Atlanta mayor's spokesman: Thrashers 'may leave'

Not feeling the Southern Comfort, Bros?

Good news.

Yeah, and I MAY hit the lottery this weekend! That means nothing.

That said, the city of Atlanta can't afford a sweetheart deal like the Yotes got.

Phoenix got a 1 year stay of execution, that's it. There was no commitment beyond the 1 year - at least from what I have read.
Too bad for ATL - they actually showed some post-Kovalchuk signs of life early in the year.

So much for the political support to stay.

This is what happens to franchises with inept owners and management.

There was alot of fanfare in Atlanta when they won this expansion franchise. Then, they named them the Thrashers. A bird noone's heard of. They follow that up with an awful logo and weak colour scheme, and end up with Don Waddell as GM, who promptly runs the team into the ground IN SPITE of having had such talent as Kovalchuk, Heatley, Hossa, Savard on his team at various stages. Then the owners lie about trying to sell the team, and it gets out it was a lie. Whatever fans they DID have pull away, go back to monster truck rallies. Team desperately needs to be sold and moved or re-branded at the very least. No-one in Atlanta notices. Smart decision is to move them. West. Wings end up in Eastern Conference. SOME of the NHL's problems are fixed, long term. We'll see if the last part really happens, as much as we all know it should.

Atlanta may be a sports town, but it's an awful sports town.

Strike 2 Atlanta...It didn't work the first time they has a team there so what made Bettman think it would work a second time? The NHL needs to start contracting teams and get back to a more stable amount of teams. Why would more NHL teams in Canada be a bad thing? Or even US cities close to Canada that actual have a climate and fan base that knows about hockey.

GOOD! take that team and put them in a Hockey Town! Wisconsin, Winnipeg, Quebec. All good locations. Warm weather hockey doesnt go well!

QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 10:12 AM ET  05.12 by nfitzy

Strike 2 Atlanta...It didn't work the first time they has a team there so what made Bettman think it would work a second time? The NHL needs to start contracting teams and get back to a more stable amount of teams. Why would more NHL teams in Canada be a bad thing? Or even US cities close to Canada that actual have a climate and fan base that knows about hockey.

Answer: Bettman is an Idiot and runs the NHL like the NBA.. no regards to grass roots..

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 08:23 AM ET  05.12 by I Love LA

Not feeling the Southern Comfort, Bros?

Who are you, Bro?

Move them to the 'Peg, move Minnesota to the Central, the Jets to the North West move the Wings to the North East, Bruins to the Atlantic, and finally the Pens to the South East.

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:35 AM ET  05.12 by Argos.

Who are you, Bro?

He's a Laker fan wandering in the wilderness after the Lakers went to the golf course.

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 10:39 AM ET  05.12 by Slapshot

He's a Laker fan wandering in the wilderness after the Lakers went to the golf course.

Good thing the Celtics have Tee times for today.. Hope someone pulls a Tanya Harding on LBJ..

ATL is only a sportstown for whoever the local teams are playing and SEC football. That's about it. If anyone lives here or has been to a thrashers game its no wonder they can't make any money. The rink is in a crappy area, its a pain in the **** to get to, there is no marketing, the marketing makes the team look like arena football, it's a joke here.

I think they'll move unless Tom Glavine can get a group of investors together, but please dont move to Winnipeg. They'll just be Edmonton 2.0.

QUOTE(#16):

Originally posted 11:18 AM ET  05.12 by ecugringo

ATL is only a sportstown for whoever the local teams are playing and SEC football. That's about it. If anyone lives here or has been to a thrashers game its no wonder they can't make any money. The rink is in a crappy area, its a pain in the **** to get to, there is no marketing, the marketing makes the team look like arena football, it's a joke here.I think they'll move unless Tom Glavine can get a group of investors together, but please dont move to Winnipeg. They'll just be Edmonton 2.0.

In May 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers will be sold for $110 million dollars to True North Sports and Entertainment who already made an offer of 170 million which includes a 60 million dollar relocation fee to move the team to Winnipeg. Why they are not moving the Coyotes back to the Peg I have no idea! at least we will be able to see the return of the WHITE OUT that the Penguins so graciously RIPPED OFF from the former Jets.

Thrashers to the west...Red Wings back to the east

So, one team already left Atlanta...so they put another team there and now they want to leave... it's a sign that the league as a whole doesn't know what they're doing.....interest in the NHL is fading even more.

QUOTE(#18):

Originally posted 12:06 PM ET  05.12 by Da Kingfish

Thrashers to the west...Red Wings back to the east

I love it.

The major issue though, is Detroit is THE Western Conference draw. Teams like Phoenix, Nashville, CBJ, etc. depend on the Wings as visitors to sell out games. In the East, there are the Leafs, Habs, Pens, Flyers, Rangers, Washington, even TB now to make people want to go see the visitors. May make the NHL think twice. Hope not though.

QUOTE(#19):

Originally posted 12:14 PM ET  05.12 by Baconator

So, one team already left Atlanta...so they put another team there and now they want to leave... it's a sign that the league as a whole doesn't know what they're doing.....interest in the NHL is fading even more.

And moving them to a city that already has lost a team as well. We all know the story, but times and economic circumstances change.

Atlanta was booming when they got the expansion Thrashers, what with all the buzz over the Olympics, good Braves, good Falcons and whatnot. Now, its a much less prominent (affluent?) city which would likely not have qualified for expansion.

Winnipeg couldn't afford to pay the exchange from Cdn funds to US funds for their players. That issue is moot now as we're sitting on 3+ years of hovering around parity. And they have the new barn that the city wouldn't build them back then. Situations change.

Cripes, even the 2nd option is a re-tread in Quebec City.

Where are all the Hartfordites pushing to get the Whalers back, anyway? Always loved the Brass Bonanza