Will Atlanta Get Another Team?

[Devils Dominion]

I always said New York area had too many teams. But if one team had to move to Georgia it really should be the Devils, not for any reason other than they can play Devil Went Down To Georgia when they score a goal.

It would be the Islanders if one has to move.

But that won't happen, all 3 NYC area teams are here for the long haul

 

[Devils Dominion]

I think that was his point. That Quebec should get another team.

Quebec deserves a team.

Expansion hopefully, but if relocation, there is a team in the Atlantic division that is a candidate

 

[jonathan613]

Should the arena and financial situations in Arizona, Florida, Ottawa and Calgary all be solved favorably where the long term future was guaranteed for those existing teams to remain in their local markets, then I believe it creates one last final expansion possibility to go to 34 teams. (Assumes Seattle gets 32nd team and Isles belmont plan is a go) Divisions would be eliminated and everybody would play 3 games within their now 17 team conference and 2 games against the other 17 team conference. (3*16+2*17=82 games, which is what teams play now).

If the expansion fees were remain in the 500-600 million territory, then I would hold those last 2 spots for Atlanta and Houston only. You would keep the balance of 17 teams in the eastern time zone and 17 teams in the others combined. This would then also finally allow the NHL to say that all major media markets in the US have a franchise, hopefully generating more expensive tv contracts. If I am an NHL owner, I have no interest in expanding to traditional markets as the revenue potential is while more certain, lower, and thus not worth having to split overall league revenues with. i have no inside knowledge as to what NHL owners are thinking , but if i were one, that is the way I would think about things.



I would leave Quebec, Hamilton,Kansas City,Portland and possibly Cleveland as emergency relocation candidates.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Should the arena and financial situations in Arizona, Florida, Ottawa and Calgary all be solved favorably where the long term future was guaranteed for those existing teams to remain in their local markets, then I believe it creates one last final expansion possibility to go to 34 teams. (Assumes Seattle gets 32nd team and Isles belmont plan is a go) Divisions would be eliminated and everybody would play 3 games within their now 17 team conference and 2 games against the other 17 team conference. (3*16+2*17=82 games, which is what teams play now).

If the expansion fees were remain in the 500-600 million territory, then I would hold those last 2 spots for Atlanta and Houston only. You would keep the balance of 17 teams in the eastern time zone and 17 teams in the others combined. This would then also finally allow the NHL to say that all major media markets in the US have a franchise, hopefully generating more expensive tv contracts. If I am an NHL owner, I have no interest in expanding to traditional markets as the revenue potential is while more certain, lower, and thus not worth having to split overall league revenues with. i have no inside knowledge as to what NHL owners are thinking , but if i were one, that is the way I would think about things.



I would leave Quebec, Hamilton,Kansas City,Portland and possibly Cleveland as emergency relocation candidates.

there will never be more than 16-16 or 32

 

[Doctor No]

Never's a long time.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Never's a long time.

and who's owning either franchise, Doctor, Houston's not budging if you take Fertiita at face value

 

[jonathan613]

and who's owning either franchise, Doctor, Houston's not budging if you take Fertiita at face value

There are 2 other options:

1) other option is another potential owner in houston willing to build an arena and compete with the toyota center.

2) It is also possible that 2 different ownership groups can share an arena, (see boston, philadelphia,chicago,detroit...). I could see an NHL owner negotiating a deal with fertita where the 2 would split the expansion fee, with an understanding that they would split revenues while the fee is recouped, and then split it where fertita gets 1/3 say of the hockey and the NHL owner gets 2/3 of the hockey revenue, and the hockey owner get a small percentage -say 1/6 of the other revenue.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

There are 2 other options:

1) other option is another potential owner in houston willing to build an arena and compete with the toyota center.

2) It is also possible that 2 different ownership groups can share an arena, (see boston, philadelphia,chicago,detroit...). I could see an NHL owner negotiating a deal with fertita where the 2 would split the expansion fee, with an understanding that they would split revenues while the fee is recouped, and then split it where fertita gets 1/3 say of the hockey and the NHL owner gets 2/3 of the hockey revenue, and the hockey owner get a small percentage -say 1/6 of the other revenue.

neither is happening, you do realize Houston just lost a billionaire

 

[jonathan613]

Noted. But this would not happen now, this is a scenario about 5 -10 year into the future. However your point is well taken.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

neither is happening, you do realize Houston just lost a billionaire

You make it sound like Houston only had one, Hutch. Being the epicenter of the US oil & gas industry, Houston's got plenty more other than McNair. There's Richard Kinder, Randa Williams, Dannine Avara, Milane Frantz, Scott Duncan, all of whom are valued as being richer than McNair and then Dan Friedkin, Jeffrey Hildebrand, Fertitta (of course), John Arnold, and George Bishop. No clue if any would be interested in owning a sports team other than Fertitta, but that's not exactly a paltry number of billionaires.

