Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers | |
---|---|
Conference | Eastern |
Division | Southeast |
Founded | 1999 |
History | Atlanta Thrashers 1999–2011 Winnipeg Jets 2011–present |
Home arena | Philips Arena |
City | Atlanta, Georgia |
Team colors | Atlanta midnight blue, Thrasher ice blue, Georgia bronze, Capitol copper, Peachtree gold, white |
Stanley Cups | 0 |
Conference championships | 0 |
Presidents' Trophy | 0 |
Division championships | 1 (2006–07) |
Official website | www.nhl.com/thrashers (2010 archive) |
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional
In May 2011, the Thrashers were sold to Canadian-based ownership group True North Sports & Entertainment. The group moved the franchise to Winnipeg, which became the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets (the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996 to become the Coyotes). The sale and relocation were approved by the NHL on June 21, 2011.[1] With the sale and relocation of the team, Atlanta became the first city in the NHL's modern era to have two ice hockey teams relocate to different cities. In both cases, the team moved from Atlanta to a Western Canadian city; the city's previous NHL team the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary, in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames.
Franchise history
After the departure of the International Hockey League (IHL)'s Atlanta Knights (1992–1996) to become the Quebec Rafales, the city of Atlanta was awarded an NHL franchise on June 25, 1997, as part of a four-team tiered expansion. This also included teams in Nashville, Columbus, and St. Paul, in which each new franchise would begin play as its respective new arena was completed. The birth of the new franchise marked NHL hockey's return to Georgia after the Atlanta Flames, established in 1972, departed for Canada in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames. The Flames had been the League's first foray into the southern U.S., and their failure discouraged further efforts to bring NHL hockey south of Washington for another decade.[2]
The nickname "Thrashers," after Georgia's
1999–2003: The early years
The newly formed Thrashers selected
The Thrashers played their first game on October 2, 1999, losing 4–1 to the New Jersey Devils. Captain Kelly Buchberger scored the franchise's first goal in the loss and the team finished their first season in last place in the Southeast Division with 14 wins, 61 losses (including four overtime losses), and seven ties for a total of 39 points.
Atlanta had the second overall pick in the
The early years of the Atlanta Thrashers saw a sharp increase of hockey fans in Atlanta. Ticket sales for Thrashers games averaged at 10,000 per night, many of them being season tickets. A section of the arena was dedicated to season ticket holders that called themselves the "Nasty Nest". The "Nasty Nest" chanted and shouted at the opposing team to disrupt them. The Thrashers also had two Thrasher bird heads that faced opposite to the scoreboard. The Thrasher heads opened their beaks to reveal a flamethrower that ignited when the team scored a goal. At this time, the franchise adopted a motto "Believe in Blueland", which was often used in advertising.
At the same time, however, the Thrashers were hamstrung by Turner's reluctance to spend the money it took to make them competitive. According to veteran forward Ray Ferraro, who played for the Thrashers during their first three seasons, Waddell told him that the Thrashers were allocated whatever money was left over after Turner allocated payroll for the Braves and Hawks.[4]
Marcel Comeau was named director of amateur scouting for the Thrashers, on July 9, 2003, and stayed in the role until the team was sold.[7]
2003–2005: The Atlanta Spirit years and the NHL lockout
Turner stepped down as vice chairman of
It later emerged that Atlanta Spirit almost immediately put the Thrashers on the market, which only came to light after one of a myriad of lawsuits involving the consortium.[4]
Tragedy struck the team just eight days after the sale, as star forward
Led by captain Shawn McEachern, the Thrashers jumped quickly out of the gate with some notable highlights. Ilya Kovalchuk scored eight goals in the first seven games, including two hat-tricks, one in a 7–2 rout of the Chicago Blackhawks and another in a come-from-behind victory against the Nashville Predators. Those comeback victories became a recurring sight throughout the season, as Atlanta pulled off stunning upsets over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, as well as wins against the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders.
Eleven games into the season, the Thrashers were in first place in the Southeast Division and the NHL. Although they continued to play well, they could not keep up with the
While the Thrashers' playoff hopes were done for the year, they finished second in the Southeast Division to Tampa Bay and tenth in the Eastern Conference, only a handful of wins away from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kovalchuk tied for the League lead in goals (41) with the Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla and the Columbus Blue Jackets' Rick Nash. Goaltender Kari Lehtonen began his NHL career with four wins in four starts, including one shutout.
