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Seattle a single vote from joining NHL: Report

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Seattle was a vote away from acquiring the Arizona Coyotes, according to a Seattle Times report.

Had a key 4-3 arena vote by Glendale council not tipped in favour of keeping the embattled NHL franchise in the American Southwest, the club would have moved to the Pacific Northwest, the report claims.

Citing three separate sources, the Times says the struggling franchise likely would have been sold within 24 hours to New York investment banker Ray Bartoszek and Anthony Lanza, who would have set up shop in Seattle’s KeyArena for as many as three seasons.

“Most people don’t realize how close we were to actually getting an NHL team,’’ former Seattle mayor Mike McGinn told the paper.


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Citing two more sources, the Times claims Bartoszek had moving trucks at the ready to transport the franchise to Seattle. KeyArena was also believed to be standing by to book dates ahead of the 2013-14 season.

Sports Business News reported last month the NHL could add four teams by 2017 in Toronto, Quebec City, Seattle and Las Vegas – something that was instantly shot down by the league.

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The Florida Panthers, who are losing tens of millions annually, are also said to be a candidate for relocation.

“We’re listening, and that’s all we’re doing,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in March. “We haven’t decided to engage in a formal expansion process at this point, but we’re listening. There is a lot of interest, and some of that’s a testament to the state of the game right now.”

The league last expanded in 2000 with the addition of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild.

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