72 replies to this topic

[thefiestygoat]

I've been following this situation from afar but a lot of news has come out this month:

2/4/12
http://seattletimes...._kelley05x.html
 

What if the group that includes former Sonics president Wally Walker can accumulate enough property south of Safeco Field and gain a few concessions from the Seattle City Council (an increase in the hotel-motel tax, a surcharge on tickets) to build an arena that will be predominantly privately funded?

The NBA already has told interests in Seattle the new Sonics could play in KeyArena for the next two years while the arena was under construction. And there have been published reports the NHL would be interested in a similar agreement with the Key for the Coyotes.

The idea of NHL hockey at the Key, with its terrible sightlines, seems a bit of a stretch, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

2/7/12
http://www.winnipegf...-138836169.html
 

Once the clearcut favourite to land the Phoenix Coyotes when the NHL finally ends its interminable stay in Arizona, Quebec City's inability to act on a new building has let another player into the race.

Seattle is the city with buzz in NHL circles and word has now leaked out that financier Christopher Hansen has been working with city officials in the northwest metropolis to construct a new facility.

Both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA boss David Stern have league-owned franchises they want to unload and there is talk they've been huddling and considering a common solution.

Two franchises in one building is good business and the relationship shared by Bettman and his old boss at the NBA is a factor. They have similar problems and with a little diplomacy they might be able to help ease one another's burden.

Jessamyn McIntyre
 

Spoke to a WA govt official last night who had been in contact with #Arena investors. Says the deal is 'extremely close'. #NBA #NHL #SoDo

ESPN 710 Interview with Mayor McGinn on potential arena

He seems confident that the new arena wouldn't just be for a NBA team but also a NHL team.


I would also expect more news to come out around March 1st. That is the day that the Sacramento Kings have a hard deadline to work out something with Sacramento to stay put though it looks like its all but certain they will relocate.

Edited by thefiestygoat, 14 May 2013 - 08:03 PM.

[GA Devil]

Wow. I lived in Seattle at one point in my life. Was a 5 minute walk from Key. Was fortunate enough to watch the T-Birds play there. I do not think having NHL games in Key arena will be as bad as it is being portrayed in the sports media. Whenever I went, I had a good sightlines. Then again, I could have just about any seat in the house. Only 5,000 or so paying customers on a good night in a building that housed the NBA means there are lots of empties to choose from. There might be some impaired sightlines, but nothing like the old Boston Garden.

I never thought that the NHL ever had a chance to get to Seattle. That would be awesome if it did. Those people would LOVE that team. I'm trying not to get my hopes up that this will happen. But if it did...

[devlman]

Seattle would be a great market for the NHL imo. Very good sports town, massive city.

[RowdyFan42]

From what I've read about Key Arena, it's the type of building that might have worked for NHL hockey back in the day (and it obviously worked for the NBA for many years) but isn't quite up to the task of hosting major-league professional sports on anything but a temporary basis these days. That said, I'd love to see Seattle get the NHL, especially if a new arena is part of the deal.

[RSC]

From what I've read about Key Arena, it's the type of building that might have worked for NHL hockey back in the day (and it obviously worked for the NBA for many years) but isn't quite up to the task of hosting major-league professional sports on anything but a temporary basis these days. That said, I'd love to see Seattle get the NHL, especially if a new arena is part of the deal.

Key Arena was purposefully designed in the mid-nineties by the Sonics owner so that it couldn't seat NHL hockey. He didn't want competition for the Sonics, so Key Arena wound up having a hockey capacity of around 10,000. It would take an owner willing to be in the red for a few years while the new arena was built, as well as the patience of Seattle fans.

[Neb00rs]

Seattle would be an excellent choice and I mirror those who say they'd love to see hockey there.

[Vic Rattlehead18]

Everyone I know who goes to seattle tells me how awesome it is. So id love to go see the devils play there. It would also finally give the canucks an immediate rival. Then we'd have seattle and winnipeg in the west and red wings and blue jackets in the east. Nhl would need one more expansion team though.

