Though it took a little longer than expected, the Oak View Group based out of Seattle has officially filed its application for NHL expansion and given a $10MM down payment according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
The group plans on having construction completed on their KeyArena renovation project in time to have NHL hockey start in the fall of 2020, meaning the league would need to hold another expansion draft that summer. Seattle hasn’t started on a season ticket drive yet, but has the full support of mayor Jenny Durkan as she attempts to bring both NHL and NBA franchises to the city.
An expansion team in Seattle would represent the 32nd franchise in the NHL, and would likely cause some additional division re-alignment. Currently, the Central is the only division with seven teams, and Seattle doesn’t make much sense there. Though it’s not for some time, teams will begin to prepare their rosters for an eventual expansion draft as they did for the Vegas go-round. Ultimately it didn’t matter much, as the Golden Knights have been one of the league’s best teams right from the start. Seattle will try to emulate their success, though it will certainly be a difficult task.
So who is joining me in the ownership bid?
Alex Rodriguez
I have like $12 in my wallet. I’ll join.
Ok so Anthony, Michael, and A-Rod. Anyone else want in?
Seattle Sasquatch? Seattle Dragons? Sounders? Stormers? Seattle Thunder would have been cool, too bad all the good names are taken.
Metropolitans. Then hang up banners like the Sens did.
Already taken. There’s a baseball team and a whole division with that name already.
Kraken
Seattle Cobains? Seattle Depression? Seattle Rain? Seattle Clouds?
Two realignment ideas…
The one I like…
Central – CHI STL MIN DAL NSH COL VGK ARI
Pacific – LA SJ ANH VAN SEA WPG EDM CGY
But the Jets might complain about being in the Pacific and VGK wants to artificially create a rivalry with LA, so if that doesn’t work…maybe this would…
Central – CHI STL MIN DAL NSH WPG EDM CGY
Pacific – LA SJ ANH VAN SEA VGK COL ARI
The central doesn’t need any better teams, just ARZ, then everyone can get easy points
Arizona should move to the Central division. In the case that they relocate (with Houston being the likely destination) it creates a natural rivalry with Dallas without having to realign the divisions again.
Pacific: LA, SJ, ANG, VAN, SEA, VGK, CGY, EDM.
Central, CHI, STL, MIN, DAL, ARI, NSH, COL, WPG
Have to keep Seattle with Vancouver because of the rivalry that should develop there. Obviously you keep the Los Angeles teams together. Edmonton has a rivalry with Calgary so you keep them together. And Calgary has a rivalry with Vancouver so they stick together.
Seattle addicts
How about just two divisions. Eastern and western.
Seattle Spirit.
It kind of has a WNBA-sounding name, but it would also be a cool tribute to Kurt Cobain and the other musicians that have come from there (as in Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit).
Seattle Spoonmen.
Seattle Men in the Box.
Seattle Yellow Ledbetters (originally called the Little Wings).
Supersonics!
Seattle Pilots
That’s obviously crossing sports, but I think it would be a really cool throwback. That would be a good one.