Seattle NHL

[JMR]

Yeah looks like it is going to happen for hockey at least. Don't think anyone doubted that the NHL wanted a team in Seattle or that their wasn't enough enthusiasm for hockey here. Rather it was the location in regard to traffic, parking and size of the arena ( mostly for basketball though).
Apparently for now the NHL is OK with the Key being home to a hockey team. However traffic and parking problems remain. Lower Queen has some of the highest population density in the city and there are projects to increase that already approved. Down the road I see a request from NHL for a new arena forth coming and I don't think the NBA will ever consider the Key as home for a NBA team. Time will tell.
What bothers me is that the city sabotaged Hansen project for a new arena, which had ever advantage for a location for the NHL and NBA and fans of said sports. It all comes down to trying to keep the Key from being a white elephant. IMO they are just delaying that from happening and tax payers would be better served if the city simply sold the property.

I am not trying to make a case for the Key being the ideal spot or better than any other spot, but if it's good enough to get us an NHL team then that's fine by me. I just wanted a team, and now it looks like we'll get one.

NBA will be tricky. I don't think the facility is what is holding us back. They clearly seem to be dead set against expansion, so it's probably going to have to be a relocation of a current team...and as we saw a few years back with Sacramento, that's a tough battle.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I am not trying to make a case for the Key being the ideal spot or better than any other spot, but if it's good enough to get us an NHL team then that's fine by me. I just wanted a team, and now it looks like we'll get one.

NBA will be tricky. I don't think the facility is what is holding us back. They clearly seem to be dead set against expansion, so it's probably going to have to be a relocation of a current team...and as we saw a few years back with Sacramento, that's a tough battle.

It might be an easier sell to the NBA with an existing NHL franchise in town.

 

[JMR]

It might be an easier sell to the NBA with an existing NHL franchise in town.

Especially if the NHL team is getting supported in a big numbers. You think the NBA would change their stance on expansion? They seem dug in on that front.

 

[blstoker]

Especially if the NHL team is getting supported in a big numbers. You think the NBA would change their stance on expansion? They seem dug in on that front.

At this point I don't think so. The reason the NBA moved in the first place didn't have anything to do with fan support - but that they didn't get what they wanted from the city government. I know Stern is gone, but the league loses it's boogeyman against other cities if they give Seattle a team - all with Seattle still not doing what the NBA wanted. We'll have to wait and see, though - since at this point it's still just theory.

 

[Judge Fudge]

I read somewhere that Q13 will offer 5 Canucks games.

You probably won't see our rookie sensation because of a scary accidental hit last night

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Especially if the NHL team is getting supported in a big numbers. You think the NBA would change their stance on expansion? They seem dug in on that front.

I think the NBA doesn't want to over expand since the league went through a down period of watered down basketball. So the hope is the Hawks franchise or the Bucks franchise gets moved. What sucks is the Kings should have been in the PNW but too many hands put the stop on that plan.

 

[dude82]

To this point, my only interest in hockey has been Olympic hockey, but until a decade ago, I could say the same thing about soccer. I still don't think I'll become as attached to the sport as I am baseball or football, but I'll at least give it more of a chance than I do now if we got a team.

I'm not holding my breath with the NBA. I understand the apparent motives behind the talked about preseason game between Sacramento and Golden State here (bringing back potentially positive attention to the NBA in Seattle rather than the mostly negative attention it's gotten in recent years, along with gauging current interest in the league here), but given the two specific teams chosen, I can't help feeling like the NBA is trying to rub it in that there's no team here at the moment. If you think about it, the game would involve a team that had a chance, albeit a slim one, of becoming the new Sonics a few years ago and a team with a former Sonic on it. You can't tell me that that was a complete coincidence. I'm done giving the NBA the benefit of the doubt over anything they do related to pro basketball in Seattle.

I'm rarely a pessimist when it comes to sports in Seattle, despite having been alive long enough to have become one at one point or another with either the M's or the Seahawks at one point or another, but I can't help but take the pessimistic route when it comes to getting the Sonics back at this point. The city of Seattle seems determined to make some of the same mistakes it made that led to the Sonics being taken away in the first place and the league hasn't exactly endeared itself to the fanbase or the community in the years since. I'll believe the Sonics are coming back when I see a green and gold Sonics logo painted on hardwood and players wearing the same green and gold waiting to go on the court. I've refused to watch an entire NBA game since the Sonics were stolen and I will continue to refuse until there's another Sonics team to root for.

