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.

March 1, 2010

The Hockey News - Mar-01-10

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01386/9390224-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"></div><p><b>Subscribe to North America&rsquo;s No. 1 hockey magazine and receive:</b></p><p><i>1 YEAR</i> of The Hockey News including the Yearbook and Future Watch</p><p><b>Daily email newsletter FREE</b></p><p>Full digital edition FREE</p><p><b>NHL&reg; team swivel key chain of your choice FREE</b></p><p><a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> in now available as a <b>FREE</b> download on mobile devices</p><p>Download the application today at <a href="http://thn.mobi">thn.mobi</a></p><p>Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to subscribe now!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Your Inside Edge

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB VANSTONE</div><p><b>UNLIKE MOST</b> aspiring NHL goalies, Martin Jones has already faced big-league shooters before a near-sellout crowd.</p><p>&ldquo;Todd Bertuzzi and one of the Sedins shot on me,&rdquo; said the Calgary Hitmen stopper, recalling his days as a youth hockey goaltender in North Vancouver, B.C. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think they were trying very hard. I made a couple of saves.&rdquo;</p><p>Jones and his North Shore Winter Club peewee teammates were on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks as part of the NHL team&rsquo;s superskills competition. The event was held at GM Place, where Harvey Jones (Martin&rsquo;s father) is the operations manager.</p><p>&ldquo;I grew up in that atmosphere,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;I definitely have a lot of good memories. I got to go to a lot of Canucks games and things like that, so that was a lot of fun.&rdquo;</p><p>But nothing compares to the NHL experience he enjoyed in 2008, when he was invited to the L.A. Kings&rsquo; training camp as an 18-year-old undrafted free agent.</p><p>&ldquo;He basically comes in as an unknown in L.A. at training camp with no contract,&rdquo; said Kings goaltending coach Bill Ranford. &ldquo;He walked away with a three-year deal. That&rsquo;s pretty impressive on his behalf.&rdquo;</p><p>Jones has continued to impress. He became a full-time starter with the 2008-09 Hitmen and sported a 2.08 goals-against average, .915 save percentage, seven shutouts and 45-5-4 record.</p><p>Although the figures are not as gaudy this season, Jones remains highly regarded &ndash; as evidenced by the big kid&rsquo;s presence on Canada&rsquo;s roster at the 2010 World Junior Championship. Ranford and the Kings are happy with Jones&rsquo; evolution, playing on a team that needs him to fight to make more big saves this year.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done a pretty good job with that,&rdquo; Ranford said. &ldquo;He was really a one-dimensional blocker and he butterflied on everything. We&rsquo;ve really worked on him trying to have a little bit more dimension in his game, reading releases and not going down on every single shot.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01756/9389769-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="684" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY MARK ROGERS/COURTESY CALGARY FLAMES HOCKEY CLUB)</span></figcaption></div><p>Clearly, the flame that&rsquo;s been burning since he was a kid around the Canucks is only intensifying.</p><p>&ldquo;Being around it obviously fuels the fire a little bit,&rdquo; Jones said, &ldquo;but, at the end of the day, I want it because that&rsquo;s what I want to do.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02480/9389762-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="324" height="173"></div><h2><b>Martin Jones</b></h2><p>Calgary Hitmen</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-4</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 193</p><p><b>Pos.</b> G</p><p><b>Age</b> 20</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03374/9389755-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="343" height="83"></div><p><b>Draft Status</b></p><p>Signed as a free agent by L.A. Oct. 2, 2008</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04303/9389748-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="211" height="126"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 5</b></h2><p>Jones led Western League goalies with five shutouts<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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PROSPECTS UNLIMITED

HOCKEY JONES

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011236/9389330-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="889" height="1092"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02844/9389337-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="195" height="195"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>URING TRAINING CAMP</b> and the NHL pre-season, Sergei Shirokov&rsquo;s play said all that needed to be said. He led the Vancouver Canucks with seven points in just four games.</p><p>Regular season hockey, though, got lost in translation and after six pointless games and a minus-four rating, the 23-year-old from Moscow was shipped to Winnipeg to work on all kinds of things &ndash; systems, life skills, even English &ndash; with the Manitoba Moose.</p><p>Shirokov, a throwback in that he claims he knew nothing about Canada and little English before arriving last fall, said he expected difficult times after deciding to jump from the KHL, where he scored 17 goals and 41 points in 56 games for CSKA Moscow last season.</p><p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t easy for me to play this system, it was so different,&rdquo; the right winger said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ve learned to pass the puck at better times, things like that. And my English is getting better.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m learning the culture here.&rdquo;</p><p>One of the hardest things he had to do was walk away from about $500,000 guaranteed money to stay in the KHL. His NHL salary, $850,000 was a draw, but the minor league end of his contract is just more than $62,000, a hefty drop from last season.</p><p>&ldquo;No regret, no, I&rsquo;m very positive about this, very thankful,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have not had a thought about going back. Not once.</p><p>&ldquo;I want to play in the NHL and this is the way to get there. You can&rsquo;t earn all the money, you have to go for the (opportunity).&rdquo;</p><p>His success has been modest so far, with 16 goals and 34 points in 50 games for the Moose.</p><p>His progress, even including a stay or two in coach Scott Arniel&rsquo;s doghouse, is evident, said Canucks assistant GM and vice-president, player personnel Lorne Henning.</p><p>&ldquo;I think he was phenomenal in the early part of camp, came in and surprised everybody,&rdquo; Henning said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got high-end skill, great vision and great puck skills. But he needs to improve the consistency factor and his work away from the puck. We knew this would take a little time, but we&rsquo;ve been happy with what we&rsquo;ve seen.&rdquo;</p><p>Off the ice, things are lining up better for Shirokov. His girlfriend, Julia, is now with him in Canada and he talks to his parents back home via Skype. His teammates have also been a big help. &ldquo;Doesn&rsquo;t matter who I ask, they&rsquo;re good about helping me,&rdquo; he said.</p><h2><b>Sergei Shirokov</b></h2><p>Manitoba Moose</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 5-10</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 176</p><p><b>Pos.</b> RW</p><p><b>Age</b> 23</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03678/9389323-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="211" height="126"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING</b>&nbsp;<b>4</b></h2><p>Shirokov&rsquo;s four power play goals top all Moose snipers<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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BAPTISM BY WINTER

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANDY BAGGOT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-07220/9389717-1-eng-US/f0041-072.jpg" title="f0041-07" width="354" height="78"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he inaugural Camp Randall Hockey Classic &ndash; outdoor games featuring the Wisconsin men vs. Michigan and the women vs. Bemidji (Minn.) State &ndash; drew 55,031 to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. The turnout fell short of the original goal &ndash; topping the Spartan Stadium record of 74,544 &ndash; but organizers received &ldquo;overwhelmingly positive&rdquo; feedback. Badgers coach Mike Eaves said he&rsquo;s open to staging the event every four years, allowing a new crop of students and players to experience an outdoor game inside the fourth-oldest stadium in major college football (93 years old).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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FIRST TIME’S A CHARM

<div class="byline">PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL AUERBACH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012116/9387378-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Top Shelf</b></h2><p>U.S. Olympian Ryan Kesler of the Canucks roofs one past Panthers goalie and Czech Olympian Tomas Vokoun.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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THE BIG PICTURE

<div class="byline">with Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012135/9387423-1-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>SOMETIMES, THE REALITY</b> of reuniting with an old flame doesn&rsquo;t quite match the heightened expectations of the fantasy.</p><p>Take the city in which the old Flames used to play: Atlanta and the NHL got back together in 1999, nearly two decades after they originally split up. This time, they were really, really going to make it work.</p><p>But with Ilya Kovalchuk&rsquo;s departure, unstable ownership and sparse attendance, the relationship is back on the rocks (see Ryan Kennedy&rsquo;s opinion column on pg. 14). A cynic would say the marriage was doomed from the start; that you can&rsquo;t go home again. Not so fast, say the hopeless romantics. What about Minnesota?</p><p>Indeed, there are some interesting parallels &ndash; and differences &ndash; between the two NHL markets that were granted second chances at about the same time. Here&rsquo;s a quick case study:</p><p>Atlanta, which lost the Flames to Calgary in 1980, and Minnesota, whose North Stars bolted for Dallas in 1993, got back on the NHL map with expansion franchises in 1999 and 2000. Since then, the Thrashers have failed to win a playoff game (with just one berth), while the Wild has done somewhat better, winning two of five series.</p><p>Both teams have had middling success at drafting and developing players. Atlanta bombed with Patrik Stefan (No. 1 in &rsquo;99) and just traded away Kari Lehtonen (No. 2 in &rsquo;02). Dany Heatley and Kovalchuk are undeniable stars, but both have departed with very little to show in return. Zach Bogosian is the real deal and Evander Kane and Bryan Little have shown promise, but haven&rsquo;t captured the locals&rsquo; imagination.</p><p>Minnesota, meantime, has struggled at the draft table since taking Marian Gaborik (third in 2000) and Mikko Koivu (sixth in &rsquo;01) &ndash; and they let Gaborik walk without getting anything in return. Recent high picks such as Benoit Pouliot, A.J. Thelen and James Sheppard haven&rsquo;t approached expectations.</p><p>Yet, despite the relative similarities &ndash; and middling results &ndash; on the ice and in player development, the Wild is a financial success, the Thrashers a failure. What gives? Haven&rsquo;t the Minnesotans proven it doesn&rsquo;t all have to be about winning?</p><p>Perhaps. But they&rsquo;ve got that inherent fan base and a slick marketing machine. And as the Thrashers spiral deeper into darkness, two more old flames &ndash; Quebec City and Winnipeg &ndash; are among the potential suitors for a new or relocated franchise. And this time, they&rsquo;re really, really adamant they can make it work.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021811/9387416-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="476" height="254"></div><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> MARCH 15, 2010</p><p>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE: <b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></b> CONTACT US: <b><a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>LISTEN UP!</p><p><b>THE HOCKEY NEWS RADIO SHOW FRIDAYS 3-4 EST XM 204</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031454/9387409-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="185" height="72"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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ATLANTA THRASHING

<div class="byline">Archie Yokota, Ottawa</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021540/9387516-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="889" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03996/9387509-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="226" height="225"></div><p>I wanted hockey fans to know about the generosity and consideration of San Jose&rsquo;s Dan Boyle.</p><p>Rene Faucher is a recreational league player in the Ken Platt league in Ottawa, the same league I play in, but in another division.</p><p>Two weeks ago, Rene had the misfortune of hitting a crack in the ice and falling into the boards, resulting in a broken neck and being put in a paraplegic state.</p><p>I heard on the radio station that is trying to raise funds for Rene and his family that Boyle offered his 2006 Team Canada jersey, signed by the entire team, for auction. What a gesture.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012120/9387502-1-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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BOYLE STANDS OUT

<blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;Our sympathies go out to the Burke family; our prayers are with you.</b></blockquote><h2><b>TRAGIC LOSS</b></h2><p>The community of hockey fans is shocked and saddened for Toronto GM Brian Burke and his family over the death of their son Brendan.</p><p>No parents should ever out-live their children. Our sympathies go out to the Burke family; our prayers are with you. God bless.</p><p><b>Joe Connor, Pennsville, N.J.</b></p><h2><b>PLAYING WITH FIRE</b></h2><p>Thinking back to the 2006 Canadian Olympic team, the main problem with the roster was the lack of youngsters.</p><p>The committee decided to pass on Sidney Crosby and though many agreed with this, it was obvious they ended up lacking speed. This year, the roster looks much more promising, with smart picks based on recent play. For the most part, that is.</p><p>For some reason Brenden Morrow and Patrice Bergeron were chosen. It&rsquo;s obvious they are great players in the NHL, but if the team was chosen with youth and recent play in mind, whatever happened to players such as Steven Stamkos and Jeff Carter? Makes no sense whatsoever.</p><p>I&rsquo;m just hoping it won&rsquo;t turn into a decision they will regret.</p><p><b>Connor Sziklasi, Oshawa, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>STAND-ALONE STREAK</b></h2><p>With all of the recent talk about winning streaks, people tend to forget the greatest streak in pro sports history: The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers 35-game unbeaten streak.</p><p>That is one record that will never be broken. The great Cana-diens teams of the &lsquo;70s, the high-octane Oilers of the &lsquo;80s, nor the Penguins of the &lsquo;90s ever came close to what the Flyers accomplished in &lsquo;79-80. It&rsquo;s almost mind boggling to think a team could go through nearly half of its schedule and not lose a game.</p><p>The next time a team rattles off 12,13 or 14 wins in a row, remember they&rsquo;re not even half way home to what the Flyers accomplished 30 years ago.</p><p><b>Steve Lourenco, Dover, Ohio</b></p><h2><b>TONS OF POTENTIAL</b></h2><p>When the Ilya Kovalchuk trade was still just a rumor I checked the possible suitors to try and figure out who was most likely to acquire the Russian sniper.</p><p>It was apparent the Devils&rsquo; stable of young players allowed them to make the move. But what also became apparent was how all those teams are full of NHL-ready prospects and it brought to mind the always-present contraction talk.</p><p>Why, with all this talent and cities in Canada screaming for NHL teams, would the league consider contraction? Today&rsquo;s young players are getting better and better and there&rsquo;s more of them; they&rsquo;ll need somewhere to play. I say grow, not contract.</p><p><b>Josh Statham, Powell River, B.C.</b></p><h2><b>KUDOS TO KHUDO</b></h2><p>I&rsquo;d like to take a quick moment to give kudos to Minnesota Wild goalie Anton Khudobin.</p><p>Being a long-time Wild fan, I&rsquo;ve seen many quality goalies pass through the ranks (Dwayne Roloson, Manny Fernandez, Niklas Backstrom, Josh Harding), but the great play of Khudobin in his first stint with the Wild has raised much interest in the rookie netminder&rsquo;s bright future. Go get &lsquo;em Khudo!</p><p><b>Stephen Plantan, Wayzata, Minn.</b></p><h2><b>SICKENING CHECKS</b></h2><p>I think today&rsquo;s players, whether it be NHL, AHL, CHL or any other league around the world, have no respect for each other.</p><p>Patrice Cormier&rsquo;s recent hit was a blatant elbow to the head on Mikael Tam, in my opinion. He came off the bench and went right for him. It&rsquo;s one thing if you just rub the guy out to finish your check, but he lunged at him and stuck his elbow out. It looked like he intended to injure him.</p><p>Seeing some of these recent illegal hits in the CHL sickens and frustrates me.</p><p><b>Jordie Bigler, Kelowna, B.C.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Crowd Shots

