The Atlanta Thrashers released the following statement to the media regarding signing free agent goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a deal:

The Thrashers have re-signed restricted free agent goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a multiple-year contract, according to General Manager Rick Dudley.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Pavelec, 22, appeared in 42 games during his first full NHL season, posting a 14-18-7 record with two shutouts, a 3.29 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.  The 6-3, 220-pound goaltender made a career-high 50 saves in a 3-1 victory on Oct. 31 at Ottawa and  recorded his first career shutout, with a 38-save performance, on Nov. 13 vs. Los Angeles.  Pavelec was also a member of the Czech Republic team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Kladno, Czech Republic, native has earned a 20-28-7 record with two shutouts, a 3.33 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 61 career NHL games over three seasons with the Thrashers from 2007 to 2010.  Pavelec posted a 51-36-5 record with five shutouts, a 2.69 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 92 career games with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League from 2007 to 2009. 

He also appeared in 24 post-season contests with the Wolves, registering a 16-8 record with two shutouts, a 2.34 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, while helping Chicago capture the 2008 Calder Cup Championship.

Prior to his professional career, Pavelec earned 55-29-0 record with four shutouts, a 2.52 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 90 games with Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2005 to 2007.  He also spent two seasons with the Kladno organization in the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2005. 

Pavelec has represented his native Czech Republic in International Competition four times, including the Winter Olympics (2010), World Championships (2010), World Junior Championships (2007) and World Under-18 Championships (2005).

Pavelec was originally selected by the Thrashers in the second round, 41^st overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

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ATLANTA, GA. – The Atlanta Thrashers have named John Torchetti as the team’s associate coach, according to General Manager Rick Dudley and Head Coach Craig Ramsay.

Torchetti, 45, joins the Thrashers with more than 26 years of professional hockey experience as a player, coach and manager. His NHL coaching resume includes stops in Tampa Bay (1999-00 to 2000-01), Florida (2002-03 to 2003-04), Los Angeles (2005-06) and Chicago (2007-08 to 2009-10). The Thrashers will mark the fourth NHL team which Torchetti and Dudley have worked together.

“I’ve known John for several years and he is a highly-talented and extremely knowledgeable individual,” said Dudley. “He is an excellent coach who will strengthen Craig’s staff and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization.”

Most recently Torchetti served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, a position he held since the start of the 2007-08 season. During his time in Chicago, Torchetti helped the team improve in wins and points each season, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2008-09 and capturing the 2010 Stanley Cup.

“John is a dedicated individual who will be an invaluable resource to me and a significant asset for our players,” said Ramsay. “His strengths compliment mine and match up well with what we will be striving to accomplish.”

The Boston, Mass., native has served as an interim head coach in the NHL on two occasions; with the Florida Panthers in 2003-04, where he posted a 10-12-4-1 record in 27 games, and with the Los Angeles Kings in 2005-06, earning a 5-7-0 record in the final 12 games of the season.

Torchetti served as head coach for the San Antonio Iguanas of the Central Hockey League (1994-95 to 1995-96), the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League (1996-97 to 1997-98), the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (2002-03) and the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (2006-07). He was twice named Coach of the Year, first with San Antonio in 1994-95, then with Fort Wayne in 1997-98.

Torchetti also spent time as assistant general manager with the San Antonio Dragons (IHL) during the 1996-97 season and as general manager of the Detroit Vipers (IHL) in 1998-99, succeeding Dudley in that position. During his tenure in Detroit, the Vipers posted a 50-12-11 record and captured the IHL’s Eastern Conference Championship.

His professional playing career spanned seven seasons in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the All-American Hockey League, the ECHL and the AHL. In total, Torchetti earned 532 points (258 goals, 274 assists) in 359 career games with the Carolina Thunderbirds (ACHL, AAHL, ECHL), Virginia Lancers (ACHL), Binghamton Whalers (AHL) and Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ECHL) from 1984-85 to 1990-91. Prior to his professional career, Torchetti had a brief stint with the Plattsburgh Pioneers of the QMJHL during the 1984-85 season, posting five points (two goals, three assists) in eight games.

