Seattle's Expansion NHL Franchise Considering Nickname Reveal amid COVID-19

The Seattle expansion hockey team could reveal its name and logo while the NHL season remains suspended amid concerns about the coronavirus, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

There is no current date for an unveiling as the organization is currently waiting to complete trademarking on the name and logo. However, the ongoing pandemic won't necessarily cause a change in plans.

"In theory, coronavirus will not delay our name and will not affect it, but we're in unprecedented times. So I can't say that as soon as the legal process is wrapped up that we'll go with the name," NHL Seattle vice president of corporate communications Katie Townsend said. "We're working as hard as we can. We know how badly our fans want it."

Mark J. Burns of Sports Business Journal initially reported Wednesday the team had planned to push back its name reveal until April.

Seattle was first approved for an expansion team in December of 2018 to play at Seattle Center Arena.

Per Wyshynski, the organization has already sold most of its premium seating for the 2021-22 inaugural season, while general seat selection was set to go on sale in March.

Though ticket selection is currently on hold, the team still plans to begin play at the start of next year.

The coronavirus has created changes throughout the sports world with more than 10,000 killed by the disease worldwide, per CNN.com. According to the Center for Disease Control, Washington state has been hit especially hard, with 1,376 reported cases as of Friday, second-most among U.S. states behind only New York.