Maybe Alabama would be a bit of good gamble. Newly renovated LG Arena in Birmingham holds 14K. Doesn't appear to have any sports teams that play out of it. They do have ice makers (they hold Disney on Ice and other shows - no idea if that is acceptable for hockey). Maybe the Arena is simply too big.
There isn't an AHL franchise in Atlanta. Is there not a suitable venue? The Thrashers had a pretty good attendance record for a while if memory serves, and the NHL did build hockey up somewhat in that area - not enough for the NHL I guess, but perhaps the game has grown enough to really support an AHL franchise?
I am sure there are more than a few cities worth gambling on.
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