Seattle Kraken (coming 2021-2022)

[Majingir]

With the arena renovations being official, all the speculation on Seattle actually getting a team are coming in fast. Bob McKenzie thinks things could happen real fast. BoG meetings are this week, so they could potentially be discussing Seattle getting a team.

2020-2021 season would be the earliest a team could play.

At this point, it's just a matter of when not if the announcement will be made official. Also seems to be speculation that expansion fees could be over 600M this time around. Almost surely puts QC out of running if they did want to try again(which I doubt they would).

Give Seattle an expansion team in 2018 so teams got 2 years to prepare for the expansion draft. Then in 2018 or 2019 we could have a team relocate to QC.

I think Seattle Emeralds would be a great name for the team. Logo could be an emerald with the top part of it being the space needle shaped like a hockey puck.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

The best suggestion I've seen is the Seattle Cascades.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

As expected, Seattle expansion was talked about during BoG meetings. Bettman having media conference in about an hour. Though it is the NHL, you'll get alot of nothing.

Canucks seem to be in favour of this happening, so that's good news. Seeing the Jays and Mariners rivalry when jays play in Seattle, I'd expect the Vancouver VS Seattle one in hockey to be even better.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

As expected, Seattle expansion was talked about during BoG meetings. Bettman having media conference in about an hour. Though it is the NHL, you'll get alot of nothing.

Canucks seem to be in favour of this happening, so that's good news. Seeing the Jays and Mariners rivalry when jays play in Seattle, I'd expect the Vancouver VS Seattle one in hockey to be even better.

Is that a thing? I don't think anyone considers Toronto/Seattle a rivalry.

I could see a hockey rivalry against Vancouver because the cities are a 3 hour drive apart, but I have literally never heard a single thing about the Mariners and Blue Jays being 'rivals'.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Is that a thing? I don't think anyone considers Toronto/Seattle a rivalry.

I could see a hockey rivalry against Vancouver because the cities are a 3 hour drive apart, but I have literally never heard a single thing about the Mariners and Blue Jays being 'rivals'.

Not in the sense that when mariners comes to Toronto it means the same, but there definitely are battling crowds during games in Seattle. It's almost like a home game for jays when going to Seattle.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Now it's confirmed. Seattle filing application to expand, nhl allowing them to begin a season ticket drive, though "this doesn't guarantee them a team" (to me it sounds like if the drive fails, they won't get a team, basically all other scenarios has them getting one). Applying to expand for 20-21 season.

Canes sold today, Seattle applying for expansion, what about QC? Canes could relocate to Houston. The guy owning them could own 100% of team in 3 years under terms of the sale, so maybe he will be allowed to move them by then, and with him being from Texas, just makes sense. Or even give that 48% to the Houston group wanting to bring a team there.

NHL having good idea about proper conference alignment by 2020, so if an east team needs to move, QC is waiting.

[rdnk]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

The best suggestion I've seen is the Seattle Cascades.

Seattle had a team called Metropolitans that won the Stanley Cup. If I had to place odds though, I'd go with Seattle Steelheads.

Expansion team in QC, and moving Carolina to Seattle makes a lot of sense to me.

[TracerBullet]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Metropolitans, Sockeyes, Steelheads, Sasquatch(es), Pilots and Totems are the names I see thrown around most. There is also a weird movement for Kraken and yeah, no. I personally have always like the Totems, but I don't expect that to be the resurrected Seattle name.

While I get the history, I don't really want the Metropolitans. Just doesn't seem right with a division already named that and it just doesn't really invoke much of what I think about when I think of Seattle.

Is that a thing? I don't think anyone considers Toronto/Seattle a rivalry.

I could see a hockey rivalry against Vancouver because the cities are a 3 hour drive apart, but I have literally never heard a single thing about the Mariners and Blue Jays being 'rivals'.

Not in the sense that when mariners comes to Toronto it means the same, but there definitely are battling crowds during games in Seattle. It's almost like a home game for jays when going to Seattle.

Yeah, Canadians come down heavy when the Jays are in town. Not sure I'd call it a rivalry per se, but it is a different type of series than most when the Jays come to Seattle.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Seattle had a team called Metropolitans that won the Stanley Cup. If I had to place odds though, I'd go with Seattle Steelheads.

Expansion team in QC, and moving Carolina to Seattle makes a lot of sense to me.

Doesn't make sense. Seattle WILL get the expansion team and NHL won't settle for anything else. They're willing to pay $650M for expansion, who'd say no to that? Next CBA, players will demand high cap. Owners getting 1.1B in expansion money, none of which players get. 2019 is an opt out year, they better get something done before.

What's the origin behind Steelheads?

[TracerBullet]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

What's the origin behind Steelheads?

It's a type of trout and our state fish. We're big on fish up here (hence the Mariners). It's also the name of the former Negro League baseball team that was up here. So there is some history with the name here.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

It's a type of trout and our state fish. We're big on fish up here (hence the Mariners). It's also the name of the former Negro League baseball team that was up here. So there is some history with the name here.

That makes Seattle VS Vancouver rivalry even more fitting.

[rdnk]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Doesn't make sense. Seattle WILL get the expansion team and NHL won't settle for anything else. They're willing to pay $650M for expansion, who'd say no to that? Next CBA, players will demand high cap. Owners getting 1.1B in expansion money, none of which players get. 2019 is an opt out year, they better get something done before.

My thought process was that a team in QC (or any big Canadian city) is more likely to be able to draw money with a less than competitive team. I'm sure they'd have no problems getting 650M out of a Canadian investor group in QC.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

My thought process was that a team in QC (or any big Canadian city) is more likely to be able to draw money with a less than competitive team. I'm sure they'd have no problems getting 650M out of a Canadian investor group in QC.

Not really. 650M is over 800m Canadian. Getting even the 500m was slightly challenging. 650m or more might put even a Canadian team in a big hole financially.

Seattle has rich group, they can more than afford a 650m price tag.

If Canes went for 500m, I don't think a team like coyotes or panthers would go for over 600m. Better to inherit that if you're QC.

[pietasterp]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Seattle always seemed like the most logical destination for expansion to me. It's an entirely untapped market (Pacific Northwest) with a large metropolitan population that has no other winter sport team since the Sonics up-and-left town. The people of Seattle also seem to support non-mainstream sports (see: Sounders) and you will probably also draw some Portland fans as well. Built-in cross-border rivalry with Vancouver is a bonus. It's made so much sense for such a long time, and even moreso since the NBA took off.

Anyway, it always made more sense to me than Las Vegas.

[Majingir]

Re: NHL to Seattle?

Seattle always seemed like the most logical destination for expansion to me. It's an entirely untapped market (Pacific Northwest) with a large metropolitan population that has no other winter sport team since the Sonics up-and-left town. The people of Seattle also seem to support non-mainstream sports (see: Sounders) and you will probably also draw some Portland fans as well. Built-in cross-border rivalry with Vancouver is a bonus. It's made so much sense for such a long time, and even moreso since the NBA took off.

Anyway, it always made more sense to me than Las Vegas.

Seattle seems more logical than QC too. Nhl wanted Seattle for years. It's exact reason Bettman commented directly about them during the last expansion. NHL wanted Seattle and Vegas in the league, and got left hanging having only Vegas to accept and looking like bad guys in QC situation. Long term though, it paid off as teams get an extra 5m or so out of this.

NHL needs to capitalize on that Pacific northwest market. Though if NHL really wants to make money, Toronto getting 2nd team would be perfect for them. You have a cash cow of a market you have millions of dollars a year to still squeeze out of them. Sure, you gotta grow the game, but you need to make as much money as you can.