- 1999
- 2003
- 2011
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Atlanta Thrashers Team Formation
After the departure of the IHL’s Atlanta Knights from 1992 to 1996 to become the Quebec Rafales, the city 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 was completed. ... -
New Ownership Atlanta Spirit
On September 21, 2003, Time Warner, the owners of both the Thrashers and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, sold both teams to Atlanta Spirit, LLC, a group consisting of businessmen based both in Atlanta and elsewhere. -
Heading to Winnipeg
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; Quebec City, Quebec; Hamilton, Ontario or Winnipeg, Manitoba. On January 22, 2011, the team’s ownership group claimed it had lost the US $130 million in the last ...
History of the Thrashers
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 to 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 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 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 the Calgary Flames.
Established
1999
City
Atlanta – Winnipeg
League History
1999 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
2011 – Present / Winnipeg Jets
1999 – 2011 / Atlanta Thrashers
Nickname
Thrashers – Originally part of Turner Broadcasting, and owner Ted Turner christened his 1997 expansion team after the state bird of Georgia, the brown thrasher part of the mockingbird family, called the Atlanta Thrashers.
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
2018 - Present / Bell MTS Place
2011 – 2017 / MTS Centre
*Atlanta*
1999 – 2011 / Philips Arena
Owner
2011 – Present / True North Sports and Entertainment
2003 – 2011 / Atlanta Spirit, LLC
1999 – 2003 / Time Warner
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history