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.

July 13, 2013

The Hockey News - Jul-13

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DEPARTMENTS

2013-14 CAP SPACE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BEN KUZMA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01211/9845526-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="961" height="168"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-02120/9845519-1-eng-US/f0062-022.jpg" title="f0062-02" width="599" height="593"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEREK <b>ROY</b></figcaption></div><p><b>LASTING IMPRESSIONS HAVE BEEN A</b> short study for Derek Roy after he was traded twice within a year.</p><p>The diminutive center brought speed and playmaking to the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline in exchange for a 2013 second-rounder and defenseman Kevin Connauton. As an unrestricted free agent, the 30-year-old hoped to parlay a prominent role into heightened value on the open market. Roy, who averaged $4 million per on his expiring contract, is reportedly seeking closer to $5 million annually. He had a modest three goals and six points in a dozen regular season games with the Canucks and was held to one assist in four postseason outings. Add the salary cap ceiling dropping to $64.3 million and he&rsquo;s a tough sell at the elevated cost.</p><p>While the Canucks may look elsewhere for a third-line center, aspects of Roy&rsquo;s game are attractive. &ldquo;Find open space, because he&rsquo;ll get it to you,&rdquo; said left winger Chris Higgins. &ldquo;He can take a harmless play and turn it into a very dangerous one because he gains the blueline, finds his wingers and delays to draw two players to get someone open.&rdquo;</p><p>Like his teammates, Roy was nullified in the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks were simply stronger down the middle. It was a mismatch when Roy battled Joe Pavelski, who had eight points and a pair of two-goal efforts in the four-game sweep. &ldquo;You look at playoff goals and it&rsquo;s battling for rebounds,&rdquo; Roy said. &ldquo;You spread it out and it doesn&rsquo;t matter who you play with. Nobody looks for anything selfishly.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0373/9845512-1-eng-US/f0062-032.jpg" title="f0062-03" width="679" height="444"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0455/9845505-1-eng-US/f0062-042.jpg" title="f0062-04" width="305" height="467"></div><p>The wait for <b>Mikael Backlund</b> to develop into a top-six forward has been long and painful &ndash; literally. Calgary&rsquo;s first-round pick in 2007 has had a litany of injuries to slow his development. After signing a one-year redemption deal for $725,000 last year, Backlund showed he has second-line capability and will easily triple his salary.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0533/9845498-1-eng-US/f0062-052.jpg" title="f0062-05" width="703" height="316"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0626/9845491-1-eng-US/f0062-062.jpg" title="f0062-06" width="305" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BORDELEAU: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>In a season that turned sour, at least minor league journeyman <b>Patrick Bordeleau</b> was a story worth telling. The sixth-year pro cracked Colorado&rsquo;s roster as a gritty, grinding tower of power on the fourth line. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder hit anything that moved, playing a style not unlike that of members of Los Angeles&rsquo; burly fourth line.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0720/9845484-1-eng-US/f0062-072.jpg" title="f0062-07" width="678" height="484"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0814/9845477-1-eng-US/f0062-082.jpg" title="f0062-08" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROY+BACKLUND+WHITNEY: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Not long ago, <b>Ryan Whitney</b> was an up-and-coming blueline dynamo rubbing shoulders with future Cup champs in Pittsburgh. The evolution of Kris Letang made Whitney expendable and he was dealt to Anaheim. A year later, he was packaged to the Oilers and since then the bloom has faded. A fourth team will surely take a chance on him.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0912/9845470-1-eng-US/f0062-092.jpg" title="f0062-09" width="680" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-1012/9845463-1-eng-US/f0062-102.jpg" title="f0062-10" width="305" height="467"></div><p>The trade of prospect Matt Hackett and the uncertain health of Josh Harding has pushed <b>Niklas Backstrom&rsquo;s</b> importance off the charts. Another rock-solid season will result in a salary close to the $6 million Backstrom made each of the past four seasons. At 35, the Finn is sure to cash in big on likely his final NHL deal.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-128/9845456-1-eng-US/f0062-122.jpg" title="f0062-12" width="681" height="525"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-136/9845449-1-eng-US/f0062-132.jpg" title="f0062-13" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BACKSTROM+RAYMOND: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Mason Raymond</b> had the humbling experience of having his salary drop in 2012-13 thanks to declining offensive numbers in consecutive seasons and little leverage as a restricted free agent. But a somewhat bounce-back season to the prorated 40-point range will have him fielding offers of $3 million-plus as a still-young, speedy UFA.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SELLER’S MARKET

<p class="dropcap"><b><i><span>T</span>essa Bonhomme</i></b>&nbsp;<i>and</i>&nbsp;<b><i>Meghan Agosta-Marciano</i></b>&nbsp;<i>not only have made strides promoting women&rsquo;s hockey on the ice, they&rsquo;ve now taken a step toward promoting it off it. The two women, who won gold together at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, are the faces of women&rsquo;s hockey. That recognition will only grow after the pair signed endorsement deals this year, Bonhomme with Graf and Agosta-Marciano with CCM. CCM has also stepped up to sponsor four other female players including, Caroline Ouellette, Haley Irwin, Catherine Ward and Shannon Szabados. The multi-year deal from CCM means a chance for these women to promote the brand with NHLers such as Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and John Tavares.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02872/9844115-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="641" height="641"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BONHOMME: ANDRE RINGUETTE/HHOF-IIHF IMAGES; AGOSTA: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

GETTING THEIR DUE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RORY BOYLEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01212/9845289-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="923" height="165"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-02130/9845282-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg" title="f0060-02" width="599" height="592"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEPHEN <b>WEISS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(WEISS: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THIS WASN&rsquo;T A FUN YEAR FOR FLORIDA&rsquo;S</b> Stephen Weiss.</p><p>A season after the career Panther made it to his first post-season with the team while centering the most surprising scoring line in the NHL, his production crashed and his season burned because of a nagging wrist injury he decided to have surgery on. &ldquo;It was a very tough process trying to decide to have surgery or stick it out for the season,&rdquo; Weiss said. &ldquo;The two biggest questions I faced were: &lsquo;Are you helping yourself?&rsquo; The answer was no. And, &lsquo;are you helping the team?&rsquo; Definitely no. This was an ongoing issue with my wrist. I had to take care of it once and for all.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s not ideal for Weiss, a four-time 20-goal scorer to be heading into his first shot at unrestricted free agency after being sidelined for most of the year and not producing when he was playing. But it is a time for the 30-year-old to analyze his career and consider what type of situation he wants to put himself in.</p><p>The Toronto native is getting married this July and now has a wife&rsquo;s future to consider as well. &ldquo;No real negotiations with Florida that I&rsquo;m aware of,&rdquo; Weiss said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to (GM) Dale (Tallon) and he said he&rsquo;d like me back, but I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s any secret there&rsquo;s not a lot of money to go around here. I&rsquo;ve always had a soft spot for this team because they drafted me and I always wanted to help turn it around.</p><p>&ldquo;Now I have to look at all my options and consider playoffs and a chance at the Stanley Cup &ndash; that&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s all about.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0392/9845275-1-eng-US/f0060-032.jpg" title="f0060-03" width="661" height="419"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0466/9845268-1-eng-US/f0060-042.jpg" title="f0060-04" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LAROSE: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Chad LaRose,</b> a long-time Cane who won a Cup in 2006, passed on his exit meeting with GM Jim Rutherford. He has never reached the 20-goal plateau and doesn&rsquo;t fit in as well with the team anymore, now that he&rsquo;s lost his spot on a top-two line. Maybe another squad will think he can score 20 playing alongside one of their scorers.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0543/9845261-1-eng-US/f0060-052.jpg" title="f0060-05" width="680" height="356"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0636/9845254-1-eng-US/f0060-062.jpg" title="f0060-06" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MATTHIAS: ELSA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Since scoring two goals in his first four games in 2007-08, <b>Shawn Matthias</b> hadn&rsquo;t given Panthers much to go on, but his 14 goals this season was the best output of his career. Has he finally arrived or did he just have a well-timed contract year? Remember, Alexei Zhamnov&rsquo;s best season came in the lockout-shortened 1994-95.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0725/9845247-1-eng-US/f0060-072.jpg" title="f0060-07" width="682" height="317"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0813/9845240-1-eng-US/f0060-082.jpg" title="f0060-08" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(POULIOT: SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Tampa acquired <b>Benoit Pouliot</b> in a trade with Boston last summer and the 2005 fourth overall pick gave them eight goals and 20 points in 34 games. But how much of a priority will he be for a team that already has enough offense and needs to improve its team defense? Pouliot may only continue to fit in if another body or two is moved out.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-098/9845233-1-eng-US/f0060-092.jpg" title="f0060-09" width="680" height="319"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-108/9845226-1-eng-US/f0060-102.jpg" title="f0060-10" width="305" height="457"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALZNER: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Karl Alzner&rsquo;s</b> shutdown style is a crucial component, but with less than $6 million in cap space and at least one top-two line center role to be filled, the Caps are feeling the crunch. Without him, Washington&rsquo;s best shutdown &lsquo;D&rsquo; options are Jeff Schultz or John Erskine, guys you wouldn&rsquo;t want to trust 20 minutes a night to.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-115/9845219-1-eng-US/f0060-112.jpg" title="f0060-11" width="682" height="482"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-125/9845212-1-eng-US/f0060-122.jpg" title="f0060-12" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BURMISTROV: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/FREESTYLE PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian will get paid, but the future of <b>Alexander Burmistrov</b> isn&rsquo;t as clear. Trade rumors continue to pop up around the young Russian as his offense output sputters from the third line. Change of some sort has to shake up the Jets and the poor man&rsquo;s Datsyuk could be the odd man out.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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LITTLE FUN IN THE SUN

<div class="byline">WITH JASON KAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012251/9842274-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="526" height="923"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RYAN BROOK/TC MEDIA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>F THE NHL DIDN&rsquo;T CHANGE ONE THING</b> about its brand, we&rsquo;d still be enraptured by it, particularly the playoffs. This spring we&rsquo;ve seen dramatic comebacks, shocking upsets and immense vitriol, packaged inside a wrapping of elite skill and talent. What&rsquo;s not to like?</p><p>Well, judging by the voices we&rsquo;re hearing in traditional and social mediums, decrying everything from the state of officiating (pg. 24) to a lack of respect, things ain&rsquo;t perfect. Besides, we crazy humans always want more. So like a millionaire player or billionaire owner trying to decide between the black Porsche or the red Ferrari, here&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;d like to see the league put on its board of governors, GMs and R&D agendas.</p><p><b>1. Three-two-one points system.</b> As is explained on pg. 26, this is a no-brainer. Regulation time wins (three points) should be worth more than overtime and, especially, shootout wins (two points). There&rsquo;s far too much incentive to play it safe in the current model.</p><p><b>2. Stricter rules enforcement.</b> Not just on obstruction, which requires a reset, but on all forms of mischief, whether or not they cause injury. When too much is tolerated, particularly in the post-season, it enables and encourages mirrored poor behavior.</p><p><b>3. Hybrid icing.</b> Ummm, why don&rsquo;t we have this yet?</p><p><b>4. Puck-over-glass amendment.</b> It&rsquo;s not logical or fair that flipping the puck over the glass is treated the same as a hook that nullifies a scoring chance or a malicious slash across the wrist. It should be handled like icing, with no line change permitted by the offending team.</p><p><b>5. Faceoff cleanup.</b> THN senior editor Brian Costello suggests the moment a player tries to cheat at the dot, the linesman toss the puck to an opposing &lsquo;D&rsquo;. Intriguing. Regardless, there is a need for faceoff reform to curb the delays that become so magnified this time of year.</p><p><b>6. Time added on.</b> According to <i>Hockey Night in Canada&rsquo;s</i> Glenn Healy, the league is going to discuss carrying over penalties from one game to the next if assessed at the end of playoff contests. We suggest going one step further. In the regular season, how about adding time on at the end of games, at the discretion of the non-offending team, for penalties that run past the end of regulation or OT? If a call is made at 19:45 of the third period that results in a power play, tack on 1:45 to allow for a just, full two-minute man advantage.</p><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> STANLEY CUP ISSUE</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></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021906/9842267-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="414" height="222"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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FINE-TUNE A GAME SO FINE

<h2><b>ICE PP ICING, BABY</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><i><span>E</span>ven more incomprehensible than a team having a 50-50 chance of getting the puck back after being responsible for a stoppage of play (Editor&rsquo;s Notebook, June) is how we give a privilege to a team that has committed a foul. That is exactly what happens when a penalized team gets to shoot the puck the length of the ice without icing being called. You do that during 5-on-5 situations and you get the faceoff in your own end, without being able to change players. The same rules should apply throughout.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Normand Tratt, Mascouche, Que.</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012481/9842378-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="524" height="736"></div><p>CONTACT US:</p><p><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-031010/9842371-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="70" height="70"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>/thehockeynews</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04644/9842364-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="70" height="70"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>/+thehockeynews</p><h2><b>YOU&rsquo;RE KID-DING?</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021690/9842357-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="140" height="86"></div><p>Your views are absolutely biased towards the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby is not the best player in the NHL (2013 NHL Awards, June). You cover the Islanders like Marc-Andre Fleury trying to stop a puck during the playoffs: not very well. John Tavares deserves that award more than anyone else. Maybe you should change the name of the magazine to the Pittsburgh Penguins News. Go Islanders!</p><p><b><i>Jackson Bayer, Mamaroneck, N.Y.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05506/9842350-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="1031" height="627"><figcaption class="caption-body">SIDNEY <b>CROSBY</b></figcaption></div><p>Why is Sidney Crosby called the best player in the NHL? Granted he is a terrific offensive player, but the kid does not play on the penalty kill. Crosby averaged just 41 seconds of penalty kill time. This tells me his coach does not trust him in shorthanded situations. If you can&rsquo;t play in all situations, you are not the best player in the league.</p><p><b><i>Thomas A. Otis, Garden City, Mich.</i></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07235/9842343-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="70" height="70"></div><p>Tavares was easily a better player this season. He took the Islanders from the bottom of the standings to a playoff team. Without Tavares, the Isles would have been at the bottom while the Penguins still would have been fine without Crosby.</p><p><b><i>Sean O&rsquo;Callahan</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-08146/9842336-1-eng-US/f0006-082.jpg" title="f0006-08" width="70" height="70"></div><p>Pavel Datsyuk is the best in the world. If you had to make an NHL franchise, would you really build your team around Crosby? I&rsquo;d take Datsyuk.</p><p><b><i>Adam Spitzig</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>A HAIRY SITUATION</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0996/9842329-1-eng-US/f0006-092.jpg" title="f0006-09" width="140" height="86"></div><p>While I certainly appreciated THN paying tribute to great mustaches in NHL history (IPad Edition, June), I feel it is my duty to pay homage to other greats. Mike Gartner&rsquo;s &ldquo;grouchostache&rdquo; was absolutely astounding. In fact, it is my belief his &rsquo;stache actually served as a wind baffle on his face, making him more aerodynamic and helping him to be one of the fastest skaters the game has ever known. In 1994, Gartner&rsquo;s mustache was traded even up for Glenn Anderson&rsquo;s, in what Down Goes Brown&rsquo;s Sean McIndoe has deemed &ldquo;the greatest mustache-for-mustache trade in history.&rdquo; There should also be mention of Dirk Graham&rsquo;s mustache, which bowled over Jon Casey in the 1991 playoffs and added a physical edge to the Blackhawks&rsquo; 1992 run to the Stanley Cup final. Nothing else can be said about the utter greatness of Dave Babych&rsquo;s duster. In fact, I&rsquo;m pretty sure Babych&rsquo;s mustache had a mustache of its own. Finally, while Lemieux may be known as &lsquo;Super Mario,&rsquo; Bryan Trottier&rsquo;s Mario Brothers &rsquo;stache teamed with Clark Gillies&rsquo; beard to form a Dynamic Duo of facial hair that brought four consecutive Stanley Cups to Long Island.</p><p><b><i>Frank Nova, Evanston, Ill.</i></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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THN INBOX

<p>@THEHOCKEYNEWS</p><p><i>WHO SHOULD GO FIRST OVERALL AT THE 2013 NHL DRAFT?</i></p><p><b>P Chander @caperbruins:</b> The GM who passes on MacKinnon does so at his own peril. Best player at Memorial Cup. Seth Jones goes No. 2 now.</p><p><b>Jason Heddema @Spezza17:</b> The Avalanche have a lot of young talented forwards. Jones fills a need on the back end.</p><p><b>Chas McNeill @McNeill79:</b> You can&rsquo;t judge based on positional need. MacKinnon is best player available and thus deserves to hear his name called first.</p><p><b>Wes Krentz @weskrentz:</b> Jones for sure. He is from Denver and would create a lot of excitement for an ailing fan base.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

