01-09-2013, 11:31 PM
Now if they'd just buy an NHL team so that there is a reason to go to the new arena...I'm sure the NBA team will be successful, but I'd bet that an NHL team will bring far more money into the city. I know that it seems counter-intuitive, but think about this: Vancouver is only a few hours away. Tickets for Canucks games are sold out into the next century and they cost a FORTUNE. Canadians would commute to Seattle in hordes to see NHL hockey in Seattle for a fraction of the cost of a Canuck game and they'd all need to eat, sleep, and buy gas somewhere in or near Seattle. Operating costs for an NHL team are far lower unless you have one of the few NHL stars on your team. In comparison, the NBA would mostly take money from the people of Seattle and take it out of Seattle.