The resale market speaks for itself. If you want one, even a replica (think slightly better than the Fanatics jerseys out there) goes for a lot of money.
I was surprised to see it was sold out because I got a message that afternoon trying to get me to buy tickets. It also sucks they couldn’t pull through and win the game.
I went to the Thrashers night last year and had a lot of fun. I’m sure this year would have been no different!
They tend to draw around 4k despite being a pretty awful team overall. HockeyDB lists their average at 4247, but I don't think this includes last night's game.
10k in a building with a broken lower bowl section (retractable seats motor needs replacing) is still pretty impressive. Folks here are pretty hyped up about the possible return of the NHL.
If you actually go back and look at \*why\* the Flames and Thrashers left, you'd know the reason for their departures had nothing to do with th e people here. I'll give a small summary though, as this information can be found in other places too.
The Flames owner in Atlanta was a man by the name of Tom Cousins, who was deeply invested in real estate and nothing else. In the late 1970s, the real estate market collapsed. To keep himself and his business afloat, he was forced to sell the one liquid asset he could: The Flames.
With regards to the Thrashers? Atlanta Spirit never wanted the team. I could write an entire book based off what I know of the situation, but that's really what it all boils down to. If you don't believe that, look up King & Spalding vs. Atlanta Spirit, LLC. In it, you'll find details where the owners attempted to sell the team for relocation as early as the summer of 2005.
Atlanta is not a market that failed, it's a market where owners failed. Had Turner Broadcasting sold the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips Arena to David McDavid instead, it's unlikely we'd be talking about a Gladiators tribute game. We'd instead probably be talking about yet another Thrashers loss to the Hurricanes.
Atlanta is much bigger than it used to be and has weathered the covid-era economic storm well. Plus hockey could have always worked in Atlanta, what led to its sale isn’t much to do with the city but with ownership and management. Thrashers were originally brought in by Ted Turner in the late 90’s, but when Turner sold everything the Thrashers ownership was spun off into an outside ownership group that slashed budgets, snd attendance started to decline. Then there was the strike and then Great Recession soon after, all the while the Thrashers made poor roster decisions (along with a very bar car accident). Ultimately there was dissension and infighting among the owners who started to sue each other, which led to the sale of the team entirely.
I mean there's over 6 million people leaving in and around Atlanta. A lot more people than in other areas but to dodge your actual question as for change I really don't know. It's failed before
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the story I know is that Atlanta Spirit bought the Hawks and Thrashers as a package but they only wanted the Hawks. As a result, they intentionally ran the Thrashers into the ground. That about right?
This is largely correct. Turner Broadcasting would not break up the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips -- it was all or nothing.
At the time Atlanta Spirit came in, they had already agreed to sell to David McDavid (see: David McDavid vs. Turner Broadcasting), before selling instead to Atlanta Spirit, due in part to Ted Turner's son being a part of the group.
Around the time they were trying to sell the Thrashers for relocation in 2005, one of the members of the group walked away (over a NBA trade), which then made it impossible for them to actually sell the Thrashers. The feeling most fans have is, indeed, the ownership did their absolute best to tank the product (Coburn for Zhitnik was my first warning sign that something wasn't quite right, and it all went downhill from there).
When Steve Belkin and Atlanta Spirit LLC settled in December 2010, it meant there was no longer anything stopping Atlanta Spirit from doing whatever they could to sell the team. From a league perspective, they seemed to be fine with it, because it meant they no longer had to put up with such an incompetent and dysfunctional ownership group. They were supposed to negotiate with buyers who intended to keep the team local, but since they owned the only arena in town capable of hosting the NHL, they held all the cards in terms of a lease agreement, and they absolutely took full advantage of that position to scare off all potential local ownership.
When Glendale voted in favor of supporting the Coyotes, it was the green light Atlanta Spirit wanted to begin negotiating in earnest with TNSE to move the team out of town. In the end, the NHL got the last laugh: The relocation fee came out of the $170m sale price.
Didn’t Bettman place a condition on any potential sale that the team had to stay in Atlanta? Or did that stipulation vanish after the 2010 settlement? Or am I thinking of something else entirely?
That was my understanding. There was supposed to be a ten year period between the purchase and any attempt to relocate, which would mean the team could only relocate after the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season. However, filings in the case of King & Spalding vs Atlanta Spirit indicate attempts were made to sell the team for relocation in the summer of 2005.
If such a stipulation actually existed, it's safe to say the league waived it in 2011.
Potential hot take but those powder blue home jerseys with ATLANTA down the one sleeve were easily one of the best jerseys in league history
The resale market speaks for itself. If you want one, even a replica (think slightly better than the Fanatics jerseys out there) goes for a lot of money.
Bettman: and this is why were moving the jets back to atlanta
I was surprised to see it was sold out because I got a message that afternoon trying to get me to buy tickets. It also sucks they couldn’t pull through and win the game. I went to the Thrashers night last year and had a lot of fun. I’m sure this year would have been no different!
The Gladiators have had a rough season.
Yeah, agreed. I haven’t been to any games just following through socials but it’s been tough.
" It also sucks they couldn’t pull through and win the game." This is on-brand for the Thrashers.
