What will you remember about the Thrashers?
As Tim Tucker reported, the name and logo of the Thrashers will not relocate to Winnipeg when the team does. They were not a part of the deal when the Atlanta Spirit sold the franchise to True North Sports and Entertainment.
Also not a part of the deal apparently was team president/former GM/former part-time head coach Don Waddell. He served as general manager for 10 of the 11 seasons in which the Thrashers played in Atlanta.
“They bought the assets of the company, excluding name and logo,” Waddell said. “That remains with our ownership group, Atlanta Spirit…I’m going to stay here through the close of business.”
“Then I’ll explore my options”, he added. “Whether that is staying here in Atlanta or looking to move in another direction, I will evaluate that when the time comes.”
So, if anyone knows of any openings for those experienced in assisting the running of a professional sports franchise right into the ground…
I will always remember the time I was able to share a game with Peter Bondra...oh wait, that's just Big Shooter of The Blueland Chronicle. (Photo/Krisabelle)
Anyway… once the team does close up shop and Mr. Waddell’s work here is finally complete, the “Thrashers” will officially become no more and fade off into the memories the citizens of Thrasherville. But while these memories are still fresh in our minds, allow me to ask you just what you’ll remember about the team and the time they spent here.
I chatted briefly with my family about this very subject as we made our way back from Florida earlier this week. I found it interesting that we all came up with differing responses.
For my younger son Chris, his first thoughts went back to opening night of the 2003-04 season when we all gathered to not only begin a new hockey campaign, but also say goodbye to Dan Snyder. He recalled the bagpipes playing as 18,000-plus fans mourned the loss of one who left us far too soon.
For Matt, my oldest, he was quick to point out coach Bob Hartley. Not just for what he did behind the Thrashers bench, leading them to their two best seasons and one-and-only playoff appearance, but he also remembers how Hartley pulled him from a crowd of people during the open house prior to the 2006-07 season.
“Hey, I know you”, the coach said. “How is your skating comin’ along there, Matty?”
Only Coach Bob could ever call him that.
Nasty Nest tailgate parties always attracted some interesting folks. Fans from visiting teams were even welcome down at the Gulch, as these Caniacs can attest (Photo/Kracker)
He then asked about his schoolwork and how his Bantam team was doing so far.
My wife Judi told me that she would never forget what Philips Arena was like the night of the first playoff game in April 2007, and how the upper deck shook when Eric Belanger scored that fist playoff goal in team history.
Sadly, there would only be five more scored during the four-game sweep to the Rangers… one each by Greg deVries, Pascal Dupuis, Ilya Kovalchuk, Shane Hnidy and Keith Tkachuk. Both Tkachuk and Dupuis added a pair of assists and will forever hold the all-time playoff scoring record with three overall points.
Kovy had a goal and one assist while Nic Havelid and Brad Larson each notched a pair of assists.
Maybe you’ll remember that the Thrashers played to a record of 342 wins, 437 losses, 78 overtime losses and 45 ties in 902 regular season games. Post-lockout, their record was 222-212-58, but during the last four seasons it slipped to 138-151-39.
Perhaps the team’s first ever game on October 2, 1999 will come to mind, a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. If you were there, certainly you recall the team’s first-ever goal scored by Kelly Buchberger at the 11:26 mark of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Martin Prozchaka and the enigmatic first-ever draft pick in team history, Patrick Stefan.
Many will certainly remember the very first ever victory in franchise history as Damian Rhodes blanked the Islanders in New York 2-0 on October 14,1999. Twelve days later came the first home win, 2-1 over the Flames, the first team to depart Atlanta. The next month saw the team’s first-ever hat trick, courtesy of Dean Sylvester against the Vancouver Canucks.
Hanging out at Taco Mac after games with fellow Thrashervillians like Krisabelle is something I will always remember fondly (Photo/Smoothie)
Surely many will remember when this Thrashers organization employed two of the most promising young stars in the league, Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley. Or maybe you’ll recall the 2002 draft when then-general manager Don Waddell elected to go with a young Finnish netminder with the second overall pick, Kari Lehtonen.
