Atlanta Thrashers

The Associated Press recently reported that Atlanta Braves retired pitcher Tom Glavine is interested in forming an investment group to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and keep them in Georgia.

The Atlanta Thrashers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for yet another season.

It is difficult for Thrasher fans to fight back their disappointment and now consider what will come next for the team.

The Thrashers missed the playoffs because of several factors some are obvious and others not so obvious.

One of the obvious reasons is that they did not win enough games to qualify for the postseason.   

The Atlanta Thrashers have had quite a season so far.

They started out surprising everyone in the hockey universe by winning hockey games. Then, as some had forecast, the bottom seemed to fall out in the second half.

Despite the leadership of Rick Dudley, Craig Ramsay, captain Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Toby Enstrom, the team has dropped like a proverbial rock in the standings and sadly appear to again be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs.

On the very cusp of finally realizing a moment of relaxation, at the most critical point of dropping off into peaceful nap, Ethan Hunt hears the disturbing rattling buzz of his highly customized iPhone 4.

"Dammit! What now?" 

He pounds his fist into the tray table that lays out in front of him. The rumbling is in stark contrast to the tranquil ambiance of the super-secret G650 that simply whispers though the early morning air. 

The message reads:

New rumors have surfaced, thanks to Hockey Night in Canada personality Don Cherry and others, that the Atlanta Thrashers may be on their way to Winnipeg next season.

I have already mentioned how much of a distraction this has been for the players, even those who deny it.

I also show my age by saying that I remember the Winnipeg Jets when they played in the WHA prior to landing in the NHL when the leagues (NHL and WHA) consolidated.

It isn't exactly how I wanted it to happen.

Yes, I want Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton, Ontario and Hartford, Connecticut to get NHL teams again, but not this way.

The love affair with Atlanta Thrashers and Dustin Byfuglien continued the week of Valentine’s Day. The team announced that Big Buff signed a five-year extension for $25 million.

Byfuglien who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the season emerged as an All-Star after transitioning from forward to defenseman.

Could the answer to the Atlanta Thrashers horrible slide have to do with the lingering rumors of the team’s sale?

It is not inconceivable that rampant talk involving the team’s financial woes combined with all the stories suggesting the team may move to either Winnipeg or Quebec have resulted in a negative effect on its players.

The 2011 NHL All-Star Game may be just what the doctor ordered for Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien.   

In the midst of a seven game pointless streak, which coincidentally saw the team’s fortunes take a similar turn, Byfuglien may just have received the recharge that he and the team needs mingling with the world’s best hockey players.