Seattle expansion vote by NHL won't occur until December at earliest

CHICAGO-- Seattle joining the NHL as an expansion team will not be put to a vote until December at the earliest, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday.

The group attempting to bring a team to the city will make a presentation to the NHL Board of Governors Executive Committee on Oct. 2 prior to the full meeting, but there are issues that must be ironed out before a formal vote can be held, the Deputy Commissioner said. The NHL Board of Governors meets again in December.
"There continues to be some open issues on the application we still have to work through, so we're certainly not in a position where the Board will be taking any action vis-a-vis the Seattle application," Deputy Commissioner Daly said. "I'm sure we'll report to the Board on the executive committee meeting, we'll report to the Board on the status of the application process, but certainly nothing imminent on a vote."
The Deputy Commissioner was asked if it's realistic that there will be a vote on Seattle expansion taking place at the meeting in December.
"It's possible," Deputy Commissioner Daly said. "Again, we haven't set a timeline and so it will really depend on whether things fall into place and everything gets done. We're not in any rush, as [NHL Commissioner] Gary [Bettman] has said numerous times. It's more their timeline than our timeline. If everything gets done and everything is teed up, then it's possible we could have a vote, but there really is no rush because this team is not playing any time soon if it's granted a franchise."
The potential ownership group, led by Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and private equity CEO David Bonderman, is hoping to be ready to begin play in the 2020-21 NHL season as its 32nd team, but the Deputy Commissioner said it's more realistic to target the 2021-22 season.
The biggest holdup could be the arena situation. The planned $600 million renovation of KeyArena has not begun. It was the home of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics before they relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.
"Certainly that's part of it, and it might be the driving force in terms of when they'd be in a position to open," Deputy Commissioner Daly said.
The ownership group announced Wednesday it has taken steps to secure an arena deal with Seattle. The expansion fee would be $650 million, up from the $500 million the Vegas Golden Knights paid to enter the NHL last season.