Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta's second NHL franchise, relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, that played in the National Hockey League (NHL) as members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was granted on June 25, 1997, and began play in the 1999–2000 season, becoming the league's 28th franchise. The team played its home games at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. Despite high-level draft picks and notable player acquisitions, the Thrashers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs only once, winning the Southeast Division in the 2006–07 season. In May 2011, the team was sold to True North Sports & Entertainment and relocated to Winnipeg, becoming the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets, making Atlanta the first city in the NHL's modern era to have two ice hockey teams relocate to different cities.
Quick Facts
- Team Name
- Atlanta Thrashers
- Text Color
- #000000
- Conference
- Eastern
- Division
- Southeast
- Founded
- 1999
- History
- Atlanta Thrashers / 1999–2011 / Winnipeg Jets / 2011–present
- City
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Arena
- Philips Arena
- Team Colors
- Atlanta midnight blue, Thrasher ice blue, Georgia bronze, Capitol copper, Peachtree gold, white / #041E42 #5C88DA #862633 #B86125 #FFA300 #FFFFFF
- Stanley Cups
- 0
- Division Titles
- 1 (2006–07)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Thrashers were named after Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher, selected from a fan poll; 'Thrashers' 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's first overall pick in the 1999 draft, Patrik Stefan, was later listed by NHL.com as the worst first overall pick of all time. The 2000 draft brought Dany Heatley, who became one of the team's best players, and the 2001 draft brought Ilya Kovalchuk. Both Heatley and Kovalchuk were named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2001–02, and Heatley won the Calder Memorial Trophy. In 2003, tragedy struck when Dany Heatley crashed his Ferrari, seriously injuring himself and killing teammate Dan Snyder. The Thrashers dedicated the 2003–04 season to Snyder's memory. The team was sold to Atlanta Spirit, LLC in 2004, and it later emerged that the group almost immediately put the Thrashers on the market.
Reader's Guide
The Atlanta Thrashers represent a notable chapter in NHL expansion into the southern United States, following the earlier departure of the Atlanta Flames to Calgary in 1980. Despite being awarded two first-overall draft picks and acquiring high-profile players, the team made only one playoff appearance in its twelve-season existence, winning the Southeast Division in 2006–07. The franchise's early years were marked by disappointing draft results, particularly the 1999 draft, and by ownership that reportedly treated the team as an afterthought. The team's relocation in 2011 to Winnipeg, where it became the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets, made Atlanta the first city in the NHL's modern era to lose two franchises to relocation, both moving to Western Canadian cities. The Thrashers' legacy includes the development of star players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley, as well as the tragic death of Dan Snyder, which shaped the team's identity during the 2003–04 season. The franchise's history illustrates the challenges of sustaining NHL hockey in non-traditional markets.
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