Seattle team to join the NHL in 2021

The NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved Tuesday adding Seattle as the league’s 32nd franchise, with play set to begin in 2021 instead of 2020 to allow enough time for arena renovations.

“A team in Seattle evens the number of teams in our two conferences, brings our geographic footprint into greater equilibrium and creates instant new rivalries out West, particularly between Seattle and Vancouver,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

The yet-to-be-named team’s ownership, led by billionaire David Bonderman and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, drummed up 10,000 seasonticket orders in 12 minutes.

The owners will pay a $650-million expansion fee, up from the $500 million the Vegas Golden Knights paid to join the league two years ago.

Tod Leiweke, president and chief executive of Seattle Hockey, said renovations to a downtown arena will cost $800 million and the addition of a state-of-the-art practice facility makes it a total investment of more than $1.5 billion.

“Seattle is one of my favorite cities and it’s a pleasure to be here. If it was someplace else, I wouldn’t have done it,” Bonderman said.

The NHL will realign its two divisions in the West for the 2021-22 season: Seattle will play the Pacific, home to its closest geographic rivals like Vancouver, Calgary and San Jose, and the Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central Division.

Seattle will benefit from the same expansion draft rules Vegas had. Its front office is expected to be led by Dave Tippett, a former coach who will spearhead the search for the club’s first general manager and staff.