Is the NHL willing to give Atlanta a third chance? If you ask two of ESPN’s top hockey personalities, the answer may be trending toward yes. Between their confidence and talk of a new arena project in the area, 92.9 The Game’s Steak Shapiro says local hockey fans have reason to be excited.
Kevin Weekes tweeted on Sunday that he is on the lookout for an announcement about a new arena on the north side of the city that would be “large enough to house a hockey team”. This comes about a month and a half after John Buccigross tweeted that the area should “stay tuned”.
“Hockey in Atlanta is a no-friggin-brainer, particularly as you go farther north,” Shapiro told co-host Sandra Golden on Monday when discussing the rumors.
Golden reached out to a contact at the NHL league office. That person sent Golden this statement: “If the referendum vote doesn’t go through next month, then the Coyotes are done. They don’t have an arena, so they’re going to have to relocate that team. A lot of markets, Houston, Atlanta, and an additional Canadian city will all be in the mix. So many factors: ownership is one, an appropriate arena, proof of long-term fan interest, and the ability to maintain the team. Never say never, of course. No expansion right now, only relocation. If the vote is yes, the Coyotes will stay in Arizona.”
With no expansion being discussed, Golden said her enthusiasm is dampened. While the Coyotes have had trouble drumming up support in the Phoenix area, the proposal that will be voted on next month has a new arena as the anchor of a new entertainment district in the city. That could make keeping the team more attractive.
The Flames were in the city for eight seasons before moving to Calgary in 1980. The Thrashers were in the city for twelve years before moving to Winnipeg to become the Jets. Despite that history, the current track record of hockey in the South is pretty good. Teams in Tampa, Carolina, and Nashville have built dedicated fanbases and Atlanta is significantly larger than all of them.
“They are thriving, these franchises,” Shapiro said. “Of course we can support an NHL franchise. We’re at millions more folks than when we lost the Thrashers. Does this get me excited? Beyond excited!”
