NHL to Seattle Volume XV - Moving the Expansion Needle [Upd: 9/24 Arena Reno. Unanimously Approved]

[gstommylee]

No...the price has already been set...whether it is a new expansion team or a relocated one...that is ultimately up to the NHL Front Office (i.e., Bettman)...

We are not getting an relocation team. So who's going to pay 650m for #32 if Seattle is relocation? Guess what no one will.

 

[SkalbaniasGhost]

What MLB pursuit in the next 2/3 weeks?

All that I can find is related the MLB project is in Portland...

Source: www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2018/04/17/portland-stadium-drive-begins-as-baseball-group.html

Home | Portland Diamond Project
This will push any potential NHL in Portland talk to the side for now.

 

[DowntownBooster]

Vancouver should go back to their black, orange and yellow flying skate jerseys and let Seattle have that color scheme.

The Canucks had the blue, green and white theme dating back to 1970. It made sense when they brought those colors back as they reflect the region. I think Seattle will have no problem finding a color scheme the fans there will like.

 

[TheLegend]

Explain. Do you mean this to suggest the Coyotes could still be in play??

Only if you believe people who like recycling old stale news and tweets have any relevance.

Coyotes aren’t showing any signs of going anywhere in the near future.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Home | Portland Diamond Project
This will push any potential NHL in Portland talk to the side for now.

As long as Paul Allen is alive and owns Rose Garden the NHL to Portland is a nonstarter

The only time he expressed interest was when he lost control of Rose Garden and it was nothing but PR in his quest to regain control

Once he did his interest in NHL vanished

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

There is another option.
It is a market you have not mentioned.
You will have your answer by March of next year.
Be patient.
(Hint: look south snowvalley)

Sacramento? If there, they'd need a new building Golden 1 is basketball only. San Diego also would need a new building too. Or....maybe Tacoma?

 

[No Fun Shogun]

As long as Paul Allen is alive and owns Rose Garden the NHL to Portland is a nonstarter

The only time he expressed interest was when he lost control of Rose Garden and it was nothing but PR in his quest to regain control

Once he did his interest in NHL vanished

To be fair, his interest seems tied to wanting a bargain deal, but that ain't happening as long as the NHL wants a half billion + for expansion fees, so that also means there's literally no chance that they'd let a team get sold and relocated for south of that for a foreseeable future.

True North got damn lucky they bought the Thrashers when the value of a bad team was at a nice low.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Here's an interesting development that just took place down at Council:



More:





Similar language it appears to the original Hansen MOU for his building. OK, folks, chew on this. Do I see a game of chicken developing between the Council and the BoG?

 

[MNNumbers]

That is an interesting development. Not sure what else to say...

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Pretty much takes the Coyotes off the table for a while, sounds like

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

That is an interesting development. Not sure what else to say...

It is. I mean, if you read the clause that Daniels pictured in the second tweet, it basically smells as I noted before a lot like the touted clauses of the similar nature that were part of the original Hansen/SoDo MOU. Good for the taxpayers and the city of course and fans but as we have seen with that deal, it created a major cat and mouse game between the city and the NBA that stalled that thing out. So the question for me now is is whether we'll potentially see a similar standoff develop between the city and the NHL's BoG with Oak View stuck in the middle. After all, I think the NHL's position is probably similar that they'll want to see actual dirt being moved down there before a team is awarded, and yet, this MOU between OVG and the city calls for the exact opposite thing - a team before you move dirt. So there you go. I'm surprised to say the least that the city got Oak View to actually agree to that language. Perhaps Oak View is so confident of getting teams that that was probably not a biggie to them. But if you're on the BoG, maybe you're thinking differently. Who knows?

 

[Bookie21]

Seattle just can't seem to get out of their own way. The BOG will NOT like this one bit

 

[powerstuck]

Seattle just can't seem to get out of their own way. The BOG will NOT like this one bit

Yep, the old boys club likes to be in control and not being told what/when/how to do things.

In the end Seattle will still get a team, but this may add a year or two to the delay.
Unless...the behind doors deal is that OVG buys Coyotes, keeps them in AZ till Key is completed. Oh the multitude of scenarios this thing opens.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Seattle just can't seem to get out of their own way. The BOG will NOT like this one bit

And that's the thing about the cat and mouse game that I just described. This arena process overall has stalled out until now largely because the NBA won't award a team until you move dirt, and yet, the expectation is from the city and many fans (and rightly so I might add because of what happened in 2008) that there will be a team before you move dirt. Protects the taxpayers and fans and ensures that the team can't just up and leave and go somewhere else. But the rules of the game of course call for the NBA's position to be honored and I think those of us here who understand the long game have warmed up to that argument and accepted it for what it is. The BoG I'd have to believe has been briefed already on the MOU behind closed doors so this language will not be new to them. At the end of the day, I have to believe Oak View is so confident in its ability to secure teams because of their relationships with the league that such language is "nothing" to them. Whether the BoG sees it the same way as I just noted before is an open question. You Canadian folks will want to keep tuned to local sports radio because Daniels will be touring north of the border once again and this likely will be a discussion point I'd expect.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Yep, the old boys club likes to be in control and not being told what/when/how to do things.