And then there was the Bob Hartley era between January 15, 2003 and October 17, 2007. He took over the team during its fourth year after Curt Fraser was fired following an 8-20-4-1 start. The Thrashers finished that season 19-14-5-1 with Hartley behind the bench. Their 78 overall points that year were the most ever at the time and it was topped by 12 points the next…just prior to the lockout.
In all, the Thrashers went 136-112-13-24 during his time as head coach before the 0-6-0 start in 2007 cost Hartley his job.
Of course, since that time…well, we’ve already gone over that.
Many I am sure will recall the last goal ever scored by an Atlanta Thrasher…a power play tally by Tim Stapleton during the 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh in the season finale roughly two months ago. Or maybe what will come to mind is the last hat trick, courtesy of fourth-liner Eric Boulton against the Devils last December.
The last win came in New York as the Thrashers blanked the Rangers 3-0 behind Ondrej Pavelec’s 29 saves. The last win at home was a 5-4 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators on March 27. The last ever regulation win in Philips Arena came way back on February 11 when they knocked off the Rangers 3-2. Evander Kane scored twice in the third period to secure that win.
OK, so sometimes it doesn't exactly suck to be the Ice Man...even though I knew they only hung around me on the off chance they might meet Big Shooter (Photo/Mile Malak)
The most goals scored by a Thrasher was Kovalchuk, (328), followed by Slava Kozlov, (145), Marian Hossa, (108), Dany Heatley, (80), Bryan Little, (68), Marc Savard, (63), Patrik Stefan, (59), Ray Ferraro, (56), Jim Slater, (47) and rounding out the top-10 is Todd White, (43).
No, that was not a typo.
I’m certain many of you will recall certain favorite players…whether it is the likes of Kovalchuk, Lehtonen, Savard, Jeff Odgers, Hossa, Evander Kane, Pasi Nurminen, Garnet Exelby…the list goes on and on. I’m sure I’ll read about these players as well as many, many others in the comments section below.
As for me…well, I’m sure all of the above and many other things will come to mind when I reminisce about those Atlanta Thrashers many years down the road. Like my family, I will recall the electric atmosphere that surrounded the run up to and into the playoffs back in ’07, shedding tears with you all when we said goodbye to young Dan Snyder and getting to know such classy people as coach Bob Hartley, radio voice of the Thrashers Dan Kamal and others that crossed our paths between 1999 and 2011…and I’ll always get a chuckle out of the things that crazy bird Thrash would do to entertain us all.
But the very first thing I know that I’ll think about when reminiscing about the Atlanta Thrashers era is…YOU, the good people of Thrasherville.
I will remember the fun we shared before, during and sometimes even after games down at Philips. I will also recall with fondness the gatherings at places like TJs Sports Bar & Grill where we would meet to watch select road games.
Mr. and Mrs. Benning receive their 7th fan Award with Nik Antropov (Atlanta Thrashers)
I’ll think about the good we did here last spring when a small suggestion made on this blog exploded into a great movement to get the Bennings, a.k.a ‘The Kiss-Cam Couple’, selected as last year’s 7th Fan Award recipients. As I have many times before, I simply have to express my deepest and most sincere appreciation to all those who flooded the team’s office with e-mails, phone calls and letters on their behalf.
And a special tip of the hat to the Joint Chiefs of Staff members of Operation POM-POM for your efforts in making that happen for such a deserving couple that we all came to love and revere.
I will forever cherish the opportunity I was given to meet so many of you…whether it was at the games, viewing parties or even just here on this online forum I have been so blessed to have hosted for the last four Thrashers seasons.
Players, coaches, trades, draft picks, stats, records, goals, wins and losses may fade into the mist of passing time, but I will always remember you Thrasherville.
Atlanta Thrashers 1999-2011 - Thrasherville Forever
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242 comments Add your comment
J-man
June 4th, 2011
10:53 am
I’ll never forget Kovy pointing at Crosby. That still makes me smile. At least while they were here we got to see 2 future Hall of Famers in Hossa and Kovy play as Thrashers. And 2 possible other Hall of Famers play here briefly in Bondra and Tkachuk.
Flasher
June 4th, 2011
11:17 am
Bouchard and Myre skating hand in hand at the Omni.
