NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about the possibility of expansion and the prospects of Atlanta picking up another franchise. The question comes on the heels of the massive expansion happening in Alpharetta with the construction of a $2B mixed-use development called "The Gathering" as the region pushes for another shot at a successful team.
Critics claim that Atlanta has already wasted two opportunities -- the Flames burned out after nine years and the Thrashers flew off to Winnipeg after 13, but those critics seem to be missing the mark in their comments.
"What [critics] don't understand is that has nothing to do with the fans not supporting hockey," Steak said about the misinformation that exists around why the Thrashers left Atlanta. "The ownership group was in desperate, dire straights because of their horrendous scenario. They just sold to the quickest bidder, which was Winnipeg, to get them out of town, make the money, and get out of ownership. In heartbeat, we would support hockey."
While Atlanta wasn't breaking any attendance records for the Thrashers, they were never the worst -- and that's despite the team's failures on the ice. They came to the city in 1999 and didn't surpass the .500 mark until 2006 or make the playoffs until 2007.
In the new era of NHL expansion, the rapid success of new franchises like the Golden Knights (2017) and the Kraken (2021) due to the revamped expansion draft rules leads us to believe that it wouldn't be nearly the issue that it was more than 20 years ago.
"You're going to have that stuff from our past [coming from critics] who don't do any research and don't realize that the Flames moved because the financial [problems], not because of support," Steak continued. "And then the Thrashers. They went 10 years and never went to a playoff game. Then they do go to the playoffs once and got swept 4-0.
"So please, do your homework before saying Atlanta can't support a team twice."
The booming size of this market, an arena with a surrounding area not dissimilar to the Battery, and a better ownership group are just a handful of reasons why hockey wouldn't just survive, but thrive in this city.
As of now, the NHL is not focused on expansion and Bettman has stated that it is not a priority for them right now. But if, and when, they do, they'd be foolish not to consider Atlanta.