The leaders of an effort to bring a new N.H.L. franchise to Seattle presented their case to a group of team owners on Tuesday, emerging after a two-hour, private meeting with cautious optimism that the league will embrace their plan to begin play as early as the 2020-21 season.

Among those who met with the N.H.L. Board of Governors’ executive committee were Tod Leiweke, the president and C.E.O. of Seattle Hockey Partners; the majority owner David Bonderman; Mayor Jenny Durkan; and the minority owners Jerry Bruckheimer and David Wright.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the executive committee recommended proceeding with Seattle’s expansion application, with an eye on voting to approve the league’s 32nd franchise in December.

“The notion is have the board vote on expansion,” Bettman said. “And assuming, as I think everybody is, that it would be approved — I don’t want to be presumptuous of the board’s prerogative — but everything seems to be on track.”