Will Atlanta Get Another Team?

[crobro]

Oklahoma City and San Diego seem like decent markets

 

[Yukon Joe]

Oklahoma City and San Diego seem like decent markets

Oklahoma is a smallish market and already has the NBA Thunder. Not really enough fan and corporate support for two winter sport teams. Same issue comes up for places like Salt Lake City or Portland.

San Diego is awfully close to LA and the two southern cali teams.

 

[sufferer]

Same for QC, then.

Yeah, I'm sure African Americans like hockey as much as French Canadians. Makes sense.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Oklahoma City and San Diego seem like decent markets

Oklahoma City is barely big enough to support a NBA team. A OKC NHL team is not possible.

San Diego would really be stretching hockey interest in Southern California. The population of this region is very large, but the Ducks barely beak even over the past few years. San Diego would be trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Yes, the NHL could try to force their way in, but they really should only go for more desirable markets.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Oklahoma City is barely big enough to support a NBA team. A OKC NHL team is not possible.

San Diego would really be stretching hockey interest in Southern California. The population of this region is very large, but the Ducks barely beak even over the past few years. San Diego would be trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Yes, the NHL could try to force their way in, but they really should only go for more desirable markets.

I don't agree. San Diego folks don't really root for LA teams.

 

[sexydonut]

DT San Diego to DT Anaheim is the same distance as Manhattan to DT Philadelphia.

SD is not the same market/media market as metro LA, and is separated by the giant marine base.

Tulsa is slightly smaller than OKC, has a modern arena, and had rumors that it wanted a pro team to go alongside OKC's.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Oklahoma City is barely big enough to support a NBA team. A OKC NHL team is not possible.

San Diego would really be stretching hockey interest in Southern California. The population of this region is very large, but the Ducks barely beak even over the past few years. San Diego would be trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Yes, the NHL could try to force their way in, but they really should only go for more desirable markets.

DT San Diego to DT Anaheim is the same distance as Manhattan to DT Philadelphia.

SD is not the same market/media market as metro LA, and is separated by the giant marine base.

Tulsa is slightly smaller than OKC, has a modern arena, and had rumors that it wanted a pro team to go alongside OKC's.

The NHL is probably content with Oklahoma being part of the Stars territory.

 

[HisIceness]

The NHL is probably content with the Oklahoma being part of the Stars territory.

This.

Crazy enough OKC was in the running for expansion in 1997, not sure who the owner would have been but they got passed over.

 

[Lindberg]

San Diego isn't getting a team nor should "we". As a whole the population is a revolving door and in general the locals are more into outdoor stuff.

 

[Melrose Munch]

All this speculation - has the owner of the hawks expressed interest? Maybe get him on board?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

All this speculation - has the owner of the hawks expressed interest? Maybe get him on board?

they have no interest.... it's probably the main reason why SFA was modified

 

[StreetHawk]

they have no interest.... it's probably the main reason why SFA was modified

I don't believe that the Hawk's owners own the arena, but they do have the management rights to the arena, which is due up in about 2-4 years. So, if they are not interested in an NHL team, then if they get a renewal of the management agreement again, then I don't see the NHL returning to ATL.

NHL team can't survive in ATL as just a tenant without the management rights as they will play second fiddle to the NBA team.

 

[Mightygoose]

The Hawks lease runs to 2046 after the recent renovations

Atlanta Hawks announce plans for $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena (usatoday.com)

After that, regardless if another reno is done or a new arena, as long as it's controlled by the Hawks. Agreed with others, there's no chance an NHL will play there ever.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Atlanta well get another NHL team somewhere in half past never.

 

[uhlaw97]

Houston needs a franchise before any other city.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

San Diego isn't getting a team nor should "we". As a whole the population is a revolving door and in general the locals are more into outdoor stuff.

I think there is a market to be had there if arena is built, now that Chargers are gone.

The Hawks lease runs to 2046 after the recent renovations

Atlanta Hawks announce plans for $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena (usatoday.com)

After that, regardless if another reno is done or a new arena, as long as it's controlled by the Hawks. Agreed with others, there's no chance an NHL will play there ever.

I mean, Hawks being sold to owners who would like an NHL team is possible.

But other than that, I agree.

 

[Lindberg]

I think there is a market to be had there if arena is built, now that Chargers are gone.

San Diego tax payers aren't going to fund anything related to sports. If someone wanted to come in they'll have to self fund themselves.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

San Diego tax payers aren't going to fund anything related to sports. If someone wanted to come in they'll have to self fund themselves.

Oh of course.

There is however, far better case for privately funded arena than NFL stadium.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Not until they find ownership rich enough to buy in and who can also pay rent at Toyota, since Tilman ain't it.

