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.

October 26, 2009

The Hockey News - Oct-26-09

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-08212/9298076-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="305" height="168"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Matt Hendricks bounced around the minors for years, always being cut before the NHL regular season began.</p><p>But when the Avs dropped the puck on their home opener, the 28-year-old grinding center/winger was still in Denver.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been waiting a long time for this day,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Hendricks played four games for Colorado last season, otherwise spending his pro career in places such as Milwaukee and Lake Erie.</p><p>The only part of the preseason that didn&rsquo;t go well for Hendricks was when he suffered a broken nose and shiner after being punched by the Kings&rsquo; Wayne Simmonds.</p><p>&ldquo;I learned on that one,&rdquo; he said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN EVERY ISSUE

Colorado

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03640/9298138-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="324" height="164"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> In a past life, Jeff Woywitka was the 27th pick in the 2001 draft and a potential savior for a sluggish Philadelphia blueline.</p><p>But that&rsquo;s a distant memory for the 26-year-old on his fourth NHL team. Woywitka has had injuries and ups and downs. He has been traded for some big names (Mike Comrie and Chris Pronger among them) and he has been let go when all it took to keep him was a qualifying offer.</p><p>But he has proven to Dallas that he can still play. Woywitka beat out Andrew Hutchinson for the No. 7 defenseman spot, then beat out Mark Fistric to start the season in the lineup. He looks like a solid partner for Matt Niskanen and an important player this year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Dallas

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07325/9298734-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="310" height="166"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> That was the question Canucks fans were asking when Sergei Shirokov, a 5-foot-10 left winger from Russia, showed up at the team&rsquo;s informal workouts prior to the start of training camp.</p><p>Young Russians rarely sign two-way deals because they don&rsquo;t want to play for peanuts in the minors, but Shirokov &ndash; drafted 163rd in 2006 &ndash; took that chance. Then he dazzled at rookie camp and during the pre-season &mdash; collecting seven points in four games &mdash; and earned a spot on the second line. The 23-year-old speaks limited English, but there was no misunderstanding he was chasing his NHL dream.</p><p>&ldquo;First game, special,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My wish was always to play NHL.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Vancouver

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05119/9299888-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="683" height="654"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CALGARY HITMEN</b> 2009-10</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04159/9299895-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="142" height="142"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he entire Canadian Hockey League switched over to Reebok Edge uniforms this season, meaning makeovers both large and small for all major junior teams. In Calgary, the Hitmen have taken intimidation to a new level by blowing up their psycho-killer hockey mask logo on their white road sweaters. By keeping the jersey relatively simple, the eye is drawn straight to the mask. The new logo has a slightly different design and color scheme from the team&rsquo;s main logo, which is still represented on the shoulder patches.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

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IN THIS ISSUE

JERSEY Hound

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012100/9297042-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVORK DJANSEZIAN GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Game on!

<div class="byline">with Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012116/9297087-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="713" height="604"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>PROFESSIONAL SPORTS DEMANDS SUCCESS.</b> Pronto. Win now or lose your job in an hour.</p><p>So it stands to reason the men responsible for building juggernauts will go to extreme measures, grasping all leverage points and loopholes they can find, in order to secure the assets they feel they absolutely must have.</p><p>The result? Despite an economic system that was supposed to deliver fiscal sanity to the NHL, contract chaos abounds. Senior writer Ken Campbell explores this phenomenon in our cover story, paying particularly close attention to the hundreds of millions of dollars due to next summer&rsquo;s fabulous class of restricted free agents.</p><p>The league and union will butt heads on the dollar daze during the next round of collective bargaining. Here are some of the specifics they may target:</p><p>&bull; <b>Compensation percentage</b> Since the last CBA was reached, player salaries have crept from 54 per cent of league revenues to 57. Expect the league to try to reset this.</p><p>&bull; <b>Contract terms</b> League execs cringe at 12-and 15-year pacts; they want it capped at about five. They may also advocate for limits on how much contracts can decrease in compensation year over year in light of the Chris Pronger and Marian Hossa deals.</p><p>&bull; <b>Unrestricted free agency</b> Age 27 is deemed too young by many GMs and owners. They&rsquo;ll fight to push the number higher.</p><p>&bull; <b>Olympic participation</b> The players want to go to Russia in 2014, but the league is using it as leverage at this point and hinting that it may not be interested.</p><p>&bull; <b>Cap count</b> There&rsquo;s a sense the NHL may want all dollars paid to players to count against the revenue percentage the players receive. As things stand, minor pro compensation and signing bonuses for players in the minors aren&rsquo;t factored in.</p><p>&bull; <b>Revenue sharing</b> The big boys (New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, etc.) aren&rsquo;t happy about subsidizing the money losers. Something&rsquo;s gonna give here.</p><p>&bull; <b>Guaranteed contracts</b> Perhaps a long shot, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if the league attempts to eradicate them.</p><p>It&rsquo;s unclear when the propaganda party will begin in earnest; the CBA expires in 2011, though the players have the right to extend it by a year and there&rsquo;s a provision for annual extensions beyond 2012 if both sides agree. Our gut tells us, however, the owners will want to address their concerns as soon as possible. We hope that&rsquo;s just the ulcer acting up.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021793/9297080-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="476" height="254"></div><h2><b>NEXT ISSUE NOVEMBER 2, 2009</b></h2><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></p><h2><b>LISTEN UP!</b></h2><p>THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW FRIDAYS 3-4 EST XM 204</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031446/9297073-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="93" height="37"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

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DISTANT CBA THUNDER

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021524/9297180-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="888" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03982/9297173-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="214" height="226"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>ey Buffalo, Philadelphia and Edmonton: After seeing the third &lsquo;classic&rsquo; jerseys you introduced last year, you should make those jerseys your main ones. I can imagine the pride Buffalo fans take in seeing the famed crossed-Sabre logo rather than the &ldquo;Buffa-slug.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s also great to see the Flyers take to the ice in the bright orange they were meant to wear.</p><p>I have to say the throwback Oilers jerseys are great, too. I think wearing the same uniform as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Co., will help the newest generation of Oilers appreciate what it means to be a member of that team.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s bring tradition back permanently.</p><p><b>Aaron Kerzner, West Haven, Conn.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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ROCK THE RETRO

<h2><b>NOT-SO-SWEET LOU</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hy is it every time Roberto Luongo&rsquo;s name is mentioned in The Hockey News, it&rsquo;s about how great he is and how he will be the key for the Canucks and Team Canada at the Olympics?</p><p>How long do we have to wait for him to prove himself? I guess if we keep reading about how great he is, we will actually believe it.</p><p>Back of the bus, Roberto. Cam Ward, Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury have proven themselves. You should be watching the Olympics from home.</p><p><b>Mike Matier, Thorold, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>FOREIGN INVESTMENT</b></h2><p>I can&rsquo;t understand the NHL&rsquo;s pointless bid to play regular season games in Europe.</p><p>When I saw the number of fans at the games overseas and think of the countless Canadian and U.S. markets that would give anything to hold those games where the seats would always be full, I think to myself, &lsquo;Wake up!&rsquo;</p><p>Commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners want the Sun Belt teams to flourish in today&rsquo;s market, but they won&rsquo;t promote the game like they did in Europe.</p><p>Give up that pointless dream of introducing the game over there. Play these important games in markets that will appreciate it: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Halifax, etc. It doesn&rsquo;t matter where you play it, it will be a loud sellout and the fans will be thankful they had the chance to be a part of something that matters in the standings.</p><p><b>Jason Boguski, Roblin, Man.</b></p><h2><b>HIT WHERE IT HURTS</b></h2><p>The fight between Versus and DirecTV is punishing fans.</p><p>We fork out all the money to pay these organizations and the thanks we get is to have televised hockey taken away from us.</p><p>The NHL has to get in the middle of this and help get it resolved. Get back on a real network if this is how Versus is going to treat the league&rsquo;s fans.</p><p>That, or DirecTV needs to make Versus part of its Center Ice package.</p><p><b>Greg Goodling, Manheim, Pa.</b></p><h2><b>GOOD RIDDANCE</b></h2><p>After reading Adam Proteau&rsquo;s cover story in the Oct. 12 issue of THN, I think your readers need to know that, even though San Jose may think it acquired a &ldquo;bargain&rdquo; in Dany Heatley, there is more to the story than salary cap hits and goal-scoring.</p><p>Heatley wanted out of Ottawa &ndash; fine, he can do that. But the manner in which he conducted himself left a lot to be desired. He gave no rationale to the Senators organization, his teammates and the fans other than &ldquo;hockey reasons&rdquo; were behind his request. When teammates or Sens management tried to contact him, he reportedly did not show enough respect to return their calls, including ones from his captain. What kind of character does this show?</p><p>The Sens showed they valued Heatley as an important member of the team. He was given the &lsquo;A&rsquo; and asked by Craig Hartsburg and Cory Clouston to become an all-around player, but he did not respond positively to these opportunities. He was asked to play on the second power play in order to spread out team scoring &ndash; this tactic actually worked and the Sens&rsquo; power play improved. However Heatley complained of a &ldquo;diminished role,&rdquo; appearing to want special treatment, earned or not.</p><p>I wish Heatley well and thank him for what he did for us in Ottawa, but I have lost all respect for him. I&rsquo;m glad he&rsquo;s no longer on my team.</p><p><b>Marilyn Joseph, Orleans, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>WEST IS BEST</b></h2><p>In the Sept. 28 issue, your preseason poll has 23 of your 40 experts selecting three Eastern Conference teams as the most likely to win the Stanley Cup.</p><p>Aren&rsquo;t these the same experts who continually talk about the overall superiority of the West?</p><p><b>Gary Morlock, Poway, Calif.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012103/9297142-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="247" height="204"></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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Crowd Shots

<div class="byline">with TOBIAS ENSTROM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012341/9297225-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="544" height="570"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ENSTROM: KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021574/9297218-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="125" height="123"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>TEVE WILSON FROM ATLANTA ASKS <b>What sparked the Thrashers&rsquo; strong play at the end of last season and do you think the momentum will carry over?</b></p><p>We had a new coach and it&rsquo;s not supposed to take that long to get used to a new approach, but i don&rsquo;t think everybody was on the same page for a couple months. After Christmas everyone figured it out and we played like a team. Hopefully this year we&rsquo;ll have a good start with everybody playing the same game.</p><p>JOSH JACKSON FROM STEVENSVILLE,  ONT., ASKS <b>Who is the hardest player in the league to play against?</b></p><p>Alex Ovechkin. He&rsquo;s a complete hockey player. He can be tough, skilled&hellip;You never know what you&rsquo;re going to get from him.</p><p>DEVON SHEPHERD FROM STONY PLAIN, ALTA., ASKS <b>What has been your favorite moment in hockey?</b></p><p>When i won the championship back home in Sweden with Modo (2007).</p><p>MATT MACDONALD FROM WINNIPEG ASKS <b>How much time do you spend in Sweden during the summer?</b></p><p>I go home right after the season. My first two years we didn&rsquo;t make the playoffs, but hopefully it&rsquo;s going to be later this year. i spend my whole summer back home in Sweden.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04582/9297211-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="91" height="86"></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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FAN SHOOTOUT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03924/9297263-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="630" height="556"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FLEURY: ANDY DEVLIN/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/f0006-08121/9297270-1-eng-US/f0006-082.jpg" title="f0006-08" width="107" height="102"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Adam,</p><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>f you were the Calgary Flames, would you have kept <b>Theoren Fleury?</b> I was really hoping to see him suit up this year and was really disappointed when the Flames released him.</p><p><b><i>Dylan Kelly, Edmonton</i></b></p><p>Dylan,</p><p>No, I would&rsquo;ve made the same decision as Flames GM Darryl Sutter. Fairy-tale endings may happen every once in a while, but by and large, players who attempt comebacks after being out of the game for a year or more almost always fail. Claude Lemieux in San Jose last year and Jason Allison&rsquo;s tryout with Toronto in the pre-season are proof of that.</p><p>Adam,</p><p>I know it&rsquo;s early in the season, but my Vancouver Canucks look positively brutal so far. People are blaming Roberto Luongo for giving up so many goals, but I don&rsquo;t see him as the root cause of the problem. What do you think?</p><p><b><i>Laura Stevenson, Tacoma, Wash.</i></b></p><p>Laura,</p><p>You&rsquo;re right &ndash; Luongo&rsquo;s struggles weren&rsquo;t the chief element of the Canucks&rsquo; sub-par start to the season. He&rsquo;s famous for slow starts, but Vancouver&rsquo;s cruddy penalty-kill (58-percent efficiency) and abysmal goal production (six goals in three games) added greatly to his burden. And guess what? In his fourth game, Luongo won because his teammates scored seven goals and he allowed one. He&rsquo;ll be fine.</p><h2><b>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06324/9297256-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="80" height="82"></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><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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ASK Adam

<p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>What do you think of the three-year, $12.25-million contract the Boston Bruins gave Milan Lucic?</p><p><b>Good deal for Lucic 50%</b></p><p>Good deal for both 42%</p><p>Good deal for Bruins 8%</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05456/9297308-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="450" height="668"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LUCIC: BRIAN 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>SENDUS SNAILMAIL</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/f0006-07203/9297301-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="80" height="82"></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>

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POLL RESULTS

<div class="byline">BY JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021423/9297367-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="743" height="415"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012097/9297374-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="108" height="108"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Player Poll</p><p>*This week we surveyed more than 80 NHL players</p><p>Q Which team will win the Stanley Cup this season?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03893/9297360-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="738" height="216"></div><p><b>IF YOU ASK THE GUYS</b> who actually play in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins will repeat as Stanley Cup champs next June.</p><p>The Hockey News polled every team in early October and received responses from more than 80 NHLers, a sampling of nearly 15 percent of the league&rsquo;s players. We asked three questions: Which team will win the Stanley Cup? Which is this season&rsquo;s breakout team? And which team will finish last overall? Respondents weren&rsquo;t permitted to vote for their own squad.</p><p>Almost 60 percent of NHLers believe the Cup champion will come from the Eastern Conference &ndash; Washington and Philadelphia (THN&rsquo;s pre-season pick) finished second and third, followed by Detroit and perennial post-season pussycat San Jose.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to lose before you win,&rdquo; said one Eastern Conference respondent matter-of-factly about the Sharks.</p><p>Added another: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see if Dany Heatley puts them over the top. They&rsquo;ve had their problems in the playoffs, but they&rsquo;re going to be hard to beat.&rdquo;</p><p>In all, 10 different teams received Cup consideration. The defending Eastern Conference-champion Boston Bruins received multiple mentions (7.5 percent), but the B&rsquo;s, Pens, Caps and Flyers were the only teams in the East to garner any support.</p><p>In the West, six teams received votes. The Chicago Blackhawks ranked third (8.8 percent), behind the Wings and Sharks, among the conference&rsquo;s contenders.</p><p>&ldquo;They had a good playoff run last year and I think that experience will help them go even further this time,&rdquo; said an Eastern Conference player of the Hawks.</p><p>Calgary also got some votes (3.8 percent), as much for who they added off the ice as on it.</p><p>&ldquo;I think what Brent Sutter did with the Devils, that&rsquo;s what Calgary has been missing the last two years,&rdquo; said a player from the West.</p><p>Vancouver and, er, Phoenix received single votes. The Canucks could contend, but we think someone was having some Yotes yuks at our expense. Prove us wrong, Phoenix, prove us wrong.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04577/9297353-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="1774" height="2370"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NHLers picked Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s Pens and Alex Ovechkin&rsquo;s Caps as Cup favorites.</b></figcaption></div><p>Q Who will be this season&rsquo;s breakout team?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012236/9297346-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="686" height="314"></div><p><b>NO TEAM IN ANY CATEGORY</b> received more support than St. Louis did as this season&rsquo;s breakout team.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a lot of depth,&rdquo; said a goalie in the same division (Central) as the Blues. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve seen the best of them yet.&rdquo;</p><p>Added an Eastern Conference skater: &ldquo;They have good young players and they&rsquo;ve got great veteran guys who might be older, but are still really skilled.&rdquo;</p><p>Los Angeles is also loaded with young talent and a number of NHLers believe the Kings&rsquo; time has come.</p><p>The rebuilding Maple Leafs were lauded for their added grit, while players felt a full year under Rick Tocchet gives Tampa Bay a chance to surprise. And Phoenix &ndash; the only team to receive votes in all three categories &ndash; finished behind only Los Angeles in the West.</p><p>In all, 19 teams were named on the ballots, meaning NHLers believe parity really is alive and well.</p><p>Q Who will finish last overall in the NHL this season?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021695/9297339-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="691" height="322"></div><p><b>FINISHING LAST OVERALL</b> is no easy task in today&rsquo;s NHL, but nearly one-third of the league&rsquo;s players believe the Islanders will pull off the feat for a second straight season despite the presence of No. 1 draft pick John Tavares.</p><p>Phoenix, too, received a lot of consideration; the consensus being there&rsquo;s just too much intrigue happening off the ice for the Coyotes to succeed on it.</p><p>Of Colorado, one player who chose the Avalanche as his breakout team asked: &ldquo;They have to be better than last year, right?&rdquo;</p><p>Wrong, according to more than 10 percent of his compatriots. The Avs, rebuilding after Joe Sakic&rsquo;s retirement, finished tied with Atlanta as the club players considered the third-most likely team to be bottom of the barrel.</p><p>And then there&rsquo;s Tampa Bay. NHLers couldn&rsquo;t decide if the bipolar Bolts will be brutal (6.3 percent) or breakout (7.4 percent).</p><p>Eleven teams received at least one vote to finish last in the league this season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-02

