The State of the Thrasherville Union address
The Speaker of the House gavels open the State of the Thrasherville Union address. The assembled representatives take their seats as Rawhide makes his way to the microphone.
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, dignitaries and everyone tuning in throughout the Thrasherville blogosphere…
The Atlanta Thrashers are well into the latter half of their eleventh season of play in the NHL. Last summer saw great change in the front office, coaching staff and roster…all of which led to an overall sense of hope from the fans as they entered into the current campaign last fall. And while there have been some stumbles along the way, this team has managed to maintain a playoff position in the standings for the better part of the first half of the season.
It is with that in mind, that I am proud to proclaim that state of the Thrasherville union is strong.
applause erupts from the assembled masses in the chamber
Together, the new GM and coach have made a New Beginning. But we have only just begun.
There clearly lays before us certain challenges and hurdles that remain in place for this organization to overcome. The team’s play of late has been stagnant, going just 4-8-4 in their last 16 games and winning just one time in regulation during this month of January. So as you can see, there is much work that needs to be done.
Of primary concern is our department of defense. Though they have performed admirably at times, they are allowing an alarming 34.4 shots on goal and allowing an far too many goals… 3.14 per game. In the last eight outing, no less than 35 goals have been allowed. That number rises to 37 if you count the gimmick shootout goal proved to teams winning in that manner.
This level of performance simply must not stand and must be addressed immediately.
Offensively, they are producing goals at a rate of 2.90 per game. That’s down somewhat from last falls numbers, but under the circumstances is still in the acceptable range. The same can be said of the 30.5 shots taken per game.
a smattering of polite, if not obligatory, applause
Health care has become a paramount concern at this time, specifically speaking the health of certain key players that have kept them out of the lineup of late. Once the likes of Evander Kane, Jim Slater and most recently Toby Enstrom and Andrew Ladd are able to return to active duty, it surely will go a long way to curing the ills of this squad right now.
But it’s clear that this team is in dire need of a collective shot in the arm. One that comes in the form a significant new deal which brings in a player or two that can help this team the second they set foot off the plane at Hartsfield/Jackson Airport.
And so, I call upon the office of general manager to move forward with negotiation with other NHL teams to see about procuring that which is necessary to remedy the lagging defensive indicators and help boost the GNP, (Goal Notching Production).
thunderous applause erupts from the assembled masses in the chamber
And I also call upon the ownership group to allocate funding so that the office of GM can do his job accordingly. Certainly there is room not only in the league-imposed salary cap budget mandates, but also the in-house budget that you’ve instructed the organization to operate under. This would-be funding is not just an investment needed for short-term gains, but for the overall health and prosperity for all of Thrasherville.
And the time to act is now!
applause once more erupts along with a few shouts of approval
While we are on the subject of the current collection of individuals that make up the Thrashers ownership group…
a member abruptly rises from his seat and shouts…”THEY LIE”!
the speaker gavels the chamber back to order
Please, please…let us maintain order and conduct ourselves with an air of civility. Yes, it is true that the ownership group have proven themselves to be less than truthful with the citizens of Thrasherville. And while all but a misguided few now see them in the less than honorable light that they now stand in, we must understand that they still control the purse strings of this organization. Until that changes, it is they that must understand that certain investments must be made if the team is to continue…with all due respect to Mr. Levenson…”moving in the right direction”.
But let my pleas for calm and rational debate not be mistaken as false praise. For if there is one thing we have learned over the last half-dozen or so years, it’s that the ownership group is not the answer to the problem. The current ownership group IS the problem.
leaping to their feet, the gathered throng explodes in thunderous applause and bellows out multiple shouts of approval
Lastly…but certainly not least…I want to address the citizens of Thrasherville. You have worked hard to show you support and undying loyalty to this team. You have shown up at games and spill your emotions out on a continuous basis. And you have endured many, many hardships and heartaches along the way.
The path over the last few seasons has not necessarily been littered with a multitude of success and we are still feeling the affects of some of the decisions brought forward by the previous general managerial administration. These are decisions that drove many away in anger and disgust.
Be we…the citizens of Thrasherville today…cannot escape history. We of this city’s hockey fan base and its current administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The trial through which we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation of hockey fans.
Will future generations look back upon us and ask why we failed to show up and represent our team, our franchise and our city well? Or will they look back at this time and see that we helped forge a unique bond with this team and together pulled one another through?
If we choose the latter, then when our children take their children to Thrashers games, they’ll be sharing with them the experience of the greatest professional sport on this planet. And then they will speak of us with pride, saying that we met the test and preserved for them their day in the sacred flame of NHL hockey in this fair city.
Thank you.
By: Bill Tiller – AJC.com Thrashers Fan Blog
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222 comments Add your comment
Nuts for Boults
January 24th, 2011
9:06 pm
first….maybe
LAC
January 24th, 2011
9:07 pm
Great Bill, Just Great !!!!!!!!!!
Sharon
January 24th, 2011
9:33 pm
Bill, very nice!
Josh
January 24th, 2011
9:41 pm
Well said sir…. see you all Wednesday!
SomaAtl95
January 24th, 2011
9:43 pm
Good read, as always. Here’s to hoping a smack down against the Caps starts another prolonged streak of very successful games for our team so we can be back on the right track!
World Be Free
January 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
Bill Tiller at his best, snazzy in the suit looks like you are headed to traffic court.
Anyhow, going back to Friday night, the Thrashers played hard and played physical. They lost in the SO because they cannot hold a lead, 2nd time in 1 week., So that’s something that needs to be fixed. Rammer-that’s your job, one forward in, 2 back and defenseman playing their positions not rushing the puck and going in deep.
Physical play, even Antropov tossed a doozie of a check in open ice. Get healthy, learn to protect a lead, hit the opposing team, add a 3rd line left winger and get ready for a stretch run schedule that is very friendly.
And remember folks, ignore the Wiesel.
Associated Press Reporting
January 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
After the State of the Thrasherville Union address, the chamber jumped to its feet, followed by a loud repetitive chant:
ASG….ASG….ASG…..YOU SUCK
ASG….ASG….ASG…..YOU SUCK
ASG….ASG….ASG…..YOU SUCK
ASG….ASG….ASG…..YOU SUCK
World Be Free
January 24th, 2011
9:50 pm
Rangers just tied Washington on the road late in the 3rd period. Rangers are playing hard for 60 minutes, physical and going to the net as a team. This is what the Thrashers did earlier this season.
HookyBob
January 24th, 2011
9:50 pm
A franchise needs talent and commitment at all levels, ownership, mgmt, and players to have a realistic chance to hold Lord Stanley’s chalice. We have very good players (when all are healthy), excellent coaching & GM. Right now it is the ownership that is holding this franchise back. Getting healthy, or another top six forward, would help a lot. We have lost a lot of one goal games, or two goals with an empty netter against.
To bring up an old phrase,…I like “the direction” this young team has taken this year. Win or lose I believe in them and enjoy rooting for them. Still, there is a fact I cannot overlook,..the weak link in the “state of this union” (aka franchise)is the ownership.
One also has to wonder what supportive ownership would do to keep the players minds clear and able to focus on playing their best.
Mr. Heat Miser
January 24th, 2011
10:01 pm
Now for the rebuttal from Sage/Levenson who are probably one in the same
Hoof Arted
January 24th, 2011
10:05 pm
The only rebuttal coming from SOB would be “bahhhhhhhhhh”. Levenson’s rebuttal would be to simply throw an empty bottle of hootch toward the podium as he stumbles out of the room.
Buzzeng
January 24th, 2011
10:07 pm
Bill – your creativity knows no bounds. Very nice blending of current affairs and Thrasher affairs.
Carolina’s on our ‘heels’ (sorry) with 2 games in hand, and those in front of us are distancing themselves from us. This sets up for a stress-filled February even as we limp into it. On the plus side – we won’t see the Crapitols or Dolts after the All-star break, which can’t get here soon enough.
Go Thrashers!
Whatever
January 24th, 2011
10:35 pm
Shultzs holds a grudge…..so screw him
In the 05/06 season (post lockout) the thrashers had the highest payroll
If the Asg is guilty of anything it is waddell
Teams like kings and blues have never won but they get support…. support thrash then you all can back at asg cause they won’t be able to move
Land the Jets in Winnipeg
January 24th, 2011
10:35 pm
When the Thrashers move to Canada next season can you make sure you send this guy with them? Your city stinks as a hockey market but you have one of the best writers around.
When we get the Thrashers up here no one will have to worry about having owners lie to them about selling the team.
Red Light
January 24th, 2011
10:39 pm
Mr. Speaker:
I yield my two minutes back to you. Not only is Kennesaw well represented but the Speaker is very clever indeed. Yet, I must wonder if the pie-in-the-sky conclusion is going to be the downfall of us all. I would love to take my grandchildren (please Lord, not for another 10 years) to a Thrashers game one day in this city. If not, I hope it’s because I passed away too soon not that the team had already left.
Well done Mr. Speaker!
Saga Of BlueCheese
January 24th, 2011
10:43 pm
I tole y’all to buy Enron stock. Butcha didn’t listen.
I tole y’all not to subliminalize the Sprit Gruppe.
I tole yall, yall was sheep, with flystrike at that.
I am the voice of all animals. Better than horses or pigs even.
So bwaaaa, bwaaa all the way to the rink.While I stay home and pick scabs while pontificating my next sermon to you vermin.
And woe be to any who heed not, my cry for attention, for I so deserve it….. as I am always Right, about everything!
Flagstaff
January 24th, 2011
10:45 pm
Bill – your creativity knows no bounds. Very nice blending of current affairs and Thrasher affairs.
(See what I did there? Thanks, Trixie!)
My thoughts exactly. Trolls will be trolls and Sage will be Sage, but there’s always Rawhide!
Now, has anyone (Flames, perhaps?) heard anything new regarding an upcoming trade? I would think that Duds would want to act soon before things got much worse, but hey, I’m just a random moron on the Internet.
Greg
January 24th, 2011
10:48 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i was right AS ALWAYS that the thrashers are gonna lose their team and come back home to canada where they belong. 6 years they’ve been trying to sell oh thats got to hurt
injunjoe
January 24th, 2011
11:05 pm
Strange……seems I’ve seen that mug before.
Hockey Biltong
January 24th, 2011
11:06 pm
Nice one Bill.WBF, see you Wednesday?
Darren
January 24th, 2011
11:13 pm
Masterful job, His Excellency Rawhide. Just who might the Speaker of the House be?
SomaAtl95
January 24th, 2011
11:28 pm
Gotta love it when Canuckleheads try and troll here. Its almost as bad as the regular knuckleheads that troll here.
Brian west palm beach
January 25th, 2011
12:04 am
Hey greg if you think your canadians would support a team thats funny your whole country does not have enough money to buy one. plus no good players want to play in canada because it sucks up there. no women lousy beer and freezing cold. Why not move to russia.
Wayne stuck in AL
January 25th, 2011
12:10 am
From Greg:
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i was right AS ALWAYS that the thrashers are gonna lose their team and come back home to canada where they belong,”
Hey Ca-neck: When were they yours in the first place?
Brendan
January 25th, 2011
12:15 am
Another wonderful State of the Union address. Well written. Lots of creativity. I did hope, however, that we’d get some more detail regarding the Thrashers goaltending situation. Can we ride Pavelec for 92% of the starts for the rest of the season? Is Chris Mason, “fair game,” in a multi-player trade? Can you count on Drew MacIntyre or Peter Mannino as a capable backup?