2005–06: Post-lockout
Before the start of the 2005–06 season, the Thrashers signed several NHL veterans in the hopes of making the playoffs, including forwards Bobby Holik and Scott Mellanby, defenseman Jaroslav Modry and goaltender Mike Dunham. At the same time, however, they lost one of their brightest stars, as Heatley requested a trade in an attempt to leave behind memories of his tragic 2003 car accident. He was eventually swapped to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Marian Hossa (a four-time 30-goal scorer at the time of the trade) and Greg de Vries.
The 2005–06 season saw the Thrashers win a club-record 41 games, even with numerous goaltending injuries. Only a few minutes into the first game of the season, Kari Lehtonen pulled his groin, an injury that would keep him out for a good portion of the season. Veteran backup Mike Dunham, an experienced number-one netminder, stepped in, but also promptly injured himself only a few games later; this left only prospects Michael Garnett and Adam Berkhoel to tend goal. Journeyman goaltender Steve Shields was signed, but he too was injured within ten games. On April 6, Lehtonen was run into by Tampa Bay's Chris Dingman, injuring him yet again. The remainder of the season was left to Dunham. Garnett was injured in a game against the Washington Capitals. Dunham, who had started the game but was relieved by the young rookie after poor play, was forced back into action in the third period.
2006–07: Brief success and only playoff appearance
The Thrashers'
This season was the highest attended the Thrashers ever had, with every home playoff game sold out as well as the season opening and closing games. The team was gaining notoriety within the league for their playoff debut, and team popularity within Atlanta reached an all-time high. Atlanta-based hip hop artist Lil Jon publicly showed his support for the team, posing for a picture with the Stanley Cup while wearing a Thrashers jersey. After this season, the Thrashers' ticket sales would start dwindling due to the housing market crash of 2008, and a stale economy in Atlanta. It did not help matters that the great majority of Thrashers fans lived in Atlanta's northern suburbs, and were not willing to brave Atlanta's infamous traffic to go to games at Philips Arena.[4]
2007–2010: Struggles
Just months after reaching the playoffs for the first time, the Thrashers began the 2007–08 season 0–6. Consequently, they fired Head Coach Bob Hartley on October 17, 2007, with General Manager Don Waddell taking over behind the bench on an interim basis. The Thrashers ended the season with only 76 points, finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference.
On January 27, 2008, the Thrashers hosted the
On June 20, 2008, John Anderson was named as the fourth head coach in Thrashers history. In his first season, the Thrashers matched their previous season with 76 points, while finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference. Simultaneously, Atlanta Spirit, LLC, the team's ownership group, was coming apart at the seams. A dispute between Steve Belkin and his seven fellow owners dated back to 2005; Belkin claimed the other owners breached their contract, giving him the right to buy them out at cost, while his partners said they should be able to buy out Belkin's 30% stake. On November 3, court proceedings began in Maryland to decide the group's fate.
In the final year of his contract, Ilya Kovalchuk and the Thrashers could not come to an agreement on an extension. General Manager Don Waddell reportedly offered 12-year, $101 million and seven-year, $70 million contracts, both of which Kovalchuk turned down. Rather than potentially losing him to
2010–11: The final season in Atlanta
On April 14, 2010, three days after the finish of the 2009–10 season and after two unsuccessful attempts at making the playoffs, the contracts of Head Coach John Anderson and his coaching staff were not renewed. General Manager Don Waddell was promoted to president of hockey operations, while former Assistant General Manager Rick Dudley took Waddell's place as general manager. This was the only general manager change in Thrashers history.
Dudley made his first trade on June 23, 2010, involving nine players and draft picks, with the
The next day, the team named
The Thrashers' last win came against the New York Rangers, 3–0 at Madison Square Garden on April 7, 2011. On April 10, 2011, the Thrashers played their last game in Atlanta against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tim Stapleton scored the last goal in Thrashers history in a 5–2 loss to Pittsburgh. The final NHL goal scored in Philips Arena was tallied by the Penguins' Mike Comrie, an empty net goal and his first of the season.