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
11:25 am
RL, perhaps. If Stewy has the year I think he will, it is going to be ugly for the rest of the Central. And Shattenkirk (sp) is looking to become a fantastic D-man – gonna take some time though. As I have always said, even though I hate the team, Detroit is always a possibility. That is just respect. Come playoff time they bring it. I actually see the Avs making the playoffs next year, if they stay healthy. I sure hope we can get Mueller back after his concussion #2. Interesting enough it was former Av Rob Blake that rolled him, and he (Mueller) was traded for Blake Wheeler.
Getting Flash back will be awesome, he was Matty’s anchor, and his production went way down after Flash left with pulmonary embolisms. I have mixed feelings regarding Stastny. Very streaky and definitely not worth $6 mill a year. Hejduk will probably retire after next year, but he has been a phenomenal talent. Sakic joined the head office and I hope Foote comes in to be the D coach as we are sadly missing some lock-down D. He would be an awesome coach for Johnson. If we don’t draft Landeskog I am going to riot in Denver – power forwards are hard to find and this guy has skills. He is already up to weight and the guy says he has idols like Foppa and Sundin. I like that as those two are definitely not pansies. Please Joe, pick Landeskog.
HillMan
June 4th, 2011
12:28 pm
Being a season ticket holder from day one and seeing well over 350 games (home and away), what I will remember is not Thrasher highlights or lowlights but rather the experience. From the $5 parking lot guy who greeted us with a smile at each game, the 2-3 ushers we always got a hello from, watching my 10 and11 year old sons getting fired up on opening night day one enough to go on and play in High School after never picking up a stick before the Thrashers came to town.
RIP Thrashers -- Thank You Rawhide
June 4th, 2011
12:53 pm
Rawhide! You have been a THE BEST over the past seasons. Your passion for writing this blog is without flaw!! Thank you for always being truthful, honest and a true blue-hearted fan who’s passion for this team is unmeasureable!!!
One of my favorite games to attend was the first time that Mario Lemieux returned from retirement to skate with the Pens at Phillips.
My all time favorite game that I got to attend was the game verses the Red Wings about four years ago when the teams slugged it out until the very end with the Thrashers prevailing something like 8 to 7.
How can you not appreciate all of the antics of good old Thrash? A great mascot. I just wished he had turned that Zamboni Machine around and ran over Waddells desk along with Donnie Wads sorry butt!
I’ll keep my jerseys, caps, pucks and banners. And, upon occassion wear them if I attend a game in Nashville.
We are not the only city that has lost professional sports teams and we will not be the last. We didn’t lose the Dodgers, Braves, Giants, Rams or Oilers as did Brooklyn, Milwaukee, NY, LA or Houston…but we have lost a team that many of us dreamed of having ever since the Flames had left in 1980. We did lose our beloved hockey birds.
After enlisting in the US Air Force in 1983 I retired in 2003. During those years of travel I was able to attend hockey games in Germany. I loved the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League. I got to see the Utah Grizzlies win the International Hockey League championship in 1995-1996 season. Then I moved to Montgomery Alabama as able to watch the Columbus Cottonmouths of the CHL and come to ATL and see the Thrashers!!
Hockey will never be the same for me. It just won’t have the same feeling anymore. No more fantasy hockey leagues with friends and over the internet.
I don’t get the Verses Network and doubt that FoxSouth or Sports South will be allowed to carry Nashville or Carolina games in this area.
Hopefully, praying without ceasing, another true hockey owner will come to realize that Atlanta can and will support a hockey team that has a commitment from ownership to give 100% to the fans.
Until then I’ll just hang my skates up on a nail and by this time next year they will have rusted over…
Rawhide, Thanks again!!!
No one did it better than you!!
AudraM
June 4th, 2011
1:07 pm
Wellll if you were trying make me tear up, you succeeded! Great article again Bill!! I’ve only been in Atlanta for 2 1/2 seasons.. . but it only took 1/2 a season to convince me I wanted to work for this organization…One year of blue crew gave me amazing memories from my first game on the ice, to having Joni Pitkanen take a swig of water and spitting it onto the ice and the exact moment I went skatin by with my shovel and being blinded by spit and water causing me to crash into a ref (yah that wasnt embarrassing at all lol) .. to meeting some of my best friends! Then year two allowed me to get my dream job, interview a team full of class act athletes, and meet some amaaazing fans!! (the last being my favorite memory of all) …. So a big shout out to all of you guys who have given me lots to smile about for years to come!
