[News] Seattle announces $660 mil private arena deal. NHL team to be announced in July?

[Tyler]

Quebec is out for good now, barring a last minute, no other option, re-location. Price is just too high for such a small market

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Either LV or ARZ moves to the Central, but if Seattle gets an expansion team by 2020-21 I would assume that Arizona would be relocated to Houston by then (who would be in the central division).

Exciting times for the NHL. I wonder whose in and whose out by that time:

SEA via expansion and 32nd team.
ARZ to HOU via relocation and remains in the west (division swap)
CAR and/or FLA to Quebec City and/or KC via relocation and stays in the East (metro division for KC maybe?)

Regardless, the current NHL owners are going to be a ton of money via expansion and relocation fees in the next 5-10 years.

I too see AZ getting relocated to Houston right after Seattle gets announced. Houston and Seattle can start the same year.

[JBR]

Houston Aeros and Seattle Millionaires?

[calgarygeologist]

I haven't read the thread or looked for details but are they going to excavate under the original arena and build seating and the floor subgrade? It looks like that from the renderings.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I haven't read the thread or looked for details but are they going to excavate under the original arena and build seating and the floor subgrade? It looks like that from the renderings.

Yes, they'll be digging down 15 feet lower: http://sports.mynorthwest.com/266677...ty-and-for-us/

Leiweke said keeping the KeyArena roof intact is a major expense and that OVG wasn’t sure it could be done until about six weeks ago. What the engineers would do, he explained, is dig 15 feet down and add upwards of 300,000 square feet to the building, all below grade. They would create a “giant atrium” that he described as a “people-moving system” that would take patrons from the upper level, where they enter the building, down to the various levels of the building.

“By sinking it 15 feet, we can go out down below grade and down below the ground and not impact the historic landmark that the roof is currently,” he said.

They would add concessions, restrooms, locker rooms, seven docks and a parking garage that connects directly to the arena. The design also includes two scoreboards, something Leiweke said has never been done. He said everything would be centered around 9,000 seats in the lower bowl. Leiweke added that he promised Seattle rock band Pearl Jam that the arena’s acoustics would be as good as those in Madison Square Garden in New York City and The Forum just outside of Los Angeles.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Reading between the lines, I think they talked a big game, until it was time to actually write a check for 500M. I could be wrong though.

I tend to believe this as well, simply beacause I can't believe the NHL would turn down a half billion in cash. And at that time, they had no way of knowing there would be a new potential owner in Houston with zero arena concerns.

NHL could be sitting pretty with both Houston and Seattle ready to go. They are not Winnipeg, QC or even KC. Houston in particualr is more NHL ready than several existing teams.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Parallex

... IIRC Quebecor was.

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Reading between the lines, I think they talked a big game, until it was time to actually write a check for 500M. I could be wrong though.

Just took a quick look at Quebecor's financials. The company's revenues are less than half what they were ten years ago, and their assets are mortgaged to the hilt – $6.12 billion in long-term debt, compared to about $560 million in equity. Péladeau may be a billionaire on paper, but it looks like he couldn't lay his hands on $500 million in cash to save his soul.

[Ace]

So do we make a trade, the flames for amazon? Seems pool worthy legit.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I too see AZ getting relocated to Houston right after Seattle gets announced. Houston and Seattle can start the same year.

Me too.... sadly

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I too see AZ getting relocated to Houston right after Seattle gets announced. Houston and Seattle can start the same year.

Seattle won't be ready for a while though. 2 or 3 years maybe? Houston could start playing tonight.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Me too.... sadly

People only come when the Coyotes make the playoffs :/.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Quebec is out for good now, barring a last minute, no other option, re-location. Price is just too high for such a small market

Yeah it's not looking good for that market. Their only hope is to have a local person or group purchase a team outright and move them but even that may be difficult as I believe the league would rather be in Houston first. I can't remember what talking head it was a few days ago but he feels the NHL's plan all along is for Seattle to get an expansion team and Houston to get a relocation team.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

People only come when the Coyotes make the playoffs :/.

As is the case for 95% of all sports teams

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

People only come when the Coyotes make the playoffs :/.

Or the Flames are in town, or the Oilers. Or any of the other Canadian teams, particularly the western teams.

[AC]

@DarrenDreger
On Seattle, Bettman says Bonderman and a Bruckheimer will be allowed to formally apply for expansion.

@DarrenDreger
In addition to the application, Seattle is also allowed to run a season ticket drive similar to what was done in Vegas.

@frank_seravalli
Bettman says expansion application for Seattle is basically the same as #Vegas except for price BUT also may consider option for relocation in 2020-21 if it comes to that instead. #TSN

@PierreVLeBrun
Bettman says expansion fee for Seattle will be $650 million

[AC]

@PierreVLeBrun
Bettman says he doesn't know where this leaves Quebec City other than to say right now they're only looking at Seattle for possible expansion. Points to geography and chance to balance the conferences

@PierreVLeBrun
Bettman says nothing going on right now with Houston

[ComixZone]

2020/2021 Season?


Arizona is not a relocation candidate.

Carolina sold and the new owner has committed to keeping the team in that city.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the NHL is going to use Seattle as leverage against Calgary. For all of those who thought the Flames leaving was an empty threat...whelp, it is what it is now.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

650 mil? Unless something happens it’s hard not to see the owners approving this eventually. That’s a lot of moolah.

[albertGQ]

I wonder if the Canucks would get any extra expansion money for territorial rights like the Kings got when the Anaheim was awarded a franchise (50% of the $50M expansion fee)

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

2020/2021 Season?


Arizona is not a relocation candidate.

Carolina sold and the new owner has committed to keeping the team in that city.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the NHL is going to use Seattle as leverage against Calgary. For all of those who thought the Flames leaving was an empty threat...whelp, it is what it is now.

If The Flames relocate before The Yotes i'll eat my swassy butthair