 
|
|||||||||||||
              
|
Sunday, January 30, 2000 By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
It isn't easy coaching an NHL expansion team. There was Curt Fraser three nights ago at Mellon Arena, just minutes removed from his Atlanta Thrashers' painfully flat 4-1 loss to the Penguins, introducing himself to each reporter awaiting him outside his office.
He shook every hand and said, "Hi, I'm Curt. ... Hi, I'm Curt. ... Hi, I'm Curt."
Talk about a stiff upper lip.
"We've got half the season left," he went on to say, never criticizing his players. "We want to compete hard in every game, so it's going to make us better for the future."
The ability to remain positive in the face of adversity is atop of the list of requirements for expansion coaches, and Fraser apparently handles it as well as anyone.
But you won't be feeling sorry for him or the Thrashers for long. Atlanta is hardly your ordinary expansion market. Consider:
1. There is money.
With Ted Turner and his Time Warner empire as the principal owners, the Thrashers have the financial resources to skate with the big boys. At the moment, their payroll ranks second-lowest in the NHL at $16.7 million, but expect that to rise markedly in the near future.
"There's a plan that's been put together," Fraser said. "We're establishing a foundation right now. We could've gone out and signed three or four free agents already, but how much better was that going to make us with all the young kids we have?"
2. There is history.
Unlike most expansion cities, Atlanta has a hockey background. The Flames played eight seasons there before moving to Calgary on June 24, 1980. And, contrary to some revisionist history, the Flames were a hit there, drawing about 12,000 per game in some uncharted territory.
"The Flames did a tremendous job of introducing hockey to the South," Fraser said. "But when they left, it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. Now, when they saw the new arena going up, those people were itching for the NHL to come back."
"That's one of the neat things," left winger Kelly Buchberger said. "It's a new city, but these people already know hockey. You couldn't ask for a better situation."
3. There is support.
The Thrashers have filled Philips Arena to 94 percent capacity, drawing an average crowd of 17,436. More impressive, they have a season-ticket base in excess of 13,000, double that of the NBA's Hawks.
"We're very strong in that area, and it's only going to get better," Fraser said. "The fans just love their team."
Trouble is, the Thrashers aren't an easy team to love. Their top goaltender at the moment is Scott Fankhouser, their top scoring threat Dean Sylvester, their top defenseman Gord Murphy. Honest.
But even looking at this rag-tag roster, Fraser finds a sunny side. Check out Patrik Stefan, and you'll know why.
Stefan, the first overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound center who has just four goals in his first 45 games. But he showed a few bursts of speed Thursday at Mellon Arena which make it easy to understand why Atlanta isn't rushing its prized prospect.
Asked if the Thrashers plan to build around Stefan, Fraser replied, "Absolutely. Hey, you've got to remember, this kid is 19 and he's playing against men out here."
He compared Stefan to the Boston Bruins' Joe Thornton, another tall center who was taken first overall in 1997. Thornton had seven points his first season, 41 the next.
"It's taken Patrik a while to adjust to this level, but I think he's way ahead of where Thornton was," Fraser said. "He'll be terrific. He just needs some time."
And that's yet another reason you shouldn't pity the Thrashers, no matter how badly the Penguins might pummel them again tomorrow night in Atlanta.
"We have an excellent plan in place," Fraser said. "We're going to do this right, believe me."
Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com.
|
||||||||||||
