Thrashers and SportSouth Announce 61-Game Television Schedule for 2009-10

Play-by-Play Announcer Matt McConnell to Join Analyst Darren Eliot in the SportSouth Booth

The Atlanta Thrashers and SportSouth, the team’s regional cable partner, have announced the 61-game television schedule (see attached) for the 2009-10 NHL regular season. In all, 61 of the Thrashers 82 regular-season games will be televised locally, including 60 games on SportSouth and one on FOX Sports South. Thrashers games to be broadcast by SportSouth in HD will be released at a later date.

Coverage of the Thrashers 2009-10 regular season will begin on opening night, Saturday, Oct. 3, when they host the Southeast Division-rival Tampa Bay Lightning at Philips Arena at 7 p.m. Overall, 27 home games and 34 road games will be televised throughout the season. Thirty-two of the final 33 road games will be televised by SportSouth, as well as 42 of the team’s final 47 games of the season.

Throughout the season, several key match-ups will be televised including 19 games against Southeast Division rivals (Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington), all four games against the 2009 Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins (Nov. 21, Jan. 5, April 3 and April 10) and the Thrashers lone match-up against 2009 Western Conference-champion Detroit Red Wings (Nov. 25). SportSouth’s coverage also highlights several intra-conference games, televising 13 of the Thrashers contests against Western Conference opponents, incuding match-ups against Chicago (Feb. 13), Columbus (Nov. 5 and March 11) and Anaheim (Jan. 26).

Matt McConnell, the Thrashers original television play-by-play announcer, returns to the SportSouth broadcast booth for the 2009-10 season. McConnell served as the television voice of the team from 1999-00 to 2002-03, and is entering his fifth season in a play-by-play role for the Thrashers. During the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, he co-hosted SportSouth’s Thrashers LIVE and also served as a fill-in announcer for select Thrashers games over the past two seasons.

Darren Eliot, who has served as the Thrashers television analyst since the team’s inception, will join McConnell in the SportSouth broadcast booth for all televised games. In addition to game telecasts, McConnell and Eliot will also co-host Thrashers LIVE expanded post-game coverage on SportSouth.

Thrashers’ telecasts on SportSouth are available in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as Alabama (excluding the Huntsville/Decatur DMA) and Mississippi (excluding Mississippi counties in the Memphis DMA and the counties of Pontotoc, Union, Lee, Itawamba, Prentiss and Tishomingo in the Columbus/Tupelo/West Point DMA).

Atlanta Thrashers Season Tickets for the 2009-10 regular season start as low as $10 per game and are available by visiting atlantathrashers.com or calling (866) 715-1500.
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Thrashers to Host 2008 NHL Draft Party at Philips Arena on Friday, June 20

The Atlanta Thrashers will host their 2008 NHL Draft Party in Philips Experience at Philips Arena on Friday, June 20 from 6-9 p.m. to coincide with the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Many special events and activities are planned for the celebration, including a special appearance and autograph signing by Thrashers forward Eric Perrin.

The Thrashers own two first-round choices (third and 29th overall) and seven overall selections in this year’s seven-round Entry Draft, which will be held at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Friday, June 20 (Round 1), beginning at 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 21 (Rounds 2-7), beginning at 10 a.m.

The Thrashers 2008 NHL Draft Party, which is free and open to the public, will feature live coverage of the Entry Draft’s first round on VERSUS. Thrashers radio announcers Dan Kamal and Jeff Odgers will be on-hand to broadcast live on 680 the Fan to offer analysis and interviews.

Fans in attendance will also have the chance to test their skills in interactive games, meet Thrash and members of the Blue Crew and select seat locations for the Thrashers upcoming season. Philips Arena’s new Taco Mac restaurant, located adjacent to Philips Experience, will also be open for the event.

Thrashers 2008 NHL Entry Draft Selections (Scotiabank Place, Ottawa):

Friday, June 20 – 7 p.m.
1st Round/3rd Overall
1st Round/29th Overall (acquired from Pittsburgh)

Saturday, June 21 – 10 a.m.
3rd Round/64th Overall
4th Round/94th Overall
5th Round/124th Overall
6th Round/154th Overall
7th Round/184th Overall

Atlanta Thrashers Season Tickets start as low as $10 per game and are on sale now for the 2008-09 season by visiting atlantathrashers.com or calling (866) 715-1500.

Thrashers Re-Sign Goaltender Johan Hedberg

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed goaltender Johan Hedberg to a multi-year contract, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hedberg, 35, appeared in 36 games for the Thrashers in 2007-08, earning a 14-15-3 record, a 3.46 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage and one shutout. During a four-game span from Nov. 13-21, he collected four consecutive wins and posted a 1.49 GAA and a .942 save percentage. The native of Leksand, Sweden was voted by his teammates to receive the Thrashers Players’ Player Award for the second consecutive season, given annually to the Thrasher who best exemplifies what being a “team player” is all about.

The 6-0, 185-pound goaltender was signed by Atlanta as a free agent on July 1, 2006 and has earned a 23-19-5 record and a 3.26 GAA in 57 regular-season appearances for the Thrashers over two seasons. He also played in two playoff games during the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a 2.56 GAA and a 0-2 record against the N.Y. Rangers.

In seven NHL seasons, Hedberg has amassed an 89-86-20 record in 213 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Dallas and Atlanta, recording a .899 save percentage, a 2.92 GAA and 11 shutouts. In 22 playoff appearances for Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Atlanta, he has collected a 10-12 record, including two shutouts, and a 2.33 GAA. He earned a 9-9 record in 18 contests during the 2001 post-season with the Penguins, leading them to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Originally selected by Philadelphia in the ninth round, 218th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Hedberg made his North American debut in 1997-98, playing for Baton Rouge of the East Coast Hockey League, as well as Detroit and Manitoba of the International Hockey League. He has also spent seven seasons (1992-93 to 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2004-05) with Leksands IF in his native Sweden.

Hedberg has represented Sweden in several International competitions, including the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he earned a 1-0 record. He also appeared in the 1997, 1998 and 1999 IIHF World Championships for Sweden.

Atlanta Thrashers Season Tickets start as low as $10 per game and are on sale now for the 2008-09 season by visiting atlantathrashers.com or calling (866) 715-1500.