The hockey bar is finally getting a hockey team.

When Tim Pipes opened The Angry Beaver seven years ago — the first and only Canadian-themed hockey bar in Seattle — it was because the Toronto-born Maple Leafs fan wanted a place where he and others could grab a beer and watch NHL games. He never thought the team he’d be showing on the TVs would be from Seattle.

“It wasn’t even on the radar,” said Pipes, who’s seen a sudden rush in clientele after last week’s announcement that the NHL is accepting an expansion application from the city. “Ever since the news came out, we’ve been absolutely packed to the rafters. I didn’t get out of work last night until five in the morning. I’m amazed how many hockey fans there are.”

It’s a small snapshot of what the NHL hopes will be a successful 32nd franchise.

A few months after the Vegas Golden Knights joined the league, the NHL is continuing to grow. This time, the league appears headed to the state of Washington after an eventful week where the city of Seattle approved the US$660-million renovation of KeyArena and the NHL Board of Governors gave the green light to apply for an expansion franchise.

The expectation is that the yet-to-be named team will be in the league by 2020-21 — a dream many had almost given up on after Seattle chose not to apply for a franchise a year ago.

“I try not to get too high or too low, but this week has been the exception,” said John Barr, who for the past six years has been operating NHLtoSeattle.com, a news site covering the city’s ongoing bid for a pro team. “It finally feels like we can celebrate something. I know that we’re not done, but I couldn’t have even hoped for what’s happened already. The heavy lifting’s done. I don’t know what expectations they have for the ticket drive, but I anticipate that not being a problem.”

That the NHL is expanding again is not surprising. The league wanted to add a 32nd team along with Vegas, but was waiting for the proper geographical fit that would help balance the Eastern and Western Conferences, which is part of the reason why Quebec City still is without a team.

According to Forbes’ magazine, NHL team values are up 15 per cent from last year — the biggest increase in three years. Part of that was due to the $500-million expansion fee Vegas paid, which netted each of the other 30 owners $16.6 million. The $650-million fee that Seattle must now pay will reward each owner with about $21 million.

It’s a steep increase from the $80 million the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild each paid in join the league in 2000.

“It’s a sign that it’s capable of carrying markets,” said Moshe Lander, professor of Sports Economics at Concordia University. “I think the NHL is probably healthier than it’s been in 100 years. The product is good and the game is international. I think they’re making a mistake in not shutting down for two weeks for the Olympics, but the game is strong.”

As for the city itself, Seattle is not new to professional sports. Though the NBA’s SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, Seattle has NFL and MLB teams, as well as a successful soccer team that on Saturday lost to Toronto FC in the MLS Cup — the Sounders beat Toronto for that title in 2016 — and which Forbes ranked in 2015 as the MLS’ most valuable franchise.

Similarly, hockey is not new to the city, with the Seattle Metropolitans having won the Stanley Cup in 1917. The state of Washington also has four teams playing in the Western Hockey League, including two (the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips) that are about 30 kilometres north and south, respectively, of where the new NHL franchise would be located.

And yet, this isn’t Minnesota or even Wisconsin. Seattle, with its cool and wet winters and location on the West Coast, is not exactly a natural hotbed for hockey.

“There’s none,” Seattle Thunderbirds GM Russ Farwell, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said of the city’s hockey culture. “You have to understand there’s none here. We have, like, seven ice rinks right from Everett to Tacoma. It’s a niche sport right now because of the lack of rinks. It’s the last place in the U.S. to turn onto hockey.”

That doesn’t mean it can’t grow into a hockey market.

We’re only a few months into their first season, but Vegas is proving expansion teams can attract new fans with a winning product and the right marketing plan. Now, with a season ticket drive in the future, Seattle has an opportunity to show how committed it is to hockey.

Based on the increased clientele at The Angry Beaver, it looks promising.

“What I see in my little slice of the world is that there is a culture that will support hockey, but who knows what that’s going to look like 10 years down the road,” said Pipes. “I don’t know if I’ll have enough money for season tickets, but I’ll be first in line to see them.

“Hopefully, it does so well that I have to open a bigger place.”

• Email: mtraikos@postmedia.com | Twitter: @michael_traikos