Two Former Atlanta Thrashers Remain Active in the NHL Amid Franchise Legacy

Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane are now the only two former Atlanta Thrashers still playing in the NHL, more than a decade after the team relocated to Winnipeg. Both players have had long careers marked by injury and trades, with Bogosian winning a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 before continuing his journey in Toronto.

Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane are now the last two active NHL players with significant tenure as Atlanta Thrashers, a franchise that relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. Bogosian played 199 games for the Thrashers from 2008–2011 before being traded to Winnipeg, where he contributed steadily despite recurring injuries—never playing more than 65 games in a season. He was dealt to Buffalo in 2015, where his tenure ended abruptly after requesting a trade in December 2019; he refused to report to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, leading to his suspension and contract termination. He then signed with Tampa Bay just before the 2020 pandemic pause, played eight games, and won a Stanley Cup in the bubble playoffs. After brief stints with Toronto and a second run with Tampa, Bogosian was traded to Minnesota in November 2023, where he signed a two-year extension in March 2024 and remains active as of July 1, 2026. Kane, drafted fourth overall in 2009, played 139 games for the Thrashers, scoring 69 points with a career-high 30 goals in Winnipeg’s first season. His time in Buffalo was marked by off-ice controversies—ranging from social media posts to allegations of dining and dashing—before being traded alongside Bogosian. In San Jose, he tallied 166 points over three seasons but faced escalating scrutiny: a $500,000 lawsuit over gambling debts, a woman’s allegation of financial coercion, and serious accusations of sexual assault by his estranged wife in 2021. Though the assault claims were not