The Thrashers' narrow snow escape

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The historic snowstorm that blanketed the Mid-Atlantic states this weekend nearly caught the Thrashers in its grip. They barely made it home in time for their Saturday night game against Florida.

"That's the worst storm I've ever seen in that area," said team play-by-play man Dan Kamal, who spent 12 years in nearby Pennsylvania.

Friday night, while the team played Washington, officials scrambled to make alternate plans after they realized the storm would prevent the team from flying back after the game as planned. Instead, the team stayed the night and bused out of Washington at 9:40 a.m. Saturday on their way to Richmond, about 100 miles away.

Because snow coated the expressway, the trip took about four hours, including a stop at a restaurant to pick up food. Once on the plane, the team waited about 2-1/2 hours for equipment to get loaded and the plane to get de-iced twice, before leaving at about 4:15.

After landing in Atlanta at about 5:45, players hopped in their cars and raced to Philips Arena, most getting to the locker room at about 6:15 p.m. Players often arrive as many as 2 1/2 hours before game time, but the Thrashers had about 90 minutes before the puck dropped Saturday at 7:53 p.m.