Inside the NHL

<h2><b>+ IN THE BIG LEAGUES</b></h2><p>Six 2009 draftees crack opening night rosters, with No. 1 overall pick John Tavares netting a goal and assist in his first game.</p><h2><b>- T.O.</b>&nbsp;<b>IN TROUBLE</b></h2><p>Leafs fined by league after coach Ron Wilson made public comments about interest in the Sedins before they became UFAs.</p><h2><b>+</b><b>COLLEGE</b>&nbsp;<b>NO. 1</b></h2><p>Denver is THN&rsquo;s pick as the top NCAA team, while North Dakota&rsquo;s threads voted best jersey in hockey by <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> readers.</p><h2><b>- HURTIN&rsquo;</b></h2><p>Canadiens lose standout defenseman Andrei Markov and physical blueliner Ryan O&rsquo;Byrne to long-term injuries.</p><h2><b>+</b><b>GOOD</b>&nbsp;<b>ON YA</b></h2><p>Ex-NHLers on CBC&rsquo;s figure skating reality show <i>Battle of the Blades</i> risk life and limb &ndash; and their reputations &ndash; for charity.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031191/9297405-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="658" height="1088"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FIGHTING SIOUX: DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0008-03

Plus/Minus

<h2><b>5 FIVE</b></h2><p>Flames defender <b>Jay Bouwmeester</b> burns bright in Calgary, earning every cent of his annual $6.7-million cap hit.</p><h2><b>4 FOUR</b></h2><p>Anaheim&rsquo;s <b>Scott Niedermayer</b> ages like fine wine; an expensive vintage at $6.75 million.</p><h2><b>3 THREE</b></h2><p>Chicago&rsquo;s <b>Brian Campbell</b> has $7.14-million reasons to justify a spin-o-rama in his own end.</p><h2><b>2 TWO</b></h2><p>Detroit&rsquo;s six-time Norris winner, <b>Nicklas Lidstrom</b>, is the active leader in D-man scoring and is paid like it at $7.45-million.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04661/9297436-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="675" height="548"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHARA: BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>1 ONE</b></h2><p>Slovakian skyscraper <b>Zdeno Chara</b> costs Boston more annually than any other NHL blueliner, $7.5 million.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-04

Starting from 5

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021399/9297467-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Andrei Markov&rsquo;s ankle injury throws a wrench into Russia&rsquo;s depth chart.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ROBERT LABERGE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012010/9297474-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="182" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>OR RED, WHITE AND BLUE TEAMS,</b> Andrei Markov&rsquo;s early-season ankle injury has catastrophic potential. True, the Montreal Canadiens will miss the top-flight blueliner for the four months it takes him to recover, but so will Team Russia at the Winter Olympics.</p><p>Granted, there is a chance that Markov&rsquo;s surgically repaired ankle &ndash; he sustained a lacerated tendon when he was accidentally cut by Habs goalie Carey Price during a goalmouth scramble &ndash; will permit him to play in Vancouver. But for now, the Russians must plan to show up without him. Not that the Habs stalwart will be easy to replace.</p><p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s look on the positive side and hope he makes it,&rdquo; said Ottawa&rsquo;s Alexei Kovalev, Markov&rsquo;s former Montreal teammate. &ldquo;He brings everything. He makes a big difference in every situation, whether it&rsquo;s penalty killing, power play or 5-on-5. As a defenseman he opens up a lot of space for other players.&rdquo;</p><p>Markov is certainly a special blueliner. His offensive output has increased each year since the lockout, culminating in last season&rsquo;s 64-point effort. He plays nearly 25 minutes a game and is a fantastic power play quarterback. As Kovalev so accurately put it, &ldquo;certain players you just don&rsquo;t replace.&rdquo;</p><p>But should the Russian brain trust be tasked with finding a sub for Markov in Vancouver, there are options, even if they are fraught with their own perils.</p><p>Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Sergei Gonchar would naturally be one of the team&rsquo;s best defensemen anyway and plays a very similarly gifted all-around game. The downside is the 35-year-old Stanley Cup winner was beset by injuries to both his shoulder and knee last year and has a lot of miles on the odometer.</p><p>Another veteran who will need to step up is a player recently removed from the NHL spotlight: Sergei Zubov. The former Dallas Stars standout is winding his career down back home in Russia, but don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s in retirement mode just yet.</p><p>Zubov&rsquo;s SKA St. Petersburg team was flying high early in the KHL season and the blueliner was putting up impressive stats in support. Through 10 games, Zubov registered five points, a plus-5 rating and averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time. He is quite familiar with NHL competition, so there will be no adjustment period needed.</p><p>But overall defensive depth will be the big question for Russia. Pencil in Ottawa&rsquo;s Anton Volchenkov and Columbus mainstay Fedor Tyutin as the third and fourth defenders, but who gets the call after that? Dmitri Kalinin was shaky during his past two NHL seasons and is now playing in the KHL with Salavat Ufa. Danny Markov, also back in Russia, is another option.</p><p>But would that combination be enough to stave off what will be impressive offensive attacks from teams such as Canada, Sweden and the U.S.?</p><p>There&rsquo;s no doubt Russia has the talent up front to win a gold medal, but as Tampa Bay found out last season, you need competent puck-moving defensemen to ignite the attack. Otherwise, the Malkins and Ovechkins will be waiting for an outlet pass that never comes.</p><p>Without a healthy Markov, Russia will be dependent on Gonchar and Zubov, and must pray that neither gets hurt in the interim.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-02

MARKOV LEAVES VOID

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021600/9297512-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Milan Michalek&rsquo;s speed separates him from the pack &ndash; and NHL blueliners.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>To view a video on <b>Milan Michalek</b>, visit the feature section at <a href="http://thehockeynews.tv">thehockeynews.tv</a></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012204/9297505-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="252" height="53"></div><p><b>TWO FORMER 50-GOAL</b> scorers switched teams when the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks hooked up for the summer blockbuster that put Dany Heatley in teal and the heat on Jonathan Cheechoo to rediscover his touch in Ottawa. The way Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson sees it, a 40-goal scorer could very well have been in the mix, too.</p><p>Wilson was San Jose&rsquo;s bench boss when Milan Michalek, who also went to Ottawa along with a 2010 second-rounder, became a full-time NHLer in 2005. In three years under Wilson, Michalek demonstrated enough ability to elicit some high praise. In fact, Wilson thinks his Northeast rivals made out very well when they shipped Heatley west.</p><p>&ldquo;You take 50 goals out, but basically you&rsquo;re having a potential of getting 60, 65 goals into your lineup, because I think Cheechoo is going to find his game at some point and I don&rsquo;t see why Milan Michalek can&rsquo;t score 40 goals in this league from what I&rsquo;ve seen of him,&rdquo; Wilson said.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s big, strong, as good a skater as I&rsquo;ve ever seen. Defensively, he&rsquo;s very aware and like a lot of young guys I think he sometimes still searches at times for consistency and maybe confidence, but personally I think that&rsquo;s a great trade for Ottawa.&rdquo;</p><p>Michalek grinned when told what his old coach thought he could do for his new team.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s nice to hear from him, he helped me a lot in the beginning in San Jose,&rdquo; the left winger said. &ldquo;I was a young guy at 18 and I made the team, so he helped me a lot.&rdquo;</p><p>Michalek (pronounced mih-CALL-ick) is just the latest in a long line of players to establish themselves as impact NHLers in the West while the broader East Coast audience and media have already crawled under the covers. Then there&rsquo;s the fact that when-ever Michalek and the Sharks were in the public eye in recent seasons, it was for yet another playoff collapse.</p><p>As such, it&rsquo;s easy to overlook the 24-year-old&rsquo;s three consecutive seasons of 20-plus goals, not to mention his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame and devotion to playing solid defense.</p><p>Cheechoo, who thrust himself into the spotlight with a 56-goal campaign in 2005-06, expects Michalek to enlighten East Coasters in a hurry.</p><p>&ldquo;San Jose doesn&rsquo;t get as much press as you would here and people don&rsquo;t really get a chance out East to see the games because they&rsquo;re on a little later,&rdquo; Cheechoo said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got such an incredible package. He&rsquo;s big, he&rsquo;s strong and he&rsquo;s fast, the prototypical power forward, and he&rsquo;s got some touch.&rdquo;</p><p>Ottawa hopes all of that adds up to increased depth among it&rsquo;s top six wingers, a group that features Michalek, Cheechoo, free agent signee Alex Kovalev and captain Daniel Alfredsson, who likes what he has seen of Michalek.</p><p>&ldquo;He has great wheels and he&rsquo;s a smart hockey player, too,&rdquo; said Alfredsson, who opened the season playing right wing with Michalek on the left side and Jason Spezza in the middle. &ldquo;He reads the play well, he&rsquo;s responsible and he&rsquo;ll be a good player for us.&rdquo;</p><p>Cheechoo agrees. In fact, he thinks Wilson&rsquo;s assessment of a 40-goal future is right on the money &ndash; especially given Michalek&rsquo;s overall approach.</p><p>&ldquo;Oh, for sure,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He works so hard off the ice, too, that eventually that&rsquo;s going to translate into some numbers on the ice. I&rsquo;m just looking forward to being a part of it.&rdquo;</p><p>For Michalek, the fact all of this success is projected to happen in Ottawa, not San Jose, initially caught him off-guard. But, just as he does when thwarting a scoring attempt or creating one of his own, Michalek made a quick adjustment and moved on.</p><p>&ldquo;For sure, it was a surprise for me,&rdquo; he said of the trade. &ldquo;I came to the rink early in the morning and they told me the news, so I was pretty surprised.</p><p>&ldquo;But you know it&rsquo;s the hockey life and I can&rsquo;t do anything about that, and I&rsquo;m happy now in Ottawa and excited to be here with this talented hockey team.&rdquo;</p><p>Michalek, whose older brother Zbynek is a blueliner in Phoenix, is almost a lock to suit up for the Czech Republic at the Olympics in February, though his focus remains getting acquainted with Canada&rsquo;s capital.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot to think about right now, you know, with the trade and everything and with the move,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just hope to play my best here and hopefully I make the (Olympic) team.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

<div class="byline">with Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021684/9297557-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>The Maple Leafs brand as a solo NHL entity in Southern Ontario is safe and sound.</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012152/9297564-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="187" height="223"></div><p><b>Q:</b> Why will Hamilton never get an NHL team?</p><p><b>A:</b> Because if it did, Toronto would want one, too.</p><p><i>&ndash; Old joke</i></p><p><b>IF ONLY THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</b> were this good at defending their own territory on the ice, they probably wouldn&rsquo;t have gone 42 years and counting without a Stanley Cup.</p><p>A number of things became clear through the fiasco that ended with the Phoenix Coyotes essentially landing in the lap of the NHL and out of the potential grips of renegade billionaire Jim Balsillie after the bankruptcy court proceedings that ended in late September. First, the NHL&rsquo;s battle with Balsillie had as much or more to do with protecting the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; monopoly than any noble intention to preserve the Coyotes or the league&rsquo;s right to select its owners and franchise placement. Secondly, that monopoly the Leafs have had for time immemorial is safe for a long, long while, perhaps in perpetuity.</p><p>Those who think the court proceedings in Arizona have proved that having another NHL team in the Southern Ontario area is closer than ever are delusional. If anything, the opposite is true and the Maple Leafs&rsquo; ironclad grasp on the most fertile hockey market in the world is more secure than ever.</p><p>If a hockey-crazed billionaire waving the flag of Canadian nationalism can swing and miss three times and essentially be beaten down by both the NHL and bankruptcy court, why would anyone in their right mind ever attempt to go down that road again? To be sure, whoever decided to take on the NHL would have to be even more litigious than Balsillie and not have a problem paying high-priced lawyers for thousands of billable hours. That&rsquo;s not likley to happen, which is too bad because despite what the Canadian Competition Bureau ruled regarding the NHL and its anti-competitive business practices, the veto the Leafs effectively have to prevent anyone from invading their territory is ripe for anti-trust and anti-competition litigation.</p><p>There are those who believe the monopoly and the NHL&rsquo;s insistence on protecting it is illegal. A monopoly is basically defined as being one supplier of a unique product within a defined territory and that describes exactly what the Maple Leafs have in their market. Consumer protection legislation makes this kind of thing illegal, so it&rsquo;s not a matter of whether or not the Leafs&rsquo; stranglehold can be disputed, it&rsquo;s whether anyone has the patience and the willingness to see it through. And if Balsillie doesn&rsquo;t, there&rsquo;s little chance of finding someone who does.</p><p>So that leaves expansion, the unexplored frontier those with wild imaginations would have you believe is possible at some point. But is expansion to anywhere near Toronto a reality when you look at the situation practically?</p><p>Not really. Let&rsquo;s start with the premise that the Maple Leafs have a monopoly, illegal or otherwise &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t really matter because nobody is going to challenge it. The fact is, they really like that monopoly and now they essentially have the comfort of knowing they have the contractual right to preserve it. And why wouldn&rsquo;t they? Wouldn&rsquo;t the 29 other owners of NHL teams do exactly the same thing if they had the chance? Wouldn&rsquo;t anyone?</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT TORONTO AND ALWAYS WILL BE</b></blockquote><p>Why, then, would they surrender even a piece of that action for any price? The Leafs are the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers and Manchester United &ndash; without the championships, of course &ndash; all rolled into one, and they&rsquo;ve spent almost 80 years cultivating that brand. There simply cannot be a price put on that kind of market control.</p><p>Which is exactly why the Leafs would probably never set one. No matter how much money the Leafs make, there is absolutely no doubt another NHL team on the scene would have an adverse affect on their bottom line. Of course the Leafs would continue to make obscene amounts of money, just not quite as obscene as it was before.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why these owners who are looking for the financial pay dirt that would come with an expansion into Southern Ontario are as delusional as those who think it has a realistic chance of happening. People are throwing around figures such as $400 million to $600 million for the expansion rights to the market and another $100 million to $300 million to the Leafs for indemnification.</p><p>What a lot of these people conveniently forget is the market is so fertile and has so much potential <i>because</i> of the Maple Leafs&rsquo; monopoly over it. Those kinds of numbers are simply absurd. We know this because if they weren&rsquo;t, Balsillie likely would be a member of the lodge if he were willing to throw just south of $1 billion towards the NHL and Maple Leafs. Billionaires normally become billionaires because they don&rsquo;t squander away their money and in order to make expansion work, you&rsquo;d probably have to have more money than brains. Add to that the fact the Leafs might insist any team that enters its market plays out of its building under its rules and the whole thing becomes a non-starter.</p><p>Those who don&rsquo;t think this was always about the Leafs are probably the same people who believed the lockout was about making ticket prices more affordable. It was always about Toronto and always will be.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011914/9297550-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="733" height="1056"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Despite his creative efforts, Jim Balisillie never really had a chance.</b></figcaption></div><p>In the end, Balsillie succeeded in getting the Nashville Predators a friendlier lease and the Pittsburgh Penguins a new arena. And who knows, perhaps he&rsquo;ll ultimately be the one responsible for the Coyotes moving to Kansas City or Las Vegas. But when it comes to his stated goal of bringing a team to the most underserviced hockey market in the world, he failed three times.</p><p>So now a league that could desperately use an owner of Balsillie&rsquo;s financial wherewithal has likely seen the last of him. And those owners who were hoping to transform the Coyotes from a revenuesucking, money-losing drag on the NHL will be signing checks for another year or two to keep the team afloat for the purpose of keeping the league&rsquo;s integrity intact.</p><p>And they can thank the Toronto Maple Leafs for that.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021339/9297543-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="72" height="73"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><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>

