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.

February 21, 2011

The Hockey News - Feb-21-11

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN MCNALLY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02987/9496480-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE GREEN <span class="photo-credit">(GREEN: DAVE SANDFORD/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/f0028-011403/9496494-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="69" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03742/9496487-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="196" height="130"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span></b>ike Green became a two-time Norris Trophy runner-up thanks in large part to his stunning offensive numbers. But as the Capitals have sought some balance after three years of go-go hockey, the 25-year-old defenseman has had to adjust his game, as well.</p><p>Those changes primarily affected Washington&rsquo;s forwards &ndash; the whole point, after all, was to stop leaving its blueliners on an island &ndash; but Green has improved in his own end, too, and that&rsquo;s a key reason the Caps jumped from 16th in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.77) last season to seventh (2.45) entering the all-star break. &ldquo;We played a very wide-open game in the past and that created a lot of opportunity and chance for us to score a lot of goals,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;It made us a very high-risk team to play against, but also made it easier for other teams. We might have won 6-5, but when it comes down to playoffs it&rsquo;s a whole different game and we needed to adjust.&rdquo;</p><p>Green has averaged 22.7 goals the past three years and led NHL defensemen in goals and points the past two. He also managed to set the bar so high for himself that matching his own numbers is proving difficult. Through 44 games, Green had eight goals and 22 points. It is unlikely he will top 70 points for a three straight year.</p><p>So why the drop-off? Washington coach Bruce Boudreau insists he isn&rsquo;t asking Green to hold back, but the system changes must be taken into account. As a team the Caps entered the all-star break averaging just 2.71 goals, well off last year&rsquo;s pace of 3.82. But there is a method to the madness. &ldquo;The adjustments we&rsquo;ve made may have affected some of our numbers,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;But at the end of the day it&rsquo;s about winning and it&rsquo;s not about individual (totals).&rdquo;</p><p>Green&rsquo;s offensive issues are linked to a diminished power play, where he did so much damage over the past three seasons (36 goals, 96 points). With teammates such as Alex Ovechkin struggling, the assists have disappeared. Green had just four power play helpers as the unit dropped to 19th (17.1 percent) through 51 games, but, with five, he&rsquo;s actually close to his career norm in power play goals. Aside from 2008-09, when he had 18, his power play goal production in his other two full seasons was eight and 10.</p><p>While searching for answers, Green has shown signs of progress in his own end, a target area for critics in the past. He entered the stretch drive ranked third among Washington defensemen in goals against per 60 minutes at 1.90. That is well below his career-low of 2.21. Two of the previous three years the Caps allowed fewer goals per 60 minutes with Green off the ice than on it. That has earned him more trust from the coaching staff.</p><p>Green was second on the team in short-handed ice time per game (2:30) and fourth in the NHL overall (26:08). That doesn&rsquo;t mean he has become a shutdown defender, of course. Boudreau has often turned to his young defensive pairing &ndash; Karl Alzner and rookie John Carlson &ndash; in key situations.</p><p>That duo started the Winter Classic against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the Caps still allow fewer goals per 60 minutes with Alzner (1.80) and Carlson (1.87) on the ice. But for Green, his newfound balance is a promising start. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure guys get frustrated considering the (offensive) success they&rsquo;ve had,&rdquo; said Green&rsquo;s defensive partner Jeff Schultz. &ldquo;And then there&rsquo;s critics out there saying, &lsquo;Why isn&rsquo;t he scoring?&rsquo; But maybe he did something that night defensively that helped us win. He is showing other sides to his game that people didn&rsquo;t know he had.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Caps Rusher Holds the Fort

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01575/9497918-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="282" height="499"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>ad Terry Pegula</b> never existed, NHL commish Gary Bettman would have tried to invent him. After all, benevolent billionaires with a passion for hockey and a hankering to buy teams don&rsquo;t exactly show up every day. And even when they do, sometimes their names rhyme with Bim Jalsillie and must be driven away for having the audacity to want to move a team from a place where nobody cares about hockey to a place where folks do.</p><p>People around Buffalo are treating the arrival of Pegula as an immediate emancipation from the clutches of mediocrity. Some believe that with one stroke of the checkbook, Pegula will cure the franchise&rsquo;s ills and return the Sabres to contender status, despite the fact there&rsquo;s not a billionaire in the world who can make the combined $12.4 million cap hit each of the next three seasons for Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville go away.</p><p>To be sure, there will be a new vibe with the Sabres and, one can only assume, a new organizational culture eventually. Emboldened by regime changes in Chicago and Tampa Bay that produced immediate positive results, the good people of Buffalo will have high hopes for the same with their star-crossed franchise.</p><p>But no matter what you think of former Sabres owner Tom Golisano, to liken him to Bill Wirtz or the disastrous duo of Len Barrie and Oren Koules is absurd. Golisano, who put about $60 million in cash down for the Sabres in 2003 and stands to make about $100 million on his investment by the sale alone, was an absentee owner who allowed the organization to decay with an unwillingness to reinvest his profits. When the Sabres had to cut back their scouting staff dramatically and rely on video, they were universally scoffed at around the league. The fact a lot of the scoffers were nervous scouts with good salaries and great expense accounts tells you something about the criticism. The fact is, they were scared the Sabres would succeed and their own bosses would follow suit.</p><p>In reality, the Sabres haven&rsquo;t done that badly. They continue to churn out good prospects who push their veterans and always seem to have a fairly reliable pipeline of players in their system. They have last season&rsquo;s rookie of the year in Tyler Myers and an eye for small players who can contribute at the NHL level.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02364/9497911-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="906" height="830"><figcaption class="caption-body">THOMAS VANEK <span class="photo-credit">(BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Nobody in the world can make the $12.4 million cap hit go away</b></blockquote><p>But Golisano remains a lightning rod for criticism for the way he led an ownership group that watched pennies while the fans filled the building almost every game and dollars poured in. But Buffalonians should also remember that Golisano stepped up to buy the team &ndash; for dirt cheap, it turned out &ndash; when former owner John Rigas was being led off to prison, leaving the team bankrupt and its future in serious question. The fact Golisano helped save the Sabres after the lockout should never be overlooked.</p><p>The only more prominent lightning rods are outgoing minority owner and managing partner Larry Quinn and GM Darcy Regier, whose reputation is all over the map. To some, he&rsquo;s the ultimate company man who continues to take bullets for a cheap owner. To others, he&rsquo;s an indecisive waffler who waits far too long to pull the trigger on moves and makes poor decisions when he does.</p><p>It will be interesting to see what Pegula does with Regier, who signed a two-year contract extension early this season. When a guy sells his company for $4.8 billion, he has the wherewithal to eat a $2.5-million contract. The problem is it gets a little blurry when it comes to placing blame for Buffalo&rsquo;s roster gaffes. Was Regier solely responsible for letting both Daniel Briere and Chris Drury go? Was it his idea alone to match the offer sheet for Vanek and sign Tim Connolly to an absurd contract?</p><p>Probably not his alone, but the GM takes the blame and the credit for these things, so the case can be made that Regier has run his course in Buffalo. But if he is criticized for losing Briere and Drury, shouldn&rsquo;t he also be credited for originally acquiring them for what turned out to be Chris Gratton, Steve Reinprecht and Rhett Warrener? And with the exception of Briere and perhaps Toni Lydman, are there any other players Regier has cut loose who have been worth the money they received?</p><p>The Sabres are spending almost to the upper limit of the cap now, too. That has as much to do with the fact they have some questionable contracts on the books as it does their willingness to spend. So, on the ice, at least, Pegula will have to spend about as much as the Sabres are now, so what&rsquo;s going to change there?</p><p>Pegula is fully within his rights to take a bulldozer to the organization. After all, he paid for it. But you can&rsquo;t hurry the hands of time when it comes to building a contender in the NHL. Not even if you&rsquo;re a billionaire.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Pegula no Panacea

<div class="byline">PHOTOGRAPH BY JOE SARGENT</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012140/9495452-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Bearing the Brent</b></h2><p><b>This showdown led to Brent Johnson landing a one-punch KO on Rick DiPietro, which put &lsquo;D.P.&rsquo; on the IR.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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THEBIGPICTURE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011941/9496070-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>A KEY B</b></p><p><b>Brad Marchand has become an indispensable member of the Bruins in his rookie season.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGEST)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>o say an NHLer is</b> underrated is to deny the existence of the modern day 24/7/365 rating machine. On sports talk radio and the Internet and social media every day, fans and analysts take out their intellectual and emotional scalpels and carve up each athlete&rsquo;s skill set as they aim to separate the hype (or lack thereof) from the essence of the subject.</p><p>Compared to the old days, you could make the argument nobody is underrated anymore. That said, there still are players who &ndash; despite producing in a way that makes their team happy and their agent happier &ndash; fly under the radar of the average fan. Here are my picks for the NHL&rsquo;s all-underrated team this season:</p><h2><b>FORWARDS</b></h2><p><b><i>Loui Eriksson, Stars</i></b> In a players&rsquo; poll commissioned by the NHL Players&rsquo; Association and <i>Hockey Night In Canada</i>, Eriksson was named the NHL&rsquo;s most underrated player &ndash; and for very good reason.</p><p>After 51 games, Eriksson was second on the Stars with 50 points and was fourth on the team in goal-scoring with 18. But the 25-year-old was on a pace for his best points total of his career and his all-around contributions &ndash; including a team-best four game-winning goals and seven power play markers &ndash; cement his status as an absolute untouchable for Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk.</p><p><b><i>Brad Marchand, Bruins</i></b>&nbsp;Marchand spent his first two pro seasons toiling in relative anonymity in the American League &ndash; and he had just a single assist in a 20-game stint with Boston last year &ndash; but the 22-year-old has stepped up and made Bruins fans take notice this season.</p><p>In Boston&rsquo;s 10 games leading up to the all-star break, Marchand (chosen 71st overall in 2006) had seven goals and 10 points, putting himself on course to finish the year with 21 goals and 41 points. Equally impressive were Marchand&rsquo;s four shorthanded goals (tops in the NHL) and five shorthanded points and the plus-21 rating he compiled despite averaging just 13:13 of ice time per night.</p><p><b><i>Manny n Malhotra, Canucks</i></b>&nbsp;&ldquo;Wait a minute,&rdquo; you&rsquo;re saying as you read this, &ldquo;the Canucks couldn&rsquo;t have underrated Malhotra &ndash; they signed him to a three-year, $7.5-million deal last summer!&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s true, but the 30-year-old already has earned his pay this year. He is far and away the best faceoff man in the game (his 62.9 faceoff winning percentage was nearly four points higher than second-place Jonathan Toews) and has provided  Vancouver with a gritty defensive presence it has lacked in recent years.</p><h2><b>DEFENSEMEN</b></h2><p><b><i>Brent Burns, Wild</i></b> Minnesotans certainly don&rsquo;t take him for granted, but thanks to injuries Burns hasn&rsquo;t been highly touted over the past couple years.</p><p>He has changed that this season, posting 14 goals and 31 points in the Wild&rsquo;s first 50 games and leading his team in average time on ice (24:47), and earning a berth in the All-Star Game.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>He&rsquo;s an absolute untouchable</b></blockquote><p><b><i>Ryan Suter, Predators</i></b>&nbsp;It is tough enough for Preds captain Shea Weber to be recognized for his work, so you can imagine how difficult it is for the average fan to recognize Suter.</p><p>It shouldn&rsquo;t be that way for much longer: despite playing 11 fewer games than Weber, Suter only has one fewer assist (22 vs. 21), identical time on ice average and, where Weber is a modest plus-6, Suter leads the team with a plus-18.</p><h2><b>GOALTENDER</b></h2><p><b><i>Brent Johnson,</i></b>&nbsp;<b><i>Penguins</i></b> Johnson has been pushed to the background by the improved play of Pens starter Marc-Andre Fleury, yet when Pittsburgh really needed him at the start of the year, he delivered like FedEx.</p><p>Johnson&rsquo;s 8-4-2 record, 2.04 goals-against average and .926 save percentage won&rsquo;t win him the Vezina. But there are many NHL teams who would be happy to have him as an understudy/insurance entering the playoffs.</p><p>WANT MORE PROTEAU? READ ADAM&rsquo;S BLOG ONLY ON <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Under the Radar, Over the Moon

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012165/9495497-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="899" height="572"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE HODGSON/THN)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031479/9495490-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="182" height="192"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>here&rsquo;s</b>&nbsp;<b>a crisis in hockey</b> we&rsquo;ve ignored far too long, an issue that has been allowed to go unchecked and neglected. Simply put, our game is infested with geniuses. They&rsquo;re running amok.</p><p>All too often when a GM or coach has a run of success and makes moves that work in his favor, he&rsquo;s granted Mensa entry. And, yes, we&rsquo;ll take a <i>mea culpa</i> on this; we&rsquo;re guilty of hyperbole at times. Hey, we even devoted an entire issue last year to genius in hockey in an attempt to identify the brightest minds and most savvy innovators in our sphere.</p><p>The problem isn&rsquo;t the men themselves, but the plateaus on which we &ndash; the hockey world, that is &ndash; place them. Win a Cup, you&rsquo;re a god. Have a few good drafts and you&rsquo;re Einstein. Only, there is no guaranteed formula for sustained brilliance. As smart and intuitive as some of these men are, they aren&rsquo;t infallible.</p><p>Take some of the principals in this week&rsquo;s cover story, which begins on page 18. At points in their careers, Ottawa&rsquo;s Bryan Murray, Toronto&rsquo;s Brian Burke and Calgary&rsquo;s Jay Feaster were deified for franchise building. Today, two of the three are gasping for air while their organizations seek answers. Feaster, meantime, was driven out of Tampa Bay when his Lightning fizzled four years after winning a championship. Now, he&rsquo;s inherited a mess in Calgary from his one-time revered predecessor, Darryl Sutter.</p><p>Elsewhere around the NHL, stalwarts such as New Jersey&rsquo;s Lou Lamoriello and the New York Rangers&rsquo; Glen Sather have taken turns falling from their lofty perches and are scrambling to climb back up. Carolina&rsquo;s Jim Rutherford goes up-and-down the smart meter seemingly season-to-season. Montreal&rsquo;s Bob Gainey was one step from sainthood until the Canadiens didn&rsquo;t meet expectations. Even the unparalleled Scotty Bowman stubbed his toes while managing the Buffalo Sabres in the early 1980s.</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s Detroit&rsquo;s Ken Holland, the Red Wings architect who has defied the odds and seen his team stand tall and firm in spite of an entry draft system designed to weaken the powerful. What he has accomplished, by surrounding himself with a keen scouting and management staff, has to be pure genius, right? Perhaps, but will we still feel that way when it all goes wrong? And one day, inevitably, it will.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021838/9495483-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="412" height="221"></div><h2><b>NEXT</b>&nbsp;<b>ISSUE MARCH 7, 2011</b></h2><p><b>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE:</b> <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></p><p><b>CONTACT US:</b> <a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Tumbling is Inevitable

