Has Seattle ever had a professional hockey team?

Mar, 3 2023

Seattle has a rich hockey history that stretches back to the 1940s. The Seattle Americans, now known as the Seattle Metropolitans, were the first professional hockey team in the city, joining the Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1944. The team won the Stanley Cup in 1917, making them the first American team to do so. The Americans played in the PCHL until 1924, when the league folded.

After the Americans folded, the Seattle Sea Lions joined the Western Hockey League in 1928. The team played in Seattle until 1941, when the league folded due to World War II. In the early 1950s, the Seattle Bombers joined the Pacific Coast Hockey League, but the team only lasted one season before folding.

The Seattle Totems joined the Western Hockey League in 1958 and played in the city until 1975. The Totems won three championships in their 17 years of play and made it to the finals six times. After the Totems folded, Seattle went without a professional hockey team until the Seattle Thunderbirds joined the Western Hockey League in 1977. The Thunderbirds are still playing in Seattle today, making them the longest-running professional hockey team in the city's history.

In recent years, there have been several attempts to bring a professional hockey team back to Seattle. In 2015, the National Hockey League approved the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to a Seattle-based ownership group. The team was slated to be renamed the Seattle Totems, but the deal ultimately fell through. In 2018, the NHL announced that Seattle would be the home of the 32nd NHL team, the Seattle Kraken. The team is set to begin play in the 2021-22 season.

Seattle has never had a professional hockey team, but the city has always had a strong commitment to the sport. Hockey has become a popular pastime in Seattle, with youth and adult leagues playing across the city. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the sport, as more people discover the joys of playing hockey. This increased interest has led to speculation that Seattle might one day be home to a professional hockey team.

If Seattle eventually did have a professional hockey team, it could have a significant impact on the city. It would create jobs, as well as bring in revenue from ticket sales and merchandise. It could also boost the city's economy, as people from all over the world would come to watch the games. Additionally, it could bring together people from all walks of life, as the sport has the potential to unite people of different backgrounds.

Having a professional hockey team could also help the city's culture and identity. The team could become a source of pride for Seattle residents, and it could become a symbol of the city. It could bring people together in a way that no other activity can, and it could also foster a sense of camaraderie among the team's fans.

Whether or not Seattle will ever have a professional hockey team remains to be seen. But it is clear that the sport has a strong presence in the city, and that it has the potential to have a positive impact on the Seattle community.

For a brief moment in Seattle’s history, the city had a professional hockey team called the Seattle Metropolitans. The Metropolitans were founded in 1915 and were part of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). Over the course of the team’s nine-year existence, the Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup in 1917, becoming the first United States-based team to win the championship. The team also won the PCHA championship in 1915, 1916, and 1919.

The Metropolitans were a beloved team in Seattle and were known for their fast-paced, high-scoring style of play. The team was led by star players such as Frank Foyston, Jack Walker, and Bernie Morris. Foyston was especially important to the team’s success and is remembered as one of the greatest players in Seattle sports history. He led the team to their Stanley Cup title in 1917 and was a four-time PCHA MVP.

The Metropolitans were a popular team in the city, but they ultimately folded in 1924 due to financial reasons. The team had a short but memorable existence in Seattle and is remembered fondly by local hockey fans.

Seattle has been home to a number of professional sports teams over the years, including the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, but it has never had a professional hockey team. While the city has hosted minor league teams in the past, it has never had the chance to experience the thrill of the NHL. So why has Seattle never had a professional hockey team?

One of the primary reasons is that Seattle is a relatively small market. While it is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, its population is only a fraction of what cities like Los Angeles and New York have. This means that there is less of a potential fan base for a professional hockey team. Additionally, Seattle's climate is not the ideal climate for an outdoor hockey rink, which could make it difficult to attract players to the city.

Another reason why Seattle has never had a professional hockey team is that there are already a number of teams in the region. The Vancouver Canucks, the Calgary Flames, and the Edmonton Oilers are all within a few hour's drive of Seattle and have a strong fan base. This means that any professional hockey team in Seattle would have to compete with these teams for fans and sponsorship dollars.

Finally, the cost of constructing and maintaining a professional hockey arena can be prohibitively expensive. While Seattle has enough wealth to finance a stadium, there are other priorities in the city that may be more pressing. Additionally, the cost of land in the city is high, making it difficult to find an affordable place to build a stadium.

For all of these reasons, Seattle has never had a professional hockey team. While it is possible that one could be established in the future, it is unlikely that it will happen anytime soon.

Seattle has a rich sports history, with teams in all four major North American professional sports leagues. However, one sport has been missing from Seattle for almost 30 years: hockey. The Seattle Metropolitans played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924, and the Seattle Totems skated in the Western Hockey League from 1944 to 1975. But since the Totems folded, Seattle has been without a professional hockey team. Could that be changing soon?

There is a growing movement to bring professional hockey back to Seattle. The movement has gained traction due to the city's strong support for the Seattle Sounders in Major League Soccer, and its successful bid for an NHL expansion team in 2018. Supporters of the movement argue that Seattle is a great hockey town and that the city has the necessary infrastructure to support a professional hockey team. They point to the city's successful minor league teams and its strong fan base as evidence that a professional hockey team would be successful in Seattle.

The Seattle City Council is currently considering a proposal to build a new arena in the city's SoDo neighborhood. If approved, the arena could be the home of a professional hockey team. There are a number of potential ownership groups interested in bringing a professional hockey team to Seattle, and the NHL is reportedly considering expanding the league to include a Seattle-based team. With the right ownership and a suitable arena, it is possible that Seattle could have a professional hockey team in the near future.

Whether or not Seattle will ever have a professional hockey team remains to be seen. But with the growing movement to bring the sport back to the city and the potential for an NHL expansion team, it's clear that hockey could be returning to Seattle in the near future.