The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

September 14, 2009

The Hockey News - Sep-14-09

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05456/9253734-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="318" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The Canes lineup hasn&rsquo;t been this set heading into camp in years.</p><p>As things stand, 21 spots look cut and dried. The only question is if any of Carolina&rsquo;s young players make too strong a case to be sent to the AHL.</p><p>The plan is to have Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman and Jamie McBain play together in Albany before moving up to the NHL next fall. But one of those four could play his way onto the roster.</p><p>There is also competition for the depth defenseman spots. Tim Conboy, on a one-way contract, is the logical shoo-in as the seventh guy. If Carolina decides to keep an eighth blueliner, Brett Carson and Bryan Rodney top the list heading into camp.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN EVERY ISSUE

Carolina

<div class="byline">with Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021587/9253423-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FRANK PRAZAK/HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012117/9253430-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>ED KENNEDY DID NOT GRACE</b> the Toronto Maple Leafs with his presence much in recent years, but a couple of seasons ago he was on hand for an embarrassing moment at the Air Canada Centre.</p><p>During a TV timeout, the Leafs displayed a short tribute to Kennedy on the scoreboard and then introduced him to the crowd. The applause for Kennedy from the throng of corporate welfare bums occupying the most expensive seats in hockey could be described as tepid at best. Without exaggeration, it was slightly more than what they likely would have given to Lou Franceschetti or Rocky Saganiuk.</p><p>They should have been ashamed of themselves. The Leafs should have been too, but given the way they have treated their former players over the years, perhaps it shouldn&rsquo;t have been entirely unexpected. Nor should it have been a shock that Kennedy&rsquo;s death in mid-August received such short shrift in the hockey world.</p><p>Could you see the crowd at the United Center clapping politely for Bobby Hull? Boston fans giving Bobby Orr little more than obligatory recognition? People at the Bell Centre sloughing off Maurice Richard?</p><p>Because the reality is Kennedy meant as much to the Maple Leafs as those players meant to their teams. He was certainly not the most talented Leaf player ever, but Kennedy was the greatest player in franchise history. Much like Richard for the Canadiens, Kennedy embodied everything it meant to be a Maple Leaf and goes down in history as the greatest player ever to wear the uniform.</p><p>Perhaps that says as much about the Maple Leafs as it does Kennedy. The closest thing the Leafs have ever had to a superstar was Frank Mahovlich and he was driven out of town and reduced to an emotional wreck by team management before going on to much better days with Detroit, Montreal and in the World Hockey Association.</p><p>This is a franchise that has been in business for more than 90 years and has never produced a Norris Trophy winner. It hasn&rsquo;t had a league scoring champion in 70 years and has produced just two Hart Trophy winners, none since 1955 when the league decided to give it to Kennedy ostensibly as a retirement gift. To put it all into perspective, consider that 15 players in NHL history have won as many or more Hart Trophies than the entire Leafs organization has.</p><p>That has something to do with the fact the Leafs have spent much of the post-expansion era as a dysfunctional doormat, but even when they were a league powerhouse the team was always a triumph of the collective spirit over the individual. And nobody embodied that more than Kennedy.</p><p>There have been more talented players to suit up for the Leafs over the years. Mats Sundin, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald and Borje Salming were far more individually gift ed than Kennedy, but they have zero Stanley Cups with the Leafs among them. (For my money, the most naturally gift ed Maple Leaf ever was Alexander Mogilny, but he spent only four seasons with the team.)</p><p>None of those players, however, could match Kennedy&rsquo;s combination of intensity and on-ice intelligence. Never a gifted skater, Kennedy more than made up for his shortcomings by being difficult to play against, a fiend in the faceoff circle and a pinpoint passer. His battles against the likes of Jean Beliveau and especially Gordie Howe were legendary.</p><p>Kennedy won a total of five Stanley Cups with the Leafs, two of them as captain. In fact, only Red Kelly, with eight, and Glenn Anderson, Mark Messier and Bryan Trottier with six each, won more Stanley Cups than Kennedy without being a member of a Montreal Canadiens dynasty. Just 11 other players in NHL history have matched Kennedy&rsquo;s five Stanley Cups.</p><p>Kennedy was never more than a point-per-game player as a Leaf, but his playoff contributions were enormous. Of the five Stanley Cups the Leafs won in his first seven years with the team, Kennedy led the squad in points four times and in goals three times. The Conn Smythe Trophy, named after the Maple Leafs owner who once said Kennedy was his all-time favorite player, didn&rsquo;t exist when Kennedy played, but he would have picked up several playoff MVP awards if it had. When the Society for International Hockey Research chose the retroactive Conn Smythe winners a couple of years ago, it awarded the trophy to Kennedy in 1945, 1947 and 1948.</p><p>Kennedy likely wouldn&rsquo;t crack even the top-10 players in the history of the Canadiens, even if he had played his career in Montreal. The Habs had actually owned Kennedy&rsquo;s rights when he was a teenager and convinced him to move to Montreal to play junior for the Montreal Royals and attend Lower Canada College. It may have marked the only time in history the Canadiens blundered in their handling of a young prospect and after growing frustrated and homesick, Kennedy returned to Ontario. The Leafs traded serviceable defenseman Frank Eddolls to get him and Kennedy came back to haunt the Canadiens many times during the 1940s.</p><p>Had the Habs handled the situation differently, there&rsquo;s a good chance the Leafs would have been without their leader for several Stanley Cups and Montreal might have won a couple more. The Canadiens lost the Stanley Cup final to the Maple Leafs in 1947 and &rsquo;51.</p><p>To be sure, the Leafs would have been robbed of their greatest player in franchise history.</p><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031082/9253416-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="47" height="48"></span><p>For Ken&rsquo;s web-exclusive <b>Campbell&rsquo;s Cuts</b> column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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TRUE BLUE CAPTAIN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GLENNON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03656/9254082-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="316" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The candidates just keep piling up for the Predators&rsquo; third-line center position.</p><p>Possibilities at this point include Ben Eaves, Marcel Goc, Ben Guite, Cal O&rsquo;Reilly, Mike Santorelli and Colin Wilson.</p><p>Goc and Guite have the most NHL experience in the bunch, but both are more defense-minded players and will likely be dropped down into the fourth-line mix.</p><p>O&rsquo;Reilly and Santorelli got their first tastes of the NHL last season, with O&rsquo;Reilly emerging as the more savvy player and Santorelli the pivot with more raw skill.</p><p>Wilson, a Hobey Baker finalist last season, will get a long look because of his size and scoring touch.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Nashville

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011248/9253610-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="307" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Jonas Hiller seized the starting job in net down the stretch last season and solidified his hold with a stellar playoff showing.</p><p>The man he bumped, 2003 Conn Smythe winner and &rsquo;07 Cup winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere, has made it known he won&rsquo;t be comfortable in a backup role. And if Giguere is able to overcome last year&rsquo;s personal turmoil, including the death of his father, Claude, the Anaheim crease will be a very competitive place.</p><p>Only adding to the storyline are the two years and $12 million remaining on Giguere&rsquo;s contract as well as the fact Hiller, who will earn $1.3 million this season, stands to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Anaheim

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012095/9252904-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>C&rsquo;mon Teeder!</b></p><p>Ted &lsquo;Teeder&rsquo; Kennedy, who died last month at age 83, never took a single shift off during his career as a Leaf.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(IMPERIAL OIL - TUROFSKY HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

THE BIG PICTURE

<div class="byline">with Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012106/9252942-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="713" height="604"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>F YOU EVER NEEDED PROOF</b> money and maturity aren&rsquo;t necessarily directly correlated, refer to the playground spat that developed between Jim Balsillie and Eugene Melnyk in the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy saga.</p><p>Balsillie, in a court document, argued the NHL was being hypocritical if it prohibited him from purchasing a team on the basis of integrity. He cited several examples of owners who&rsquo;d crossed the ethics line and included Melnyk&rsquo;s name, perhaps ill-advisedly. Melnyk countered with a vengeance, reminding the world Balsillie has encountered his own serious legal problems, and stating the RIM king was causing &ldquo;damage to himself, the league and all Canadians.&rdquo;</p><p><i>Take that. Why does he get one and I don&rsquo;t? It&rsquo;s not fair. I&rsquo;m telling mom.</i></p><p>Melodrama aside, both factions have points. The NHL indeed has a history of aligning itself with men who eventually fought the law. In recent years, that group includes Peter Pocklington, Bruce McNall, John Spano, Sanjay Kumar, John Rigas, Henry Samueli and &lsquo;Boots&rsquo; Del Biaggio. While the majority of team owners have solid public reputations, the league has never been an all-saints brotherhood.</p><p>At the same time, the NHL&rsquo;s contention that most transgressions by its owners took place post-entry into its circle, is acknowledged. The league asserts it hasn&rsquo;t knowingly aligned itself with scoundrels.</p><p>To cite this, however, as the primary motivator from barring Balsillie stretches the bounds of credibility. If the league only ever approved pristine angels as owners, it&rsquo;d be a very small hockey world after all.</p><p>So what is driving the blockade?</p><p>Only Gary Bettman and his lieutenants know for certain, but the answers we&rsquo;ll accept are: a) Bettman&rsquo;s legacy. The commissioner is a proud man and wants to deliver on his promise the CBA would guarantee protection for the 30 franchises in their markets; b) the Leafs. If backed into a corner and a team absolutely has to infringe on Toronto&rsquo;s territory, the NHL wants it to be on its terms, affording them the chance to maximize revenues; c) fear of a maverick. Balsillie&rsquo;s willingness to skirt convention is a harbinger of how he may behave once on the inside. In short, he could be a threat to the league&rsquo;s power brokers; d) a combination of the above.</p><p>OK, we&rsquo;ll throw in, e) he&rsquo;s a bad boy, if we really have to, but just remember&hellip; y<i>ou&rsquo;re not the boss of me, you know.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021784/9252935-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="476" height="254"></div><h2><b>LISTEN UP!</b></h2><p><b>THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW</b></p><p><b>FRIDAYS 3-4 EST</b></p><p><b>XM 204</b></p><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> SEPTEMBER 28, 2009</p><p>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE: <b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></b> CONTACT US: <b><a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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CHILDISH SPAT CLOUDS ISSUE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021518/9253042-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="881" height="626"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03976/9253035-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="179" height="179"></div><p>Points for wins? Now that&rsquo;s a radical idea.</p><p>Why would teams go hard for a regulation win when they can guarantee themselves a point and worry about the extra point in the shootout?</p><p>How about only giving out two points for a regulation or 4-on-4 victory and one point for a shootout win? The shootout loser would then get nothing.</p><p>This would make everything more exciting.</p><p><b>Jeff Corkish, Wawota, Sask.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012097/9253028-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="247" height="203"></div><h2><b>FREE SWAG!</b></h2><p>Each issue, we&rsquo;ll give a cool THN hat to the top letter.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SOUNDING OFF WINNING POINT

<blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>What? No Jonathan Toews in the Yearbook top 50 NHL players?</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04606/9252997-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="179" height="179"></div><h2><b>SHOOTING PRACTICE</b></h2><p>I just read the &lsquo;Extra point leads to less&rsquo; article by Jay Greenberg in the Yearbook.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s a slightly radical idea that may open the game at the end to keep the teams from playing for overtime. During the warmup, prior to the game, let&rsquo;s have a potentially meaningless shootout.</p><p>Both teams now know the outcome of the game if it goes to a shootout. Therefore, if you get to OT or are tied late in the third, one team knows they need to turn it on.</p><p>This should lead to some pretty exciting finishes.</p><p>As well, this would get fans in the seats earlier and both teams get real practice at the shootout regularly.</p><p>Not to mention the players may be more loose for the competition knowing the shootout is probably meaningless. In turn, they would be more likely to try out different and entertaining moves.</p><p>Perhaps you could even convince the announcers not to spoil it by saying who won and they could still save the shootout for the end of the game on TV broadcasts.</p><p><b>Mike Holmes, Gravenhurst, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>TOEWS SNUB</b></h2><p>As the wife of a rabid Blackhawks fan, I am now reading each issue of The Hockey News.</p><p>What? No Jonathan Toews in the Yearbook top 50 NHL players? Even after you have an article where Wings coach Mike Babcock states that you could build a team around Toews.</p><p>What were you thinking?</p><p><b>Erin Brinkman Dynek, Chicago</b></p><h2><b>CANADA&rsquo;S CUP</b></h2><p>2010: The year Stanley comes home!</p><p>I know, I said this last season and it didn&rsquo;t happen. But think about it: the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where host Canada will be the odds-on favorite to win the gold, and a Canadian team finally wins the Stanley Cup for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.</p><p>The only question is who will win it?</p><p>Let&rsquo;s see, based upon some <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">TheHockeyNews.com</a> picks, in the East the Habs are picked eighth and in the West the Canucks are picked third with the Flames in sixth. I&rsquo;m sticking with the Leafs, but would love to see any Canadian team win the Cup in 2010.</p><p>Who knows, since the Canucks are hosting the Olympics, how about celebrating Stanley?</p><p><b>Mike Niehaus, Portsmouth, Va.</b></p><h2><b>FORGET IT, FLEURY</b></h2><p>Does Theo Fleury really think he can come back to the NHL?</p><p>At his size, he was lucky to make it there in the first place. Not to mention, coming back to the NHL after an extended period of time is no piece of cake; just ask Claude Lemieux.</p><p>Theo, you&rsquo;ve cemented your legacy as one of the greatest small men ever. Don&rsquo;t taint it.</p><p><b>Glen Cuthbert, Hamilton, Ont.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Crowd Shots

<div class="byline">with LUKE SCHENN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012330/9253080-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="510" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCHENN: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>What was your &lsquo;welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>My first NHL game. It was on Hockey Night in Canada in Detroit &ndash; they were raising the Stanley Cup banner. A couple of months earlier I had gone to a game in Detroit as a fan and a couple of months later, I was playing them.</p><p><b>What did you buy with your first NHL paycheck?</b></p><p>Actually, I didn&rsquo;t really buy much. The day I signed Carrie Underwood was doing a concert. So I went out to the concert with a couple guys and that was about it.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s the best trash-talk you&rsquo;ve heard?</b></p><p>One guy &ndash; I don&rsquo;t know who, I think we were playing the Islanders &ndash; was wearing a really odd number, 64 or something, and a guy on our team asked him if he picked that number or if it was given to him when he came up from the minors.</p><p><b>Who&rsquo;s your road roommate and how is he?</b></p><p>I roomed with Jeff Finger all year and he&rsquo;s awesome. Even though he&rsquo;s ten years older we get along great. We always go out for dinner with more of the guys and we actually got really tight over the season.</p><p><b>What are your favorite album and movie of all time?</b></p><p>Garth Brooks&rsquo; <i>Greatest Hits and A Night at the Roxbury.</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06322/9253073-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="60" height="60"></div><p><b>Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for exclusive Q+A&rsquo;s in our &lsquo;Getting to Know&rsquo; feature</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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2 MINUTES IN THE BOX

