Former NHL player Anson Carter is leading a bid to bring an expansion team to Atlanta. The city has been without NHL hockey since 2011, when the Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg.
The official bid is led by Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, a coalition made up of Carter, business leaders, and other backers.
“The ASE Group is a hockey-first ownership team, which will include partners Neil Leibman (Top Tier Sports), Peter Simon (Simon Sports), and Aaron Zeigler (Zeigler Automotive Group), all of whom have a tremendous passion for our sport,” said Carter through a press release shared by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman today.
The bid wishes to place the team in Alpharetta, an area north of downtown Atlanta. This would be a major difference from past NHL teams that called the city home. The Thrashers played right downtown in an arena shared with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
“The arena’s location is pivotal to enhancing the hockey fan experience, with Alpharetta boasting the largest hockey-playing community in Metro Atlanta,” continues the press release put forward by the group. “Spearheaded by Mr. Carter, this ambitious project will introduce a world-class destination featuring a state-of-the-art arena designed by architectural legend Frank Gehry, primed for NHL hockey and premier concerts.”
“The City of Alpharetta is excited for the possibility to be home to NHL hockey, one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports experiences in the world,” said Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin in the same press release. “Our city is at the geographic center of the fan base in Metro Atlanta. Easy access provided by Georgia Highway 400 and planned expansion of MARTA public transit in Alpharetta guarantees hockey fans an easy commute and a world-class experience.”
Carter played a total of 674 NHL games across eight teams, including the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. He finished his career with 202 goals and 219 assists for a total of 421 points.
Atlanta has already been home to an NHL team multiple times in the past. The Atlanta Flames competed in the league from 1972 to 1980 before moving to Calgary. Later, the Atlanta Thrashers competed from 1999 to 2011 before relocating to Winnipeg.
The city was mentioned by league commissioner Gary Bettman at this year’s All-Star Weekend when he was discussing expansion.
The last expansion team added by the NHL was the Seattle Kraken, who debuted at the start of the 2021-22 season. The expansion fee for the club was $650 million.