Report: NHL Expansion Leaning Toward Southern City in $3 Billion Splash

The National Hockey League has experienced massive success with its two recent expansions into Seattle and Las Vegas and is already thinking about adding more franchises to the fold.

Atlanta is once again at the forefront of NHL expansion talks, and according to a September 17 report by Sportsnet's Scott Burnside , one crucial factor is making the city a top contender: proper facilities and a major financial commitment to building a new arena.

The NHL added the Golden Knights and the Kraken to the league as the 31st and 32nd franchises in the past 10 years. Most recently, the league relocated the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, creating the new Utah Hockey Club.

Now attention has shifted to potential future expansion with Houston and Atlanta leading the race for becoming the league's 33rd team. Atlanta's backing and the plans for a new arena have set it apart and put the East Coast city in pole position.

The city's previous relationship with the league, hosting the Atlanta Flames and Atlanta Thrashers franchises, ultimately failed, but this time, a better arena location and more robust ownership could make the difference.

Burnside detailed how Vernon Krause, a billionaire automotive mogul, and his group are pushing to bring NHL hockey back to Atlanta.

Frank Ferrara, Krause’s right-hand man, has been working closely with the local hockey community, including former NHL player Tim Ecclestone, to ensure the city's bid is as strong as possible.

"Ferrara is now the right-hand man to Krause, the main investor hoping to land an expansion franchise (in) Atlanta," Burnside wrote. "Ecclestone shared his enthusiasm for the project and his belief that NHL hockey could and would thrive in Atlanta given proper ownership and a better arena location."

One of the biggest reasons Atlanta has emerged as a favorite is the financial backing to cover the hefty $1 billion expansion fee.

On top of that, the group leading the charge has committed to building a state-of-the-art arena, with $225 million already earmarked for the project. However, the total cost for the new arena is expected to hit $3 billion, bringing the total price tag to around $4 billion for the expansion and arena project combined.

"The Gathering development, which covers 100 acres, is expected to cost around $3 billion: $1 billion for the arena itself, with $2 billion for the surrounding development," Burnside reported. "That’s a $3-billion commitment before the NHL expansion fee."

This is a significant investment, but Atlanta's status as one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in the U.S., along with its teams in other major sports leagues, makes it an appealing market for the NHL.

Burnside noted that while cities like Houston or Quebec City might already have arenas in place, Atlanta’s backing and plans for a new facility could make it the ideal choice.

The challenge, however, remains in securing the rest of the funding for the arena and ensuring the team will have long-term viability in a city where hockey hasn’t succeeded before.

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