Michelle
June 4th, 2011
1:16 pm
Thank you for using my photography throughout the season.
Words cannot explain how much I will miss the Thrashers, the whole experience of butterflies before every game, the friends made, the not being able to talk from cheering thru the games, the list just goes on and on. This is just so wrong!
Thank you again, my friend, for being you!
Flasher
June 4th, 2011
2:04 pm
Wow, Winnipeg already sold out their allotment to 13000. Hmmmm…
Flagstaff
June 4th, 2011
2:06 pm
I’ll remember many things about this team, both good and bad, but a few memories stick out in my mind:
My first game: March 18, 2007: Thrashers 4, Sabres 3, OT. I’d never really cared about sports prior to this game, but immediately I noticed the all-around intensity, both on the ice and in the stands. (Seriously.) As soon as Kovy scored that first goal, I knew I was hooked. Not only did hockey become my biggest passion in life, it also allowed me to create new, strong bonds with my family.
Watching the playoffs on TV, 2007: Obviously, they didn’t win any games, but it was still fun. (Not game three, though… that sucked.) That being said, though, I think I had a very sad, yet meaningful, realization that I really, really cared about hockey after the team was knocked out after game four– and my father showed me that he had gotten us tickets for game five.
One game against Ottawa in March 2009, we had tickets right behind the Thrashers’ bench, and I sat next to the tunnel. They won, 6-2, and after Colby Armstrong won third star of the game (he scored a goal and an assist), he gave me his stick. He didn’t say anything, but as he skated off the ice, he looked right at me, and acted like he was going to high-5 me with the blade of the stick, and hoisted it up and gave it to me. Easily one of the most incredible moments as a hockey fan in my experience!
February 4, 2010: Ilya Kovalchuk is dealt to New Jersey.
April 2010: I was hired to play saxophone at a middle school dance in Duluth. (The theme was “Night in the City”.) Johan Hedberg was an usher, helping kids out of their cars! I was amazed, but I told him what a huge fan I was, and we talked for a long time. (Of course, I did have to play the instrument, though.) He was an incredibly friendly and smart man; it’s a shame they didn’t extend him another year.
November 2011: Thrashers 7, Devils 1. One of the best games I’ve attended. Not just because we whipped Kovy’s new team, and not just because Eric Boulton had a hat trick (and that WAS incredible!), and not just because the team took first place in the Southeast Division with the win, but because that was when I really ‘believed in Blueland’… I believed that change had really, truly, finally come– that the promised land had been reached. After the game, everyone was chanting “Let’s Go Thrashers” in the concourse. Such a moment could only be described as magical.
April 8, 2011: My last game attended in person. Carolina beat the Thrashers by the score of 6-1.
And, of course, when TNSE announced the purchase of the team.
I still refuse to accept that the team is moving, and even though I know in my heart that it’s over, I refuse to believe it. I won’t ever be able to fill the hole in my heart that the team’s departure will leave. I’m considering commemorating the team by having the logo tattooed on my upper arm. And I may become a Bruins fan someday… but I really don’t know, with the way the Thrashers were abandoned by the rest of the league.
Despite the team’s continued mediocrity, I will never forget what happiness and joy they did give myself and my family. I will miss commenting here; thank you all for creating an excellent environment in which to discuss hockey. I won’t leave until it is over, but if I don’t post again, I want to thank you, Bill, and all the other posters here (that weren’t negative SOBs, anyway). Hail and farewell.
Flagstaff
June 4th, 2011
2:07 pm
Damn, forgot Summer of 2009: Draft party at Jillian’s. Got Bogosian autographs, the team picked Kane, to my delight, and met Dan Kamal after everyone else had left and spent a good thirty minutes talking to him about my dreams of one day calling hockey games.
