Seattle to announce

[Fred]

Land close to the Safeco Field has been purchased with the intent to build a basket ball arena and by default the owner who is not into hockey wants a NHL team in there. The owner of the Chicago Wolves has been in talks and show interest to owning an NHL franchise in Seattle. Can Phx wait that long or failing that which is the next team down the pecking order ?

[Overtime]

Land close to the Safeco Field has been purchased with the intent to build a basket ball arena and by default the owner who is not into hockey wants a NHL team in there. The owner of the Chicago Wolves has been in talks and show interest to owning an NHL franchise in Seattle. Can Phx wait that long or failing that which is the next team down the pecking order ?

If I was the Aquilinis I would ask for structered payments due to the loss of seat potential within our
geographic fanbase.
I've been led to believe that dozens of Seattleites have ventured North regularly to attend Canuck games.
This may in fact lead to a lack in our attendence.
I would just say NO! To the 'Merican expansionism.

[Cornuck]

That would be a total bitchslap to the face of Kansas City. They have the arena ready to go and just need a team t move in. They sold out their pre-season game and should be able to draw from a decent corporate base. Add in a cross state rival and they're set.

I think that Seattle is more concerned with getting their NBA team back and with see the NHL as 2nd / 3rd rate citizens.

[Overtime]

That would be a total bitchslap to the face of Kansas City. They have the arena ready to go and just need a team t move in. They sold out their pre-season game and should be able to draw from a decent corporate base. Add in a cross state rival and they're set.

I think that Seattle is more concerned with getting their NBA team back and with see the NHL as 2nd / 3rd rate citizens.

It takes years of course to build anything. Plenty of things can happen economically.
Kansas City has failed before as a franchise. My comment was indirectly based on the
possible return of the Quebec/Hamilton discussion.
Id personally love Seattle to get a franchise!

[Potatoe1]

Land close to the Safeco Field has been purchased with the intent to build a basket ball arena and by default the owner who is not into hockey wants a NHL team in there. The owner of the Chicago Wolves has been in talks and show interest to owning an NHL franchise in Seattle. Can Phx wait that long or failing that which is the next team down the pecking order ?

If I was the Aquilinis I would ask for structered payments due to the loss of seat potential within our
geographic fanbase.
I've been led to believe that dozens of Seattleites have ventured North regularly to attend Canuck games.
This may in fact lead to a lack in our attendence.
I would just say NO! To the 'Merican expansionism.

Anyway GMMG was just on the radio and seems pretty happy about a potential rival in Seattle

[Island Nucklehead]

Land close to the Safeco Field has been purchased with the intent to build a basket ball arena and by default the owner who is not into hockey wants a NHL team in there. The owner of the Chicago Wolves has been in talks and show interest to owning an NHL franchise in Seattle. Can Phx wait that long or failing that which is the next team down the pecking order ?

If I was the Aquilinis I would ask for structered payments due to the loss of seat potential within our
geographic fanbase.
I've been led to believe that dozens of Seattleites have ventured North regularly to attend Canuck games.
This may in fact lead to a lack in our attendence.
I would just say NO! To the 'Merican expansionism.

Anyway GMMG was just on the radio and seems pretty happy about a potential rival in Seattle

A partner in pain? Someone else to experience the brutal travel associated with playing in the pacific northwest?

In all seriousness, it would be nicer to have a geographically closer opponent

[Cornuck]

If the Canucks can get 5 or so games in against a team a couple of hours away (still further than many eastern teams travel), it's going to be a huge benefit.

From my selfish perspective, I want a team in KC - Seattle can go fuck itself.

[Jovorock]

Seattle and KC and 4 & 5 on my list as best cities. Quebec, Metro Toronto and Hamilton are the best three IMO.

Buttman's list will be Seattle and KC at the top of his list

[porp]

Sounds nice, but most likely just chaff and flares thrown out as part of doing business and pacifying/interesting particular investors.

Too many barriers to an NHL team getting based in Seattle.

But would there actually be a YVR/SEA rivalry? The Canucks are a pretty damned good team, in recent years. An expansion/transplanted team in SEA is likely to be uncompetitive (caveat; unless there's something like the transplant of the Nordiques into the Colorado Avalanche, coupled with excellent draft positions for a couple/few years augmented by a motivated and deep-pocketed ownership) in the short AND medium term.

Most transplant candidates have a rather nonexistent history with the Canucks.

It's probably just biz speak; stupid rich people trying to winkle other rich people out of money (and trying to suck as much loose money from poor people as possible in the meanwhile).

Vancouver/Seattle isn't going to be a rivalry.

[Meds]

An expansion team in Seattle would indeed, in all likelihood, be a weak opponent. However, should a franchise like the Coyotes end up in Seattle with an established roster and system, they would be far more competitive. Look no further than Winnipeg to see this, they aren't threatening to win their division, but they are certainly as competitive as they were when sporting Thrasher jerseys in Atlanta last year.

