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.

May 30, 2011

The Hockey News - May-30-11

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011911/9562236-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="245" height="322"></div><h2><b>Paul Coffey</b></h2><p><i>The smoothskating D-man is a former Oiler and King. He&rsquo;s currently a smooth-talking car salesman.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021387/9562229-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="239" height="322"></div><h2><b>Drew Doughty</b></h2><p><i>The smoothskating D-man and RFA-to-be is a King now. He needs his agent to be a smooth talker.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

IN THIS ISSUE

SEPARATED AT Birth

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN WOODLEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0035-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011320/9562973-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02936/9562966-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="96" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03776/9562959-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="817" height="1015"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CODY HODGSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(HODGSON + VOLPATTI: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>C</span>ody Hodgson wasn&rsquo;t going to pretend he liked sitting out Game 7 against Chicago. But the once-prized prospect also never strayed from &ldquo;happy to be here&rdquo; while insisting he was still developing &ndash; on and off the ice. &ldquo;The three games I played you are learning and evaluating things&hellip;and watching video,&rdquo; Hodgson said. &ldquo;I watched Game 7 (on TV) and at ice level too a bit, just to keep the feel for the speed and intensity.&rdquo;</p><p>Assistant GM Laurence Gilman said knee-jerks reactions about Hodgson being a playoff scratch and not being a part of the future lack perspective. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to be an excellent (NHLer) some day and this is part of his apprenticeship,&rdquo; Gilman said of the 10th pick in 2008.</p><p>With Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler locked in through 2014 and &rsquo;16, some wonder what Hodgson is apprenticing for. Gilman points to Kesler, a first round pick pegged by most as a third-liner at best, as a good example &ldquo;depth charts change.&rdquo;</p><p>A better comparison may be Manny Malhotra. He struggled to meet scoring expectations as a No. 7 overall pick before finding his niche as a shutdown pivot. During contract talks with Malhotra, whose future is very much in question with an eye injury, Vancouver discussed playing with Hodgson, who the Canucks believe can be a responsible third-or fourth-liner and grow into a top-six forward. &ldquo;The beauty of Cody as a hockey player is his skill set is universal,&rdquo; Gilman said.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04637/9562952-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="1641" height="3134"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRODIE: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES; OLVER: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; HARTIKAINEN: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; GRANLUND: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0035-01

Celebrity Apprentice

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012185/9561942-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="991" height="626"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE HODGSON/THN)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021856/9561935-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="292" height="286"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>ow considerate</b> of the British Royal family. They scheduled their little do to take place in the wee hours of the morning here in North America, presumably so it wouldn&rsquo;t conflict with the heart of NHL playoff action. We can only imagine the tension and angst that would have existed, at the CBC and in living rooms of married puck fans everywhere, had Kate and Will tied the knot during Game 7 overtime of the Chicago-Vancouver series.</p><p>Kidding aside, the mammoth wedding and hockey&rsquo;s post-season share a key benefit when it comes to the unwashed masses: reality relief. Ask any of the billions who tuned into the nuptials about their fascination with someone else&rsquo;s big day and, among other reasons, they&rsquo;ll tell you it was a welcome diversion from a world saturated with grief. The same holds true for fans of any pastime or pursuit, ours included. We all crave escapes.</p><p>Or, as one subscriber recently wrote about his expectation of The Hockey News, &ldquo;I want to be informed about hockey, not reminded about the sadness in the world.&rdquo;</p><p>And so it goes with this issue, as we shine our high-voltage spotlight on San Jose&rsquo;s Joe Thornton and Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Vinny Lecavalier. Unless you are a Kings fan, it was difficult not to feel good when &lsquo;Big Joe&rsquo; slid across our TV screens, whooping it up after his Game 6 overtime clincher in Los Angeles. Ditto for Lecavalier, whose 2011 post-season is reminding us more of the player we expected to see four years ago than the one whose production has spiralled since 2006-07. Senior writer Ken Campbell gets up close with both stars in search of measures of redemption, beginning on pg. 18.</p><p>Kudos to the NHL for the job it is doing in leveraging the passion the game evokes and the memories it creates with this year&rsquo;s marketing campaign. History is indeed being made, one diversion at a time.</p><p><b>SHAMELESS SELF-PROMO ALERT</b>&nbsp;If you require further shinny distractions than what takes place on the 200-by-85, you might want to check out our sister publication, Fully Loaded. A mag that focuses on hockey lifestyle and gear, the latest issue features the Dallas Stars ice girls on the cover. I&rsquo;m told it&rsquo;s available on newsstands and via our website, <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031494/9561928-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="456" height="245"></div><p><b>NEXT</b>&nbsp;<b>ISSUE</b> JUNE 1, 2011</p><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>

f0004-01

The Great Skate Escape

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-05543/9562298-1-eng-US/f0011-052.jpg" title="f0011-05" width="537" height="842"></div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>S</span>teven Stamkos was named one of the 25 fittest men in the world by</i> Men&rsquo;s Health Magazine <i>in early May. At 21, he is the youngest on the list and the lone hockey player.</i></p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just say we had ashtrays in our stalls. There was not a lot of hard bodies in that room.&rdquo;</i></b><br><b>&ndash; <i>DAVE ANDREYCHUK</i>, LIGHTNING COMMUNITY REP AND VP OF FANS, RECALLING HIS ROOKIE NHL SEASON IN 1982 AND THE DIFFERENCES IN CONDITIONING.</b></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-05

HE SAID What?

<div class="byline">PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE SABAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012157/9561897-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Not In Niemi&rsquo;s Kitchen</b></h2><p><b>Detroit&rsquo;s Jiri Hudler tries to cook up a scoring chance against Sharks blueliner niclas Wallin and goalie Antti Niemi.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0003-01

THE BIG PICTURE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021561/9562018-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>he NHL needs to seriously consider a realignment of the conferences. East vs. West may work well in the NBA, but professional hockey is unique. After some quick calculations: If Boston and Philadelphia go to seven games in their series, each team will have travelled around 1,300 miles. If Detroit and San Jose or Vancouver and Nashville go to seven games in their series, those clubs will log more than 10,000 miles apiece. The league often preaches it wants to be economically sustainable and environmentally responsible. But if every series in the second round of the Western Conference goes to seven games, the teams will have flown in excess of 50,000 miles &ndash; the same distance if you flew around the Earth&rsquo;s equator twice. That&rsquo;s a lot of jet fuel, NHL.</b></p><p><b><i>David Goldberg, Kitchener, Ont.</i></b></p><h2><b>One Tough Choice</b></h2><p>I want to thank THN for the amazing cover story on Jake Dowell (May 2). As a child adopted at birth, I often struggled with the thought of having children without knowing my family history. In meeting my birth family, I found that my half-sister had Huntington&rsquo;s disease. My birth mother pleaded with both of my half-sisters not to bear natural children. My middle sister, ever the rebel, ignored her advice and bore a son. She died at age 44. Today my nephew also has the disease and it is rapidly progressing. He is 36. Jake, I am so proud of your accomplishments and encourage you to get tested. As you painfully know, there is no known cure for the disease, but there are new treatments. Give yourself and your beautiful fiancee every opportunity to live long and healthy lives.</p><p><i>Jane Allison Stark, Omaha, Neb.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-031017/9562011-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="497" height="668"></div><h2><b>One Tough Man</b></h2><p>I just finished reading &ldquo;The Perilous Fate of Jake Dowell&rdquo; and I have never before heard such a humbling story in my life. Dowell&rsquo;s tale truly puts everything into perspective. The points, the records, the goals, the assists, none of them matter in the larger perspective. My heart truly goes out to him, his family and every other family stricken with this terrible disease. His story has deeply affected me and I, like all of us I&rsquo;m sure, wish he gets the best results on the impending tests. I would like him and his family to know they have the prayers and love of every hockey player, fan and aficionado. Dowell is a true warrior both on and off the ice. I may be a fan of the Los Angeles Kings, but from this point forward I will never touch a hockey stick, shoot a puck or watch a game without thinking about him.</p><p><i>Jeffrey Sabel, Tujunga, Calif.</i></p><h2><b>The Wrong Pick</b></h2><p>I was reading the NHL Team Report section in the May 16 issue and I thought it was a great read until I got to the team awards for the Columbus Blue Jackets. You guys said the MVP of the Blue Jackets was R.J. Umberger? How could you possibly say he was MVP? Because he led the team with the most time on ice? Come on. Rick Nash had 66 points in 75 games. R.J. Umberger had 57 points in 82 games. Leading a team in ice time doesn&rsquo;t win games. Goals win games, assists win games. Nash was the team leader in goals, assists and, of course, points. Nash had fewer penalty minutes, more game-winning goals and almost 100 more shots than Umberger. Nash is clearly the face of the Blue Jackets and he has to be the team MVP.</p><p><i>Chris LaBella, Mississauga, Ont.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012412/9562004-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="696" height="1027"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRIAN RAFALSKI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RAFALSKI: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Like Fine Wine</b></h2><p>Jason Kay&rsquo;s Editor&rsquo;s Notebook praising the elder statesmen of the NHL (May 2) was right on target. And there are a number of other worthy candidates who didn&rsquo;t make the all old-guy team: Brian Rafalski at 37 had a solid season, Marty Brodeur at 38 had a stellar second half and Tomas Holmstrom was solid again at 38. Look at the list of 35-to 36-year-olds and you could build an all-star team. I wholeheartedly agree with and relate to Kay&rsquo;s sentiments that the NHL&rsquo;s senior citizens deserve a ton of respect.</p><p><i>Mike Braun, Somerset, N.J.</i></p><h2><b>WRITE TO WIN!</b></h2><p><b>The author of our lead letter for the next two issues receives a Garnier prize pack</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012141/9561997-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="84" height="229"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>Submit your letter at: <a href="http://THN.COM/LETTERS">thn.com/letters</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-02

RARE AIR?