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The Atlanta Thrashers have signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Chris Mason to a multi-year contract. The deal follows the recent acquisition of Chicago Blackhawks forward Dustin Byfuglien but is the first UFA signing for new General Manager Rick Dudley. 

The move solidifies a position the team needed to enhance since former first-round pick Kari Lehtonen had been moved at the trade deadline last season.

Dudley released a statement to the media regarding the Mason pick-up. “Chris has proven himself as an elite-level goaltender and we have the utmost confidence in his capabilities. We are pleased to add him to our organization are excited to follow his lead into the playoffs.”

Mason, 34, posted a 30-22-8 record with two shutouts, a 2.53 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 61 games with the St. Louis Blues last season, while ranking 13th in the league in wins and goals-against average. The 6-0, 200-pound goaltender earned five-straight victories from Feb. 9 to March 4, posting one shutout, a 1.74 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage during that stretch.

The Red Deer, Alberta, native has appeared in 253 career NHL games with Nashville and St. Louis, earning a 115-86-27 record with 20 shutouts, a 2.54 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

Mason has posted a 1-8 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in nine career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He has also represented Canada at the World Championships in 2009 and 2010.

Mason played in 146 career American Hockey Leagues from 1997 to 2004, registering a 56-58-20 record with three shutouts, a 2.79 goals-against average anda .914 save percentage with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Milwaukee Admirals andSan Antonio Rampage. He earned a 52-47-19 record with eight shutouts, a 2.68 goals-against average anda .910 save percentage in 124 career games withMilwaukee of the now-defunct IHL from 1998 to 2001. Mason appeared in 20 games with Valerengen IF Oslo in Norway during the 2004-05 season.

Prior to his professional career, Mason appeared in 158 Western Hockey League games with Victoria and Prince George from 1993 to 1997, posting a 44-95-6 record with four shutouts, a 4.34 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

Mason was originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round, 122nd overall, of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

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Just days after pulling off a major trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that landed Minnesota native Dustin Byfuglien along with Ben Eager and Brent Sopel, new Atlanta Thrashers GM Rick Dudley went right back to work on day two of the 2010 NHL Draft.

The Thrashers selected a total of eight players on day two, making a total of nine selections in all over the two-day draft, including the first-round, eighth-overall choice used they used on center Alex Burmistrov.

In addition to Burmistrov, the Thrashers’ selections included defenseman Julian Melchiori (third round, 87th overall), left wing Ivan Telegin (fourth round, 101st overall), goaltender Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel (fifth round, 128th overall), right wing Yassin Cisse (fifth round, 150th overall), defenseman Kendall McFaull (sixth round, 155th overall), center Tanner Lane (sixth round, 160th overall), defenseman Sebastian Owuya (sixth round, 169th overall) and defenseman Peter Stoykewych (seventh round, 199th overall).

Melchiori, 18, appeared in 39 games for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Central Canadian Hockey League last season, recording 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists). The 6-3, 190-pound defenseman received the B.J. Munro Memorial Award given to the OHA’s top prospect at the end of the season. The Richmond Hill, Ontario, native has committed to attend the University of Massachusetts-Lowell next season.

Telegin, 18, tallied 44 points (26 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. He also recorded two points (one goal, one assist) in six playoff games. The 6-2, 195-pound left wing tied for second on the team in goals and finished as the runner-up for the OHL’s Rookie of the Year Award. A native of Novokyzneck, Russia, Telegin also represented Russia at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Petterson-Wentzel, 18, appeared in 37 games with Almtuna in the Swedish junior league posting a 1.85 goals-against average and six shutouts. The 6-1, 170-pound goaltender was ranked second among European goaltenders by the Central Scouting Services. The Uppsala, Finland, native finished the season with a .924 save percentage.

Cisse, 18, tallied 19 points (13 goals, six assists) in 31 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League. Over two seasons, 6-3, 208-pound right wing has registered 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 49 games for Des Moines and was the only forward for the Buccaneers that finished with a plus-rating at plus-3. A native of Westmount, Quebec, Cisse will attend Boston University next season.

McFaull, 18, played in 62 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League posting 10 points (four goals, six assists). The 6-2, 190-pound defenseman also posted an assist in seven post-season contests this season for the Warriors. Prior to joining Moose Jaw, the Rosetown, Saskatchewan, native appeared in 60 games during the 2008-09 season with the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatoon Minor Hockey League recording 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists).

