The NHL never took root in its second stop in Atlanta for one reason: No success in the standings.
SAN JOSE -- Sunbelt expansion has put millions of dollars into the pockets of National Hockey League players over the years. But even they can't ignore the thousands of empty seats every night in Atlanta, while a hockey-loving city like Winnipeg sits there without an NHL club.
"It's hard to see a Canadian market that has the fan base Winnipeg has, the passion for the game, not to have (an NHL team)," said Vancouver winger Jeff Tambellini, who grew up in Western Canada when the Jets were hot. "I love the game in Canada. Every (NHL player) wants to play in Canada -- from West coast to East coast, Canadian games are big games. I'm a big fan of this."
"This," is the hotly rumoured relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to the Manitoba capital. While there are conflicting reports on when the announcement will be made, it appears inevitable that the Thrashers will open the 2010-11 season in Winnipeg.
At the morning skate prior to Game 3 of this Western Conference final, the consensus was that it is the right move for the league to make.
"It's just another great Canadian city," said Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa, "and I know they've wanted a hockey team for a long time now, done a lot of work to get back there. (Co-owner) Mark Chipman is pretty determined to make that happen -- and he'd be a great owner, I think.
"It's interesting to see how it plays out, but it'll be fun to go to another Canadian city."
Through 11 seasons, in its second trip to Atlanta, the NHL never took root in Georgia. The reasons are pretty obvious, said Canucks assistant Rick Bowness.
"If you can't make the playoffs more than one year in 11 ... You sell the farm to get in there, and not win a game when you sell it?" he began. "In a non-traditional hockey market ... you've got to win, or show some continued signs of improvement. They never showed those signs.
"They made the playoffs once, and to go get Keith Tkachuk (for that lone playoff run in '07), they gave up a lot of their future. And they didn't win a game (getting swept by the Rangers). It's not the big names that will sell in those markets. Winning will sell. You win, and they'll come. Like in Nashville."
Bowness' daughter was born in Winnipeg 25 years ago, during one of the nine years in which Bowness either played, was an assistant coach or a head coach of the old Jets. Now his son Ryan serves as Manager of Hockey Operations and Player Development for the Thrashers, so he may return to Manitoba.
"Players are treated so well there," Bowness recalled. "Every player who ever went there loved it, loved the way they were treated, loved the community. The community really made you feel part of it. Players will enjoy playing there."
But what will their wives think of leaving a warm-weather location for frigid Winnipeg?
"That's part of the business," said Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle -- easy to say for a guy who has spent his entire career with Florida, Tampa Bay and now San Jose. "We all love San Jose and I can't see San Jose going anywhere, but if it did have to move, it's part of the job.
"For the kids and wives it's pretty hard. For the players themselves it's part of the job."
"There are tradeoffs," Bieksa added. "Obviously, there's not going to be a whole lot of sun and warm weather in Winnipeg -- it'll be to the extreme the other way. But at the same time, the fan base, the media coverage, the excitement from the city and fans -- it's going to be 10 times better than (Atlanta)."
Boyle played his share of games in Atlanta while in the Southeast Division. Plenty of nights in front of 6,000 patrons at Philips Arena.
"Yeah, but I've also seen 6,000 people in Chicago not too long ago," Boyle reminds. "That being said, fans like winners. The problem is, the couple of years that they did, the fans still weren't coming out as much as we would have liked. It's a combination of both."
Ian White grew up in Steinbach, Man., a half hour outside of Winnipeg. He recalls the day the Jets left, with little kids down at The Forks, busting open their piggy banks.
"I remember that. It was a sad day," he said. "That's business I guess. So hopefully it works out for them this time."
