The new Seattle franchise in the National Hockey League has filed an application to place it's top minor league affiliate team in Palm Springs rather than Boise.

The affiliate would play in the American Hockey League, AHL, which is a notch above the ECHL in which the Steelheads currently a member.

While filing an application doesn't mean the deal is done the direction Seattle intends to take is clear.

Palm Springs features a new, privately financed 10,000 seat arena and the team would start play in the fall of 2021.

Then there is the family connection. Tim Leiweke is the principal investor of the new arena in Palm Springs and his brother Tod is the CEO of the new Seattle NHL franchise.

Bottom line, Seattle's decision to opt for Palm Springs rather than Boise has no affect on the Steelheads. Idaho is one of the top drawing franchise's in the ECHL averaging more than 45-hundred fans per home game.

The Hawks begin the 2019-20 season in October with their first home game October 18th against Wichita.

 

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