<div class="byline">with NICKLAS BACKSTROM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012362/9387554-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="510" height="692"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BACKSTROM: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021595/9387561-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="166" height="166"></div><p><b>What is your favorite sport other than hockey?</b></p><p>Soccer. I&rsquo;m a big soccer fan. My favorite team is Arsenal in the English Premier League.</p><p><b>What was your last job before hockey?</b></p><p>I was a carpenter. I always wanted to be a carpenter and went to school for it and did all the years I had to. But I was told I could rely on hockey and I was getting paid to play when I was younger.</p><p><b>What was the last movie you saw?</b></p><p><i>Avatar</i>. It was pretty good. Different, but good.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s the best vacation you&rsquo;ve been on?</b></p><p>Probably golfing in Spain.</p><p><b>Who was your favorite player growing up?</b></p><p>Peter Forsberg. He was kind of my idol. I played against him and with him, too. Now I&rsquo;m going to play with him again at the Olympics. That&rsquo;s going to be fun. He&rsquo;s a great person and a great player. It was an honor to meet him for the first time.</p><p><b>What city should have an NHL team that doesn&rsquo;t?&rsquo;</b></p><p>Quebec City.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="87" height="87"></div><p><b>Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for exclusive Q+A&rsquo;s in our &lsquo;Getting to Know&rsquo; feature</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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2 MINUTES IN THE BOX

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04597/9387599-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="686" height="554"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03940/9387606-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="187" height="187"></div><p>Hey Adam,</p><p>I&rsquo;m a big Canucks fan and I&rsquo;m excited at the prospect of the Sedin Twins being a regular force for the next five years. Looking at this season, what do you think are the chances of Henrik winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s MVP?</p><p><b><i>William Brown, Victoria, B.C.</i></b></p><p>Hey William,</p><p>Henrik is on course for a career year on offense and, given the success his Canucks have enjoyed so far, he&rsquo;ll definitely merit consideration for the Hart. He&rsquo;ll have some stiff competition, though, in the form of Washington&rsquo;s Alex Ovechkin and Buffalo&rsquo;s Ryan Miller. That said, the bottom line for individual awards is now akin to the battle for playoff spots in that you have to be in the mix all season long to have a shot.</p><p>Adam,</p><p>With the Blackhawks at the cap limit and not being too happy with Cristobal Huet in goal, could they put him on waivers and let him go to get out of the cap problem. I know they&rsquo;d have to pay him, but they could deal for a goalie they want.</p><p><b><i>John Zagorski, North Aurora, Ill.</i></b></p><p>John,</p><p>With the Hawks firmly settled in second place in the West, I&rsquo;m not sure they&rsquo;re unhappy with any of their players. And given their upcoming cap issues, I doubt they want to pay half of Huet&rsquo;s salary while he&rsquo;s playing elsewhere. I think he sticks around and continues splitting time with Antti Niemi.</p><p><b>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="87" height="87"></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>Do you think NHL players will play in the 2014 Olympics?</p><p><b>Yes 82%</b></p><p>No 18%</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05470/9387644-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="459" height="640"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EVGENI MALKIN</b><span class="photo-credit">(SEDIN: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES MALKIN: GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SPIT IT OUT!</b></h2><h3><b>GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST</b></h3><p>SEND US AN E-MAIL</p><p><b><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>OR LOG ON</p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>SEND US SNAIL MAIL</p><p>Letters, The Hockey News 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100 Toronto, ON., M2N 6S7, Canada</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="87" height="87"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>BONUS!</b></h2><p>All subscribers get exclusive access on <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to digital magazine archives!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-05

POLL RESULTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012114/9387682-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>When Dion Phaneuf moved from Calgary to Toronto, some GMs cried foul.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021434/9387689-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="120" height="120"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N THE WAKE OF TWO</b> blockbuster trades that were consummated in early February, a common refrain was heard in certain corners of the NHL&rsquo;s GM community.</p><p>It went something like this: &ldquo;I wish Darryl Sutter/Don Waddell had let me know they were going to trade Dion Phaneuf/Ilya Kovalchuk, because I would&rsquo;ve put together a much more attractive asset package than they received.&rdquo;</p><p>Uh, sure you would&rsquo;ve, gentlemen. Or maybe you&rsquo;ve come down with an early case of <i>sourgrapesitis</i>, an affliction that normally strikes a number of GMs immediately after the league&rsquo;s annual trade deadline has passed.</p><p>&ldquo;In a lot of ways, I think that sort of talk really is sour grapes,&rdquo; said former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster. &ldquo;Once Donnie Waddell decided he would trade Kovalchuk, I&rsquo;m sure he went hard, if not at 29 other teams, then at a lot of other teams, to make a deal. At that point, you expect people are going to come back to you with their best offers on the table.</p><p>&ldquo;Some (GMs) take a risk in that they don&rsquo;t have what the (selling) team wants, so they hope they&rsquo;ll come back the day of the deadline and get him for less. But obviously, Donnie made it clear to everyone he was going to move the player, and so as a manager, when you hear someone say, &lsquo;Boy, I wish I&rsquo;d known he would&rsquo;ve done this&rsquo;, well, you better get in there and be pitching your best pitch.&rdquo;</p><p>This year&rsquo;s NHL trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. Eastern time &ndash; and if the past is any indication, there will be a handful of GMs who come away from that day with far less than they hoped to land.</p><p>Feaster recalls an ultimately fruitless trade deadline chase he engaged in not so long ago.</p><p>&ldquo;The one deal I desperately wanted and always regretted we weren&rsquo;t able to do was in 2006,&rdquo; said Feaster, now an analyst for the NHL Network. &ldquo;We went hard after Luke Richardson when he was with Columbus&hellip;The feeling was we needed help defensively and we were going to be a playoff team, and so we wanted to shore up the blueline. I thought for sure we would get it done &ndash; we were in the mix when we offered them a second round pick &ndash; but he went to Toronto, for a second-rounder, because (then-Blue Jackets GM) Doug (MacLean) told me they felt Toronto&rsquo;s second-rounder would be a better pick.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;So for us to leave that day at 3:01 p.m. without Luke, it felt like a loss.&rdquo;</p><p>In the estimation of former Flames GM Craig Button, the griping from GMs who don&rsquo;t acquire their targeted players has happened for years, if not decades.</p><p>&ldquo;I remember being in Dallas when we traded for Joe Nieuwendyk,&rdquo; said Button, the Stars&rsquo; director of scouting from 1992-98 who helped make the decision to send a little-known prospect named Jarome Iginla to the Flames for Nieuwendyk in 1995.</p><p>&ldquo;I remember going to the (1996) world junior tournament in Boston and hearing (then-assistant GM of the Maple Leafs) Bill Watters tell people, &lsquo;We offered them Jeff Ware, one of the best young defensemen in the game, and I can&rsquo;t believe they took this kid from Kamloops. I heard other people saying, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t believe that&rsquo;s all they got for Nieuwendyk.&rsquo; And you&rsquo;re thinking, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s let time tell.&rsquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Now, I understand you&rsquo;re disappointed in not getting the player and you believe in the players you&rsquo;ve offered. But if somebody says, &lsquo;I wish I would&rsquo;ve known you were dealing this player&rsquo;, the reason they didn&rsquo;t know is there probably wasn&rsquo;t a fit there.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012255/9387675-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="719" height="878"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LUKE RICHARDSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARDSON: ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Perhaps the worst feeling GMs will have after the deadline is one of powerlessness.</p><p>&ldquo;When you think about it from the standpoint of the GM, when the trade deadline rolls past, when three o&rsquo;clock hits, you&rsquo;re basically a spectator the rest of the year,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s really very, very little you can do after that to affect what happens on the ice, at least from a personnel standpoint.</p><p>&ldquo;You can do logistical things to help your club, but you can&rsquo;t do something in terms of personnel and that&rsquo;s really tough.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-01

IN EVERY ISSUE

SOUR GRAPES FOR NHL GMS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021713/9387720-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JASON SPEZZA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SPEZZA: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-09174/9387762-1-eng-US/f0008-092.jpg" title="f0008-09" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031206/9387755-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="67" height="67"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>RINGS OF FIRE</b></h2><p>Nothing like seeing the best players in the world represent their countries &ndash; skillfully and passionately &ndash; at the Olympics.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04673/9387748-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="66" height="20"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>CANUCKLEHEADS</b></h2><p>Canadian WJC D-man Marco Scandella suspended 15 &lsquo;Q&rsquo; games for hit to the head, following WJC captain Patrice Cormier&rsquo;s lead.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05477/9387741-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="67" height="67"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>JASON&rsquo;S REVENGE</b></h2><p>Jason Spezza returns from knee injury a new man: nine goals, 13 points in nine games.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-06360/9387734-1-eng-US/f0008-062.jpg" title="f0008-06" width="66" height="20"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>NO SHOW</b></h2><p>NBC won&rsquo;t televise Canada-U.S. preliminary game on full network, but rather on cable station MSNBC.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-07266/9387727-1-eng-US/f0008-072.jpg" title="f0008-07" width="67" height="67"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>ALEX THE MATE</b></h2><p>Sedins find their true soulmate with Alex Burrows, who has become a bona fide NHL sniper &ndash; and a dangerous penalty-killer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Plus/Minus

<h2><b>5 FIVE</b></h2><p><b>Scottie Upshall</b> and a second round pick went from Philadelphia to Phoenix in a deal for tough guy Daniel Carcillo.</p><h2><b>4 FOUR</b></h2><p>The Penguins won the Cup in part because they picked up <b>Bill Guerin</b> from the Islanders for a third-rounder.</p><h2><b>3 THREE</b></h2><p><b>Nik Antropov</b> arrived on Broadway after the Leafs dealt him to the Rangers in exchange for a second round pick.</p><h2><b>2 TWO</b></h2><p>Ottawa got its man in netminder <b>Pascal Leclaire</b> and a second-rounder from Columbus for Antoine Vermette.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-08215/9387793-1-eng-US/f0008-082.jpg" title="f0008-08" width="743" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOKINEN: GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>1 ONE</b></h2><p><b>Olli Jokinen</b> went from Phoenix to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first round pick in 2010.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-08

Starting from 5

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021411/9387831-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="372" height="948"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03869/9387838-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="120" height="120"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN NEW YORK RANGERS</b> star Marian Gaborik had his leg sliced by the skate of goalie Henrik Lundqvist during a team practice in early February, it was another one of those freak injuries that could not have been prevented.</p><p>Or could it? With similar accidents sidelining Montreal&rsquo;s Andrei Markov and Carolina&rsquo;s Cam Ward earlier in the season, the idea of further protection from skate blades has been gaining a lot of press and traction.</p><p>At the Let&rsquo;s Play Hockey show and exposition in Las Vegas in late January, several different companies came to the fore in filling that niche.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Companies such as <b>TACTICS SOCKS</b> and Tuffn-Lite Hockey targeted the legs with cut-resistant socks as a potential remedy to the inevitable accidents that happen in such a fast-paced environment.</p><p>Tactics Socks, which have been in development for several years, but are now very quickly relevant on a mass scale, are made with Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests and the arm sleeves worn by industrial factory workers (where the sock model originated).</p><p>Carolina&rsquo;s Ward was recently given a pair and according to Tactics, seven NHL teams plus the Canadian women&rsquo;s Olympic hockey squad have tried them out.</p><p>The socks aren&rsquo;t cut-proof, but they are cut-resistant and tested at DuPont labs. The key for Marshall Ferneyhough of Tactics, is that the socks (worn directly on the leg and under hockey socks) are thin and aren&rsquo;t intrusive.</p><p>&ldquo;Why not protect yourself?&rdquo; Ferneyhough said. &ldquo;If there&rsquo;s a technology out there, why not use it?&rdquo;</p><p>Another big issue in the NHL this season has been concussions and the equipment industry was well-represented in Las Vegas on that front as well.</p><p>TapouT mouthguards &ndash; associated with mixed martial arts, but invented for all contact sports including hockey &ndash; was pitching its product based on a patented technology that allows wearers to re-boil their mouthguard. This is especially important for players with braces, since frequent tightenings at the orthodontist shift the structure of the mouth.</p><p>According to Mike Evans of TapouT, it&rsquo;s not enough just to wear a mouthguard, it must be fixed properly inside the mouth.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012027/9387824-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="735" height="904"></div><p>&ldquo;When your jaw slides,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s when you get knocked out.&rdquo;</p><p>So despite the entertainment value of Patrick Kane&rsquo;s nightly dental gymnastics, a mouthguard shouldn&rsquo;t actually pop out so easily.</p><p>On the technical side, the TapouT mouthguard is designed to relax the spine and align the TMJ (temporoman-dibular joint), which is the jaw&rsquo;s natural defense against shock.</p><p>Moving higher on the cranium and already well known in hockey circles is the Mark Messier-endorsed <b>M11 CASCADE HELMET.</b> Again, concussions are the issue and, as Mark&rsquo;s sister Mary-Kay notes, education is a huge factor in convincing players how to properly protect themselves.</p><p>Pros are notoriously fickle when it comes to innovations and convincing them to wear a helmet that protects them more is an uphill battle on several fronts.</p><p>&ldquo;The early feedback was that it looked different,&rdquo; said Mary-Kay, who is vice-president, business development for Cascade. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a perception we&rsquo;re battling&hellip;players draw a link between protection and size and weight.&rdquo;</p><p>And though the helmet falls in the middle of industry weight classes, progress is still coming for The Messier Project. NHLers wearing it now include Toronto&rsquo;s Garnet Exelby, Carolina&rsquo;s Aaron Ward and, most topically, Minnesota&rsquo;s Brent Burns, who just returned from a serious concussion.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-02