[njdevs89]

Everyone I know who goes to seattle tells me how awesome it is. So id love to go see the devils play there. It would also finally give the canucks an immediate rival. Then we'd have seattle and winnipeg in the west and red wings and blue jackets in the east. Nhl would need one more expansion team though.

That would be an awesome rivalry and I agree, Seattle does have an awesome market for sports. If the NHL does add another team on top of Seattle, you would have to think Quebec would be the obvious choice.

I read an article saying Canada can support at least 9 Canadian teams. If you ask me, I think adding just one more would be ideal. The Canadian dollar is high, pretty much every venue already supporting a Canadian team rarely ever has empty seats and we've been hearing talks about the Nordiques and the fans who travel around the NHL still supporting them.

This is just my take on it but we all know how Mr.Bettman feels about moving teams to Canada...

[DaneykoIsGod]

Oh man, my job sends me to Tacoma from time to time. It'd be friggin awesome to have an NHL game to go to there. Beautiful country with loyal, rabid sports fans and an automatic rivalry with the Canucks. I'd love to see this happen.

[ghdi]

I also lived in Seattle for a good while. I will likely live there again someday. This is great news for that area. There is a good hockey backbone in the state of Washington. Its not Minnesota or a big talent pool in that respect, but there is grassroots level hockey.

And yea, Key was purpose built for basketball. Its not the worst arena Ive ever been in, but its apparent how it would've been ill-suited for hockey. Seattle needs an all-purpose arena and they'll get both leagues in if they have it.

[thefiestygoat]

Everyone I know who goes to seattle tells me how awesome it is. So id love to go see the devils play there. It would also finally give the canucks an immediate rival. Then we'd have seattle and winnipeg in the west and red wings and blue jackets in the east. Nhl would need one more expansion team though.

It appears that Seattle and Quebec will battle each other for the Coyotes. There were talks of future expansion around the time of the BoG meeting when they discussed realignment so they could have the 4 conferences with 8 teams in each. I doubt it happens, but if it did, I'd imagine that whichever city that didn't get the Coyotes would get an expansion team. I'd guess the final expansion spot would probably come down to Markham, Ontario (plans to build 19,500 seat arena) or Kansas City/other US city depending on how the arena situations play out.

[MDPucks]

I really see the NHL pushing for a Seattle franchise moving Phoenix since there isn't a league presence in the US Pacific Northwest but it also works as a perfect foil for Vancouver. With so many franchises still east of the Mississippi its bad business to move Phoenix to Quebec. It would be better for the Islanders to fill that void when Quebec's arena comes online. Seattle is home to some of the most powerful corporations in the world (Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks, etc.). If this Seattle thing happens I can also forsee another potential Western Winter Classic site.

[Satans Hockey]

I'd guess the final expansion spot would probably come down to Markham, Ontario (plans to build 19,500 seat arena)

Never going to happen.

Edited by Satans Hockey, 12 February 2012 - 12:06 PM.

[mmajeski06]

I think Seattle has a good shot. Immediate rivalry with the Canucks and easy for realignment.

[devlman]

If it came down to Seattle vs Any other city (all things being equal), there is 0% chance Seattle doesnt win.

[thefiestygoat]

http://seattletimes...._hansen16m.html

A much-awaited proposal from Chris Hansen, the wealthy San Francisco mystery man who wants to build a sports arena in Seattle to lure NBA and NHL teams, is slated to be unveiled Thursday by Mayor Mike McGinn, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Hansen plans to privately reveal details of his offer to McGinn, who is expected to hold a news conference without Hansen present to discuss the proposal, said one source with direct knowledge of the talks.

The National Hockey League also has expressed a strong interest in Seattle if an arena is built, prompting speculation about the financially troubled Phoenix Coyotes moving to Seattle.

Hansen described his interest as building an arena and attracting an NBA franchise, saying others would have to come forward with a hockey proposal. He declined to say if hockey is crucial to a profitable arena, although others have said that it would be.

