Editing Atlanta Thrashers (section)

==History==
[[File:Thrashers offensive zone.jpg|thumb|The Thrashers take the puck into the offensive zone against the [[St. Louis Blues]] at Philips Arena on September 22, 2007.]]
After the departure of the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]] (IHL)'s [[Atlanta Knights]] (1992–1996) to become the [[Quebec Rafales]], the city of Atlanta was awarded an NHL franchise on June 25, 1997, as part of a four-team tiered [[expansion team|expansion]]. This also included teams in [[Nashville Predators|Nashville]], [[Columbus Blue Jackets|Columbus]], and [[Minnesota Wild|St. Paul]], in which each new franchise would begin play as its respective new arena was completed. The birth of the new franchise marked NHL hockey's return to Georgia after the [[Atlanta Flames]], established in 1972, departed for Canada in [[1980–81 NHL season|1980]] to become the [[Calgary Flames]]. The Flames had been the League's first foray into the [[Southern United States|southern U.S.]], and their failure discouraged further efforts to bring NHL hockey south of [[Washington Capitals|Washington]] for another decade.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/06/18/oth_210066.shtml |title=The Augusta Chronicle |access-date=2013-05-14 |archive-date=2014-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202203824/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/06/18/oth_210066.shtml |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The nickname "Thrashers," after Georgia's [[List of U.S. state birds|state bird]], the [[brown thrasher]], was selected from a fan poll. "Thrashers" had actually been runner-up to "Flames" in the poll (as an homage to the old Atlanta Flames), and [[State Farm Arena|Philips Arena]], the Thrashers' new home, was built on the site of the former [[The Omni|Omni]], which had been home to the Flames. By coincidence, the first encampment (circa 1839) which later became Atlanta was called [[John Thrasher#Founding of Atlanta|Thrasherville]], and a [[historical marker]] of this is located just down from the arena in front of the [[State Bar of Georgia]] (the former home of the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dlg.usg.edu/collection/dlg_ghm|title=Georgia Historical Markers Collection Items - Digital Library of Georgia|website=dlg.usg.edu|accessdate=4 April 2023}}</ref> The team was owned by Atlanta-based media mogul [[Ted Turner]], who also owned [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Atlanta Braves]] and the [[NBA]]'s [[Atlanta Hawks]].<ref name=TheAthletic>{{cite news|url=https://theathletic.com/4579942/2023/06/05/nhl-atlanta-expansion/|title=The NHL in Atlanta: Why Chapter 3 could be completely different|author1=Sean Gentile|author2=Michael Russo|publisher=[[The Athletic]]|date=June 5, 2023}}</ref>

===1999–2003: The early years===
The newly formed Thrashers selected [[Patrik Štefan|Patrik Stefan]] with the first overall selection and [[Luke Sellars]] with the 30th overall pick (second pick of the second round) in the [[1999 NHL entry draft]]. However, the entire 1999 NHL entry draft was a major disappointment for the Thrashers, as all 11 of their draft picks were out of the NHL by the team's last season; Stefan played the most games for the Thrashers (414) from that draft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00004682.html|title=Atlanta Thrashers Draft History at Hockey Database|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611081824/http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00004682.html|archive-date=2010-06-11}}</ref> Their first two picks (Stefan and Sellars) were two of the biggest disappointments in draft history; NHL.com listed Stefan as the worst first overall pick of all time and Sellars (who played [[List of players who played only one game in the NHL|only one NHL game]]) as the worst 30th overall pick in NHL history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kreiser|first=John|title=The best picks ever, No. 1-30|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=425503&page=NewsPage&service=page|publisher=[[National Hockey League]]|date=2009-06-15|access-date=2009-06-25}}</ref> This was a surprise, as not only did the media hype Stefan as a franchise player, but hockey experts also considered then-Thrashers general manager [[Don Waddell]] to have excellent scouting ability.

The Thrashers played their first game on October 2, 1999, losing 4–1 to the [[New Jersey Devils]]. [[Captain (ice hockey)|Captain]] [[Kelly Buchberger]] scored the franchise's first goal in the loss and the team finished their first season in last place in the [[Southeast Division (NHL)|Southeast Division]] with 14 wins, 61 losses (including four overtime losses), and seven ties for a total of 39 points.

Atlanta had the second overall pick in the [[2000 NHL entry draft]]; this draft brought better results, as the player chosen with that pick, [[Dany Heatley]], became one of the team's best players. The team also had a fine choice in the [[2001 NHL entry draft|2001 draft]] with first overall pick [[Ilya Kovalchuk]]. Both Heatley and Kovalchuk played their first season in the NHL in [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02]]; both were named to the [[NHL All-Rookie Team]] and Heatley was awarded the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] as the League's Rookie of the Year.

