http://seattletimes.com/html/hockey/...ttle14xml.html
Quote:
Sources say there have been negotiations between the league and potential ownership groups in Seattle about the cost of expansion fees. To the point where the NHL and local officials could be prepared to make some type of announcement shortly after the Olympic Games in Sochi conclude — at a time the NHL hopes nationwide interest in its sport will be at a high point.
Daly makes no promises about when the NHL will announce expansion plans — despite varying levels of interest already expressed by Seattle, Quebec City, Kansas City and the Toronto suburb of Markham, Ont. But he does suggest the league feels it’s finally solidified some of its more unstable franchises as best it can in the short term.
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update (discussion starts from post #182):
Seattle group is going to Vancouver to learn more about the NHL:
http://seattletimes.com/html/hockey/...tle20xml.html#
Quote:
Local sources have said the league has held discussions with potential ownership groups here about what the fee would be to land an expansion franchise to begin play in the 2015-16 season. Reports last summer had pegged it at $275 million, but sources now say they expect the price to be somewhere between $200 million and $250 million.
Any league expansion would likely involve a second team to balance the schedule. Potential expansion sites besides Seattle include Quebec City, Kansas City, Portland, the Toronto suburb of Markham, Saskatoon and Las Vegas.
Among those candidates, Quebec City is furthest along, having already begun construction on a new arena and identified an ownership group led by media magnate Pierre-Karl Peladeau. Unlike Quebec City, local officials insist a new arena deal be contingent upon the league first awarding Seattle an expansion franchise.
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