In what might be the largest case of jingoistic "hoserism" ever recorded in a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast - aside from Don Cherry’s anti-European rants, of course - analyst Jim Hughson had this to say about Atlanta hockey fan knowledge:
"You know how you can tell we’re in Winnipeg? They recognize what shouldn’t be a penalty and know Carey Price’s first name. Not in Atlanta."
That was the masterpiece that set off a flurry of angry tweets directed at @hockeynight and @cbc regarding the professionalism of their broadcast. Canadian fans, non-traditional market fans, traditional market fans, and former Thrashers fans all joined together decrying the tastelessness that punctuated the Jets' very Thrashers-like 5-1 loss to the Canadiens. The highlights came from Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert (@twolinepass):
@twolinepass this GEE WHIZ ATLANTA SURE WAS A BAD MARKET stuff on HNIC is in remarkably poor taste.
and...
@twolinepass the only difference between atlanta and winnipeg is that fans in atlanta knew the team was garbage and didn't pay to go see it.
Honestly, good for fans in Winnipeg for getting a team back. I’m glad that they can go to hockey games and not drive three and a half hours to do so like fans here have to do now. The media, however, is making it very difficult for fans outside of Winnipeg to share in their excitement. Swipes at failed markets do absolutely no good. Be happy that you have NHL hockey back and enjoy the honeymoon, but here’s a hint: a newlywed bride doesn’t like it when you keep making fun of your ex-wife.
Take note that this comment was broadcast to the Metro Atlanta viewing area (and the rest of the United States) on the NHL Network. Between this and the fact that the NHL's blacking out games broadcast by the Predators and Hurricanes since Atlanta is now apparently a two-hockey team town, the NHL's making it abundantly clear that they don't want our Confederate dollars. Fantastic business plan.