feet. The roof line is now a historic landmark aka they can't even tear it down.

THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN DONE THEN IN 1978. it still doesn't mean anything because those costs OVG is spending, and then you spend more to acquire a franchise, excluding the existing lease team, the Storm, tommy.... again, if there's no expansion, and no relocation, why are we spending to retrofit an arena?

 

[gstommylee]

THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN DONE THEN IN 1978. it still doesn't mean anything because those costs OVG is spending, and then you spend more to acquire a franchise, excluding the existing lease team, the Storm, tommy.... again, if there's no expansion, and no relocation, why are we spending to retrofit an arena?[/QUO]

Cause its to finally address the issue of a lack of a modern state of the art arena. The storm is being paid a couple millions to temporary move out. Its not a problem. Its not going to be a problem that you are making it out to be.

OVG can't even be majority owners of the team. Minority of most. I already told you that expansion fee is not a problem. Bonderman is a billionaire. 500 to 600m is nothing to him

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Cause its to finally address the issue of a lack of a modern state of the art arena. The storm is being paid a couple millions to temporary move out. Its not a problem. Its not going to be a problem that you are making it out to be.

OVG can't even be majority owners of the team. Minority of most. I already told you that expansion fee is not a problem. Bonderman is a billionaire. 500 to 600m is nothing to him

EXCEPT ONE THING, there's no expansion, probably won't be for a while.... Seattle needs a better facility than Seattle Center.... and we're still going to have renovations every 5 to ten years out there, bet on it, it's just the way it is.

 

[gstommylee]

EXCEPT ONE THING, there's no expansion, probably won't be for a while.... Seattle needs a better facility than Seattle Center.... and we're still going to have renovations every 5 to ten years out there, bet on it, it's just the way it is.

And the NHL said the exact same thing January of 2015 only to open expansion summer of 2015 and went with just Vegas not Vegas and quebec. They wanted Vegas and Seattle but that didn't happen.

You need to understand lawyer speak. THey aren't going to say they are going to expand until they do. The whole expansion is not imminent is just bettman being bettman. They aren't going to say they are until they are ready. THey want Seattle and are waiting until the OVG MOU is approved before moving forward.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

And the NHL said the exact same thing January of 2015 only to open expansion summer of 2015 and went with just Vegas not Vegas and quebec. They wanted Vegas and Seattle but that didn't happen.

You need to understand lawyer speak. THey aren't going to say they are going to expand until they do. The whole expansion is not imminent is just bettman being bettman. They aren't going to say they are until they are ready. THey want Seattle and are waiting until the OVG MOU is approved before moving forward.

TOMMY, I'M NOT BUYING THAT and nobody in Seattle is buying it, based off what Vegas has just started going through, do you really want Seattle to follow that model, of having to rely on a junior goaltender recall 3 weeks into a franchise?

you just watched Vegas struggle to get everything going, prospect and development-wise, as K noted, Vegas is still a work in progress

 

[gstommylee]

TOMMY, I'M NOT BUYING THAT and nobody in Seattle is buying it, based off what Vegas has just started going through, do you really want Seattle to follow that model, of having to rely on a junior goaltender recall 3 weeks into a franchise?

you just watched Vegas struggle to get everything going, prospect and development-wise, as K noted, Vegas is still a work in progress

As a team built from scratch that is expected for a new team. The question will be where will the team be in a couple years.

 

[SunDancer]

TOMMY, I'M NOT BUYING THAT and nobody in Seattle is buying it, based off what Vegas has just started going through, do you really want Seattle to follow that model, of having to rely on a junior goaltender recall 3 weeks into a franchise?

you just watched Vegas struggle to get everything going, prospect and development-wise, as K noted, Vegas is still a work in progress

Um, how exactly is Vegas struggling? Considering the Knights have lost all their goalies and still hold 3rd in the West, I'm pretty sure folks in Seattle wouldn't mind being in their shoes. In any case the goalie problem in LV is only temporary. Subban is only out for a few weeks and Fleury is expected back soon. Once they return the Knights can go back to breaking NHL records for the best season by an expansion team.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Seattle isn't getting a team.... otherwise wouldn't it have happened by now, and that's both the NBA/NHL....

