ATLANTA– NHL officials confirmed Thursday morning that Ashley’s Aventinus will become the newest expansion franchise, filling the gap left behind when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011. “This is a move that just makes sense,” said GM Mark Woods. “We’re already using the old Atlanta Flames ‘A.'”
Atlanta creates giant rink in anticipation of Aventinus’ arrival as the NHL’s newest expansion team
The move comes after several seasons of sustained success in the rough and tumble D2 league in Ann Arbor, MI, where Aventinus has enjoyed great success. The team boasts two trips to the finals in the last three seasons, and have started 7-0 after taking down defending champs Goaldiggers 9-6 early Thursday.
Jeff Meden had his second hat-trick of the season, while Tom Colis added two goals and an assist to complement his 19 penalty minutes. Justin Baier, Scott Bray, and Ken Coleman each had a goal and an assist.
“I think the team is ready for the move,” said Woods. “Abe (Colewell) has been suggesting the team move up for a while now. And, now that Atlanta has become essentially an outdoor stadium, we can afford to play there.”
Woods is referring to the recent snow storms that hit much of the Southeastern United States over the last few days, coating streets with ice and snow as far South as Pensacola, FL. Snow and ice have shut down Atlanta for the last 24 hours as commuters remained stranded on highways and children remained stuck in schools.
In order to make the transition smoother, Aventinus will continue to play as the rest of the NHL takes a two-week hiatus for the Olympics. The four games will be counted as forfeit victories, which will push the team to 11-0, at which point the team is expected to go 0-25, largely due to work schedule conflicts, commuting issues, and age.
“I’m excited,” said Woods.