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021638/9562056-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TEDDY PURCELL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(PURCELL: GREGORY SHAMUS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Hi Adam. The player I&rsquo;ve been impressed with a lot in the playoffs is Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Teddy Purcell. Why did the Kings trade him last year?</b></p><p><i>Jonas Harness, Lowell, Mass.</i></p><p>Hi Jonas. I asked myself the same question when L.A. GM Dean Lombardi dealt Purcell to the Bolts at the 2010 trade deadline (along with a third round pick) for what amounted to a rental player in Jeff Halpern. I criticized Lombardi heavily at the time for it, wondering why he would give up on a 24-year-old with excellent offensive credentials, but still learning the pro game.</p><p>Now, Purcell did have only three goals and six points in 41 games before the trade and the Kings had a wealth of young prospects who made him expendable. But with nine points in his first 10 playoff games this spring &ndash; and with the Kings looking for offensive help virtually all season long &ndash; it&rsquo;s clear Lombardi passed judgment on him too soon.</p><p><b>Adam, I recently read about NHL lawyers serving cease-and-desist orders to a Vancouver car dealership for hanging a &ldquo;Go Canucks Go&rdquo; banner. The NHL wants to prohibit local communities from supporting their teams during the playoffs? Has the NHL lost its mind?</b></p><p><i>Louis Chirillo, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil</i></p><p>Louis: Technically, the NHL owns the copyright to the phrase &ldquo;Go Canucks Go.&rdquo; But I agree with you &ndash; the phrase is so common, it is petty in the extreme for the league to unleash its law hounds on those who are just trying to be a part of the playoff celebrations.</p><p>It looks to be part of a pattern, as the league is also cracking down on Red Wings fans throwing octopi on the ice in Detroit and the famous &ldquo;Green Men&rdquo; of Vancouver. To me, restricting relatively harmless fan fun does more damage to the NHL&rsquo;s reputation than the disapproved acts themselves.</p><p><b>|</b> Read more <b>&lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo;</b> every Friday at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a>&nbsp;<b>|</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03968/9562049-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="340" height="551"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROY: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></b></p><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><p>Who, in his prime, do you take in goal for a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final?</p><p><b>Patrick Roy 43%</b></p><p>Dominik Hasek 21%</p><p>Martin Brodeur 19%</p><p>Terry Sawchuk 12%</p><p>Jacques Plante 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>

f0006-02

ASK ADAM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN WOODLEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05492/9562115-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="396" height="111"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ith all due respect</b> to the folks at Six Flags, or the &ldquo;brains&rdquo; behind reality television, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine coming up with a bigger emotional roller coaster than Alex Burrows&rsquo; trip through the end of Round 1.</p><p>The Canucks left winger bounced back and forth between &ndash; and through varying stages of &ndash; goat and hero at least six times in three days. On the fourth he added &ldquo;Dad.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021753/9562108-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="122" height="139"></div><p>By the time Burrows got to catch his breath, hold his new daughter and return the 90-plus text messages that flooded in after scoring the Game 7 overtime winner to slay the dragon that was the Blackhawks, Round 2 was almost set to open.</p><p>By then Burrows was back to one-game-at-a-time cliches, but it was clear he&rsquo;d found enough time to put his big week in perspective. Which shouldn&rsquo;t be surprising from a guy whose unlikely path from an undrafted, ball hockey-playing ECHL afterthought to first-line scorer and overtime hero for the Canucks is scripted like a Disney movie, right down to overcoming the loss of good friend and teammate Luc Bourdon three years ago.</p><p>&ldquo;The birth of my child is the biggest thing obviously,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That is something I&rsquo;ll remember the rest of my life. On a professional level it was a nice week.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031239/9562101-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="602" height="749"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BURROWS: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04698/9562094-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="1118" height="989"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>EXORCISING DEMONS</b></p><p><b>The Canucks mob Alex Burrows following his overtime Game 7 winner against Chicago.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The middle three days included enough ups and downs to make Charlie Sheen look stable.</p><p>Derided for a post-season scoring drought and moved off the top line, Burrows followed a three-point performance in a Game 6 overtime loss by scoring early in Game 7 against archnemesis Chicago. And for more than 58 minutes it looked like it would stand up as the winner.</p><p>But after Burrows failed miserably on a penalty shot, Jonathan Toews picked his pocket in the neutral zone and jumped &ndash; literally &ndash; between Burrows and defenseman Dan Hamhuis on a shorthanded rush before knocking his own rebound in from his knees with 1:56 left to force overtime. Just 24 seconds into that extra frame, Burrows took a holding penalty and watched nervously as Roberto Luongo saved him from &ldquo;probably needing suicide watch&rdquo; by robbing Patrick Sharp. Several minutes later, Burrows fired a rolling puck over Corey Crawford, erasing three years of playoff misery and self-doubt for the entire province of British Columbia.</p><p>The missed penalty shot and the holding call were quickly forgotten as Burrows was buried under a sea of green and blue. He didn&rsquo;t even have time to pull out the imaginary arrow, load up his stick like a bow and fire into the heavens for Bourdon.</p><p>Now 30, Burrows was never drafted and didn&rsquo;t crack major junior until he was 19. His pro career began riding buses and making $425 a week in the ECHL, playing in Greenville, Baton Rouge and Columbia over three seasons before earning an American League deal with the Manitoba Moose. He came close to quitting in 2004-05, after being the team&rsquo;s final cut. Instead, he scored five goals in four ECHL games, got called back up to Manitoba, and by the next season had his first NHL contract. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve talked about his story for some time,&rdquo; said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just adding pages and chapters.&rdquo;</p><p>Two years later he emerged as a penalty-killing energy forward and agitating checker, earning the nickname &lsquo;Burr&rsquo; for his ability to get under the saddle of opponents. But he also got to the officials, earning a reputation for diving and yapping, which has mostly disappeared this season.</p><p>What&rsquo;s left is a scorer, an overtime hero and a dad.</p><p>The three are related. &ldquo;As the years went by, you could see him grow as an athlete and a person,&rdquo; Luongo said.</p><p>The kind who not only scores big goals, but keeps them in perspective.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012302/9562087-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="185" height="259"></div><h2><b>$94,163</b></h2><p>Sale price for &ldquo;a one-of-a-kind 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee No.18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card&rdquo; during SCP Auctions&rsquo; April 2011 online event.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-05

Cheers, Jeers And Tears

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012273/9562146-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-01

The Instigator

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021658/9562198-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="591" height="657"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><p><b>BOUCHER AND THE BOLTS</b></p><p><i>Rookie coach</i>&nbsp;<b><i>Guy Boucher</i></b>&nbsp;<i>has Tampa in the conference final after the team&rsquo;s first series wins since the &rsquo;04 Cup.</i></p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><p><b>AWASH IN FAILURE</b></p><p><i>For the fourth straight year, Alex Ovechkin and his Capitals can&rsquo;t make it past Round 2. Nicklas Backstrom was absolutely invisible in the playoffs.</i></p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><p><b>CHRIS ALMIGHTY</b></p><p><i>Chris Kelly of the Bruins and Vancouver&rsquo;s Chris Higgins have pleasantly surprised by providing playoff production.</i></p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><p><b>LIFE WITHOUT SID REALLY SUCKS</b></p><p><i>With Pens eliminated, it&rsquo;s official: A season in which Sidney Crosby plays just 41 games robs hockey fans of too much on-ice wizardry.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031064/9562191-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="355" height="140"></div><h2><b>OHL AWARDS</b></h2><p><b>Most Outstanding Player</b></p><p>Ryan Ellis, D, Windsor</p><p><b>Scoring Champion</b> (108 points)</p><p>Tyler Toffoli, RW, Ottawa; Jason Akeson, RW, Kitchener</p><p><b>Goaltender of the Year</b></p><p>Mark Visentin, Niagara</p><p><b>Defenseman of the Year</b></p><p>Ryan Ellis, Windsor</p><p><b>Rookie of the Year</b></p><p>Nail Yakupov, RW, Sarnia</p><p><b>Coach of the Year</b></p><p>Mark Reeds, Owen Sound</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04738/9562184-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="262" height="201"></div><h2><b>WHL AWARDS</b></h2><p><b>Player of the Year</b></p><p>Darcy Kuemper, G, Red Deer</p><p><b>Top Scorer</b> (116 points)</p><p>Linden Vey, C, Medicine Hat</p><p><b>Goaltender of the Year</b></p><p>Darcy Kuemper, Red Deer</p><p><b>Defenseman of the Year</b></p><p>Stefan Elliott, Saskatoon</p><p><b>Rookie of the Year</b></p><p>Matt Dumba, D, Red Deer</p><p><b>Coach of the Year</b></p><p>Don Nachbaur, Spokane</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05538/9562177-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="220" height="200"></div><h2><b>QMJHL AWARDS</b></h2><p><b>Most Valuable Player</b></p><p>Sean Couturier, C, Drummondville</p><p><b>Scoring Champion</b> (114 points)</p><p>Philip-Michael Devos, C, Gatineau/Victoriaville</p><p><b>Best Goals-Against Average</b></p><p>Jacob DeSerres, Saint John</p><p><b>Defenseman of the Year</b></p><p>Simon Despres, Saint John</p><p><b>Rookie of the Year</b></p><p>Charles Hudon, LW, Chicoutimi</p><p><b>Coach of the Year</b></p><p>Gerard Gallant, Saint John<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03932/9562267-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>RYANE CLOWE SAN JOSE SHARKS</p><p>DANNY CLEARY DETROIT RED WINGS</p><span class="photo-credit">(CLOWE: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; CLEARY: DAVE REGINEK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES STAMKOS: JENNIFER POTTHEISER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Another weapon</b> in the fight against head shots in hockey debuted with the launch of the website <a href="http://stopconcussions.com">StopConcussions.com</a>.</p><p>The brainchild of former pro Kerry Goulet and ex-NHL star Keith Primeau, the site&rsquo;s goal is to educate people on dealing with concussions and their symptoms &ndash; and changing the predatory culture of the sport. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a real sense of urgency and a tremendous passion to make a difference,&rdquo; Primeau said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve at times been very confused where to turn for information. But this website is going to give people the tools that I didn&rsquo;t have.&rdquo;</p><p>The site&rsquo;s &ldquo;tool box&rdquo; helps players and parents prevent, diagnose and manage concussions. &ldquo;We can do a much better job at educating and cutting down on the risk involved,&rdquo; Goulet said. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just a hockey issue, it&rsquo;s a sports issue.&rdquo;</p><p>Round 2 combatants on the ice, Ryane Clowe, 28, and Danny Cleary, 32, are practically brothers in arms off it. Both are proud Newfoundlanders hailing from towns of about 500 people and Clowe will marry Cleary&rsquo;s third cousin this summer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-03

VIRTUAL COUNSEL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012219/9562329-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>J-WOWW</b></p><p><b>James van Riemsdyk brings real jam to the Philadelphia lineup and is leading a new breed of mobile power forwards.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>n</b>&nbsp;<b>the NHL&rsquo;s</b> days of yore, when men were men and men who stood in front of the opposition&rsquo;s net were very sore men, the standard power forward was a big, bulky type whose strength was strength. His rushes had the subtlety of a bowling ball and he was skilled at imitating an immovable block of concrete as he tried to create crease chaos.</p><p>But in the modern age, the power forward position has evolved. No longer are brawn and the ability to root oneself to the ice its primary characteristics, rather speed, good hands and agility are equally important when determining the success a player can have in the role.</p><p>Case in point: Flyers sophomore left winger James van Riemsdyk won&rsquo;t be mistaken for human wrecking balls and former Flyers&rsquo; Eric Lindros or John LeClair, but at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the 22-year-old New Jersey native epitomizes the new breed of power forward: He can keep up with the relentless pace of the game and also establish body position near the goal mouth. After progressing during the regular season &ndash; especially once he put a slow start behind him &ndash; with a 21-goal, 40-point performance, van Riemsdyk ratcheted up his play in the post-season.</p><p>As a bit player during the Flyers&rsquo; run to the Stanley Cup final last spring, he had three goals and six points in 21 playoff games. But this year he scored at least one goal in five straight playoff games and emerged as the team&rsquo;s most dangerous offensive threat. &ldquo;You see why (Flyers GM) Paul Holmgren wouldn&rsquo;t part with him under any circumstances,&rdquo; an NHL player development executive said of van Riemsdyk, whose name was referenced in trade rumors with the Maple Leafs prior to the Kris Versteeg deal. &ldquo;I know the kid struggled to find his form and his place on that team for a little while, but to me it was always only a matter of confidence with him.&rdquo;</p><p>Now that his mindset has caught up to the physical tools, van Riemsdyk is just scratching the surface of what will be a potent career &ndash; and arm the Flyers with yet another weapon up front.</p><p>Former NHL defenseman Chris Therrien, currently a radio analyst in Philadelphia, has watched van Riemsdyk blossom into a young star. He&rsquo;s watched first-hand as the kid known as &lsquo;JVR&rsquo; has used his newfound on-ice assertiveness to drive hard to the net and get to corners and dig out loose pucks in order to created offense. &ldquo;The power moves, the strides he takes to the outside, that shows me that his confidence has really taken off,&rdquo; said Therrien, a onetime teammate of LeClair and Lindros. &ldquo;He wants to grow his game beyond where his natural talents have already taken him. This guy to me is going to be a dominant player for the Flyers franchise for a long time to come.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Next Evolution

