Since the 1999-2000 season, Don Waddell has had considerable opportunity to draft, sign and acquire sufficient player and coaching talent to establish the Atlanta Thrashers as a playoff-caliber hockey club, capable of winning the Stanley Cup. He has failed to do so. While many of you have voiced additional concerns regarding specific player acquisitions or traits, coaching personnel decisions and ticket pricing policies (not DWs day-to-day concern), most of which are valid, the bottom line is that Don Waddell has not delivered on his fundemental charter to create a contending NHL team.

The purpose of this web site is strictly aimed at removing Don Waddell as General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers hockey club and to have the Atlanta Spirit Group, or any party the Maryland courts decide is the rightful owner of the club, initiate a search for his replacement led by an experienced NHL executive, who is not personally a candidate for the job.

As time is of the essence in effecting a management change prior to the NHL Entry Draft (June 20-21 in Ottawa), the focus of this effort must remain on the replacement of the GM. 

UPDATES:

THE FIRST SHOE HAS DROPPED!

As indicated by his quotes in articles by both  Craig Custace and Jeff Schultz of the AJC, ASG co-owner Michael Gearon has now entered the spin room and is paving the way for a series of moves that should finally allow the Thrashers to replace Don Waddell as the club's GM - possibly before the NHL Entry Draft in June. Links for both articles are posted below. Credit also goes to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com for helping to uncover these developments.

If you filter through Gearon's remarks, it's clear that Waddell will no longer be the Thrashers GM when the dust settles.  Most of his comments were aimed at saving face for both Waddell (who may get kicked upstairs ala Rich McKay) and ASG itself. The handwriting, however, is on the wall in 72-point type. Here are a few net outcomes that can be drawn from Gearon's remarks:

  • Don Waddell is being  "promoted," which means he will no longer be the GM
  • "Front office help" is on the way (read new GM) preferably before the draft
  • The search for a coach is Gearon's "priority" (please don't let DW get this one wrong again, let the new GM hire a coach that he can work with. This can be done after the draft)

The burden is now on ASG to get the timing and sequencing right.  First, hire a qualified GM before the draft.  No GM worth having would accept the job if Waddell were allowed to trump hockey operations decisions. Another vestige of Waddell's incompetence in his current role is the sub-par Player Personnel Department, which also must be revamped. Hiring someone with extensive knowledge of the current, reportedly-deep draft class (another clue from the Falcons) would be an excellent way of mitigating this exposure at the Entry Draft. Let the old scouts sit at the table and lobby for new jobs while in Ottawa, but don't let them influence the picks.

Hopefully we'll be able to take this site and the petition down soon.  Just one more shoe to drop!

GO THRASH!

Replace Waddell petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/replacewaddell/

As of June 3: 149 entries. Please help to grow our ranks by distributing the petition URL widely. It would greatly boost our efforts if this link were to appear somewhere in print, as we can only reach a fraction of those wanting Waddell replaced through direct-approach methods.

Feel free to add your specific remarks, but please try to keep it civil.  Thanks.

LINKS:

Schultz article with Gearon's remarks: Schultz column

Custace article with Gearon's remarks: Custace column 

Here's a link to an excellent article about the Thrashers' under Waddell: Burnside of ESPN.com on Waddell and another account documenting the team's current plight by Spector of Fox Sports Spector article .

Request templates (Word Doc) to print various Replace Waddel signs to bring to Phillips: Replace Waddel Signs

Not sure where the money goes on this one, but here's a link to a T-shirt site: Fire Waddell T-Shirts

For those who wish to vent their specific grievences on club personnel, STH policies and other issues, there are several other web sites and blogs available such as Hockey Buzz and the ajc blog.