NHL to Seattle Volume XIV - Seattle sells 26,000 season ticket deposits in 2 hours

[gstommylee]

Do you think the other 31 teams are interested in giving Seattle an additional year to scout and develop a draft plan after Vegas came in with one year and have done what they've done?

Like I said, if Key Arena was ready to go right now, I think the drive would potentially move an announcement up to this offseason and allow Seattle to hire a GM and staff for next season to start play in 19-20. That's not the case, though.

I'm working the timeline backward from the first time the puck drops in Seattle's new arena, not forward from the ticket drive. I think the league would think the same way.

NHL only has one shot to get the team properly rooted into the market before the NBA returns(if it does.)

And a Summer announcement allows them an extra year to root the team into the market. The group wants a summer announcement and i think they'll get it. There is no need to do another year of more review review and more review.

 

[Mightygoose]

I'm still in the camp that the official announcement occurs this June. This process has moved along so quick I can't see it dragging out.

Them having 2 years vs. 1 with Vegas... Can't see it being a big issue. During the late 90s expansion, Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota and Columbus were all awarded at the same time but started play in 3 different years so the start up time was not equal.

On the other hand, if the league wants to wait until ground breaking first before green lighting things, that's possible.

 

[gstommylee]

I'm still in the camp that the official announcement occurs this June. This process has moved along so quick I can't see it dragging out.

Them having 2 years vs. 1 with Vegas... Can't see it being a big issue. During the late 90s expansion, Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota and Columbus were all awarded at the same time but started play in 3 different years so the start up time was not equal.

On the other hand, if the league wants to wait until ground breaking first before green lighting things, that's possible.

The draft EIS is out late April. That'll give us an idea if things will begin on time or not this october.

I don't think anything can really stop the arena from happening imo especially with a team secured.

 

[PCSPounder]

This process has moved along so quick I can't see it dragging out.

Your last sentence about the NHL wanting the EIS done before they announce is, I think, accurate.

The reason I quoted that line, however, is to address Battle Born. Yes, there's the possibility of reasonable delays. But when it comes to a government actually wanting to get something done versus "using the process" to bog things down, specifically when it comes to the Pacific Northwest, you can tell when "process" wins and when "GET IT DONE" wins. Everything that has transpired here for the Key Arena screams the latter. The contrast between this and the Chris Hansen years are night and day, no?

So I'm going to argue that this summer is probably a non-starter, but the league won't wait long past EIS passage. It seems everything else is in place.

 

[Hynh]

One factor to consider is the NBC contract that expires after 2020-21. When is the best time to announce the team to maximize the bidding on the next contract?

 

[LadyStanley]

One factor to consider is the NBC contract that expires after 2020-21. When is the best time to announce the team to maximize the bidding on the next contract?

Before negotiations for new deal start.

 

[Bookie21]

Before negotiations for new deal start.

Agreed. Pretty sure that's why this is being fast tracked

 

[gstommylee]

Looks like one of our NHL Seattle owners is doing a little scouting

 

[Killion]

Looks like one of our NHL Seattle owners is doing a little scouting

.... he seems to be spending quite a bit of time in Seattle which is interesting in & of itself... wonder if he's going to or has bought a place. He's had nothing but good things to say about the people & city, a place he'd not really been to a whole lot over the years, spending most of his time in LA, Kentucky, on location.... but ya, everytime I see his name popping up in an article, all very positive, obviously extremely enthusiastic guy, great attitude.... Grew up in the Detroit area attending Red Wings games as a kid with his Dad but never actually played much himself... then when Gretzky arrived in LA, who he befriended took up playing himself, organizing a rec hockey team. Even built a small 3 on 3 arena at his home in Kentucky; plays once a week in LA... rather youthful looking & active 74yr old huh? Plays forward... "because I cant skate backwards".

 

[gstommylee]

.... he seems to be spending quite a bit of time in Seattle which is interesting in & of itself... wonder if he's going to or has bought a place. He's had nothing but good things to say about the people & city, a place he'd not really been to a whole lot over the years, spending most of his time in LA, Kentucky, on location.... but ya, everytime I see his name popping up in an article, all very positive, obviously extremely enthusiastic guy, great attitude.... Grew up in the Detroit area attending Red Wings games as a kid with his Dad but never actually played much himself... then when Gretzky arrived in LA, who he befriended took up playing himself, organizing a rec hockey team. Even built a small 3 on 3 arena at his home in Kentucky; plays once a week in LA... rather youthful looking & active 74yr old huh? Plays forward... "because I cant skate backwards".

Makes me wonder if Seattle may draft a local player or two in a couple years.

 

[superdeluxe]

I think this is inevitable but an offiical announcement's not made until early next year.

