AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThanks for the memories
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just walked into my hotel room after 10 hours of travel. United pulled a real beauty this morning in Ottawa, downsizing its aircraft, leaving about 20 people overbooked. Incredibly, I was not one of them, but the delays were many: confusion over boarding followed a lengthy mechanical delay. Then I missed my connection in Chicago, so now I’m here in Minneapolis.
Today is my last day on the Thrashers’ beat. So for my final blog, I thought I’d reflect upon the 10 biggest stories/things I would remember most about my time covering the Thrashers and the NHL. Except for the team’s inaugural season, I’ve assisted in our coverage in some way since the 2000-01 season, taking over the beat in September 2003. A few weeks later, Dany Heatley’s car crash that resulted in the death of teammate Dan Snyder followed. Talk about a baptism by fire… .
(10) Covering my first game in Montreal, November 2002. It was goalie Byron Dafoe’s first game as a Thrasher. The team was hoping he would be its savior. Instead, it was the beginning of an ill-fated tenure and Curt Fraser was fired about a month later. The atmosphere in Montreal is like nothing else. Every time I hear U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” it reminds me of the pregame video that they played at the Bell Centre then. The local fans booed Habs defenseman Patrice Brisebois every time he touched the puck, eventually causing him to breakdown and resulted in his leaving town. And the press food there is something of lore, from the “chien chaud” (hot dogs) to the Joe Louis, light fluffy pastries.
(9) Visiting the hometown of Thrashers’ coach Bob Hartley less than one month after he was hired. It was at that point that I realized what an epic story his life was. This tiny little rivertown with a factory where time seemed to stand still had produced a man of uncommon energy and talents –- and he continued to embrace it and it him.
(8) A series about the one-year anniversary of the death of Dan Snyder. (I could do an entire top 10 just on that subject.) I met the Snyders in their home and listened to them talk about what life had been like in the year following the death of their son and brother. In interviewing many others -– from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Snyder’s brain surgeon, to equipment manager Joey Guilmet, to rock star Gord Downie, to Snyder’s former teammate Brad Tapper –- I began to realize the depth of how Snyder’s death had been felt.
(7) Going to Rimouski, Quebec, to write about this phenom Sidney Crosby during the lockout. A result of flying to Portland, Maine –- some 500 miles away -– to keep costs down, I picked up a speeding ticket about a mile or two before the end of I-95 in Maine. Provincial Route 222 in Quebec was a nightmare with signs “Attention! Les Animaux!” But the atmosphere at Le Colisee de Rimouski and witnessing how the locals reacted to the celebrity in their midst made it worth it.
(6) The day last season the Thrashers were eliminated from the playoffs. The whole last few weeks were thrilling with the way they kept winning while one loss would have finished them. Bobby Holik scored 10 seconds into the game against Washington, the second to last of the season -– seemingly a sure sign that they would win. But in one of worst performances I can remember, Mike Dunham was pulled after allowing two goals on five shots. He had to go back in to start the second period after Michael Garnett hurt his groin. Looking like a fish out of water, Dunham gave three third-period goals in a 6-4 loss that ended the most disappointing season yet.
(5) The start of 2003-04 season. Chris Tamer -– among the most unlikely of players -– scored late in the season opener to defeat Columbus 2-1. The next day the Thrashers went to Elmira, Ontario, for the funeral of Dan Snyder. The day after that, they went to Washington and won again. In the face of tragedy of despite all expectations to the contrary — they would not lose in regulation for the first eight games of the season in the face.
(4) The cancellation of the 2004-05 season. The league is still trying to recover from it. It was a day that no one thought would ever come.
(3) The day Dany Heatley was traded. With his legal charges resolved, it was shocking when he asked out of town.
(2) Going to Russia to write about hockey there during the lockout. I visited Kazan, Moscow and Voskresensk. It was an eye-opening visit and gave me some of the most colorful things I had ever seen to write about.
(1) The call that came at 3:52 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2004, from Thrashers director of media relations Tom Hughes, informing me that two players, Dany Heatley and Dan Snyder, were involved in a car crash. At the time, all that was known was that Snyder had undergone brain surgery and was in a coma. He would die six days later — that phone call coming late on a Sunday night; another I will never forget.
It’s been fun.
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Comments
By Doug
January 2, 2007 04:34 PM | Link to this
You will be sorely missed. Best of luck in your new assignment.
By Russ
January 2, 2007 04:38 PM | Link to this
John, good luck with whatever your future holds. You have done a good job covering the Thrashers from day-to-day, I only hope your replacement is as competent as you, so the fans continue to have a forum to express their opinions. Thanks and good luck.
By russian
January 2, 2007 04:59 PM | Link to this
Personally Thank you from most Russian Fans in Atlanta. You said that you went to Russia, I think you can read this: “UDACHA”. Well, just in case if you can not read this word, it is mean: “GOOD LUCK!” :-) We are going to miss you.