f0012-02

MONOPOLY MONEY

<div class="byline">Brian Costello</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021595/9297609-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BILL SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012127/9297616-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="187" height="222"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>SHOW CASE A TOP WINGER EARLY IN THE SEASON, THEN TRADE HIM</b></blockquote><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HERE</b>&nbsp;<b>ISN&rsquo;T A CREATIVE ACCOUNTANT</b>&nbsp;in hockey who will be able to figure out how to keep all the young Chicago Blackhawks together next season. It&rsquo;s impossible.</p><p>Even if somehow the NHL salary cap rises from $56.8 million this season to $60 million in 2010-11 &ndash; and don&rsquo;t hold your breath waiting for that to happen &ndash; the Hawks will have to dish off at least one or two of their $3-million babies in order to balance the books.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s the problem: Chicago has 12 players under contract next season for $42.5 million. That doesn&rsquo;t include Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, who can become restricted free agents next July 1. Kane and Toews will surely be seeking the kind of deals given to Colorado&rsquo;s Paul Stastny ($6.6 million) and Los Angeles&rsquo; Anze Kopitar ($6.8 million), while Keith will be looking for something in the neighborhood of the $6.5 million Calgary&rsquo;s Dion Phaneuf is averaging through 2014. Say the Hawks get creative and sign Toews, Kane and Keith to long-term &ldquo;discount&rdquo; deals averaging conservatively between $5.5 to $6 million, Chicago would be at $60 million with eight more players needed to round out the roster. Also up for contracts next summer are Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Colin Fraser. A $65-million cap wouldn&rsquo;t be enough to keep this terrific young lineup together.</p><p>And what if the salary cap falls into the low 50s or stays flat at $56.8 million, the two most likely scenarios?</p><p>The Hawks got themselves into this mess by signing defenseman Brian Campbell and goalie Cristobal Huet to lengthy, overinflated deals averaging $7.14 and $5.62 million respectively. Then-GM Dale Tallon felt pressured to sign the UFAs in order to boost the team to the next level, a level they would have achieved had the deposed GM just stayed the course. The organization will rue the day it signed Campbell.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not that Campbell is a bad D-man. He&rsquo;s not in the league&rsquo;s top 20, but he brings a puck-rushing element to the table. Problem is, both Keith and Brent Seabrook are superior to Campbell and Tallon should&rsquo;ve realized his dynamic young duo were set to become RFAs in 2010 and 2011. What does the team say when Keith and Seabrook start contract talks at Campbell&rsquo;s $7-million level? Sure hope new GM Stan Bowman knows the old soft shoe.</p><p>We won&rsquo;t even get into the administrative error this summer from Tallon&rsquo;s people that led to peachy offers given to Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker ($3.1 million apiece) to avoid losing them outright.</p><p>The quest now is to keep as much of the core together, offload some of the excess and still fit under the cap. Here are some things the Blackhawks should consider:</p><p><b>1. BANISH BRENT</b> Depth defender Brent Sopel ($2.3 million this year and next) must be moved, for anything. Calgary was able to dump Jim Vandermeer and his $2.3 million on Phoenix this summer, so it can be done.</p><p><b>2. GOODBYE, GOALIE</b>&nbsp;Even though Huet is the go-to man in net this season, the Hawks need to develop both Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford. If one or both delivers as expected, the team can keep them for $2 million or less, <i>combined</i>, in 2010-11. That would enable Chicago to trade Huet and his $5.6-million contract or assign him to Rockford (AHL) &ndash; where he&rsquo;d still be paid in full, but his stipend wouldn&rsquo;t count against the cap.</p><p><b>3. CAMPBELL CONUNDRUM</b> In a perfect world, the Hawks would also give Campbell the Huet treatment. But kind Mr. Tallon was nice enough to give Campbell a nomovement clause in his contract so the Hawks will continue to overpay him for six more seasons after this year. No threat of going to the minors for him. It also takes away the idea of the Hawks dealing Campbell and a first round pick (or two) to a bottom-feeding team trying to make the salary floor, in exchange for nothing more than a seventh round draft pick &ndash; just to rid themselves of his albatross of a contract.</p><p><b>4. WINGERS FOR SALE</b> Showcase a top winger such as Dustin Byfuglien ($3 million) or Versteeg ($3.1 million) early in the season, then trade one or both to a rebuilding or contending team for a high draft pick and/or a useful player coming off contract, the way Sammy Pahlsson was useful to the Hawks down the stretch and in the playoffs last season. Prospects Kyle Beach and Jack Skille play styles similar to Byfuglien and Versteeg at a fraction of the cost in &rsquo;10-11.</p><p>Replacing Sopel, Huet, Byfuglien and Versteeg with players on entry-level deals would save the Hawks about $9 million next season, putting the payroll at $31.5 million for 12 players. Kane, Toews and Keith are franchise cornerstones and must be retained at all costs. Getting them signed will run at least $18 million, putting Chicago at about $50 million with eight more players needed to fit under whatever the cap might be in 2010-11.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011884/9297602-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="679" height="796"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CRISTOBAL HUET</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MICHAEL STEELE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>That&rsquo;s the price of making it work in Chicago. It&rsquo;ll cost the Hawks two young support players, a ruthless move in jettisoning Huet and a lot of finger-crossing the cap doesn&rsquo;t fall into the low $50-million range in 2010.</p><h2><b>TOO MANY BIG-MONEY DEALS</b></h2><p>With $38 million committed to nine players next season, the Hawks need to make some moves to give them the financial flexibility to re-sign impending restricted free agents Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021339/9297595-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="701" height="896"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-02

HAWKS NEED PAYROLL PLAN

<div class="byline">with Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03972/9297654-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Nicklas Backstrom collected 121 assists in his first two NHL campaigns.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011777/9297661-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>FTEN LOST IN THE RADIANT AURA</b> of Alex Ovechkin are the equally mesmerizing, unfortunately under-admired talents of No. 8&rsquo;s linemate in Washington, Nicklas Backstrom.</p><p>It&rsquo;s easy to see why that happens; Ovechkin and Alex Semin are expected to do the bulk of the scoring for Backstrom&rsquo;s team &ndash; and rare is the pair of players who fill that role with as much panache as does Washington&rsquo;s Russian duo.</p><p>However, if you appreciate the art of the assist, you&rsquo;ve got to go ga-ga for the things Backstrom already has done in just two NHL seasons &ndash; and all before he turns 22 this November.</p><p>&ldquo;He does things that are very subtle, but that not very many people can do,&rdquo; said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. &ldquo;As a passer, I&rsquo;d put him in the same category as anyone you&rsquo;d put in with the best passers in the NHL today.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&lsquo;OVIE GETS THE ATTENTION AND I JUST GET TO PLAY HOCKEY&rsquo;</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;He just knows the game, he takes direction very well, and he comes to play. I can use him killing penalties or in any situation, and know he&rsquo;ll get the job done. The only thing I have to worry about is playing him too much.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Caps assistant coach Dean Evason: &ldquo;A lot of people are watching Ovie on the ice and not Nicky. But when Ovie scores, you see the replay and see how Ovie got the puck on his tape in a perfect shooting situation and you understand how good Nick is.&rdquo;</p><p>Backstrom, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft, clearly excels at on-ice scoring setups. He led the Capitals with 55 assists in his rookie season of 2007-08 and boosted that total last year to 66 helpers, which was tied for third-most in the league.</p><p>Still, the native of Gavle, Sweden, believes he can become a more proficient goal-scorer as well.</p><p>&ldquo;Every game you want to help the team to score and for myself, I want to score some goals and get better at it every season,&rdquo; said Backstrom, who potted 14 goals in his rookie campaign. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s true I feel good if I help my teammates get goals. But most of all I want the team to succeed.&rdquo;</p><p>Evason also believes the youngster&rsquo;s scoring abilities haven&rsquo;t yet fully blossomed.</p><p>&ldquo;Everyone knows about Nicky&rsquo;s playmaking skills, but we think he can score, too,&rdquo; said Evason of Backstrom, who didn&rsquo;t score in Washington&rsquo;s first 14 regular games last season, yet finished the year with 22 goals. &ldquo;His first instinct is to pass, but he has a tremendous shot and he&rsquo;s scored some tremendous goals for us.</p><p>&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s right &ndash; he will balance his scoring. He probably won&rsquo;t ever have more goals than assists, but there&rsquo;s no question he can score on a consistent basis.&rdquo;</p><p>Backstrom&rsquo;s sizzling chemistry with Ovechkin, as pure a goal-scorer as there is today, also doesn&rsquo;t help the Swede&rsquo;s odds at winning a Rocket Richard Trophy. But Backstrom doesn&rsquo;t mind taking a back seat to the reigning two-time Hart Trophy winner &ndash; especially when it comes to the personal publicity department.</p><p>&ldquo;I feel good,&rdquo; Backstrom said. &ldquo;Ovie gets the attention and I just get to play hockey and focus.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Boudreau: &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re on a team that has Alex Ovechkin, you&rsquo;re not going to get the print you deserve. That&rsquo;s not bad or good, but Nicky shies away from it anyway.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a really quiet guy. He&rsquo;s social and gets along with everybody, but he just works really hard in practice, he goes about his business day after day, and his work ethic is excellent. I can&rsquo;t say enough good things about him.&rdquo;</p><p>Backstrom&rsquo;s rookie contract expires at the end of this season, making him one of next summer&rsquo;s most attractive restricted free agents&hellip;if the Capitals allow him to get to that point without a long-term extension. (Note: Nine out of 10 hockey writers recommend you not hold your breath waiting for that to take place.)</p><p>If they did, they&rsquo;d risk breaking up what may be the best setup-finish partnership the NHL will see over the next decade.</p><p>&ldquo;I have to believe Ovie appreciates what Nick does for his game,&rdquo; said Boudreau of the Ovechkin-Backstrom pairing. &ldquo;The first year, Ovie would have to yell for passes, but now it seems like they just know each other so well, he hardly has to say anything out there.</p><p>&ldquo;They have a real good feel for one another.&rdquo;</p><p>Although Backstrom doesn&rsquo;t ache to have his ego inflated, he sounds happiest when discussing the change in Washington&rsquo;s civic status since he and his Capitals co-stars have turned the team and town around.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going from a non-hockey town to a hockey town,&rdquo; Backstrom said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so different from when I started here, but it&rsquo;s great for the team and great for Washington.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021342/9297647-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="67" height="76"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>For Adam&rsquo;s web-exclusive Screen Shots column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-03

