Daly: NHL met with multiple groups pursuing Atlanta expansion team
The NHL met with multiple groups looking to make Atlanta home to the league's 33rd franchise, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Krause Sports & Entertainment plans to build an 18,000-seat arena as part of a $3-billion development project in Forsyth County. Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, formed by ex-NHL player and current analyst Anson Carter, aims to build a rink on the site of North Point Mall - about 30 minutes from where the Thrashers used to play.
Since the July meetings, discussions with the NHL haven't advanced to the point where groups are making proposals, Daly noted. However, he said that starting construction on either project wasn't a prerequisite for bringing the expansion idea to NHL owners.
"It's definitely not 'shovels in the ground.' It is having a fully baked plan to propose," Daly said Tuesday. "I think both groups are aspirational in what they want to achieve and how they intend to get there, but we haven't gotten more than that. We need a plan that's a little more actionable than where we currently are."
Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Indianapolis, and New Orleans were reported in June as cities vying for an NHL team.
Atlanta served as home to two NHL teams in the past: the Flames for eight seasons before their move to Calgary in 1980, and the Thrashers for 11 seasons before their move to Winnipeg in 2011.
Daly said in 2023 that the league was open to the idea of returning to Atlanta despite past failures because "times have changed pretty dramatically."
The NHL expanded to 32 teams when it added franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle that began play in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
Daly believes hockey's talent pool is large enough to support additional clubs.
"I think we're fortunate because of our supply of players," Daly said. "We get players from more places. Elite-level players who are really skilled, really talented. We think that at the right time, and given the right circumstances, continuing to grow the league by adding additional franchises won't be an issue for us."