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012392/9495559-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span>our attempts to compare Sidney Crosby to the greatest hockey player who ever lived in your Jan. 24 issue were quite comical. Simply put, Wayne Gretzky made his teammates better. Exhibit &lsquo;A&rsquo; is Bernie Nicholls, who scored 70 goals and 150 points in Gretzky&rsquo;s first season in L.A., besting his previous career marks of 46 and 100.</b></p><p><b>Name me someone who Crosby impacted similarly? It wasn&rsquo;t chance Gretzky played alongside six future Hall of Famers; he was the major catalyst in each player&rsquo;s enshrinement. Leave greatness alone and let Crosby earn it before we reserve his spot alongside the true greats.</b></p><p><b><i>Anthony Gabriele, Philadelphia</i></b></p><h2><b>Instigating Change</b></h2><p>Maybe I&rsquo;m old school, but the issue of head shots would be easily solved by removing one rule: the instigator.</p><p>Instead of being suspended for a few games, players would have to look over their shoulders, watching out for guys like Colton Orr, Derek Boogaard or George Parros.</p><p>Wayne Gretzky never had to worry about head shots, why should Sidney Crosby? Don&rsquo;t tell me it was due to respect, as many argue; it was from fear of Dave Semenko.</p><p>It&rsquo;s an old-school mentality, but it would work.</p><p><i>Tanner Brough, Flin Flon, Man.</i></p><h2><b>Bucks, Not Pucks</b></h2><p>There was a time when recycling washed-up or retired players into the front office was an acceptable idea. Who better to know the attributes and skills of players, right? Well, times have changed.</p><p>It is time for owners to smarten up. Ever since the return of hockey after the 2004-05 lockout, there has been a hard salary cap. Since then we have seen many GMs (a great number of them former players) sign one stupidly long contract after another.</p><p>Many players do not understand business in their personal lives, so why do owners think they will understand it when they are in charge of a pro sports franchise?</p><p>In the current NHL, you need professional businessmen and accountants and money managers to run the clubs. The contracts are major financial decisions that should be managed as such.</p><p>As far as picking the best players to give those contracts to, that&rsquo;s what you have a scouting department for. That&rsquo;s where you can employ former players.</p><p><i>Christopher Ventura, Buffalo</i></p><h2><b>Hero to Zero?</b></h2><p>I find it insulting that you kicked Martin Brodeur out of your good-for-nothing top 30 goalie rankings (Jan. 31).</p><p>Brodeur is still fantastic, hardly any difference in his play from 10 years ago.</p><p>Respect the old, would you? Doing some kind of goalie ranking based on a half season is a bad ranking to me.</p><p><i>Christophe Charette, Longueuil, Que.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021619/9495552-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="458" height="625"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRETZKY: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Rank Ranking</b></h2><p>Are you kidding me? Ryan Miller is rated 13th on your top 30 goalies? The Sabres won two of the nine games he didn&rsquo;t play in before the all-star break. He may not have played to &lsquo;Miller Time&rsquo; form at the start, but with the Buffalo defense full of holes, time was needed for him to adjust and take control.</p><p>I find it laughable that you feel there are 12 better net-minders. I can&rsquo;t imagine that if all the goalies were put into a draft 12 goalies would go ahead him. I know if I had the choice, I&rsquo;d take him first.</p><p><i>Matt Wallace, Smiths Falls, Ont.</i></p><h2><b>Sabre Rattling</b></h2><p>It was enough when the NHL did it, now Ken Campbell is leaving Sabres Thomas Vanek and Jordan Leopold off his third all-star team (Overtime, Jan. 31)? Both Vanek and Leopold have better stats than many of the all-stars. Quite a snub, isn&rsquo;t it?</p><p><i>Stewie Wyville, London, Ont.</i></p><h2><b>Miscount</b></h2><p>There were a couple of errors in your Weird and Wacky Sweater Numbers (Jan. 24). The first No. 99 was Joe Lamb with the Canadiens back in 1934-35. Fellow Habs Leo Bourgeault and Des Roche also wore that number the same year. That&rsquo;s quite a bit ahead of Rick Dudley.</p><p>Secondly, a skater has worn No. 1. Herb Gardiner with Montreal wore it for two seasons (1926-27 and 1927-28), as did Canadien Marty Burke, who wore it in 1928-29.</p><p>The Canadiens, in fact, had such weird numbers that the league stepped and forced them to cease and desist wearing high ones.</p><p><i>Pastor Glen Goodhand, Lindsay, Ont.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SID’S NO WAYNE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012133/9495590-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="454" height="523"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LARSSON: OLA WESTERBERG)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Adam Larsson 31%</b></p><p>Sean Couturier 28%</p><p>Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 18%</p><p>Gabriel Landeskog 18%</p><p>Jonathan Huberdeau 5%</p><p><b>Vote on polls from everything top to bottom in the world of hockey at <a href="http://thehockynews.com">thehockynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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POLLRESULTS

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>ey Adam. Since Jacques Lemaire has stated he won&rsquo;t be back next season to coach the Devils, who could be considered the next logical choice as their coach?</b></p><p><i>Christopher H. Pettersen, Jackson, N.J.</i></p><p>Hey Christopher. After John MacLean&rsquo;s struggles, I expect GM Lou Lamoriello to hire a veteran such as Ken Hitchcock or Bob Hartley. But who knows &ndash; maybe it&rsquo;s Lemaire one more time.</p><p><b>Hey Adam, do you think Sidney Crosby will ever break all of Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s records?</b></p><p><i>Kyle Sexton, Torbay, Nfld.</i></p><p>Hey Kyle. I think Gretzky&rsquo;s records will stand for a long time. That&rsquo;s no knock on Crosby; instead, it is an acknowledgement No. 99 played in a different era where 200-point seasons were often possible. That era ended long before Crosby was an NHLer and the modern, more defense-minded era all but guarantees Gretzky&rsquo;s achievements will remain the gold standard.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021445/9495621-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="759" height="712"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RENE BOURQUE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BOURQUE: GERRYTHOMAS/NHLIVIAGETTYIMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Hi Adam. Do you think the Flames will make any big trades this year? Is there a chance Rene Bourque or Matt Stajan will be dealt?</b></p><p><i>Logan Milne, Winnipeg, Man.</i></p><p>Hi Logan. If the Flames make any significant moves, it will be to deal veterans for prospects and draft picks. But Bourque won&rsquo;t be one of the veterans moved; he&rsquo;s a key piece of Calgary&rsquo;s future. Stajan also is likely to stay, as his hefty contract makes him virtually untradeable.</p><p>Read more <b>&lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo;</b> every Friday at <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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ASK ADAM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012282/9495680-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="337" height="279"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05483/9495673-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="246" height="68"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021737/9495666-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="668" height="560"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GREGG FORWERCK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>5</b>&nbsp;Goals scored Feb. 2 by Detroit&rsquo;s Johan Franzen, the first NHLer to do so since Marian Gaborik in 2007 and the 55th to accomplish the feat in NHL history</p><p><b>Gambling and sports</b>have a rather rocky history. While it&rsquo;s a multi-billion dollar industry, there have been some well-publicized incidents over the years that have bruised egos and leagues (see pg. 40 for a sad tale surrounding the most notorious gambling scandal in NHL history).</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04684/9495659-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="108" height="122"></div><p>While the NHL prohibits any form of gambling on its games by players or team and league personnel, it does have a presence in Las Vegas, staging its awards show there the past two years.</p><p>And while the NFL attracts the most action at the Vegas sports books, some experts believe hockey offers far greater betting value. &ldquo;No question about it,&rdquo; said Todd Fuhrman of the Race and Sports Book at Caesar&rsquo;s Palace. &ldquo;If you walk into the sports book and have no idea which sport to bet on, hockey is the sport you are going to want to look at to find value. It&rsquo;s just not the sport that you can make a living off of because the amount you can wager on a single game is far lower than football or basketball.&rdquo;</p><p>Casinos will only allow bettors to place a fraction of the money on a hockey game compared to a football game due to the advantages hockey provides.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031223/9495652-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="1032" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>UNDER-DEVILS NO DOGS</b></p><p><b>Anyone with the courage to bet New Jersey over Philadelphia in January was paid handsomely.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>One line of NHL wagers involves simply picking a winner &ndash; there&rsquo;s no point (or goal) spread to cover &ndash; with the moneyline skewed based on the odds.</p><p>Take the Jan. 22 game between the East-leading hometown Philadelphia Flyers and the cellar-dwelling New Jersey Devils, winners of four of their past five leading up to the game. It cost $250 to win $100 if betting the Flyers, but putting $100 down on the Devils to upset netted $220, a 120 percent return. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened when New Jersey stunned Philly 3-1, making Devils fans a little happier and possibly wealthier.</p><p>In football, the sports books will raise the point spread when taking a lot of action on one team. But with the NHL, no-spread bets are win or lose only and the sports books&rsquo; only option is to set a higher price to bet the favorite. &ldquo;Even if I increase the price on the Canucks from $150 to win $100 to, let&rsquo;s say, $170 to win $100, it will likely not discourage the shrewd bettor,&rdquo; said Fuhrman, a former goalie with the NCAA Div. III Wesleyan Cardinals. &ldquo;Our only safety net is to limit the dollar amount that we will allow to be wagered on the game.&rdquo;</p><p>So how do the sports books come up with their NHL betting lines? Oddsmakers look at how teams have performed over the past five to seven games. They also consider a team&rsquo;s history against opponents and they try to gauge where the public money will be wagered.</p><p>But, of course, they&rsquo;re not always right. The Feb. 1 contest between the Carolina Hurricanes and the visiting Boston Bruins overvalued the Canes&rsquo; good play leading in to the all-star break versus their lack of overall success against the Bruins. Carolina began the day favored, costing $125 to win $100, while a $100 bet on the Bruins netted $105.</p><p>Gamblers saw the value in Boston and money poured in on the &ldquo;underdog&rdquo; Bruins, flipping the script and making them the favorite. Anyone who came to the party late had to put down $115 to win $100 on the B&rsquo;s. Boston won 3-2.</p><p>In addition to betting games, gamblers can also wager on who they think will raise the Cup at season&rsquo;s end. But being prophetic pays. To begin the season the Dallas Stars were 70-1 longshots. That meant a $10 bet on the Stars would capture $700 if Dallas was crowned champions. But walk into a sports book in early February and the Pacific Division-leading Stars had dropped to 25-1. Still a nice payday, but not nearly as good as if you read something in the Stars early on.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

Gambling on Ice

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012050/9495711-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-01

The Instigator

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021428/9495742-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="639" height="661"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BYFUGLIEN: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>WELCOME TO THE CLUB</b></h3><p><i>Patrick Marleau, Jamie Langenbrunner and Andrew Brunette become latest NHLers to play 1,000 games.</i></p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>ROCKY DEFENSIVE PLAY</b></h3><p><i>The Colorado Avalanche had the fifth-best offense, but were giving up 3.31 goals per game, more than any other club in the league.</i></p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>WHEELING AND DEALING</b></h3><p><i>Looming trade deadline means everybody&rsquo;s favorite off-ice activity &ndash; swap talk &ndash; is about to take a fun and dramatic rise.</i></p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>ATLANTA HITS THE SKIDS</b></h3><p><i>A more than month-long funk for Dustin Byfuglien and the Thrashers means the team will now be life and death to make the post-season.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03880/9495773-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="638" height="550"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALEX EDLER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(EDLER: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>n 2004, Detroit Red Wings</b> super scout Hakan Andersson heard there was a big, strong-skating, draft-eligible defenseman playing for an obscure team in Ostersund, Sweden. The low-level loop described by some as little better than a beer league wasn&rsquo;t a place NHL scouts searched for prospects, but Andersson believed it was worth making the six-hour drive from his home to check the player out in person.</p><p>Not wanting to make the drive only to find out the kid wasn&rsquo;t playing, Andersson called ahead to make sure he was. Ostersund&rsquo;s coach, realizing he might have a diamond in the rough on his hands, contacted agent Johan Stromberg who promptly signed the prospect and sent out word to NHL teams that he knew of a blueliner from a small-time team they&rsquo;d be interested in seeing.</p><p>But it was late in the season. Ostersund had one game remaining and wasn&rsquo;t going to make the playoffs, so NHL teams had a lone chance to see the player before the draft.</p><p>Vancouver&rsquo;s Thomas Gradin was the only scout who made the trip and he must have liked what he saw. Worrying the Wings would snag the defenseman, the Canucks traded up in the third round of the 2004 draft to select Alex Edler seven slots before Detroit was selecting.</p><p>The Red Wings, who were indeed planning on scooping Edler that round, ended up with Johan Franzen instead. Not too shabby.</p><p>But what if Andersson hadn&rsquo;t made that fateful phone call? Edler might currently be manning the Detroit blueline. Franzen would have been drafted by another NHL team and never signed an 11-year pact with Detroit.</p><p>And with no need for a big, puck-moving defenseman at the 2005 draft, the Red Wings likely wouldn&rsquo;t have drafted Jakub Kindl. Instead Detroit could have taken a scorer &ndash; Niclas Bergfors, Andrew Cogliano or T.J. Oshie were available, as was netminder Tuukka Rask.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-03

WHAT if…

<div class="byline">BY TESSA BONHOMME</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021643/9495825-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="242" height="339"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012254/9495818-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="786" height="633"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>OLYMPIANS ABOUND</b></p><p><b>Angela Ruggiero captains the Boston entry in the five-team CWHL.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(CWHL: BOTH: JAMIE HODGSON/THN)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span>ight months after</b>&nbsp;battling it out for gold in Vancouver, many of the Olympic women&rsquo;s players from Canada and the U.S. were lacing up for their first game in the Canadian Women&rsquo;s League.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031049/9495811-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="116" height="117"></div><p>The newly reconstituted five-team loop has three clubs in the Greater Toronto Area, one in Montreal and another in Boston. It offers a professional league for the world&rsquo;s best female players to compete and maintain the competitive edge during non-Olympic years.</p><p>Most of us began playing ringette or hockey in boys leagues because competitive girls leagues just didn&rsquo;t exist. So we&rsquo;re used to blazing trails. This time we&rsquo;re laying a foundation for the nearly 150,000 girls playing hockey in North America today by ensuring a league exists for the elite among them once their collegiate careers have ended.</p><p>Capitalizing on Olympic momentum, the timing is right, the talent has been gathered and the players definitely aren&rsquo;t lacking the drive required to help the CWHL succeed. With major sponsors like Scotiabank, Molson, Pepsi and Bauer contributing financial support, almost all the pieces have come into place. More than anything right now, what the league needs is a show of support from the female hockey community that will one day benefit from these efforts.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04728/9495804-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="543" height="701"></div><p>As a young girl, I aspired to be as good as &ndash; or even better than &ndash; the players that my father regularly took me to watch while he worked as an Ontario League scout. The CWHL provides the young women of today with a great league filled with our most talented female players to draw inspiration from.</p><p>I encourage every parent and coach to take their daughters or teams out to at least one of the games remaining in the inaugural CWHL season.</p><p>We promise not to disappoint.</p><p><b>&ndash; TESSA BONHOMME WON GOLD WITH TEAM CANADA AT THE 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPICS AND WAS THE NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN LAST SUMMER&rsquo;S CWHL DRAFT BY TORONTO HC</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

Driven to Succeed

<div class="byline">&#x2013; REMY GREER</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH</b>&nbsp;<b>CHINA&rsquo;S RISE</b> as a global power, it&rsquo;s only natural hockey would proliferate in the Far East. The inaugural IIHF 2011 Hong Kong under-16 Invitational was won by China, which bested Macau, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05528/9495856-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="175" height="117"></div><p>It may be early to anoint him the Chinese Sidney Crosby, but 12-year-old sensation Justin Cheng was one of the stars of the tournament for silver medal-winning Hong Kong. Cheng popped three goals and 12 points in five games against his much older &ndash; and larger &ndash; competition.</p><p>China, home to more than 1.3 billion people, has just 15 indoor rinks and 39 referees. There are 527 registered hockey players, 213 of whom are junior-aged. China is ranked 37th in the world in men&rsquo;s hockey and a respectable seventh in women&rsquo;s.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-05

Hockey Kong

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM KOLUPANOWICH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06395/9495887-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="164" height="162"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span>AURICE PODOLOFF:</b> One of the founders of the AHL, Podoloff was elected the first president of the league. He helped solidify the AHL&rsquo;s status during the Second World War, bringing teams to Washington, Buffalo, St. Louis and other major cities. The league&rsquo;s first All-Star Game in 1942 was his creation and began as an effort to raise funds for the Canadian and American Red Cross during the war. He was also the NBA&rsquo;s first president and was inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 1974.</p><p><b>MITCH</b>&nbsp;<b>LAMOUREUX:</b> He began an AHL career in 1982 that didn&rsquo;t end until &rsquo;99. Lamoureux set a then-record for goals with 57 as a rookie and set another with 27 power play goals in &rsquo;93-94. He retired seventh in career goals (364) and ninth in points (816).</p><p><b>HARRY PIDHIRNY:</b>&nbsp;He&rsquo;s third all-time in games played (1,071), sixth in goals (376) and seventh in points (829).</p><p><b>LARRY WILSON:</b>&nbsp;He spent 21 years in the AHL as a player and coach, finishing 13th all-time in games played (899), ninth in assists (492) and 12th in points (790).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-06

‘A’ Plus

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-07278/9495918-1-eng-US/f0010-072.jpg" title="f0010-07" width="287" height="267"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>E</b>&nbsp;<b>WANT YOUR HELP</b> in deciding an upcoming THN specialty magazine. Should we weigh in on hockey&rsquo;s greatest fighters? Trades that changed the game? Logos? Visit <b><a href="http://THN.com/survey">THN.com/survey</a></b> or log onto <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a> and click the survey link to have your say. The winning idea will be published in magazine format later this year and everyone who takes the survey is eligible for a THN prize pack.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-07

Have Your Say!