f0012-02

Big GUYS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011951/9562405-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"></div><p>&bull; The Chilliwack Bruins have moved to Victoria (WHL)<br>&bull; <b>That means the Victoria Salmon Kings (ECHL) are now homeless and may fold, rather than relocate.</b><br>&bull; The WHL&rsquo;s move was a pre-emptive strike in case Phoenix or Atlanta (NHL) moved to Winnipeg, which would mean the Manitoba Moose (AHL) would need a new home &ndash; and Victoria is a possibility.<br>&bull; <b>Chilliwack still wants a WHL team and Regina and Prince George have been mentioned as possible movers, but the recent addition of the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) split the market in the B.C valley. Chilliwack&rsquo;s reality may be a Jr. A team instead.</b></p><h2><b>CHAMPIONS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021364/9562398-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="710" height="184"></div><p><b>Swiss National League</b></p><p>HC Davos</p><p><b>Elitserien (Swedish Elite League)</b></p><p>Farjestad BK</p><p><b>SM-Liiga (Finnish League)</b></p><p>HIFK Helsinki</p><p><b>Czech Extraliga</b></p><p>HC Ocelari Trinec</p><p><b>DEL (Germany)</b></p><p>Eisbaren Berlin</p><p><b>Southern Pro League</b></p><p>Mississippi Surge</p><p><b>Women&rsquo;s World Championship</b></p><p>Team USA</p><p><b>Ontario Junior League (Jr. A)</b></p><p>Wellington Dukes</p><p><b>Central Canadian League (Jr. A)</b></p><p>Pembroke Lumber Kings</p><p><b>Telus Cup (Canadian midget)</b></p><p>Winnipeg Thrashers</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03989/9562391-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="203" height="203"></div><h2><b>AHL NEWS</b></h2><p>While the American League&rsquo;s 75th anniversary season edges closer to a conclusion as the Calder Cup playoffs wind down, the league is facing changes for 2011-12.</p><p>The goal of 30 teams and 30 NHL affiliates was met this season, but is already in some jeopardy. The Rochester Americans and Florida Panthers had a tempestuous relationship and while it&rsquo;s likely the two will continue their affiliation, the debate over competitiveness vs. development will continue. And if an NHL team does move to Winnipeg, what will that mean for the Manitoba Moose? Second-tier tenant at Winnipeg&rsquo;s MTS Centre? Quickie move to another market? And who will they be affiliated with? Vancouver again, or the Jets? The AHL has contingency plans, but to say it&rsquo;s getting late in the game is an understatement.</p><p>The league has, however, announced an effort to do away with what has become an increasingly taxing workload. The AHL schedule will be reduced by four games to 76 beginning next season, the campaign calendar will be extended by a week and the first round of the playoffs will cut back to a best-of-five affair.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-01

SHELL GAME

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021646/9562436-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WON&rsquo;T FLY NORTH</b></p><p><b>Fans won&rsquo;t be seeing Ilya Bryzgalov in a Jets jersey in the future.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(BODY: BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012192/9562443-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="200" height="242"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HEAD: DAVE REGINEK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>f and when</b> the NHL returns a franchise to Winnipeg, the celebrations will rival anything seen in the city. Neil Young and The Guess Who could offer to play individual concerts for all of the town&rsquo;s 700,000 residents and they&rsquo;d still not be as stoked as they would to have the Jets back.</p><p>For much of this spring, the focus has been on the Phoenix Coyotes as the team that will wind up in Winnipeg, but there is also a possibility the similarly troubled Atlanta Thrashers could become the seventh Canadian team.</p><p>I really hope they get an NHL team back. I want to see hockey fans in that province enjoy the non-sucky side of the karmic scale after having the Jets ripped from the deepest part of them in 1996. I just want them going in with the knowledge that some of the competitive challenges that were in place for Winnipeg a decade-and-a-half ago still are around today.</p><p>With the billion-dollar deep pockets of potential Jets owner David Thomson and his True North group, spending to the soon-to-be-$60-million-plus salary cap limit won&rsquo;t be one of those challenges. But legal tender can&rsquo;t change everything in Winnipeg&rsquo;s favor. And that&rsquo;s why one NHL agent told me that the road to perennial contention and a Stanley Cup for the city is much easier in theory. &ldquo;Players are talking about Winnipeg,&rdquo; said the agent. &ldquo;No one &ndash; and I mean no one &ndash; wants to play there. You think Edmonton has a PR problem? Watch this one.&rdquo;</p><p>What&rsquo;s wrong with Winnipeg? For one, the weather&rsquo;s wrong with Winnipeg. And if Winnipeggers are being honest with themselves, they&rsquo;ll admit that few free agent NHLers are willingly going to choose the city&rsquo;s harsh climate over places such as Texas, California or Florida. To wit: soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Ilya Bryzgalov said there would be no chance of him re-signing with the Coyotes franchise if their move to Manitoba&rsquo;s capital was assured for next season.</p><p>You can call that attitude soft or smallminded, but put yourself in the position of a player: you&rsquo;ve spent most of your teenage years riding buses in the Canadian junior system for a slave&rsquo;s wage before taking an NHL job that doesn&rsquo;t afford you the freedom to choose your own workplace for seven more years. Are you saying you&rsquo;ll spend all those years toiling away with visions of snow drifts and sleet-showers dancing in your head? Like a wintry hell you are.</p><p>There are reasons other than Mother Nature&rsquo;s nasty side for NHLers to be wary of playing in Winnipeg. Chief among them is a fishbowl existence for players &ndash; an existence that has reached privacy-choking new heights since the 2004-05 lockout season reminded Canadians how much the game means to them. Again, you can chalk up that view as inexcusable for athletes earning the kind of money pro hockey players earn and, in large part, you&rsquo;d be right. Unfortunately, such criticism ignores the human nature of all athletes who aim to maximize their comfort away from their daily duties.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>You think Edmonton has a PR problem?</b><br><b><i>&ndash; NHL agent</i></b></blockquote><p>In fairness, if a reconstituted Jets team consistently won enough, Winnipeg&rsquo;s punishing climate and absence of anonymity would be far smaller hurdles.</p><p>And I&rsquo;m not saying players&rsquo; unwillingness to give the city an honest shot isn&rsquo;t a dumb attitude; just consider what Jets legend Teemu Selanne recently said: &ldquo;I absolutely loved my years playing in Winnipeg. They treated me like I was one of their own family members. They really appreciate what you do and they always want you to do well. When I look back at it now, it was just a real privilege for me.&rdquo;</p><p>For Selanne and most other former Jets, Winnipeg has benefits few NHL towns can offer. But the process of proving that to a new generation of players will not play out without a handful of Bryzgalovlike heretics arguing otherwise.</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>

f0014-02

Would You Go To Winnipeg?

<div class="byline">BY RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011962/9562488-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CURE FOR THE &lsquo;PHLU&rsquo;</b></p><p><b>Home ice provides less of an advantage for teams now &ndash; even in Philly.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Uniformity,</b>&nbsp;<b>on various</b> of levels, is helping the guys in road uniforms achieve playoff success.</p><p>Visitors are feeling more at home in enemy territory for a number of reasons, beginning with the fact there&rsquo;s less and less to choose between teams good enough to snag home-ice advantage and clubs that just snuck into the playoffs. For example, the Dallas Stars finished ninth in the Western Conference with 95 points, just two behind eighth-place Chicago. But for a real sense of how tight things are, forget how close the Stars were to eighth and let Detroit GM Ken Holland break down how close they were to the second seed in the West, which San Jose claimed with 105 points. &ldquo;From two to nine is five wins,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a win a month. That&rsquo;s the separation. From being out to being the two seed is a win a month, which means the two seed wins one more game out of 14 a month than the No. 9 seed. So what&rsquo;s separating these teams?&rdquo;</p><p>Not much, which is part of the reason road squads are doing so well on foreign ice, where visitors held a .540 winning percentage through nearly two rounds of 2011.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021504/9562481-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="924" height="973"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Another aspect is the fact that while arenas tend to have less and less character these days, players have more of it at early stages in their careers. &ldquo;There are so many international tournaments and so many things going on, when a player gets to be 22 or 23, his experience versus a 22-or 23-year-old&rsquo;s experience 15 years ago is totally different,&rdquo; Holland said, adding the grounding for European players is also vastly different now, too. &ldquo;Nicklas Lidstrom didn&rsquo;t really know what he was coming into, but (potential first overall pick) Adam Larsson knows all about the NHL. He&rsquo;s seen games on TV, he&rsquo;s following Swedish players who have gone over and had success on the Internet.&rdquo;</p><p>As for venues, where once the league was littered with unique and intimidating buildings such as Chicago Stadium and the Boston Garden, arenas now are like the sporting equivalent of track housing. Aaron Ward, a TV analyst who won the Cup with Carolina in 2006, said the nuances that used to make some of the old sites such trying places to play have vanished. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no longer fans that are right on top of you,&rdquo; said the retired blueliner. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no fans sitting in your lap.&rdquo;</p><p>Home ice may not be the advantage it once was, but Ward and Holland agreed you&rsquo;d take Game 7 in your own rink every time. And in Ward&rsquo;s mind, there&rsquo;s still one spot to avoid at all costs if you&rsquo;re the visitor. &ldquo;San Jose,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I hated playing in &lsquo;The Tank.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TOURIST FRIENDLY</b></h2><p><b>If the trend</b> continues this post-season, home teams will have their worst composite playoff record since pre-expansion. Through nearly two rounds, homies had won only 46 percent of the time. Here&rsquo;s a year-by-year breakdown.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031098/9562474-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="586" height="2461"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0016-01

No Place Like Road

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM KOLUPANOWICH & JEFF BLAY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011709/9562519-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>S THE WEATHER</b> gets warmer, games become more meaningful and that&rsquo;s reflected in the playoff statistics compared to the regular season. Goalies are more focused, helping lead to higher save percentages and yet, since there are few low-scoring teams, goals scored per game is also up. There has been a plethora of overtime games, which, in addition to the standard increase in intensity, has contributed to a uptick in hits, blocked shots and PIM. And since fans love the drama and teams with poor attendance aren&rsquo;t playing, buildings are averaging better than 100 percent capacity.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-01