Sale and relocation
Due to financial losses and ownership struggles, the team was frequently a target of relocation rumors. In later years, reports saw the team courted by suitors intending to relocate to Kansas City, Quebec City, Hamilton, or Winnipeg.[10][11] On January 22, 2011, the team's ownership group claimed it had lost US$130 million in the last six years, partially as a result of an ongoing lawsuit with former partner Steve Belkin.[12] In February 2011, majority owner Michael Gearon stated that the team would be seeking new investors.[13] Various local groups announced their intent to purchase the franchise and keep it in Atlanta,[14][15] but ultimately the team was sold to the Canadian group True North Sports & Entertainment.
On May 16, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that talks for a sale to True North Sports & Entertainment were underway.
On May 31, True North Sports & Entertainment and the NHL held a press conference in Winnipeg to announce the completion of a deal to purchase the Thrashers. True North intended to relocate the team to the
As of the 2023–24 NHL season, only three former Thrashers were active in the NHL – Zach Bogosian of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers and Blake Wheeler of the New York Rangers.
Atlanta was not without professional ice hockey for long. In 2015, the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL changed their name to the Atlanta Gladiators to include the Atlanta metropolitan area. The team plays in Duluth, Georgia, located northeast of Atlanta and the Gladiators honored the Thrashers legacy on December 16, 2022, by wearing the original blue jerseys first worn in 1999 against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits,[23] in which Greenville would win 5–4 in overtime.[24]
Season-by-season record
Team information
Jerseys
Throughout the team's tenure in Atlanta, the Thrashers' wore jerseys of ice blue, navy blue, red, gold and white.
In 2003, the Thrashers unveiled an alternate home jersey. Predominantly blue, it featured a black yoke on the right shoulder with the word 'ATLANTA' inside. In 2006, it became the team's full-time home jersey, replacing the original navy blue jersey that had been worn since the club's inception in 1999.
In 2007, Reebok released new team jerseys as part of the rollout of the Reebok Edge Uniform System. For the Thrashers' jerseys, the waist stripes were removed from the home and road jerseys and piping was added.
Atlanta unveiled its new third jersey, red and midnight blue with white and gold trim, on October 10, 2008.[25] It is often mocked as one of the worst uniforms in league history.[26][27]
On November 7, 2022, the Thrashers' former ECHL affiliate, the Atlanta Gladiators, unveiled plans to take on the identity of the Thrashers for a single game on December 16.[28]
Mascot
The team's mascot was Thrash, a brown thrasher, which also is the official state bird of Georgia.
Players and personnel
Team captains
- Kelly Buchberger, 1999–2000
- Steve Staios, 2000–2001
- Ray Ferraro, 2001–2002
- Shawn McEachern, 2002–2004
- Scott Mellanby, 2005–2007
- Bobby Holik, 2007–2008
- Ilya Kovalchuk, 2009–2010
- Andrew Ladd, 2010–2011
Hall of Famers
Retired numbers
The Thrashers never officially retired any numbers. No. 37 was unofficially taken out of circulation after the death of Thrasher
General managers
- Don Waddell (1999–2010)
- Rick Dudley (2010–2011)
Franchise records
Scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point, goal, and assist scorers in franchise history.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game
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Single-season leaders
- Most goals in a season: Ilya Kovalchuk, 52 (2005–06, 2007–08)
- Most assists in a season: Marc Savard, 69 (2005–06)
- Most points in a season: Marian Hossa, 100 (2006–07)
- Most penalty minutes in a season: Jeff Odgers, 226 (2000–01)
- Most goals in a season, defenseman: Dustin Byfuglien, 20 (2010–11)
- Most points in a season, defenseman: Dustin Byfuglien, 53 (2010–11)
- Most goals in a season, rookie: Ilya Kovalchuk, 29 (2001–02)
- Most assists in a season, rookie: Dany Heatley, 41 (2001–02)
- Most points in a season, rookie: Dany Heatley, 67 (2001–02)
- Most wins in a season: Kari Lehtonen, 34 (2006–07)
Awards and trophies
- Ilya Kovalchuk: 2003–04 (shared with Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Georgia's Own Credit Union 3 Stars of the Year Award
The Georgia's Own Credit Union 3 Stars of the Year Award was awarded annually to the Thrashers player amassing the most points throughout the season by being named as one of the three stars of each game. The award was created in the Thrashers' inaugural season of 1999.
