People don't even watch hockey there, lol. (and there's no obvious business reasons like Las Vegas)
Sunbelt hockey teams like Vegas and Arizona are a bit of a joke. They have to rely on half of their fans at games being from tourists from Canada or northern transplants. I remember one Arizona-Detroit playoff game in Phoenix, and the crowd had more Detroit fans than Arizona fans in their own backyard. I bet lots of Florida sports teams have the same issue, with half the crowd being from NY. People tend to keep their sports fandom even when they move.
Seattle is not a bad choice though for a new hockey team. Seattle is a decently large city, with a growing dynamic population. The NHL had to bring in new Western teams, as there was a imbalance between East v West. I would love to have the Hartford Whalers back, but they are right in the middle of Boston and NYC.
