Wayne Gretzky Reportedly Wants Team In Seattle; Why Not Canada, Eh?

Wayne Gretzky is reportedly heading up a group of investors who aim to bring an NHL franchise to Seattle, Washington. According to an article in the New York Post, this isn’t the first time the Great One has attempted to become an owner, nor is it the first time that the idea of putting the NHL in Seattle has been bandied about. Wayne Gretzky also attempted to become part owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs (and the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, incidentally) in 2011.

Wayne Gretzky’s prior bid to become an NHL owner was poo-pood by the league because of an unfavorable debt-to-bholdings ratio. If Commissioner Gary Bettman is better-disposed towards Gretzky’s current ownership bid, or towards putting an NHL club in Seattle, he’s staying tight lipped about it for now. According to a report in The Edmonton Sun, Bettman has this to say about the potential for an NHL franchise in Seattle:

“We weren’t there (in Seattle) campaigning, we weren’t asking for anything, and that’s been misreported. Based on the level of interest we’re getting from lots of people in Seattle and a fair amount of uncertainty and confusion about the building, we decided ‘Let’s go find out for ourselves what the story is with the building.’ And there’s no prospect of a building right now.”

In other words, before the NHL would consider moving a team to Seattle or allowing an expansion team in Seattle, the city would need to have an NHL-worthy venue, and not even Wayne Gretzky is likely to get them there without one. That problem could be solved for Wayne Gretzky’s investment team if investor Chris Hansen succeeds in his bid to bring an NBA franchise to Seattle. Hansen’s previous attempts to draw the Sacramento Kings fell through, but an NBC Sports report quotes Hansen saying:

“I would also like to assure Seattle fans that my remaining partners and I remain committed to bringing the NBA back to Seattle. The environmental review process for the Seattle Arena is nearing completion and we will soon be in a strong position to attract a franchise back to the Emerald City.”

The report also suggests that Hansen is amicable to the idea of hosting a Wayne Gretzky-owned Seattle NHL team in the new arena, should it come to fruition.

Seattle isn’t a bad choice for NHL expansion, if Wayne Gretzky is determined to expand within the United States. It’s the largest U.S. city in the Pacific Northwest, with a population over 650,000. It also has a colorful history of professional ice hockey. From 1915 to 1924, the city was host to the Seattle Metropolitans, the first team south of the U.S-Canada border to win Lord Stanley’s Cup in 1917.

Of course, the reason that the Seattle Metropolitans hit the ice competitively was largely because the NHA (the precursor to the NHL) picked apart a Canadian team – the Toronto Blueshirts – to stock the Seattle franchise. As has often happened, Canada got the short end of the stick in the highest professional league in the country’s national pastime. If the NHL expands into Seattle now – whether by moving an existing team or a true expansion – the league would arguably be doing much the same thing.

When the league cleared the way for the return of top level professional hockey to Winnipeg, it went a long way towards correcting some of the mistakes it made trying to build a following in southern U.S. cities where the game will never compete with football and other American sports because, quite frankly, the kids will never have the chance to grow up playing it. After all, the only thing you can do in a pond in the Atlanta area in January is go fishing. By the time the hockey playoffs are in full swing, Atlanta kids are swimming in that same pond. While the NHL can point to some success in strictly unfrozen locales like Los Angeles and Dallas, historically, Southern U.S. hockey franchises have struggled.

Of course, Seattle isn’t a southern city and won’t face the same uphill battle the Thrashers (who relocated to Winnipeg to become the new Winnipeg Jets) or the Flames (who relocated to Calgary) faced. Still, wouldn’t the NHL do better to consider putting any new franchise – owned by Wayne Gretzky or anyone else – in Canada, where the game is wildly popular, instead of in American markets where it faces stiffer competition?

It’s not like the NHL doesn’t have places they could place an NHL franchise in Canada. Quebec City would love another shot at hosting an NHL team. Southern Ontario has been bandied about as a possibility for a long time. At the risk of stretching things a bit, it wouldn’t even hurt the NHL to consider placing a team in Saskatchewan. While it’s true that neither Saskatoon (population 300,000 in the metro area) nor Regina (metro population 210,000) is as large as major sports leagues generally like, a city in either team would likely draw a significant crowd of fans willing to make the three hour drive from the “other” city. One thing is certain – an NHL team there would have no competition from other major sports.

What do you think? Should Wayne Gretzky continue seeking an NHL franchise in Seattle or would he do better to try to get one in Canada? Where would you want to put an NHL franchise if you were Wayne Gretzky?