Another group throws its hat in the ring for a potential National Hockey League expansion franchise.
On Tuesday, Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment (ASE) Group, partnered with former NHLer and current broadcaster Aaron Carter, released a public statement announcing its desire to bring an NHL team back to the Atlanta, Georgia area.
In a release, Carter said how great it would be to have an NHL team in his current residency.
“I’ve lived in Atlanta since 2009,” Carter said. “I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta. The ASE Group is a hockey-first ownership team. I have been in dialogue with Commissioner [Gary] Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market.”
Carter also stated that the ASE Group is partnering with Fortune 100 company New York Life, one of the largest life insurers in the world, to help create a multi-use development in Alpharetta, about 26 miles north of downtown Atlanta.
The league has already attempted to capitalize on the large Atlanta sports market. the Atlanta Flames entered the league in 1972, before leaving town after eight seasons. In 1999, the Atlanta Thrashers made their debut, but only lasted until 2011. Coincidentally, both ventures led to the franchises being moved to Canada, as the Flames made their way to Calgary, before the Thrashers became the new Winnipeg Jets.
This is not the first time an ownership group has expressed interest in bringing in an expansion team to the NHL this season. Back in January, Smith Entertainment Group — owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, among other properties — formally requested that the league begin an expansion process to bring a team to Salt Lake City, Utah.
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