Seattle investor has plans to build downtown arena

[Resolute 14]

NFL, MLB, MLS, eventual NBA, Washington Huskies.

WHL teams in Kent and Everett. PCL in Tacoma and NWL in Everett.

Seattle is heavily saturated already. The NHL would be a tough go.

[Walter Reed]

Seattle Starbuck's

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Seattle has been rumoured to be a NHL destination ever since Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton came into the league. There simply hasn't been the grass-roots, ground-level support for a NHL team in Seattle. Despite a new arena and possibly some money behind a team, without some real local interest for a team in Seattle it will likely turn out no better than the San Jose, Dallas, Colorado, etc. expansion.

fyp

[Stay Golden]

Seattle Stoners!

[tomo]

Seattle is a great sports market. Those who question it might need to do a bit more travelling.

Like I have said before, hockey is being played all over the place here. I lived in Chicago a few years ago and there is easily as many people playing here in Seattle as there is in Chicago.

The problem with pro sports franchises needing public funding for arenas isn't about the desire for the teams it is that Washington State does not have a state income tax. So getting public funding for something that is considered a luxury is somewhat difficult. It took the Seahawks and the Mariners a very long time to receive public funding for their stadiums.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Even the sounders get amazingly large crowds.
Not sure where the notion Seattle isn't a strong sports market comes from.

Gotta scratch my head on how Seattle isn't a big sports market. I would agree that big league sports isn't religion here since there are so many more people and activities. It is simply diluted with everything else in a big city.


Seattle is a bigger market than Denver, Minnesota and Miami all of which have all four major league plus Division 1 college. Heck, WSU and Gonzaga play their some of their "home" games at Key.

Also there is simply a lot of people who live in the area. To put into context, the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett area has 1 million more people than the Lower Mainland or even if you combine the metro populations of Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg...heck throw in Regina and Saskatoon, it still wouldn't be as big as the Seattle MSA.


It is a big pool of humanity with a vibrant and strong grassroots hockey following. I didn't think MLS would do well when they came back a few years ago but like a lot of NA, there is/was a strong grassroots soccer community here and now the Sounders are a big ticket event even though you don't hear everyone talking about it.


People follow hockey and are passionate about it, but it is one of many activities to do and diluted as such. No other country follows hockey with the same laser focus the way Canadians do.

[Stay Golden]

^^^
there is no reason why Seattle isn't a logical NHL choice for an American based team. Big sports town in general NFL, MLB, NCAA and the Thunderbirds have been there since the late 70's so the grass roots is there.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

^^^
there is no reason why Seattle isn't a logical NHL choice for an American based team. Big sports town in general NFL, MLB, NCAA and the Thunderbirds have been there since the late 70's so the grass roots is there.

Well there is a reason, the taxpayers of Seattle will not pay for it, both due to the lack of a tax base as noted before and also because Seattle is a very left leaning political city where almost everything has to survive well organised opposition in the courts and politically.

So somebody has to be rich enough to totally fund the purchase and construction of an arena and come up with franchise fees for the NBA and NHL, I just don't see it ever happening to be frank, unless Gates or Allen develops a huge love of hockey or basketball.

[Wronskian]

Seattle Starbucks? Seattle Pike Roasters?

[tjinaz]

there is no reason why Seattle isn't a logical NHL choice for an American based team. Big sports town in general NFL, MLB, NCAA and the Thunderbirds have been there since the late 70's so the grass roots is there.

Replace Thunderbirds with Roadrunners and you just described Phoenix.

[calgARI]

Originally Posted by tjinaz

Replace Thunderbirds with Roadrunners and you just described Phoenix.

Except that the Coyotes don't play in Phoenix or even very close to it.

[Jordan!]

I would be more than content if Seattle got the Yotes

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by calgARI

Except that the Coyotes don't play in Phoenix or even very close to it.

20 minutes isn't close? but I digress.

[cgy2london]

Originally Posted by tomo

Seattle is a great sports market. Those who question it might need to do a bit more travelling.

Like I have said before, hockey is being played all over the place here. I lived in Chicago a few years ago and there is easily as many people playing here in Seattle as there is in Chicago.

The problem with pro sports franchises needing public funding for arenas isn't about the desire for the teams it is that Washington State does not have a state income tax. So getting public funding for something that is considered a luxury is somewhat difficult. It took the Seahawks and the Mariners a very long time to receive public funding for their stadiums.

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.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

20 minutes isn't close? but I digress.

Just like how Airdrie is 20 minutes from downtown Calgary, right?

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by tjinaz

Replace Thunderbirds with Roadrunners and you just described Phoenix.

except that
Seattle actually has a long established minor hockey league system and the citizens in general know and follow the NHL. Unlike PHX etc.

So not like PHX at all. Not to mention Seattle actually has a winter unlike PHX.
Seattle makes a hell of lot more sense than PHX, FLA, TAM, NSH or CAR for that matter where the attendence is also ridiculously low.

[Puppet Guy]

they could dust off these old posters for the season ticket drive:

[Coach]

I've always liked the idea of having a team in Seattle. I think It would go over really well and you would also get a decent amount of rival Canadian fans coming to games which would certainly build rivalries pretty quickly IMO.

[Bertuzzied]

Seattle Roughriders

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

except that
Seattle actually has a long established minor hockey league system and the citizens in general know and follow the NHL. Unlike PHX etc.

So not like PHX at all. Not to mention Seattle actually has a winter unlike PHX.
Seattle makes a hell of lot more sense than PHX, FLA, TAM, NSH or CAR for that matter where the attendence is also ridiculously low.

Tampa: 18,474 per game, ahead of the likes of Boston, Buffalo and Edmonton.

Florida: 16,685 and Nashville: 16,600, both comparable to Edmonton.

Carolina: 15,489, ahead of Colorado.