Oak View Group reached an agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on Tuesday to privately fund the construction of a $600-million arena at the Seattle Center.
The building would be a prime location for a NHL franchise, and the league's deputy commissioner said that appears to be part of the group's plan.
"The group has confirmed having a strong interest in owning and operating an NHL franchise," Bill Daly said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "We will be continuing to monitor the situation."
Oak View Group leader Tim Leiweke says billionaire David Bonderman - a potential NHL owner - has put money into the building, according to KING 5's Chris Daniels.
Leiweke is a former president and CEO of both Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, whose holdings include three major sports franchises, and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Los Angeles Kings as well as several other sports teams and arenas.
In November, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a conference in Toronto that the NHL would not focus on Seattle until the city "actually build(s) a building."
The Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, National Hockey League, and the Players' Association announced a joint donation of $2.7 million for relief to those affected across Florida by Hurricane Irma.
Extensive damage was caused to the entire state of Florida by the Hurricane which made landfall in the state on Sunday, first hitting the Florida Keys. Negative impacts have been felt by millions of people in many different ways across the state, including Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Naples, Lakeland, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville.
Additional donations can be made through The Lightning Foundation, The Florida Panthers Foundation, or at the teams’ home preseason games, which begin next week.
The Vegas Golden Knights goalie was a potential trade candidate last season while still a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and admits he likely would have waived his no-trade clause if he had been presented with an opportunity to be dealt to the Calgary Flames.
"I think so," Fleury disclosed recently in New York for league meetings, per Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "I think Calgary is a great town and a great hockey team too. I think they'll be very good again this year. But here I am."
"Here" is Las Vegas after Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ultimately decided to hang on to Fleury as insurance heading into the postseason. It turned out to be a prudent move, as the veteran played a huge role in relief of an injured Matt Murray en route to a 2018 Stanley Cup win.
Fleury was later exposed for the expansion draft, and was happily scooped up by hockey's newest franchise. The Flames, meanwhile, acquired Mike Smith from the Arizona Coyotes to play in goal for them this season.
Seattle is now one step closer to reclaiming an NBA franchise.
The Oak View Group (OVG) have reached a formal agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on the construction of a $600-million, privately funded arena at the Seattle Center, according to Chris Daniels of King 5.
OVG will assume all cost overruns and operating costs on the arena, both in the short and long term. The city of Seattle will not assume any city debt in the redevelopment of the site.
The project is slated to finish in 2020, and could perhaps lure NBA and NHL franchises to the city.
Billionaire David Bonderman, a potential NHL franchise investor, is said to have personally put money into the new stadium, although nothing is certain with regards to expansion or relocation.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, however, maintained that the league is not interested in expansion: "The NBA is not involved in the ongoing Seattle arena process, and we have no plans to expand at this time."
Seattle had the Supersonics for four decades before the franchise was moved by Clay Bennett to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder.
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:
One voter was enamored with this Devils team, but it's hard to see why: the team stumbled into the postseason as the fifth seed after an uninspiring offensive showing in the regular season. However, any team with Martin Brodeur in goal has a shot at the Cup - and New Jersey caught fire in a major way, winning 16 of 20 games in the playoffs for its first NHL championship.
79. 1989-90 Edmonton Oilers
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
38
28
14
90
+32
The second year of the post-Wayne Gretzky era had its share of bumps, but with Mark Messier leading the charge, the Oilers still had plenty of firepower. And after outlasting a plucky Winnipeg Jets club in seven games in Round 1, Edmonton wasn't seriously challenged again, going 12-3 the rest of the way for its fifth Stanley Cup championship in seven years.
78. 1934-35 Montreal Maroons
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
48
24
19
5
53
+31
Nothing came easily until the very end for the Maroons in their run to a second Stanley Cup championship. They finished in the middle of the pack in goals scored during the regular season, then squeaked out one-goal decisions over Chicago in the quarterfinal and the Rangers in the semis. In the finals, however, Alec Connell (pictured above) dominated Toronto en route to a Montreal sweep.
