Posted by By Jon Gabrielle, THW
While the Atlanta Thrashers were playing one of their last games with their disgruntled star, Ilya Kovalchuk, against the almost bankrupt Tampa bay Lightning in Atlanta last night, the boxscore reported the attendence at 11,390.
A few thousand more fans like this and Atlanta's in business! (photo by johntrainor/flickr)
If you believe that figure, pull on this leg and it plays jingle bells! Besides wondering if there were actually 5,000 warm bodies that came through the turnstiles, I am also left to wonder: who is going to come watch Atlanta play hockey when their all-time leading scorer is traded; perhaps by the end of this blog!
Thank goodness the few hockey fans left in Atlanta won’t have a thing to worry about after they get a stiff dose of Mr. Bettman’s spin following the trade of the mercurial Russian.
In New York, the Rangers picked up Olli Jokinen from Calgary, and stitched his name on a jersey just in time for him to take the ice in Los Angeles. And right on cue, the overpriced center made two gaffes, posting a minus-2 on the night, while costing his team dearly in the 2-1 loss.
The Canadian Olympic hockey team now has two men making decisions that may have some Canadians shaking their heads. Ken Hitchcock, relieved of his coaching duties in Columbus earlier today, amidst reports of not being in step with the modern game, remains on Canada’s bench as an assistant coach in Vancouver.
Along with “Hitch,” Kevin Lowe, the general manager of the Oilers and an executive with Team Canada, has according to many, single handedly destroyed a once proud franchise in Edmonton. The Oilers currently occupy dead last in the 30-team NHL with the abysmal record of 17-31-6.
On a more positive note, fans in Toronto are downright giddy as their two new acquistions, Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguere, helped whitewash the Atlantic Division leading New Jersey Devils, 3-0!
If you were from another planet and happened upon talk radio as well as read the blogs coming out of Toronto these past two days, much less, attended the raucous affair at the Air Canada Centre last night…you surely would be convinced that this is a premiere franchise destined to compete for the Stanley Cup. Go Leafs Go!
Speaking of the Leafs…Jason Blake must have thought he died and went to heaven when he woke up in Florida on Monday. And not because it was 72 degrees and sunny as compared to the always cloudy and -5 celius he left behind!
No, things were quite different. He was wearing a Ducks jersey, playing for a winner and in the middle of a playoff race for the first time in years. Not to mention that unlike Toronto, the Bank Atlantic Center was more than half empty. Well…you can’t have it all Jason.
And lastly, the New York media looking for a post game comment about his new high priced center, Olli Jokinen, Ranger Head Coach, John Tortorella would not bite. All the coach, who has seen his team drop 8 of their last 11, would say was, “I know you guys want information on these guys but I’m going to reserve comment.”
Thank you coach Tortorella…for a guy who sure does talk a lot, it seems you have little to say.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
Atlanta Thrashers
The Real Home Opener is Here.
Edmonton Falls to Atlanta; Thrashers Win Streak Extends
Thrashers 09-10 Season Preview
Terrible Thrashers: A Tale of a Team in Disarray
Colorado Gets Thrashed
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Hey bobo: the Thrashers drew almost 17,000 in their first game without him last Saturday night.