The NHL reveals next potential expansion city
With Vegas and Seattle having come in and done so well for themselves early on, the NHL has confirmed that they're considering expansion at some point down the line. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly has said that the NHL doesn't have any imminent plans for relocation or expanding to 33 teams, but he did say that Atlanta could be a viable option - yet again.
Atlanta has had 2 previous opportunities to housing an NHL team, once back in 1972 as the Flames and once again in 1999 as the Thrashers. The Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980 and the Atlanta Thrashers turned into the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
Bill Daly on Atlanta's chances:
"I think some of the challenges that we've seen in the past in Atlanta can be overcome."
"I think times have changed pretty dramatically and the market demographics have changed pretty dramatically since the first time we went there and then again in 1999. I think a lot of bigger businesses are in Atlanta (now)."
One of the reasons why Daly believes that Atlanta can succeed is because of the recent success stories in Vegas and Seattle:
"There are potential markets that may be suitable for NHL hockey, so our policy is really an open-door policy."
"If you are interested and have a plan, come see us and certainly we'll evaluate it from there. If it becomes something our owners are interested in, we can pursue it. Nothing has risen to that level currently, but that could change."
With the NHL wanting to gain more exposure and to succeed in new places, they could look at the Atlanta Braves' move from downtown to a suburban area, which has bared quite a lot of fruit:
"I also think that rink location will be important with any decision to locate a franchise in Atlanta," he said. "I think if you use the Braves as an example, they struggled, as I understand it, attendance-wise for years, even though they had a very successful team on the field. Their latest stadium is in a perfect location and sells out regularly."
Keep an eye on Atlanta and even Salt Lake City as potential spots for a new NHL club in the future, but nothing is on the horizon just yet according to the deputy commissioner.
| POLL | ||
13 SEPTEMBRE | 128 ANSWERS The NHL reveals next potential expansion city Will the next NHL expansion team land in Atlanta? | ||
| Yes | 32 | 25 % |
| No | 96 | 75 % |
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