I think that this has been a long time coming, and that if it had not been the Atlanta Thrashers, it would have been the Phoenix Coyotes, or any other one of the NHL franchises in the United States that have been struggling to keep going and make ends meet. That said, the Winnipeg fans must be feeling a sense of justice that has been denied them lo these last fifteen years, when the Winnipeg Jets franchise moved south to Phoenix. And for Atlanta Thrasher fans, well...this blow can't be any easier than it was the first time, when the Atlanta Flames moved north to Calgary.
I find it sad that Winnipeg's gain has come at Atlanta's expense and loss, and hope that folks will give the dignity and respect due to Atlanta fans of the game for this terrible (second) blow to their NHL hockey hopes. At the same time, I hope that NHL fans and especially Winnipeg fans will remember that what they had in the Jets franchise fifteen years ago can be lost again, so nurture this new NHL team in Winnipeg, and don't let it be said that the NHL has screwed this attempt at hockey in Winnipeg as well.