A potential NHL franchise in Seattle would provide an "opportunity for some rare rivalry excitement" for the Canucks, according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. It was "no fluke" that Canucks Chair Francesco Aquilini "showed up for a news conference in June in which the City of Seattle confirmed Oak View Group as its KeyArena renovation partner." Aquilini "knows it’s only a three-hour drive between Vancouver and Seattle compared with 11 hours between Vancouver and Calgary and 14 hours with Edmonton." The Canucks also were "likely thrilled last week when hundreds of Seattle area fans lined up into the street ... to see the Stanley Cup in person," as they likely "hope some of those fans soon will be driving up to Vancouver and perhaps kick-starting local interest." Vancouver-based ticket broker Venue Kings President Anthony Beyrouti said, “It would help, to be honest with you. Seattle fans are pretty passionate about their local sports, and I think you’d see a lot of Seattle fans coming to Vancouver, and you’d see a lot of Vancouver people go to Seattle." Baker noted the Oilers and Flames "used to be fierce rivals with the Canucks," but it has been "more than a decade" since either team reached a Stanley Cup Final. The Canucks last reached the Final in '11, and it has been "downhill for them on the ice ever since." Beyrouti said, "The hype surrounding the team in Vancouver has changed dramatically. As the team has continued to lose, (season-ticket) renewals have gone down, and that’s why you’re seeing more and more fans of other teams at games." He added that, with "fewer season tickets sold and more single-game seats available," fans can "just buy face-value entry to games on Ticketmaster." Also, the Canucks in recent years "introduced 'dynamic' or 'flex' ticket pricing," where games against opponents like the Canadiens and Maple Leafs "cost more." That has caused Canucks season-ticket holders to "offload those games to visiting fans for a quick buck" (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/25).
