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SPORTS Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018
Seattle NHL group unveils $70

million training center plans

SEATTLE (AP) — The owner- rail station set to open in a The expansion bid by Se-
ship group looking to bring few years and has easy ac- attle appears to be set for
an expansion NHL team cess to Interstate 5. final approval by the NHL
to Seattle unveiled plans "We have an incredible op- Board of Governors in early
Monday for a $70 million portunity to make Seattle December. The board's ex-
training facility in the north- the epicenter of hockey in ecutive committee gave
ern part of the city. the Pacific Northwest and a unanimous recommen-
NHL Seattle CEO Tod Lew- our ownership has given dation last week in New
ieke announced the plans, us the ability to take a big, York to move ahead with Lance Lopes, Project Manager for NHL Seattle, displays art-
ist's renditions of a planned NHL ice hockey practice facility at
which include three full- big step today," Leiweke approving Seattle's bid to Northgate Mall during a news conference Monday, Oct. 8, 2018,
sized rinks and office space said. "This is a major com- become the league's 32nd in Seattle.
to serve as the headquar- mitment. We're investing team. Associated Press
ters for the proposed new lots of money in KeyArena, The hope is Seattle will be
franchise. The facility will we're acquiring a team we ready to join the league for Friday, when the Golden ity would have one rink with
have 180,000 square feet hope, and this is another the 2020-21 season, assum- State Warriors and Sacra- seating for 1,000 and two
total and be located near major financial commit- ing construction stays on mento Kings met in an NBA rinks each with seating for
Seattle's Northgate Mall, ment that our owners are schedule for the $700 mil- preseason game, and the 400. The NHL Seattle group
which is being redevel- making to try and grow the lion renovation of KeyAre- renovation could begin in also expects the building to
oped. The location is a game, build the game and na. The venue hosted its the coming weeks. be a hub for growing youth
short walk from a new light- have impact." final scheduled event last The proposed training facil- programs in the area. q

NASCAR the last two weeks from two
Continued from Page 17 of them has simply under-
The task isn't too hard with scored the pressure the se-
Elliott, the 22-year-old son ries has to make these driv-
of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott. ers relevant.
Ol' "Awesome Bill" won NAS- The first step is to get the
CAR's most popular driver drivers in front of the pub-
award 16 times before he lic. NASCAR hasn't done a
removed his name from great job the last few years
balloting. All those fans of forcing its drivers in front
flocked to Dale Earnhardt of the media on a weekly
Jr., but he's retired now so basis, which is the only way
Chase Elliott automatically to build familiarity. The driv-
got his Daddy's fans. ers also need to relate,
Still, Chase Elliott is never somehow, to both existing
going to be the next Jeff fans and potential fans.
Gordon, a pop culture icon Some of the drivers, includ-
and crossover in sports, ing Blaney, have made
media and entertainment. a point recently to pick a
Elliott doesn't have the per- child from the stands as the
sonality for it — remember, recipient of the checkered
he's Bill Elliott's kid and Bill flag. When Blaney won two
Elliott was hardly the most races ago at Charlotte, he
verbose driver of his time. gave the flag to a little boy
The appeal of the younger in Kyle Busch gear. The next
Elliott is largely for fans who day, the father brought his
already enjoy NASCAR. son to the Team Penske
Blaney is a third-generation shop, where the boy not
racer and North Carolina only got a T-shirt of his new
native who does have the favorite driver but but they
personality to draw new got to meet Blaney and Chase Elliott, front left, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after he won a NASCAR Cup Series
fans. When Hollywood pose for pictures, too. auto race, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.
sends a young starlet to The day before Blaney's Associated Press
the race track to promote victory, 17-year-old Hailie
a project, NASCAR does Deegan became the first cial flights, shoved under lowers a helicopter land- got private planes to get
its best to get a meet-and- woman to win a NASCAR the seats in front of her. Her ing with another NASCAR out of the track as soon as
greet with Blaney because K&N West Series race with victory celebration was a driver arriving for his studio possible.
he's current and capable a bump-and-run move on long day of travel to get to appearance. With a laugh, NASCAR needs to reshape
of engaging in a topical her own teammate. She North Carolina to promote Deegan praised her Toyota the image of a successful
conversation. earned a bright yellow tro- the win. Camry rental car. race car driver and make
NASCAR has a slew of phy in the shape of a water Deegan was feted all over Fans can't relate to the the fans care about them
Blaneys and Elliotts — there tower that weighed about the NASCAR community many NASCAR stars be- once again. The first step is
is Daytona 500 winner Aus- 50 pounds and it imme- and wrapped up her time cause they stopped being turning them loose for the
tin Dillon, his younger broth- diately became her most with a stop in the studio blue collar as soon as they public with the expectation
er, Ty, Kyle Larson, and prized possession. at Fox Sports 1. As she was bought million-dollar mo- that the drivers start work-
Bubba Wallace, the only The trophy went with her leaving the studio in her torhomes to give them a ing a little bit harder to sell
black driver at NASCAR's the day after her victory rental car, she captured haven away from the pub- themselves as the future of
top level. Consecutive wins — on a pair of commer- for her social media fol- lic at the tracks. Then they the sport.q