Three 'community' ice rinks would anchor planned NHL Seattle Ice Centre at Northgate

SEATTLE -- NHL Seattle, the investment group working with city officials to bring a professional hockey team to the Emerald City, announced plans Monday for a state-of-the-art hockey training facility at Northgate with three community ice rinks.

The NHL Seattle Ice Centre will be built on the east side of Northgate and part of a new mixed-use development in the works there. The first phase of the privately funded project will be more than 180,000 square feet.

All of these plans are tentative, contingent upon the NHL awarding Seattle an NHL franchise.

Highlights of the new training facility center include:

“In building our new home for NHL hockey in Seattle, it is important that we build a facility that has the necessary infrastructure and access for our community to grow the great game of hockey,” said Tod Leiweke, CEO, NHL Seattle. “Our goal is to provide access and opportunity to the game of hockey for children of all ages no matter their financial means. With no permanent ice rinks within the City of Seattle, we’re excited that will change with this project in the near future.”

In addition to NHL, community, adult and youth hockey, it will also be the host site for training camps, national tournaments, figure skating and training, public ice time and learn-to-skate programs.

Developers haven't said when exactly construction will start, but it's expected to be finished in time for NHL Seattle's inaugural season.

The NHL has said it hopes to give formal approval to Seattle's NHL franchise plan by December.