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Originally Posted by cgy2london
Very intresting view. When i was growing up playing midget aaa, seattle only had two minor hockey associations....talking to guys who played in the Lower mainland league, the two teams from seattle were a joke. Hockey just never seemed to be a popular concept in seattle. Rinks were few and few between, I believe one of the associations even played in an old grocery store/mall? something to that affect.
Oshie coming out of washington state was an absolute shocker. I dont know what its like now but in my day minor hockey in seattle was very uncommon. compare it to a place like Chicago.....where they have programs such as the Chicago chill or team illinois who entered the macs regularly, i find it very surprising that you see more of a hockey youth movment in seattle compared to chicago.
Would love to see a team in seattle but I was always under the impression hockey at the grass roots level in seattle was very bare.
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The grass roots hockey programs are in full bloom here now.
The Greater Seattle Hockey League is the largets in the northwest and one of the largets hockey leagues in the United States. Tonight one of the league reps told me it is bigger than the leagues in Chicago.
The Seattle Times reported that there is three proposed plans and one has been submitted to city counsel already (which would be next to Safeco field). Rumor around town is that Paul Allen is part of it. They were also saying that Bellevue would be preferred for NBA/NHL because when the Sonics were around around 60-70% of season ticket holders were from the Eastside (Bellevue/Redmond/etc..).
The Paul Allen thing makes a lot of sense to me. Correct me if I am wrong but didn't he try to buy the Canucks in the late 90's? He owns the Portland Trailblazers, do the blazers move to Seattle?