NHL open to another expansion franchise in Atlanta (Columbus, Macon: construction, move to)

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by primaltech

The Islanders and the Ducks both play just outside the core cities of the 2 largest metro areas in our country.

Atlanta is the current 8th largest, soon to be 6th largest metro area in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrop...atistical_area

If there are 32 NHL teams, surely it makes sense that Atlanta should have one. Especially if Florida has 2 teams, Nashville has a team, and even Raleigh has a team. Ice hockey does fine in the South. Which it makes sense that indoor, air conditioned type sports would. Yeah the ponds don't freeze in the winter and whatever, but there's a such thing as ice skating rinks.

Columbus has an NHL team, and that's the 32nd largest metro. Population just a bit over 2 million. Atlanta is a much larger media market.

The demand is there for an Atlanta team. The problems and team desertions before, were largely ownership and management related. It's fair to mention them, but IMO they should not be used as examples that a third team could not do just fine there.

Seattle was never a hockey city, but we just got the Kraken here, and they've been a huge hit. And in only their second season did well in the playoffs.

The naysayers were definitely proven wrong about Atlanta United.

Absolutely agreed!

[2020's YouTube Vlog]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

I agree that having a future Atlanta NHL franchise play its home games in an existing large mixed-use development and entertainment complex like the Battery would be ideal.

But unfortunately the prospect of a future Atlanta NHL franchise playing its games at the Battery would be highly unlikely to happen because: 1) The investors pushing to bring an NHL franchise back to the Atlanta market very much appear to want said future Atlanta NHL franchise to play at its own high revenue-generating Battery-type large mixed-use entertainment complex, and 2) The Atlanta Braves most assuredly don’t want to share the robust amounts of revenue that their existing Battery mixed-use entertainment complex is generating for them with a future Atlanta NHL franchise.

The Atlanta Braves want (and given the economics of Major League Baseball very likely pretty much need) to keep all of the revenue that the Battery mixed-use entertainment complex is generating for them… And a future Atlanta NHL franchise wants its own large Battery-type mixed-use entertainment complex that will generate massive amounts of revenue that they will be able to keep all for themselves.

The battery is crowded enough with the Braves.

If they're going to build an NHL arena with a complex, they should build it in a different area. It's not like basketball which often shares their arena with hockey teams in many cities.

[2020's YouTube Vlog]

Originally Posted by primaltech

The Islanders and the Ducks both play just outside the core cities of the 2 largest metro areas in our country.

Atlanta is the current 8th largest, soon to be 6th largest metro area in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrop...atistical_area

If there are 32 NHL teams, surely it makes sense that Atlanta should have one. Especially if Florida has 2 teams, Nashville has a team, and even Raleigh has a team. Ice hockey does fine in the South. Which it makes sense that indoor, air conditioned type sports would. Yeah the ponds don't freeze in the winter and whatever, but there's a such thing as ice skating rinks.

Columbus has an NHL team, and that's the 32nd largest metro. Population just a bit over 2 million. Atlanta is a much larger media market.

The demand is there for an Atlanta team. The problems and team desertions before, were largely ownership and management related. It's fair to mention them, but IMO they should not be used as examples that a third team could not do just fine there.

Seattle was never a hockey city, but we just got the Kraken here, and they've been a huge hit. And in only their second season did well in the playoffs.

The naysayers were definitely proven wrong about Atlanta United.

Plenty Sun Belt cities have embraced hockey. Yes the ones in the southeast you mentioned, but also Dallas and Las Vegas has really gotten behind their NHL teams.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by 2020's YouTube Vlog

The battery is crowded enough with the Braves.

If they're going to build an NHL arena with a complex, they should build it in a different area. It's not like basketball which often shares their arena with hockey teams in many cities.

Lol. They’re going to build an NHL arena with a revenue-generating complex in a different area, all right… An area which many metro Atlantans who live south of the top end of the I-285 Perimeter probably may not necessarily like in far north side OTP along the Georgia 400 corridor in Forsyth County.

[2020's YouTube Vlog]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Lol. They’re going to build an NHL arena with a revenue-generating complex in a different area, all right… An area which many metro Atlantans who live south of the top end of the I-285 Perimeter probably may not necessarily like in far north side OTP along the Georgia 400 corridor in Forsyth County.

