Melinda French Gates is skating into pro sports ownership, reports ESPN, with the philanthropist set to become a minority investor in the NHL's Seattle Kraken, pending league sign-off. The move links her with majority owner Samantha Holloway, one of the few women at the top of an NHL franchise. French Gates said she was drawn by both her ties to Seattle and Holloway's tech-driven, community-focused approach, calling sports "an incredible opportunity" to unite a city.
It's French Gates' first stake in a major sports team and comes as women gain more prominent roles across leagues. "It's just time," French Gates said. "What you're seeing is a generation of women coming into their full power. I've walked into tough rooms, and being one of the few is very hard. Once we can create enough that we're one of many, it just gets easier."
She and Holloway say they're aligned on expanding access to hockey, including through the team's One Roof Foundation and efforts to grow the sport's fan base and youth participation. Holloway also confirmed she's organizing an ownership group with an eye on landing an NBA team and reviving the SuperSonics. "The city of Seattle certainly could use an NBA team, and the fans here are ready for it," she says. On the ice, the Seattle Times notes that the Kraken have made the playoffs just once in their five seasons and are on their third coach; an outside firm is reviewing hockey operations. French Gates says she's betting the team can become a Stanley Cup contender within a decade.
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