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APRIL/MAY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 39 "The more resources we have, the more we can go out and promote the sport," Kaufman said. "If you don't get the extra sheets of ice, you can't put new players anywhere anyway. There's a lot more we can do in terms of awareness and teaching the game. The education and the excitement of something new is helping with the growth." The growth of hockey will extend well beyond the immediate Seattle area and into the entire Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association. Dennis LaRue, the president of the Spokane Americans Youth Hockey Association and a former NHL referee, said fans in his com- munity placed deposits on tickets despite a 280-mile commute. He has also spoken with fans 30 miles away in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, who have expressed interest in the new team. "Our anticipation is there will be a pretty big ripple effect across a pret- ty good-sized distance, and we'll be part of that," LaRue said. "Obviously, we probably won't see the growth to the extent of Seattle, but there will be quite a regional appeal." And there will be more NHL role models for youth players to emulate. Washington state has produced 13 NHL players, includ- ing current players T.J. Oshie, Tyler Johnson, Derek Ryan, Kailer Yamamoto and Gambrell. "It's always fun and it's always great for the game for people to have an allegiance to a National League team," LaRue said. "That filters down to the local organization. The younger kids have a hero or someone to look up to. "The more players you get, the more depth you have. And the more depth you have, the more quality you'll produce. It's an exciting time." And the rest of the world will discover what hockey fanatics in the Pacific Northwest have known for years: Seattle will be an ideal market for the NHL. P Jim Leitner is a freelance writer based in Dubuque, Iowa. "When you get this level of excitement, you don't just see kids who want to start to play at age 4 or 5," Armstrong said. "Late-start beginners are going to be a big thing, so it's going to be important to figure out how to create a path for those kids to learn the game and have a place to play and have fun with it. That goes for adult hockey, too. "You'll see a whole lot of people interested in trying it, so the individ- ual associations will have to figure out how to add programs to meet the needs of all the new players." The new Seattle franchise already has boots on the ground to capitalize on the growing interest. Tarn Sublett, the Seattle NHL youth hockey director, said the team has already conducted several ball hockey tutorials at schools and playgrounds in the immediate area. "We're already engaging with as many different groups as we can and we're also connecting with all the local associations, trying to understand where they are in the process and how our entry into the market can boost opportunities," said Sublett, who noted his franchise has a significant advantage over the latest NHL expansion franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. "So many people from here already have attachments to hockey. We have a lot of unique people who have driven the sport through the existing rinks that are out there." – Jim Leitner k NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (center) poses with members of the Seattle organization, including Adrian Hanauer, David Wright, Jay Deutsch, Jerry Bruckheimer, franchise majority owner David Bonderman, Len Potter and franchise president and CEO Tod Leiweke after the NHL Board of Governors approved Seattle as the 32nd team in the league.