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MACKENZIE LIDDELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021378/9495963-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BABY OIL</b></p><p><b>Taylor Hall leads a pack of Oilers rookies that had amassed the most games played.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(HALL: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>JUST BECAUSE</b> teams ice more economically friendly youngsters than ever before doesn&rsquo;t mean it has to cost them wins.</p><p>Five of the top 10 teams in terms of freshmen games played were occupying playoff positions through early February. For the Northeast-leading Bruins, first-year kids like Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand and Steven Kampfer benefit from sharing a dressing room with grizzled vets like 22-year man Mark Recchi and Vezina Trophy favorite Tim Thomas</p><h2><b>NHL GAMES PLAYED BY ROOKIES</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03923/9495956-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="391" height="544"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DEREK STEPAN NEW YORK RANGERS 53 GAMES PLAYED</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STEPAN: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011902/9495949-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="2329" height="968"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-02

ROOKIE RACE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012200/9496001-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>y David Simms&rsquo;</b> own account, it wasn&rsquo;t meant to be a historic game. &ldquo;It was probably some of the worst broadcasting I&rsquo;ve done in my life,&rdquo; said the Sky Sports national play-by-play man.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031107/9496008-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="177" height="155"></div><p>What was originally a web-only broadcast seen by 206 paying customers became one of the most famous matches in the history of Britain&rsquo;s Elite Ice Hockey League, thanks to You-Tube and one heckuva bench-clearing brawl.</p><p>The story behind the mayhem wrought by the Coventry Blaze and Nottingham Panthers in December goes beyond an obscene amount of penalty minutes and fighting majors. Simms was only calling the game as a favor for Coventry coach Paul Thompson. The UK&rsquo;s national caller had a night off from his regular duties, so Simms took to the booth for the Blaze&rsquo;s webcast.</p><p>When Coventry&rsquo;s Brad Cruikshank charged Nottingham goalie Craig Kowalski as the right winger was being ejected for an obscene gesture, it ignited an unforgettable night. And as wild as the melee itself was, it was the work of Simms behind the mic that got so many folks on the Internet excited.</p><p>With only a young volunteer working the camera, Simms can be heard directing throughout the brawl, steering his charge toward the marquee fight between Coventry&rsquo;s Jason Robinson and Nottingham&rsquo;s Guillaume Lepine by calling out &ldquo;pan right, that&rsquo;s Robinson, that&rsquo;s the one we want to see.&rdquo; Later on in the donnybrook, Simms uttered the line that became an instant web favorite &ndash; &ldquo;Danny Meyers should get beaten to hell for that!&rdquo; &ndash; after the Panthers defenseman ran over unsuspecting Blaze goalie Brett Jaeger.</p><p>&ldquo;I did more radio in Vancouver, Toronto and Winnipeg than I did in England,&rdquo; Simms said of the buzz the video created. &ldquo;It made a few people smile. It was a fun week.&rdquo;</p><p>A longtime hockey fan whose first game was 25 years ago &ndash; the Solihull Barons and the Cleveland Bombers &ndash; Simms has worked all over the UK. Not only is he a broadcaster, but he also managed the Sheffield Steelers and did public relations for the British national team. Over the years, he&rsquo;s been joined by a lot of other puck fans on the isle.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a popular sport in the cities it&rsquo;s played in,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;Britain is slowly falling in love with the game. It&rsquo;s never going to beat football (soccer), it&rsquo;s never going to beat rugby and it&rsquo;s never going to beat cricket, but it is the biggest indoor sport in England.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021726/9495994-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1032" height="633"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RAGING RUCKUS</b></p><p><b>An obscene gesture touched off a bench-clearing brawl that gained the EIHL notoriety.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(FIGHT: MARK TREDGOLDA)</span></figcaption></div><p>As for fighting, Simms said the first result in a YouTube search of his old Sheffield squad is a brawl against Nottingham back in 2001 &ndash; the second and third most popular clips are also fights, which speaks to Simms&rsquo; view of the overall British sentiment. &ldquo;They want it in the game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you take it out of hockey, it&rsquo;s not hockey. I find it keeps players honest.</p><p>&ldquo;We might be in Europe, but we&rsquo;re not European. The hockey style over here is very North American. We like guys who finish their checks, guys who play with some character.&rdquo;</p><p>Theo Fleury made a splash in the league in 2005-06, while tough guys Scott Nichol, Wade Belak and Eric Cairns played during the NHL lockout. Nottingham currently employs NHL 1997 sixth overall pick Daniel Tkaczuk and Coventry&rsquo;s Robert Farmer was selected in the CHL Import Draft by the Ontario League&rsquo;s Ottawa 67&rsquo;s (he played a game before being sent back).</p><p>The 10-team EIHL was formed in 2003 and has clubs in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  Pro hockey in the UK dates to the 1930s.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Brawling Blokes

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RK</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>ad luck,</b> or perhaps bad judgment, has felled Canadiens prospect Danny Kristo, who was hospitalized with frostbite on a hand and foot. Kristo, a right winger at North Dakota, was trudging through the snow after a party when he lost his shoe. After failing to find it, he gave up and walked home without it. Kristo is out indefinitely.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04659/9496039-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="153" height="151"></div><p>Earlier this season, University of Minnesota sophomore Zach Budish&rsquo;s campaign came to an end courtesy a campus moped accident that wrecked his knee. The Nashville pick missed all of 2008-09 with a knee injury sustained playing high school football.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-04

Strange Injuries Hit Prospects

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012173/9496129-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>AST</b>&nbsp;<b>SEASON, THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b> were the benefactors of one of, if not <i>the</i> best, defense corps in the NHL. For much of the year, their four-headed hydra &ndash; led by the boa constrictor-in-chief himself, Chris Pronger &ndash; weaved itself around its prey, squeezed internal organs until they burst and went about the devouring quickly thereafter.</p><p>If it wasn&rsquo;t for Philly&rsquo;s very slow start to the 2009-10 campaign (which caused them to exert a massive amount of energy and required some good fortune on the final day of the regular season just to make the playoffs), the Flyers just might have made it by Chicago in the Stanley Cup final, instead of falling at the hands of the comparatively rested Blackhawks, as they eventually did.</p><p>In their year-end exit meetings, coach Peter Laviolette and GM Paul Holmgren asked Flyers players to enter the following fall with a particular goal of making the 2010-11 regular season less of a mad dash for the playoffs and more of a solid stroll. And in what is turning out to be one of the more savvy, unheralded moves of the off-season, Holmgren gave Laviolette a couple extra tools on the back end to make that goal more attainable.</p><p>One of them was Sean O&rsquo;Donnell, a 15-season veteran who won a Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and brought a snarly, stay-at-home game to the mix. The other was Andrej Meszaros, a puck-mover coming off an abysmal season (lowlighted by a minus-14 rating and the fact he was salary dumped by incoming Lightning GM Steve Yzerman for a second-round draft pick).</p><p>On their own, neither O&rsquo;Donnell nor Meszaros can be considered the middle pieces of the puzzle, let alone the final ones. But on this Flyers team, they have turned what already was a force to reckon with into a gale force &ndash; and the No. 1 defense corps in the NHL, according to a panel of league GMs, coaches and analysts.</p><p>Other defense units afforded significant respect from THN&rsquo;s panel include the always-estimable Detroit Red Wings (and their leader, the human fountain of Scandinavian youth, Nicklas Lidstrom); the bullet-quick Vancouver Canucks; and the equally dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins.</p><p>But what puts the Flyers&rsquo; collection of defensemen ahead of all the others is (a), its increased depth; and (b) its overall balance.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>In all my years of coaching, I&rsquo;ve never been involved with a defensive group like this</b><br><b><i>&ndash; Kevin McCarthy</i></b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011910/9496122-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="693" height="1224"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CHRIS PRONGER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PRONGER; ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Picture Zdeno Chara requesting and receiving lifts for his skates, making him that much taller. Picture Sidney Crosby with the legs of Clydesdales instead of the regular old horse legs he gets around on already. That&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s happened to the Flyers&rsquo; back end; you need look no further than the very top of the Eastern Conference standings (occupied by Philadelphia for weeks) to see its effect.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just that they&rsquo;ve got Pronger or (Kimmo) Timonen, who is more of a physical player than most people think,&rdquo; said one Western Conference GM who participated in the rankings. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the balance they&rsquo;ve got back there as well. On every pair, they&rsquo;ve got the complete package of talent teams want to get out of their &lsquo;D.&rsquo; And there&rsquo;s relatively little drop-off from the top two guys to the bottom two guys. They can be relentless in throwing defensemen out there who can pin you down at one end and tie you up at the other end.&rdquo;</p><p>Beyond their top six, the Flyers can boast NHLcaliber players in former Lightning blueliner Matt Walker and 24-year-old Latvian defenseman Oskars Bartulis. That depth was one of the reasons Philadelphia was able to absorb the loss of Pronger for 13 games this season when the big fella was sidelined by a broken right foot.</p><p>For most teams, any kind of physical suffering that&rsquo;s led to Pronger&rsquo;s absence has quickly led to an immense amount of pain for the teammates he leaves behind. But that wasn&rsquo;t the case for this Flyers team this season. They went 9-4-0 without him and allowed three goals or more in just one of those nine wins.</p><p>All that depth the Flyers can call upon coupled with a plethora of experience makes the job of their coaches a whole lot easier. &ldquo;In all my years of coaching, I&rsquo;ve never been involved with a defensive group like this,&rdquo; said Flyers assistant coach Kevin McCarthy, a longtime NHL blueliner who helped steer the Carolina Hurricanes to a Cup as an assistant coach in 2006. &ldquo;They all complement each other very well.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like we have to break in any young kids, either. These guys all have played a lot of hockey and, as a coach, that&rsquo;s a luxury, because you don&rsquo;t have to do a lot of coaching during the games. They&rsquo;re aware of anything and everything that happens out there.&rdquo;</p><p>We&rsquo;ve referenced Pronger and Timonen and Meszaros and O&rsquo;Donnell so far, but the two Flyers defensemen we haven&rsquo;t mentioned &ndash; 26-year-old Matt Carle and 25-year-old Braydon Coburn &ndash; are likely to be wearing orange and black far longer than any others in the current group.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011942/9496115-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="1148" height="1534"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NO. 5 WITH A BULLET</b></p><p><b>Matt Carle has played the fifth-most career games of any Philly D-man, but has almost 360.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(CARLE: ANDY MARLIN/AM PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And there again, we&rsquo;re talking about two players who complement one another: Coburn, the 6-foot-5 behemoth who can be as physical as anyone in the game; and Carle, the smaller (six-foot), more positional of the two who also can contribute more offense than can Coburn.</p><p>Both Carle and Coburn are in their fifth NHL seasons, yet both are far down the Flyers&rsquo; list when it comes to experience. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m No. 5 on our &lsquo;D&rsquo; in games played and (Coburn) is No. 6 &ndash; and we&rsquo;ve got something like 350 games played,&rdquo; Carle said. &ldquo;So the experience and depth we have is great.</p><p>&ldquo;On the road, it&rsquo;s not like we&rsquo;re terrified of any match-up. And come playoff time when the match-ups are really important, if Meszaros and O&rsquo;Donnell are stuck out there against a top line, it&rsquo;s not a big deal, just like if Prongs and I are out there against a fourth line. Any of us can play against the other team&rsquo;s top forwards.&rdquo;</p><p>Carle&rsquo;s words raise another reason for the Flyers&rsquo; dominance in our defense unit rankings: the reliability of their defense pairings (which are Pronger and Carle, Timonen and Coburn, and O&rsquo;Donnell and Meszaros). Last season, their search for solid fifth and sixth defensemen led Laviolette and management to trot out a host of candidates (including Lukas Krajicek, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Danny Syvret and Ryan Parent) with no success.</p><p>Not so this season. Besides Pronger&rsquo;s absence, the five other Flyers D-men have lost just a single man-game to injury when a head injury forced Meszaros out for one night at the start of November. The result not only has increased the familiarity levels within each pair, but also has allowed Laviolette to parcel out the minutes in an equitable way that should pay dividends come mid-April.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021491/9496108-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="777" height="980"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KIMMO TIMONEN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TIMONEN: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Last year, it seemed like Kimmo was playing with someone different every two weeks and the only stable pair was Prongs and myself,&rdquo; said Carle, who led Philly&rsquo;s defensemen in assists (23) through their first 51 games this season. &ldquo;But this year, we&rsquo;ve been able to keep a balance there and everyone has had more time to play as a pair. It&rsquo;s really helping now, during the part of the season where it&rsquo;s games No. 50 to 70 and it&rsquo;s becoming a grind.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year at this time, we were battling for a playoff spot and Prongs and Kimmo were playing upwards of 26, 27 minutes a night. Now, unless there&rsquo;s a lot of special teams play, I don&rsquo;t think you see a night where any of us play more than 22 or 23 minutes. It&rsquo;s really going to help us come playoff time; we&rsquo;ll have that extra juice there.&rdquo;</p><p>If you ever decide to compare the Flyers&rsquo; current defense corps with the patchwork collection McCarthy coached to a championship in Carolina in 2006, you&rsquo;d better keep a towel close by to wipe up your laughing tears.</p><p>&ldquo;During our Stanley Cup run, our top pair was (Bret) Hedican and (Mike) Commodore, then (Glen) Wesley and (Niclas) Wallin, and (Frantisek) Kaberle and (Aaron) Ward,&rdquo; McCarthy said. &ldquo;You look at those guys individually and you could say none of them would probably be in our top three right now.&rdquo;</p><p>Being known as the NHL&rsquo;s top defense unit is a nice accolade for the Flyers. Even better is their lofty position in the standings. However, that doesn&rsquo;t mean Carle and his teammates are in any way anticipating the road ahead of them will be easier.</p><p>They&rsquo;ll still need to be as healthy as possible. They&rsquo;ll still need Philadelphia&rsquo;s sterling group of forwards to continue playing smart two-way hockey. And they&rsquo;ll still need whoever is in their net to do as Michael Leighton did last spring and give them a chance to win.</p><p>They&rsquo;ve got more artillery, but they&rsquo;ve still got to execute the battle plan. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t really matter what position in the standings you&rsquo;re in,&rdquo; Carle said. &ldquo;Even if you&rsquo;re in the top spot, you want to solidify home ice. You&rsquo;re watching the standings just as much this year, but instead of focusing on the 8-10 range (in the conference) the way we had to do last year, you&rsquo;re focused on the 1-3 range and watching teams like Pittsburgh and New York and trying to stay ahead of them. We know there&rsquo;s a lot of work left to do what we want to do. But it&rsquo;s great to see the quality of team that we have and know the changes we&rsquo;ve made are going to help us.&rdquo;</p><p>CAP FIGURES AND PAYROLLS COURTESY <a href="http://capgeek.com">CAPGEEK.COM</a> TOP SIX INCLUDES INJURED PLAYERS</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011698/9496101-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="2345" height="3161"></div><h2><b>Total Games Played</b></h2><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>4,287</b><br>TOTAL CAREER GAMES PLAYED BY PHILLY&rsquo;S TOP SIX DEFENSEMEN, THE EQUIVALENT OF 52-PLUS SEASONS</blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-01

