The Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment (ASE) Group, together with ex-NHL star and current broadcaster Anson Carter, have officially thrown their hat into the ring with plans to bring NHL action back to the Atlanta area.
Carter, who has called Atlanta home since 2009, is bullish about the city's prospects for hosting an NHL team again. He's been in talks with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the idea since 2019, aiming to reignite professional hockey in the Metro Atlanta area.
Moreover, Carter shared that ASE Group is collaborating with New York Life, a Fortune 100 company, on a project to create a versatile arena in Alpharetta, which is about 26 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
Atlanta has been home to NHL teams in the past; the Atlanta Flames hit the ice in 1972 before moving to Calgary, and the Atlanta Thrashers took up the mantle in 1999 only to relocate to Winnipeg in 2011, becoming the new Jets.
This push for a new Atlanta team is part of a broader trend of expansion interest within the NHL. Earlier this year, Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the NBA's Utah Jazz, also made a formal request to bring an NHL team to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Source: Puckreporter
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