It’s official, the NHL will be coming to Seattle in the 2021-22 season. The NHL’s Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle as home to the 32nd franchise.
Congratulations, @NHLSeattle_! 👏🏼
The NHL's 32nd franchise will begin play in the 2021-22 season!!! pic.twitter.com/bekbMiwZos
— NHL (@NHL) December 4, 2018
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the result of the vote today.
Seattle fits a geographic need for the NHL, bringing the league’s two conferences into alignment. The move also has the potential of setting up a natural rivalry with the Vancouver Canucks, who are located just 140 miles to the north.
To make room for the Seattle team in the Pacific Division, the Arizona Coyotes will relocate to the Central Division starting in the fall of 2021.
The Seattle franchise will begin play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference and the @ArizonaCoyotes will realign to the Central Division. https://t.co/gYSiUWAreM #NHLSeattle pic.twitter.com/bT9myflZLF
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 4, 2018
Seattle’s ownership (NHL Seattle) is led by billionaire David Bonderman, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, vice chair David Wright, Seattle Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer, and former Seattle Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke. The Oak View Group, which includes former Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, is also part of the ownership group, along with various minor partners.
The Seattle franchise will pay a $650 million expansion fee. That fee will be distributed in equal shares to 30 of the NHL’s presently existing clubs. The Vegas Golden Knights, which entered the league with their own $500 million expansion fee in 2017-18, will not receive any of Seattle’s expansion fee.
No name or logo has been announced for the new team, but the expansion draft will be held in June of 2021. Seattle will follow the same rules for the 2021 Expansion Draft as Vegas did in 2017, however, the Golden Knights will be exempt.
NHL Seattle was originally aiming for the 2020-21 season, but the NHL wanted to be sure the $800 million-plus renovation of KeyArena would be completed for the first game. The team plans on holding the expansion draft at KeyArena in 2021 ahead of the team’s launch. It also allows the group time to complete a $70 million practice facility at Northgate Mall.
Also, the NHL is facing a potential work stoppage in September 2020 that would have started just weeks before Seattle’s anticipated franchise launch. Delaying the launch until the 2021-22 season avoids that risk, and with the NHL having mixed results with launching expansion teams in the past they weren’t will to leave anything to chance.
Congratulations Seattle and welcome to the NHL!