And what of the (not a misprint) $18 million in available cap-limit, before the NHL can step in to say, ‘Fraid Not?’ The Speaker did address budget, but not this specific, and STAGGERING figure. What do we know of the Spirit Group’s ‘internal budget’ number? We can’t just FLATLY ask them, can we? And even if we did, what should one expect from a pig, but a grunt? I can already see Bruce Levenson mouthing the words, “oink, oink.”
If this ownership, like their January 4, 2011 email to the fanbase suggests, actually wants to be part of the ROAR of the hometown crowd, in “hot pursuit” of the Stanley Cup, then how do they possibly defend their budgetary inaction? And, please remember, Bruce Levenson went on RECORD has having said, “This lawsuit (the one vs. Belkin, and not the umpteen that he potentially has in the works, at the very moment,) has had ZERO IMPACT on team operations.”
Really, Bruce? Zero? So, you and the rest of the “Heptacluster,” (Copyright, Poster Brendan, all rights reserved at U.S. Library of Congress) put your cumulative heads together and decided that THE BEST WAY to reach the postseason was field a team BELOW the FLOOR of the salary cap, that has fluctuated between 29th and 30th in team payroll, in the NHL, this very season. Please, do explain that one to us all … like we’re a bunch of 4-year olds. We’re dying to hear it.
Well, Heptacluster, I’m sorry that your legal counsel failed you so miserably that you’re now suing them for $200 million, while incurring NEW legal fees to do so. But hey, it’s YOUR money. That’s the case for EVERY owner. Most owners … like the smell of playoff revenue. But not the “Heptacluster.” At least, not when it comes to hockey. I’m sorry, “Heptacluster,” that you never wanted or intended to own an NHL franchise. I’m sorry you were thusly burdened with the Thrashers. But the least you could do … is to put the NHL franchise in the hands of someone who would care for the Thrashers and keep them in Atlanta, where your venue would profit from their home games. You know how to do this. You must cough up some of the operating revenue to the new owner(s) of the Thrashers to consummate a sale.
I don’t know if Dudley has any more trades to pull off with the Chicago Blackhawks. I’m sure they’d offer up Cristobal Huet and his $5 million cap hit, for a 5th rounder, just to be free of that albatross of a contract. But, that’s not really our best option for a backup goalie, is it? Truthfully, I have not seen a projected return date for Chris Mason, who is hurt. Mannino is our backup to Pavelec.
Tony C
January 25th, 2011
12:36 am
In truthfullness IF/(when?) FUBAS has managed to F$%^! everything up to a fare-ye-well-o-hamstrung-Thrashers-ye, Winnipeg would be damn lucky to get a writer of your caliber Mr. T!
Can’t say I disagree with any of your points. I think many of us had expected one more “big move”. Considering Antropov was coming off hip (!) surgery, especially.
Byfuglien’s limitations (i.e. lack of familiarity) and this nagging leftover from the #17 era of ‘The Big Guy’ll Get Us Through’ have run upon the reality that is the 2nd half of the NHL season.
Truly, we’ve got a good group of young guys and some players that are dynamic (if still inconsistent). but we’ve seen how this team truly needs to be 100% on top of it’s collective game to be successful. I am happy to have at long last discovered what Thrasher’s Hockey looks like. Now I wait for the second obstacle to be cleared: A second consitently credible scoring threat for the team to ice.
Tony C
January 25th, 2011
12:39 am
sorry dis-jointed writing there.
I mean Byfuglien’s lack of familiarity with playing defense over an 82-game season.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
1:11 am
i think the beer is pretty good, women are great, and i think money wise we are pretty good considering our teams are some of the most profitable teams in the league, anyway your ownership group gave up 6 years ago and now your blogger “Iceman” is giving up, so there you go
Greg
January 25th, 2011
1:14 am
canada got gold from you guys,and now we taking your teams
Thrashers27
January 25th, 2011
1:27 am
Good stuff, Bill!
CrazyDiamond
January 25th, 2011
1:35 am
Did I mention – We are so screwed!
Clueless owners who thing the local Atlanta Fans are too stupid to see that the ASG will bail as soon as they find a bigger fool to buy the team. A bigger fool that will 1) Buy the team and 2) Keep it here in Atlanta as tennants in Philips Arena. Good luck with that!
Alan R.
January 25th, 2011
6:43 am
Gotta love it when Canuckleheads try and troll here
Are they really Canadians, or just residents of one of the other sports blogs? An IP lookup would solve that question, but it’s something only Bill could do.
Another wonderful State of the Union address. Well written. Lots of creativity. I did hope, however, that we’d get some more detail regarding the Thrashers goaltending situation. Can we ride Pavelec for 92% of the starts for the rest of the season? Is Chris Mason, “fair game,” in a multi-player trade? Can you count on Drew MacIntyre or Peter Mannino as a capable backup?
And what of the (not a misprint) $18 million in available cap-limit, before the NHL can step in to say, ‘Fraid Not?’ The Speaker did address budget, but not this specific, and STAGGERING figure. What do we know of the Spirit Group’s ‘internal budget’ number? We can’t just FLATLY ask them, can we? And even if we did, what should one expect from a pig, but a grunt? I can already see Bruce Levenson mouthing the words, “oink, oink.”
If this ownership, like their January 4, 2011 email to the fanbase suggests, actually wants to be part of the ROAR of the hometown crowd, in “hot pursuit” of the Stanley Cup, then how do they possibly defend their budgetary inaction? And, please remember, Bruce Levenson went on RECORD has having said, “This lawsuit (the one vs. Belkin, and not the umpteen that he potentially has in the works, at the very moment,) has had ZERO IMPACT on team operations.”
Really, Bruce? Zero? So, you and the rest of the “Heptacluster,” (Copyright, Poster Brendan, all rights reserved at U.S. Library of Congress) put your cumulative heads together and decided that THE BEST WAY to reach the postseason was field a team BELOW the FLOOR of the salary cap, that has fluctuated between 29th and 30th in team payroll, in the NHL, this very season. Please, do explain that one to us all … like we’re a bunch of 4-year olds. We’re dying to hear it.
Well, Heptacluster, I’m sorry that your legal counsel failed you so miserably that you’re now suing them for $200 million, while incurring NEW legal fees to do so. But hey, it’s YOUR money. That’s the case for EVERY owner. Most owners … like the smell of playoff revenue. But not the “Heptacluster.” At least, not when it comes to hockey. I’m sorry, “Heptacluster,” that you never wanted or intended to own an NHL franchise. I’m sorry you were thusly burdened with the Thrashers. But the least you could do … is to put the NHL franchise in the hands of someone who would care for the Thrashers and keep them in Atlanta, where your venue would profit from their home games. You know how to do this. You must cough up some of the operating revenue to the new owner(s) of the Thrashers to consummate a sale.
I don’t know if Dudley has any more trades to pull off with the Chicago Blackhawks. I’m sure they’d offer up Cristobal Huet and his $5 million cap hit, for a 5th rounder, just to be free of that albatross of a contract. But, that’s not really our best option for a backup goalie, is it? Truthfully, I have not seen a projected return date for Chris Mason, who is hurt. Mannino is our backup to Pavelec.
…
TL;DR
The Real Thrash
January 25th, 2011
6:52 am
Nice and fun. However maybe an interview with someone in management would be a better use of your time and space. Or are you going to let them do what you have before:stonewall?
Rawhide
January 25th, 2011
7:39 am
Greg – Given up? Me? Where do you get that idea? I am beginning to see why you still hold the fantasy that you are getting the Thrashers…you simply create an idea in your mind regardless of the facts.
Tell ya what…I’ll extend the same invitation to you as I did one of your neighbors last weekend. You come on back here this time next year…when the Thrashers still haven’t moved to Winnipeg…and explain what new theory you have on why and when the Thrashers are moving there. You are welcome to do the same in January 2013, 2014, 2015 and so on.
See you then, Greg.
The Real Thrash - I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for any of the Octocluster…or Sucknificant Seven I guess it is now…to grant me an interview. I think the only thing less likely to happen is, well..the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg.
Sage of Bluesland
January 25th, 2011
7:40 am
“…I don’t know if Dudley has any more trades to pull off with the Chicago Blackhawks…”
That’s just it, isn’t it, Brendan? Our “GM” (in name only) seems wont to deal with only what he knows….Unfortunately, he hasn’t worked with all the teams so his horizons could be expanded….What a joke.
Brendan’s talk of the embarrassing state of our budget/payroll is another blight conveniently underemphasized in the top-speech. Another embarrassment–and should be a clue to the good sheep of Thrashersland.
It’s like spray-painting a turd gold; what do you have at the end of the day?
The hopeful dreaming in the face of overwhelming fact never ceases to amaze me in this place…
Nate
January 25th, 2011
7:41 am
Nice article Bill, very nice. But to reference your Groundhog Day blog, I’ve seen this winter swoon from the Thrashers before and I know how those seasons end.
cliff
January 25th, 2011
7:41 am
Greg = another Canadian coward
jimbo
January 25th, 2011
8:01 am
Very creative and humorous. This midseason collapse points out that we do not have the “grit/team resolve” whatever to pull together to get fired up when we are being pushed around. We’ve got size but little girt. Tortorella gets in the face of his team and they respond. The Trapmeister Lemaire comes back and the Devils respond. All we get from Rammer is the team is “fragile”. Gimme a break! I’m tired of a ten year decade of excuses and no down to earth “nobody pushes us around in our building” mentality. We need to turn the Lady Bingsters into our own version of the Broad Street Bullies. With this style of play and no grit our playoff chances are DOA.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
8:07 am
Biltong-doubt I will be there tomorrow night, got a lotta things going on these days. Hope to make the next game though and I will look you up when I’m there.
Sage=weasel
Don’t feed the weasel
Always Hoping
January 25th, 2011
8:08 am
HAIL TO THE CHIEF!!!!!!
Dwayne
January 25th, 2011
8:16 am
It’s like spray-painting a turd gold; what do you have at the end of the day?
That there is funny!!!!!
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
8:21 am
Rawhide-excellent! Our friend Greg hasn’t read the papers about the legal circumstances of our team. Either that or he is to dumb to read.
Rangers look darn good last night in Washington, takes some of the sting out of S/O loss last Saturdfay. Give the New York Rangers credit for being one of the hardest working teams in the league.
Stan Drulia
January 25th, 2011
8:22 am
Well done Rawhide. Your blog is great and I read it every day. Really hope the Thrash can pull out of this slump… feels all too familiar. Looking forward to Wednesday… gonna be a good one.
BG33Brown
January 25th, 2011
8:26 am
Great article as always. However you forgot one thing…
“And I also call upon the ownership group to allocate funding so that the office of GM can do his job accordingly”
You forgot to allow for all of us fans to laugh our posteriors off and then pull ourselves off the floor and back into our chairs.
moriler
January 25th, 2011
8:29 am
Patience. I posted an analysis of what we need to do to hit 94 points. That hasn’t changed; we played the TBL twice and NYR once, and I only “budgeted” for two points of the 40 we need out of those three games. Expectations would say two losses to TBL and a win v. NYR; reality said two OT losses and one regulation loss, but the 2 points count the same.
The TBL game was a throwaway anyway. 5pm, second half of a back to back, on the road, with the backup goalie hurt so Pavs has to go twice? Please. TBL already has us out-talented significantly and you’re going to pile on circumstances as well? Anyone who’s that surprised by the 7-1 result should have a rethink.