TWITTER CHIRPS

<div class="byline">Chris Sealey </div><div class="byline">Webster, Ma.</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06359/9842433-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="483" height="708"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>THINK YOU ARE A BIG FAN? SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS AT <a href="http://THN.COM/BIGFAN">THN.COM/BIGFAN</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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BIGFAN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021814/9842464-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE NEXT CASUALTY?</b></p><p>Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is an obvious buyout candidate with seven years left on his deal.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MARIANNE HELM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>GET THE CHECKBOOK OUT AND</b> bottle of Tums ready. It&rsquo;s time to write off some mistakes.</p><p>The summer free agency period is usually a time for free-spending GMs to outbid each other for the services of so-called marquee talent such as Brad Richards, Ryan Malone and&hellip;Ville Leino? This year, it&rsquo;s time for them to go back to the store and ask for a refund.</p><p>With the salary cap to shrink from $70.2 to $64.3 million next season, each team has been given a maximum of two amnesty buyouts (to be used over the next two years) to help comply with the new salary level. These work the same way as buyouts in the old system: two-thirds of the remaining amount is paid to the player over twice the remaining years of the contract; one-third is paid if the player is younger than 26. The only exception is that nothing will count against the cap.</p><p>In other words, it is a chance for teams to receive a couple mulligans on shots that they shanked into the woods. &ldquo;Players don&rsquo;t always work out as we expect,&rdquo; said Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford. &ldquo;Everyone is going to have one mistake at some point in time. Obviously, (buying out a contract) is not something you want to do. But if you&rsquo;re doing it, you&rsquo;re going to do it now.&rdquo;</p><p>Rutherford, who has more than $21 million tied up in three players (Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Alex Semin), said he would not take advantage of the compliance buyouts this year. But you can bet other teams will. How many? No one can be sure. Following the 2004-05 lockout, teams were given six days to terminate and buy out contracts and 13 players lost their jobs as a result.</p><p>The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens got a head start this year, buying out Wade Redden and Scott Gomez. One Eastern Conference GM estimates there will be 10 more buyouts, but added it would still be a decision made after exhausting every other avenue. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a last-resort thing, because you&rsquo;re still paying the player,&rdquo; said an Eastern Conference team executive, who specializes in cap management. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re paying a player that can play. As we saw with Redden and Gomez, they both got jobs right away, so ideally you&rsquo;d like to trade them.&rdquo;</p><p>That option will be a little easier this summer with teams now able to retain a portion of the player&rsquo;s salary when making trades (see pg. 55). For example, acquiring the remaining nine years and $40 million on Roberto Luongo&rsquo;s contract might be too much for a team to stomach. But if the Vancouver Canucks were willing to pick up $3 million per season, the deal might make more sense.</p><p>This is why many GMs are heading into the summer with plans of going discount shopping. &ldquo;The potential is there for a lot of reasons,&rdquo; said Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland. &ldquo;The cap going down, the compliance buyouts, the parity of teams trying to make changes to their team. There&rsquo;s the potential for a busy summer. Now, it&rsquo;s a matter of waiting to see if it happens. At the end of the day, it has to play itself out.&rdquo;</p><p>Two teams expected to be particularly active are the Ca-nucks and Philadelphia Flyers, who are both treading water with weights tied around their ankles. The Flyers are more than $3 million over the cap for next season and that&rsquo;s with pending unrestricted free agents Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Knuble, Kurtis Foster and restricted free agent Erik Gustafsson already off the books. Next year, captain Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn become RFAs, which raises the obvious question: where&rsquo;s the money going to come from?</p><p>The easy answer is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who has seven years and $34.5-million remaining on his contract. Buying him out would give the Flyers $5.6 million per year of cap space.</p><p>The Canucks are also right up against the cap without including the eight UFAs and three RFAs that have to be re-signed or replaced. Finding a trading partner for Luongo is the No. 1 option. But the team may also have to buy out left winger David Booth (two years, $8.5 million) and defenseman Keith Ballard (two years, $8.4 million).</p><p>Or maybe the same teams that exploited the system before with back-diving deals have to do the same to get some much-needed breathing room. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to see some creativity,&rdquo; said the Eastern Conference executive. &ldquo;It took a few years for agents and managers to find the loopholes with the old CBA. Maybe some have already found them with this one.&rdquo;</p><p><b>14</b>&nbsp;Years the Flyers will annually pay Ilya Bryzgalov $1,642,857 not to play for them if they buy him out. Bryzgalov, who turns 33 June 22, has seven years at a cap hit of $5.7 million remaining on the contract he signed in 2011.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

WRITING OFF PAST MISTAKES

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-11" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-11236/9842736-1-eng-US/f0009-112.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-11

The Instigator

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-12194/9842767-1-eng-US/f0009-122.jpg" title="f0009-12" width="549" height="606"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVE HISCOCK)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>SEEN AND HERD</b></h3><p><b><i>Nathan MacKinnon</i></b> has a hat trick as Halifax captures the Memorial Cup, defeating Portland in the final to earn its first national title.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>WAY TOO CLOSE</b></h3><p>Referee Stephen Walkom nearly alters the outcome of a Game 7 when his curious double-penalty call negates a late Chicago goal in a tie game.</p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>GOLDEN STATE</b></h3><p>Buckle up your Sun Belt as California places a franchise in the Western Conference final for the fourth consecutive season thanks to L.A.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>TRASHING EUROS?</b></h3><p>Canadian Hockey League raises the idea of banning European goalies from major junior to give Canuck keepers more opportunities.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-12

PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE ASHMORE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021719/9842798-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CRITICS SILENCED</b></p><p>Riley Gill was traded by one team and cut by another before Reading took a chance on him.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CURTESY OF THE STOCKTON THUNDER)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HIS WASN&rsquo;T SUPPOSED TO</b> happen for Riley Gill. At least not according to the other teams in the ECHL. Gill backstopped the Reading Royals to the ECHL&rsquo;s Kelly Cup, defeating the Stockton Thunder in five games to win the title in the league&rsquo;s 25th season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012345/9842805-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="172" height="172"></div><p>But it very nearly never came to pass. In early October, Gill was dealt from Kalamazoo to Utah and then let go by the Grizzlies all in less than two weeks. He didn&rsquo;t catch on with an ECHL team until February, toiling in the Southern Pro League until Reading, badly in need of good goaltending, came calling and picked him up mid-season. &ldquo;I got to prove all those people wrong that didn&rsquo;t give me a chance,&rdquo; said Gill, 28. &ldquo;It was back-to-back months where it was a jolt to my hockey career&hellip;but I ended up coming to a great team in Reading, winning a championship and getting a playoff MVP trophy. You can&rsquo;t get much better than that.&rdquo;</p><p>Three days before Gill was signed, Royals coach and director of hockey operations Larry Courville was so desperate for crease help that he summoned 37-year-old ex-NHLer Frederic Cassivi out of retirement. Then in came Gill to the rescue, taking over No. 1 duties and posting a 13-4 record, 1.91 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in the playoffs.</p><p>In their 12th season under the Royals moniker, Reading had made the post-season seven times, but never advanced to the ECHL final. In fact, despite the league&rsquo;s strong roots in the area, Reading is the first Pennsylvania team to win the title and only the second to advanced to the Kelly Cup.</p><p>After Gill, Courville credits the acquisitions of Evan Barlow and Nikita Kashirsky, plus a strong affiliation with the NHL&rsquo;s Washington Capitals and American League&rsquo;s Hershey Bears, for giving his depleted post-lockout roster the boost it needed. &ldquo;I knew by the end of the year that we could have a chance at going all the way and hopefully have a chance at winning the whole thing,&rdquo; Courville said. &ldquo;But the biggest impact I was able to make was that when we lost guys, we were able to replace them with impact guys.&rdquo;</p><p>Courville&rsquo;s biggest coup, however, happened back in 2011. It was in November of that year he dealt for forward Yannick Tifu from the now-defunct Chicago Express. The fiery Quebec native with a gift for gab and clutch goals would not only become the team&rsquo;s leading scorer, but also its captain and an inspiration to teammates.</p><p>That said, Tifu hadn&rsquo;t won a title in seven ECHL seasons and he told reporters he felt the perception of him was that he was a great regular season player who couldn&rsquo;t win when it mattered most. Four rounds and a Kelly Cup later, that thinking was proven a myth. &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t just our captain,&rdquo; said Royals right winger Alex Berry. &ldquo;He was our best player and offensive spark. Every time he had the puck, he made things happen. Our team really fed off him. You can tell how badly he wanted to win the Cup and that&rsquo;s why we wanted to play hard and win it for him.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

REDEMPTION IN READING

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031112/9842836-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>OME ICE HASN&rsquo;T</b> been much of an advantage in the post-season in recent years. This season, however, host barns have been hell for visitors. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, home teams won more than 70 percent of the time, up nearly 25 percent from last year. Since the 2004-05 lockout, hosts have never averaged better than 60 percent.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0010-03

HOME COOKIN’

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021804/9842912-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE HEAVYWEIGHTS</b> get the World Championship headlines, but hockey is a global game and their are tournaments featuring representatives from countries not exactly considered ice havens. These teams compete for titles in the WC&rsquo;s lower ranks, with a promotion to a higher level on the line. Here are the world&rsquo;s lesser lights that shone this spring.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-02

WORLD DOMINATION

<div class="byline">&#x2013; UFFE BODIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012286/9842881-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HOME SWEET HOME</b></p><p>Sweden became first host nation since 1986 to win World Championship gold.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>OR A LONG TIME, DANIEL AND</b> Henrik Sedin had been strangers to the Swedish people. More often than not, the duo had turned down invitations to represent their country at the World Championship, something that isn&rsquo;t looked upon kindly by Swedish fans. No matter how many points they produced or Art Ross Trophies they won, a lot of Swedes muttered &ldquo;traitors&rdquo; when the twins were a topic of conversation.</p><p>Nowadays, those Sedin-bashing times seem like ancient history. That&rsquo;s what leading your country to a gold medal will do for your legacy.</p><p>At the time Daniel, Henrik and Vancouver Canucks teammate Alexander Edler accepted this years&rsquo; invite to play on Swedish soil following their elimination from the NHL playoffs, Team Sweden was not looking good. The team, mostly built around players from the Swedish Elite League, was heavily criticized after a couple weak performances in the round-robin, in which they had trouble beating Belarus and Slovenia. As it turns out, adding two superstars made a whole lot of difference. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no denying we were another team after their arrival,&rdquo; said captain Staffan Kronwall. &ldquo;They put life into our power play, which had been struggling, and gave the whole team confidence. They basically won a bunch of games for us.&rdquo;</p><p>The Sedins partnered with Dallas Stars left winger Loui Eriksson to combine for 22 points in the last four games of the tournament as Sweden upset Canada in a shootout in the quarterfinal, beat archrival Finland in the semifinal and ousted Switzerland for gold. &ldquo;It feels unreal,&rdquo; Henrik said. &ldquo;We knew right away when we came in that this was a strong team where everyone fought for each other. Daniel and I have won an Olympic gold and played in a Stanley Cup final, but this is also a very gratifying moment.&rdquo;</p><p>For Switzerland, the tournament was a bittersweet experience. The upstarts won nine straight games before losing to the home team 5-1 in the final. The silver was the Alp nation&rsquo;s first WC medal in 60 years. &ldquo;We have a completely different depth on our team than before,&rdquo; said former NHL goalie Martin Gerber. &ldquo;We used to be much more dependent on one line, but this year we were able to spread are offense on four different lines. That made us harder to beat.&rdquo;</p><p>The one Swiss player who made the biggest impression was Nashville defenseman Roman Josi. The 22 year-old was voted tournament MVP after dominating the blueline and scoring nine points in 10 games. &ldquo;He was unbelievable,&rdquo; Gerber said. &ldquo;He made plays offensively, played well defensively, killed penalties and quarterbacked our power play. He was everywhere and you could tell by his performance that he had grown as a player.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011993/9842874-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="599" height="903"><figcaption class="caption-body">DANIEL <b>SEDIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SEDIN: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0012-01

TWINS ALL THE TALK IN SWEDEN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HENRIK PERSSON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021389/9842943-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="994" height="996"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SEVERE SHORTAGE</b></p><p>North Koreans exchanged sticks on shift changes, because they didn&rsquo;t have enough to go around.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(KOREA: COURTESY OF HENRIK PERSSON)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>ORTH KOREA&rsquo;S LEADER</b> Kim Jong Un spent much of early spring making threats against the West. Meanwhile, his national team was in South Africa, falling just short of the Div. III World Championship gold medal after a 4-1 loss to the host team in the final.</p><p>What&rsquo;s so impressive about North Korea is that it got to the final in spite of its meager budget. According to team leaders, a small grant from the International Olympic Committee is the only funding they receive, hence their equipment is very old. Some players had to trade sticks during shift changes because there weren&rsquo;t enough for everyone. When one of their top forwards busted a skate, panic ensued. Eventually the team was able to buy a used pair from one of the volunteers. &ldquo;Hockey is great, but it&rsquo;s very expensive to play,&rdquo; said a team official who wished to remain anonymous. &ldquo;Not everyone can afford to. This is our biggest challenge.&rdquo;</p><p>The South Africans, led by Canadian brothers Macky and Josh Reinecke, were the favorites heading into the final. They played a tough, physical game, crashing the net and forcing the North Koreans to make bad decisions. The game was a real David vs. Goliath affair. South Africa has an education program with USA Hockey, while the North Koreans play in their domestic semipro league. Except for the odd game against Chinese clubs, the worlds are their only opportunity to face international competition.</p><p>After the gold medal game, their only defeat of the tournament, the North Koreans immediately began looking ahead to next year&rsquo;s event. &ldquo;This year we did not play very well, but next year we&rsquo;ll try even harder to win the gold medal,&rdquo; said captain Chol Min Ri. &ldquo;(South Africa) improved a lot since last year. They are definitely the best team here.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-02

SHOESTRING BUDGET

<div class="byline">&#x2013; STEVE HUNT</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012264/9842981-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MCMILLIN AND STRIFE</b></p><p>After a rocky second half, the Americans, led by Brian McMillin, captured their first CHL crown</p></figcaption></div><p><b>IT TOOK LESS THAN A YEAR FOR BRIAN MCMILLIN</b> to go from fourth-liner to playoff MVP and Central League champion with the Allen Americans.</p><p>At the start of this season, McMillin knew things had changed in the Texas town. The 24-year-old center was in his third season with the Americans, but the only coach he&rsquo;d known, Dwight Mullins, had been fired. Steve Martinson, who&rsquo;s won six titles as a coach, took over behind the bench. McMillin played in just two of Allen&rsquo;s first five games, but whenever he earned an opportunity he capitalized and caught the eye of his new coach. &ldquo;He started out as the 11th forward and sat out games,&rdquo; said Martinson, who also won a CHL title as a player in 1984 with Tulsa. &ldquo;From the beginning, he was getting pucks in the net. He was one of the top scorers and he just made it where you couldn&rsquo;t take him out.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021706/9842974-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="202" height="144"></div><p>In 58 regular season games, McMillin finished with 15 goals and 30 points. He stepped up his production in the playoffs with 12 goals and 20 points in 19 games.</p><p>The Americans won the Roy Miron President&rsquo;s Cup with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win in Game 7 over the Wichita Thunder. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great feeling,&rdquo; said McMillin, a native of Roseau, Minn. &ldquo;That was my first championship, so that&rsquo;s what really mattered. The MVP maybe means more to my family and friends, something they can look at and be happy about. But for me, it was all about winning the title. My MVP was really just me being in the right spots.&rdquo;</p><p>One difference between this year&rsquo;s Allen team and those of years past was that the 2012-13 club was more battle-tested and experienced in handling adversity. That&rsquo;s because despite having a great start and leading the CHL standings through the first half, the Americans won just once in 11 games between mid-January and early February and didn&rsquo;t clinch the top seed in the playoffs until the final game of the regular season.</p><p>The Americans also dropped Game 1 in each of their three post-season series, two of which went seven games, before eventually claiming their first championship as a franchise in just their fourth year of existence. &ldquo;We dealt with adversity all year,&rdquo; McMillin said. &ldquo;Things weren&rsquo;t all peachy the entire season. It didn&rsquo;t go as planned. We were able to keep pushing on and we brought that attitude that no matter what happens we were going to find a way to get the job done.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-01

BACK FROM THE BRINK

<div class="byline">WITH DANIEL TKACZUK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031153/9843026-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="741" height="629"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHIP CRAIL/ALLEN AMERICANS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>RILL: Passing</b> In this drill, you&rsquo;re working with a teammate to improve passing skills and touch. Obstacle sticks are set in a straight line. You and your teammate move in the same direction, forwards or backwards, exchanging the puck as you advance. Use legs and core to propel the pass over stick. Follow through for a flat landing for the puck.</p><p><b>PRO TIP:</b> You can move apart to add more force to the saucer pass and cover a greater distance. Getting closer makes you work on light-touch passes in tight spaces.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05543/9843019-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="123" height="112"></div><p>Scan the rink with your Digimarc mobile app to watch the Pro Tips video</p><p><b><i>PRESENTED BY:</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04789/9843012-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="1316" height="119"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-03

PRO TIPS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PATRYK FOURNIER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021390/9843057-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="764" height="942"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CHASING THE PRIZE</b></p><p>Nathan Walker has lived away from his homeland since he was 14 in hopes of making the NHL.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(WALKER: ROB BINDLER)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>IKE THE REST OF HIS JUNIOR</b> hockey peers, Nathan Walker is in hot pursuit of the NHL dream. What makes his story different, however, is the roughly 25,000-mile trek he&rsquo;s taken across three continents and two oceans to achieve it.</p><p>Walker, 19, is looking to make history at the NHL draft in New Jersey. &ldquo;It would be an amazing feeling to be the first ever Australian drafted to the NHL,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;I would be setting a milestone for Australian hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1994, Walker moved with his family to Sydney, Australia, two years later. Following in his older brother Ryan&rsquo;s footsteps, Nathan picked up inline hockey before falling in love with it on the ice.</p><p>According to a 2011 Ice Hockey Australia report, the 32nd ranked IIHF country has 3,703 registered players and only 20 rinks, creating a premium for ice time. At 13 years old, and in spite of limited on-ice practise, Walker was thriving in the Australian leagues, playing against men in their 20s. Shortly after he was given a tryout in the Czech Republic, arranged by his Slovakian youth coach. Walker joined the HC Vitkovice junior system, made the move to Europe without his family at 14 and has been living on his own since. &ldquo;It was nothing like life back in Sydney,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was a pretty big culture shock for me. I got by in English, but to understand everything it took me about two to three years to pick up the language.&rdquo;</p><p>&lsquo;Stormy,&rsquo; as he&rsquo;s nicknamed, quickly worked his way up to Vitkovice&rsquo;s senior team, becoming the first Australian to play a major professional game in Europe. After spending the past six seasons in the Czech Republic, Walker decided it was time to make the next jump to America to play for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States League. &ldquo;I wanted to get more exposure to North American scouts,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;I really wanted to come over and start with a bang.&rdquo;</p><p>He did exactly that. In January, Walker scored his first goal on his first shift.</p><p>After notching just one assist in 20 games with HC Vitkovice of the Czech Extraliga this season, Walker was nearly a point-per game player for the Phantoms, with seven goals and 27 points in 29 games. His early success got him an invite to the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, replacing ill teammate Austin Cangelosi.</p><p>Walker was passed over in the 2012 NHL draft (though did earn an invite to the Washington Capitals development camp) despite being ranked 25th on NHL Central Scouting&rsquo;s final European list. He&rsquo;ll have another opportunity at this year&rsquo;s draft, when he hopes to make the final move in his lifelong journey. &ldquo;If I got drafted, all the emotions would just go through my head and I would be able to tick one thing off my list to achieve,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It would definitely justify some moves, but if I was to get drafted that wouldn&rsquo;t be the end of the road for me. I would like to reach higher, bigger goals in my life.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0015-02

DREAM FROM DOWN UNDER

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JASON WRYGHTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03965/9843088-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="556" height="613"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LAFLEUR: DENIS BRODEUR/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N 1970-71, THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN SEALS</b> finished last in the NHL. That same season, 19-year-old Guy Lafleur was the slam-dunk No. 1 prospect after torching the Quebec League with 130 goals and 209 points in 62 games. A year earlier, however, the Seals had made what turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. They dealt their first-round pick in 1971, along with D-man Francois Lacombe and cash, for forward Ernie Hicke and the Canadiens&rsquo; first-round pick in 1970, which they used to take Chris Oddleifson. Montreal, of course, used its first-rounder on Lafleur. What if the Seals didn&rsquo;t make that trade? What if&hellip;Lafleur had been drafted by California?</p><p>As a Seals rookie, Lafleur would have had first-line ice time without the pressure of playing in Montreal. He may even have matched the same 29 goals and 64 points he had for the Canadiens. The Seals had a solid core: goalie Gilles Meloche, D-men Bert Marshall, Paul Shmyr and Dick Redmond, as well as forwards Reggie Leach and Ivan Boldirev.</p><p>Lafleur wouldn&rsquo;t have saved the franchise, though. The Seals organization was in disarray and five of its top 10 scorers went to the World Hockey Association in 1972. Lafleur would have gone, too, and the Quebec Nordiques held his WHA rights. Playing for Quebec with J-C Tremblay, Serge Bernier and Rejean Houle, Lafleur would have been a star. At the expansion draft in 1979, when the WHA merged with the NHL, Lafleur could&rsquo;ve ended up anywhere. He may never have played a game for the Canadiens, and Montreal&rsquo;s 1970s dynasty would never have happened.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0015-03

CALIFORNIA HAD DRAFTED GUY LAFLEUR?

