from John McGrth of the Seattle New Tribune,

Are there enough hockey fans in the Puget Sound region to bring an NHL franchise to Seattle?

My guess is yes, but it’s just that, a guess. A season-ticket drive for the Seattle Wannabees, to be launched March 1, will reveal numbers providing a more sophisticated judgment.

The season-ticket drive is similar to a major food or beverage company testing a new brand. Do you like the taste? Do you like the taste to the point you will go to the store and buy the new brand?

Absent the kind of national television contracts that keep the three other major pro sports leagues swimming in money, box-office revenues are the lifeblood of the NHL. The league wants assurance that hockey fans will flock to a renovated KeyArena 41 times a season.

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