The early years of the Atlanta Thrashers saw a sharp increase of hockey fans in Atlanta. Ticket sales for Thrashers games averaged at 10,000 per night, many of them being season tickets. A section of the arena was dedicated to season ticket holders that called themselves the "Nasty Nest". The "Nasty Nest" chanted and shouted at the opposing team to disrupt them. The Thrashers also had two Thrasher bird heads that faced opposite to the scoreboard. The Thrasher heads opened their beaks to reveal a flamethrower that ignited when the team scored a goal. At this time, the franchise adopted a motto "Believe in Blueland", which was often used in advertising.

At the same time, however, the Thrashers were hamstrung by Turner's reluctance to spend the money it took to make them competitive. According to veteran forward [[Ray Ferraro]], who played for the Thrashers during their first three seasons, Waddell told him that Turner treated the Thrashers mostly as an afterthought; they were allocated whatever money was left over after Turner allocated payroll for the Braves and Hawks.<ref name=TheAthletic/>

[[Marcel Comeau]] was named director of amateur scouting for the Thrashers, on July 9, 2003, and stayed in the role until the team was sold.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1972/72148.html|title=1972 NHL Amateur Draft – Marcel Comeau|website=Hockey Draft Central|access-date=2018-09-30}}</ref>

===2003–2005: The Atlanta Spirit years and the NHL lockout===
Turner stepped down as vice chairman of [[WarnerMedia|AOL Time Warner]], parent company of Turner's [[Turner Broadcasting System]], in 2003. A year later, AOL Time Warner sold both teams to [[Atlanta Spirit, LLC]], a group consisting of businessmen based both in Atlanta and elsewhere. 

It later emerged that Atlanta Spirit almost immediately put the Thrashers on the market, which only came to light after one of a myriad of lawsuits involving the consortium.<ref name=TheAthletic/>

Tragedy struck the team just eight days after the sale, as star forward [[Dany Heatley]] crashed his [[Ferrari]] in a one-car accident that seriously injured both himself and Thrashers center [[Dan Snyder (ice hockey)|Dan Snyder]]. Heatley suffered a broken jaw and arm, a sprained wrist and a torn [[anterior cruciate ligament]] (ACL) and [[medial collateral ligament]] (MCL); Snyder died five days later due to [[septic shock]] from his injuries.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1030014/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202113134/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1030014/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 2, 2009|title=A Sadness In Atlanta| magazine = [[Sports Illustrated]]|date=2003-10-13|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> The Thrashers dedicated their entire [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04 season]] to Snyder's memory, and Thrashers players wore black patches with Snyder's number, 37, on their jerseys for the season. Heatley's [[blood alcohol content]] was below the legal limit, but his combination of [[speeding]] (he was driving an estimated 80 miles per hour) and [[recklessness (law)|recklessness]] led to [[criminal charge]]s, which were later dropped. He eventually received three years' [[probation]] and [[community service]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=1984060|title=Felony charge dropped for Thrashers star's plea|date=2005-02-05|access-date=2011-11-04}}</ref>

Led by captain [[Shawn McEachern]], the Thrashers jumped quickly out of the gate with some notable highlights. Ilya Kovalchuk scored eight goals in the first seven games, including two [[hat-trick]]s, 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, as Atlanta pulled off stunning upsets over the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], [[Boston Bruins]] and [[Ottawa Senators]], as well as wins against the [[Los Angeles Kings]] and [[New York Islanders]].

Eleven games into the season, the Thrashers were in first place in the Southeast Division and 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. Boxing Day 2003 marked both a bright and dark day for the Thrashers. 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 team went a dismal 2–16–3. Kovalchuk became only the second Thrashers' player to score in the [[National Hockey League All-Star Game|NHL All-Star Game]] (after Heatley).

While the Thrashers' playoff hopes were done for the year, they finished second in the Southeast Division to Tampa Bay and tenth in the Eastern Conference, only a handful of wins away from the [[Stanley Cup playoffs]]. Kovalchuk tied for the League lead in goals (41) with the Calgary Flames' [[Jarome Iginla]] and the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]]' [[Rick Nash]]. [[Goaltender]] [[Kari Lehtonen]] began his NHL career with four wins in four starts, including one shutout.

