How Portland missed out on Seattle's Kraken craze

It wasn't so long ago that the NHL wanted this for Portland — not big brother.

PORTLAND — Sometime in the late-90s, as the Trail Blazers assembled back-to-back Western Conference Finals runs, then-CFO Jim Kotchik found himself in an office with team owner Paul Allen, Allen’s sister, Jody, Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt and a few of Allen’s crew from Seattle.

The Microsoft co-founder seemed caught off-guard that payroll levels were reachin…