TrueBlue
January 25th, 2011
8:38 am
Definition of being a loser: When you are apparently living in Canada and come to a blog on the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Good Lord Greg, get a life man. Does Canada suck that bad that you have to troll the AJC?
moriler
January 25th, 2011
8:43 am
I also have to say, I see this disease a lot on blogs — not just from Thrasher fans but in many other places as well. This is a professional league. No hockey players who “suck”, strictly speaking, are playing in the NHL. These guys would all be first- or second-liners in the AHL — as you can see when we occasionally bring a kid up and he looks lost. The skill difference between all the NHL players is really, really small though, no matter how it looks at first glance when you compare Crosby to Boulton.
The disease is the belief that effort is all it takes to win, and that when we lose, we were “lazy” or “bad”. Anyone who’s competed in any sport at the highest level knows that roughly 95% of the people they play with and against can be described as, simply, ‘real ****in’ good’. We dress 22 players. The other team dresses 22 as well, and all 44 are putting out roughly the same amount of effort. A little more here, a little less there, but you have to keep in mind that as hard as we’re trying to win, there’s another guy on the other side for every one of ours who’s trying just as hard to win. We attack, he defends, and vice versa.
And, because of the RFG factor, _sometimes we get beat_. Sometimes a team whose trend is “crappy” (Tronna) has everyone have a good night all at once, and they look nothing like their talent level. Sometimes a team whose trend is “top-flight” (Pengoons) has everyone have a bad night, and they lose to the Islanders.
Presume two equal-talent hockey players. Put them on the ice in some game that would work 1v1. If they both work equally hard, the result will come down to a coin flip — 50/50, or in short: whoever gets the bounces. Now, switch the talent around to 40/60, where one guy is having a ‘bad night’, or the other is having a ‘good night’. The new difference means the leader will win one-and-a-half more times than the other guy. Now extrapolate that to 22 guys all on the same team, and consider that if enough guys are having a ‘bad night’ on one side… _or enough guys are having a ‘good night’ on the other_… and you can see where the NFL’s saying of “any given sunday” comes from.
So, getting back to the original point: sometimes effort isn’t ever going to be enough. You can’t spend all your time yelling at guys for working hard enough unless they really are loafing — sometimes guys simply don’t have the talent necessary, whether it’s via age or just plain original skill. Sometimes guys have the talent potential and can’t figure out how to use it (Booger) anymore — that’s the classic “slump” and you have to find ways to work them out of that. But yelling at ‘em doesn’t do it, and usually benching them doesn’t either. I think the wall we’re hitting now is Ramsay having gotten just about all out of these guys he can expect to — at the end of the day, the bottom-of-the-league payroll is that low for a reason, ya know?
Bluenote
January 25th, 2011
9:11 am
Well played, sir.
One of your best ever…..and that’s saying something
thebighairybeast
January 25th, 2011
9:16 am
I want to see Bill’s birth certificate. Wait forget that . . . forget birth certificates .. . . I just want to see the Atlanta Spirit impeached.
Flames
January 25th, 2011
9:28 am
Great job as always Bill….Endeavor to persevere!
Stop Yelling Knights
January 25th, 2011
9:30 am
Imagine you’re an NHL player and you first get here, perhaps from the Chicago Blackhawks. You know it’s not a traditional market but you’re excited about a new start and maybe being a part of turning the franchise around. The first game the anthem plays and everyone yells Knights! You turn to Thorburn or Boulton and say “what was that”? “They yell knights cause that was the IHL team here in the early nineties,” Thorbs tells you. IHL team? That hasn’t been here for 15 years? IHL? “They won a championship one year,” Bolts says. Okay
Then it goes on. At first you try to ignore it. You even get first star of the game in an early season contest and use your mic time to tell the fans that you really appreciate them and hope they will come out in greater numbers. The team is playing great but every night there’s that little reminder. “They’ve got an NHL team here, they play in the same league with the Canadiens, Penguins, Rangers and Redwings but they’re still pining for an IHL team from 15 years ago?” As the year goes on the optimism is replaced by apathy. The ownership doesn’t seem to care. In fact what ownership? You never see the guys. And then to top it all off, the fans, those that actually show up are still yelling Knights. Your mind starts to drift a little bit more each game–”wonder what it would be like to play somewhere else? I’ll have to have a talk with my agent. Say all the right things of course but as soon as I can, I’m gone. Somewhere where people understand the sanctity and tradition of the National Hockey League”. Somewhere where people get it.
Zoomo
January 25th, 2011
9:31 am
Truly masterful, Rawhide. And, Photoshop is a dangerous thing
Need to turn this around now! As CViv mentioned, 13 of next 16 games are against team’s with an inferior record. We need to make hay during that stretch.
TrueBlue
January 25th, 2011
9:39 am
I’m sure that is exactly what happens “stop yelling Knights”. It’s not going to stop, so might as well just get over it. Best we can do is give people a dirty look when they do it. Otherwise just ignore them. It is a “tradition” that will unfortunately be here forever. In a way it’s cool to be so supportive of a team that served as this states “hockey fix” but at the same time it is kind of annoying. Either way, like this teams legal problems, it won’t be going away.
Associated Press Reporting
January 25th, 2011
9:48 am
Reports are surfacing that the birth certicates can’t be found on any of the ASG owners. At this time, numerous reports have surfaced suggesting the ASG owners were actually hatched since they are bunch of chicken $h!ts.
Sage of Bluesland
January 25th, 2011
10:10 am
Wow, Moriler had a great analysis! Folks complain about this or that, from ‘effort’ to ‘referees’ to ’system’…but, a consistently enormous problem this franchise has had can be boiled down to one distasteful ingredient: talent-level.
The complete inability to select and develop talent is a major symptom of what has always ailed this abomination of a franchise. Of course, when Don Waddell is in charge of ‘implementing’ this, we are sunk before we even started…
The pitiful record speaks for itself….
(and I do want to commend the blogwriter for yet another creative and entertaining product; if only the franchise were led with such effort and commitment…Such a real shame, as the market is here–and it is speaking loud-and-clear with all of the empty seats…)
steve brown
January 25th, 2011
10:44 am
A recent study concluded the real power in sports is with the fans. With a united core of fans, here is a perfect opportunity to use it. One quick idea is through this blob demand a statement from the owners that they have authorized the GM to add 2-3 players with an expanded budget. Then have the GM confirm this. If they don’t then organize an ongoing boycott until they do. The fans have the power they just need to use it.
Cousin Brucie Levenson
January 25th, 2011
10:44 am
Forget this Hockey Nonsense!
Let us see who else we can sue today to get free $$$$ to recover our self-inflicted financial losses due to our own collective stupidity!
ASG 4 Life !!!!!!!!!!
Badger Bob
January 25th, 2011
11:02 am
Hear, hear, Rawhide! Well struck, sir!
Pity for Greg
January 25th, 2011
11:08 am
Poor Greg, even if he can read, in his country he is subjected to some of the worst writing in all of sports. Witness TSN’s reporting of ASGs latest legal debacle, with the concluding sentence stating that the Flames moved “due to financial trouble”. Poor, misled Greg might think that means the Flames were in or caused their owner financial trouble. If only his simple-minded media shepherds would clarify that the owner was in financial trouble due to real estate dealings, and that the Flames were his only valuable liquid asset, then poor Greg would understand. You have my sympathy and pity, Greg. Now you get back out there and ice fish, my friend.
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
11:39 am
Back to hockey…
In Pavelec’s last 28 starts, the Thrashers have entered the third period with the lead, tied or within one goal of the lead 26 times. That is giving your team a chance to win, wouldn’t you agree?
TrueBlue
January 25th, 2011
11:50 am
Enstrom out 2-4 weeks due to broken finger according to the Blueland Blog…
http://bluelandblog.com/2011/01/25/injury-updates-enstrom-out-of-all-star-game/
Acer
January 25th, 2011
11:50 am
The lack of skill on the Thrashers was mostly visible when Enstrom was out for the Lightning. From the looks, it seems that he could out for an additional two to four weeks.
Joe Wilson (Friday)
January 25th, 2011
11:55 am
“I am proud to proclaim that state of the Thrasherville union is strong.”
You lie!
Kane still out. Slater still out. Enstrom now out 3 weeks with broken finger. Ladd questionable. No new contracts for Buf and Ladd. Ownership in complete disarray and proven to be lying to us for 6 years. Waddell and Dudley silent. League front office publicly talking about looking at other options with the franchise.
Methinks you’re whistling through the graveyard, Mr. President.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
11:57 am
State of the Thrashers just went straight into the toilet of Sage’s house with Enstrom out for possibly a month. Best case he probably returns by the Rangers game on 2/11. Worse case after the 2 west coast road games for the game in Buffalo on 2/23. That’s as many as 9 missed games for Tobes and a suddenly huge hole in the Thrashers line-up.
Time to move Bergfors, Oduya & our 1st rounder to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle & Kris Versteeg?
Zombie Steve
January 25th, 2011
11:59 am
This might be your best one yet, Rawhide. We are lucky to have you on our bench!
We will perceiver. GO THRASHERS!!!
Joe Friday
January 25th, 2011
11:59 am
These concussions are getting bad in the league. Savard’s career is probably over. Crosby might be out a long time. Slater obviously in bad shape with it. There’s rumblings about taking all head hits out or mandating suspensions for any hit to the head, but you can’t take all hitting out of hockey, some of these hits are clean hard hockey plays, not the cheapie elbows up ones. Don’t know what to do, but you can’t suspend guys for any hit to the head, just have to go after the blatant ones (with more consistency from the Mickey Mouse League front office)
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
12:02 pm
Great job Rawhide!
Sick of seeing jealous Canadian trolls Cannuckchuck all over it with the same horse-BLEEP.
Again, very entertaining blog, Mr. Rawhide.
moriler
January 25th, 2011
12:03 pm
Smoothie: If we make that trade, we should ask Tronna for a jar of lube, ‘cos we just got raped.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
Smoothie, it pains me to say this, but that might not be so bad. Especially , cuz giving up a top pick might actually make us SIGN A QUALIFIED FREE AGENT. Ha, not likely. Since when have we replaced lost assets? Nice thought though.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
12:08 pm
If Bergy isn’t Dudley’s type of player, then you know Waddell still had too much input in the Kovy deal with Jersey. Apparently, we arlready got raped…too late. Flip ‘em for a guy you want (Versteeg) and who might gel well with the Thrashawks and help our case in keeping them.
What do you propose we do?
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
12:09 pm
Smoothie, I like that idea somewhat, except for the Oduya/Bergie bit (tehe). Maybe giving up a 1st rounder would make them get a REAL UFA once. HA HA HA, I kid of course, that’d make so much sense it’d be asinine of me too expect it.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
12:09 pm
I’m talking offseason of course, sorry. But again, ASG doesn’t reallyt replace lost assets too often do they.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
12:11 pm
Geez, this page screwed me up.
Thrashers Addict
January 25th, 2011
12:12 pm
Very entertaining. I will continue to attend Thrashers games…win or lose…a hockey game in Atlanta beats a basketball, football or soccer game anywhere!!!
Go Thrashers!
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
12:15 pm
A good portion of the blame for these concussions lies is 3 areas that are rarely discussed-
1. RoboCop shoulder pads
2. Larger than needed elbow pads
3. Seamless glass in a large number of NHL arenas
I would like to compare my shoulder and elbow pads with today’s pads. These items should be used for protection; if you get hit with today’s pads you are going down. The old pads went out when Brendan Shanahan retired.