<div class="byline">BY ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-012029/9843126-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="289" height="289"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021550/9843119-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="1219" height="1208"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STAYING IN CZECH</b></p><p>David Krejci enjoys speaking his native language with idol and teammate Jaromir Jagr.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>FTER HIS DOMINANT FIRST-round showing against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins center David Krejci began to receive more attention from fans and media. But the Czech native hasn&rsquo;t been all that different since his first full NHL season in 2008-09.</p><p>That year, he put up 22 goals and 73 points in 82 contests for 0.89 points per game average. In the pro-rated 2012-13 campaign &ndash; and on a much weaker offensive Bruins squad &ndash; he had 10 goals and 33 points in 47 games, a 0.70 PPG.</p><p>So Krejci has been about as consistent a threat on offense as he was from the get-go. He just sticks out a little more these days because the Bruins need his offense a lot more. &ldquo;Me and my linemates have brought things to another level now,&rdquo; said Krejci, who led all playoff scorers through the second round with 17 points, including five goals, in 12 games playing alongside wingers Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. &ldquo;We wanted to do the same thing in the regular season, but it didn&rsquo;t happen. But every day in practice, we talk about what we want to do in the moment of the next game. We&rsquo;ve tried to stay in the moment and take advantage of our opportunities.&rdquo;</p><p>Krejci, Lucic and Horton all struggled at times during the regular season, but they became a fearsome trinity and true No. 1 line against Toronto in large part because Krejci was far and away the best all-around player on either team. In a way, that&rsquo;s as it should be: on the Bruins, only Zdeno Chara makes more money than Krejci, who is currently in the first year of a three-year, $15.8-million contract. People may not talk about the 27-year-old in the same way they do with superstars Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin or Jonathan Toews, but Krejci is a heck of a player and, until Tyler Seguin takes that mantle from him, Boston&rsquo;s top center.</p><p>Having a chance to play with trade deadline pickup and legendary countryman Jaromir Jagr has been a special thrill for Krejci, who grew up watching and idolizing the surefire Hall of Famer in the small Czech Republic city of Sternberk. He is impressed with Jagr&rsquo;s nighttime training habits and dedication to fitness &ndash; and the subdued center also appreciates No. 68&rsquo;s sense of humor and lighthearted interactions with his teammates. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a little different than some other 40-year-old guys we&rsquo;ve had on our team,&rdquo; Krejci said. &ldquo;He likes acting like a kid sometimes, joking around. Right away, he fit in well with the room and gets along with everybody.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>Me and my linemates have brought things to another level now</i></b><br>&ndash; David Krejci</blockquote><p>Prior to the current playoff tournament, Krejci had amassed 47 points in 59 career post-season games. At the end of this year, he should be closer than ever to establishing himself as a point-per-game playoff performer. That&rsquo;s the type of statistic an NHLer takes the most pride in. That&rsquo;s the kind of reputation that will assure Krejci gets much more attention in years to come. And having someone from his homeland &ndash; a Czech cultural icon like Jagr &ndash; along for the ride this time is something he doesn&rsquo;t take for granted. &ldquo;Anytime there&rsquo;s a Czech guy on the team it helps on and off the ice,&rdquo; said Krejci. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why, but it&rsquo;s different when you can talk in your own language. You feel a little more confident, you have more fun.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

DAVID IS GOLIATH

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021331/9843164-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="289" height="289"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011747/9843157-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1325" height="1251"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MISSING PIECE</b></p><p>A Stanley Cup is the one piece of hardware not in Jarome Iginla&rsquo;s trophy case.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>ERE&rsquo;S THE CHECKLIST AND, please, bear with us, this is going to take a while. Let&rsquo;s start with the name: Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla. Wow. And you thought Sheldon Kannegiesser had it tough. Now, let&rsquo;s move on to the accomplishments: two Memorial Cups, one Western League player of the year, two Olympic gold medals, one world junior gold medal, one World Championship, one World Cup gold medal, two Rocket Richard Trophies and one Lester B. Pearson (now Ted Lindsay) Award.</p><p>Yes, there&rsquo;s that gaping hole, but like Reggie Dunlop said in <i>Slap Shot</i>, he&rsquo;s workin&rsquo; on it. The remarkable thing about Iginla, though, is that with a Hall of Fame induction inevitably on its way and a list of career feats that could choke a horse, he doesn&rsquo;t play the diva very well. Yes, he chose the Pittsburgh Penguins in the last minute after everyone thought a deal was done with the Boston Bruins, but that was more a reflection of the way the Flames handled the situation than how Iginla did.</p><p>What the Penguins ended up getting at the trade deadline was a guy who might be the most optimistic hockey guy in Pittsburgh since the late coach Bob Johnson. Penguins GM Ray Shero didn&rsquo;t know Iginla prior to making the trade, but one thing he did know was he wouldn&rsquo;t have to worry about Iginla wrecking team chemistry. &ldquo;He has zero ego whatsoever,&rdquo; Shero said. &ldquo;He never asked about linemates, never asked about power play, never asked about any of that stuff. That&rsquo;s easy to say, but after 16 years in Calgary to come into a new situation and move to left wing, that&rsquo;s a big difference. He&rsquo;s just a great professional.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>He has zero ego whatsoever&hellip; He&rsquo;s just a great pro</i></b><br>&ndash; Ray Shero</blockquote><p>Iginla, who turns 36 July 1, didn&rsquo;t come to the Penguins with the thought of being a bit player who rides other players&rsquo; coattails to what he hopes will be the first Stanley Cup of his career. He has welcomed the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being on a powerhouse team. And with Shero also acquiring Tomas Vokoun in the off-season, and then Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray at the deadline, the Penguins have managed to avoid the pressure of having to &ldquo;win it for Jarome&rdquo; the way the Colorado Avalanche did with Ray Bourque in 2000. (As you might recall, they actually didn&rsquo;t win it that year, but got Bourque his championship a year later.) &ldquo;There&rsquo;s really been no talk of that here,&rdquo; Shero said. &ldquo;There really hasn&rsquo;t been. And part of that is because Jarome&rsquo;s focus hasn&rsquo;t been upon himself. It&rsquo;s been on the team.&rdquo;</p><p>Iginla is a free agent this summer, but it would be hard to believe he&rsquo;d turn down a chance to win another Cup if the Penguins manage to capture a championship this spring. For his part, Iginla is intent on making the most of the experience. &ldquo;To be back in the playoffs, just to be here, right from Day 1 they&rsquo;ve been winning, having fun and enjoying playing together,&rdquo; Iginla told reporters during the Penguins second-round series against the Ottawa Senators.</p><p>And nobody is enjoying it more than Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-02

IGGY GETS WITH IT

<div class="byline">BY TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011908/9843202-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="289" height="289"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021413/9843195-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="1391" height="1308"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BETWEEN PIPES, EARS</b></p><p>Corey Crawford attributes much of his success to thinking less during games.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>HERE WAS A TIME WHEN Corey Crawford thought he would never make it to the NHL. Now, after being stuck in the minors for five seasons, here he is in the conference final as one of four goalies still playing.</p><p>There were a multitude of setbacks along the way, however. The Blackhawks signed first Nikolai Khabibulin and then Cristobal Huet as free agents just when Crawford thought he might get the chance to make the team. He lost a training camp battle with Antti Niemi to be Huet&rsquo;s backup in 2009 and we know how that turned out: with Niemi eventually overtaking Huet for the No. 1 job and leading the Hawks to the Stanley Cup.</p><p>Crawford&rsquo;s luck began to change in the summer of 2010 when Chicago let Niemi walk as an free agent, unable to afford him after the goalie won an arbitration case. Niemi subsequently signed with San Jose. Crawford won 33 games as a rookie in 2010-11 and capped his season with a memorable performance in Game 7 against Vancouver in the first round, a contest the Hawks lost 2-1 in overtime after coming back from 3-0 deficit in the series.</p><p>Crawford won 30 more games last season, but all people remembered were the two soft goals he let Phoenix&rsquo;s Mikkel Boedker score in overtime in Games 3 and 4 of the first round. &ldquo;Every goalie lets in soft goals,&rdquo; said Crawford, who did so again in Game 6 of the recent Western Conference semifinal against Detroit when he flat-out missed catching Joakim Andersson&rsquo;s floater. &ldquo;I told myself it can&rsquo;t get any worse than that and to make the next save.&rdquo;</p><p>This year, Crawford shared the Jennings Trophy with backup Ray Emery. Crawford was 19-5-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He played himself into the conversation to make the 2014 Canadian Olympic team, as GM Steve Yzerman recently listed Crawford among goalies on his radar. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a top goaltender in the league and he&rsquo;s proven that every game this year and through the playoffs, too,&rdquo; said Hawks right winger Patrick Kane. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re lucky to have him. It&rsquo;s nice to see him do well because he works hard. It&rsquo;s good to see that work paying off.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>You never heard him complain. That&rsquo;s what makes us want to work hard in front of him</i></b><br>&ndash; Duncan Keith</blockquote><p>The work ethic has always been there for Crawford, but the ability to shake off a goal, good or bad, and come up with the clutch stops wasn&rsquo;t always there. It is now thanks to a newfound focus and extra work with Hawks goalie coach Stephane Waite.</p><p>Nobody on the Hawks entered the postseason with more to prove than Crawford. To cope, he has stopped thinking so much on the ice. &ldquo;If I get into that I&rsquo;ll start putting pressure on myself and maybe hold my stick a little tighter,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You get yourself in trouble if you start thinking. I&rsquo;m just doing what I&rsquo;ve done all year long. I have to try and keep my cool no matter what happens, keep focused and keep a level head, because you don&rsquo;t want to get off track.&rdquo;</p><p>Duncan Keith has seen a different Crawford than the guy who lost to Phoenix last spring. &ldquo;You can just tell that he obviously is more mature and has learned a lot,&rdquo; Keith said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s always been a mature guy. He definitely paid his dues down in the minors and worked his way up. You never heard him once complain. That&rsquo;s what makes the guys want to work hard in front of him.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

WORTH THE WAIT

<div class="byline">BY JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021248/9843240-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="289" height="289"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011671/9843233-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="1391" height="1266"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>L.A. PAY DAY</b></p><p>Super sophomore Slava Voynov will get a healthy pay bump as an RFA this summer.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>HE LOS ANGELES KINGS ARE halfway to repeating as Stanley Cup champions. And they&rsquo;re doing it on the backs of their lesser lights as much as their stars.</p><p>Through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Los Angeles &ndash; the only club to return from last season&rsquo;s final four &ndash; had scored just 26 goals, fewest among the remaining playoff teams. While it comes as no surprise that Jeff Carter leads in goals with five, not many would have pegged sophomore D-man Slava Voynov as the team&rsquo;s second-leading goal scorer with four (tied with Justin Williams). &ldquo;I feel great because we are still playing,&rdquo; Voynov said. &ldquo;I like playing offense and helping our forwards get points.&rdquo;</p><p>Playing in the shadow of Drew Doughty, the 6-foot, 190-pound Voynov sat at or near the top of many of the team&rsquo;s key statistical categories after the first two rounds. Voynov led in game-winning goals (three), plus-minus (plus-7), was tied for third in points (seven) and sat third in even strength ice time. &ldquo;All the stuff that &lsquo;Dewy&rsquo; and Slava have done on the offensive side has been a bonus,&rdquo; said captain Dustin Brown. &ldquo;(Voynov) did a really good job against Joe Thornton in the Sharks series, considering how physically outmatched he was. That&rsquo;s what guys in this room notice. He jumps into the offense and can certainly make plays, but it&rsquo;s the work in the defensive zone at this time of year that especially stands out.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>We can be scrambling and his heart rate won&rsquo;t break 80. He&rsquo;s a great player</i></b><br>&ndash; Jonathan Quick</blockquote><p>Voynov displays the poise of an experienced defenseman despite being just 23 and having yet to play a full 82-game schedule in either of his first two seasons. He had eight goals and 20 points in 54 games in 2011-12. This year, despite a 48-game schedule, he surpassed last season&rsquo;s point total with six goals and 25 points. &ldquo;He has to play minutes for us,&rdquo; said coach Darryl Sutter. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a young player, but we have to rely on him as an experienced player, not an inexperienced one. He has to pull his weight.&rdquo;</p><p>When injuries hit the Kings blueline last season, they recalled Voynov from their American League team in Manchester. He made an almost immediate impact, scoring twice, including the game winner, in his fifth NHL game, a win at Dallas. With the firing of Terry Murray and the hiring of Darryl Sutter behind the bench, Voynov forced himself in as one of the team&rsquo;s top six defenseman easily filling the void left by Jack Johnson who was shipped to Columbus for Carter.</p><p>Voynov is set to become a restricted free agent and is a bargain at his current salary of just more than $800,000. He&rsquo;s in line for a hefty pay raise, one that will at least triple his yearly stipend. &ldquo;He can take a hit and still make the play,&rdquo; said goaltender Jonathan Quick. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great skater. Knows how we&rsquo;re supposed to play, knows how the other team wants to play and knows how to take away quality chances. He calms plays down. We can be scrambling and his heart rate won&rsquo;t break 80. He&rsquo;s great to have on the back end. He&rsquo;s a great player.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-02

LOS ANGELES’ KING OF CALM

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021190/9843292-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="300" height="276"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011661/9843285-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="2326" height="1596"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>NYBODY WHO PREDICTS THE COLORADO</b> Avalanche will not be successful in the next few years should be advised they are betting against the personal professional success of Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. Does that prediction still stand, ye of little faith?</p><p>History can be excused, however, for betting against this new partnership with the Avs, who hired Roy as their coach and vice president of hockey operations May 23, giving him a four-year contract with an option for a fifth. Great players don&rsquo;t always make great coaches, as history tells us in the names of Wayne Gretzky, Bryan Trottier, Magic Johnson, Ted Williams and Bart Starr, among others.</p><p>But Roy would seem to have a good chance. This is not a living legend who just stepped off the golf course, bored with retirement, hoping to do the work of mere mortals. This is a man who stood on the bench of a junior team, producing a 349-159-37 record with the Quebec League&rsquo;s Remparts &ndash; a team he co-owns &ndash; over eight years, with one Memorial Cup championship. Roy paid his dues as a coach. Now, he says he&rsquo;s ready to work as hard as he ever has to bring the Avalanche back to relevance in the NHL. &ldquo;This is the perfect time,&rdquo; says Roy, who turned down the Avs&rsquo; coaching job in 2009, preferring to coach his youngest son, Frederick, with the Remparts. &ldquo;To all Avalanche fans, rest assured: I will bring the same passion to my new role with the team as I did when I was a player.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011333/9843278-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1315" height="891"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PROVEN PARTNERS</b></p><p>Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy have a winning history together, including Stanley Cup triumphs in 1995-96 and 2000-01.</p></figcaption></div><p>Roy as a player, in case anyone forgot: four Stanley Cups, three Conn Smythe trophies (in three different decades), 551 regular-season victories and still an NHL-record 151 playoff victories.</p><p>The 47-year-old says he would have taken a job with Colorado if it had only been as coach, but since he also has a VP of hockey operations title, many wonder how the strong-willed Hall of Famer will handle it if Sakic, who was promoted to executive vice president of hockey operations May 10, overrules him on a personnel decision. &ldquo;Joe is my boss,&rdquo; Roy says. &ldquo;Working with Joe every day, coming to this rink and working with him on the decisions on how this team is going to go, I could not have asked for anything better. I don&rsquo;t know how long this ride is going to be, but I can tell you, my plan is to enjoy every minute and I want to enjoy it with our fans.&rdquo;</p><p>The Avs have not made it to a Western Conference final since Roy played with them in 2002. On the top of Roy&rsquo;s agenda for a 15th-place team is to find at least one new assistant coach and also a goalie coach &ndash; not to mention give input on what the Avs should do with their No. 1 choice in the NHL draft June 30. Never one to shy away from making news, Roy created a stir in his introductory press conference when he said the Avs might consider trading down for some veteran help, to &ldquo;see what&rsquo;s on the table&rdquo; from another team.</p><p>Sakic, a fellow Hall of Famer, says Roy was his first choice as a coach. He and new team president Josh Kroenke flew on a commercial red-eye flight to Florida May 13, played a round of golf the next day with Roy at the Bear&rsquo;s Club in Jupiter and by the flight back that night had already mutually decided to offer him the job. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see us clashing on things at all,&rdquo; Sakic says. &ldquo;The one thing that every organization needs is for someone to make the final call, but it&rsquo;s not going to be an issue. We&rsquo;re going to work together, work with everyone in the organization and just do what&rsquo;s right for the organization.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, we&rsquo;re a little bit different &ndash; I&rsquo;m a little more laid back, he&rsquo;s a little more fiery &ndash; but I know, when we were teammates and even the other day when we discussed our team, which he knew very well, we agreed on everything. We agree on the same things going forward and it&rsquo;ll work.&rdquo;</p><p>History says it just might.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02863/9843271-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="1032" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PORTRAITS: JOHN LEYBA/THE DENVER POST VIA GETTY IMAG ES; CUP: STEVE BABINEAU/NH LI VIA GETTY IMAG ES; SAKIC: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAG ES; ROY: IAN TOMLINSO N/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-02