Buzzeng
June 4th, 2011
2:09 pm
The first day I truly felt like a Thrasher fan was the day Bill acknowledged one of my first posts on this blog. That, and the one time I met him at Philips and he said “Oh, YOU’re Buzzeng!!”.
Being a Thrasher fan in North Carolina, it was hard to get to games and harder to even see them on TV, so I lived all these great moments mentioned through the many posts on this blog. As they say “It’s the next best thing to being there.”
Thanks, Bill, and thanks to the many regular posters (especially Brendan) who taught me so much more about hockey, who let me live the moments through their posts, and who responded to my few posts.
Long Live the Thrashers! (and go to He!!, ASG – if anything good ever happens to your organization or your leaders, it will be too soon)
I’m off to Germany for a week, and I keep telling myself that, when I get back, I will no longer be so depressed.
Best wishes to Thrashers fans everywhere, forever!
Herb in NC
LAC
June 4th, 2011
2:10 pm
9-0 at Carolina the year THEY won The Cup, and listening to John Forsland and Tripp Tracey whine & MOAN all game long. This season beatin Washington in the season series, by a WIDE margin.
Then the Constant LYING by waddell and these $hit owners, Never before in professional sports has a group lied and played the FANS for fools like they did ! George Schinn was Bad in Charlotte, but these clowns are THE WORST EVEN and We paid the price, Not THEM !
Lastly, what “are” the chances of the nhl returning here ? How Soon ? I really expect gary BUTTMAN to resist at all costs, but IS there a chance… Sooner…. Rather than later ?
Great Job Bill, Will be in KC in 2 weeks, and 18 lost their jobs here because of asg…
Flasher
June 4th, 2011
2:10 pm
13000 Season Tickets sold in less than 3 days. Hmmmm….
Flagstaff
June 4th, 2011
2:26 pm
I also forgot what was probably one of the most important experiences in my Thrashers existence: getting to interview Jim Slater in September 2010. He was very friendly, didn’t talk down to me at all, and answered my questions honestly and thoroughly. He was happy to do it, too. I still have the audio somewhere, but with or without it, this was an experience I’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Sorry for the triple post. I suck!
cadreamin24
June 4th, 2011
2:27 pm
Wonder how many of those season tickets were bought by scalpers? I guess it doesn’t matter though, it’s all about the bottomline.
hockeygoon79
June 4th, 2011
2:41 pm
I honestly have been so frigging pi$$ed these past few days that I’ve purposely stayed away from anything hockey related, including Rawhide’s blog. Glad I came back in time to add my thanks to him and all the regulars who posted here. This was a truly sanctuary in the midst of the madness.
The Atlanta Spirit can burn in hell. Thanks for killing NHL hockey in this great town you bunch of effing morons!
litz
June 4th, 2011
3:38 pm
13k is amazing enough, but apparently they sold the remaining 7k (general public) today in 20 minutes.
Even Hannah Montana didn’t manage that …
Shawn
June 4th, 2011
4:22 pm
I feel for your loss, when the Jets left I stopped playing. My heart broke, I was playing on three teams at the time. I haven’t picked up a stick since, time to get back eh.
ThrasherFan
June 4th, 2011
4:32 pm
What I will remember most… feeling by first son kick in the womb for the first time during a game against Boston.
thrasherdawg
June 4th, 2011
4:36 pm
I think the Thrashers averaged 17,206 with over 12,000 season ticket holders there first season.
At best, Winnipeg will average 2,206 less it’s first year.
Furthermore, Emotion, like buying an expensive fast red sports car seems to have got the best of the citizens of Winnipeg. The owners are no dummy’s, fans are on the hook for 3 to 5 years no matter how bad the team is. Wait till you get that large $1000.00 a month bill every month, year in and year out, and you look up and your team is 10 points out of a play-off spot. What then? You will look in the mirror and wonder, what was I thinking.
I read an interview where one fan was trying to borrow $1000.00 from his family so he could sign up to get tickets for 5 years. Are you kidding me.
The owners knew if they asked fans to put 50% down or even 30% down the deal would never work. The owners are car dealers…little or nothing down and on the hook for 5 years for something you really can’t afford.