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021563/9253146-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="630" height="555"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SMYTH: MICHAEL MARTIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07201/9253153-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="152" height="152"></div><p>Hi Adam,</p><p>I&rsquo;m really looking forward to seeing my L.A. Kings this year &ndash; and I&rsquo;m most excited to see <b>Ryan Smyth</b> in our lineup. Do you think he&rsquo;s the missing piece of the puzzle who can get the Kings into the playoffs after all these years of disappointment?</p><p><b><i>Luke M., Calgary</i></b></p><p>Hi Luke,</p><p>I too am looking forward to seeing Smyth go to work in Southern California &ndash; in large part to see how his world-renowned mullet will be received by local fashionistas &ndash; but if you&rsquo;re expecting him to singlehandedly pull the Kings into the post-season, I think you&rsquo;re asking too much. If they do make it, they&rsquo;ll be there because L.A.&rsquo;s core group of young players steps up, not because of one veteran&rsquo;s efforts.</p><p>Adam,</p><p>Is a 0-0 tie game in the NHL recorded as a shutout for the goalies on both teams? If more than two goalies played in the game, can all four goalies get credit for a shutout?</p><p><b><i>Mark Campbell, Bloomfield, Ont.</i></b></p><p>Mark,</p><p>Yes, both goalies would be awarded a shutout, regardless of how the shootout decided the game. If both sides had to substitute their backup netminder during a scoreless tie, none of the four goalies would receive credit for a shutout; instead, each would be credited with a &ldquo;shared shutout.&rdquo;</p><p><b>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-08120/9253139-1-eng-US/f0006-082.jpg" title="f0006-08" width="60" height="60"></div><p>Need more of your questions answered? Read Proteau&rsquo;s <b>&lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo;</b> column every Friday at <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05452/9253132-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="101" height="101"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Who should start in goal for the U.S. Olympic team?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03919/9253125-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="474" height="118"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04577/9253118-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="450" height="699"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(THOMAS: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SPIT IT OUT!</b></h2><p>GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST</p><p>SEND US AN E-MAIL</p><p><b><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>OR LOG ON</p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>SEND US SNAIL MAIL</p><p>Letters, The Hockey News 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100 Toronto, ON., M2N 6S7, Canada</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0979/9253111-1-eng-US/f0006-092.jpg" title="f0006-09" width="60" height="60"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>BONUS!</b></h2><p>All subscribers get exclusive access on <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to digital magazine archives!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-02

ASK Adam

<div class="byline">&#x2013;RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012225/9253191-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Detroit&rsquo;s Pavel Datsyuk has always let his actions do the talking for him.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE REGINEK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021687/9253198-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="108" height="108"></div><p><b>PAVEL DATSYUK</b> is a behind-the-scenes type of guy.</p><p>Known for his shy demeanor with the media, Datsyuk is reputedly a jokester in the Red Wings dressing room and with his friends.</p><p>In the summer, we rarely hear about the Russian dynamo as he heads back home to Ekaterinburg, a city located about 200 miles north of the Russia-Kazakhstan border.</p><p>The past two off-seasons there&rsquo;s been a little extra something special about the trek and it involves another side of &lsquo;Pav&rsquo; that he&rsquo;s all too humble to draw attention to.</p><p>Datsyuk&rsquo;s desire to leave a legacy in his hometown inspired him to start a hockey school for kids. But it&rsquo;s no ordinary hockey school; Datsyuk got NHL professionals involved to help not only teach kids, but show minor hockey coaches another approach to developing players.</p><p>Last year, the program was one week long and hosted about 40 kids. This summer, however, it was adjusted to two weeks and more than twice as many kids.</p><p>&ldquo;The genesis of the school began with Pav&rsquo;s altruistic intent to give something back to his hometown,&rdquo; explained Jay Woodcroft, San Jose Sharks assistant coach. &ldquo;He wanted to introduce the kids and coaches to a new side of the game. It was Pav&rsquo;s desire to expose these kids to top-level coaching.&rdquo;</p><p>With instructors such as Woodcroft, his brother Todd (a longtime NHL scout) and Montreal Canadiens goalie coach Pierre Groulx on the ice, the kids are brought through different stations, each focusing on a specific skill. And when working on skills, why not teach the ones that made the founder of the camp one of the best and most well-rounded players in the world?</p><p>&ldquo;Pav&rsquo;s curriculum is the &lsquo;small area skills,&rsquo;&rdquo; Todd Woodcroft said. &ldquo;Taking pucks off the wall, protecting pucks, stickhandling in a tight area &ndash; things like that.&rdquo;</p><p>At the end of camp, the kids split up and play a game for a trophy and are treated to such perks as having their names announced for the contest. It&rsquo;s a way to reward them for the hard work they put in.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Off the ice, the kids work with mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer Jeremy Clark, where core strength and flexibility are the focus. Clark teaches them different variations on exercises like the push-up, as well as how to properly stretch; things the kids can continue to utilize on their own.</p><p>Datsyuk tries to control the costs as much as possible and even subsidizes the kids who otherwise may not be able to afford it. To help further, equipment &ndash; jerseys for the players and tracksuits for the instructors, for example &ndash; is donated by Reebok.</p><p>The instructors also hold a clinic for coaches from the area and each speaks on how to teach a certain aspect of the game, whether it be goaltending, defense or specialty teams.</p><p>And during the whole thing a modest Datsyuk still doesn&rsquo;t advertise his contribution to the operation. You&rsquo;d think the two-time Selke winner could run every drill himself, but Datsyuk wants the coaches to teach the kids and show them it can be fun, so he is mainly a helper, mingling with the players and enjoying the whole thing himself.</p><p>&ldquo;This guy was on the ice six hours a day, 10 days straight, pushing pucks, moving nets, being a translator&hellip;it was like he was a Jr. B guy,&rdquo; Todd Woodcroft said. &ldquo;All the guys we were with were floored. Just to see a guy like that running around asking &lsquo;Where do you need the pucks?&rsquo; &lsquo;Where do you need the net set up?&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012002/9253184-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="939" height="638"><figcaption class="caption-body">DATSYUK PUTS HIMSELF WITH, NOT ABOVE, HIS CREW OF CAMPERS <span class="photo-credit">(MARIA LEONOVA)</span></figcaption></div><p>With such dedication and love for a cause, Datsyuk&rsquo;s legacy will be of unselfishness and opportunity. And who knows, maybe one of these kids will travel to the NHL one day.</p><p>&ldquo;I teach them to always have fun,&rdquo; Datsyuk said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have this experience when I was growing up. I would like more hockey players to grow up from Russia, especially from my town.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

CAMP DATSYUK

<h2><b>+ WALK ON</b></h2><p>After five years on the administrative side of officiating, Stephen Walkom plans to return to NHL ice as a referee at age 46.</p><h2><b>&ndash; COYOTE UGLY</b></h2><p>Phoenix situation a summer-long mess, embarrassing a league that originally denied there was even a serious problem.</p><h2><b>+ SPITTIN&rsquo; NAILS</b></h2><p>Windsor, poised to be even better than Spits team that won Memorial Cup last year, earns THN&rsquo;s No. 1 ranking among CHL clubs.</p><h2><b>+ SENATOR JACQUES</b></h2><p>Much-loved former coach Jacques Demers appointed to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.</p><h2><b>+ NO MORE TRADES</b></h2><p>Hampered by hip injuries, Mike Sillinger hangs &rsquo;em up after 15 NHL seasons during which he played for a record 12 teams.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021394/9253229-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="658" height="1259"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEPHEN WALKOM <span class="photo-credit">(WALKOM: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-02

Plus/Minus

<h2><b>5 FIVE</b></h2><p>Known more for his defensive prowess, Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour has 443 goals and 1,165 points, 48th in NHL history.</p><h2><b>4 FOUR</b></h2><p>At No. 41 all-time, Teemu Selanne has scored 579 goals and added 633 assists for 1,212 career points, most by a Finn.</p><h2><b>3 THREE</b></h2><p>Mike Modano has 543 goals and 1,329 points, 29th-most ever and first among American-born players.</p><h2><b>2 TWO</b></h2><p>Brendan Shanahan sits 11th all-time with 656 goals and 23rd in career scoring with 1,354 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03858/9253260-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="672" height="544"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RECCHI: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>1 ONE</b></h2><p>Mark Recchi is 14th all-time in scoring with 545 goals and 1,442 points. He is entering his 21st NHL season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-03

Starting from 5

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011888/9253298-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="658" height="751"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRIS PRONGER <span class="photo-credit">(ROBERT LABERGE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021369/9253291-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="529" height="273"></div><p>OLYMPIC TRACKER</p><p>ROAD TO VANCOUVER 2010</p><p><b>WHAT CAN BE GLEANED</b> from the initial pairing of all-world defenseman Chris Pronger with incoming NHL sophomore Drew Doughty at Canada&rsquo;s recent Olympic orientation camp in Calgary?</p><p>Pronger, now a member of a very potent Philadelphia Flyers back end, is surely a lock to bring his lethal combination of skill and intimidation to the Canadian blueline, but Doughty is something of a wild card.</p><p>As a rookie with the Los Angeles Kings last season, the 19-year-old jumped straight into the fire and played excellent hockey for a poor Kings squad, no doubt aiding his inclusion on Team Canada&rsquo;s short list of Olympic hopefuls.</p><p>But with no shortage of puck-movers or veteran NHLers available, Doughty would appear to have a difficult road to Vancouver.</p><p>Another early pairing at Canada&rsquo;s camp was comprised of Anaheim&rsquo;s Scott Niedermayer, who has won every championship imaginable, including a gold medal at Salt Lake City in 2002, and Chicago&rsquo;s rising star Duncan Keith.</p><p>The young Blackhawk made a name for himself two years ago with his stellar plus-30 rating on a non-playoff team, then followed it up with a breakout 44-point performance last season.</p><p>Of course, there&rsquo;s only room for six or seven D-men on the squad and with names such as Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf and Shea Weber out there, the lineup fills in pretty quickly.</p><p>Other high-profile blueliners attending the camp included San Jose&rsquo;s Dan Boyle, world championship stalwart Brent Burns of Minnesota and Washington&rsquo;s Mike Green, who, in coach Mike Babcock&rsquo;s up-tempo system, would have the opportunity to really do some damage in a rover-type role.</p><p>Should Canada want a more traditional defensive defenseman patrolling the ice in Vancouver, Flames veteran Robyn Regehr was also in attendance.</p><p>Based on their punishing physical game, a defense corps featuring Regehr, Pronger and Phaneuf and/or Weber would certainly intimidate any forwards entering Canadian turf.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

ON GUARD FOR THEE

<div class="byline">with Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021676/9253378-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(J.D. CUBAN/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012141/9253385-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p><b>ON THE DAY JEREMY ROENICK RETIRED,</b> one of his closest friends succinctly summarized the 20-year veteran&rsquo;s impact on the hockey world.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if we&rsquo;ll ever find another Jeremy Roenick anywhere,&rdquo; Doug Wilson said of the man the San Jose Sharks GM took under his wing when both were playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.</p><p>Wilson is absolutely correct.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why &ndash; and not just for on-ice reasons &ndash; Roenick ought to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.</p><p>Disagree? Think Roenick doesn&rsquo;t belong in the Hall simply because he didn&rsquo;t have dozens of first - or second-team NHL all-star honors and didn&rsquo;t win a single scoring title or individual award?</p><p>Well, I&rsquo;ve got news for you: Gaining acceptance into the HHOF isn&rsquo;t solely about how impressive your statistics or trophy case happen to be.</p><p>Instead it&rsquo;s about the whole of your contributions to the sport &ndash; and to me, on top of his goal and assist totals, Roenick&rsquo;s outspoken nature and willingness to throw down verbally with the game&rsquo;s establishment is what seals the deal and makes him a Hall of Famer.</p><p>It&rsquo;s no secret the hockey world excels at intimidating its elite players into abject silence and/or marble-mouthed cliches, but Roenick was too tremendous of a player, too assured of his numerous abilities, and yes, sometimes a bit too cocky for his own good, to allow himself to be muted.</p><p>If a referee wronged him, odds are that official heard about it on the ice and in the newspapers the next morning. If it was the league that stumbled onto his bad side, it too got lambasted (&ldquo;Wake up, NHL, wake up!&rdquo;).</p><p>Even his toughest opponents weren&rsquo;t immune to a J.R. barb: Patrick Roy came up with the most memorable comeback line of his career &ndash; &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t really hear what Jeremy said because I&rsquo;ve got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears&rdquo; &ndash; only because Roenick had the sack to call Roy out in the first place with a colorful quote concerning Roy&rsquo;s jockstrap and the upper loges of the United Center.</p><p>Roenick never was troubled by any weak-kneed fears of having one of his quotes posted on another team&rsquo;s dressing room bulletin board, because when he spoke, he did so honestly and passionately, as a guy who adored the game as much as anybody.</p><p>If the other team, his teammates or his coach couldn&rsquo;t handle a little honesty in their day-to-day lives, they didn&rsquo;t appreciate &ldquo;J.R. hockey.&rdquo; But he knew who he was, so Roenick didn&rsquo;t care what anybody thought of him. In the NHL, that took gonads the size of grapefruits.</p><p>You might be able to poke fun at Roenick&rsquo;s acting, singing or dancing abilities, but nobody could touch him in the authenticity department.</p><p>That genuine nature made him an instant and lifelong hit with Blackhawks fans when Roenick first came into the NHL in 1989 and scored nine goals and 18 points in his initial 20 games.</p><p>He was still the same affable, approachable fan favorite when he netted at least 50 goals in two straight seasons with Chicago in the early &rsquo;90s and when he helped the Phoenix Coyotes to some of their only post-season appearances in the past decade.</p><p>He didn&rsquo;t change when the Philadelphia Flyers asked him to accept a trade to the L.A. Kings in 2005 so they could sign Peter Forsberg.</p><p>And during his final two NHL seasons in San Jose &ndash; when he admirably swallowed his pride and accepted a role as a fourth-liner (while still leading all San Jose scorers with 10 game-winning goals in 2007-08) &ndash; he still made every effort to grow the game through constant interaction with fans and reporters.</p><p>Roenick always has been one of hockey&rsquo;s greatest ambassadors despite a bruising style that led to some of the more gruesome injuries sustained by any NHLer, let alone a star of his caliber.</p><p>But even during one of those episodes &ndash; for example, when he took a Boris Mironov slapshot in the cheek at Madison Square Garden in 2004 and had to have a steel plate grafted onto his busted melon &ndash; Roenick always acknowledged the paying customers whose ticket monies allowed him to enjoy such a charmed life.</p><p>That night in Manhattan, Roenick held up his hand to wave to the fans in appreciation of the standing ovation they gave to him as he was helped off the ice and into an ambulance.</p><p>Now it&rsquo;s the hockey world&rsquo;s turn to wave back to him with a Hall of Fame call.</p><p>He retires as the third-leading American-born goal-scorer and point-producer in NHL history &ndash; with 513 regular season goals and 1,216 points &ndash; and sits 39th among the game&rsquo;s all-time point-getting greats.</p><p>Those numbers can&rsquo;t hamper his chances at HHOF honors.</p><p>But being the NHL&rsquo;s rebel without a pause button was what really set Roenick apart.</p><p>He ripped Gary Bettman as willingly as he questioned former NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow. During the 2004-05 lockout season, he even told a certain segment of fans (mainly the ones who called NHLers &ldquo;spoiled&rdquo;) what part of his anatomy they could pucker up and plant a wet one on.</p><p>Yet that was what made him so endearing to so many.</p><p>If Roenick was playing for your team, there was no advocate more rabid.</p><p>If he was playing for your favorite franchise&rsquo;s opponent, there was nobody on the other side you wanted to beat more.</p><p>If the Hall of Fame exists for hockey fans as well as players, coaches and builders of the game, Roenick &ndash; the NHLer who loved the customers as much as any player, the guy who understood and embraced the power fame provided to effect change and promote the sport &ndash; surely deserves to have his plaque tacked up inside its hallowed walls.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011907/9253371-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="1290" height="1296"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Jeremy Roenick was never afraid to stick his nose into the fray, on and off the ice.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ALLSPORT/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031079/9253364-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="130" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04644/9253357-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="130" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-05455/9253350-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="129" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-06369/9253343-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="129" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-07306/9253336-1-eng-US/f0012-072.jpg" title="f0012-07" width="130" height="120"></div><p><b>SEASONS: 20</b></p><p><b>GAMES: 1,363</b></p><p><b>POINTS: 1,216*</b></p><p><b>TEAMS: 5</b></p><p><b>GOALS: 513*</b></p><p><i>*RANKS 3rd ALL-TIME AMONG AMERICAN-BORN PLAYERS</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-08258/9253329-1-eng-US/f0012-082.jpg" title="f0012-08" width="47" height="48"></span><p>For Adam&rsquo;s web-exclusive <b>Screen Shots</b> column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-02

