Toggle sidebar

Potential Atlanta NHL Expansion Team Thread

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
dj4aces said:
I'll certainly be looking forward to seeing and/or reading about the full segment. Good to see he's becoming more visible though. Starting to feel a little more like a real attempt at owning a team, and a lot less like "The Balkan"
Click to expand...
Hear, hear. Aside from the Atlanta $pirit Septocluster™ and the trolling from out of town fans, perhaps my most hated memory from the Thrashers' departure was that loud-mouthed Philadelphia lout John Kincade and his friggin' "Balkan."
 
  • Like
Reactions: VaCaps Fan
dj4aces said:
I'll certainly be looking forward to seeing and/or reading about the full segment. Good to see he's becoming more visible though. Starting to feel a little more like a real attempt at owning a team, and a lot less like "The Balkan"
Click to expand...

GreenHornet said:
Hear, hear. Aside from the Atlanta $pirit Septocluster™ and the trolling from out of town fans, perhaps my most hated memory from the Thrashers' departure was that loud-mouthed Philadelphia lout John Kincade and his friggin' "Balkan."
Click to expand...
Yep...IMO the ownership is the most important piece in getting, and keeping, a team here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dj4aces, VaCaps Fan and GreenHornet
dj4aces said:
I'll certainly be looking forward to seeing and/or reading about the full segment. Good to see he's becoming more visible though. Starting to feel a little more like a real attempt at owning a team, and a lot less like "The Balkan"
Click to expand...
Hey now! Maybe you feel more comfortable actually knowing about the person, their plans, their funding, etc. But some of us would be much more reassured if we knew whether or not he wore wingtips! ;-)
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: dj4aces, VaCaps Fan, GreenHornet and 1 other person
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — In a Channel 2 Action News exclusive, Vernon Krause, the businessman behind the proposal to build a new arena in Forsyth County, said he met with the National Hockey League commissioner.

Channel 2 sports director Zach Klein first told you last year about Krause’s plan to build The Gathering at South Forsyth. The mixed-used development would include hotels, shops, restaurants and an 18,000-seat arena as its crown jewel with the NHL in mind.

On Thursday, Krause revealed to Klein that he and his wife recently visited New York and met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly about the project and if expansion is possible.

“You know, the encouraging thing is that when we started this deal, we felt like that we were gonna only be able to build an arena and hope that we get the attention in the NHL. And we have the attention of the NHL. Georgia has the attention of the NHL,” Krause said.

“They like our project. But as you know, as you watch interviews, they haven’t made a decision to expand. But if you listen to them, they have told everybody that if they do make that decision, that they’re very interested in Atlanta,” he added.

In January, Forsyth County commissioners approved a memorandum that requires developers of a new arena to land a professional hockey team before the county contributes any money for the project.


The vote essentially allows Krause to continue working with the county on project, and to continue efforts to lure a hockey team.

“Well, you know, our team is in daily conversations with them. Our goal is to get to a memorandum, a binding memorandum of understanding that will be voted on the 26th of this month. Prior to that, we’ve got meetings scheduled with neighborhood meetings,” Krause said.

“I’ll be coming to Atlanta and in a week from Monday to attend these meetings and answer questions that the people may have and really just building support, which I believe that we have very strong support by the majority of the citizens of Forsyth County,” he added.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VaCaps Fan and AtlantaWhaler
Elliotte Friedman was asked by Biz and Whit about Arizona's immediate future (the league acknowledges the possibility that they may be elsewhere next season, that the issue is weighing on the players right now, and that Bettman will ultimately have to make the final call on that). The conversation then abruptly turns to expansion and Atlanta, and Friedman then gushes about how much sense it makes, especially with TNT being a long-term league partner.

 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: dj4aces, VaCaps Fan and AtlantaWhaler
nhlfan79 said:
Elliotte Friedman was asked by Biz and Whit about Arizona's immediate future (the league acknowledges the possibility that they may be elsewhere next season, that the issue is weighing on the players right now, and that Bettman will ultimately have to make the final call on that). The conversation then abruptly turns to expansion and Atlanta, and Friedman then gushes about how much sense it makes, especially with TNT being a long-term league partner.
Click to expand...

I mean - he's right - Atlanta makes sense and is a market the NHL would like to be in.