Winners
- 1999–2000: Ray Ferraro
- 2000–01: Ray Ferraro
- 2001–02: Dany Heatley and Milan Hnilicka
- 2002–03: Dany Heatley
- 2003–04: Ilya Kovalchuk
- 2004–05: not awarded due to NHL lockout
- 2005–06: Marian Hossa
- 2006–07: Marian Hossa, forward
- 2007–08: Ilya Kovalchuk
- 2008–09: Ilya Kovalchuk
- 2009–10: Johan Hedberg
- 2010–11: Ondrej Pavelec
Media
The Atlanta Thrashers were broadcast on
Radio
Years | Play-by-play
|
Color commentators |
---|---|---|
1999–2000 | Scott Ferrall | Dan Kamal |
2000–2006 | Dan Kamal | Billy Jaffe |
2006–2008 | Dan Kamal | Jeff Odgers |
2008–2011 | Dan Kamal | None |
Television
Years | Play-by-play
|
Color commentators |
---|---|---|
2011
|
Matt McConnell | Darren Eliot |
2004–2007
|
JP Dellacamera | Darren Eliot |
References
- ^ "NHL Board unanimous on Winnipeg sale, relocation". National Hockey League. June 21, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
- ^ "The Augusta Chronicle". Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ^ "Georgia Historical Markers Collection Items - Digital Library of Georgia". dlg.usg.edu. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Sean Gentile; Michael Russo (June 5, 2023). "The NHL in Atlanta: Why Chapter 3 could be completely different". The Athletic.
- ^ "Atlanta Thrashers Draft History at Hockey Database". Archived from the original on June 11, 2010.
- ^ Kreiser, John (June 15, 2009). "The best picks ever, No. 1-30". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- ^ "1972 NHL Amateur Draft – Marcel Comeau". Hockey Draft Central. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "A Sadness In Atlanta". Sports Illustrated. October 13, 2003. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ "Felony charge dropped for Thrashers star's plea". February 5, 2005. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Thrashers to Winnipeg rumour wishful thinking". February 17, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
- ^ "Group wants to move Atlanta Thrashers to Hamilton". The Star. Toronto. May 9, 2009. Archived from the original on November 30, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
- ^ "LAWSUIT CLAIMS THRASHERS HAVE LOST US$130 MILLION SINCE '05". January 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ^ "Sense of urgency faces Atlanta Thrashers ownership group". February 16, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Filmmaker Stephen Rollins interested in Thrashers". February 17, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ Ozanian, Mike (May 2, 2011). "Atlanta Thrashers Will Likely Be Sold For $110 Million". Forbes.
- ^ "Atlanta Spirit, True North in negotiations about Thrashers sale, relocation". Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Brunt, Stephen (22 May 2011). "Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ Zwolinski, Mark; McGran, Kevin (May 20, 2011). "Atlanta Thrashers' move to Winnipeg not complete, parties insist". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Lawless, Gary (May 17, 2011). "Few hurdles to potential Thrashers sale to Winnipeg". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Short, Robin (May 24, 2011). "AHL return waiting on first 'Peg". SaltWire. Archived from the original on June 1, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Campbell, Tim (May 4, 2015). "Welcome (back) to the Manitoba Moose". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ "Thrashers' move to Winnipeg approved". ESPN.com. June 21, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Nivison, Austin (November 10, 2022). "ECHL team bringing back Atlanta Thrashers jerseys, branding for one game". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "Gladiators, branded as Thrashers for special night, fall to Swamp Rabbits in overtime". Gwinnett Daily Post. December 16, 2022. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "Thrashers Unveil Third Jerseys". October 8, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008., including a photo timeline of Thrashers jerseys.
- ^ LeBlanc, Brian (December 30, 2019). "The Definitive List of Worst NHL Jerseys of All Time". Canes Country. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "These are the 12 ugliest third jerseys ever worn in NHL history | Offside". dailyhive.com. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ Ellis, Stephen (November 7, 2022). "ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators to use Thrashers name, jersey in game". Daily Faceoff. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ "Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game". CNN Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. February 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2020.