On Behalf of the Thrashers

Dear Mr. Bettman,

I sincerely hope you don't let the Atlanta Thrashers move to Winnipeg. News Flash: They're in the 8th largest TV market in the US. This seems to go against everything you've been preaching since you've been named NHL Commissioner, and said you wanted to get hockey into the southern markets. Why haven't there been press conferences, or advertisements to get new ownership in Atlanta? This is what you'd do if you were truly serious about keeping the team there. Maybe you should have been attending Atlanta games more often, particularly this past season, and helped to publicize the Thrashers as you have been doing with the Coyotes.

It's a bad move with all the support the NHL has given to Phoenix, and not helping the Thrashers in the same manner. Not only are you abandoning a very large fan base, you're abandoning all the good that's happened so far. What they need is stability, and not owners arguing, etc. Recent trades have really helped the team, and they have a bright future. What Atlanta needs is a winning season, and some playoff hockey. It'll work wonders!

And let's take a moment to consider Winnipeg. They already recently lost a franchise. Their population is less than 1/8 of Atlanta. They may be rabid hockey fans, but they also already tune into hockey games on TSN and CBC. What is having local games going to do? Not much of anything. Particularly not when you compare it to the population of Atlanta.

Let's be honest: Atlanta Spirit didn't have a clear title to the team until the end of 2010. They haven't been trying to sell them for "years." They have been trying to sell them for a few months. The NHL is propagating misnomers and blatant lies to try to justify this move. We know that you're not being truthful. You're not committed to Atlanta, to the extent that you're spreading lies to make it look like you're helping the NHL when you're really not. We see through those lies. And we also know that it has to do with money.

Is it just the relocation fee? That's what I and many others believe. We do know that if the NHL allows Atlanta to relocate, NHL owners will benefit from the ~$60 million relocation fee. If the Thrashers stay put, they won't get anything. Don't let the owners line their pockets by giving up on a team that is in a solid market. The NHL won't just lose Atlanta fans, they will also lose the trust of NHL fans globally. Give Atlanta a chance to get better and win over fans. Please protect the integrity of the game. It's your job.

Sincerely,

Lisa Gansky


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You can contact Gary Bettman too! Tell him you want him to support the Thrashers. His email is gbettman@nhl.com. Check out Keep the Thrashers for more information.