Bettman addresses NHL expansion developments

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman: Professional Party Pooper. The league’s top ranked executive took to the media late last night to address the recent developments in the city of Seattle and their efforts to renovate KeyArena for an NBA and NHL franchise, and the news for hockey fans in the Pacific Northwest is not good.

"We haven't made any commitments to Seattle," Bettman said when speaking on the NHL Network Radio. "We're not making any commitments to expand. We're not planning on moving anybody."

 Interestingly, while the commissioner wouldn’t endorse a move to Seattle in the immediate future, he didn’t rule out the potential for expansion or relocation at a later date. The hang-up, in Bettman’s mind, seems to be the construction or renovation of an appropriate facility, saying "If (Seattle) sorts out the building arrangement and somebody actually puts a shovel in the ground, my guess is there will be people knocking on our door saying, 'We'd like to have a team play in that building,'" Bettman said. "If and when all that happens, then we'll focus on it, and decide if we have any interest in expanding and if we have any interest in expanding to Seattle.

He followed up those statements with a definitive, "Beyond that, there is no reason for anyone to think a team is imminent right now in Seattle."

So, put the champagne back on ice, Seattle. It looks like you’ll have to wait awhile longer before getting your team.