By Tim Clinton
Everett has had a successful junior Western Hockey League franchise since 2003 known as the Silvertips.
The team based at the Angel of the Winds Arena advanced as far as the conference semifinals in this year's playoffs before losing to the Portland Winterhawks in a full seven-game series.
The Silvertips previously knocked off the Seattle Thunderbirds in seven games.
Everett has already captured regular season titles in 2006-07 and 2024-25, and it has won conference playoff championships following the 2003-04 and 2017-18 seasons.
Everett was given conditional approval for an expansion franchise in 2001, but since it was within the territorial rights area for the Thunderbirds Seattle owner Bill Yuill was given the right of first refusal to purchase the new team.
Yuill sold the Thunderbirds and became the Everett owner instead.
The arena then going by the name of the Everett Events Center was completed ahead of time for the inaugural 2003 season.
The Angel of the Winds facility located at 2000 Hewitt Avenue seats 8,149 fans.