INJURY PREVENTION

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012224/9387869-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Peter Regin and the Sens had to go to Central Park to find their lost game.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(REGIN/ALFREDSSON: ANDRE RINGUETTE/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/f0010-04716/9387876-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="120" height="120"></div><p><b>WHEN A TEAM ISN&rsquo;T FINDING WINS</b>, typically it can count on a bag skate to see if that doesn&rsquo;t help turn the tables.</p><p>But when the Ottawa Senators were trying to snap a season-high five-game losing streak in mid-January, they took a different approach before facing the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.</p><p>&ldquo;We actually went to Central Park and skated,&rdquo; said Senators left winger Peter Regin.</p><p>The result? The Sens beat the Rangers to begin what turned into a franchise-record 11-game winning streak, perhaps creating a default off-day activity for every team that passes through New York in the process.</p><p>It was certainly a remarkable stretch, but by no means was it entirely unique. In addition to the Sens, both the Washington Capitals (14 games) and Los Angeles Kings (nine) have ripped off new franchise marks for consecutive wins this season.</p><p>On the flip side, Carolina&rsquo;s crushing campaign was never worse than when the team set a new organizational entry with a 14-game losing skein. Columbus helped seal the fate of former coach Ken Hitchcock by dropping a Blue Jackets-record nine straight contests, while the Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; 13-gamer set that squad&rsquo;s all-time futility mark as well. The club that beat the Oilers for loss No. 13 was their Alberta rivals the Calgary Flames, who were snapping a nine-game skid that represented their longest period with consecutive L&rsquo;s in almost 25 years.</p><p>Had the Boston Bruins not halted a losing streak at 10 games, they would have tied a terrible team standard set back in their very first season, 1924-25. The Toronto Maple Leafs went eight games without a win to begin the year, the worst season start in franchise history for a team that&rsquo;s been around a long time and has frequently been bad.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>The blatant trend, according to <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i> analyst Craig Simpson, can be attributed to a couple things. First of all, puck luck, good and bad, might just be a bit more prominent this season. But a more tangible reason is the fact the Olympic break creates a more condensed schedule, meaning when you&rsquo;re hot you&rsquo;re not just hot, but playing a lot &ndash; and vice-versa, of course.</p><p>Ottawa&rsquo;s 11-game ride took place over a 22-day span and included three instances where the team played on consecutive nights.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re feeling good, you&rsquo;re working hard,&rdquo; said Ottawa center Jason Spezza when asked about any added pressure during such a stretch. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been working mechanically, everyone has been a moving part. You&rsquo;re definitely not gripping your sticks tight. If anything, you&rsquo;re a little bit more relaxed and feeling good.&rdquo;</p><p>Washington&rsquo;s 14 wins &ndash; the third-longest run in league history &ndash; came over a 26-day stretch and also included three back-to-back scenarios, the first coming to begin the streak.</p><p>&ldquo;At that point, it&rsquo;s like not even going to work as a player, it&rsquo;s just fun,&rdquo; Simpson said about the good streaks. &ldquo;And as a coach, you almost just try to stay out of the way and let it happen.&rdquo;</p><p>At the other end of the spectrum, tight schedules leave less practice time for teams desperately trying to turn things around and put negative thoughts to rest.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re out there every second night, you get behind and it&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Oh my God, here we go again,&rsquo; &rdquo; Simpson said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-01

STREAKING ALL AROUND

<p class="dropcap"><span>B</span>efore I learned really anything about the NHL, Hakan Loob was a hero of mine. He was a big star back home in Sweden, first with the national team and then in the NHL.</p><p>I got to play against him in the Swedish Elite League and even with him on the national team for a couple of games.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t remember the result, but the first time I played with him was with the national team in Helsinki against Finland &ndash; it might even have been my first game with the national team, so I was really nervous. But the older guys &ndash; Loob, Bengt-Ake Gustafsson &ndash; they were great. They really helped us out as young players.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021619/9387914-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="406" height="399"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DANIEL ALFREDSSON</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031031/9387907-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="406" height="399"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HAKAN LOOB</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LOOB: TIM DEFRISCO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>STAT LINE</b></h2><h3><b>ALFREDSSON</b></h3><p>NHL: 982 GP, 372 GOALS, 969 POINTS</p><p>INTERNATIONAL: 74 GP, 26 GOALS, 65 POINTS</p><h3><b>LOOB</b></h3><p>NHL: 450 GP, 193 GOALS, 429 POINTS</p><p>INTERNATIONAL: 76 GP, 38 GOALS, 75 POINTS<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

My First Time

<div class="byline">with Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021701/9387959-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>One of the Habs&rsquo; most pressing challenges will be to re-sign Tomas Plekanec.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012171/9387966-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE TASK OF ANY NHL GM</b> &ndash; aside from the obvious one of doing everything he can to win a Stanley Cup &ndash; is to leave the organization in better shape than when he inherited it. It could be argued Bob Gainey did that when he suddenly departed the Montreal Canadiens in early February, but &ldquo;better&rdquo; is a relative term when you&rsquo;re talking about the Canadiens.</p><p>Or perhaps not. It seems from this corner that the once-proud Canadiens franchise has settled quite nicely into the status of mediocrity and that might shed more positive light on Gainey&rsquo;s record than it would have if he were being judged by harsher, more Montreal Canadiens-like standards.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s face it: There was a time when a Montreal GM with a five-plus season points percentage of .569 whose team never got beyond the second round in the playoffs and failed to build a legitimate Stanley Cup contender would have been run out of town. The fact Gainey was generally lauded is more a reflection of two things &ndash; the modern realities of a 30-team league in which parity is king, and the state of the franchise when Gainey took control.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>MONTREAL HAS SETTLED NICELY INTO THE STATUS OF MEDIOCRITY</b></blockquote><p>But now, more than six years after Gainey took the helm, are the Habs really that much further ahead? Well, you could argue they are, only because they were in such a state of disarray in the first place. The Canadiens are in pretty good shape, a reasonable bet to make the playoffs and in possession of a couple of promising prospects and a farm team that is near the top of the American League.</p><p>But for a guy who is so very pensive, thoughtful and analytical, Gainey made a dizzying array of moves, many of them bold, a lot of which backfired. He couldn&rsquo;t be faulted that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman blocked a trade that would have delivered Vincent Lecavalier to Montreal (if Lecavalier would have approved the deal) in exchange for Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price and Francis Bouillon a year ago.</p><p>Gainey also couldn&rsquo;t be faulted for the fact George Gillett sold the team, transferring control of the franchise from a single strong owner to a 13-member conglomerate headed by the Molson family. The Molsons are actually minority investors in the Canadiens, with the real heavy hitters being Bell Canada Enterprises ($75 million), the Federation des travailleurs du Quebec (Quebec Workers Federation or FTQ, which is in for $50-75 million), Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer ($50-75 million) and Montreal&rsquo;s Aldo family.</p><p>In Bettman&rsquo;s obsession with getting north of $500 million for the team, two offers from far less convoluted groups were rejected. There is little doubt the current owners overpaid for the asset, leading to the FTQ members reportedly not being very happy that the approximately $40 million the Canadiens make every year will be going to service the debt and not into their pension plans for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Which is a long-winded way of saying the Habs have become just another NHL team with the same problems that a lot of franchises face. And it&rsquo;s through this prism that incoming GM Pierre Gauthier and the rest of the organization march on with the goal of returning the Canadiens to their former glory.</p><p>Without a doubt, the two biggest matters Gauthier faces are, in order, to determine what to do with the short- and long-term futures of goalies Price and Jaroslav Halak; and, to get Plekanec signed to a long-term contract.</p><p>With respect to his goaltenders, Gauthier has already gone on the record to say he has no intention of trading either Price or Halak before the March 3 trade deadline. But proclamations such as that one hold little weight because there is virtually no accountability attached to them. It&rsquo;s kind of like when a player or coach &ldquo;guarantees&rdquo; a win &ndash; he does so knowing full well there will be no negative ramifications if it doesn&rsquo;t turn out as predicted.</p><p>What Gauthier needs to do is decide which of his two goalies he wants to keep and deal the other one. He could wait until after the season and before free agency begins on July 1 to deal one of them, but would get far less for either one, since both are due to become restricted free agents on that date.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011926/9387952-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="1581" height="1254"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Can team president Pierre Boivin and new GM Pierre Gauthier make Montreal smile?</b> <span class="photo-credit">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/GRAHAM HUGHES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Dealing Halak would be potentially disastrous in the short term and trading Price has the potential to be a cataclysmic boner in the long term. Including Price, only eight goalies have been top-five draft selections. Four of them were ultimately dealt to other teams, with Kari Lehtonen being the latest to be moved. If the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders had mulligans on Tom Barrasso and Roberto Luongo, respectively, you can bet they would take advantage of them.</p><p>The betting here is Gauthier will wait until after the season to decide. He does have some control over the situation in that the Canadiens can take Halak to arbitration and ask for a two-year deal. Halak&rsquo;s only real comparable would be Jonathan Quick, who recently signed a three-year extension for $5.4 million. In reality, Halak would be lucky to get $1.8 million from an arbitrator, since they are not in the habit of giving monster contracts to goalies who have had one good season.</p><p>What he doesn&rsquo;t control is Halak&rsquo;s stated desire to be a No. 1 goalie and the chance he&rsquo;ll simply flee as an under-contract renegade to the Kontinental Hockey League the way Jiri Hudler did after filing for arbitration. So it behooves Gauthier to get this whole thing straightened out long before July 1.</p><p>Gauthier has a sticky situation with Plekanec as well. The unrestricted free agent market next summer isn&rsquo;t exactly overflowing with star power, but paying a guy who is a second-line center north of $5 million for a string of 20-goal seasons is fraught with peril. Just ask the Edmonton Oilers how they feel these days about giving Shawn Horcoff a six-year deal worth $33 million.</p><p>So it turns out Gainey left the Canadiens in pretty good shape, but he didn&rsquo;t make the job any easier for his successor. Gauthier will indeed have to make some difficult decisions, but that&rsquo;s no different than the daily situation faced by his 29 counterparts in the NHL&rsquo;s salary cap world.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021347/9387945-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="74" height="74"></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

