Atlanta Thrashers report: Manny Legace in camp

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Thrashers asked. Manny Legace said yes.

Legace, a former NHL All-Star and Stanley Cup winner, is in Thrashers training camp on a pro tryout. He is one of four goalies, not including the injured Kari Lehtonen, vying for a roster spot.

“I talked to a lot of teams,” he said, “but [couldn’t find] what I was looking for. Atlanta said, ‘Why don’t you come to camp?’ They were the first ones to ask... And I jumped at it.”

St. Louis waived the 36-year-old Legace in February after he lost his starting job to Chris Mason. Upon clearing waivers, Legace went to the AHL and played for Peoria.

“There is no question [that I can play at the NHL level],” Legace said. “There is no question in my mind. Last year was a whole different story. I didn’t let a whole lot of things go that happened. It hurt me and that’s my own fault. That was last year. It’s a whole new year, a whole new team, a whole new organization.

“No question I can play, I just needed someone to take a risk.”

Prospect game

The Thrashers lost to Nashville 3-0 in a prospect game Tuesday at the IceForum.

The Predators scored two first-period goals and added another with less than a minute remaining.

The game was stopped for several minutes in the second period when Thrashers forward Riley Holzapfel took a puck under his visor but he was able to return in the third period.

Preseason starts

The Thrashers will announce Wednesday morning the roster for the preseason games at Nashville on Thursday and at Tampa Bay on Friday. Preseason games will be the biggest way to evaluate those on the bubble of making the team. However, it’s not the only way.

“I told them we only have six exhibition games and I can’t play every one of them,” coach John Anderson said. “We watch them in practice, how they’re passing, how they’re skating. As coaches we are evaluating all the time.”