For a second time, Georgia has lost its professional hockey team. In a press conference held in Winnipeg Tuesday, the NHL announced the Atlanta Thrashers franchise will be relocating north across the U.S. border.

A Canadian group, True North Sports and Entertainment, is buying the team. It had been negotiating with the Thrashers ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, since mid-May.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the deal to move the team never came down to a question of whether one city is better than the other.

“The decision to come to Winnipeg was made only Atlanta’s ownership made the decision it was going to sell, even if it meant the club was going to leave Atlanta.”

The team’s owners in court filings have said the franchise has lost $130 million since 2005.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports columnist Jeff Schultz blames the Thrashers' ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, for not investing enough in the franchise:

“The Thrashers not only hurt their existing core of fans that was here really from the time the team came here in 1999, but the way they went about building or not building the franchise and turning people off...it prevented the core from growing.”

Atlanta previously had a pro hockey team in the Flames. But that franchise left for Canada (Calgary) in 1980. The city was awarded another expansion team in 1999.

The Thrashers’ Atlanta life would extend 12 seasons, but with only one playoff appearance. The team was ousted in four straight games in 2007.

CLICK ABOVE TO LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF SCHULTZ, SPORTS COLUMNIST WITH THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION.

Tags: Georgia, sports, pro hockey, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg, Atlanta Spirit