▁was ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁N HL ▁club ▁was ▁val ued ▁at ▁the ▁time ; ▁a ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁down ▁payment ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁for fe ited ▁if ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁season ▁tick ets ▁wer en ' t ▁sold ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁– ▁the ▁Son ics ▁had ▁never ▁sold ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁season ▁tick ets ; ▁season ▁tick ets ▁needed ▁to ▁produce ▁at ▁least ▁$ 9 ▁million ▁ann ually , ▁which ▁would ' ve ▁made ▁the ▁tick ets ▁the ▁second ▁most ▁expensive ▁for ▁a ▁team ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁at ▁the ▁time ; ▁a ▁ 2 0 - year ▁le ase ▁with ▁a ▁" subst ant ial " ▁share ▁of ▁ar ena ▁reven ues ▁from ▁con cess ions , ▁par king , ▁and ▁ad ▁sign age ; ▁priority ▁status ▁for ▁post season ▁ar ena ▁dates ; ▁and ▁a ▁secured ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁line ▁of ▁credit ▁in ▁case ▁the ▁league ▁had ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁at ▁any ▁point . ▁A cker ley ▁would ▁not ▁sacrifice ▁Son ics ▁reven ues ▁for ▁a ▁hockey ▁team ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁minor ity ▁invest or . ▁Seattle ▁would ▁eventually ▁get ▁a ▁N HL ▁team ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁when ▁the ▁Seattle ▁N HL ▁team ▁was ▁approved ▁to ▁begin ▁play ▁in ▁ 2 0 2 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁nearly ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁city ▁agreed ▁to ▁the ▁ar ena ▁deal , ▁A cker ley ▁announced ▁that