The 'Atlanta Thrashers' are a professional
ice hockey team based in
Atlanta, Georgia. They are members of the
Southeast Division of the
Eastern Conference of the
National Hockey League (NHL). Their home arena is
Philips Arena.
Franchise history
Atlanta was awarded an NHL franchise in 1997 to replace the
Atlanta Flames, who departed for
Calgary in
1980 and became the
Calgary Flames.
The nickname "Thrashers", after
Georgia's
state bird, the
brown thrasher, was selected from a fan poll. "Thrashers" had actually been runner-up to "Flames" for Atlanta's first NHL team, and
Philips Arena, the Thrashers' new home, was built on the site of the former
Omni, which had been home to the Flames.
The newly-formed Thrashers selected
Patrik Stefan with the first overall selection in the
1999 NHL Entry Draft. They played their first game on
October 2,
1999, losing 4-1 to the eventual
Stanley Cup Champions, the
New Jersey Devils.
Captain Kelly Buchberger scored the franchise's first goal in the loss.
On
September 21,
2003, the team was sold to a group of Atlanta Spirit, LLC by
Time Warner, along with the
National Basketball Association's
Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta Spirit is comprised of Bruce Levenson, Ed Pestkowitz, Rutherford Seydel, Beau Turner, Michael Gearon, Sr., Michael Gearon, Jr., Felix Riccio and Steve Belkin. That same month brought tragedy as just five days later, star forward
Dany Heatley crashed his
Ferrari in a one-car accident that seriously injured him (broken
jaw and
arm, sprained
wrist,torn ACL and MCL) and severely injured Thrashers center
Dan Snyder, who passed away five days later due to infection stemming from the accident. The Thrashers dedicated their
2003-04 NHL season in Snyder's memory. Heatley's
blood alcohol content was far below the legal limit, but his combination of speeding (he was driving an estimated 80
miles per hour) and recklessness led to criminal charges (eventually settled with three years' probation and a penalty of community service).
Thrashers players wore black patches with Snyder's number, 37, on their jerseys. At the end of the season, Heatley requested a trade for personal reasons. Heatley was traded to Ottawa in a move that brought
Marian Hossa, a four-time 30 goal scorer at the time of the trade, to Atlanta. At the end of the 06-07 season, Hossa had made his mark as the first Thrasher to score 100 points in one season, eclipsing
Ilya Kovalchuk's franchise record of 98 points.
The Thrashers clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in team history in the 2006-2007 season, while also capturing the first division championship in franchise history. They were swept 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Rangers.
2003-04 Season Recap
Led by
captain Shawn McEachern, the Thrashers jumped quickly out of the gates 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, including shocking upsets against the
Toronto Maple Leafs, the
Boston Bruins, and the
Ottawa Senators, as well as wins from games against the
Los Angeles Kings and the
New York Islanders.
Eleven games into the season, the Thrashers were alone in first place atop both the
Southeast Division the NHL. Although they continued to play well, they could not keep up with the
Tampa Bay Lightning, the eventual
Stanley Cup champions, or other teams in the league. The absence of Heatley and a lack of depth started to appear.
Boxing Day 2003 marked both a bright and dark day for the Thrash. On that day, Heatley skated for the first time since his car accident with Snyder, but it also marked the last win for the Thrashers before an extended losing streak. From
December 28 to
February 11 the Thrashers went a dismal 1-17-3. However, fans were entertained regardless of the team's struggles. Kovalchuk became only the second Thrashers' player to score in the
NHL All-Star Game (after Heatley), an exciting overtime loss to the
Detroit Red Wings occurred on
New Year's Eve,
Randy Robitaille broke
Brian Boucher's shutout streak, Dany Heatley eventually returned to game action, and a
twelve-man brawl against the
Edmonton Oilers took place. The losing streak finally ended with a 4-1 win against the
Vancouver Canucks.
While the Thrashers' playoff hopes were done for the year, they still played on and ended up finishing second in the Southeast Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference, only a handful of wins away from the playoffs. Kovalchuk ended up tying for the league lead in goals (41) with
Jarome Iginla and
Rick Nash.
Goaltender Kari Lehtonen started his NHL career with four wins in four starts, including one shutout.
