Atlanta, GA
Gary Bettman Speaks Favorably of Atlanta NHL Return As Expansion Speculation Swirls
Twice in its long history, the NHL has taken a crack at putting a team in Atlanta.
First came the Atlanta Flames in 1973, playing at the Omni Coliseum. Attendance was a challenge, and the team bolted for Calgary after eight seasons. The Atlanta Thrashers, too, fled north to Winnipeg after a 12-year stay from 2000 to ’11.
Will this discourage hockey from future forays into the Peach State? Apparently not, as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke glowingly of Atlanta’s future expansion chances Friday.
“It’s a different place than when the Flames and the Thrashers left, in terms of how big the city is, how robust it is, the sporting interest,” Bettman said Friday in Sunrise, Fla. via Luke Fox of Sportsnet.
Atlanta has indeed grown over the last 15 years or so; the city’s former reputation as a stagnant sports town has also tapered off. The question is whether Atlanta’s new residents will embrace hockey; at least two potential ownership groups are betting it will.
“When somebody wants to make the case and come in and puts together all the pieces, we’ll listen to it,” Bettman said of hypothetical Atlanta expansion pitches. “And if it makes sense, I’ll take it to the executive committee, and then the (Board of Governors).”
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The small business hub is working to stay rooted in its mission to serve its community, while embracing events like the World Cup.
Views of the exterior of Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Five years ago this month, an abandoned trucking terminal south of I-20 was reborn as a business and community hub called Pittsburgh Yards.
In the years since its opening, the 15-acre site has helped spur the development of the Southside Beltline and brought new businesses and visitors to a historically neglected part of Atlanta.
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Views of the exterior of Pittsburgh Yards as seen from The Beltline in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
A catalyst
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tuB“ uoy ,eutriv siht s’taht dehsur ecneitap ton ”.dednim rennam si ni od ytinummoc tonnac dna a a
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Breaking ground
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ti“ .sraey saw ,pu ,neht .dias fo devil ekil wenk tsuj ni sah rof .ylimaf ”,ydobyreve ydobyreve ytinummoc kcab tuoba a einahpetS hgrubsttiP gniworG srewolF srewolF dnA 04
stnaw sgniht eht taht ekat nees ’stnediser stnediser stcejorp ro wen doohrobhgien sdeen ycagel evael otni evah t’nod .degnahc tliub dna .tnuocca s’ehS tuB
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Stephanie Flowers, a 40-year community resident and community advocate who participated in the community-led planning of Pittsburgh Yards, speaks at the initial community celebration of Pittsburgh Yards in September 2021. (Courtesy of Pittsburgh Yards)
htiw dehgiew saw eht eht eht eht eht desirprus .esoprup .ssecorp lapicnirp yltnasaelp no fo gniman eman ,rekinom noissim niam sti ti ni depleh evig ytinummoc dna dna retfa sdraY ehT hgrubsttiP aiN aaznawK srewolF tuB gnidliuB
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Views of the exterior of The Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
ot ot eht eht eht taht .dias tniop gninepo fo txen si ni s’buh noitelpmoc dna osla ssecca detarelecca ,sdraY ehT edishtuoS hgrubsttiP nnelG srewolF rebmeceD eniltleB 0202
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,sraey esu tinu gninrut ot ot ot yeht eht eht eht ecaps tniop stovip tsap eesrevo yllanigiro rotarepo fo muesum rekam ,ekam .yrenihcam ekil tsael otni yvaeh sah dah evif evif dnif denoisivne t’ndluoc nac gib ta sa tra na na retfa a a sdraY hgrubsttiP revO nnelG