Lane, 17, appeared in 26 games last year with Detroit Lakes High School in his native Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The 6-2, 180-pound center registered 90 points (49 goals, 41 assists) for Detroit Lakes with 64 PIMs.

Owuya, 17, appeared in 60 games last season for Timra Junior U-20 of the Swedish Junior League and tallied 16 points (three goals, 13 assists). The 6-3, 200-pound defenseman also appeared in six games for the Swedish U-19 team and tallied one assist. The Stockholm, Sweden native appeared in 11 games with Timra of the Swedish Elitserien League and was held scoreless.

Stoykewych, 17, appeared in 56 games for Winnipeg South of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League posting 31 points (five goals, 26 assists). Overall, the 6-2, 190-pound defender has recorded 47 points (10 goals, 37 assists) in 109 games over two seasons with Winnipeg South. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native will attend Colorado College.

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After winning the Stanley Cup after a 49-year drought, the Chicago Blackhawks are cleaning house and as expected are dumping some overhead to free up cap space. An announcement came yesterday that confirmed the winner of the Dustin Byfuglien sweepstakes are the Atlanta Thrashers.

The Thrashers acquired Byfuglien, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu, along with defenseman Brent Sopel from the Chicago Blackhawks for forwards Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb and Jeremy Morin, as well as a first-round choice (24^th overall) and a second-round choice (54^th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, according to General Manager Rick Dudley.

“This deal immediately improves our hockey club and adds valuable size, speed and Stanley Cup experience to our roster,” said Dudley. “Dustin Byfuglien is a prototypical power forward and another young, rising star we are adding to our roster. With Brent Sopel and Ben Eager we also get a defensive-minded defenseman who is one of the better penalty killers in the league, and a tough, checking line forward who is an outstanding forchecker. Akim Aliu joins our stable of talented prospects.”

Byfuglien, 25, recorded 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 22 post-season games while helping lead the Blackhawks to the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship.  The 6-4, 255-pound left wing led the NHL in post-season game-winning tallies (five), tied for the league lead in power-play goals (five), and was tied for third in the league and shared the team lead in overall goals.  Byfuglien posted 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) while appearing in all 82 regular-season games with Chicago.

The Minneapolis, Minn., native has earned 109 points (55 goals, 54 assists) in 260 career NHL games with the Blackhawks  and has added 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games.  Byfuglien, who was selected by the Blackhawks in the eighth round (245^th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, also posted 74 points (26 goals, 48 assists) in 124 career American Hockey League games with Norfolk and Rockford.

Prior to his professional career, Byfuglien played four seasons of junior hockey from 2001 to 2005 with Brandon and Prince George of the Western Hockey League, tallying 142 points (48 goals, 94 assists) in 189 games.

Eager, 26, appeared in 60 games with Chicago last season, earning 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) and a team-leading 120 penalty minutes.  He added three points (one goal, two assists) in 18 post-season contests.

The Ottawa, Ontario, native has earned 52 points (27 goals, 25 assists) and 621 penalty minutes in 255 career NHL games with Chicago and Philadelphia.  Eager has also posted five points (two goals, three assists) in 37 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blackhawks and Flyers.  The 6-2, 230-pound left wing tallied 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) and 509 penalty minutes in 123 career AHL games with the Philadelphia Phantoms.  He collected three points (one goal, two assists) in 19 AHL playoff games and helped the Phantoms capture the 2004-05 Calder Cup Championship.

Eager, who was originally selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round (23^rd overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, recorded 139 points (59 goals, 80 assists) in 243 career Ontario Hockey League games with the Oshawa Generals from 2000 to 2004.  He also tallied four points (one goal, three assists) for Team Canada at the 2002 Under-18 World Junior Championship.

Sopel, 33, appeared in 73 regular-season games for the Blackhawks last season, posting eight points (one goal, seven assists).  The 6-1, 200-pound defenseman added six points (one goal, five assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.  His plus-seven rating in the playoffs tied for fifth on the Blackhawks and 11^th in the NHL.

