Atlanta Group Walks Back Report of Final NHL Expansion Bid
Krause Sports and Entertainment says talk of a submitted application was "premature and incomplete," and the NHL agrees it is nowhere near that stage.
The group trying to bring an NHL team to the Atlanta area has knocked down a report that its expansion bid was in the final stages.
A social media account, NHL to Atlanta, said on X on Friday that the project called The Gathering at South Forsyth had sent the league a final packet for approval. Vernon Krause, CEO of Krause Sports and Entertainment, the company leading the project, said in a statement Saturday that the post was inaccurate.
According to Krause, details from a recent community update that were later emailed out were "premature and incomplete, leading to inaccurate statements on social media."
"To clarify, the NHL has made no decisions with respect to our project, and we are not in the expansion application phase," he said.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, speaking to The Athletic, said the process was "not even remotely close to an application phase."
The Gathering at South Forsyth would put a multi-use arena and community space in Forsyth County, north of Atlanta. It is one of two arena efforts in the region. The other plan would turn North Point Mall in Alpharetta into an arena that could host an NHL team; Alpharetta's city council rezoned the mall site for an arena in late August. Neither group has been awarded a team.
In June, the NHL confirmed it is evaluating an expansion bid from The Friedkin Group, which has Houston or Austin in mind for a 33rd franchise. That project carries a $3.5 billion price tag covering the expansion fee and a new arena, with a decision expected before the end of 2026.
Atlanta has lost two NHL franchises. The Flames were there from 1972 until their 1980 move to Calgary, and the Thrashers from 1999 until they relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.
