While I realize news of the potential relocation of the Thrashers is relatively new (And still to be confirmed) I am wondering if Atlanta still has a hockey future.
Would it make sense for an NHL team to relocate their AHL affiliate there?
If so, is the current Thrasher fanbase something the AHL could work with or would the league need to take a completely new approach to building a successful operation there?
I don't believe that it does. There is already an ECHL team out there that can satisfy the hockey market. It also widens the footprint for the AHL that is already being stretched. Since there are many teams that don't want or cannot afford to travel, widening the footprint would hurt those teams.
__________________
The Chicago Wolves = 2008 Calder Cup Champions!
If the Thrashers do in fact move, I would love an Atlanta AHL team. Atlanta is only 4 hours away down I-85 from Charlotte and would create an instant rivalry.
I get the travel argument but Atlanta has one of the nation's biggest airport hubs. I'm not sure how often AHL teams do fly but I think the Checkers did a couple of times this season not including the playoffs.
You do have some AHL teams playing in NBA Arenas, so I mean it could work. There is an ECHL Team(hoowever they should be in the AHL with how gigantic that building is) Maybe if they teamed up on an affiliation together, it could work. I know they affiliated before but Atlanta/Gwinnett hardly worked together, it was more of Gwinnett/Chicago, and Chicago doesn't work well with others apparently.
That area is big enough that i would consider 2 minor league teams something worth an attempt.
If the Thrashers do in fact move, I would love an Atlanta AHL team. Atlanta is only 4 hours away down I-85 from Charlotte and would create an instant rivalry.
I get the travel argument but Atlanta has one of the nation's biggest airport hubs. I'm not sure how often AHL teams do fly but I think the Checkers did a couple of times this season not including the playoffs.
Won't happen. ASG also owns the arena and the Hawks and the reason they want to get rid of the thrashers is so they can use those dates for more lucrative events such as concerts and disney on ice.
Won't happen. ASG also owns the arena and the Hawks and the reason they want to get rid of the thrashers is so they can use those dates for more lucrative events such as concerts and disney on ice.
They can't get lucrative concerts now? Like during the summer? Disney on Ice? Lame, even my hometown with a 4K seater can get that lame act in.
why not just play them in the current ECHL arena? It seats 11,500 people.
Your proposing for an AHL Team there, correct? I don't think it would work if you went the Atlanta route with that. Gwinnett and Atlanta aren't even in the same county. I doubt your big city folk of Atlanta are gunna drive in horrible Atlanta, GA traffic to watch a team in Gwinnett(Duluth, GA) to watch a team called the Atlanta something or others. I think Gwinnett itself could work, but I think it would have to be a team for Gwinnett such as the Gladiators and NOT a team for the city of Atlanta)
It's amazing they have the fan base for the AHL but not the NHL...
find a way to get the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators to the AHL and move the franchise from Gwinnett to Atlanta. I really don't think long term that area can support 2 teams, however if the 1 option as Gwinnett is the only one I don't see that working long term, atleast...not with the help of the Atlanta folk.
Any attempt to put a hockey team in Philips Arena while the current owners that ran the Thrashers into the ground still own Philips will be an utter failure.
I would not be surprised to see both an AHL and ECHL team in the metro Atlanta area, the area can easily support an NHL team that is managed and owned by people that care about the on ice product. The ECHL team was one of the best supported in the league while the Thrashers were in town, mainly because the owners of the team gave a crap about the team and their fans.
Or they just have the biggest arena in the league? Not many teams in the league have arenas even at 9K. I think the new Chicago team is the only other one out East. My hometown team in 4 seasons in the league has lead the league in sellouts every season totaing I think 36. Granted we only have a 4K seater. But attendance is overrated. You have one sellout crowd of 11,500 you could draw around 4 or 5K on a gamely basis the rest of the year and because of that one night you will still have a nice year attendance wise, which many teams can't even afford to begin with...
Who owns the Phillips Arena now? Is it still Sprint?
Rumor had it a group put in a 500 million dollar offer to buy the Arena, Hawks and Thrashers...but negotiations with Manitoba were well under way.
I'll bite into a different direction that just crossed my mind. Travel. Nobody is exactly close to Atlanta, not even Charlotte. Gwinnett has this same issue in the ECHL with SC, Florida and Greenville(though Greenville gives some relief they recently hadn't had.) Would it make sense to instead of thinking of franchises moving West, moving them South? Find a way to maybe get some of the northeast dying AHL markets into the ECHL and find a way for teams in these Southern cities to get into the AHL? An Atlanta/Gwinnett rivalry would be kind of cool. This would give charlotte a couple of teams as well. Personally the ECHL setup for Southern teams is dumb because most of the teams in the East are in the Northeast geographical area(except for Kalamazoo and newly added Chicago, but these teams are far closer to the others then the Southern teams are.)
