http://seattletimes.com/html/hockey/2025238270_bakercolumn15xml.html
The NHL's expansion plans have been mostly stalled because of Seattle; however, the city does want a hockey team. The main reasons for the stall are:
1) Seattle does not have a proper venue since the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City.
2) The approval of the Sodo arena project is not likely until after 2016, and Seattle's Department of Transportation and the city counsel would have to approve other grants and regulations which would take another four or five months for approval.
The Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes would have been candidates for moving to Seattle in 2018 or 2019, but that does not seem overly likely right now.
I always wanted an NHL team in Seattle. The city loves sports and would be very willing to spend money to see hockey and basketball games. Anyhow, I would think the Florida Panthers would have been more likely to move to Seattle than Arizona since the Coyotes could have moved to Canada for the short-term.
Also, I want my Supersonics back!
The addition of another sports team could have been beneficial, more media, more merchandise, too bad it seems to be failing.
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