Bring hockey to the A-Town! (Again)
That’s what the NHL is apparently thinking — it’s not giving up on Atlanta despite already having two failed expansion teams in the classic southern city. Speaking to ESPN, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Tuesday that the Big Peach could still have a future in professional hockey.
“I think some of the challenges that we’ve seen in the past in Atlanta can be overcome,” Daly said.
The NHL’s first team in the A came in 1972 when the Flames made the town their home before relocating to Calgary in 1980. In 1999, Atlanta had another chance at a hockey team when they had the Thrashers, but they jumped ship to become the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
Fast forward to 2023 and Daly thinks modern-day conditions in Atlanta can now have a team thrive in the city.
“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,” Daly said. “I think a lot of bigger businesses are in Atlanta [now].”
The first two attempts didn’t exactly work but that’s not keeping the NHL from kicking around the idea of returning to Atlanta. https://t.co/gGm6t5tvsA
— OutKick (@Outkick) September 13, 2023
God, I would love to see another hockey team in Atlanta.
Say what you want about the city and their relationship with the sport (though things appear to be different in 2023), but they had a couple of sexy brands in the “Atlanta Flames” and “Atlanta Thrashers.” So my whole thinking is…
If they had this:
And this:
Why shouldn’t we think the next Atlanta franchise isn’t going to be swagged out as well?
And that’s why you can’t help but to get excited about another NHL team in the A-Town.
Plus, I’m a southern boy in Florida who is neighbors with the Peach State and I have a daughter named Georgia, who is nicknamed Peach. (RELATED: It’s Becoming More And More Annoying (And Expensive) To Watch Sports, And America Needs To Revolt Before It’s Too Late)
You know how I do.