 

[Doctor No]

and who's owning either franchise, Doctor, Houston's not budging if you take Fertiita at face value

Never's a long time.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

It would be the Islanders if one has to move.

But that won't happen, all 3 NYC area teams are here for the long haul

I wasn’t being serious lol.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I wasn’t being serious lol.

No worries

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Never's a long time.

I know it's a simple statement, but this.

Atlanta some HUGE corporations call it home. Third most HQ's in North America. All it takes is one billionaire willing to spend on a team and some good timing. Money rules all.

I understand it's a big ask, but as the quote says...

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

the hawks gutted the thrashers locker rooms the arena would need to be renovated again to build new ones

 

[Agalloch]

there will never be more than 16-16 or 32

34 teams in 15-20 years is something I see happening.

Possibilities are Atlanta, Quebec City, Phoenix (if they move), Toronto2, Milwaukee, Cleveland....

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

What do you mean having footprint for NHL rink? It was designed to be hockey compatible to begin with, they did not make it basketball specific with renovation. Except the new seats added in place of luxury suites, those look obstructed.

the hawks gutted the thrashers locker rooms the arena would need to be renovated again to build new ones

That is not an issue, at all.

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

What about next to Atlanta Braves ballpark?

 

[DaBadGuy7]

What do you mean having footprint for NHL rink? It was designed to be hockey compatible to begin with, they did not make it basketball specific with renovation. Except the new seats added in place of luxury suites, those look obstructed.

Renovations made SFA more basketball friendly building, so there was a question whether it would look like Barclays but seems that it isn’t necessarily the case. I also have to imagine Hockey press box was changed as well, so SFA can be a temporary home for Atlanta franchise, but they probably need a new arena somewhere else.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Renovations made SFA more basketball friendly building, so there was a question whether it would look like Barclays but seems that it isn’t necessarily the case. I also have to imagine Hockey press box was changed as well, so SFA can be a temporary home for Atlanta franchise, but they probably need a new arena somewhere else.

Even without the obstructed seats it still has enough capacity to be an NHL arena no?

 

[Cacciaguida]

Toronto is not getting another team nor will Atlanta.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Even without the obstructed seats it still has enough capacity to be an NHL arena no?

Yes, based on my estimation it would hold anywhere from 16,000 to 17,000 for Hockey based on seeing its current capacity.

 

[sexydonut]

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

The guy is right. After Seattle and Houston are accepted into the club, Atlanta will be by far the largest and wealthiest metro to not have an NHL team. It should have never left, but the league/cartel could not control the actions of two separate carpetbaggers/white collar criminals posing as the owners of the Flames/Thrashers.

After Atlanta, the options for new markets decline considerably. San Diego, KC, Milwaukee, Austin?

 

[MikeCubs]

Yes, based on my estimation it would hold anywhere from 16,000 to 17,000 for Hockey based on seeing its current capacity.

Per wiki NBA capacity these days post renovation is 16,600. I assume NHL capacity would be 15,600(ish)

 

[DowntownBooster]

Interesting comment on a tweet by the Atlanta United’s radio announcer on renovated State Farm Arena having footprint for NHL rink. Both announcer and commenter agreed that new Atlanta NHL arena would have to be outside downtown Atlanta. I’m curious would possibly putting an arena/practice rink near Georgia Tech’s campus be a smart idea. My just spitballing, could be a great chance/synergy in creating a GT hockey program.

Not too familiar with the Atlanta arena situation other than knowing that State Farm Arena was recently renovated to basketball only configurations. Just wondering why a downtown arena wouldn't be the desired location for a new NHL team there. Isn't the current problem with both Arizona and Ottawa that their arenas are too far from downtown? It seems that most new sports facilities are being built in downtown locations. What would make Atlanta different in that regard?