OVG expects June. Nothing I've seen suggest it will be 7-8 months later than that.

 

[gordie]

I give this Seattle experiment 10 years to succeed in this market and be able to get a new arena built somewhere. This renovation of this old arena poorly located in a neighborhood should only give them 10 years before the demand for a new more suitable place starts. So they have to get rooted quickly and get the public interested or this will just be another Atlanta Thrashers situation.

 

[gstommylee]

I give this Seattle experiment 10 years to succeed in this market and be able to get a new arena built somewhere. This renovation of this old arena poorly located in a neighborhood should only give them 10 years before the demand for a new more suitable place starts. So they have to get rooted quickly and get the public interested or this will just be another Atlanta Thrashers situation.

Really? That is not going to happen. The team isn't going to be granted only to be relocated in 10 years. Its a 100% privately funded arena. The city isn't going to kick the teams out. Nor will the teams demand a new arena.

This is not a renovation. Its an internal gut job under the same shell.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I have a feeling Tyler Johnson will be one of their first players.

 

[GordonGecko]

Do people in Seattle go up to Vancouver to watch Canucks games?

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Do people in Seattle go up to Vancouver to watch Canucks games?

Yes. I myself have not but a lot of people do. There are even season ticket holders from down here, not many, but enough. Ease of travel up there (I-5 all the way up into Vancouver) plus the border crossing is not too bad for most folks making the trip. When the new bullet train that's being proposed currently goes on line, that will make things even easier for folks.

SD and Doug Mellon can allude to this a little further than I can so I'll yield the floor to both of them to continue this discussion with you.

 

[powerstuck]

The draft EIS is out late April. That'll give us an idea if things will begin on time or not this october.

I don't think anything can really stop the arena from happening imo especially with a team secured.

Your last sentence about the NHL wanting the EIS done before they announce is, I think, accurate.

The reason I quoted that line, however, is to address Battle Born. Yes, there's the possibility of reasonable delays. But when it comes to a government actually wanting to get something done versus "using the process" to bog things down, specifically when it comes to the Pacific Northwest, you can tell when "process" wins and when "GET IT DONE" wins. Everything that has transpired here for the Key Arena screams the latter. The contrast between this and the Chris Hansen years are night and day, no?

So I'm going to argue that this summer is probably a non-starter, but the league won't wait long past EIS passage. It seems everything else is in place.

I just think NHL may wait till proper construction work starts at the Key before making ''commitment dates announcements''.
This type of renovation/rebuild (call it what you want) always has a chance of hiding surprises, often nasty ones.
PR would be terrible if NHL was to commit this summer that Seattle team starts in 20-21 (example) and then they start digging and hit a snag that delays all work by 6 months and team cannot start in 20-21.

In that way, its different from Vegas whose arena was well underway when the league went publicly with announcements.

 

[tank44]

OT but they should really try to get rid of the underscore mark in their twitter handle.

I know the guy who has the non-underscore NHLSeattle twitter handle. created it during the Thrashers last season and followed them as if they were moving to Seattle and not Winnipeg. It doesnt sound like the main group reached out to him since he asked the same question out loud on social media and realized that it was him.

Do people in Seattle go up to Vancouver to watch Canucks games?

Yes. people on my beer league team go up monthly and know many (myself included) that go to 1-3 games per year in Vancouver.

The PacNW is neat since between Van, Sea & Pdx there's 1 major league team from each of the big 4 leagues and then each city with the MLS. Seahawks & Mariners get loads of fans from both Van & Pdx but do not think the Van-to-Pdx relationship is as prevalent. I personally would love to see Portland or Vancouver get MLB - liklely Portland since stadium deals and land costs in Vancouver are extraordinary. NFL will not have a 2nd PNW team. NBA will likely come back to Seattle very soon and Vancouver could be in the mix for a return too. One thing that people rarely talk about is that the Grizzlies left Vancouver in the exact same manner the Sonics left Seattle. Local owner sold to out of town businessman, 'good faith effort' to make it work locally, moved to businessman's hometown.

 

[gstommylee]

I just think NHL may wait till proper construction work starts at the Key before making ''commitment dates announcements''.
This type of renovation/rebuild (call it what you want) always has a chance of hiding surprises, often nasty ones.
PR would be terrible if NHL was to commit this summer that Seattle team starts in 20-21 (example) and then they start digging and hit a snag that delays all work by 6 months and team cannot start in 20-21.

In that way, its different from Vegas whose arena was well underway when the league went publicly with announcements.

And that is what the SEPA review is suppose to do. Find stuff like that. Good lord. THe NHL might as well wait the 22-23 season before the team begins playing.