10-Year Reunion At Mile High

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03838/9843330-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="626" height="615"></div><h2><b>JUNE 9, 1984</b></h2><p>The Canadiens draft Roy 51st overall. He debuts less than a year later and gets his first career victory.</p><h2><b>MAY 24, 1986</b></h2><p>Roy wins first Stanley Cup in his first full season and is youngest Conn Smythe winner ever at 20 years old.</p><h2><b>JUNE 13, 1987</b></h2><p>The Nordiques draft Sakic 15th overall. He stays in major junior one more season before his NHL debut.</p><h2><b>JUNE 9, 1992</b></h2><p>Roy wins his third Vezina in a four-season stretch after going 36-22-8 with a 2.36 GAA and .914 SP.</p><h2><b>JUNE 9, 1993</b></h2><p>Roy leads Montreal past the Kings to clinch his second Stanley Cup and second Conn Smythe.</p><h2><b>DEC. 6, 1995</b></h2><p>Roy and Mike Keane traded to Avs for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko.</p><h2><b>JUNE 10, 1996</b></h2><p>Sakic wins first Stanley Cup with newly relocated Colorado; 34 pts. in 22 games net him Conn Smythe.</p><h2><b>JUNE 10, 1996</b></h2><p>Roy captures his third Stanley Cup and first as a member of the Colorado Avalanche alongside Sakic.</p><h2><b>DEC. 27, 1999</b></h2><p>An assist on a Chris Dingman goal against the St. Louis Blues earns Sakic career point No. 1,000.</p><h2><b>JUNE 9, 2001</b></h2><p>Roy wins his fourth and final Cup. A 16-7 record, 1.70 GAA and .934 SP earn him his third Conn Smythe.</p><h2><b>JUNE 9, 2001</b></h2><p>Sakic and Avs win second Cup. Sakic passes it off to Ray Bourque, whose wait for a title ends after 22 seasons.</p><h2><b>JUNE 14, 2001</b></h2><p>After 118-point season, Sakic captures Hart, Lester B. Pearson and Lady Byng Trophies.</p><h2><b>FEB. 24, 2002</b></h2><p>Sakic leads Canada to first Olympic gold medal in 50 years. He scores twice in the final and wins tournament MVP.</p><h2><b>NOV. 13, 2006</b></h2><p>Roy is inducted into the Hall of fame with Harley Hotchkiss, Dick Duff and the late Herb Brooks.</p><h2><b>NOV. 12, 2012</b></h2><p>Sakic inducted into Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility, joining Pavel Bure, Adam Oates and Mats Sundin.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03555/9843323-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="537" height="713"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-03

NOT-SO-ROCKY ROAD

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011546/9843648-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="422" height="473"></div><p><b><i>2013 NHL DRAFT</i></b></p><p><i>JUNE 30, 3 P.M. PRUDENTIAL CENTER</i></p><p><b>THIS YEAR&rsquo;S DRAFT</b> will take place all in one marathon day, so the kids who don&rsquo;t get picked in the first round at least won&rsquo;t have to head back to the hotel for a sleepless night. And with excellent depth in this crop, there&rsquo;s no shame going in the second round. A big cohort of players are all bunched up after the initial top 10, so don&rsquo;t be surprised if players such as Andre Burakowsky, Samuel Morin or J.T. Compher hear their names called among the first 30 selections. And with Calgary, Columbus and Dallas all holding multiple picks, there will a lot of action in Newark on what promises to be a busy day.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021134/9843641-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="339" height="469"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03835/9843634-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="161" height="229"><figcaption class="caption-body">D</figcaption></div><h2><b>1</b>&nbsp;SETH <b>JONES</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04615/9843627-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="101" height="82"></div><p><i>The Avs need blueline help and Jones brings the added bonus of growing up in Denver.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-13120/9843620-1-eng-US/f0022-132.jpg" title="f0022-13" width="159" height="243"><figcaption class="caption-body">C</figcaption></div><h2><b>2</b>&nbsp;NATHAN <b>MACKINNON</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-14107/9843613-1-eng-US/f0022-142.jpg" title="f0022-14" width="92" height="88"></div><p><i>His Memorial Cup was transcendental; his explosiveness will make him good for a long time.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05469/9843606-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="160" height="244"><figcaption class="caption-body">LW</figcaption></div><h2><b>3</b>&nbsp;JONATHAN <b>DROUIN</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06379/9843599-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="92" height="86"></div><p><i>Imagine the playmaking wizard riding shotgun with Stamkos for the next decade in Tampa.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-15100/9843592-1-eng-US/f0022-152.jpg" title="f0022-15" width="159" height="246"><figcaption class="caption-body">C</figcaption></div><h2><b>4</b>&nbsp;ALEKSANDER <b>BARKOV</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-1688/9843585-1-eng-US/f0022-162.jpg" title="f0022-16" width="119" height="69"></div><p><i>Preds want a forward and Barkov is a man-child who can control a game and set the pace.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07310/9843578-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="161" height="238"><figcaption class="caption-body">RW</figcaption></div><h2><b>5</b>&nbsp;VALERI <b>NICHUSHKIN</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08247/9843571-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="111" height="67"></div><p><i>Canes benefit from Russian factor if big power forward still there; same agent as Alexander Semin.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-1781/9843564-1-eng-US/f0022-172.jpg" title="f0022-17" width="158" height="245"><figcaption class="caption-body">C</figcaption></div><h2><b>6</b>&nbsp;SEAN <b>MONAHAN</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-1880/9843557-1-eng-US/f0022-182.jpg" title="f0022-18" width="97" height="83"></div><p><i>Calgary desperate down the middle and with his size and smarts, Monahan could help right away.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09200/9843550-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="181" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body">D</figcaption></div><h2><b>7</b>&nbsp;DARNELL <b>NURSE</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-10171/9843543-1-eng-US/f0022-102.jpg" title="f0022-10" width="89" height="89"></div><p><i>Maybe one day the big, surly, smooth skater will help Oil fans forget about Chris Pronger.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-1978/9843536-1-eng-US/f0022-192.jpg" title="f0022-19" width="158" height="236"><figcaption class="caption-body">D</figcaption></div><h2><b>8</b>&nbsp;NIKITA <b>ZADOROV</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2077/9843529-1-eng-US/f0022-202.jpg" title="f0022-20" width="83" height="83"></div><p><i>Buffalo got its pivots last year; now it&rsquo;s time to beef up the back end with nasty Nikita.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-11147/9843522-1-eng-US/f0022-112.jpg" title="f0022-11" width="162" height="241"><figcaption class="caption-body">C</figcaption></div><h2><b>9</b>&nbsp;ELIAS <b>LINDHOLM</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-12133/9843515-1-eng-US/f0022-122.jpg" title="f0022-12" width="84" height="84"></div><p><i>Plays with grit and works in all three zones, which is as New Jersey Devils as you can get.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2169/9843508-1-eng-US/f0022-212.jpg" title="f0022-21" width="158" height="247"><figcaption class="caption-body">C</figcaption></div><h2><b>10</b>&nbsp;BO <b>HORVAT</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2260/9843501-1-eng-US/f0022-222.jpg" title="f0022-22" width="111" height="70"></div><p><i>The responsible side of him is nice, but it&rsquo;s hard to ignore just how clutch Horvat is offensively.</i></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>11 RASMUS RISTOLAINEN (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2355/9843494-1-eng-US/f0022-232.jpg" title="f0022-23" width="101" height="71"></div><p>Two-way defender with size will help replenish torn-apart Philly depth chart.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>12</b>&nbsp;CURTIS <b>LAZAR (C)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2444/9843487-1-eng-US/f0022-242.jpg" title="f0022-24" width="88" height="89"></div><p>Sniping ability may put him on the wing in the pros. Strong kid with great character.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>13</b>&nbsp;ANTHONY <b>MANTHA (LW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2530/9843480-1-eng-US/f0022-252.jpg" title="f0022-25" width="83" height="83"></div><p>Jets need offense, so why not hook up with the only 50-goal scorer in the Quebec League?</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>14</b>&nbsp;HUNTER <b>SHINKARUK (RW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2621/9843473-1-eng-US/f0022-262.jpg" title="f0022-26" width="101" height="89"></div><p>Top-end speed and great finishing skills would be welcome addition in Columbus.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>15</b>&nbsp;JOSH <b>MORRISSEY (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2715/9843466-1-eng-US/f0022-272.jpg" title="f0022-27" width="91" height="88"></div><p>Puck-moving D-man plays with an edge, would look good starting Tavares&rsquo; rushes.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>16</b>&nbsp;ALEXANDER <b>WENNBERG (C)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-2810/9843459-1-eng-US/f0022-282.jpg" title="f0022-28" width="96" height="85"></div><p>Vision and patience with the puck are his staples; hockey sense is terrific (see next page).</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>17</b>&nbsp;FREDERIK <b>GAUTHIER (C)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-298/9843452-1-eng-US/f0022-292.jpg" title="f0022-29" width="76" height="91"></div><p>Sens have no glaring needs in pipeline; Gauthier brings offense and defense to the table.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>18</b>&nbsp;ROBERT <b>HAGG (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-305/9843445-1-eng-US/f0022-302.jpg" title="f0022-30" width="105" height="78"></div><p>Sturdy Swede can play a shutdown role but also has the hops to lead a rush up ice.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>19</b>&nbsp;ADAM <b>ERNE (RW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-314/9843438-1-eng-US/f0022-312.jpg" title="f0022-31" width="109" height="89"></div><p>Offensively gifted and strong on the puck, BJ&rsquo;s in market for lowercase Nash power forward.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>20</b>&nbsp;KERBY <b>RYCHEL (LW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-323/9843431-1-eng-US/f0022-322.jpg" title="f0022-32" width="96" height="79"></div><p>Back-to-back 40-goal seasons and he can play in all situations. Character kid to boot.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>21</b>&nbsp;MAX <b>DOMI (C)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-332/9843424-1-eng-US/f0022-332.jpg" title="f0022-33" width="82" height="88"></div><p>Not a stunt pick. Ignore the last name and you have an elite scoring prospect &ndash; good fit.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>22</b>&nbsp;RYAN <b>PULOCK (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-342/9843417-1-eng-US/f0022-342.jpg" title="f0022-34" width="102" height="84"></div><p>His booming point shot will be a nice asset for a Flames team rebuilding core.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>23</b>&nbsp;STEVE <b>SANTINI (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-352/9843410-1-eng-US/f0022-352.jpg" title="f0022-35" width="91" height="72"></div><p>Brings a great two-way game to the blueline. One of the best skaters available in draft.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>24</b>&nbsp;VALENTIN <b>ZYKOV (RW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-362/9843403-1-eng-US/f0022-362.jpg" title="f0022-36" width="87" height="83"></div><p>Sturdy points machine can help replenish a system that has had trouble developing lately.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>25</b>&nbsp;ZACH <b>FUCALE (G)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-372/9843396-1-eng-US/f0022-372.jpg" title="f0022-37" width="98" height="67"></div><p>Carey Price needs an heir and local boy Fucale is the best available netminder this year.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>26</b>&nbsp;IAN <b>MCCOSHEN (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-382/9843389-1-eng-US/f0022-382.jpg" title="f0022-38" width="93" height="54"></div><p>Boston College-bound rear-guard can play big minutes and shut down the competition.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>27</b>&nbsp;JACOB <b>DE LA ROSE (C)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-392/9843382-1-eng-US/f0022-392.jpg" title="f0022-39" width="110" height="85"></div><p>Crash-and-banger gives max effort and can overwhelm with his size. Good defense, too.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>28</b>&nbsp;MORGAN <b>KLIMCHUK (LW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-402/9843375-1-eng-US/f0022-402.jpg" title="f0022-40" width="111" height="79"></div><p>Despite facing pressure every night on a weak team, he was a big-time scorer with vision.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>29</b>&nbsp;RYAN <b>HARTMAN (RW)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-412/9843368-1-eng-US/f0022-412.jpg" title="f0022-41" width="102" height="82"></div><p>Nasty customer who backs up his agitating ways; he can also put the puck in the net.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>30</b>&nbsp;MIRCO <b>MUELLER (D)</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-422/9843361-1-eng-US/f0022-422.jpg" title="f0022-42" width="92" height="81"></div><p>Smooth skater with great size can fit into a nice role on a team that obviously has talent already.</p><p>*FINAL FOUR PICKS DETERMINED BY PLAYOFF OUTCOME | 1-WON LOTTERY FOR FIRST PICK IN FIRST ROUND ONLY; 2 - FROM MIN; 3 - FROM NYR; 4 - FROM STL; 5 - FROM LA; 6 - FROM BOS; 7 - FROM PIT<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-01

FEATURES

MOCK DRAFT

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>COUTS MEASURE PROSPECTS</b> using a variety of criteria. While some can be registered accurately &ndash; height and weight &ndash; others are, to a degree, subjective, such as the nine you see on this page. These are the opinions of scout Grant McCagg, who was our project contributor on Draft Preview. Most NHL teams also take prospect measurements a step further into the realm of &ldquo;intangibles&rdquo; and &ldquo;gut feeling.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011328/9843700-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="520" height="470"></div><h2><b><i>MOST PRO-READY</i></b></h2><h3><b>SETH JONES</b>&nbsp;<i>PORTLAND</i>&nbsp;<b><i>WINTERHAWKS</i></b></h3><p>D</p><p>Some contend he could have played in the NHL this season.</p><p><b>2. N. MACKINNON,</b> C, HALIFAX</p><p><b>3. J. DROUIN,</b> LW, HALIFAX</p><p><b>4. A. BARKOV,</b> C, TAPPARA</p><p><b>5. SEAN MONAHAN,</b> C, OTTAWA</p><p><b>6. V. NICHUSHKIN,</b> RW, CHEL&rsquo;BINSK</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02957/9843693-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="443" height="489"></div><h2><b><i>BEST HOCKEY SENSE</i></b></h2><h3><b>JONATHAN DROUIN</b>&nbsp;<i>HALIFAX</i>&nbsp;<b><i>MOOSEHEADS</i></b></h3><p>LW</p><p>One of the smartest players to enter the draft in recent years.</p><p><b>2. SEAN MONAHAN,</b> C, OTTAWA</p><p><b>3. E. LINDHOLM,</b> C, BRYNAS JR.</p><p><b>4. A. WENNBERG,</b> C, DJURGARDEN</p><p><b>5. BO HORVAT,</b> C, LONDON</p><p><b>6. NICOLAS PETAN,</b> C, PORTLAND</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04531/9843686-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="574" height="450"></div><h2><b><i>BEST SKATER</i></b></h2><h3><b>NATHAN MACKINNON</b>&nbsp;<i>HALIFAX</i>&nbsp;<b><i>MOOSEHEADS</i></b></h3><p>C</p><p>A non-stop motor with breakaway speed, agility make him lethal force.</p><p><b>2. SETH JONES,</b> D, PORTLAND</p><p><b>3. MAX DOMI,</b> C, LONDON</p><p><b>4. TOMMY VANNELLI,</b> D, MINN. H.S.</p><p><b>5. JOSH MORRISSEY,</b> D, P. ALBERT</p><p><b>6. STEVE SANTINI,</b> D, USA U-18</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05388/9843679-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="494" height="452"></div><h2><b><i>BEST POWER FORWARD</i></b></h2><h3><b>VALERI NICHUSHKIN</b>&nbsp;<b><i>CHELYABINSK 2</i></b></h3><p>RW</p><p>Has the size and strength to be a handful driving to the net.</p><p><b>2. MIKE MCCARRON,</b> RW, USA U-18</p><p><b>3. VALENTIN ZYKOV,</b> RW, B-COMEAU</p><p><b>4. ZACH NASTASIUK,</b> RW, O. SOUND</p><p><b>5. JUSTIN BAILEY,</b> C, KITCHENER</p><p><b>6. ADAM ERNE,</b> LW, QUEBEC</p><h2><b><i>BEST SHOT</i></b></h2><h3><b><i>RYAN PULOCK, D, BRANDON</i></b></h3><p>His primary weapon is a howitzer from the point.</p><p><b>2. ANTHONY MANTHA,</b> RW, VAL D&rsquo;OR</p><p><b>3. JONATHAN DROUIN,</b> LW, HALIFAX</p><p><b>4. ROBERT HAGG,</b> D, MODO JR.</p><p><b>5. MICHAEL MCCARRON,</b> RW, USA U-18</p><p><b>6. WILLIAM CARRIER,</b> LW, CAPE BRETON</p><h2><b><i>BEST DEFENSIVELY</i></b></h2><h3><b><i>FREDERIK GAUTHIER, C, RIMOUSKI</i></b></h3><p>Rangy center has great defensive awareness and penalty killing abilities.</p><p><b>2. BO HORVAT,</b> C, LONDON</p><p><b>3. CURTIS LAZAR,</b> RW/C, EDMONTON</p><p><b>4. ALEX WENNBERG,</b> C, DJURGARDEN</p><p><b>5. DILLON HEATHERINGTON,</b> D, S. CURRENT</p><p><b>6. NATHAN MACKINNON,</b> C, HALIFAX</p><h2><b><i>BEST HANDS/SKILL</i></b></h2><h3><b><i>JONATHAN DROUIN, LW, HALIFAX</i></b></h3><p>Makes moves, passes and cuts that others can only dream of making.</p><p><b>2. MAX DOMI,</b> C, LONDON</p><p><b>3. ARTTURI LEHKONEN,</b> LW, KALPA</p><p><b>4. JOSH MORRISSEY,</b> D, PRINCE ALBERT</p><p><b>5. PAVEL BUCHNEVICH,</b> LW, CHEREPOVETS</p><p><b>6. SVEN ANDRIGHETTO,</b> RW, R-NORANDA</p><h2><b><i>BEST CHARACTER/LEADER</i></b></h2><h3><b><i>CURTIS LAZAR, C, EDMONTON</i></b></h3><p>Natural-born leader has won at every level the past three seasons.</p><p><b>2. RYAN HARTMAN,</b> RW, PLYMOUTH</p><p><b>3. BO HORVAT,</b> C, LONDON</p><p><b>4. NATHAN MACKINNON,</b> C, HALIFAX</p><p><b>5. ELIAS LINDHOLM,</b> C, BRYNAS</p><p><b>6. SETH JONES,</b> D, PORTLAND</p><h2><b><i>TOUGHEST</i></b></h2><h3><b><i>JONATHAN-ISMAEL DIABY, D, VIC&rsquo;VILLE</i></b></h3><p>Formidable pugilist with long reach and strength.</p><p><b>2. SAMUEL MORIN,</b> D, RIMOUSKI</p><p><b>3. MASON GEERTSEN,</b> D, VANCOUVER</p><p><b>4. RYAN HARTMAN,</b> RW, PLYMOUTH</p><p><b>5. MICHAEL MCCARRON,</b> RW, USA U-18</p><p><b>6. DARNELL NURSE,</b> D, SAULT STE. MARIE<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-01

