Amazon is the leading contender to land the naming rights to the Seattle arena that will house both the incoming NHL expansion team and the WNBA Storm, according to sources. The NHL Seattle ownership group includes some individuals with Amazon ties, including Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy. Sources said there are three companies still vying for the naming rights -- it is unclear who the other two remaining parties are -- and they all remain in deep discussions with NHL Seattle and Oak View Group. The annual ask by NHL Seattle and OVG is said to be around $14M. The two groups would ideally like to secure a naming-rights partner by June 1, one source said. Each of the three companies are believed to have never previously done naming-rights deals in sports, a source said. Seattle begins play with the '21-22 NHL season, and CEO Tod Leiweke last month told the NHL BOG that an announcement on the team name, color scheme and logo could come as early as February or March. Alaska Airlines, Symetra Life Insurance and Virginia Mason Health System are among the team's founding partners.
