Seattle mayor Ed Murray sounds serious about bringing an NHL team to the Pacific Northwest.
Murray made a strong statement Wednesday in telling local NBC affiliate King 5 that he expects the environmental review for a new arena to be completed by May 7. The EIS (environmental impact statement) is considered a critical roadblock for a new arena.
More importantly for the NHL, though, is that Murray also said he is open to modifying the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that required construction of a new arena to only begin after an NBA team was acquired. The NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics left the city in 2008 for Oklahoma City.
“Should folks in the NHL or potential owners come to us with a different financial plan that pencils out for the city and for our partners at the county, I would be willing to go back to the council and ask them to open that process,” Murray explained. “I believe there could be an adjustment for an NHL team first if there if a financial plan that pencils out for the city.”
That requirement in the MOU has been described as the biggest roadblock to the NHL landing in Seattle, as investor Chris Hansen – who would own the new arena – has no interest in acquiring an NHL franchise.
“No one in our ownership group is interested in being a majority owner in an NHL franchise. That’s been the case since the start,” Hansen said last year. “The most important thing is the passion is just not there for the NHL among our ownership group that is there for basketball. Getting involved in hockey solely because basketball hasn’t worked out right now, when it’s not something your heart is in, would be a disservice to the fans here.”
Hansen attempted to move the NBA’s Sacramento Kings to Seattle but was unsuccessful.
Murray says he met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in late January and “The NHL indicated a willingness to move here as soon as there is an Arena.”
The Seattle Times reported earlier this month that new investors were looking into possible arena sites in Bellevue or Tukwila, but Murray didn’t believe those projects would interfere with the current Seattle arena project.
“Whether it’s a site in Seattle or site somewhere else in King County, those sites would also have to go through a lengthy process to look at the environmental impacts and get the permits you would need to get a permit for to build a very significant structure,” he explained. “I think if done right and we actually got a team, it would be a benefit to this city, financially and culturally.
“I think if done right and we actually got a team, it would be a benefit to this city, financially and culturally.”
