Atlanta NHL Expansion Race May Be on Brink of Being Decided – The Hockey Writers – Atlanta Thrashers

We might soon have a decision on a 34th NHL team. According to the Twitter/X account NHL to Atlanta, Krause Sports & Entertainment announced in a local press release that the funds for an expansion bid have been obtained and the bid has been submitted to the NHL.

As of Friday, the NHL has not confirmed whether they have received the bid. However, they have confirmed they have been in talks about an Atlanta-area expansion recently (‘NHL’s Bill Daly says expansion team in Houston or Austin could play by 2029-30,’ The Athletic, Aug. 22, 2026), and further confirmation came from Phoenix-based hockey reporter Craig Morgan, who had confirmation that the funding had been secured.

His report stated that the group was close to achieving this and labeled this report unsurprising. He added that the next NHL Board of Governors meeting will be held on Sept. 22 in New York.

An in-depth report of the plans and timeline for construction of The Gathering at South Forsyth was included in the news. A key note for the timeline is that the arena would be ready in time for the 2029-30 season. This would line up with the timeline for the potential second NHL team in Texas, likely Houston.

Signs that this was in the works first arose in June, when The Gathering at South Forsyth received key permits from the county to clear the way for construction. Krause Sports & Entertainment and their effort to bring the NHL back to the Atlanta metro market is led by Vernon Krause, a local auto dealership owner and former Atlanta Thrashers season ticket holder. This group has been publicly pushing for a team for the last couple of years.

Their primary competition has been Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment, which includes former NHL player and TV host Anson Carter. Their reported plan is to play at a new development that is part of the site at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Ga.

The Alpharetta City Council recently approved a zoning proposal that would pave the way for construction of the proposed development that includes a 20,000-seat NHL arena. Every part of the development hinges on an NHL team agreeing to play at the site by August 2031.

Of course, the NHL still has to take some very important steps. They have to review the bid and accept it. As part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Forsyth County, the arena cannot be built until the NHL approves the team. Otherwise, construction continues without it. Once they make that official, we’ll know for certain that it’s happening. However, the odds right now look good.

Development Timeline From Report

Based on the report, the first phase of construction started on Tuesday. Construction on the arena, per the report, and adjacent buildings will start once leveling of the site is complete and will take an estimated 27 months. The entire plan is expected to take between seven and 10 years.

On the early end, the area could be done by May 2029, explaining the presumption that the team could take the ice by 2029-30. Naturally, if the NHL has other plans, then this timeline would change too.

Could Anything Get in the Way of Krause’s Bid?

There is one major issue. Their local competitor is a minor, so if Krause beats the local competition in Atlanta, then they will likely win the bid. However, expansion into Arizona is still on the table.

Both markets are competing for an NHL franchise for the second time. The league is notably high on getting back to Arizona. They did everything they could to keep the Arizona Coyotes before deactivating them and moving their assets to Salt Lake City to form the Utah Mammoth. It’s possible the NHL could choose both cities in an effort to expand to 36 teams, but that’s just me spitballing ideas.

What helps Atlanta is the TV market. They’re just behind Houston as the seventh-largest TV market in the country. That likely will play a major role in the decision-making process. What also helps is that a new arena has been secured north of Atlanta. An arena has been a known sticky situation in Arizona. Naturally, this is considered key to Arizona getting another team (‘Will Arizona Coyotes come back? What one group is doing | Exclusive, Arizona Republic, Sept. 3, 2026).

We should see some new reports in the next few weeks or months. For now, Atlanta hockey fans have reason to be excited, even if they should be cautious until everything is official.