Evander Kane shares his honest opinion on NHL's rumored Atlanta return

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Sep 30, 2023 10:28 GMT

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane has shared his opinion on the rumors surrounding the return of the Atlanta franchise to the NHL for the third time.

The NHL's expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle was a success, with the establishment of two prominent clubs in each city, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken.

However, the situation has not been the same in Atlanta. The NHL first expanded to Atlanta and established the Atlanta Flames, which only lasted from 1972 to 1980 before being relocated to Alberta and becoming the Calgary Flames.

In 1999, the NHL headed back to the capital of Georgia for the second time and this time they formed the Atlanta Thrashers. However, the Thrashers, like the previous attempt, failed and were taken over by the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.

For the third time, the NHL is rumored to be looking into ways to bring Atlanta back into the fold. Evander Kane recently spoke with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman on the "32 Thoughts" podcast about Atlanta's return.

Kane strongly believes that Atlanta would be a perfect market for an NHL expansion team for the third time and that he will be in favor of welcoming the team into the capital city of Georgia:

"I wish we were still there...I know everyone talks about the lack of fans, but the fanbase we had there was so awesome. They were so passionate about us as a hockey team...there's so many good things I have to say.

He added:

"I would be 100% supportive of having an NHL team back in Atlanta."

Evander Kane began his NHL career with Atlanta

Evander Kane during his stint at Atlanta

Evander Kane kicked off his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers. He was drafted fourth overall by the Thrashers in the 2009 draft.

The 32-year-old spent two seasons with the Thrashers before they relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and came to be known as the Winnipeg Jets in 2011.

Kane spent six years with both Atlanta and Winnipeg, appearing in 361 games and accumulating 222 points (109 goals and 113 assists).

He has also played for the likes of the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. Kane joined the Edmonton Oilers for the 2021–22 season and has been with the team ever since. The 32-year-old, in his 14-year career, has accumulated 573 points (302 goals, 271 assists) in 853 games.