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Ownership change positive for Waddell

After a season that ends with the Atlanta Thrashers again looking upward at the playoff spots they missed, there will be some new faces staring dgwn from the ownership suite and looking for answers. A group of nine investors forming Atlanta Spirit LLC officially took over the club March 30, along with the National Basketball Association’s Hawks and Philips Arena, from Time Warner. The group hired as its CEO Bernie Mullin, who most recently worked for the NBA league office. Mullin also has hockey experience from his days as an executive in the defunct International League. GM Don Waddell said the new corporate structure could help streamline decision-making. “If a decision has to be made outside the box…you can go to someone now and get decisions made very quickly where perhaps that wasn’t…

Hill on goal-scoring tear after switching stick styles

Once Sean Hill stopped breaking his sticks all the time, he started putting them to good use. Beset by sticks that would snap when he unleashed his booming slap shot, the Carolina defenseman switched to an aluminum stick in December. The results have been stunning 13 goals in 47 games, compared to 12 goals in the first 162 games after the Hurricanes reacquired him in December, 2001. But Hill is not willing to put too much stock in the stick theory. He scored 13 goals during his first stint with Carolina in 1999-2000 a career-high he has tied this season before the advent of the one-piece stick. “I’m letting the stick do a little more work than before,” Hill said. “I don’t know if that’s the reason why I’m scoring. I mean, I…