[Chuck the Duck]

The Seahawks have some rabid fans and the Mariners, when good, pack their stadium. I think Seattle could be a good landing spot for the Coyotes, but I also like the idea of Quebec so it evens out the # of teams in each conference. Since both cities have yet to put a shovel in the ground on a new arena, it will interesting to see who gets a team first. No matter what, this league cannot expand again.

[thefiestygoat]

The Seahawks have some rabid fans and the Mariners, when good, pack their stadium. I think Seattle could be a good landing spot for the Coyotes, but I also like the idea of Quebec so it evens out the # of teams in each conference. Since both cities have yet to put a shovel in the ground on a new arena, it will interesting to see who gets a team first. No matter what, this league cannot expand again.

As much as I would hate to see it happen I wonder if the Islanders relocate in 2015 out of the NY area. Wang has pretty much said there isn't much more he can do to keep the team there and that there is no way they are going to play at the Coliseum past 2015. I think around then the new Quebec arena would be completed so perhaps it plays out that the Coyotes move to Seattle and the Islanders to Quebec.

[thefiestygoat]

https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisDaniels5/status/170211479419748353

"Prospective Seattle #NHL owner Don Levin just told me "If they get this done, I'm definitely interested in being part of it." #seattlearena"

[thefiestygoat]

Press conference happened this afternoon and a lot of quality information has come out.

Seattle Times: Mayor McGinn: $500M arena would be 'self-funded'

A proposal for a new half-billion-dollar NBA and NHL arena in Sodo would include $200 million in city and county financing, but no new taxes, Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine said today.

The $500 million arena would be paid for mostly by a private investment group led by Seattle native Christopher Hansen, but includes city and county financing that would be repaid over the next 30 years through rent on the arena and tax revenue it generates, including property, sales and admissions taxes.

The proposal includes no new taxes, and the city and county wouldn't pay anything until the teams were secured. Construction would take about two years.

The investors would rent the facility from the city and county, and Fred Podesta, the director of finance and administrative services for Seattle, said if there's a revenue shortfall, taxpayers would still be protected by an agreement that investors would pay the difference.
The deal also requires a "security fund" set up by the investors, which would eventually include three year's worth of debt payments. The investors would also have a fund for upgrades, so the city wouldn't be responsible for fixing up the arena as it ages.
The contract would require the NBA team to stay for 30 years -- the duration of the lease.

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Jessamyn McIntyre

Per @mattpitman: The proposal requires the securing of an NBA AND NHL team before anything can happen, binds KeyArena as ONLY temporary home

Existing City & County funds &services wouldnt be adversely impacted Private investors would bear risk against revenue shortfalls #SodoArena

#SeattleArena proposal: Any project cost overruns will be the responsibility of private investors #NBA #NHL #Sonics
Down Constantine on #SeattleArena: We could create $1.3 billion and thousands and thousands of jobs in the building of the arena

Chris Daniels

Just got briefed...$290 million of private money...city will assume debt...repaid through existing taxes. #seattlearena

#Seattlearena deal contingent on TWO teams being acquired...and that they play temporarily at Key Arena.

Constantine "No Public Subsidy" #seattlearena #nba #nhl

Hansen's group willing to finance $290m up front AND buy nba team...leading McGinn/Constantine to use over $500m figure #nba #nhl #seattlearena

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Also here is a potential owner for a NHL franchise in Seattle.

The Globe and Mail: Chicago Wolves owner interested in Seattle franchise

Don Levin, who owns the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, said Thursday he told Hansen he would be “very happy” to get involved as the owner of an NHL team in Seattle.

“If he’s successful, I’d be very happy to be involved,” Levin said. “I told [Hansen] if he has something put together I would be interested.”
Bettman has said recently that Seattle is on the league’s radar as a destination for an NHL team. The commissioner also said the city has to have definite plans for an arena before the NHL would commit to anything.