Quote:
Originally Posted by 868904
It is a legit threat even though Seattle really just wants an NBA team back, they really have no appetite for an NHL team. The NHL wants in though.
It really would be dumb of the Flames to leave a town where they are King to being the 5th or 6th option in Seattle. The Seahawks are king there and despite having a decent time in recent years, the Mariners can't even draw good crowds. The Sounders have a loyal following. Then there are all the college teams. I really don't see an NHL team drawing much fan interest there, but to the NHL, they don't really care about ticket sales, they care about the tv package they can sell.
Too bad Katz didn't move the Oilers there, it would have been perfect and if they got McDavid too while in Seattle, that might actually have worked.
Also, Seattle's arena deal is almost as big a sideshow as Calgary's; however, they don't actually have any team yet.
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My own Seattle perspective:
First, I don't think the Flames are going anywhere, and Seattle obtaining an NHL team is still more theory than reality. Nor do I want the Flames to leave. BUT.....
Hockey would be fine in Seattle. It would not be bigger than NFL/MLB or even NBA (if/when that returns), but the NHL is also #4 in lots of other markets. Seattle's metro area is three times the size of Calgary's; the Seahawks only have eight home games a year to compete with. The balancing act of NBA/NHL since the seasons run concurrently would be challenging, but the city can bear it.
As was mentioned, there are two WHL franchises that draw pretty decently (and I think those franchises would be significantly impacted with an NHL team), so the hockey base is here.
What I see as one of the biggest obstacles to Seattle getting either an NBA or NHL team is that they are trying to fund this arena completely through private funds; I don't believe for a second that there is a single owner in either league that is happy with that kind of precedent being set. This is largely what screwed over the Seattle group's proposed acquisition of the Sacramento Kings; NBA owners do not like losing the ability to hold their cities hostage, and you can bet NHL owners feel the same way.
I realize that this is largely tangential - the Flames aren't leaving Calgary - but if/when Seattle somehow gets themselves an NHL team, I am confident it can thrive here.