FROM GAINEY TO GAUTHIER

<div class="byline">Ryan Kennedy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021612/9388004-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Ilya Kovalchuk joined a much more stable and successful team in New Jersey.</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/f0014-012147/9388011-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>OR A FAN BASE</b> that has seen just two playoff games ever hosted on home ice &ndash; neither of which were wins &ndash; the followers of the Atlanta Thrashers have dealt with a lot.</p><p>But on Feb. 4, they were dealt a cruel, if not unexpected blow, when GM Don Waddell traded franchise superstar Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils for players that will not equal his impact. With apologies to The Band, call it <i>The Night they Drove Ol&rsquo; Dixie Down</i>.</p><p>The perils that come with Waddell&rsquo;s job have not gone unnoticed: The owners of the Thrashers &ndash; the Atlanta Spirit group &ndash; are in a pitched legal battle with each other, stemming from a trade made by the other team they own, the NBA&rsquo;s Atlanta Hawks. The owners disagreed with each other on the deal &ndash; Boris Diaw for Joe Johnson, if you care &ndash; and have been mired in legal proceedings for years over control of the team.</p><p>This has made everyday functions such as trades and free agent signings a bureaucratic mess. Rival teams and player agents all know this and &ndash; as several prominent agents told THN &ndash; any veteran NHLer has a distinct advantage going into negotiations with the franchise because he knows top-end talent does not flock there.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>REPLACING GM DON WADDELL DOESN&rsquo;T SOLVE THE ROOT PROBLEM</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;Look at the Nik Antropov deal,&rdquo; said an east coast agent of the Thrasher center&rsquo;s four-year, $16.25-million contract. &ldquo;I think they overpaid and I think you&rsquo;ll see it with Pavel Kubina this summer. They&rsquo;re going to have to overcompensate.&rdquo;</p><p>The problem is neglect at the top. Hockey was never a priority in Atlanta and the fact Waddell has kept his job for a decade despite jettisoning every all star-caliber player the team has ever had and never winning a playoff game is damning evidence the Spirit seems to care more about infighting (and basketball) than icing the best hockey team possible.</p><p>But really, replacing Waddell does nothing to solve the root problem for this franchise, which is the fact the Thrashers rot from the top on down. You could synthesize the DNA of Sam Pollock and Ken Holland and the ensuing clone would still be shorthanded in its dealings with agents and potential trade partners, because elite players want a chance to win the Stanley Cup.</p><p>&ldquo;I guarantee,&rdquo; said one west coast agent, &ldquo;that Kovalchuk will sign for half of what Atlanta offered him this summer in free agency. He gave his time, he did his (eight) years.&rdquo;</p><p>Indeed, just look at the fire Kovalchuk has exhibited in the past two World Championship tourneys, when he knew his Russian squad had a legitimate shot at the title: Kovy was clutch in both gold medal games as his team took the championship over Canada each time.</p><p>I wouldn&rsquo;t even be surprised if he stayed in New Jersey for another season after this one on a short-term deal. After all, a squad with Martin Brodeur, Zach Parise and Patrik Elias is pretty nice to play for.</p><p>As has been written by many pundits, the time for Waddell to trade Kovalchuk was last year, when Atlanta still had the illusion of leverage (ie. Kovy was not mere months from unrestricted free agency). Instead of two serviceable players in rookie winger Niclas Bergfors and defenseman Johnny Oduya, a prospect and a draft pick, maybe the deal nets a similar elite player. That would mirror the Dany Heatley-for-Marian Hossa deal, instead of the disastrous Hossa-for-spare-parts swap less than three years later.</p><p>Even the prospect in the Kovalchuk deal &ndash; center Patrice Cormier &ndash; comes with baggage. Suspended for the rest of the Quebec League season for a wanton elbow on Mikael Tam, Cormier will lose a step in his development while he sits. So why not go for someone safer when you&rsquo;re giving up one of the top offensive threats in the league?</p><p>The Thrashers have been burned in these types of deals before, specifically when the prospect landed in the Hossa deal was Angelo Esposito, who was cut from the Canadian world junior team three years in a row before making it on his fourth attempt. Esposito notched four points (all assists) in 12 games for the AHL&rsquo;s Chicago Wolves this year before the 20-year-old&rsquo;s second knee surgery ended his campaign.</p><p>When Waddell has received fair trade value for one of his players, the deal still casts a pall on another shortcoming of the organization: Talent forecasting. In landing prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy, a defenseman, and a fourth round draft choice from Dallas for oft-injured goalie Kari Lehtonen, Waddell cleared up his logjam in net (handing the reins to Ondrej Pavelec and backup Johan Hedberg) and got a good young player in return.</p><p>But Lehtonen was taken with the second pick of the 2002 draft, ahead of Jay Bouwmeester, Joni Pitkanen and, most importantly, Conn Smythe-winning netminder Cam Ward. In essence, Waddell traded the second pick overall in &rsquo;02 for the 27th choice in 2006 (Vishnevskiy) and a fourth-rounder.</p><p>Lehtonen now joins Patrik Stefan (first overall in 1999) as a highly drafted player who could not help form a nucleus in Atlanta, while other picks such as Braydon Coburn and now Kovalchuk were traded away for less return.</p><p>So I don&rsquo;t blame the citizenry of Atlanta for not showing up to games en masse. The one year the team made the playoffs, in 2007, attendance hit a very respectable average of 16,240 fans per game. It has steadily dropped each season since, with this year&rsquo;s crowds coming in at the 13,203 mark through 27 home dates.</p><p>Who is left to cheer for? No Kovy, no Heater, no Hossa, not even Lehtonen. This isn&rsquo;t Chicago, Pittsburgh or Washington, where the building blocks were obvious before the team got better. The mantle has been prematurely passed to youngsters such as Evander Kane, Tobias Enstrom, Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian &ndash; none of whom have played in the NHL&rsquo;s post-season.</p><p>Atlanta certainly has a mathematical shot at the playoffs this year, but will have to surpass several teams in the final third of the season to do so. And without a major scoring threat, the pressure on forwards such as Antropov and Rich Peverley will greatly increase.</p><p>Even within the Southeast Division the team will be in tough to make up ground. Washington is light years ahead of everyone else in the grouping, while Tampa Bay found lightning in a bottle behind goalie Antero Niittymaki before the Olympic break.</p><p>That is to say, it ain&rsquo;t looking so good for Atlanta right now.</p><p>Which means another failed campaign in a city that doesn&rsquo;t know what on-ice success truly looks like.</p><p>&ldquo;The team has failed at embedding themselves within the culture of the city,&rdquo; said the west coast agent. &ldquo;In any market that&rsquo;s a problem.&rdquo;</p><p>Of the remaining Thrashers, Kane and Bogosian have the highest ceilings as NHLers. Strong, physical and offensively gifted, both the winger and the D-man can be great. If they can be special, Atlanta will once again have at least one player to fixate on. But they both need time to develop and this is a market that needs a winner right now.</p><p>&ldquo;The first threshold is making the playoffs,&rdquo; said the western agent. &ldquo;Otherwise, there will be a major groundswell of voidness (in town).&rdquo;</p><p>Structurally, the Thrashers are broken and it&rsquo;s no secret to anyone. In a pro sports league where every advantage on the opponent is taken, the Thrashers are openly wounded.</p><p>While the current economic situation in the business world doesn&rsquo;t exactly lend itself to a glut of white knights waiting in the wings to sweep up the franchise, the worst thing for Atlanta is to remain under the yoke of the dysfunctional Spirit group for any longer than necessary.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011899/9387997-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="1481" height="1340"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Youngsters such as Evander Kane are now faced with saving NHL hockey in Atlanta.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-02

EXORCISE ATLANTA SPIRIT

<div class="byline">By Peter Kerzel</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011918/9388070-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MITCHELL LAYTON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>Y</span>es, it&rsquo;s his team. No question about it. Look through the throngs of red-clad fans at Verizon Center and most of them are sporting those crazy 8s on the back of their sweaters. He&rsquo;s the kind of offensive force that can change a game in a heartbeat and he possesses a singular flair that both awes and inspires.</p><p>Since taking over as the Washington Capitals&rsquo; captain Jan. 5, he&rsquo;s ratcheted his already frenetic game up several notches. The shots are harder, the passes crisper, the hits pack a little more intensity.</p><p>In the minds of many observers, the Washington Capitals are Alex Ovechkin and vice-versa. But they couldn&rsquo;t be more wrong. He&rsquo;s merely one of many reasons the Capitals are running away with the Southeast Division, sitting atop the Eastern Conference; why their fans are dreaming of warm-weather hockey deep into a District of Columbia spring.</p><p>In fact, we&rsquo;re going to pull off the impossible here: A story about the Capitals&rsquo; fortunes that isn&rsquo;t Ovie-centric. So don&rsquo;t be shocked that this is the last time you&rsquo;ll read the name Ovechkin for a while.</p><p>&ldquo;Go ahead, let other teams think we&rsquo;re one-dimensional,&rdquo; said coach Bruce Boudreau before the season. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll find out different real fast. We&rsquo;re a very good team. We&rsquo;re not one guy.&rdquo;</p><p>Washington&rsquo;s 14-game winning streak, which ended Feb. 10 in overtime in Montreal, was the third-longest in NHL history. As is the case with most such victory binges, the contributions came from all around and the Capitals seemed to feed off of each other during the historic surge.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re on a roll,&rdquo; said Mark Howe, the Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; director of pro scouting, who closely follows Washington. &ldquo;Obviously, they&rsquo;ve worked really hard to get in that zone. About two months ago when I gave a report to (Detroit GM) Ken Holland, I said the Caps were going to be a team to be reckoned with. To me, they have the most depth of any team in the league.&rdquo;</p><p>Washington boasts relentless waves of talent, puck pursuit and possession, and unheralded guys who play a supporting role to his 8-ness (hey, we said we weren&rsquo;t mentioning him by name).</p><p>&ldquo;They have so many ways they can beat you,&rdquo; said Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller. &ldquo;I mean, you can&rsquo;t focus on just one guy. They&rsquo;ve just got so many weapons. You don&rsquo;t get a rest. They keep coming at you.&rdquo;</p><p>By mid-February, Washington already had five 20-goal scorers (two more than any other NHL team) and nine players with 10 or more goals (another, winger Jason Chimera, is in double digits, but was landed in a December trade with Columbus). On the regular roster, only Chimera possessed an aggregate minus rating, but he&rsquo;s a plus during his Washington tenure. Think about the prototypical blueprint for offensive success in the NHL &ndash; two scoring lines, another whose offensive capabilities must be respected and a fourth that&rsquo;s defense-minded but chips in, too &ndash; and you&rsquo;ve got the Caps offense in a nutshell.</p><p>When a shoulder injury in a Chimera-led scrum against Columbus felled their superstar earlier this season for six games, it meant a gut-check for the Capitals. Boudreau knew he had goal-scoring depth; his players, however, had to prove it &ndash; to themselves, to opponents, to fans. No one met the challenge like center Nicklas Backstrom and right winger Alexander Semin, who stepped up to compensate for a sizeable absence.</p><p>Backstrom, 22, heeded his coach&rsquo;s pleas to shoot more and started scoring goals in bunches &ndash; he&rsquo;d already established a new career high with 26. All the while, he didn&rsquo;t forget how to distribute the puck, the Swedish pivot&rsquo;s forte. Semin, 25, had finally begun limiting costly mistakes and maximizing chances, following up last year&rsquo;s career-high 79-point output with 29 goals and 63 points in 52 games.</p><p>Once you-know-who was healthy, Semin returned to the second line and things clicked on more potent level. A couple of rolls of the dice &ndash; one by GM George McPhee, the other by Boudreau &ndash; paid off handsomely.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011686/9388063-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1032" height="1800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>A passer by nature, Nicklas Backstrom has honed his sniping skills.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>McPhee brought in rugged Chimera as a physical presence on the left wing, but at a price: Two immensely popular players in the dressing room, winger Chris Clark &ndash; then the captain &ndash; and defenseman Milan Jurcina, were sent to Columbus. After letting tough guy Donald Brashear depart last summer as a free agent, McPhee eschewed a traditional enforcer, opting instead to let opponents fail at stopping a powerful man-advantage unit that ranks as the league&rsquo;s best. But teams were taking liberties with the franchise player and, even though it risked some carefully crafted chemistry, McPhee pulled the trigger.</p><p>&ldquo;We have a really close team and if we thought this was going to upset the apple cart, I don&rsquo;t think we would have made the deal,&rdquo; Boudreau said.</p><p>Grizzled free agent signee Mike Knuble, who struggled to assert himself around the net early on and missed almost three weeks with a mid-November broken finger, slowly regained his scoring touch, earned his way back on the first line and strengthened the power play.</p><p>The second line sizzled when Boudreau gambled and moved Tomas Fleischmann from left wing to center on the same day the new captain was named. Fleischmann is comfortable in the middle, between workhorse/dressing-room conscience Brooks Laich and sniper Semin. Washington has barely tinkered with its line combinations since.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011797/9388056-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="1573" height="1422"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Acquired from Detroit, Tomas Fleischmann has become a force for the Caps.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT LEVY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Washington boasts</b> RELENTLESS WAVES OF TALENT, <b>PUCK PURSUIT <i>and possession,</i></b> AND UNHERALDED GUYS <b>who play a supporting role TO HIS 8-NESS</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;When nobody gets hurt, touch wood, it&rsquo;s easy to keep the same lines,&rdquo; Boudreau said. &ldquo;Since we&rsquo;ve made the trade for Jason and moved Fleischmann to the middle, a lot of good has happened.&rdquo;</p><p>Howe has been particularly impressed by the play of Fleischmann, a one-time Red Wings prospect who was swapped for Robert Lang in a February 2004 salary dump. Fleischmann, who missed the beginning of the regular season while recovering from a blood clot in his leg, has already exceeded what Detroit&rsquo;s brain trust believed he could accomplish professionally.</p><p>The third line settled into a regular trio of Chimera, Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr. Morrison has been a nice veteran presence who understands and excels at his role &ndash; and chips in on special teams. Fehr, who weathered a painful off-season recovery from double shoulder surgery so he wouldn&rsquo;t have to repeat rehabilitation if the procedures were done one at a time, has blossomed into the scorer the Capitals always envisioned.</p><p>And the fourth line? Center David Steckel and left winger Boyd Gordon are interchangeable workaholic types who can win draws; Matt Bradley is nudging closer to the 10-goal mark. They shut down opponents&rsquo; scorers and create havoc with a persistent turnover-inducing forecheck. Boudreau has gritty Quintin Laing, who last year sustained a lacerated spleen from blocking a shot and this year broke his jaw while getting in the way of a drive, in reserve.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a lot of team speed and you&rsquo;ve got to try to slow that down,&rdquo; said Montreal&rsquo;s Brian Gionta. &ldquo;A lot of that is getting up in the rush, getting up ice on the forecheck and not letting them come up with speed against you.&rdquo;</p><p>OK, so the Capitals pack an offensive wallop. What about defense and goaltending? The tiniest breakdowns on defense can have huge implications. Last year in the playoffs, Washington pulled veteran Jose Theodore after one game and went with untested Semyon Varlamov the rest of the way before succumbing in the seventh game of the second round to Pittsburgh. The defense that seemed so rock-solid during the latter half of the regular season had trouble containing explosive offenses, meaning more onus was placed on the goaltender.</p><p>Those same breakdowns are occurring less and less frequently this season, and the unexpected maturation of defenseman Jeff Schultz, whose plus-38 rating led all defensemen, is a key reason. Where the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Schultz was previously good for at least one bone-headed play a game, usually at the most inopportune time, the 24-year-old has grown into his wide frame, learned to use his long arms effectively and become more comfortable with throwing his weight around in a useful manner.</p><p>Having enough able-bodied defensemen &ndash; usually seven or eight &ndash; that top prospect Karl Alzner has been bouncing up and down from AHL Hershey, doesn&rsquo;t hurt either. Schultz has been paired recently with burgeoning star Mike Green, the goal and points leader among NHL defensemen. Green&rsquo;s former partner, Shaone Morrisonn, has succeeded with veteran Brian Pothier in a no-frills-just-effective combination. That leaves veteran Tom Poti&rsquo;s smarts and savvy for the swingmen in the group &ndash; rugged John Erskine, versatile Tyler Sloan or Alzner. Pairings, however, are fluid, with Boudreau mixing and matching, giving days off to preserve stamina for the stretch run.</p><p>The common thread: wide bodies who are mobile; guys who move the puck to the forwards and clog passing lanes when skating back. They&rsquo;re also encouraged to jump up in the play, because the Caps have that much confidence in their goaltending.</p><p>&ldquo;They give up some quality shots, but they&rsquo;re going to stay in front of the net and that makes it really tough,&rdquo; Howe said. &ldquo;Because they&rsquo;ve got big bodies, they can force the shooters to the outside and that helps. Their goalies make a lot of big saves and they don&rsquo;t allow many second chances.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011606/9388049-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="716" height="977"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Alexander Semin&rsquo;s game hit new heights when the captain was injured.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SEMIN: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Theodore, last season&rsquo;s poster boy for ill-timed, ineffective play, rebounded nicely and re-established himself as the No. 1 goalie. That&rsquo;s happened partially through hard work in difficult circumstances &ndash; his infant son died late last summer &ndash; and partially through a spate of injuries sustained by Varlamov.</p><p>Just when Varlamov seemed primed to wrestle the top spot from Theodore early in the season &ndash; displaying the same stand-on-his-head theatrics that thrilled in last spring&rsquo;s playoffs &ndash; groin and knee injuries hit. Varlamov&rsquo;s misfortune opened the door for rookie Michal Neuvirth, who made big saves when called upon to relieve Theodore. Washington also has promising Braden Holtby cooling his heels at Hershey and Theodore&rsquo;s contract expires this year. Too much goaltending is never a problem.</p><p>Howe thinks youthful infusion is one thing that&rsquo;s keeping the Capitals centered. He doesn&rsquo;t foresee a scenario where Washington steamrolls the regular season, finishes north of 100 points and squanders a top seed by getting bounced early in the playoffs. Howe thinks Washington&rsquo;s well-built for the long haul.</p><p>&ldquo;The regular season isn&rsquo;t meaningless,&rdquo; Howe said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the steppingstone where you build the confidence you need to take the next step. Right now, I think they have the ability to win a lot of games.</p><p>&ldquo;Every time they step onto the ice, they feel like they have a chance to win, they don&rsquo;t doubt that for a second. And that&rsquo;s the mark of a very good team.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;Go ahead,</b> let other teams think <b>we&rsquo;re <i>one-dimensional</i>,</b> they&rsquo;ll find out different <b>REAL FAST.</b> WE&rsquo;RE A VERY GOOD TEAM. <b>WE&rsquo;RE NOT ONE GUY.</b><br>&ndash; COACH BRUCE BOUDREAU</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021210/9388042-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="365" height="860"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(OVECHKIN: MITCHELL LAYTON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0016-01