THE ASSISTING ASSASSIN

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011534/9297783-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Handsome raises await young Hawks Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JENNIFER POTTHEISER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N A CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</b> promotional spot for the playoffs last spring, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews skate to center ice and stop in front of a microphone. &ldquo;Our goal,&rdquo; Toews says, &ldquo;is to grow playoff beards.&rdquo; They both then stroke their ridiculously fake ZZ Top facial hair before skating away laughing.</p><p>The reality, of course, turned out to be much different. By advancing to the Western Conference final, the Hawks played long enough for most of their teammates to display an impressive level of facial hirsuteness, but Kane was utterly hopeless and the best Toews could do was sprout a set of mutton chops.</p><p>But just over two years after they joined the team, Kane and Toews are the undisputed hairless faces of the Blackhawks, almost to the extent Sidney Crosby is in Pittsburgh and Alex Ovechkin is in Washington. The sublimely mature Toews is the Blackhawks&rsquo; captain and leader, and Kane is their most dynamic performer. They&rsquo;re both enthusiastic, wildly popular and accommodating, which is important for a franchise that spent the better part of a decade alienating itself from fans. The Blackhawks&rsquo; present and any future success is inextricably tied to Kane and Toews, and the two young stars are a big reason why Chicago went from large tracts of empty seats to the best draw in the league.</p><p>That&rsquo;s all real nice, but there is a stark reality facing the franchise and it all has to do with paying a price &ndash; a steep price &ndash; for success. Along with Kane and Toews, the Hawks face the prospect of signing workhorse defenseman Duncan Keith before July 1, meaning a Brinks truck should be barrelling toward the United Center right about now.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not likely to become a huge distraction for the players themselves, but from the outside, there is the Sword of Damocles hanging over the Hawks, who are already so close to the salary cap they have to keep their collective head down.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know because I can&rsquo;t get inside their heads, but I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;re worried about it at all,&rdquo; said Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman of Kane, Toews and Keith. &ldquo;To be honest, I think everybody else is worried about it more than they are. I don&rsquo;t mean to downplay it and I could be misreading it, but I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;re concerned in the least. I don&rsquo;t sense it&rsquo;s hanging over their heads at all.&rdquo;</p><p>And it shouldn&rsquo;t, because unless the three of them forget how to play hockey between now and July 1, they&rsquo;re all going to get signed and become wildly rich. Judging by the other outrageous raises players have received coming out of their entry-level contracts, Kane and Toews have nothing to worry about. Both will command somewhere north of $6 million a season on a long-term deal and a worst-case scenario for Keith, whose four-year deal is expiring, would be that he&rsquo;ll get about $5 million in arbitration before becoming a UFA in the summer of 2011. This potentially could be the best crop of restricted free agents in NHL history and Kane, Toews and Keith all occupy spots in the top five.</p><p>So let&rsquo;s not worry about the young men, then. What has most people in Chicago spooked, though, is how Bowman can possibly keep his team together in the long term under a salary cap system. Even without signing The Big Three and several other core players, the Blackhawks already have $42.5 million committed to just 12 players for 2010-11. With a salary cap of $56.8 million this season, it certainly doesn&rsquo;t require Rene Descartes or Blaise Pascal to determine the Blackhawks are in a very tight spot.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011423/9297776-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="855" height="1058"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA NICKLAS BACKSTROM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Or as one rival GM put it: &ldquo;At the end of the day, six plus six equals 12. You can&rsquo;t make six plus six equal nine.&rdquo;</p><p>Assuming Kane, Toews and Keith aren&rsquo;t going anywhere &ndash; and they aren&rsquo;t &ndash; the Hawks face a cap crunch the likes of which has never been seen in the new NHL. That is why there&rsquo;s some sense of urgency for Chicago to win this season because there is no doubt core players such as Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker are prime candidates to be moved before next season.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no doubt that if the cap stays where it is or goes down, something has to give,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s a little premature for that. We&rsquo;ve got enough time to sort it out. We&rsquo;ve got good players, which is a good thing. It&rsquo;s a challenge, but we&rsquo;ll work it out.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011254/9297769-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="1032" height="592"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA WOJTEK WOLSKI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(WOLSKI: MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02911/9297762-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="1028" height="592"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA SAM GAGNER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GAGNER: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And it&rsquo;s not as though the Blackhawks are the first team to be faced with cap issues. The Washington Capitals have to somehow sign Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom to contracts this summer and how many superstars can you afford to pay before the rest of your roster suffers? The St. Louis Blues will find out in a year or two the price to pay for being so good and so young. The Boston Bruins lost a 36-goal scorer in 22-year-old Phil Kessel because they simply didn&rsquo;t have enough cap room to keep him and have a balanced roster. The Tampa Bay Lightning signed its three stars &ndash; Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St-Louis &ndash; to big-money, long-term deals after winning the Stanley Cup and it so depleted the rest of the roster that the Bolts were put on a road to ruin from which they have yet to emerge.</p><p>&ldquo;We identified early on that (Kane, Toews and Keith) were part of our core group of guys,&rdquo; Bowman said, &ldquo;and we want to keep our core together. That&rsquo;s not a secret.&rdquo;</p><p>There has been a fascinating paradigm change in the past few years, particularly since the lockout, when it comes to money distribution among NHLers. There was a time when young players were to be seen and not paid, with the big-money deals reserved for unrestricted free agents, the 30-plus crowd that justified gaudy contracts with big career stats and a lot of stitches.</p><p>But that salary pecking order has been turned on its head in recent years and now it&rsquo;s the Group II players (that is, restricted free agents) who are driving the bus when it comes to salary escalation. Some of it has to do with the fact some players can become unrestricted free agents by the time they&rsquo;re 27 and some of it has to do with the fact the players in question happen to be among the most wildly talented players on the planet and they&rsquo;re coming into the league at younger ages than ever before. The irony, though, is that the lockout was supposed to get salaries in line, but since then there has been nothing but an economic explosion for elite young players.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011371/9297755-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="1032" height="867"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA DUNCAN KEITH</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The paradigm shift has been remarkable. Teams used to pay players for past performance, but now they&rsquo;re paying somewhat for the present and largely for the future; hedging their bets that these players are going to become relatively underpaid superstars when the latter years on their deals roll around.</p><p>In effect, the &ldquo;second contract&rdquo; that has historically provided a stepping stone from entry-level money to the jackpot contracts has all but vanished for good young players. That serves to squeeze out a number of other players, most of them older, more established types who are finding fewer and fewer chairs open once the music stops.</p><p>&ldquo;My objection to that isn&rsquo;t that we&rsquo;re paying those guys the money, it&rsquo;s just I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s fair to the veterans,&rdquo; said Toronto GM Brian Burke. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not bitching about Phil Kessel or Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry, guys I paid, but I do think you should have to put in five years before you&rsquo;re a top wage-earner in our game. It&rsquo;s six years in the show in baseball.&rdquo;</p><p>For the most part, though, it isn&rsquo;t driving the cost of business up for teams that can spend to the salary cap, because they would be spending the maximum anyway and a set percentage of revenues goes to the players. What it does do is leave clubs that are either low-budget teams or up against the salary cap vulnerable to losing their best young players in the primes of their career.</p><p>And the thing that drives the escalation more than anything is fear. What was once a minor annoyance, the prospect of another team signing a restricted free agent to an offer sheet, is prompting teams to get their young players locked up for a long time and &ndash; since they are effectively &ldquo;buying&rdquo; years of future free agency &ndash; it&rsquo;s costing a premium. These players have no arbitration rights and have no other recourse beyond sitting out, but GMs are fearful of using the hammer they have.</p><p>&ldquo;What happens is I&rsquo;m scared to use the rules to my advantage because there are too many players around the league that aren&rsquo;t as good as (my player) and their managers and organizations have overrewarded them and I&rsquo;m screwed,&rdquo; one GM said. &ldquo;Sure, you can go to the guy and say, &lsquo;You have no arbitration rights and you can take your qualifying offer or we&rsquo;ll offer you a two-year deal at $2.5 million a year.&rsquo; But then I&rsquo;m running the risk of pissing off these good young players. You&rsquo;re cornered into paying market value and the market has been set by these other players coming out of entry level.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011221/9297748-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="1040" height="875"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA ALEXANDER SEMIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Look for this to be a major issue when the league and players negotiate the next collective bargaining agreement. There is talk the league will look to extend the entry-level period for players from three to five years or mandate that a player cannot receive more than a 100 percent raise coming off an entry-level contract. If that were the case, Mike Richards ($5.75 million), Anze Kopitar ($6.8 million) and Thomas Vanek ($7.14 million) would be carrying cap hits somewhere in the $2-million range.</p><p>&ldquo;The veteran players are the ones who are feeling the squeeze now,&rdquo; a GM said. &ldquo;And trust me, the vets will sell the young guys down the river.&rdquo;</p><p>Which brings us back to Kane, Toews and the Blackhawks. Coincidentally, the two young players are represented by the same agent, Pat Brisson of the powerful Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles. Brisson counsels his elite young players to essentially set themselves up for life with their second contract, so that if their career is cut short by injury, they won&rsquo;t have any financial worries. That shouldn&rsquo;t be a problem for either Kane or Toews, who have hit their rookie bonuses and are already making $3.7 million and $2.8 million a year, respectively.</p><p>&ldquo;Whether you do a four-or five-or 10-year deal, you want to do a deal so that if, God forbid, something happens, the player is set for life,&rdquo; Brisson said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re signing a five-year deal for $20 million or $25 million or $30 million or $35 million, you should be able to manage so you&rsquo;re OK. That&rsquo;s our first advice.&rdquo;</p><p>Brisson and Bowman have already met several times, but progress on deals such as these ones often moves slowly. There are a number of moving parts and Bowman must still figure out how he&rsquo;s going to fit all three into a salary cap that could flatline or even go down next season.</p><p>Kane and Toews might have a better chance of growing playoff beards to their bellybuttons than Bowman has of keeping Chicago&rsquo;s roster intact next season. But with the group of young players that has to be signed, he&rsquo;s hardly the only GM facing vexing decisions.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just sitting here hanging in,&rdquo; said another GM, &ldquo;because if some of these Group IIs are going from $850,000 to $5 million, good teams are just going to be getting rid of good players non-stop here.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011384/9297741-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="1032" height="1202"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2010 RFA DEVIN SETOGUCHI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Salary cap tables show each player&rsquo;s 2009-10 salary cap hit, including bonuses. The team amount is the club&rsquo;s projected total for the season, including factors such as buyouts, which aren&rsquo;t listed in the tables.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021049/9297734-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="2144" height="1423"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03687/9297727-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="2144" height="1404"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02990/9297720-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="2152" height="1429"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02863/9297713-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="2143" height="1421"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02998/9297706-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="2143" height="1391"></div><h2><b>BEST OF THE 2010 RFA BUNCH</b></h2><p>Next summer&rsquo;s class of Group II restricted free agents is one for the ages. Listed below are the most prominent RFAs, along with their agent, arbitration rights and this season&rsquo;s cap hit, including bonuses.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011301/9297699-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="1045" height="1095"></div><h2><b>EARLY TO RAISE</b></h2><p>Since the lockout, there has been a massive spike in the value of second contracts. Listed below are NHLers who received huge raises. Figures are cap hits, with the exception of players who played prior to the lockout.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02915/9297692-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="1044" height="1094"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-01

Bucks & Pucks

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011210/9297828-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="302" height="167"></div><h2><b>Calgary</b></h2><p><b>A FEW MONTHS AGO,</b> hustling 24-year-old left winger Nigel Dawes was put on waivers.</p><p>Not knowing what it meant for his hockey future &ndash; especially a pending arbitration hearing with the Phoenix Coyotes &ndash; you could understand his trepidation at the time.</p><p>It turned out better than he could have ever imagined.</p><p>Dawes was not only claimed by the Flames, but started the season on Calgary&rsquo;s second line with Daymond Langkow and Rene Bourque, and on the team&rsquo;s second power play unit.</p><p>Being counted on in a scoring role is a golden chance he&rsquo;d never been afforded before at the NHL level.</p><p>&ldquo;Sometimes, that&rsquo;s hard to come by,&rdquo; Dawes said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. Now the rest is up to me. You get only so many chances and so many guys to play with, so it&rsquo;s up to me to do something with it.</p><p>&ldquo;I feel comfortable with the guys I&rsquo;m playing with and the situations I&rsquo;ve been put in. This is a really good spot for me to succeed.&rdquo;</p><p>A big scorer in junior with the Western League&rsquo;s Kootenay Ice, Dawes was a fifth round pick (149th overall) by the New York Rangers in 2003. He entered this season with 25 goals and 51 points in 133 NHL games. His best season was a 14-goal, 29-point effort in 61 games with the Rangers in 2007-08.</p><p>Dawes was traded late last season to the Coyotes, but never found his stride in the desert and was bracing for a date with an arbitrator to put a new deal in place.</p><p>The Coyotes opted to place him on waivers and Flames GM Darryl Sutter nabbed the small (5-foot-8, 190 pounds), but skilled winger who he&rsquo;d coveted for years after watching Dawes play in Kootenay.</p><p>Now, Dawes is on a mission to post a career year and disprove the critics who say the Flames don&rsquo;t have enough scoring depth to make serious run.</p><p>&ldquo;There are guys in here who can score and I think as the season goes on, everyone&rsquo;s going to realize that,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02829/9297821-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="818" height="1344"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIMMY JEONG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>JUST THE FACTS</b></h2><p><b>15</b>&nbsp;<b>Fifteen of the 23 players on Calgary&rsquo;s roster are set to earn $1.35 million or less this year, well below the NHL average of about $2.2 million.</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03593/9297814-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="118" height="112"></div><p><b>CHECK IT OUT!</b></p><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></div>

f0029-01

Who’s That Guy?

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011374/9297859-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="110" height="125"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>TEAMS WITH MOST $5M+ PLAYERS</b></h2><p><b>6</b>&nbsp;Philadelphia</p><p><b>5</b>&nbsp;Calgary Montreal NY Rangers</p><p><b>4</b>&nbsp;Anaheim Detroit Pittsburgh<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

BIG BUCKS FOR BIG GUNS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC STEPHENS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02937/9297890-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="307" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Tired of playing for pride in April, Nick Boynton wanted a chance at a Stanley Cup. So he signed a one-year, $1.5-million pact with the Ducks.</p><p>&ldquo;Every player wants to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is an opportunity; I&rsquo;ve got to take advantage.&rdquo;</p><p>Boynton, 30, is a physical, stay-at-home defender who has never played past the first round. He&rsquo;s trying to crack a retooled blueline that includes Luca Sbisa and Steve Eminger. A healthy scratch early on, Boynton has had to go through some &ldquo;reprogramming,&rdquo; according to coach Randy Carlyle.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s frustrating and it&rsquo;s not somewhere I want to be,&rdquo; said Boynton of sitting. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s up to me. When I get my chance, I&rsquo;ve got to prove I can play.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-02

Anaheim

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GUY CURTRIGHT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03683/9297921-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="310" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Entering training camp, the odds were much better Ondrej Pavelec, 22, would be the starting goalie for Chicago (AHL) than for the Thrashers. But Kari Lehtonen&rsquo;s slow recovery from back surgery changed that.</p><p>Despite just 19 games of NHL experience, Pavelec beat out veteran Johan Hedberg for the top job in Atlanta.</p><p>Lehtonen, the No. 2 pick of the 2002 draft, isn&rsquo;t assured of getting his job back when he returns. Pavelec, a 2005 second-rounder, backstopped Chicago to the 2008 Calder Cup under current Thrashers coach John Anderson.</p><p>&ldquo;He got better and better,&rdquo; Anderson said of Pavelec. &ldquo;Hopefully, that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s going to happen here.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-03

Atlanta

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04506/9297952-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="289" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> He may not be the star defenseman some anticipated when he was drafted 13th overall by Calgary in 1996, but Derek Morris is in a position to make an important contribution after signing a one-year, $3-million contract with the Bruins in late July.</p><p>Morris is expected to be able to retrieve and move pucks more quickly and efficiently than predecessor Aaron Ward, and therefore make an ideal partner for captain Zdeno Chara. Additionally, there&rsquo;s Morris&rsquo;s hunger: Having played only 14 playoff games in his 12-year NHL career, the 31-year-old is motivated to be with a Stanley Cup contender.</p><p>Morris&rsquo; skills landed him on Boston&rsquo;s top power play unit to start the season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-04

Boston

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN VOGL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05389/9297983-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="314" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Tim Kennedy knew the Sabres had a spot or two available, but he also knew those positions were penciled in on the third and fourth line. And that&rsquo;s not really the place for the play-maker. So, the rookie set out to prove in pre-season that he&rsquo;s a top-six forward.</p><p>He did. The Buffalo native made his hometown team by earning the center spot on the second line to start the season.</p><p>&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a fluke,&rdquo; said Kennedy, 23, a Washington sixth round draft pick in 2005. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a feel-good hometown story. This is for real.&rdquo;</p><p>Kennedy, an NCAA champ at Michigan State in 2007, was named to the AHL all-rookie team last year after 18 goals and 67 points in 73 games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-05

Buffalo

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06321/9298014-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="318" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Jay Harrison made a memorable appearance in Carolina&rsquo;s lineup when Joni Pitkanen missed the first few games of the season with a knee injury.</p><p>When a blowout loss to Boston degenerated into a series of brawls, Harrison, 26, elected to take on Milan Lucic. Never mind what happened next &ndash; it was the thought that mattered.</p><p>&ldquo;He started at the top of the food chain, not the bottom,&rdquo; said coach Paul Maurice.</p><p>The Canes signed Harrison, who played for Maurice with the AHL&rsquo;s Toronto Marlies in 2005-06, as a depth free agent. When Pitkanen went down, Harrison stepped up.</p><p>&ldquo;I really like where his game is,&rdquo; Maurice said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s developed into a real solid D-man.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-06

Carolina

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07258/9298045-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> The Blackhawks thought enough of goaltender Antti Niemi to sign him as a free agent in the summer of 2008 despite having Nikolai Khabibulin, Cristobal Huet and Corey Crawford already under contract.</p><p>Niemi, who had been playing in Finland&rsquo;s top league, spent last season in the AHL learning the North American game. He beat out Crawford in an intense training camp battle to be Huet&rsquo;s backup this season and promptly pitched a shutout against Florida in his first start.</p><p>As a bonus, the win came in Niemi&rsquo;s native Finland.</p><p>&ldquo;Unbelievable experience,&rdquo; said Niemi, 26. &ldquo;First, to play an NHL game in your home country, then to get your first shutout, too. It&rsquo;s incredible.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-07

Chicago

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011260/9298107-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="319" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Mike Blunden&rsquo;s versatile, reliable play earned him the final forward spot over a first-rounder.</p><p>Andrew Murray won the No. 4 center job, but Columbus still decided to keep Blunden.</p><p>&ldquo;He showed he&rsquo;s a really strong, dependable player,&rdquo; said coach Ken Hitchcock.</p><p>Blunden, acquired midway through last season in a trade with Chicago, can play center or right wing and fits on either the third or fourth line.</p><p>To keep Blunden, the Jackets risked losing Alexandre Picard &ndash; the No. 8 overall pick in 2004 &ndash; on waivers.</p><p>&ldquo;I was willing to do anything to make the club,&rdquo; said Blunden, 22. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s how I tried to play and practice every time out.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-01