2010-11 Playoff Pace

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011841/9562585-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(THORNTON: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; LECAVALIER: SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>eTROIT THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD DAY FOR JOE THORNTON.</b>&nbsp;Really good. It&rsquo;s an off day in Detroit and he&rsquo;s not out to impress anybody and perhaps that&rsquo;s why his hair looks like it belongs to a sixthgrader who rolled out of bed five minutes before the morning bell. He&rsquo;s coming off an impressive, statement-making three-assist performance in a game that has put his San Jose Sharks on the brink of an appearance in the Western Conference final for the second consecutive year. More importantly, it&rsquo;s the morning after the Washington Capitals have once again fallen on their post-season swords and Alex Ovechkin has officially assumed the title of <i>NHL Superstar Who Can&rsquo;t Get It Done in the Playoffs</i><sup>TM</sup>.</p><p>Like Dickie Dunn in <i>Slap Shot</i>, we&rsquo;re just trying to capture the spirit of the thing here. So we ask Thornton what he would say to Ovechkin if he were standing in front of him right now.</p><p>&ldquo;Nothing, just &lsquo;Hi&rsquo; I guess,&rdquo; Thornton says, looking around as though he&rsquo;s being Punk&rsquo;d. &ldquo;&lsquo;You&rsquo;re a great player.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;</p><p>It has taken 14 years, but the most easygoing guy in the NHL &ndash; part Spicoli, part Shaggy Doo &ndash; is finally starting to make it known that he has had his fill of questions about his past lack of success in the playoffs, his character, his leadership shortcomings and his ability to deliver a Stanley Cup. He certainly doesn&rsquo;t buy the notion that he has reinvented himself, even if everyone around him does. Thornton says he has always been a sound defensive player, but the fact is his attention to detail in all 200 feet of the ice is unprecedented.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not offensive &lsquo;Jumbo,&rsquo;&rdquo; says Sharks coach Todd McLellan of Thornton. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s complete &lsquo;Jumbo&rsquo; now. We&rsquo;re pretty excited about that.&rdquo;</p><p>A few time zones and an opposite coast away, they&rsquo;re pretty jacked up about the play of their captain, too. We&rsquo;re just halfway through the playoff marathon, but to suggest that Thornton and Vinny Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning have evolved as early contenders for the Conn Smythe Trophy would not be a stretch. But after season upon season of eye-popping offensive numbers, we&rsquo;re seeing a different breed of player materialize before our eyes. The fact is Thornton may never again score 100 points and Lecavalier might never even see the 30-goal mark, but in a strange way, both of them might now be better, more effective and more valuable players.</p><p>There are some interesting parallels between Thornton and Lecavalier, with the obvious distinction being the latter&rsquo;s Cup win seven years ago, just after he turned 24. Both are big, strong men who possess a sublime level of offensive skill. Thornton was drafted first overall in 1997, Lecavalier in the same spot one year later. Both were selected by moribund teams that looked for them to be saviors. Both struggled through their first couple of seasons and had a team captaincy thrust upon them far too early in their careers. Lecavalier came within a hair of being traded before his prime years, while Thornton was dealt away at age 26. At times, Thornton and Lecavalier have looked like future Hall of Famers, at other times maddeningly ineffective. But now, as both of them make the turn past 30, they have redefined themselves into complete players who don&rsquo;t show up on the scoresheet as often, unless you look at the fine print.</p><p>&ldquo;We want a captain to inspire everybody because he&rsquo;s blocking shots, because he&rsquo;s winning faceoffs, because he&rsquo;s backchecking better than the others, because he finishes his checks, because he is dedicated to defense when we&rsquo;re leading rather than just trying to push the pace and cheat,&rdquo; says Lightning coach Guy Boucher. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to say it, but very rarely do these star players buy into it. But everybody can now see that we&rsquo;ve got a captain that not only buys in, but he&rsquo;ll bring in more than what we&rsquo;re asking and that&rsquo;s inspiring.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011286/9562578-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1127" height="1364"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>UNBRIDLED EMOTION</b></p><p><b>Joe Thornton&rsquo;s series winner against Los Angeles led to a &lsquo;Jumbo&rsquo; celebration rarely seen.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>McLELLAN CLAIMS THAT IF</b> you placed a hidden camera in the San Jose Sharks dressing room, you&rsquo;d see a much different side to Joe Thornton than the one he publicly portrays. If that camera had been on Thornton the morning of Jan. 14, it would have captured a player who was not very happy with his game or that of his team, with both in serious need of an epiphany.</p><p>That morning, the Sharks were in the throes of a six-game losing streak that had them in 12th place in the Western Conference standings. The last two losses in the streak had come on home ice to (gulp) the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs. Thornton was a combined minus-8 in the six losses.</p><p>During a players meeting that day, Thornton made it clear that if the Sharks were going to pull themselves out of their morass, they were going to have to be better defensively. He put himself at the top of that list, then went out and did something about his play without the puck and in his own zone. A 27-6-4 tear down the stretch followed, with Thornton contributing rather ordinary 10-21-31 totals in the season&rsquo;s final 37 games.</p><p>But it was a crucial step in the evolution of both San Jose and Thornton. Because it was during that stretch the Sharks learned they didn&rsquo;t have to rely on Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau to contribute all the offensive thrust. That left Thornton free to concentrate on sharpening his game in all three zones. The thinking was, Thornton was going to play against the top lines anyway, so if he could hold the opponent in check, the Sharks would have an enormous edge because their depth players are so much more talented than almost anyone else&rsquo;s. The Sharks finished this season with seven 20-goal scorers and seven players with 50 points or more. The emergence of skaters such as Ryane Clowe, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture as legitimate offensive threats took an enormous amount of pressure off Thornton.</p><p>And the plan worked. Anyone who doubts whether Thornton has changed his game should note he led the league in takeaways this season with 114. Some of that had to do with the fact Pavel Datsyuk was hurt for much of the year, but it was a lofty achievement nonetheless. But Thornton, who abjectly refuses to work with us on this transformation angle, has a convenient, if not misguided explanation for it.</p><p>&ldquo;I think you go into some buildings and they&rsquo;re pretty lenient on takeaways and you go into others and they&rsquo;re not and I think San Jose might, you know, just be lenient on takeaways,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>Yeah, that&rsquo;s it. The guy in the NHL blazer at the HP Pavilion has nothing better to do than have an itchy trigger finger every time Thornton picks up a loose puck. And that theory also conveniently ignores the fact Thornton more than doubled the number of takeaways of his next most larcenous teammate, Pavelski, who had just 51. Takeaways are not the kind of statistic that are going to get you any year-end awards or big contracts, but for someone who has so often in the past been accused of being a periphery player, it&rsquo;s a huge accomplishment. The same way giveaways are just as indicative of how much you handle the puck as how much you lose it, takeaways provide a clear indication of what you&rsquo;re doing on the defensive side. And with puck possession being so important, it&rsquo;s one of those attributes that doesn&rsquo;t go unnoticed by coaches.</p><p>&ldquo;You have to be around the puck,&rdquo; McLellan said. &ldquo;You have to be intelligent, you have to be hungry, you have to be in the play, you have to be working back because a lot of times those takeaways come when you&rsquo;re tracking back. What it indicates to me is that he&rsquo;s all over the ice.&rdquo;</p><p>Perhaps we shouldn&rsquo;t be surprised by all of this. After all, it has been 14 years in the making. The evolution has been slow and painful at times, but with relative success the past couple years, Thornton has finally begun to shed his playoff demons. It has certainly been the case through the first two rounds this year. Going against the opposing teams&rsquo; top lines didn&rsquo;t stop him from being tied with Clowe atop Sharks scoring. <b><i>&ndash; Vinny</i></b></p><p>&ldquo;He did a lot of these things in the past, but maybe they weren&rsquo;t recognized because people were always looking to poke holes,&rdquo; McLellan says. &ldquo;I believe he&rsquo;s bringing it more often and he&rsquo;s doing it a little bit harder&hellip;playing harder and harder every day.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011481/9562571-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="1032" height="1286"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PHENOM REFORMED</b></p><p><b>Vinny Lecavalier was heralded as Tampa Bay&rsquo;s savior; he may still be, just not the same way.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>When Boucher met with me I think he just brought back that confidence that was maybe lacking a little bit the past two or three years</b><br><b><i>&ndash; Vinny Lecavalier</i></b></blockquote><p><b>SINCE SIGNING AN 11-YEAR</b> contract extension worth $85 million, Vinny Lecavalier has scored 49 goals and 124 points, which would be a terrific season by anyone&rsquo;s standards. The only problem for Lecavalier is, those numbers have been accumulated over the course of two NHL campaigns, during which he has been paid $10 million per season on a salary cap hit of $7.73 million until 2019-20. That works out to $161,290.32 in real dollars per point over the first two seasons of the deal.</p><p>A little unfair? Yes. To be sure, the Lightning didn&rsquo;t envision Lecavalier becoming a 70-point player when they signed him to the deal. But they probably didn&rsquo;t envision him becoming the complete player he has evolved into. Boucher&rsquo;s 1-3-1 defensive system could prove to the be the bane of the game&rsquo;s existence, but it has vaulted the Lightning from being playoff wallflower to playoff contender. And it has brought joy back into Lecavalier&rsquo;s hockey life.</p><p>It certainly didn&rsquo;t take long for Lecavalier to turn things around. He knew after speaking with Boucher this summer that things would be different in Tampa Bay. The thing almost every professional athlete wants, even the stars, is direction. And to say that was wanting in Tampa Bay the past couple of seasons would be an enormous understatement. Much has been made of the willingness of Lecavalier, Martin St-Louis and Steven Stamkos to &ldquo;buy in to&rdquo; what Boucher was selling in terms of a defensive system.</p><p>&ldquo;When (Boucher) met with me I think he just brought back that confidence that was maybe lacking a little bit the past two or three years,&rdquo; Lecavalier says. &ldquo;He told me, &lsquo;If you buy in as captain I think we&rsquo;ll have a successful season.&rsquo; Now we&rsquo;re doing it the right way.&rdquo;</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t hurt that all Lecavalier had to do for a template was look at his GM. Steve Yzerman went from &ldquo;being a star to a winner,&rdquo; in the words of Boucher, when Yzerman was with the Detroit Red Wings. In Scotty Bowman&rsquo;s first season as Wings coach in 1993-94, Yzerman&rsquo;s point per game average dropped 13 percent, then 43 percent the following year and he never hit the 100-point mark again. But to that point in Yzerman&rsquo;s career, the same questions had dogged him as had followed Thornton around. But it was only after Yzerman committed himself to being a top defensive player did he lead the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup and cement his Hall of Fame credentials.</p><p>&ldquo;You look at a guy like Pavel Datsyuk in Detroit,&rdquo; Yzerman says. &ldquo;He has never led the league in scoring, but he&rsquo;s always in the conversation about who&rsquo;s the best player in the league.&rdquo;</p><p>Lecavalier reached his personal apex in 2006-07 when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy with 52 goals and posted a career-high 108 points. The years following were pockmarked by incompetent ownership, bad coaches and three seasons filled with injuries and poor play and constant rumors of trades. Under Bob Gainey, the Canadiens tried desperately to trade for Lecavalier in the summer of 2009 and settled instead for Scott Gomez. Things began to turn for Lecavalier when the team was bought by billionaire Jeff Vinik last season, but the real positive change came in the summer when both Yzerman and Boucher came on board.</p><p>&ldquo;To tell you the truth, the last three years when you lose and you&rsquo;re almost in last place, if not last place, you start wondering,&rdquo; Lecavalier says, trying to explain his loss of aplomb. &ldquo;I guess you do kind of question yourself and you start losing confidence.&rdquo;</p><p>The first thing Boucher did was tell Lecavalier he wasn&rsquo;t expected to score 50 goals and 100 points, but there was a caveat to that. In order to excel, Lecavalier would have to reinvent himself into the second coming of Yzerman, something Boucher said he was more than prepared to do.</p><p>&ldquo;The mistake I as a coach didn&rsquo;t want to make was to try to get him back to where he was before,&rdquo; Boucher says. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s a different reality in the NHL and it&rsquo;s a different reality for him. And it&rsquo;s a different team.&rdquo;</p><p>The culture change in Tampa Bay has been nothing short of remarkable, if not for the radical change in mindset, then the speed at which it was implemented. Until this season, the Lightning were offensive players were getting their points, but the team was near the bottom of the standings and going nowhere. Like Thornton, it has helped Lecavalier that other players have emerged as offensive stars for the Lightning, even though their depth of talent offensively is nowhere near what the Sharks&rsquo; is.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-021023/9562564-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="531" height="1201"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03718/9562557-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="546" height="1175"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY</b></p><p><b>Thornton and Lecavalier have reinvented their games to re-energize their teams.</b></p><span class="photo-credit">(THORNTONS: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; LECAVALIERS: SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>That&rsquo;s primarily why everyone from the owner to the GM to the coach isn&rsquo;t concerned that the organization is stroking very large paychecks for a player who may never again be a top NHL scorer.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather have him scoring 30 and inspiring his team than scoring 50 and you get an offensive guy who&rsquo;s not an example to anybody,&rdquo; Boucher says. &ldquo;If he can eventually score 50 and be a complete player everybody&rsquo;s going to be happy, but right now that&rsquo;s not at all the focus of what we wanted to do all year long.&rdquo;</p><p>The hockey world has already seen solo greatness from both Thornton and Lecavalier. For Thornton, winning the Hart and Art Ross Trophies after being cast aside by the Bruins mid-season was one of the NHL&rsquo;s all-time great individual performances. Winning a Cup and scoring 50 goals made Lecavalier a rich man. But you get the distinct impression that phase of their careers have passed for both players. The flash and offensive fireworks have been replaced by substance, the kind the NHL demands from players in leadership roles. It would have undoubtedly been interesting to see what Thornton and Lecavalier could have accomplished if they had continued to shoot the lights out through the course of their careers.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not always the most compelling kind of hockey for a star who has spent most of his life being told how special he is to play the game. But in the end, the rewards are far more plentiful.</p><p>At least that&rsquo;s what the Sharks and at the moment.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05379/9562550-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="2281" height="1156"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0018-01