A ‘HALL’ OF A CAREER?

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011364/9253496-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011337/9253489-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="693" height="912"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>B</span>ack in the Dead Puck Era, Bob Clarke came up with a rather novel concept on how the NHL could increase goal scoring beyond what it was in the days when Eddie Shore terrorized his opponents and players weren&rsquo;t allowed to make forward passes. &ldquo;Get more bad goalies,&rdquo; was Clarke&rsquo;s tongue-incheek suggestion.</p><p>Heaven knows, Clarke and the Philadelphia Flyers went out and did their part. Actually, that&rsquo;s a bit of a shot. The Flyers tried, they really did. It isn&rsquo;t entirely their fault that the two guys who were supposed to be stopping pucks for them right about now played for the Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta (Maxime Ouellet) and the Hamburg Freezers (Jean-Marc Pelletier) last season.</p><p>With a few notable exceptions, the Flyers have done almost everything right since they came into the NHL in 1967. They&rsquo;ve drafted well, won two Stanley Cups, made gobs of money, been a perennial contender and enjoyed a long-term relevance in their marketplace rivaled in the U.S. only by the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. But over the past decade, it seems the Flyers have been a team where goalies go to have their careers grounded.</p><p>If you can believe it, Roman Cechmanek was actually a pretty darn good netminder during the regular seasons, as his .921, .921 and .925 save percentages with the Flyers attest, but don&rsquo;t even get former coach Ken Hitchcock started on that guy.</p><p>Since the Flyers last went to the Stanley Cup final with a curious tandem of Garth Snow and Ron Hextall in 1997, they&rsquo;ve tried Sean Burke, John Vanbiesbrouck, Pelletier, Brian Boucher, Cechmanek, Ouellet, Neil Little, Robert Esche, Antero Niittymaki, Jeff Hackett, Michael Leighton, Jean-Francois Houle and Martin Biron, and have won a whole lot of diddly-squat.</p><p>Actually, that&rsquo;s not quite the truth. In addition to being the Toyota player of the month a couple of times in the American League, Niittymaki led the Philadelphia Phantoms to the Calder Cup in 2005. Eight months later, he had three shutouts in six games at the 2006 Olympics and was named the best player &ndash; not just the best goalie, but the best player &ndash; in the entire tournament.</p><p>He won all right. Across the street and across the pond, he was spectacular. But for the Flyers, not so much. That hardly puts him in a minority.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02895/9253482-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="1353" height="1067"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Great fit Ray Emery is happy to be donning an NHL uniform again.</b><span class="photo-credit">(OPENING SPREAD + MASK + EMERY: NORMAN Y. LONO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Into that backdrop skates the soon-to-be 27-year-old Ray Emery, a refugee of the Ottawa Senators via Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental League. Emery&rsquo;s agent J.P. Barry began sending tapes out to NHL teams in January, &ldquo;but it became very clear in the discussions that Paul (Flyers GM Holmgren) was very sincere and very interested. It was pretty clear to me, even by February, that if it could come to pass, Philadelphia would be the best fit.&rdquo;</p><p>So the Flyers allowed Niittymaki and Biron to walk away this summer and revamped their goal crease with Emery and a returning Brian Boucher. Are they any better in goal? Who knows, but the Flyers were obviously convinced they couldn&rsquo;t win with what they had. And they didn&rsquo;t have much salary cap room either, so a long-term deal to the likes of Nikolai Khabibulin was a non-starter.</p><p>But in case you haven&rsquo;t noticed, the Flyers are loaded this season. In fact, we made them our pre-season pick to win the Stanley Cup in 2010. By acquiring Chris Pronger in June, they have a top-four defense corps that will be feared for a number of reasons and dynamic forwards that, if they remain healthy, are a dangerous group.</p><p>So it comes to Emery, who joins the Flyers after a spectacular season in a league about on par with the AHL at its best. Nobody is quite sure what to expect from the player who was a powder keg on and off the ice the last time we saw him in the NHL.</p><p>Is Emery the goaltending savior the Flyers have been seeking since the halcyon days of Hextall? Well, he&rsquo;s still young enough by goaltending standards to establish himself as an elite NHL netminder. But the thing about this team is Emery doesn&rsquo;t have to be a savior. He only has to be good. Occasionally he might have to be great, but his job &ndash; especially in the playoffs &ndash; will be to not lose games, rather than winning them on his own.</p><p>&ldquo;I think I know what I am,&rdquo; Emery said. &ldquo;I know I&rsquo;m not a guy who&rsquo;s stealing games and standing on my head, but I&rsquo;m a guy who&rsquo;s consistent and with a good team, I can help. I&rsquo;m a guy who tries to not make too many mistakes and tries to be solid in there. And if I do that, they won&rsquo;t have anything to worry about.&rdquo;</p><p>So there you have it. By all accounts, the cockroaches in the Wachovia Center don&rsquo;t need to live in fear this season. You&rsquo;ll recall a few years back in Ottawa, Emery bet Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson $500 he would eat a cockroach that was found on the dressing room floor and was undoubtedly violating the five-second rule. Emery used the money to go out and get a new tattoo and invited the media to come along to watch. That was right around the time he thought it would be a good idea to have an image of Mike Tyson painted on his mask and thought a good way for him to look inconspicuous would be to drive around Ottawa in a great big Hummer and wear $4,000 pinstripe suits.</p><p>None of which either made Emery a bad person or a bad goalie. The only problem was that as a young player, Emery hadn&rsquo;t really earned the right to be that outwardly brash and eccentric and, as the years passed, he wasn&rsquo;t good enough to be as high-maintenance as he had become. You&rsquo;re willing to live with guys like Brett Hull and Jeremy Roenick as long as they&rsquo;re filling the net. But a guy who shows up late for practice and is disruptive immediately stops being cute and charming the moment he fails to stop the puck on a consistent basis, which was what happened to Emery by the end of the 2007-08 season.</p><p>Emery claims he gets that now. He is certainly prepared to take his share of the blame for what went wrong with the Sens, who were so desperate to dump him that they&rsquo;ll pay him almost as much over the next three seasons not to play for them as the Flyers will this season to play for them. There was no real defining moment, but the maturation process has brought him to a place where he is comfortable being accountable and responsible.</p><p>&ldquo;I got the message when I left,&rdquo; Emery said. &ldquo;During the last year, I&rsquo;ve pieced things together. Having something to prove is kind of a funny term, but I&rsquo;m grateful to be given this opportunity and I don&rsquo;t want to squander it.&rdquo;</p><p>Holmgren said that when he talked to Emery leading up to the signing of his one-year deal worth $1.5 million, at no time did he ever hold it over Emery that this might be his last opportunity to show he could play in the NHL. He did that deliberately. It&rsquo;s not his style to hold the last-chance Sword of Damocles over a guy. But he was floored by what Emery said during his first media conference in Philadelphia.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;THROW ME IN A GAME AND I&rsquo;M STILL A LITTLE WILD&rdquo;</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011191/9253475-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="1306" height="1234"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Russian holiday Emery enjoyed a great year with Mystichi of the KHL.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NORMUNDS BRICS/JANSONS MEDIA)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;One of the guys asked the question and Ray just spit out, &lsquo;I know this is my last chance,&rsquo;&rdquo; Holmgren said. &ldquo;I think it shows me he has matured, he has grown up. He knows what went wrong, he didn&rsquo;t blame anybody else. It&rsquo;s on him.&rdquo;</p><p>Barry said he has noticed a difference, too. Around the time Emery was alienating himself from the Senators in the latter part of &lsquo;07-08, he was doing the same thing with those closest to him as well. Let&rsquo;s just say Emery wasn&rsquo;t really open to any constructive criticism or advice at the time, not even from the man he pays to essentially look out for his best interests.</p><p>&ldquo;At the same time things happened (in Ottawa) our relationship hit rock bottom,&rdquo; Barry said. &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t communicating and I wasn&rsquo;t able to protect him anymore. We had a couple of exchanges where I said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I can represent you anymore because you&rsquo;re not really letting me. I can&rsquo;t do it.&rsquo; So we didn&rsquo;t speak for about three months and he wrote me a long letter saying, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve known me since I was 15 and we&rsquo;ve worked together and worked well together and I take the blame and will you work with me again?&rsquo; And I said, &lsquo;Absolutely.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>The conventional story would have Emery living last season in misery and exile in the KHL in some Russian outpost called Mytishchi with &lsquo;3MEP &rsquo; on the back of his sweater. Mytishchi is known primarily for manufacturing machines and the arms industry. It sits on the banks of the Yauza River, which has been described as, &ldquo;the biggest gutter for waste in Moscow.&rdquo; In 2007, the river in Mytishchi was upgraded from &lsquo;dirty&rsquo; to &lsquo;polluted&rsquo;.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011350/9253468-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="1389" height="972"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Mike Richards is the leader of a formidable group of Flyers skaters.</b><span class="photo-credit">(RICHARDS: LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MASK: NORMAN Y. LONO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>But the experience wasn&rsquo;t all that bad and Emery wouldn&rsquo;t have been opposed to returning to the KHL had things not worked out with the Flyers or any other NHL team. In reality, Mytishchi is four kilometers from Moscow and that&rsquo;s where Emery spent a lot of his free time with fellow imports Esa Pirnes, Magnus Johansson and Jan Bulis. With the help of a tutor, Emery had a working knowledge of Russian by the end of the season and could pretty much understand most conversations. Even though he sat out part of the season in a dispute over the currency of his $2 million salary, the money was ridiculous.</p><p>He had actually found a place to play where he wasn&rsquo;t being scrutinized nor was he the center of attention for the wrong reasons. Most of all, he knew he wouldn&rsquo;t be languishing on the bench and, as an import, would be able to play in 60 percent of his team&rsquo;s games.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a bit cold,&rdquo; Emery said of the personality of the people, not the climate. &ldquo;People aren&rsquo;t that social even with each other, never mind a black guy from Canada. I&rsquo;ve always been the black guy in the white crowd, so it was nothing new to me. I ended up being pretty comfortable there by the end of the year. It wasn&rsquo;t like I was counting the days off or anything.&rdquo;</p><p>But everyone who reaches a certain level in sports has the yearning to play with the best players and Emery is no exception. Another opportunity to play in the NHL is one thing, to have a chance to play for a team like the Flyers was perfect.</p><p>Up front, the Flyers have two lines that are scary good. Jeff Carter had 46 goals last season and Mike Richards established himself as one of the top two-way players in the game. If Daniel Briere and Simon Gagne can stay healthy and Claude Giroux picks up after a very strong rookie season in which he was one of the team&rsquo;s best forwards in the playoffs, the Flyers will be fine even after losing Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble. With players such as Gagne and Richards, they&rsquo;re almost as dangerous killing a penalty as they are even-strength. With the likes of Scott Hartnell, Daniel Carcillo and Ian Laperriere, the physical element will be prominent in their plans, too.</p><p>On defense, the task of getting around the Flyers just got a whole lot more difficult for the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. With a top four of Pronger, Braydon Coburn, Kimmo Timonen and Ryan Parent, there isn&rsquo;t an aspect of the defense position the Flyers don&rsquo;t have covered.</p><p>The Flyers are up against the salary cap and have given away a good portion of their youth to win now. There are certainly no guarantees they will, but the feeling is Philly has put itself in a better position to do so now than it has in years.</p><p>&ldquo;Hopefully, we can be a good collection of players who compete and work hard and have a pretty good combination of skill mixed in,&rdquo; Holmgren said. &ldquo;More than anything, we need to continue to be a lunch-pail, hardworking team because that&rsquo;s what our fans look for, but I also think there&rsquo;s a fair amount of skill we can put on the ice, too.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02925/9253461-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="464" height="502"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;Emery still pays homage to his love of boxing&rdquo;</b></blockquote><p>But there is so little to choose from in today&rsquo;s NHL that a team can be derailed by a couple of injuries or by a player who becomes an underachieving distraction, which is where Emery&rsquo;s newfound maturity might be just as important as his ability to stop pucks. It&rsquo;s called getting your priorities in order. Things that were not terribly important to Emery have come into focus, he says.</p><p>There was a time when Emery would be perplexed at why his teammates would be angry that he showed up late for practice or missed a team flight because he wouldn&rsquo;t get too worked up if somebody else did that.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how I&rsquo;m thinking other people think and it&rsquo;s not the way,&rdquo; Emery said. &ldquo;But there are things that are more important to me now, like showing up on time for practice and keeping things positive, making sure I&rsquo;m on the same page as my team, making sure my team knows I&rsquo;m there for them and I&rsquo;ll want to help them win regardless of whether I&rsquo;m playing or the other guy is playing.&rdquo;</p><p>It might sound as though the individualism has been beaten out of Emery and that he might just get into lockstep with so many of the cliche-uttering drones in the game. That&rsquo;s probably a long shot, since Emery remains engaging and well-spoken. But it wouldn&rsquo;t be the worst thing for Emery&rsquo;s career advancement to be the center of attention for the way he plays rather than what&rsquo;s on his helmet. (Which, by the way, still pays homage to his love of boxing with Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins on either side and Rocky Balboa on the back.)</p><p>And Emery is just one meltdown away from getting into the headlines again. Last year in the KHL, he became an instant YouTube sensation when he went bonkers after a trainer for Atlant Mytishchi tried to make him wear a team cap after he was pulled from a game.</p><p>Emery is walking and skating a fine line. He vows he has changed off the ice, but once he gets into the game, his approach will remain the same. His Flyer teammates and everyone else will know when Emery is happy and when he&rsquo;s pissed off. The calmness he is trying to use in his off-ice approach will not necessarily be there between the whistles. Wearing a maniacal grin while exchanging punches in a fight the way he did a couple of years ago might be a stretch, but Emery admits he&rsquo;s not the type of person to play things cool and calm all the time.</p><p>&ldquo;You have these life experiences and you&rsquo;re a little older and you go at a little slower pace,&rdquo; Emery said, &ldquo;but you throw me in a game and I&rsquo;m still a little wild.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