Seamless glass functions as one entire unit. The problem is that it is too stiff, almost like hitting a brick wall. We lived with old-style glass for decades-outlaw all seamless glass. Oddly enough most of the Canadian NHL rinks have this glass, Atlanta has the traditional glass.
We can talk about hits from behind-those were not an issue before the instigator rule, when we had fighting and enforcers to police the game. Allow the game to police itself again and these cowards that hit from behind will think twice before doing it again. Head shots will be gone too.
Get rid of helmets too? Funny that we rarely had head issues when nobody wore helmets. Players seemed to respect each other a little more-or they were in fear of ticking someone off!
moriler
January 25th, 2011
12:20 pm
1) Bergie is a kid. No matter what you think their “type” is at the time you make the trade, kids change ‘who they are’ from week to week and day to day.
2) Even if the Kovy trade wasn’t as good as we thought it was (I can’t call it bad because no matter what, we got rid of an albatross and got something out of it), making a second, worse trade out of desperation is called “throwing good money after bad”.
Trade Bergie and Oduya? Sure, I’m fine with that. But get the right price for them, don’t just chuck them because they aren’t fitting in perfectly right now.
Acer
January 25th, 2011
12:21 pm
Bergfors + 1st may be enough for Kaberle, although I doubt it. Earlier this season, Bergfors was shopped for a 2nd rounder. A first and a second isn’t enough for Kaberle. Don’t forget that the Czech also has a NTC which allows him list at least 20 teams he will not accept trade to.
Oduya makes too much money. I doubt that Burke is interested. Versteeg still had a year left on his contract. Toronto is only gonna move him for a good offer.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
12:40 pm
I have a feeling, I think a deal is coming and I think our partner will be the Calgary Flames. The Flames have some rebuilding to do, the Thrashers need to win now. Calgary has some depth at defense, so so I think they are going to move Robin Regehr and Niclas Hagman to Atlanta to Bergie and something else. Moving both players to ATL will get them out of the Calgary light so there’s little backlash for trading them. Both are 30-31 with contract time left so they won’t be bolting right away.
Thrashers need to win now-Calgary needs to rebuild. I don’t know, this just looks right. We would get a scorer (Hagman) and a banger (Regehr). Both players would be immediate contributors here. I think Regehr more than Corey Sarich because Sarich is right handed and we have a right hand d-men Postma.
Thoughts anyone?
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
12:44 pm
WBF – you are absolutely right in every regard. Tho I don’t think players should go back to helmetless days of yore since the game is much faster and legal collisions are going to drop yo’ a$$ to the ice a lot faster and harder. I think having a helmet on is advisable unless you want the game to return to its plodding pace of the 70s/early 80s.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
12:46 pm
Smoothie-and you are correct too. Just seems like there were less head injuries when players were forced to respect their opponents heads, unless they were pounding their heads in during a brawl!
Tom
January 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
I wonder how long Gleason’s suspension will be… How dare he hit a Leaf that is punching him in the face. Of course he did get a 5 minute major and a game misconduct while the Leaf who was hitting him got only a 2 minute minor.
God how I hate how the refs protect the Leafs.
Read and watch it here. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/leafs-beat/leafs-disgusted-after-punch-on-kulemin/article1881602/
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
CGY is definitely a possibility since they’ve apparently expressed interest in Bergfors. Hagman is an interesting proposition but watch us get stuck with the 37 y/o former Thrashers Staios instead. I don’t see us taking on Regehr’s bigger contract unless we give up an expensive D-man of our own. They have JBo and Giordano so I doubt they’d want either Hainsey or Oduya. Who needs a puck mover? Ottawa.
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
12:47 pm
Here are a few surprising performances at the break, and some interesting stats.
http://sportssoutheast.com/index.php/red-light-report/59-nhl/242-the-best-at-the-break
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
12:49 pm
WBF – having said that tho World, I’d be fine if they made wooden sticks a requirement and got rid of these damn flimsy, whippy composites. Slow the puck down, not the game and shrink the goalies pads again. I do think seamless glass and huge shoulder pads are the biggest problems. Notice how shoulder injuries are way down, but head injuries are way up…coincidence? Think not.
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
12:59 pm
Shoulder pads aren’t even needed in the game IMO. I’d rather have 100 shoulder injuries than one concussion.
jeff97
January 25th, 2011
1:03 pm
If we are talking Calgary, why not talk Iginla? We have more than enough cap space. Send Bergie and Zach for Iginla and one of their D men. Iginla I believe still has 2 more years after this year at 7 mil per season. He is a leader, he scores 30+ goals a year and is a physical presence. I bet he would work real well with Kane.
I bet Calg would love to unload Iggy’s salary.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
1:04 pm
Players need some shock absorption pads like the undershirt that Thorburn wears, but they certainly don’t need these huge round pad boulders under their jerseys. Perhaps the lower levels need more protection for fragile bones but NHL?? Hell na.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
1:05 pm
Smoothie-we also lived with wodden sticks for decades, so I have no issue deep sixing the composite sticks. I still have a couple aluminum sticks too! I never had shoulder problems, but I did suffer 2 concussions but both occured when I had my head down. I just hope Duds makes the right deal.
Red Light-if you look at the old shoulder pads, you kinda wonder whey we ever wore them to begin with. Totally agree with you-the new ones are not necessary.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
1:10 pm
jeff – I think most of us would love, love, LOVE to have Iggy as Kane’s mentor, but no snowball chance in Hades the Atlanta Suing Group is going to shell out that much coin for 1 player at this point, well, unless he plays basketball.
Dwayne
January 25th, 2011
1:16 pm
Let me be the first to say…..Bring up Doris!!!!!!
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
1:21 pm
I think I had a set of the worst shoulder pads ever and those old sweat-soaked leather elbow pads were brutal. I remember when I turned 12, we weren’t forced to wear the strap-on, exterior mouth guards any longer and could use the custom-fitted ones inside your mouth. That was a day of celebration.
Hunwick’s check on Savard wasn’t dirty and wasn’t high. It was just unlucky and unfortunate. Too bad for him that he suffered another concussion. I can remember when we thought stick-swinging and butt-ends were the worst it could get.
Any check from behind or blindside hit…5 minute major
Any hit to the head…5 minute major and a 10-minute misconduct (first instance)
Any hit to the head…5 minute major, a game misconduct and a one-game suspension in the subsequent game (second instance)
etc.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
1:25 pm
Dwayne-hope not dude!
simpleminded
January 25th, 2011
1:26 pm
BRAVO! Another 4 years for Rawhide and the Thrasher coaching staff! Just please not another 4 years of Octotards minus 1.
With all the injuries to key players, I revise my opinion of success for this year to resigning Ladd and Byfuglien, and seeing either improvement or an end to the Bogosian Disaster. Can’t stand watching the rebirth of Andy Sutton back on the D-Line.
PS….always nice talking hockey with you around the blueline at Phillips!
ThrasherTim
January 25th, 2011
1:31 pm
Calgary is working it’s way back into the playoff picture so I don’t see them making any trades just yet. The only teams out of it right now are Edmonton, NJ, NYI, Toronto and Ottawa. Every other team could make a case for the playoffs.
Rawhide
January 25th, 2011
1:55 pm
PS….always nice talking hockey with you around the blueline at Phillips!
simpleminded – I’ve been looking for you to start posting comments as you promised. Glad to see ya do so. Always good chatting with ya…see ya soon.
Joe Friday
January 25th, 2011
2:13 pm
WBF, you’re spot on with reducing the size and composition of the pads and the seamless glass, that’s how you go about fixing it.
Red Light, I will assume you’re being facetious with the proposed infractions for “any” hit to the head? Many hits to the head occur from good hard hockey plays where the hitter never intended or targeted the hitee. You hit on the head with the latest Savard hit, his head wasn’t targeted, but it happened, just unlucky. You can’t make that rule for any hit to the head without taking all checking out of the game, and that would ruin it. You’d also have to take fighting out of the game. I think the pads and glass should be addressed and that should help a great deal.
” wonder how long Gleason’s suspension will be”
I may have to actually take the time to quit my complaining and write a letter to the league if they do anything to him. Kulemin took three swipes at Gleason, with his gloves on, connecting twice right in his kisser, Gleason had every right to drop his and clock him. I know I should root for Gleason to go out as it would hurt the Canes, but if Campbell gives him one game, it’s a travesty and would further show their Mickey Mouse incompetence in running this league.
Joe Friday
January 25th, 2011
2:17 pm
good article, Red Light. Skinner is the real deal in Carolina, Rutherford just keeps chugging along . . .
BMF
January 25th, 2011
2:27 pm
Man was just thinking what Iginla would look like in a Thrashers jersey lined up next to Ladd and Little on the top line…then it trickles down: 2nd line Kane/Peverley/Bergfors, 3rd line Antropov/Dawes/Stewart (just an idea) and 4th line Burmy/Boulton/Thorburn. Amazing what one big-time acquisition could do to the rest of the team.
….and then I woke up.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
3:04 pm
“then it trickles down: 2nd line Kane/Peverley/Bergfors, 3rd line Antropov/Dawes/Stewart (just an idea) and 4th line Burmy/Boulton/Thorburn.”
BMF – nail, hammer, head!! No doubt the acquisition of a quality top 6 RW would give us that added punch. How bout some guy named Byfuglien?
Seriously though, when in the hell is Rammer going to move Little up to the first line? I know Pevs is better at F/O but Pevs is getting killed lately in the circle and he’s never played this many top line mins. Little is a better back-checker (bet he is in the top 10 in takeaways in the entire league) and defensive player than Pevs. He had good chemistry earlier in the year with Ladd before getting his head knocked against Buffalo. And we know he an Bergie jibed well last spring.
Ladd – Litts – Bergie
Kane\Dawes – Pevs – Stew\Antro\trade
Dawes\Burmy – Cormier – Antro\Stew post trade
Boults\Modin\Burmy – Slates\Burmy – Thorbs
But I’m sure we’d have to trade one or two of these forwards to get a top 6 guy, probably Bergy and one of Stewy or Dawes or Slates. Don’t know that CGY would trade Iggy for Bergy, Slates\Stewy and our 1st. Perhaps all 4 assets, but you never know. Depends on demand and demand could go sky high for Iggy if CGY slips and decides to clean house. There is a dearth of quality pending UFA’s on the trade block and the prices could go way up. Then again, there are a lot of teams pressed up agains the cap and not many could afford Iggy for 2 or 3 more years.
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
3:14 pm
Joe Friday, we were sitting in the stands at the draft party hoping Skinner would fall to us at 8 and Carolina took him at 7. Tehre was no doubt about his skills at the draft, which is rare for a kid that falls to #7, normally there’s a question about something. Not with Skinner.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
3:35 pm
Yeah, I was totally bummed when Skinner went at #7 because that meant we’d have to play against him for the next 10-15 years. Of course, Burmy will continue to get better and hopefully will evolve into the dynamic, 2-way shutdown C we need for the next decade plus.
Sage of Bluesland
January 25th, 2011
4:10 pm
“State of the Thrashers just went straight into the toilet of Sage’s house with Enstrom out for possibly a month…..”
Do you even hear yourself sometimes?
If THAT is the margin of our “excellence”, then we’re in bigger trouble than even I previously imagined…
Unbelievable. Let the excuses begin!