BEST BY SKILL

<div class="byline">By Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011485/9843738-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b><i>IN THE LINE OF FIRE</i></b></p><p>Officials are taking a ton of flak for perceived blown and missed calls in the playoffs.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JANA CHYTILOVA/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-021069/9843745-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="175" height="133"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ith the possible exceptions</b> of weatherman, tax collector and traffic cop, there is no more thankless, disrespected position on the planet than that of pro sports official. When you&rsquo;re doing that job right, nobody cares. When you&rsquo;re wrong, everybody wants your head on a spike and your nether region removed from the rest of your regions. And thanks to its continuous action and rapid changes of position, hockey presents the most difficult officiating challenge for anyone involved in sports law enforcement.</p><p>That said, there&rsquo;s been fever-pitch-level anger for NHL referees in the 2013 playoffs. Fans, players and management have expressed varying degrees of frustration and dissatisfaction with the men in stripes. There are so many areas of concern &ndash; blown offsides, goalie interference, puck-over-the-glass penalties, phantom calls, make-up calls and diving calls &ndash; that it seems the officiating is more controversial (read: gut-wrenchingly awful) than at any point in league history.</p><p>However, that&rsquo;s far too broad a conclusion at which to arrive. It&rsquo;s quick and comfortable to throw up your hands, heap your most vulgar venom upon officials and not consider all the issues at play as they carry out their duties. When you do take a dispassionate view, you&rsquo;ll find the answers and angst not nearly so easy to come by. Here are the main issues and perspectives on the state of officiating:</p><h2><b><i>SPEED VS. TECHNIQUE</i></b></h2><p>Since the NHL unshackled skaters via the obstruction crackdown of 2005-06, all associated with the league will tell you the speed of the game increases with every season. It follows that a faster product is tougher to officiate, but for retired referee Kerry Fraser the increasing velocity of players is no excuse for the mistakes that officials are making &ndash; not only in terms of the calls made, but also in regard to the space they occupy on the ice. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about speed, it&rsquo;s about positioning,&rdquo; Fraser says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about standing in the right location and seeing the play evolve in advance. Calls that are being missed are being missed because officials don&rsquo;t have a good sightline on the play or follow the path of the puck and become puck watchers. What&rsquo;s taking place currently is the officials are constantly in high-traffic areas.&rdquo;</p><p>One of the more specific examples the 37-year veteran has is when a referee stands in what Fraser considers the absolute worst spot: at the trapezoid line against the end boards. When so much of the current style of play has to do with cycling and play against the boards, Fraser believes a referee is asking for trouble if he insists on being right on top of the action. The trick to smart positioning, Fraser said, is to follow Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s lead and anticipate where the play is headed and to put yourself somewhere along the ice where you can get the best perspective while not insinuating yourself into the action and affecting the play.</p><p>&ldquo;Some of it is instinct, but it&rsquo;s a learned process that becomes a muscle memory,&rdquo; Fraser says. &ldquo;If you see a referee flailing to get out of the way, his head and eyes are moving and he hasn&rsquo;t set himself up to see the play in a more calm, deliberate fashion. You have to be proactive to move and anticipate, but you have to be reactive to where the play is headed.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><i>DOUBLE WHAMMY ON TALENT POOL</i></b></h2><p>Terry Gregson was an NHL referee for 23 years before accepting the position as director of officiating nearly four years ago. He will not tell you his department is perfect. He talks about the 66 officials (33 referees and 33 linesmen) he&rsquo;s responsible for as a GM would about the players on his roster. And he&rsquo;s candid in discussing his &ldquo;team&rsquo;s&rdquo; strengths, weaknesses and challenges.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011303/9843731-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="1390" height="883"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b><i>HOT-BUTTON TOPIC</i></b></p><p>Players, fans, management and media have all been critical of playoff officiating.</p></figcaption></div><p>For instance, he doesn&rsquo;t deny that the combination of a slew of experienced officials (including himself, Fraser, Don Koharski and Dan Marouelli) retiring and the move to the two-referee system has put a strain on the talent pool. But he knows there&rsquo;s another factor at play: despite the NHL&rsquo;s best efforts to recruit referees from players at the Canadian Hockey League, NCAA and professional levels, it&rsquo;s virtually impossible to cultivate a large number of candidates for the position for a number of reasons. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a transformation for most of them,&rdquo; Gregson says of players thinking of becoming officials. &ldquo;The ego has to take a huge hit. Players say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll think about it when I quit playing&rsquo;, but they don&rsquo;t realize it&rsquo;s a five-to-six-year training process. They think they can take off their hockey sweater and put on their referee sweater. It doesn&rsquo;t work like that.&rdquo;</p><p>Gregson also sees another siphon on the amount of NHL-caliber officiating talent: the often ugly youth league hockey system, where overzealous parents and coaches regularly berate and excoriate young referees and linesmen and drive them from the profession. When Gregson grew up in small-town Ontario, he worked as an official for pocket money. But these days, he says, when a teenager can work at a Tim Hortons for the same money and not have people swearing at and/or spitting on them as they would refereeing in a hockey arena, why would any of them want to pull on a striped jersey? Why do we chalk up a 15-year-old kid making a bad pass to him just learning the game, but act as if the end is nigh should a 15-year-old official miss an offside? &ldquo;Young kids don&rsquo;t want the abuse,&rdquo; Gregson said. &ldquo;It takes a strong, confident person to succeed as an official.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>We&rsquo;ll always be frustrated with the human element</i></b><br><b><i>&ndash; Terry Gregson</i></b></blockquote><p>In other words, the easier you are on the learning curve of your local referee, the more you increase the chances of officiating competency in the NHL. The harder you are, the more you push away people who might otherwise have thrived in the role.</p><h2><b><i>VIDEO REPLAY</i></b></h2><p>For as much as the advent of video replay has helped the NHL officiating profession since the league first used it in 1991, there remains a love/hate relationship with technology&rsquo;s role in policing the sport. The general sentiment in the NHL&rsquo;s offices and among officials is they want to keep the scope of video replay relatively narrow and invest as much responsibility as possible in the zebras on the ice. So don&rsquo;t get your hopes up that video replay will be expanded to include things such as goalie interference. A greater possibility is the league installing a TV monitor between the penalty boxes that referees can consult, as well as a slight increase in video replay to include infractions like double-minors for high sticking that can directly impact a game&rsquo;s results. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s an appetite to give more power to the War Room in Toronto,&rdquo; one NHL executive says. &ldquo;Players, coaches, GMs &ndash; we&rsquo;ll always be frustrated with refs and the human element to some degree.&rdquo;</p><p>Gregson stressed that officials are the only people who call the game in real time and hinted that the league intends to at least give them the opportunity to see certain plays on video to help them do a better job of communicating their decision to players and coaches on the ice after the fact. What he doesn&rsquo;t want is for video footage to be overused by referees to the point it becomes a crutch. &ldquo;The NFL in the late &rsquo;90s went too far down the road with replay,&rdquo; Gregson says. &ldquo;Back in 1991 when we first had video replay on a goal, players were incensed we were taking the decision-making process off of the ice. People want perfection, but I hate to tell them that even with technology you won&rsquo;t get perfection.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><i>ACCOUNTABILITY</i></b></h2><p>Time and again, NHL fans and media cry out for &ldquo;accountability,&rdquo; a term that in many cases connotes a public dressing-down of officials. Well, sorry folks, but that isn&rsquo;t going to happen. As noted, Gregson believes in teaching and assisting his people behind the scenes, just as most NHL teams deliver internal discipline behind closed doors. Besides, he said, the savvy observer easily can discern the performance level of referees and linesmen simply by looking at which officials make the cut for playoff assignments. &ldquo;The only true measure of success we have is making the playoffs,&rdquo; Gregson says. &ldquo;Twenty-six of our 66 guys don&rsquo;t make the playoffs. And if you do make it, we drop from 40 guys in the first round to eight in the final round. That&rsquo;s not punishment, that&rsquo;s performance.&rdquo;</p><p>In sum, the NHL officiating industry is anything but ideal, but that is the way it has been since the league was founded. Yes, there are ways to improve the work that is done by referees and linesmen, but when it&rsquo;s all said and done, enforcing the rulebook is a subjective task. Nobody is going to agree with all the decisions that are made, but to imagine there will be a day when that is true is to ignore reality. They&rsquo;re doing their utmost to be accurate and to improve. &ldquo;I get so tired of hearing there&rsquo;s no accountability,&rdquo; Gregson says. &ldquo;We have lots of accountability. I don&rsquo;t think it needs to be a public hanging or a public humiliation.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-01

Spotlight Hot On NHL ZEBRAS

<div class="byline">WITH MICHAEL LOPEZ</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021077/9843797-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SHUT &lsquo;ER DOWN</b></p><p>Kris Letang&rsquo;s Penguins and Dan Ellis&rsquo; Predators had zero shots during the final six minutes of a 2010 tie game.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JOE SARGENT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011496/9843804-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="193" height="218"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>N VALENTINE&rsquo;S DAY IN 2010, NASHVILLE</b> travelled to Pittsburgh for a matinee affair that was rife with playoff implications and a sold out Mellon Arena crowd was treated to an exciting, back and forth contest.</p><p>Well, 90 percent of one.</p><p>After combining for 52 shots and six goals through the game&rsquo;s first 54 minutes, the teams didn&rsquo;t score as regulation time wound down. Worse, they didn&rsquo;t try to.</p><p>In fact, in the final 6:21 of the game, neither team registered a shot, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin played just 50 seconds. As a point of reference, the teams went on to combine for seven shots in the ensuing five-minute overtime with Crosby and Malkin each getting more than three minutes of ice time.</p><p>Such a contest, eventually won by Nashville in a shootout, is emblematic of an NHL culture in which several franchises not only play for overtime, but pick and choose when they do so. You see, while Pittsburgh and Nashville were both competing for playoff spots back in February of 2010, they were doing so against different competition. Specifically, Pittsburgh&rsquo;s stranglehold on the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference wasn&rsquo;t hurt by ceding two points to the Predators, nor was Nashville&rsquo;s spot as the seventh seed out West hurt by the Penguins receiving one point for the shootout loss. And because the NHL&rsquo;s point system rewards an OT or shootout winner with the same two points as if that team had won in regulation, <i>both</i> the Penguins and Predators benefited by the game heading to overtime.</p><p>Hence, no shots in six-plus minutes of regulation. &ldquo;Every team has its version of a shutdown defense which they adopt when they take the lead,&rdquo; says Bruins play-by-play man Jack Edwards. &ldquo;But if you really pay attention, you see that mode late in a tie game.&rdquo;</p><p>Bothersome? Indeed. To help prevent finishes like the one in Pittsburgh, the league should adopt a three-point rule, where teams winning in regulation or overtime would receive three points, teams losing in overtime zero points, with points staying the same for the shootout winner (two) and loser (one).</p><p>A three-point rule would increase teams&rsquo; desires to win in regulation, ease the interpretability of league standings and limit another silly result of current policies: in every season since 2005, at least 20 of the league&rsquo;s 30 teams have finished with records above .500. In that regard, NHL teams are like Charlie Sheen &ndash; they&rsquo;re always winning, even when losing.</p><p>But the evidence isn&rsquo;t just anecdotal. In an article recently published in the <i>Journal of Sports Economics</i>, I examined the probabilities of overtime in the NHL&rsquo;s three most recent point systems (pre-1999, 1999-00 to 2003-04 and 2005-06 to 2011-12) and found several statistically significant differences. First, overtime likelihood rose dramatically after a 1999 rule change guaranteed the overtime loser a point. Second, in the current point system, overtime likelihood has been dramatically higher in March and April, when teams push for the playoffs (see figure on right).</p><p>Lastly, teams have been playing overtime games at a significantly higher rate against non-conference opponents, with that effect only noticeable in games played since 2005. In fact, over the past two years, non-conference games went to overtime 23 percent more often than conference ones, with several teams (see figure below) appearing to have recognized the benefits to playing for overtime in these contests.</p><p>If this inefficiency in the NHL&rsquo;s point structure doesn&rsquo;t bother you yet, it will soon. With next season&rsquo;s realignment plan, teams are slated to play 28 or 32 non-conference games, substantially higher than the 18 non-conference games played in 2011-12 (see table above). Further, while playoff eligibility is currently based on conference standings, future standards will have teams competing primarily against their divisional opponents for post-season spots. Overtime incentives currently highest in non-conference games will now extend to all non-divisional contents.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;THE PAST TWO YEARS, NON-CONFERENCE GAMES WENT TO OVERTIME 23 PERCENT MORE OFTEN THAN CONFERENCE ONES&rdquo;</blockquote><p>Proponents of the current structure suggest it keeps playoff races tighter, but alas this parity is artificial. As Bruins forward Jay Pandolfo correctly points out: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to catch teams that are losing but still gaining a point.&rdquo;</p><p>The NHL says it will only explore altering the point system if an owner raises the issue at an upcoming board of governors meeting. With opportunities for teams to work the system set to grow in 2013-14 and realignment already planned, now is the perfect time for a change. Are NHL officials bold enough to adopt a three-point rule? Or, like the Penguins and Predators back in 2010, will the league play it safe and do nothing?</p><p><i>Michael Lopez is a biostatistics Ph.D. candidate at Brown University.</i></p><p><b>TO READ MORE</b> NEWS AND VIEWS VISIT <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b></p><h2><b><i>Working Overtime</i></b></h2><p>The numbers from 2010-11 and &rsquo;11-12 say several teams are playing for overtime &ndash; and the &ldquo;loser point&rdquo; &ndash; at a greater rate against non-conference teams. Twenty-two NHL teams played a higher percentage of OT games against non-conference opponents, with Colorado, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Anaheim, the Rangers, New Jersey and Montreal doing so significantly more often (more than 12%).</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03838/9843790-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="4153" height="745"></div><h2><b><i>A Growing Divide</i></b></h2><p>With the top three teams from each division (plus two wild cards in each conference) set to make the playoffs starting next season, the incentive to get to OT and secure a point now applies to all non-divisional games.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02965/9843783-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="1440" height="544"></div><h2><b><i>Playoff Protecting</i></b></h2><p>From 2009-10 through 2011-12, the probability that a game tied at the end of the second period went to overtime &ndash; with both teams securing a point &ndash; went up significantly as the post-season grew closer.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011378/9843776-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="1198" height="490"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0026-02

