Remember, this is just the "interested parties, please step forward" phase. Also, as mentioned upthread, the Lightning, Wild, and Blue Jackets (there's other examples too) submitted their applications prior to a bona fide Arena plan was finalized.
There's no race, per se, to get either the City of Seattle or Tukwila to break from the process (because they can't) and approve an Arena by August.
This is a mid-to-high level overview for the League to situate Ownership Groups, Markets, and a review of said markets existing Arena infrastructure or plans. I mean, there's obviously a plan beit Seattle or Tukwila, even Bellevue to a certain extent. But the process to get to that is exactly that, a process. When the League reviews Seattle's bids, I'm quite comfortable in saying that as long as Market and Ownerships pass Phases One and Two that as long as they see momentum on the third they'll take that heavily into consideration.
Bettman's tone in his quote above is his best "I'm lighting a fire under your rear ends". No one finds it coincidental at all that after Bettman's visit there that serious gears started grinding on the momentum?
The 3-headed monster of the NHL (Bettman, Daly, and Zimmerman) don't disguise a 3 1/2 hr flight as "being in the neighborhood" just because they were "in the neighborhood"
I'll say it before and will say it again... if Jac Sperling is involved, its being taken very seriously by the League. Can't stress that enough.
Remember, this is just the "interested parties, please step forward" phase. Also, as mentioned upthread, the Lightning, Wild, and Blue Jackets (there's other examples too) submitted their applications prior to a bona fide Arena plan was finalized.
There's no race, per se, to get either the City of Seattle or Tukwila to break from the process (because they can't) and approve an Arena by August.
This is a mid-to-high level overview for the League to situate Ownership Groups, Markets, and a review of said markets existing Arena infrastructure or plans. I mean, there's obviously a plan beit Seattle or Tukwila, even Bellevue to a certain extent. But the process to get to that is exactly that, a process. When the League reviews Seattle's bids, I'm quite comfortable in saying that as long as Market and Ownerships pass Phases One and Two that as long as they see momentum on the third they'll take that heavily into consideration.
Bettman's tone in his quote above is his best "I'm lighting a fire under your rear ends". No one finds it coincidental at all that after Bettman's visit there that serious gears started grinding on the momentum?
The 3-headed monster of the NHL (Bettman, Daly, and Zimmerman) don't disguise a 3 1/2 hr flight as "being in the neighborhood" just because they were "in the neighborhood"
I'll say it before and will say it again... if Jac Sperling is involved, its being taken very seriously by the League. Can't stress that enough.