what about these guys?

<div class="byline">with Adam Proteau</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021124/9388129-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="608" height="474"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011551/9388136-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="187" height="222"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>NE OF THE BEST LESSONS I&rsquo;VE LEARNED</b> about image &ndash; and the contradictory truths that can lie below the surface of an image &ndash; was taught to me by Brian Burke.</p><p>It was very early on in my tenure at THN and it was also around the same period when Burke was between his time in Vancouver and Anaheim. He was doing some writing for us and I was his main contact with our editorial team, so I first got to know the Brian Burke the public sees &ndash; the blunt, occasionally combative person you&rsquo;d always want to have in your corner for battles large and small.</p><p>But it was a couple months later when I saw the real Burke. He was in the bowels of the Air Canada Centre, doing the hockey man&rsquo;s equivalent of a politician shaking hands and kissing babies, when he strode up with a smile, a firm handshake and a young man at his side.</p><p>&ldquo;Adam,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I want you to meet my son, Patrick.&rdquo;</p><p>The way Brian&rsquo;s eyes glowed with pride for his boy was completely counter to his public persona, so it was something that always stuck with me over the years. And those eyes were the first thing I thought of when the Maple Leafs PR team sent out an email the night of Feb. 5, announcing the death of Burke&rsquo;s younger son, Brendan, in an automobile accident in Indiana.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>HIS MOST FEAR-SOME ATTRIBUTES WERE HIS BRAIN AND BACKBONE</b></blockquote><p>Words never will encapsulate how tragic the passing of a child is for any parent. However, the death of Brendan was an irreplaceable loss not just for Burke, Brendan&rsquo;s mother Kerry and the rest of their family, but also for the entire hockey community &ndash; and for an under-represented group of people for which Brendan recently became a role model.</p><p>By now you probably know that Brendan &ndash; in addition to being the student manager of the Ohio-based Miami University men&rsquo;s hockey team &ndash; was gay.</p><p>When Brendan first came out in an interview with <a href="http://ESPN.com">ESPN.com</a>&rsquo;s John Buccigross last November, the shock wave quietly cascaded through the hockey world, mostly because his father, Brian, epitomizes the alpha male. Embedded somewhere in that shock is the faulty belief that only mincing limp-wrists &ndash; whose sole pair of season tickets are for the local musical theater troupe &ndash; could father a gay kid.</p><p>But anyone who presumed Brian would recoil at his son&rsquo;s revelation simply had no clue how much humanity bubbled below his prickly exterior. There never was any question he would support Brendan; his son&rsquo;s situation was immediately acknowledged and embraced by Brian and the Burkes, and life went on.</p><p>Sadly, in the hateful climate that protects and fosters homophobia, the same can&rsquo;t be said for every family and every community.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03809/9388122-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="469" height="469"></div><p>That&rsquo;s why, stunningly, there&rsquo;s an entire segment of our society that still is fighting for equal rights. That&rsquo;s why the comments section of online stories about Brendan regularly had to be closed off by website administrators; the gutless pukes &ndash; who never dare divulge their real names when they&rsquo;re spewing their bigoted bile &ndash; represent a sub-human toxin no citizen should deal with.</p><p>But gay people have to cope with that garbage every day. And that fact underscores the true bravery that was the base of Brendan&rsquo;s public disclosure.</p><p>Any time a gay person stands up and demands to be counted, a greater percentage of society comes to understand that gay people are their co-workers, their neighbors, or their own sons and daughters.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04558/9388115-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="485" height="639"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Brendan Burke, like his father Brian, was a very strong-willed person.</b></figcaption></div><p>And once someone&rsquo;s definition of &ldquo;gay&rdquo; is humanized, it becomes impossible for them to argue that gay people shouldn&rsquo;t be allowed to serve their country, legalize their love, or coach, manage and play sport at its highest levels.</p><p>Brendan had no assurance he&rsquo;d be understood when he talked to <a href="http://ESPN.com">ESPN.com</a> and the players on that Miami University team about the person he was. Yet he went ahead and spoke the truth anyway &ndash; just like his father has done since the moment he arrived on the NHL scene.</p><p>Brendan was a Burke through and through. Like his dad, he was an advocate whose most fearsome attributes were his brain and his backbone. And one day, when the NHL has its first openly gay player, GM, scout or coach, the league and all involved will recognize the crucial roles Brendan and Brian played in the evolution of hockey&rsquo;s often-backwards mainstream mentality.</p><p>In the weeks, months and years ahead, Brian may decide to actively promote Brendan&rsquo;s legacy, or choose to remember and celebrate him privately for the rest of his life. It isn&rsquo;t for anybody but Brian and the Burke clan to decide on the course that is proper for them.</p><p>My heart breaks for the loved ones Brendan left behind. But here&rsquo;s what makes me happy: Although Brian will be remembered for decades in hockey circles as a golden heart inside a gruff bear, Brendan will be known far longer &ndash; and to many more people &ndash; as a pioneer, a soldier of unfailing valor in a pernicious culture war, a young man with a bear&rsquo;s heart inside a golden smile.</p><p>There couldn&rsquo;t be a better mutual tribute between a father and son than that.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011259/9388108-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1456" height="1318"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Brendan certainly touched the lives of the college hockey players he worked with.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(AP PHOTO/MICHAEL DWYER)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05348/9388101-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="74" height="74"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>For Adam&rsquo;s web-exclusive <b>Screen Shots</b> column, visit <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-02

BURKE LEGACY HERE TO STAY

f0022-01

RELENTLESS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011390/9388261-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="286" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07266/9388268-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE DEVILS</b> filled their biggest need early in February, when they won the pre-deadline Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes by trading defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie right winger Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and their 2010 second round draft pick to Atlanta for the Russian sniper.</p><p>The deal &ndash; which also brought defenseman Anssi Salmela and the Thrashers&rsquo; 2010 second round pick to New Jersey &ndash; was designed to jump-start the Devils&rsquo; moribund offense (rated ninth-worst in the league) and help temper the team&rsquo;s losing tendencies (11 losses in 15 games) as it skidded into the NHL&rsquo;s Olympic shutdown period.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02953/9388254-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1039" height="919"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Paul Martin&rsquo;s return from injury will shore up the Devils&rsquo; defense internally.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDY MARLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Kovalchuk still was searching for his first goal after four games with New Jersey, but his presence will take some of the opposition&rsquo;s focus off Zach Parise and adds another weapon to the Devils&rsquo; mid-tier power play.</p><p>To complete the transaction, GM Lou Lamoriello had to surrender a chunk of the Devils&rsquo; depth. However, he did not part with a key piece of the current NHL roster, or multiple prospects such as including Jacob Josefson or Mattias Tedenby with Cormier.</p><p>Kovalchuk&rsquo;s potential contract demands when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer had many speculating he&rsquo;ll only be a short-term rental for the team.</p><p>But Lamoriello is famous for taking chances and should be believed when he says he didn&rsquo;t make the deal with anything but the current campaign in mind.</p><p>The Kovalchuk swap put New Jersey right at the salary cap ceiling, yet the sense after the deal was that, if Lamoriello had the opportunity to acquire additional depth for the defense corps or for their fouth line in a dollar-for-dollar transaction, he would do so in a heartbeat.</p><p>Getting Paul Martin back from a slow-to-heal broken left forearm &ndash; that has limited the team&rsquo;s best blueliner to just nine games this year &ndash; will suffice as a late-season acquisition.</p><p>But for all intents and purposes, Lamoriello has made his biggest move already. Now it is up to Kovalchuk and his new teammates to make it work.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

New Jersey

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03698/9388299-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="280" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HILE ALL</b> involved have been excited about the Islanders remaining in the playoff hunt as the Olympic break approached, the log-jammed standings in the East meant that adding another top-five lottery pick this summer isn&rsquo;t out of the question if the team falls short in its playoff quest.</p><p>John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and 20-plus goal-scorer Matt Moulson have shown enough to project as top-six forwards for the long haul, leaving half that total still to be filled in the near future.</p><p>The Isles also have squeezed unexpectedly significant minutes out of young D-men Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald, but need a legitimate crease-clearer, especially since Andy Sutton is a UFA this summer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-03

NY Islanders

<div class="byline">&#x2013; STEVE ZIPAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04519/9388330-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="269" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE RANGERS</b> are one of the few teams that have rolled through the season carrying six defensemen, opting for callups such as Bobby Sanguinetti and Ilkka Heikkinen only when a player is injured.</p><p>It&rsquo;s risky, and odd, because Alexei Semenov was offered the role of No. 7 D-man after camp, but rejected a one-year pact, opting for more money and two years in the KHL.</p><p>So, a seasoned No. 7 defender (preferably with muscle), an experienced backup goalie and an established top-nine forward are short-term needs.</p><p>Coach John Tortorella has conceded that coaches were monitoring weary 19-year-old Michael Del Zotto and other young players as they limp into the Olympic break.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-04

NY Rangers

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05400/9388361-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="286" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN THN</b> picked the Flyers to win the Cup this season, it expected big things from their top-end offensive arsenal. And while there have been flashes of brilliance, the scoring has been streaky, which explains why Philadelphia is battling just to make the playoffs.</p><p>What&rsquo;s missing? The most glaring need is a net-crasher, like a Mike Knuble, who provides crease traffic for Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere and Simon Gagne. There&rsquo;s no denying Knuble, who was allowed to move to Washington via free agency, has been missed, especially on the power play.</p><p>The Flyers generate plenty of shots, but too often opposing goalies have a clear look. Picking up a big body with a nose for the net would help.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-05

Philadelphia

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB ROSSI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06332/9388392-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>ENGUINS GM</b> Ray Shero has won at the past three trade deadlines, swinging deals that helped the team return to the playoffs, reach the Stanley Cup final and win the Cup. His challenge this season is to solidify a roster that returned all but four regulars from last post-season.</p><p>More than anything, Shero must find a way to add depth. Injuries to wingers Chris Kunitz and Max Talbot forced the Pens to shuffle their lines &ndash; including pairing centers Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin together. Shero has called the 1-2-3 pivot punch of Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Staal his club&rsquo;s great advantage, but the Pens can&rsquo;t keep them apart if players like Kunitz and Talbot are injured.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-06

Pittsburgh

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BOB DUFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011273/9388423-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="320" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>WHEN THE</b> Blackhawks have contended for the Cup, goaltending hasn&rsquo;t been an issue.</p><p>Glenn Hall backstopped them to their last title in 1961 and Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour got them there in 1971, &rsquo;73 and &lsquo;92.</p><p>This year, goaltending is Chicago&rsquo;s lone area of concern.</p><p>The Hawks are deep in scoring, the back end is solid and the muckers, grinders and playoff vets are well represented. But when they look between the pipes, the picture grows foggy and rife with uncertainty.</p><p>Cristobal Huet&rsquo;s 2.29 GAA is seventh in the league, his .903 save percentage 34th. The Hockey News ranked him No. 15 in the NHL this season in its annual February goalie issue.</p><p>Last season, as they charged to the conference final, the Hawks did so behind the experienced netminding of Nikolai Khabibulin, who&rsquo;d previously led Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup.</p><p>Huet idled on the end of the bench, seeing action in just three games, winning once.</p><p>With Khabibulin gone, the reins were handed to Huet, whose resume includes 16 playoff games (six wins). He&rsquo;s never won a playoff series.</p><p>So, with just rookie Antti Niemi behind Huet on the depth chart, might the Blackhawks move for a veteran backup?</p><p>With serious salary cap issues, it&rsquo;s unlikely. It&rsquo;s Huet, baby, and that&rsquo;s the way Chicago intends to roll.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-01