77. 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
46
28
8
100
+32
No team in NHL history has worked harder to win the title than the 2013-14 Kings, who reached the postseason as the No. 6 seed despite reaching triple digits in points. Los Angeles needed seven games each to dispose of the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Chicago Blackhawks, then somehow found an extra gear to stun the New York Rangers in five games in the finals.
76. 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
45
28
9
99
+25
The Penguins' ascension to Stanley Cup champion - the first of the Sidney Crosby era - occurred despite significant questions about a goaltending and defensive unit that ranked 18th in goals allowed during the regular season. But it was the team's top-five offense that thrived in the postseason, with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combining for 29 goals in 24 games.
75. 1922-23 Ottawa Senators
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
24
14
9
1
29
+23
The 1922-23 Senators were the best of the bunch in the four-team league, boasting the NHL's top defense and goaltending. Led by 23-goal scorer Cy Denneny (pictured above), Ottawa put itself in great position in the two-game final against Montreal with a 2-0 win in the opener. They then held on for dear life, as the Canadiens prevailed 2-1 in Game 2, but dropped the final 3-2 on goals.
74. 1920-21 Ottawa Senators
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
24
14
10
0
28
+22
In addition to being a collection of dapper gents, the '20-'21 Senators were far and away the best team in the league before stumbling to a seven-game losing skid on the eve of the playoffs. But they put any questions about their title chances to rest in the two-game final, posting 5-0 and 2-0 victories over the Toronto St. Patricks behind sensational goaltending from Clint Benedict.
73. 1985-86 Montreal Canadiens
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
40
33
7
87
+50
The Canadiens were one of the best teams in the league, but it didn't matter as long as the Edmonton Oilers were ruling the roost. When the Oilers were stunningly eliminated by Calgary, the fight for the Cup became a free-for-all - and the Canadiens prevailed thanks to the goaltending exploits of rookie Patrick Roy, who flashed Hall-of-Fame form in the five-game title series.
72. 1946-47 Toronto Maple Leafs
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
60
31
19
10
72
+37
The Leafs were one of two teams head and shoulders above the rest in the six-team league - and unfortunately for Toronto, the rival Canadiens were just a bit better in the regular season. Both teams won their semifinal series in five games to set up a dream final in which legendary netminder Turk Broda overcame a shaky Game 1 to backstop the Leafs to a six-game series win.
71. 2010-11 Boston Bruins
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
46
25
11
103
+51
The Bruins enjoyed a successful season, but found themselves in dire straits after falling behind 2-0 to Montreal in the opening round of the playoffs. An 8-1 stretch over the next nine games vaulted Boston into a tough conference final meeting with Tampa Bay, where the Bruins dispatched the Lightning in seven games. They then gutted out a seven-game victory over Vancouver in the final.
70. 1936-37 Detroit Red Wings
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
48
25
14
9
59
+26
Here's how you get your name on a trophy, as Jack Adams (shown above) did: lead a team with minimal star power to the best record in the NHL (along with the most goals scored and the fewest allowed) and rally from a 2-1 deficit for a five-game triumph in the final. Of course, it took a triple-OT winner in Game 5 of the semis against Montreal for Detroit to even reach the final.
69. 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
52
22
8
112
+34
The first season after the lost 2004-05 campaign saw the unlikeliest of Stanley Cup finals, as the upstart Hurricanes tangled with the eighth-seeded Oilers. A stunning Fernando Pisani shorthanded overtime goal in Game 5 extended the series, and the Oilers went on to win Game 6 before ultimately falling 3-1 on the road in Game 7, giving Carolina its first Cup title.
68. 1964-65 Montreal Canadiens
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
36
23
11
83
+26
The Canadiens didn't look dominant in the regular season, finishing in the middle of the pack in goals for and goals against. But solid goaltending from Gump Worsley and Charlie Hodge led Montreal to a six-game triumph over rival Toronto in the semis, and a five-goal, five-assist effort from legend Jean Beliveau helped the Habs outlast Chicago in the seven-game final.