GOOD FELLA

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN VOGL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02891/9253548-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="364" height="413"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011264/9253541-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="1215" height="2358"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03735/9253534-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="314" height="167"></div><p><b>THE SABRES BRASS</b> seems content to keep its roster intact. But four youngsters insist they&rsquo;re ready for the bigs.</p><p>Something&rsquo;s got to give.</p><p>The Sabres edged toward the end of summer overflowing with players. Six forwards will spend training camp competing for three starting jobs, while four defenders will try to claim two blueline positions.</p><p>Most eyes will focus on the biggest guy. Top prospect Tyler Myers, the 6-foot-8 defender who was a force in the world juniors and Western League playoffs, wants to show he&rsquo;s ready for the NHL at age 19.</p><p>&ldquo;If the person&rsquo;s ready to play, I&rsquo;d keep them,&rdquo; said Myers, who must return to Kelowna if he doesn&rsquo;t make the Sabres. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to decide if I&rsquo;m ready or not.&rdquo;</p><p>Myers&rsquo; main competitors will be Henrik Tallinder, the former lockdown defender whose stock has dropped within the organization; free agent signee Steve Montador; and, 21-year-old Mike Weber, who played well in Buffalo two seasons ago, but was derailed by injuries last season.</p><p>&ldquo;This is my year,&rdquo; Weber said.</p><p>It&rsquo;s more crowded up front. The Sabres are looking for someone to fill out the third line with Paul Gaustad and Mike Grier, and need two fourth-liners to join Patrick Kaleta. Jochen Hecht&rsquo;s perch on the second line is in peril, too.</p><p>Tim Kennedy, 23, and Nathan Gerbe, 22, were American League all-rookie team members last season. Kennedy is a playmaker, while Gerbe is a 5-foot-5 potential sniper. Both are eager to take the next step into the Sabres lineup.</p><p>&ldquo;If I have a good camp I&rsquo;ll have a pretty good shot at maybe getting one of those spots,&rdquo; Kennedy said.</p><p>Attempting to keep the youngsters at bay will be Daniel Paille, a 2002 first-rounder who hasn&rsquo;t found his niche; streaky Clarke MacArthur, who had 17 goals last season; and, veterans Adam Mair and Matt Ellis.</p><h2><b>Training Camp Battles</b></h2><p>Every year around this time, talk begins about whose job is in peril and who&rsquo;s likely to steal it. In Buffalo, Tyler Myers has the inside track on a blueline spot, but will have his hands full trying to thwart hungry veterans.</p><h2><b>2,073</b></h2><p><b>Combined games of NHL experience Buffalo&rsquo;s blue-line lost with the departures of Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek.</b></p><p><b>JUST THE</b>&nbsp;<b>Facts</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05505/9253527-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="121" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>CHECK IT OUT!</b></h2><p>For daily updates on all 30 teams, visit <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">TheHockeyNews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-02

Buffalo

<p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>ights for positions at NHL training camps can sometimes stem from teams buying out overpriced contracts. This season, 27 players will cost their 17 former teams cap space &ndash; some well into seven-figure territory.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-08299/9253579-1-eng-US/f0036-082.jpg" title="f0036-08" width="108" height="108"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>PRICIEST BUYOUTS</b></h2><p>Alexei Yashin, NYI, 2007</p><p><b>$3,235,067</b></p><p>Sean Avery, DAL, 2009</p><p><b>$1,937,500</b></p><p>Glen Murray, BOS, 2008</p><p><b>$1,383,333</b></p><p>Todd Bertuzzi, ANA, 2008</p><p><b>$1,333,333</b></p><p>Jay McKee, STL, 2009</p><p><b>$1,333,333</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-08

BATTLES VIA BUYOUTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GUY CARTRIGHT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02828/9253641-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="310" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Atlanta certainly won&rsquo;t hand a roster spot to first round draft choice Evander Kane. But an opening will be there for him to fill at training camp if he can.</p><p>Although he has played all three forward spots, Kane says he&rsquo;s most comfortable at left wing and the Thrashers need someone to play there on the third line with Marty Reasoner and Colby Armstrong.</p><p>If Kane isn&rsquo;t ready, Atlanta could try center Jim Slater as the No. 3 left winger. Other possibilities in the spot are UFA-signee Anthony Stewart and rookie Spencer Machacek.</p><p>The Thrashers feel Kane, just 18, only needs to add a little more strength to be NHL-ready. He was impressive during July&rsquo;s prospect camp.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-02

Atlanta

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03681/9253672-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="289" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> There will be interesting battles on the wings in Boston this season.</p><p>Already well-stocked on the left side with Milan Lucic, Mark Recchi and Blake Wheeler, Marco Sturm is back from knee surgery. Wheeler or Recchi could move to the right side, but injured Phil Kessel will eventually re-join Michael Ryder and Chuck Kobasew there.</p><p>There is also an opening for a seventh defenseman. Johnny Boychuk, last year&rsquo;s best AHL defenseman, is the front runner, but prospect Jeff Penner will compete, too.</p><p>There will also be a new backup goalie behind Tim Thomas. Tuukka Rask has the inside track after two years of AHL seasoning, but NHL-tested Dany Sabourin will push him.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-03

Boston

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04539/9253703-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="301" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Jarome Iginla is a top-six winger, as is Rene Bourque. But who else will play wing on Calgary&rsquo;s top two lines is up in the air.</p><p>Like Bourque, David Moss reached 20 goals last season, giving him an edge. From there it&rsquo;s wide open.</p><p>Curtis Glencross, Dustin Boyd, Nigel Dawes and Fredrik Sjostrom will audition for one or two of the second-line wing spots. None have proven to be 20-goal scorers at the NHL level yet, so questions exist concerning the team&rsquo;s offense.</p><p>Another bout to watch is the No. 7 defenseman spot, with Staffan Kronwall and Anton Stralman the top candidates. Kronwall has a one-way deal; Stralman must clear waivers to go to the minors.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-04

Calgary

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06401/9253765-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Goaltending is now one of Chicago&rsquo;s question marks. Hawks brass is confident Cristobal Huet can thrive as Chicago&rsquo;s No. 1 goalie, but he is going to be under heavy pressure to deliver.</p><p>Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi will battle heatedly for the No. 2 job and the chance to push Huet for minutes.</p><p>The pair has just 10 NHL games between them and basically split time in AHL Rockford last year, yet there are 20-25 NHL starts awaiting one of them. With just six pre-season games it is vital for both to begin camp strongly.</p><p>The Hawks also have a glut of end-of-the-bench forwards. Troy Brouwer, Colin Fraser, Jack Skille and Kyle Beach will vie for one or two spots.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-06

Chicago

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07350/9253796-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="303" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> During the team&rsquo;s Stanley Cup heyday, few roster spots were open at Avalanche training camp.</p><p>Not anymore, as the Avs have several jobs for the most worthy campers, starting at No. 2 center.</p><p>Joe Sakic&rsquo;s retirement means 2009 third overall pick Matt Duchene likely will battle veterans T.J. Hensick and Wojtek Wolski for the job. If Duchene wins it, Hensick will battle rookie T.J. Galiardi for the third-line pivot position.</p><p>At left wing, where Wolski will play if not at center, there will be competition for at least two jobs.</p><p>Youngsters such as Kyle Quincey and Cameron Gaunce will push for playing time among the top six defense.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-07

Colorado

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011114/9253834-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="319" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The first issue is sorting out the final two lines. The third-line center will be Sammy Pahlsson, but who will flank him?</p><p>Fredrik Modin and Raffi Torres seem likely candidates, but Jason Chimera needs a home, too. The fourth-line center spot is also a mystery &ndash; Mike Blunden, Andrew Murray and Derek Dorsett will get looks.</p><p>The second issue is a &ldquo;good&rdquo; problem for coach Ken Hitchcock, who needs to find enough minutes for super prospect Nikita Filatov among the team&rsquo;s top two lines.</p><p>The Blue Jackets &ndash; who did nothing to fix their need for an offensive defenseman over the summer &ndash; will also search for a point man (or two) on the top power play unit.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02771/9253827-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="1046" height="1342"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Columbus has the &ldquo;problem&rdquo; of finding ice time for Nikita Filatov.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0037-01

Columbus

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03618/9253865-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="318" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The Stars have eight defensemen under one-way contracts and four in the minors who could fill in for a half-season or more.</p><p>Dallas is under a tight budget with as little as $45 million to spend on salaries.</p><p>That makes it difficult to see both Jeff Woywitka and Andrew Hutchinson on the team when the season begins. Now, trying to decide on a seventh defenseman is hardly sexy, but it will be a real battle.</p><p>Two seasons ago, Hutchinson was the AHL defenseman of the year; Woywitka was a summer UFA signing. Both are lanky and tend toward the skill side of the game.</p><p>The pre-season will decide which one goes &ndash; either via waivers, trade or to the minors<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-03

Dallas

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04524/9253896-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="319" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> The Wings&rsquo; biggest training camp battle is for the 12th forward spot, a competition mainly between Kirk Maltby and Patrick Eaves.</p><p>Maltby hasn&rsquo;t provided the same kind of abrasiveness, physical play and solid penalty-killing as in the past and the Wings have had success with other players who didn&rsquo;t meet expectations elsewhere, but blossomed in Detroit. Eaves, a free agent, is just such a reclamation project.</p><p>A strong skater and fore-checker, Eaves was a 20-goal rookie with Ottawa in 2005-06, but has since struggled.</p><p>Rookie Justin Abdelkader is also in the mix, but the Wings would prefer he log more minutes in all situations in Grand Rapids (AHL).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-04

Detroit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05473/9253927-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="303" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> They tried to get Dany Heatley to fill the spot, but when that fell through the job on the left side of Edmonton&rsquo;s first line became wide open.</p><p>Really wide open, because there aren&rsquo;t any rock-solid candidates.</p><p>Dustin Penner was supposed to be the guy, but that bottomed out last season and he finished on the fourth line. Trade deadline acquisition Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan spent some time there, but he&rsquo;s a natural center. Robert Nilsson has enormous skill, but simply hasn&rsquo;t shown NHL consistency.</p><p>The Oilers are hoping new coach Pat Quinn will give Penner and Nilsson new leases on life, or that O&rsquo;Sullivan is versatile enough to do the job.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-05

Edmonton

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06417/9253958-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> With Jay Bouwmeester off to Calgary, Karlis Skrastins in Dallas and Nick Boynton in Anaheim, the Florida blueline will look a lot different this season.</p><p>The Panthers have brought in replacements, only not enough. At least one prospect will make the team as a result.</p><p>Dmitry Kulikov (14th overall in 2009) is either going to play for the Panthers or go back to junior. Florida is also high on 2007 first-rounder Keaton Ellerby, a puck-mover who scored three goals in AHL Rochester last season.</p><p>Jason Garrison, whom Jacques Martin signed out of Minnesota-Duluth, scored eight goals for the Amerks in 75 games last season and also made his NHL debut.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-06

Florida

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH HAMMOND</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07364/9253989-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="312" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> The Kings, who scored the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL last season, must identify their first-line right winger and it will come down to the best &ldquo;fit.&rdquo;</p><p>Dustin Brown, the team captain, has filled the role for most of the past two seasons, but last year his goal total dipped from 33 to 24, opening the door for Justin Williams.</p><p>If he can stay healthy, Williams &ndash; who missed 83 games the past two years &ndash; is a 30-goal scorer who would complement young center Anze Kopitar nicely.</p><p>But Brown&rsquo;s ability to score tough goals will fit better on the first line if, on the left side, the Kings choose to go with Alexander Frolov instead of the grittier Ryan Smyth.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-07

