Do Seattle hockey fans root for the Canucks? (Vancouver: transplants, house)

[Tyryztoll]

.....just wondering, as Seattle has no NHL team and Vancouver is obviously the closest city with one.

On that note.....what is the level of enthusiasm for hockey in Seattle? Looking at the northern location and proximity to Canada, I would think it'd be a big thing.

[Ira500]

Seattle hockey fans root for the minor league Seattle Thunderbirds.
I thinks it's one of those "chicken or egg" things: There's not a lot of enthusiasm for hockey here, but I think it's because we don't have an NHL team.

[Tyryztoll]

Do the local media cover the NHL at all? I'm interested to know if the TV and papers report on the Canucks as the regional team, or if they just bypass the game altogether.

[MaikeerinWA]

We see national game stories and scores in the newspaper, but the Canucks aren't perceived as a regional team by local sports fans or the media. After five years in the area, I would have to say that overall interest in the NHL is quite low here, although the aforementioned "chicken or egg" factor does play into this. There was talk last year of a suburban arena that would house both the Sonics and an NHL team, but obviously that went nowhere, unlike the Sonics. The Sonics former home, Key Arena, is not adequate for the NHL. It only seats 10,000 in its hockey configuration.

Originally Posted by Northman

Do the local media cover the NHL at all? I'm interested to know if the TV and papers report on the Canucks as the regional team, or if they just bypass the game altogether.

[Tyryztoll]

Very suprising. Still can't believe David Stern allowed the Sonics to leave for OKLAHOMA of all places. That just aint right. Seattle, as the hub of the PACNW, should be represented by a team in all 4 of the major sports, IMO.

[Pittgal]

Since there isn't a local team, and lots of people here are transplants, they cheer for their hometown team. Go Penguins! LOL

[Ira500]

"Since there isn't a local team, and lots of people here are transplant, the cheer for their hometown team. Go Penguins! LOL"


Exactly. Go Devils!

[EscAlaMike]

Originally Posted by Northman

Very suprising. Still can't believe David Stern allowed the Sonics to leave for OKLAHOMA of all places. That just aint right. Seattle, as the hub of the PACNW, should be represented by a team in all 4 of the major sports, IMO.

You'd think Seattle would be able to support a team in all 4 major sports, but it's all about the money. If Seattle residents wanted to keep the Sonics, you should have been filling the arena night in and night out. Instead, the Sonics got empty seats and greener pastures in OKC.

[Ira500]

You'd think Seattle would be able to support a team in all 4 major sports, but it's all about the money. If Seattle residents wanted to keep the Sonics, you should have been filling the arena night in and night out. Instead, the Sonics got empty seats and greener pastures in OKC.

Another chicken and egg dilemna. Attendance at Key Arena was actually very good until recently, and the move to OKC had nothing to do with attendance, it had more to do with the changing economics of the game, that even with a full arena (which the Sonics often had), the team couldn't make money unless there were a lot of luxury boxes, and in order to do that, they supposedly needed a brand new taxpayer built arena...Once the team was sold to Bennett and it was obvious to almost everyone what his intentions were, and the team started to lose almost every game, then attendance dropped.

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by Ira500

"Since there isn't a local team, and lots of people here are transplant, the cheer for their hometown team. Go Penguins! LOL"


Exactly. Go Devils!

Ha! As native Michiganians, my wife and I fully intend to remain Red Wings fans after we move out there.

The Lions, well, that's another story.