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121-725: The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta . Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 season . They were members of the Southeast Division of the NHL's Eastern Conference , and played their home games at what is now known as State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta . The Thrashers qualified for
242-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
363-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
484-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
605-421: 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 was signed, but he too
726-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
847-534: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
968-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
1089-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
1210-458: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
1331-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
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#17328446854991452-535: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
1573-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
1694-517: 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. On April 14, 2010, three days after the finish of the 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
1815-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
1936-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
2057-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
2178-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
2299-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
2420-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
2541-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
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#17328446854992662-422: Is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of the IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on
2783-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
2904-594: 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 ). 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 . The newly formed Thrashers selected Patrik Stefan with the first overall selection and Luke Sellars with the 30th overall pick (second pick of
3025-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
3146-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
3267-581: The 2006 Winter Olympics the following season and the Dallas Stars ' hosting of the 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 was named as the fourth head coach in Thrashers history. In his first season , the Thrashers matched their previous season with 76 points, while finishing 13th in
3388-751: 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 , in which Greenville won 5–4 in overtime. Throughout the team's tenure in Atlanta, the Thrashers' wore jerseys of ice blue, navy blue , red , gold and white . In 2003,
3509-525: The Brown Thrasher , was selected from a fan poll. "Thrashers" had actually been runner-up to "Flames" in the poll (as a homage to the old Atlanta Flames), and Philips Arena , the Thrashers' new home, was built on the site of the former Omni , which had been home to the Flames. By coincidence, the first encampment (circa 1839) which later became Atlanta was called Thrasherville , and a historical marker of this
3630-634: The Calgary Flames . After the departure of the 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 . This also included teams in Nashville , Columbus , and St. Paul , in which each new franchise would begin play as its respective new arena
3751-504: The Coyotes ). The sale and relocation were approved by the NHL on June 21, 2011. With the sale and relocation of the team, Atlanta became the first city in the NHL's modern era to have two ice hockey teams relocate to different cities. In both cases, the team moved from Atlanta to a Western Canadian city; the city's previous NHL team, the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary , in 1980 to become
Atlanta Thrashers - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-627: The Edmonton Oilers . Blake Wheeler , however, remains a free agent . 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
3993-719: The Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for the first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it
4114-568: The New Jersey Devils . 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 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
4235-469: 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
4356-611: The St. John's IceCaps . However, the IceCaps were eventually moved back to Winnipeg in 2015. 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
4477-686: The Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2006–07 season , after winning the Southeast Division, but were swept in the first round by the New York Rangers . In May 2011, the Thrashers were sold to Canadian -based ownership group True North Sports & Entertainment . The group moved the franchise to Winnipeg , which became the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets (the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996 to become
4598-626: 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. Before the start of the 2005–06 season , the Thrashers signed several NHL veterans in the hopes of making the playoffs, including forwards Bobby Holik and Scott Mellanby , defenseman Jaroslav Modry and goaltender Mike Dunham . At
4719-457: The 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by
4840-485: The 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games, was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today
4961-659: The 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive the puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
Atlanta Thrashers - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
5203-631: 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,
5324-544: The Braves and Hawks. 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. Turner stepped down as vice chairman of 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
5445-552: 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
5566-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
5687-538: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
5808-413: 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
5929-406: The Thrashers also traded for Blackhawk Andrew Ladd while sending prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy and a draft pick to Chicago. The Blackhawks, the 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
6050-484: The Thrashers for a single game on December 16. The team's mascot was Thrash, a brown thrasher , which also is the official state bird of Georgia . The Thrashers never officially retired any numbers. No. 37 was unofficially taken out of circulation after the death of Thrasher Dan Snyder in September 2003. No. 99 was retired league-wide by the NHL during the 2000 NHL All-Star Game to honor Wayne Gretzky . These are
6171-690: The Thrashers on the market, which only came to light after one of a myriad of lawsuits involving the consortium. 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 . 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. The Thrashers dedicated their entire 2003–04 season to Snyder's memory, and Thrashers players wore black patches with Snyder's number, 37, on their jerseys for
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#17328446854996292-605: 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. Due to financial losses and ownership struggles, the team was frequently a target of relocation rumors. In later years, reports saw
6413-472: The Thrashers unveiled an alternate home jersey. Predominantly blue, it featured a black yoke on the right shoulder with the word 'ATLANTA' inside. In 2006, it became the team's full-time home jersey, replacing the original navy blue jersey that had been worn since the club's inception in 1999. In 2007, Reebok released new team jerseys as part of the rollout of the Reebok Edge Uniform System. For
6534-413: The Thrashers' jerseys, the waist stripes were removed from the home and road jerseys and piping was added. Atlanta unveiled its new third jersey, red and midnight blue with white and gold trim, on October 10, 2008. It is often mocked as one of the worst uniforms in league history. On November 7, 2022, the Thrashers' former ECHL affiliate, the Atlanta Gladiators , unveiled plans to take on the identity of
