The Seattle Kraken on Friday officially became the NHL’s 32nd team, with owners paying the final installment of a US$650 million expansion fee for a team who are to debut next season.
The NHL awarded an expansion club to the Seattle group in December 2018.
The Kraken are the first team to join the NHL since the Vegas Golden Knights for the 2017-2018 season.
Photo: AP
“On behalf of the board of governors, I am delighted to officially welcome the Seattle Kraken to the NHL as our 32nd member club,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
“The club continues on its exciting journey towards puck drop in October,” Bettman said.
Seattle Kraken majority owner David Bonderman thanked Bettman, the other club owners, his partners in the project and the fans who made deposits on tickets starting March 2018 to show interest in the NHL.
“Today is another momentous day on the journey to puck drop,” Bonderman said. “We have an incredible few months ahead of us as we prepare to welcome our inaugural players and finally take to the ice.”
The Kraken are now able to sign players and make trades.
The NHL is to stage an expansion draft for the Kraken on July 21, just ahead of the NHL draft on July 23 and 24.
Each current team can protect up to 11 players in the expansion draft, with Seattle able to take one player per club.
Those are the same rules in effect when Vegas were assembled in 2017.
The Golden Knights advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Washington Capitals.
Kraken general manager Ron Francis has said he expects to have a coach hired by the end of next month.
Other investors in the Kraken include US film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer and former NFL executive Tod Leiweke.
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