NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to confirm the worst-kept secret in hockey on Tuesday B次元官网网址� the league will be expanding to Seattle.

Approval of the cityB次元官网网址檚 bid to become the NHLB次元官网网址檚 32nd franchise needs support from 3/4 of the board of governors, who are set to meet this week in Sea Island, Ga.

Barring something completely unforeseen, Seattle appears to be a slam dunk.

ThereB次元官网网址檚 a deep-pocketed ownership group fronted by majority stakeholder David Bonderman and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the US$650-million expansion fee and an opportunity to balance the league with 16 teams in each conference.

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Two big unknowns remain heading into the board meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, however.

When will Seattle actually hit the ice and how will the NHL realign two of its four divisions?

KeyArena, which was home to the NBAB次元官网网址檚 SuperSonics before they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, is primed to undergo a massive $700-million renovation, but itB次元官网网址檚 unclear if the project will be finished in time for the start of 2020-21 NHL season.

B次元官网网址淭he potential club ownership is very much interested in starting in 2020-21,B次元官网网址� NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last month at the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Toronto. B次元官网网址滲ut their arena timeline continues to be a little too tight for that, so weB次元官网网址檒l see whether they can move that up or change that.B次元官网网址�

If the facility isnB次元官网网址檛 ready, the league would prefer SeattleB次元官网网址檚 inaugural campaign be pushed back until 2021-22 rather than have the new team play temporarily at a different venue.

B次元官网网址淭hey have floated the idea of potentially using an alternate site for the first couple weeks of the (2020-21) season,B次元官网网址� Daly added. B次元官网网址滻tB次元官网网址檚 not ideal.B次元官网网址�

ThereB次元官网网址檚 also the possibility of an NHL work stoppage in the fall of 2020, but Bettman has said the arena hurdle is the biggest obstacle facing a 2020 start date for Seattle, which has sold 32,000 season-ticket deposits, including the 10,000 purchased in the driveB次元官网网址檚 first 12 minutes.

B次元官网网址淭hey have a lot of work to do initially,B次元官网网址� Bettman told reporters in New York back in October after the ownership group made a presentation to the boardB次元官网网址檚 executive committee. B次元官网网址淓verybodyB次元官网网址檚 goal is 2020 if it can be accomplished. If itB次元官网网址檚 not, then weB次元官网网址檒l do it in B次元官网网址�21.B次元官网网址�

Whether itB次元官网网址檚 2020 or 2021, with the current setup of 15 teams in the Western Conference, some shuffling will be required once Seattle joins the NHLB次元官网网址檚 party.

The new franchise looks tabbed for the Pacific Division B次元官网网址� the Vancouver Canucks are an obvious geographic rival, just a three-hour drive north B次元官网网址� meaning one of the other seven teams currently in the Pacific would have to move to the Central.

At this point, the Arizona Coyotes or Colorado Avalanche seem the most likely candidates to make the switch.

The NHL expanded to 31 teams B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 first addition since 2000 B次元官网网址� when the league decided to go into Las Vegas in 2016.

The Golden Knights, who paid a $500-million expansion fee compared to SeattleB次元官网网址檚 $650-million price tag, stunned the hockey world in their inaugural season, making it all the way to last springB次元官网网址檚 Stanley Cup final.

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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