“Seattle Coyotes” getting hotter, KING 5 TV reports
10 years ago
Key Arena would seat 11,000 for hockey (wikimedia commons)
Reports from Seattle TV station KING 5 suggest that Chris Hansen’s efforts to bring more big league sports teams to the Emerald City are very real.
Quoting a statement by Seattle’s mayor, Mike McGinn, Hansen introduced a pair of potential investors to Seattle city council. McGinn said to KING TV, "As recent news reports indicate, it appears the NHL is taking the new ownership proposal seriously."
KING TV reporter Chris Daniels reveals that Ray Bartoszek and Anthony Lanza may turn out to be key players in the acquisition of the Phoenix franchise. Both had showed interest in purchasing shares in the New York Mets two years ago, but instead Bartoszek bought into the Yankees.
A source says Ray Bartoszek and Anthony Lanza would be the lead investors in the purchase of the Coyotes, and the team would play at Key Arena for at least two years. A Seattle Center spokesperson said last week the Arena still had its icemaking and chilling equipment operational. The Arena would seat 11,000 for hockey.Investor Chris Hansen has indicated, in a previous interview with KING5, that he would be open to starting construction of a new arena with an NHL team as the first tenant. Hansen unsuccessfully tried to acquire the Sacramento Kings franchise last month. The Memorandum of Understanding calls for an NBA franchise to be acquired before public funds can be used to break ground on a new arena. A source close to the situation said Sunday it is unclear if the MOU would need to be amended to start construction with an NHL team first.
Lanza and Bartoszek are both partners in investment group Carriage House Partners.
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