Ex-Thrash Coach Anderson Talks About Old Team, Moores-Hawks Deal Dead For Now...((UPDATED With Off-Ice Personnel Decisions))

((HT: NHLHomeIce/Sirius XM Radio))

The HQ will be the first to admit that Anderson didn't get anything close to a fair shake when he was head coach of the Thrashers.

He was a successful minor-league coach who was fully respected. He was also economically-feasible for Spirit's choice for a head coach at the time.

Anderson was on NHLHomeIce this afternoon to discuss the possible/probable/inevitable move of the Thrashers to Winnipeg...

Among his money quotes...
"It's very difficult when you have an owner not willing to spend the money, or have a solid interest in the team itself."

And, from Tim Tucker at the AJC, the time period that soon-to-be-ex San Diego Padres owner John Moores had to negotiate exclusively with Spirit is wiped off the books.

"We no longer have an exclusivity," Gearon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It was ended by mutual agreement after preliminary discussions."

Eklund and his HockeyBuzz-ness are relaying that the only way that True North fails in getting a team to Winnipeg is by not making an appointed season ticket number of 14,000. True North is also saying, through Eklund's sources, that they want it written in the deal that Spirit won't get a dime until that marker is achieved.

1800 UPDATE: In what may be another sign of the coming hockey demise in town, the flagship radio station for the Thrashers broadcasts, WCNN-AM/680TheFan, has let go all associated, on-air personnel that were not directly under contract with Atlanta Spirit itself. Remember what we were telling you about good people now having to find work because of the abject hubris of others...???

Here's the first salvo of that...

Bloodletting In Blueland, Atlanta Thrashers Clean House

After another disappointing season, the Atlanta Thrashers have fired the coaching staff, promoted their general manager and his lieutenant.

The Thrashers fired head coach John Anderson and his assistants, Randy Cunneyworth, Todd Nelson and Steve Weeks.

Anderson said in the Atlanta Journal Constitution Wednesday morning, “Absolute disappointment. From last year, I don’t like to use the word rebuilding mode, but that’s what we were in. Two years later, I think we left the house in pretty good order. We almost made the playoffs. I wish we had. It might have been the difference in my job and some other guys’ jobs."

Don Waddell got a promotion (well deserved or not) to team president and his minion Rick Dudley gets one to as Thrashers general manager.

Those of us at the OSG HQ have our collective eye on former Tampa Bay head coach and current TV analyst Steve Ludzik.

Also keep an eye on Kevin Dineen, current Windsor Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner, and former Edmonton Oilers head coach and GM Craig McTavish.

More when we know more.

"Satellite Hotstove" Takes On Coyotes Situation

((HT: CBC/NHL/Hockeyhaven76))

The "Satellite Hotstove" on CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada" is required viewing for the ins-and-outs for the NHL.

Ron McLean, Pierre LeBrun, Mike Milbury, and Glenn Healy lay the land for the deal. The prevalent opinion is that Glendale brought in Reinsdorf and not the other way around. Naturally, a lot of the league owners aren't happy...

Healy was really fired up... as well he should be...

Here's the segment, thanks to our friends at the CBC...
Healy starts at 2:40


And the Atlanta Thrashers discussion is vital after the Coyotes discussion as well.