THREE-POINT SYSTEM A SLAM DUNK

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell </div><div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH FILES FROM RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011474/9843863-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FROM THE ICE TO THE COURT</b></p><p>Derek Boogaard&rsquo;s family has filed a lawsuit alleging the NHL failed to protect him from brain trauma and addiction.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he obituary in the Regina <i>Leader-Post</i> just more than two years ago read: &ldquo;It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our teddy bear and protector, Derek Leendert Boogaard&hellip;&rdquo; To hear Derek Boogaard described in such diametrically opposed terms came as no surprise to those who know hockey players well. After all, it&rsquo;s often the guys who have the most penalty minutes and battle scars who are most active in the community, most comfortable around children and most likely to have the biggest, softest hearts on the team. And players such as Boogaard do protect. They make their livings in the protection business.</p><p>But who was protecting Boogaard as he descended into his addiction to the medications he took to mask the pain that comes with fighting and protecting? According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Boogaard family in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., May 10 at 4:29 p.m., it was not the NHL, its board of governors or commissioner Gary Bettman. The 55-page complaint spells out in eight counts how the NHL allegedly failed Boogaard, each assertion dealing primarily with the league&rsquo;s alleged responsibility for Boogaard&rsquo;s brain trauma and his addiction to painkillers.</p><p>But at the root of this tragedy, and where this thread actually begins, is the NHL&rsquo;s culture of violence and fighting. After all, had Boogaard not been a fighter/enforcer, there&rsquo;s a chance neither the brain trauma nor the addiction would have occurred. Of course, there&rsquo;s also a good chance Boogaard wouldn&rsquo;t have accumulated $5.3 million in career earnings &ndash; with another $4.8 million scheduled to be paid to him in the three years after his death &ndash; had he not been willing to fill the role of enforcer.</p><p>At this point, the lawsuit represents a series of allegations, none of which has been proven in a court of law. And the NHL, when asked to comment on the lawsuit, is unequivocal that it will defend itself against the lawsuit. &ldquo;Nothing can or will diminish the tragic nature of Derek Boogaard&rsquo;s early and premature death,&rdquo; says NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in an email to THN. &ldquo;We continue to grieve for his family and friends. But that does not mean the League accepts or bears any responsibility for the tragedy.</p><p>&ldquo;We have obviously reviewed the Complaint &ndash; even though, to our knowledge, we have not yet received proper legal service of it. In addition to containing numerous material factual inaccuracies, we also believe the Complaint as a whole lacks any legal basis or merit. While we intend to defend the case vigorously, we do not intend to comment substantively or factually on a pending litigation matter.&rdquo;</p><p>According to the lawsuit, there&rsquo;s little doubt what Boogaard&rsquo;s role was in the NHL. In fact, the lawsuit claims Boogaard, &ldquo;played in the NHL as an Enforcer/Fighter,&rdquo; not a left winger. It points out he had, &ldquo;only three (3) goals,&rdquo; in 277 career games and participated in &ldquo;at least sixty-six (66) fights.&rdquo; It also points out the NHL &ldquo;does not expel a player from a game for fighting; instead both participants of the fight are given five (5) minute penalties and neither team is short-handed.&rdquo; It also claims Boogaard played and fought through documented and undocumented concussions and &ldquo;on numerous occasions the NHL allowed and encouraged Boogaard, after suffering concussions, to return to play and fight in the same game and/or practice.&rdquo; (According to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">HockeyFights.com</a>, there were four times during Boogaard&rsquo;s NHL career when he fought twice in the same game).</p><p>So, in a sense, is the culture of the game and fighting on trial here as well? Ottawa-based litigator Eric Macramalla of Gowlings law firm said the lawsuit likely won&rsquo;t result in the end of fighting in the NHL, but the prospect of more like it could curb the NHL&rsquo;s appetite for fisticuffs. &ldquo;I would be surprised if there&rsquo;s still fighting in the NHL in 10 to 15 years because the potential for liability is too great,&rdquo; Macramalla says. &ldquo;My opinion is we might see the NHL slowly phase out fighting over the years, not allow certain fights, staged fights. But it would gradually evolve to no fights because the potential for liability, the potential for Boogaard lawsuits.&rdquo;</p><p>Much of this case comes down to where to draw the line between the responsibilities of the employer and those of the employee when it comes to player safety. The lawsuit, in fact, alleges the 2005 collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players&rsquo; Association &ldquo;does not address the NHL&rsquo;s duties or responsibilities to keep its Enforcers/Fighters safe.&rdquo;</p><p>But how far does that duty extend, if there is any duty to do so in the first place? It&rsquo;s a vexing question, one to which there is no clear answer. In most professions, workers have the right to decline tasks they feel will put them at risk for injuries, but there is no evidence to suggest Boogaard ever shied away from his duties as an enforcer. Much of it comes down to what the NHL, like with the lawsuits brought against the NFL by more than 4,000 former players, knew or ought to have known about the unique dangers facing those who fight frequently in the NHL.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>I would be surprised if there&rsquo;s still fighting in the NHL in 10 to 15 years, because the potential for liability is too great&hellip;we might see it slowly phased out </i><br><i>&ndash; Eric Macramalla</i></blockquote><p>William Gibbs is a trial attorney with Corboy and Demetrio in Chicago and is suing the NHL on behalf of the Boogaard family. He&rsquo;s also the lawyer for the estate of former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson, who took his own life just two months before Boogaard died. He represents Duerson and a handful of other players in the consolidated lawsuit in which former players or their estates are suing the NFL. And while there are differences between the two cases, Gibbs said not enough was done by the NHL to make Boogaard and others fully aware of the dangers they were facing.</p><p>There&rsquo;s the legal argument of assumption of voluntary risk, which in the NHL means the player consents to contact and perhaps the damage that comes with fighting if the player fills that role. But the Boogaard lawsuit alleges that, along with allowing him to fall through the cracks, the league didn&rsquo;t make it clear to Boogaard what those risks were. &ldquo;When the coal miners went down into the mines, there was a risk the mine was going to collapse and that was a risk they accepted,&rdquo; Gibbs said. &ldquo;Black lung disease was not. That was something that never really crossed their minds and was never something they signed up for.&rdquo;</p><p>Krys Barch of the New Jersey Devils has been in nearly 100 NHL fights over seven years, not counting the pre-season. While he won&rsquo;t comment specifically on the Boogaard case, he did share his views on the risks enforcers take. &ldquo;If you ask any of the 32 guys or so in the league who do this if we know the risks, we do,&rdquo; Barch says. &ldquo;If you asked us to sign a waiver, we would. I was talking to my wife the other day about this. If I find out that I have CTE in the future, well, I chose to do this. People in the military take on much more risk than we do and we&rsquo;re compensated very well financially. I can&rsquo;t see how we can complain.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011481/9843856-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="1355" height="1004"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SIGN OF THE TIMES</b></p><p>Boogaard&rsquo;s brain showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in an examination after his death. CTE is usually associated with older people who have had multiple brain injuries. Boogaard was just 28 when he died.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRIS MCGRATH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-021019/9843849-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1032" height="763"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>One of the keys to the lawsuit against the NHL is contained in four of the statements that claim the league knew or ought to have known, &ldquo;1. The high rate of injuries resulting from playing professional hockey; 2. The higher rate of injuries sustained by Enforcers/Fighters in the NHL; 3. That the Enforcers/Fighters in the NHL had an increased risk of brain damage due to concussive and sub-concussive brain trauma and were particularly susceptible to addiction issues; and, 4. That the Enforcers/Fighters in the NHL had an increased risk of developing addiction to prescription medication.&rdquo;</p><p>Again, we cannot stress enough these are allegations that have not been proven in court. And depending upon who is commenting, they may be very difficult to prove. That&rsquo;s because this lawsuit is uncharted territory for starters. Secondly, talk to anyone who specializes in brain trauma and he or she will tell you the amount the medical community knows is minute compared to what it still has to learn about concussions.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011347/9843842-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="2404" height="3308"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>&ldquo;If you ask any of the 32 guys or so in the league who do this if we know the risks, we do. If you asked us to sign a waiver, we would. We&rsquo;re compensated very well financially.</i><br><i>&ndash; Krys Barch</i></blockquote><p>In fact, the NFL lawsuit states the league knew about the danger of concussions and kept that information from the players. That might be the case, according to one expert, but it&rsquo;s not as though that information hasn&rsquo;t been available for everyone to see. &ldquo;If they knew stuff and were hiding it, then we&rsquo;re in a completely different area,&rdquo; says Dr. Gregory Stewart, the co-director of the sports medicine program and a leading expert on brain trauma. &ldquo;But for the most part, we medical people, we&rsquo;re not hiding that stuff. If we&rsquo;re starting to find out there&rsquo;s bad stuff, even if the leagues are like, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s keep it quiet,&rsquo; we&rsquo;re not going to keep it quiet. Did all these people know and intentionally hide these facts? I don&rsquo;t know. I don&rsquo;t think so.&rdquo;</p><p>The allegations will have to be proven in court, but let&rsquo;s start with the one concerning the higher likelihood of enforcers/fighters sustaining a higher rate of injuries. A study by THN of injury reports, the majority of which were provided by NHL teams, indicates 373 players were injured during the 2012-13 regular season. That represented a total of 495 injuries totalling 3,760 man-games lost.</p><p>And according to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">HockeyFights.com</a>, there were 88 players this season who had three or more fights. A total of 37 of them were injured, which accounted for 47 injuries and 255 man-games lost. Fifteen of those players were injured in the same game in which they fought and it was confirmed seven of those players were injured in the fight during that game. (The other eight might have been injured in the fights, but searches for the origins of the actual injury were inconclusive.)</p><p>In 2011-12, there were 79 players who had at least five fights (the higher number was used to reflect the fact it was an 82-game season). A total of 48 of them were hurt at some point during the season. So in 2011-12, 60.7 percent of fighters were injured at some point during the season and 42 percent in 2012-13. From that, we can surmise that about 50 percent of players who fight more than just a couple of times are at risk of being injured at some point, either in the fight or because of their style of play. Compare that to the 373 players who were injured this regular season. Each team used an average of about 30 players, meaning somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 players played at least one game in the NHL this season. Using the 373 players who were injured, that means 41.4 percent of players who step on the ice get injured. And when you remove the frequent fighters from the equation, based on 900 players playing at least a game, you get the identical 41.4 percent injury rate.</p><p>Do fighters have a higher risk of being injured? More evidence will be needed to prove that. And what about head injuries among fighters? Non-fighters sustain concussions as well. This makes it murky in terms of determining the correlation between brain trauma and addiction issues. Complicating the matter is that an examination of Boogaard&rsquo;s brain indicated he had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disorder thought to be the domain of older people who had suffered multiple brain injuries. But Boogaard was just 28.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011459/9843835-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="1033" height="1558"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BIG FISTS, BIGGER HEART</b></p><p>Boogaard was as tough as they come on the ice, but he was a kind soul away from the rink &ndash; his obituary called him a &ldquo;teddy bear.&rdquo;</p> <span class="photo-credit">(Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images)</span></figcaption></div><p>It should also be pointed out he had 1,376 PIM (a lot of them fighting majors) over six seasons in major junior and minor pro when his age ranged from 17 to 22. By comparison, he had 589 NHL PIM in six seasons.</p><p>Three years ago, University of Pennsylvania offensive lineman Owen Thomas committed suicide at 21 and was found to have CTE, despite no documented history of concussions. Cases like Thomas and Boogaard&rsquo;s have people such as Dr. Stewart wondering what the correlation is between CTE and factors such as addiction and suicide. How are we to know whether Boogaard became addicted to painkillers because he had a brain injury or because he was in constant pain? And if Boogaard had CTE at 28, how much of the damage was done before he ever set foot on the ice in the NHL? &ldquo;If (CTE) can happen so quickly, then we should have a whole host of people at the college level killing themselves because they&rsquo;re all having this damage at the high school level,&rdquo; Stewart says. &ldquo;And they&rsquo;re not. Somewhere, we&rsquo;re missing something.&rdquo;</p><p>That seems to be a common theme in the Boogaard situation. It contains so much of what we don&rsquo;t know. What we do know is Boogaard was an enforcer and was found dead May 13, 2011, due to an accidental overdose of prescription pain medications. It&rsquo;s unlikely this lawsuit will ever get to trial, so we may never know the answers. But if it does, some of the discovery could lead to some uneasy questions about fighting and violence in hockey, how it is promoted and encouraged and how the league deals with addiction. &ldquo;I understand the struggle you&rsquo;re having,&rdquo; Macramalla said, &ldquo;because everyone is having it. That&rsquo;s because there are no answers.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-01

The Case of Derek Boogaard

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>N MAY 13, 2011,</b> Derek Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment at the age of 28. The Hennepin County (Minn.) Medical Examiner&rsquo;s office listed the cause of death as a mixture of alcohol and oxycodone toxicity. Almost two years to the day later, Derek Boogaard&rsquo;s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Circuit County Court of Cook County, Ill., naming the NHL, the NHL&rsquo;s board of governors and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as defendants.</p><p>The eight-count lawsuit essentially claims the NHL breached its duty to Boogaard on two fronts &ndash; that it did not adequately protect him from the brain trauma he sustained as an enforcer in the NHL and in its management of Boogaard&rsquo;s addiction to prescription medications.</p><p>The NHL will have 30 days to file its defense once it receives proper legal service, which it had yet to as of May 31. The league says it will &ldquo;defend the case vigorously&rdquo; (see main story).</p><p>There was no specific amount set for damages, but the Boogaards are asking for, &ldquo;a sum in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limit for the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.&rdquo; They have also demanded a trial by jury.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

THE LAWSUIT

f0033-01

FULLY LOADED

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011480/9843963-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BROTHERS IN ARMS</b></p><p>Bates and Anthony Battaglia split $1 million after winning The Amazing Race.</p><span class="photo-credit">(CBS ©2013 CBS BROADCASTING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Wanted: hockey players</b> to participate in a TV game show. Must have long hair, missing teeth and a sense of humor.</p><p>Intelligence optional.</p><p>That was basically the casting call that went out a year ago for the 22nd edition of The Amazing Race, a competition in which two-person teams race around the world for 30 days. The show already had lined up a pair of country singers, twin doctors and roller-derby moms. Now, they were looking for the Hanson Brothers.</p><p>What they ended up with was Bates Battaglia and his brother Anthony. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty sure they contacted the whole NHL,&rdquo; says Bates, a retired forward who went to the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes and also played for Toronto, Colorado and Washington. &ldquo;Mike Sundheim, the Hurricanes P.R. (guy), got that email and said, &lsquo;Oh, Bates would do it for sure.&rsquo; I think he knows me pretty well. I&rsquo;m a guy that likes to go out and have a good time. I still have a reputation for being like that. I guess they thought it would be good TV.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-021037/9843956-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="1058" height="1459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BROTHERS IN ARMS</b></p><p>Bates and Anthony Battaglia split $1 million after winning The Amazing Race.</p><span class="photo-credit">(HEATHER WINES/CBS &copy;2012 CBS BROADCASTING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)</span></figcaption></div><p>From the beginning, the Battaglias embraced the archetype of the dumb jock.</p><p>Bates, 37, grew out his hockey hair for the show. Anthony, a career minor-leaguer who is four years younger, repeatedly removed his false teeth and flashed a gap-toothed smile for the camera. Together, their monologues made Ilya Bryzgalov&rsquo;s post-game interviews seem ordinary. &ldquo;A lot of times,&rdquo; Bates says in a promo for the show, &ldquo;people say we finish each other&rsquo;s sandwiches,&rdquo; Anthony deadpans: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s weird.&rdquo;</p><p>Bates says they were &ldquo;ham ming it up&rdquo; for the TV. They had always been huge fans of the show, so they knew there was a certain benefit to being underestimated by the competition. And based on how they dominated &ndash; they won trips to London, Thailand, Bora Bora, $7,500, as well as the grand prize of $1 million for finishing first overall &ndash; playing stupid was a smart strategy. &ldquo;We trained like we were going to play,&rdquo; Bates says. &ldquo;We were skating three, four times a week. We were going to the gym, so we did our normal training program for the hockey season. We were in pretty good shape when it was &lsquo;go&rsquo; time.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot tougher than you think. But at the same time, the physical stuff we destroyed. That wasn&rsquo;t the hard part for us. We did it no problem. It was getting in peoples&rsquo; faces, trying to get a plane ticket, standing in line. That just wasn&rsquo;t in our wheelhouse.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011381/9843949-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="1009" height="1133"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FIRE AND ICE</b></p><p>Bates Battaglia skated three to four times per week to train for the reality TV show competition.</p><span class="photo-credit">(BATES: CBS &copy;2013 CBS BROADCASTING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)</span></figcaption></div><p>Bates&rsquo; hockey career had taken him to parts of Sweden, Finland, Germany and Switzerland, but he said his experience was of little use in a competition that spanned five continents, 10 countries and more than 30,000 miles. Over a month, the Battaglias skydived, hunted scorpions and climbed the north face of a mountain with a 13,000-foot elevation. They even water-skied in an African swamp that was home to crocodiles. &ldquo;I never in the world thought I&rsquo;d be in Africa or Vietnam or Bali,&rdquo; Bates says. &ldquo;It was pretty cool. Of the 10 countries, there were only two of them that I&rsquo;d ever been to. It was pretty new to me. It&rsquo;s unbelievable that I can say that I&rsquo;ve skied with crocodiles in Africa. Like, who else can say that?&rdquo;</p><p>When asked what he planned on using his share of the $1 million grand prize, Bates kept up the shtick that made the brothers such a hit. &ldquo;We actually just got our cheque yesterday,&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been saying that I was going to buy Anthony some teeth.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-01

DREAM TEAM

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02944/9844008-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="274" height="274"></div><h2><b>MISSING TEETH</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>n Ottawa&rsquo;s first-round upset of Montreal, the victor often paid a dental price. Craig Anderson had a tooth knocked out en route to an Ottawa win in the opener and, not to be outdone, Habs goalie Carey Price lost a chiclet the next night, Montreal&rsquo;s only triumph. Game 3 featured a hat trick and another tooth lost from the Sens&rsquo; Jean-Gabriel Pageau.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03780/9844001-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="274" height="287"></div><h2><b>BROKEN BLADES</b></h2><p>Well, it&rsquo;s better than a blown ACL. For some reason there was a spate of broken skate-blades in the early days of the postseason, causing players to limp off the ice comically as they did their best Bambi impressions. Minnesota&rsquo;s Mike Rupp, Ottawa&rsquo;s Daniel Alfredsson and Washington&rsquo;s Tom Wilson (in his first NHL game, no less) all endured freaky blade breakdowns.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04624/9843994-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="274" height="274"></div><h2><b>UPLIFTING ANTHEMS</b></h2><p>The post-season brings out the best in everybody on a hockey team, so why should the anthem singers be any different? Boston&rsquo;s Rene Rancourt was the No. 1 seed coming in and continued his excellence, while Jim Cornelison always brings it in Chicago. Toronto discovered a new hero in Scotty Newlands, whose legend is now beginning thanks to the playoffs.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-02

TRENDING…

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>W</span>e love to share here at The Hockey News. So as a bonus to the readers of our regular issues, we are now including a special section of content from our Fully Loaded imprint, a magazine previously purchased separately on newsstands.</i></p><p><i>If you haven&rsquo;t seen Fully Loaded before, it&rsquo;s where we get the chance to break out a little bit, looking at the hockey world from a more rounded perspective. As important as the on-ice game is, there&rsquo;s also a lifestyle and culture that surrounds the sport, whether that involves the celebrities who follow the game or the interests and fashion choices of the players usually confined to jerseys and podium cliches.</i></p><p><i>Fully Loaded is the place for fun &ndash; &ldquo;the gear, the goods, the life,&rdquo; as we like to say. And if you&rsquo;re a rec player or just someone who cares about keeping fit, we&rsquo;ll also be offering tips on nutrition and training, all with a hockey tie-in.</i></p><p><i>In the following insert, you&rsquo;ll get a feel for what Fully Loaded is all about. Let the fun begin&hellip;</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05527/9844053-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="298" height="425"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06466/9844046-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="305" height="416"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07395/9844039-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="305" height="416"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0036-05

