Another key checkpoint has been reached in Seattle’s quest to be awarded an expansion NHL franchise. The NHL to Seattle group announced that Seattle City Council unanimously approved their $700MM privately-financed proposal to renovate KeyArena to be the home for the team. Now with an arena agreement in place and approved, the focus now turns to getting the franchise awarded. Representatives from the Seattle group are expected to meet with part of the Board of Governors on October 2nd but a full vote on their expansion application isn’t expected until sometime in December at the earliest.
More from around the hockey world:
- The Blues received a scare on Sunday when winger Robby Fabbri had to leave after one period following a lower-body injury. Considering he has missed the bulk of the last two seasons with ACL tears, some were understandable fearing the worst. Fortunately, the news isn’t too bad as the team announced (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old is listed as day-to-day with a Grade One groin sprain. He’s not expected to suit up tomorrow night but could potentially be back by the end of the preseason. While it’s certainly concerning that he’s missing time already, it could have been a whole lot worse.
- Coyotes center Laurent Dauphin is getting close to being cleared for contact following offseason knee surgery, notes Craig Morgan of The Athletic (via Twitter). He split last year primarily between Chicago and Arizona’s AHL affiliates but already has 34 career NHL contests under his belt. If he is available near the start of the season, he could certainly push for a roster spot given their sudden uncertainty down the middle due to recent injuries. If the team wants to send him back to the minors, he will have to first pass through waivers.
- Following his release from the Panthers earlier today, unrestricted free agent center Mark Letestu plans to take a few days to assess how rosters are shaping up around the league before determining his next move, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 33-year-old is still a reliable player at the faceoff dot and is only one year removed from scoring 16 goals in Edmonton. Portzline adds that a return to Columbus where he finished last season is a possibility though it may have to be on a two-way contract.