The 95 renovation dug down when that was done and found nothing. Digging another 15 feet more is suddenly gonna find something that the initial renovation didn't find?

Oh wait guess what we could lose a season due to lockout hence the 22-23 start time.

So us fans should wait 4 years until that team starts playing. you know what would happen people lose patience they stop going to games. Does the NHL want to damage the franchise before it even starts? No.

You ever consider of a conditional franchise like in 74 when the league gave one then pulled cause the group involved couldn't pay the league.

Oh then the NBA returns and people stop going to NHL games and go to NBA games cause the league screwed up. There is no need for the league to keep studying and studying and studying Seattle.

We have an expert that knows the whole arena building process. If the league trust the guy (they do) that it can be done for 20-21 season then the team will be granted this summer and begin playing 20-21 season.

The last thing the league wants is call a stall in the process. The sooner the team is granted, the less likely things happen to where the whole arena stalls out to where it doesn't happen.

 

[powerstuck]

@gstommylee I am not saying the league will or will not announce a team. And I could care less if they do or do not.

All I am saying is the NHL may want to be prudent until the shovels do hit the ground.

Of course 1995 renovation didn't find anything but what if the way they poured concrete in 1995 makes it harder to remove without collapsing everything including that historical landmark of a roof they absolutely need to keep intact ?

Look, NHL could and most likely will announce your team somewhere in June/July 2018. But that doesn't guarantee that you guys will not wait 4 years, and that out of 25000+ deposit holders, some won't grow tired of waiting. Nor does it guarantee that people will stop going to NHL games once NBA comes back.

At this point, I do not think the league is the one that's slowing this process down.

 

[gstommylee]

@gstommylee I am not saying the league will or will not announce a team. And I could care less if they do or do not.

All I am saying is the NHL may want to be prudent until the shovels do hit the ground.

Of course 1995 renovation didn't find anything but what if the way they poured concrete in 1995 makes it harder to remove without collapsing everything including that historical landmark of a roof they absolutely need to keep intact ?

Look, NHL could and most likely will announce your team somewhere in June/July 2018. But that doesn't guarantee that you guys will not wait 4 years, and that out of 25000+ deposit holders, some won't grow tired of waiting. Nor does it guarantee that people will stop going to NHL games once NBA comes back.

At this point, I do not think the league is the one that's slowing this process down.

The current foundation isn't going to be a problem. They have new technology to where its possible to dig down and not have to worry about having the old foundation collapse. With out this new technology, this arena plan would not been possible and sodo arena would have happened instead.

The point is the team needs to root itself before the NBA returns. The thing is delaying the start of the franchise to 21-22 season is basically delaying it to 22-23 due to a possible loss of season cause of a lockout.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I just think NHL may wait till proper construction work starts at the Key before making ''commitment dates announcements''.
This type of renovation/rebuild (call it what you want) always has a chance of hiding surprises, often nasty ones.
PR would be terrible if NHL was to commit this summer that Seattle team starts in 20-21 (example) and then they start digging and hit a snag that delays all work by 6 months and team cannot start in 20-21.

In that way, its different from Vegas whose arena was well underway when the league went publicly with announcements.

Meh, if legal work is done but arena hits a structural snag, then they can play in temporary dig. Like LA Chargers. Who plays in a stadium that is not even half the regulation size of standard NFL stadium.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Meh, if legal work is done but arena hits a structural snag, then they can play in temporary dig. Like LA Chargers. Who plays in a stadium that is not even half the regulation size of standard NFL stadium.

there really isn't a plan B, BK, you're already paying the Storm (who is the prime tenant now) to play elsewhere per lease at the arena while the retrofit occurs, same exact scenario as 1978-79, whereas the Sonics were paid to play elsewhere the last time this arena was retrofitted.....

it has nothing to do with Carson or the Chargers, the Rams already had the Coliseum, and they're the "prime tenants" at the new stadium at Hollywood Park.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

there really isn't a plan B, BK, you're already paying the Storm (who is the prime tenant now) to play elsewhere per lease at the arena while the retrofit occurs, same exact scenario as 1978-79, whereas the Sonics were paid to play elsewhere the last time this arena was retrofitted.....

it has nothing to do with Carson or the Chargers, the Rams already had the Coliseum, and they're the "prime tenants" at the new stadium at Hollywood Park.

What are you talking about? All I said was they can play in a smaller venue until the arena is ready, if it hits a snag.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

What are you talking about? All I said was they can play in a smaller venue until the arena is ready, if it hits a snag.

there is no other venue is the point, why would OVG pay 650 M, or thereabouts to retrofit an arena, that is not ready, independent of any franchise announcement, get it.