Chicago

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02854/9388461-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="319" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE BLUE</b> Jackets got a short-term infusion of optimism after the firing of coach Ken Hitchcock in early February. But there are still a lot of needs.</p><p>Steve Mason needs to return to form as a franchise goalie. Only recently, under interim coach Claude Noel, has Mason looked massive and quick, like he did last season.</p><p>Other youngsters, such as forwards Derick Brassard and Jake Voracek and defenseman Kris Russell, need to be driving forces, not support players.</p><p>The team could use a heavyweight, too. Jared Boll, a middleweight, does yeoman&rsquo;s work as a fighter, but his career won&rsquo;t last long if he keeps being asked to take on the Derek Boogaards of the world.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-02

Columbus

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03651/9388492-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="319" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>OR A</b> team that&rsquo;s battling to make the playoffs, the Red Wings could upgrade in a couple of areas. But they&rsquo;ll have no glaring needs when their injured players return.</p><p>That&rsquo;s good, because they have no salary cap space even if they wanted to trade. Any move they make must be player for player, dollar for dollar, and that&rsquo;s unlikely to occur.</p><p>Detroit has struggled offensively, but welcomed back injured Johan Franzen following a four-month absence.</p><p>It could use a physical, abrasive presence on the third defense pairing, but already have Andreas Lilja, who is expected to return after the Olympic break after being out 12 months with a concussion.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-03

Detroit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GLENNON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04506/9388523-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="316" height="167"></div><p><b>THE KNEE-JERK</b> reaction when it comes to the Predators is that they need offense.</p><p>Makes sense, given the Preds are one of the few teams in the NHL without a 40-point man and that their power play has been near the bottom of the standings all season.</p><p>On the other hand, the Preds have scored more goals than anyone expected thus far and were ranked 12th overall in even-strength tallies.</p><p>So, Nashville&rsquo;s greatest need is someone who can help on the penalty-kill, which has been uncharacteristically awful. Nashville lost some key penalty-killers this summer in Greg Zanon, Vern Fiddler and Scott Nichol, and the team hasn&rsquo;t replaced them yet.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-04

Nashville

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05402/9388554-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="301" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE BLUES&rsquo;</b> interest in Ilya Kovalchuk was telling. For a team that has been stockpiling prospects for years, the pursuit of Kovalchuk signaled that St. Louis is ready to add a veteran scoring threat to the mix.</p><p>It&rsquo;s understood that every team could use a Kovalchuk, but the Blues&rsquo; need is long overdue. Since the lockout, the Blues have scored the fewest goals in the NHL and only Brad Boyes and David Backes have eclipsed 30 goals. This season, Andy McDonald may be the only Blue to register 20 goals.</p><p>Although St. Louis lost out when Kovalchuk was traded to New Jersey, the fact the team entertained the idea of signing him is good news for fans hoping that big need is filled.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-05

St. Louis

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011362/9388592-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="289" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HERE WAS</b> much reason for optimism heading into this season for Boston, which had the perfect combination of explosive offense, solid defense and netminding.</p><p>The Bruins finished first in the East last season and were primed to vie for the Cup, but quickly discovered dominance one year doesn&rsquo;t always translate into supremacy the next.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve got to keep hanging on to right now, the fact we&rsquo;re still in the mix,&rdquo; said coach Claude Julien. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to bear down and turn things around.&rdquo;</p><p>The Bruins have spent most of the season simply trying to claw their way into playoff contention; a 10-game losing streak (0-6-4) that ended in early February didn&rsquo;t help.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02914/9388585-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="1039" height="928"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Zdeno Chara isn&rsquo;t the only Bruin whose offense has dried up this year.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>A year ago, Boston scored 270 goals &ndash; second overall &ndash; and allowed a league-low 190.</p><p>The difference this season? The scoring has taken a big hit following the trade of Phil Kessel. Plus, players who had great seasons last year have collectively fallen into an abyss. That includes goalie Tim Thomas, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner. Despite four shutouts, Thomas had only 13 wins through 35 starts.</p><p>Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara, who had 19 goals last season, had five through 58 games. David Krejci had 22 goals and 73 points in &rsquo;08-09; this year, he had 10 goals and 30 points in 55 games. Michael Ryder had 27 goals, but just 13 this year.</p><p>The Bruins aren&rsquo;t as deep on the blueline with the departures of Aaron Ward, Shane Hnidy and Steve Montador.</p><p>And they&rsquo;ve been plagued by injuries to Milan Lucic, Marc Savard, Andrew Ference and Mark Stuart. Even Chara has dealt with a dislocated finger.</p><p>The B&rsquo;s need some health down the stretch. But they could also use another scoring winger, a depth defenseman and some slumps to end.</p><p>&ldquo;I think (it&rsquo;s good) when you&rsquo;ve lost so many games and then still have players believing that the answer is there,&rdquo; Julien said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to keep plugging away.&rdquo;</p><p>Another answer could be the nine combined picks the B&rsquo;s have in the first two rounds of the next two drafts. Moving some of them &ndash; along with some salary to make things work &ndash; will go a long way to alleviating depth issues.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-01

Boston

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN VOGL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03669/9388630-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="314" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE SABRES</b> knew their point men on the power play would be a work in progress, one that depended on the growth of youngsters Tyler Myers and Chris Butler.</p><p>The Sabres have had a middling power play, partly because the 20-year-old Myers and 23-year-old Butler are learning on the job. If Buffalo is going to have a killer power play in the playoffs, an experienced blueliner would help.</p><p>The Sabres are stocked with defensive prospects &ndash; &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s going to come out of that mix and what they&rsquo;re going to be is tough to determine now,&rdquo; said GM Darcy Regier &ndash; but they need a proven power play re-arguard. A right winger to play with Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek would be nice, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-03

Buffalo

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04503/9388661-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="315" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>O NHL</b> GM, including Bob Gainey who resigned Feb. 8, can change 10 players between seasons and expect to emerge with the consistent winner Canadiens fans have come to expect.</p><p>Bringing in Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta made Montreal significantly smaller and Gainey missed an opportunity to address the team&rsquo;s biggest need &ndash; size up front. With no captain named, the team lacks leadership as well.</p><p>Montreal&rsquo;s biggest need might be to jettison salary via trade. New GM Pierre Gauthier faces a 12-man roster next season that comes in at $44 million. That doesn&rsquo;t leave much to sign Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-04

Montreal

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05396/9388692-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="264" height="167"></div><p><b>THE SENATORS</b> looked like they needed help everywhere earlier this season.</p><p>Obviously, that&rsquo;s not the case.</p><p>But, as GM Bryan Murray prepares for the trade deadline, he has an eye towards bulking up at forward. Yes, Ottawa showed everybody during a franchise-record 11-game winning streak that the team has depth, but the playoffs can be a long run.</p><p>If a move is going to happen, the Sens are going to have to shuffle some money around. Murray has approximately only $500,000 to play with under the salary cap.</p><p>Ottawa could do nothing and be competitive. But Murray does have a track record of making big trades.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-05

Ottawa

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TERRY KOSHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06337/9388723-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="300" height="167"></div><p><b>THE LEAFS</b> remain woefully thin at forward, but it&rsquo;s doubtful they&rsquo;ll fill any holes via trade before the deadline.</p><p>Phil Kessel needs a slick center to get him the puck and while rookie Tyler Bozak looks like he&rsquo;ll be a regular NHL contributor, it&rsquo;s asking too much of him at this point. It&rsquo;s probable Alexei Ponikarovsky will be dealt, but expecting anything more than a draft pick back is optimistic.</p><p>The Leafs not only need some offensive players, but also a defensive center who can kill penalties.</p><p>The Leafs are set in goal with J-S Giguere and presumably Jonas Gustavsson, a restricted free agent. When Mike Komisarek returns next year, the blueline will be solid.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-06

Toronto

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011216/9388761-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="301" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE FLAMES</b> added six new faces via trade and recalled top prospect Mikael Backlund from the AHL more than a month prior to the trade deadline.</p><p>GM Darryl Sutter attempted to address some of Calgary&rsquo;s problems with sweeping changes, but the Flames still have needs.</p><p>By acquiring forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White from Toronto for Dion Phaneuf and Fredrik Sjostrom, as well as forwards Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins from the Rangers for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust, the Flames hope they&rsquo;ve added some much-needed scoring from the wings.</p><p>That is, of course, if the newcomers deliver to expectations.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02836/9388754-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="1039" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Can Nicklas Hagman burn bright in Calgary after a successful stint with Toronto?</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Calgary also changed the atmosphere in the dressing room, although the persistent rumors of discord between Phaneuf and his former teammates have been massively overblown.</p><p>Ultimately, the Flames opened up more salary cap space, which they will surely look to fill with another center.</p><p>Phaneuf was a Norris Trophy finalist in 2007-08 and is only 24, so that deal could blow up in the face of the Flames, but it was pretty much the only move they could make to free up money from the blueline and add more legitimate NHLers up front.</p><p>Sutter decided to spend too much money on a handful of high-end players, especially on the defense corps. The impressive part was getting many of them to agree to cap-friendly deals. The drawback, especially with so much spent on the blueline, was it meant counting on unproven wingers to become 20-goal scorers. Nigel Dawes and David Moss haven&rsquo;t been able to provide the consistent offense.</p><p>It&rsquo;s worth pointing out that veterans Daymond Langkow and Jarome Iginla haven&rsquo;t either, so don&rsquo;t think the team&rsquo;s offensive struggles end with the youngsters.</p><p>Calgary&rsquo;s scoring-by-committee approach needed an infusion, which was done. Only time will tell whether the newcomers can provide the punch, but you have to believe Sutter was setting himself up for at least one more move. And it will go beyond trying to add another depth defenseman, which is a regular spring move in the Stampede City.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-01

Calgary

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03657/9388799-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="303" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>ESPITE A</b> vastly improved record, the Avalanche power play has remained mediocre. Many believe the Avs lack a point man with the kind of slapshot that keeps opposing defenses honest. John Liles, on a big contract to fill that role, is a frequent healthy scratch.</p><p>Meanwhile, many thought the Avs had disastrous attendance last season, but that 15,429 average is good compared to this year. In 29 home dates, the Avs averaged 13,592 &ndash; and that&rsquo;s generous. Colorado ranked 27th in the league, a big comedown for a team that once sold out a record 487 straight games.</p><p>A Feb. 8 game with St. Louis drew little more than 11,000, a pathetic total for a team in the playoff race.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-03

Colorado

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04532/9388830-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="303" height="167"></div><p><b>IT&rsquo;S NOT</b> what the Oilers can acquire at the deadline, it&rsquo;s what they can get rid of.</p><p>They&rsquo;re beginning a complete overhaul and culture change that will be based on the draft and the first step in that plan &ndash; especially when you&rsquo;re a last-place team &ndash; is shedding as many veterans with big contracts as possible.</p><p>Anyone over 30 or with fewer than three years left on his contract is on the block. Sheldon Souray, Ethan Moreau, Steve Staios, Lubomir Visnovsky and Fernando Pisani are all available. Moving underachievers with big salaries isn&rsquo;t easy, so the Oilers aren&rsquo;t expecting much in return. They&rsquo;d prefer youth and draft picks, but realize they might have to take on a bad contract.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-04

Edmonton

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05448/9388861-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="320" height="167"></div><p><b>IT SEEMS</b> like the Wild has always been searching for a No. 2 center &ndash; and that&rsquo;s the case again this season.</p><p>As for rentals, there are few players who pique the Wild&rsquo;s interest.</p><p>Edmonton&rsquo;s Mike Comrie is on the block, but the Wild didn&rsquo;t even try to sign him last summer. Carolina&rsquo;s Matt Cullen is fast, available, from Minnesota and has performed in the playoffs, but is he an upgrade on the versatile Eric Belanger?</p><p>Maybe Minnesota pays attention to contract negotiations between Montreal and Tomas Plekanec.</p><p>Otherwise, look for the Wild to upgrade its blueline, especially if it&rsquo;s unable to extend either Marek Zidlicky&rsquo;s or Kim Johnsson&rsquo;s contract.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-05

Minnesota

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06390/9388892-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="311" height="167"></div><p><b>SOME TEAMS</b> need scoring, others need defensemen. But the Canucks&rsquo; biggest need is for more checkers.</p><p>Sound funny? It&rsquo;s not.</p><p>The Canucks remember all too well what Anaheim&rsquo;s third line of Sammy Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer did to them en route to the Ducks&rsquo; 2007 Cup victory &ndash; and the Canucks have nothing resembling that type of unit.</p><p>Out of necessity, they&rsquo;ve been deploying Kyle Wellwood as the No. 3 center with a variety of bangers and skill players, but nothing has worked. The Wellwood line hasn&rsquo;t produced offensively and it isn&rsquo;t a shutdown unit either.</p><p>A couple of true third-liners would also boost Vancouver&rsquo;s lackluster penalty-kill.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-06

