I’m hesitant to say that this is the day we have all been waiting for because physically watching an NHL team hit the ice in Seattle will be far more exciting, but I regress - this is a pretty good one. When I first caught wind that Tim Leiweke, David Bonderman, and Jerry Bruckheimer were set to speak with the media, the hair raised on the back of my neck. When I got word we were part of that media round, I was ecstatic.

We were finally going to hear from the brains behind the process.

In an interview with ESPN, Bonderman was asked if he could beat 5,000 tickets being sold in the first two days. I think we have all been cautious with our predictions, but wouldn’t that be amazing — 5,000 tickets in 48 hours. It would show the league that we as a city mean business.

“So I’d say two things. One, we feel pressure to make sure we represent this marketplace well. We are damned and determined in the eyes of the rest of the industry, including all the leagues, Seattle shines very brightly tomorrow,” he responded. “Second, I think people need to understand this process tomorrow is not just about season tickets and mini-season tickets it’s about those that are interested in bringing Winter sports back to Seattle and this will be the list that ultimately gets the right to buy the first of all the tickets.”

It was a night filled with information and an appearance at the Angry Beaver.

OVG just dropped these off at the @angrybeaverbar They’re hanging out for a bit...come on down. pic.twitter.com/jKwf1dgN3e — NHLtoSeattle (@NHLtoSeattle) March 1, 2018

So how about that 5,000 tickets in two days? Well...

Tim Leiweke and Jerry Bruckheimer met with Farhan Lalji of TSN to discuss the launch.

“We are shell-shocked I guess is the best way to put it,” Leiweke told Lalji. “we sold 10,000 season tickets in twelve minutes.”

As of writing this, I am hearing that the team has now hit over 25,000 sales, meaning the wait list will be long.

Yes, they matched their goal in the first twelve minutes. That isn’t a rumor, it’s not a projection — it is fact. This city just proved to Gary Bettman and the league that not only do we want hockey, we deserve it.

“Seattle has spoken," he continued. "they are ready for the National Hockey League and that they are counting on us to get the National Hockey League here.”

An NHL Seattle flag will be raised on top of the Space Needle just after noon. Chris Mast will be there to photograph the event. Also, the phase two environmental impact studies on arena renovation are complete with no concerns.