Atlanta Thrashers

Lore & Background

The Thrashers were named after Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher, selected from a fan poll. The nickname had been runner-up to 'Flames' in that poll. Philips Arena was built on the site of the former Omni, which had been home to the Atlanta Flames. The team was owned by Ted Turner, who also owned the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. The franchise adopted the motto 'Believe in Blueland' and had a section of season ticket holders called the 'Nasty Nest'. Two Thrasher bird heads with flamethrowers ignited when the team scored a goal.

Despite high-level draft picks including two first-overall selections (Patrik Stefan in 1999 and Ilya Kovalchuk in 2001), the Thrashers only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs once, after winning the Southeast Division in the 2006–07 season. The 1999 draft was a major disappointment; all 11 picks were out of the NHL by the team's last season, and Stefan was listed by NHL.com as the worst first overall pick of all time. Dany Heatley, taken second overall in 2000, and Kovalchuk became the team's best players; both were named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2001–02, and Heatley won the Calder Memorial Trophy.

In May 2011, the Thrashers were sold to True North Sports & Entertainment, which moved the franchise to Winnipeg, becoming the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets. The sale and relocation were approved by the NHL on June 21, 2011. Atlanta became the first city in the NHL's modern era to have two ice hockey teams relocate to different cities.

Reader's Guide

The Atlanta Thrashers represent a cautionary tale in NHL expansion and market sustainability. Despite being awarded a franchise in 1997 as part of a four-team tiered expansion, the team struggled to build a consistent winner. The article notes that owner Ted Turner treated the Thrashers as an afterthought, allocating leftover money after paying the Braves and Hawks. After Turner stepped down, the team was sold to Atlanta Spirit, LLC, which almost immediately put the Thrashers on the market. The team's only playoff appearance came in 2006–07 after winning the Southeast Division. The Thrashers' legacy includes two first-overall draft picks that produced mixed results: Patrik Stefan, considered the worst first overall pick, and Ilya Kovalchuk, a franchise player. The team's relocation in 2011 made Atlanta the first city in the modern NHL era to lose two franchises to different cities, both moving to Western Canada. The Thrashers' history underscores the challenges of sustaining NHL hockey in non-traditional markets, particularly when ownership commitment is lacking.

Did You Know?

• The team's first game was a 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on October 2, 1999.
• Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk were both named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2001–02.

Origins & Identity

The Thrashers were born from Atlanta's hunger to reclaim its place in professional hockey. After the Atlanta Flames departed for Calgary in 1980, the league stayed south of Washington for another decade. That changed on June 25, 1997, when the city was granted its 28th NHL franchise as part of a four-team expansion that also brought teams to Nashville, Columbus, and St. Paul. The name "Thrashers" came from a fan poll, referencing Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher. Interestingly, "Thrashers" had actually finished second to "Flames" in that vote. The new home, Philips Arena, rose on the very site where the old Omni had housed the former Flames. A delightful coincidence tied the name to local history: the first encampment around 1839 that eventually grew into Atlanta was called Thrasherville, and a marker for it still stands near the arena. The franchise was owned by Ted Turner, who also held the Braves and Hawks.

Draft Rollercoaster & Competitive Struggles

The Thrashers' draft history reads like a tale of extreme highs and crushing lows. In 1999, they took Patrik Stefan first overall and Luke Sellars 30th, yet all eleven picks from that draft were out of the NHL by the team's final season. NHL.com later ranked Stefan as the worst first-overall selection in league history and Sellars, who played just one game, as the worst 30th pick. This was especially jarring because general manager Don Waddell was widely regarded as a sharp scout, and media had hyped Stefan as a franchise cornerstone. The 2000 and 2001 drafts brought redemption: Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk became the team's brightest stars, both earning All-Rookie honors in 2001-02, with Heatley winning the Calder Trophy. Yet despite these talents and two first-overall picks, the Thrashers reached the Stanley Cup playoffs only once, clinching the Southeast Division in 2006-07. Their inaugural 1999-2000 season ended last in the division with just 14 wins.

Ownership Chaos & the Road to Winnipeg

The Thrashers' ownership story was marked by neglect and instability. Ted Turner, who controlled the franchise alongside the Braves and Hawks, reportedly treated hockey as an afterthought, allocating only leftover budget after the other two teams were funded. Veteran forward Ray Ferraro recalled that general manager Don Waddell confirmed this financial reality. In 2004, AOL Time Warner sold the team to Atlanta Spirit, LLC, a consortium of businessmen. However, it later emerged that this group had almost immediately placed the Thrashers on the market, a fact that surfaced through a web of lawsuits. Tragedy compounded the chaos when star Dany Heatley crashed his Ferrari just eight days after the sale, seriously injuring himself and teammate Dan Snyder. Ultimately, in May 2011, Canadian group True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the franchise and relocated it to Winnipeg, reviving the Jets name. The NHL approved the move on June 21, 2011.

A City Embraces Hockey

The Thrashers' arrival in 1999 sparked a genuine hockey renaissance in Atlanta. Ticket sales averaged around 10,000 per night, with many fans committing to season tickets. A dedicated section of Philips Arena became home to the "Nasty Nest," a group of season-ticket holders who chanted and shouted at opposing teams to rattle them. The arena itself featured two large thrasher bird heads positioned opposite the scoreboard; when the team scored, the birds opened their beaks to unleash a burst of flame. The franchise embraced the local motto "Believe in Blueland" in its advertising, weaving the team into Atlanta's cultural fabric. The nickname itself carried a deeper historical resonance: the first encampment around 1839 that would become Atlanta was known as Thrasherville, and a marker for that site sits just down the street from the arena, in front of the State Bar of Georgia. For a brief window, hockey was undeniably part of what it meant to be an Atlantan.

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