===2005–06: Post-lockout===
Before the start of the [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06 season]], the Thrashers signed several NHL veterans in the hopes of making the playoffs, including forwards [[Bobby Holík|Bobby Holik]] and [[Scott Mellanby]], defenseman [[Jaroslav Modrý|Jaroslav Modry]] and goaltender [[Mike Dunham]]. At the same time, however, they lost one of their brightest stars, as Heatley requested a trade in an attempt to leave behind memories of his tragic 2003 car accident. He was eventually swapped to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for [[Marián Hossa|Marian Hossa]] (a four-time 30-goal scorer at the time of the trade) and [[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, Kari 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 netminder, stepped in, but also promptly injured himself only a few games later; this left only prospects [[Michael Garnett]] and [[Adam Berkhoel]] to tend goal. Journeyman goaltender [[Steve Shields (ice hockey)|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.

===2006–07: Brief success and only playoff appearance===
{{Further|2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 Atlanta Thrashers season}}
[[File:Atlanta Tharshaers Champs.jpg|thumb|Banner in Philips Arena honoring the Thrashers' sole division championship in 2006–07.]]
The Thrashers' [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 season]] began with the highest expectations in franchise history, even after the team's second-leading scorer, [[Marc Savard]], departed as a [[free agency (sports)|free agent]] for the Boston Bruins. Veteran center [[Steve Rucchin]], [[Niko Kapanen]] and [[Jon Sim]] were acquired in an effort to make up for the Savard loss. With NHL superstars Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk, as well as a healthy goaltender in Kari Lehtonen, the Thrashers clinched their first (and only) playoff berth, winning the Southeast Division title with 43 wins and claiming the third seed in the Conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, they were eliminated from the playoffs on April 18, being swept by the [[New York Rangers]] in four straight games in the conference quarterfinals.

This season was the highest attended the Thrashers ever had, with every home playoff game sold out as well as the season opening and closing games. The team was gaining attention within the league for their playoff debut, and team popularity within Atlanta reached an all-time high. Atlanta-based hip hop artist [[Lil Jon]] publicly showed his support for the team, posing for a picture with the [[Stanley Cup]] while wearing a Thrashers jersey. After this season, the Thrashers' ticket sales would start dwindling due to the housing market crash of 2008, and a stale economy in Atlanta. It did not help matters that the great majority of Thrashers fans lived in Atlanta's northern suburbs, and were not willing to brave Atlanta's infamous traffic to go to games at Philips Arena.<ref name=TheAthletic/>

===2007–2010: Struggles===
Just months after reaching the playoffs for the first time, the Thrashers began the [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08 season]] 0–6. Consequently, they fired head coach [[Bob Hartley]] on October 17, 2007, with general manager Don Waddell taking over behind the bench on an interim basis. The Thrashers ended the season with only 76 points, finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference.

On January 27, 2008, the Thrashers hosted the [[56th National Hockey League All-Star Game|NHL All-Star Game]] at [[Philips Arena]], matching the Eastern Conference All-Stars against the Western Conference All-Stars. The game had originally been scheduled for the [[2004–05 NHL season|2004–05 season]], but the [[2004–05 NHL Lockout|NHL lockout]] of that year, followed by the [[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament|2006 Winter Olympics]] the following season and the [[Dallas Stars]]' hosting of the [[55th National Hockey League All-Star Game|2007 NHL All-Star Game]], made 2008 the earliest available date. The Eastern Conference won the game 8–7, with former Thrasher Marc Savard scoring the game winner late in the third period.

On June 20, 2008, [[John Anderson (ice hockey)|John Anderson]] was named as the fourth head coach in Thrashers history. In his [[2008–09 NHL season|first season]], the Thrashers matched their previous season with 76 points, while finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference. Simultaneously, Atlanta Spirit, LLC, the team's ownership group, was coming apart at the seams. A dispute between [[Steve Belkin]] and his seven fellow owners dated back to 2005; Belkin claimed the other owners breached their contract, giving him the right to buy them out at cost, while his partners said they should be able to buy out Belkin's 30% stake. On November 3, court proceedings began in [[Maryland]] to decide the group's fate.

In the final year of his contract, Ilya Kovalchuk and the Thrashers could not come to an agreement on an extension. General manager Don Waddell reportedly offered 12-year, $101 million and seven-year, $70 million contracts, both of which Kovalchuk turned down. Rather than potentially losing him to [[free agency (sports)|free agency]] in the off-season, the team traded Kovalchuk on February 4, 2010, to the [[New Jersey Devils]]. Atlanta received defenseman [[Johnny Oduya]], rookie forward [[Niclas Bergfors]], junior prospect [[Patrice Cormier]] and a first-round pick in the [[2010 NHL entry draft]] in exchange for Kovalchuk and defenseman [[Anssi Salmela]]; the teams also traded second-round selections in 2010. The Thrashers finished tenth in the Conference, with 83 points, which would be the most points they had earned in a regular season from the time they won the division title in 2006–07 to the team's eventual relocation in the summer of 2011.

