All the details from the NHL’s Seattle expansion announcement

Info on team name, jersey colors, Expansion draft, division re-alignment and more!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
All the details from the NHL’s Seattle expansion announcement
NHL.com

Earlier today NHL commissioner Gary Bettman finally made official what many around the hockey world have assumed for months now: Seattle is officially an NHL city.

Seattle’s Oak View Group had their bid for a 32nd NHL franchise officially accepted by the NHL’s board of governors this morning during a meeting in Sea Island, Georgia.

There’s obviously still a TON of work for Seattle to do before they hit the ice in 2021 like name a general manager, create a name, logo and jersey and… well draft a team. But here’s what we DO know about the NHL’s 32nd franchise:

The team will hit the ice at the renovated Key Arena in downtown Seattle for the 2021-22 season, one season after the expansion group was aiming for. Whether this is because of arena construction concerns, or concerns around a 2020 NHL lockout is not known yet. 

When asked whether the team would embrace the history of the Seattle Metropolitans, the first American franchise to win a Stanley Cup championship way back in 1917, Bettman was quick to shoot down the idea.

Check it out:


Bettman hints Metropolitans won't be Seattle's team name... "That was a long time ago." Plus there's a Metropolitan Division


Well… so much for that great idea. Seattle Totems then? What then about team colors?

According to NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Seattle’s home jersey will look “extremely similar” to a jersey worn by a young fan who was onstage with Bettman during this afternoon’s announcement.

Check it out:



Here’s a better look:


Sportsnet’s Irffan Gaffar, a Vancouver Canucks reporter, has also confirmed Pagnotta’s statement:



Man… if this is true… what a let down. The NHL doesn’t need any red and black jerseys. What it needs is some green! Seattle is the Emerald City and the NHL is desperate for another team to use green as its primary color. If, in fact, the team goes with red and black as its color scheme… let’s just say it’ll be a massive disappointment. 

Seattle will join the NHL as a member of the Pacific Division, forcing the Arizona Coyotes to move to the Central Division. Commissioner Bettman confirmed this news at this afternoons press conference.


Bettman confirms Arizona will move to the Central Division with Seattle in the Pacific.


Makes sense considering that the Coyotes are the eastern most team in the Pacific and the team spends the majority of its season in the Mountain Time zone. 

The team will get its first roster at the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and will follow the same rules the Vegas Golden Knights had for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Speaking of Vegas, the will be exempt from the expansion draft, meaning that the team will NOT be forced to lose a player to Seattle in the draft.

More details will be added to this post as they become available. Welcome to the NHL, Seattle!

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