The worst-kept secret in hockey finally came true earlier in the week when the NHL announced a Seattle franchise would begin play in 2021-22 season. The Seattle franchise, still unnamed, will pay a $650 million expansion fee and David Bonderman will serve as principle owner.
“Today is an exciting and historic day for our League as we expand to one of North America’s most innovative, beautiful and fastest-growing cities,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press release. “We are delighted to add David Bonderman, Tod Leiweke and the entire NHL Seattle group to the National Hockey League family. And we are thrilled that Seattle, a city with a proud hockey history that includes being the home for the first American team ever to win the Stanley Cup, is finally joining the NHL.”
As noted, Seattle isn’t unfamiliar with the NHL, it’s just been a while. The Metropolitans won the Cup in the 1917 season, but hockey history hasn’t been kind to the region since, without an NHL club for more than a century.
The league adding a 32nd team creates new alignment, with the new club joining the Pacific Division. It moves the Arizona Coyotes to the Central Division, but the rest of the teams will remain in the same divisions.
Vegas, despite the fact that it’ll have been in the league for four seasons by the time Seattle is ready to ice a team, will be held out of the expansion draft.
But, what’s on the mind of hockey fans more than anything with Seattle is potential team names. From the historic Seals — used already once with the California/Oakland Golden Seals — to unique names like Sea Lions or Kracken, the web has been active with speculation.
Oddsmakers have “Totems” as the favorite, with “Firebirds” as the longest shot out of the 13 that are reportedly on the table.
There’s still plenty of time for baseless speculation before the team and league finally announce how Seattle’s NHL team will brand itself, but until then, there’s going to be plenty of speculation.
Seattle, despite losing its NBA team just under a decade ago, has been a major draw for plenty of sports leagues. Its Major League Soccer team, the Seattle Sounders, brings in some of the biggest crowds in American soccer, and their NWSL team, the Reign, has also had success. The WNBA team, the Seattle Storm, drew national acclaim on their run to the league title earlier in 2018, as well.
“He ran into a lion in the jungle”
Golden Knights winger Ryan Reaves came under scrutiny on Thursday after he signed photos of him reacting after his hit laying out Capitals forward Tom Wilson with the inscription “He ran into a lion in the jungle” and a memorabilia store was set to sell them.
Las Vegas-based memorabilia company Inscriptagraphs began selling the images before Reaves asked them to destroy them, which reportedly they have.
Reaves admitted to signing the photos, and Golden Knights vice president of communications Eric Tosi told ESPN that “the photos were not distributed and they have been destroyed,” in a story.
Reaves was ejected for the hit, and Wilson, who hasn’t exactly held back himself from questionable hits, hasn’t played since.
Keyser it is
Bruins goalie prospect Kyle Keyser was one of three goalies named to the United States World Junior team as they prepare for their end of December tournament.
The Oshawa Generals goalie has quickly emerged as one of the best American goaltending prospects and posted a .932 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average.
Kovar heads east
The Jan Kovar experiment in Boston came to a quick end earlier in the week when the Czech talent signed back in Europe. He had spent the previous week with the Bruins after playing in Providence while the team decided what they would do with him.
HC Škoda Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga tweeted earlier in the week that Kovar will join the team. The 28-year-old signed a professional tryout agreement with the Bruins in October. He previously played for HC Škoda Plzeň in 2013 before he signed in the KHL.
Minor change
The Bruins’ ECHL team, the Atlanta Gladiators, unveiled a new third uniform on Thursday. With nods to the Atlanta Flames and Thrashers and the Atlanta Knights of the former International Hockey League along with the current Gladiators, the jersey combines elements of all four.
After debuting the jerseys on Friday night, the Gladiators will wear the new uniform as part of their usual rotation throughout the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
