Anson Carter unveils Alpharetta Sports and Entertainment looking to bring expansion team to Atlanta

[Ghost of Murph]

Houston and Atlanta can both easily support a NHL team. Both cities are thriving big time. The issue for me is number of teams in the league. 32 is enough. Relocation should be the primary way for either city to get a team.

I get that there are plenty of good hockey players to fill out the rosters of additional teams. The problem is that there aren't enough great players. Already too much bottom 6 talent and mediocre starting goalies as-is. It makes watching multiple teams less than inspiring. Not enough upper-tier players. The NHL needs to be careful of watering down the talent too much.

 

[PaulD]

So it's better to fail quickly?

or more embarrassing

 

[banks]

The NHL can work in Atlanta. I have no problem with the city getting a team. I also think the NHL would work in Quebec City, or Hamilton, or a number of other cities.

But 32 is already the right number of teams. If you add another expansion team, don't they then have to add 3 more to keep the conferences and divisions balanced?

 

[Prairie Habs]

I'll say it whenever Atlanta gets mentioned, but if they get a team they should be the Firebirds.

Flames = another word for fire
Thasher = a kind of bird
Atlanta has a literal phoenix, a mythological firebird, on their seal

Do it.

And others have suggested it as well. Not my idea.

Flames + Thrashers = Flashers

Just think of the fun outfits the okayers could have for their outdoor game

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

No issue with Atlanta. I think the market is in a much better position to support a team now than it was before.

 

[King'sPawn]

Hope it works out for them. I'm sure hockey fans in Atlanta will be excited.

 

[bossram]

Of course it makes sense the NHL will have more teams than other major American leagues because it treats Canada like a major market.

NBA: 1 Canadian team
NFL: No Canadian teams
MLB: 1 Candian team
NHL: 7 Canadian teams

This is very true. Hadn't thought of it this way prior. Makes expansion seem a lot more logical.

The NHL effectively has 25 American markets, while the other Big Four leagues have 29 or 30. There definitely are a few untapped American cities for the NHL.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

and dont those 7 Canadian teams generate more $$ that the 25 American teams for the NHL

Say what????

 

[OVO16]

This is very true. Hadn't thought of it this way prior. Makes expansion seem a lot more logical.

The NHL effectively has 25 American markets, while the other Big Four leagues have 29 or 30. There definitely are a few untapped American cities for the NHL.

Yeah this is the way I see it too. Its why the NHL is trying to expand. No one else has canadian markets like they do

It means more competition though to win 1 Stanley cup lmao. Competing against 33 other teams is crazy

 

[bossram]

The NHL can work in Atlanta. I have no problem with the city getting a team. I also think the NHL would work in Quebec City, or Hamilton, or a number of other cities.

But 32 is already the right number of teams. If you add another expansion team, don't they then have to add 3 more to keep the conferences and divisions balanced?

No.

They were unbalanced when they added Vegas. The Divisions were also unbalanced when they went to this format with 30 teams in 2013.

They basically just told the teams to deal with it.

 

[jetsforever]

Everyone's acting like this is a done deal when in reality many things could prevent it from happening.

 

[bossram]

Yeah this is the way I see it too. Its why the NHL is trying to expand. No one else has canadian markets like they do

It means more competition though to win 1 Stanley cup lmao. Competing against 33 other teams is crazy

Yeah. This is my primary issue. Not market size, "talent dilution", or whatever.

It's the fan experience. If fans want to see their team win a championship at some point, they simply may never see it in a 34-36 team league. Might be long-term harmful to NHL fan interest if fans know there is basically no shot your team will ever win.

 

[EpochLink]

You just know Jets and Ottawa fans wanna chirp but can't

People need to get out of their homes and realize there are cities that can thrive, not just ‘hockey crazed markets’.

 

[These Are The Days]

Do you guys mind seasoning these French fries if you're gonna be this damn salty about it?

 

[banks]

No.

They were unbalanced when they added Vegas. The Divisions were also unbalanced when they went to this format with 30 teams in 2013.

They basically just told the teams to deal with it.

I know they've done it before, and for long stretches. But I can' stand it. There was always complaining about if being in one division was an advantage or not. How many teams should make the playoffs?

I don't want to sound like Thanos or something. But I like the balance.

 

[bossram]

I know they've done it before, and for long stretches. But I can' stand it. There was always complaining about if being in one division was an advantage or not. How many teams should make the playoffs?

I don't want to sound like Thanos or something. But I like the balance.

It was unbalanced for essentially almost a decade until Seattle entered.

Like, did it really bother you enough to swear off hockey for that entire time period? I don't recall much complaining here or in the general hockey conversations.

 

[AvroArrow]

Of course it makes sense the NHL will have more teams than other major American leagues because it treats Canada like a major market.

NBA: 1 Canadian team
NFL: No Canadian teams
MLB: 1 Candian team
NHL: 7 Canadian teams

Because in the NHL, it is a major market.

 

[Stony Curtis]

Same old, same old disputes between the purists who want to return hockey to the traditions and rivalries of bygone times and the reformers who want to take hockey forward to new and younger crowds who couldn't care less about the past. The first group is always declining, the latter group is always growing, so the owners will always tend towards the latter and this happens in all professional sports.

Sure, but the younger fans grow older, see the game changing (because it always will), and then they're the shrinking demographic that are holding back change. Just like real life.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Just what we need more expansion. Lets not fix the other 1000 things wrong in the game right now, lets add another unneeded team to this f***ing bowl of fruits and nuts.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Another round of expansion would be interesting if only because of the effects it might have on scoring. A little more dilution and maybe the top end guys start pushing 200 points

 

[Scrantonicity 2]

Atlanta

Spoiler

Flames

How dare you

 

[Esq]

Houston seems like a much better choice, but whatever. Keep trying, I guess.

Flames + Thrashers = Flashers

Just think of the fun outfits the okayers could have for their outdoor game

And the charity match against their in-state rivals!

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Just fix the coyotes situation before bringing in another expansion team...

We've been saying this for probably a handful of expansion teams, now.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

just relocate the coyotes there and award an expansion team to houston

makes a lot more sense

Except Houston potential owner not wanting to pay an expansion fee

Moving Yotes to Houston and expansion in SLC and Atlanta makes more sense

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Houston seems like a much better choice, but whatever. Keep trying, I guess.


And the charity match against their in-state rivals!

View attachment 834663

The Rockets owner has essentially told the NHL to f*** off with their absurd expansion fees. Which are only going to get more absurd with more cities becoming involved.

And without the owner of the Rockets, they pretty much don't have a viable NHL arena.