I am a fan of hockey, but I have never been able to get that into the National Hockey League. Why? Because I do not have a team to root for. My Dad’s family is from New England, so the Boston Bruins are the only team I’ve ever even had a passing interest in from a fans perspective. Even then, it’s hard to be that invested in a team well over 3,000 miles away when you’ve never been to a game.

Hopefully, my struggling interest in the NHL will change if and when an NHL team comes to Seattle. On February 13^th, an ownership group led by Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer filed a request to bring an expansion team to the Emerald City. On March 1^st, over 10,000 season tickets for the non-existent Seattle team were sold in under 12 minutes. They stopped selling once the number reached over 33,000 tickets sold. These numbers should make it quite appealing for the NHL to approve an expansion franchise.

With the buzz of an NHL team coming to Seattle, there is all kinds of speculation: where will they play? What kind of players would we get for an expansion team? And, most importantly, what will be the name of the team?

I’m of the belief that most of the time, team names should have be something specific to the city and/or the region they’re located in. Since this is Seattle we’re talking about, here are three Northwest-y names I would love to see end up being the moniker of the 32^nd NHL team.

3. The Seattle Steelheads

It’s no secret how important the fishing industry is to the state of Washington. So why not pay some homage by naming it after one of the most common fish in the area? After all, the steelhead trout is the official state fish of Washington. Considering the Seahawks and the Mariners, naming the team the Steelheads would continue the maritime trend of pro sports names for Seattle squads. Also, the name Steelhead sounds mighty and tough nails.

2. The Seattle Rainiers

Mt. Rainier is one of the most iconic landmarks defining features of Washington State. Having the majestic stratovolcano in the backyard, and the historic Rainier brewery on the front porch, it’s hard to get more “Seattle” than naming the team the Rainiers. I understand that the Mariners Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma is also named the Rainiers, but that is minor league baseball. It’s not like there are any rules saying two different teams in two different sports in two different levels of competition can’t have the same name. Plus, the Tacoma Rainiers aren’t a national brand. The Seattle Rainiers of the NHL would be. Not to mention the potential marketing tie-ins with the famed beer label of the same name.

1. The Seattle Metropolitans

Pop quiz: what was the first American team to win the Stanley Cup? The Seattle Metropolitans in 1917. By winning the Stanley Cup 101 years ago, this also makes the Metropolitans the first team to bring home a professional sports title to Seattle. With all the talk of “bring back the Sonics,” why not have a similar “bring back the Metropolitans” campaign? Bring them “back” by naming them after a very unique piece of Seattle sports history. If I had any legitimate say in the matter, the Metropolitans would get my vote.