6655-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
6776-479: 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
6897-655: 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 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 season , but the NHL lockout of that year, followed by
7018-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
7139-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
7260-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
7381-690: The first seven games, including two hat-tricks , 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
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#17328446854997502-471: The franchise and keep it in Atlanta, but ultimately the team was sold to the Canadian group True North Sports & Entertainment . On May 16, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that talks for a sale to True North Sports & Entertainment were underway. According to The Globe and Mail , a deal was finalized on May 20, 2011, to relocate the team to Winnipeg. The League later denied
7623-502: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
7744-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
7865-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
7986-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
8107-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
8228-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
8349-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
8470-401: 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 in the off-season, the team traded Kovalchuk on February 4, 2010, to
8591-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
8712-559: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
8833-553: The highest expectations in franchise history, even after the team's second-leading scorer, Marc Savard , departed as a 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
8954-489: 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. Just months after reaching the playoffs for the first time, the Thrashers began the 2007–08 season 0–6. Consequently, they fired head coach Bob Hartley on October 17, 2007, with general manager Don Waddell taking over behind
9075-557: The ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in
9196-458: The ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass
9317-499: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. List of players who played only one game in the NHL This is a list of ice hockey players who have played only one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1917–18 to the present. This list does not count those who were on
9438-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
9559-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
9680-423: 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 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
9801-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
9922-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
10043-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
10164-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
10285-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
10406-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
10527-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
10648-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
10769-461: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
10890-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
11011-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
11132-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
11253-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
11374-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
11495-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
11616-443: The puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before
11737-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
11858-605: The report, but acknowledged that advanced negotiations between the two teams were underway and that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman supported the move. Draft schedules were prepared that accommodated for the team's move to Winnipeg, 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
11979-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
12100-490: 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 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
12221-443: The season by being named as one of the three stars of each game. The award was created in the Thrashers' inaugural season of 1999 . The Atlanta Thrashers were broadcast on cable television on SportSouth and Fox Sports South . Over-the-air, the Thrashers were broadcast on WUPA (channel 69) ( 1999 – 2004 ) and WPXA (channel 14) ( 2005 – 2007 ). Radio coverage included play-by-play of all games on WCNN in Atlanta. The station
12342-407: The season opening and closing games. The team was gaining notoriety 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
12463-477: 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
12584-504: 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 led to criminal charges , which were later dropped. He eventually received three years' probation and community service . Led by captain Shawn McEachern , the Thrashers jumped quickly out of the gate with some notable highlights. Ilya Kovalchuk scored eight goals in
12705-409: 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. Their first two picks (Stefan and Sellars) were two of the biggest disappointments in draft history; NHL.com listed Stefan as
12826-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
12947-413: The sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on
13068-450: The team courted by suitors intending to relocate to Kansas City , Quebec City , Hamilton , or Winnipeg . 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. In February 2011, majority owner Michael Gearon stated that the team would be seeking new investors. Various local groups announced their intent to purchase
13189-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
13310-471: The team were formally approved by the NHL's 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 future Atlanta NHL franchise that may be established or move there. 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
13431-764: The team's best players. The team also had a fine choice in the 2001 draft with first overall pick Ilya Kovalchuk . Both Heatley and Kovalchuk played their first season in the NHL in 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
13552-478: The top-ten point, goal, and assist scorers in franchise history. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; G/G = Goals per game; A/G = Assists per game Calder Memorial Trophy Rocket Richard Trophy The Georgia's Own Credit Union 3 Stars of the Year Award was awarded annually to the Thrashers player amassing the most points throughout
13673-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
13794-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
13915-404: The worst first overall pick of all time and Sellars (who played only one NHL game ) as the worst 30th overall pick in NHL history. 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
14036-431: 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 to become the Calgary Flames . The Flames had been the League's first foray into the southern U.S. , and their failure discouraged further efforts to bring NHL hockey south of Washington for another decade. The nickname "Thrashers," after Georgia's state bird ,
14157-476: 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. The Thrashers' 2006–07 season began with
14278-436: Was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in
14399-433: 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
14520-651: Was the flagship of a network that included 18 stations. Most were in Georgia, but there were two affiliates in South Carolina and one in Alabama . The radio play-by-play voice for the first season was Scott Ferrall , followed by Dan Kamal . Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to
14641-546: 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 ( 24th overall ) in 2010 and the Devils' second-round pick (54th overall) in 2010. Later,
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