PHILADELPHIA’S NEW LEGION DOOM

f0019-01

Refresh

<p>The Senators, Maple Leafs and Flames are represented in THN&rsquo;s Future Watch 2011, a special issue available in March.</p><p>A panel of 18 scouts evaluated each team&rsquo;s list of top 10 prospects and established a top 75 list from the 300 players based on long-term upside.</p><p>Toronto has the highest-ranked prospect of our three featured Canadian teams, but Ottawa had three in the top 75.</p><p>The Flames and Maple Leafs don&rsquo;t have a lot in the prospect pipeline according to the panel of 18 NHL scouts and executives.</p><p>THN&rsquo;s Future Watch panel also ranked each team&rsquo;s list of top 10 prospects and 21-and-under NHLers.</p><p>Calgary and Toronto both ranked near the bottom, while Ottawa was middle of the pack.</p><h2><b>OTTAWA</b></h2><p><b>22.</b> David Rundblad</p><p><b>40.</b> Jared Cowen</p><p><b>44.</b> Robin Lehner</p><h2><b>CALGARY</b></h2><p><b>15.</b> Tim Erixon</p><p><b>69.</b> T.J. Brodie</p><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><p><b>13.</b> Nazem Kadri</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-06254/9496310-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="871" height="586"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NAZEM KADRI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011248/9496303-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="184" height="223"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05315/9496296-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="211" height="208"></div><h3><b>16TH RANKED</b></h3><h2><b>OTTAWA</b></h2><p>NHL &lt;22: <i>E. Karlsson</i></p><p><b>1.</b> David Rundblad</p><p><b>2.</b> Jared Cowen</p><p><b>3.</b> Robin Lehner</p><p><b>4.</b> Jakob Silfverberg</p><p><b>5.</b> Bobby Butler</p><p><b>6.</b> Patrick Wiercioch</p><p><b>7.</b> Colin Greening</p><p><b>8.</b> Jim O&rsquo;Brien</p><p><b>9.</b> Erik Condra</p><p><b>10.</b> Eric Gryba</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02879/9496289-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="202" height="177"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-07208/9496282-1-eng-US/f0025-072.jpg" title="f0025-07" width="211" height="208"></div><h3><b>27TH RANKED</b></h3><h2><b>CALGARY</b></h2><p>NHL &lt;22: <i>M. Backlund</i></p><p><b>1.</b> Tim Erixon</p><p><b>2.</b> T.J. Brodie</p><p><b>3.</b> Greg Nemisz</p><p><b>4.</b> Ryan Howse</p><p><b>5.</b> Leland Irving</p><p><b>6.</b> Lance Bouma</p><p><b>7.</b> John Ramage</p><p><b>8.</b> Mitch Wahl</p><p><b>9.</b> Joni Ortio</p><p><b>10.</b> Matt Pelech</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03614/9496275-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="202" height="219"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-08174/9496268-1-eng-US/f0025-082.jpg" title="f0025-08" width="211" height="208"></div><h3><b>28TH RANKED</b></h3><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><p>NHL &lt;22: <i>L. Schenn</i></p><p><b>1.</b> Nazem Kadri</p><p><b>2.</b> James Reimer</p><p><b>3.</b> Brad Ross</p><p><b>4.</b> Keith Aulie</p><p><b>5.</b> Luca Caputi</p><p><b>6.</b> Greg McKegg</p><p><b>7.</b> Jerry D&rsquo;Amigo</p><p><b>8.</b> Marcel Mueller</p><p><b>9.</b> Juraj Mikus</p><p><b>10.</b> Jesse Blacker<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0025-06

FUTURE WATCH 2011

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>R</span>ECENT HISTORY SHOWS</b> trading stars for futures can pay off, but it doesn&rsquo;t guarantee a franchise 180. Here&rsquo;s one prominent &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; swap for each of the past five years at, or in the weeks leading up to, the trading deadline.</p><h2><b>March 9, 2006</b> &bull; <b>PIT&gt;&lt;CAR</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh traded Mark Recchi to Carolina for Niklas Nordgren, Krystofer Kolanos and a second round pick in 2007. Recchi, already 38 at the time, was a key add for the Canes&rsquo; Cup run, then went back to the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent at season&rsquo;s end. Pittsburgh&rsquo;s return on investment was a bust.</p><h2><b>Feb. 15, 2007</b> &bull; <b>PHI&gt;&lt;NSH</b></h2><p>Philadelphia traded Peter Forsberg to Nashville for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, a first round pick in 2007 and a third round pick in 2007. The Preds&rsquo; attempt to go deep in the playoffs flamed out with a first round ouster and Forsberg played just 22 games in a Nashville sweater. Rebuilding Philadelphia got some blocks for the future, but most importantly traded the firstrounder back to Nashville to secure the bargaining rights to Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen.</p><h2><b>Feb. 26, 2008</b> &bull; <b>TB&gt;&lt;DAL</b></h2><p>Tampa Bay traded Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist to Dallas for Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern and a fourth round pick in 2009. Richards has bounced back and is having a career revival with the Stars. With Smith&rsquo;s recent demotion, the Bolts have little left to show for the big swap.</p><h2><b>March 4, 2009</b> &bull; <b>PHX&gt;&lt;CGY</b></h2><p>Phoenix traded Olli Jokinen and a third round pick in 2009 to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first round pick in 2010. The Coyotes got what appeared to be a decent haul, but Lombardi walked as a free agent, Prust was traded for the asset used to eventually obtain Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan, while the first-rounder was spent on Brandon Gormley, still considered a solid prospect for the Yotes.</p><h2><b>Feb. 4, 2010</b> &bull; <b>ATL&gt;&lt;NJ</b></h2><p>Atlanta traded Ilya Kovalchuk, Anssi Salmela and a second round pick in 2010 to New Jersey for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier a first round pick in 2010 and a second round pick in 2010. The jury is still out on Kovalchuk&rsquo;s value to Jersey, while the Devils used the second-rounder on prospect Jon Merrill. Atlanta has had mixed reviews with its booty from the trade, but used the picks to help acquire Dustin Byfuglien.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021021/9496404-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK RECCHI</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04603/9496397-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">NIKLAS NORDGREN</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05461/9496390-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER FORSBERG</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07324/9496383-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">SCOTTIE UPSHALL</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-08256/9496376-1-eng-US/f0026-082.jpg" title="f0026-08" width="394" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAD RICHARDS</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-10189/9496369-1-eng-US/f0026-102.jpg" title="f0026-10" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE SMITH</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-11172/9496362-1-eng-US/f0026-112.jpg" title="f0026-11" width="399" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body">OLLI JOKINEN</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-13143/9496355-1-eng-US/f0026-132.jpg" title="f0026-13" width="408" height="515"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATTHEW LOMBARDI</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-14128/9496348-1-eng-US/f0026-142.jpg" title="f0026-14" width="398" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">ILYA KOVALCHUK</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-16105/9496341-1-eng-US/f0026-162.jpg" title="f0026-16" width="397" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICE CORMIER <span class="photo-credit">(ALL GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0026-02

TRADE DEADLINE REWIND

<p>There&rsquo;s more than one way to fall flat on your face in the NHL and these three franchises have proven it.</p><p>As indicated here, the Sens, Buds and Flames have built their 23-man rosters in very different manners.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011329/9496449-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="271" height="319"></div><h2><b>OTTAWA</b></h2><p><b>DRAFT &ndash; 13</b></p><p><b>TRADE &ndash; 5</b></p><p><b>FREE AGENTS &ndash; 5</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02932/9496442-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="293" height="316"></div><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><p><b>DRAFT &ndash; 6</b></p><p><b>TRADE &ndash; 7</b></p><p><b>FREE AGENTS &ndash; 10</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03677/9496435-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="293" height="250"></div><h2><b>CALGARY</b></h2><p><b>DRAFT &ndash;</b>&nbsp;<b>3</b></p><p><b>TRADE &ndash;</b>&nbsp;<b>12</b></p><p><b>FREE AGENTS &ndash;</b>&nbsp;<b>7</b></p><p><b>WAIVERS &ndash;</b>&nbsp;<b>1</b></p><blockquote class="pullQuote">0<br><b>PLAYOFF ROUNDS WON BY OTTAWA, TORONTO AND CALGARY OVER THE PAST THREE SEASONS</b></blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote">0<br><b>STANLEY CUPS FOR THE OTTAWA SENATORS</b> (MODERN ERA)</blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote">0<br><b>TORONTO PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SINCE THE LOCKOUT</b> (SEVEN YEARS)</blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote">0<br><b>DRAFT PICKS FROM THE PAST THREE YEARS ON THE CALGARY ROSTER</b></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0027-01

HOW THEY WERE BUILT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04539/9496525-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="288" height="422"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CALLE JOHANSSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOHANSSON: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Calle Johansson</b></p><p><i>474 pts.</i></p><p><b>Scott Stevens</b></p><p><i>429 pts.</i></p><p><b>Kevin Hatcher</b></p><p><i>426 pts.</i></p><p><b>Sergei Gonchar</b></p><p><i>416 pts.</i></p><p><b>Larry Murphy</b></p><p><i>344 pts.</i></p><p><b>Sylvain Cote</b></p><p><i>270 pts.</i></p><p><b>Mike Green</b></p><p><i>242 pts.</i></p><p><b>Rod Langway</b></p><p><i>202 pts.</i></p><p><b>Al Iafrate</b></p><p><i>176 pts.</i></p><p><b>Rick Green</b></p><p><i>158 pts.</i></p><blockquote class="pullQuote">52<br><b>Percentage of Mike Green&rsquo;s career goals scored while on the power play (41 of 79)</b></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0028-04

BLUELINE Bombers

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06318/9496626-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="658" height="802"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>P-A PARENTEAU</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PARENTEAU+MARTINEK: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011238/9496661-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="198" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02851/9496654-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03610/9496647-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="199" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04458/9496640-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05382/9496633-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="197" height="130"></div><p><b>B</b>eing pigeonholed as a career minor-leaguer is often an impossible reputation to shake.</p><p>But P-A Parenteau took notice of Matt Moulson&rsquo;s 30-goal breakout when he was finally given a true NHL opportunity last season with the Islanders. Parenteau recalls instructing agent Allan Walsh in July to find out quickly if Islanders GM Garth Snow was willing to take another flier on a skilled player who&rsquo;d been similarly labelled in several previous stops.</p><p>&ldquo;There were a few offers on the table, but I felt like this was the best place for me to make a name for myself this year,&rdquo; said Parenteau, who signed with the Isles on July 2 and hit the all-star break tied for second on the team in scoring with 30 points. &ldquo;I saw what (Moulson) was able to do with his opportunity here last year and a lot of ice time. He made the best of it and that&rsquo;s what I wanted.&rdquo;</p><p>Just like that, Moulson and Parenteau are productive linemates on Long Island, flanking 2009 first overall pick John Tavares on the Islanders&rsquo; top line. Moulson was even rewarded with a three-year, $9.4-million contract extension in January.</p><p>The 264th pick overall in 2001, Parenteau, 27, was a scorer in junior and the minors, but made just 27 NHL appearances before this season. His career path has been frustrating, but worth the wait. &ldquo;Maybe I was with the wrong organizations before,&rdquo; said the 2011 UFA. &ldquo;But I appreciate the moment even more now, because it proves it&rsquo;s never too late to make it.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07252/9496619-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="755" height="641"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-12108/9496612-1-eng-US/f0029-122.jpg" title="f0029-12" width="327" height="551"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRODEUR: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Devils&rsquo; turnaround under coach Jacques Lemaire won&rsquo;t get them a playoff spot, so many veterans (most notably, Jason Arnott) could be dealt. Some might label <b>Martin Brodeur</b> as potential trade bait, but GM Lou Lamoriello insists he won&rsquo;t move him. Zach Parise is an RFA this summer, but he&rsquo;ll likely re-sign.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08213/9496605-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="754" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1388/9496598-1-eng-US/f0029-132.jpg" title="f0029-13" width="327" height="551"></div><p>The three-year, $9.4-million contract extension Matt Moulson signed keeps him off the trade block, along with John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and a host of prospects. P-A Parenteau and <b>Radek Martinek</b> both are UFAs this summer and could provide depth for a contender in return for picks and/or prospects.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09175/9496591-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="755" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1478/9496584-1-eng-US/f0029-142.jpg" title="f0029-14" width="327" height="551"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(WOLSKI: SCOTT LEVY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Michal Rozsival/<b>Wojtek Wolski</b> trade freed up significant cap room for Rangers GM Glen Sather, who always is prepared to use it. Stars center Brad Richards&rsquo; name has been linked to the Blueshirts, but it&rsquo;s unlikely Dallas will deal him. A puck-moving defenseman to replace Rozsival&rsquo;s skill set should be Sather&rsquo;s top priority.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-10151/9496577-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="755" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1569/9496570-1-eng-US/f0029-152.jpg" title="f0029-15" width="327" height="550"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOBROVSKY: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>As one of the NHL&rsquo;s best teams, the Flyers don&rsquo;t have many holes to fill. They&rsquo;re close to the cap limit, but still could take on a player whose cap hit doesn&rsquo;t exceed $3.65 million. There is speculation they&rsquo;ll acquire a veteran goalie to spell <b>Sergei Bobrovsky</b> and Brian Boucher, but the team always prioritizes depth at other spots.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-11128/9496563-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="755" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1665/9496556-1-eng-US/f0029-162.jpg" title="f0029-16" width="327" height="551"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TALBOT: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Pens, who have virtually no cap space, have all their &lsquo;D&rsquo; and goalies signed through next season, leaving little likelihood of any acquisition there beyond short-term depth. At forward, <b>Max Talbot</b> and Pascal Dupuis are two of eight UFAs to be, but GM Ray Shero won&rsquo;t deal them unless the return has long-term benefits.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0029-06

