Will Atlanta Get Another Team?

[Hockeyholic]

Poor ownership ( twice) led to the Flames & the Thrashers leaving. That said, it's a large market with a unique culture.

So, should Atlanta be awarded a franchise in the next few years?

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[NSHPreds1835]

Poor ownership ( twice) led to the Flames & the Thrashers leaving. That said, it's a large market with a unique culture.

So, should Atlanta be awarded a franchise in the next few years?

As someone that lives east of Atlanta I am going to say No we will not, the NHL will likely expand to Seattle and after that I imagine they're done. The only possibility would be a team relocating here(Both the Braves and Hawks came from other cities) but even then there would have to be a new arena in place because Philips I think is out of the equation now with the renovations that are/will be taking place. I think the best the ATL area can hope for is maybe an AHL franchise playing in the suburbs.

 

[HisIceness]

They would have to build a new arena as I believe Philips underwent a recent renovation that completely killed whatever chance of feasibly laying down an NHL sheet of ice w/o obstructed seats. Are taxpayers going to want to pay for another stadium? Doubt it. Is the NHL going to expand past 32 teams? Seems unlikely, which would mean relocation is the only way.

I hated seeing the Thrashers leave and do think they deserved a better ownership situation, but overall I think the NHL has moved on from them for the foreseeable future and is more focused on Seattle right now. I think Atlanta would make a great AHL city FWIW, would finally give the Checkers a natural rival.

 

[NSHPreds1835]

They would have to build a new arena as I believe Philips underwent a recent renovation that completely killed whatever chance of feasibly laying down an NHL sheet of ice w/o obstructed seats. Are taxpayers going to want to pay for another stadium? Doubt it. Is the NHL going to expand past 32 teams? Seems unlikely, which would mean relocation is the only way.

I hated seeing the Thrashers leave and do think they deserved a better ownership situation, but overall I think the NHL has moved on from them for the foreseeable future and is more focused on Seattle right now. I think Atlanta would make a great AHL city FWIW, would finally give the Checkers a natural rival.

Yep there either is or is going to be a club/bar right on the floor behind one of the basketball goals I think so yeah that kills any chance of laying down an NHL sheet of ice.

 

[Jeffrey93]

No. The NHL attempted it twice.....the second time was ill-advised and under poor circumstances, BUT....there was no salvaging it. There was no alternative ownership with an alternative arena idea.....there was nothing that had any real substance.

The NHL was wrong to return to Atlanta.....I get it, but they were wrong.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

No. The NHL attempted it twice.....the second time was ill-advised and under poor circumstances, BUT....there was no salvaging it. There was no alternative ownership with an alternative arena idea.....there was nothing that had any real substance.

The NHL was wrong to return to Atlanta.....I get it, but they were wrong.

Washington was given a baseball team twice before Nationals.

If opportunity is right NHL can return. Its never as simple as “it didn’t work first time so it will never work.”

 

[Elliman]

They have some great hockey fans but not enough of them. It’s not a hockey town. Simple as that.

 

[Zenos]

They have some great hockey fans but not enough of them. It’s not a hockey town. Simple as that.

But how many NHL markets really are (or were before they received teams)?
Of all the more recent expansion / relocation franchises, I'd say only Ottawa, St. Paul, and Winnipeg.
But that doesn't mean that under the right circumstances (good ownerships, success on the ice, intelligent marketing, etc.), they can't develop into good "hockey towns".
Nashville, San Jose, and Tampa Bay are all good examples of that.

 

[cbcwpg]

If some publically known, good reputation, billionaire ( and not some fly-by-night ) phoned up Bettman and told him that he was building an new arena in Atlanta and he wants to put an NHL team in it.... then sure he would be put on the NHL's "list" for getting a team. But how likely is that?

 

[tony d]

No, it failed twice before, doubt they do it a 3rd time.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

It still has potential to be a lucrative market for the NHL and it'll be back if the right circumstance presents itself.

 

[zetajerk]

I would love to see it. If any fanbase was screwed over and is owed something by the NHL, it's Atlanta. There is no reason it can't be a market akin to Dallas or San Jose.

 

[cutchemist42]

Hold a ticket drive.

