10,000 in 12 minutes. In 2 hours, ‘We sold enough season tickets for both the NHL and NBA’
The goal was to collect 10,000 season tickets and show the National Hockey League just how eager the Northwest is for a team in Seattle.
That goal was passed in 12 minutes when sales started Thursday morning, according to numerous reports. By 11 a.m., deposits had been placed for nearly 25,000 tickets, reports Canada’s TSN. By noon, the total exceeded 26,000.
“We just sold enough season tickets for both the NHL and the NBA,” Tim Leiweke, part of the Oak View Group attempting to bring a team to Seattle, said in an interview with TSN.
He described his reaction to the sales: “Shell-shocked, I guess, is the best way to put it. ... I guess that’s done and Seattle has spoken. And the fans in Seattle have made it a resounding vote, which is they are ready for the National Hockey League and they are counting on us to get the National Hockey League here.”
#NHLSeattle was trending on Twitter as thousands of fans posting screen shots of their deposit purchase confirmation and reveling in the fanatical support the unnamed and yet-to-be-approved team is getting. An “2020 NHL” flag was raised atop the Space Needle. The ownership group has targeted 2020 for the inaugural season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Wow! <a href="https://t.co/tv0sIPdvWN">pic.twitter.com/tv0sIPdvWN</a></p>— NHLtoSeattle (@NHLtoSeattle) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLtoSeattle/status/969304529610031104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The approval of a Seattle NHL team was widely regarded as a forgone conclusion should the ticket drive go well.
By comparison, the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights set the same goal of 10,000 for their ticket drive in 2015. They sold 5,000 in two days and sold 9,000 in the first month. After more than 1 1/2 years they hit 16,000 season tickets sold for their 17,500 seat arena. However, Las Vegas only accepted credit cards from local addresses. Sport Illustrated reported Seattle solicited commitments in Alaska and Canada.
The Oak View Group led by Leiweke, David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer has proposed a $600 million renovation of KeyArena. The privately-funded remodeled stadium is expected to seat 17,500, so expect a rather lengthy waiting list for season tickets.
“It’s a dream come true,” Bruckheimer told TSN. “I’m so excited to bring this sport to this community that so needs a winter sport and they are going to be overwhelmed by the entertainment that this sport brings to this town.”
Seattle has never had an NHL team, although, in 1917, the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association was the first United States team to win the Stanley Cup.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m so freaking pumped <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a></p>— Matt Dody (@MattDody) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattDody/status/969302588272160768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Of course Seattle sold the 10k hockey season tickets in 12 minuets. Everything here revolves around them damm number 12 lol <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a></p>— Jordan (@JordanBaranska) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanBaranska/status/969301672664080384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Imagine how quick the tickets would go for the Sonics! Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLSeattle_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHLSeattle_</a> now let's work on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bringbackoursonics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bringbackoursonics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sonicsrising?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonicsrising</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a></p>— Michael Huitt (@MichaelHuitt21) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelHuitt21/status/969301426412314624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hello from the top of the Space Needle! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a> <a href="https://t.co/7gtt36D5oB">pic.twitter.com/7gtt36D5oB</a></p>— NHLtoSeattle (@NHLtoSeattle) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLtoSeattle/status/969300083480018944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> watching <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHL</a> sell 10K deposits fo season tickets in the first hour...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fOKC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fOKC</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZcABXK2Xj9">pic.twitter.com/ZcABXK2Xj9</a></p>— Pete Lawrence (@_PeteLaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/_PeteLaw/status/969298677138206721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just put my deposit down for season tickets!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a> <a href="https://t.co/uCuyHunuVn">pic.twitter.com/uCuyHunuVn</a></p>— Burton (@sptonjohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/sptonjohn/status/969298261658841088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Taking my shot!! <a href="https://twitter.com/OvgSeattle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OVGSeattle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLSeattle_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHLSeattle_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLSeattle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterIsComing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterIsComing</a> <a href="https://t.co/DyNYTsVbyJ">pic.twitter.com/DyNYTsVbyJ</a></p>— Shayna (@iKnowShayna) <a href="https://twitter.com/iKnowShayna/status/969297864533843968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Who wins a Stanley Cup first? Seattle or Vancouver?</p>— Todd Foxcroft (@cageytodd) <a href="https://twitter.com/cageytodd/status/969298548566122498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497, @AdventureGuys
This story was originally published March 1, 2018 at 12:33 PM with the headline "10,000 in 12 minutes. In 2 hours, ‘We sold enough season tickets for both the NHL and NBA’."