It's not that Seattle is an excellent potential hockey market, it's that Phoenix has demonstrated a complete and utter lack of being viable in it's own right.
Is Seattle Ideal? No.
Is Phoenix going to be an option going forward? Probably not.
If it's between contracting and moving, the NHL will move the team. If it's the difference of buying a 170 million dollar franchise that already exists, or paying a 200 million dollar expansion fee, the NHL will choose the expansion fee.
There is an arena in Phoenix without an owner. There is a potential owner in Seattle without an Arena. There is an arena in Kansas without a potential owner. Out of these three scenarios, the NHL will choose the location with stable ownership. You can build an arena, but apparently, not an ownership group in Arizona.
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