Five years ago, the city of Atlanta lost its reputation as a "Big 4" town when the irresponsible and corrupt Atlanta Spirit Group LLC sold the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports & Entertainment in Winnipeg, who moved the team across the border to Canada. This relocation left much of the Blueland faithful heartbroken, wishing they were able to step back inside Philips Arena one last time and watch their beloved team take the ice. However, the dream of one day watching the Thrashers lift the Stanley Cup, that was once in the foreseeable future, has disappeared thanks to their former ownership group.

The ASG was an awful group, never cared about the Thrashers from the moment they purchased the team. They always saw the team as a "side product" for the Atlanta Hawks and operating rights to the arena and attempted multiple times to sell the team before they were finally relocated to Winnipeg. Let`s also not forget how Time Warner also tried to sell the team following the inaugural season.

Recently however, it has seemed that the impossible dream of the return of the Thrashers is no longer impossible. Following the 2014-15 NBA season, the ASG sold the Hawks and rights to Philips Arena to an ownership group led by Tony Ressler, who has so far proven himself as a great owner. Also, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has bought an Major League Soccer expansion team set to play next season and has been the driving force in getting a new, state-of-the-art football stadium built in downtown Atlanta. Outside of ownership, the NHL is still looking to expand after awarding a team to Las Vegas. Atlanta would be an excellent candidate for an new team in the league. Georgia is one of the fastest growing states in terms of interest and participation in hockey. We also have 3 minor league teams, with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL (located in the metro area) drawing some of the larger crowds in their league. The state also has 4 collegiate club hockey powers, 3 of which located near Atlanta and one just an hour away. The city also has a rich history in hockey. We were the first city in the southeast to have an NHL team (Atlanta Flames 1972-80), we have one of the oldest active college club teams in the South (Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets), and had the IHL`s Atlanta Knights from 1992-96, who won a championship and even outdrew the Hawks, whom they shared the Omni Coliseum with.

With all of these great reasons, why shouldn`t the NHL return to Atlanta? We have great fans, roots in the sport, and not to mention we have the world`s busiest airport and are one of the largest media markets in the nation. This would be a great opportunity for both the NHL and the city of Atlanta.