THE ALL-NEW VINNY+JOE SHOW

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>s the host team</b> for the 2011 Memorial Cup, the Mississauga St. Michael&rsquo;s Majors planned out their roster in the same manner other home franchises have done lately to prepare for major junior&rsquo;s most cherished trophy. The Ontario League squad made sure their core would be peaking this season, but also supplemented it with outside talent to bolster the lineup.</p><p>And who better to strengthen that attack than right winger Justin Shugg, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect who just happened to win the past two Memorial Cups with Windsor? By coming to Mississauga via trade in the summer, Shugg was guaranteed his third straight appearance in the CHL classic and has a chance to become only the second player ever to win three Cups in a row (Robert Savard was the other, doing it with Cornwall and Kitchener in 1980, &rsquo;81 and &rsquo;82). But Shugg&rsquo;s two teams are polar opposites on the ice. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m in a unique situation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The organization in Windsor put together a dream team. In Mississauga, we all have to work together; there are no superstars.&rdquo;</p><p>Indeed, while last year&rsquo;s Windsor Spitfires rolled out high NHL draft picks such as Taylor Hall (first overall in 2010), Cam Fowler (12th in &rsquo;10), Ryan Ellis (11th in &rsquo;09) and Zack Kassian (13th in &rsquo;09), Shugg&rsquo;s new mates in Mississauga are a more understated bunch. Shugg himself was selected 105th overall in 2010, while the Majors&rsquo; highest draft pick is right winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who Anaheim snagged 42nd overall last summer.</p><p>But the results have been the same, just achieved differently. Mississauga was lethal all season in the OHL, using a crushing pressure defense to smother opponents&rsquo; top guns and create offense going the other way. &ldquo;We had three lines in Windsor that could score at will and were probably all as good as anyone else&rsquo;s first line,&rdquo; Shugg said. &ldquo;Here, we do rely on defense to win games and we definitely don&rsquo;t give up as many shots on goal.&rdquo;</p><p>Shugg tallied 39 goals and 79 points last year with the Spit-fires, but the season prior he had played as a shutdown-type forward, so the defensive side of the game is in his blood. But despite playing on the suffocating Majors the left winger hit new heights offensively, leading Mississauga with 41 goals and 87 points. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m a pretty offensively talented player,&rdquo; Shugg said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m one of those go-to guys that can put the puck in the net or keep it out in the last minute of the game.&rdquo;</p><p>Shugg came to Mississauga along with defenseman Marc Cantin, a Bruins prospect and one-time Memorial Cup champ. While the Majors didn&rsquo;t make radical changes to their roster this year, the Windsor additions certainly put them in a good position to succeed, as did the mid-year loan of Los Angeles Kings pick Maxim Kitsyn from his Kontinental League team, Metallurg Novokuznetsk. In Shugg, the Majors got exactly what they were looking for. &ldquo;We want guys who know what it takes to win, guys who can play in pressure situations and be good teammates,&rdquo; said coach Dave Cameron. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got all of those things.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021032/9562630-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="607" height="642"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03812/9562623-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="1324" height="1411"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SHUGG LIFE</b></p><p><b>Justin Shugg has evolved into an effective shutdown player and a points producer.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Despite his previous titles, Shugg remains humble when the topic of his past accomplishments is raised and while he happily answers his teammates&rsquo; questions on what to expect in the tourney, he doesn&rsquo;t flaunt his success. &ldquo;It does come up, but I hate to bring up the past,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy with the ego because I won two Memorial Cups.&rdquo;</p><p>Sounds like Shugg is right on board with his Majors&rsquo; team-first philosophy.</p><p>As the host city, Mississauga will be doing more than just staging hockey games for the Memorial Cup. A fan fest will be held at the rinks attached to the Hershey Centre and notable areas include a fun zone for kids, a beer garden and concerts by tribute bands for adults and appearances by hockey players and personalities. The Hockey Hall of Fame will also bring memorabilia for display and, for out-of-towners, tours of Toronto and Mississauga and a day with the Toronto Blue Jays are scheduled. &ldquo;We want to make sure anyone coming who doesn&rsquo;t have a ticket to the game can still enjoy the festivities,&rdquo; said Rick Radovski, VP, marketing and sales for the Majors and a member of the Memorial Cup organizing committee. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all about having a good experience and catering to everyone.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011337/9562616-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="569" height="694"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NEVER FORGOTTEN</b></p><p><b>Trooper Marc Diab was killed in 2009 and the Majors will honor his memory with a tribute at this Memorial Cup.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(DIAB: FALLENHEROESMEMORIALFUND.COM)</span></figcaption></div><p>A big part of the Memorial Cup experience recently has been the tie-in with the trophy&rsquo;s beginnings. Named in honor of the soldiers who fought in the First World War, the Memorial Cup&rsquo;s military background has been worked into several special opening night jerseys worn by the host team. The Majors, who have honored veterans with special game sweaters in the past, will be no exception. Their Game 1 sweater will pay tribute to trooper Marc Diab, who was born in Lebanon but moved to Mississauga as a teenager. After getting his Canadian citizenship, he joined the army and fought in Afghanistan, where he was killed in March of 2009. Diab&rsquo;s family will be on hand for that opening game and will be presented with their own jersey by the team. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re extremely proud of it,&rdquo; Radovski said of the sweater. &ldquo;It pays tribute to the Memorial Cup and what it stands for.&rdquo;</p><p>So the team is ready on the ice and the organization is primed off it. The only question that remains is how will the event draw? Mississauga has battled chronic attendance problems and even games deep into the OHL playoffs were played to well under capacity. Being a junior team in a market dominated by the NHL&rsquo;s Maple Leafs may be frustrating for a title contender, but the Majors aren&rsquo;t pointing any fingers and welcome all hockey fans. &ldquo;Even if they&rsquo;re wearing Maple Leafs jerseys, we&rsquo;d love to see them,&rdquo; Shugg said. &ldquo;The guys give it their all here and we&rsquo;d love to see people come out.&rdquo;</p><p>With a legitimate shot at bringing a championship to a hockey market starved for one, the Majors at least have a compelling argument to make.</p><p><b>Visit <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> for extensive Memorial Cup coverage.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-02

Third Time’s A Rare Charm

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEFF BLAY</div><h2><b>1. 2005: London Knights <i>Record-Setting Season</i></b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he year of the NHL lockout also marked the Knights&rsquo; 40th season. They set a CHL record by going unbeaten in 31 games and were the first team in OHL history with back-to-back 50-win, 100-point seasons. Seven current NHLers including Corey Perry and Dave Bolland notched a 4-0 Cup final victory over Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Oceanic to cap a 59-7-2 regular season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02936/9562661-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="592" height="749"><figcaption class="caption-body">COREY PERRY <span class="photo-credit">(PERRY: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>2. 2009 & &rsquo;10: Windsor Spitfires <i>Back-To-Back Comebacks</i></b></h2><p>In 2009, Windsor rallied to win the Cup after losing the first two games of the tourney. In 2010, the Spits fell behind 3-0 to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL&rsquo;s Western Conference final before roaring back to win 12 consecutive games en route to their second straight Mem Cup. Taylor Hall was the MVP of both tournaments.</p><h2><b>3. 1994 & &rsquo;95: Kamloops Blazers <i>Undefeated Twice</i></b></h2><p>After going undefeated in the 1994 Memorial Cup tournament, Kamloops did it again in &rsquo;95 to win its third Cup in four years. Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Darcy Tucker, Tyson Nash, Jason Strudwick and Brad Lukowich starred for the Blazers, who defeated the Detroit Junior Red Wings 8-2 in the &rsquo;95 championship game.</p><h2><b>4. 1982: Kitchener Rangers <i>Kitchener&rsquo;s First</i></b></h2><p>Led by eventual Hall of Famers Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens, and another future Stanley Cup champion, Brian Bellows, the Rangers defeated the Sherbrooke Castors 7-4 to win a great junior hockey city&rsquo;s first Mem Cup. The &rsquo;82 tournament was also the first time an American team (the Portland Winterhawks) competed in the event.</p><h2><b>5. 1996: Granby Predateurs <i>Cup Back In Quebec</i></b></h2><p>After losing its only game of the tournament 6-3 to host Peterborough in the round robin, Granby defeated the Petes 4-0 in the championship rematch to win the Cup and take it back to the province of Quebec for the first time in 25 years.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-02

