Is Seattle the new Vasteras?

[Victor 10,534]

Another season, another early playoff exit for the Seattle Bears. Since the famous “Seattle Six” era, so called after the core of the S28 champions and S30 finalists, the Bears have won two Continental Cups and haven't made the finals in any other season. For those keeping score at home, that is indeed 2 finals in 34 seasons. Comparisons to Vasteras might actually be insulting to Vasteras who made four finals and won two of them in their first 26 seasons.
 

I've brought up the idea of Seattle being the North American Vasteras before, back when Vasteras (or rather the Stockholm Vikings) still existed. Now that franchise is gone, the Bears' recent failure really stands out, even when compared to some other recent droughts like Calgary and Davos, or even Toronto's struggles since the threepeat.

 

The strange thing about Seattle is that they do better as the underdog. In S43, the Bears won the cup despite finishing sixth in the regular season. In S59, they were just about fourth. When Seattle wins the Victory Cup in recent years (S52, S53, and now S64), they can't win a playoff series.

 

I had a potential MS in my head recently on franchises most likely to relocate, but am unlikely to ever write it since I had Quebec in third place at the time. However, Seattle came top in my ranking and that only increases now that Vancouver has arrived next door. Is it time for a fresh start? The franchise which gave us Scotty Campbell's records and an early tradition of excellence has hit a pretty major bump in the road where there would probably be some support for a move to Los Angeles, Chicago, or Boston. Or maybe the Bears can move to Europe and the tenth VHL franchise will be in North America? Food for thought as Seattle comes to terms with an increasingly self-perpetuating cycle of failure.

[eaglesfan036 4,583]

 

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

@Victor