The NHL landscape is on the verge of a dramatic transformation as the league takes a bold step toward expanding its footprint once again. In a move that has electrified fans and insiders alike, Atlanta has emerged as the frontrunner to become the home of the NHL’s newest franchise. With prominent player agent Allan Walsh confirming the news and the Krause Group making their intentions official, excitement is building across the hockey world.

This development comes after weeks of speculation and careful consideration by league officials, who have emphasized the importance of strong ownership, a solid market, and a state-of-the-art arena in any expansion bid. As the city of Atlanta prepares for its third shot at hosting an NHL team, anticipation is growing that this time, the stars may finally align for long-term success.

Photo credit: NHL

The prominent NHL player agent Allan Walsh confirmed the NHL will be expanding to Atlanta.

This comes just weeks after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged that the league had received interest from multiple groups regarding expansion.

At the time, Bettman emphasized that any new franchise would need to meet four fundamental criteria: ownership, market, arena, and its potential to strengthen the league.

Here’s what he said:

“We’re getting expressions of interest. We’ve talked to a couple of groups. There have been some civic leaders that have been in with people who are expressing interest in owning a team and creating a facility.”

“We start with the four basic criteria: ownership, market, arena and what it would do to enhance the league and make it stronger. When somebody wants to make the case and comes in and puts together all of the pieces, we’ll listen to it. If it makes sense, I’ll take it to the executive committee and then the board.”

Now, according to reports and a public statement on X, the Krause Group, an ownership group based in Atlanta, has officially voted to file documents for a formal NHL expansion proposal. If accepted, this would pave the way for Atlanta to host an NHL franchise for the third time, after the Flames’ and the Thrashers’ failures in 1980 and 2011.

Bettman had already talked about Atlanta in the same interview, and the new development suggests he already knew it would happen at the time:

“I think it’s a different place than when the Flames and the Thrashers left, in terms of how big the city is, how robust it is and the sporting interest. I don’t think the prior two visits have any bearing on whether or not we would go back, if all of the other pieces that I referred to are put together.”

Allan Walsh added fuel to the fire, confirming that an expansion to Atlanta will happen in a post on X:

If all goes according to plan, Atlanta may finally have the stability and infrastructure to become a long-term NHL city.