Potential Atlanta NHL Expansion Team Thread

[sneakytitz]

Man these hats look so good. Gonna have to get them all.

 

[GreenHornet]

I'll be on the lake Saturday night but I will be there Sunday with the familam.

Hoping to make it to Sunday's game. Saturday's game, BTW, will be telecast on Peachtree Sports Network (if you're able to get it).

 

[FlyguyOX]

The ECHL Atlanta Gladiators are bringing back the "Thrashers" for this weekend...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18NBcFMAN6/

I'd rather them bring back the Gwinnett Gladiators color scheme and branding and jerseys. It got so much worse when they became Atlanta. The original jerseys were fantastic.

Top scorer all time for the team Derek Nesbitt played with my brothers beer league team a few times a year or two ago lol.

 

[Lt Dan]

They need to name the team the Atlanta or Georgia Peaches and this needs to be their goal song

 

[BMN]

I'd rather them bring back the Gwinnett Gladiators color scheme and branding and jerseys. It got so much worse when they became Atlanta. The original jerseys were fantastic.

FWIW, the Gladiators have sucked since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators.

Made the playoffs eight out of 12 years as the Gwinnett Gladiators (including a Kelly Cup Finals appearance in 2006).

Made the playoffs two seasons out of eight (getting swept both times) since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators. This is probably a mean joke to make but *EVERY* night is a retro Thrashers night when you look at in those terms...

 

[sneakytitz]

FWIW, the Gladiators have sucked since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators.

Made the playoffs eight out of 12 years as the Gwinnett Gladiators (including a Kelly Cup Finals appearance in 2006).

Made the playoffs two seasons out of eight (getting swept both times) since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators. This is probably a mean joke to make but *EVERY* night is a retro Thrashers night when you look at in those terms...

To be fair, they rebranded not long after the Thrashers left since they were the only pro hockey team in town and the branding made sense. When Atlanta NHL 3.0 starts, yes, they need to go back to the Gwinnett Gladiators.

 

[FlyguyOX]

FWIW, the Gladiators have sucked since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators.

Made the playoffs eight out of 12 years as the Gwinnett Gladiators (including a Kelly Cup Finals appearance in 2006).

Made the playoffs two seasons out of eight (getting swept both times) since becoming the Atlanta Gladiators. This is probably a mean joke to make but *EVERY* night is a retro Thrashers night when you look at in those terms...

I (or my dad rather) was a season ticket holder the first few years of the teams existence. The place was normally pretty packed and the teams were great. It was a great product

 

[dj4aces]

I like the Glads, but I also look at them as a developmental team for a NHL organization, not an independent team in an independent league. When you view it under that lens, the number of reasons why they'd miss the playoffs (or fail to advance if they do make it) grows. Is it bad signings? Is it a shallow prospect pool from an AHL and/or NHL affiliate? Is it the Atlanta curse? Who knows?

 

[sneakytitz]

I like the Glads, but I also look at them as a developmental team for a NHL organization, not an independent team in an independent league. When you view it under that lens, the number of reasons why they'd miss the playoffs (or fail to advance if they do make it) grows. Is it bad signings? Is it a shallow prospect pool from an AHL and/or NHL affiliate? Is it the Atlanta curse? Who knows?

Tale as old as time, the second an ECHL goalie puts together a solid 10-15 game stretch, they're gone. Happened with Parks and Murdaca a few times and during some pivotal seasons recently. I predict it will happen with Haider next year. Glads will be solid in the first half, lose Haider, and we will be lucky to make it to the playoffs.

 

[nhlfan79]

Full house tonight. 9,400+ (capacity).

 

[nhlfan79]

I shot this during intermission.

 

[RBH]

 

[sneakytitz]

I shot this during intermission.

Remember when that guy on the FB group gave you shit for wearing a GLADS Thrashers jersey during a non-Thrashers night game? LOL.

IIRC, last night was the first Thrashers night win. Let's hope we even the series today. 2-2.

 

[nhlfan79]

Remember when that guy on the FB group gave you shit for wearing a GLADS Thrashers jersey during a non-Thrashers night game? LOL.

IIRC, last night was the first Thrashers night win. Let's hope we even the series today. 2-2.

That was another guy on the ice crew, not me! But yes, that was the dumbest self-own ever.

 

[nhlfan79]

Another giant crowd on Day #2.

 

[sneakytitz]

7300+ today, almost a sell out. Thrashers win. Last back to back Thrashers win since March 5/9th, 2011.

 

[RBH]

Gamesheet: Savannah at Atlanta - Mar 1, 2025

Gamesheet: Savannah at Atlanta - Mar 2, 2025

16k overall is a good weekend for the Gladiators

Also interesting to see how well Savannah has done in regards to attendance so far during their existence

ECHL 2025-01-25

 

[rojac]

Doesn't all this Atlanta Gladiators crap belong in the ECHL thread?

It's only very tangentially related to the potential Atlanta expansion situation.

 

[nhlfan79]

Doesn't all this Atlanta Gladiators crap belong in the ECHL thread?

It's only very tangentially related to the potential Atlanta expansion situation.

No, it's pretty clear we're not talking about the ECHL per se here. The relevance is about the dramatically spiked interest in a low-level minor league hockey team when they cosplay as Atlanta's former NHL franchise.

The big turnout this past weekend unequivocally confirms that there is significant and widespread interest in the NHL's impending returning here, despite what some seem to believe on these forums.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If done properly (and I have no reason to think it won't be this time), Atlanta 3.0 is going to blow away all the naysayers' expectations.