By Karri
January 2, 2007 05:28 PM | Link to this
Wow, too bad we are losing one of the best writers for the Thrashers. Good luck John in what ever adventures you will take on…
By Tony C.
January 2, 2007 05:56 PM | Link to this
Wow! I wish you the very best in your future endeavors Mr. Manasso! Thanks for your timely (and insightful)articles. Special thanks for actually paying attention to your readers’ appetites (something the rest of AJC would do well to improve on). Again best of luck, I’m sure you will find success!
By Bob
January 2, 2007 06:34 PM | Link to this
Your editor missed the typo on the date in your last paragraph, #1 story of your tenure-you got it right up top.
Happy Trails.
By Brendan
January 2, 2007 10:10 PM | Link to this
Thank you, John Manasso, for your years of service to the hockey beat, and the Thrashers in particular. You have run a very fair and open blogsite. You are to be commended. Occasionally, fans would take “pot shots” and swipes at you, and you never banned them. That’s true freedom of speech at play.
And it’s also not your fault that the Thrashers get buried in the back of the sports section. You never had control over that. It’s up to the editor to decide when, where, and how many hockey items appear in the Sports Section.
Best of luck to you, John. And let’s give Craig Custance a warm reception as the new Thrashers beat writer, starting tomorrow. And, what the heck, plug the book one more time. Coach Hartley mentioned it on the air on 680 the Fan, about two weeks ago. It’s published by ECW Press, copyright 2005, “A Season of Loss: A liftime of Forgiveness, the Dany Snyder and Dany Heatley Story.”
By dalmac
January 2, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this
John, I thank-you for your work on behalf of the Atlanta Thashers fans. Dispite the heat you took (on thiws blog), your efforts are much appreciated. I wish there was more support for the Thrashers from upper ajc (case intentional) management. As I mentioned in an earlier post…what can you expect for hockey below the Masosn-Dixon line. I wish you the best wherever you may go (let us know). Perhaps you will become a blogger on this site (that we can recognize,..wink,..wink).
Tough game tonight. Was the 5-1 final score indicatitive of the game? I have to think so. We do have “off effort” games and this seemed to be one. As a former North Star fan ( read “now Thrasher fan”) I can’t tell how much I’d like us to beat these guys.
What chinks in our arnor did we show tonight? Penalty Kill? Anything else? I must say I miss our captain, Scot Melanby (I so wish we had him 4 years asgo).
By danlmac
January 3, 2007 12:02 AM | Link to this
Me again (danlmac). I wish I could finish these da#@ posts before they (somehow)get sent. My mispellings would be corrected at a minimum.
Lets hope the boys bring the “A game” Friday night. And if Ilya levels (how I enjoy Ilya’s open ice hits) Mike Comrie,..so be it. (Still I would like to see Comrie, a center, in a Thrasher uniform.)
Go Thrashers.
By Michael A.
January 3, 2007 08:33 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the coverage and best of luck in the future.
By Russ
January 3, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
One of the centers the Thrashers could acquire that has been talked about on these blogs is Comrie from Phoenix. He has just been traded to Ottawa, so the Thrashers will have to look elsewhere.
By Brendan
January 3, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
Russ, I’m not sure that Comrie was the answer, Russ. I think Don Waddell will be looking towards St. Louis, Los Angeles, and possibly even Chicago and Columbus for trade deadline rentals. Bernie Mullen said, on 680TheFan, that there would be no trades prior until the trade deadline approaches. With the Thrashers waivering between 11-13 games over .500, there doesn’t appear to be an “urgent need” to move quickly on the part of the Atlanta Spirit Group.
By J
January 3, 2007 01:49 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the good work, John. All the best in the future.
By Russ
January 3, 2007 02:29 PM | Link to this
Brendan, I don’t think the Thrashers need to make a move right now either…I was just passing information along because I have heard Comrie’s name brought up by others. I have always maintained as long as Atlanta is “comfortably” in a playoff position it is best to wait until the deadline and see what your biggest need is at that time. Injuries can change your top priority in a hurry and if you have the luxury of being near the top of your conference it is best to wait to make a move.
By Boss Hawg
January 3, 2007 04:17 PM | Link to this
Hmmm! Well we are not at the trade deadline and it is obvious that we need a play making center. Every team with the exception of the thrashers has one. Most teams have two. Look at the power play, we need a qb (center). Power play goals are crucial in the playoffs, they can be the difference in winning and losing. I can only imagine how frustrated Kovy is. We have a superstar that should have as many pts as Hossa and should be leading the league in goals. If only he wasn’t playing with 3rd and 4th liners every night.
By Brian
January 3, 2007 04:56 PM | Link to this
Boss Hawg - Centers don’t QB the power play - playmaking defensemen do.