(and yet there is NO excuse for continuing to subsidize the incompetence…or the tired old excuses…)
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
4:14 pm
You make no sense Sage, tell me how losing Enstrom isn’t a severe blow. He’s our most consistent and perhaps best player overall.
Oh wait, why am I asking you a question? You never answer any of them, you just keep repeating yourself…at least it saves you from some extra typing, wouldn’t want to tire out your pwetty wittle fingers!
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
4:16 pm
From C-Viv’s practice line report, this could be one of the ugliest top lines in recent memory: Modin-Peverley-Bergfors
Sharon
January 25th, 2011
4:17 pm
Did anyone else receive their free Bogosian jerseys yet (from the Feb 13th ticket promo)? Ummm, it looks as though both of my jerseys are misprinted (and one of them is also stained). Instead of the logo sitting on the chest, it sits more on the stomach, so it’s probably a good 3 inches lower than it’s supposed to be and very noticeable. Did your jerseys arrive with the same misprint?
Well, they were free. Thanks, Thrashers.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
4:23 pm
Okay Rawhide, i thought that your ownership group have been trying to sell the team for last 6 years, and i forgot that atlanta thrashers have lost millions already, rawhide you should have gave up 6 years ago,
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
4:28 pm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/darren_eliot/01/24/return.of.NHL.interference.obstruction/index.html?xid=twitter_share
Darren Eliot is bang on with his article and interference and obstruction are ruining the speed of the game again. I’ve noticed that the refs are not calling the games very tightly anymore — occasionally you’ll have a penalty fest, but it’s rarer and rarer — and whatever the emphasis was after the lockout is getting lost again. Too many teams are getting away with not only a trapping gameplan, but subtle interference, hand-checking and bumping. It’s bad enough we have to endure so many 1-goal games where teams are slogging it out in the NZ, but the lack of interference calls at the blueline is really starting to get out of hand again. I bet if you compared the total number of stick infraction calls and interference calls with last year, the number would be down by at least 10-15%.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
4:29 pm
Atlanta should just dump salary to the minimum and get ready to sell the team
Dandylions
January 25th, 2011
4:39 pm
Greg=TOOL
Rawhide
January 25th, 2011
4:39 pm
Greg – What you don’t seem to get, my friend, is that selling a team does not mean moving at team. I really don’t know how to put this in another fashion…but while it is true we have quite the sucky ownership group here, there is no way the NHL is going to abandon a market like Atlanta for one like Winnipeg. Sorry dude…it ain’t happening.
But like I said, come on back next year, when we still haven’ moved to Winnipeg, and let’s discuss it some more.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
4:44 pm
Hey rawhide have you heard no one wants the team in atlanta for the main reason all it does is lose money and has no fans and ASG is either gonna sell to winnipeg or quebec, and i will be back next year
Rawhide
January 25th, 2011
4:45 pm
Greg – Just can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it seeing you back here next year.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
Thank you we’ll talk about the falcons or hawks …..but probably the Winnipeg jets
Winnipeg Jets flew out of town...
January 25th, 2011
5:05 pm
What on earth would make someone who lives in Winnipeg think that Hockey would leave Atlanta? Bad Ownership? Look at Tampa last year. No Ownership? Look at the Coyotes. Last time I checked both teams were going to Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City, etc etc etc.
If the NHL will take ownership of Phoenix in order to keep the Yotes there what makes you think Atlanta is losing another team? The team cannot be moved as per the NHL and the contract that the current ownership-idiots signed. Sure anyone could buy the team but the minute they moved the team would be disavowed by the NHL.
We feel for you, having lost a team and all, but after losing the Flames WE ARE NOT LOSING THE THRASHERS.
You want more teams? Support EXPANSION.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:13 pm
im gonna say one last thing and then im gonna leave for good. Atlanta im guessing is a great city, and its a good market but its not a hockey market. non of those sunbelt cities are a hockey market, thats why they keep losing money. NHL could work in Atlanta could work if they some how got crosby but thats not gonna happen.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:17 pm
Greg, one of these days you may have to relocate (like other Northerners / Canadians) to a location such as Atlanta, Phoenix, Miami, or whatever (an NHL market that’s the climatic antithesis of a traditional hockey town) . Maybe it’s for work related reasons, or your arthritis flares up all the time in the winter, whatever…you have to move. Oh, but lucky you, you’ve got a local NHL team to go see now with some other ex-pats and northern hockey nuts. Not so bad, EH?
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:21 pm
Anyway, you’re right in a traditional sense, Greg. But I gotta tell ya, most NHL towns aren’t.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:25 pm
The reason nhl works in those places is because they have star players that stand out from the rest, while in nashville, florida, phoenix, and atlanta, they are good teams, but no one stands out to draw in non hockey fans
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:26 pm
Most NHL towns aren’t traditional that is.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:29 pm
Because of stand out players
R. Stroz
January 25th, 2011
5:29 pm
Greg – I know it’s never a good idea to feed those that are perceived as trolls however, why do you think so many former Atlanta/Calgary Flames players live in Atlanta?
I’ll name a few as I see in the Section adjacent to where they sit, Willi Plett, Eric Vail, Tim Eccelstone, and Dan Bouchard.
The issue this team has isn’t the city, it’s an ownership group that openly admitted they never wanted the team. The same ownership group which has kept payroll at the league minimum for years.
Tell me why the Jets left Winnepeg? Although I have never been to Winnepeg, or know anyone who lives there, my understanding is the Jets fan base grew tired of an ownership group that was unwilling to commit to a payroll to field a consistently competitive team. Furthermore, I also heard, via second hand information, that the Jets management sucked. So please enlighten me to the facts as to why the Jets left Winnepeg. Are you old enough to remember? At what age did you attend, or did you attend Jets games?
I’m not trying to be a smart @$$, merely trying to engage in a well written discourse.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:31 pm
Ha Ha Ha!!! Bullcrap, Greg, it’s WINNING!!! WINNING!!!! EVEN IN PITTSBURGH PRE-CROSBY THEY HAD THE SAME TROUBLE!!! Greg, few NHL markets can weather mediocrity, FEW!!! I betcha under half could. In fact, IMO only 1/3 of NHL markets are even traditional, go bitch about Long Island and the rest of the Atlantic Division. Hell truth be told if you got rid of that division all those transplants would be filling Philips. Lot’s you don’t get about it down here.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:32 pm
Explain to me how we carried 2 minor league franchises in the ATL area SUCCESSFULLY. And don’t get smart about not having the Knights, they’re gone so we could have the Thrashers and Philips.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:36 pm
Winnipeg’s big issue was management and the fact that the canadian dollar was like 1/4 the worth of the american dollar, so the canadian teams were making about a quarter of most American teams. but now the canadian team are making most of the revenue in the nhl, and the canadian dollar is on par with the american dollar. i was 16 when i saw the jets play detroit
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:39 pm
I don’t get the superstars fill seats crap. Hossa, Kovy, Heatley, those ain’t too shabby are they? Guess what…didn’t work.
Again, I’ve been to plenty of Knights games here that outsold Thrashers games, PLENTY. Why? They won a lot.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:39 pm
ATLANTA IS A FAN AMERICA”S FAVOURITE PASS TIME BASEBALL, AND FOOTBALL HOCKEY ISN’T BIG THERE LOOK AT THE ATTENDANCES AND HOW MUCH MONEY THEY LOST OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:40 pm
hossa kovy and heatley, prove that hockey doesn’t work in atlanta
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:42 pm
look at edmonton they lose just about every game and still almost have a sell out every game
Cornbread
January 25th, 2011
5:42 pm
And God Bless the United State of Thrasherville…
And Rawhide too.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:42 pm
Winning hockey means bigger crowds and bigger returns. You lose infinity.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:44 pm
How bout phoenix last year they were one of the best teams in the league and still the worst in attendance
Tony C
January 25th, 2011
5:44 pm
Shoulder pads DEFINITELY have a big something to do with it=but I think there’s an even simpler answer to combating concussion/neuro injuries in regards to equipment: USE THE FREAKIN CHIN-STRAP!
Honestly, how many guys can you name that actually wear their chin-strap correctly? I honestly can’t think of one. Mebbe Savard after he came back this season, but I bet everyone on this blog (and I like to think we’re a knowledgeable group) is hard-pressed to find just ONE player who wears his helmet in the manner to afford maximum protection. You see guys scrambling to get their helmet out of their eyes or off their necks after pretty much every big hit/goalmouth scrum/significant contact. Obviously your helmet protects your brain best when it’s actually on your head, not your face or your neck. Even that new “anti-concussion” helmet Messier is peddling won’t do a lick of good if it’s not worn properly.
I realize there’s a lot of pride and machismo at play here, and you don’t want to have guys singled out, so make it a requirement to wear your helmet properly. Sure there’ll be much gnashing of teeth and bemoaning the “wussification” of the sport, but I don’t think we want our players being reduced to the drool-cup corps that you see from the NFL’s retirees.
Smoothie-you’d really deal Oduya for Kaberle?
I think we can all agree this team needs some smelling salts-I don’t know that we want to get rid of any regular starters that aren’t named Bergfors or Stewart (who isn’t going to get you any sort of return anyway). Big problem with trades this season is that we have no 1st-round pick this year. To get anyone of quality we’d have to gut the farm again. I sincerely hope Duds isn’t forced to do that.
I’d like to see us bring Postma up for a look-see as far as filling Enstrom’s slot. He[Postma] really impressed me from the limited action I’ve seen him in. Failing that, I’d like to see us bring up Kulda.
Pair him [Kulda] with with Byfuglien at even-strength and just tell him to stay close to the blueline, because Byfuglien’s going to try and play wing if if the game’s on the line (this habit is getting more and more annoying-yes it’s cool to have a guy who can come thundering up from the back end, but if everybody defers shooting duties to Byfuglien it really cancels out whatever benefit he brings as a 4th forward/rover). I also think we should try Hainsey on the 1st PP unit in Toby’s spot. That’d (potentially) relieve Byfuglien from skating the puck up-an area that showed tremendous challenge not just for Buff, but the team in general is gaining the O-zone without Entstrom.
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:45 pm
Ok, smartypants, superstars and so what? SHOW ME A TRULY GOOD SEASON IN THRASHERS HISTORY (ie, a real run). Can you do that for me? Again, look at Long Island in the 80’s and look at em now…how’s that Tavares kid working for attendance there?
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:48 pm
Can you say maybe they screwed the pooch over the years and it’s gonna take a bit more time? I think it is, but again, there’s another town that did fine with an IHL franchise fo a good bit.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:50 pm
Your just proving my point that hockey doesnt work in atlanta, and tavares just give him time he’ll become a star player
Winnipeg Jets flew out of town...
January 25th, 2011
5:50 pm
If you knew the history of Atlanta good sir you would see that the Braves and Falcons both lost incredible amounts of money for 30+ years. Those teams are still here. Atlanta can support hockey but when you have owners publicly slam fans and Season Ticket Holders it makes it hard to sell seats.
Again, good sir, we indeed feel for you – it took a whole generation before we got hockey back.
Support EXPANSION and you’ll have your team back. We waited 30 years.
Atlanta has a history of inept owners with their sports teams. Once good ownership was in place all teams here have built a fan base. With all of the BS we deal with in Atlanta from people in town who troll on here and others from out of town, such as yourself, good sir, we still have a more solid fan base than other teams who have had the same exact problems with ownership that we have.
