Gary Bettman announces huge price tag for Seattle expansion team.

I have to say that this is only speculation, because it is, but it now seems like a forgone conclusion that there will be a National Hockey League team in Seattle, Washington within just a few short years. 

On Thursday NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the NHL's Board of Governors have agreed to accept and consider an expansion application from Seattle. Furthermore the NHL even intends to allow the Bonderman group to conduct a season ticket drive to gauge interest within the market. 

The NHL's desire to have a team in Seattle has never been a secret and with the NHL moving so rapidly to accept an expansion big after a new arena project was greenlit in Seattle, it seems like it will be a question of when not if. 

The arena project is reportedly set to cost a whopping $660 million to complete but that will only be roughly half the cost associated with bring an NHL team to Seattle. Gary Bettman has also announced that there will be a massive $650 million expansion fee for a team in Seattle. 

That being said, TSN insider Darren Dreger is reporting that relocation also remains a possibility for Seattle as well. When you consider that Bettman has made it clear that neither Carolina or Arizona will be relocating, this seems like a poorly veiled threat directed at the Calgary Flames.

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