Unlike the common bird itself, former Atlanta Thrashers are a fading breed.
Now more than a decade removed from the Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg in 2011, the number of former Thrashers left in the NHL has dwindled all the way to two after Bryan Little officially retired five years removed from a career-ending injury and Blake Wheeler did the same in July, 2025 after a 16-season career. Here’s a look at each of them, and what they’ve done since leaving the Peach State.
Zach Bogosian
Played 199 games for the Thrashers between 2008-09 and 2010-11
The Thrashers selected the big and mobile Zach Bogosian third overall in 2008 and he immediately joined the big club. He appeared in 199 games for the Thrashers in the three seasons before they relocated to Winnipeg, recording 24 goals and 39 assists for 59 points, but was also a minus-34.
In the Jets’ early days, the still-young Bogosian played a top-four role, skating an average of 22:56, posting 16 goals and 52 assists for 68 points — including a career-high 30 in the Jets’ inaugural campaign — and recording middling-to-fair advanced numbers.
He was steady enough when he was in the lineup, but unfortunately, was dogged by injuries and never played more than 65 games in a season.
Bogosian was traded to the Buffalo Sabres along with Evander Kane in 2015. He was never particularly effective there over six injury-filled campaigns, dressing for 243 games and recording 13 goals and 54 assists for 67 points and going minus-49.
Bogosian’s time in Buffalo ended rather ceremoniously. In Dec. 2019, he requested a trade, and in February, the team waived him. He cleared waivers but refused to report to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, so the Sabres suspended him and later terminated his contract.
The 6-foot-3 d-man then signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning a few days before the trade deadline and skated in eight games, recording two assists, before the NHL season pause in mid-March.
In the 2020 bubble playoffs, Bogosian played 20 games, recorded four assists, and hoisted the Stanley Cup as the Lightning beat the Dallas Stars in six games to capture hockey’s top prize.
In Oct. 2020, Bogosian signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and played 45 games in a shortened 2020-21 season, recording four assists. He then returned to the Lightning for his second stint with the team, signing a three-year contract with a $850,000 AAV prior to the 2021-22 season. He appeared in 48 games that season and 46 games in 2022-23.
In Nov. 2023, the Lightning traded him to the Minnesota Wild. He appeared in 65 games between the two clubs and signed a two-year extension with the Wild on March 6, 2024.
Evander Kane
Played 139 games for the Thrashers between 2009-10 and 2010-11
Another high pick, the Thrashers took the sniper fourth overall in 2009 after he put up 48 goals and 48 assists for the Vancouver Giants in his second full Western Hockey League season.
Like Bogosian, the Thrashers brought Kane to the NHL immediately and he recorded 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points in 133 games over two seasons, dazzling with his speed, goal-scoring instincts, and fearlessness.
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In the Jets’ inaugural season, Kane recorded a career-high 30 goals. However, between then and 2015, he proved to be a high-maintenance player who was a nightmare to deal with; he engaged in a variety of immature antics — from the Twitter post he made flashing fat stacks on a Las Vegas balcony to allegedly dining and dashing at fancy restaurants — that overshadowed his on-ice contributions.
After Kane showed up to a team meeting in a tracksuit and Dustin Byfuglien threw it in the shower, the Jets traded the problematic forward to the Sabres along with the aforementioned Bogosian in exchange for Joel Armia, Brenden Lemieux, Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, and a 2015 first-round pick they used to select Jack Roslovic.
Kane spent three seasons with the Sabres and never recorded more than 43 points in a season.
He was traded to the San Jose Sharks in February 2018, and recorded 87 goals and 79 assists for 166 points as a Shark. He wasn’t, however, good for the team as he continued to dominate the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In late 2019, it was announced that a Las Vegas casino was suing the forward for $500,000 in gambling credits. A year prior, a woman alleged Kane offered her $3 million to abort three different pregnancies between 2016 and 2018 but then didn’t pay her after she did.
Kane’s life took an even darker turn in 2021. In September, his estranged wife Anna Kane accused him of sexual assault and battery, alleging she was forced to have nonconsensual sex with him on more than one occasion. She also accused him of betting on NHL games, including ones he played in.
The Sharks announced he would not be attending the 2021-22 training camp due to the allegations, which were later found could not be substantiated. However, at the same time, more bad behaviour came to light and Kane was suspended for the first 21 games of the season for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
After he completed his suspension, the Sharks placed Kane on waivers and was re-assigned to the American Hockey League for the first time in his career. In January, 2022, the Sharks announced they had placed Kane on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, due to violation of AHL COVID-19 protocols.
Just a few weeks later, the Edmonton Oilers signed Kane to a one-year deal, but the signing was not without its detractors due to his past. Nonetheless, Kane look re-energized and enjoyed instant success with a deep Oilers’ squad, recording 22 goals and 17 assists in 43 regular-season games, and 13 goals and four assists in 17 playoff games.
Related: Oilers Adding Kane was NHL’s Best Mid-Season Acquisition in 2021-22
He was in the middle of controversy yet again during the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche, boarding Nazem Kadri in Game 3 and receiving a one-game suspension.
In July 2022, Kane re-signed with the Oilers, inking a four-year, $20.5 million extension. In 2022-23, he had 28 points in 41 games but missed significant time due to a serious cut to the wrist that required surgery. He followed that up with 44 points in 77 games during the 2023-24 season.
In September 2024, he underwent abdominal surgery to repair a variety of issues and was expected to need five to six months to recover. He missed the entire 2024-25 season, but returned for the playoffs and recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 21 games during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
In June, 2025, the Oilers traded Kane to his hometown Vancouver Canucks in a salary dump move.
At age 34, Kane is the youngest former Thrasher. That means within a few years, the Atlanta Thrashers will be extinct for good.