It's amazing they have the fan base for the AHL but not the NHL...
find a way to get the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators to the AHL and move the franchise from Gwinnett to Atlanta. I really don't think long term that area can support 2 teams, however if the 1 option as Gwinnett is the only one I don't see that working long term, atleast...not with the help of the Atlanta folk.
you don't need to sell out every game to be successful in the AHL like you do in the NHL, if you average 7-8k fans in the AHL you're in the top 5 for attendance, Atlanta could probably do that
you don't need to sell out every game to be successful in the AHL like you do in the NHL, if you average 7-8k fans in the AHL you're in the top 5 for attendance, Atlanta could probably do that
True, but how long would they accept the quality of lower level play?
True, but how long would they accept the quality of lower level play?
Well, an even lower ECHL team has been averaging over 5k for years. The Preds AHL team in Milwaukee averages under 4k. I would love to get Nashville's farm team here.
what other teams are they going to watch? There's no colleges with hockey down there, NHL is the only better league and they would have to take a trip to FL, TN, or NC to watch a game .. at least with a team there, it will give the hockey fans something to watch in person, ticket prices would be lower too which would make it easier for families to come (not that Thrashers tickets were very high to begin with) .... that being said, your point is noted, it would be interesting to see just how many fans are down there who would watch a minor league team in person over watching an NHL game at home or a bar, etc
The Preds AHL team in Milwaukee averages under 4k. I would love to get Nashville's farm team here.
What? The Admirals have never averaged under 4,000. The lowest their attendance has ever been was 4,574 and that was after the owner died and the team was put in a trust with little money to promote them. They averaged over 9,000 from 92-93 to 95-96 and have been between 5,300 and 6,000 since new ownership took over.
what other teams are they going to watch? There's no colleges with hockey down there, NHL is the only better league and they would have to take a trip to FL, TN, or NC to watch a game .. at least with a team there, it will give the hockey fans something to watch in person, ticket prices would be lower too which would make it easier for families to come (not that Thrashers tickets were very high to begin with) .... that being said, your point is noted, it would be interesting to see just how many fans are down there who would watch a minor league team in person over watching an NHL game at home or a bar, etc
Actually that is not true about the colleges. I'm pretty sure UGA, Tech and Kennesaw each have a team. Granted nobody but the students probably knows this but that is a different story. As to Atlanta being able to support an AHL team, well we did support an IHL team before getting the Thrashers and that team was in the playoffs each year it was here and won the Turner cup in its second year.
Or they just have the biggest arena in the league? Not many teams in the league have arenas even at 9K. I think the new Chicago team is the only other one out East. My hometown team in 4 seasons in the league has lead the league in sellouts every season totaing I think 36. Granted we only have a 4K seater. But attendance is overrated. You have one sellout crowd of 11,500 you could draw around 4 or 5K on a gamely basis the rest of the year and because of that one night you will still have a nice year attendance wise, which many teams can't even afford to begin with...
Who owns the Phillips Arena now? Is it still Sprint?
Rumor had it a group put in a 500 million dollar offer to buy the Arena, Hawks and Thrashers...but negotiations with Manitoba were well under way.
Sprint has never owned Philips Arena. The Atlanta Spirit Group(ASG) owns the operating rights to the arena right now along with the Atlanta Hawks.
Sprint has never owned Philips Arena. The Atlanta Spirit Group(ASG) owns the operating rights to the arena right now along with the Atlanta Hawks.
Ahh, thank you. I knew it was something of an S. sorry i mixed them up, I knew it was Spirit, i'm not sure why i posted Sprint. I guess both things are so irrelevant to my life that neither thing really means anything to me, lol
the way it works now an existing team has to be moved just as the Thrashers were to WPG, NOT likely you're going to see the expansion route if the cap is 30 in both leagues, not to mention the existing problems as the Thrashers/Jets/TNSE is having to set up 2 franchises in 2 different markets for October....
What? The Admirals have never averaged under 4,000. The lowest their attendance has ever been was 4,574 and that was after the owner died and the team was put in a trust with little money to promote them. They averaged over 9,000 from 92-93 to 95-96 and have been between 5,300 and 6,000 since new ownership took over.
Apologies. You are correct .I didn't notice it was the playoff attendance and not regular season. 5,796 in the regular season and 3,563 in the playoffs.
