David Thomson of True North Sports expressed an interest in buying the Atlanta Thrashers and moving them to Winnipeg back in October 2009. In the last few weeks, negotiations have leapt forward and it seems like a deal is imminent. The team would play out of the MTS centre which is currently home to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Since, the NHL owns the name ‘Jets’, rebranding the Thrashers as the Jets would be fairly straight forward.
The Atlanta Thrashers made their first appearance in the NHL during the 1999-2000 season. There was previously an NHL team in Atlanta called the Flames from 1972 until 1980 when the team left for Calgary. The team’s first trip to the NHL draft was a major disappointment, considering that their first and second picks Patrik Stefan and Luke Sellars don’t even play in the NHL anymore. The next year they selected Dany Heatley second overall and it looked like the team may be able to improve on their 14-61-7 record during their first season, but it never amounted to much; the team made the playoffs once in their history and was swept that year by the New York Rangers in four games. After starting off strong this past season the team fell off the map, finishing at 27th in the league with 80 points.
The Winnipeg Jets were a team in the WHA and NHL from 1972 to 1996 before the team was moved out of Manitoba as a result of financial troubles. The team was moved to Arizona where it became the Phoenix Coyotes. After a decorated history in the WHA which included three championships, the Jets were unable to win a Stanley Cup in the NHL after being absorbed into the league during the 1979 expansion. In spite of that, they were followed by a loyal fan base and played host to superstars like Teemu Selanne, Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuck and Serge Savard. Shane Doan, selected with the team’s first round pick in 1995 is the only player from the Jets to still play for the team in Phoenix.
Atlanta could become the first city since the 1967 expansion to lose two teams. Hope remains that a local buyer in Atlanta will come forward to place a bid for the team but the likelihood of that happening seems to be dwindling. If the deal were to go through, the NHL may have some division or even conference realignment in its future. The Atlanta thrashers play in the southeast division which would not be practical for a team in Winnipeg. Changes would likely not be made for next season but a restructure in 2012 would be probable. This may be an opportunity for the Detroit Red Wings, who have expressed an interest in moving to the Eastern Conference.
Whether the deal gets finalized or not, negotiations for the relocation of the Thrashers have progressed exponentially faster than those regarding the relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes. It is yet to be seen if this is the effect of overambitious fan support in Winnipeg blowing the story out of proportion or simply the NHL becoming more lenient about relocating struggling franchises.
Don’t forget to catch game one of the Stanley Cup finals tonight at 8pm featuring the Boston Bruins against the Vancouver Canucks.
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