NHL Open to Return to Atlanta

It's a matter of when, not if, the NHL begins its next round of expansion, and a familiar city may be at the top of the shortlist.

When speaking to reporters at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida on Friday night, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman only added fuel to the rumors that the league is considering a return to Atlanta.

“It’s a different place than when the Flames and the Thrashers left, in terms of how big the city is, how robust it is, the sporting interest,” Bettman said, per Sportsnet. “I don't think the prior two visits have any bearing on whether or not we would go back — if all the other pieces that are referred to were put together.”

Two NHL teams have previously called Atlanta home, but didn't last long in the Peach State. The Atlanta Flames began play in 1972, but relocated to Calgary in 1980. Later on, the Atlanta Thrashers began play in 1999, but relocated to Winnipeg and became the Jets in 2011.

If the NHL is going to return to Atlanta, then it needs to ensure that it has stable ownership in place. Luckily, a strong candidate may be waiting in the wings.

Vernon Krause, who owns many car dealerships in the southeastern U.S., told 11 Alive News earlier this week that his group is nearly ready to present a "completed package" to Bettman and co.

“The next step is for us to go up to New York and meet with the commissioner of the NHL and show them what we have in place with the county in hopes that they vote for expansion,” Krause said.

“There’s certain criteria that we have to meet to even apply for an expansion franchise. And that was purchasing land, getting the zoning that we needed. Both of those have been accomplished. Once we got the county vote, getting definitive documents done, which our lawyers are working on, that we can present to the NHL, talking with our investors that we’ve been talking with over the last couple of years, being able to present what I would call a completed package to the NHL.”

Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, a competing ownership group led by former NHL player and TNT analyst Anson Carter, is also working on a proposal to submit to the league. However, Krause is "very confident" his group will be the one to bring hockey back to Atlanta.

“If other competitors have land, we don't know about it at this point,” he said. “We think we're in a good place.”

The NHL does not yet have a timetable in place for expansion, but at this point, it seems inevitable that it will happen eventually. Despite its rocky past, Atlanta seems like a prime destination for a new franchise.