Thrashers Captain Slams Old Owners

((HT: Winnipeg Free Press/TSN))

Not that this is much of a surprise, but here's the first ex Atlanta Thrashers player to poke the old owners between the eyes.

Andrew Ladd, who is looking for a new home as a player, came into town to kick the tires. The NHL's Bill Daly, Winnipeg's new GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, and co-owner Mark Chipman were around for the microphones and cameras to answer whatever the assembled media wanted to ask...

The money quote from Ladd: "How you're treated with ownership goes a long way and we didn't have a great experience with that in Atlanta," he said.

Here's the Ladd interview in full... thanks to WFPtv
Here's an edited version from the Free Press with Ladd and Daly...

Kesler Calls Ladd "A Coward..."

((HT: Youtube/CanucksHD/TSN))

The Vancouver Canucks Ryan Kesler doesn't think too much of the Chicago Blackhawks Andrew Ladd- so much so that Kesler called Ladd a coward after last night's game between the two teams at GM Place in Vancouver.

Kesler said in a postgame interview that the heat between the two has been there for quite some time, and last night's battle was just a carry-over of that. It was "revenge" for a hit from behind in last season's second-round post-season loss to the Hawks.

"It started last year in the playoffs," Kesler said. "He hit me (and) cross-checked me in the face when I wasn't looking.

"At least he was man enough to hit me when I was looking this time."

And he hit him pretty good, too...

Here's their scrum from last night's game...
Hughson and Simpson have the call...
((HT: CBC/NHL))


The two teams hook up again on March 5th...