He isn’t as well known as some of his fellow NHL Seattle owners, but Jay Deutsch brings 35 years of sports marketing expertise to a group that’s promising to bring a premium experience to fans in the Pacific Northwest. The NHL Seattle group had originally targeted a 2020 start date, with a possibility of starting the inaugural season on the road while their estimated $800 million renovation of KeyArena was completed. One of several Washington-based businesspeople who have joined the NHL Seattle ownership group, Deutsch has decades of experience working with all the North American major leagues and their individual teams, including the NHL, on branded products, giveaways and other special projects. There's Seattle and there's the overall region that considers ourselves Seattle. Deutsch was recruited for the NHL Seattle ownership group by team president Tod Leiweke, whose deep sports roots in Washington state include a stint as CEO of the Seahawks between 2003 and 2005.

Source: Forbes December 17, 2018 18:45 UTC