It wasn’t so long ago that hockey fans were wondering if the league would even allow a group of investors to apply for an expansion team based in Las Vegas, and now the league has voted on another new market. Today, the NHL’s Board of Governors voted unanimously to accept Seattle’s expansion bid as the 32nd team in the league. The investment group that applied, Oak View Group (OVG), includes Tod Leiweke, former COO of the NFL, Tim Leiweke, former CEO of both Anschutz Entertainment Group—which owns the Los Angeles Kings—and Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment—which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs—and David Bonderman, a Seattle billionaire. The group has had full and public support from Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan throughout the process, and an already approved plan for construction (or renovation, more aptly) of a new arena.
In addition to the experienced upper management, the Seattle group already has veteran NHL head coach Dave Tippett involved in the process. Tippett has previously told reporters that he has no interest in being the first coach of Seattle, though he did leave that door open a crack when he told reporters including Irfaan Gaffar of Sportsnet that “you never know what will happen.”
Most importantly, the league has announced that the 2021-22 season will be when the Seattle team starts playing. The city had hoped that it could potentially get the arena completed in time for the 2020-21 season, but now will have ample time to get everything ready in time. An expansion draft will take place in June after the 2021 Stanley Cup is awarded, though the Vegas Golden Knights will be excluded from it. The league also announced the realignment plan, which will move the Arizona Coyotes into the Central Division while putting Seattle into the Pacific Division.
Like the previous expansion draft, the Seattle team will select one player from each of the other 30 teams (excluding Vegas) and must select at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. All first and second-year professionals will be exempt, though who exactly satisfies those qualifications is obviously still up in the air this far out. Once again, every team will have two protection options: seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or eight skaters and one goaltender.
Though we’re still more than two years out from the expansion draft taking place, you can already pencil in a few players who will be protected due to their no-movement clauses. CapFriendly provides a list of those names, which includes four names from each of the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s easy to see how some of these names could give some trouble to their respective teams, though each player is allowed to waive the clause if they so choose. Milan Lucic, Brent Seabrook, Frans Nielsen an others already stand out as players who would potentially be left unprotected if possible, but will take up a slot because of their NMC.
In regards to the team name, Leiweke made it clear that the fans would be taken into consideration when deciding what the franchise will be called, while Bettman hinted that “Metropolitans” will not be allowed because the league already has a division using that name. Seattle will break ground on construction tomorrow on the estimated $800MM arena plans, making this a ~$1.45BB investment when added to the $650MM the group will pay for the franchise. The Seattle Storm of the WNBA will also use the arena, while there is also a push to bring the NBA back to the city.
Awesome news!
Juuse Saros is going to look great in net. Or Ilya Samsonov if he’s eligible by then.
I think they get a Rask/Quick/Price type guy at first.
Making a year later fixes the Nashville dilemma
Good luck with that IF it’s a “Rask type of guy”, tough to win big/clutch games when your netminder loses focus in the biggest moments.
What will the team’s name be?
It has not been decided yet, though the commissioner hinted that it will not be Metropolitans given the league already has a division with that name.
They should reuse an old Seattle team name.
Either the Pilots, so we can have Jets vs. Pilots matchups or better still use the Metropolitans (stupid name for a division anyway) so we can have Mets vs Canucks matchups.
The current division names are stupid. If Seattle wants the Mets name they can have it. Change the divisions either back to Patrick and Norris or rename them Orr, Gretzky, Howe and Hull.
Sockeyes
RELEASE THE KRAKEN
The Seattle Starbucks (note: Starbucks pays the entire half-billion dollar fee)
Genius
Googley Eyes. Or The Amazin’ Amazons. Boeing Boeing … Gone!
This isn’t fantasy hockey lol
Arizona moving to the central division will be strange. Oilers should have instead but they didn’t want to split up the Alberta rivalry
i have no idea why this posted here. was supposed to be an original comment
I think they want to keep all the Canadian teams in the same division (for the additional rivalry games). The Coyotes make the most sense especially if they end up relocating.
Seattle Spirit.
I suggested that name a few months ago and I’ll keep rolling with it. Seattle has a great history in music (and Nirvana started there), and what better way to pay tribute to that than by naming it after Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Plus it just has a cool ring to it.
The Seattle Men in the Box.
