Adrian Hanauer joins NHL Seattle ownership group

As the proposed Seattle NHL franchise inches toward official expansion status, the Seattle Sounders picked up an inside view of the process when it was announced on Wednesday that Adrian Hanauer had joined the ownership group. The Sounders majority owner indicated that aside from the money he was putting into the bid, the role would essentially consist of about a dozen hours of meetings spread throughout the year and would not impact the attention he devotes to the team he’s owned at least in part since 2002.

Regardless of his role with the team — which is apparently expected to get the full green light in December and potentially begin play in 2020 — Hanauer expressed some hope they would prove to be a good partner with the Sounders. Hanauer pointed to several potential areas of “synergy,” most notably in the field of sports science where the Sounders have continued to invest significant resources.

Hanauer said his interest in the NHL was mostly from a sports community perspective and noted that several of his good friends — including former Sounders executive Tod Leiweke — are involved in the bid.