TOP 5 MEMORIAL CUP MOMENTS

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN MCNALLY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02998/9562706-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="284" height="87"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011416/9562713-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="122" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04543/9562699-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="859" height="763"><figcaption class="caption-body">EVGENY KUZNETSOV <span class="photo-credit">(KUZNETSOV: TOM SZCZERBOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>n some NHL quarters there is always doubt. Do you draft a talented, young Russian and deal with the potential headaches? Kontinental League contract issues, the language barrier, the possibility he could bolt for home if things go sour&hellip;</p><p>For the Washington Capitals, those complications remain a consideration. But with a handful of Russian stars already in place, they maintain a comfort level most other NHL teams just don&rsquo;t have.</p><p>The organization is willing to take that risk because the draft is still the cheapest way to replenish talent and avoid salary cap-crushing free agent contracts. And it also has the best Russian recruiter in the world. &ldquo;Our locker room is unbelievable, the atmosphere in the room and outside the room is unbelievable,&rdquo; said Alex Ovechkin. &ldquo;We will support them.&rdquo;</p><p>Since 2002 the Caps have drafted eight Russian-born players in the first three rounds. &ldquo;Thank goodness we&rsquo;re drafting well,&rdquo; said Washington GM George McPhee. &ldquo;And we have real good players coming in, real difference-makers that make up for a free agent that we might lose.&rdquo;</p><p>One of those possibilities is center Evgeny Kuznetsov, the 26th pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft. The Caps were ecstatic he fell to them as other clubs hedged their bets. Within months Kuznetsov proved to be one of the world&rsquo;s best teenagers, leading Russia  to world junior gold with a game that prompted Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson to call him the tourney&rsquo;s &ldquo;most dynamic player.&rdquo; That performance carried over to the KHL season, where Kuznetsov had 17 goals and 32 points in 44 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk, terrific numbers for a teen in that league. He has a year left on his KHL contract and has said he will fulfill the deal. But nothing is set in stone. &ldquo;We have lots to talk about over the summer,&rdquo; McPhee said. &ldquo;If he feels he&rsquo;s ready to play here, we can talk about that, too.&rdquo;</p><p>Kuznetsov would have lots of Russian company in Washington. Alexander Semin is under contract for one more season; goalie Semyon Varlamov was injured much of 2010-11, but started the previous two playoffs; and, of course, there&rsquo;s Ovechkin.</p><p>The Caps&rsquo; pipeline is also stocked with Russians: Dmitri Orlov, a 2009 second-rounder (55th); Hershey center Dmitry Kugryshev (58th in &rsquo;08), 21, who struggled in the American League this season; and Stanislav Galiev (86th, &rsquo;10), who had 37 goals and 65 points for Saint John in 64 Quebec League contests.</p><p>Orlov, 19, joined Hershey in late February. The defenseman played 25 games in all, scoring two goals and 10 points and finishing plus-1. He&rsquo;s a big, mobile puck-mover with an edge to his game the Caps love. After his AHL debut, the team&rsquo;s internal report called it among the best first periods by a 19-year-old at that level. Hype? Maybe. But the track record is there.</p><p>This is an organization that said similar things about Mike Green, John Carlson, Marcus Johansson and young goalies Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby. All were chosen 23rd or later in the draft. And it won&rsquo;t hurt that Kuznetsov et al. &ndash; whenever they arrive &ndash; will have a support system in place. &ldquo;Of course it&rsquo;s on us because we&rsquo;re leaders and we&rsquo;re experienced guys,&rdquo; Ovechkin said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to help everybody, rookie or two-year guys.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>RUSHIN&rsquo;</b>&nbsp;<b>Bears</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05427/9562692-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="162" height="294"><figcaption class="caption-body">SERGEI FEDOROV <span class="photo-credit">(FEDOROV: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES/NHLI)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>CAREER RUSSIAN NHL GOALS LEADERS</b></h3><p><b>Sergei Fedorov</b></p><p><i>483 goals</i></p><p><b>Alexander Mogilny</b></p><p><i>473 goals</i></p><p><b>Pavel Bure</b></p><p><i>437 goals</i></p><p><b>Alex Kovalev</b></p><p><i>428 goals</i></p><p><b>Ilya Kovalchuk</b></p><p><i>369 goals</i></p><p><b>Vyacheslav Kozlov</b></p><p><i>356 goals</i></p><p><b>Alexei Yashin</b></p><p><i>337 goals</i></p><p><b>Alex Ovechkin</b></p><p><i>301 goals</i></p><p><b>Alexei Zhamnov</b></p><p><i>249 goals</i></p><p><b>Sergei Samsonov</b></p><p><i>235 goals</i></p><h3><b>4</b></h3><p><b>Under-20</b>&nbsp;<b>KHLers who reached double digits in points this season</b></p><p><b><i>Over the following NHL Team Report</i></b>&nbsp;<i>pages you&rsquo;ll find all-prospect teams based largely on THN&rsquo;s Future Watch 2011</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-02

The Russians Are Coming

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02857/9562765-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011249/9562758-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="122" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03614/9562751-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="639" height="809"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NINO NIEDERREITER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NIEDERREITER: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The great thing about right winger Nino Niederreiter is you can take him anywhere.</p><p> When he arrived for training camp early, he stayed by himself for awhile before joining up with a couple other prospects later on. &ldquo;I kinda liked it,&rdquo; the 18-year-old said of the solitude. &ldquo;I could keep focused.&rdquo;</p><p>During his nine-game stint with the New York Islanders to start the season, his road roommate wasn&rsquo;t a wily veteran, but 24-year-old defenseman Andrew MacDonald. And when Niederreiter returned to the Western League&rsquo;s Portland Winterhawks, he was the one taking on the role of mentor as the junior squad welcomed fellow Swiss import Sven Bartschi to the roster. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to have someone from your country there,&rdquo; Niederreiter said. &ldquo;He had no idea what to expect at the beginning.&rdquo;</p><p>Fortunately, the on-ice component was not a problem as Bartschi led the WHL in rookie scoring by a country mile, tallying 34 goals and 85 points in 66 games. Niederreiter, drafted fifth overall in 2010, continued his own excellent junior career and was one of the top scorers in the WHL playoffs.</p><p>The two would amuse their teammates by speaking in Swiss-German, their preferred dialect, and lived the big city life in Portland, which is very different from Switzerland. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s way, way bigger,&rdquo; Niederreiter said. &ldquo;Back home you can walk everywhere or bike. Here, you need a car.&rdquo;</p><p>Fortunately, &lsquo;El Nino&rsquo; is used to the driver&rsquo;s seat.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04462/9562744-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="1612" height="3109"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HENRIQUE + GRACHEV: ANDY MARLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; RAKHSHANI: PAUL BERESWILL/GETTY IMAGES; WELLWOOD: MIKE STOBE/GETTY IMAGES; TANGRADI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-02

‘El Nino’ Approaches

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02979/9562810-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011427/9562817-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="122" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03718/9562803-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="648" height="829"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVID RUNDBLAD</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RUNDBLAD:H&Aring;KAN NORDSTR&Ouml;M)</span></figcaption></div><p>After being claimed by different teams in consecutive drafts, David Rundblad now has a great chance to stick with the Ottawa Senators.</p><p>The Sens acquired the Swedish defenseman at the 2010 draft by sending the 16th overall pick to the Blues, the team that originally selected Rundblad 17th overall in 2009. The 20-year-old led all blueliners in the Swedish League with 11 goals and 50 points in 55 games this season, a total that ranks second all-time for points by a defensemen in that loop. Not surprisingly, Rundblad was named the league&rsquo;s top rearguard.</p><p>That&rsquo;s music to the ears of Ottawa assistant GM Tim Murray. &ldquo;As much as we liked him, he probably did exceed the expectations we had,&rdquo; Murray said.</p><p>Rundblad&rsquo;s output was a huge jump from the 13 points he posted in 2009-10 and his average ice time of 22:49 per game was tops on his Skelleftea club. Rundblad has good size at 6-foot-2 and 189 pounds, but his game is about being evasive and driving the attack up ice. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s special with the puck, he likes to get up in the play, he likes to join the rush,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;He moves the puck very well and sees the ice very well.&rdquo;</p><p>With three Swedish League seasons under his belt, Rundblad is ready to compete for an NHL job, according to Murray: &ldquo;The plan is for him to come to training camp and we&rsquo;re going to give him every opportunity to make our team and go from there.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04534/9562796-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="1634" height="3167"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CARON: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES; ADAM: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; NASH: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; COWEN: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; COLBORNE: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0030-02

David Dominates

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02946/9562862-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011403/9562869-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="122" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03693/9562855-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="657" height="735"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ERIK GUDBRANSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GUDBRANSON: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>efender Erik Gudbranson endeared himself to the Florida Panthers when he stuck up for teammates in an exhibition scrum against the Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>While being held by one of the officials, the teen was sucker punched by Travis Moen. Gudbranson sustained a figurative blow soon after, when he and the Cats couldn&rsquo;t agree on the financials of his entrylevel contract, so he went back for an unexpected return to junior. But like the pro he is trying to become, the 6-foot-4, 195-pounder took it in stride. &ldquo;I got to work on some things, like my offensive play and getting tougher,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to improve, that&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo;</p><p>Not that toughness was much of a problem to begin with. Gudbranson was suspended eight games this season when he threw a high hit and then pounded on the much smaller J.P. Labardo after the Oshawa Generals center clipped Kingston&rsquo;s goalie. Florida&rsquo;s top pick in the 2010 draft, third overall, also set a career high for fights with seven.</p><p>If there was one silver lining to Gudbranson&rsquo;s return to the OHL, it was the fact he got to play with his younger brother Alex, a rookie D-man with Kingston. Alex had three tilts of his own, but notes the two only went toe-to-toe once growing up. &ldquo;It was a pretty good fist fight,&rdquo; Alex said. &ldquo;We broke a door and then five minutes later we were watching the Habs game together.&rdquo;</p><p>Erik is sure to be in Florida&rsquo;s lineup this fall.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04526/9562848-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="1659" height="3148"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(KLINGBERG: SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; DALPE: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MARKSTROM: ANDY MARLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; DESJARDINS: SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; HOLTBY: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0032-02

Cat So Bad He’s ‘Gud’

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02985/9562914-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011420/9562921-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="122" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03784/9562907-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="657" height="796"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RYAN JOHANSEN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOHANSEN: JUSTIN K. ALLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Blue Jackets have had their hopes raised before like this, so the excitement surrounding prospect center Ryan Johansen has been intentionally restrained. But only at the surface.</p><p>Johansen, the No. 4 overall pick in last June&rsquo;s NHL draft, sure looks like the guy who will soon end the near decade-long search for a center to play with Jackets captain Rick Nash. &ldquo;When we drafted him, he was scratching the surface of his ability,&rdquo; said Columbus GM Scott Howson. &ldquo;Now he&rsquo;s a dominant junior player. You can&rsquo;t dream up the year for him much better than it has gone.&rdquo;</p><p>Johansen won a silver with Canada at the world juniors and was named to the all-tournament team. He placed No. 2 behind Brayden Schenn in THN&rsquo;s Future Watch 2011. He had a monster season scoring 40 goals and 92 points in 63 games with the Portland Winterhawks and was leading them in playoff scoring during a Memorial Cup drive.</p><p>The Jackets have been teased by high picks who fizzled before, but nobody&rsquo;s post-draft stock has soared like Johansen&rsquo;s. He has a mean streak and an ability to anticipate the play, such that he never looks to be exerting himself. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like he&rsquo;s a ghost on the ice,&rdquo; a scout said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t see him and then &ndash; poof! &ndash; he&rsquo;s there.&rdquo;</p><p>Johansen will surely make the NHL next season. He&rsquo;s too young for the American League and too good for junior. All he needs is to fill out his frame; a choice spot in the Jackets lineup awaits.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04635/9562900-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="1647" height="3180"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MORIN: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; MOORE: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; TATAR: ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES; BLUM: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; TARASENKO: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0034-02