SOME Seattle posters are acting like you've already got a team, which as long as I've known isn't the truth..... show where it states the expansion bidding process 2.0 is open in both leagues.... AFAIU, it's not

 

[BattleBorn]

The odds of any other team going through four goalies over the course of three weeks during any part of any season is extremely slim, the odds of it ever happening to another expansion team in the first month of their existence is likely the same as the odds of there being an NHL team in Mexico, Missouri.

It's possible, but it literally not worth considering. Certainly not worth mentioning as a reason to not make a decision such as this one.

 

[voyageur]

I understand your logic and reasoning and I don't disagree. In fact, I think I might like that more than my own thought process which was swapping EDM/CAL with COL/VGK.

I think that because number of division matchups among EDM/CAL vs VAN, or CAL/EDM vs WIN would be the same total for the Canadian TV deal, the issue becomes "Who needs it more, and what makes the most money?"
8 p.m. ET starts = more national TV money.
Winnipeg as a smaller market, could use the high demand games more than VAN. Although neither has any problem selling out constantly.

Except Calgary, Edmonton, Vanvouver are all Rogers broadcast teams, Winnipeg is Bell. We don't need Calgary and Edmonton in our division though the games are exciting.

The NHL and the networks want balanced conferences, controlling playoff start times.

WEST
Edmonton
Calgary
Vancouver
Seattle
San Jose
L.A.
Anaheim
Vegas

CENTRAL
Chicago
Minnesota
Winnipeg
St. Louis
Nashville
Dallas
Houston/Phoenix
Colorado

EAST
Detroit
Buffalo
Toronto
Ottawa
Montreal
Quebec
Tampa
Florida

AMERICAN
Boston
Rangers
Isles
Jersey
Philly
Pitt
Columbus
Washington

achieves this...

80 game schedule with 4/5 wildcard game in every conference.

Sorry Fugu

 

[superdeluxe]

where's the 600 M transfer fee for an NHL Club, then, Seattle, 600 M + OVG= NO.... Seattle still has no adequate arena, I ALSO DO NOT SEE Expansion in the next 18 months, either

the expectation is that construction starts very soon and building will be ready for 20-21 season

 

[superdeluxe]

POSTERS have forgotten, what stopped Seattle from bidding in the "open" expansion bid process, and the arena needs to go away totally, not a rebuild, because we'll be rebuilding it again within a decade, if not sooner. Seattle Center's history tells you that, K.

It's not A renovation, it's a brand new building under the roof, you are comparing this to the 1994 renovation of they Key and it is not going to be a cheap Reno.

What stopped Seattle from bidding in the most recent expansion process is there was no arena deal for an NHL owner in 2015

 

[superdeluxe]

REMEMBER, Don't trust OVG, FOR ANYTHING, K, Seattle has no chances to land an NHL team, because doesn't there have to be Expansion approval see Vegas.... Seattle Center simply is not feasible, even renovated, hence wouldn't they be there by now? the NBA wants nothing to do with Seattle Center, tbth, it has nothing to do with either Milwaukee or Sacramento, there simply is no interest in bringing the NBA AND THEN starting another fight with the Thunder to pursue the records set as the Sonics, after the agreement with Bennett.

Try again Hutch please tell us what the NBA doesn't want.


Silver says Leiweke has “been involved in the building and operation of more NBA arenas than anybody on the planet.”
“I have no concern that the building proper won’t meet our requirements,” Silver says of a KeyArena renovation.

 

[Fenway]

I feel confident that Bettman has also signed off on the project.

 

[gstommylee]

I feel confident that Bettman has also signed off on the project.

After the reveal of the NHL group and the winning key arena plan. Bettman was the first to go on the record saying we are fine or have no problems with it.