Los Angeles

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011205/9254020-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> With Mikko Koivu locked in as the No. 1 center, the biggest question entering camp is which pivot is sent out next by rookie coach Todd Richards.</p><p>Because Mikko&rsquo;s brother, Saku, signed with Anaheim, Richards plans to experiment with playmaker Pierre-Marc Bouchard during camp.</p><p>Bouchard played center throughout his phenomenal junior career with Chicoutimi, but played wing for most of his six NHL seasons because of his smaller frame and the reduced defensive responsibilities there in the old Jacques Lemaire system.</p><p>If Bouchard doesn&rsquo;t work, Benoit Pouliot, James Sheppard and Eric Belanger will be given looks.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

Minnesota

<div class="byline">&#x2013; SEAN FARRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02816/9254051-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="315" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Newcomers Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta are slotted in as the Habs&rsquo; top three forwards, though it remains to be seen whether new coach Jacques Martin will play them together. Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn have the early advantage in rounding out the first two lines and Maxim Lapierre, Sergei Kostitsyn, Max Pacioretty, Guillaume Laten-dresse and Matt D&rsquo;Agostini will all bid for the remaining top-six ice time.</p><p>Youngsters Yannick Weber, Ryan O&rsquo;Byrne and P.K. Subban &ndash; the only right-shooting defensemen in the Habs midst &ndash; will be hard-pressed to crack the blueline&rsquo;s top six.</p><p>Carey Price retains the inside track as No. 1 goalie.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-02

Montreal

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04529/9254113-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="286" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Newly appointed coach Jacques Lemaire believes Brian Rolston is a winger and not a center, which will create a spirited battle for a middle man on the Devils&rsquo; second line.</p><p>Top 2009 pick Jacob Josefson probably isn&rsquo;t ready for the NHL and 24-year-old Petr Vrana will play in Europe, but 19-year-old Patrice Cormier will be among those fighting for the job.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be looking at him,&rdquo; Lemaire said of Cormier, the 54th overall pick in &rsquo;08. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be looking for a center. Lou (Lamoriello) said there will be a few kids that will be there and have good potential.&rdquo;</p><p>Veteran Patrik Elias can also move over from wing and play as a pivot.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-04

New Jersey

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05425/9254144-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="280" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> At least the options are bona fide NHLers.</p><p>Rick DiPietro is not ready to open the season after knee surgeries, so veteran UFA signees Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron will compete for time in the Islander goal &ndash; and showcase their skills for a trade once DiPietro returns.</p><p>With a youth movement in full force and 22 players on one-way deals, there aren&rsquo;t many jobs to be won at camp in Saskatoon, Sask., despite last year&rsquo;s NHL-worst finish.</p><p>All eyes will be on John Tavares and his ability to earn first-line minutes. And will improving defenseman Jack Hillen or first-rounder Calvin de Haan push out a blueline incumbent, such as the oft-injured Freddy Meyer?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-05

NY Islanders

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06360/9254175-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="267" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> Lacking an accomplished, playmaking first-line center, the Blueshirts intend to give Brandon Dubinsky (still an unsigned restricted free agent as of late August) first shot at uniting with Marian Gaborik, but Vinny Prospal and rookie Artem Anisimov also will compete for the job.</p><p>If Dubinsky or Anisimov claims the spot, Prospal will shift to his more natural wing position, thus bumping a player on the flank.</p><p>The key competition on the blueline will be for the point position on the power play. Wade Redden, who failed last year, will be given another chance, but the Rangers would do cartwheels if 2008 first-rounder Michael Del Zotto challenges for the assignment.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-06

NY Rangers

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07314/9254206-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="264" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> The Sens are going to have some difficult decisions to make on the blueline. With nine defensemen under contract, GM Bryan Murray is likely going to have to waive somebody or make a deal during camp.</p><p>The team has tried unsuccessfully to move Jason Smith, Alex Picard and Christoph Schubert so far.</p><p>Erik Karlsson, the Sens&rsquo; top selection in 2008, is going to be given every chance to make the team because he has the skills and there&rsquo;s plenty of upside if he&rsquo;s strong enough to play in the league.</p><p>Brian Lee is still on a two-way contract, which is going to put pressure on the youngster as he wouldn&rsquo;t require waivers to be sent down.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-07

Ottawa

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08258/9254237-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="286" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> All he has to do is play like Eric Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Bobby Ryan, Jordan Staal or Drew Doughty.</p><p>No pressure, right James van Riemsdyk?</p><p>The Flyers&rsquo; 20-year-old left winger, a No. 2 overall pick (2007) like the aforementioned NHLers, enters his rookie season with high expectations.</p><p>The youngster put off the NHL spotlight by opting for two seasons at the University of New Hampshire.</p><p>But now his NHL time has come. The 6-3, 205-pound N.J. native won&rsquo;t unseat top two left wingers Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell, but anything short of 15-to-20 goals from the third line spot will be considered disappointing and a cause for concern.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-08

Philadelphia

<div class="byline">&#x2013; THN STAFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011109/9254268-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="274" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> He just turned 20, but Kyle Turris is facing a very important training camp with Phoenix.</p><p>The third overall pick in 2007, Turris has struggled at the NHL level and will find himself fighting for a spot with the Coyotes. The team is set down the middle with Peter Mueller returning to his natural pivot position and the addition of Vern Fiddler, meaning Turris&rsquo; best hope is as a third - or fourth-line winger.</p><p>There, he will compete against a phalanx of other youngsters such as Brett MacLean, Stefan Meyer, Daniel Winnik and local Arizona boy David Spina for the final job.</p><p>The top-six defense is set, but the seventh spot is Sami Lepisto&rsquo;s to lose.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-01

Phoenix

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02720/9254299-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="320" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> Pittsburgh needs a second-line right winger for Evgeni Malkin.</p><p>Stanley Cup hero Max Talbot filled in spectacularly in the playoffs and might well return when he recovers from shoulder surgery. But somebody else will get a golden opportunity.</p><p>The candidates include Tyler Kennedy, rookie Eric Tangradi &ndash; a prized prospect returning from a severed wrist tendon &ndash; and veteran Pascal Dupuis. A first-line winger could also fill in.</p><p>Rookie Luca Caputi is looking to nudge his way into top-two lines talk, as well. And third-line center Jordan Staal has experience playing with Malkin, but the Pens like him at his natural position, where he made a playoff impact.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-02

Pittsburgh

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03560/9254330-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="301" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The health of defenseman Eric Brewer will determine which blueliners travel to Sweden for the Blues&rsquo; season opener Oct. 2.</p><p>The team is optimistic Brewer, who had back surgery in December and April, will be available in 2009. But Brewer only began skating in August after an eight-month layoff and is still affected by nerve issues that cause numbness in his right leg.</p><p>If Brewer is shelved, look for newly signed defenseman Brendan Bell and Tyson Strachan, a standout in the AHL, to battle for a roster spot. They will be pushed by Alex Pietrangelo, the fourth overall pick in 2008, who was returned to junior after eight NHL games last year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-03

St. Louis

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID POLLAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04467/9254361-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="308" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> The Sharks&rsquo; blueline will be crowded when camp opens.</p><p>San Jose has five D-men returning who earn at least $1.7 million apiece. The trade that sent Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to Vancouver opened some room, but the battle for the fourth, fifth and sixth spots will be fierce.</p><p>The team considers Dan Boyle, Rob Blake and Marc-Edouard Vlasic a cut above the rest of its blueliners, leaving veterans Doug Murray and Kent Huskins to vie for the remaining spots with rookies Derek Joslin, Jason Demers, Mike Moore and Nick Petrecki.</p><p>Of the prospects, Petrecki has the most upside, but without any pro experience he&rsquo;s a long shot for opening day.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-04

San Jose

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05389/9254392-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="291" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> Competition to fill out the defense corps will be fierce after GM Brian Lawton&rsquo;s aggressive re-tooling of the blueline.</p><p>Mattias Ohlund, Paul Ranger, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Walker and No. 2 overall draft pick Victor Hedman are set. Now throw in Kurtis Foster, Lukas Krajicek, David Hale and Matt Smaby with Matt Lashoff and Mike Lundin (both unsigned RFAs as of late August), and that is six players vying for what would be three spots if Tampa Bay decides to keep as many as eight defensemen, which is a possibility.</p><p>Even if Krajicek and Hale are traded &ndash; a distinct option for the Bolts &ndash; four players would be fighting for the final three spots.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-05

Tampa Bay

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TERRY KOSHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06322/9254423-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="300" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> With no guarantees at Maple Leafs training camp, the roster-wide battle will be intense.</p><p>GM Brian Burke had a glut of defensemen in late August. Newcomer Garnet Exelby will take a long run at being a regular and the competition between him, Ian White, Jonas Frogren and Mike Van Ryn will be one to watch. Barring injuries, at least two serviceable NHL blueliners will begin the year in the press box.</p><p>Up front, rookies Christian Hanson, Tyler Bozak and 2009 first-rounder Nazem Kadri have legitimate shots. Veterans Lee Stempniak and Jamal Mayers will need solid camps to keep their jobs. Swedish import Rickard Wallin will also look to unseat a regular.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-06

Toronto

<div class="byline">ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07288/9254454-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="311" height="167"></div><p><b>CAMP BATTLES</b> Based on salary and past accomplishments, the most intriguing camp battles in Vancouver will be for the third forward unit.</p><p>Incumbents include center Kyle Wellwood and right winger Steve Bernier, and perhaps left winger Mason Raymond. But elite prospect Cody Hodgson is expected to push hard for a spot.</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s 2006 first-rounder Michael Grabner, who scored 30 goals during the AHL regular season last year and 10 more in the playoffs.</p><p>In net, Cory Schneider will vie with vet Andrew Raycroft for the backup job. Schneider, still on a two-way contract, will have to be brilliant to earn the spot, as economics would serve as a tiebreaker.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-07

Vancouver

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER KERZEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08244/9254485-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AMP BATTLES</b> The Caps are going to fit eight or nine candidates into six defensive slots &ndash; or wait until someone plays themselves out of contention or forces a trade.</p><p>Someone must go to create room for 2007 first-rounder Karl Alzner, who has nothing left to prove in the AHL.</p><p>Mike Green has blossomed, Tom Poti adds veteran leadership and John Erskine will drop his gloves. Shaone Morrisonn is a strong candidate, too.</p><p>That leaves Brian Pothier, Milan Jurcina and Jeff Schultz, who all need a good camp to stick or attract outside interest.</p><p>The wild card is John Carlson, a polished, aggressive 19-year-old who flourished in London (OHL) and excelled during July&rsquo;s prospect camp.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-08

Washington

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02489/9254530-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="324" height="173"></div><p><b>IT&rsquo;S IRONIC.</b> The shadow Taylor Hall is finally escaping is of the very person the 18-year-old models himself after.</p><p>And just like John Tavares, Hall now assumes the task of being the face of major junior hockey in a season many expect will conclude with him being the NHL&rsquo;s first overall pick next June.</p><p>&ldquo;Just the way John conducts himself, he&rsquo;s a good role model for any aspiring player,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;I saw how he handled the draft. He probably got asked the same question a hundred times and somehow he came up with a different answer every time.</p><p>&ldquo;I could see what he went through and he&rsquo;s matured as a player and a person and hopefully I can do that. I listen to a lot of his interviews and he&rsquo;s become a really mature man.&rdquo;</p><p>Hall strangely welcomes his burgeoning fish-tank life. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind doing interviews,&rdquo; he admitted. &ldquo;I try to do as well as I can at them.&rdquo;</p><p>But he also realizes now that he&rsquo;s attained star status, there are people waiting for him to stumble.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one thing to be a good hockey player, but it&rsquo;s another thing to be a good person and I want to be that person and a good teammate. People are always watching you, but it&rsquo;s something that comes with the job and something you have to learn to deal with.&rdquo;</p><p>Hall carried himself with confidence from the first day he met Spitfires coach and co-owner Bob Boughner. It was at a dinner in 2007 after Boughner scouted a midget tournament.</p><p>&ldquo;I asked him what his goals were for the upcoming season and they were to win rookie of the year in the OHL and to lead his team in scoring,&rdquo; Boughner recalled.</p><p>&ldquo;I looked at him &ndash; and this is a kid that&rsquo;s not even 16 yet &ndash; and I said &lsquo;You think you&rsquo;re going to come and lead our team in scoring?&rsquo; And he said &lsquo;Absolutely, that&rsquo;s what I believe.&rsquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Then fast-forward three months later and he comes to training camp and we&rsquo;re running a power play practice and I&rsquo;ve got him on the second unit and he skates up to me and says &lsquo;Coach, just so you know, I can play the point on the power play anytime, eh.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s the kind of kid he is.&rdquo;</p><p>Hall won rookie of the year, not only in the Ontario League but for the entire Canadian Hockey League, and led the Spitfires with 45 goals.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01802/9254523-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="2456" height="3260"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TAYLOR HALL</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01690/9254516-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="1399" height="1134"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Last season concluded with Taylor Hall being named Memorial Cup MVP.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BOTH: DAVE PICKFORD/WINDSOR SPITFIRES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure I took them by surprise (with his goal-setting), but I just wanted to instill a little bit of confidence in them and show them I was here to make an impact, rather than just coming in and being an average 16-year-old rookie,&rdquo; Hall said.</p><p>&ldquo;I have to do well to live up to those expectations. But it&rsquo;s something I enjoy. You want to go out every night and contribute to your team. I want to be the best player I can be and the best person I can be. I don&rsquo;t think of it as pressure, I think of it as an opportunity to improve myself and my team.&rdquo;</p><p>Boughner said people will mistake that for cockiness, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s competitive cockiness. These type of players want to win and they want to be the guy.&rdquo;</p><p>Boughner feels Hall has prepared himself to be the face of the game.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously you can see by the websites and pretty much everything else it&rsquo;s all focused on Taylor now. That&rsquo;s a lot for a kid to deal with at that age, but he&rsquo;s very confident in his abilities. That&rsquo;s never been an issue. He wants to be the difference-maker. He&rsquo;s matured a lot in the past couple of years.&rdquo;</p><p>While the spotlight was on Tavares, Hall was allowed to develop at his own pace and not be distracted by the NHL draft. But now the glare is on him and it&rsquo;s where Boughner&rsquo;s 10 years in the NHL come into play.</p><p>&ldquo;I think the one advantage I have is I played with so many superstar guys, right from my early days with Pat LaFontaine, Ronnie Francis, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, then later in my career with Joe Sakic and guys like that,&rdquo; Boughner said.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen how they handle themselves and how they prepare and how professional they are. So I oft en tell Taylor stories of how hard these guys worked in the weight room and how classy they are.&rdquo;</p><p>Away from the rink, Hall just tries to be an average kid. His second love is golf and he has the perfect fit in his Windsor billet, Ryan Hughes, a golf pro.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great game just to take your mind off things and it works your mental side,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;You have to learn to fight through bad shots and rebound.&rdquo;</p><p>That was so true last season when he was the last player cut from the Canadian junior team. It was the most difficult thing he has encountered in his young career and it did affect the second half of his regular season.</p><p>&ldquo;I was pretty heartbroken and it was one of the hardest things I&rsquo;ve had to overcome,&rdquo; Hall said. &ldquo;Watching it on TV was tough. I was really jealous of the guys who made it and I&rsquo;m not going to deny it, I didn&rsquo;t have the greatest second half.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to have to learn to overcome things when they don&rsquo;t go my way. But I think I rebounded in the playoffs (16 goals in 20 games) and in the Memorial Cup (MVP). I redeemed myself and I&rsquo;m proud of that; I carried that confidence through my summer.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-02