Vancouver

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011379/9388930-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="307" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>SOMETIMES AN</b> NHL GM operating in a salary-capped world needs the skills of a conjuror to &ndash; poof! &ndash; make an unwanted contract go away.</p><p>Playing the part of Merlin these past nine months in Anaheim has been Ducks GM Bob Murray, who met the team&rsquo;s need to shed payroll by making the weighty financial deals attached to Chris Pronger and Jean-Sebastien Giguere go away.</p><p>Murray moved Pronger at last June&rsquo;s NHL draft and received four useful pieces in return &ndash; a deal that looks better every day considering the comparatively low price a Pronger-in-the-making Dion Phaneuf fetched on the open market just before the Olympic break.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02949/9388923-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="1039" height="910"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Teemu Selanne, 39, is up for contract renewal after the season, but he may retire.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And then Murray also got out from under the $7 million that was owed to Giguere next season in the final year of his contract. Days earlier, the Ducks had made a four-year, $18-million commitment to Jonas Hiller as their starter. With Hiller&rsquo;s new contract kicking in, Anaheim couldn&rsquo;t pay more than $11.5 million to two goaltenders and hope to remain competitive.</p><p>It was a shrewd bit of horse-trading by Murray, in so far as money is difficult to move in the NHL&rsquo;s salary cap era and receiving assets in return &ndash; as he did in the deal for Pronger &ndash; is equally challenging.</p><p>The Ducks are fortunate in that their rebuilding strategy probably doesn&rsquo;t require a freefall to the bottom of the standings, just because their two core young players, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, are still in their mid-20s &ndash; and signed for the long term. Getting the payroll down may make it easier to re-sign Bobby Ryan as well.</p><p>The Ducks are in transition largely because the futures of veteran stars Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer are unknown. If both retire after this season, the financial part of the Ducks&rsquo; equation will look rosy, even if the on-ice losses of those two players would be keenly felt.</p><p>The Ducks are a playoff contender as long as both play as well as they are now. Their absences would force Murray to turn his attention to recruiting replacements; the only good news is by then, he might even have a few dollars to spare.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-01

Anaheim

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03756/9388968-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="318" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH THE</b> addition of Kari Lehtonen and Marty Turco&rsquo;s contract set to expire in the summer, the Stars&rsquo; biggest need is to move Turco in order to get some assets in return. But first-year GM Joe Nieuwendyk keeps saying the immediate goal is to make the playoffs and that Turco is indeed part of that push.</p><p>Turco and Steve Ott are Dallas&rsquo; most desirable assets &ndash; and it will be difficult to resign either in the summer. And with no room on the internal budget (about $45 million), Nieuwendyk likely can&rsquo;t take on any players without trading one away. Bottom line, he has three goalies and still could use a top-level defenseman, so moving Turco would make the team better in the future.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-03

Dallas

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04610/9388999-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="312" height="167"></div><p><b>KINGS GM</b> Dean Lombardi recently told THN the team was never a serious player in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes.</p><p>Lombardi said &ldquo;trading a top-nine forward or one of our top-six defensemen is just not going to happen. We&rsquo;ve got a group of guys who truly want to play with and for each other and I&rsquo;m not going to break that up.&rdquo;</p><p>The Kings would love to add a scoring left winger and blueline depth, but only if the cost is someone not on their roster.</p><p>The Kings were rebuffed in a bid to acquire Ray Whitney from Carolina when the 37-year-old winger, who has a no-movement clause, would only accept a deal if he was given a two-year extension.</p><p>The Kings were only willing to offer one additional year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-04

Los Angeles

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JIM GINTONIO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05502/9389030-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="274" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE GLARING</b> deficit in the Coyotes&rsquo; game has been a lack of success on the power play. They are among the league&rsquo;s worst in that department, yet continue to get closer to their first playoff berth since 2002.</p><p>That kind of luck can&rsquo;t hold forever, so finding a player who can deliver in those situations remains a high priority.</p><p>&ldquo;Right now, No. 1, getting our power play clicking is important,&rdquo; said GM Don Maloney. &ldquo;Special teams are critical down the stretch and in the playoffs, and so whether that&rsquo;s finding more skill or is it from the back end, I can&rsquo;t really say.&rdquo;</p><p>Phoenix has been able to thrive despite the lack of a big-time scorer and a blueline that, at times, has been a patchwork, mainly due to injuries.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-05

Phoenix

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID POLLAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06451/9389061-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="308" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>ET&rsquo;S WORK</b> backwards and focus on what the Sharks don&rsquo;t need &ndash; another first round matchup against a talent-rich team disguised as a low seed that sneaks into the playoffs, like Anaheim last year.</p><p>Good teams say it doesn&rsquo;t matter what opponent you face in Round 1, but the Sharks &ndash; a team whose regular season success is only topped by its playoff disappointments &ndash; could use an injection of postseason confidence if they are finally going to have that deep playoff run. A first round opponent like Detroit, for example, could plant tiny seeds of doubt.</p><p>On a more tangible level, San Jose could use more secondary scoring (or a monster night early in the playoffs from one of their big guns).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-06

San Jose

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GRIGG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011287/9389099-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="310" height="167"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="120" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>EVEN IF</b> everything was fine with the Thrashers off the ice, there&rsquo;d still be a number of needs on it to address.</p><p>To begin, Atlanta needs scoring now that all-everything Ilya Kovalchuk is gone. There might be a few current players who can eventually step into prime offensive roles, but they&rsquo;re still too young to be counted on consistently.</p><p>Bryan Little showed promise last season as a sophomore with 31 goals, but has just nine in 54 games this year. Rookie Evander Kane &ndash; who, amazingly, is still just 18 &ndash; had 12 goals, fourth on the Thrashers. And fellow rookie Niclas Bergfors, the 22-year-old linchpin of the Kovalchuk trade, had 15 goals himself.</p><p>The only other forward of note likely to be around for a while is Nik Antropov, 29, who was on track to set a career high with 66 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02908/9389092-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="1039" height="920"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Underrated Pavel Kubina leads an Atlanta defense that needs help depth-wise.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>On the back end, Atlanta looks good on paper. But the defense corps is top-heavy and too expensive.</p><p>Atlanta&rsquo;s blueline is led by the steady and underrated Pavel Kubina, and Tobias Enstrom, the league&rsquo;s sixth-leading scorer among defensemen. Youngster Zach Bogosian, 19, is a beast in the making, but is still learning the finer points of the pro game.</p><p>After those three, Ron Hainsey and Johnny Oduya (another Kovy comebacker) are Nos. 4 and 5. Not bad, but they account for $8 million towards the salary cap combined &ndash; and had five goals and 18 points between them.</p><p>What Atlanta needs to do is parlay Kubina into a viable prospect and/or pick and hope Hainsey can step into the No. 1 role he&rsquo;s being paid for.</p><p>In goal, Atlanta addressed its most immediate need by shipping restricted-free-agent-to-be and perennial headache (Backache? Groin ache?) Kari Lehtonen to Dallas for blueline prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy. That left Ondrej Pavelec, 22, and Johan Hedberg, 36, to split the duties. But whether Pavelec is the answer remains to be seen.</p><p>So the Thrashers need depth at forward, cheaper depth on the blueline, a standout netminder and as many picks and prospects as they can get their talons on.</p><p>Then everything will be peachy in the Peach State. On the ice, at least.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-01

Atlanta

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03750/9389137-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="318" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AROLINA ONLY</b> has one need: draft picks. The more talent and salary the Canes can dump by the trade deadline, the better shot they&rsquo;ll have at a top-three draft pick in June without openly trying to lose.</p><p>The more they can get for a handful of pending free agents &ndash; Niclas Wallin was the first to go, fetching a second round pick from San Jose &ndash; the better positioned the franchise will be entering next season.</p><p>The Canes have a few solid young forwards in their system, so if a trade can bring a decent defensive prospect, that would help as well.</p><p>Over the summer, the team will have to assess whether coach Paul Maurice is the right man behind the bench in the new regime.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-03

Carolina

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04612/9389168-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="320" height="167"></div><p><b>IN PAST</b> seasons, the Panthers have brought in defensemen, an enforcer and a few forwards at the trade deadline.</p><p>This time around, the team is looking for some help at center, an area GM Randy Sexton thought he addressed by signing Steven Reinprecht and Dominic Moore. But the Panthers still struggle offensively and the pivot position is of concern, especially with Stephen Weiss fighting through some injuries.</p><p>The Panthers do have depth defensively and players such as Jordan Leopold and Dennis Seidenberg have expiring contracts &ndash; although the Cats have been happy with their play. But scoring has been a problem: Florida tallied just 12 goals in one recent 10-game stretch.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-04

Florida

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05519/9389199-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="291" height="167"></div><p><b>THE BOLTS</b> made a splash last summer when they added left winger Alex Tanguay to play with Vincent Lecavalier.</p><p>But Tanguay had just nine goals in 56 games and Lecavalier has dealt with rotating wingers all season. So, a scoring winger is a priority. But given the ownership change from OK Hockey to Jeff Vinik, any move needs approval of both groups and the NHL.</p><p>In that context, the easiest route is to simply add organizational depth. But with Tampa in the playoff race, making a trade without adding a useable part is a tough sell.</p><p>Vinik reportedly has told GM Brian Lawton to do what he has to do, and with Vinik already taking over payroll perhaps there&rsquo;s an impetus to deal.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-05

Tampa Bay

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER KERZEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06467/9389230-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="320" height="167"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>NY POTENTIAL</b> acquisitions will balance need against the possible disruption of chemistry on a squad that won a team-record 14 straight games beginning in mid-January. That&rsquo;s not to say GM George McPhee won&rsquo;t tweak the Caps; he&rsquo;ll just carefully weigh whether it&rsquo;s necessary.</p><p>Washington could use a veteran defenseman, someone with playoff experience who can move the puck and clear traffic. That would knock John Erskine out of the rotation.</p><p>While the offense has been impressive since Tomas Fleischmann moved to center, the converted left winger has been inconsistent on faceoffs. So it&rsquo;s possible McPhee will target a draw-specialist pivot at the trade deadline.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-06

Washington

f0036-01

WESTERN CONFERENCE

f0037-01

EASTERN CONFERENCE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM CAMPBELL</div><p>A new Oklahoma City franchise will join the league next year &ndash; surely in the West &ndash; and serve as the Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; top affiliate.</p><p>Edmonton&rsquo;s deal in Springfield, Mass., expires at the end of this season and the Oilers will activate their dormant AHL Roadrunners franchise, on ice since 2005. The deal with the Oilers and Prodigal Hockey LLC had been expected for months. The group had entered into a lease agreement for 2010-11 in December and had registered, among others, Internet domains Oilers, Oil Kings and Oil Barons.</p><p>The league also announced the sale of the Albany River Rats, who will shuffle down to Charlotte, N.C. The team signed a new affiliation agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes and will begin play as the Charlotte Checkers next fall.</p><p>QUICK REST Out of their home arena, AT&T Center, between Jan. 24 and Feb. 26, the San Antonio Rampage got a big break when they fit in a five-day trip home during a 14-game, 10-city, 8,614-mile road trip while the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo was on.</p><p>After the trip, the Rampage leaves Texas only once more, playing two games in Chicago in late March.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04550/9389375-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="182" height="257"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN KOZUB/MANITOBA MOOSE)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SIN BIN SITTERS</b></h2><p><b>Kip Brennan</b></p><p>Springfield Falcons</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05444/9389368-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="211" height="126"></div><h2><b>ON</b>&nbsp;TOP</h2><p><b>256</b>&nbsp;<b>PENALTY MINUTES</b></p><p>Louis Robitaille, Low 225</p><p>Zack FitzGerald, Alb 189</p><p>Jon Mirasty, Syr 169</p><p>J.D. Watt, Abb 162</p><p>Brennan Evans, Tor 155</p><p>Kevin Harvey, Syr 147<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-04

NEW TEAMS GET THE OK

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011137/9389413-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="888" height="1092"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02744/9389420-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="196" height="197"></div><p><b>WHEN PATRICK MAROON</b> was playing youth hockey in St. Louis, the game wasn&rsquo;t as much a passion as it was just something to do.</p><p>&ldquo;All of my friends played hockey, so that&rsquo;s why my parents put me into it,&rdquo; Maroon said. &ldquo;We played because it was fun.&rdquo;</p><p>But then his bantam coach pulled him aside one day for a little heart-to-heart chat.</p><p>&ldquo;He told me, &lsquo;You have good hands, a big body; you can be in the NHL someday,&rsquo; &rdquo; Maroon recalled. &ldquo;He said, &lsquo;If you work hard, good things will happen.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Now, we all know that coaches have been known to embellish the truth to inspire a player. More than one kids&rsquo; coach thought he was molding the next Wayne Gretzky.</p><p>Except in this case, the coach knew what he was talking about. Jeff Brown played 747 NHL games for seven teams during 12 seasons.</p><p>&ldquo;When someone who played in the NHL is telling me something like that,&rdquo; Maroon said, &ldquo;it was exciting news.&rdquo;</p><p>Three years later, the Philadelphia Flyers were agreeing with Brown&rsquo;s assessment and drafted the 6-foot-4, 225-pound left winger in the sixth round, 161st overall, in 2007.</p><p>The Flyers saw Maroon dominate for the St. Louis Bandits in the North American League in &rsquo;06-07 (40 goals, 95 points in 57 games) and decided to take a chance on him.</p><p>The shot in the dark may have produced a real diamond in the rough. In his second pro season, Maroon, 21, had seven goals and 28 points through 38 games. He produced 23 goals and 54 points in playing all 80 games as a rookie in 2008-09.</p><p>&ldquo;My goal coming into the year was to play really well in the AHL, improve my game and, if I get a chance to play with the Flyers, show that I can help the team,&rdquo; said Maroon, a native of Oakville, Mo., whose home was barely 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis.</p><p>He&rsquo;s not NHL-ready yet, but he&rsquo;s also not far away. For Maroon to advance, he&rsquo;ll need to continue to improve his defensive game. His skating has improved steadily and he has been more willing to play a physical game this year, even after sustaining a serious concussion Dec. 30 and missing four weeks.</p><p>&ldquo;The Flyers have a history of big guys with good hands and good vision who can put the puck in the net,&rdquo; Maroon said. &ldquo;Hopefully some day I can be there.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>Patrick Maroon</b></h2><p>Adirondack Phantoms</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-4</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 225</p><p><b>Pos.</b> LW</p><p><b>Age</b> 21</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03581/9389406-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="211" height="126"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING</b>&nbsp;<b>125</b></h2><p>Maroon&rsquo;s career penalty minutes in 118 AHL games<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-01

