SEATTLE (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the group looking to bring professional hockey to the city of Seattle has formally filed its expansion application with the National Hockey League.

The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because the league was not commenting on the situation. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan also tweeted that Oak View Group had submitted the filing with the NHL.

The Oak View Group and its prospective NHL ownership group, led by billionaire David Bonderman and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, submitted the expansion application and $10 million filing fee. The expansion application has been expected for weeks and is the next step in Seattle’s ongoing hope of bringing an NHL franchise to the largest market in the United States without a professional winter sports franchise.

If Seattle is successful in its expansion bid, the new franchise would bring the league to an even 32 teams with 16 in each conference. A new team would also yield a hefty expansion fee — in the neighborhood of $650 million.

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AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.

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