Columbus

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04495/9298169-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="322" height="168"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Donning a Red Wings jersey can have a rejuvenating effect on those who have struggled else-where. Players such as Dan Cleary and Mikael Samuelsson bounced around for several years before realizing their potential in Detroit.</p><p>Right winger Patrick Eaves hopes to follow that same path after being traded by Carolina, bought out of the last two years of his contract by Boston and signing a one-year deal with the Wings over the summer.</p><p>Eaves, 25, is a great skater and forechecker with some offensive upside.</p><p>The Wings like Eaves&rsquo; skill and potential, but he started the season as a spare forward and is competing for a spot in the lineup.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-04

Detroit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05394/9298207-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="305" height="167"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02842/9298200-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="1047" height="1342"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Burly J-F Jacques won a coveted job in Edmonton with his grit and physicality.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JIMMY JEONG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> From an afterthought to the first line. Yes, it was a pretty good training camp for left winger Jean-Francois Jacques.</p><p>A lot of Oilers fans had given up on the big winger, who&rsquo;d produced a grand total of one NHL assist in 60 career games. He had all the tools (size, speed, decent hands), but couldn&rsquo;t live up to the potential.</p><p>But he arrived at camp healthy and wasted little time proving himself. The Oilers, who&rsquo;ve long been undersized up front, desperately needed a big power forward and the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has been exactly that &ndash; physical and intense while developing instant chemistry with Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-05

Edmonton

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06331/9298238-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="321" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> When the Panthers drafted Dmitry Kulikov 14th overall in June, the team&rsquo;s director of amateur scouting, Scott Luce, declared the 18-year-old Russian defenseman would compete for a roster spot this season.</p><p>But could Kulikov really make the team out of training camp? Indeed. Kulikov was in the lineup for Florida&rsquo;s first two games in Helsinki and didn&rsquo;t look out of place.</p><p>The 18-year-old&rsquo;s agent was able to get him out of his KHL contract by the Sept. 29 deadline, allowing Kulikov to sign an entry-level deal with the Cats. If he plays in nine or fewer games, he can return to junior. Or he could spend the season with Florida. Stranger things have happened.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-06

Florida

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07276/9298269-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="325" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Kopitar, Smyth, Doughty and Scuderi. You don&rsquo;t have to be a Kings fan to recognize those names. But what about Simmonds?</p><p>That&rsquo;s right winger Wayne Simmonds, a native of Scarborough, Ont., who collected nine goals and 23 points last season as a rookie while playing on the Kings&rsquo; third line.</p><p>The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder raised expectations for this year when he fired five goals in six pre-season games, tying Anze Kopitar for the team lead.</p><p>Simmonds credited his improvement to firing weighted pucks to work on his shot and off-season workouts focusing on increasing his speed. Coach Terry Murray said Simmonds has the ability to hit the 20-goal plateau.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-07

Los Angeles

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011345/9298300-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="320" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Greg Zanon was barely a footnote when the Wild signed him on July 1 because Martin Havlat stole all the headlines.</p><p>But it&rsquo;s evident the Wild plans to rely heavily on the 29-year-old ex-Nashville defenseman. Zanon has been paired with No. 1 blueliner Brent Burns, so he&rsquo;ll get a lot of ice time and be the &ldquo;safe&rdquo; guy to the rushing Burns.</p><p>Zanon blocked 237 shots last season, third-highest in the NHL, and was signed to complement the Wild&rsquo;s more mobile defensemen.</p><p>&ldquo;We were forced in college (Nebraska-Omaha) to get in lanes and in front of pucks,&rdquo; Zanon said. &ldquo;If it means the game and the net&rsquo;s open, I&rsquo;ll do anything to save a goal.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-01

Minnesota

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02901/9298331-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="315" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Nobody expects Travis Moen to vie for the Rocket Richard Trophy. But the rugged left winger was a pleasant surprise in the early blush of the season.</p><p>The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder scored two goals in his first two games as a Canadien, providing an unexpected offensive spark for a team with plenty of talented players.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not flashy,&rdquo; said Moen, 27. &ldquo;My game&rsquo;s basic. I&rsquo;m good defensively. I finish hits and stick up for my teammates.&rdquo;</p><p>Although he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for Anaheim in 2007, Moen isn&rsquo;t the most gifted player. In 362 games with Chicago, the Ducks and San Jose, he had 29 goals and 56 points &ndash; and 487 penalty minutes.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-02

Montreal

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GLENNON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03656/9298362-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="316" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Teemu Laakso was &ldquo;the other one&rdquo; when it came to the Predators&rsquo; defense prospects in training camp. He didn&rsquo;t have the one-way contract of Alexander Sulzer, the offensive upside of Cody Franson or the pedigree of first-rounder Jonathon Blum.</p><p>But Laakso, who missed the final 33 games and playoffs for Milwaukee (AHL) last season with a shoulder injury, was the only one of those prospects who was still in Nashville when the season began. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound 22-year-old impressed coaches with his steady defensive-zone play and the edge to his game.</p><p>Coach Barry Trotz praised Laakso on opening night.</p><p>&ldquo;I thought he was really strong, really good,&rdquo; Trotz said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-03

Nashville

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04490/9298393-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="286" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Ilkka Pikkarainen&rsquo;s dream to play in the NHL looked to disappear four years ago when the big right winger finished his third season in the AHL, packed his bags and returned to Finland.</p><p>Drafted 218th overall by the Devils in 2002, he didn&rsquo;t make enough progress at Albany to figure in the team&rsquo;s plans.</p><p>But that changed after three strong seasons in the Finnish League. The Devils brought the 6-foot-2, 215-pound winger back and Pikkarainen, 28, made his NHL debut Oct. 5.</p><p>&ldquo;He has good size and can skate,&rdquo; said coach Jacques Lemaire. &ldquo;He goes to the net. He&rsquo;s big, protects the puck well and has a lot of energy.&rdquo;</p><p>Pikkarainen&rsquo;s next goal is to climb the depth chart.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-04

New Jersey

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05384/9298424-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="280" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Matt Moulson was unable to regularly crack the NHL during three years in Los Angeles.</p><p>However, on the Isle, the versatile winger began the season on the top line with No. 1 draft pick John Tavares and power forward Kyle Okposo.</p><p>The 25-year-old former Cornell star led Manchester (AHL) with 21 goals last year and led the Islanders in preseason scoring. But Moulson made an impression on coach Scott Gordon with more than his offensive ability.</p><p>&ldquo;We knew he could score goals,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;He has not only put himself in positions to score, he&rsquo;s been good killing penalties and finishing his checks. He&rsquo;s not just a one-dimensional player.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-05

NY Islanders

<div class="byline">&#x2013; STEVE ZIPAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06325/9298455-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="268" height="169"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Michael Del Zotto is listed in the Rangers media guide as a &lsquo;Future Blue.&rsquo; But his future is now.</p><p>&ldquo;For a 19-year-old kid who we&rsquo;re putting pressure on to be our power play quarterback, he&rsquo;s handled it pretty well,&rdquo; said coach John Tortorella.</p><p>The 20th pick in the 2008 draft made the team thanks to his poise and creativity.</p><p>&ldquo;There will be bumps along the way,&rdquo; Tortorella said, &ldquo;but Michael&rsquo;s going to be a very good player in this league.&rdquo;</p><p>Del Zotto&rsquo;s first NHL goal made him the first Rangers teenaged defenseman to score since Mario Marois in 1977.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something you dream about all your life,&rdquo; Del Zotto said, &ldquo;and it was even better than the dream.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-06

NY Rangers

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07271/9298486-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="259" height="168"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> It has been a long road to the NHL for Peter Regin. Not many have made the trek from Denmark, but the 23-year-old center arrived on opening night.</p><p>The 87th overall pick by the Sens in 2004, Regin spent last year in Binghamton (AHL) after three years in Sweden. He&rsquo;s smart, skilled and puts himself in positions to make plays.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a safe player, but I mean that in a positive way,&rdquo; said assistant GM Tim Murray. &rdquo;He&rsquo;s the type of player a coach has no problem putting out on the ice because of his feet and because of his brains.&rdquo;</p><p>Regin played 11 games with Ottawa last season and was expected to push for a job in training camp. He started the year as the second-line center.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-07

Ottawa

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08231/9298517-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="286" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> An hour before the Flyers&rsquo; plane was about to leave for the season opener in Carolina, Blair Betts still didn&rsquo;t have a contract. The deal finally came through at the last minute and one of the team&rsquo;s best penalty-killers and faceoff men was in the fold.</p><p>Betts, 29, went to training camp on a tryout basis. Despite being effective over the past four seasons as a Ranger, he received few offers. So Betts, a center, showed up in Philadelphia to try to win the fourth-line utility job previously held by players such as Jim Dowd and Glen Metropolit.</p><p>Betts impressed in the pre-season with his defensive savvy and settled for a $550,000 contract, a bargain for the cap-challenged Flyers.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-08

Philadelphia

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JIM GINTONIO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011200/9298548-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="274" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Sami Lepisto, who made the Coyotes as the team&rsquo;s seventh defenseman, is an unknown factor.</p><p>But he impressed in training camp and had too much upside to be sent to the AHL. The 25-year-old Finn was acquired from Washington in the off-season for a fifth round pick and he&rsquo;s mobile, competitive and eager to make an impact.</p><p>The question is, can Lepisto, who played 14 games for the Caps over the past two seasons, make his presence felt?</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a pleasant surprise, his quickness, his composure,&rdquo; said GM Don Maloney. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll get his chance soon.&rdquo;</p><p>Lepisto wanted a fresh start.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just what I needed,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m having fun like I had before. I feel good.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-01

Phoenix

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02822/9298579-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="319" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> As the Penguins raised their Stanley Cup banner before the home opener, backup goalie Brent Johnson had one thought: &ldquo;I want one of those.&rdquo;</p><p>Johnson, 32, can help the Pens get another one if he gives them solid work every once in a while behind starter Marc-Andre Fleury. The son of former Penguins goalie Bob Johnson, he grew up in Farmington, Mich., as a Red Wings fan. His grandfather was Wings star Sid Abel. Still, Johnson rooted for the Pens in last year&rsquo;s final, even though they beat his Washington Capitals.</p><p>&ldquo;I guess I rooted for the Penguins because my dad played there and because they beat us,&rdquo; Johnson said, &ldquo;and I figured the best team won.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-02

Pittsburgh

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03645/9298610-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="301" height="166"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> The biggest surprise on the Blues&rsquo; roster is a familiar NHL face.</p><p>With Eric Brewer&rsquo;s return uncertain, St. Louis brought in 37-year-old defenseman Darryl Sydor for a tryout. With his experience and poise, the Blues felt Sydor could be a mentor for youngsters Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo.</p><p>&ldquo;Watching some of the young defensemen, when they play well is when they&rsquo;re playing with Darryl Sydor,&rdquo; said team president John Davidson.</p><p>The Blues signed Sydor to a one-year, $1-million contract.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of like it&rsquo;s my first year making the NHL,&rdquo; Sydor said. &ldquo;I was given a chance and I had to earn it. I learned a lot about myself again.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-03

St. Louis

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID POLLAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04520/9298641-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="333" height="168"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Coach Todd McLellan was meeting with his staff in mid-August when director of hockey operations Joe Will stuck his head in the door and said there&rsquo;d be one more player at rookie camp, a Boston College winger named Benn Ferriero. Who?</p><p>Six weeks later, McLellan was labeling the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Ferriero (pronounced FERRY-oh) the most pleasant surprise of training camp and slotting him into the opening night lineup.</p><p>&ldquo;Every night he goes out and earns another opportunity to play,&rdquo; said McLellan of Ferriero, who scored a goal in his second NHL game.</p><p>Ferriero, 22, was Phoenix&rsquo;s seventh round pick in 2006, but didn&rsquo;t sign with the team.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-04

San Jose

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05437/9298672-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="306" height="169"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> James Wright was on no one&rsquo;s radar heading into camp. But the 117th overall pick in 2008 not only earned his first pro contract, he made the roster.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not difficult to figure out why. The left winger is great on the forecheck and works well along the boards. In short, he is perfect third-line material, which is where he began the season with Jeff Halpern and Drew Miller. Wright, in fact, even got a few brief turns on Vinny Lecavalier&rsquo;s line early on.</p><p>The Bolts had nine games to decide whether to send Wright back to his WHL team in Vancouver. Considering his steady game so far, he has a legitimate chance to stick with the big club.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-05

Tampa Bay

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE ZEISBERGER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06380/9298703-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="299" height="167"></div><p><b>WHO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> There&rsquo;s no doubt goalie Jonas Gustavsson was the most acclaimed signing of a Swedish player by Toronto this summer.</p><p>But lost in all the &lsquo;Monster&rsquo; mania sweeping through Hog-town was the inking of 29-year-old center Rickard Wallin, a teammate of Gustavsson&rsquo;s with Farjestads in the Swedish Elite League last year.</p><p>Wallin, 29, impressed coach Ron Wilson throughout training camp with his defensive play, not to mention his penalty-killing skills. He&rsquo;s not the flashiest guy, but Wallin is a capable two-way role player.</p><p>Wallin had a brief stint with Minnesota from 2002-04, compiling 10 points in 19 games. He was drafted 160th overall in 1998 by Phoenix.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-06

Toronto

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER KERZEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08263/9298765-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="341" height="186"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO&rsquo;S THAT GUY?</b> Rugged Boyd Kane was an unlikely late addition to the roster, but his $500,000 salary allowed the Capitals to sneak in under the salary cap. After already being sent to Hershey (AHL), Kane replaced left winger Chris Bourque, who was claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh.</p><p>While Kane&rsquo;s affordable salary got him to Washington, it won&rsquo;t keep him there. Wingers Tomas Fleischmann (blood clot) and Eric Fehr (both shoulders) started the season on injured reserve and will push Kane upon return.</p><p>Until then, the 31-year-old Kane&rsquo;s penchant for physical play and his willingness to work hard along the boards and corners will keep him in the fourth-line mix.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-08

