As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up

Josh Green

Tue, 05/13/2025 – 13:34

In a way, the metro ATL sweepstakes for pro hockey sound almost as feverish as the ongoing NHL playoffs. But regional groups seem to agree on one point—that a third time for Atlanta pro hockey could be a charm.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Friday news conference before the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs playoff semifinals game, said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here (the Flames and Thrashers) won’t count against the region, should an expansion move forward.

Bettman acknowledged the league has talked to “a couple of groups” striving to bring the NHL back to the metro, and he noted that Atlanta is a different market than when both previous teams fled north, in 1980 and 2011, respectively. But don’t hold your breath, ATL hockey fanatics: The NHL boss says there’s currently no timetable for any ownership group to submit applications, and the league hasn’t entered a formal expansion phase, as Atlanta News First relays.

The NHL reportedly won’t even vote on an expansion until ongoing negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement conclude.

The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

Three days before the NHL commissioner’s remarks last week, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a $150,000 study that will examine the viability of turning the moribund North Point Mall and surrounding parking lots into a pro-grade arena—and one that could thrive when hockey isn’t in season.

Recent overview of North Point Mall’s layout, uses, and occupancy. Courtesy of Trademark Property Company; 2021

Last spring, a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials and influential sports figures—including NHL broadcaster and former player Anson Carter, a longtime metro Atlanta resident—announced their intention to lure pro hockey to the mall site.

Time could be of the essence, however.

The commissioner’s remarks seem to have lit a fire underneath Vernon Krause, the car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment who’s been leading the charge to bring the NHL (and a massive, adjacent mixed-use district) to Forsyth County for the past two years.

Krause told 11Alive he’s preparing to travel to New York soon and formally pitch the NHL commissioner, who Krause feels could be edging the league closer to the point of voting on expansion to metro Atlanta.

How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The project is expected to cost in excess of $3 billion, with $1 billion of that funding the cornerstone arena that would also stage concerts and events.

Last year, Forsyth County leadership and citizen referendum voters OK’d plans for providing up to $225 million in future property taxes to help make The Gathering a reality—but only if the new district secures an NHL franchise.

A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

Krause noted that his team’s research shows pro hockey in Forsyth County would be well-supported.

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NHL commissioner hints at expansion prospects; Alpharetta and Forsyth ready possible pitches

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As summer approaches, metro Atlanta’s pro hockey sweepstakes heat up

Josh Green

Tue, 05/13/2025 – 13:34

As two different metro Atlanta groups work to put together inspired selling points and ironclad pitches, the National Hockey League’s top brass is acknowledging for the first time a third franchise in the Southeast’s largest market isn’t out of the question. In a way, the metro ATL sweepstakes for pro hockey sound almost as feverish as the ongoing NHL playoffs. But regional groups seem to agree on one point—that a third time for Atlanta pro hockey could be a charm. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Friday news conference before the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs playoff semifinals game, said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here (the Flames and Thrashers) won’t count against the region, should an expansion move forward. Bettman acknowledged the league has talked to “a couple of groups” striving to bring the NHL back to the metro, and he noted that Atlanta is a different market than when both previous teams fled north, in 1980 and 2011, respectively. But don’t hold your breath, ATL hockey fanatics: The NHL boss says there’s currently no timetable for any ownership group to submit applications, and the league hasn’t entered a formal expansion phase, as Atlanta News First relays. The NHL reportedly won’t even vote on an expansion until ongoing negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement conclude.

The future location of pregame (or it is pre-match) hoopla? The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

At least two north OTP factions are putting together plans to potentially develop NHL-grade stadiums and surround them with mixed-uses, in the vein of the Atlanta Braves’ successful The Battery formula. And both of them are making important moves as the off-season summer approaches. Three days before the NHL commissioner’s remarks last week, the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a $150,000 study that will examine the viability of turning the moribund North Point Mall and surrounding parking lots into a pro-grade arena—and one that could thrive when hockey isn’t in season.

Recent overview of North Point Mall’s layout, uses, and occupancy. Courtesy of Trademark Property Company; 2021

The contract was immediately channeled to a sports arena consulting firm that will weigh potential fan base and possible off-season uses, as WSB radio reported. The analysis is expected to take about five months to complete. Last spring, a group called Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group comprised of city officials and influential sports figures—including NHL broadcaster and former player Anson Carter, a longtime metro Atlanta resident—announced their intention to lure pro hockey to the mall site. Time could be of the essence, however.The commissioner’s remarks seem to have lit a fire underneath Vernon Krause, the car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment who’s been leading the charge to bring the NHL (and a massive, adjacent mixed-use district) to Forsyth County for the past two years. Krause told 11Alive he’s preparing to travel to New York soon and formally pitch the NHL commissioner, who Krause feels could be edging the league closer to the point of voting on expansion to metro Atlanta.

How the 100-acre project would be positioned where Ronald Reagan Boulevard meets Union Hill Road along Ga. Highway 400.The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

Krause’s grand vision—a 100-acre, stadium-anchored, live-work-play megaproject called The Gathering at South Forsyth, near the Fulton County line—tallied a significant win in January when the Forsyth County Commission voted to approve its required zoning. The project is expected to cost in excess of $3 billion, with $1 billion of that funding the cornerstone arena that would also stage concerts and events. Last year, Forsyth County leadership and citizen referendum voters OK’d plans for providing up to $225 million in future property taxes to help make The Gathering a reality—but only if the new district secures an NHL franchise.

A main street and retail corridor in the multi-billion-dollar proposal. The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, Nelson

The Gathering at South Forsyth; designs, SCI Architects

Krause told the news station his team has met key criteria—securing shovel-ready land, zoning, and county approval—for a “completed package” that could be potent when applying for an NHL expansion franchise beyond the current 32 teams. His lawyers continue to draft “definitive documents” to present to NHL brass, he told 11Alive.Krause noted that his team’s research shows pro hockey in Forsyth County would be well-supported. …Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram • OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)