Tom Glavine Has Interest in Purchasing the NHL Thrashers

The Associated Press recently reported that Atlanta Braves retired pitcher Tom Glavine is interested in forming an investment group to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and keep them in Georgia.

The Thrashers have discussed the purchase requirements with several interested parties including a group including former NHL player Anson Carter but continue to speak with interested parties.

The current ownership desires to keep the team in Atlanta if at all possible.

According to the article Glavine told a local radio station that he hopes to organize an ownership group.

Bruce Levenson, one of the lead investors said, “Like us it is my understanding that he (Glavine) would like to see the team remain in Atlanta and has indicated such to people in our organization.”

Tom Glavine played hockey growing up in Massachusetts and was drafted in the NHL by the LA Kings and MLB by the Atlanta Braves. He elected to play baseball and pitched for both the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves winning 305 games.

Glavine makes his home in Atlanta and coaches his son’s youth hockey team at the Cooler in Alpharetta.

The Thrasher management group, the Atlanta Spirits, have indicated that they are motivated to find a buyer soon. The team has lost almost $200 million and has succeeded in making the playoffs only once in their tenure in Atlanta.  

The team was made over by GM Rick Dudley and head coach Craig Ramsay shedding several lucrative contracts and engineering some masterful trades for players like Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd, Johnny Oduya from the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks and the New Jersey Devils.

The team also drafted several up and coming young players such as Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane.

The Thrashers surged to a likely playoff position in the first half of the season before plummeting in the  standing in the second half and missing the playoffs again.

The team displayed considerably more hustle and determination but in the end lacked a top-tier goal scorer and a reliable backup goalie that would have led them into the postseason.

The feeling is that a buyer will emerge and keep the Thrashers in the ATL. 

Tom Glavine may be able to put an investment group together and purchase the struggling franchise, but Atlanta fans would just like to keep their NHL team in Georgia