By dj
January 3, 2007 05:12 PM | Link to this
It’s simple, sign leetch, trade de veries to anaheim for getzlaf or pahlsson
By Brendan
January 3, 2007 06:03 PM | Link to this
Russ, we’re 40-points away from clinching that playoff berth. At least, hypothetically. I agree that Atlanta needs to pick up a center before the playoffs start, but they made it half a season with this group and are 12-13 games over .500. Of course, points will be harder and harder to come by as the playoffs approach. That’s why those games in October ACTUALLY DO MATTER so much.
What concerns me right now is our defense. Early on, we had Kovy and others fairly high in the +/- category. The guys bought into a TEAM DEFENSE type system. It worked very well. We knew there would be a lot of “3-2 type” games. And that Kari Lehtonen would have to be the difference-maker.
Nedved and Comrie are now taken. But I’m not crying because of it. There will be options down the road. Probably, BETTER options. The trouble is, teams are still so bunched up that, outside of a few teams, everyone’s still very much in the playoff picture. So, they don’t really know if they want to be buyers or sellers just yet.
Also, I think the timing is critical. A $5 million-a-year type player can be had, but Don has to wait until the last hours of trade deadline to make it work. I’m not sure that’s what he’ll do. Maybe he’s thinking about a $3 million salaried player and will jump a little sooner. Or some combination thereof. Player salaries are pro-rated, is the point I was trying to make.
I sincerely hope no one is thinking about signing Brian Leetch. He had a great career. But it’s not 1995. He’s not a Spring Chicken anymore, and would probably get hurt, if he did return to the NHL. I don’t want another Uwe Krupp. Signing Leetch would only make sense if it were a “league-minimum” type situation. And I doubt Brian Leetch really wants that, anyway. This guy hasn’t had a training camp. It’ll take him weeks to get in playing shape. Plus, he’s not that fast anymore.
Greg deVries might be trade bait, in the right situation. He’s a guy who has a Stanley Cup ring and is very playoff- tested. I suspect Waddell and Hartley want to keep him. But you never know, for the right deal, deVries might be packaged. DeVries hits the open market this summer, along with Sutton, Hnidy, Exelby, and Vishnevski. Popovic is under contract next season, but could be made part of a trade deal. Maybe add McCarthy to that. At $775,000, his salary is attractive, even for next year, to a potential trading partner out West.
By @@
January 3, 2007 06:43 PM | Link to this
Best of luck! I’ve enjoyed your coverage. Hope the future holds great things for you.
By Ohio Thrasher
January 3, 2007 07:44 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the good work. I apreciate writers who put together time and content for a blog. Go Thrash!
By Jay
January 3, 2007 09:44 PM | Link to this
Good luck in your new Assignment, John! You will be missed by all of the Thrashers fans who read your blog and columns.
Cheers!
By Adam
January 3, 2007 10:24 PM | Link to this
Comrie’s due about 1.5 mil at this point.
“We have been working on this for a long time,” Muckler said Wednesday at a news conference. “This was the best guy available at the time. We have been talking to our scouts about this for some time.”
18:16 TOI & 2 assists tonight. Not bad for a guy coming off IR…
I agree with Boss Hawg we need a center to complete the package. You can’t forget the time it will take to fit in & gel.
I think Dons hands are warm enough.
By Tony C.
January 4, 2007 12:22 AM | Link to this
Dude. 1994 was a long time ago in the world of the professional athelete….Leetch as a player-coach? Maybe, but switch it to Coach-player and I’d feel better about it. McCarthy has the tools to that sort of a presence on the point…no one in the league outside of S. Neidermeyer (spl?) can equal Leetch’s end-to-end rushes with the pinpoint playmaking touch…DeVo for Getzlaf? That’d be cool….I dunno, I think that the consensus “we need a pivot who can dish and keep #17 in his headlights” view is correct. I’m still hoping Petr-the-increasingly-brittle-but-when-healthy-still-Great somehow lands healthy and hungry somewhere along Marietta St. in time for spring hockey @ The Flatscreen….but who knows?
D-dub in his interview piece on the official site, sas he might have to look at bringing in a D-man if anybody else gets hurt….he as mentioned wingers….which I’m hoping means he’s scouring for a centre! Anyway, game on friday is against the ‘yotes…sounds like good medicine for a team that last saw the wrong end of a 5-1 drubbing.
LET’S GO BLUE !!!
By Boss Hawg
January 4, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
Tony C. the blachawks signed Bondra about 3 weeks ago.
By Midfield
January 4, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this
I think he means Fosberg, aka, Peter the Great.
By JB
January 4, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
Great work John. You will be missed. Take care and good luck to your future!
By The Man
January 4, 2007 04:27 PM | Link to this
CAN YOU COME TO THE BULLDOG BLOG?
CARTER IS A MORON!!!
By Joey
January 15, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
John, Good luck with whatever you do. Like I told you good things happen to good people. You were a big part of some special times around here and I thank you for writing about most of them. We miss you around the locker room. Take care and make us proud. Joey