Archive for August, 2009

This past weekend I, along with a handful of other Atlanta Thrashers bloggers, received an e-mail from Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski requesting a quote…one or two lines… that he could use in an upcoming story he’s doing. He was looking for a couple comments regarding what we’d be looking for from the Thrashers this coming season.

Here is my reply to his inquiry:

“I look for the Thrasher to avoid the type of slow start that plagued them the past two seasons. With so many returning cast members from the team that played so well last spring, I think they’ll avoid the “getting to know you” phase this fall”.

Now, as I said, Greg asked for just one or two lines only from us to help with his piece…but I thought I’d expound on my comment here.

Peverley, Kovalchuk and White will reunite to try and build upon last spring's success, (AP photo/Gregory Smith)

As you’ll recall, the Thrashers finished off last season on a rather high note. They played to a winning record in the second …

Continue reading Familiarity Breeds…Success? »

If I would have told you a year ago that Todd White would account for 73 points in the upcoming season, chances are you would have laughed me clear out of the blogosphere. He was coming off a very lackluster 14 goal, 23 assist performance in his first season in Atlanta and his soft play…most notibly on the defensive side of the ice…earned him the nickname “Charmin” around these parts.

Prior to his arrival in Thrasherville, in the two seasons he played with the Minnesota Wild, White scored 19 goals and 40 points during 61 games as well as 13 goals and 44 points in 77 games. He was a -1 and +8 in his two years there as well. In fact, heading into last season, the most productive year Whitey ever enjoyed in his NHL career was in 2002-03 when he netted 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points while playing for the Ottawa Senators. He was a +19 that season.

So as you can see, to have predicted such an effort from White…espcially playing for a team that was coming off a 76-point …

Continue reading Which White Will We Witness This Season? »

Tickets will be available later in the day via the Ice Forum’s website…however, I was informed by the lovely Amy and the very helpful Jason that you are welcome to purchase the passes in person at the Duluth Ice Forum that is located on Satellite Blvd. There are only about 500 tickets available for each game and seating will be on a first come first serve basis.

So get your now!

This will be the first time Atlanta fans will be able to see first-round selection Evander Kane in a game situation…unless, of course, you are planning to head off to Traverse City, Michigan the week prior for that tournament. Not only am I looking forward to watching how he performs at that time… but also this entire crop of prospects has me jazzed.

Hopefully I’ll see you all there!

Have We …

Continue reading Proceed To Procure Passes For Prospects Game Versus Predators »

Well, WE got Peverley today, and all the Devils did was sign Brendan Shanahan.
Like I said last week – lowest rung UFAs and waiver wire cast offs. This is embarrassing.Boy… Bet #17 is thrilled that we got… What’s his name off WAIVERS!!!!!!!!!

This is another LOSER move by The Career LOSER Dumb Don Waddell… I’d felt better is Spezza was the player claimed or traded for…

Loved Waddell’s comments, ‘He’s a guy we like’… Boy that is scary, well Nashville did not like him and these waiver claims never do one DAMN thing to help the club… This circus is just sick to watch !

We just happened to be there to pick up their sloppy seconds.

My first thought after reading that the Thrashers had picked up Rich Peverley was…. who the hell is Rich Peverley? Oh, that’s right, just another Waddellicacy from the bottom-of-the-barrel buffet.

The above is merely a sampling of some of the comments made last January when the Atlanta Thrashers snatched Rich Peverley off of the waiver wire. Needless …

Continue reading Peverley’s Play Dispensed Doubts »

On July 1 of this year, Garnet Exelby woke up as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers defense. As we all know, he went to sleep that night a Toronto Maple Leaf after playing in 357 games in Atlanta. At the time, that made him the defensive player with the most number of games played as a Thrasher among those who were currently on the roster. But, now that Garnet is no longer with the team, which defender currently on the roster has the most experience playing on Atlanta’s blueline?

Why, with 164 games played, it’s none other than Tobias Enstrom.

Tobias Enstrom has played in 164 with the Atlanta Thrashers (AP photo/Gregory Smith)

In two seasons played, the twenty five year old is yet to miss a start. He has ten goals as well as 60 assists and is a +9 during his career here so far…last season he was a +14.

