2009-10 Atlanta Thrashers
Head Coach John Anderson used his fourth overall pick in the draft to select the 2008 WHL Rookie of the Year Forward Evander Kane who currently ranks 4th among rookies in goals. The franchise then went out and signed free agent Nik Antropov and traded for defenceman Pavel Kubina.
The team, as of this writing, is sitting in third place in the Southeast Division with a 24-22-8 record with the second half of the season yet to go. Management feels that the proper pieces are in place for the team to be able to succeed.
Previous Seasons
By finishing third to the last in the Eastern Conference (35-41-6), the Thrashers earned the rights to the 4th overall pick in the draft. Previously, Atlanta had been quite proactive in trying to get themselves into the playoffs, getting a second round draft choice in 2008, a conditional first round pick in 2008 and forward Glen Metropolit to St. Louis for power forward Keith Tkachuk. The Thrasher strength is its offence, and remained the soul of the club for ’07-08. Led by Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, ATL also brought in Todd White, signing him away from Minnesota on the first day of free agency. Rookie of the year Brett Sterling was also signed, which means the offence was stronger. The Thrashers needed to concentrate on defense and focus on scoring in that season to be able to shoot for a playoff run –they did not make it into the playoffs.
Atlanta Thrashers tickets are ready to take a huge step up in the 2005-06 NHL season. Thrashers fans who pack the Philips Arena should reap the benefit of off-season moves that had the Thrashers wheeling and deal their way to NHL respectability. First, goodbye Dany Heatley, hello Marian Hossa and Greg DeVrie. While Heatley is certainly a talent, Hossa fills a sorely needed offensive gap in the Thrashers line while DeVries brings veteran experience to a young Atlanta defense. The trade, along with the signing of veteran center Bobby Holik, brings an aura of hope to Atlanta Thrashers tickets.
The Atlanta Thrashers, owned by who else but Ted Turner, multimillionaire and ex-husband of Jane Fonda, brought pro hockey back to Atlanta after a long absence. Taking to the ice of the Philips Arena in uniforms that featured combination of two shades of blue, some bronze, yellow, and a little red, the Thrashers (a name chosen to honor the state bird of Georgia) did little to impress anyone in their first year. The team racked up a record of 14-61-7 in their inaugural campaign and could point only to Andrew Brunette as a leader. Brunette finished the year with 50 points, by no means an outstanding performance, but very good by Thrashers criteria.
After suffering through a dismal second season of 23-45-12-2, Thrashers ticket holders finally had something to cheer about during the 2001-02 season, though the team's record didn't improve significantly. The Thrashers had gotten hold of a couple of rookies with plenty of upside in Danny Heatley and Illya Kovalchuk. While Kovalchuk got off to a promising start, his season was cut short by injury. Heatley on the other hand, stayed healthy and won the Calder Trophy by posting 41 assists and 26 goals on the year. Heatley and Kovalchuk continued to make progress in 2002-03, but the team as a whole was still performing poorly, going 0-10 to start and boasting only 8 wins at year’s end. The poor showing resulted in the firing of head coach Curt Fraser who was replaced by Bob Hartley. Hartley managed to get things moving in the right direction as the Thrashers rallied in the latter part of the season to grab 3rd place with a 31-39-7-5 record.
Thrashers fans were buckling down for a much better season in 2003-04, banking on Hartley's coaching and the play of Heatley to make the Thrashers competitive when tragedy struck. Heatley, along with Dan Snyder, were involved in a car accident that cost Snyder his life. Heatley suffered injuries and felony charges that marred his life and his performance. The Trashers hung tough, but fell short of the playoffs at 33-37-8-4.
Atlanta Thrashers tickets got a shot in the arm from GM Don Waddel's maneuvers during the long lockout. Now it's time to pay off. While the Thrashers aren't anyone's favorite pick to win the Stanley Cup, the long road to the NHL Playoffs has to begin somewhere and Hossa, DeVries, and Holik could be the building blocks that make the Philips Arena and Atlanta Thrashers tickets, one of the more pleasant combinations in the NHL this season.
About the Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers are actually the second team in professional hockey to call the city
home. In 1980 the original team, the Flames left Atlanta to become the Calgary Flames,
leaving the area without a team for almost two decades.
The Thrashers name was the second choice for the original team, losing to “Flames” but
won out the second time around. Thrasher is both the state bird and the original name of
the area that would later be renamed Atlanta.
In their short ten year history the Thrashers have only made it to the postseason once,
losing the conference quarter-final to the Rangers. They have managed to finish at least
third in their division four other times.
Phillips Arena is the home of the Atlanta Thrashers, the Hawks of the NBA, and the
Dream of the WNBA and is owned by a group of investors named the Atlanta Spirit
LLC., which also owns the Thrashers and Hawks. Costing 213.5 million dollars to build,
there is seating for 18,545 fans for hockey games.
The arena is known as one of the most popular concert venues in the world, and has
hosted many other events as well including wrestling and figure skating. In 2008, the area
spent two days plagued by very unusual tornadoes, one of which hit the arena during a
basketball game but only caused minor external damage.
Out in the community, the Atlanta Thrashers are active in events such as visits to sick
and disabled children including those at the Ronald McDonald house, and children’s
hospitals around Atlanta. Individual players also like to brighten the days of young
players injured during hockey games by paying visits and offering tickets to games.
Aside from visiting sick and injured people, the Thrashers are also active in supporting
local school initiatives, making appearances at school assemblies and working with
local schools to promote healthy, active lifestyles as well as academic excellence.
Cheering on the Atlanta Thrashers at home games are the Blue Crew and Thrash
the mascot. The Blue Crew is a group of athletic, beautiful women who cheer the
team on and help get the fans excited during home games. Off the ice, they make
appearances in the community at various events and help the team with charitable works.
Thrash is an anthropomorphized brown thrasher. The thrasher is the state bird of Georgia,
making it the perfect choice for a team mascot, especially considering the team’s name.
Thrasher also makes appearances in the community at birthday parties, special events,
hospitals, and sometimes even weddings. At home games, Thrash descends from the
rafters of the arena, and is known for his antics during the game.
The Atlanta Thrashers, along with their supporters, mascot, cheerleaders, and staff are
a real asset to the community. Contributing when they can, and entertaining at every
game, the team is loved by their fans, and appreciated by all those who have been helped.