Reclamation Project

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011412/9496762-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="604" height="756"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PATRICE BERGERON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SEIDENBERG+BEAUCHEMIN: GRAIG ABEL/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/f0030-07269/9496804-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="77" height="89"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-08221/9496797-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="195" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-09180/9496790-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="197" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-10155/9496783-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="195" height="131"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-11129/9496776-1-eng-US/f0030-112.jpg" title="f0030-11" width="188" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-12118/9496769-1-eng-US/f0030-122.jpg" title="f0030-12" width="196" height="130"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>f points were the whole point, Patrice Bergeron could always score more. He wouldn&rsquo;t hover around the NHL&rsquo;s top 10 in plusminus, though; top opposing lines would score more easily and Boston wouldn&rsquo;t win as often. &ldquo;Bergie could cheat to score more,&rdquo; said Mark Recchi, Bergeron&rsquo;s linemate since the 43-year-old was acquired at the 2009 trade deadline, &ldquo;but he never cheats &ndash; never. He thinks team first.&rdquo;</p><p>Touted as one of the NHL&rsquo;s best young offensive forwards after 73-and 70-point seasons in the first two post-lockout years, Bergeron is now in his third year as coach Claude Julien&rsquo;s go-to center against opponents&rsquo; top lines. He scored 39 points in 2008-09 and 52 last season. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my role now,&rdquo; said Bergeron, whose play won him a spot on Canada&rsquo;s 2010 Olympic team. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not always going to show on the scoresheet &ndash; the details, all those things. That&rsquo;s part of the gig. I&rsquo;m fine with it.&rdquo;</p><p>The gig, which involves killing penalties and taking crucial faceoffs has included more scoring this season.</p><p>Bergeron topped Boston with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) and a 17-point January led all NHL scorers, earning him the league&rsquo;s first star for the month. &ldquo;To get rewarded feels nice,&rdquo; said Bergeron, who team president Cam Neely says merits serious Masterton Trophy consideration for battling back from two 2008 concussions. &ldquo;But I really feel I was playing the same way as before&hellip;I&rsquo;m still doing whatever the team wants me to do.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-13106/9496755-1-eng-US/f0030-132.jpg" title="f0030-13" width="755" height="643"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02968/9496748-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="305" height="508"></div><p>Last year Boston acquired <b>Dennis Seidenberg</b> from Florida near the trade deadline and the B&rsquo;s could be targeting a puck-moving defenseman this season, too. Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara are the only blueliners who provide substantial offense. Gritty defenseman Mark Stuart could be on his way out of town.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1494/9496741-1-eng-US/f0030-142.jpg" title="f0030-14" width="755" height="603"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03711/9496734-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="305" height="504"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CONNOLLY: MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Oft-injured <b>Tim Connolly</b> is eligible to become a UFA come July and it&rsquo;s hard to imagine Buffalo keeping him in the fold. With that in mind, why not dangle him to see if a team will part with a late round draft pick in exchange for a couple months&rsquo; worth of service? Stay tuned to find out what new owner Terry Pegula&rsquo;s overall vision is.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1586/9496727-1-eng-US/f0030-152.jpg" title="f0030-15" width="754" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04527/9496720-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BERGERON+WISNIEWSKI: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Habs already moved to acquire <b>James Wisniewski</b> after Josh Gorges and Andrei Markov were lost for the year. Andrei Kostitsyn&rsquo;s name has popped up in rumors, but even though the pending RFA is maddeningly inconsistent, Montreal needs offense wherever it can get it and might ride things out in the hopes he gets on a hot streak.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1669/9496713-1-eng-US/f0030-162.jpg" title="f0030-16" width="754" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05406/9496706-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIPS: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>A fire sale looms if the team goes into full-on rebuilding mode, though Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson are viewed as untouchable. Everybody else could be in play. <b>Chris Phillips&rsquo;</b> name arises more than most; he&rsquo;s a pending UFA with a no-trade clause, but there can&rsquo;t be much motivation to stick around Ottawa.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1759/9496699-1-eng-US/f0030-172.jpg" title="f0030-17" width="754" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06338/9496692-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="305" height="508"></div><p>Moving vets such as <b>Francois Beauchemin</b> and J-S Giguere, if possible, seems like a nobrainer. The real head-scratcher is whether or not to sell high on Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur. Are they two guys playing way above their heads or a pair of still-young skaters ready to become impact NHLers for the next 10 years?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

A Style Evolved

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011293/9496905-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="604" height="750"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DOMINIC MOORE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MOORE: 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/f0031-1289/9496947-1-eng-US/f0031-122.jpg" title="f0031-12" width="74" height="83"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07285/9496940-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08229/9496933-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="196" height="131"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09191/9496926-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="197" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-10152/9496919-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="191" height="131"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-11119/9496912-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="196" height="130"></div><p><b>I</b>t isn&rsquo;t that Dominic Moore enjoys continually uprooting his life, it just seems to work out that way.</p><p>But playing with eight different teams during his six NHL seasons has had its advantages. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously not the most ideal situation,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;But at the same time it makes you stronger. Challenges, obstacles, that&rsquo;s how you develop.&rdquo;</p><p>Moore, 30, seems to have found a home with the Lightning. In the first year of a two-year, $2.2-million deal, he is anchoring the third line and killing penalties. Through 46 games he was minus-15, but plus-5 with four points and two shootout goals in the 10 games prior to the all-star break. Coach Guy Boucher called Moore Tampa&rsquo;s best defensive forward during that stretch. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s relentless,&rdquo; Boucher said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no soft pause in his game, there&rsquo;s no slowing down. It&rsquo;s always pedal to the floor. He&rsquo;s reliable both ways.&rdquo;</p><p>As for Moore&rsquo;s troubles early on, chalk them up to getting comfortable with Boucher&rsquo;s high-intensity system and playing for a team with such poor goaltending it had a minus-3 goal differential despite being second in the East at the break.</p><p>Moore, traded five times and signed twice as a free agent, might stick around to play in a system where speed, work ethic and versatility rule. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been an energy here right from training camp all the way through,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s pulling on the same chain. Everyone wants to succeed here. It&rsquo;s fun to be part of that.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1373/9496898-1-eng-US/f0031-132.jpg" title="f0031-13" width="754" height="642"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02867/9496891-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="305" height="509"></div><p>Short on top-six forwards and desperate for the playoffs, Atlanta will be shopping at the deadline, if the price is right. With $18 million in cap space, the Thrashers have room, but do they have the internal budget? <b>Niclas Bergfors</b> has been floated as trade bait and Nik Antropov is available, but moving blueliners is more likely.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1463/9496884-1-eng-US/f0031-142.jpg" title="f0031-14" width="755" height="603"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03663/9496877-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="306" height="483"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PITKANEN: GREGG FORWERCK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>If the Canes falter, look for any of future UFAs <b>Joni Pitkanen</b>, Ian White and Erik Cole to move. But riding the success of the All-Star Game, the team will be loathe to give up on the playoffs. With nearly $10 million in cap space and only $26 million committed next season, will cagey GM Jim Rutherford be allowed to add salary?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1555/9496870-1-eng-US/f0031-152.jpg" title="f0031-15" width="755" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04515/9496863-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BERGFORS+STILLMAN: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>With needs everywhere, a rebuild in full swing and six UFAs 30 or older, the Panthers will be active sellers. Tomas Vokoun, <b>Cory Stillman</b> and, broken jaw or no, Bryan McCabe will garner interest, but others are sure to go, too. GM Dale Tallon would love a repeat of the 2010 draft when he had six of the first 50 selections.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1647/9496856-1-eng-US/f0031-162.jpg" title="f0031-16" width="755" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05410/9496849-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(YZERMAN: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>With about $10 million to spend, GM <b>Steve Yzerman</b> has the funds to shore up his blueline. AHL Norfolk&rsquo;s M-A Bergeron can help offensively, but goals aren&rsquo;t the problem in Tampa. Toronto&rsquo;s Francois Beauchemin is a veteran guy who would fit nicely and can be had, but Yzerman won&rsquo;t sacrifice the future for the present.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1743/9496842-1-eng-US/f0031-172.jpg" title="f0031-17" width="755" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06346/9496835-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PERREAULT: GREG FIUME/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Mathieu Perreault</b> and Marcus Johansson have been decent No. 2 and 3 centers, but the Caps need a veteran playmaking pivot in the Jason Arnott mould. With $1.4 million in cap space it can happen, but the most tradeable assets are top-notch juniors &ndash; no GM wants to part with those. A vet goalie wouldn&rsquo;t hurt either.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-01

No. 8 Could be the One

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011387/9496978-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICK SHARP <span class="photo-credit">(SHARP: 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/f0032-03684/9496992-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="77" height="83"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04518/9496985-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="195" height="130"></div><p><b>T</b>here were a number of times during Patrick Sharp&rsquo;s career he had trouble getting noticed. That tends to happen with late bloomers.</p><p>No such problem anymore. That tends to happen to guys who win the Stanley Cup. If you want to find Sharp these days, just look on the ice during crucial moments. When the Hawks are a man up, check out the top of the left circle.</p><p>The 29-year-old Sharp hasn&rsquo;t exactly feasted on the power play, but his move to the point during last year&rsquo;s playoffs thrust him into an even more prominent place on the Hawks and into the spotlight, not to mention the NHL leader-board. Entering the all-star break, 11 of Sharp&rsquo;s 26 goals and 21 of his 46 points had come on the power play. &ldquo;It took me a while to adjust getting put back on the point in the playoffs last year,&rdquo; Sharp said, &ldquo;and I felt like I got better through the course of the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>The unit has basically remained the same for this season and the production has continued. &ldquo;I know I&rsquo;ve got a lot of the goals,&rdquo; Sharp said. &ldquo;But other guys are making the plays and putting the puck in as well. I&rsquo;m not the only one benefitting from our power play.&rdquo;</p><p>Granted, a guy is going to make some serious hay when Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith (and occasionally Brent Seabrook) is playing the other side of the blue-line and Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa are feathering passes to you for one-timers at the top of the circle. But Sharp has earned his spot on Chicago&rsquo;s first unit with his dangerous shot and ability to read the ice.</p><p>As the Blackhawks have defended their Stanley Cup this season, they have experienced a good number of ups and downs. Not everything has gone right to be sure, but one thing that has been constant has been their top-ranked power play. &ldquo;We know that if we can get him the puck on the power play, he&rsquo;s not going to make too many mistakes as far as finishing off the play,&rdquo; Toews said. &ldquo;I think he has been a huge part of why our power play is at the top of the league right now.&rdquo;</p><p>Sharp&rsquo;s transformation into a power play beast represents something of a radical change for him. Until the playoffs last season, Sharp was known more for his penalty killing. In fact, in 2007-08, he tied Daniel Alfredsson for the league lead with seven shorthanded goals. He&rsquo;s still dangerous while killing penalties, but his role in that department has diminished while his power play time has increased. &ldquo;Back then, I wasn&rsquo;t playing the power play,&rdquo; Sharp said. &ldquo;So I had to find a way to put the puck in the net one way or another. Then it seemed to be shorthanded and 5-on-5. I still like to take those chances when I&rsquo;m killing a penalty, but most of all I&rsquo;d like to do a little more scoring 5-on-5 the rest of the way. Whatever way I can get in the open and put the puck in the net, I&rsquo;m going to do that.&rdquo;</p><p>One thing that did stick out among the top 20 scorers in the NHL was Sharp&rsquo;s minus-10. Much of that was due to the fact he was minus-5 in one game (against the Devils, of all teams) and minus-3 in another. And he has been on the ice for three empty-net goals against, but it&rsquo;s a blight on his statistical line that he&rsquo;d like to see improve. &ldquo;I wish I had the answer to that,&rdquo; Sharp said. &ldquo;I like to think I&rsquo;m a good two-way player. I have been my whole career. I&rsquo;ve had seasons where I&rsquo;ve been in the plus-20s and I&rsquo;ve had seasons where I&rsquo;ve been in the minus. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;d like to get rid of because it&rsquo;s no fun seeing that big minus number beside your name. There are lots of reasons for it, but I just have to make sure I score more 5-on-5.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-01

Production on Point

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02933/9497023-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="260" height="439"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STEVEN STAMKOS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STAMKOS: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Patrick Sharp</b></p><p><i>42%</i></p><p><b>Daniel Sedin</b></p><p><i>41%</i></p><p><b>Steven Stamkos</b></p><p><i>38%</i></p><p><b>Corey Perry</b></p><p><i>36%</i></p><p><b>Johan Franzen</b></p><p><i>35%</i></p><p><b>Ryan Kesler</b></p><p><i>33%</i></p><p><b>Sidney Crosby</b></p><p><i>31%</i></p><p><b>Eric Staal</b></p><p><i>28%</i></p><p><b>Jeff Carter</b></p><p><i>25%</i></p><p><b>Danny Briere</b></p><p><i>19%</i></p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>54</b><br><b>Special teams goals during Sharp&rsquo;s 468-game career, 35.5 percent of his 152 tallies</b></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0032-02

Power UP

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011236/9497124-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="600" height="792"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>T.J. OSHIE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(OSHIE: JAMIE SABAU/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/f0033-2047/9497166-1-eng-US/f0033-202.jpg" title="f0033-20" width="108" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07336/9497159-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08270/9497152-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="195" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-09217/9497145-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-10184/9497138-1-eng-US/f0033-102.jpg" title="f0033-10" width="194" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-11162/9497131-1-eng-US/f0033-112.jpg" title="f0033-11" width="194" height="130"></div><p><b>B</b>efore T.J. Oshie entered a St. Louis-area sports bar in January, the line of Blues fans had stretched out the door.</p><p>Hundreds were hoping to get a glimpse of the team&rsquo;s most popular player, even asking to buy the hat off the 24-year-old&rsquo;s head. He politely declined, but it&rsquo;s no surprise people want a piece of Oshie. After all, this is the player who received write-in votes in the 2009 mayoral race in St. Louis (even though he was just 22 years old &ndash; and, therefore, ineligible for the position) only a season into his NHL career.</p><p>There&rsquo;s no doubt fans missed him while he sat out 31 games with a broken ankle. But no one suffered more than the Blues. Oshie was leading the team in points when he fell awkwardly in a scrum Nov. 10 in Columbus. The Blues were 9-2-2 with him and 12-15-4 without him.</p><p>Oshie&rsquo;s impact when he returned was immediate. He stepped right in to play about 19 minutes per contest and helped center Patrik Berglund, who hadn&rsquo;t scored in 10 games, snipe in three straight with Oshie on his right side. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an energetic guy just in the room,&rdquo; said D-man Erik Johnson. &ldquo;He plays in a lot of situations for us, plays with a lot of enthusiasm and it&rsquo;s definitely a big lift for us.&rdquo;</p><p>And, of course, Oshie is a big lift for the fans, too. Before he left the sports bar, a young woman stepped in front of him and asked if he remembered her. Oshie&rsquo;s response was a campaign classic: &ldquo;Yeah, yeah,&rdquo; he said with a smile.</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-12144/9497117-1-eng-US/f0033-122.jpg" title="f0033-12" width="753" height="643"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02849/9497110-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="305" height="504"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MORIN+STUART: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Hawks, in dire cap straits entering the season, have banked a sliver of space thanks in part to frequent demotions and recalls of defenseman Nick Leddy and right winger <b>Jeremy Morin</b>. Under the right circumstances, they could add an experienced center (the return of John Madden?) or a gritty depth defenseman.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-13119/9497103-1-eng-US/f0033-132.jpg" title="f0033-13" width="753" height="603"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03668/9497096-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COMMODORE: DALE MACMILLAN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Depending on their performance leading up to the deadline, the Jackets could be either buyers or sellers. If they&rsquo;re the latter, no one other than Rick Nash is untouchable and naturally they&rsquo;d love to unload <b>Mike Commodore</b>. For a playoff push, GM Scott Howson will first look to bolster a blueline that lacks a stud.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-14101/9497089-1-eng-US/f0033-142.jpg" title="f0033-14" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04543/9497082-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="305" height="509"></div><p>GM Ken Holland won&rsquo;t have much wiggle room at the deadline as his Wings are up against the cap. Healthy returns of players such as Pavel Datsyuk, <b>Brad Stuart</b> and Danny Cleary is all this team requires to make another serious push for the Stanley Cup. Depth at any position would be welcome, but not crucial.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1583/9497075-1-eng-US/f0033-152.jpg" title="f0033-15" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05459/9497068-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="305" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LOMBARDI: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>While the Predators need offensive help (will <b>Matthew Lombardi</b> be back this season?) and have young players and prospects to dangle as bait, the market isn&rsquo;t brimming with snipers. The notion has also been floated that captain Shea Weber, a pending restricted free agent, may enter the market, but don&rsquo;t bank on it.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1673/9497061-1-eng-US/f0033-162.jpg" title="f0033-16" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06401/9497054-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="305" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BREWER: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The injury-beleaguered Blues may be getting some of their key forwards back for the stretch drive, but could still use help up front. And they have depth on defense, which will be attractive to other teams. While the franchise has denied it is shopping Erik Johnson, veteran <b>Eric Brewer</b>, a pending UFA, could fetch a decent return.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-01

