Seattle officially submits application for NHL expansion team

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Olympian hopes more female athletes will donate their brains for concussion research Former Team USA hockey star Angela Ruggiero is donating her brain to the concussion legacy foundation and explains why it's important that more women athletes agree to do the same.

Seattle moved one step closer to securing an NHL expansion team Tuesday.

A prospective ownership group, Oak View Group, has officially submitted its application to bring an NHL team to the city, chief executive officer Tim Leiweke said in a statement to multiple media outlets.

"OVG has submitted to the NHL the formal application papers required to pursue an expansion franchise for Seattle," Leiweke said in the statement. "We are excited for the next steps in the process and our continued partnership with the City of Seattle."

A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that the league has received the expansion application, which includes a $10 million filing fee, $2 million of which is nonrefundable. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly comment on the bid.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, meanwhile, took to Twitter to celebrate the submission.

Excited to share the news that @OvgSeattle completed their application to the @NHL - one step closer to bringing another great sports team to our City and revitalizing @SeattleCenter #NHLtoSeattle pic.twitter.com/MOFVO1229I — Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) February 13, 2018

The prospective ownership group is led by David Bonderman, the founder of American investment group TPG Capital, and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced in December that the league would accept an expansion bid from the group, saying the team would cost $650 million and could open play in the 2020-21 season.

More: No NHL players at Olympics, but NHL talent abounds

More: NHL power rankings The trade deadline edition

"That doesn't mean we have granted an expansion team," Bettman said at the time. "We have agreed as a league to take and consider an expansion application and to let them run in the next few months a season ticket drive."

The new team would play its home games at KeyArena, which was previously the home of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics until 2008. Oak View Group is planning a $600 million renovation of the arena to make it suitable for the NHL team's arrival.

If the NHL does expand to Seattle, it would have 32 teams and an even number again in each conference.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.