March 12, 2024 | 2:35pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

CARTER’S ATLANTA GROUP FORMALLY ENTERS EXPANSION PROCESS

Anson Carter

Former NHLer and current entrepreneur, businessman and broadcaster Anson Carter announced today his group, the Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, has formally initiated the expansion process with the NHL to bring a club back to the Atlanta metro area.

As TFP’s David Pagnotta reported on Feb. 7, a second group emerged as a contender to bring an NHL franchise back to Atlanta and as Pagnotta wrote, there is a “strong prospective ownership group in place, and they have the land to build a state-of-the-art facility and overall entertainment district.”

This group, now known to be led by Carter, “has partnered with a distinguished ownership consortium,” as per its official statement, which includes partners Neil Leibman (Top Tier Sports), Peter Simon (Simon Sports) and Aaron Zeigler (Zeigler Automotive Group).

“I’ve lived in Atlanta since 2009, and I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta,” Carter said in the statement.

“I have been in dialogue with Commissioner Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team return to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors. The ASE Group is also delighted to partner with New York Life, a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest life insurers in the world, in the potential mixed-use development at the North Point location in Alpharetta.”

The new development at the North Point Mall site, as outlined in the release, will “introduce a world-class destination featuring a state-of-the-art arena, primed for NHL hockey and premier concerts. It will also include top-tier practice and community facilities, alongside a professional-level outdoor stadium for soccer and/or lacrosse.”

The district will include hotels, a performing arts venue, residential, retail and dining spaces, and more.

“The City of Alpharetta is excited for the possibility to be home to NHL hockey, one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports experiences in the world,” said Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin. “Our city is at the geographic center of the fan base in Metro Atlanta.”

This is the second group to voice an interest in bringing an NHL franchise back to Atlanta.

Last month, the Forsyth County board of commissioners voted to move forward with the project “The Gathering at South Forsyth,” which includes restaurants, shops and an arena.

It appears, however, that Carter’s ASE Group has taken the lead in potentially bringing an NHL franchise back to the Atlanta market.

On Jan. 24, Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith released a statement revealing his group’s interest in an NHL expansion team.

“SEG envisions a near future where the NHL will thrive in Utah, and we are 100% focused on making this happen as soon as possible,” Smith, chairman of SEG, said in a prepared statement at the time. “We are passionate about sports and entertainment in the state and are committed to providing premium sports and entertainment experiences for the people of Utah and visitors from around the world. We are ready to welcome the NHL and are confident that the time and attention being spent by all parties will bring one of the most exciting and dynamic leagues in the world to our community on a permanent basis.”

The NHL is open to exploring expansion interest, as Bettman has confirmed multiple times, and the League is listening.

“What’s happening is people are expressing an interest,” Bettman told us on Feb. 4 on our show The Hot Stove on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. “We have no formal expansion process set up. We’re not envisioning what we did in prior times: We say, ‘If you want a team, here are the dates, submit the application.’

“We’re listening to the expressions of interest. I think it’s fair to say the Utah expression of interest has been the most aggressive and has carried a lot of energy with it, including from the governor and leaders of the legislature.”