 

[cptjeff]

Maybe in 20 years or so they'll try again, but not in anything approaching the near term.

 

[ponder719]

I am loath to suggest they'll never be back, since I fully expect that the major professional sports teams will continue to expand over the long term to levels people today would think are insane (I'd be shocked if the NHL doesn't have at least 36 teams, if not 40, by their sesquicentennial), but until there is a committed prospective owner with a state of the art arena and some indication that the fanbase will be there, it's not going to be a league priority.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Atlanta itself will likely be served by the Gladiators, for as long as they exist, since they now carry the name of the city after years branding as Gwinnett, much as the Braves did when Coolray Field was built to entice the Stripers as the team is now known as after relocating from Richmond.... remember Fulton County no longer has any pro sports or arenas now that the Braves have left.... only the arena that houses the Hawks remains in that metro

 

[rojac]

Well, Quebec had two failed NHL teams too and their teams have played fewer seasons of NHL hockey than Atlanta's. So, if Quebec is considered viable, so should Atlanta -- assuming they get a place to play.

 

[Mayor Bee]

No. The NHL attempted it twice.....the second time was ill-advised and under poor circumstances, BUT....there was no salvaging it. There was no alternative ownership with an alternative arena idea.....there was nothing that had any real substance.

The NHL was wrong to return to Atlanta.....I get it, but they were wrong.

If some publically known, good reputation, billionaire ( and not some fly-by-night ) phoned up Bettman and told him that he was building an new arena in Atlanta and he wants to put an NHL team in it.... then sure he would be put on the NHL's "list" for getting a team. But how likely is that?

This is exactly what happened with the Thrashers. Time Warner, which was pretty heavily involved with Ted Turner, owned the expansion Thrashers, plus the Atlanta Hawks, plus the Atlanta Braves.

In the aftermath of the disastrous AOL/Time Warner merger, they began divesting themselves of various holdings. That's how ASG ended up buying the Thrashers and Hawks, in addition to operating rights to Philips Arena. Whereas Ted Turner was a true sportsman who could not tolerate mediocrity, ASG never saw sports, teams, and fans as anything more than a line on a ledger.

The idea that the Thrashers would have continued to languish under Turner and Time Warner is absurd.

 

[pucky]

Poor ownership ( twice) led to the Flames & the Thrashers leaving. That said, it's a large market with a unique culture.

So, should Atlanta be awarded a franchise in the next few years?

No. No other comment needed.

 

[pucky]

Well, Quebec had two failed NHL teams too and their teams have played fewer seasons of NHL hockey than Atlanta's. So, if Quebec is considered viable, so should Atlanta -- assuming they get a place to play.

Quebec is still in a 'hockey region.' The owners couldn't interest fans with two franchises. The NHL won't risk relocating or granting an expansion team in Atlanta again. The Florida teams aren't doing that well, at least, the one in Miami isn't.

 

[zetajerk]

Quebec is still in a 'hockey region.' The owners couldn't interest fans with two franchises. The NHL won't risk relocating or granting an expansion team in Atlanta again. The Florida teams aren't doing that well, at least, the one in Miami isn't.

The Thrashers owners didn't want to interest the fans and wanted them gone! It was not the fans fault, but whatever helps you feel good about yourself. Get that through your head. You and people of your "hockey region" are not that special that only you can appreciate hockey.

Tampa is a first class organization with a fantastic owner, great arena location, great management, past success to draw upon, and knows how to market. The Panthers have none of that, so it's no wonder they struggle.

Though, I wouldn't blame hockey fans in Atlanta if they never want the NHL back. With "fans" like you and a community that relished their demise so much, that's not a crowd worth anyone's time.

Bettman: "Welcome back to the NHL, Atlanta! Yeah, they all still hate you...."

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I hope not, how many times does one place have to fail?

 

[zetajerk]

I hope not, how many times does one place have to fail?

Same for QC, then.

 

[Iceman]

Poor ownership ( twice) led to the Flames & the Thrashers leaving. That said, it's a large market with a unique culture.

So, should Atlanta be awarded a franchise in the next few years?

Unique culture? What does that even mean? and what does NHL gain by tapping it?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Same for QC, then.

not quite Atlanta has lost 2 teams Quebec lost 1, not the same

nice try though