The Atlanta market has lost two NHL franchises.
The next step in determining whether Alpharetta, Georgia, which is about 30 miles north of Atlanta, can support a National Hockey League franchise has been taken. There will be a $150,000 study of the market by sports consulting firm CAA Icon with $75,000 of that money coming from The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau and the other $75,000 coming from The Alpharetta Development Authority. It would be a major upset if CAA Icon came back with a finding that Alpharetta could not support an NHL franchise when it releases its report in October. The Alpharetta Sports and Entertainment Group plans to redevelop the North Point Mall which would include an arena, practice and community facilities, a professional-level outdoor stadium for soccer and/or lacrosse, hotels, a performing venue, an esports facility, and various residential, retail, dining, conference and community spaces. The group would like an NHL franchise as the arena’s anchor tenant.
In 1971, the NHL awarded franchises to Long Island, New York and Atlanta investors. The Atlanta market has fizzled twice because one group of ownership in the 1970s didn’t have the cash needed for a franchise and sold the team in 1980 to a Calgary, Alberta business group which took the team to Canada and poor ownership groups in Atlanta doomed the expansion Thrashers franchise and the business moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2011. There have been expressions of interest from groups in Houston, Cincinnati and Omaha, Nebraska who want an NHL franchise and the NHL would like to return to the Phoenix-area if an arena is ever built in the market. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL is not expanding but if the right offer is made, the NHL will listen.
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