67. 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
48
28
6
102
+40
Chicago found itself in the middle of a talented group of Western Conference teams heading into the playoffs, but had an edge over the competition thanks to the league's best goal prevention unit. That focus on defense continued in series wins over Nashville, Minnesota, and Anaheim, and the Blackhawks capped their Stanley Cup run by beating Tampa Bay in six games.
66. 1990-91 Pittsburgh Penguins
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
41
33
6
88
+37
There is precious little separating the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup winners of the early-90s. The first title in franchise history came despite the Penguins having Mario Lemieux in the lineup for just 26 regular-season games. But Super Mario more than made up for it in the playoffs, racking up 44 points in 23 games to claim the Conn Smythe Trophy.
65. 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
39
32
9
88
+37
The panel almost unanimously paired the two Penguins' early-90s titles in their rankings - and put the second title winner ahead of the first. The key difference? While the '90-'91 Penguins settled for six-game victories in each of the final two rounds, the '91-'92 edition went on an incredible tear, winning its final 11 postseason games to complete the Cup repeat.
64. 1929-30 Montreal Canadiens
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
44
21
14
9
51
+28
This Canadiens roster was good, but with the Bruins winning 38 of its 44 regular-season games, nobody expected the Habs to have a fighting chance. They were all wrong. George Hainsworth stonewalled Boston in a 3-0 Game 1 victory, and Howie Morenz (pictured above) scored the winner in Game 2 as Montreal executed a Stanley Cup upset for the ages.
63. 2002-03 New Jersey Devils
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
46
20
16
108
+50
The Devils rode sensational goaltending from Martin Brodeur to the No. 2 seed in the postseason, and appeared to be on cruise control after routing the Bruins and Lightning in five games apiece to reach the conference final. But a grueling seven-game series win over Ottawa took its toll, and the Devils needed a Brodeur shutout in Game 7 against Anaheim to secure the title.
62. 1924-25 Victoria Cougars
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
28
16
12
0
32
+21
The '24-'25 Cougars are the only non-National Hockey League team to win the Stanley Cup in the NHL era. After finishing third in the Western Canada Hockey League's regular season, the Cougars won a pair of two-game, total-goals series against Saskatoon and Calgary, respectively, before cruising to a stunning four-game victory over the NHL-champion Canadiens.
61. 1979-80 New York Islanders
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
39
28
13
91
+34
The youthful Islanders appeared ready to challenge Philadelphia for Campbell Conference supremacy, but finished a whopping 25 points behind the Flyers in a one-sided Patrick Division race. The two teams rolled through three playoff opponents apiece to set up a heated final that saw the Islanders dispatch Philly in six games for their first of four straight Stanley Cups.
Scheifele hit a career-high 82 points in his 2016-17 campaign, shattering his previous high (from the year prior) by 21 points. And Scheifele believes he can do better - so much better, he feels he should be able to rival the league's reigning top two scorers.
"Oh, yeah," Scheifele said, according to NHL.com's Nicholas Cotsonika. "There's no doubt in my mind. In this sport, you can't say, 'Oh, you know, that was great. I just hope to stay amongst them.' I'm pushing to be better than Connor, better than Sid."
The 24-year-old understands that aim might seem outlandish, but he thinks there's reason to believe he could achieve it.
"Obviously they're pretty lofty goals," Scheifele said. "Those guys are special players. They work unbelievably hard at their game. But at one time last year, I was top in the league in scoring."
Confidence doesn't seem to be an issue for Scheifele. It's also likely why he feels that if he and his talented linemates (Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers) can maintain their chemistry, there's no reason why he can't continue to rank among the league's elite.
"In my mind, I see it as, if I stay more consistent, there's no reason why I can't stay there," Scheifele said. "I've just got to continue to push. I've got some great linemates, which helps me. We've got a great (defense) corps behind us. I'm going to continue to push to be the best and not just be mentioned in that company, but be at the very top."
Bobby Ryan took some solace in knowing he did all he could to help the Ottawa Senators win when it mattered most.
After a mediocre regular season, the winger played an instrumental role in Ottawa's run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, where the Senators lost in double overtime to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite the team's inability to achieve its ultimate goal, Ryan had a sense of peace this summer in relation to his game.