The owners get it…the fans obviously don’t.
The Real Thrash
June 4th, 2011
4:45 pm
Sitting right behind the glass and having a fight break out!
Cornbread
June 4th, 2011
4:57 pm
Little solace I know GA hockey fans but we do have something to cheer and be proud of with our sports and teams today. Augusta State University, the reigning NCAA Mens Golf Champions, just defeated Oklahoma State on their home course to advance to the finals against the University of Georgia. An all Georgia final means the title will remain in the state another year. The champions will make a trip to the White House and that ultimate prize, The Augusta National Golf Club. The teams have represented the State of Georgia well, as did GA Tech who ASU beat in the quarter final match play.
I’m very proud of my alma mater and what it has accomplished against the big boys of the NCAA. The little school that could!
GO JAGS!
Getthepuckouttahere
June 4th, 2011
5:05 pm
Hmm, what will I remember about the Thrashers? Will it be the piped in crowd noise during announcemnts? Nah. Will it be the sounds of opposing fans drowning out the Thrasher faithful? Nope! Could it be I’ll miss the constant rantings on this website that in NINE seasons fans seem to feel so neglected, they got a hockey team, their second one in 20 years and once again LOST IT, they barely supported this franchise (and before you morons tell me you went to every game and showed support you don’t represent the EMPTY seats I saw at games so STFU) but it’s management’s fault, it’s their fault for not keeping their wallets open and pouring more and more money into it while getting nothing in return. You had players who helped the team to the playoffs, they chose to leave rather than stay here watching the ship sink. If you had read my blogs at Yougabsports.com or Sportingnews.com you would have seen I predicted this team would be leaving and I said it in ‘07 to start wth and as the weeks adn months went by, and the few games I attended came and went it was so evident the writing was on the wall, this team was hanging on by a thread.
This city is no hockey town, regardless of what the FEW here say, you again don’t represent the masses and that’s why this team is going to a city where they already have sold THIRTEEN THOUSAND SEASON TICKETS. How many season ticket holders did the Thrasher’s have annually? Not 13,000 that’s for sure, nor did they have 13K season ticket holders combined over their 9 years. But you all sat here bashing Winnipeg and their fans, calling them every name in the book when in reality it’s not their fault this team is gone, it’s you’reo wn fault. If the Hawks hadn’t made it to the playoffs the last couple of years they’be grouped in a sweetheart package to get rid of them too., but since they genrate income, TV money from palyoffs gmes etc it only made snese to ASG to keep them around, that’s good business. As for those of you who think the group should just sit there and hemmorage money, I ‘ll never ask you to do my books, that’s for sure. Well you can say what you want, but the PEG just sent you an Up Yours card and it was signed…Winnipeg SEASON TICKET HOLDER!. So when you ask yourself why this team left and what you’ll remember, remind yourself that not once but twice this city failed to produce enough paying fans to justify a team. Remember that when bigger city teams like Boston, NYR, NYI, Detroit or Philly came to town, their fans easily outnumbered your fans. A blind man could see that. Imagine being on your home ice and seeing enough Bruins sweaters to make you question whether you woke up in the wrong city.
Pitiful are the excuses this city uses for losing a 2nd team, and entitled is how those few fans who did go to games come off. You’re right, in 9 short years you should have had at least 2-3 Stanley Cups, a few more Conference titles and not a year should have gone by without theThrashers leading the charge to sign free agents…on ASG’s dime of course, not yours, you were too busy watiing for them to build a team for you to support. This is why Atlanta SUCKS as a sports city and I’m hardly the only one who says it. So go to your Bulldog scrimmage games, sellout 80,000 seats for said scrimmage and in the same breath sit there and tell me that this team’s leaving is simply due to mismanagement. You’re not fans, you’re not even a poor excuse for fans. You’re Casual Observers From Afar and not even good at that.
That’s what I’ll remember about the Thrashers!
Getthepuckouttahere
June 4th, 2011
5:09 pm
GOLF???? That’s what you’ve got? Golf is what hockey players do when they don’t make the playoffs. Go to a Country Club near you to see your EX Thrasher’s in action one last time. At the very least they’ll be able to wind up and hit something!