===2010–11: The final season in Atlanta===
On April 14, 2010, three days after the finish of the [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10 season]] and after two unsuccessful attempts at making the playoffs, the contracts of head coach John Anderson and his coaching staff were not renewed. General manager Don Waddell was promoted to president of hockey operations, while former assistant general manager [[Rick Dudley]] took Waddell's place as general manager. This was the only general manager change in Thrashers history.

Dudley made his first trade on June 23, 2010, involving nine players and draft picks, with the [[Chicago Blackhawks]]. The Thrashers received [[Dustin Byfuglien]], [[Ben Eager]], [[Brent Sopel]] and [[Akim Aliu]] in exchange for [[Marty Reasoner]], [[Joey Crabb]], [[Jeremy Morin]], the Devils' first-round pick ([[Kevin Hayes (ice hockey)|24th overall]]) in 2010 and the Devils' second-round pick (54th overall) in 2010. Later, the Thrashers also traded for Blackhawk [[Andrew Ladd]] while sending prospect [[Ivan Vishnevskiy (ice hockey)|Ivan Vishnevskiy]] and a [[Adam Clendening|draft pick]] to Chicago. The Blackhawks, the [[2010 Stanley Cup Finals|2010 Stanley Cup champions]], found it necessary to trade players for prospects and picks as they were in difficulty with the [[salary cap]].

The next day, the team named [[Craig Ramsay]] as the team's new head coach. Ramsay, who had been an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins for the previous three seasons, was a former NHL player who had been a teammate of Rick Dudley's on the [[Buffalo Sabres]]. In the following weeks, the Thrashers hired an associate coach, [[John Torchetti]], and an [[assistant coach]], [[Mike Stothers]]. The team also hired [[Clint Malarchuk]] as a goaltending consultant.

The Thrashers' last win came against the New York Rangers, 3–0 at [[Madison Square Garden]] on April 7, 2011. On April 10, 2011, the Thrashers played their last game in Atlanta against the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]. [[Tim Stapleton]] scored the last goal in Thrashers history in a 5–2 loss to Pittsburgh. The final NHL goal scored in Philips Arena was tallied by the Penguins' [[Mike Comrie]], an empty net goal and his first of the season.

===Sale and relocation===
Due to financial losses and ownership struggles, the team was frequently a target of relocation rumors. In later years, reports saw the team courted by suitors intending to relocate to [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Quebec City]], [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], or [[Winnipeg]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/02/17/12922046-qmi.html|title=Thrashers to Winnipeg rumour wishful thinking|newspaper=Toronto Sun |date=2010-02-17|access-date=2011-02-28}}</ref><ref name="thestar.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/631715|title=Group wants to move Atlanta Thrashers to Hamilton|date=2009-05-09|access-date=2011-02-28|location=Toronto|work=The Star|archive-date=2010-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130122941/http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/631715|url-status=dead}}</ref> On January 22, 2011, the team's ownership group claimed it had lost US$130 million in the last six years, partially as a result of an ongoing lawsuit with former partner Steve Belkin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=350451|title=LAWSUIT CLAIMS THRASHERS HAVE LOST US$130 MILLION SINCE '05|date=2011-01-22|access-date=2011-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125070737/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=350451|archive-date=2011-01-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> In February 2011, majority owner Michael Gearon stated that the team would be seeking new investors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/sense-of-urgency-faces-atlanta-thrashers-ownership-group |title=Sense of urgency faces Atlanta Thrashers ownership group |date=2011-02-16 |access-date=2011-01-24}}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Various local groups announced their intent to purchase the franchise and keep it in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=553188|title=Filmmaker Stephen Rollins interested in Thrashers|date=2011-02-17|access-date=2011-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Atlanta Thrashers Will Likely Be Sold For $110 Million|url=https://blogs.forbes.com/mikeozanian/2011/05/02/atlanta-thrashers-will-likely-be-sold-for-110-million/|work=Forbes|first=Mike|last=Ozanian|date=2011-05-02}}</ref>

