Sports

Prospective Seattle owners make expansion pitch to NHL

02 of October 2018

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan acknowledges a reporter while taking questions before signing an agreement to renovate KeyArena in Seattle. Seattle is almost on the goal line in its pursuit of an NHL team thanks to an ownership group featuring Jerry Bruckheimer, a successful deal to renovate downtown KeyArena and fervent interest from fans that led to 10,000 season tickets selling out in 12 minutes and 32,000 total deposits being secured. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File),FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan acknowledges a reporter while taking questions before signing an agreement to renovate KeyArena in Seattle. Seattle is almost on the goal line in its pursuit of an NHL team thanks to an ownership group featuring Jerry Bruckheimer, a successful deal to renovate downtown KeyArena and fervent interest from fans that led to 10,000 season tickets selling out in 12 minutes and 32,000 total deposits being secured. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The final sales pitch for an NHL expansion team in Seattle is on.

Members of Seattle’s potential ownership group and Mayor Jenny Durkan are presenting their case to the Board of Governors’ executive committee at the league office. If the executive committee moves the process forward, the board could vote as soon as December to award the NHL’s 32nd franchise to Seattle.

Durkan says she wants to show, “Seattle’s a place you want to have hockey, and if you have hockey in Seattle, everybody’s going to do better.” Maple Leafs chairman Larry Tanenbaum says he feels good about the group the Seattle Hockey Partners put together and he’s looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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