GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — As rumors about a possible NHL return to metro Atlanta continue to bubble up, hockey fans showed up in a big way in Gwinnett County for a Thrashers revival night on Saturday.
The Atlanta Gladiators revived the Thrashers name and look for a game for the second year in a row, packing out fans for the night of nostalgia.
11Alive's Maria Martin was on hand, capturing the atmosphere:
On Saturday night, the Gladiators wore the old blue Thrashers jerseys with "Atlanta" written down the arm, after they wore a red-and-blue iteration of the team's uniforms last year.
The Gladiators lost the game, 4-0, to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. They appeared to have close to a sellout, though (official attendance numbers were not immediately available on team social accounts).
11Alive's Maria Martin reported last month that the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted to move forward on a development deal called "The Gathering" that would incorporate a hockey arena. The entire project would be contingent on an NHL team coming to Forsyth County to call the arena home -- with 11Alive confirming that county officials visited NHL headquarters in New York and taking a tour of the newly-constructed UBS Arena in Long Island.
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