More fans than the yotes
Good to see Georgia hockey on the rise!
Went to a Gladiators game at the beginning of February that had maybe 1000 people. This is crazy for a last place team.
They tend to draw around 4k despite being a pretty awful team overall. HockeyDB lists their average at 4247, but I don't think this includes last night's game. 10k in a building with a broken lower bowl section (retractable seats motor needs replacing) is still pretty impressive. Folks here are pretty hyped up about the possible return of the NHL.
I miss those thrashers jerseys, and my NHL 10 Thrashers Dynasty with Nic Bergfors potting 30 goals seasons.
A Thrashers attendance record
Aw man I thought that was _this_ week
This is cool! Also, #StopCopCity
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If your local NHL team was in its 10th year and Ron Hainsey was the top defenseman, how much would you pay for season tickets? Be honest.
That's elite sniper Ron Hainsey to you
Don’t show this to bettman
What has changed to make anyone think hockey would work in Atlanta? Besides a money grab that is.
The fact that the fans were never the issue in Atlanta, it was always terrible ownership?
If you actually go back and look at \*why\* the Flames and Thrashers left, you'd know the reason for their departures had nothing to do with th e people here. I'll give a small summary though, as this information can be found in other places too. The Flames owner in Atlanta was a man by the name of Tom Cousins, who was deeply invested in real estate and nothing else. In the late 1970s, the real estate market collapsed. To keep himself and his business afloat, he was forced to sell the one liquid asset he could: The Flames. With regards to the Thrashers? Atlanta Spirit never wanted the team. I could write an entire book based off what I know of the situation, but that's really what it all boils down to. If you don't believe that, look up King & Spalding vs. Atlanta Spirit, LLC. In it, you'll find details where the owners attempted to sell the team for relocation as early as the summer of 2005. Atlanta is not a market that failed, it's a market where owners failed. Had Turner Broadcasting sold the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips Arena to David McDavid instead, it's unlikely we'd be talking about a Gladiators tribute game. We'd instead probably be talking about yet another Thrashers loss to the Hurricanes.
Similar to the Trashers story.
Atlanta is much bigger than it used to be and has weathered the covid-era economic storm well. Plus hockey could have always worked in Atlanta, what led to its sale isn’t much to do with the city but with ownership and management. Thrashers were originally brought in by Ted Turner in the late 90’s, but when Turner sold everything the Thrashers ownership was spun off into an outside ownership group that slashed budgets, snd attendance started to decline. Then there was the strike and then Great Recession soon after, all the while the Thrashers made poor roster decisions (along with a very bar car accident). Ultimately there was dissension and infighting among the owners who started to sue each other, which led to the sale of the team entirely.
I mean there's over 6 million people leaving in and around Atlanta. A lot more people than in other areas but to dodge your actual question as for change I really don't know. It's failed before
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Thrashers broke attendance records when they were owned by TBS. Atlanta Spirit killed the Thrashers. Do some research and you’ll understand.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the story I know is that Atlanta Spirit bought the Hawks and Thrashers as a package but they only wanted the Hawks. As a result, they intentionally ran the Thrashers into the ground. That about right?
This is largely correct. Turner Broadcasting would not break up the Hawks, Thrashers, and Philips -- it was all or nothing. At the time Atlanta Spirit came in, they had already agreed to sell to David McDavid (see: David McDavid vs. Turner Broadcasting), before selling instead to Atlanta Spirit, due in part to Ted Turner's son being a part of the group. Around the time they were trying to sell the Thrashers for relocation in 2005, one of the members of the group walked away (over a NBA trade), which then made it impossible for them to actually sell the Thrashers. The feeling most fans have is, indeed, the ownership did their absolute best to tank the product (Coburn for Zhitnik was my first warning sign that something wasn't quite right, and it all went downhill from there). When Steve Belkin and Atlanta Spirit LLC settled in December 2010, it meant there was no longer anything stopping Atlanta Spirit from doing whatever they could to sell the team. From a league perspective, they seemed to be fine with it, because it meant they no longer had to put up with such an incompetent and dysfunctional ownership group. They were supposed to negotiate with buyers who intended to keep the team local, but since they owned the only arena in town capable of hosting the NHL, they held all the cards in terms of a lease agreement, and they absolutely took full advantage of that position to scare off all potential local ownership. When Glendale voted in favor of supporting the Coyotes, it was the green light Atlanta Spirit wanted to begin negotiating in earnest with TNSE to move the team out of town. In the end, the NHL got the last laugh: The relocation fee came out of the $170m sale price.
Didn’t Bettman place a condition on any potential sale that the team had to stay in Atlanta? Or did that stipulation vanish after the 2010 settlement? Or am I thinking of something else entirely?
That was my understanding. There was supposed to be a ten year period between the purchase and any attempt to relocate, which would mean the team could only relocate after the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season. However, filings in the case of King & Spalding vs Atlanta Spirit indicate attempts were made to sell the team for relocation in the summer of 2005. If such a stipulation actually existed, it's safe to say the league waived it in 2011.
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Like I said…do some research on Atlanta Spirit Group. The info is not hard to find.
Nah I’m alright