In the end Seattle will still get a team, but this may add a year or two to the delay.
Unless...the behind doors deal is that OVG buys Coyotes, keeps them in AZ till Key is completed. Oh the multitude of scenarios this thing opens.

Yeah, there's a lot here to digest.......

 

[TheLegend]

I’d say Seattle took one big look at what happened with Quebec City and said “Hmmmmmmm.... wait a sec.”

 

[powerstuck]

I’d say Seattle took one big look at what happened with Quebec City and said “Hmmmmmmm.... wait a sec.”

With every right reason, most likely. Heck, they could have taken more than one example. Quebec, Glendale and even Brooklyn.

Quebec never got a team. Glendale, after all the help they gave the NHL, are being daily told that the team cannot survive and will move (non dependent if it moves to Phoenix or Scottsdale), and Brooklyn already lost the Islanders.

 

[TheLegend]

With every right reason, most likely. Heck, they could have taken more than one example. Quebec, Glendale and even Brooklyn.

Quebec never got a team. Glendale, after all the help they gave the NHL, are being daily told that the team cannot survive and will move (non dependent if it moves to Phoenix or Scottsdale), and Brooklyn already lost the Islanders.

I don’t blame them either. But the one thing Seattle has going for it is the NHL really wants into that market..... bad.

So I would presume there will be some sort of simultaneous movement on both ends and you’ll see it all drop into place at once. It’s just a matter of OVG having all the parties satisfied.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

I’d say Seattle took one big look at what happened with Quebec City and said “Hmmmmmmm.... wait a sec.”

With every right reason, most likely. Heck, they could have taken more than one example. Quebec, Glendale and even Brooklyn.

Quebec never got a team. Glendale, after all the help they gave the NHL, are being daily told that the team cannot survive and will move (non dependent if it moves to Phoenix or Scottsdale), and Brooklyn already lost the Islanders.

No, not seeing that here. Again, as I noted before, this language is very similar, if not word for word although I don't know that for sure, with the original Hansen/SoDo MOU clauses on this. As it is this council and most of their chief support bases probably couldn't find Quebec City on a damn map if their life depended on it that's how dumb some of these people are. I can't remember, but I think we may have discussed upthread about the Showbox nightclub issue - well, the city just got sued yesterday over that by the developer of that proposed project for $40 million. Yikes. Dumb as rocks and now they're going potentially to get taken to the cleaners for it.

 

[Mightygoose]

I can't see this condition as being anything that will derail the team.

It's very likely that the BOG know about this and I can't really blame the city for having it there. They city wouldn't want their arena tied up in a renovation for 2+ years for nothing.

If the vote is coming December at the earliest, then a 2021 start date is more realistic IMO.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

http://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=6573292&GUID=0E5DBF76-59F7-49F7-93E7-D9A46F393AED

This is the agreement in question (H/T Tommy for this). It is different than from the MOU between the city and Oak View, this is a so-called "Development Agreement." The clauses at play are in section 10, and that is on pages 21 and 22 of this document.

The key clause of note:

10.1.12 The NHL Board of Governors shall have approved the application for and awarded the thirty-second (32nd) NHL expansion franchise to Seattle Hockey Partners LLC to be located in the City of Seattle, and delivered notice of same to the City, and Seattle Hockey Partners LLC and the NHL shall have executed the expansion franchise agreement;

But at the head of this section, there's this:

10.1 Conditions to Commencement of Demolition or Construction. In addition to the Turnover Conditions set forth in Section 2.3 above, Tenant shall not commence any demolition or construction activities on any portion of the Development Premises until satisfaction or waiver in writing by the City of all of the following conditions precedent:

So the city could waive that condition if it so chose and perhaps might do that if they have been assured that the league and Oak View would come to terms on a franchise.

A lot to digest here in this so read and discuss.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

http://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=6573292&GUID=0E5DBF76-59F7-49F7-93E7-D9A46F393AED

This is the agreement in question (H/T Tommy for this). It is different than from the MOU between the city and Oak View, this is a so-called "Development Agreement." The clauses at play are in section 10, and that is on pages 21 and 22 of this document.

The key clause of note:



But at the head of this section, there's this:



So the city could waive that condition if it so chose and perhaps might do that if they have been assured that the league and Oak View would come to terms on a franchise.

A lot to digest here in this so read and discuss.

Oh, and Daniels talked to this Foster dude, and here's what he said:

 

[gstommylee]

the bigger issue in 10.1 that can actually delay construction to December is not the team. Its 10.1.11 that involves any appeal of the FEIS and any appeal must by filed by next Thursday.

A thing of note Bettman or Daly can say no team until steel out of ground all they want. But ultimately its the 31 owner call here for full BOG and 10 for exec committee. To the owners a finalized arena (final approval) will probably be enough for the exec committee to go ahead with its recommendation that the full BOG goes ahead and grants the franchise in the december BOG meeting.

 

[MNNumbers]

Interesting to me that the clause quoted above specifies an expansion team.

 

[brewski420]

Seems to be the city is just covering itself, rightly so with OVG amenable to it because it is 99.9% confident that a team will be awarded. The NHL will grant a team imo without much hesitation covering itself in some highly visible fashion with very little meaning.