▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ar ena ▁deal . ▁His ▁son ▁Bill ▁would ▁head ▁the ▁expansion ▁effort , ▁while ▁a ▁compet ing ▁group ▁led ▁by ▁Microsoft ▁executive ▁Chris ▁Lar son ▁and ▁former ▁Seattle ▁Tot ems ▁player ▁then ▁coach ▁Bill ▁Mac F ar land ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁their ▁own ▁application . ▁With ▁the ▁A cker ley ▁application ▁already ▁submitted , ▁the ▁two ▁groups ▁would ▁merge ▁with ▁Lar son ▁and ▁Mac F ar land ▁being ▁primary ▁points ▁of ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁N HL . ▁Then ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Th under bird s , ▁Bill ▁Yu ill , ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁group . ▁Lar son ▁and ▁Mac F ar land , ▁along ▁with ▁Barry ▁A cker ley ▁and ▁Bill ▁Lear , ▁A cker ley ' s ▁financial ▁ad visor , ▁were ▁set ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁presentation ▁to ▁the ▁N HL ' s ▁Board ▁of ▁Govern ors ▁on ▁December ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁At ▁the ▁meeting , ▁A cker ley ▁and ▁Lear ▁asked ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁the ▁board ▁first , ▁prompt ly ▁with d rew ▁their ▁application , ▁and ▁left . ▁Lar son ▁and ▁Mac F ar land ▁were ▁st unn ed ▁to ▁learn ▁of ▁the ▁development ▁but ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁purs ue ▁any ▁rec ourse ▁as ▁their ▁names ▁were ▁never ▁on ▁the ▁submitted ▁application . ▁ ▁Th ought ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁factor ▁in ▁A cker ley ' s ▁decision ▁were ▁the ▁significant ▁dem ands ▁by ▁the ▁N HL ▁for ▁an ▁expansion ▁team : ▁a ▁$ 5 0 ▁million ▁expansion ▁fee ▁that