Better band.
This ^
I think the league just quietly admitted that Arizona is moving to Houston.
Arizona playing in the central is a time zone issue. Can’t imagine they’d put that anchor on an already sinking franchise.
If Arizona moving to the Central and playing in it was an acceptable solution, why wouldn’t they move them next season and allow them to build up their new rivalries?
Sounds like they will play out the string in Arizona for a few years before Seattle and Houston join the NHL.
LoL houston isn’t getting an NHL team.
Im guessing he’s from Texas
Arizona got one, Einstein.
And the owner waiting in Houston has a LOT more money.
Based off of what? Any reason why they shouldn’t? The only potential issue I could see is maybe a large part of the Texas fanbase would already be devoted to the Stars but the state is big enough, with a big enough population, to support two teams. But they would surely test the waters to see if a Houston team is viable before moving there.
Paging Tillman Fertitta. Do you read? Over.
Call them the Seattle Seesaws. As in, there’s a 50/50 chance they relocate sooner than later, lol. HA HA, sorry seattle fans, good luck with the new NHL franchise…. about time they got a team.
Sucks for Arizona in terms of switching divisions as between the mediocrity of montreal, toronto, calgary and edmonton you would think the Coyotes would be cut a break, but they’re likely too new an NHL franchise with little history outside of Shane Doan. They also have a rocky history as far as fanbases go, but Canadian fanbases like Winnipeg, Quebec and presently Ottawa, should be able to relate as they aren’t much better, lol. History also backs this up in Winnipeg and Quebec’s cases. Wonder if all the relocation drama over the last decade was the last nail in the coffin for them staying out west in the mediocre Pacific Division where they HAD the best shot at the playoffs?
But the Coyotes have been more mediocre than basically every team in the league for the past 10-15 years. Edmonton has been just as mediocre but why move them (and keep Vancouver and Calgary in the other division)? Its all about rivalries. Naturally if you move teams out of divisions it lessens the rivalry factor.
jt19 Exactly my point, dude. Obviously “rivalries” are an issue, as the NHL wants to keep teams together that have them ie. edmonton vs calgary etc, but the Coyotes have been noted for having some sort of “rivalry” with the Ducks, Sharks, Kings, Canucks etc. Makes sense that teams in the Pacific Division would have them with one another, lol. As such, seems odd to throw them to the “wolves” in the Central, clearly they’re nowhere close to that timezone etc, but I guess with Colorado also in that position, the Coyotes will have to make due. As stated, new rivalries can always be formed. Hope the Coyotes HAVE A CHANCE to stay in AZ.
I think the NHL wanted to be in Seattle before Vegas and it was only the city council holding up the arena that stopped that from happening.
Metropolitans, regardless of a division of the same name, would be a nice tie into the Seattle Metropolitans who were the first US team to win the cup . But my choice would be the SEATTLE TOTEMS after the old WHL team that payed for decades. I would consider it a cultural celebration rather than appropriation.
Good news. Welcome to the NHL, Seattle!
See ya in 3 years
Glad they’re keeping the expansion rules from the Vegas expansion. Realistically the expansion rules weren’t bad and teams had plenty of time to try and figure out what their strategy was going to be. Teams are going to be a lot smarter this time around and not just give out prospects/picks/mid tier players just to protect a certain player as teams tried to do with Vegas. Plus, the rules are beneficial to Seattle fielding at least a somewhat appealing team. The last thing any sports league should want with their expansion team is for them to be a laughing stock for 10 years as they try to scrap together a semi-respectable roster while attempting to build a farm system.
Deep teams (Nash, Tampa, Winnipeg) might be in trouble…but that’s what makes it exciting!
Name them the SuperSonics….. (too soon?)
Oh NOOOOOOOO, you didn’t……. lol
Who is first captain. seabrook or lucic
Seattle Totems
I like the nickname Surge. Seattle is a very wired city, so Surge works for power surge.
Seattle Neptunes
Seattle Tsunamis
Seattle Vortex
Seattle UFOs
….
Seattle Rain Clouds
Seattle Grasshoppers
Seattle Tadpoles
Seattle Whales
Ok, so I was just having fun with a few of those.
I like the Seattle Riot. The players can be referred to as Rioters. Totally appropriate for that city.