The NHL season is upon us and will soon pass without the Pacific Northwest ever knowing it even happened. Inlanders can tell you about the last time the Mariners made the playoffs, how furious they are about the Sonics leaving, how excited they are about this year’s Trailblazers, but when it comes to professional hockey, they are most likely dumbfounded.
The NHL, or National Hockey League, not only brings the tenacity and ferociousness of football but also the gracefulness and eloquence of ice skating.
Hockey takes a back seat to the big three sports in the country, but even more evidently here in the Northwest. Seattle sports fans might be surprised to find out that their very own Seattle Metropolitans won the first United States Stanley Cup back in 1917 in the Pacific Coast League. It’s the same city and region that has ignored and has been ignored by the NHL ever since.
Sure, there is interest in hockey in the Northwest – with teams like the Spokane Chiefs, Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winter Hawks-but these teams are in the pee-wee league compared to the NHL. It’s like comparing Whitworth basketball to Duke basketball – unfair for both sides.
The WHL just doesn’t have NHL superstars like Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Alex Ovechkin, who weave through defenders as if they are cones and seem as if they can score at will.
The strong minor league hockey teams make one wonder why there has not been a professional hockey team here in the Northwest. Ironically, there is a “Northwest” division in the NHL, but it doesn’t include a team from the Northwest United States - with the closest United States team being the Colorado Avalanche – just 20 hours southeast.
So why is it that the Northwest United States is not getting any love from the NHL? I’m out to investigate this crime and find out the main factors that contribute to the lack of a professional hockey team in Seattle and surrounding regions.
The location and climate factor: We’re only a couple hours away from the country that invented hockey. If Phoenix and Tampa Bay can have teams, certainly Portland or Seattle could.
It’s time to lose the Key: Key Arena wasn’t an acceptable arena to house an NBA team and is far from being capable to handle an NHL team. Taxpayers in Seattle will soon have to pay up if they want the Sonics back and an NHL team. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Tacoma Dome could host an NHL team. It’s just a question of generating enough interest in and around the area.
Distance from another NHL city: Some might complain that an NHL team in the Seattle region is too close to Vancouver and it would take away fans from the Canucks. This is bogus - Canucks fans live and die for their team and the last thing they’re going to do is jump ship over to a U.S. team. I would even say that it would add a great rivalry between cross-country opponents.
Attendance in Minor League hockey teams: The Spokane Chiefs ranked third in average attendance in the WHL during the 2007-2008 season while Everett ranked forth out of the 22 teams. Support for these teams is there on the minor league level and is just waiting to emerge on the national level with a professional franchise.
Attendance in other professional sports: The Mariners ranked seventh out of the 14 American League teams this past year in attendance, which, taking performance of the team into account, is not bad at all. The Seahawks averaged right around 68,000 during the 2007-2008 season with their lively, raucous crowd, also known as the 12th Man. The ability of Seattle to support a professional hockey team is unquestioned and these numbers show that this should not be a factor.
Overall performance of Seattle sports: This one is pretty self-explanatory, but a combined 2-13 record with college and pro football teams in Seattle, a 101-loss season for the Seattle baseball team, and a nonexistent pro basketball team might not help.
Taking all these factors into account, the Pacific Northwest deserves a professional hockey team and can hopefully expect one in the coming years…along with a professional basketball team.
Contact Dave Gerig at dave.gerig@whitworthian.com.
Dave's Sport Scoop: Wanted: NHL franchise in the Pacific Northwest
Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Updated: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Be the first to comment on this article!