Atlanta
You knew it was coming. It’s the city so nice the NHL left it twice! The NHL’s first attempt at a hockey team in the American South came in 1972 with the Atlanta Flames. In their eight seasons in Atlanta, the Flames made the playoffs six times.
Attendance had started strong but began to fall. Politicians and players began buying tickets to try to stabilize finances and the fact their arena didn’t have luxury suites made it harder for the team to generate revenue. They lasted until 1980 when they moved to Calgary to become the Calgary Flames.
The NHL tried again with the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. Like the Flames, the Thrashers shared an arena with their NBA counterparts the Atlanta Hawks. In 11 seasons in Atlanta, the Thrashers only had one playoff appearance and three winning seasons.
We all know the Thrashers moved in the 2012 offseason to become the second version of the Winnipeg Jets.
As to why they moved, Dan Cunning wrote a very interesting article that pinned down a main reason: a dysfunctional ownership group with financial problems that didn’t care about the team in the slightest.
The Thrashers have grown a somewhat cult following since leaving. The local ECHL team the Atlanta Gladiators hosts an extremely popular Thrashers-themed night.
A parody Twitter account was set up to keep the Thrashers brand alive. There’s even a podcast “Live From Blueland” by Atlanta hockey fan Erris Brown covering the NHL.
Could the NHL be coming to Atlanta a third time? Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, featuring former NHL player turned NHL on TNT host Anson Carter, has officially requested an expansion team from the NHL for the Atlanta area.
A new arena is being planned 25 miles away from Atlanta, so this new franchise would follow suit of MLB’s Atlanta Braves and move into the suburbs.
If the NHL grants an expansion franchise to Phoenix, that increases Atlanta’s chances. Maybe the third time will be the charm with an ownership group that does the bare minimum of caring about its team.