Father-to-be Thorburn is a big Braves fan

By Chris Vivlamore

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This week the NHL Insider caught up with Thrashers forward Chris Thorburn for an off-the-ice Q&A. Thorburn and his wife, Sara, are expecting their first child in May -- just in time for the playoffs. Here are his thoughts about such things as Atlanta traffic, why he wears No. 27 and his hockey hero.

Q. What’s the best thing about the city of Atlanta?

A. The options. When people fly in, there are all kinds of options, like restaurants. Plus, we’ve got the Braves here. I love the Braves.

Q. What’s the worst thing about the city of Atlanta?

A. The traffic. It’s terrible. I’ve never seen a six-lane highway that’s bumper-to-bumper in my life.

Q. If you were not a professional hockey player, what would you be?

A. I’ve always said a computer engineer [pause], but I don’t know anything about computers. I’d probably have to go back to school and regroup.

Q. What was your “Welcome to the NHL” moment?

A. When I was in Buffalo and I got called up for the first time. The players, just the way they treated me. [Adam Mair] came up to me and said ‘Congratulations kid, you made it.’ Not that I stayed up the whole year, but I finally had fulfilled my dream of playing in the NHL.

Q. Why did you choose your number [No. 27]?

A. No. 22 was taken when I got here by Ken Klee. That’s what I wore in Pittsburgh was No. 22. No. 27 was just a number that filled the back of my jersey.

Q. Who was your hockey hero growing up?

A. Ron Francis. He’s from my hometown [of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario]. He’s an easy guy to look up to with how much success he’s had and all he does in the community. He’s a pretty big face in my community and a guy I try to model myself after.

Olympic Team announcement

USA Hockey will announce its 23-man roster for the 2010 Winter Olympics during the NHL broadcast of the Winter Classic, to be played Jan. 1 at Fenway Park between Boston and Philadelphia. Thrashers defenseman Ron Hainsey is a candidate for the U.S. team.

The U.S. team will consist of 20 skaters and three goaltenders. The men’s hockey competition will begin Feb. 16 and conclude with the gold-medal game Feb. 28. The U.S. team will open play against Switzerland.

Krog returned to help Chicago

The Thrashers recalled forward Jason Krog from their AHL affiliate in Chicago following the injury to Ilya Kovalchuk. Krog spent two games with the Thrashers, a healthy scratch for each, before being sent back last week.

“We didn’t feel like we needed to carry [another player] at that point,” Thrashers coach John Anderson said of the decision. “We already had one extra guy. [Christoph] Schubert can play forward also. … Chicago needs some help down there. We didn’t want to keep their star player and not play him.”