Try reading the headlines, it asks a question…it didn’t ask what you’ll do now that hockey is gone, or for you to pump sunshine up the butt of another half-a$$ed sport in ths joke of a sports city.
Getthepuckouttahere
June 4th, 2011
5:12 pm
BTW, they play golf EVERYWHERE, but you’re still the title holder in losing TWO HOCKEY FRANCHISES. In that case i’d be digging for anything to make Atlanta look better than it really is.
Wienerpeg Trolls
June 4th, 2011
5:14 pm
For such an accomplished blogger, you spell worse than a seventh grader. Idiot.
Get Over It
June 4th, 2011
5:50 pm
@Getthepuckouttahere……….+ 1,000,000,000…….as a 4 year STH I could not agree with you more. These sheep are finding everyone to blame for the move. They can’t accept the fact there is no local interest in hockey. Unlike them my life has gone on since the move. I saw my ST as a financial investment and not an emotional investment.
Get Over It
June 4th, 2011
5:53 pm
I will remember S T E N D E K
screwbetman
June 4th, 2011
5:53 pm
I’ll remember being there when they were awful. I remember thinking if i root for them when they suck, it’ll be that much sweeter when they win. Them taking away the team makes me realize how much loyalty really means in sports. Im so glad winnipeg gets to enjoy the good years.
Wienerpeg Trolls
June 4th, 2011
7:06 pm
Just to clarify, my comment above was for that blowhard who “knew the team was leaving in ‘07″. Definitely not for our esteemed host.
Wayne stuck in AL
June 4th, 2011
7:44 pm
The inability to fire Waddell from the GM role until it was too late.
Big Wally
June 4th, 2011
9:03 pm
One thing I will remember is a piece of crap like “get the puck” repeatedly coming on here to bash the city and fans. Do the world a favor and go play with a loaded gun.
Big Wally
June 4th, 2011
9:06 pm
“Get the puck”. I bet your parents had to tie a steak around your neck to get the family dog to play with you.
Michael Boggs
June 4th, 2011
9:08 pm
The most important thing I’ll Remember doesn’t have to do with a game or moment during a game, but it’s a certain team. That TEAM was called the Atlanta Thrashers. In April 8th 2008, my wife and I lost out 5 1/2 year old son to a deadly virus. Just a few months later my season ticket rep Stacey Belding did something that my wife and I will never forget. She sent us Two Sympathy cards. One from her, and one from Don Waddell and all the players of the “08″ team. Also, we received an Authentic Blue Thrashers Jersey signed by ALL the players, and the name on the back of the jersey was “CALEB”, our son. I’m going to miss you guys! Thank You, Again!
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
9:15 pm
Boston has one answer to Vancouver and Thomas can’t score…….. The B’s offense better step up and step up fast.
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
9:27 pm
Unless Luo pitches 4 shutouts, Kesler wins the Smythe. I believe he will get it. It is possible that Thomas will still get the Vezina, win or lose.
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
9:36 pm
I guess the Bruins got my comment, now 2-1 Boston.
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
9:40 pm
Michael Boggs – my condolences sir – that saddens me to no end. No parent should out-live their kids. Very classy move by the organization. I hope you and your wife are doing OK, I know I wouldn’t be.
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
9:48 pm
Though Boston is leading this game they are still not playing to their strength. They are are a blue collar team playing against a white collar team. Right now they are playing a very fast back and forth game, they can’t win that type of approach in 7 games against Vancouver.
kreedham
June 4th, 2011
10:06 pm
1) I’m thinking I’ll support the new team (since they’re our team). True North didn’t take our team, ASG gave them away!
2) Going to try to be there on opening night for the Glads!
3) Does anybody know how the public on sale went today in Winnipeg?
( o )( o )
June 4th, 2011
10:56 pm
Man, C-Viv’s been quiet this week!
ZAvalanche
June 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
Man! Chara should have taken a penalty there and rolled Burrows (sp). He should have seen that Thomas was WAY out of net. Huge mistake by a vet. Tell me if I am wrong, but you could feel the tide of Vancouver coming on. Great game. This is over. I hope Boston takes one at home as it would be nice for the Vancouver fans to see them win at home.
