Has Seattle Ever Had a Professional Hockey Team?

Seattle, a city known for its diverse sports culture, has a rich but complex history with professional hockey. From the early days of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to more recent attempts by the NHL, the city's relationship with professional hockey has been both storied and controversial. This article explores this fascinating history in reverse chronological order, from the 1970s back to the early 20th century.

Modern Times: Vince Abbey and the Antitrust Lawsuit

Starting in the 1970s, Seattle made several attempts to secure a professional hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). In 1974, the NHL announced a conditional expansion plan for two new teams to start play in the 1976-77 season, with Denver and Seattle both offering promising prospects.

Seattle's group was led by Vince Abbey, who deposited $180,000 on a required $6 million expansion fee by early 1975. However, Abbey missed several deadlines set by the league. Miscalculations and missteps prevented him from getting his hands on other franchises or opportunities. Initially, Abbey attempted to buy a Western Hockey League (WHL) franchise for $2 million and the Pittsburgh Penguins for $4.4 million out of bankruptcy. Unfortunately, these efforts failed, and Abbey's conditional expansion franchise was withdrawn.

In response, Abbey filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NHL. The legal battle stretched on for 11 years and ended in 1985, with the league winning the case.

Minor League Hockey: The Western Hockey League and Beyond

Before Abbey, Seattle had a long history in professional hockey with minor league teams. From 1955 to 1975, the city hosted teams in the WHL and the Central League. Previously, Seattle operated in the revived Pacific Coast Hockey League from 1944 to 1954.

The history of Seattle's minor league hockey teams started with the Seattle Americans, who renamed themselves the Seattle Totems in 1957. This path traced back to the 1944 to 1952 era, when the team operated as the Seattle Ironmen and later as the Seattle Bombers. These teams flourished in the semi-pro and then fully professional settings, competing in leagues that evolved over time.

The Early Days: The Seattle Metropolitans

Tracing back even further, the first professional hockey team in Seattle was the Seattle Metropolitans, which operated from 1915 to 1924. These teams were part of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), founded in 1912 by Frank and Lester Patrick. The PCHA originally had three teams owned by the Patricks: Vancouver, New Westminster, and Victoria, all in British Columbia.

Recognizing a need for additional teams, the Patricks added a fourth team, the Seattle Metropolitans, to the league in 1915. Despite the initial challenges, the Metropolitans achieved significant success in the PCHA. They won the Stanley Cup during the 1916-17 and 1918-19 seasons, and they also clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup finals in the 1921-22 and 1923-24 seasons. The Metropolitans managed to beat the Montreal Canadiens in a best-of-five series during the 1916-17 season, becoming the first American team to win the Stanley Cup.

However, the Metropolitans faced a major setback in the 1918-19 season when the Montreal Canadiens won the two-game total goal series. Unfortunately, the Stanley Cup was not awarded due to the Spanish Influenza epidemic, which hospitalized most of the Montreal players and led to the withdrawal of the Rosebuds team.

The Seattle Metropolitans closed operations in 1924, following the downfall of the Rosebuds. The remaining PCHA teams subsequently joined the Western Canada Hockey League. This period marked a significant chapter in Seattle's ongoing hockey tradition.