Filling Out To Fit In

<div class="byline">&#x2013; THN STAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02889/9563018-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011321/9563025-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03734/9563011-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="817" height="1053"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRAYDEN SCHENN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCHENN: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>For Brayden Schenn, 2010-11 was a season of highs and lows.</p><p>The highs included playing in the NHL, dominating the world juniors &ndash; despite a separated shoulder &ndash; and being the centerpiece of one of the biggest trades in major junior history. The highs were high.</p><p>But the lows were low. Schenn, 19, dressed for just eight of 24 Kings games and was sent to the American League for conditioning prior to the WJC. He and his Canadian mates then had an historical collapse, allowing five unanswered third period goals in a 5-3 gold medal-game loss to Russia. His highly favored Saskatoon Blades then flamed out in Round 2 of the Western League playoffs.</p><p>Ups and downs aside, the Kings are excited about Schenn&rsquo;s skill set: scoring, physicality, defense and grit. &ldquo;This is a guy who has a mix of everything,&rdquo; said Mike Futa, L.A.&rsquo;s co-director of amateur scouting. &ldquo;You just don&rsquo;t find those guys all the time.&rdquo;</p><p>Schenn isn&rsquo;t an elite skater, but has sublime puck skills and vision. The Kings have him pegged as a 25-to 30-goal, second-line center who&rsquo;s hard to play against. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just a warrior,&rdquo; Futa said. &ldquo;He has certainly showed our people (a lot) and made our scouting staff proud and made our scouting staff look good.&rdquo;</p><p>Schenn sees himself as a leader and all-around player, a la Mike Richards. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the kind of player I&rsquo;d like to be,&rdquo; Schenn said, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s a pretty high standard right there.&rdquo;</p><p>A standard the Kings would love for him to meet.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04585/9563004-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="1653" height="3156"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ETEM: MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES; LARSEN: GLENN JAMES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; LOKTIONOV: ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MACLEAN: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; MASHINTER: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0036-02

Next In Line For Throne

f0037-02

2011 ROUND 2 DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02881/9563164-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ROCCO IMMEDIATE</b></p><p><b>Team USA pivot Rocco Grimaldi packs a lot of scoring talent into the smallest of frames.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(TOM SORENSEN)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011281/9563171-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>B</span>rian Gionta was drafted 82nd overall in 1998. Nathan Gerbe lasted until the 142nd selection in 2005. Martin St-Louis wasn&rsquo;t drafted at all.</p><p>Rocco Grimaldi isn&rsquo;t bigger than any of those NHLers, but his impressive play this season means he&rsquo;s bound to hear his name called during the first round at the draft.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03710/9563157-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="188" height="116"></div><p>The 5-foot-6, 161-pound center for Team USA was the star attraction for the national team development program this season. In 50 games, the pint-sized producer threw up 34 goals and 62 points, including 13 markers on the power play and five game-winners, leading his team in each of those categories. &ldquo;In terms of offensive scoring opportunities and being a catalyst, he was a guy we could count on every night for a big goal,&rdquo; said NTDP coach Ron Rolston. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got dynamic speed and quickness. When he gets out of the blocks, he can be gone on you.&rdquo;</p><p>This year, there&rsquo;s a host of small players vying for attention at the 2011 draft, but Grimaldi is way ahead of the pack. One of the separating elements is the Team USA pivot isn&rsquo;t afraid to mix it up along the boards and has a lot of strength in his compact frame. That has served him well in both the United States League and when the NTDP has played college teams, where players are often several years older and much bigger than the under-18s from Ann Arbor, Mich.</p><p>And while comparisons to other diminutive NHLers are inevitable, Grimaldi doesn&rsquo;t see himself in that mold. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be a carbon copy of someone,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I try to look at elements from different players: Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s all-around game, Pavel Datysuk&rsquo;s hands and the leadership and defensive level of Ryan Kesler and Mike Richards.&rdquo;</p><p>Growing up in Anaheim, Grimaldi came up through the California Wave program, which helped the state leap onto hockey&rsquo;s grassroots map. &ldquo;It was good when we were younger,&rdquo; Grimaldi said. &ldquo;It was the age group one up from me that got it going and I was able to play up with them sometimes.&rdquo;</p><p>That crew included 2010 first-rounders Beau Bennett and Emerson Etem, plus second-rounder Jason Zucker. But at 12, Grimaldi moved to Michigan to play for an even more famous program, Detroit&rsquo;s Little Caesar&rsquo;s. That organization is owned by Red Wings head honcho Mike Illitch, which probably didn&rsquo;t hurt the Californian&rsquo;s decision to fly east. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been a Red Wings fan all my life,&rdquo; Grimaldi said. &ldquo;I just love watching them; I love how they play puck possession.&rdquo;</p><p>Another thing Grimaldi and his favorite NHL team have in common is professionalism. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very determined, very focused,&rdquo; Rolston said. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s in practice or weight training, he conducts himself like a pro.&rdquo;</p><p>The coach noted his star pivot has been vocal this season, coming out of his shell more so than during his first year in the program. But Grimaldi&rsquo;s enduring trait remains his workmanlike attitude and his low-key manner means he&rsquo;s more likely to spend a night in than out when Team USA travels internationally.</p><p>The last sojourn ended as many have for the national team, with a gold medal at the World Under-18 Championship in Germany. Team USA bested Canada in the semifinal (after losing to the Canucks in a pre-tournament exhibition game) and that&rsquo;s when Grimaldi&rsquo;s height became a hot topic. &ldquo;The Canadians tried to chirp me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I thought that was pretty funny.&rdquo;</p><p>But that&rsquo;s been Grimaldi&rsquo;s story his whole life: proving to scouts and doubters that his big game is not restricted by his small frame.</p><h2><b>32</b></h2><p><b>Grimaldi&rsquo;s slot in THN&rsquo;s Draft Preview, but a hot spring will boost that rating.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-02

Team USA’s Minor Threat

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02551/9563216-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>D-PLUS</b></p><p><b>Draft-eligible defenseman Keegan Lowe picked a great year to reverse his plus-minus.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(LOWE: COURTESY OF EDMONTON OIL KINGS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01874/9563223-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="95" height="111"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Keegan Lowe needs advice, the Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman simply walks down the hall of his family home. As the son of Oilers dynasty D-man and their current president of hockey ops Kevin Lowe, Keegan has been doubly blessed by the fact he gets to play major junior in his hometown, but also has the owner of six Stanley Cup rings around to mentor his game. &ldquo;Sometimes we&rsquo;ll watch video together online and talk about my skill work or positional work,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03427/9563209-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="259" height="196"></div><p>Dad doesn&rsquo;t tamper too much with Keegan&rsquo;s development &ndash; he does have an NHL team to run and the Oil Kings have a very capable staff themselves &ndash; but bringing 19 seasons of big-league experience can be a boon for the youngster. &ldquo;I try not to do it too often,&rdquo; dad said. &ldquo;But if I see a particular characteristic repeating itself, I&rsquo;ll pull off a couple clips. I have to say, though, it&rsquo;s been a lot less frequent as the season went on.&rdquo;</p><p>While Keegan&rsquo;s not an imposing defenseman, the Oil Kings stalwart is slated as a second-or third-rounder after a big turnaround season. (Lowe is rated No. 68 in THN&rsquo;s Draft Preview.) He played with Buffalo Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk and posted a plus-33 rating &ndash; a vast improvement over his minus-16 last year. This season&rsquo;s turnaround wasn&rsquo;t immediate, though. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have the greatest start, so I worked with our defensive coach, Steve Hamilton,&rdquo; Lowe said. &ldquo;He told me to work on the little things, like 1-on-1 coverage and not getting beat off the wall. I started to take more pride in the &lsquo;D&rsquo; zone.&rdquo;</p><p>He also got more aggressive. Lowe put up 123 PIM this season, double his rookie total. And though fighting isn&rsquo;t his strength, he was more than willing to drop the gloves when asked. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s playing with more of an edge now,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;But at the same time, it&rsquo;s his skill level you like. His overall game has improved a lot.&rdquo;</p><p>Lowe cites Nick Lidstrom and Shea Weber as NHLers he likes to watch, but as a kid, he had several of his dad&rsquo;s teammates to look up to for a different reason. &ldquo;Players like Ryan Smyth and Doug Weight worked hard in practice,&rdquo; he recalled. &ldquo;It taught me that once you&rsquo;re there, you have to keep working, because someone&rsquo;s always there to take your spot.&rdquo;</p><p>And though Lowe is an Edmonton boy, he did travel to Minnesota for a couple years to play prep hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary&rsquo;s. Along with being able to grow as a young man away from the comforts of home, the journey allowed the burgeoning blueliner to play against stiffer competition. &ldquo;He was at a time where he needed more,&rdquo; Kevin Lowe said. &ldquo;I knew what Shattuck had to offer. He loved the game and every moment he was playing he was happy.&rdquo;</p><p>Now the big dilemma for Kevin is what to do when the draft comes. For obvious reasons, he excuses himself whenever the Oilers scouting brain trust is discussing his son, but Lowe can&rsquo;t help being a proud papa, either. &ldquo;He kinda has everything we&rsquo;re looking for,&rdquo; Kevin said. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s a pretty wellrounded player.&rdquo;</p><p>And it&rsquo;s not hard to figure out where he got it from.</p><h3><b>HOT LIST</b></h3><h2><b>Son Of A&hellip;</b></h2><p><b>Keegan Lowe&rsquo;s not the only draft prospect with NHL bloodlines</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04342/9563202-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="600" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVID MUSIL</b></figcaption></div><h3><b>1. SEAN COUTURIER, C</b></h3><p>Drummondville (QMJHL) <i>Father, Sylvain, was a minor-leaguer who got spot duty with L.A. Sean&rsquo;s a big, dominating pivot.</i></p><h3><b>2. DAVID MUSIL, D</b></h3><p>Vancouver (WHL) <i>Dad, Frank, patrolled NHL bluelines for 14 seasons; David plays a similarly physical game.</i></p><h3><b>3. V. NAMESTNIKOV, C</b></h3><p>London (OHL) <i>Son of Evgeny (aka John), young Vladislav is a nifty playmaker and also the nephew of Slava Kozlov.</i></p><h3><b>4. MICHAEL ST. CROIX, RW</b></h3><p>Edmonton (WHL) <i>Dad, Rick, was a goalie, now Michael tortures them with his east-west game and stickhandling.</i></p><h3><b>5. CONNOR MURPHY, D</b></h3><p>U.S. NTDP (USHL) <i>Gord&rsquo;s kid has struggled with injuries the past two years, but has great size and skates well.</i></p><h3><b>5. DILLON SIMPSON, D</b></h3><p>North Dakota (USHL) <i>Spawn of Craig was a freshman on deep team, but great hockey sense.</i></p><p>Read more of Ryan Kennedy&rsquo;s <b>&lsquo;Hot List&rsquo;</b> Tuesdays at <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a></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>