2005-06 Season Recap
Before the start of the
2005-06 season, the Thrashers picked up many veteran players in the hopes of making the playoffs for the first time. They signed
Mike Dunham,
Peter Bondra,
Bobby Holik,
Jaroslav Modry, and
Scott Mellanby. They traded Dany Heatley on
August 23,
2005, to the
Ottawa Senators, in a blockbuster deal for forward Marian Hossa and defenseman
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, 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 net minder, stepped in, but also promptly injured himself only a few games later; this left only prospects
Michael Garnett and
Adam Berkhoel to mind the nets. Journeyman goalie
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.
Recent
For a complete overview of the Thrashers
2006-07 season, click
here.
October 13,
2006, the first official event on the new
SportSouth was a
National Hockey League game between the Atlanta Thrashers and the
Carolina Hurricanes. The Thrashers ended up losing 4-3, giving the Hurricanes their first win of the season. On April 24, 2007, team captain Scott Mellanby announced his retirement.
Team colors and mascot
Introduced in 2003 as an alternate, the team has since made it their official home jersey (2006-07).
Away jersey (1999-2003); home jersey (2003-06).
Home jersey (1999-2003); current away (2003-07).
Jerseys
The current team colors are ice blue, navy blue, red, and gold. In 2003, the
NHL decided to switch home and road jerseys.
[1]
Mascot
Thrash, a Brown Thrasher
Statistics and records
Individual records
Regular season
★ Most Goals in a season:
Ilya Kovalchuk, 52 (2005-06)
★ 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 Points in a season, defenseman:
Jaroslav Modry, 38 (2005-06)
★ Most Points in a season, rookie:
Dany Heatley, 67 (2001-02)
★ Most Wins in a season:
Kari Lehtonen, 34 (2006-07)
★ Most Shutouts in a season:
Kari Lehtonen, 4 (2006-07)
Season-by-season record
''This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Thrashers. For the full season-by-season history, see
Atlanta Thrashers seasons''
'''Note:' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''
Records as of May 10, 2007.[2]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 19 | 47 | 11 | 5 | 54 | 187 | 288 | 1290 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 31 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 74 | 226 | 284 | 1253 | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 33 | 37 | 8 | 4 | 78 | 214 | 243 | 1505 | 2nd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2004-05 | ''Season cancelled due to 2004-05 NHL Lockout'' |
| 2005-061 | 82 | 41 | 33 | — | 8 | 90 | 281 | 275 | 1318 | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2006-07 | 82 | 43 | 28 | — | 11 | 97 | 246 | 245 | | 1st, Southeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Rangers) |
| Totals | 573 | 204 | 286 | 45 | 39 | 492 | 1535 | 1937 | 9359 | — | |
:
1 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games tied after regulation will be decided in a shootout; SOL (Shootout losses) will be recorded as OTL in the standings.
Current roster
As of September 7, 2007. [1]
| Defensemen |
|---|
| # | | 'Player' | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '2' | | Garnet Exelby | L | 1999 | Craik, Saskatchewan |
| '5' | | Steve McCarthy | L | 2006 | Trail, British Columbia |
| '7' | | Mark Popovic | L | 2005 | Stoney Creek, Ontario |
| '8' | | Joel Kwiatkowski | L | 2007 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| '22' | | Ken Klee | R | 2007 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| '28' | | Niclas Havelid | L | 2004 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| '39' | | Karel Pilar | R | 2007 | Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| '41' | | Tobias Enstrom | L | 2003 | Nordingra, Sweden |
| '47' | | Nathan Oystrick | L | 2002 | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| '48' | | Boris Valabik | L | 2004 | Nitra, Czechoslovakia |
| '51' | | Scott Lehman | L | 2004 | Fort Mcmurray, Canada |
| '52' | | Grant Lewis | R | 2004 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| '55' | | Chad Denny | L | 2005 | Sydney, Nova Scotia |
| '77' | | Alexei Zhitnik | L | 2007 | Kiev, U.S.S.R. |
| Forwards |
|---|