On May 16, the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' reported that talks for a sale to the Winnipeg-based [[True North Sports & Entertainment]] were underway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-thrashers/atlanta-spirit-true-north-947628.html|title=Atlanta Spirit, True North in negotiations about Thrashers sale, relocation|accessdate=4 April 2023}}</ref> According to ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', a deal was finalized on May 20, 2011, to relocate the team to Winnipeg.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/atlanta-thrashers-moving-to-winnipeg/article2029179/|title=Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=2011-05-19|author=Brunt, Stephen|date=2011-05-22|author-link=Stephen Brunt|location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520015341/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/atlanta-thrashers-moving-to-winnipeg/article2029179/|archive-date=20 May 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The League later denied the report, but acknowledged that advanced negotiations between the two teams were underway and that [[NHL Commissioner]] [[Gary Bettman]] supported the move.<ref name=star520>{{cite web |last1=Zwolinski |first1=Mark |last2=McGran |first2=Kevin |title=Atlanta Thrashers' move to Winnipeg not complete, parties insist |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/994421--atlanta-thrashers-move-to-winnipeg-not-complete-parties-insist |website=Toronto Star |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019112437/https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/994421--atlanta-thrashers-move-to-winnipeg-not-complete-parties-insist |archive-date=October 19, 2011 |date=May 20, 2011}}</ref> Draft schedules were prepared that accommodated for the team's move to Winnipeg,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawless |first1=Gary |title=Few hurdles to potential Thrashers sale to Winnipeg |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hurdles%2Bpotential%2BThrashers%2Bsale%2BWinnipeg/4795756/story.html |website=Montreal Gazette |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522205059/https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hurdles+potential+Thrashers+sale+Winnipeg/4795756/story.html |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |date=May 17, 2011}}</ref> as True North sought to move the [[Manitoba Moose]] of the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL), eventually moving the team to [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]], in [[Atlantic Canada]], playing as the [[St. John's IceCaps]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Short |first1=Robin |title=AHL return waiting on first 'Peg |url=http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/2011-05-24/article-2529832/AHL-return-waiting-on-first-%26rsquo%3BPeg/1 |website=SaltWire |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601005258/http://www.thetelegram.com/Sports/2011-05-24/article-2529832/AHL-return-waiting-on-first-%26rsquo%3BPeg/1 |archive-date=June 1, 2011 |date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> However, the IceCaps were eventually moved back to Winnipeg in 2015.<ref name="newmoose">{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Tim|date=May 4, 2015|title=Welcome (back) to the Manitoba Moose|work=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/ahl/stjohns/302435751.html|access-date=May 6, 2015}}</ref>

On May 31, True North Sports & Entertainment and the NHL held a press conference in Winnipeg to announce the completion of a deal to purchase the Thrashers. True North intended to relocate the team to the [[MTS Centre]] in Winnipeg on June 21, 2011 to become the new [[Winnipeg Jets]]. Both the sale and relocation of the team were formally approved by the NHL's [[National Hockey League#Organizational structure|Board of Governors]]. The Atlanta Spirit Group, however, retained the rights of the name and logos for the Thrashers, which are expected to be used by any [[Potential National Hockey League expansion#Atlanta|future Atlanta NHL franchise]] that may be established or move there.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thrashers' move to Winnipeg approved |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6688299 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=December 24, 2023 |date=June 21, 2011}}</ref>

As of the [[2024–25 NHL season]], only two former Thrashers are active in the NHL – [[Zach Bogosian]] of the [[Minnesota Wild]] and [[Evander Kane]] of the [[Edmonton Oilers]]. [[Ben Chiarot]] of the [[Detroit Red Wings]] is the only other player drafted by the Thrashers still active in the NHL, although he did not enter the league until after the Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg.

Atlanta was not without professional ice hockey for long. In 2015, the Gwinnett Gladiators of the [[ECHL]] changed their name to the [[Atlanta Gladiators]] to include the Atlanta metropolitan area. The team plays in [[Duluth, Georgia]], located northeast of Atlanta and the Gladiators honored the Thrashers legacy on December 16, 2022, by wearing the original blue jerseys first worn in 1999 against the [[Greenville Swamp Rabbits]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nivison |first1=Austin |title=ECHL team bringing back Atlanta Thrashers jerseys, branding for one game |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/echl-team-bringing-back-atlanta-thrashers-jerseys-branding-for-one-game/ |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=November 13, 2023 |date=November 10, 2022}}</ref> in which Greenville won 5–4 in overtime.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gladiators, branded as Thrashers for special night, fall to Swamp Rabbits in overtime |url=https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/gladiators-branded-as-thrashers-for-special-night-fall-to-swamp-rabbits-in-overtime/article_fa04f2a0-7dd3-11ed-aafb-cbf2de12b02e.html |website=Gwinnett Daily Post |access-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217111247/https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/gladiators-branded-as-thrashers-for-special-night-fall-to-swamp-rabbits-in-overtime/article_fa04f2a0-7dd3-11ed-aafb-cbf2de12b02e.html |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |date=December 16, 2022}}</ref>