Washington

f0034-01

WESTERN CONFERENCE

f0035-01

EASTERN CONFERENCE

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011259/9298907-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="857" height="1096"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ZAC DALPE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(OHIO STATE DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE BOUNDARIES USED</b> to be so defined: smart kids went to college, hockey players went to major junior.</p><p>But as recent history has shown, the NCAA does not take a backseat when it comes to producing NHL talent, while schooling for CHL players has gotten much better.</p><p>For a top prospect, choosing between the two is a difficult decision, made no easier by the stringent guidelines regarding NCAA eligibility. With that knowledge in hand, major junior programs and NHL teams have been very successful in convincing players to skip out of college either early, or altogether.</p><p>Edmonton&rsquo;s Sam Gagner left his commitment with the University of Wisconsin to suit up for the Ontario League&rsquo;s London Knights in 2006, while current Windsor Spitfires defenseman Cam Fowler was originally expected at Notre Dame this fall. Blueliner John Moore ended up in Kitchener instead of Colorado College.</p><p>&ldquo;To be honest, it was a decision I struggled with for a long time,&rdquo; Fowler said. &ldquo;In the end, Windsor was the place for me.&rdquo;</p><p>And while teenagers changing their minds is nothing new, losing star recruits &ndash; often on short notice &ndash; can play havoc on a college coach&rsquo;s best-laid plans.</p><p>&ldquo;It really makes it challenging,&rdquo; said Denver coach George Gwozdecky, who lost Czech import Stepan Novotny to Kelowna of the Western League last year before seeing Patrick Wiercioch spurn Wisconsin in favor of the Pioneers. &ldquo;The pool of talent is starting to shrink at both ends.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s because NHL teams have developed a thirst for top young talent &ndash; cheaper in a salary cap world &ndash; meaning stars such as Erik Johnson or Jonathan Toews jump to the bigs long before their eligibility ends.</p><p>&ldquo;You hope the NHL team lets them stick around for another season,&rdquo; Gwozdecky said. &ldquo;They are the difference-makers.&rdquo;</p><p>One of those difference-makers who stuck to his guns despite being courted by the OHL is Zac Dalpe of Ohio State.</p><p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, being an Ontario kid, I wanted to play in the OHL when I was younger,&rdquo; Dalpe said. &ldquo;But it all depends on the situation.&rdquo;</p><p>For Dalpe, that situation was being a late-bloomer who ended up with the Jr. A Penticton Vees in B.C. The slick goal-scorer blossomed on the West Coast and garnered significant attention from OHL Plymouth. Nevertheless, the youngster set out for Columbus and CCHA hockey, and was taken in the second round of the &rsquo;08 draft by Carolina along the way.</p><p>&ldquo;As a guy who grew up later in my hockey career, I wanted to play against mature men,&rdquo; Dalpe said. &ldquo;Some of the guys (in college hockey) are 23, 24, even 25 years old.&rdquo;</p><p>Another college benefit is the development time afforded to the student-athletes. Murray Kuntz, a player agent who specializes in prospects and played college hockey himself at Clarkson, knows what the impact can be.</p><p>&ldquo;The college game offers unlimited practice and training time,&rdquo; he said. Kuntz added that especially for underdeveloped prospects, the four-year program can be a huge boon.</p><p>&ldquo;In junior, you have two years to really shine. Your window closes just as quickly.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Gwozdecky: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the development through the practice-to-game ratio and the strength and conditioning. You know that over the course of four years, you&rsquo;re going to become more explosive.&rdquo;</p><p>But the battle for the hearts and minds of hockey&rsquo;s youth is ongoing and one of the biggest barriers is the fact NCAA eligibility can be nullified for what seems like the smallest of infractions &ndash; including suiting up for a major junior team, even briefly.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s so many kids who say &lsquo;I only played one game&rsquo; or half a game,&rdquo; Gwozdecky said. &ldquo;They just didn&rsquo;t understand the rules. That&rsquo;s what makes it so disappointing.&rdquo;</p><p>One recent tool in the NCAA/major junior recruiting war has been the early commit, with youngsters calling their schools at 14 or 15 sometimes; years before they could ever step on a college campus as a student.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re watching, for the most part, kids who are 15 and up,&rdquo; Gwozdecky said. &ldquo;When I was an assistant (at Michigan State in the late 1980s), we weren&rsquo;t looking until 18 or 19.&rdquo;</p><p>The youngest commitments tend to come at smaller schools, but don&rsquo;t tend to pan out. Denver, of course, has its pick of recruits, such as freshman Drew Shore. The Florida second-rounder, who came from the U.S. national team development program, is represented by Kuntz, who sympathizes with NCAA coaches and the roller coaster recruiting game.</p><p>&ldquo;I do feel for the college programs that are left high and dry,&rdquo; Kuntz said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s not another industry in the world where we ask kids to make life-altering decisions at age 14 or 15.&rdquo;</p><p>Having said that, the agent still believes the college game is underrated.</p><p>&ldquo;When I was at Clarkson, we had Erik Cole, Willie Mitchell and Kent Huskins,&rdquo; said Kuntz, a former right winger. &ldquo;And two of them have Stanley Cups.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02838/9298900-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="69" height="76"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>For small conference coverage, visit the Features section at <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></p><h2><b>TOP10</b></h2><p>The Hockey News&rsquo; top-10 ranking of NCAA Frozen Four contenders was selected by our four U.S. college correspondents:</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03688/9298893-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="115" height="148"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 115px">Andy Baggot <b>WCHA</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/f0036-04545/9298886-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="111" height="142"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 111px">Philip Colvin <b>CCHA</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/f0036-05462/9298879-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="112" height="146"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 112px">Tom Boggie <b>ECAC</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/f0036-06407/9298872-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="119" height="149"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 119px">Larry Mahoney <b>Hockey East</b></figcaption></div><p><b>1. DENVER</b> WCHA</p><p><b>2. MICHIGAN</b> CCHA</p><p><b>3. NOTRE DAME</b> CCHA</p><p><b>4. CORNELL</b> ECAC</p><p><b>5. MIAMI (OHIO)</b> CCHA</p><p><b>6. UMASS-LOWELL</b> HOCKEY EAST</p><p><b>7. NORTH DAKOTA</b> WCHA</p><p><b>8. BOSTON UNIV.</b> HOCKEY EAST</p><p><b>9. YALE</b> ECAC</p><p><b>10. WISCONSIN</b> WCHA<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0036-01

STEMMING THE TIDE

<div class="byline">BY TOM BOGGIE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011125/9298945-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="327" height="121"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02781/9298938-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="848" height="1096"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVID MCINTYRE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JACK FREDRICKS/COLGATE RAIDERS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Colgate senior</b> center David McIntyre is one the most under-hyped stars in America.</p><p>Playing in relative obscurity in central New York, where the largest media outlet is 30 miles away, the 6-foot, 190-pounder has carved out an impressive college career. Last year, he led the Raiders in scoring, was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and earned first team all-America honors on a team that finished 10th in the 12-team ECAC.</p><p>As a whole, the Raiders will be improved this season and teams are going to have a tough time shutting down McIntyre.</p><p>&ldquo;He is definitely one of the best players in the country,&rdquo; said Colgate coach Don Vaughn. &ldquo;What separates him from the others, in my opinion, is he plays with an edge. He has a true passion for the game and a willingness to compete every time he laces up his skates.&rdquo;</p><p>McIntyre was drafted 138th overall by Dallas in 2006, but had his rights traded twice last season, first to Anaheim, then to New Jersey. He skated at the Devils&rsquo; development camp in the summer, but never really thought of leaving Colgate a year early.</p><p>The native of Pefferlaw, Ont., led the Raiders offensively last season, with 21 goals, 43 points and a plus-19 rating. In 116 Colgate games, he has 45 goals and 92 points.</p><p>&ldquo;A lot of my goals are scored on the rush and when I&rsquo;m around the net and the puck is on my stick,&rdquo; McIntyre said last season. &ldquo;The shots from 30 feet out, picking the corners, that&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve got to work on.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Vaughn: &ldquo;David is one of the most explosive skaters I&rsquo;ve ever coached. He can go from zero to 60 in a heartbeat. He also has exceptional lateral mobility, which makes him very hard to contain.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s something teams in the ECAC have been unsuccessful at for three years.</p><p>Here is a look at the ECAC, with teams listed in predicted order of conference finish:</p><p>1. CORNELL Coach Mike Schafer jokes that his best recruiting last summer was done on campus, as he convinced junior Riley Nash (Edmonton), senior Colin Greening (Ottawa) and junior free agent goalie Ben Scrivens to return to Ithaca for another season, when all three had a chance to turn pro.</p><p>Nash (35 points) and Greening (31), both centers, were the team&rsquo;s top two scorers last year. Scrivens was third in the nation with a 1.81 goals-against average.</p><p>2. YALE The defending league champions return their 10 top scorers, including senior Marc Arcobello (35 points), who was third in the nation with seven game-winning goals last year. Coach Keith Allain also brought in center Andrew Miller, the 2009 U.S. junior player of the year.</p><p>The only question mark is in goal. Senior Billy Blase and junior Ryan Rondeau played a total of 10 games last year. Freshman Nick Maricic will challenge for playing time.</p><p>3. PRINCETON Hobey Baker finalist Zane Kalemba, who was third in the nation in save percentage (.932) and fourth in goals-against average (1.82) last season, anchors a team with something to prove after failing in its bid to repeat as league champion.</p><p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to forget what happened, because it&rsquo;s an excellent learning experience,&rdquo; said coach Guy Gadowsky.</p><p>Senior Cam MacIntyre, limited to 14 games last year because of injuries, will help an offense led by seniors Dan Bartlett and Mark Magnowski.</p><p>4. DARTMOUTH The Big Green were a big surprise last year, but won&rsquo;t sneak up on anyone this time around. The top four scorers, including junior captain Scott Fleming, who led the team with 13 goals, are back. Sophomore goalie Jody O&rsquo;Neil, who had a 2.63 GAA and .923 save percentage, also returns.</p><p>&ldquo;We had a very young team last year,&rdquo; said coach Bob Gaudet. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still young, but we&rsquo;re more experienced.&rdquo;</p><p>5. RPI The Engineers return seven of their top eight scorers, eight defensemen and sophomore goalie Allen York (Columbus) has a year of college experience. Coach Seth Appert also landed two of the league&rsquo;s top recruits, Brandon Pirri (59th in 2009, Chicago) and Jerry D&rsquo;Amigo (158th in 2009, Toronto).</p><p>6. HARVARD The Crimson struggled offensively last year, with senior Doug Rogers (New York Islanders) leading the team with just eight goals. The addition of Louis Leblanc (18th in 2009, Montreal) will make a difference and an old face is back; Kyle Richter, the 2008 Ken Dryden Award winner as the league&rsquo;s best goalie, returns after a year off.</p><p>7. UNION Junior goalie Corey Milan will have to come up big as the Dutchmen&rsquo;s young defensemen get adjusted to the college game.</p><p>8. QUINNIPIAC The Bobcats will be able to match anyone goal for goal, but have to get some consistency in net.</p><p>9. COLGATE If the offense thrives, the Raiders will finish in the top half of the league.</p><p>10. ST. LAWRENCE The Saints lost seven seniors, including their top four defensemen.</p><p>11. CLARKSON Too many question marks following a 10-win season.</p><p>12. BROWN New coach Brendon Whittet, an alum, tries to get the Bears out of the cellar.</p><h2><b>FABULOUS FRESHMEN</b></h2><p>The top incoming ECAC rookies are listed with their position, age, school and draft status</p><p><b>1.</b> LOUIS <b>LEBLANC</b></p><p>C, 18, Harvard, 18th overall montreal, 2009</p><p><b>2.</b> BRANDON <b>PIRRI</b></p><p>LW, 18, rpi, 59th overall Chicago, 2009</p><p><b>3.</b> JERRY <b>D&rsquo;AMIGO</b></p><p>RW, 18, rpi, 158th overall Toronto, 2009</p><p><b>4.</b> ANDREW <b>MILLER</b></p><p>C, 21, Yale Undrafted</p><p><b>5.</b> JEREMY <b>LANGLOIS</b></p><p>RW, 19, Quinnipiac Undrafted<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-01

MCINTYRE TOP SKATER

<div class="byline">BY ANDY BAGGOT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011215/9298983-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="358" height="79"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02825/9298976-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="887" height="1117"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RYAN LASCH</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NEIL ANDERSEN/ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THREE SEASONS INTO</b> his four-year career at Colorado College, winger Marty Sertich had 132 points and the 2005 Hobey Baker Award.</p><p>Three seasons into his four-year career at North Dakota, winger Ryan Duncan had 133 points and the 2007 Hobey Baker Award.</p><p>So what are we to make of Ryan Lasch, with 134 career points heading into his senior year at St. Cloud State?</p><p>Lasch, from Lake Forest, Calif., was one of 10 finalists for the Hobey in 2008 when he led the WCHA in scoring and the Huskies qualified for the NCAA tournament for a second straight season.</p><p>But not only did his personal statistics tail off in 2008-09 &ndash; from 53 points to 42, from 25 goals to 18 &ndash; St. Cloud failed to advance beyond the opening round of the league playoffs.</p><p>Huskies coach Bob Motzko said Lasch, 22, got off to a very slow start last season because he came into training camp too big after a summer of weight training &ndash; 15 pounds above his optimum weight &ndash; only regaining his stride once the problem was identified.</p><p>&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t understand it at the time; he thought he was in a slump,&rsquo;&rsquo; Motzko said. &ldquo;It was very difficult for him mentally and it took some toll on our team, because I think like all great offensive players, when they go through those tough times, it&rsquo;s not fun.</p><p>&ldquo;I just think it&rsquo;s trial and error sometimes with your strength coach and your nutrition people. He&rsquo;s very conscious of it right now. He&rsquo;s almost kind of relieved that he maybe has an answer for what really happened to him last year at the beginning stages.</p><p>&ldquo;Working with some of our people, we think we&rsquo;ve got it cured.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Lasch can&rsquo;t wait for his final collegiate season and it has nothing to do with returning to the Hobey conversation or enhancing his NHL stock. Lasch, who turns 23 in January, is undrafted.</p><p>&ldquo;From Day 1 since that (first round) loss (to Minnesota), our thing has been about team accolades,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;We want to focus on everything for the team. As long as the team accolades take care of themselves, who knows what can happen.</p><p>&ldquo;We definitely have some big expectations. We&rsquo;d like to do well, but I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re going to put a lot of pressure on ourselves.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Here is a look at the WCHA, with teams listed in predicted order of conference finish:</p><p>1. DENVER Tons of proven talent up front, a sturdy defensive corps and an elite goal-tender in junior Marc Cheverie make Denver the MacNaughton Cup favorite. Cheverie (Florida), senior winger Rhett Rakhshani (Islanders), sophomore center Joe Colborne (Boston) and sophomore defenseman Patrick Wiercioch (Ottawa) all resisted overtures from their NHL teams to return, which surely put a smile on the face of coach George Gwozdecky.</p><p>2. NORTH DAKOTA The defending league-champion Fighting Sioux lost nine veterans from last season &ndash; including 2007 Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan &ndash; but the youngest roster in the WCHA includes arguably the best collegiate defenseman in senior Chay Genoway, a proven goaltender in sophomore Brad Eidsness and a well-earned reputation for reloading.</p><p>3. WISCONSIN Unprecedented depth at forward and a defensive corps that features three NHL first-rounders and two second-rounders provide a great foundation for the Badgers. But juniors Brett Bennett &ndash; a Phoenix draftee and one-time starter at Boston University &ndash; and Scott Gudmandson have something to prove in goal.</p><p>4. MINNESOTA Sophomore center Jordan Schroeder, a first round pick of Vancouver in 2009, might be the best player in college hockey and he&rsquo;s surrounded by 19 NHL draftees, but there are issues on the Golden Gophers&rsquo; blueline and in goal that need to get squared away.</p><p>5. ST. CLOUD STATE Three elite talents &ndash; senior winger Ryan Lasch, junior winger Garrett Roe and senior defenseman Garrett Raboin &ndash; will surely take the Huskies a long way if freshman goaltender Mike Lee lives up to his advance billing as the league&rsquo;s top newcomer.</p><p>6. MINNESOTA-DULUTH The Bulldogs defense won&rsquo;t be as strong with the departure of goaltender Alex Stalock and two senior defensemen, but junior winger Justin Fontaine leads a dynamic offense that spearheaded a run to the WCHA playoff title last season.</p><p>7. COLORADO COLLEGE The Tigers have a ton of holes to fill starting with the loss of top two-way center Chad Rau and goaltender Richard Bachman, who signed with Dallas.</p><p>8. MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO Every season it seems the Mavericks have major issues &ndash; this time it&rsquo;s goaltending &ndash; but find a way to be formidable.</p><p>9. ALASKA-ANCHORAGE The Seawolves&rsquo; next step on the improvement ladder is to be bigger and more physical, plus more consistent in goal.</p><p>10. MICHIGAN TECH The Huskies&rsquo; top four scorers return, which is a good thing for a club that averaged 1.68 goals per game last season.</p><h2><b>FABULOUS FRESHMEN</b></h2><p>The top incoming WCHA freshmen are listed with their position, age, school and draft status</p><p><b>1.</b> MIKE <b>LEE</b></p><p>G, 18, St. Cloud State, 91st overall Phoenix Coyotes, 2009</p><p><b>2.</b> NICK <b>LEDDY</b></p><p>D, 18, Minnesota, 16th overall Minnesota, 2009</p><p><b>3.</b> ZACH <b>BUDISH</b></p><p>RW, 18, Minnesota, 41st overall Nashville, 2009</p><p><b>4.</b> MATT <b>DONOVAN</b></p><p>D, 19, Denver, 96th overall NY Islanders, 2008</p><p><b>5.</b> DYLAN <b>OLSEN</b></p><p>D, 18, Minn-Duluth, 28th overall, Chicago, 2009<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

