The ownership group applied to the NHL for an expansion team on Feb. 13.
"The timetable in terms of filing an expansion application, doing a season ticket drive, is largely up to them," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Jan. 27. "We can respond to the extent that we're getting the information on a timely basis, whatever that timetable is, so we can go through the processes that we have to."
The group, led by Jerry Bruckheimer, a Hollywood producer, and David Bonderman, a private equity CEO, was authorized Dec. 7 to file an application for expansion by the NHL Board of Governors. It paid a $10 million application fee, Sportsnet reported.
"OVG has submitted to the NHL the formal application papers required to pursue an expansion franchise for Seattle," group CEO Tim Leiweke said in a statement this month, according to USA Today. "We are excited for the next steps in the process and our continued partnership with the City of Seattle."
The cost of the team would be $650 million, and Commissioner Bettman said during 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend last month that the NHL is looking at only Seattle for possible expansion. The earliest the team could begin playing is the 2020-21 NHL season, when it is expected renovations of KeyArena would be complete.
Las Vegas started its season ticket drive Feb. 10, 2015. It was awarded an NHL team June 22, 2016 at a cost of $500 million, and the Vegas Golden Knights are playing their inaugural season.
