Sports Business

Virginia Mason Teams Up With Seattles New NHL Franchise

The health care system has been tapped as the hockey teams official medical provider

By Bill Conroy July 25, 2019

NHL Seattle Ice Centre To Be Developed At Northgate

Virginia Mason Health System will open an outpatient medical facility at the Northgate Ice Centre, a planned state-of-the-art sports complex that will serve as the practice facility and home offices for Seattles new NHL hockey franchise.

The Oak View Group, which is redeveloping the former KeyArena in preparation for the new NHL team, and Seattle Hockey Partners LLC (NHL Seattle), the owners of Seattles new pro hockey team, also announced that Virginia Mason has become a founding partner and the official health care provider for the new professional hockey team the NHLs 32nd franchise.

In this partnership, Virginia Mason will provide health care to NHL Seattles players, staff and personnel, offering a suite of services from general wellness to sports therapy, a press announcement announcing the new outpatient medical facility states. As a founding partner, Virginia Mason will be represented throughout the practice facility and the New Arena at Seattle Center [formerly KeyArena]. Additional details and timing for the opening of the new Virginia Mason medical clinic at Northgate will be released in the coming months.

As part of a Simon Property Groups redevelopment of Seattles Northgate Mall into a mix-used complex that will include office, retail and residential space, NHL Seattle plans to develop a privately funded $75 million, 180,000-square-foot sports complex, the Northgate Ice Centre, that will serve as the recast malls anchor tenant. It will include three NHL regulation ice rinks with seating for a total of 1,400 fans; state-of-the-art locker rooms and strength-and-conditioning areas; and restaurant, bar and retail space.

Creating a one-of-a-kind training facility that can serve as the home of hockey in the Pacific Northwest for youth and adult hockey, all within the city of Seattle, is critical and weve sought out this amazing opportunity at Northgate to meet our goal, says Tod Leiweke, chief executive officer of NHL Seattle. This facility is designed with three ice rinks that will allow us to serve our community and it will be one of the finest NHL training facilities ever built.

The nonprofit, Seattle-based Virginia Mason is already the name sponsor of the NFL Seattle Seahawks training facility (the Virginia Mason Athletic Center) as well as the medical provider for the Seattle Sounders professional soccer team and the Seattle Seawolves rugby team. The inaugural season for NHL Seattles new professional hockey team is slated to begin in 2021.

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