NHL to Atlanta odds just increased significantly

[No Fun Shogun]

I'll believe it when a rich person hands Bettman a billion dollar check. Until then, an arena development plan isn't a guarantee of a team coming in. When Kansas City got an arena, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before they'd get an NHL and/or NBA team. And yet it never happened, as the owners are happy with it printing money as an event venue.

That being said, as for talent dillution, just a reminder that star players feast when opponents are weak. There's a reason why Gretzky thrived in an era when the NHL was adding a team practically every other year.

 

[Mav3rick07]

I hope they bring back these beauty uniforms.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Also, if they do get a team, I hope they become the Atlanta Firebirds.

Their first team was another word for fire, their second team was a type of bird, and the city seal has a freaking phoenix on it.

Atlanta Firebirds, do it.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't want any fan base to lose their franchise but another expansion team feels so unneeded.

True but as a counter argument

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[FlyguyOX]

Who is the proposed owner?

I really don't think you can say "well they failed twice". The Atlanta Flames were almost 50 years ago - lots of things have changed. Atlanta Thrashers just had a weird situation where the owners literally did not want to own a hockey team any more, but also controlled the arena (and didn't want them playing there any longer).

There are thriving southern hockey markets, so who knows how Atlanta 3.0 would do?

I was told by the guy who told me about the possibility ATL would get a team 2-3 years ago that the ownership group is an array of owners, no single owner. Anson Carter listed as part of the ownership group. Which makes sense when you consider how involved he's become with the local hockey scene with the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators as well as the UGA Bulldogs club team.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Bettman: If Atlanta doesn't work out, we can always relocate the team to Quebec

Atlanta is just a halt on the side of Relocating Highway in direction of canada.

 

[FlyguyOX]

I'll believe it when a rich person hands Bettman a billion dollar check. Until then, an arena development plan isn't a guarantee of a team coming in. When Kansas City got an arena, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before they'd get an NHL and/or NBA team. And yet it never happened, as the owners are happy with it printing money as an event venue.

That being said, as for talent dillution, just a reminder that star players feast when opponents are weak. There's a reason why Gretzky thrived in an era when the NHL was adding a team practically every other year.

The county said they would not approve the building of the arena without an NHL team accompanying it.

Also, if they do get a team, I hope they become the Atlanta Firebirds.

Their first team was another word for fire, their second team was a type of bird, and the city seal has a freaking phoenix on it.

Atlanta Firebirds, do it.

The Atlanta Fire are a popular youth program I was referencing when I talked about programs in the vicinity.

 

[kilowatt]

Could we potentially see a four team expansion? Utah, Atlanta, Houston, and... Quebec?

 

[majormajor]

Just looking at the map, Forsyth County is on the far Northeast edge of the Atlanta Metro. It's 25 miles from downtown to the entertainment district.

Yes previous teams suffered from being inaccessible to some fans, being in downtown meant being far from the NE burbs. But this district is also far from downtown and far from most of suburban Atlanta.

The problem in Atlanta is that the whole thing is just too sprawly, not enough density to support some big city amenities.

 

[57special]

Completely different circumstances. It's been explained ad nauseum that, at this point, if you still don't get the difference then i'm not sure what to say.

I'll try to summarize for you:

Previously:
Arena was downtown, similar to the braves. The braves realized the vassssst majority of families coming to games were in metro atlanta, anywhere from 30-90min driver to the atlanta suburbs where TONS of money (and population) presides. Braves moved and hardly ever have an empty seat now thanks to the move.

This new Atlanta hockey team is even MORE accessible to Metro Atlanta. Not only that, but all of the youth hockey teams

(sidebar: the city actually has a very active hockey community, including mens leagues and youth leagues; the state university UGA has a club ice hockey team that has become so popular that they are even building an arena for a club team; the state supports (easily) two ECHL teams who both thrive in attendance)

are all within maybe 30 minutes in every direction of the new NHL arena location as well. When studies were done to see what made NHL teams popular there was a strong positive correlation with number of youth teams in the area.

Put plainly, there is no way with the population and money that will surround the new team - not to mention tickets that will be nabbed by an array of corporate business - for the team to fail unless they have an uninterested ownership group not looking to invest a dime and sell the team as soon as they're able, like last time. If the ownership group includes some of the folks I've been told personally, like Anson Carter, then I highly doubt that will be the case again.

Compared to Gainesville, sure. I would bet that hockey is about the 15th most popular sport by participation in Atlanta, if even that. I know it's a big city, but hockey simply is nothing but an afterthought there. That they get a 3rd kick at the can is absolutely ridiculous, when there are places filled with hockey fans that are dying to get a franchise.