<div class="byline">BY LARRY MAHONEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011118/9299021-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="309" height="138"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02727/9299014-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="848" height="1097"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NICK BONINO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTER</b> Nick Bonino scored one of the most important goals in the history of BU&rsquo;s tradition-rich program last season.</p><p>He found the back of the net with 17.4 seconds left to cap a two-goal comeback in the final 59.5 seconds that forced overtime and enabled the Terriers to beat Miami (Ohio) 4-3 for the NCAA championship.</p><p>Bonino, now a junior, finished the season with 18 goals and 50 points in 44 games.</p><p>A sixth round pick of San Jose in 2007, his rights were traded to the Anaheim Ducks last March. Bonino was chosen to the Frozen Four and NCAA northeast regional all-tournament teams last year and is a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate this season, along with UMass-Amherst junior right winger James Marcou and point-producing UMass-Lowell junior defenseman Maury Edwards.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s nice to hear but I&rsquo;m just hoping to take it one game at a time and when the end of the year comes, we&rsquo;ll see what happens,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder. &ldquo;I plan to keep doing what I&rsquo;ve been doing; work hard in the defensive zone and let the offense come off my defense.&rdquo;</p><p>Added BU coach Jack Parker: &ldquo;He is, without question, our top returning forward and one of the top forwards in the country. He has great hands and great vision and he can finish. He knows how to score goals. And he&rsquo;s our best defensive forward as well.&rdquo;</p><p>Maine coach Tim Whitehead agreed: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s dangerous. Every time he&rsquo;s on the ice, he&rsquo;s a threat to do something special. He has developed into a very complete player.&rdquo;</p><p>UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald echoed those sentiments: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a power forward and a skill guy who can make something happen out of nothing because of his power, speed and skill. And he plays great in big games.&rdquo;</p><p>Bonino said he worked hard on his strength, skating stride and puck protection abilities over the summer and will always cherish the tying goal against Miami.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ll ever score a bigger goal than that,&rdquo; said Bonino, 21.</p><p>Here is a look at Hockey East, with teams listed in predicted order of conference finish:</p><p>1. UMASS-LOWELL The senior-dominated River Hawks return their seven top point producers, led by 14-goal scorers Scott Campbell and Kory Falite; all seven defensemen, including 29-point scorer Maury Edwards and 26-point man Jeremy Dehner; and seasoned senior goalies Nevin Hamilton and Carter Hutton. &ldquo;We have really good depth in all areas,&rdquo; said coach Blaise MacDonald.</p><p>2. BOSTON UNIVERSITY The Terriers lost five of their top-six scorers, including Hobey Baker Award-winning defenseman Matt Gilroy, but they return 50-point man Nick Bonino up front along with 30-point scorer Chris Connolly. Three crafty offensive defensemen in Colby Cohen (32 points), Kevin Shattenkirk (28) and David Warsofsky (23) and Hockey East rookie-of-the-year goalie Kieran Millan (29-2-3, 1.94 GAA, .921 save percentage) are also all back.</p><p>3. BOSTON COLLEGE The 2007-08 national champs are anxious to rebound, but have holes to fill. Two of their top three scorers and four defensemen have left, and workhorse goalie John Muse is coming off hip surgery.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have a brand new look to us,&rdquo; said coach Jerry York, who does have a talented recruiting class and will need Brian Gibbons, Ben Smith and Joe Whitney to bounce back after combining for 60 points last year, 76 fewer than the previous year.</p><p>4. VERMONT The Catamounts will be without four of their top seven scorers, but return one of the nation&rsquo;s deepest defense corps, led by Dan Lawson and Josh Burrows; a host of solid forwards led by Brian Roloff and Justin Milo; and goalies Rob Madore and Mike Spillane.</p><p>5. NEW HAMPSHIRE The youthful Wildcats have to replace seven everyday forwards and three veteran defensemen. Brian Foster (19-11-4, 2.68, .910) is seasoned in goal and returning forwards Mike Sislo, Peter LeBlanc and Bobby Butler combined for 91 points last year. UNH is 139-37-19 all-time at home versus league opponents.</p><p>6. NORTHEASTERN Replacing Hobey Baker finalist and Hockey East player of the year Brad Thiessen in goal is a huge question mark. Wade MacLeod (35 points) heads the list of returnees, which includes eight of the 10 top scorers and influential &lsquo;D&rsquo; Drew Muench, who was hurt most of last year.</p><p>7. UMASS-AMHERST With one of the league&rsquo;s best in James Marcou and top defensemen in Justin Braun, they could surprise.</p><p>8. MAINE The Black Bears had the top-scoring freshmen class in the league and will be improved in all areas.</p><p>9. PROVIDENCE Coach Tim Army is looking to &ldquo;change the culture&rdquo; of the Friars; he will have 11 new faces.</p><p>10. MERRIMACK They finished last season 4-4-1 and have two first-rate goaltenders in Joe Cannata and Andrew Braithwaite. The Warriors want to build on that run.</p><h2><b>FABULOUS FRESHMEN</b></h2><p>The top incoming Hockey East freshmen are listed with their position, age, school and draft status</p><p><b>1.</b> Chris <b>Kreider</b></p><p>LW, 18, Boston College, 19th overall NY Rangers, 2009</p><p><b>2.</b> Alex <b>Chiasson</b></p><p>RW, 19, Boston U., 38th overall Dallas, 2009</p><p><b>3.</b> Jake <b>Newton</b></p><p>D, 21, Northeastern Undrafted</p><p><b>4.</b> Kenny <b>Ryan</b></p><p>RW, 18, Boston College, 50th overall Toronto, 2009</p><p><b>5.</b> Phillip <b>Samuelsson</b></p><p>D, 18, Boston College, 61st overall Pittsburgh, 2009<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-01

PURE BRED TERRIER

<div class="byline">&nbsp;BY PHILIP COLVIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01812/9299059-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="296" height="112"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02496/9299052-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="858" height="1097"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LOUIE CAPORUSSO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(U-M MEDIA RELATIONS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>AFTER HIS BREAKOUT</b> season last year, Michigan&rsquo;s Louie Caporusso knows things will be a little different this time around.</p><p>The junior center exploded out of the gate and went on to lead the Wolverines in goals with 24, was selected as a Hobey Baker Award finalist and named a first team all-CCHA and first team all-American.</p><p>This season he expects to be a marked man.</p><p>&ldquo;Things are definitely different,&rdquo; said Caporusso, a third round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2007. &ldquo;Last year I don&rsquo;t think I was expected to do what I did. This year I am. There is more responsibility for our class and, for me, to perform.&rdquo;</p><p>Although he worked hard during the summer to get faster and stronger, Caporusso isn&rsquo;t known for his rocket shot or blinding speed. But despite playing in the middle, Caporusso is less a playmaker than a pure scorer with a nose for the net. He&rsquo;s smart, has terrific offensive instincts and creates scoring chances from rebounds, deflections and loose pucks.</p><p>&ldquo;Louie is one of those players who just has a knack for scoring and producing offense,&rdquo; said Michigan coach Red Berenson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s in the right place at the right time and finds a way to score night after night no matter who he is playing with.&rdquo;</p><p>Caporusso recorded the Stanley Cup final series and a few of his Wolverines games last season to use as a learning tool and a reminder of what it will take to get to the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;Just seeing the pace, skill level and the intensity of the Stanley Cup games was motivational,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And I watched some of our games to see my tendencies with the puck and how I might improve.&rdquo;</p><p>With Michigan&rsquo;s top point-scorer last season, Aaron Palushaj, gone to the pros in the St. Louis organization, Caporusso will play on the Wolverines&rsquo; top line, No. 1 power play and will regularly go up against opposing teams&rsquo; checking lines and top defensemen.</p><p>&ldquo;So for our team to do well, the pressure is on Louie to do well,&rdquo; Berenson said.</p><p>&ldquo;I want to be a dominant two-way player every game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Every other game isn&rsquo;t good enough.</p><p>Here is a look at the CCHA, with teams listed in predicted order of conference finish:</p><p>1. MICHIGAN The Wolverines cupboard is stocked. In addition to Caporusso, speedy junior Carl Hagelin and sophomore power winger David Wolhberg are back up front. Senior captain Chris Summers is a force at both ends of the ice and leads a deep and experienced blueline crew. Junior goalie Bryan Hogan won 24 games last season.</p><p>2. NOTRE DAME Senior captain Ryan Thang leads a talented group of forwards that includes senior Kevin Deeth, junior Calle Ridderwall and sophomore Billy Maday. Junior Ian Cole and senior Kyle Lawson will log big minutes on a deep blueline in front of junior goalie Brad Phillips, who missed most of last season with an injury.</p><p>3. MIAMI (OHIO) After coming within 17 seconds of winning the national title last season, the RedHawks return five of their top seven scorers: junior forwards Pat Cannone, Andy Miele, Tommy Wingels and all-American, do-everything Carter Camper, along with sophomore defenseman Chris Wideman. Standout sophomores Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard again split time in net.</p><p>4. OHIO STATE Expectations are high as the Buckeyes return 20 players from a 23-win team that made the NCAA tournament. Junior forwards John Albert and Hunter Bishop, along with sophomore Zac Dalpe, supply the punch up front. Junior Shane Sims and sophomore Matt Bartkowski anchor the blueline. Junior goaltender Dusty Carlson won 21 games last year.</p><p>5. NORTHERN MICHIGAN After recent slow starts with young teams, the Wildcats have grown up. Senior goaltender Brian Stewart is again the go-to guy in net. Juniors Greger Hanson and Mark Olver are the big guns up front, while super-talented junior captain Erik Gustafsson makes the team go from the back end.</p><p>6. ALASKA With CCHA player of the year Chad Johnson graduated, sophomore Scott Greenham has big skates to fill in the Nanooks&rsquo; net. Senior forward Dion Knelsen and junior Kevin Petovello need big seasons up front. Sophomore Joe Sova is ready for a breakout year on the blueline.</p><p>7. NEBRASKA-OMAHA Former North Dakota bench boss Dean Blais takes over the Mavericks.</p><p>8. FERRIS STATE Veterans everywhere &ndash; but not a lot of firepower on the Bulldogs.</p><p>9. MICHIGAN STATE Life after all-everything goalie Jeff Lerg starts now for the Spartans. Sophomore center Daultan Leveille must step up his game.</p><p>10. WESTERN MICHIGAN Defenseman Tyler Ludwig and goalie Riley Gill are key to the Broncos&rsquo; success.</p><p>11. LAKE SUPERIOR STATE Focused on getting back to gritty, aggressive Lakers style.</p><p>12. BOWLING GREEN STATE First-year coach Dennis Williams is in rebuilding mode with the Falcons.</p><h2><b>FABULOUS</b>&nbsp;<b>FRESHMEN</b></h2><p>The top incoming CCHA rookies are listed with their position, age, school and draft status</p><p><b>1.</b> Kyle <b>Palmieri</b></p><p>RW, 18, Notre Dame, 26th overall Anaheim, 2009</p><p><b>2.</b> Riley <b>Sheahan</b></p><p>C, 17, Notre Dame, Draft eligible, 2010</p><p><b>3.</b> Chris <b>Brown</b></p><p>C, 18, Michigan, 36th overall Phoenix, 2009</p><p><b>4.</b> Reilly <b>Smith</b></p><p>RW, 18, Miami (Ohio), 69th overall Dallas, 2009</p><p><b>5.</b> Luke <b>Witkowski</b></p><p>D, 19, Western Mich., 160th overall Tampa Bay, 2008<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

LEADER OF THE PACK

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01700/9299125-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="888" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY OF LAKE ERIE MONSTERS)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02440/9299132-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="208" height="208"></div><p><b>THE CLIMB UP</b> the depth chart in the Colorado Avalanche organization has been slow, but steady for goalie Tyler Weiman.</p><p>Whereas all he really had for the first two or three years in the Avs system was a dream, Weiman now has real reason to believe he&rsquo;s not that far away from the NHL.</p><p>After playing second fiddle &ndash; or worse &ndash; for most of his first five minor pro seasons, the 25-year-old Saskatoon native is out to prove he can make easy saves and big saves night after night for the Lake Erie Monsters.</p><p>He&rsquo;ll be No. 1 in Lake Erie, meaning he&rsquo;s one injury away from playing in the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;But you never want anyone to get hurt, you want to earn it yourself,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to be consistent, that&rsquo;s the main thing. You always have something to prove, whether you&rsquo;re the top guy or the bottom feeder. There are always doubters out there.&rdquo;</p><p>There are fewer and fewer doubters now, especially since he signed his third contract with Colorado during the summer.</p><p>Weiman was drafted in the fifth round (164th overall) in 2002 and turned pro in 2004-05 after a four-year career with the Western League&rsquo;s Tri-City Americans.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t even know how many training camps I&rsquo;ve gone to,&rdquo; he said with a smile. &ldquo;Counting rookie camps, it&rsquo;s got to be 11 or 12.</p><p>&ldquo;But I learned from the best in Colorado, the (Patrick) Roys, the greats they had there.&rdquo;</p><p>He just never got a chance to play there. Nor did he solidify a spot on an AHL roster until his third year.</p><p>He played his first pro season, 2004-05, in the Central League and spent most of &rsquo;05-06 in the ECHL.</p><p>Not until &rsquo;06-07 did he become an AHL regular, compiling a 27-22-3 record with a 2.99 goals-against average and .905 save percentage for the Albany River Rats.</p><p>In 2007-08, Weiman wasn&rsquo;t as good (9-19-3, 3.32, .903) for a poor Lake Erie team, but rebounded with a solid 2008-09 season: 21-20-2, 2.46, .919 and a league-leading eight shutouts.</p><p>Still, Weiman said wins are all that really matter.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m old enough to know how the game works,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think I put more pressure on myself than anyone. It&rsquo;s all about wins. I don&rsquo;t want to worry about all the other stuff. I&rsquo;d rather put those W&rsquo;s in the win column in the standings.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04309/9299118-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="211" height="220"></div><h2><b>Hey, Jonas Junland! EXPECT THE CALL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05278/9299111-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="177" height="92"></div><p>The skilled, mobile 22-year-old Swede is in his second year in North America and is close to seeing NHL action. If the Blues need some offense from their defense, his hockey sense and accurate shot will help.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06243/9299104-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="169" height="246"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-07211/9299097-1-eng-US/f0041-072.jpg" title="f0041-07" width="286" height="84"></div><h2><b>Tyler Weiman</b></h2><p>Lake Erie Monsters</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 5-11</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 180</p><p><b>Pos.</b> G</p><p><b>Age</b> 25</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03356/9299090-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="178" height="92"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 12</b></h2><p>Weiman&rsquo;s shutout total in 144 career AHL games<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-01

