AGRI Biz

Bleacher Report caught up with Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Rick Dudley at the team's training facility in Duluth, Georgia during its Development Camp to discuss his early feelings about Atlanta's progress in preparing for the upcoming season.   Bleacher Report:  How do you feel about the direction of the team so far? Dudley:   Well, we have made a few changes to the lineup, adding Dustin Buyfllien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager, ...

The Associated Press reported today that retired Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks forward Bob Probert died after experiencing chest pains while boating with his family in Windsor, Ontario. Probert was a fan favorite with both Detroit and Chicago. His style of play was a throwback to a previous era where players were considerably tougher than they are today. Probert was not considered a goon because he would often display better than ...

Do Atlanta Thrasher fans remember former Thrasher Garnett Exelby? Exelby was a tough guy that was traded for defenseman Pavel Kubina . The trade was a good one for Atlanta as Kubina quickly emerged as the Thrashers best and most consistent defenseman. With high potential newcomers like Zach Bogosian, Arturs Kulda, and other established regulars such as Tobias Enstrom, Johnny Oduya, and Brent Sopel, Kubina was allowed to leave Atlanta ...

Give the new Thrashers GM a lot of credit. Rick Dudley is already displaying his savvy management ability in the early stages of his tenure.  In negotiations with forward Maxim Afinogenov, Dudley has shown considerable shrewdness in offering a short-term one-year contract for over one million dollars.   Afinogenov is rumored to have received a raise from his $800,000 last year after his 24-goal performance in the 2010 season. The Thrashers seem ...

The NHL has had an exciting season, culminating with a gala award ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 23. The NHL smartly moved the awards ceremony to Las Vegas to further promote the game of hockey in the USA in one of its most visible and glamorous cities. In this case what happens in Vegas will be heard all over the hockey world. When the biggest stars in the NHL ...

With names like Jiri Hudler and Ilya Kovalchuk and rumors bouncing back and forth about them playing for teams in the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) and the NHL (National Hockey League), it is obvious that there is growing tension between the two leagues. Now that the Cold War is over and Russia has embraced capitalism in the purest sense, true global competition is emerging on the ice, both potentially changing the ...

After participating in the playoffs for only the second time in his career, Ilya Kovalchuk just may be on the move again. Rumors have already started circulating indicating that New Jersey may not sign Kovalchuk to the rich contract he is seeking. Kovalchuk, who started his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers, left the team unable to come to terms on a new contract. It became obvious that Kovalchuk did not want to ...

The Vancouver Canucks-Los Angeles Kings playoff series has all the components for a classic NHL matchup. Vancouver returns to the playoffs with an Art Ross Trophy winner (top scorer) and a balanced offense with a number of 20-goal scorers in the lineup. Henrik Sedin competes with unprecedented confidence, having bested Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as the No. 1 point producer in the NHL. Although Vancouver is favored to win the series, because ...

The Canadian Press broke a story confirming the Atlanta Thrashers have fired coach John Anderson and promoted GM Don Waddell to President of the club.  Assistant coaches Randy Cunneyworth, Todd Nelson, and Steve Weeks were also released.  Consistent with Waddell’s promotion, Thrasher co-owner Bruce Levenson also promoted associate GM Rick Dudley to the general manager position.  The Thrashers finished the season in the 10th position, barely missing a playoff berth with a 35-34-13 ...

  Slava Kozlov is not happy with Atlanta Thrashers coach John Anderson.   Uncharacteristically, Kozlov vented to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) about the Thrashers ineffectiveness in producing a playoff team.  A healthy scratch for nearly 30 games, Kozlov had several complaints that he made public in the news article.   “I don’t want to say any bad thing about coach (John Anderson) but I don’t have anything good to say.”  Kozlov blamed the team’s offensive strategy ...