ALL THE GOODS, INSIDE THE MAG

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011233/9844084-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GAME CHANGER</b></p><p>French fries and cheese curds are poutine&rsquo;s staples, but other ingredients are now in the mix.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(POUTINE: DAVID BOILY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T&rsquo;S ONE OF THE FIRST CULTURAL</b> touchstones when Quebec comes to mind and thanks to the Canadiens, Montreal and poutine just seem to go together (shout-out to St. Hubert&rsquo;s chicken and Schwartz&rsquo;s smoked meat, too). But over in Upper Canada, a culinary shift already has established roots. Could Toronto be taking over in the poutine department? It sounds like sacrilege, but sometimes a dynasty can get caught napping. Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of the gravy-and-curd highlights from the Two Solitudes.</p><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><p><i>Uncle Betty&rsquo;s (2590 Yonge St.)</i></p><p>This uptown diner has its own doughnut machine and boasts an &ldquo;ultimate poutine&rdquo; which is topped with homemade macaroni and cheese, cheddar, the traditional curds, garlic aioli and pulled pork or meatloaf. Pulled pork has become a staple around the city when it comes to poutine add-ons, but clearly Uncle Betty&rsquo;s has taken it to another level. Combination also avail-able in grilled cheese and hot dog form.</p><p><i>Real Sports Bar and Grill (15 York St., next to Air Canada Centre)</i></p><p>For obvious reasons, the Maple Leafs&rsquo; home restaurant no longer boasts &ldquo;Burkie&rdquo; dogs, but they&rsquo;re still on the menu under the more generic &ldquo;Doghouse&rdquo; name. The crown jewel may be the poutine dog, a foot-long featuring cheese curds, gravy and matchstick potatoes (a.k.a. Hickory Sticks). Gravity eventually becomes an issue as the gravy seeps through the bun, but it&rsquo;s a tasty problem to have.</p><p><i>Bannock (401 Bay St.)</i></p><p>If you want to go a bit fancier, Bannock is a Canadian-themed resto across from the famed Eaton Centre shopping mall. Along with venison chili and pork belly tourtiere, the chefs have put their own spin on our favorite comfort food with a roast duck poutine pizza. The pie features duck meat, curds and fries. That&rsquo;s a lot of goodness to digest.</p><h2><b>MONTREAL</b></h2><p><i>Garde Manger (408 Rue Saint-Francois-Xavier)</i></p><p>Celebrity chef Chuck Hughes wowed the TV folks at <i>Iron Chef America</i> with his lobster poutine, beating heavyweight gastronomer Bobby Flay with the dish. And if you want a taste yourself, head down to Old Montreal where the huge hockey fan holds court and still serves the dish. Your lobster contributions will be in meat and gravy form.</p><p><i>Poutineville (1365 Ontario St. E)</i></p><p>A small chain with several locations in and around the city, Poutineville boasts an assortment of hearty options. For the hardcore hockey enthusiast, perhaps the &ldquo;Hat Trick&rdquo; is the way to go: minced beef, hot dogs and bacon are your reward. This restaurant was voted to have the best poutine in the city by the now-defunct magazine <i>Mirror</i>.</p><p><i>La Banquise (994 Rachel St. E)</i></p><p>Expect a lineup if you&rsquo;re heading here post-pub crawl on the weekend. La Banquise is celebrating its 45th anniversary and is open 24 hours to satisfy empty stomachs. Approximately two-dozen poutine permutations include La Kamikaze (merguez sausages, hot peppers and Tabasco sauce) and La T-Rex (ground beef, pepperoni, bacon and hot dog wieners). Plus there&rsquo;s one with a sliced pogo.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-01

POUTINE WARZONE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011340/9844146-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GILLIS: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; LUONGO: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>V</span>ANCOUVER&rsquo;S 2013 CAMPAIGN</b> is over, but the silly season in B.C. has already begun after another postseason faceplant. Vancouver products Jason Brough and Mike Halford, formerly of Orland Kurtenblog and now with NBC&rsquo;s <a href="http://ProHockeyTalk.com">ProHockeyTalk.com</a>, take a lighter-side look at what changes are coming for the Canucks.</p><p><b>JASON BROUGH</b> Hey, did you read that letter Mike Gillis sent to Vancouver season-ticket holders? Apparently he believes the Canucks have to &ldquo;reinvent&rdquo; themselves this summer.</p><p><b>MIKE HALFORD</b> Yeah, should be an interesting off-season. He said after the Sharks swept them that &ldquo;significant changes&rdquo; were coming.</p><p><b>JB</b> So fire the coach and&hellip; what&hellip;new uniforms again?</p><p><b>MH</b> Might be a bit more dramatic than that. Two straight first-round exits for a team that went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final in 2011. The paying customers aren&rsquo;t very happy, to say the least.</p><p><b>JB</b> Just thinking out loud here &ndash; maybe Gillis should consider trading Roberto Luongo. Has he tested the waters on that?</p><p><b>MH</b> Pretty sure he made a few phone calls before the deadline. Rumor has it Toronto GM Dave Nonis put him on hold for six hours with <i>You&rsquo;re So Vain</i> playing an endless loop.</p><p><b>JB</b> &ldquo;You still there, Mike? Yeah, we&rsquo;re gonna pass. Take care, pal.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b> Those two organizations do not care for each other.</p><p><b>JB</b> So where does Luongo go? It&rsquo;s &ldquo;unlikely&rdquo; he&rsquo;ll be back in Vancouver next season, according to Gillis.</p><p><b>MH</b> Well, I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;ll be Toronto given the way James Reimer played this year. Florida has always been Luongo&rsquo;s preferred destination, but the Panthers seem pretty high on Jacob Markstrom. I&rsquo;ve heard speculation about the Flyers and Islanders. At this point, I just have no idea what it would take to move the poor guy.</p><p><b>JB</b> Do you think the Canucks would be willing to eat a bunch of his salary to get a deal done?</p><p><b>MH</b> I think they&rsquo;d be extremely hesitant to do that. Remember, they&rsquo;d have to eat the same amount each year for the rest of his contract.</p><p><b>JB</b> Headline in 2023: &ldquo;Canucks finally free of Luongo.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b> Sub-head: &ldquo;Unfortunately, human race enslaved by robots.&rdquo;</p><p><b>JB</b> What about a compliance buyout? No cap hit. They could just totally walk away, free and clear.</p><p><b>MH</b> Sure, if you think Gillis can convince ownership to write a $1.5-million cheque every year until 2031.</p><p><b>JB</b> That would be a tough conversation.</p><p><b>MH</b> &ldquo;This is probably a bad time to mention we also need to buy out Keith Ballard.&rdquo;</p><p><b>JB</b> If I&rsquo;m Gillis, I call the Florida Panthers and offer them Luongo for a prospect, plus I offer to take back one of their bad contracts.</p><p><b>MH</b> Not a bad idea. Then, instead of buying out Luongo, all the Canucks would have to do is buy out Scottie Upshall.</p><p><b>JB</b> And Keith Ballard.</p><p><b>MH</b> Keith Ballard, yes.</p><p><b>JB</b> Moving past the whole Luongo thing, do you ever feel sorry for Vancouver fans? The Canucks have been a tough team to support since they came into the league in 1970.</p><p><b>MH</b> It was almost easier in the first couple of decades when the Canucks were absolutely terrible and they had the &ldquo;lovable loser&rdquo; thing going. Now, there&rsquo;s just zero sympathy from the rest of the league when they lose.</p><p><b>JB</b> Yeah, I&rsquo;ve noticed Canucks fans have a really tough time on the Internet. Every second comment after the Sharks series was something like: &ldquo;HAHAHAHAHA&hellip;CHOKE ON IT, YOU LOSERS&hellip;JUST LIKE YOUR CHOKING TEAM&hellip;TRY NOT TO BURN DOWN YOUR CITY!!!&rdquo;</p><p><b>MH</b> Always with the riot cracks.</p><p><b>JB</b> And don&rsquo;t forget the diving cracks.</p><p><b>MH</b> And the biting.</p><p><b>JB</b> The Sedins are also female hockey players.</p><p><b>MH</b> I have heard that.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

CANUCKS MUCK-UP

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01936/9844184-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="978" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STEALTH BERRIES</b></p><p>Sweet fruits like strawberries can mask healthy but less tasty elements in a smoothie.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(&copy;ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ADLIFEMARKETING)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span><b>INCE GARY ROBERTS MADE</b> smoothies popular among NHLers, blenders have become an important part of a player&rsquo;s equipment. And it seems so simple: drop ingredients into a blender, press button, pour and enjoy.</p><p>The art of the smoothie, however, is a tough talent to master. It requires proper proportions of the perfect foods at the right times to maximize smoothies&rsquo; bountiful benefits of quick prep work, short cooking time, simple digestion, easy energy and great taste. &ldquo;Smoothies are my go-to,&rdquo; said Ryan Dennis, a ho-listic nutritionist who&rsquo;s worked with several of Roberts&rsquo; NHL clients. &ldquo;Every athlete should make best friends with a blender, because it really provides the quickest access to high-quality performance nutrition at any given time.&rdquo;</p><p>Fuelling and refuelling the body is crucial to maximize training, so pre- and post-workout smoothies are the most important ones. Dennis recommends making mangos and bananas your go-to fruits for those, because they have a high volume of energy and the fiber in them distributes that energy evenly during work-outs and recovery. Mangos are also packed with vitamin A and bananas full of potassium, which carry electrolytes needed for muscle activity.</p><p>Smoothies are also an easy way to get greens into your diet. Kale and spinach are two Dennis says must be part of any smoothie regimen. If you&rsquo;re not big on leafy greens, add in berries to mask the flavor. The more variety the better, since each kind provides a high dose of antioxidants from a different source.</p><p>You can also include proteins and fats. For supplements, whey remains the protein powder powerhouse, but soy, hemp and rice powders are good options. Other protein sources are hemp seeds, which create a creamy texture, or chia seeds, which make smoothies gelatinous for those who like theirs thick. Yogurt is an easy protein addition, but use plain because most flavored ones are high in added sugars. For fats, try peanut, almond or cashew butter. They&rsquo;re high sources of good fats and give a feeling of fullness that lasts up to three hours. And don&rsquo;t neglect avocados. They&rsquo;re full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain function and have anti-inflammatory properties.</p><p>However you pack it all into your new best friend, experiment by mixing and matching for taste and nutrition. &ldquo;Variety is the spice of life,&rdquo; Dennis said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve tried pretty much everything. Experimentation is part of it&hellip;There&rsquo;s no right or wrong way to make a smoothie.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02608/9844177-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="435" height="345"></div><p><i>Smoothies allow you to drink quickly what normally takes much longer to eat, so the whole point is to give your teeth a break, right? Well, not quite. It seems counterintuitive, but you should get in the habit of always chewing your smoothies. It stimulates saliva production, which aids in digestion. Going through the motions of chewing will help you digest your smoothies easier and lead to a greater sensation of fullness.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

SMOOTHIE SENSATIONS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03472/9844215-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="470" height="461"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RYAN BROOK/TC MEDIA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>T</span>his ultra-healthy smoothie helps you start your day off right. Apple and banana give the kale a flavor boost and make it totally refreshing.</i></p><p><i>Preparation time: 5 minutes</i></p><p><i>Portion size: 2 servings</i></p><h2><b>Nutritional Info</b></h2><p>Per serving: about -</p><p>calories 99<br>protein 2 g<br>total fat 1 g<br>sat. fat 0<br>carb. 23 g<br>dietary fiber 3 g<br>sugar 13 g<br>chol. 0 mg<br>sodium 53 mg<br>potassium 405 mg<br>%RDI: 0<br>calcium 12<br>iron 6<br>vitamin A 33<br>vitamin C 78<br>folate 10</p><h2><b>Ingredients</b></h2><p>1 cup (250 ml) loosely<br>packed chopped stemmed<br>kale<br>1 cup (250 ml) ice cubes<br>1 half apples, peeled and<br>chopped<br>1 banana<br>1/2 cup (125 ml) almond milk</p><h2><b>Preparation</b></h2><p><i>In blender, puree together kale, ice, apple, banana and almond milk until smooth and frosty.</i></p><p><b>By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen</b></p><p><i>From Canadian Living, June 2013 issue</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-03

KALE SMOOTHIE RECIPE

<div class="byline">BY SAL BARRY, webmaster of the hockey card site PuckJunk.com</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01864/9844281-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="477" height="668"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02564/9844274-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="477" height="668"></div><h2><b>LIMITED EDITION</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>E</span>ach box of 2012-13 Panini Limited costs around $100 for seven cards. That&rsquo;s steep, but the upside is every card is individually serial-numbered. The first 150 are of star players and limited to 299 copies. Rounding out the set are 50 captains, past and present, and 42 of rookies who debuted late in 2011-12. Every box also contains three cards with an autograph or a piece of game-used jersey or game-used patch.</p><h2><b>DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH</b></h2><p>Black Diamond is a visually stunning set. An embossed, action-oriented player photo is printed against a metallic background, giving each card some gravitas. The set focuses on a range of current stars and retired greats. A box costs around $110 and contains 24 five-card packs.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03444/9844267-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="665" height="472"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04355/9844260-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="478" height="664"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05301/9844253-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="477" height="668"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06266/9844246-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="477" height="668"></div><h2><b>SEEING RED</b></h2><p>In The Game continues its trend of team-specific card sets with Motown Madness, focusing solely on Detroit. The 150-card set is printed on shiny cardstock and features many Red Wings&rsquo; greats. A 12-card box costs $90 and contains five base cards, four autographed cards, two game-used jersey cards and one &ldquo;Patch of Honor&rdquo; card.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

IN THE CARDS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GREG OLIVER</div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>P</span>ro wrestler and promoter</i>&nbsp;<b><i>JEFF JARRETT</i></b>&nbsp;<i>is a hockey convert who was looking to capture the loyalty of Nashville Predators fans with one swing of his guitar. So at a late-season Predators home game, Jarrett took out a rival mascot to prove his passion to Preds nation.</i></p><p><i>In the best of pro wrestling traditions, it was a setup. Jarrett had met Gnash, Nashville&rsquo;s mascot, at a charity event at the Bridgestone Arena and they cooked up a devious plan, which they put into action during the second intermission of a home game in late March.</i></p><p><i>The victim? Stinger, the visiting mascot of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the two teams&rsquo; cheerleaders traded licks through duelling banjos, Jarrett went into action and destroyed a guitar over the enemy&rsquo;s head. &ldquo;Right before Gnash took Stinger&rsquo;s head off with the guitar, I stepped in and said, &lsquo;Let me do the honors,&rsquo; &rdquo; Jarrett said. &ldquo;It was great. The people went bananas, they loved it.&rdquo;</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07226/9844312-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="787" height="632"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JARRETT: FREDERICK BREEDON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><i>The Nashville-based grappler didn&rsquo;t grow up with hockey, but when the Preds came to the city in 1998, he was drawn to it and has been a fan ever since.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-07

NASHVILLE’S GUITAR HERO

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01743/9844378-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>F YOU EVER HAPPEN TO SEE</b> New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist walk through a room in a social setting, you&rsquo;ll understand why they call him &lsquo;King.&rsquo; Simply put, the Vezina Trophy-winning netminder commands a room and does so with the greatest ease. Despite gawkers yelling his name, he glides across the floor, never breaking stride &ndash; just smiling and maybe politely waving, like royalty.</p><p>Lundqvist has a lot going for him. Not only is he consistently one of the best at his position in the world, but he&rsquo;s a handsome man. <i>People</i> magazine has included him on its list of the 100 most beautiful folks in the world and &lsquo;Hank&rsquo; was part of a photo shoot for <i>Esquire</i> with a few of his New York teammates. Playing in the biggest media market in the world doesn&rsquo;t hurt his stature, but he also stays out of the tabloids and keeps it classy.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02482/9844385-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="224" height="126"></div><p>In his spare time, Lundqvist has been known to jam out on the guitar, playing in a band with his twin brother Joel, a former member of the Dallas Stars now playing back home in Sweden.</p><p>As for Lundqvist&rsquo;s influence, he recently mused about the probability of returning to the Rangers once his contract expires after next season. &lsquo;Hank&rsquo; was less than emphatic in his committal and Blueshirt Nation went into a tizzy. Coincidence or not, bench boss John Tortorella was relieved of his post soon after. Because you can fire a coach, but you can&rsquo;t usurp a king. And this was after a hint. Lundqvist didn&rsquo;t even have to unleash a tirade or utter demands. True to form, he was calm, cool and collected.</p><p>The stopper already has a gold medal from the Olympics, but Stanley Cup success has eluded him with the Rangers. New York came close in 2011-12 before falling to the archrival New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference final. This year, the Boston Bruins dusted them in the second round. Will Lundqvist need to look elsewhere for his NHL glory or do the Rangers just need a new voice behind the bench to coax maximum results out of the skaters in front of the netminder? No matter which team Lundqvist ends up on in the next few seasons, he&rsquo;ll be welcomed with open arms like the benevolent monarch he has become in the NHL.</p><h2><b><i>MAURICE RICHARD</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01655/9844371-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="218" height="123"></div><p>Plenty of players have created excitement, but in The Rocket&rsquo;s case he&rsquo;s credited with creating a cultural movement. The NHL&rsquo;s first 50-goal scorer wasn&rsquo;t just the most popular Hab, he was the idol of Quebec. Some sociologists have cited the 1955 Montreal riot protesting his suspension from the playoffs by NHL president Clarence Campbell as the birth of Quebec&rsquo;s separatist movement.</p><h2><b><i>RYAN MILLER</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02441/9844364-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="218" height="124"></div><p>The Sabres goalie suffers no fools when it comes to the press, but ask an interesting question and you&rsquo;ll get a thoughtful answer. Off ice, Miller has dabbled in fashion with a men&rsquo;s clothing store and he knows his labels. He&rsquo;s a photography enthusiast who&rsquo;s shot portraits of players for a <i>Vanity Fair</i> charity initiative. He has a good eye because he married TV star Noureen DeWulf.</p><h2><b><i>BORJE SALMING</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03374/9844357-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="218" height="142"></div><p>To look upon the hardened face of the first Swedish Hall of Famer is to look upon the epitome of cool. It&rsquo;s faded now, but in his playing days a massive scar ran along one side of Salming&rsquo;s face, the reminder of a 1986 cut from a skate blade that required 250 stitches to close. The Maple Leafs icon launched his own underwear line after retiring and even posed nude for an art gallery at 56.</p><h2><b><i>SERGEI FEDOROV</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04318/9844350-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="218" height="125"></div><p>The flashiest of the &lsquo;Russian Five&rsquo; in Detroit, Fedorov not only helped the Red Wings become a dominant force in the 1990s, but he did it with flair, even rocking a leather jacket on the cover of The Hockey News. On top of his numerous awards and accolades, he was also secretly married to tennis vixen Anna Kournikova, a story broken by THN back in the day. Kournikova&rsquo;s rumored involvement with Pavel Bure created one of hockey&rsquo;s most famous love triangles.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05275/9844343-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="641" height="731"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0044-01