The second most games played in Thrasher-blue among current defenders is Ron Hainsey, who played in 81 games last season. Third…Boris Valabik with 57 games, followed closely by …

Continue reading The Senior Member Of Thrashers Blueline »

Last March, on trade deadline day, the radio voice of the Thrashers Dan Kamal commented on XM’s NHL Live that re-signing Ilya Kovalchuk was “priority one” for the team and that “there is no 1-a or 1-b” regarding this issue. As I’ve opined previously, I agree with Kamal that there is no higher priority than getting the captain to put pen to paper on a new contract and that is where the bulk of Don Waddell’s attention should be right now. However, there are a couple other players on the roster that I wouldn’t mind seeing Waddell take care of as well…sooner rather than later.

Of the forwards that are expected to play in Atlanta this season, there are but four that are under contract past next summer. Todd White, Chris Thorburn and Marty Reasoner are signed through the 2010-11 season.. after that, they’ll become UFAs. Then there is Nik Antropov who signed a 4-year contract in July.

Spencer Machacek is under contract for this season and next, but it’s yet to be seen whether …

Continue reading After Kovy, Waddell Should Have Little On His Mind »

I’ll pass out this weekend’s reading assignments to the class in just a bit, but first….

What Would You Do If You Were Kovy?

Last spring, Ilya Kovalchuk made it very clear to Don Waddell as well as the entire Thrashers organ-I-zation that he wanted the roster to improve…get tougher…before he would consider re-signing to play for the team beyond the upcoming season.

“We need to sign some free agents and spend some money…because I don’t want to compete for a playoff spot, I want to compete for the Cup. I think this city deserves it”, said Kaptain Kovy after the last game of the season. “I know for sure we need more players. We’ve got one of the best front lines. We need more tough guys. We need help.”

And just how has ownership and the front office responded to the wishes of their star player?

Let’s see, so far they have acquired Nik Antropov to play on Ilya’s line. They’ve dealt for defenseman Pavel Kubina and added some size and depth to there roster. Oh, and I would …

Continue reading What Would Kovy Do? Well, What Would YOU Do? »

The Thrashers are offering VIP seating to those purchasing Mini-Plans for the upcoming season. Thirteen-game plans will get you seats on the glass for a game of your choice…purchasing a seven-game plan will get you into the First Horizon Club for a game of your choice.

Also, the Select-A-Seat will be held at Philips Arena this Sunday the 16th between 1 and 3 o’clock. Those looking to purchase season ticket plans will be able to do while there as well as tour the team locker room.

Click here for more details and information.

Wolves’ VP Of Operations Wins McKenzie Award

Congratulations are in order for the Chicago Wolves Vice President of Operations Courtney Mahoney as she was presented with the AHL’s 2008-09 Ken McKenzie Award. This award is given annually to a team executive who has been deemed to have most successfully promoted his/her organization.

Mahoney… a 34-year old native of Western Springs, Illinois… has for 13 seasons been in charge of community relations and game …

Continue reading Thrashers Want You To Be A VIP »

Well…to say that the Chicago Blackhawks have had an interesting offseason would be quite the understatement. After a very impressive season and playoff run that took them to the Western Conference Finals, it seems that about anything odd, bizarre or negative that could happen to them…has.

They lost the team’s leading scorer and MVP Martin Havlat, who signed with Minnesota as a UFA.

They replaced his spot in the lineup by inking Marion Hossa to a 12-year, $62.8 million deal…who will now undergo surgery to repair a damaged shoulder and will likely miss 4 months of the season.

Oh, and that contract of Hossa’s?… well it is being investigated by the NHL to see if it’s running afoul of the team’s salary cap and/or violation the current collective bargaining agreement.

How very special.

And not to be forgotten is the fact that just a month ago, then Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon came under scrutiny when the NHLPA accused the team of not submitting qualifying offers to …

Continue reading Blackhawks’ Black Summer »

Del Griffith: Between two pillows.

Neal Page: THOSE aren’t PILLOWS!

If you cracked a smile at that short dialogue, then you certainly know which movie the scene comes from…”Planes, Trains and Automobiles”…one of my favorites of all time. God knows after watching it I’ve never used a towel in the bathroom unless I have set eyes upon it and clearly identified it as such…and not a size XXXXL set of underwear!

The director of that film, John Hughes, was a master in the film making industry with such works to his credit as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and many others.

Hughes passed away suddenly of a heart attack Thursday while visiting family in New York. He was 59 years old.

In light of that, I hope you’ll please forgive me as I stray off the hockey reservation for a little while here… but I just could not let his passing go by without just a brief comment.

Hughes movies …

Continue reading THOSE Aren’t PILLOWS!!! »