 

[JMR]

To this point, my only interest in hockey has been Olympic hockey, but until a decade ago, I could say the same thing about soccer. I still don't think I'll become as attached to the sport as I am baseball or football, but I'll at least give it more of a chance than I do now if we got a team.

I didn't have any interest in hockey at all until about 10 years ago when I was stationed in the DC area for the 2nd time. My son and I decided to catch some Caps games and it was a total blast. Watching on TV isn't nearly as fun, but I think the game is set up pretty well for live attendance. It is fast paced, lots to see all over the ice, and you get a nice 20 minute beer break in between periods. It's a really fun in-person fan experience.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

I didn't have any interest in hockey at all until about 10 years ago when I was stationed in the DC area for the 2nd time. My son and I decided to catch some Caps games and it was a total blast. Watching on TV isn't nearly as fun, but I think the game is set up pretty well for live attendance. It is fast paced, lots to see all over the ice, and you get a nice 20 minute beer break in between periods. It's a really fun in-person fan experience.

I agree it is a watch live sport. Until I went and seen games live, couldn't understand the attraction.

 

[JMR]

I agree it is a watch live sport. Until I went and seen games live, couldn't understand the attraction.

I still don't fully understand all the rules, but I always have a great time. Last NHL game I went to was in Nashville a few years ago when the Predators had a great year, and it was a blast. Road tripped from Fort Knox to Columbus around that same time and caught a game there as well. Cannot wait to watch one here in Seattle.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I didn't have any interest in hockey at all until about 10 years ago when I was stationed in the DC area for the 2nd time. My son and I decided to catch some Caps games and it was a total blast. Watching on TV isn't nearly as fun, but I think the game is set up pretty well for live attendance. It is fast paced, lots to see all over the ice, and you get a nice 20 minute beer break in between periods. It's a really fun in-person fan experience.

I've been a fan of the Devils for many years. It's definitely a blast being at a game.

 

[wazzu31]

The traffic and parking situation is only getting worse so I don't see this ending well. However a friend of mine had a theory that with the density of residential units in the immediate area, that they could be the customer base to make this work. IDK about that but a interesting theory. I know I would never go to the key arena just to much a pain to get there for me.

That is what they are banking on IMO. None of the other proposals for getting traffic in and out of there is even remotely realistic. But that is an issue I have with the whole Key Arena renovation, they haven't even had the transportation study done yet.

 

[wazzu31]

Ah jeez man. People said the Key was infeasible when the new place at SoDo was another option. The context was clearly that it couldn't be done at the Key, and I am not suggesting the Key is optimal....just that's a viable option. Turns out, that is where the team is going to be. Good gravy man.

I will stand by that the Key Arena is not feasible for the long term success of any franchise. It will at first without question, but the headache of that location won't be worth it once the new shiney toy wears off. Unless they are just bringing in a team to have Amazon, Expedia and TMobile employees wanting attend games.

 

[wazzu31]

Yeah looks like it is going to happen for hockey at least. Don't think anyone doubted that the NHL wanted a team in Seattle or that their wasn't enough enthusiasm for hockey here. Rather it was the location in regard to traffic, parking and size of the arena ( mostly for basketball though).
Apparently for now the NHL is OK with the Key being home to a hockey team. However traffic and parking problems remain. Lower Queen has some of the highest population density in the city and there are projects to increase that already approved. Down the road I see a request from NHL for a new arena forth coming and I don't think the NBA will ever consider the Key as home for a NBA team. Time will tell.
What bothers me is that the city sabotaged Hansen project for a new arena, which had ever advantage for a location for the NHL and NBA and fans of said sports. It all comes down to trying to keep the Key from being a white elephant. IMO they are just delaying that from happening and tax payers would be better served if the city simply sold the property.

