NHL Deputy Commissioner: League Open to Atlanta Return; Expansion Not Imminent

The NHL has failed twice in establishing a prominent hockey club in Atlanta, but that isn't deterring the league from exploring potential expansion in the southern city in the near future.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour on Tuesday:

"There are potential markets that may be suitable for NHL hockey, so our policy is really an open-door policy. If you are interested and have a plan, come see us and certainly we'll evaluate it from there. If it becomes something our owners are interested in, we can pursue it. Nothing has risen to that level currently, but that could change."

Addressing expansion to the Georgia capital specifically, Daly said that he thought "some of the challenges that we've seen in the past in Atlanta can be overcome."

"I think times have changed pretty dramatically and the market demographics have changed pretty dramatically since the first time we went there and then again in 1999," Daly said. "I think a lot of bigger businesses are in Atlanta [now]."

Daly added that the location of an arena would be a major factor in how successful a potential franchise in Atlanta could be.

"I also think that rink location will be important with any decision to locate a franchise in Atlanta," Daly said. "I think if you use the Braves as an example, they struggled, as I understand it, attendance-wise for years, even though they had a very successful team on the field. Their latest stadium is in a perfect location and sells out regularly."

The NHL first brought a team to Atlanta in 1972 with the Atlanta Flames, which played in the city from 1972 to 1980 before relocating to Alberta and becoming what are now known as the Calgary Flames.

The league returned to the city in 1999 with the Atlanta Thrashers, which played in the city until 2011 before relocating to Manitoba and becoming what are known as the Winnipeg Jets.

Following the NHL's successful expansion to both Las Vegas and Seattle in recent years, rumors have swirled about Atlanta as a potential site for expansion in the future. However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in March that the league is not "in an expansion mode right now."

"There continues to be a number of people, entities and cities expressing interest in having an NHL franchise where they don't have one, places like Atlanta, like Houston, like Quebec City," Bettman said. "But it's not really something, at least right now, that's anywhere close to the front burner for us."

So while the NHL is open to returning to Atlanta, it doesn't sound like expansion to the city will happen any time soon.