Ryan Laface, WGSS GNN Sports and News Writer
A new NHL team has been announced and it will now be Seattle who will be providing the team. Sports Illustrated states that there are fourteen different Seattle team names they are picking from in order to represent their city in the NHL: the Kraken, Firebirds, Renegades, Whales, Eagles, Cougars, Sea Lions, Evergreens, Seals, Emeralds, Rainiers, Totems, Sockeyes, and Seawolves.
It was confirmed by the NHL on Dec 4/18 after the Board of Governors (BOG) voted unanimously in favour of the decision in Sea Island Georgia, BC.
The team will have their first NHL preseason game in the 2021-2022 season. The reason for the long wait is due to the time it will take to renovate the Key Arena, home of to the Seattle Thunderbirds and many more teams. It is to have a capacity of more than 18,000.
One of the main reasons there’s a 32nd NHL team (Seattle), an expansion of the roster will greatly benefit the NHL’s value. The Vegas Golden Knights, a team that was recently added to the roster, has had great success. They came close to winning the Stanley Cup Finals last year, having only lost to the Washington Capitals 4-1. The reason it doesn’t help the NHL is presumably due to an odd number of teams. So with a 32nd NHL team, it’s possible that 16-18 teams might make the playoffs, possibly increasing the spectator count to bring in more monetary value to the league.
So which team would you now be rooting for: the Vancouver Canucks or the new to-be-founded Seattle team? Whichever one you pick, it could be one of the greatest rivalries of the modern era, maybe even better
