When I first decided I wanted to visit Seattle back in February, there was no guarantee the city would be awarded an NHL franchise. And as I write this piece in mid-October 2018, it still isn’t official that Seattle will become the NHL’s 32nd club. However, that sentence might be little more than a formality, as the NHL’s Executive Committee voted unanimously to recommend continuing Seattle’s application process on October 2nd. The next, and final, step for awarding the franchise will come in December, through a vote by the NHL’s Board of Governors.
And the BOG has never gone against the Executive Committee in a decision of this nature before.
Why Seattle?
Back in February I had a hunch that an NHL franchise was on the horizon in Seattle. I also had heard great things about the city and, if nothing else, wanted to see what all the hype was about for myself. So when I learned about a sports marketing conference at the Washington State Convention Center, I figured that would be my chance to see the city.
It turned out that I chose a pretty good time to be in Seattle, as far as the whole NHL situation was concerned. With the Executive Committee’s vote coming as an essential blessing to the city that a pro hockey team was all but a sure thing, there was a lot for residents in the Seattle area to be excited about.
An Overview of Our Trip (VIDEO)
To give a little more context to my trip and the places I visited, I put together a video showing where I went and what I saw. Now I’m no expert with video, but hopefully because I got to record during four absolutely gorgeous days in the city (which I was told is uncommon this time of year) might help my quality a bit. I did do a bunch of “touristy” things, as you will see.
But I was also able to attend a Seattle Thunderbirds game as well, to get a feel for the hockey vibe in the area. The T-Birds are a major junior hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The game I went to in particular was against the cross-state rival Tri-City Americans.
To be honest, I was pretty impressed with the energy in the building, and I must have seen jerseys from half the NHL teams in the league. Thunderbirds alum who now play in the NHL, like Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders, may be to blame for some of the sweaters in attendance. This along with the fact that Seattle is home to transplants from all over the country, created a cornucopia of colors and logos (current and defunct) from every corner of North America inside of ShoWare Center.
Hockey on the Way
I visited Key Arena, the soon-to-be he home of the NHL in Seattle, which was only blocks from my hotel. King 5 News reporter Chris Daniels tweeted out during my stay that it appears Oak View Group, the company in charge of renovating the arena, had begun initial construction preparation outside of the facility.
It’s starting to get real at #KeyArena —-
– OVG has the keys.
– Fencing up around the skate park.
– Machinery moving in#NHL @NHLSeattle_ #Seattle @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/aUNFPpCWUF— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels5) October 16, 2018
After many years of project proposals and negotiations with the city council, the first signs of construction around Key Arena are a significant milestone in the process of bringing an NHL franchise to the Pacific Northwest.
Final Thoughts
Expect to continue to hear news out of Seattle as the expansion process ramps up in the coming months. The team won’t hit the ice until 2020 at the earliest, potentially not until 2021 if there are delays from the league or in the construction of the $750 million state-of-the-art facility promised by OVG. There is also the potential that a lockout might hit in 2020 if the NHL decides to opt out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by September 2019. But that is a conversation for another day.
Keep an eye out for a December vote from the BOG when owners from around the league gather for their annual Florida meet-up. Seattle expansion is exciting not only for residents of Washington State, but also for the entire NHL as the league will finally be at an even 32 teams. It has been a long time coming for pro hockey in Seattle, and it looks like the wait has nearly come to an end.
If you want to learn more about expansion in Seattle, be sure to check out NHLtoSeattle.com. The site was founded eight years ago by a guy named John Barr. I met with John during my trip to Seattle, he is a great guy who is extremely passionate about getting an NHL team to Seattle. If something big happens in the expansion process, his site will have it covered.