The Calgary, Alberta, native has earned 211 points (42 goals, 169 assists) in 588 career NHL games with Vancouver, the NY Islanders, Los Angeles and Chicago.  He also posted 105 points (26 goals, 79 assists) in 182 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and tallied one assist in four games with Kansas City of the now-defunct International Hockey League.

Prior to his professional career, Sopel collected 155 points (35 goals, 120 assists) in 207 games with Saskatoon and Swift Current of Western Hockey League from 1993 to 1997.  He was originally selected by Vancouver in the sixth round, 144^th overall, of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

Aliu, 21, tallied 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 48 AHL games last season with the Rockford IceHogs.  He also earned 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 ECHL games with the Toledo Walleye.

The 6-3, 225-pound center has posted 19 points (13 goals, six assists) in 55 career AHL games with Rockford.  Prior to his professional career the Okene, Nigeria, native played four seasons of junior hockey from 2005 to 2009 with Sudbury and London of the Ontario Hockey League, recording 167 points (76 goals, 91 assists) in 205 games.

Aliu was selected by Chicago in the second round, 56^th overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Reasoner, 33, appeared in 80 games for the Thrashers last season, tallying 17 points (four goals, 13 assists).  The 6-1, 205-pound center tallied 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 159 games after signing with the Thrashers as a free agent prior to the 2008-09 season.

The Honeoye Falls, N.Y., native has earned 223 points (82 goals, 141 assists) in 624 career NHL games with  St. Louis, Edmonton, Boston and Atlanta.  He also posted eight points (two goals, six assists) in 23 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with St. Louis and Edmonton.

Reasoner, who was selected by St. Louis in the first round (14^th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, appeared in 124 AHL games with the Worcester IceCats and Hamilton Bulldogs, tallying 127 points (57 goals, 70 assists). In addition, Reasoner has represented the United States five times in International Competition, including the IIHF World Championships (2002, 2003, 2006) and the IIHF World Junior Championship (1996 and 1997).

Prior to his professional career, Reasoner played three years for Boston College, collecting 162 points (69 goals, 93 assists) in 111 games.

Crabb, 27, recorded 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 79 games last season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.  He ranked third on the team in goals and was tied for fourth in points.  The 6-1, 190-pound right wing added 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 14 Calder Cup Playoff games.

The Anchorage, Alaska, native has posted nine points (four goals, five assists) in 20 career NHL games with the Thrashers and has 139 points (55 goals, 84 assists) in 256 career AHL games with Chicago.

Crabb was originally selected by the NY Rangers in the seventh round, 226^th overall, of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Morin, 19, registered 83 points (47 goals, 36 assists) in 58 games with the Kitchener Rangers last season, his first in the OHL.  The 6-1, 190-pound left wing ranked fourth in the OHL and second on the team in goals, and was third on his team in points.  He added 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 20 OHL post-season games.  The Auburn, N.Y., native also represented the United States at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording seven points (two goals, five assists) in seven games while helping his team to the Gold Medal.

Morin was selected by the Thrashers in the second round, 45^th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Additionally, the Thrashers will send two choices in the 2010 Entry Draft to the Blackhawks, including a first-round choice (24^th overall) and a second-round selection (54^th overall).

MORE NHL: After 49-year drought, Blackhawks win Stanley Cup

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Below is the press release by the Atlanta Thrashers explaining the restructuring of their front office that includes firing coach John Anderson and promoting Rick Dudley and Don Waddell.

ATLANTA, GA. – The Atlanta Thrashers have promoted Don Waddell to President and Rick Dudley to General Manager, according to Co-Owner Bruce Levenson. The team also announced that it will not retain Head Coach John Anderson and Assistant Coaches Randy Cunneyworth, Todd Nelson and Steve Weeks.

In his new role, Waddell will focus primarily on all business aspects of the organization, and as General Manager, Dudley will be responsible for hockey operations.

“My role within the company has evolved and grown the last few years, and the owners and I agree that it’s the appropriate time to have Rick assume all hockey-related responsibilities while I shift my primary focus to the business side of the Thrashers,” said Waddell.

“I will be less involved with the team on a daily basis, but will continue to make myself available to Rick and to lend my experience in any way that allows him to succeed and for us to build this club into a perennial contender.”