Problem is that's true of Arizona as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tucker3434 and dj4aces
nhlfan79 said:
"Problem"? There's no problem. The resolution of the Phoenix situation is 100% independent of future expansion to Atlanta. The league could have both cities if it wanted to. It's not either-or.
Click to expand...

No. See, that's kind of the point I was trying to make. It takes more than the league wanting a market in order to make it happen.

You still need a well-healed owner, and you need an arena. And unfortunately neither Phoenix nor Atlanta have that right now (arena that is).
 
Yukon Joe said:
No. See, that's kind of the point I was trying to make. It takes more than the league wanting a market in order to make it happen.

You still need a well-healed owner, and you need an arena. And unfortunately neither Phoenix nor Atlanta have that right now (arena that is).
Click to expand...

I think we're talking past each other. Atlanta doesn't need an NHL-ready arena right now, especially as they're not a potential short-term relocation destination.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sneakytitz and VaCaps Fan
nhlfan79 said:
Wow, today feels like a dam burst. Krause explains that the Thrashers "failed" because of location and prior ownership that only cared about the Hawks to the exclusion of the Thrashers, and vows that those mistakes won't happen again.

Click to expand...


I am sure that was music to Bettman's ears.

A million different ways to digest/interpret his words or candor in the interview, and just as easy to get excited (and Atlanta fans know all about getting their hearts broken), but, hey....I'm liking our chances for #33 or #34.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dj4aces, GreenHornet and VaCaps Fan
Yukon Joe said:
Looks like it's geo-locked - neither link works for me.
Click to expand...

Here, try this. Archive.org really is our friend!

nhlfan79 said:
"Problem"? There's no problem. The resolution of the Phoenix situation is 100% independent of future expansion to Atlanta. The league could have both cities if it wanted to. It's not either-or.
Click to expand...
While expansion and Arizona are two entirely different things, I'm pretty sure (but still can't find the exact article or quote, so I can't say it's a certainty) that the league wants the Arizona arena situation resolved -- one way or another -- before beginning the expansion process.

sneakytitz said:
I am sure that was music to Bettman's ears.

A million different ways to digest/interpret his words or candor in the interview, and just as easy to get excited (and Atlanta fans know all about getting their hearts broken), but, hey....I'm liking our chances for #33 or #34.
Click to expand...

I'm not excited yet... still cautiously optimistic. For me, excitement won't come until the franchise is actually awarded. While I definitely understand folks getting hyped up for the league to return, I'm not trying to have my heart broken :P
 
  • Like
Reactions: VaCaps Fan, AtlantaWhaler, GreenHornet and 1 other person
dj4aces said:
Here, try this. Archive.org really is our friend!


While expansion and Arizona are two entirely different things, I'm pretty sure (but still can't find the exact article or quote, so I can't say it's a certainty) that the league wants the Arizona arena situation resolved -- one way or another -- before beginning the expansion process.



I'm not excited yet... still cautiously optimistic. For me, excitement won't come until the franchise is actually awarded. While I definitely understand folks getting hyped up for the league to return, I'm not trying to have my heart broken :P
Click to expand...

36 years on this planet as an Atlanta sports fan and I still haven't learned how to be that realistic! Maybe in the next 36. lol
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: RoyalAir, dj4aces, VaCaps Fan and 1 other person
nhlfan79 said:
Elliotte Friedman was asked by Biz and Whit about Arizona's immediate future (the league acknowledges the possibility that they may be elsewhere next season, that the issue is weighing on the players right now, and that Bettman will ultimately have to make the final call on that). The conversation then abruptly turns to expansion and Atlanta, and Friedman then gushes about how much sense it makes, especially with TNT being a long-term league partner.

Click to expand...

Friedman was really being cautious about what he said in regards to Arizona.

But if you take anything from it. He pretty much confirms the league does have an alternative in place.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dj4aces
sneakytitz said:
36 years on this planet as an Atlanta sports fan and I still haven't learned how to be that realistic! Maybe in the next 36. lol
Click to expand...
Outside of the Thrashers as my 1b team, I'm a Detroit sports fan. If I'm not realistic bordering on pessimistic, I'm gonna be one very unhappy camper!
 
  • Like
Reactions: sneakytitz
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom