On Friday, the city of Seattle released three design proposals from 360 Architecture for the new arena to be built in the SoDo neighborhood. The building is being designed to house NHL and NBA games.
Option 1: Iconic and transparent
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
The first option is a unique building with lots of exterior glass. It's very cool look that I think would fit into Seattle rather nicely. The designers tout it's "landmark, iconic form" while recognizing that the "highly transparent façade may create challenges with [the] Seattle Energy Code."
Option 2: Simple and efficient
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
This design is a "cost effective building that maximizes function, architectural footprint, and street frontage," according to the architect. There isn't as much open space around the building as in the previous option, but maybe that's a good thing considering the weather around here during the hockey season. But aesthetically, this isn't my personal favorite.
Option 3: Front porch to downtown (preferred)
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
This final design was proposed as the "preferred option." Like the second one, it maximizes its architectural footprint, but it looks a little more modern. The entrance creates sort of a "front porch to downtown," according to the designer. However, it has a much "less iconic presence" than the first option.
I could certainly live with this design, but I think Option 1 is still my favorite. Then again, I'd be happy to walk into any building that has NHL hockey going on inside. Right now there's no city with that.
What do you think of these potential designs for the new Seattle Arena? Which one is your favorite? By the way, if you want to see the entire design proposal, there is a PDF available on the city's website.
Sorry, I just can't. It's ridiculous and we all know it.
In the midst of a lockout and negotiations to have a new arena built in downtown Edmonton, the bigwigs from the Edmonton Oilers paid a visit to Seattle today — just to poke around and such.
Monday, Seattle's City Council officially approved a plan to move forward with the much-discussed new arena project. That's great but the entire thing still hinges on securing an NBA or NHL franchise. And all the cities that already have them really like them and don't want us to take them. So that's the trouble.
To help alleviate that trouble, apparently, the Oilers brass was in town for "meetings" and a stop at KeyArena — down the street from me. (Oh, and to watch the Seahawks beat the Packers unconvincingly, as well.) Oilers fans hate it.
This is a stone that kills two birds. On one hand, it's the Oilers saying, hey Edmonton, you don't want to buy us a new arena, we'll find a new city that will. (Even though they really won't.) And on the other, it's Seattle trying to convince itself that there are potential teams out there to snatch up. (Even though there really aren't.)
Trying to follow it all is a nightmare. So I count on Chris Daniels. As a Seattleite, I just want to wake up one morning and find out we have a hockey team and an arena. And that I have season tickets.
Seattle mayor Mike McGinn / KING 5Seattle announced a proposal today that would put a new NHL-caliber arena in the city's stadium district. And as a Seattleite, I'm thrilled at the prospect!
The question of whether the Emerald City will again be home to pro hockey is by no means answered with this announcement, but it sure is a step in the right direction. So what other hurdles need to be cleared to make it a reality?
The proposal comes from hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, who apparently has money to burn — almost $300 million, in fact. Of course the only way he'll burn it is if he's guaranteed some kind of return up front.
Meaning this: unless both an NHL and NBA team can be lined up to occupy the building on Day 1, this whole thing is dead in the water.
There's good news and bad news then. The bad news first. He's more a fan of the NBA than the NHL. So he'll probably work harder to bring basketball back to town. (Seattleites would be thrilled; I'd be indifferent.) The good news for hockey fans here in Seattle? Getting an NHL team might actually be easier.
As we are painfully aware, the Phoenix Coyotes are in bad shape. Another season in Glendale seems like a longshot (sorry, Coyotes fans). There's been talk of sending them to Quebec or Ontario, but 1) Bettman would never go for it, and 2) certainly there's money to be made on expansion fees down the line. After all, neither of those markets have NHL arenas yet — though they're well on their way.
The upshot is there would be a place in Seattle for the Coyotes while a new arena is built. Part of the new arena deal would involve the two new teams playing at Key Arena during construction. I've never actually been to an event there (not a huge fan of the WNBA) but everything I've heard about it is bad. But as a temporary home, I'm sure there are worse buildings.
As for the NBA, I'm sure other blogs can offer better coverage. But my understanding is that Sacramento is working hard to keep the Kings — which may be in vain — but that Anaheim is a more likely place for them to relocate. Elsewhere, the New Orleans Hornets are, like the Coyotes, owned by the league. And it sounds like the NBA wants back in Seattle anyway — as long as we have a suitable building.
So why the blog post on this subject? My excitement aside, I thought you guys might like to spend some time talking about the "what ifs." As in, what if the NHL really did come to Seattle? How would you like to see that work?
Seattle Metropolitans jersey / M Jarred SheltonI'm not in favor of stealing other city's teams, but expansion is out of the question right now. Let's say it's the Coyotes. Do they change the name? If so, to what? Many have suggested Metropolitans — the name of the city's original hockey team and winner of the first Stanley Cup awarded to an American-based club (1917).
The Seattle Totems played here between 1958 and 1975. But my personal favorite is Seattle Breakers. Just has a good ring to it. I can hear myself cheering "Go Breakers!" (unlike Mets or Totems). Plus, the Breakers sound like a hockey team. And think of the marketing slogans.
I also like Sounders but that's taken by our MLS team. Another good name, Seattle Storm, is taken by the WNBA.
What about divisional realignment? Obviously, the NHL wants a major overhaul, but if they don't get it, should Seattle remain in the Pacific division, or move the Northwest? It was a question I raised on Twitter earlier tonight. The response, by far, was that Seattle needs to be in the same division as Vancouver. I agree. In our inaugural season, we have to be able to rub our Stanley Cup in the faces of Canucks fans.
Any other ideas for Seattle? If you've got concept art, please send it along. I'm hoping to relaunch the Concepts page this weekend with a completely new format. I'd love to kick things off with my town!
Update on Saturday · Feb 18 · 2012 | 12:44 PM PST by
Chris
Things just got interesting in Seattle's search for an NHL team to occupy its newly proposed arena. Last night — the day after Seattle's mayor made that announcement — reports have surfaced in Phoenix that the Coyotes are close to finding a buyer.
Last night, the guys NWCN's Northwest Sports Tonight talked about what all this could mean for Seattle. Basically, Arizona reporter Dave Zorn said yesterday that the NHL has approved former San Jose Sharks president and CEO Greg Jamison to buy the team — not that a sale has been made yet.
It sounds like there are a number of people in Phoenix right now looking to acquire the franchise, though it's unclear right now who would actually get it. Though with Jamison being NHL-approved, he's probably the best bet. However, NWCN's Paul Silvi said it could be Chris Hansen (of the new Seattle arena proposal) and Don Levin (AHL's Chicago Wolves owner) who are looking at buying the team.
If it's Jamison, who's apparently working with Jeremy Roenick, the Coyotes are likely to stay in Glendale. If not, the team could very well be on the move to Quebec or Seattle. Personally, I think the former is more likely.
Just a little more to add to the discussion there. Thoughts on these new developments?
Update on Friday · Feb 24 · 2012 | 10:01 AM PST by
Chris
For those still interested, KING 5 News in Seattle aired a special last night called "Seattle Arena: Billion Dollar Hat Trick." The show went through everything that would have to happen to bring the NHL and NBA to town. It even went into a little bit of the city's hockey history. You can watch it right here if you'd like.
Some interesting details in there, but all of this still seems like a long shot. The money man from San Francisco doesn't seem to want to be all that involved — he just wants to put the money up. Plus, he doesn't even care about hockey, so who's actually working to bring the NHL here is anyone's guess. Meanwhile, the Kings are staying in Sacramento and the Hornets in New Orleans.
Our sports future looks bleak, but I wouldn't count us out entirely.
My recent relocation from sunny Florida to rainy Seattle is no big secret to regular readers.
It's a great city where I landed a great job. But more important than that, as a hockey fan, I want to know if it could someday soon be home to an NHL franchise?
