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APRIL/MAY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 37 D ylan Gambrell can't wait for the rest of the world to discover what hockey fanatics in the Pacific Northwest have known for years: Seattle will be an ideal market for the National Hockey League when it debuts an expansion franchise in the 2021-22 season. And an already strong youth hockey system with seven asso- ciations in the immediate area is poised to grow exponentially. "It's really exciting, and actually long overdue," said Gambrell, a native of near- by Bonney Lake, Wash., who is in his first full NHL season as a forward for the San Jose Sharks. "It's a great city, a great sports city, and hock- ey has been really strong there for a long, long time. It was just a matter of time before they got the NHL team. Fan-wise, they're going to do great. I couldn't be more excited." It didn't take long for Seattle to prove Gambrell's assertion. Seattle received 10,000 deposits in the first 12 minutes and a total of 25,000 on the first day of a season-ticket drive that came eight full months before the NHL made it official and granted the Emerald City an expansion franchise on Dec. 4, 2018. "The NHL has been talked about for years, but nobody thought it would actually happen," said Doug Kirton, the hock- ey director for the Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association in Seattle. "Now it's happening, and the buzz is off the charts. It's just really a great time for hockey, and it's an extremely busy time, too. "We've been doing a pretty good job of growing the game here, but, based on everything we've seen so far, it's going to probably explode in popularity. [Seattle NHL] is very committed to the Learn to Play program and the industry growth, so it's going to be huge." Seattle is certainly no stranger to the sport. The Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Hockey Association became the first United States-based team to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Montreal Canadiens in 1917, and the city hosted minor-pro teams for decades. Most recently, the Seattle Thunderbirds and nearby Everett Silvertips have been successful franchises in the Western Hockey League. Youth programs around the state have made their presence felt on the national stage at USA Hockey National Championships.