POSPECTS UNLIMITED

THE NEW NUMBER 1

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02433/9254575-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="147" height="198"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 147px"><b>Hodge</b></figcaption></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03351/9254568-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="147" height="193"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 147px"><b>Cressman</b></figcaption></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04304/9254561-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="147" height="197"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 147px"><b>Vanstone</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>eil Hodge of the <i>Moncton Times & Transcript,</i> Jim Cressman of the <i>London Free Press</i> and Rob Vanstone of the <i>Regina Leader-Post</i> make up our major junior panel in determining the top 10 CHL teams.</p><p><b>1 Windsor Spitfires</b></p><p>Last Year: Won Memorial Cup</p><p><b>2 Quebec Remparts</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 3</p><p><b>3 Miss. St. Michael&rsquo;s Majors</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 2</p><p><b>4 Brandon Wheat Kings</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 3</p><p><b>5 Moncton Wildcats</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 2</p><p><b>6 London Knights</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 3</p><p><b>7 Saskatoon Blades</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 1</p><p><b>8 Shawinigan Cataractes</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost QMJHL final</p><p><b>9 Vancouver Giants</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 3</p><p><b>10 Barrie Colts</b></p><p>Last Year: Lost Round 1<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0041-02

TOP 10 RANKINGS

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02453/9254613-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="252" height="149"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N A SENSE,</b> Jordan Eberle would appreciate not being considered for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the Western League&rsquo;s most valuable player.</p><p>The 19-year-old right winger hopes to spend this season with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him 22nd overall in the 2008 NHL draft. Failing that, Eberle will torment WHL goalies for a fourth consecutive season with the Regina Pats.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, I want to play for the big team, but I look at it as a great two-way situation,&rdquo; said Eberle, who already has 105 career goals for Regina.</p><p>&ldquo;I can either play there or come back here. The Memorial Cup is one of the hardest trophies to win. For sure, we&rsquo;re ready to step up and go far in the playoffs and have a good season here.&rdquo;</p><p>The Regina-born Eberle helped Canada win the 2009 World Junior title. He finished third in tournament scoring behind teammates Cody Hodgson and John Tavares with six goals and 13 points in six games. And, if he returns to the Pats, Eberle is a lock to play in the Saskatoon-based tournament over the upcoming Christmas holidays.</p><p>&ldquo;Not many kids get to play two times in the world juniors, let alone play in their home province,&rdquo; Eberle said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a win-win either way.&rdquo;</p><p>Here&rsquo;s how the Western League squads rate this season.</p><p><b>1. BRANDON WHEAT KINGS</b> The Memorial Cup host team has a strong nucleus led by 2009 NHL first-rounders Brayden Schenn (fifth overall to Los Angeles) and Scott Glennie (eighth, Dallas), both centers. The defense is steady, but unspectacular. If any holes do present themselves, wily coach-GM Kelly McCrimmon &ndash; entering his 21st season with the Wheat Kings &ndash; will make the necessary moves.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01725/9254606-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="817" height="1131"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JORDAN EBERLE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GREG JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY/REGINA PATS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>2. VANCOUVER GIANTS</b> Any club coached by Don Hay is guaranteed to be competitive. Hay has produced strong teams with marginal talent. And when he has the likes of Evander Kane (48 goals, 96 points in 61 games last season), who went fourth overall to Atlanta in 2009, at his disposal, watch out. Vancouver&rsquo;s blueline is depleted by graduations, but Hay always finds a way.</p><p><b>3. SASKATOON BLADES</b> Coach-GM Lorne Molleken has systematically developed the Blades into a contender. Stefan Elliott (16 goals, 55 points in 71 games) is dynamic on defense and Derek Hulak (30 goals, 76 points in 72 games) provides offense up front, along with outstanding leadership. The only question surrounds goaltending after Braden Holtby graduated.</p><p><b>4. CALGARY HITMEN</b> New coach Mike Williamson, formerly of Portland, inherits a typically strong Hitmen team. Brandon Kozun, a 5-foot-8 blur of a right winger, is coming off a 40-goal, 108-point season. Calgary&rsquo;s defense is always solid and even if it falters, goaltender Martin Jones (2.08 goals-aganst average last season) is there to frustrate foes.</p><p><b>5. EVERETT SILVERTIPS</b> New coach Craig Hartsburg will make a difference.</p><p><b>6. KAMLOOPS BLAZERS</b> Maturing talent should trigger a rise above mediocrity.</p><p><b>7. MEDICINE HAT TIGERS</b> Same as always: Small, speedy and well-coached by Willie Desjardins.</p><p><b>8. KELOWNA ROCKETS</b> Missing some offense, but strong behind the blueline.</p><p><b>9. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS</b> Goaltender Calvin Pickard can win games by himself.</p><p><b>10. SPOKANE CHIEFS</b> Defenseman Jared Cowen and center Mitch Wahl are elite talents.</p><p><b>11. KOOTENAY ICE</b> Easy to underrate, but always tough to defeat.</p><p><b>12. REGINA PATS</b> Need Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert back from their NHL teams.</p><p><b>13. EDMONTON OIL KINGS</b> Getting to the playoffs last season was a stepping stone to bigger things.</p><p><b>14. TRI-CITY AMERICANS</b> Will take a step back from fourth overall after losing key personnel.</p><p><b>15. LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES</b> Top players from underachieving team have graduated.</p><p><b>16. SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS</b> Smooth-skating squad struggles to score.</p><p><b>17. RED DEER REBELS</b> Detroit draftee Landon Ferraro has 50-goal capability.</p><p><b>18 MOOSE JAW WARRIORS</b> Will have to manufacture goals with sheer tenacity.</p><p><b>19. CHILLIWACK BRUINS</b> Veteran coach Marc Habscheid will nurture young team.</p><p><b>20. PORTLAND WINTER HAWKS</b> Beginning long road back to respectability after three consecutive conference-basement finishes.</p><p><b>21. PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS</b> Not much after the sublimely skilled Brett Connolly.</p><p><b>22. PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS</b> Aside from 33-goal man Dustin Cameron, who will score?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-02

BRANDON IS KING

<p><b>1. Brett Connolly, LW, Prince George</b> Pure sniper provides the full package.</p><p><b>2. Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton</b> Exceptional skater logs big-time minutes.</p><p><b>3. Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw</b> Comparable to Connolly; not quite as polished.</p><p><b>4. Calvin Pickard, G, Seattle</b> Makes scorers beat him with a good shot.</p><p><b>5. Mark Stone, RW, Brandon</b> Strong winger with a heavy shot.</p><p><b>6. Curtis Hamilton, LW, Saskatoon</b> Combines size and high hockey IQ.</p><p><b>7. Kevin Sundher, C, Chilliwack</b> Slick playmaker and a tremendous skater.</p><p><b>8. Alexander Petrovic, D, Red Deer</b> Lanky rearguard plays with an edge.</p><p><b>9. Matt MacKenzie, D, Calgary</b> Nothing fancy, but smart and competitive.</p><p><b>10. Jordan Weal, C, Regina</b> Weal&rsquo;s wheels compensate for lack of size.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

2010 DRAFT PROSPECTS

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02484/9254675-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="301" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>OHN MCFARLAND</b> was denied exceptional player status for the 2007 OHL draft. But he&rsquo;s not about to reject the team that selected him first overall in 2008, no matter how bad things are with the Sudbury Wolves.</p><p>The 17-year-old, who will likely captain the Wolves after wearing the &lsquo;C&rsquo; for Canada at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic, wants nothing more than to remain with the team and improve for the 2010 NHL draft under coach-GM Mike Foligno.</p><p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t be here if I didn&rsquo;t want to be,&rdquo; McFarland told the Sudbury <i>Star</i> in early August when the Toronto-area resident visited rookie camp.</p><p>&ldquo;(Sudbury) is my home, the place I live and the team I play for. This should prove to everyone who has doubts and should shut up any rumors.&rdquo;</p><p>Scouts say McFarland has exceptional speed and an NHL shot.</p><p>&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t need finesse when he can just flat out blow past people,&rdquo; said one.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s how the OHL&rsquo;s teams stack up.</p><p><b>1. WINDSOR SPITFIRES</b> It&rsquo;s not whether they&rsquo;ll finish first overall, but if the Memorial Cup champions will be better than last season. They&rsquo;re led again by center Taylor Hall and defenseman Ryan Ellis. Up front, they have a plethora of firepower with Hall, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz, Justin Shugg, Austin Watson and Eric Wellwood. They bolstered the defense with potential NHL first-rounder Cam Fowler. Overager Josh Unice will take care of the goaltending.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01714/9254668-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="816" height="1130"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHN MCFARLAND</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GINO DONATO/SUDBURY WOLVES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>2. MISSISSAUGA ST. MICHAEL&rsquo;S MAJORS</b> Most of their lineup is back and while they may not boast any superstar names, coach Dave Cameron is a master of getting the most out of his players, many of whom are returnees. Chris Carrozzi and highly ranked J.P. Anderson offer solid goaltending. Assuming he&rsquo;s back from Colorado, Cameron Gaunce will anchor the defense with support from NHL picks Tim Billingsley and Brett Flemming. Scoring will be by committee.</p><p><b>3. LONDON KNIGHTS</b> They&rsquo;ll have to overcome Windsor&rsquo;s stranglehold on the Western Conference, but led by Philip McRae and NHL first-rounder Nazem Kadri, along with a strong supporting cast, the Knights enjoy a lethal offense. Goalie Michael Hutchinson will have to solidify the defense, which is a question mark as Michael Del Zotto leads an inexperienced group. Assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu&rsquo;s return from the Quebec League to handle the &lsquo;D&rsquo; comes at the perfect time.</p><p><b>4. BARRIE COLTS</b> The roster is pretty much intact, especially up front where Alex Hutchings and Stefan Della Rovere lead the charge. If highly regarded Russian forward Alexander Burmistrov reports, the Colts will challenge for the Eastern Conference title. Peter DiSalvo is the No. 1 goalie with Hutchinson traded to London.</p><p><b>5. OWEN SOUND ATTACK</b> It&rsquo;s a balanced Attack, led by underrated center Joey Hishon.</p><p><b>6. GUELPH STORM</b> Goalie Brandon Foote&rsquo;s absence due to hip surgery is a big setback.</p><p><b>7. KINGSTON FRONTENACS</b> Coach Doug Gilmour has more to work with, especially after acquiring goalie Tyler Beskorowany.</p><p><b>8. ERIE OTTERS</b> Much rests on the shoulders of import goalie Ramis Sadikov.</p><p><b>9. PLYMOUTH WHALERS</b> The continued emergence of slick playmaker Tyler Seguin will soft en graduation.</p><p><b>10 KITCHENER RANGERS</b> They added some big pieces in NHL first-rounder John Moore and goalie Brandon Maxwell.</p><p><b>11. OTTAWA 67&rsquo;s</b> The post-Brian Kilrea era begins with Chris Byrne handed the coaching reins.</p><p><b>12. NIAGARA ICEDOGS</b> They&rsquo;ll rely on import goalie Petteri Simila and cross their fingers that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo returns from St. Louis.</p><p><b>13. PETERBOROUGH PETES</b> Zack Kassian and Ryan Spooner will form a potent one-two scoring punch.</p><p><b>14. SUDBURY WOLVES</b> They&rsquo;ll go as far as potential top-five NHL draftee center John McFarland takes them.</p><p><b>15. SAGINAW SPIRIT</b> Coach Todd Watson has his work cut out in a tough Western Conference.</p><p><b>16. BELLEVILLE BULLS</b> They&rsquo;ve been hit hard by graduation, but should make the playoffs.</p><p><b>17 BRAMPTON BATTALION</b> It&rsquo;s a long year if difference-makers Cody Hodgson, Matt Duchene and Evgeny Grachev don&rsquo;t return from NHL camps.</p><p><b>18. OSHAWA GENERALS</b> They have NHL first-rounder Calvin de Haan on defense, but where is the offense going to come from?</p><p><b>19. SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS</b> Import goalie Robin Lehner has to stand on his head to get them into the playoffs.</p><p><b>20. SARNIA STING</b> The Ciccarelli brothers will endure a long season if some eligible overagers don&rsquo;t return.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-02