hcihw ot eht eht eht taht ylbaborp fo .doohrobhgien muesum si ni tsrif egnahc thguorb seveileb tra ,hgrubsttiP muesuM nnelG aropsaiD tuB atnaltA trA nacirfA
Guests check out the “We Need Love” exhibit at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, located in the Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards. (Photo by Ty Peas)
2025 and beyond
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htiw ot eht taht enoladnats gnippihs liater fo sah worg puorg deunitnoc sreniatnoc niatnoc ,sessenisub ta a ,sdraY ehT hgrubsttiP draytruoC reniatnoC .eniltleB
sraey htiw htiw nehw saw saw saw ot emit eht eht eht eht tnanet erots .ecaps llams ecnis ehs ehs margorp margorp roirp tnalp trap renwo nepo fo fo fo wen dedeen tsal rotabucni ni reh sah tog tsrif dnif wef gnidne .draytruoc detcennoc tub ssenisub neeb dna a a sdraY ehS ,sohtoP hgrubsttiP kniP .rebotcO ahsiekaL ,senoJ ,eniltleB A
I“ ohw tahw tnaw tnaw tnaw ”,pu ot ot ot ot kniht ,ecaps wohs .dias ,tneserper yllaer tnenamrep won ym ym tsuj ni woh teg gnitoof ediced gnieb neeb eb dna dna elba senoJ ev’I I I I
Lakeisha Jones, owner of plant company Pink Pothos, is in her shop on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Jones partnered with Tyler Cichonski, the founder of Rousseau Plant Care and created the Atlanta Plant Fest, a festival held at Pittsburgh Yards in early April. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
hcihw ot ot ot ot eht eht eht tnanet troppus ,sevres dias tnecer sedivorp seciffo s’tiforpnon devom lagel sti ti si ni morf eerf .seilimaf evitucexe nwotnwod rotcerid seitinummoc resolc eb evitartsinimda sdraY reetnuloV hgrubsttiP leahciM hcraM .sacuL sreywaL tI ,noitadnuoF atnaltA atnaltA atnaltA rehtonA
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ot siht .meht gnikat deroliat troppus llams evres edivorp srenwo erom si noitaripsni rof ssenisub retteb sa dna nnelG
Views of the interior of The Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
ot ot ot eht .ecaps llams dias gnidivorp ecalp ytinutroppo tsoc-wol si evah sah og rof rof ytinummoc sessenisub emoceb dna na a a sdraY einahpetS hgrubsttiP srewolF
krow ohw erehw erusnu ot yeht ,meht eht eht llits emos os etis ehs ehs evres stnediser srenwo seitinutroppo fo s’doohrobhgien .dedulcni woh sepoh leef etaerc emoc nac nac nac ssenisub t’nera era dna dedda sdraY hgrubsttiP tuB
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pu ot eht eht eht eht s’ehs spmar lanigiro no fo fo noissim ,dnim rojam skool ekil gnipeek ,erutuf tnorf stneve yllaicepse tnempoleved gnidnecsed .ytic sa daeha dlroW nnelG puC sA
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tahw saw desu gniniart ot yeht rieht rieht eht eht ekat stneduts os yllanigiro fo fo dnal ti ti yrotsih seog :rof rof .seilimaf dluoc erac sessenisub dliub kcab dna dna yletamitlU ,nnelG egelloC kralC
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— retirw ot siht .troper detubirtnoc yrahcaZ ffatS nesnaH
Mirtha Donastorg is a reporter on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s business team focusing on Black wealth, entrepreneurship, and minority-owned businesses as well as innovation at Atlanta’s HBCUs.
Prosecutors say he had researched the Bank of America Plaza and Delta Air Lines jobs as part of alleged plot.
The Bank of America Plaza, seen behind the Georgia Tech campus in March 2024, was the target of a terrorist plot by Cholo Abdi Abdullah, who was sentenced to life in prison Monday. (Jason Getz/AJC 2024
A Kenyan man was sentenced to life in federal prison after plotting what federal prosecutors called a Sept. 11-style plane attack on Atlanta’s tallest building on behalf of a foreign terrorist organization.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 35, was found guilty by a New York City jury in November 2024 on all six counts of conspiracy to hijack a U.S. airliner and crash it into an Atlanta building. He was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres on Monday.