Getthepuckouttahere
June 4th, 2011
11:16 pm
13,000 season tickets sold in TWO MINUTES….all of you loud mouths spent a week bashing Winnipeg, or ASG, ever think maybe this is all your own fault for not going to games? That makes way too much sense, and I don’t expect any of you to see through the blatantly obvious. All of you are a product of the Ga. Public School system and it shows!
13K tickets, WOW. How many season tickets did the Thrashers sell over 9 years? Not 13K!!!
Getthepuckouttahere
June 4th, 2011
11:59 pm
I’d like to apologize to everyone on here. I’m really an idiot and have no other way to express myself. I have no friends. I have to go to blog sites just to talk to people. I really have a severe inferiority complex and have to compensate by bashing other people.
ZAvalanche
June 5th, 2011
12:09 am
Getthepuckouttahere – you just need a psychiatrist
These are some of the nicest people you will ever find. I hope you discontinue “bashing other people” as we are good people. Best wishes brutha.
Vince Doodley
June 5th, 2011
12:16 am
Come on people. lets move on. Plenty of viable sports in the ATL and in the region. The sad thing is the abortion that owned the hockey team. Maybe when the Thrashers get to the PEG, the new ownership will show this franchise what professional ownership is and will invest accordingly and put a quality product on the ice.
i was a kid when the Flames moved. I loved them and Jigs McDonald as their announcer. I am not nearly so concerned with the loss of the Thrashers. The best thing is that perhaps they will take Dan Kamal with them.
ZAvalanche
June 5th, 2011
12:18 am
Oh and BTW – if you know what that means – the GA public schools are just fine. I would have gone head to head to your schools any day. Atlanta is one of the most educated cities in the US, get over it, you won and got your team. Please relent on the Atlanta bashing.
Wienerpeg Trolls
June 5th, 2011
12:23 am
ZAv, he is obviously a Wienerpeg teenager. Mommy is probably glad he is using the computer for trolling, rather than visiting the sites he usually does in the basement…..
Mr Bill
June 5th, 2011
12:40 am
I see Winnipeg met the Goal of 13,000 season tickets for the next three years hey Atlanta if we had showed up more often and in bigger numbers we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I remember when th crowds were bigger when the team first got here and then started to go down alittle the next few years. We were an expansion team and Atlanta fans are fare weather fans which if you win they show up if you don’t win they don’t. The fans starting coming back when Hartley came in and after he was let go it started to dip again. The games this past season there were to many empty seats and last year as well. When the team got off to a great start this past season fans still weren’t coming out for some reason. There was a game with only 7000 or so and alot of games in Novemeber there only 10-12,000 at best and the Team was winning and playoff bound. I ask why and I don’t have an answer. I ‘m afraid Atlanta we have nobody to blame our selves we didn’t show up until the second half of season after Football was over. We all forgot about the Thrashers. It takes money to run a team and be competitive. We all got serious and passionate when the talk was heating about selling the Team but it was to late. Showing in a Parking lot with a few hundred fans was fun I showed up but that wasn’t going to save the team. What was going to save us was going to the games in larger numbers no matter if they won or lost. So Atlanta wake up and support your teams if you want to keep them and stop being so fair weather fans because you see what happens.
R. Stroz
June 5th, 2011
1:02 am
It takes money to run a team and be competitive.
Mr. Bill – Yes, it does and the ASG should never have been allowed to own an NHL franchise. When eight individuals combined can only make a ten percent down payment on a purchase, anyone with a lukewarm temperature IQ should have been able to ascertain they were inadequately capitalized. Obviously Daniel Stern and Gary Bettman aren’t the sharpest commissioners in the drawer.
Too bad the Hawks payroll went from around 30 to 70 million for the course of the past six years whereas the Thrashers payroll went from around 39 million to 44 million.
Too bad most of the ASG owners didn’t want a hockey team to begin with as evidenced from the court documents filed a few months ago.
Too bad some of the ASG owners think “running sports franchises” is a hobby.
Too bad the Thrashers couldn’t retain their top tier talent.
Too bad you haven’t done your research prior to your verbal vomit.