SPITS GUN FOR NO. 1

<p><b>1. Taylor Hall, C, Windsor</b> Only missing a world junior gold on his resume.</p><p><b>2. John McFarland, C, Sudbury</b> Had an exceptional Ivan Hlinka tournament.</p><p><b>3. Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston</b> Briefly wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; last season.</p><p><b>4. Cam Fowler, D, Windsor</b> Broke NCAA commitment for Memorial Cup run.</p><p><b>5. Austin Watson, RW, Windsor</b> Can expect an increased role over last season.</p><p><b>6. Joey Hishon, C, Owen Sound</b> Most underrated forward in the league.</p><p><b>7. Ryan Martindale, C, Ottawa</b> Will lead offense with Logan Couture graduated.</p><p><b>8. Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth</b> One of the best playmakers in the league.</p><p><b>9. Steve Shipley, C, Owen Sound</b> Strong at both ends of the ice.</p><p><b>10. J.P. Anderson, G, Mississauga</b> He would be the starter on most teams.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01617/9254730-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="816" height="1129"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHILIPPE CORNET</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02381/9254737-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="237" height="140"></div><p><b>PHILIPPE CORNET</b> has lived up to expectations since being the second overall pick in the 2006 QMJHL draft.</p><p>The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies left winger is a good bet to top 40 goals and 100 points this season, but that doesn&rsquo;t reflect his true worth. The fourth-year veteran, who spent the first three seasons of his junior career with the Rimouski Oceanic before an off-season trade, has an impact in many ways.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pure playmaker, but he can also score,&rsquo;&rsquo; said coach Andre Tourigny. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;ll challenge for the league scoring title this season, but what&rsquo;s special about him is that he&rsquo;s a hard worker who&rsquo;s good at both ends of the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s on our first line, the power play and penalty kill, a shutdown defensive role sometimes and we&rsquo;ll use him in the last minute when we&rsquo;re protecting a lead. When you have all those qualities, you&rsquo;re an MVP candidate.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Cornet, 19, had 29 goals and 77 points in 63 games last season for the Memorial Cup-host Oceanic. He was a fifth round pick of Edmonton in the 2008 NHL draft.</p><p>&ldquo;He has lots of experience and I think he&rsquo;ll be a huge part of our team,&rsquo;&rsquo; Tourigny said.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s a look at how the Quebec League stacks up this season.</p><p><b>1. QUEBEC REMPARTS</b> Quebec, which hasn&rsquo;t won the QMJHL championship since 1975-76, is widely considered the team to beat.</p><p>The Remparts have lots of offensive firepower up front with Dmitri Kugryshev, Alexander Avtsin, Danick Paquette, Kelsey Tessier, David Gilbert, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Marc-Olivier Vallerand and highly touted rookie Ryan Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque and a third round pick of the Rangers last June.</p><p>The big question mark is veteran goalie Peter Delmas, who&rsquo;s coming off a bad season in Lewiston.</p><p><b>2. MONCTON WILDCATS</b> Star goalie Nicola Riopel is gone, but Moncton remains a power. The new starter is Louis Domingue, who helped Canada win gold at this summer&rsquo;s under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament. The 17-year-old needs to prove he&rsquo;s ready to carry the load. He&rsquo;ll benefit from the league&rsquo;s best group of defensemen in Brandon Gormley, David Savard, Mark Barberio, Simon Jodoin and Paul Dimitruk.</p><p>The Wildcats have many good forwards, but no stars and need everyone to up their offensive contributions.</p><p><b>3. SHAWINIGAN CATARACTES</b> Shawinigan is the only franchise that&rsquo;s existed since the QMJHL was founded in 1969-70 and it still hasn&rsquo;t won the championship. It lost Game 7 of the league final last season.</p><p>The Cataractes have four high-end forwards in Pierre-Alexandre Vandall, Michael Bournival, Philippe Paradis and Dave Labrecque &ndash; and they&rsquo;re surrounded by secondary scoring.</p><p>Charles-Olivier Roussel, Gabriel Lemieux and Adam Bourque-Leblanc are three studs on the blueline.</p><p>Goalie Olivier Girard played very well as a backup last season before taking over the No. 1 job later in the playoffs.</p><p><b>4. VAL D&rsquo;OR FOREURS</b> Val d&rsquo;Or is poised for a dramatic rise after finishing tied for last in the league last season.</p><p>Look for goaltender Raffaele D&rsquo;Orso to rebound to his star form following a bad season. He&rsquo;ll have the support of a strong blueline corps featuring Marco Scandella, Shawn Morton-Boutin, Simon Lacroix, Christian Morin and Gabriel Beaupre.</p><p><b>5. ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES</b> Tourigny, entering his seventh season with the Huskies, is the longest-tenured coach in the league.</p><p><b>6. DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS</b> Defending champion is still a threat thanks to strong returning cast.</p><p><b>7. CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES</b> Goalie Olivier Roy is an MVP candidate.</p><p><b>8. P.E.I. ROCKET</b> Just one playoff series win in 10-year franchise history.</p><p><b>9. SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS</b> Former NHLer Gerard Gallant enters his first season as the team&rsquo;s coach.</p><p><b>10. GATINEAU OLYMPIQUES</b> Maxime Clermont must prove himself after not getting invited to Hockey Canada&rsquo;s goalie evaluation camp this summer.</p><p><b>11. CHICOUTIMI SAGUENEENS</b> Richard Martel is No. 2 in QMJHL career coaching wins with 542.</p><p><b>12. VICTORIAVILLE TIGRES</b> Finished higher than No. 10 just once in the past six seasons.</p><p><b>13. ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN</b> Goaltending and blueline are strengths.</p><p><b>14. BAIE-COMEAU DRAKKAR</b> Club surpassed expectations last season, then fired coach Eric Dubois in an odd move.</p><p><b>15. RIMOUSKI OCEANIC</b> Paid the price to build a contender last year.</p><p><b>16. MONTREAL JUNIOR</b> Goalie Jake Allen is prime trade bait.</p><p><b>17. HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS</b> Headed for second straight non-playoff year.</p><p><b>18. LEWISTON MAINEIACS</b> Trying to rebuild community image after almost moving away during the off-season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

REMPARTS’ RED GLARE

<p><b>1. Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton</b> Very smart, two-way blueliner.</p><p><b>2. Louis Domingue, G, Moncton</b> Impressed at Canada&rsquo;s WJC summer goalie camp.</p><p><b>3. Michael Chaput, C, Lewiston</b> Solid center plays at both ends of the ice.</p><p><b>4. Maxime Clermont, G, Gatineau</b> Already has two years&rsquo; worth of &lsquo;Q&rsquo; experience.</p><p><b>5. Cedric Henley, LW, Val d&rsquo;Or</b> Big power forward with good offensive touch.</p><p><b>6. Samuel Carrier, D, Lewiston</b> Quarterbacks the power play with a rifle shot.</p><p><b>7. Michael Bournival, C, Lewiston</b> Small, but an offensively gifted player.</p><p><b>8. Stanislav Galiev, C, Saint John</b> Strong USHL year made him No. 1 at import draft.</p><p><b>9. Yousseff Kabbajj, D, Chicoutimi</b> Steady defenseman with big frame.</p><p><b>10. Guilluame Asselin, RW, Montreal</b> A natural goal-scorer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01528/9254820-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="888" height="1092"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02340/9254827-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="194" height="193"></div><p><b>MIKE VERNACE HEARD IT</b> over and over: You have not got a chance, kid.</p><p>He didn&rsquo;t like hearing it, either. He&rsquo;d get more than a little angry when a coach, a scout or another player would tell him that.</p><p>But after playing 12 games on defense with the Colorado Avalanche as last season came to a close, and signing as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers in July, Vernace has a message to all the doubters:</p><p>Thank you.</p><p>&ldquo;Without those people, I wouldn&rsquo;t be where I am today,&rdquo; said Vernace, 23, a Toronto native. &ldquo;A lot of people along the way said, &lsquo;You might as well try something different&rsquo; or &lsquo;You&rsquo;re never going to make it.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s what motivated me.&rdquo;</p><p>Vernace definitely falls into the late-bloomer category. He needed a season in the Ontario Provincial Junior League before earning a spot for two years with Brampton of the Ontario League. He was drafted in the seventh round (201st overall) in 2004 by San Jose, but before he ever played a pro game, was traded to Colorado in the summer of 2006.</p><p>He then started his pro career with Arizona of the Central League, at which point he had every right to think the doubters were correct.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long road, it&rsquo;s been a tough road; and it hasn&rsquo;t always been the easiest,&rdquo; Vernace said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s been fun getting there.&rdquo;</p><p>Vernace&rsquo;s game isn&rsquo;t flashy. He&rsquo;s a puck-mover who, at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, is not all that physical and instead relies on positioning.</p><p>He established himself as a fulltime AHLer in 2007-08 with the Lake Erie Monsters, scoring three goals and 29 points in 79 games. Last season, he scored three goals and 17 points in 65 games before his recall to Colorado&rsquo;s blueline.</p><p>He made his NHL debut on March 17 at Minnesota.</p><p>&ldquo;I played three shifts and I didn&rsquo;t really remember what happened,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But during the first TV timeout I settled down. I remember Ian Laperriere patted me on the shoulder and said, &lsquo;Good job, kid.&rsquo; I felt more relaxed after that.&rdquo;</p><p>Vernace is expected to be a depth player for the Thrashers and will be a big asset for the AHL&rsquo;s Chicago Wolves.</p><p>&ldquo;I want to prove to myself and to Colorado that I can play there and to Atlanta for believing in me,&rdquo; Vernace said. &ldquo;I got a little taste of something great and I want it that much more now.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>Mike Vernace</b></h2><p>Chicago Wolves</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-2</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 200</p><p><b>Pos.</b> D</p><p><b>Age</b> 23</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03285/9254813-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="168" height="92"></div><p><b>AND COUNTING 23</b></p><p>Vernace&rsquo;s plus-minus rating improvement in 2008-09 over &rsquo;07-08</p><h2><b>SHOW TIME!</b></h2><p><b>DAVID VAN DER GULIK</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04253/9254806-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="180" height="113"></div><p>The defense-first right winger is ready for a checking role with the Flames. Drafted 206th in 2002 out of the Jr. A British Columbia League, he was the only plus player the past three seasons for Calgary&rsquo;s AHL affiliate.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05226/9254799-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="182" height="250"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JUSTSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-06195/9254792-1-eng-US/f0045-062.jpg" title="f0045-06" width="287" height="86"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0045-01

LONG TIME COMING

<div class="byline">&#x2014; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><p>Since a bonafide NHL opportunity didn&rsquo;t present itself, Mike York decided it was better to go minor, but think major.</p><p>The left winger opted to sign a one-year, one-way contract with the Rochester Americans, hoping continued productivity in the minors will lead to an NHL contract with a needy team during the season.</p><p>York, 31, led the Syracuse Crunch in scoring last year with 11 goals and 58 points in 75 games. It was the only AHL season of his 10-year career.</p><p>In nine NHL seasons, York scored 127 goals and 322 points in 579 games for the Rangers, Oilers, Islanders, Flyers, Coyotes and Blue Jackets. He topped 20 goals three times and 50 points four times.</p><p><b>KEEN ON PLAYING</b> The desire to play &ndash; and win &ndash; still burns for Mike Keane, which is why the right winger will return to the Manitoba Moose for a 22nd pro season.</p><p>Keane, 42, has been the Moose captain the past four years after a 17 NHL seasons. He had eight goals and 28 points in 74 games last year.</p><p><b>TEACHING HELP</b> New Hamilton Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher added to his staff, hiring longtime McGill University coach Martin Raymond and former New York Islanders assistant Daniel Lacroix.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

YORK HITS A FORK

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01520/9254910-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="889" height="1092"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02332/9254917-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="194" height="194"></div><p><b>FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT</b> season, defenseman Joey Mormina will begin the year with a new organization.</p><p>For the first time, it will be with the Philadelphia Flyers, seven years after they drafted the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Montreal native in the sixth round (193rd overall).</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like coming full circle now,&rdquo; Mormina said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a good team both up in the NHL and down in the minors. I&rsquo;m excited to get it going.&rdquo;</p><p>Mormina, 27, played 70 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008-09, with two goals, 11 points and 71 penalty minutes. Seven of the 10 regular season games Mormina missed were with a season-opening injury.</p><p>Partnered with Ben Lovejoy, Mormina also had a plus-37 rating, second on the team to Lovejoy&rsquo;s plus-42.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely one of those things where the number was pretty high, but it&rsquo;s also a little misleading,&rdquo; Mormina said. &ldquo;A lot of times it was just making a good breakout pass and then the team went down and scored.</p><p>&ldquo;It definitely had a lot to do with our forwards, who were so talented. If anybody saw us play, they know myself and Ben were always out against the other teams&rsquo; top lines. It wasn&rsquo;t like we were getting a cheap plus against the fourth lines.&rdquo;</p><p>after four U.S. college seasons at Colgate University, Mormina played two years with the Manchester Monarchs before moving to the Albany River Rats in 2007.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year I was able to finally play the role I did down in college,&rdquo; Mormina said. &ldquo;I love playing against other teams&rsquo; top lines, and I saw it as a personal challenge every night to go out there and shut them down. It made it pretty easy going into games because I knew exactly what I had to do.&rdquo;</p><p>A victim of Pittsburgh&rsquo;s youth movement, Mormina inked a deal with the Flyers as a UFA one week into the signing period.</p><p>&ldquo;I was disappointed when it came time to talk contract and nothing really happened,&rdquo; Mormina said of the Pens. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s part of the business. When you&rsquo;re a free agent, you don&rsquo;t want to just take the first offer; you want to make sure the team&rsquo;s interested in you and it wasn&rsquo;t like my agent had to sell me or something like that. They were one of the first teams that called, so it made it pretty easy.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>Joey Mormina</b></h2><p>Adirondack Phantoms</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-6</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 220</p><p><b>Pos.</b> D</p><p><b>Age</b> 27</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03239/9254903-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="165" height="93"></div><p><b>AND COUNTING 13</b></p><p>Mormina&rsquo;s pro career-high in points, a mark he&rsquo;s reached twice</p><h2><b>SHOW TIME!</b></h2><p><b>ROB SCHREMP</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04196/9254896-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="179" height="112"></div><p>The organization has been patient with the slick and talented offensive dynamo, whose numbers slipped noticeably last season. A coaching change at the NHL level offers the former first-rounder a fresh start.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-05156/9254889-1-eng-US/f0046-052.jpg" title="f0046-05" width="182" height="254"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(AFC MEDIA)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-06135/9254882-1-eng-US/f0046-062.jpg" title="f0046-06" width="286" height="84"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-01

PHANTOM MENACE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>uring the NHL lockout of 2004-05, the Binghamton Senators rolled through the regular season with major talents such as Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Chris Kelly, Brian Pothier and Ray Emery, and were expected to have similar success in the playoffs.</p><p>Then came Andy Chiodo. The Toronto-born goaltender came out of nowhere to win four games as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton shocked Binghamton in the first round.</p><p>Chiodo stopped 123 of 128 shots as Wilkes-Barre erased a 2-0 series deficit and won four consecutive games to advance.</p><p>Now 26, Chiodo signed a one-year, two-way deal with Ottawa to be part of Binghamton&rsquo;s newly refurbished goaltending tandem with Mike Brodeur, picked up from the Rochester Americans.</p><p>Chiodo spent the past three seasons playing overseas, two in Finland and last year in Russia for Dynamo Minsk. He played eight NHL games with Pittsburgh in 2003-04.</p><p><b>SIZEABLE ADDITION</b> The Hartford Wolf Pack signed 6-foot-7, 250-pound defenseman Brent Henley to an AHL contract. Henley, 28, had six assists and 198 penalty minutes in 47 games for Norfolk last season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