Blues Man Back in Style

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011403/9497267-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="701" height="776"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JEFF PETRY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KOTALIK: FRANCOIS LACASSE/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/f0034-07398/9497309-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="76" height="81"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-08343/9497302-1-eng-US/f0034-082.jpg" title="f0034-08" width="195" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-09285/9497295-1-eng-US/f0034-092.jpg" title="f0034-09" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-10256/9497288-1-eng-US/f0034-102.jpg" title="f0034-10" width="195" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-11230/9497281-1-eng-US/f0034-112.jpg" title="f0034-11" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-12213/9497274-1-eng-US/f0034-122.jpg" title="f0034-12" width="195" height="130"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>R</span>ookie defensemen straight out of college are supposed to struggle and sons of World Series pitchers are supposed to follow in their fathers&rsquo; footsteps.</p><p>So Jeff Petry should either be throwing strikes or struggling in the American League, not playing first unit power play in the NHL. But the 23-year-old is making great time on his unexpected career path, turning an injury call-up into the foundation for a permanent stay. &ldquo;In my opinion, he&rsquo;s doing great,&rdquo; said teammate Tom Gilbert. &ldquo;His patience is awesome on the ice, especially considering he&rsquo;s only played a handful of games.&rdquo;</p><p>Petry, who got the call in late December when Jim Vandermeer was on the shelf and Ryan Whitney went down with a season-ending ankle injury, is becoming much more than the temporary band-aid most people expected. Coach Tom Renney already plays him more than 21 minutes a night (third on the Oilers), including 27:22 Jan. 23 against Nashville.</p><p>Selected 45th overall in 2006, Petry was never a can&rsquo;t-miss kid, but he&rsquo;s a quick learner; the more he plays, the better he looks. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not afraid to jump in the play,&rdquo; Petry said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just an overall feeling that I&rsquo;m less nervous out there.&rdquo;</p><p>A lot less so than when he told 125-game winner Dan Petry, best known as a Detroit Tiger, he was quitting baseball. &ldquo;To come out and tell my dad that I wanted to give up baseball and play hockey was really tough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But he was completely fine with it.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-13188/9497260-1-eng-US/f0034-132.jpg" title="f0034-13" width="753" height="642"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02971/9497253-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="305" height="508"></div><p>Calgary&rsquo;s return to playoff contention quieted rumors that Jarome Iginla was Los Angeles bound and Miikka Kiprusoff available. Matter of fact, the Flames lead the league in players (11) with a form of no-trade clause. If Calgary stumbles in February, defenseman <b>Robyn Regehr</b> would fetch decent return from a contending team.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-14173/9497246-1-eng-US/f0034-142.jpg" title="f0034-14" width="753" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03772/9497239-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FOOTE: DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Avs have only 11 regulars under contract next season, so plenty of expiring contracts. Injuries have ravaged the lineup all year, but Colorado has remained competitive thanks to its depth and firewagon style &ndash; Avs games are the most wide open, averaging 6.46 goals. Pending UFA <b>Adam Foote</b> may generate interest.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-15159/9497232-1-eng-US/f0034-152.jpg" title="f0034-15" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04623/9497225-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="305" height="508"></div><p>The Oilers are typically sellers this time of year, but won&rsquo;t part with any youth other than underachieving AndrewCogliano. Names heard in trade rumors are <b>Dustin Penner</b> and Ales Hemsky &ndash; one of them is bound to move on. Farmed-out Sheldon Souray would be compelling if not for the $5.4 million left on his contract next season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-16155/9497218-1-eng-US/f0034-162.jpg" title="f0034-16" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05514/9497211-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="307" height="481"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PETRY+PENNER+MADDEN: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Wild don&rsquo;t have a lot of cap space to play with, but the team is expected to be a buyer because its on the playoff bubble and hasn&rsquo;t made the post-season in three years. If Minnesota falters in February and falls out of contention, look for defensive ace and playoff specialist <b>John Madden</b> to get a lot of interest.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-17135/9497204-1-eng-US/f0034-172.jpg" title="f0034-17" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06463/9497197-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RAYMOND: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Canucks will probably wait out their injury issues on defense rather than seek a filler, mainly because they&rsquo;re right up against the salary cap. Forwards <b>Mason Raymond</b> and Mikael Samuelsson have been mentioned as trade fodder because their numbers are down. A fourth-line playoff performer would come in handy.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-01

Staying Power

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JIM GINTONIO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011307/9497410-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="601" height="742"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KEITH YANDLE</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-12191/9497452-1-eng-US/f0035-122.jpg" title="f0035-12" width="76" height="81"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07412/9497445-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-08354/9497438-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="195" height="131"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-09306/9497431-1-eng-US/f0035-092.jpg" title="f0035-09" width="196" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-10263/9497424-1-eng-US/f0035-102.jpg" title="f0035-10" width="195" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-11222/9497417-1-eng-US/f0035-112.jpg" title="f0035-11" width="196" height="130"></div><p><b>T</b>he Coyotes&rsquo; Keith Yandle seems to be the least impressed of anyone by his play this season.</p><p>He led all NHL defensemen in scoring at the all-star break; he had 22 power play points, more than double the amount of the Yotes&rsquo; other blue-liners combined; his offensive thrust made him a constant threat; and his defense was considerably improved.</p><p>Yet the respect factor around the league had not yet caught up to him. Only his own teammates seemed to know his value. Captain Shane Doan said Yandle is the best player on the ice 75 percent of the time.</p><p>Yandle, who was named an alternate captain earlier this season, was a late addition to the All-Star Game and said he felt &ldquo;a little bit out of place,&rdquo; among the superstars. But a day after the game he was named the NHL&rsquo;s second star for January.</p><p>The 24-year-old has leaned heavily on Doan, his &lsquo;D&rsquo; partner Derek Morris and veteran Ed Jovanovski for guidance. Morris has been his mentor since he made the NHL. &ldquo;I think now with our coaching staff, the way Ulfie (associate coach Ulf Samuelsson) and Tip (coach Dave Tippett) have talked about the importance of playing defense and taking care of your end first, it really helps out on the offensive end,&rdquo; Yandle said.</p><p>Asked to comment on Yandle&rsquo;s season, Tippet was succinct and agreed with Doan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been our top player here this year,&rdquo; the coach said, before adding that Yandle&rsquo;s respect factor continues to grow around the league. It&rsquo;s about time.</p><h2><b>TRADE BUZZ</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-13164/9497403-1-eng-US/f0035-132.jpg" title="f0035-13" width="753" height="641"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02924/9497396-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GETZLAF: JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGESH)</span></figcaption></div><p>With the Ducks surviving the absence of <b>Ryan Getzlaf</b>, out due to facial injuries, the team was looking like a legitimate threat to do damage in the playoffs once again. If Anaheim could use anything, it would be another sturdy depth defense-man. The team had about $4 million to play with if they decide to go all-in.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-14142/9497389-1-eng-US/f0035-142.jpg" title="f0035-14" width="753" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03765/9497382-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="305" height="508"></div><p>The acquisition of <b>Jamie Langenbrunner</b> proved the Stars could take on some salary, despite the team&rsquo;s ongoing ownership issue, but is there room for a cherry on top? Dallas has been excellent all year, but a puck-moving D-man &ndash; as the team was used to having in Sergei Zubov in the past &ndash; would really signal a Cup run.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-15124/9497375-1-eng-US/f0035-152.jpg" title="f0035-15" width="753" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04627/9497368-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="306" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(QUICK: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Funny how history repeats itself. Last year the Kings faded down the stretch by relying too much on No. 1 goalie <b>Jonathan Quick</b>. With backup Jonathan Bernier posting dismal numbers and fewer starts before the all-star break, the Kings may not even squeak in to this post-season unless another netminder can help.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-16112/9497361-1-eng-US/f0035-162.jpg" title="f0035-16" width="755" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05534/9497354-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="305" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROZSIVAL: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Dogs shored up their back end by trading for <b>Michal Rozsival</b>, but scoring is still an area of concern. No forward is even close to posting a point per game, but there is room to add &ndash; mathematically. Phoenix had $9.6 million in cap space; whether GM Don Maloney is allowed to spend it is another issue altogether.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1790/9497347-1-eng-US/f0035-172.jpg" title="f0035-17" width="754" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06482/9497340-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="305" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(YANDLE+LANGENBRUNNER+BOYLE: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>If the Sharks fall out of the playoff picture by the deadline, it will be a two-fold disaster, since a tear-down is not easy. Between <b>Dan Boyle</b> and the Big 3 of Thornton, Heatley and Marleau, the Sharks have committed more than $28 million of cap space per season through 2013-14 and all four have at least limited no-trade clauses.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-01

Can’t Handle the Yandle

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02874/9497490-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PETES PUGILIST</b></p><p><b>Scouts think Peterborough&rsquo;s Derek Mathers is certain to be drafted, thanks to one skill.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(KENNETH ANDERSEN)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011303/9497497-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="70" height="78"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>t the recent</b> CHL Top Prospects Game in Toronto, one of the biggest cheers from the crowd came in the second period when Vancouver Giants defenseman David Musil dropped the gloves with Saskatoon Blades blueliner Duncan Siemens.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03720/9497483-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="253" height="86"></div><p>Though fighting is still part of hockey, it goes without saying that pugilistic instincts aren&rsquo;t as valued as two-way play or exceptional play-making  vision. But enforcers still need to come from somewhere and in recent drafts, teams have sought out players who can punch.</p><p>Two years ago, Los Angeles used an early second round pick on Kyle Clifford, whose 133 PIM that season dwarfed his 28 points in the Ontario League. He didn&rsquo;t even crack THN&rsquo;s top 100 in Draft Preview that year, but now Clifford is an effective energy player who is top-10 in NHL fighting majors.</p><p>This past summer the New York Rangers made a splash when they took Moose Jaw defenseman Dylan McIlrath 10th overall &ndash; before offensively gifted D-men Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley. McIlrath has been dubbed &lsquo;The Undertaker&rsquo; and &lsquo;King of the Jungle&rsquo; by scouts.</p><p>The only reason he&rsquo;s on pace for less tilts in the Western League this year is no one wants to fight him. He is up in the points department, however, which helps justify his high standing a little. That&rsquo;s the reality today: purebred</p><p>enforcers are tough to find and can be difficult to justify having in an NHL lineup.</p><p>Spotting the right tough guy in the draft can be tricky, too. &ldquo;It all depends on how good a player he is and if that&rsquo;s something valued on your team,&rdquo; said an NHL exec. &ldquo;Is he an intimidating fighter? Does he know when to fight and when not to? Does he understand his role? Because you have to be a mentally tough player for that role.&rdquo;</p><p>The leading candidate this season is right winger Derek Mathers of the OHL&rsquo;s Peterborough Petes, who had tallied 20 fighting majors by late January. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s probably the predominant fighter not only in the Ontario League, but in all of major junior hockey,&rdquo; said one scout of the kid who played Jr. B last season. &ldquo;He knows what he&rsquo;s doing and he makes quick work.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite posting just a goal and five points on the season, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Mathers made Central Scouting&rsquo;s mid-term ranking (197th among North American skaters) and is expected to be snapped up quicker than first anticipated. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll probably go two rounds higher than he should go, based on the fact he does one thing&hellip;maybe three rounds,&rdquo; said the scout. &ldquo;Some team is going to step up to get him.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>122</b><br><b>Mathers&rsquo; PIM through 39 games this season, good for second in the OHL</b></blockquote><p>For Mathers, the ranking was welcome &ndash; and surprising &ndash; news. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even know there was such a thing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A buddy of mine told me after the list came out. I never realized how much of a chance I really had.&rdquo;</p><p>But the fact is, Mathers can skate and, as a converted blueliner, he can at least hold his own defensively.</p><p>On the other end of the continent, Seattle right winger Jacob Doty boasts similar numbers. The Thunderbirds enforcer is 6-foot-3, 207 pounds and also had 20 fights on record this season. One Western scout said a lot about the profession when describing Doty: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s tough and skates well, but he doesn&rsquo;t accomplish a lot out there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Somebody will draft him. But I think it&rsquo;s a dying breed.&rdquo;</p><p>The only other option is nabbing a fighter via free agency. You don&rsquo;t waste a pick, but risk missing out on the player you want.</p><p>For Peterborough&rsquo;s heavy-weight, fighting for a living is much simpler. &ldquo;I like doing it,&rdquo; Mathers said. &ldquo;It might sound weird, but it&rsquo;s fun.&rdquo;</p><p>And if it gets the Petes policeman into an NHL jersey at the draft in Minnesota this summer, the pastime will be even more of a joy for him &ndash; and his future teammates.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-02

Fighting for Draft Status

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011163/9497528-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>DANGEROUS BLADE</b></p><p><b>Saskatoon D-man Duncan Siemens is one tough hombre with skill.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(STEVE HISCOCK)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02810/9497535-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="69" height="77"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>traight-up enforcers can be a risky proposition for a team when drafting, but there&rsquo;s no shortage of higher-end players willing to chuck the mitts in this season&rsquo;s draft crop.</p><p>Leading the way is Kitchener Rangers captain Gabriel Landeskog, whose all-around game should preclude him from fighting, but whose leadership qualities sometimes find him sticking up for a teammate nonetheless.</p><p>In terms of players who are more predisposed to fisticuffs, Saskatoon Blades defenseman Duncan Siemens is at the top of the list. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner is a solid skater, boasts a wicked shot and puts up numbers. But he&rsquo;s also hell if you&rsquo;re not wearing a Saskatoon jersey. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s tough to play against, a typical Blade,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;He can be nasty.&rdquo;</p><p>Siemens had dropped the gloves five times heading into February, but his tilt with Vancouver&rsquo;s David Musil at the Top Prospects Game &ndash; which came as the result of Siemens roughing up Sven Bartschi and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins simultaneously &ndash; has been the most famous.</p><p>Another Western boy who tried to show the scouts what he could do at that game was Regina defenseman Myles Bell, but was turned down several times by Saint John sniper Jonathan Huberdeau. Probably a good thing, too; Huberdeau is much slighter than the six-foot, 202-pounder. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t find kids with that kind of strength in junior,&rdquo; one scout said of Bell. &ldquo;He throws really big hits, out-muscles guys, wins battles for the puck &ndash; he&rsquo;s got the &lsquo;wow&rsquo; factor.&rdquo;</p><p>Another player to keep an eye on is U.S. national team development program right winger Tyler Biggs, who, at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, hasn&rsquo;t been afraid to take on some of the United States League&rsquo;s most prolific pugilists this season. &ldquo;He has size and strength,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;He finishes his checks hard and he&rsquo;s big and aggressive.&rdquo;</p><p><b>For more on the future, check out: <a href="http://thn.com/prospects">thn.com/prospects</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-01