“Don has been an important part of this organization since its inception and will continue to play a vital role for our franchise as we transition primary control of our hockey operations to Rick, who has had an immediate impact during his first season with us,” said Levenson.

“Rick has played a key role in building highly successful hockey teams, including most recently the Chicago Blackhawks. He has nearly 40 years of experience and is very well-respected in the hockey community for his expertise in evaluating and developing talent. We are confident that he will do an outstanding job of guiding all hockey-related activities as we move forward and build on the young foundation we have in place. We also thank John, Randy, Todd and Steve for their dedication and contributions to the organization during their tenure.”

Dudley joined Atlanta on June 22, 2009 as associate general manger after five years with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he served as the team’s assistant general manager for his final two seasons. He originally joined the Blackhawks in 2004 as a consultant and was named director of player personnel prior to the 2005-06 season.

“We have a lot of important pieces in place, and I look forward to building this organization even further and working closely with Don, the owners and our staff towards achieving our goals,” said Dudley. “I’ve been in this situation before and we will accomplish our objectives. I appreciate Don and the owners giving me this opportunity to build on what has already been put in place.”

Before joining the Blackhawks, Dudley served as the general manager of the Florida Panthers for two seasons (2002-03 to 2003-04), spent two-and-a-half seasons as senior vice president and general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning (1999-00 to 2001-02) and was general manager of the Ottawa Senators for one year (1998-99).

He is credited with improving each organization he has managed, which includes playing a vital role in building the nucleus of the Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup Championship team.

Dudley, 61, was the general manager for the Detroit Vipers of the former International Hockey League for four seasons before joining the Senators. With the Vipers, Dudley led the team to a 200-92-35 record and the 1997 Turner Cup Championship. Overall, as a general manager he has led his teams to the league finals on eight occasions and captured four championships in the American Hockey League, the IHL and the ECHL.

Dudley also has a lengthy and successful record as a head coach in both the NHL and minor leagues, earning a lifetime record of 592-321-105. He spent two-and-a-half seasons as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 1989-90 to 1991-92, posting an 85-72-31 record while leading the team to the playoffs on two occasions. During the 2003-04 season, he spent 40 games behind the bench of the Florida Panthers, earning a 13-25-9-3 record.

He has also served as a head coach with the Detroit Vipers (1994-95 to 1995-96), the Phoenix Roadrunners (1993-94), the San Diego Gulls (1992-93) and the Flint Spirits (1986-87 to 1987-88) of the IHL and the New Haven Nighthawks (1988-89) of the AHL and the Carolina Thunderbirds (1982-83 to 1985-86) of the ECHL.

The Toronto, Ontario, native played seven NHL seasons with Buffalo and Winnipeg, recording 174 points (75 goals, 99 assists) in 309 games. He also appeared in 270 World Hockey Association games over four seasons with the Cincinnati Stingers, where he earned 277 points (131 goals, 146 assists) and tallied back-to-back 40-goal seasons from 1975-76 to 1976-77.

After retiring as a player, Dudley became the owner, general manager and head coach of the ECHL’s Carolina Thunderbirds. He also served as the league’s president from 1983-86. Prior to retiring, he was part owner and vice president of the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls.

Waddell, 51, was originally named the Thrashers general manager in June 1998 and has become one of the league’s most experienced and respected executives over that time. With 30 years of professional hockey experience as a player, coach and manager, Waddell has guided the Thrashers since its inception and has established an organization that is primed for success now and in the long-term.

Anderson, who was named the team’s fourth head coach on June 20, 2008, earned a 70-75-19 record in 164 games with Atlanta over the last two seasons. During his 15-year head coaching career, Anderson has captured five league championships, most recently guiding the Chicago Wolves to the American Hockey League’s 2008 Calder Cup. He spent 11 seasons with the Wolves, the Thrashers primary minor-league affiliate, earning a 506-283-99 regular season record and a 105-60 post-season record.

The Toronto, Ontario, native played for 12 seasons in the NHL with Toronto, Quebec and Hartford, posting 631 points (282 goals, 349 assists) in 814 career games. He also notched 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 37 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with Toronto and Hartford.