EXORCISING THE PAST

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0047-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01487/9254986-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Despite dire conditions, smiles and songs are often on the lips of the children of Sierra Leone.</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>R</span>and Simon is an agent for Newport Sports Management. He travelled to Sierra Leone, representing his company as part of a humanitarian endeavor. He shares some reflections.</i></p><p><b>IT&rsquo;S INCREDIBLE</b> a place so hot could produce so many cool chills.</p><p>My trip to the West African country of Sierra Leone was an unforgettable, eye-opening experience punctuated by uplifting moments thanks to people who believe you can always sing in the face of dire circumstance.</p><p>I guess the fact it took me four months to find the words for this piece proves I made the right decision when I left journalism 16 years ago to join Newport Sports Management.</p><p>The purpose of the African trip was to be present at the dedication of a new school in Sierra Leone that was sponsored by Newport at the direction of our president, Don Meehan.</p><p>Most of my work-related travel involves flying somewhere in North America for a game or a meeting and coming back home the next day. And chances are, I interact with more millionaires in a month than the average hockey fan will meet in their entire life.</p><p>So you can imagine my surprise when Donnie asked me last December how I would feel about going to Sierra Leone. Turns out Don had an idea for our firm to sponsor a school in the impoverished nation and he asked if I would be interested in representing our company at the opening of the school.</p><p>Having never travelled to a developing country before, my emotions ranged from apprehension to excitement. after a logistical delay set the trip back a couple months, my wife, Laurel (an elementary school principal), and I boarded a flight for Freetown.</p><p>after nearly 20 hours of travel we were met at the airport by Dr. Thomas Mark Turay (known by most of the locals as simply TMT), a remarkable native of Sierra Leone who rose from the depths of poverty to improve the world through his organization CD Peace.</p><p>We were joined on the trip by Sherry Prenevost, the CEO of Green Solutions Chari-table Trust (and such a veteran of Sierra Leone that she was made an honorary chief) and Dawn Hatch, a Northern California-based journalist. In Sierra Leone we were oft en in the company of Carolyn Van Gurp, a Canadian who has moved to that country as part of her work with Peaceful Schools International. Her blog describing life in Sierra Leone was an invaluable part of our preparation for the trip.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>ONE BOY HELD UP A CANADIAN FLAG FOR HALF AN HOUR</b></blockquote><p>We spent five days there, dividing our time among four small villages in the heart of the country: Myagba, Mokonchorie, Mothombo and Mapaki</p><p>The highlight of the trip was the dedication for the new school opening in Mothombo. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries and politicians from throughout the country and lasted for several hours. Prior to the start of the ceremony we were greeted by signing children with signs thanking Newport and Green Solutions for their new school. As we walked towards the procession of children, their songs sent chills down all of our spines.</p><p>Some children held up small Canadian flags to welcome us. We noticed one boy of about five years old who held his Canadian flag above his head for a good 30 minutes in the oppressive heat without letting his arm drop. I still get emotional when I think of him standing there and picture where he is in life compared to my own five-year-old son.</p><p>Speaking of emotional, the day before the new school dedication there was a ceremony to remember the dead who had perished in the old school several years earlier during the country&rsquo;s civil war. Rebels had destroyed the small school by burning it to the ground, but not before locking the doors and preventing anyone from escaping. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears shed.</p><p>Calling Sierra Leone &ldquo;poor&rdquo; is like calling Alex Ovechkin a good hockey player. The villages are void of electricity, running water and, for parts of the year, there is scarcely enough food to feed the people there. It truly is the land time forgot.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02322/9254979-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="626" height="939"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LAUREL GALT & RAND SIMON)</span></figcaption></div><p>And, yet, you will rarely hear any complaints from the villagers. The children are full of life and joy and hope. If the children aren&rsquo;t laughing that&rsquo;s only because they are either singing or cheering. The loudest cheers were when we would show them the digital image of a picture we had just taken.</p><p>Mostly, the children just want to be around us <i>aportos</i> (white people). They swarmed us every morning when we emerged from the guest houses and a walk through the village involved several children hanging on to our hands and arms, literally fighting each other for the opportunity to walk close to us.</p><p>And while I guess I should not have been surprised, it was quite alarming when on my first day there a child of about 10 asked me if my parents were still alive. While that&rsquo;s not a question I have ever been asked by a child in Canada, it makes sense when you consider the average life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 40.6 years according to the CIA World Factbook, ranking it 215th out of 221 countries. (The United Nations ranks Sierra Leone 192nd out of 195 countries with an average life expectancy of 42.6). No matter which number you use, it&rsquo;s a shocking thought to realize you have already reached the age where most people die in this country. Some of the children had no idea how old they were since they did not have parents around to tell them when they were born. Close to 20 percent of the people in the villages are under the age of six.</p><p>Speaking of the United Nations, there happened to be a UN delegation visiting Sierra Leone when we were there. I had the honor of meeting Canada&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN, John McNee, at a lunch in Mapaki that was attended by dozens of UN representatives. While the personal highlight of the lunch was getting a cold drink for the first time on the trip, it was disappointing the UN delegation didn&rsquo;t spend any time in the village once lunch ended as the group was whisked away to its next appointment. If they had, they would have witnessed how incredibly primitive the living conditions were. Instead, they saw only the relatively modern community center and there were literally no children around as they all got scared and ran away when the local police arrived half an hour or so before the UN group came to Mapaki.</p><p>In Sierra Leone&rsquo;s villages, it is common for at least a dozen people to live in one, 500-square foot house that has nothing more than a hard, mud floor. All cooking and cleaning is done in the &ldquo;yard&rdquo; outside. The home is only a place to sleep and take shelter during the rainy season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01357/9254972-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="1200" height="787"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Rand Simon introduces hockey, and a copy of THN, to some villagers.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LAUREL GALT)</span></figcaption></div><p>Dealing with the heat was the most difficult part of the experience. With no electricity (meaning no fans) and constant temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, we woke up sweating and we went to bed the same way. We drank room temperature water out of small, plastic bags and tried to stay under the shade of various fruit trees.</p><p>That the villagers of Sierra Leone were able to build a beautiful new school almost entirely by hand in those conditions is remarkable.</p><p>The villages might be like the land time forgot, but we must never forget what they are going through. It just isn&rsquo;t right that we have so much here in the western world while those people have so little. Hopefully through the efforts of Don Meehan and Newport Sports &ndash; and the other organizations I touched on earlier &ndash; thousands of children will now get the education and life they deserve.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-01

SIERRA LEONE HITS HOME

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02230/9255024-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="913" height="913"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01320/9255031-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="142" height="142"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></b></p><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Trophy won by Luc Robitaille in 1987</p><p>4 This new Hall of Famer twice won the Norris</p><p>9 The NHL&rsquo;s outdoor game is dubbed &lsquo;The Winter ___&rsquo;</p><p>10 The NHLPA is one</p><p>11 Come as a result</p><p>12 Undrafted Art Ross winner of 2004</p><p>13 Veteran winger ___ Smyth</p><p>15 The Flyers had a record 24 in 1969-70</p><p>18 Used one&rsquo;s stick illegally, cross-___</p><p>21 Former netminder ___ Vachon</p><p>23 Montreal defenseman ___ Hamrlik, pictured</p><p>24 4 Across wore No. 2 for this team</p><p>25 Mikkel Boedker&rsquo;s nationality</p><p>26 Talkative, like Sean Avery</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Passes the puck around in the offensive zone</p><p>2 Brian Burke&rsquo;s latest team</p><p>3 The E in EPHL (a former league)</p><p>5 Even</p><p>6 Honor, pay ___ to</p><p>7 Work hard, make an ___ effort</p><p>8 A legendary Quebec team</p><p>14 He&rsquo;s also new to the Hall of Fame</p><p>15 Where the Hall is located</p><p>16 Brett Hull did this 741 times</p><p>17 Lou Lamoriello is GM in New ___</p><p>19 Robitaille&rsquo;s first NHL team</p><p>20 Former Blackhawk ___ Graham</p><p>22 Wayne Gretzky, &lsquo;The ___ One&rsquo;</p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. MAURICE, 4. MASKS, 7. ANDY, 8. AMERICAN, 10. TERRY CRISP, 12. BROWN, 13. VAIVE, 14. LETHBRIDGE, 18. PAVELSKI, 19. POST, 20. RARER, 21. NEILSON <b>DOWN</b> 1. MEANT, 2. UNDERDOG, 3. ELMER, 4. MARC SAVARD, 5. SOCK, 6. SAN JOSE, 9. RYAN KESLER, 11. BIRD DOGS, 12. BLOOPER, 15. HAKAN, 16. EATON, 17. OVER</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03171/9255017-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="1509" height="762"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0049-02

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05115/9255062-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="641" height="554"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TOLEDO WALLEYE</b></p><p>2009-10</p></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04154/9255069-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="142" height="142"></div><p class="dropcap"><a href="http://THN.com"><span>T</span>HN.com</a>&rsquo;s ultimate jersey rankings has brought a wealth of new sweater designs into the office, so the pool of candidates for this issue was large. The Toledo Walleye enter the ECHL this year and will do so in style. Though the name and logo may be an acquired taste, the yellow of the fish looks great on the baby blue. And since double-blue is a house favorite, the trim is a winner, too. But what really puts the Walleye in our good books is the originality of the fins on the arms; definitely a nice call.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0049-05

JERSEY Hound

<div class="byline">with Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0050-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02209/9255100-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ERIC STAAL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ELSA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01302/9255107-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>K</span>EN HITCHCOCK WAS OFFERING</b> all manner of insights into the play of Sidney Crosby, when the question about what position the Kid needs to play on Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team came up.</p><p>It was me that wondered because, all along, it seemed logical to think that even if Crosby is most effective as a center, he has the versatility and skill set to shift over to the wing more easily than some of his peers.</p><p>But Hitchcock was adamant.</p><p>&ldquo;For me, it&rsquo;s really important that he play center, because of his speed,&rdquo; he said, noting: &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re going to play a 200-foot game, the guy in the middle has to be an active player. If you&rsquo;re going to hang onto the puck more, if you&rsquo;re going to play more puck possession, the guy in the middle has to be an active player.</p><p>&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t play the way Mike (Babcock) wants to play and play a slowdown game. He doesn&rsquo;t want to play a slowdown game, so the guy can&rsquo;t be a trailing player. He can&rsquo;t be a guy that comes in late all the time. He&rsquo;s going to lead the charge and he&rsquo;s going to be a good player.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&lsquo;IF YOU CAN&rsquo;T PLAY 200 FEET, YOU CAN&rsquo;T PLAY. THAT&rsquo;S THE DEAL&rsquo;</b></blockquote><p>The issue of who plays center for Canada&rsquo;s 2010 Olympic entry will be one of the more hotly debated topics leading up to the final team&rsquo;s selection in December. So many of Canada&rsquo;s top forwards are natural pivots and not everyone can make a smooth and seamless transition to the wing. Crosby has in the past shown that ability, but coach Mike Babcock clearly feels as Hitchcock does &ndash; that Crosby belongs in the middle.</p><p>Even if no one is assigning first-line status at this early stage of the proceedings, in a perfect world, the unit of Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash would be an explosive starting point for a Canadian team that, four years ago in Turin, could not buy a goal in three of its final four games, losing miserably in the quarterfinal to Russia.</p><p>Assuming Crosby stays in the middle and Ryan Getzlaf lands the No. 2 spot, it means a veritable who&rsquo;s who of Canadian stars &ndash; from Eric Staal and Joe Thornton to Vincent Lecavalier, Jeff Carter and Patrick Marleau &ndash; all suddenly become candidates to play the wing, or not at all.</p><p>Most seemed to know it, too. In fact, on opening day of the orientation camp, both Staal and Thornton suggested they would play defense &ndash; in jest &ndash; if that&rsquo;s what it took to qualify for the Olympic team.</p><p>&ldquo;Oh I&rsquo;d play any position,&rdquo; Staal said. &ldquo;There are a lot of great centermen and a lot of great players here, so you need to fit into a role. I&rsquo;m sure it&rsquo;s the same for every guy &ndash; whatever they ask, whatever they need you to do, you&rsquo;re going to do it the best you can.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m no different. If they want me to play wing, I&rsquo;ll play wing and do it to the best of my ability.&rdquo;</p><p>Marleau was saying pretty much the same thing.</p><p>&ldquo;Especially, up the middle, this is a very strong team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Last year, I played left wing pretty much all season long, so I&rsquo;m able to bounce back and forth between different positions.&rdquo;</p><p>Apart from Marleau, Staal and Carter (the leading goal-scorer among Canadian players in the NHL last season) have both played some wing in the past. Hitchcock reminded one and all that Lecavalier played the wing occasionally in 2004 during Canada&rsquo;s World Cup triumph, where he was a late addition to the camp, but ended up as the tourney MVP.</p><p>There is a suspicion that because of their strong two-way play, the Flyers&rsquo; Mike Richards and the Hawks&rsquo; Jonathan Toews may earn the job as third and fourth-line centers. If it goes that way &ndash; which would leave Canada unusually young at such a critical spot &ndash; then Thornton and other more experienced scoring stars may be on the outside looking in.</p><p>Steve Yzerman, the team&rsquo;s executive director, was adamant that he wants some natural wingers on the team, just because they have the instincts for the position. However, he also realizes that at least a couple of centers are going to have to play out of position because they&rsquo;re simply too talented to leave off the team.</p><p>And since Canada will likely employ 13 forwards, the extra spot will almost certainly go to a center. That may actually be the best spot for Toews, who can kill penalties, take faceoffs and possibly move up the depth chart if a spark is needed.</p><p>But according to Hitchcock, passion more than position will ultimately tip the scales.</p><p>&ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s focused on the centers,&rdquo; Hitchcock said, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s not the position. Mike&rsquo;s telling you, you&rsquo;ve got to play 200 feet. If you can&rsquo;t play 200 feet, you can&rsquo;t play. That&rsquo;s the deal. If you&rsquo;re not wiling to go and play a hard offensive game and you&rsquo;re not willing to play a hard defensive game, you&rsquo;re going to have a tough time playing here.&rdquo;</p><p>No matter where you might line up to start a shift.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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September 14, 2009

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