NBA Team update

[WizardHawk]

I see. I hadn't looked into the situation that closely.

It would be cool if Vulcan Sports & Entertainment started making moves to bring the NHL to Seattle. Has there ever been two professional sports teams in a city owned by the same guy?

Allen has been asked about picking up a NHL team before and has said repeatedly that he has no interest in owning a hockey team.

I don't think finding an ownership group is the challenge. It is will the NHL hold off for a few years with them in a sub par facility because they will not get a new arena without the NBA and it won't get built until the ink is dry on that NBA team. It sounds as though they are at least discussing it.

 

[Destroydacre]

Allen has been asked about picking up a NHL team before and has said repeatedly that he has no interest in owning a hockey team.

I don't think finding an ownership group is the challenge. It is will the NHL hold off for a few years with them in a sub par facility because they will not get a new arena without the NBA and it won't get built until the ink is dry on that NBA team. It sounds as though they are at least discussing it.

The NHL doesn't seem to have a stick up its ass about Key Arena like the NBA does. From what I've read the NHL is just fine with a Seattle team playing in Key Arena for a couple years while the new arena business gets sorted out. Obviously they both know that Key Arena is not good in the long term for either league.

 

[WizardHawk]

The NHL doesn't seem to have a stick up its ass about Key Arena like the NBA does. From what I've read the NHL is just fine with a Seattle team playing in Key Arena for a couple years while the new arena business gets sorted out. Obviously they both know that Key Arena is not good in the long term for either league.

in February 2012, SB Nation columnist Travis Hughs said that "KeyArena is so poorly designed for hockey that even a single season there would be unacceptable", referring to the arrangement of seating on only one end of the rink, a consequence of the renovation favoring basketball-type bleacher arrangements - the same problems with sight lines that caused the Thunderbirds to negotiate for a new arena nearby. Hughs wrote "It's pretty bad when the center-hanging scoreboard is positioned over the blue line, not center ice. Half the building is completely unsuitable for viewing hockey. Even on just a temporary basis, playing NHL hockey in a building where half the lower bowl is sectioned off is just unacceptable. Imagine watching a game played here on TV: The camera pans over to the right, catching a play in the corner, and you can't see a single fan in the stands. Embarrassing, really

There are still serious problems using the Key even as a temporary home. Without a very very strong indication that the NBA return is imminent and not just likely I still think it doesn't happen, even if the NHL is singing overtures.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Key Arena was never designed with the intention of having the NHL there. I think you could get away with 2 years at the absolute max there but I cant imagine the NHL would be interested in any more then that. Maybe you can rotate some home games down in Portland or up in Vancouver because I dont the Key has that many great seats for Hockey.

 

[Destroydacre]

There are still serious problems using the Key even as a temporary home. Without a very very strong indication that the NBA return is imminent and not just likely I still think it doesn't happen, even if the NHL is singing overtures.

I agree that Key Arena is terrible for hockey. I've seen it myself back when I was living in Seattle I saw a few Thunderbirds games there before they moved to Kent. Apparently that was done on purpose back when they renovated the Seattle Center Coliseum into what Key Arena is now to deliberately keep the NHL out of Seattle. There are apparently people who really want to purchase an expansion team and put it in Seattle, what it will come down to is can they convince the NHL to take the risk. Given that the NHL will take risks (putting teams in non traditional hockey markets, such as San Jose, Florida and Dallas etc) and the fact the NHL seems smitten with Seattle makes me think this does have a possibility of happening maybe even as soon as next season. The next couple months will be very interesting and I'll be following closely. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering that we won't be privy to.