Hansen was screwed once Murray took over. Obviously I don't or most people know the backroom deals but somehow he created enemies of everyone outside of sports fans. The stadium district was designated for the potential growth of one more stadium/arena.

I really wish someone would explain why they hated the dude, all the excuses were just hollow excuses. The Port is closed during NBA/NHL game times, the traffic flows easily when the Sounders and Mariners play at the same time. Seattle was not going to get a team while Stern was in charge for the way the state treated him. Him not having billions to do the arena and buy a team was a legit concern but not enough to not allow him to build the arena.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Hansen was screwed once Murray took over. Obviously I don't or most people know the backroom deals but somehow he created enemies of everyone outside of sports fans. The stadium district was designated for the potential growth of one more stadium/arena.

I really wish someone would explain why they hated the dude, all the excuses were just hollow excuses. The Port is closed during NBA/NHL game times, the traffic flows easily when the Sounders and Mariners play at the same time. Seattle was not going to get a team while Stern was in charge for the way the state treated him. Him not having billions to do the arena and buy a team was a legit concern but not enough to not allow him to build the arena.

I don't have any knowledge so I'm just throwing darts here but my guess the Key group has its hands with back door politics with the NBA. Makes zero sense how Hansen has a legit deal in place to buy the Kings and then last second the NBA nixed it. Money talks and I guess the Key group has it to sway the NBA.

 

[dude82]

I still don't fully understand all the rules, but I always have a great time. Last NHL game I went to was in Nashville a few years ago when the Predators had a great year, and it was a blast. Road tripped from Fort Knox to Columbus around that same time and caught a game there as well. Cannot wait to watch one here in Seattle.

I've been watching the Sounders since they joined the MLS and I watched a little Olympic soccer before that, but I still don't know what to look for to determine what off-sides is in soccer.

 

[Destroydacre]

I am not trying to make a case for the Key being the ideal spot or better than any other spot, but if it's good enough to get us an NHL team then that's fine by me. I just wanted a team, and now it looks like we'll get one.

NBA will be tricky. I don't think the facility is what is holding us back. They clearly seem to be dead set against expansion, so it's probably going to have to be a relocation of a current team...and as we saw a few years back with Sacramento, that's a tough battle.

It might be less of a battle with Stern gone. He sure seemed hellbent on fast tracking the Sonics out of Seattle and fought very hard behind the scenes to help the Kings stay in Sacramento. I don't think Silver is as anti-Seattle as Stern was, though I can't say that for certain.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

It might be less of a battle with Stern gone. He sure seemed hellbent on fast tracking the Sonics out of Seattle and fought very hard behind the scenes to help the Kings stay in Sacramento. I don't think Silver is as anti-Seattle as Stern was, though I can't say that for certain.

When Silver took over he did mentioned Seattle on the very short list of cities to get an NBA team. That has always stuck with me.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

It might be less of a battle with Stern gone. He sure seemed hellbent on fast tracking the Sonics out of Seattle and fought very hard behind the scenes to help the Kings stay in Sacramento. I don't think Silver is as anti-Seattle as Stern was, though I can't say that for certain.

Yeah Stern was never letting Seattle have another NBA team ...ever! Silver isn’t quiet so dead set against it, but I don’t think he’s for it, despite mouthing words that to me are just being PC and not being painted into a corner one way or another.

 

[wazzu31]

I don't have any knowledge so I'm just throwing darts here but my guess the Key group has its hands with back door politics with the NBA. Makes zero sense how Hansen has a legit deal in place to buy the Kings and then last second the NBA nixed it. Money talks and I guess the Key group has it to sway the NBA.

Without question Hansen was naive when he bought the Kings. David Stern was never going to allow a team back in Seattle while he ran the NBA. Not trying to defend Stern at all but he was treated like less than dog crap when he went before our state legislature asking about what could be done to make the Key Arena viable as an arena. Stern was told go pound sound by the city when they wanted to renegotiate the lease then pound sand by the state. I don't think OVG has any sway with the NBA. Leiweke is a minority owner but first and foremost he promotes concerts, and IMO zero chance a NBA owner is going to come in, pay rent to the city, then give a chunk to OVG and not collect a cent in advertising dollars or parking, which OVG has according to the MOU.