<p>No matter where he turned, Dany Heatley faced reminders of that terrible night. The twisty, narrow road where the wreck happened. The speeches he gave on the dangers of speeding. Dan Snyder's number on the boards at Philips Arena.</p><p>Heatley couldn't take it anymore.</p><p>Two weeks ago, Heatley quietly went to the Atlanta Thrashers and asked for a trade. On Tuesday, the request was granted when he sent to the Ottawa Senators for Marian Hossa, a blockbuster deal involving two of the highest-scoring players in the NHL.</p><p>While initially taken aback, Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said he could understand Heatley's desire to leave Atlanta, where he took the blame for a high-speed crash that killed Snyder, his friend and teammate.</p><p>"The emotions that went with the accident, being here in the city, driving by the place where the accident happened and being reminded of it. Obviously we have 37, Dan Snyder's number, in our building," Waddell said.</p><p>"All of that led to Dany believing he needed a fresh start."</p><p>The trade was completed on the same day Hossa agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract with the Senators, avoiding salary arbitration. Heatley, a restricted free agent, immediately signed a three-year deal with Ottawa.</p><p>The 24-year-old Heatley combined with Ilya Kovalchuk to give the Thrashers two of the NHL's most prized young players. Hossa led the Senators with 36 goals and 46 assists in 2003-04, the last season before the lockout.</p><p>The Thrashers also received defenseman Greg de Vries in the trade.</p><p>"Requesting a change of environment was an extremely difficult decision," Heatley said in a statement released by the Thrashers. "After a tremendous amount of reflection and numerous conversations with my family, it made the most sense to seek a change."</p><p>Heatley's best season was 2002-03, when he had 41 goals, 89 points and was named MVP of the All-Star game. But his promising career was tragically sidetracked in September 2003, shortly before the start of the next season.</p><p>Heatley lost control of his Ferrari on a residential road in Atlanta, the vehicle colliding violently with a brick pillar and iron fence. Snyder, a passenger in the car, died after several days in a coma.</p><p>"Over the course of time, we experienced some unfortunate incidents and encountered some challenging issues," Heatley's agent, Stacey McAlpine, said in a telephone interview from Calgary. "I think it was a combination of several things that slowly, over time, led us to the decision that it might be in everybody's best interests to work together to try to find a new opportunity, a new home, a new place to play."</p><p>Heatley was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide and three lesser charges. He also was ordered to give 150 public speeches about the dangers of speeding, and his driving privileges were restricted.</p><p>The only felony charge _ first-degree vehicular homicide _ was dropped as part of a plea deal that kept Heatley from serving jail time.</p><p>Heatley sustained a serious knee injury in the wreck, which caused him to miss 51 games in 2003-04. He returned to tally 13 goals and 12 assists in 31 games, but was injured again while playing in Switzerland during the lockout. A puck struck him in the left eye, breaking the orbital bone and requiring facial surgery.</p><p>McAlpine said Heatley has fully recovered from his injuries. He played for Canada in the last two world championships, winning MVP honors in 2004. He also played for his homeland at last year's World Cup of Hockey.</p><p>"He's got his fair share of experience playing for Team Canada and wearing the Team Canada colors," McAlpine said. "He's proud to be a Canadian and is pretty excited about coming back to Canada."</p><p>McAlpine said the contract negotiations with Atlanta were not a major factor in Heatley asking for a trade.</p><p>"Ultimately, this decision for us wasn't so much of a business decision," McAlpine said. "It was more of a life decision."</p><p>Heatley was rookie of the year in 2001-02. He has 80 goals and 101 assists in 190 career games with the Thrashers.</p><p>The 26-year-old Hossa, a native of Slovakia, is one of the league's most prolific scorers. He's averaged nearly 35 goals a year over the last five seasons, including a career-high 45 in 2002-03.</p><p>Hossa's new contract will pay him $5 million this season, $6 million in 2006-07 and $7 million the following year.</p><p>De Vries gives the Thrashers another newcomer in an overhauled defense. In 2003-04, he had three goals and 13 assists in 66 games.</p><p>As for Heatley, he's moving on to a fresh start in Ottawa, hoping that will help him ease some of those awful memories in Atlanta.</p><p>"I feel fortunate to have come into the NHL with Atlanta and will always be proud to say I was a Thrasher," Heatley said. "The Thrashers have acquired a world-class player in Marian Hossa. All in all, this is a win-win situation for everyone."</p>