 

[Kryten]

oh yay, more expansion

just what the NHL needs, more teams to water down the product even more

McDavid would get 200 point seasons facing AHL quality D and G. We already see the scoring increase with the 2 new teams watering down the league

 

[Golden_Jet]

Hopefully not, let the league run as 32 teams for a while, no need to keep watering it down. Wait 5 plus years then maybe reconsider.

 

[tucker3434]

Just looking at the map, Forsyth County is on the far Northeast edge of the Atlanta Metro. It's 25 miles from downtown to the entertainment district.

Yes previous teams suffered from being inaccessible to some fans, being in downtown meant being far from the NE burbs. But this district is also far from downtown and far from most of suburban Atlanta.

The problem in Atlanta is that the whole thing is just too sprawly, not enough density to support some big city amenities.

It is sprawly, but we've got more people in the northern burbs than Nashville has in total. It's not like it's a sprawl of only a couple million people.

 

[majormajor]

McDavid would get 200 point seasons facing AHL quality D and G. We already see the scoring increase with the 2 new teams watering down the league

That's nonsense. You go back and watch hockey from thirty years ago and half the defensemen wouldn't crack today's NHL. The training is expanding the elite talent pool faster than expansion is diluting it.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Compared to Gainesville, sure. I would bet that hockey is about the 15th most popular sport by participation in Atlanta, if even that. I know it's a big city, but hockey simply is nothing but an afterthought there. That they get a 3rd kick at the can is absolutely ridiculous, when there are places filled with hockey fans that are dying to get a franchise.

Money talks though.

 

[BruinsFan37]

Atlanta (with no disrespect intended) makes no sense unless there is a 4-team expansion. There are multiple cities at this point that I would put ahead of them.

 

[famicommander]

For all the "failed twice" people:

Denver failed miserably in both the WHA and the NHL before the Avs got here.

 

[NVious]

That's awesome, hopefully they can one day become as good and as popular as the Arizona Coyotes!

 

[tucker3434]

Atlanta (with no disrespect intended) makes no sense unless there is a 4-team expansion. There are multiple cities at this point that I would put ahead of them.

Only 1, Houston, would have anywhere near the financial backing of Atlanta.

 

[Golden_Jet]

For all the "failed twice" people:

Denver failed miserably in both the WHA and the NHL before the Avs got here.

So once then.

 

[famicommander]

So once then.

I don't know how you can say that the WHA team didn't count when the team that plays in Denver today began in the WHA.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Atlanta (with no disrespect intended) makes no sense unless there is a 4-team expansion. There are multiple cities at this point that I would put ahead of them.

Atlanta is the 8th largest metro area in the US. Of the 7 above Atlanta all have NHL teams (save Houston).

Atlanta makes a lot of sense if there's an arena and ownership group in place.

 

[Heldig]

Also, if they do get a team, I hope they become the Atlanta Firebirds.

Their first team was another word for fire, their second team was a type of bird, and the city seal has a freaking phoenix on it.

Atlanta Firebirds, do it.

Well, if the Coyotes relocated to Atlanta they could be called the Atlanta Phoenix.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Forsyth County was only going to approve the building of the new Arena in this project (called The Gathering) if an NHL team came with it.

Well the county is about to green light the Arena.

Putting 2 and 2 together...

I doubt that they did this so quietly.

Previous rounds of expansion have been very public facing over a long timeframe. They make a big deal about accepting bids, and transparently keep noncompetitive bids in the mix just to ramp up pressure and drive the prices higher. The final vote by the Board of Governors is highly anticipated and covered extensively by the media, especially in the local market so they can throw a big party when it’s made official that they’re getting a team. That celebration and all the hype leading up to it is a huge part of driving season ticket sales, which usually begin months in advance in order to show the strength of the market.

In this case, it would have happened completely out of public view? And the municipality was the first to know, and stayed leak-free throughout the process? And an owner is all lined up without anyone saying a word? And the BoG made this decision with no leaks? And no bidding process, no attempt to create a bidding war?

I’d say it’s more likely that this is a Quebec City or Hamilton situation. The municipality is basically building the arena on speculation, having been assured that a team is imminent but not actually having one in hand.

 

[La Bamba]

Coyotes should relocate to Atlanta.

Then the Jets and Coyotes franchise can "trade" their history from before 2011 with each other. The Charlotte NBA franchise did something similar