That was the subject of a news report on a local TV station — where I found that great job, by the way. One of our reporters headed up to Vancouver, B.C. where he'd lined up an exclusive interview with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly to talk about the future of the NHL in Seattle.
One quick note about the clip above before the comments explode. Our anchor mistakenly says the the Canucks won the series in six games instead of five. I don't know if it was a typo in the script or what.
Daly was in Vancouver for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals — which saw the Canucks clinch their first Stanley Cup Final berth since 1994 (on the strangest goal ever). He says the league has been in contact with a group in Seattle about purchasing a franchise but wouldn't go into anymore detail.
Clearly, I'd love nothing more than to have an NHL team in town — Vancouver is an irritating three-hour drive north (that's not counting the border crossing). It's worth it when the Lightning are visiting, however, such as the 5-4 OT Tampa victory I enjoyed back in December.
In our rundown meeting at work this afternoon, the question came up: Is the NHL looking to expand? Obviously not right now while several teams are struggling financially. And even if the deal is all but done to send the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Phoenix could be an option in 2012. But Quebec City is already licking its chops over the prospect of snatching the them away.
None of that really matters, though. Seattle still has no hope. The problem is the shocking lack of a proper arena here. KeyArena sits in the shadow of the Space Needle but seats only 11,000 for hockey. It's too big for the WHL. Too small for the NHL. And as Daly points out, obstructed views are a problem.
So for now, while the city lacks a building, the NHL is a long shot. And it doesn't look like there are any plans to change that in the foreseeable future. At the very least, I'll keep hoping for an NHL exhibition game or two at the Key to get Seattlites excited about the sport. Until then, I'll cheer on my Bolts from afar.
(And thank you for putting up with one more post about hockey in Seattle. I'll make it up to you.)
Update on Thursday · May 26 · 2011 | 1:43 AM PDT by
Chris
Wednesday brought another day of speculation with regard to the possible future of the NHL in Seattle — this time, bad news.
Just a day after Bill Daly said publicly that the league has been in contact with a group interested in bringing a team to the city, comes a new wrinkle.
KING 5 reporter Chris Daniels learned that a deal to buy a piece of land in nearby Bellevue to build a new arena had fallen through. This is unfortunate news but is by no means the end of the Seattle hockey story, I'm sure.
If you haven't watched the package above, you should. Chris tracked down former NHL defenseman Jamie Huscroft — a member of my Tampa Bay Lightning for parts of two seasons (the Vancouver Canucks too, by the way). He runs two hockey rinks in the area. He likes the idea of a Seattle-Vancouver rivalry just like many commenters on this post. (Though he's apparently misjudging the distance between the two cities.)
I'll keep you updated on this as more details trickle out. It's definitely not happening next season and you'd have to be extremely optimistic to think 2012-13 — and heck, the world might end by then, right? But if it doesn't, I'm eyeing the 100th anniversary of the formation of the old Seattle Metropolitans in 2015.
One more thing. A couple of you have asked about my team allegiance if, say, the Stinkin' Panthers were to relocate to Seattle. Would I still root for them? As long as they're not the Stinkin' Panthers, sure. But only because they'd be closest geographically and would bring the Lightning to town at least once a year. Nothing will change the fact that the Bolts are my team. I've said it before: You don't pick your team, it picks you.
And lastly, as far as naming ideas go, I think Metropolitans and Totems are equally terrible. In the comments, Erik brought up the Seattle Breakers — the Thunderbirds' old name. (Another team Jamie Huscroft played for, by the way. No kidding!) For more about Seattle's hockey history, check out SeattleHockey.net.
Breakers would get my vote all the way! Fits nicely with the Mariners and Sounders theme. And speaking of the Sounders, I wouldn't mind borrowing their colors too. Their official names are Sounder Blue, Rave Green and Cascade Shale. Yes, yes and yes.
