SEATTLE — Seattle has become the National Hockey League’s 32nd franchise, or at least it will be next season. NHL Director Gary Bettman accepted the expansion request from an investment group from the Seattle area.
“Seattle sells itself,” Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan said after the meeting. “We live in a great city, with the greatest fan base, and it’s growing faster than any city in America.”
To date the new franchise has no name or logo, but that will come soon, probably by way of a contest of some kind, but the excitement is already bubbling with 32,000 deposits on season tickets registered already.
Last season, the Los Vegas Golden Knights were the new kids on the block and proved how strong a new team can be in its inaugural year by finishing the regular season in first place in the west and plowing through the L.A. Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Winnipeg Jets before loosing to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Seattle has a long hockey history beginning 103 years ago when Seattle got its very first professional hockey team, the Seattle Metropolitans.
In 1917, the season before the NHL was even formed, the Mets won the Stanley Cup against the Montreal Canadiens.
In 1928, they had become the Seattle Eskimos, and the Sea Hawks, in 1933. In 1940, the team was sold and renamed the Olympics
In 1944, the Pacific Coast Hockey League was revived and Seattle Ironmen became the premier hockey franchise in the city.
When the Western Hockey League was born the Ironman changed its name to the Bombers, which became the Seattle Americans for the 1955-56 season.
In 1958, the team changed its name again, this time to the the Seattle Totems, who became the Seattle Breakers.
In the 1984-85 season, the team was sold again and renamed the Thunderbirds.
The 2021-22 season. Seattle would have loved to have its team take the ice for the 2020-21 season, but arena renovations may not be done in time, so it will be the 2021-2022 season when the new teams take to the ice for the first time.
