AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 02
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The ‘C’ was for Coach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If nothing else, by withholding the captain announcement, there’s a little buzz around Duluth today. When the media walked into the dressing room after this morning’s practice, the normally quiet Ilya Kovalchuk shouted out - “Who wants to know who’s captain?” When Bob Hartley was asked about the captain after practice, he unzipped his windbreaker to reveal a ‘C’ made out of masking tape on his shirt underneath. It drew a good laugh, then he said - “The C is for coach.”
Slava Kozlov gave Kari Lehtonen a hard time, because Lehtonen was out of the running since goalies can’t be captains. Kari answered that soccer allows it, so hockey should too.
According to Hartley, the players will find out tonight at a team dinner tonight before the season ticket-holder event at Philips Arena.
“We have a pretty good idea who it is,” said Jim Slater, who added that it’s not a big deal since there are so many leaders in that lockerroom. And that’s the bottom line - whether it’s Slava Kozlov, Niclas Havelid, Bobby Holik or some longshot, it’s going to be leadership-by-committee this year with the Thrashers. There are a bunch of good leaders — Garnet Exelby, Brad Larsen, Ken Klee just to name a few more, and they’ll all play a part in filling Scott Mellanby’s shoes.
So one last time, make your pick official, who’s your captain?
There was an interesting debate brewing on the comments section of my last blog about the shouting of the word KNIGHTS! during the National Anthem. I’ll stay out of this one, but I am curious what people think. Is it disrespectful? Is it a nod to Atlanta’s hockey heritage? Is it time to stop? Where do you stand on that one?