Seattle's sports history started with a Stanley CupI feel bad about going so long between blog posts. But then the Lightning made it to Round 2, so I don't feel that bad. You know what I mean? Still, here's something to hold you over for now.
Today, my wife and I had lunch at this Seattle sports pub we frequent called Sport. It's one of those places where they hang various sports memorabilia on the walls alongside dozens of TVs tuned exclusively to sporting events.
As you walk in, there's a timeline of Seattle sports history. I'd never noticed before that the first event is a Stanley Cup championship.
Even more surprising to me, the Seattle Metropolitans, a member of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924, were the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup, which they did in 1917.
With that nugget, I learned that my vast hockey knowledge lacked a very cool little detail. My new city was the first in America to claim the Cup. And they did so against the legendary Montreal Canadiens, 3 games to 1.
Not only that, but the Metropolitans played for the Cup two more times in 1919 and 1920. (There was no Stanley Cup champion in 1919 due to the series cancellation by the flu epidemic.)
In case you can't read that placard behind the glass in the photo — sorry about the glare, we're having one of those unusual sunny days — here's what it says:
The Seattle Metropolitans, in only their second season, grabbed the most prized possession in professional hockey, the Stanley Cup. The Metropolitans were the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup and did so behind the efforts of star forward Bernie Morris who scored an unprecedented 6 goals in a 9-1 victory in the series clincher. The Metropolitans went on to play in two more Stanley Cup Finals before disbanding in 1924.
Despite all these championship appearances during their relatively short existence, Seattle was not the first American city represented in Stanley Cup play. If Wikipedia is to be trusted, the PCHA's Portland Rosebuds did that in 1916. They lost the series to the Canadiens, 3-2.
The Stanley Cup became an NHL-exclusive championship trophy in 1927. The first American NHL team to win it was the New York Rangers in 1928. The Boston Bruins played for it and lost in 1927.
I know none of this is related to uniforms or jerseys (except that there's a mock-up of the Metropolitans' sweater crest in the photo) but I thought it was a neat tidbit to share during the Stanley Cup Playoffs about my city's hockey history. Now if only we could get an NHL team here. (First need a new arena, though.)
One more thing. GO BOLTS!
Update on Saturday · Apr 30 · 2011 | 4:32 PM PDT by
Chris
Seattle Metropolitans jersey / M Jarred SheltonThanks to Icethetics reader and fellow Seattle resident M Jarred Shelton, I'm able to make this post even better! Jarred visited the Hockey Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago and has shared some photos relevant to our city's hockey past.
First, here's an actual Metropolitans goalie sweater (right). The placard above it reads:
Goaltender Harry "Hap" Holmes jersey that he wore late in his career with the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA. Holmes was a PCHA 2nd Team All-Star seven times as a Metropolitan, winning the Stanley Cup in 1917.
A very cool, but very Christmas-y sweater. And by that I mean both green and red as well as gaudy.
In an email to me, Jarred wrote of the HHOF: "As a Seattle resident, there isn't much to hang our hockey hats on so it was certainly nice to see those two pieces while we were there."
The other piece he is referring to is what truly rounds out this blog post. It's a photo of how Seattle is forever represented with an engraving on the Stanley Cup. Well, I say "forever," but actually it's not even there now.
Seattle engraved on the Cup / M Jarred Shelton"Seattle is not on the actual Cup anymore but on one of the rings that used to be on it," Jarred said. "It had a separate area in the Stanley Cup hall at the HHOF."
The Cup's trustees regularly remove rings from the trophy in order to make room for future champions. Obviously, continuing to add rings indefinitely without removing any would eventually make it too big for one person to carry.
He also mentioned: "The picture of Seattle on the Cup ring is a little blurry because of the way they had the lights on it."
Still, this is how the Emerald City was engraved on hockey's most coveted trophy (left): "SEATTLE / World's Champions / Defeated Canadians / 1917"
Saturday · Dec 1 · 2012 | 12:52 PM PST
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
Seattle Arena design proposal by 360 Architecture