 

[brewski420]

yes, it has already been seen with Vegas, what are they on their 5th contracted goalie, and that is without the expansion or forthcoming expansion

So from what you are saying if Quebec had been granted a team it would be a 'failure' there as well, just the same as you say it is in Vegas?

And therefore an expansion team should not go there now or in the future?

 

[gstommylee]

https://www.sonicsrising.com/2017/11/5/16609950/bill-wixey-tim-leiweke-seattle-nhl-nba-sonics

Bill Wixey of q13 news is going 1-1 with Leiweke and here's some of the details of what's going to be covered on it.

 

[superdeluxe]

The NHL section of the long interview:

Part III: The NHL ownership group

Leiweke and OVG are partnered with investment banker David Bonderman and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer to bring an NHL to Seattle.

Though Bonderman, Bruckheimer and Leiweke have the resources to bring an NBA team to Seattle if the opportunity arises, he says, an NHL team comes first. Mostly, because the NHL is yearning to expand. There are 31 teams in an unbalanced league. One more team would balance out scheduling.

Seattle is perfectly situated for hockey, Leiweke says. The city is a sports hub for a large region, including Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Alaska. This large region is quite a carrot for the NHL.

"There are 12 to 14 million people in the region," Leiweke said. "There's a natural rivalry with Vancouver. We would be the only team that operates in the region and one of the biggest draws in the NHL."

Seattle also already shown an appetite for hockey. The Seattle Thunderbirds draw some of the biggest crowds in the Western Hockey League, and the Everett Silvertips are well established as well.

Another benefit to the league is the city has shown a penchant for expansion franchises. Take a look at the Seattle Sounders, which Leiweke's brother, Tod, played an instrumental hand in. NHL brass could look to the Sounders as a shining example of how new teams are embraced in the Emerald City.

"We aspire to learn from the Seahawks and the Sounders and the job they've done," Leiweke said. "If you see those results, and being the only (NHL) team in the Northwest, you have to feel pretty good about the odds of success."

 

[gstommylee]

http://q13fox.com/2017/11/05/ovg-tim-leiweke-keyarena-seattle-center-nba-nhl-sonics-bill-wixey/

Link to that interview

 

[Dolemite]

http://q13fox.com/2017/11/05/ovg-tim-leiweke-keyarena-seattle-center-nba-nhl-sonics-bill-wixey/

Link to that interview

I'm from Seattle and have covered the NHL as a reporter. I lived in Lower Queen Anne (Basically across the street from the Arena) when the Sonics were at their peak. I've also done extensive research on this topic since the Sonics left the city.

These are the conclusions I've come to:

- The only way you can re-do the Seattle Center is to level a three block radius around the entire complex as well as the roads to/from 1-5 and start from scratch. We all know that isn't happening.

- If the City wanted SoDo to happen, it would have happened by now.

- The City messed up Key Arena the first time around, they still haven't learned their lesson.

- The City, State, and County governments are cowards in that they're too worried about getting re-elected than to look forward to the bigger picture with the arena and the region.

- Anyone who thinks a Key Arena re-model is the right way to go never sat in some of the narrow seats. They're so narrow that a barbie doll would not fit in them.

- Voters still remember the governments sneaking the other two pro stadiums past them years ago.

- Former Sonics owner Barry Ackerley made Key Arena into a basketball only arena and stopped the purchase of an NHL team at the last minute. We all know that turned out.

- Hansen not embracing the NHL as well as the NBA for an arena will be his undoing.

- Any option at the Seattle Center is a joke given how the region and traffic has grown.

- And yet again fans need to be reminded that the NBA and NHL won't touch Seattle with a 10 foot pole until an arena deal is signed, sealed, and delivered.

 

[Olden McGroin]

I feel confident that Bettman has also signed off on the project.

I'd say that's a good bet. Also considering Jeremy Jacobs company stands to get the concessions contract for the renovated Key Arena.