When the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg last summer, the Nashville Predators aggressively courted their abandoned fans. Part of that courtship: The "Thrash To Smash" ticket offer that included two free tickets to Saturday night's game in Nashville against the Winnipeg Jets.
We'll just go ahead and assume it was one of those heartbroken former Thrashers fans that tossed a few Atlanta jerseys on the ice during the Jets' loss to the Predators:
For the record: That was a home, road and an older third jersey (as opposed to those terrible thirds they wore near the end) that were thrown on the ice. According to J.R. Lind, there were a dozen more that hit the ice throughout the game.
Was it a protest? Was it a moment of closure, as a Thrashers fan emptied his or her closet of the departed team's gear? QMI's David Larkins wrote: "If it was some fans' protest to the NHL, it was about as sad an effort as, well, Atlanta in the NHL"
Laura Astorian, who had the video above on Thrashing the Blues, wasn't sure this was the right move from one of her fellow Thrashers fans:
Those jerseys, while expensive regardless of if they're Reebok or KOHO or CCM, are worth more than just money. My Thrashers jerseys are about the last connection I have left to a team that I watched for 11 years. So much of the memorabilia is still hard to look at -- the autographed pucks and even my Johan Hedberg autographed goalie stick are put away. But the jerseys remind me of the game experience more than the team, and that was my favorite part about going. I miss my routine, I miss wearing those jerseys, and I miss the hell out of the Thrashers. I just don't know if this is how I'd choose to show it.
An excellent point. Then again, perhaps this is the only way they knew how to finally cope with that loss.