Seattle Hockey: Wednesday announcement brings NHL one step closer
By Ed Stein
A few years ago it was a dream. Yesterday, an announcement by the ownership group and Mayor of Seattle made it seem like reality was close at hand. NHL hockey in Seattle.
Wednesday NHL hockey in Seattle took another leap forward to reality. In a joint press release between the Oak View Group and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, a path to the Emerald City becoming the NHL’s 32nd franchise was presented.
According to the Press Release, the ownership group and mayor will be making a presentation to the NHL’s Executive Committee on October 2nd. If the group likes what it hears, the full NHL Board of Governors will vote on the proposal at their meetings in December.
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The reason Seattle is able to make the presentation was due to the conditions of a Memorandum of Understanding the Oak View Group signed with the league last December being met. Those conditions included a Development Agreement for the new Arena, a long-term Lease Agreement, and an Integration Agreement.
In English, the group needed a building, a reasonable lease, and a plan to make it happen.
About the arena, majority partner David Bonderman said: “After long and detailed negotiations with the City of Seattle, we are pleased that these agreements, critical to redevelopment of the new Seattle Center Arena, are moving forward to the City Council for consideration. We want to thank the city team for their hard work.”
Speaking of the ownership group, more local investors were announced. If there is such a thing as an all-star ownership group this is it. Investor,s aside from billionaire Bonderman, include Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer; Amazon executive Andy Jassy; sons of former Supersonics owner Barry Ackerley, Christopher, and Ted, Chihuly Garen and Glass CEO David Wright (son of former Seahawks owner Howard Wright), and CEO Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer.
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If all goes well, and the building remodel is on schedule, a team could be ready to the ice for the 2020-21 season.