I'm personally not crazy about the location that they seem to be choosing. I was just pointing out that I think the Battery, and the area around it, is already too crowded at present.

In my pipe dream of serious rail being built there ever came true, I'd feel different. But the current infrastructure over there is already a traffic nightmare.

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Then please explain the Lightnings wild success.

That’s very easy! A lot of transplants from Canada, New England, the Northeast, and the Midwest had grown up with the team and supported them throughout the years after giving up their old loyalties to the northern NHL teams. The same can’t be said for the two Atlanta NHL teams that have been in Atlanta. Plus demographics play a huge role as to why the Tampa Bay Lightning have been hugely successful over the Atlanta Thrashers!

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by primaltech

The Islanders and the Ducks both play just outside the core cities of the 2 largest metro areas in our country.

Atlanta is the current 8th largest, soon to be 6th largest metro area in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrop...atistical_area

First of all, how can you be sure Atlanta will have the 6th largest MSA?

Also, the first quote already mentioned that the Isles and the Ducks play on the fringes of their core cities!!!

Originally Posted by primaltech

If there are 32 NHL teams, surely it makes sense that Atlanta should have one. Especially if Florida has 2 teams, Nashville has a team, and even Raleigh has a team. Ice hockey does fine in the South. Which it makes sense that indoor, air conditioned type sports would. Yeah the ponds don't freeze in the winter and whatever, but there's a such thing as ice skating rinks.

Columbus has an NHL team, and that's the 32nd largest metro. Population just a bit over 2 million. Atlanta is a much larger media market.

The demand is there for an Atlanta team. The problems and team desertions before, were largely ownership and management related. It's fair to mention them, but IMO they should not be used as examples that a third team could not do just fine there.

Seattle was never a hockey city, but we just got the Kraken here, and they've been a huge hit. And in only their second season did well in the playoffs.

The naysayers were definitely proven wrong about Atlanta United.

It also makes a lot of sense for Quebec City and even Hamilton, ON to have an NHL team before Atlanta, since ice hockey is Canada’s game and it’s assured that there will always be fan support for ice hockey.

Columbus is a fair weather market, and Nashville has shown some support for its hockey team. The biggest I’ve hockey fans in the South has always been in FL due to the playoff successes of the Lightning and the Panthers. Atlanta has been an outlier only because fan support just hasn’t been as strong to support the Flames and the Thrashers. A novelty, yes, but the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, and especially NASCAR is popular in Atlanta and Charlotte for a reason: fan support!

And just because Atlanta is the 8th largest market doesn’t make it suitable for hockey, and if that was the case, then why doesn’t Houston, which is a much bigger market, have an ice hockey team as we speak?

[2020's YouTube Vlog]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

That’s very easy! A lot of transplants from Canada, New England, the Northeast, and the Midwest had grown up with the team and supported them throughout the years after giving up their old loyalties to the northern NHL teams. The same can’t be said for the two Atlanta NHL teams that have been in Atlanta. Plus demographics play a huge role as to why the Tampa Bay Lightning have been hugely successful over the Atlanta Thrashers!

Also winning a few Stanley Cups in a row, and like 4 since 2000, doesn't hurt either.

[ggplicks]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

That’s very easy! A lot of transplants from Canada, New England, the Northeast, and the Midwest had grown up with the team and supported them throughout the years after giving up their old loyalties to the northern NHL teams. The same can’t be said for the two Atlanta NHL teams that have been in Atlanta. Plus demographics play a huge role as to why the Tampa Bay Lightning have been hugely successful over the Atlanta Thrashers!

elaborate

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

That’s very easy! A lot of transplants from Canada, New England, the Northeast, and the Midwest had grown up with the team and supported them throughout the years after giving up their old loyalties to the northern NHL teams. The same can’t be said for the two Atlanta NHL teams that have been in Atlanta. Plus demographics play a huge role as to why the Tampa Bay Lightning have been hugely successful over the Atlanta Thrashers!

With the exception of Canada, the exact same thing can be said of Atlanta. And Atlanta also has multiple High Schools with hockey teams, something found in very few Southern Metro's. The Thrashers had a LOT of support here, the bad management of the Team is a widely known fact.