"It was nice to leave with a little more peace of mind, because it would have been a long summer if the playoffs had kind of followed the same script as the regular season for me," he said Monday, according to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Citizen. "To get back to playing well and contributing - and playing some of the bigger minutes - meant a lot to me.
"I think it taught me that I'm still capable of it, because you doubt yourself when you're going through a year like that. I'm going to try to identify with the player I was there, rather than the guy in the middle of the season."
Ryan admitted it took him a while to get used to the system employed by head coach Guy Boucher, and thankfully for the Senators, it all seemed to click at the right time. The hope this season is Ottawa's highest-paid player can keep it going and lead the team to a Stanley Cup win.
"Anything less than that is going to be a failure," Ryan said.
Many experts and analysts pegged the following players as prime breakout candidates heading into last season. Instead, these players regressed, and are now flying under the fantasy radar. Those breakout predictions, however, could have been just one year off. Now that the hype around them has died down, these three are sleeper candidates whose disappointing recent performance could translate into great value.
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs
A 21-year-old Morgan Rielly set career highs in goals (nine) and assists (27) during Toronto's last-place finish in 2015-16. With another year of experience under his belt, and expectations that the Maple Leafs would improve offensively (though not as much as they actually did), he was an obvious choice to break out last season.
Things didn't go as planned. Rielly recorded 27 points despite playing 22:10 a night on a team with one of the league's most prolific offenses. Heading into 2017-18, Rielly isn't garnering much hype anymore, even though he's a 23-year-old defenseman who can skate like the wind and still oozes upside.
But there are encouraging signs despite the poor point total. Rielly led all Leafs blue-liners (and set a career high) with 171 shots, resulting in a low 3.5 shooting percentage. Moreover, 14 of his 21 assists were primary helpers. A 2-to-1 ratio of primary to secondary assists is very unlucky for a defenseman, suggesting he should get more secondary assists in 2017-18.
Offseason acquisition Ron Hainsey is Rielly's projected D partner. The veteran's stable presence should allow Rielly to join the rush more frequently than last season, when he was usually paired with rookie Nikita Zaitsev or the shaky Connor Carrick.
Rielly's biggest obstacle could be finding power-play time, since Jake Gardiner and Zaitsev are the lone D-men on Toronto's two units. If he can get some time with the man advantage, he could very well record 50 points.
Mikkel Boedker, Sharks
Boedker registered 51 points in 2015-16 between the Coyotes and the Avalanche. Many expected his production to spike in San Jose, where the Sharks offered the chance to skate alongside either Joe Thornton or Logan Couture - both better than any of the centers he played with in Arizona.
Instead, he tallied 26 points, played just 14:21 per night (his lowest average time on ice since 2011-12), and didn't see much time alongside Thornton at five-on-five or on the power play.
That could change this year. After Patrick Marleau's departure via free agency, there's a gaping hole on Thornton's left wing. Boedker and Tomas Hertl are the most logical candidates to fill the void, and it's very possible the latter will play his natural position of center on the club's third line.
Interestingly, Boedker had more individual high-danger scoring chances in 2016-17 than he did in any previous season, including either of his 51-point campaigns. This could indicate he was gripping his stick a little too tightly during his first year in San Jose after signing a four-year, $16-million contract.
With his role projected to expand, Boedker could get even more high-danger scoring chances, and if he can snag the spot Marleau previously occupied on the club's top power-play unit, he could theoretically record 50-60 points.
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
Hellebuyck was sharp in his 26-game rookie season, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. It all came crashing down in 2016-17: His save percentage plummeted to .907 and his GAA skyrocketed to 2.89 in 56 games.
The Jets' inability to keep their defense corps intact was partially to blame. Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom each missed 20 games and Tyler Myers only suited up for 11. If those three stay healthy, Winnipeg could have one of the best blue lines in the NHL, considering the club also added Dmitry Kulikov and expects a more mature Josh Morrissey in his second season.
Improved play in front of the crease and internal competition from free-agent acquisition Steve Mason could make Hellebuyck's third year in the league the year he comes into his own.