| # | | 'Player' | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '9' | | Pascal Dupuis | LW | L | 2007 | Laval, Quebec |
| '10' | | Jason Krog | C | R | 2007 | Fernie, British Columbia |
| '11' | | Eric Perrin | W/C | L | 2007 | Laval, Quebec |
| '12' | | Todd White | C | L | 2007 | Kanata, Ontario |
| '13' | | Vyacheslav Kozlov | LW | L | 2002 | Voskresensk, U.S.S.R. |
| '16' | | Bobby Holik | C | R | 2005 | Jihlava, Czechoslovakia |
| '17' | | Ilya Kovalchuk | LW | R | 2001 | Tver, U.S.S.R. |
| '18' | | Marian Hossa | RW | L | 2005 | Stará Ľubovňa, Czechoslovakia |
| '20' | | Steve Rucchin | C | L | 2006 | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| '23' | | Jim Slater | C/LW | L | 2002 | Petoskey, Michigan |
| '26' | | Milan Bartovic | RW | L | 2007 | Trencin, Czechoslovakia |
| '27' | | Chris Thorburn | C | R | 2007 | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario |
| '29' | | Brad Larsen | LW | L | 2004 | Nakusp, British Columbia |
| '36' | | Eric Boulton | LW | L | 2005 | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| '38' | | Darren Haydar | RW | R | 2006 | Toronto, Ontario |
| '42' | | Joseph Crabb | RW | R | 2006 | Anchorage, Alaska |
| '43' | | Alexandre Giroux | C | L | 2007 | Quebec City, Quebec |
| '44' | | Bryan Little | C | R | 2006 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| '46' | | Jesse Schultz | RW | R | 2007 | Strasbourg, Saskatchewan |
| '47' | | Guillaume Desbiens | RW | L | 2003 | Alma, Quebec |
| '49' | | Colin Stuart | C | L | 2001 | Rochester, Minnesota |
| '50' | | Jordan Lavallee | LW | L | 2005 | Corvallis, Oregon |
| '53' | | Brett Sterling | LW | L | 2003 | Los Angeles, California |
| '54' | | Chad Painchaud | LW | L | 2004 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| '56' | | Thomas Pospisil | LW | L | 2005 | Stumperk, Czechoslovakia |
| '58' | | Myles Stoesz | LW | R | 2005 | Steinbach, Manitoba |
| '--' | | Riley Holzapfel | C | L | 2006 | Regina, Saskatchewan |
Team captains
★
Kelly Buchberger, 1999-2000
★
Steve Staios, 2000-01
★
Ray Ferraro, 2001-02
★
Shawn McEachern, 2002-05
★
Scott Mellanby, 2005-07
Honored Members
''Hall of Famers'': Currently, no member of the Thrashers has been inducted into the
Hall of Fame.
''Retired Numbers'': The Thrashers have not retired a number, although
Wayne Gretzky's Number '99' was retired League-wide on
February 6,
2000. Number '37' (though not retired) has been taken out of circulation since the tragic death of
Dan Snyder in 2003.
First-round draft picks
★
1999:
Patrik Stefan (1st overall)
★
2000:
Dany Heatley (2nd overall)
★
2001:
Ilya Kovalchuk (1st overall)
★
2002:
Kari Lehtonen (2nd overall) &
Jim Slater (30th overall)
★
2003:
Braydon Coburn (8th overall)
★
2004:
Boris Valabik (10th overall)
★
2005:
Alex Bourret (16th overall)
★
2006:
Bryan Little (12th overall)
★
2007: ''none''
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
'''Note:' Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game;
★ = current Thrashers player''
NHL awards and trophies
'
Calder Memorial Trophy'
★
Dany Heatley:
2001-02
'
Rocket Richard Trophy'
★
Ilya Kovalchuk:
2003-04 (shared with Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets)
Media
The Atlanta Thrashers are broadcast on
cable television on
SportSouth, which is available in many
Deep South states. Until
October 13,
2006, SportSouth was known as
Turner South. In 2006-07, the channel will broadcast about 75% of the team's schedule. Outside of the league's contract with
NBC, the team has no broadcast (over-the-air) TV contract; thus, games are only available on television to fans with cable or
satellite.
Radio coverage includes
play-by-play of all games on
680 The Fan -- an AM sports station in Atlanta. The station is the flagship of a network that includes 18 stations. Most are in Georgia, but there are two affiliates in
South Carolina and one in
Scottsboro, Alabama.
References
1. NHL 'quacked' up with hockey jersey switch
2. Hockeydb.com, Atlanta Thrashers season statistics and records.
See also
★
Atlanta Flames
★
List of NHL players
★
List of NHL seasons
★
List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
External links
★
Official website of the Atlanta Thrashers
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