Spend some time doing proper research on something before you claim to be an expert, especially when its on an area you have never visited.
R. Stroz
January 25th, 2011
5:52 pm
Winnipeg’s big issue was management
Exactly, the Thrashers have been saddled with the only GM that gives Mike Milbury a run for his money as the most ineffective managers in NHL history.
If you couple poor managemnt with garbage owners, what do the fans have to look forward to? Atlanta’s a big city, thee are plenty of options for the entertainment dollar, unlike lets say Edmonton.
By the way, did you attend any Jets games, and how old were if and when you did so? Based on your writing style, you appear to be rather young.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
5:53 pm
Buddy im not an expert, i never said i was, but i dont think that the current ownership group is gonna wait 30+ years for a fan base to grow, considering theyve been trying to sell for the last 6 year
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
5:53 pm
See American’s HATE SCANDALS. So go Wiki the debacle that was PHX over the last I dunno 5-7 years. That kills most markets in this country for a good while IMO. Again we’re not forgiving like Italian Serie A fans stateside I can assure you (wiki that too).
Greg
January 25th, 2011
6:02 pm
Don’t worry Atlanta, the Thrashers will be gone by next season. Thats a fact !
Iron League 13
January 25th, 2011
6:03 pm
Again I think you’re missing my point, which is EVEN ATLANTIC DIVISION TEAMS MUST WIN!!! The only exceptions, IMO, would be NYR and Philly I doubt NJ can’t have 5 years like this one either. Again Pitts post-Lemieux/pre-Crosby was very unhealthy.
Anyways, my point is that you’re forgetting most markets aren’t traditional, yet you still go for the glaringly obvious struggling sunbelt teams. We’re the NHL equivalent of a Jamaican Bobsled team or something (shrugs). Maybe you should mess with the Isles too? Makes sense to me and more likely you’d get them too.
R. Stroz
January 25th, 2011
6:04 pm
On another point, I’ve never seen the Canadian dollar below 65 cents against the U.S. dollar over a 40 year period. Don’t embellish, it takes away from your credibility.
Greg
January 25th, 2011
6:09 pm
Hey R. Stroz what are you like a grade 4 english teacher, what do i need credibility for, this is a comments section of a blog, stop acting like your some important voice of reason
R. Stroz
January 25th, 2011
6:13 pm
Greg – Did you attend any Jets games, and how old were you if and when you did so?
Greg
January 25th, 2011
6:17 pm
I was 16 when i saw my first game. Now im going to leave my igloo and go play some hockey
R. Stroz
January 25th, 2011
6:21 pm
Greg – Lets try one more time. When did you attend your FIRST WINNEPEG JETS game and how old were you when you did so?
Real Cloutier
January 25th, 2011
6:23 pm
The Winnipeg Jets never won more than 43 games in a season.
The Winnipeg Jets had 5 winning seasons out of 17 and never won their division (a streak that still lives on today 12 seasons later).
And, apparently the Loonie did not go too far for Jets fans either (average attendance by year last 7 seasons)
89-90 13,106
90-91 12,931
91-92 12,931
92-93 13,550
93-94 13,297
94-95 13,013
95-96 11,316
The Jets highest average attendance for any single season was 1985-86 with 13,694 per game. Apparently, the building held at least 15,568 fans, because that’s the avg. number that showed up for 1992-93 playoffs, which means the Winnipeg Arena, like many of those here in the States, played to roughly 87 percent of capacity during the regular season.
They don’t play for the AVCO Cup anymore Greg and by the way, your Winnipeg Blue Bombers haven’t won the Grey Cup in 20 years.
Tony C
January 25th, 2011
6:26 pm
kinda jealous about that Greg. Have fun.
the Chief
January 25th, 2011
6:55 pm
Jesus Crist Greg, you should just stop and go get a life
Big Daddy C
January 25th, 2011
6:59 pm
Smoothie, I think what Sage is saying is that it’s sad that we dont have players that can step in and take Enstroms spot while he is out.Playoff contending teams still roll on when they lose a top player because they can fill the spot with a quality player. Thrashers have a track record of taking a dump when one of our top producing players go out.
I am not taking any sides here, just my thoughts.
I do hope someone will buy the thrashers that will dump money into the team and finally we can have a real team.
Geddy Lee
January 25th, 2011
7:01 pm
Hey Greg,
TAKE OFF!
World Be Free
January 25th, 2011
7:07 pm
Tony C-chin straps yes, but if you want to help reduce the number of concussions, make mouth guard mandatory too. These have been proven to prevent concussions.
Winnipeg and Quebec City-I have been to both places in winter and summer. In my judgement, neither city has the financial means to support an NHL franchise, in this or any age. Arguments to support either city for an NHL team are not based on the $$$ facts of what it takes to support a profitable team. The only Canadian city that does not have an NHL franchise that might make it is Hamilton, becuase of the close proximity to Toronto. All this depite the fact that Hamilton is a city, scummy city. I grew up near this lovely town, I can tell you from experience.
So discussion of the Atlanta Thrashers or any other franchise moving to these outposts is a waste of time.
Cornbread
January 25th, 2011
7:09 pm
Smoothie – The Elliot article was a good read. It also gets to my exact point I was making yesterday about Tampa. They play that way – and others like Florida – because they are covering something up. In Tampa’s case it’s because they are so weak in their end and in Florida’s case because they can’t score. It is very ugly but effective hockey – sometimes. Come playoff time it will be one of those times when it is not.
Sage of Bluesland
January 25th, 2011
7:32 pm
Smoothie and his ignorance once again gets in the way of a comment….I’ll say again, more slowly this time: If the loss of lil’ Toby causes this team to go into a tailspin, then that is–without a doubt–one of the worst excuses I’ve ever heard for losing.
Period. End-of.
If lil’ Toby is the margin of difference between winning and losing, then we’re done.
Pure rot. Just accept that you’ve been caught with your pants down; accept it; make an apology for being such a drama-queen; and move on.
Do you think we fell off of the truck yesterday? Lil’ Toby? REALLY???
Just wow.
Buzzeng
January 25th, 2011
7:42 pm
Jeepers! I can’t read this blog and comments fast enough to get ahead! So…pardon the late reply to one of Smoothie’s post, but the “Atlanta Suing Group” made me laugh out loud! Bravo!
American Psychiatric Institute For Stupid Rich Kids
January 25th, 2011
8:11 pm
As of January 1, 2011, we have added incessant suing disorder to our current list of addictions, incessant lying disorder, and incessant incompetence disorder.
We would like to thank the ASG for creating a new volume of disorders, but please, don’t sue us as well…..you stupid idiots.
Badger Bob
January 25th, 2011
8:26 pm
If Winnipeg is such a surefire market, why have so many teams failed there (Jets, Warriors, Monarchs, etc.)? No wonder the NHL avoids the place like the plague! I suspect the number of people in Atlanta who grew up in “traditional hockey markets” is about 4 times the total population of Winnipeg. But keep dreaming, Greg. What else is there to do?
Alan R.
January 25th, 2011
8:40 pm
I suspect the number of people in Atlanta who grew up in “traditional hockey markets” is about 4 times the total population of Winnipeg.
You might not be that far from the truth, there. Winnipeg population is ~695k, while Atlanta is close to six million. In both figures, I used the 2009 estimated metro population.
Lastly, let the record show that I would love to have an igloo with a pond out back for me to play shinny on whenever I felt like it.
American Psychiatric Institute For Stupid Kids
January 25th, 2011
8:40 pm
Greg has been diagnosed with “I suck so bad at World of Warcraft that my cyber friends kicked me off complex.” As a result, he must annoy adults on hockey blogs.
There is no cure.
Hockey Biltong
January 25th, 2011
8:43 pm
Well how about them apples, WBF. ?? I might eventually catch you at a game! I have The R. Stroz vuvuzela, which totally rocks….. and yes, Calgary does seem like a trade partner right now. Although with so much speculation flying around it’s really hard to play match maker, until more pieces of the trade puzzle fall into place…..
Alan R.
January 25th, 2011
8:47 pm
I now know who runs the American Psychiatric Institute For Stupid Kids, and wish to place a resume for employment with this firm.
BMF
January 25th, 2011
9:32 pm
Man oh man, I get home from work and there are like a hundred new posts on this blog, good stuff, even the Greg-Winnipeg banter. But let’s get back on the subject of possible trades. I read CViv’s latest post after today’s practice. Those line combos leave a lot to be desired. Bottom line, when you remove Kane/Ladd/Toby from the combos, we are weak. Just perusing some scoring stats…who comes to mind? Who could we add to shake this team up? I mentioned Iginla earlier because we’re one of the few teams that can take on that salary, hardly anybody else can. Too bad Calgary is making a run, fooling themselves into thinking they can make the playoffs now. But what would Calgary want in return, besides the obvious benefit of salary dump? How about a guy like Vanek from Buffalo? Matt Moulson from NYI? Would the Oilers trade Dustin Penner? Any of those guys would be a HUGE jolt to the Thrashers. Who on the Thrashers would you consider untouchable? I suppose my list of untouchables would be Ladd (if he’s going to sign an extension here, a BIG if), Buff (same thing), Toby, Little, Cormier/Burmy (they just got up here), Pavelec. Guys that we could trade if the offer was good: Bergfors/Stewart/Oduya/Bogo (yeah right)/Peverley. Just thinking out loud here…and changing the subject from the Winnipeg Thrashers.
Hoof Arted
January 25th, 2011
9:36 pm
Wow. It looks like even President Obama was impressed with the BlogMaster’s state of the union address. So much so that he decided to give one of his own tonight.
Alan R.
January 25th, 2011
9:39 pm
For once, I’d like our president to give a State Of The Union address that tells it like it is, instead of bloviating for a couple hours. Something like “My fellow Americans: We’re f@&%$d.”
Red Light
January 25th, 2011
10:56 pm
So, just how important is tomorrow night’s game with the depleted line-up?
Tampa 67
Wash 63
Atlanta 55
Carolina 54
Buffalo 51
Florida 49
Brendan
January 25th, 2011
11:07 pm
WBF, I hope our trading partner, if there are to be trades, is NOT the Calgary Flames. The Flames have one mission: To ditch as many of their bad contracts as they can. Trouble is, I think they have 13 no trade clauses. They’re stuck. Now, I know what you’ll say. “Then they’ll just give it away for a song, just so they can move forward.” The player won’t waive that NTC to go JUST ANYWHERE.
For Calgary, the players they have might just be their best option. Kiprussoff doesn’t suck. But he’s not getting any younger. Neither is Iginla, who also doesn’t suck. These players may be overpriced a bit, but they are THERE, and you can build around them. Calgary can’t just give them away, and then try to backfill those vacancies via the Summer Draft. And getting J.P. Vigier-type players back in the trades … won’t help them any, either. Calgary has to sell tickets, too, even though they are a CANADIAN city, full of knowledgeable and very passionate hockey fans. There’s no worse feeling in the world … that following a team that you know isn’t headed in the right direction.