PROSPECTS UNLIMITED

PATIENTLY WAITING

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><p>The North American debut of Dick Axelsson went just as a whole lot of scouts projected.</p><p>The Swedish left winger scored one goal and helped set up another as the Grand Rapids Griffins won at Peoria.</p><p>Now comes the real test: Can the highly skilled, but not always motivated Axelsson perform on a consistent basis?</p><p>Desire has been the knock ever since the Detroit Red Wings drafted him at the end of the second round (62nd overall) in 2006. But no one has ever questioned his talent.</p><p>How he performs with the Griffins will determine how quickly he sees Detroit.</p><p>WILD ABOUT HILBERT Left winger Andy Hilbert&rsquo;s training camp tryout with the Minnesota Wild didn&rsquo;t result in an NHL job right away, but the nine-year pro should be an impact AHLer after signing with the Houston Aeros.</p><p>He set a career high with 11 goals for the New York Islanders last season and began this year on a point-per-game pace.</p><p>NO SURPRISE Center Philippe Dupuis scored two goals in Lake Erie&rsquo;s season opener, a sign of things to come said coach David Quinn.</p><p>&ldquo;He has all the attributes of a goal-scorer,&rdquo; Quinn said.</p><p>Dupuis had a career-best 17 goals for Lake Erie last season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

UP TO SNUFF EARLY ON

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01735/9299222-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="888" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY OF WORCESTER SHARKS)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02460/9299229-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="208" height="208"></div><p><b>ONE</b>&nbsp;<b>WAY OR THE OTHER</b>, Nick Petrecki was going to play in Massachusetts this season.</p><p>Rather than return for his junior year at Boston College, the towering defenseman signed an entry level NHL contract with the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him 28th overall in 2007.</p><p>The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Petrecki is getting his pro career under way with the organization&rsquo;s top farm club in Worcester, about an hour&rsquo;s drive west of the BC campus.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s very exciting, but at the same time, it&rsquo;s work,&rdquo; Petrecki said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a job. I could be in a lot worse situation, especially with the economy and the way the world is today&hellip;obviously I&rsquo;m very fortunate.&rdquo;</p><p>The hard-hitting and hard-working Petrecki helped BC win the 2008 NCAA championship as a freshman, scoring 12 points and amassing 102 penalty minutes in 42 games. He had seven assists and 161 PIM in 35 games as a sophomore, when the Eagles failed to make the NCAA tournament.</p><p>&ldquo;It was definitely tough to leave school,&rdquo; Petrecki said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in your comfort zone there. You&rsquo;re with all your friends and having a good time, stuff like that.</p><p>&ldquo;It goes back to the ultimate goal, to play pro hockey. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve been wanting to do for a long time. I believe it was the right decision. Hopefully, I&rsquo;ll be up in San Jose at some point, but I&rsquo;m in a great situation here to learn and get better.&rdquo;</p><p>Petrecki skated in three NHL pre-season games with San Jose. It was the first big-league training camp for the player who has always been one of, if not the, biggest players on his team, going back to youth hockey.</p><p>&ldquo;I observed a lot, guys like Rob Blake, see how he does things,&rdquo; Petrecki said. &ldquo;Guys like Danny Boyle and Joe Thornton, see how they prepare mentally and physically for games and practices. A lot of people say the games are tough; being in an NHL practice is a lot tougher. That&rsquo;s a man&rsquo;s league.&rdquo;</p><p>The Sharks love Petrecki&rsquo;s size, toughness and work ethic, areas he will fine-tune on the farm.</p><p>&ldquo;Everybody says, &lsquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s disappointing you&rsquo;re starting out in Worcester,&rsquo; &rdquo; said Petrecki, the No. 2 San Jose prospect in Future Watch 2009. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for me. The ultimate goal is to be up, so you&rsquo;re just trying to get better every day, to listen, to learn and to watch.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04287/9299215-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="218" height="214"></div><h2><b>Hey Andrei Loktionov, EXPECT THE CALL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05248/9299208-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="178" height="93"></div><p>Just 19, the Kings&rsquo; 2008 late-round gem (123rd overall) is an excellent skater with great vision and hands, natural goal-scoring sense and an NHL-caliber shot. He scored a hat trick in his first AHL game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06222/9299201-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="170" height="248"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07188/9299194-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="287" height="85"></div><h2><b>Nick Petrecki</b></h2><p>Worcester Sharks</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-3</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 215</p><p><b>Pos.</b> D</p><p><b>Age</b> 20</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03358/9299187-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="179" height="95"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 3.4</b></h2><p>Petrecki&rsquo;s per game penalty minutes average in college<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

SIZABLE SHARK

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><p>Having done the paintball and golf thing in past years, the Adirondack Phantoms came up with a different kind of team bonding experience.</p><p>In their first season in Glens Falls, N.Y., after eight in Philadelphia, the Flyers AHL prospects got to learn about both each other and their new surroundings at the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course in nearby Bolton Landing.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something to get the team together and our group together,&rdquo; said Adirondack coach Greg Gilbert. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re situational exercises where guys are helping each other. It&rsquo;s all about the team and getting things accomplished through teamwork.&rdquo;</p><p>The facility has elevated outdoor obstacle courses set in the Adirondack Mountains. They are securely suspended between the trees at 10 to 50 feet off the ground and feature swings, slides, nets and an aerial surfboard.</p><p>&ldquo;Having a little team unity before the season is a good way to get players to know each other a little better and be more comfortable around each other,&rdquo; said captain Jared Ross. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done things before, stuff like paintball. This one is more where you&rsquo;re not trying to kill each other; you&rsquo;re trying to work together.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

GETTING ACQUAINTED

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NEIL HODGE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span>AXIME CLERMONT</b> wants to make a statement this season after not being among the 14 goaltenders invited to the summer evaluation camp for Canada&rsquo;s under-18 and under-20 teams.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure that was in the back of his mind,&rdquo; said Gatineau Olympiques coach Jerome Dupont.</p><p>&ldquo;Also, he had some fitness results in the off-season that weren&rsquo;t good enough, so he really got his act together and came to our camp in the best shape I&rsquo;ve seen him in.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing with a vengeance. He&rsquo;s got something to prove.&rdquo;</p><p>Clermont, a 17-year-old Montreal native, was a first round pick in the 2007 QMJHL draft. He&rsquo;s in the rare scenario of playing three major junior seasons before he&rsquo;s eligible for the 2010 NHL draft.</p><p>He was born on Dec. 31, 1991 at 11:45 p.m.; 15 minutes later, he would&rsquo;ve had to wait an extra year before breaking into major junior.</p><p>Clermont is looking to rebound from a disappointing sophomore season in which he posted a 3.22 GAA, .884 save percentage and 25-15-5 record and was demoted to backup for the playoffs. His early-season numbers are impressive.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s exciting that it&rsquo;s finally my NHL draft year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to work on my puckhandling and doing a better job of helping my defensemen. I&rsquo;m trying to improve my consistency.&rdquo;</p><p>Clermont, a butterfly goalie who covers a lot of net, has quick lateral movement and good rebound control. He&rsquo;s agile, but needs to improve his positioning when it comes to depth in the crease.</p><p>Chris Mooring of International Scouting Services considers Clermont and Louis Domingue of the Moncton Wildcats the top QMJHL goalies for the 2010 NHL draft.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure what order,&rdquo; said Mooring, pointing out that ISS&rsquo; first rankings are released Oct. 15. &ldquo;I expect they&rsquo;ll both go in the top three rounds.&rdquo;</p><p>Clermont compares his style to those of Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Carey Price.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01724/9299305-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="684" height="924"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Draft Status</b></p><p>Eligible for the 2010 NHL draft</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVID CONNELL/QMJHL)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s square to the shooter,&rdquo; said a scout. &ldquo;He battles through traffic and screens to see the puck. He doesn&rsquo;t give up on rebounds. As scouts, we&rsquo;re excited this is finally his draft year; it&rsquo;s our third year watching him.</p><p>&ldquo;He has to be among the top five or six goaltending prospects in all of major junior.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02490/9299298-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="324" height="173"></div><h2><b>Maxime Clermont</b></h2><p>Gatineau Olympiques</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-0</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 201</p><p><b>Pos.</b> G</p><p><b>Age</b> 17</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03406/9299291-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="343" height="83"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04307/9299284-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="160" height="93"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 44</b></h2><p>Clermont&rsquo;s career win total early in his third QMJHL regular season<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-01

THIRD-YEAR REDEMPTION

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05264/9299336-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="257" height="148"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>K</span>yle Beach, Dustin Donaghy and Ryan Letts are unlikely allies. As an Everett Silvertip, Beach, a pre-eminent agitator and power forward, routinely warred with Letts and Donaghy during games against the Spokane Chiefs. But now that Beach is a Chief, all is forgiven. &ldquo;The only guys I ever went at it with were Donaghy and Lettsy, and the three of us are pretty much best friends,&rdquo; said Beach, 19. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been great. They&rsquo;ve made it a lot easier on me going through this.&rdquo; Beach spent two-and-a-half seasons with Everett before being dealt to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in January. Lethbridge shipped Beach, a 2008 Chicago first-rounder, to Spokane, where he quickly endeared himself to the home fans, scoring twice in the opener.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-05

THERE’S A NEW CHIEF IN TOWN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06217/9299367-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="302" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>o more barber-pole uniforms and no more Brian Kilrea behind the bench. The controversy surrounding the Ottawa 67&rsquo;s change in uniform design this season has helped take some pressure off Chris Byrne, who replaced the Hockey Hall of Fame coach. &ldquo;I was, in my mind, ready to coach in the OHL, but never did I think it would be in my hometown,&rdquo; said Byrne, who served as an assistant under Kilrea. The 35-year-old Nepean, Ont., native had a year to prepare for the transition once &lsquo;Killer&rsquo; announced before the 2008-09 season began that it would be his last. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know everything,&rdquo; Byrne said of his first head coaching job in the OHL. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to make mistakes. This is a development league for players and referees and coaches.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-06

HOMETOWN COACH REPLACES LEGEND

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-07186/9299398-1-eng-US/f0043-072.jpg" title="f0043-07" width="237" height="140"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>ylvain Couturier has been given job security. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a big vote of confidence from their part for sure,&rdquo; he said after signing a 10-year contract extension as Acadie-Bathurst GM. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t worried because I had other options after this season, but I didn&rsquo;t want to go anywhere.&rdquo; Couturier&rsquo;s contract was set to expire in June of 2010. His new deal runs until June of 2020; by then he will have worked 17 years for the Titan. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to continuing to work hard to build a winner here and make this a championship team,&rdquo; the 41-year-old said. The Titan finished worst in league attendance last season, averaging 1,705 fans per game. Couturier&rsquo;s contract is a step towards to stabilizing the franchise for sibling owners Stephane and Annie Morrissette.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-07

LONG-TERM DEAL MEANS STABILITY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01627/9299436-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Sergei Fedorov chose No. 18 this season, the same number he wore with Red Army.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(FEDOROV: KHL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HREE STANLEY CUPS RINGS,</b> a Hart Trophy and the title of Russia&rsquo;s all-time leading NHL scorer weren&rsquo;t enough to satisfy Sergei Fedorov&rsquo;s hockey dreams.</p><p>When Metallurg Magnitogorsk signed his younger brother Fedor to a contract this summer, the six-time NHL All-Star Game participant knew where he was headed.</p><p>&ldquo;My thoughts were far from Magnitogorsk while I had a contract in North America, but when Magnitogorsk signed Fedor, I decided to continue my career with this club,&rdquo; the 39-year-old said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02388/9299429-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="228" height="249"></div><p>It took the elder Fedorov only eight minutes and 20 seconds to register his first KHL goal when Metallurg defeated Avtomobilist Ekaterinburg 3-1 on opening night. He was playing on a line with Fedor and Stanislav Chistov, the fifth pick in the 2001 NHL draft who played 196 games for Anaheim and Boston before returning to his homeland.</p><p>A Russian newspaper reported it had been exactly 7,143 days since Fedorov scored his last goal in the old Russian League for the Central Red Army club in 1990.</p><p>Some observers in Russia have criticized Fedorov for taking significant money at his age to play in the KHL, believing it was more of a last-resort move after he couldn&rsquo;t find work in the NHL, where he banked tens-of-millions.</p><p>&ldquo;Maybe there is some truth to that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I know a lot of players who are 10 years younger who left the NHL before I did. That&rsquo;s because the salary cap was introduced, and it was to clubs&rsquo; advantage not to sign experienced players, but to pick young cheap players who could perform the same tasks in third and fourth lines as the veterans did.</p><p>&ldquo;And when they talk about my age, what can you say? Let them put on a pair of skates. I&rsquo;ll skate 30 to 60 meters with them. Then let&rsquo;s see who is the pensioner.&rdquo;</p><p>Fedorov signed a two-year contract reportedly worth $3.8 million with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in June, fulfilling his father Viktor&rsquo;s dream of seeing him return to Russia and play with Fedor. So much time has passed that Fedor was the only person Sergei knew when he joined the team.</p><p>Fedorov said the negotiations with Metallurg through his father were a quick process.</p><p>&ldquo;I felt that Washington did not have long-term plans for me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Certain issues came up that had to do with the salary cap. If I am not mistaken, some players from the farm club had their two-way contracts automatically turn into one-way contracts. And this was an extra burden on the payroll.&rdquo;</p><p>Fedorov was averaging only about 14 minutes of ice time per game early on, but that&rsquo;s mostly because Russian coaches usually roll four lines fairly evenly. Everybody receives nearly the same amount playing time.</p><p>Fedorov chose jersey No. 18, the same won he wore with the Central Red Army in 1990 before heading for the NHL. Fedor reversed the digits and is wearing No. 81.</p><p>The elder Fedorov left the NHL just 17 goals short of the 500-mark for his NHL career and 21 points short of 1,200, but numbers don&rsquo;t worry him.</p><p>&ldquo;Maybe it was worth scoring those 17 goals,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But, actually, what would they decide in my career? Life doesn&rsquo;t stop here.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

ALL IN THE FAMILY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03288/9299474-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="503" height="648"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MORRISON: COURTESY OF LUKKO, RAUMA)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04231/9299467-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg" title="f0044-04" width="329" height="165"></div><p>Rauma Lukko fans have been waiting 46 years for their team to win the Finnish title and 21 years to make it to the final.</p><p>This season, there are high hopes as the team got off to a record-breaking start, winning its first seven games in the SM-liiga, snapping the league mark for most consecutive wins from the start of the season.</p><p>In its eighth game against Tappara, Tampere, Lukko gave up a one-goal lead with 2:30 remaining, then lost the shootout.</p><p>Los Angeles native <b>Justin Morrison</b> (Vancouver, 81st overall in 1998) sparked Lukko&rsquo;s run with a seven-game point streak; he was blanked in the season&rsquo;s opening contest.</p><p>&ldquo;One of the reasons for our strong start is that we played a lot of exhibition games,&rdquo; said Lukko coach Rauli Urama. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve already played 21 games, have lost only two, so our run is much longer than these seven games in the SM-liiga.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s also what makes Lukko fans nervous. Last season, the team was strong out of the gate and topped the standings after eight games, but finished 11th and out of the playoffs.</p><p>This year, Urama, in his second year as coach, won&rsquo;t let the players get ahead of themselves.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll just enjoy the moment,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We know the season&rsquo;s just begun and every team will also have its downs. We&rsquo;ll have to be ready for that.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-03

LUKKO OFF TO FAST

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE MASTOVICH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01536/9299505-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="214" height="141"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Wheeling Nailers had seen too much of Cincinnati&rsquo;s Thomas Beauregard the past two seasons. Now, when the high-scoring right winger Beauregard finds the net, the Nailers will be the benefactors, after Wheeling signed him on the eve of training camp. The Montreal native was part of a Kelly Cup-championship run during his rookie pro season in 2007-08, when he had 31 regular season goals. He had 15 goals in 25 Cyclones games last year, splitting time with AHL Hamilton. Quebec League fans will recall Beauregard&rsquo;s 71 goals and 124 points with Acadie-Bathurst in 2006-07.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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October 26, 2009

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