f0040-02

High On Lowe In Edmonton

<div class="byline">BY TIM KOLUPANOWICH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01783/9563254-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>A GREAT KAHN JOB</b></p><p><b>Owner Michael Kahn opened his heart, and his wallet, for Zach Bennett and his family.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY GREGG FORWERCKT)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>he Charlotte</b> Checkers have gone above and beyond normal charity efforts for one young fan. They have, through the foundation of owner Michael Kahn, purchased a house for 11-year-old Zach Bennett and his family. It is an extremely unique gesture, but Zach is an extremely unique fan with personal ties to the team.</p><p>Zach, aptly nicknamed &lsquo;Bug&rsquo; for the time he saved a bee from drowning in a puddle, has been a fan of the American League team since they were the Albany River Rats. He has neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a neurological disorder that causes damage to soft tissue covering the nerves resulting in benign tumors to grow in the bottom layer of the skin. His mother Danielle is also afflicted with the same condition. NF1 also causes spinal deformities, leg-length discrepancy and pseudarthrosis, which makes it difficult for bones to heal and is the reason for the amputation of Zach&rsquo;s legs. The move will help get him better health coverage for his affliction.</p><p>Zach has battled through a lot of adversity and that fighting attitude may be why he likes the players who rack up the penalty minutes. Players such as Brad Herauf, Zack FitzGerald and Nicolas Blanchard are among his favorites. And while he looks up to them, the admiration goes the other way as well. The players know he has been through more than 20 surgeries and seeing his courage makes it easier to get through a hockey game. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re doing it for 60 minutes,&rdquo; Kahn said. &ldquo;Zach does it day in and day out, every minute of every day.&rdquo;</p><p>To help with his situation, Zach&rsquo;s parents find it helps to keep him informed on every decision. He has full knowledge of his disease and if anything is ever uncertain, he asks his doctors for the information he needs. One of those doctors is Allen Carl, who performed spinal cord surgery on actor Christopher Reeve from <i>Superman</i> fame.</p><p>Kahn has stated the reason they are raising funds for the move is because Zach&rsquo;s is such a special case. The Bennetts have been beneficiaries of events such as jersey auctions and the Checkers are happy to make a difference.</p><p>Zach began to like hockey when he started going to River Rats games with the Starlight Foundation when he was six. Then, after a hospital visit from the mascot a few years later, word about Zach reached captain Tim Conboy, who then invited the young fan for a dressing room visit. He was given a game-used stick from Conboy and introduced to the rest of the team, forming an immediate bond. When the team was sold and moved to Charlotte, Zach was determined to follow.</p><p>The Bennetts never lost contact with the squad and in January, were flown to North Carolina for a week. They had been trying to sell their house and find a place near Charlotte, but were having no luck. A phone call a few weeks after changed all that.</p><p>The Bennetts were shocked to hear that Kahn, through the help of his foundation, had purchased a home in Matthews, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte. &ldquo;For them to tell us little by little they were going to help us find a house, it was kind of emotional for all of us,&rdquo; said father Randy. Not long after that, a buyer made an offer on their home.</p><p>Zach will not only be closer to better health care now, he will be back with old friends, with the Bennetts once again giving players a place to hang out and relax. &ldquo;I like that because they feel comfortable around us and they can just be normal,&rdquo; Randy said. Members of the Checkers don&rsquo;t forget about Jenna, Zach&rsquo;s nine-year-old sister. They have fun with her, too, fighting to sit next to her at dinner and making sure it remains a family atmosphere.</p><p>Zach has already been through more than most people, yet he refuses to get down on himself. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the glue that holds our family together,&rdquo; Danielle said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-01

Loyal ‘Bug’ Heads South

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01589/9563313-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg"></div><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><p>By Larry Humber</p><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></b></p><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Winner of the latest World Junior Championship</p><p>4 P.K. ___ is a flashy Hab, pictured</p><p>9 Swift ___ has WHL hockey</p><p>10 Move at a slow pace</p><p>11 A sixth skater is an ___ attacker</p><p>12 ___ Shanahan now works to improve the game</p><p>13 Minnesota&rsquo;s team</p><p>15 Misses</p><p>18 &lsquo;God Bless ___&rsquo; was Philly&rsquo;s rallying anthem</p><p>21 Bid</p><p>23 &lsquo;Cat&rsquo; Francis&rsquo;s real first name</p><p>24 ___ boxes are occupied by corporations</p><p>25 Number retired by the Kings</p><p>26 Pull down, like in football</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>1 Maurice &lsquo;___&rsquo; Richard</p><p>2 Walk pompously</p><p>3 Country made for hockey?</p><p>5 Dennis Hextall was Ron&rsquo;s ___</p><p>6 Home of the Wheat Kings</p><p>7 Gary ___ went third overall in 1982</p><p>8 Torn ticket</p><p>14 Minutes spent in action</p><p>15 State with two NHL teams</p><p>16 Bernie ___ won back-to-back Smythes</p><p>17 He was All-Star Game MVP in 2007</p><p>19 Unskilled</p><p>20 Syl ___ wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in Toronto</p><p>22 First name of &lsquo;The Big M&rsquo;</p><p><b>LAST</b>&nbsp;<b>WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. KESSEL, 4. FENCES, 9. CALLS UP, 10. SIMON, 11. EDDIE, 12. RESTART, 13. ESPN, 15. ANDY, 18. ARIZONA, 21. ANTON, 23. OWN UP, 24. SPOKANE, 25. STRIKE, 26. GILLIS <b>DOWN</b> 1. KICKED, 2. SOLID, 3. EASTERN, 5. EASES, 6. CAM WARD, 7. SENATE, 8. SPAR, 14. SKINNER, 15. ANATOLI, 16. MAJORS, 17. ANDERS, 19. ORPIK, 20. ALSO, 22. TRAIL</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02389/9563306-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="1232" height="1608"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03328/9563299-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="186" height="186"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04285/9563292-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="594" height="234"></div><p><b>Former Hab Elmer Lach was showered with honors in his day, such as the first Art Ross in 1948.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05250/9563285-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="842" height="856"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BLAST: HHOF IMAGES; JERSEY: CRANBROOK PHOTO & STUDIO)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>KOOTENAY ICE</b> | 2010-11</p><h2><b>Jersey Hound</b></h2><p>The Ice have been golden in the Western League playoffs this season and when the team is wearing its third jerseys, they look golden as well.</p><p>The Big &lsquo;K&rsquo; logo may be simple, but it&rsquo;s effective and looks good on the blue sweater. The striping and shoulders are simple and everyone loves lace-up ties. Most importantly, though, the jersey is a radical departure from the team&rsquo;s primary sweater, which ranked very low in the recent rankings on <a href="http://THN.com">THN.com</a> thanks largely to an Abominable Snowman mascot that lives up to its name. <b>&ndash; RYAN KENNEDY</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01594/9563351-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="387" height="677"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span>very spring,</b> the swallows return to Capistrano and right around the same time a team in a nontraditional hockey market makes a breakthrough and tries to convince us it should be taken seriously. Welcome to the second round of the playoffs, Nashville Predators. In case you were wondering, this is a best-of-seven, too. If you win, you get to move onto something called the conference final.</p><p>Hey, it&rsquo;s wonderful the Preds&rsquo; playoff guide will finally have a bigger spine than <i>Great Moments in Atlanta Thrashers History</i>. It&rsquo;s even better people have taken to flying Predators flags on their cars and are hanging blue and gold ribbons all over the place. Shea Weber for the Norris, Pekka Rinne for the Vezina and David Poile for executive of the year are all well-deserved and a clear indication the Preds have an outstanding on-ice product.</p><p>But are we really to believe Nashville has become a hockey city? Really? Is that because they suddenly refer to themselves as &ldquo;Hockeytonk?&rdquo; If that&rsquo;s the case, why was it that four days after they posted their first-ever series victory there were still about 1,000 tickets remaining for Game 3 of the second round?</p><p>When I look at what the Predators have accomplished this spring in terms of energizing their fan base, I harken back to 2006 when I walked up to the ticket booth at the RBC Center in Raleigh and could have bought two tickets 30 minutes before a Stanley Cup final game. I remember during that playoffs, goalie Cam Ward walked into a jam-packed Quizno&rsquo;s near the rink at lunch hour, placed his order and walked out without being recognized. In 2004, about an hour after the Tampa Bay Lightning had won the Cup there was absolutely no evidence downtown that anything special had transpired. Not long after the Anaheim Ducks won their Cup in 2007, the parking lot of the Honda Center was largely empty, with the exception of one guy playing &ldquo;My Favorite Things&rdquo; on a saxophone.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t suspect Nashville will end up being any different. This spike in interest, I&rsquo;m sorry to report, is a short-term product of a team having some success and capturing imaginations, nothing more. Like other non-traditional market teams, the Predators have a small and devoted fan base. And like Carolina, Tampa Bay and Anaheim before them, people who aren&rsquo;t part of it will go back to doing other things and the team will continue to have trouble selling tickets. The fact is, as an organization, the Predators have done almost everything right in their 13 years. They&rsquo;ve taken a responsible approach to franchise building, cultivated their own stars by drafting and developing better than almost anyone, made wise personnel moves and been a very fan-friendly organization. Their game presentation is among the best in the league.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>The team will continue to have trouble selling tickets</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02382/9563344-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="801" height="1061"><figcaption class="caption-body">PEKKA RINNE <span class="photo-credit">(RINNE: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And still it has taken 13 years to get where they are. And where is that exactly? Well, the Preds attracted 16,142 fans a game this season, which put them 21st in attendance. Which means there were an average of 1,000 tickets left over for every home game, not including the thousands of giveaways and discounted tickets that every southern U.S. market counts as bums in the seats.</p><p>And while I&rsquo;m making enemies in Nashville, we might as well get another misconception out of the way.</p><p>The fact the Predators Finally won a playoff round does not necessarily validate the Nashville&rsquo;s steady-as-she-goes approach to franchise building. While it&rsquo;s admirable they&rsquo;ve had the same GM, coach and hockey department since Day 1, does it escape everyone it took them 12 tries to win a round? That&rsquo;s Five more years than it took Philadelphia to win a Stanley Cup and four more than it took the New York Islanders to capture their First title.</p><p>It&rsquo;s true that most successful organizations have the common thread of front offfice continuity. But who would you rather be; the Preds, who have won one playoff round and have had one coach and one GM since 1998-99 or the Penguins, who have won a Cup and been to the conference final three times with seven coaches and two GMs in the same time span? Or the Flyers, who have four trips to the conference final, one Stanley Cup final and six 100-point seasons under six coaches and two GMs in that duration?</p><p>Having the steady hand of Poile and Barry Trotz has probably served the small-budget Predators best, but who&rsquo;s to say their rise wouldn&rsquo;t have been accelerated if they had decided to shake up their hockey department? Poile and Trotz have done very good jobs, but to take that evidence and ascertain waiting 12 years for results is undoubtedly the only way to go would be silly.</p><p>Just as it would be to assume the joy created by one playoff run has turned Nashville into a legitimate hockey market.</p><p>CAN&rsquo;T GET ENOUGH CAMPBELL? CLICK ON <a href="http://THN.com">THN.COM</a> FOR KEN&rsquo;S EXCLUSIVE BLOG<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Search for your favorite player or team

May 30, 2011

SEPARATED AT Birth

Celebrity Apprentice

The Great Skate Escape

HE SAID What?