Try to remember back to 2003, WBF. Calgary hadn’t won a playoff series since 1993. They had just completed their 7th-straight year OUTSIDE of the playoffs. Those weren’t happy days, up in the Southern half of Alberta. Jerseys weren’t selling. Attendance wasn’t great. But the next season, the Flames made an improbable run from the # 6 seed all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. They beat Vancouver, in an UNFORGETTABLY AWESOME 7-game series that was decided in overtime, then Detroit (!!), and finally, San Jose in the CF. They were an OT winner, in Game Six, from winning the Cup over Tampa Bay. That deep playoff run … netted the Flames ownership $24 million in pure profits, called playoff revenue. It also re-energized its fanbase for a number of years. The Flames remember those 7 years without the playoff revenue. And their fans reminded them, back in 2004, that the club hadn’t won a playoff series since ‘93. Last year (2010) … was the first year, post-lockout, that the Flames didn’t make it in. If they blow it up, it could be many years until they get back in. It could be a hard sell for Calgary to attract Tier I free agents to their market, while they are rebuilding.
Re: Winnipeg Jets. I knew a Jets fan, who cared very deeply for his team. And he told me, with total sincerity, that he felt … like the ONLY REASON the Jets were in the NHL … was to give Gretzky someone to play and defeat in the opening round of the playoffs. I felt his pain. That’s a terrible situation, truly. In fairness, no one ELSE was stopping Gretzky’s Oilers, either. In the 30 completed seasons … that the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise has existed … they’ve made the playoffs 17 times. Their record? In 19 total series played, they are 2-17. It is what it is. The sad truth about the Jets/Coyotes is … if they were to make the playoffs and reach the Conference Finals this very year … they’d DOUBLE their entire franchise’s history of playoff series wins. Imagine if the Yotes were to reach the Finals! When you put it into the big picture, Atlanta’s foibles are miniscule by comparison. But the point is … every team needs to have ownership that inspires confidence in the “lifeblood” of their existence. And that’s their PAYING fans. If the fan perceives that the situation is “hopeless, hopeless, so utterly hopeless,” is doesn’t result in ticket sales.
Smoothie
January 25th, 2011
11:52 pm
SOB – yes that was EXAAAACTLY what I was saying! Nice job in taking my words and creating an illusion of what I meant. The injury to Toby, albeit quite a severe blow as he is our best D-man and one of our top puck movers, is not the SOLE “margin of difference for winning or losing” as you put it, but rather an inopportune injury that this team in its current state (with a rash of injuries to key players such as Kane, Slater, now Ladd perhaps, Antropov who hasn’t been anywhere close to 100% all year, Modin and Big Buff, who is most likely playing hurt since his awkward collision with the end boards in Florida) can ill-afford to sustain right now.
The offense from the backend by Toby and Buff has been the “straw that stirs the drink” all season and now, mired in a terrible slump, this team, that is relying too heavily on fill-ins and young players who are not as effective as the players I’ve mentioned, cannot afford to lose one of its top 3 players when the margin of error for making the playoffs is shrinking rapidly. But to you, all hope was lost from day one, so why are you arguing with me about the margin of error for winning and losing? No, you’re just here to continue to belittle people who want to see a team they follow do well.
And you love to try to make an example of my supposed “ignorance” because you can’t actually form a cogent argument that will tackle any of the questions I offer up to you. I certainly don’t care what you think of me and I would never apologize to your condescending, arrogant butt for anything. Why would I do anything of the sort when you do nothing but attack people on this blog for expressing their enthusiasm for support of this city’s hockey team?
So thanks for giving me a distraction from the lunacy that is the analysis of our POTUS SOTU address on TV. Perhaps you should direct your “sage” wisdom in a more productive fashion on a political blog or the like as jackwagons like you abound in such forums.
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
6:32 am
Smoothie-I have not issue makig a deal with Calgary because they have to make a deal AND they would prefer to make one with an Eastern Conference team, Their long list of no trade clauses make them open to what I call “desperation discounts” because they need to move guys to move $$$ contracts. Hagman does not have a NTC in his deal so he is open.
Sage of Bluesland
January 26th, 2011
7:44 am
“….State of the Thrashers just went straight into the toilet of Sage’s house with Enstrom out for possibly a month…..”
These were YOUR DIRECT WORDS. Deflect and obfuscate all you want–this is a direct quote.
I laughed at you for it; I’m still laughing…
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
7:44 am
Biltong-I am “out” for tonight’s game for sure-see you next game.
Brendan-Calgary is making a run, just like Buffalo. Neither team has a chance to move forward in the playoffs, but neither team can deep six the season with the hope of trading and building for the future. Teams cannot give up in front of their fan bases. That’s why I think trades will become less and less as time goes on, that and the salary cap restricting players movements. Getting a vet player will become more of a wish than reality.
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
8:28 am
Flames-I think most missed your “Josey Wales” reference-
“Endeavor to persevere!”
I reckon so.
Remember Smoothie-don’t feed the weasel
Smoothie
January 26th, 2011
9:05 am
WBF – ha, can’t help myself sometimes! When I’m bored sometimes I end up in the garden of my mind antagonizing the weasels who like to dig up and undermine its root system! But I digress.
I reckon we will only have limited choices when it comes to making a deal early. It might not be a bad idea to look at a winger like Hagman who has speed and hands that can help this team. But it will all depend on how desperate they are to unload contracts and what they want in return. I keep forgetting we don’t have a 1st rounder so I’m not sure if our prospect pool will be attractive enough for a trade. And no I’m not saying we should use a 1st rounder for Hagman, but obviously I know you, unlike some sages who need to have everything spelled out word for word.
Smoothie
January 26th, 2011
9:10 am
*understand where I’m coming from.
Ah the dangers of using my BB to write more than a sentence or two!
Get The Puck Out
January 26th, 2011
9:13 am
Obama says the government is going to have a five year spending freeze. Heck, the thrashers are wayyyy ahead of that.
goose
January 26th, 2011
9:42 am
I’ve forgot when did we trade our first rounder in this years draft?
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
10:13 am
We have our first round pick-we traded our 2nd round pick to CHI for Ladd. and no matter what, don’t feed the Weasel!
Smoothie
January 26th, 2011
10:16 am
Damn it, keep getting this mixed up as we did give up a 1st and 2nd last spring, but we had extras thanks to IVK.
Dustin Byfuglien trade:
“The first- and second-round picks that Chicago gets in the deal were acquired by Atlanta in the trade that sent Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey last February.”
Andrew Ladd:
“The Hawks received Ivan Vishnevskiy and a second-round pick in next year’s draft”
So we still have our first, but not our second round pick. Of course, Dudley was apparently seeking to replace this second rounder by floating Bergfors with his “intent to trade” memo per Kevin Allen’s “Mucking and Grinding” column a month or so ago. So while we still have our first, not having our 2nd does limit our trading options unless we do off-load a forward to a team with an extra 2nd rounder.
It’ll be interesting to see how Dudley pulls this off if / when they do decide to make a move, which I reckon could come as early as the next week during the All-Star break.
Pauly Shore
January 26th, 2011
10:21 am
Did somebody ask for me, the weeeeazzzull!! You can feed me, I won’t bite, I praaahhmmisss!
Thrashers
January 26th, 2011
1:17 pm
We feel like those kids at Camp Crystal Lake.
Alan R.
January 26th, 2011
2:39 pm
Thrashers on the ocean.
Thrashers and Fans at Philips.
The AS LLC at Philips.
AS LLC, when the walls fell.
The river Chattahoochee in winter.
Fans, their faces black, their eyes red.
Fans, their army with fists closed.
Fans and Lawyers at Philips.
Iron League 13
January 26th, 2011
2:56 pm
Just looked up the definition of obfuscate since Sage dropped that one on my public school educated a$$ (actually I went to private school until a semester of 8th grade, TMI, whatever). Anywho, here’s what I found…
Ob-fus-cate
(ob-fuhs-keyt)
-verb
1. a word used by people who probably wear ascots everywhere and talk with an old-money New England aristocratic accent not unlike the late Katharine Hepburn’s
2. uber-duber dweeby psuedo intellectual posers that likely pronounce words like rath-er as (rah-th ur)
Red Light
January 26th, 2011
2:57 pm
The fourth part of the Chicago trade, forward Akim Aliu, has been reassigned from Chicago to Gwinnett.
ThrasherTim
January 26th, 2011
3:06 pm
Smoothie – Sad when you get drawn into a tirade due to some bloggers. After all, why feed the incompetence?
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
3:06 pm
Red Light-is this to egt him more playing time or is he washing out as a prospect? I think Dudley must feel he has more developmental control in Gwinnnet than he does in Chicago.
Thoughts?
Iron League 13
January 26th, 2011
3:26 pm
pseudo rahth-ur
GaVaHokie
January 26th, 2011
3:39 pm
Both Eklund and Fourth Period are showing that Atlanta has serious interest in Ales Hemsky.
… would love to have him.
JB
January 26th, 2011
3:43 pm
eklund probably read the fourth period and posted it on his blog…
Alan R.
January 26th, 2011
3:46 pm
Oh, Gods. One guy mentions Eklund last week, and now this whole charade starts all over again. Can we filter posts that include that name? Those can not only go to purgatory, they can go to the pits of hell and burn in the maker’s fire.
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
3:48 pm
I’d take Penner instead Hemsky is still out with a concussion
GaVaHokie
January 26th, 2011
3:50 pm
The fourth part of the Chicago trade, forward Akim Aliu, has been reassigned from Chicago to Gwinnett.
… for more ice time.
According to CViv, a few more may be heading down to get more time.
Smoothie
January 26th, 2011
3:53 pm
Tim – so true, so true. But sometimes I’m just a glutton for punishment. Good way to kill some time I guess.
GVH – wouldn’t that be nice? But it’d also be nice if he didn’t have those nagging concussion issues. Would love to see his skill on the right side of Kane & Peverley.
WBF&RL – you get the feeling from the quote in CViv’s blog that Dudley is growing impatient with the fiasco in CHI as Esposito, Freddy P and Akim Aliu are all getting the shaft on PT. Something needs to give at some point and perhaps Duds is trying to set the stage to point to the possibility of Gwinnett making the jump to the AHL at some point?
GaVaHokie
January 26th, 2011
3:56 pm
Oh, Gods. One guy mentions Eklund last week, and now this whole charade starts all over again. Can we filter posts that include that name? Those can not only go to purgatory, they can go to the pits of hell and burn in the maker’s fire.
Sorry… I’ll try and make more relevant quotes, like Star Trek.
Red Light
January 26th, 2011
4:11 pm
We can only hope that the light has shined concerning the Wolves and their lack of development as it concerns the Thrashers prospects!!! They have done RICHARD in the development of the Thrashers draft picks overall. The kids that have played there in the past and were called up were some of our best players — but thankfully they didn’t sty down there too long to be sat at the AHL level. When you have to send a “prospect” to your ECHL team to get them more ice time, then you simply have the wrong AHL partner. But, that’s a very, very long subject for a different day, er blog!
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
4:11 pm
Smoothie-we need to end our relationship with Chicago. All good teams have a say in how their talent is developed, even the style of play the minor league team plays. We have no such control, the Wolves could care less about our kids’ development. This is not Dudley’s way, I see us out of Chicago real soon.
That’s my take…..
Alan R.
January 26th, 2011
4:18 pm
Sorry… I’ll try and make more relevant quotes, like Star Trek.
At least no one is going to mistake anything I say as claiming we’re shopping Rich Peverley. We had one person on the blogs do the whole Darth Vader “NOOOOOOOO” thing. It made me depressed.
Oh, and at least my post is relevant.
smelly turd
January 26th, 2011
4:26 pm
I am not getting my hopes up for a trade, at least not a decent one. Decent would mean a true top line player.
