Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Kusarudzwa kwokutanga kweAtlanta kwaiva Patrik Stefan, akatorwa wokutanga, mu1999 NHL Entry Draft. Akatamba mwaka minomwe muNHL, asi akanzi mumwe wevakanyanya kunyorwa mumabhuku munhoroondo yeligi.
Makore maviri pashure pokunyora Stefan, Atlanta zvakare yakanga ine chisarudzo chokutanga chose chose uye yakasarudza Ilya Kovalchuk. Akava mutungamiriri wenguva dzose weThrashers mumapoka gumi enhamba. Ndiye mutungamiri muzvinangwa, anobatsira, mapoinzi, anopfura pachinangwa, zvinangwa zvekuwedzera nguva, zvinangwa zvekutamba simba, zvinangwa zvekukunda mutambo, uye mitambo yakatambwa.