Offers nothing Houston doesn't and is in the same media market.

Nobody wants a team there for the prices the NHL wants, and KC seems perfectly happy without a major tenant in T-Mobile.

No ownership really intent on getting a team in Portland. They're more focused on baseball than hockey.

Unless someone rich enough to pay off Chicago for the TV territory and pay the NHL expansion fee for what is a small market already crowded with sports teams, ain't happening any time soon.

Possible, but would need ownership and nobody seems that interested in NHL right now; there's been movement of moving the Fuel up to the AHL, but that's about it.

Cleveland failed miserably last time and is already a crowded sports market, plus the Jackets already exist to serve as the state's pro hockey franchise. Unless someone really wants it, the Monsters are as good as I see them getting for a while.

Too close to Columbus to work, unfortunately, and there's also not many people looking to place a team there.

Probably among the last realistic Canadian markets. I'd expect Hamilton to be chosen because of it's size and the renovations going on to FirstOntario if this were to ever happen.

There's nowhere near enough support for an NHL team there. Does anybody remember how badly the Rhinos attempts flopped? The Admirals can't stick, either.

The Hurricanes have a corner on the NC NHL market, I doubt they add a second.

A basketball town first and foremost, and just barely larger than Hartford. Not happening anytime soon.

Basically the same size as Louisville, and already has an ECHL team serving the market.

You'd sooner see a team in Milwaukee than see any team even attempt to challenge the Blackhawks for Chicago. The Blackhawks basically have the entire market by the balls and I don't see them letting go anytime soon.

Unless someone really wants to revive the Mariners, I don't see another team in Cali. It's got three already, it doesn't need four.

Let's see here...

• Already has AHL hockey (Wolf Pack)
• Basically the same size as Buffalo, but with a far worse economic position before the pandemic
• Crammed in the Boston/New Jersey/New York/Philly region, being easily the lowest of the group (this was true even when the Whalers were still around, they were always the lame duck of the region's sports fandom count)
• Population is shrinking and has been for years
• No new arena set in place, thus any new team would be playing in the same arena the Whalers did previously, which was built in 1975 and is thus woefully out of date to modern NHL standards

Unless some insanely rich person decides to set an NHL team down in a state with a depressed economy and corporate exodus, Hartford's very far down the ladder, if even a possibility at all. Hell, Hartford likely doesn't even end up in consideration if the Bruins hadn't kicked the Whalers out of Boston Garden.

Austin is 165 miles away from Houston. Thats hardly the "same market"

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

If by some chance Atlanta does get a third chance, they would probably go in the Metropolitan Division. The NHL probably wants to save the 9th spot in the Atlantic for a new team in Quebec City.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

If by some chance Atlanta does get a third chance, they would probably go in the Metropolitan Division. The NHL probably wants to save the 9th spot in the Atlantic for a new team in Quebec City.

Expansion wouldn’t be happening any time soon, give another 15-20 years especially since it might take years for economy to recover from the pandemic. Who knows where the divisions and markets will be at that point honestly.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Expansion wouldn’t be happening any time soon, give another 15-20 years especially since it might take years for economy to recover from the pandemic. Who knows where the divisions and markets will be at that point honestly.

I understand it won't happen soon, I'm just saying it seems inevitable Quebec will be #9 in the Atlantic. But I could be wrong. Still, Quebec is one of the few Canadian cities without NHL that could be a good fit for the league.

But I digress. Atlanta probably will get another chance at some point. It will take the right ingredients for the team to succeed.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I understand it won't happen soon, I'm just saying it seems inevitable Quebec will be #9 in the Atlantic. But I could be wrong. Still, Quebec is one of the few Canadian cities without NHL that could be a good fit for the league.

But I digress. Atlanta probably will get another chance at some point. It will take the right ingredients for the team to succeed.

I don't think NHL wants QC.

 

[Lt Dan]

The NHL would need another Western Conference team to add another East.

I still can't believe that there isn't a pro hockey team in WI

 

[CanadianCoyote]

I don't think NHL wants QC.

The NHL "didn't want" many markets in the past that got teams eventually, though; I remember they didn't want Vancouver, Winnipeg and QC but all three got in anyways because of public pressure.

QC isn't so much a "not want" as it is the new Winnipeg; an emergency landing spot in case an Eastern team is in dire straits and needs a new market to land in. Same with Houston for the West.

My guess is that they'll want expansion once this pandemic is all said and done; if the MLB and NBA are both seriously talking expansion, the NHL will follow that lead. And I could see them wanting teams in big-money markets like an Atlanta, especially coming off freshly signing a new TV deal with ESPN.

QC is one of the very few big-money markets left in Canada. If they want more Canadian expansion, they have to at least seriously consider it.