Colby Rivers
The Gathering is being built at this location.
Georgia hockey fans may soon have reason to celebrate. Despite the state’s rocky past with the NHL, a new push in Forsyth County is aiming to bring professional hockey back to the Peach State.
Atlanta is home to two previous NHL franchises, the Atlanta Flames (1972-1980) and the Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011). Both teams left the state due to poor financial performance, driven by low attendance and a lack of fan support. Developer Veron Krause believes the third time could be different.
Krause is leading a 3-billion-dollar project called The Gathering at South Forsyth. This includes an 18,500-seat arena, designed to attract an NHL team.
Forsyth County commissioners have approved critical funding and agreements for the project. The league has not issued an official statement, but meetings with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the developers have been ongoing. If plans move forward, the hope is to have the arena ready for the potential 2028 season.
For Forsyth, the project would be historic. The county has never had a professional sports team in its history and anticipation is growing.
“I’ve never been to a pro hockey game before; it would be exciting to have them come to my hometown,” said Marc Ellenburg, a Forsyth County resident of 15 years. “I just worry about the traffic and the growth of the county, which is already overpopulated.”
The area has experienced rapid growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Georgia. This is one of the reasons why the developers believe an NHL team will succeed this time around.
David Evans, who is a die-hard hockey fan, is ecstatic about the opportunity.
“I want this to happen so bad; I love going to hockey games.”- David Evans, Forsyth County resident
Evans isn’t worried about the traffic the hockey team might bring. “Yeah, there might be some added traffic, but it’s worth it to get a pro hockey team in my own county; I could suffer through some more traffic.”
With no professional teams being in Georgia, the closest current NHL team is the Nashville Predators, located approximately 4 hours away from North Georgia- a long drive for fans hoping to see a game in person.
The past failures of Atlanta’s NHL ventures loom large and there is a concern from other hockey fan bases that this time around will be the same as the other two tries. Developers insist Forsyth County’s growth and enthusiasm could finally make Georgia hockey a long-term success.