Release the Kraken!

[Cactus Jack]

A lot of it will depend on how big of a sports fan you are if you're just soccer and casual NBA who knows? I still
say if Seattle goes on a deep playoff run there's no way you'll not get sucked in.

Oh...I'm sure I would. Just not a big enough fan to watch every game (Regular Season).

[Cactus Jack]

https://mynorthwest.com/1352200/keyarena-renovation-delayed-over-budget/?show=comments#comments

KeyArena’s grand reopening has been delayed yet again, threatening the start of the Seattle Storm’s 2021 basketball season, and potentially costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Documents obtained by The Seattle Times show construction costs have ballooned to $900 million dollars. The first price tag put renovations at $600 million dollars, with work originally scheduled to wrap up in time for the 2020 NHL season in October.

That was initially delayed 12 months by the NHL, when it became clear that it wasn’t a feasible date for the end of construction. After that, eyes were trained on the 2021 season for the debut of Seattle’s new hockey team.

The latest estimate has the renovated KeyArena opening closer to June 2021, bumping up against the May start of the Storm’s season, and just four months before the beginning of the NHL season.

Over the last two years, funding estimates have jumped almost continuously, due to skyrocketing labor and building material costs, among other factors. Most recently, the price tag sat at $800 million, back when ground first broke on the renovation back in December 2018.

The rebuild is set to include a 360-foot-long glass atrium, dedicated locker rooms for Seattle’s new NHL team, a potential NBA team, and the Storm, 50,000 square feet of storage, and a 750,000 square foot interior. Capacity for hockey games will seat up around 17,400 people, while basketball will house 18,600.

While the renovation is using all private money, this could still end up impacting Seattle taxpayers. If delays cause the Storm to miss home games, the city would be on the hook for $260,000 for each game the team is forced to relocate.

According to the Times, a new deal between NHL Seattle and the Oak View Group developer caps the renovation’s costs from rising any further. There are no details on whether or not the original plans for the project have been scaled back to account for delays and the need for additional funding.

[MAS]

So one of the things people aren't noticing about Seattle getting a team is where it is located in the United States. The NHL doesn't have a team in the Northwestern USA. They have the Canucks in that area, but that is obviously in Canada.

So why is this important? The NBC deal is coming up after the 2021 season, which also happens to be when Seattle is planning on entering the league (pending a possible lockout of course).

Having a team in all four corners of the USA is imperative for the NHL if they want a better TV deal in the United States. Right now they are near the end of a 10-year, $2 billion deal with NBC after regrowing the brand after the 2005 lockout. The hope on the NHL side is to create a bidding war with ESPN for the coverage and gain some more media money.

In the early days when the NHL first tried to get a national TV deal it was the original 6 days where it was mostly in the Northeastern USA. The networks laughed in the owners faces because it was essentially a regional sport. That's why the league doubled in it's first expansion in 1967 so it can say it was coast-to-coast.

In a similar context, it is also the reason why it fought so hard to keep Arizona where they are. Had the Coyotes moved to Hamilton in 2008-2010, they wouldn't have had a market in the Southwestern part of the USA, which would have hurt their deal with NBC in 2011. Now, however, Vegas being a much stronger market in that area, I'm not sure the NHL would oppose the Coyotes moving. (See Houston)

As far as Quebec goes, they will never expand there. The purpose of expanding is to create new fans in new markets. Quebec is not a new market nor are they new fans. The fact is, whether or not a team comes back to Quebec City, the population there is already consuming the NHL. There is no pressure for them to move there because of that.

However, just as it was with Winnipeg, should a team in trouble need to move (specifically in the East), they will be the first choice. In the West, Houston will be the first choice if there is relocation just due to the logistics in the schedule re-alignment. Also it was one of the biggest markets in the States that doesn't have a team, and has a history with hockey in the Houston Aeros. The only reason it isn't already there is because Les Alexander (former owner of the Rockets), was upset when he failed to buy the Edmonton Oilers and move them to Houston. He put a clause in his lease with the arena saying if an NHL team moves in that isn't owned by him, the Rockets lease becomes null and void.

So yeah, a little bit of a history lesson, but the point is it all comes down to money and timing.

[Cactus Jack]

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/27062707/seattle-nhl-franchise-get-ahl-affiliate-calif

Seattle NHL Franchise To Have AHL Affiliate In Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Seattle's new NHL franchise intends to have its American Hockey League affiliate in Palm Springs as part of a new arena proposed for the city.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Oak View Group announced plans Wednesday to build a privately funded arena on tribal land in downtown Palm Springs with the intent of serving as the home ice for Seattle's affiliate. NHL Seattle and OVG have jointly submitted an application for an expansion AHL franchise, the 32nd for the league, which would begin play in the fall of 2021, at the same time Seattle's NHL franchise will begin play.

OVG is currently financing and leading the renovation of the arena at Seattle Center that will be home to the NHL franchise.

The new arena in Palm Springs will seat up to 10,000 fans and include an adjoining training facility. The groups hope to begin construction on the arena in February 2020.

[Cactus Jack]

Ron Francis Named Seattle GM

Seattle's new NHL franchise has its first general manager.

Hall of Famer Ron Francis was named the expansion team's GM Thursday.

"After seven months of due diligence, research, conversations, interviews and evaluation, we are thrilled to announce Ron as our GM," NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement.

Francis will receive a multiyear contract from the team, a source told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

[Cactus Jack]

Release the Kraken!!!

Read on Twitter

[BenchOnaQUEST]

Release the Kraken!!!

Read on Twitter

Hmmm, do you guys think this will really be the team's name??

[Cactus Jack]

Read on Twitter

Watch on YouTube

[Cactus Jack]

Read on Twitter

[hermes]

Read on Twitter

!!!!!!!!! jack you should have told me about this!

first the dragons and now the kraken, i am loving seattle's name choices recently. huge fan of mythological creatures as mascots

[Otis Driftwood]

Sorry Otis, but Seattle is a way better market for hockey than Houston.

The NHL needs to market the sport & their stars better in the states. Not having a partnership with ESPN hasn't helped either.

Football will always be the most popular sport in the US. But, Hockey should be on par with Basketball & baseball in this country.

You should want an expansion team then. Look at how it worked out for Vegas.

Oh I'm very excited that Seattle is finally getting a team. Even though the location (Key Arena) isn't ideal by any means. It will likely mean having to sit in traffic for an extra hour just to get to the arena. But, that's what we've been given. So why fight it, right!? I just hope it doesnt keep fans from attending. The team will need to be somewhat successfull or it could be a real concern.

Happy for you, Brother!

[Cactus Jack]

You should want an expansion team then. Look at how it worked out for Vegas.

Oh I'm very excited that Seattle is finally getting a team. Even though the location (Key Arena) isn't ideal by any means. It will likely mean having to sit in traffic for an extra hour just to get to the arena. But, that's what we've been given. So why fight it, right!? I just hope it doesnt keep fans from attending. The team will need to be somewhat successfull or it could be a real concern.

Happy for you, Brother!

Hey, Otis!


What's Kraken!?

[Cactus Jack]

Read on Twitter

[Otis Driftwood]

Oh I'm very excited that Seattle is finally getting a team. Even though the location (Key Arena) isn't ideal by any means. It will likely mean having to sit in traffic for an extra hour just to get to the arena. But, that's what we've been given. So why fight it, right!? I just hope it doesnt keep fans from attending. The team will need to be somewhat successfull or it could be a real concern.

Happy for you, Brother!

Hey, Otis!


What's Kraken!?

I’ll tell you what’s not Kraken…

My Stars.