NHL Expansion back on agenda?

[StreetHawk]

I like the Thrashers name but I never really jived with their logo and jerseys. 100% willing to see a rebrand though using the Thrashers name.

The white jerseys were fine.

But, they opted for blue jerseys with the secondary logo (looked like a logo for one of Batman's sidekick's). The background of the main logo was blue, so made more sense to have red jerseys for it to pop on the dark jersey.

 

[KevFu]

I think the idea that they're expanding again so quickly is insane. Bush league behavior

"So quickly" is funny considering they added nine franchises (and 14 new markets) in a span of like 12 years in the 1990s.

The stage NHL expansion is in right now is roughly the same as it was when we had threads about "The NHL is going to 32 after the CBA is settled!" And the Kraken took the ice NINE YEARS LATER.

You're right that "sudden rapid expansion is bad." But that's why you're always better off adding one team every 6 years than dropping six teams at once every 36 years.

At least an effort was made in Atlanta and Phoenix. But in some respects it's wild that the NHL has never tried Houston even in spite of the relative success that the Stars have enjoyed in that region.

That's all the history of backroom dealing in sports expansion attempt history. Which I find fascinating.

The short version is: Houston knew they needed a new NBA/NHL arena but were waiting to see whom they needed to include in negotiations; because three different groups in Houston put in bids for an NHL expansion team. And the NHL wasn't giving a team without an arena plan in place, so they rejected all three bids. Houston worked an arena deal with the NBA owner that said they wouldn't allow for a competing arena, so the NBA is the only guy who can bring an NHL team to Houston. The NBA owner (both of them over time) have never wanted to pay full price.

 

[KevFu]

Respectfully agree to disagree. The Thrashers name was silly to begin with (small harmless songbird) and sounds very dated in 2024. The brand was totally ruined by ownership, notwithstanding some nostalgia, and reeks of a '90's focus group attempt to sound hip and cool.

Go with something new, and classic.

Totally valid opinion to have. But like I said, you're dividing the popular opinion of your brand more ways if you don't bring back the old.

"I wish they did something different and awesome" is totally open ended, but they could unveil something that's universally terrible. That's hard enough with a new team, but you don't want all the headlines about your new "Atlanta FreshBrands" to be all "What was wrong with the Thrashers?"

"The Thrashers sound so 1990s" but 50 years from now, what's gonna sound "so 2030s" ?


Personally, I'd go Thrashers nickname but with a new look; and then use a throwback as an alternate, and bust them out for non-marquee games you need to boost ticket sales to.

The white jerseys were fine.

But, they opted for blue jerseys with the secondary logo (looked like a logo for one of Batman's sidekick's). The background of the main logo was blue, so made more sense to have red jerseys for it to pop on the dark jersey.

What I never understood was why they went with their color scheme. I thought the same red the Falcons, Hawks, Braves and Georgia Bulldogs use; black, and gold like Georgia Tech (and now United) would have made a better look. I posted a photoshop of the Thrashers logo with those colors and got positive feedback.

Like I said, they could go with Atlanta Thrashers but a whole new look; and use the 1990s stuff as alternates. Each year bust out a new Throwback.

 

[nhlfan79]

Totally valid opinion to have. But like I said, you're dividing the popular opinion of your brand more ways if you don't bring back the old.

"I wish they did something different and awesome" is totally open ended, but they could unveil something that's universally terrible. That's hard enough with a new team, but you don't want all the headlines about your new "Atlanta FreshBrands" to be all "What was wrong with the Thrashers?"

"The Thrashers sound so 1990s" but 50 years from now, what's gonna sound "so 2030s" ?

Personally, I'd go Thrashers nickname but with a new look; and then use a throwback as an alternate, and bust them out for non-marquee games you need to boost ticket sales to.

What I never understood was why they went with their color scheme. I thought the same red the Falcons, Hawks, Braves and Georgia Bulldogs use; black, and gold like Georgia Tech (and now United) would have made a better look. I posted a photoshop of the Thrashers logo with those colors and got positive feedback.

Like I said, they could go with Atlanta Thrashers but a whole new look; and use the 1990s stuff as alternates. Each year bust out a new Throwback.

I understand your point, but I was born here and have lived here my whole life. I get zero sense that there's any sort of local groundswell consensus among the people who know that the NHL is (likely) returning that the new team should be the Thrashers. And that's among the group of people most eager for the league's return. For the greater Atlanta population as a whole, they have zero opinion either way, to the extent that they are even aware that a team may be arriving in the coming years. That's the untapped market they'll be trying to reach.

In truth, I think the Thrashers brand is highly divisive, primarily by age. If you're younger (30s-40s), you may remember it more fondly because, 20-25 years ago, you were taken to games as a kid by paying parents, so there's the nostalgia element. If you're a touch older and were actually paying the freight while getting kicked in the nards over and over again by Atlanta Spirit, you certainly have a different perspective. You'd rightly think that the brand and name is now toxic for all of the well-documented reasons, and that there's huge value in signaling to the market that this opportunity is entirely new and has no ties whatsoever to the people who killed the last franchise in bad faith.

Why did they not use similar colors to the other established local teams? Beats me. Maybe for the same reason they intentionally refused the assistance of the former Atlanta Flames alumni who still lived in the area. They never made any effort to cultivate the existing hockey history here.