saw“ eH“ lliw lliw ohw erehw saw suoiciv deniart ot ot eht tsirorret tsirorret .tnemetats dneps dias gnitaercer ”,noitazinagro evitarepo no fo won ton efil tneconni ni cifirroh ylhgih eh mrah detacided dniheb flaheb eb ,srab skcatta baabahS-la elba a a a .S.U rebmetpeS yaJ notyalC yenrottA ”.snaciremA halludbA 11
ot eht gnicnetnes dehcraeser srotucesorp dennalp fo mudnaromem .ti otni ni ni dah ylf delif laredef ylevisnetxe demialc yb gnidliub dna renilria a .S.U azalP nwotdiM hcraM knaB aciremA halludbA A yrots-55
hcihw saw eht eht dias ytilibisnopser evitarepo no fo nwonk srotagitsevni puorg puorg tsilatnemadnuf rof rof emertxe ylnommoc demialc skcatta sa na na ,babahS-la baabahS-la ,adiaQ-la ,needihajuM-la detailiffa .S.U desab-ailamoS takaraH laredeF halludbA 1002
sraey dluow htiw erehw syaw ,gniniart deniart ot ot ot yeht eht eht detaler-rorret os ,reparcsyks ,loohcs .dias .dias selfir dehcraeser deviecer .srotucesorp srotucesorp enalp fo evom shtnom dekool retal ti otni otni ni kcajih eh eh teg rof rof ylf thgilf ,sevisolpxe dluoc laicremmoc dednetta tluassa dna dna dna senilria gnidrocca a a .S.U ,ailamoS senippilihP nI eH eH halludbA 74-KA ,7102
ehT“ — erew ot ot eht eht rorret .setats ”,elbissop ,enalp gniredrum mudnaromem ynam ti otni slaog s’tnadnefed gnihsarc gnireednammoc raelc snezitic yb ,gnidliub gnirb sa sa dna a a detinU .S.U setatS
sasiv tisnart ot ot ot eht taht dehcraeser ,srotucesorp edam ti kcajih morf elbisaef .renilria a .S.U samahaB atnaltA gnidroccA halludbA
esuaceb“ tsellaT“ atleD“ ”atnaltA“ htiw saw dlot ot ot ot eht eht taht dehcraes .dias dehcraeser srotucesorp enilno ,mudnaromem ynam retal nwonk ti ni buh eh dah morf rof ”,sthgilf sthgilf ysub gnidliub eb dna dna tropria a ehT yraunaJ nI IBF ”.samahaB ”,atnaltA atnaltA gnidroccA halludbA halludbA ,9102
saw rewot eht eht eht eht tsellat llat sdnats ,hcraeser enilno no no fo fo gnikam ti ni ni sih desucof teef ,nwotnwod detelpmoc redrob ta dna dna ehT .teertS .tsaehtuoS azalP eerthcaeP nwotdiM gniruD knaB aciremA halludbA yrots-55 2991 320,1
― raey htiw erehw nehw saw saw saw raey-owt lairt gniniart dlot ot eht eht eht taht taht .detroper noissessop tolp tolip tsal sroruj detcidni ni ni ni ni sih sih eh dnuof tsrif dehsinif desopxe tnempiuqe gnirud yrevocsid gnikambmob bmob ,seitirohtua seitirohtua detserra dna tsomla degella a a .S.U ehT sserP ,senippilihP yluJ noJ eH rebmeceD yksnadoB yenrottA detaicossA tnatsissA halludbA .0202 9102
.raey ,sessentiw saw ,lairt ot ot siht eht eht tnemetats decnetnes deludehcs detneserper .detroper gninoitseuq gnitapicitrap yllanigiro gninepo fo ton ni flesmih evig reilrae gnirud gninilced eb dna na eH halludbA PA
saw ot siht eht .gnicnetnes gnicnetnes dias ytilibisnopser tneserper .terger ,htnom mudnaromem retal sih sih eh rof rof delif desserpxe reilrae truoc yb yb detnioppa dna snoitca detpecca a nI ittuceC ittuceC yenrottA ynohtnA halludbA halludbA
ylemertxe“ dluow htiw ot eht eht eht taht loohcs tolip tolip ekil esnecil boj ti si ni ni ”elbaborpmi sih eh evah tog nevig teg rof thgilf tcaf neve laicremmoc laicremmoc neeb ta sa deugra dna enilria a a a a a detinU setatS .senippilihP milsuM nayneK ,atleD ittuceC halludbA
hcihw hguorht eht sehcraes .dias srotucesorp rentrap boj si dah rof detcudnoc ,ecnailla enilria a maeTykS ayneK atleD ,syawriA halludbA
