The Atlanta Thrashers are long gone but a new group of investors would like to bring the NHL back to town.
Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment, which former NHL player Anson Carter leads, released a statement Tuesday saying they have begun the process of trying to get the NHL to award an expansion franchise to Alpharetta, Georgia, which is 40 minutes north of Atlanta.
Per the announcement, Carter, who now works as an NHL analyst for Sportsnet and TNT, says that his partners in the group include Neil Leibman of Top Tier Sports, Peter Simon of Simon Sports, and Aaron Zeigler of Zeigler Entertainment Group.
“I’ve lived in Atlanta since 2009, and I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta,” Carter said in a statement. “…I have been in dialogue with commissioner (Gary) Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors.”
The letter adds that Alpharetta has “the largest hockey-playing community in Metro Atlanta” and says the arena will be part of a “visionary development at the North Point Mall site” that will include an outdoor stadium for soccer or lacrosse, hotels, dining options, an esports venue, and community and practice facilities.
Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin and Fulton County Commission chairman Robb Pitts have offered their support of the project.
If approved, this would be the third attempt at putting an NHL franchise in the Atlanta market. The Atlanta Flames played there between 1972 and 1980 before leaving to become the Calgary Flames. The Thrashers called Atlanta home between 1999 and 2011 before becoming the current iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.
The NHL currently has 32 franchises, having most recently expanded in 2021-2022 when the Seattle Kraken joined the league.
Carter’s Atlanta group now joins Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith as those expressing interest in the next NHL expansion franchise.
Carter played for eight NHL teams between 1996 and 2007, including the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. After retiring, he joined NBC Sports as an analyst and is currently an analyst for NHL on TNT, Sportsnet, and MSG Network. He is also co-owner of the Atlanta Gladiators, a minor league hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.