MORE THAN A PASTIME

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07296/9389451-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="285" height="83"></div><p>Everyone knew Hershey would be good. But not this good.</p><p>With a 39-9-2 record, the Bears were on pace to break the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers AHL records for wins (57) and points (124).</p><p>The Bears were 22-1 between Dec. 12 and Feb. 11. At the Giant Center, they had won 17 in a row.</p><p>Two NHL pro scouts have said that, on a given night, the Bears would not just compete with, but defeat NHL teams.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really want to say we would beat them, but it would be a good game,&rdquo; said defenseman Bryan Helmer, a 17-year pro. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d need everyone playing well to beat them.&rdquo;</p><p>Oh, you mean like everyone in the chocolate and white has done all season? Keith Aucoin (28 goals, 71 points) and Alexandre Giroux (26, 66) again rank 1-2 in league scoring, as they did a year ago. Never in the previous 73 years of AHL hockey have the same two players run 1-2 in scoring in back-to-back seasons.</p><p>The Bears were first in goals (4.38 a game), first in team defense (2.36 goals allowed per game), first in power play percentage (22.2) and first in penalty-killing (90.3).</p><p>The Bears also led the AHL in average attendance, by 1,469 fans per game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04486/9389472-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="218" height="218"></div><h2><b>Hey, Vyacheslav Trukhno!</b></h2><h3><b>EXPECT THE CALL</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05408/9389465-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="211" height="126"></div><p>Good hands and now willing to shoot instead of just wanting to pass. The Oilers may want to see what the left winger, 23, looks like on NHL ice to help make a qualifying-offer decision on the soon-to-be RFA.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06335/9389458-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="182" height="254"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDY CAMP/ADIRONDACK PHANTOMS)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0039-07

BEARS MAUL COMPETITION

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01831/9389503-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Patrick Thoresen managed just six goals and 24 points in 106 NHL games.</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02513/9389510-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="228" height="248"></div><p><b>PATRICK THORESEN WAS</b> only 10 when he watched his father, Petter, play in his final Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994.</p><p>Sixteen years later, he was set to make his Olympic debut against Canada Feb. 16 in Vancouver as Norway&rsquo;s star.</p><p>Thoresen has played so well for Salavat Yulaev Ufa this season his coach, Slava Bykov, says Thorsesen could make the Russian Olympic team.</p><p>Centering Alexander Radulov and Sergei Zinovjev, who will both play for Russia and Bykov in Vancouver, Thoresen had averaged about a point per game with 21 goals and 52 points in 53 games, seventh in the league. He also leads the KHL with a plus-39 rating and has two hat tricks, including a natural in the first period of a game.</p><p>A lot of Salavat fans whined when the club signed the Norwegian player, but they changed their tune after the high-flying line of Thoresen, Radulov and Zinovjev led the squad to first overall in the 24-team league.</p><p>&ldquo;We seem to complement each other and they have really helped me a lot,&rdquo; Thoresen said.</p><p>Thoresen is in the first year of a two-year contract, so he will be back in Ufa next season. But the Philadelphia Flyers own his NHL rights and GM Paul Holmgren says they are monitoring his play closely.</p><p>Thoresen played 106 NHL games for Edmonton and Philadelphia, but says he&rsquo;s undecided about returning to North America.</p><p>&ldquo;It will depend on what kind of an offer I get,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Thoresen says the KHL is better than both the American League and the Swedish Elite League and that the top KHL clubs would do well against non-playoff NHL teams.</p><p>However, he&rsquo;s discovered the Russian league is not squeaky clean. Earlier in the season he was attacked by former NHL goalie Robert Esche in the final minute of a game between Ufa and SKA St. Petersburg. Esche was ejected and handed a one-game suspension.</p><p>Many believe the on-ice determination Thoresen shows is inherited from his father, who played in five Olympics.</p><p>&ldquo;He helped me to understand what it takes to be a good player and how much I have to sacrifice outside of hockey to do it,&rdquo; Thoresen said.</p><p>Norway, he says, will have the advantage of being together for several weeks before the Olympic tournament, while the Canadians will arrive in Vancouver just one day before the game.</p><p>However, he realizes it will be David fighting Goliath.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to play a solid defensive game and get great goaltending to even have a chance,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Thoresen was the hero of Norway&rsquo;s qualification for the 2010 Games. He led scorers with four goals and six points in three games, as Norway beat Denmark 5-3 to qualify.</p><p>Thoresen, who has played for teams in six countries, says his favorite locale is Stockholm, Sweden, where he played for Djurgarden.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a beautiful city and has so much to offer,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But the fan support in Ufa is great. The arena is sold out for every game. We didn&rsquo;t have that in Stockholm or Lugano (Switzerland).&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

FAMILY LEGACY

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03394/9389541-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="505" height="609"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(THORESEN: NORMUNDS BRICS/JANSONS MEDIA FORSBERG: HAKAN NORDSTROM/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Peter Forsberg plays, attendance at Swedish Elitserien contests goes up by several hundred. Simple as that. The league average is 6,195 per game.</p><p>Like elsewhere, in Stockholm Forsberg (aka Foppa) packed the house a week before the Olympics; 700-plus fans ended up on a waiting list for tickets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the 36-year-old star.</p><p>Even if he hasn&rsquo;t been amazing and even if he hasn&rsquo;t posted phenomenal numbers, Modo with Forsberg is better than Modo without him. Then again, in the Elitserien, Forsberg&rsquo;s nine goals and 20 points in 17 games are among the best in the league; only three players have a better points-per-game average.</p><p>Most of the attention around Forsberg has been about his participation in the Olympics. Another season with a series of injuries, ranging from broken ribs to dislocated pinky fingers, has limited him to 17 games &ndash; and, even in those, he&rsquo;s only averaged 16 minutes of ice time, 16th on Modo. He has looked mortal, with flashes of excellence.</p><p>But Forsberg, whose early biography was called <i>Magic Boy</i> is still a magical figure in Swedish hockey, so people will come to see him play. If nothing else than to yell, &ldquo;Paralympics, get ready for Foppa&rdquo; to the Ornskoldsvik native, as Djurgarden&rsquo;s fans did the week before the Games.</p><p>But Forsberg will be in the Winter Olympics &ndash; and all eyes will be on him there, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-03

FOPPA FANATICISM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHILIP COLVIN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span> FEW YEARS</b> of experience, some adversity and a whole lot of natural ability has helped Michigan State junior captain Jeff Petry develop into one of the best defensemen in the country.</p><p>After flashing his raw talent as a freshman, Petry struggled last year as the Spartans suffered through a 10-win season. The team battled injuries and suspensions. And, with a depleted lineup, Petry tried to do it all himself.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year was tough for him,&rdquo; said Michigan State coach Rick Comley. &ldquo;He did everything he could and often too much, to try to turn games around.&rdquo;</p><p>This season, with a strong freshman class, senior captain Nick Sucharski and sophomore forward Corey Tropp back in the lineup, the second-place Spartans roared out of the gate and are looking forward to a long playoff run.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s played great,&rdquo; Comley said. &ldquo;There are many games where he is the best player on the ice.&rdquo;</p><p>The son of former major league pitcher Dan Petry, Jeff helped drive the Spartans&rsquo; resurgence by leading team-building workouts last summer. On the ice, he&rsquo;s picked his spots to join the rush, improved his decision making and been better in his own end.</p><p>&ldquo;We just decided to put last year behind us and everyone dedicated themselves to being better,&rdquo; said Petry, the 45th overall pick by Edmonton in 2006. &ldquo;It comes with experience &ndash; last year I forced things when it wasn&rsquo;t there.&rdquo;</p><p>A top-flight skater, the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder handles the puck well, is a good passer and has a big shot. He&rsquo;s the No. 56-ranked prospect (third on Edmonton&rsquo;s list) in Future Watch 2010. That&rsquo;s a rise from No. 63 last year.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s special,&rdquo; said RPI coach Seth Appert, whose Engineers lost to Michigan State in the Great Lakes Invitational final this year. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s evolved into a dominant defenseman.&rdquo;</p><p>Petry has gotten stronger, which, coupled with his mobility, has made him more effective.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01719/9389593-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="692" height="931"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;The offensive part of the game was never in question,&rdquo; Comley said. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s so much better defensively now. He&rsquo;s matured and just continues to grow and get better.</p><p>&ldquo;Every team we play against, what they talk about is him. He can swing the game.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-08168/9389586-1-eng-US/f0041-082.jpg" title="f0041-08" width="283" height="283"></div><h2><b>Jeff Petry</b></h2><p>Michigan State Spartans</p><p><b>Ht.</b> 6-3</p><p><b>Wt.</b> 195</p><p><b>Pos.</b> D</p><p><b>Age</b> 22</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02457/9389579-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="343" height="83"></div><h2><b>Draft Status</b></h2><p>Drafted 45th overall by Edmonton in 2006</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03371/9389572-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="211" height="147"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 56</b></h2><p>Petry&rsquo;s ranking among NHL-affiliated prospects in Future Watch 2010<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-01

SPECIAL SPARTAN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHILIP COLVIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04323/9389624-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="262" height="98"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>R</span>ivals Michigan and Michigan State set a record when 74,544 fans watched the &lsquo;Cold War&rsquo; at Spartan Stadium in 2001. The game set the stage for the recent series of outdoor contests at the college and NHL levels. Now the two schools will face off in a rematch called the &lsquo;The Big Chill at the Big House&rsquo; in Michigan Stadium Dec. 11, 2010. With football seating for 106,201, the event could be a record-breaker. &ldquo;This will be unbelievable,&rdquo; said Michigan coach Red Berenson. &rdquo;It&rsquo;s a great experience for all the players, coaches, fans; and could have the largest crowd to witness a game ever.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-04

LOTS OF ROOM, SO CHILL OUT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY MAHONEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05291/9389655-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="289" height="130"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>ew Hampshire senior right winger and co-captain Bobby Butler took a different approach to off-season training last summer. &ldquo;I stayed away from playing in games,&rdquo; said Butler, who had career highs of 18 goals and 39 points through 27 games. &ldquo;I just worked a lot on my skating more than anything else.&rdquo; Butler, a 22-year-old undrafted free agent, said he&rsquo;s felt fresher this year, but credits his linemates, too. &ldquo;He has a great eye for the net,&rdquo; said Maine coach Tim Whitehead of the 6-foot, 185-pounder. &ldquo;Now he&rsquo;s more of an impact player who certainly elevates his teammates.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-05

NO GAMES, BIG GAIN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TOM BOGGIE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06254/9389686-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="295" height="90"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Yale won its first league title last season, defenseman Tom Dignard was missing. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder missed the final 13 games with a ruptured spleen. A year later, his versatility at both ends of the ice has the Bulldogs in the hunt for another crown. The undrafted senior already had a career-high 20 points, helping Yale lead the nation in scoring at 4.04 goals per game. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re comfortable whenever he&rsquo;s on the ice,&rdquo; said Yale coach Keith Allain. &ldquo;I think he can play at the next level. He has good hockey strength, excellent sense and vision and is an ultra-competitive person.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-06

BLUELINER SETS TONE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05262/9389800-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="251" height="148"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>teele Boomer has put some booming hits behind him. The Kootenay Ice center has rebounded after sustaining three concussions within a year, recording 21 goals and 55 points in 55 games this season &ndash; allaying concerns the head injuries would endanger his hockey career. &ldquo;It definitely creeps into the back of your mind, especially when you&rsquo;re sitting out all these games,&rdquo; said Boomer, 19, who had two goals and 12 points in 35 games last season. &ldquo;Things just seem to not get any better. Definitely, this season I didn&rsquo;t really see coming, but it&rsquo;s nice that it has.&rdquo; Boomer sustained one concussion late in 2007-08 and two more last season. Now the Kootenay pivot is symptom-free. &ldquo;I try to go out and play like I always would,&rdquo; he said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-05

STRONG AS STEELE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06234/9389831-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="301" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>K</span>en Miller spent 32 years in policing before retiring as a high-ranking regional commander, chief superintendent with the Ontario Provincial Police. So it made sense for the OHL to chose one of its own &mdash; Miller also refereed in the league and is now an officiating supervisor &mdash; when it created the position of enforcement officer/director of security. &ldquo;The league has continued to look at ways to keep one step ahead and this is another example,&rdquo; Miller said. His main role will involve investigating complaints with respect to player recruitment (such as draft manipulation), player environment and player benefits. He reports to commissioner David Branch. &ldquo;Ken brings vast experience in investigative expertise and will reinforce our policies and procedures,&rdquo; Branch said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-06

OLD COP, NEW BEAT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07199/9389862-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="237" height="140"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Saint John Sea Dogs believe they have the best of both worlds. With one month remaining in the season, they sat atop the standings at 44-8-1-0 and were No. 1 in the CHL rankings. &ldquo;The nice part is we didn&rsquo;t have to mortgage our future to build a contender,&rdquo; said coach Gerard Gallant. &ldquo;We have a great group of players and it&rsquo;s a good mix of younger and older guys.&rdquo; Saint John was quiet during the mid-season trade period, making just one acquisition. It refused to give up quality young players and high draft picks to enhance its championship chances this season. &ldquo;With the young guys we have coming back, we think we&rsquo;re set up nicely for the next couple of seasons,&rdquo; Gallant said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited about this season, but also the future.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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March 1, 2010

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