NHL team back.  Jubilation filled the streets of Winnipeg and the entire Manitoba province. But Saul remained in Atlanta.  He remained in a city that no longer housed an NHL hockey franchise. "It was a shock to me," said the now-30 year old that still resides in Atlanta.  "I put a lot of stock into pro sports and I'm a big fan, so I live or die with the team that I'm following.  It knocked me out.  When I found out that it was actually going to happen, there were some very somber days at my house.  My wife was toting a fine line with me because I was bound to snap at any moment. "Losing the Thrashers is like my worst nightmare come true." Lekherzak moved to Atlanta in 1992.  Before he felt that he had "lost touch with the game" in the early 1990s, he had lived in New York and considered himself a Rangers fan. On June 25, 1997, the NHL announced that Atlanta, along with Columbus, Minnesota and Nashville, would receive an NHL club within the following three years.  The Thrashers started play in the 1999-2000 season. "There was a tremendous level of excitement that NHL hockey was going to be in our backyard," said Lekherzak.  "The greatest game on the planet and the greatest league on the planet were going to be back in Atlanta." Dany Heatley started his career in Atlanta in the 2001-02 season (Dustin Bradford/Icon SMI) The Thrashers went on to select