Iron League 13
January 26th, 2011
4:42 pm
WBF- I like the out of Chicago, Glads promoted to the AHL kinda stuff. Chicago’s too far away and a timezone behind too that’s gotta suck when you need fresh legs in a jiffy. I dig.
AlanR. – If Pevs goes at any point in the season or offseason I’ll be very upset, he’s a keeper and I also think he’s probably very greatful for the opportunity he got here (ie, RETAINABLE). I’d definitely put together a combo of players to make up for his value before I’d give him up.
World Be Free
January 26th, 2011
4:47 pm
I-R 13-Wolves are not developing our players or playing Atlanta’s style. Having them in Gwinnett in the AHL would be great, give us a chance to go see the kids too just like the Braves’ do.
Alan R.
January 26th, 2011
4:52 pm
AlanR. – If Pevs goes at any point in the season or offseason I’ll be very upset
Right. We all know this. However, Eklund posted on his blog sometime last week that Atlanta was allegedly shopping him on the market. That info was posted by a long time reader of these blogs. A new reader took the post seriously.
Eklund is about as relevant a name in hockey as a full moon is to a proctologist. Take nothing he says seriously.
GaVaHokie
January 26th, 2011
4:54 pm
That’s why Ed Pasquale got sent to Gwinnett a week or so ago, I’m sure… Mannino gets all the playing time in Chicago.
Boris
January 26th, 2011
4:57 pm
The Canadians act like they invented hockey…everyone knows the Russians did!
glovesave29
January 26th, 2011
5:23 pm
A big happy Five-0 to the Great One.
Anyone else notice he has not exactly high-tailed it back to Canada once his playing days are over?
So can anyone explain to me how exactly why anyone feels that Winnipeg should get a team back when the all time high season attendance average was 13,562 in an arena the held 15,565? Or that even though they made the playoffs 11 of 16 seasons – the attendance generally shot DOWN for the playoffs? Of the 11 playoff seasons, only TWO of them had full houses. Canada’s population growth is 5.7% as stated by their own census. Winnipeg grew by just 2.2%. People are leaving. A town of 750K is just where it should be – in the AHL.
Again – its a great town, but not of NHL caliber.
glovesave29
January 26th, 2011
5:23 pm
…oh, and POM!
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
6:08 pm
Glovesave29, I have no objection to Winnipeg getting a team, just not at the expense of ours. However, does Winnipeg edge out Kansas City, Las Vegas, Hamilton, or Quebec City? Hmmn. Probably not. I remember when the Hampton Roads Admirals won a couple of Kelly Cups (ECHL) and there was persistent talk of a team for Norfolk, VA, since the population is around 1 million people, and it’s far enough away from DC that the Capitals can’t whine and complain too much. There are lots of smaller markets where hockey could be *tried*, but the league probably already has something close to the best 30 markets that there are. Personally, I think the fans in Winnipeg are very knowledgeable and very passionate about hockey. Now that there is a salary cap, theoretically, the Winnipeg market, unlike its previous incarnation, might actually have a chance to win a Cup, provided that it had ‘committed ownership’ and ‘accountability’ over the GM and Head Coach, and Scouting Department. It’d be a tough job. But it wouldn’t be impossible, like it was before. With quality drafting, and player retention by ‘committed ownership,’ a market like Winnipeg could be viable in the NHL, precisely because it would be PROPPED UP by the larger revenue producers in the league. If I were the NHL, I don’t honestly think I would look long and hard at Winnipeg as my BEST CHOICE for an expansion team or a relocation. That said, I have nothing against Winnipeg. On a purely sentimental scale, I’d love for them to get a team. I just hope … that if it does happen for Winnipeg … that they get decent ownership and GOOD management, so it’s not just some ‘exercise in futility’ like it was before. Without a salary cap, it’s a long stretch to believe Winnipeg could be some annual contender for the Cup. The truth I believe is this: Without a salary cap, a market like Winnipeg is bound to become the ‘Farm Team’ for the rest of the NHL. That is, as soon as their high-end draft picks hit UFA status, they’re gone. And it’s back to ‘ye ol’ drawing board.’ So, for THEIR sakes, I hope the salary cap remains. Atlanta needs a salary cap, too. Not just to make winning plausible, but to FORCE US to spend to the FLOOR of the cap. Although, is that really happening?
glovesave29
January 26th, 2011
6:29 pm
Brendan – I have said all along I have no objection with Winnipeg getting an expansion team. But the more I looked into their history and the regional demographics – the more I feel it is unlikely to happen. They were the beneficiaries of the mid-80’s NHL where 16 of the 21 teams made the playoffs. Certainly much more difficult these days – and if they did not show up for playoff hockey, they’d be looking at a half full arena for those teams that collect 60-70 points in a season.
To be honest – the best place to put a new team would be (swallowing back the bile) another Toronto team. Hamilton is a suburb. Quebec and Winnipeg (everyone refers to Sacramento as the “cow town” of the NBA – and its over 3X as large as Winnipeg) are just too small. Seattle and Portland are WHL cities and unlikely to even bid for NHL hockey. Las Vegas? Fail! Kansas City – ditto – they have a terrible record of keeping hockey at ALL levels. Houston is certainly large enough, but is there interest?
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
7:19 pm
Glovesave29, I completely agree. The best option probably is another Toronto-based team. Clearly, there is interest. Clearly, there is sufficient population, especially considering that such a hypothetical team could draw from both Hamilton and Buffalo.
Glovesave29, what about Cleveland as a possible NHL city? Who do they root for in Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Detroit or Columbus? My guess is … Columbus, being an Ohio-based franchise. I actually ATTENDED a Cleveland Barons game in 1978. It was Cleveland vs. Minnesota, and it ended in a 4-4 tie, if I’m recalling correctly. Funny, the Cleveand franchise would merge with the North Stars the next season (1978-79). The Barons were previously known as the California Golden Seals, which entered the league in EXPANSION, in 1967-68. That Oakland-based franchise is now located in Dallas, TX, due to the merger with Minnesota, and subsequent relocation to Texas.
In other news, Bruce Levenson is suing the manufacturers of those bubblegum machine dispensers that you sometimes find in the front of grocery stores. Apparently, Bruce stuffed .50 cents into one, and didn’t get a little plastic container. So, he tried again. But this time, the plastic container was empty. He’s suing, stating that, “The bubblegum dispenser CLEARLY states that there’s a GUARANTEED PRIZE inside each container.” So, he’s suing for the $1 he spent, plus his mental anguish and suffering. If only we could sue Bruce for “mental pain and suffering.” The jury would have to award damages to the entire city.
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
7:22 pm
Capitals 0, Thrashers 0, mid-way through the 1st period. Any “hat tricks” tonight?? My guess is Ovechkin, if we’re going to start making guesses.
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
7:24 pm
Thrashers just had a great chance on a 2-on-1, set up by Little. Can’t remember if it was Byfuglien or Thorburn he set up, but the puck bounced off his skates and went right into Varlamov. Varlamov “fumbled it” and it trickled over the goal line, WIDE of the net. D’oh!!
glovesave29
January 26th, 2011
8:03 pm
Problem with Cleveland is the arena is too far from the city. They have a long history in the AHL, and with Columbus being nearby, I cannot see that happening.
The Barons – that’s going back a ways – I liked watching them as goalie Gillie Meloche was certifiably looney and Denis Maruk had the classic 70’s porn stache.
TECHNICALLY – the expansion team was the Oakland Seals, with their Dali-esque logo.
Hoof Arted
January 26th, 2011
8:30 pm
glovesave29, I think you mean POM-POM. I follow the BlogMaster on twitter too.
Brendan, I would think Cleveland would be a good city for an NHL team if not for Columbus and Detroit being so close. But I know some people from that area and they love hockey.
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
9:39 pm
Glovesave29, loved the 70’s porn stache worn by Dennis Maruk. I think Maruk played with the Capitals, too. Ahh, the Oakland Seals, with their WHITE skates, and yellow home jerseys. That team had APOLOGY written all over it.
Re: Cleveland, Lake Erie is well represented by Detroit and Buffalo. Why not Cleveland, too? I think you guys nailed. It’s an arena situation and proximity to other teams. I guess the benefit to the league to be travel money saved. What a region it would be! Buffalo, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, and Pittsburgh! And maybe toss in Columbus, too. That’s a short flight, any way you slice it.
Hey, hey!!, says Krusty the Klown. It’s a regulation-time win!!! Woo-hoo!! Is that the first of the month of January? Did we win the season series with the Capitals? For Pavelec, that’s career shutout # 5. Sing it, … one, two … three, four, five, everybody in the house, c’mon let’s jive. Decent crowd for a Wednesday night, even if Ovechkin was in the house. I think we’re assured of being in playoff position, come the All-Star break, thanks to this win. But I’m not entirely sure of that. Someone double-check it. Red Light, I’m looking in your direction.
Zoomo
January 26th, 2011
9:41 pm
Gut check – passed! Heck of an effort with that line up.
SomaAtl95
January 26th, 2011
9:48 pm
Nice to see a W tonight. I guess you can say that Pavs subsidized the win with his stellar play, Also nice to see the rest of the team supporting OP. Hopefully this is the start of another decent streak – the last one started with a home win against the caps.
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
9:50 pm
As one of this blog’s biggest Nik Antropov advocates, I feel I must say something. Hoooray!! GWG, for # 80. Still, I’ve always said that if Nik isn’t 100-percent, and can’t get there this season, why not longterm IR him and backfill his salary with a trade? That offseason surgery has taken its toll all year. I consider Nik to be an asset worth protecting. Obviously, the medical staff knows best. Let’s just hope for a healthy Nik, and more GWG’s from him, down the stretch.
Stuck in NJ
January 26th, 2011
10:15 pm
WTH? Bogosian got the third star? It must have been a consolation for not have a minus rating for the night
glovesave29
January 26th, 2011
10:18 pm
Brendan – white skates came when Finley bought the team – first they were the Oakland Seals, The California Seals – then (GULP) the California Golden Seals in glorious light teal and gold white skates.
You are correct – Maruk was a Cap. Luckily he missed out on the great years when the Cap wore white pants with the red sweater on the road.
EA
January 26th, 2011
10:42 pm
I was at the game and I can tell you Bogo played a great game. The hit on Brooks Laich was one of many great plays he made. He really stood out tonight for all of the right reasons which is a nice change compared to his recent play.
Dwayne
January 26th, 2011
10:46 pm
bogo looked good…miracle….paired wit hainsey, over 21 minutes ice time, pretty muched rolled 3 lines. Rammer did what it took to win the game….intresting concept.
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
10:55 pm
Glovesave29, that takes me back! I remember when the Caps came into the league … I honestly didn’t think they’d win five games, out of 82. They won eight. True Cap fans can probably name those wins, and the dates of those wins.
I remember, in the mid-1980’s, when the Caps were starting to have 100-point type seasons, that it was ‘about time’ that franchise got to taste some success. Still Cup-less, though, through 36 seasons. I think I picked the Capitals to win the East this year, in preseason. It’s always fun to look back and look at what we thought, back in September and October.
Rawhide
January 26th, 2011
11:00 pm
OK kids, here’s a new blog to discuss tonight’s win…one that came just in the “Nik” of time.
glovesave29 – #POMPOM back at ya. We needed that one!
Brendan
January 26th, 2011
11:01 pm
Okayyyyy. When the Caps entered the league, it was an 80-game season. Not 82, as I erroneously posted.
R. Stroz
January 29th, 2011
3:15 pm
LAST!