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A group led by former NHL player Anson Carter has launched a campaign to bring a potential NHL expansion franchise to Atlanta.
Carter, a veteran of 10 NHL seasons with eight different teams, partnered with Atlanta-based Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment (ASE) Group to release a public statement on March 12 announcing their desire to bring an NHL team back to the city. Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman posted the full statement on X:
Carter, the co-chair of the NHL’s Player Inclusion Coalition who also works as an NHL analyst for Sportsnet and TNT, described the ASE Group as a “hockey-first ownership team” and said his partners include Neil Leibman of Top Tier Sports, Peter Simon of Simon Sports and Aaron Zeigler of Zeigler Entertainment Group.
NHL Expansion Request Accompanies Construction of Multi-Use Development North of Atlanta
Carter also announced that the ASE Group is partnering with Fortune 100 insurance company New York Life to help create a multi-use development in Alpharetta, about 26 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
The statement described Alpharetta as “the largest hockey-playing community in Metro Atlanta” and that the arena will be part of a “visionary development at the North Point Mall site.” In addition to an NHL hockey rink, the proposed development will also include an outdoor stadium for soccer or lacrosse, a hotel, retail, a performing arts venue, an esports venue, as well as community and practice facilities.
“I’ve lived in Atlanta since 2009, and I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta,” Carter said in the statement. “… I have been in dialogue with Commissioner [Gary] Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that the NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors.”
Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin has also expressed his support for the project, saying that the city is “excited for the possibility to be home to NHL hockey, one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports experiences in the world.” Gilvin also added that he has been “impressed with [Carter’s] vision and passion for growing hockey.”
More Context on NHL Expansion and Hockey’s History in Atlanta
This would not be the first time the NHL has tried to establish a foothold in the Atlanta area. The Atlanta Flames entered the league in 1972, leaving town after eight seasons to become the current-day Calgary Flames. The Atlanta Thrashers made their debut in 1999 and lasted until 2011, when they became the current-day Winnipeg Jets.
Carter and ASE are also not the first to express their desires for NHL expansion this season. They join Smith Entertainment Group — owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, among other properties — who formally requested that the league begin an expansion process to bring a team to Salt Lake City, Utah, back in January.
The NHL currently has 32 teams divided evenly into four divisions of eight. The most recent expansion franchise was the Seattle Kraken, which started play in the 2021-22 season. Prior to that, the Vegas Golden Knights became the league’s 31st team and began play in the 2017-18 season.