KRAKEN
Climate Pledge Arena: NHL Seattle arena name rights bought by Amazon
While we wait for the official announcement of the NHL Seattle team name, one big piece of news was announced Thursday morning, and that was that Amazon purchased the naming rights to the arena that the team will play at starting in the 2021-2022 season. The name: Climate Pledge Arena.
What should NHL Seattle’s team name be? 710’s voices make their picks
In a Twitter post by the new Climate Pledge Arena Twitter account, it was announced that Amazon, the Oak View Group and NHL Seattle were partnering together on the arena being built underneath the roof of the former KeyArena and Seattle Coliseum, and the name reflects what they say will be “the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world.”
Welcome to #ClimatePledgeArena!
Today @amazon, @oakviewgroup & @NHLSeattle_ announced a partnership that will name the New Arena at #SeattleCenter, #ClimatePledge Arena. It will be the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world.
Learn more → https://t.co/SLPNtdRWuy pic.twitter.com/TorqGWaZ42
— Climate Pledge Arena (@Climatearena) June 25, 2020
According to the arena’s official website, the goal is for Climate Pledge Arena “to be the most progressive, responsible, and sustainable arena in the world.” Additionally, the arena is named after The Climate Pledge, which is a commitment to fulfilling the Paris Agreement 10 years early.
Related: What is Amazon’s Climate Pledge?
“It calls on signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040 — a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement goal of 2050,” The Climate Pledge’s website says. The Climate Pledge was founded by Amazon and Global Optimism last September.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos released a statement on his Instagram account explaining why his company didn’t simply name the arena “Amazon Arena.” He also noted that the ice used for NHL Seattle games will be from reclaimed rainwater in order to “create the greenest ice in the NHL.” You can read his full post here.
The arena, which is currently under construction and will keep the famous roof that KeyArena was known for, is expected to open in the summer of 2021. In addition to hockey games, the arena will host concerts and could also house a basketball court in the hopes that a future Seattle NBA team will join the NHL Seattle team in the building. Capacity for NHL Seattle games are 17,100, concert capacity is up to 17,200 while basketball games could draw up to 18,100.
For more information on the specifics of Climate Pledge Arena, visit their official website here or watch the embedded YouTube video below detailing how the arena plans to reach carbon neutrality.