Hybrid Threats

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011262/9497573-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JUST A LITTLE PATIENCE</b></p><p><b>The Red Wings are happy to let hot prospect Teemu Pulkkinen develop in Finland.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PULKKINEN: TOM SZCZERBOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2073/9497580-1-eng-US/f0038-202.jpg" title="f0038-20" width="108" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>o matter</b> when the player is selected, it&rsquo;s become almost gospel that if the Detroit Red Wings are making the pick, the kid&rsquo;s going to turn into something special. And with reason, of course. The lore surrounding late-rounders such as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg is well established, but in recent years prospects such as Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist and Petr Mrazek have all played above their station based on when the Wings picked them. So it&rsquo;s only fair to wonder about Finnish left winger Teemu Pulkkinen.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02865/9497566-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="209" height="105"></div><p>Taken 111th overall by Detroit in 2010, Pulkkinen sat 12th in Finland&rsquo;s highest league with 13 goals and 38 points through 42 games for Jokerit. At 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, he&rsquo;s not small, so how did the Wings once again get a bargain? &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a nose for the net,&rdquo; said Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill. &ldquo;I think what scared a lot of people in the draft, including us, is that he could score, but didn&rsquo;t do a lot else.&rdquo;</p><p>Thankfully for Detroit fans, Pulkkinen has improved on that this season, particularly on the biggest stage for junior-agers, the World Junior Championship. &ldquo;We thought he played very well,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a natural scorer, but we were more pleased with his all-around game.&rdquo;</p><p>Pulkkinen&rsquo;s conditioning and ability to compete for loose pucks also improved, which goes a long way in explaining why he has been the SM-Liiga&rsquo;s top rookie. But like all good soldiers, the 19-year-old deflects some of the credit. &ldquo;We have a good team and a good line,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m playing with good guys.&rdquo;</p><p>European teens playing in their nation&rsquo;s top league is not a rare occurrence, so just being there doesn&rsquo;t guarantee a prospect is on his way. Judging Pulkkinen&rsquo;s progress against similar prospects playing in, say, major junior or the NCAA involves looking into his specific contribution. &ldquo;The key is he&rsquo;s playing and having success,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;Now you know there&rsquo;s something there.&rdquo;</p><p>At the world juniors, Pulkkinen was the top scorer for a Finnish squad that surprised in the round robin, but flamed out in the medal round. Ironically, the sniping left winger dished out twice as many goals as he scored, with six of his nine points coming from assists.</p><p>A big reason for that was the absence of Minnesota Wild first-rounder Mikael Granlund, a playmaking center who missed the tournament with a concussion. &ldquo;Of course we expected Teemu to score for our team,&rdquo; said Finnish national coach Lauri Marjamaki. &ldquo;He is a typical scorer. We need Finnish hockey players like that.&rdquo;</p><p>Based on the Red Wings&rsquo; slow-and-steady development model, both Jokerit and the national junior team can expect to have Pulkkinen back again next season.</p><p>&ldquo;If he approached us and really wanted to come to North America, we&rsquo;d sit down and show him the positives and negatives,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;But he could stay in Finland for a couple more years.&rdquo;</p><p>For his part, Pulkkinen knows he has work to do before trying to crack the vaunted Red Wings roster. &ldquo;I have to get more strength in my body and muscles,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe some day, but not yet.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

One Fine Finnish Find

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03695/9497611-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="527" height="730"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MIKAEL GRANLUND</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GRANLUND: TOMI NATRI)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>1. TEEMU PULKKINEN, LW</b></p><p>Jokerit</p><p><i>Leading rookie scorer in the SM-Liiga is learning to round out his game</i></p><p><b>2. MIKAEL GRANLUND, C</b></p><p>HIFK</p><p><i>Back from a concussion that cost him the world juniors, the Wild first-rounder is still playing smart, hard-nosed hockey</i></p><p><b>3. SAMI VATANEN, D</b></p><p>JYP</p><p><i>One of the leading scorers among defensemen, the undersized Ducks prospect is also among the best in plus-minus</i></p><p><b>4. JOONAS DONSKOI, RW</b></p><p>Karpat Oulu</p><p><i>Florida draft pick has been a solid contributor to Karpat and led the team with 13 goals through 38 games</i></p><p><b>5. JOONAS NATTINEN, C</b></p><p>Espoo Blues</p><p><i>Habs prospect with great size and good hands has been hampered by injury this season</i></p><p>Read more of Ryan Kennedy&rsquo;s <b>&lsquo;The Hot List&rsquo;</b> Tuesdays at <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-03

Finntastic

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011158/9497649-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CANE DO ATTITUDE</b></p><p><b>Defenseman Charlie Pelnik is a local boy making noise for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PELNIK: KEN CAMPBELL/THND)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02760/9497656-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="71" height="81"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>uring the NHL</b> all-star weekend festivities, 15-year-old Charlie Pelnik headed downtown with a Sharpie in hand, hoping to get some autographs as the best players in the Show walked JR. the red carpet.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03596/9497642-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="192" height="117"><figcaption class="caption-body">JR.</figcaption></div><p>If all goes according to plan, about a decade from now Pelnik might be the one walking the red carpet. And who knows? Perhaps another fresh-faced hockey player from the deep South will be chasing him for a signature.</p><p>A sophomore in high school making a verbal commitment to one of the most successful and prestigious programs in college hockey is rare enough, but when that player played all his minor hockey on Tobacco Road, that&rsquo;s a story. And that&rsquo;s exactly the case with Pelnik, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound defenseman for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes midget team whose rise has been meteoric. Late last year, he became the second-youngest player in history to commit to the University of North Dakota after being recruited by every major college program in the country. Pelnik is ranked as a top-10 pick in the Ontario League draft and the Waterloo Black Hawks have already told him they intend to pick him first overall in the United States League draft.</p><p>Agents have been calling and in the spring he&rsquo;ll be one of 40 players vying for a spot with the under-17 program at the U.S. national team development program.</p><p>Even though Pelnik has committed his college eligibility to North Dakota, there will undoubtedly be a strong push by the OHL to hasten his route to the NHL. Should he opt for college, he&rsquo;ll have to wait another two years and will be drafted in the NHL as a college freshman. Should he play major junior, he&rsquo;d have two years of OHL competition under his belt by the time he&rsquo;s drafted.</p><p>&ldquo;Everything is on the table right now,&rdquo; Pelnik said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made the commitment to North Dakota and that&rsquo;s where I want to be, but I also want the best route for me and we&rsquo;re considering everything right now.&rdquo;</p><p>If Pelnik can crack the under-17 roster he&rsquo;ll likely play in Ann Arbor next season and take the year to decide whether he wants to play major junior or college. But OHL teams will push very hard to get him and they have a major advantage over North Dakota, who can&rsquo;t even speak with him despite his verbal commitment.</p><p>Pelnik will have to fill out his frame over the next couple of seasons, but that should not be a problem. His father, Chris, is 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds. Pelnik puts up good offensive numbers for a defenseman, but envisions himself as a more defensive player who plays a physical game.</p><p>&ldquo;Chris Pronger is my favorite player,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I like to think I play like him. I bring a little bit of an edge to my game like he does. I admire his stickwork, he&rsquo;s just such a smart defenseman. He plays so many minutes every game and because he&rsquo;s so smart he doesn&rsquo;t have to work as hard because he does most of his work with his stick.&rdquo;</p><p>The scouting report on Pelnik fits the same description. One scout described him as a big body who plays with a nasty streak. He has good feet and hands for a big man, but must work on his decision making and risk management.</p><p>&ldquo;I hate to use comparisons,&rdquo; the scout said, &ldquo;but he has a bit of Chris Pronger in him.&rdquo;</p><p>Having the Hurricanes in his hometown and watching them win a Stanley Cup five years ago had an effect on Pelnik, but he started playing when he was three years old when the Hurricanes were in their infancy. He goes to a high school across from the RBC Center, but his love of the game isn&rsquo;t much different than young boys from Canada or the American northeast.</p><p>The route to being one of the U.S.&rsquo;s elite young players has been a far more circuitous one than it would have been had Pelnik been from Massachusetts or Minnesota. Pelnik and one of his parents are usually on a plane three of four weekends during the season, since his team has to travel to Florida and Georgia for games in its own league. He also shoots more than 100 pucks a day in his driveway at a net constructed by his dad. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long driveway,&rdquo; said his father. &ldquo;He shoots them from what would be the blueline.&rdquo;</p><p>The road to the NHL will be much longer, stretching all the way from south of the Mason-Dixon Line, with all kinds of decisions that have all kinds of ramifications.</p><p>&ldquo;There are a lot of voices telling me what to do,&rdquo; Pelnik said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure what I&rsquo;m going to do next, but the goal is the NHL. Hockey is the only thing I can see myself doing and it&rsquo;s the only thing I love.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>81.1</b><br><b>Percent of 2010-11 NHL defenseman who Pelnik is already taller than</b></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0039-01

Southern Uprising

<div class="byline">BY MATTHEW BUGG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01856/9497694-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BAD BEAT</b></p><p><b>Don Gallinger&rsquo;s love of wagering cost him his NHL career.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(THN ARCHIVES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>lthough his rise</b> and fall made headlines on both sides of the border during the 1940s, the hockey world mostly forgot disgraced former star Don Gallinger for the past 50 years. But more than a decade after his death, new details &ndash; including an incomplete memoir &ndash; about Gallinger&rsquo;s life after the NHL have cemented his legacy as one of sport&rsquo;s most tragic figures.</p><p>In 1948, Gallinger was handed one of two lifetime bans in NHL history not related to on-ice violence. e. The other was to Billy Taylor, the alleged ringmaster behind a series of wagers he and Gallinger placed on games while members of the Boston Bruins.</p><p>Just 22 at the time of his suspension, Gallinger had led a Bruins team featuring six future Hall of Famers in scoring. Breaking in alongside fellow teenagers Bill Shill and Bep Guidolin on the so-called &lsquo;Sprout Line,&rsquo; the Boston <i>Globe</i> called Gallinger &ldquo;one of the finest young prospects ever to come into the league.&rdquo; On the other side of the border, <i>The Canadian Press</i> described his 1946 playoff overtime winner against Montreal as &ldquo;one of the greatest one-man hockey efforts&rdquo; in history.</p><p>A talented multi-sport athlete who chose hockey over baseball, it was no secret in the Boston dressing room that, for Gallinger, there was no such a thing as a bad bet. When news of a betting scandal in the NHL broke in March of 1948, teammate Jack Crawford joked Gallinger was the likeliest suspect.</p><p>Crawford&rsquo;s reaction in that moment likely would have been much different had he known the truth. Prior to a February game against Chicago, Gallinger phoned a man with whom Taylor had arranged several wagers before being traded to the New York Rangers. Relaying information about the team&rsquo;s injuries and office distractions &ndash; including a grim situation involving Crawford&rsquo;s dying infant daughter &ndash; Gallinger and Taylor received 2-to-1 odds from the man. But luck was not on their side. Not only did the Bruins stage a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over the Black Hawks &ndash; costing Gallinger $1,500 and Taylor $500 on a night when an angry Chicago Stadium crowd pelted the ice with pocket change &ndash; but Taylor&rsquo;s contact was a career criminal from Michigan and Detroit police had been monitoring his calls.</p><p>News of the wager quickly reached NHL president Clarence Campbell, setting in motion the investigation that cost the two players their careers. During a confession to Campbell that fall, Gallinger described in detail the events leading up to the wager. But according to an incomplete memoir found among his personal effects, Gallinger claims to have received some unexpected advice from Campbell: &ldquo;He said my case was a criminal act, that in the United States I could have gone to jail for it. He emphasized to me that it would be of no advantage to me to ever divulge any of the evidence to anyone.&rdquo;</p><p>Gallinger remained quiet, but was mindful to make regular &ndash; even daily &ndash; inquiries about reinstatement. But even as he approached 40, the suspension remained in place, preventing his involvement in the game at any level. In 1962 with the help of a lawyer, Gallinger arranged for a hearing in front of the NHL&rsquo;s Board of Governors, collecting letters of support from people such as former Bruins star Bobby Bauer and a priest who claimed he and Taylor had paid for their sins in &ldquo;dollars and shame.&rdquo;</p><p><i>Globe and Mail</i> sportswriter Scott Young published a series of articles profiling Gallinger&rsquo;s efforts at reinstatement and soon discovered information that cast Campbell&rsquo;s advice from 15 years before in a different light. Former Bruins manager Art Ross claimed that had team owners known about the confession, it likely would have caused them to lobby for a shorter ban like the one then-Toronto Maple Leaf Walter &lsquo;Babe&rsquo; Pratt had received in 1946 for a similar transgression.</p><p>Already separated from his wife due to the strain of several failed business ventures, Gallinger then had to deal with his only daughter dying of leukemia shortly after Young&rsquo;s series went to print. To add insult to injury, Gallinger learned a week later his appeal to the league had failed.</p><p>One day in spring of 1963, Gallinger loaded two firearms into the trunk of his car and drove to a public park bent on suicide. Instead, he chose to call a friend, who talked him through the ordeal. A few months later, that friend &ndash; a detective sergeant with the Toronto Police &ndash; perished in a plane crash. Had Gallinger&rsquo;s suicide attempt occurred later in the year, there would have been no one to answer the phone and perhaps no one to save him from himself.</p><p>Following a stint in a Toronto psychiatric hospital, Gallinger chose to leave Canada, finding work as a travelling salesman in the United States. It was on a trip through California in September of 1970 that he learned the news he had been waiting decades to hear.</p><p>Recognizing his name, a Hollywood motel clerk produced a week-old edition of the Los Angeles <i>Times</i> that contained a two-paragraph <i>Associated Press</i> story titled &ldquo;NHL President Lifts Lifetime Suspensions.&rdquo;</p><p>Two years later, Gallinger&rsquo;s ex-wife died in a car crash. The funeral was an opportunity to re-unite with the three sons he had left behind some nine years earlier &ndash; Don Jr., Michael and Kim. But upon discovering that he barely recognized his own children, Gallinger once again disappeared. &ldquo;My father was a very difficult man,&rdquo; recalls Don Jr., now 60 and a successful real estate developer in Collingwood, Ont. &ldquo;We grew up not really knowing who he was.&rdquo;</p><p>Gallinger emerged briefly from obscurity during the 1980s to promote a business plan involving a series of hockey schools based upon his own coaching philosophies, but few listened. He disappeared once more and a 1991 book by sportswriter Dick Beddoes claimed he was dead.</p><p>As adults, his sons attempted reconciliation, but the years had taken a toll on Gallinger&rsquo;s state of mind. Boxes of newspaper clippings and personal correspondence filled his studio apartment, each full of documents he felt were evidence of a vast plot against him.</p><p>&ldquo;A Conspiracy of Silence! Complicity Collusion Corruption,&rdquo; Gallinger scrawled in marker on one particular piece of paper. On another &ndash; a letter from one of his sons rebuffing a plea for money &ndash; he wrote, simply, &ldquo;Disgusting.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>It was no secret, for Gallinger, there was never such a thing as a bad bet</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01742/9497687-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="365" height="299"></div><p>But in 1998, another letter arrived &ndash; one that changed his life. The letter was from Bruce Black, a California businessman whose mother Gallinger had unknowingly impregnated during a brief relationship in the summer of 1946. Given up for adoption, Black, with the help of San Jose Sharks broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky, had at long last located his biological father.</p><p>The two staged a teary reunion in the fall of 1999, keeping in touch regularly by phone afterward. During the first weekend of February 2000, Black recalled how Gallinger&rsquo;s attention kept turning to the NHL All-Star Game.</p><p>&ldquo;It was taking place in the new (Air Canada Centre),&rdquo; said Black from his home in Los Gatos, Calif. &ldquo;He kept talking about how he wanted to be a part of it, how he hoped someone would buy him a ticket.&rdquo;</p><p>Instead, he watched it on television, alone. The morning after the contest, Gallinger left his apartment for a walk around the block. He never returned, suffering a fatal heart attack before collapsing into a snowbank.</p><p>His body spent several days in a morgue before being identified by his barber. Don Gallinger died as he had lived since 1963 &ndash; unacknowledged, alone and with the game of hockey once again just out of reach.</p><p>Although their troubled patriarch is gone, along with a boisterous personality, son Mike inherited another of his father&rsquo;s traits &ndash; a gambling addiction and subsequent debt that drove him to rob a bank. However, rather than face a life sentence, Mike entered a legal system that now approaches gambling and other impulse disorders with rehabilitative methods.</p><p>&ldquo;Today we&rsquo;d work with the problem,&rdquo; says Don Jr. &ldquo;If Don was a 22-year-old athlete who got caught gambling today they&rsquo;d have shipped him off to (addictions counseling).&rdquo;</p><p>Since 2000, the hockey world has lost many of the people who knew Gallinger best, at his best &ndash; people such as former teammate Guidolin and childhood friend Ted &lsquo;Teeder&rsquo; Kennedy.</p><p>However, one person remains who remembers Gallinger as he was in his heyday. Reached by phone, Bruce Black&rsquo;s biological mother &ndash; long ago married, with a family of her own &ndash; declined to comment. At first denying any connection to him, her voice became hushed. &ldquo;That was a long time ago,&rdquo; she whispered. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid I can&rsquo;t help you with that.&rdquo;</p><p>And so the trail of Don Gallinger ends, a fallen hockey hero turned paranoid recluse who spent much of one life chasing another.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

