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Report: Prospective NHL owner working on Seattle arena deal

Seattle arena

Interesting development on the NHL-to-Seattle front -- according to King 5 News, a prospective owner from Vancouver has linked up with would-be NBA owner Chris Hansen.

Victor J. Coleman, the CEO of real estate group Hudson Pacific Properties, has reportedly signed a “non-binding” agreement for Hansen’s proposed SoDo arena, one that “lays out the terms for Coleman’s contribution to the project and his potential revenue streams for a hockey franchise.”

More, from King 5:

It’s clear Coleman has the support of the NHL. One league executive describes him as “the real deal,” and he was flanked by the NHL’s top leaders during a clandestine meeting in Seattle back in May.

Coleman and co-investor Jonathan Glaser, who sits on the board of Hudson Pacific, met face to face with Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine in separate meetings in Seattle. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly were also on hand. The parties all left without an agreement or plan to move forward. Coleman says he feels like he’s made progress since.

“We have a clear path,” he said.

Two sources with knowledge of the talks between Hansen and Coleman say that the two potential owners met in person a couple of weeks ago, and have been actively talking for months.

In speaking with King 5, Coleman described himself as a passionate hockey fan -- “I remember the day we got the Canucks,” he said -- and one with a clear vision for the Pacific Northwest rivalry between Vancouver and Seattle.

“I think the demographic base (in Seattle) and the desire of the NHL in that marketplace is the perfect match right now. The expansion of the NHL into the Pacific Northwest, with Vancouver and the presiding area, makes it a perfect fit,”he explained.

“There are built in synergies. That’s a ‘Day 1’ rivalry.”

Hansen, a successful hedge fund manager, has long stated he’s only interested in owning an NBA club. Other prospective NHL owners have expressed an interest in tackling the hockey side of things -- Don Levin and Ray Bartoszek, most notably -- but, according to King 5, only Coleman has laid out the groundwork for potential revenue streams and project contributions.