ym“ yaw saw saw dlot ot ot meht eht taht dias dias ”eucser tuo tuo desserppo fo fo ,mudnaromem etarebil nioj ti msilaedi sih sih mih pleh evag noisiced esuaceb syenrotta syenrotta tserra dna .babahS-la babahS-la a .smilsuM nI siH halludbA
ot ot ot eht .lios ,esnopser laitnetop nalp tuo no eziminim mudnaromem tnemevlovni ni sih sih tnemnrevog delif dragersid yrrac tpmetta kcatta deksa dna a .S.U serroT nI s’halludbA
roF“ ,sraey etorw dekrow htiw suoiciv ot ot eht eht eht tsirorret tsirorret .esnopser etaercer srotucesorp tolp tuo rehto ,noitazinagro fo srebmem ti otni ni ni cifirroh kcajih gniknar-hgih ngierof esived tnadnefed hsarc laicremmoc yrrac gnidliub ”,skcatta dna dna ,baabahS-la la ,renilria a a a a detinU ,setatS rebmetpeS s’adeaQ 1002 ,11
elihw ot ot .ecnetnes ,ecnetnes ees ecno efil ycneinel ni sih mih eh rof rof ylimaf detelpmoc kcab syenrotta deksa deksa wolla a a srotucesorP ayneK s’halludbA raey-03
.rM“ .etorw dluohs nosirp ton ”,noitarecracni ni eid yb na ittuceC naciremA halludbA
Jozsef Papp is a crime and public safety reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Walking around the streets of downtown Atlanta around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, it looked like a gathering for the largest Kentucky quarter-zip convention in the world. If Nashville brought out all the flannels, Atlanta provided a more Southern sophistication vibe. But no matter what they were wearing, Big Blue Nation was at its finest.
In Nashville against Gonzaga, fans booed when Kentucky didn’t play well. Many debates on how appropriate that was have taken place since, but the booing wasn’t a few inebriated jerks in the corner starting trouble with others joining in out of a mob mentality. The booing in Nashville was organic and flowed from all nooks of the arena. It was the manifestation of frustration from watching Kentucky players fumble around on the court in their souls and let it be known.
When Kentucky’s offense looked once again anemic against St. John’s, fans in Atlanta hung in there. The only booing was directed at the officials for perceived bad calls, not at the players’ inability to score. Kentucky’s effort helped play a part in that, as fans could tell guys were at least trying hard (unlike against Gonzaga). But you could tell the arena accepted this group’s limitations, especially without Jaland Lowe.
So when Lowe made his unbelievable return to the game after what everyone assumed was a season-ending reinjury of his shoulder, there was a palpable shift from fans willing their offensively challenged try-hards to scrape together some points, to maybe just maybe, thinking their team might actually be kind of good.
The stagnancy that plagued Kentucky in the first half evaporated into motion with drives and cuts that made Kentucky look crisp. When Jayden Quaintence made his debut and looked every bit of the future NBA lottery pick we hoped he would, fans cheered his every move. At its heart, Big Blue Nation is a group of ball-knowers, and the collective appreciation the fans had when Quaintence would make even a routine defensive post play showed just how much fans are still into this team.
The full-throated cheers in the second half made everyone forget the woes of the first half, and most of this season, honestly. It was the first time since the Purdue exhibition that Kentucky fans cheered not just because the ‘Cats were playing well, but because they started to believe in this team again.
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