Speculation: NHL in Seattle? Report: Bettman and Daly in town

[cbr9927]

Do you mean crowded as in physical space? Or just number of people who are there on game days? Because I think it would be rare for Mariners/Seahawks to overlap a NHL team's game times.

Just the physical space itself. The area known as SODO is already just plain ugly as it, imagine the construction mess, traffic diversions. noise. Its already an industrial area.
Please put an arena NBA/NHL on the Eastside. It will add to the Eastside's clout. It already has clout as its Microsoft's area and the home to Bill Gates.

 

[deckercky]

Just the physical space itself. The area known as SODO is already just plain ugly as it, imagine the construction mess, traffic diversions. noise. Its already an industrial area.
Please put an arena NBA/NHL on the Eastside. It will add to the Eastside's clout. It already has clout as its Microsoft's area and the home to Bill Gates.

I thought the proposed location wouldn't really affect the traffic, since NBA/NHL games have drastically less capacity than football/baseball games.

 

[Apple Juice]

Are any of them hockey fans though?
Phoenix, Florida, Nashville and Anaheim are my top candidates to either be folded or moved.

I doubt Nashville and Anaheim will move. Both have loyal fanbases and are successful franchises. Phoenix and Florida sure but definitely not Nashville and Anaheim. Nashville is a huge hockey town. They sell out nearly every game and their fans are crazy for their Preds

 

[tank44]

I thought the proposed location wouldn't really affect the traffic, since NBA/NHL games have drastically less capacity than football/baseball games.

I have no idea what cbr9927 is complaining about. All traffic & transit goes to the Seattle city center and specifically towards SoDo. You have the two main highways meeting, other access highways from the north & south, busses, ferries, light rail and amtrak rail. Bellevue has more traffic and minimal transit. Around where the Sodo arena is to go, there is already improvements in buildings and facilities. Along 1st Ave some tech companies have built new nice buildings to the south of Safeco (near the proposed arena). There are rules in place already between events at Safeco & Clink that they can't directly overlap aside from a few concessions. Even the Mariners are limited in midweek day games they can play to accommodate traffic issues.

In addition: NHL/NBA would overlap MLB in October and April only and bth would be dependent on playoff activity for one of the teams. MLS & NFL are much easier to work around with limited number of games.

 

[Craz1bo1]

Report: Potential Seattle ownership group revealed

The group of businessmen interested in bringing an NHL team to Seattle includes some powerful people, according to Chris Daniels of King5.com.

Victor Coleman and Jonathan Glaser are thought to be the driving force behind the bid. Coleman is CEO of Hudson Pacific Properties, which owns a long list of properties in and around Seattle.

Coleman and Glaser, along with Jeff Marks, met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly earlier in May. The meeting, which allegedly concerned the possibility of a new arena in Seattle, included elected officials from the Seattle area as well as NHL general counsel David Zimmerman.

The fact that the Coleman-led group sat down for a formal meeting with Bettman, Daly and Seattle politicians suggests it is the frontrunner to bring a team to the city. At least two other groups are reportedly interested, but Coleman's insistence the team be located in Seattle - as opposed to a nearby suburb - may give him an upper hand in negotiations.

There is no indication as to whether or not financial terms were discussed or proposed during the meeting. The NHL Board of Governors will meet in June to discuss the business of the league, which will likely include details about the potential offer from Coleman and his associates.

http://www.thescore.com/news/503019

 

[Jyrki21]

Ummmm HELLO.... the Seattle Metropolitans won a Stanley Cup 59 years before the Cleveland Barons entered the league.

Weren't an NHL team, though.

 

[Lindgren]

More is coming out on the content of the meeting:

http://seattletimes.com/html/hockey/2023620410_nhlandseattle16xml.html

The sticking point remains the stadium. The city wants an NBA franchise first.

 

[bo2shink*]

Im not sure Seattle can support a team on its own once the initial rush of BC fans dies down.

Why?

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Ah so somebody does remember. You born before the 90s need to get it together.

Still though I know Seattle was different in those times in the 80s with Key Arena but given the right situation I still can't believe even Phoenix and Dallas in the 90s were given a chance before Seattle. And I'm strong supporters of Dallas and even the Cup-less Coyotes of being in the spots they are now. Atlanta was tragic but a good move by NHL. I can't think of a better move now. Columbus? they are just growing. Who do you move? Carolina? They have a Cup. Tampa? Same. IMO you don't move a team with a Cup. Which leaves Florida on the block but they just got a new owner.

Certainly a strange situation for sure right now.

NHL viewed Seattle as viable and were interested in early 90's

But Sonics owner had the Key Arena renovations done in a way that NHL hockey was no longer viable. The Sonics owner didn't want an NHL team in Seattle to compete with Supersonics