I think a reduction in ticket sales is going to be pretty unlikely. The Canucks already have plenty of season ticket holders with many more waiting on a list. If anything, a team in Seattle is only going to benefit the Canucks fans. Tickets only cost as much as they do because of the crazy markup on seat re-sales. A team just a couple of hours south of Vancouver provides another option for fans from the GVA to catch NHL games, several of which would include the Canucks. If fans start going south for some of their NHL hockey entertainment the re-sale price on tickets would likely drop. Every game I have gone to I have paid at least $120 per ticket only to get the ticket and see the original ticket price was half of what I paid. If I could go to a game in Seattle and get a decent seat for the actualy price that the team charges for the ticket, it would be worth it for me to drive the extra hours. That factors in the flight to Vancouver from Terrace and all other associated costs. In fact, when I consider that I almsot always buy 2 tickets, and then also have a couple of friends that come with my wife and I too, we are looking at around $500 for tickets. Everyone in one car, and that much money, we could go to a game in Seattle, head out for drinks, and then stay the night, and still come out ahead of the $500.

I would bet that by the time a Seattle based franchise was into its third season there would be a great rivalry between said team and the Canucks.

[Hockey Widow]

An expansion team in Seattle would indeed, in all likelihood, be a weak opponent. However, should a franchise like the Coyotes end up in Seattle with an established roster and system, they would be far more competitive. Look no further than Winnipeg to see this, they aren't threatening to win their division, but they are certainly as competitive as they were when sporting Thrasher jerseys in Atlanta last year.

I think a reduction in ticket sales is going to be pretty unlikely. The Canucks already have plenty of season ticket holders with many more waiting on a list. If anything, a team in Seattle is only going to benefit the Canucks fans. Tickets only cost as much as they do because of the crazy markup on seat re-sales. A team just a couple of hours south of Vancouver provides another option for fans from the GVA to catch NHL games, several of which would include the Canucks. If fans start going south for some of their NHL hockey entertainment the re-sale price on tickets would likely drop. Every game I have gone to I have paid at least $120 per ticket only to get the ticket and see the original ticket price was half of what I paid. If I could go to a game in Seattle and get a decent seat for the actualy price that the team charges for the ticket, it would be worth it for me to drive the extra hours. That factors in the flight to Vancouver from Terrace and all other associated costs. In fact, when I consider that I almsot always buy 2 tickets, and then also have a couple of friends that come with my wife and I too, we are looking at around $500 for tickets. Everyone in one car, and that much money, we could go to a game in Seattle, head out for drinks, and then stay the night, and still come out ahead of the $500.

I would bet that by the time a Seattle based franchise was into its third season there would be a great rivalry between said team and the Canucks.

This assumes that the Canucks are still contenders at that point. The twins will be gone by then and who knows.

[Overtime]

If the Canucks can get 5 or so games in against a team a couple of hours away (still further than many eastern teams travel), it's going to be a huge benefit.

From my selfish perspective, I want a team in KC - Seattle can go fuck itself.

I'm guessin, judging from your Avatar. That you are a fan of BBQ. Kansas City style.
I see corn and am thinking you like the rib action too. Yummmy.
Mid west people are fine people too.

[porp]

I would bet that by the time a Seattle based franchise was into its third season there would be a great rivalry between said team and the Canucks.

Yeah, thinking about it a bit more, you're right. Especially if the two teams meet up in the playoffs. And of course the NHL would schedule a bunch of home-and-home games, and of course if Seattle prices their tickets competitively there'd be loads of Canucks fans in their building...

[Overtime]

I would bet that by the time a Seattle based franchise was into its third season there would be a great rivalry between said team and the Canucks.

Yeah, thinking about it a bit more, you're right. Especially if the two teams meet up in the playoffs. And of course the NHL would schedule a bunch of home-and-home games, and of course if Seattle prices their tickets competitively there'd be loads of Canucks fans in their building...

The scary thing about it would be our fanatic fan base. We already have a reputation of sorts.
I really hope our fan base can mature. We would possibly outnumber Seattle fans in the first year or two.
I hated it when the Hab and Leaf fans were louder than us.
Depressing and kind of embarrassing.
The rivalry, would naturally grow with history of course.

[porp]

The scary thing about it would be our fanatic fan base. We already have a reputation of sorts.

Absolutely; a small but functionally significant proportion of the fans who'd make the trip to Seattle would be of the, ahem, lower-end of the socio-economic strata (hey, I'm fucking poor, too) and would include the kinds of fans who instigated much of the worst parts of the riot.

Here's hoping against, but, yeah there's a really embarrassing segment in Vancouver. I feel that this town is one of, if not the, forefront of the wealthy/poor divide (wealth disparity is a huge driver of social unrest) in Canada.

Calpuke fans/trolls are kinda geographically restricted to Alberta and just cause internet angst. If there was a Seattle team, Vancouver fans in general might get a bad rep from physical trolls invading another NHL city.

Overtime; I remember being to a game at the Pacific Coliseum when I was very very young, once. How rowdy were the transplanted Mtl/Tor fans? I suppose it's not congruent at all, since those fans were explants rather than visitors, but do you remember if there were any codes of behaviour, or were people just generally more genial?