Dollars & Shame

<p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>on Gallinger played only 222 NHL games over five years, collecting 65 goals and 153 points; impressive numbers for the time period. His stat line (G-A-Pts.) stacks up very well against the future Hall of Famers in the Bruins lineup during that span, especially over his final three seasons.</p><h2><b>1945-46</b></h2><p>Don Gallinger</p><p><i>17-23-40</i></p><p>Woody Dumart*</p><p><i>22-12-34</i></p><p>Bep Guidolin</p><p><i>15-17-32</i></p><p>Milt Schmidt*</p><p><i>13-18-31</i></p><p>Herbert Cain</p><p><i>17-12-29</i></p><h2><b>1946-47</b></h2><p>Milt Schmidt*</p><p><i>27-35-62</i></p><p>Bobby Bauer*</p><p><i>30-24-54</i></p><p>Woody Dumart*</p><p><i>24-28-52</i></p><p>Bill Cowley*</p><p><i>13-25-38</i></p><p>Joe Carveth</p><p><i>21-15-36</i></p><p>Don Gallinger</p><p><i>11-19-30</i></p><h2><b>1947-48</b></h2><p>Woody Dumart*</p><p><i>21-16-37</i></p><p>Pete Babando</p><p><i>23-11-34</i></p><p>Don Gallinger</p><p><i>10-21-31</i></p><p>Jim Peters</p><p><i>12-15-27</i></p><p>Milt Schmidt*</p><p><i>9-17-26</i></p><p>* Hall of Fame inductee<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Promise Cut Short

<div class="byline">BY JAMIE ROSS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01782/9497749-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WORLD EATERS</b></p><p><b>The entire Trail community had a hand in a world title secured by beating the mighty Soviets.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(TRAIL HISTORICAL SOCIETY)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>To hear</b> Norm Lenardon talk about it, you&rsquo;d think it was just yesterday the Trail Smoke Eaters returned home as world champions.</p><p>But it will be 50 years ago in March the senior team from the West Kootenay city became national heroes when, representing Canada, they knocked off the Soviet Union in their final game in Geneva, Switzerland and won the 1961 World Championship. &ldquo;We did it for Canada and for Trail,&rdquo; said Lenardon, a right winger with the Smokies. &ldquo;Because you gotta remember these people pretty well paid our way, otherwise we don&rsquo;t go.&rdquo;</p><p>Lenardon, a Trail native who still lives there all these years later, has a keen recollection of the Smokies&rsquo; unlikely road to victory. It began a year earlier in the 1960 Allan Cup final, the national senior hockey championship. Trail was downed by the Chatham Maroons in five games and appeared to have lost out on a chance to represent Canada at the worlds.</p><p>But when Chatham opted out, Trail was awarded the opportunity by default. &ldquo;Nobody thought we could do it,&rdquo; remembered Lenardon,  adding everyone from the media to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association had counted the Smokies out before they even boarded the plane for Europe. But, he recalls, the town of Trail stood proudly behind their team.</p><p>Teck Cominco, the local smelter where most players worked eight-hour days, would pay the players&rsquo; wages while they were gone. And through everything from raffle draws, to bake sales, to door-to-door canvassing, the team and community were able to raise enough money to fund the trip overseas.</p><p>But just making the trip wasn&rsquo;t enough. The team wanted to win. And for motivation, they didn&rsquo;t have to look any further than player-coach Bobby Kromm.</p><p>Kromm, who went on to coach in the NHL and win the Jack Adams with the Red Wings in 1978 as a tough, but fair team leader, whipped the Smokies into shape. &ldquo;He worked us like you wouldn&rsquo;t believe, but he wouldn&rsquo;t do any less than what we&rsquo;d do,&rdquo; Lenardon said of Kromm, who passed away last June at the age of 82. &ldquo;And you&rsquo;ve got to appreciate that.&rdquo;</p><p>As a primer to the World Championship, the Smoke Eaters did a 19-game European tour. In their first tournament match, against Sweden, they posted a decisive 6-1 win. In a seven-game, round-robin event their only blemish was a tie versus Czechoslovakia. A 5-1 victory over the heavily favored Soviets to close the event secured the gold, a medal Canada didn&rsquo;t win again until 1994. &ldquo;I think we shocked them,&rdquo; said Lenardon, who was 26 at the time. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t overly confident, but after the first period we kept saying &lsquo;we&rsquo;ll beat them.&rsquo; I&rsquo;ve never had that feeling like we had in the room. We were really on fire.&rdquo;</p><p>The Smokies &ndash; with eight homegrown players &ndash; went to work on the Soviets, out-hustling them at every turn. Trail-born Seth Martin was named the best goalie, while right winger Mike Legace and defensemen Harry Smith and Darryl Sly were chosen as tournament all-stars.</p><p>Back home, the town was ecstatic. Even though he was just shy of his third birthday at the time, Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini swears he can remember the massive parade that clogged the streets when the team returned to Trail as world champions. Mind you, Tambellini&rsquo;s connection to the squad was personal because his father, Adie, was a team member who had a long run with the Smokies. &ldquo;It was a real celebration,&rdquo; Tambellini said.</p><p>Though they were an amateur team, Tambellini believes the Smoke Eaters, who also claimed the 1938 world title, were the forefathers of a long list of professionals who came up through the Greater Trail minor hockey system. The region contains just 20,000 people, roughly, but according to the city&rsquo;s historical society, the area is home to 20 players who&rsquo;ve made the NHL over the years.</p><p>The impressive list of Greater Trail exports who&rsquo;ve made the show includes Kromm&rsquo;s son Richard Kromm, Ray Ferraro, Dallas Drake, Barret Jackman and Adam Deadmarsh. Tambellini played more than 500 games as a center in the NHL and his 26-year-old son, Jeff, is currently finding his way with the Vancouver Canucks.</p><p>Steve believes his dad and all the early Smoke Eaters had a lot to do with what followed: &ldquo;They set the standard of what it really took to be a champion.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

Trail Blazers

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN GLEW</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01766/9497780-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GREAT BEGINNINGS</b></p><p><b>Having grown up near the Gretzkys in Brantford, Jeff Reese&rsquo;s hockey roots run deep.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(RICK STEWART/GETTY IMAGEST)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>he true MVP</b> of the Philadelphia Flyers last season might have been goaltending coach Jeff Reese. After all, the energetic ex-NHLer managed to coax extraordinary performances out of three ordinary goalies. &ldquo;The goalies are the ones making the saves,&rdquo; said Reese, deflecting any praise to his netminders. &ldquo;For me, it was exciting to see each of the guys step up when they had the opportunity. I couldn&rsquo;t be prouder of the goalies I worked with last year.&rdquo;</p><p>Ray Emery started as the Flyers&rsquo; go-to puckstopper, but injuries limited him to just 29 games. Brian Boucher struggled when he took over the top job, but waiver-wire pickup Michael Leighton thrived until an ankle injury in March thrust Boucher back into the starter&rsquo;s role. Leighton then returned and led the Flyers to within two wins of a championship. &ldquo;It was a busy season,&rdquo; Reese said.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Nobody knew it was a record</b></blockquote><p>Working for the Flyers has been a dream come true for Reese, who grew up worshipping the Broad Street Bullies and Bernie Parent. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big thrill to be working here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I see Bernie all the time, which is pretty cool. Even at my age, it&rsquo;s still a thrill.&rdquo;</p><p>Raised in Brantford, Ont., alongside the Gretzky family, Reese, 44, began playing goal when he was five. &ldquo;I played with Wayne&rsquo;s brother, Keith, all through minor hockey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Keith is a year younger than me, but he played a year ahead. We hung around each other all the time. We skated quite a bit on that rink in their backyard.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite being just 5-foot-9, Reese was drafted in the in the first round by the Ontario League&rsquo;s London Knights and then the fourth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs. &ldquo;I was excited to be drafted, but at the time the Leafs had about nine other goalies,&rdquo; he recalled. &ldquo;But playing in the Leafs organization was a good lesson, it showed me that if you play well enough and work hard enough, a position will be found for you.&rdquo;</p><p>After a season and a half just outside Toronto with the Leafs&rsquo; American League affiliate in Newmarket, Reese made his NHL debut Jan. 10, 1988. Over the next five seasons, he played 69 games before being dealt to Calgary in the blockbuster trade that brought Doug Gilmour to Toronto in January of 1992. Reese played 26 games for the Flames in 1992-93, including a contest against San Jose in which he registered three assists to set a record for the most points in an NHL game by a goalie. &ldquo;Nobody really knew it was a record until</p><p>the next day,&rdquo; Reese recalled. &ldquo;I figured that maybe Grant Fuhr or Ron Hextall or Billy Smith had done it, but they hadn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s a nice record, but I think somebody will tie it some day.&rdquo;</p><p>Reese was dealt to the Hartford Whalers the following season where he backed up Sean Burke until he was traded again, this time to Tampa Bay in 1995. He helped the Lightning advance to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.</p><p>With the exception of three games with New Jersey, Reese played with the International League&rsquo;s Detroit Vipers, backstopping them to a Turner Cup championship in 1997 and taking them to within one win of another title in 1998. His final kick at the can came when the Leafs convinced him to come back and play for their AHL club in St. John&rsquo;s in 1998-99. &ldquo;After I came out of retirement, I was playing in the NHL three weeks later,&rdquo; Reese said. &ldquo;Curtis Joseph and Glenn Healy were hurt, so I got an opportunity to play some more games in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>In 2001, Reese accepted a coaching position with the Lightning. He helped transform Nikolai Khabibulin into the elite goalie who backstopped Tampa Bay to a championship in 2004.</p><p>After eight seasons in Tampa, Reese agreed to join the Flyers. He believes the challenges he faced in 2009-10 have made him a better coach: &ldquo;We were very fortunate to do what we did last year, but hopefully we stay a lot healthier this year.&rdquo;</p><p>FOR MORE TALES OF PAST HOCKEY GREATS, CLICK ON <b><a href="http://THN.COM/BACKCHECKING">THN.COM/BACKCHECKING</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-01

Reese’s Masterpieces

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04277/9497811-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="914" height="914"></div><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Trophy won by Henrik Sedin in 2010</p><p>4 Conn Smythe winner ___ Crozier</p><p>7 Hockey thug</p><p>8 Flurry of goals</p><p>10 Former Penguin blueliner now with the Kings</p><p>12 The Isles won their ___ Cup in 1980</p><p>13 Unmarked (or relaxed)</p><p>14 Overpowers</p><p>18 Tony and Cammi (she&rsquo;s in the Hall, he&rsquo;s not)</p><p>19 &lsquo;The greatest of them all&rsquo; (according to song)</p><p>20 Brooks ___ is still a Pen</p><p>21 Change one&rsquo;s lines or lineup</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Al Arbour&rsquo;s full first name</p><p>2 Chris ___ is a lesser-known Thrasher</p><p>3 There&rsquo;s OHL hockey in Owen ___</p><p>4 Czech-born center who was in four Olympics</p><p>5 Ex-Bruin ___ Kluzak</p><p>6 Jean ___ was a 21-year veteran</p><p>9 The Senators play at ___ Place</p><p>11 Serves a penalty (and settles down): 2 words</p><p>12 Nick ___ is with Ottawa, pictured</p><p>15 Uses one&rsquo;s stick illegally</p><p>16 Oilers GM ___ Tambellini</p><p>17 Training ___</p><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT</b> <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/<b>xword</b></a></p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. CAMERON, 4. SAKIC, 7. AERO, 8. SLAP SHOT, 10. GO UPSTAIRS, 12. DAY-TO-, 13. TIE UP, 14. CINDERELLA, 18. SCOUTING, 19. IGOR, 20. YANKS, 21. SHORTEN <b>DOWN</b> 1. CRAIG, 2. MERCURYS, 3. NHLPA, 4. SUPERSTARS, 5. KOHO, 6. CATCH-UP, 9. ASSOCIATES, 11. RED LIGHT, 12. DYNASTY, 15. DENIS, 16. AARON, 17. JOHN<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-04

CROSSWORD

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01573/9497842-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="909" height="1166"></div><p><b>Before coaching for 20 NHL seasons, Pat Quinn cruised a blueline for nine, five in Atlanta.</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02373/9497849-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="131" height="131"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0045-01

Blast from the Past from The Hockey Hall of Fame

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03313/9497880-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="620" height="630"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>U</span>nder new owner Jeff Vinik, the Bolts are reinventing themselves with renovations to their rink, big contributions to local causes and a reworking of their uniform that will start next season.</p><p>And while initial reaction to the new look has been harsh, consider this a seal of approval. GM Steve Yzerman pointed to iconic teams such as the NFL&rsquo;s Colts and baseball&rsquo;s Yankees as inspirations for the simple design and once people get used to it, this logo does have the chance to look timeless. Stripped of black and silver, the Bolts are starting over.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-03

JerseyHound

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-100/9498026-1-eng-US/f0047-1002.jpg" title="f0047-100" width="322" height="440"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01527/9498019-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="348" height="475"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02345/9498012-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="382" height="519"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03276/9498005-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="426" height="581"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-04211/9497998-1-eng-US/f0047-042.jpg" title="f0047-04" width="382" height="521"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-05161/9497991-1-eng-US/f0047-052.jpg" title="f0047-05" width="348" height="466"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-06131/9497984-1-eng-US/f0047-062.jpg" title="f0047-06" width="322" height="440"></div><p><b>1 YEAR of The Hockey News including Future Watch, Draft Preview and the Yearbook</b></p><p><b>Daily email newsletter FREE</b></p><p><b>Full digital edition FREE</b></p><p><b>NHL team swivel key chain of your choice FREE</b></p><p><b><i>BONUS:</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-07102/9497977-1-eng-US/f0047-072.jpg" title="f0047-07" width="354" height="476"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0874/9497970-1-eng-US/f0047-082.jpg" title="f0047-08" width="354" height="475"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0957/9497963-1-eng-US/f0047-092.jpg" title="f0047-09" width="355" height="363"></div><p><b><i>PLUS:</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-1048/9497956-1-eng-US/f0047-102.jpg" title="f0047-10" width="335" height="569"></div><p><b>VISIT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a> TO SUBSCRIBE NOW!</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-1140/9497949-1-eng-US/f0047-112.jpg" title="f0047-11" width="162" height="289"></div><p><b><a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> is now available as a FREE download on mobile devices Download the application today at <a href="http://thn.mobi">thn.mobi</a></b></p><p><b>NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League.</b></p><p><b>NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. &copy; NHL 2010. All Rights Reserved.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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February 21, 2011

Caps Rusher Holds the Fort

Pegula no Panacea

THEBIGPICTURE

Under the Radar, Over the Moon