Editing Atlanta Thrashers (section)

===2003–2005: The Atlanta Spirit years and the NHL lockout===
Turner stepped down as vice chairman of [[WarnerMedia|AOL Time Warner]], parent company of Turner's [[Turner Broadcasting System]], in 2003. A year later, AOL Time Warner sold both teams to [[Atlanta Spirit, LLC]], a group consisting of businessmen based both in Atlanta and elsewhere. 

It later emerged that Atlanta Spirit almost immediately put the Thrashers on the market, which only came to light after one of a myriad of lawsuits involving the consortium.<ref name=TheAthletic/>

Tragedy struck the team just eight days after the sale, as star forward [[Dany Heatley]] crashed his [[Ferrari]] in a one-car accident that seriously injured both himself and Thrashers center [[Dan Snyder (ice hockey)|Dan Snyder]]. Heatley suffered a broken jaw and arm, a sprained wrist and a torn [[anterior cruciate ligament]] (ACL) and [[medial collateral ligament]] (MCL); Snyder died five days later due to [[septic shock]] from his injuries.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1030014/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202113134/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1030014/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 2, 2009|title=A Sadness In Atlanta| magazine = [[Sports Illustrated]]|date=2003-10-13|access-date=2010-09-06}}</ref> The Thrashers dedicated their entire [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04 season]] to Snyder's memory, and Thrashers players wore black patches with Snyder's number, 37, on their jerseys for the season. Heatley's [[blood alcohol content]] was below the legal limit, but his combination of [[speeding]] (he was driving an estimated 80 miles per hour) and [[recklessness (law)|recklessness]] led to [[criminal charge]]s, which were later dropped. He eventually received three years' [[probation]] and [[community service]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=1984060|title=Felony charge dropped for Thrashers star's plea|date=2005-02-05|access-date=2011-11-04}}</ref>

Led by captain [[Shawn McEachern]], the Thrashers jumped quickly out of the gate with some notable highlights. Ilya Kovalchuk scored eight goals in the first seven games, including two [[hat-trick]]s, one in a 7–2 rout of the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] and another in a come-from-behind victory against the [[Nashville Predators]]. Those comeback victories became a recurring sight throughout the season, as Atlanta pulled off stunning upsets over the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], [[Boston Bruins]] and [[Ottawa Senators]], as well as wins against the [[Los Angeles Kings]] and [[New York Islanders]].

Eleven games into the season, the Thrashers were in first place in the Southeast Division and the NHL. Although they continued to play well, they could not keep up with the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], the eventual [[Stanley Cup]] champions, or other teams in the League. Boxing Day 2003 marked both a bright and dark day for the Thrashers. On that day, Heatley skated for the first time since his car accident with Snyder, but it also marked the last win for the Thrashers before an extended losing streak. From December 28 to February 11, the team went a dismal 2–16–3. Kovalchuk became only the second Thrashers' player to score in the [[National Hockey League All-Star Game|NHL All-Star Game]] (after Heatley).

While the Thrashers' playoff hopes were done for the year, they finished second in the Southeast Division to Tampa Bay and tenth in the Eastern Conference, only a handful of wins away from the [[Stanley Cup playoffs]]. Kovalchuk tied for the League lead in goals (41) with the Calgary Flames' [[Jarome Iginla]] and the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]]' [[Rick Nash]]. [[Goaltender]] [[Kari Lehtonen]] began his NHL career with four wins in four starts, including one shutout.