The Loop

Seattle doesn't even have an NHL team yet—and they're already arguing over the name

How hungry is Seattle for another professional sports franchise? The city is already arguing over a potential—at this point, still very potential—NHL team, before the next steps are taken to bring a hockey team to the Emerald City.

Many expect Seattle to be tapped by the NHL to be its 32nd franchise, given the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights team, and the purported interest in an NHL team in Seattle—given the report that more than 25,000 people submitted a deposit on season tickets in less than an hour. Amazing—for a team that doesn't exist!

To some in the city, however, the team's nickname might be a mere formality at this point. This comes after Washington's governor Jay Inslee referred to what the team name might be in an interview about the building of a rail line to be installed between Seattle and Vancouver—essentially confirming that the proposed franchise might be more official than anybody thought.

“We cannot wait to get on a high-speed rail line to come up and have the greatest hockey rivalry in North American, which is the Seattle Totems versus the Vancouver Canucks,” Inslee said in a statement.

Oh, Seattle. We know you're still reeling from losing the NBA's SuperSonics. You didn't know how good you had it with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp dunking on people. The Seahawks have quenched fans' thirst—as evidenced by the energized 12th man crowds that pack that stadium. Heck, Seattle fans even get hyped up about an MLS team. And that says a lot.

Now they're debating each other about whether the Totems is an appropriate team name, given its assumed Native American connotation, and given other sports teams attempting to distance themselves from names such as Redskins. We're not here to argue about that. But we are here to appreciate the passionate sports city that is Seattle. Give this team even a chance at another sports team, and they're going to light it up with commentary.

(h/t FTW)