from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,
The NHL is still reviewing Seattle’s expansion application, but it would be hard to say no to a city that had deposits on 10,000 season tickets in the first 12 minutes on March 1. Sales were cut off at 32,000. It's still undetermined how many season tickets will be issued, but the ownership group has committed to giving at least some tickets to all 32,000.
“Hockey is bigger (in Seattle) than people think,” said Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Oak View Group, which submitted the application. "It has two junior teams with the Everett Silvertips and the Seattle Thunderbirds."
The NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City before the 2008-09 season and there has been a void in winter sports since.
“The Northwest is a very big territory,” Leiweke said. “When you look at Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho. You combine all of those eyeballs that’s an enormous part of the country without a hockey team to root for.”
Almost 1,000 season tickets were purchased by Canadians, according to Leiweke. Some Alaskans bought tickets, and some ticket buyers were from Oregon. The vast majority were from Washington.
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