HENRIK LUNDQVIST

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01658/9844458-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>AKE HENRIK LUNDQVIST&rsquo;S GOOD LOOKS</b> and fashion sense, then have him date, say, Lindsay Lohan, not to mention multiple Playboy Bunnies, and regularly fly them together to exotic destinations. Have him run a nightclub with Tom Brady and appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show. Mix him up in a web of drugs, booze and despair and have him return from the abyss. Do all that and you have the career of Derek &lsquo;Turk&rsquo; Sanderson, a player whose hockey cool factor has never been matched.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02434/9844451-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="218" height="124"></div><p>Sanderson was no slouch on the ice, earning the Calder Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s top rookie in 1967-68, winning two Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins and being widely considered the game&rsquo;s best two-way pivot in the early 1970s. He was also never one to back down from a fight. But he will always be better known for his off-ice exploits. He was the quintessential pro-athlete bachelor, sporting long brown locks and rocking a big mustache before it was even trendy. He went into business with Joe Namath, then the god of New York sports, running a singles nightclub, and opened his own chain of restaurants. He hosted a TV show and regularly appeared as a guest on the late-night circuit.</p><p>When Sanderson bolted for a brief stay in the World Hockey Association in 1972-73, the Philadelphia Blazers made him the world&rsquo;s highest-paid athlete. It was fitting for a player known for tossing around money like a rap star would today. In his tell-all book, <i>Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original</i>, Sanderson recalls flying a group of friends to Hawaii, falling asleep on the beach and waking up with a huge sunburn. He then bought two sets of golf clubs, played a round and gave a set to his caddy as a tip because he &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t like carrying clubs to the airport.&rdquo;</p><p>His lifestyle had its consequences, however. Sanderson developed major drug and alcohol addictions, lost all his money on some bad investments and wound up homeless in New York. He sought help from his loved ones and friends such as Bobby Orr, got sober and at 66 is an investment specialist who helps athletes manage their money and avoid making the same mistakes he did.</p><h2><b><i>GUY LAFLEUR</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03297/9844444-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="218" height="139"></div><p>The Flower&rsquo; was one of the greatest offensive stars the game has ever seen and he did it with flair, flying down the wing with his golden hair blowing in the wind. While we can&rsquo;t condone he allegedly smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and partied just as hard as he played throughout his Montreal heyday in the 1970s, it&rsquo;s amazing he had such a dominant career in spite of that.</p><h2><b><i>TEEMU SELANNE</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04245/9844437-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="218" height="130"></div><p>Funny to think the &lsquo;Finnish Flash&rsquo; could have been doling out Finnish flash cards if history was different. Selanne taught kindergarten back home before launching, in 1992, his NHL career, which continued into his 40s. A huge car guy, Selanne&rsquo;s garage has included a Ferrari F430 Scuderia and a Maybach that he once let rookie Cam Fowler drive&hellip;as his chauffeur, of course.</p><h2><b><i>GARY &lsquo;THE COBRA&rsquo; SIMMONS</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-05194/9844430-1-eng-US/f0046-052.jpg" title="f0046-05" width="218" height="142"></div><p>Nicknamed &lsquo;The Cobra,&rsquo; Simmons has one of hockey&rsquo;s most iconic goalie masks and now spends his days riding motorcycles around the continent. He only played in the NHL for a couple years in the mid-1970s, but that had something to do with him being a rebel. &ldquo;I was never too good with authority,&rdquo; said Simmons, who was also a pizza parlor magnate and ran an adult clothing boutique.</p><h2><b><i>BRENT BURNS</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-06169/9844423-1-eng-US/f0046-062.jpg" title="f0046-06" width="218" height="143"></div><p>Burns became an Internet sensation with his official NHL mugshot this year, in which he looked like Grizzly Adams with bedhead. There&rsquo;s a lot of wild side to this Shark, well known for his menagerie. Snakes and lizards make up most of the zoo, with two dogs, exotic birds and fish. Burns also has tattoos, including the word &ldquo;Wild&rdquo; on his back and Harry Potter fighting a dragon on his thigh.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-07139/9844416-1-eng-US/f0046-072.jpg" title="f0046-07" width="1054" height="851"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LUNDQVIST: HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES; SANDERSON: ART RICKERBY/TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IM AGES; BURNS: DON SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-01

DEREK SANDERSON

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0047-06" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-06150/9844531-1-eng-US/f0047-062.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>LAYERS DON&rsquo;T COME ANY PRETTIER</b> than Ron Duguay, nor did they come more disco. As the musical genre boomed in the late 1970s, New York City was its epicenter and Duguay was a dashing young power forward, famous for his long, curly hair. He was a regular on the party scene, hitting up Studio 54 with John McEnroe and rubbing shoulders with Andy Warhol, who put a hand-colored portrait of Duguay on the cover of <i>Interview</i> magazine. He was romantically linked to Cher and Bianca Jagger. He starred in a Sasson jeans ad alongside several fellow Rangers. Look at him today and he&rsquo;s still in playing shape, sporting the same glamorous hair into his mid-50s.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-07117/9844524-1-eng-US/f0047-072.jpg" title="f0047-07" width="218" height="121"></div><p>Another Duguay teammate, puck-moving defenseman Ron Greschner, was a regular with him on the New York Club scene in the late &rsquo;70s and early &rsquo;80s. Never one to shy away from a camera, he dabbled in acting (appearing on Ryan&rsquo;s Hope and <i>The Nanny</i>) and was even a judge in the Miss Universe pageant. Fittingly, Greschner married supermodel Carol Alt, though the pair split after 14 years together.</p><p>Some pundits believe the Rangers of this era could&rsquo;ve contended for a Cup had they not been so distracted by their hip lifestyles. According to a tale told by Ranger teammate Blaine Stoughton, strait-laced coach Herb Brooks watched a limousine pull up at 8:30 a.m. one morning in 1984. The door opened and out walked Alt, Jagger and Cheryl Tiegs. Then came Duguay, Greschner and Barry Beck. The Broadway Blueshirt trio had reportedly been partying at Studio 54 all night and hadn&rsquo;t gone to bed.</p><p>Still, while they didn&rsquo;t win it all, these Rangers competed. Part of what made icons like Duguay and Greschner so appealing was they were actually good players despite their off-ice antics. Duguay was a seven-time 20-goal man who hit the 40-goal mark once and scored 30-plus three times while Greschner, one of the better offensive blueliners of his era, scored 40 or more points 10 times. There was something cool about being able to live it up all night long with models and actresses only to deliver results on the ice the next day. In the modern era of fitness fanaticism, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine current players doing the same.</p><h2><b><i>DOUGLAS MURRAY</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01592/9844517-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="219" height="139"></div><p>The Pens D-man is a beast on the ice, but a brain in the field of brew. While attending Cornell, Murray and a couple buddies invented Ubertap, a contraption that allows party animals to get beer out of a keg faster. And if Murray needed another icebreaker when he was traded from San Jose, he could also explain how he&rsquo;s &ldquo;just friends&rdquo; with Elin Nordgren, Tiger Woods&rsquo; ex-wife.</p><h2><b><i>MARK MESSIER</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02388/9844510-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="219" height="146"></div><p>Wayne Gretzky was the face of the Oilers dynasty, but running mate Mark Messier was always the cooler one. The bald-headed intimidator is the only man to captain two teams to the Stanley Cup. His coolness rose off the charts when he joined the New York Rangers. Do your friends ever try to fix you up on dates? &lsquo;Moose&rsquo;s&rsquo; pals did just that in 1991, with pop sensation Madonna.</p><h2><b><i>SPRAGUE CLEGHORN</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03308/9844503-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="219" height="142"></div><p>One of the toughest SOBs the NHL has seen, Cleghorn was a terror to opponents and didn&rsquo;t preclude anything from his arsenal. Butt ends, spears, stick-swinging &ndash; it was all in the game for Cleghorn in the post-First World War years. But he was also renowned for his fashion sense, coming into the dressing room in a smart three-piece suit before donning his battle gear for the ice.</p><h2><b><i>SEAN AVERY</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-04236/9844496-1-eng-US/f0047-042.jpg" title="f0047-04" width="219" height="146"></div><p>Love him or hate him, everyone had an opinion on former NHLer Avery, a brash troublemaker who retired early to dabble in his other favorite hobbies. Fashion has always been big with the agitator, who famously spent one offseason as an intern at <i>Vogue</i> magazine. Avery owns a sports bar in Manhattan and his romantic success with actresses and models is well known. He also has a tattoo based off a Radiohead lyric that reads, &ldquo;You used to be alright, what happened?&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-05182/9844489-1-eng-US/f0047-052.jpg" title="f0047-05" width="525" height="1035"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FEDOROV: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES; DUGUAY: BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; AVERY: JEMAL COUNTESS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0047-06

RON DUGUAY

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01462/9844604-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HETHER HE WAS STARING DOWN</b> a goalie on a breakaway or a loaded gun in the parlor of his mother-in-law&rsquo;s house, it&rsquo;s fair to say Howie Morenz was one cool customer.</p><p>On a spring evening in 1932, the Montreal Canadiens star was escorting his wife&rsquo;s mom home when they noticed the front door was ajar. Entering cautiously, they were soon looking at the business end of a burglar&rsquo;s revolver. Speaking in calm tones, Morenz reasoned with the gunman, all the while inching closer toward him. Suddenly lunging forward, Morenz pulled the intruder&rsquo;s coat over his shoulders in the traditional hockey-fight move, rendering him defenseless. The astonished criminal broke free from his coat and raced out the door into the safety of night, learning a lesson all who followed the NHL in Morenz&rsquo;s era already knew: when he rose to the attack, being on the receiving end was never a pleasant experience. &ldquo;He was colorful, super colorful,&rdquo; said New York Rangers GM Lester Patrick. &ldquo;He had a magnetic personality.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-02296/9844597-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="218" height="125"></div><p>Dubbed the &ldquo;Babe Ruth of hockey,&rdquo; Morenz&rsquo;s combination of talent and charisma grew the game. When the Canadiens signed Morenz in 1923, the NHL was a four-team loop with three clubs in Ontario and one in Montreal. It&rsquo;s said that after seeing Morenz in action, legendary promoter Tex Rickard immediately redesigned the blueprints for Madison Square Garden to include an ice-making plant.</p><p>By 1926, there were 10 NHL teams, including six in the United States. It was Morenz who paved the way for this expansion. &ldquo;Americans flocked to see him play,&rdquo; said Canadiens Hall of Famer Toe Blake. &ldquo;You talk about the greatness of Canadiens&rsquo; skating and offense, well the guy who started that was Morenz. You couldn&rsquo;t stop him.&rdquo;</p><p>The way he went out only adds to his legend. Morenz died long before his time after complications from a career-ending broken leg suffered against the Hawks in 1937, which led to depression and ultimately a heart attack at 34. His funeral was held at the Montreal Forum with thousands in attendance. Though the cause of Morenz&rsquo;s death was a pulmonary embolism, Montreal fans prefer to believe he died of a broken heart.</p><h2><b><i>ALEX MOGILNY</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-03206/9844590-1-eng-US/f0048-032.jpg" title="f0048-03" width="218" height="121"></div><p>There&rsquo;s cool and then there&rsquo;s ice cold. Mogilny was a prodigy of a sniper who managed to duck his Soviet overseers and defect to North America where he immediately lit up the NHL. Along with his trailblazing efforts in immigration, Mogilny was also an unflappable customer who deflected crazed media hyperbole with the greatest of ease in his matter-of-fact interview sessions.</p><h2><b><i>ANDY BATHGATE</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-04168/9844583-1-eng-US/f0048-042.jpg" title="f0048-04" width="218" height="139"></div><p>If the sparkling eyes and thick, dark hair of Andy Bathgate weren&rsquo;t enough to make women swoon, then his too-perfect dimples had them passing out with every smile. That he was also the Rangers&rsquo; best player for the &rsquo;50s and early &rsquo;60s makes it easy to see why he was popular with both genders. In retirement, Bathgate, now 80, took his dimples to a golf center named after him.</p><h2><b><i>JEREMY ROENICK</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-05121/9844576-1-eng-US/f0048-052.jpg" title="f0048-05" width="218" height="130"></div><p>The man they call &lsquo;J.R.&rsquo; was so cool, the 1996 cult classic film <i>Swingers</i> immortalized him. Roenick&rsquo;s EA Sports avatar made Wayne Gretzky bleed in a famous scene with Vince Vaughn and is widely regarded as the most unstoppable hockey video game character of all-time. In his real-life form, Roenick was among the grittiest, funniest and most outspoken characters of his era.</p><h2><b><i>LUC ROBITAILLE</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-06101/9844569-1-eng-US/f0048-062.jpg" title="f0048-06" width="218" height="143"></div><p>Even as Wayne Gretzky put L.A. on the hockey map, &lsquo;Lucky Luc&rsquo; Robitaille embraced Hollywood like no other player. He and junior linemate turned-player agent Pat Brisson mingled with showbiz bigwigs and Robitaille became a Tinseltown sports icon. He remains plugged into the entertainment scene, hosting charity celebrity hockey events and even celebrity poker tournaments in Las Vegas.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-0782/9844562-1-eng-US/f0048-072.jpg" title="f0048-07" width="758" height="652"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MORENZ: JAMES RICE/HOCKEY HALL OF FAME; ROBITAILLE: NOEL VASQUEZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0048-01

HOWIE MORENZ

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-06" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-06120/9844677-1-eng-US/f0049-062.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">NEIL YOUNG & <b>BOYD DEVEREAUX</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BOYD: COURTESY BOYD DEVEREAUX)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>OYD DEVEREAUX WON</b> a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, but that&rsquo;s not the only thing he&rsquo;s thankful for when it comes to Detroit. One of the friends he made in the city taught him the ways of the music aficionado and the retired pivot has been grooving ever since.</p><p>Always a music fan, Devereaux now runs a label, Elevation Recordings, with buddy Joe Greenwald, former bass player for the Detroit band The Dirtbombs. Greenwald also worked for the Virgin record label and showed off the Motor City&rsquo;s vibrant music scene, which at the time included The White Stripes and The Von Bondies, to his NHL friend. &ldquo;He was really my guide,&rdquo; Devereaux said. &ldquo;Once you start digging (for new bands), you don&rsquo;t stop.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0784/9844670-1-eng-US/f0049-072.jpg" title="f0049-07" width="218" height="138"></div><p>The hockey player also befriended Toronto rockers Constantines during his NHL days and would have the band come out to games when he became a member of the Maple Leafs (they even played at his cottage one time).</p><p>The artists on Elevation tend to be of the psyche, noise or heavy genres and it&rsquo;s fair to say Devereaux didn&rsquo;t push his releases on teammates in the dressing room. &ldquo;I knew my tastes were out there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I do really feel music is important in the room.&rdquo;</p><p>If the former center had one desert island artist, though, it would be Neil Young &ndash; a selection that would find greater acceptance in a room stocked with fellow Canadians.</p><p>Along with putting out records, Devereaux also has another post-career endeavor called Waking Sound Productions, which produces slick hockey videos inspired by the skateboard and snowboard films he used to watch as a youngster. Buddy Matt Davis, his co-founder, used to be a pro snowboarder himself. Jeff Skinner and Dion Phaneuf have already been featured and naturally the soundtracks are awesome. &ldquo;I had a strong desire to make the game that was so good to me look cool,&rdquo; Devereaux said.</p><p>Still young himself, Devereaux retired from the game at 32. His last team was HC Lugano in Switzerland and a neck injury at the 2009 Spengler Cup resulted in a fractured verterbrae. &ldquo;I came out of it OK, but at that point the risk was too high,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was difficult to leave the game, but it wasn&rsquo;t much of a decision.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><i>LYNN PATRICK</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01447/9844663-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="219" height="143"></div><p>Lynn and brother Muzz were described as &ldquo;dapper men about town&rdquo; by legendary New York hockey writer Stan Fischler and it didn&rsquo;t hurt Lynn&rsquo;s profile when he helped bring the Stanley Cup to Manhattan in 1940. As befitting an athlete of his stature, Patrick married fashion model Dorothea Davis and was regularly one of the highest scorers on the Blueshirts.</p><h2><b><i>CHRIS CHELIOS</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02344/9844656-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="219" height="141"></div><p>Most of us know Chris Chelios as cool for playing in the NHL from 22 to 48 years old. But few players are as connected to the celebrity scene as he was and still is. He runs with a gang called &lsquo;The Malibu Mob,&rsquo; a group of friends who live in Malibu and party together. Among them: actors Tony Danza and John Cusack, tennis legend John McEnroe and surfer Laird Hamilton.</p><h2><b><i>ALEX OVECHKIN</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03270/9844649-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="219" height="120"></div><p>Where do we start? With the Russian rap video? The rogue Segway rampage in front of the White House? How about the time he almost decapitated Mike Green by going Indiana Jones while driving a golf cart at the Verizon Center? So many Ovie-being-Ovie stories. He&rsquo;s still one of the most deadly players on the planet and is now engaged to tennis star Maria Kirilenko.</p><h2><b><i>JAROMIR JAGR</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04251/9844642-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="219" height="123"></div><p>That mullet&hellip;ohhh, that mullet. Jagr burst onto the scene as a teenager in the early &rsquo;90s with one of the sickest flows of all-time and backed it up with a pair of Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh. His presence in Omsk gave the KHL credibility and now in his 40s he&rsquo;s become the cagey veteran who teaches the kids how to be a pro with his legendary commitment to training during the season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05199/9844635-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="1049" height="687"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAGR: HARRY SCULL/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0049-06

BOYD DEVEREAUX

<div class="byline">BY BRENDAN SHANAHAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0050-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02326/9844715-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01434/9844722-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="203" height="288"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN THE HOCKEY NEWS ASKED</b> me to give fans visiting my adopted hometown of New York City a list of the best places to visit, I wasn&rsquo;t quite sure where to start. After giving it some thought, however, I&rsquo;ve come up with a good plan for you if you&rsquo;re visiting. I&rsquo;ve stuck mainly with food and drink establishments, with some tourist attractions in between.</p><p>Before I get to the list, here&rsquo;s some general advice: for tourists visiting Manhattan, stay out of Midtown, stay away from Times Square and spend your time in the Brooklyn, Soho and Tribeca neighborhoods. They&rsquo;re all safe, since New York City isn&rsquo;t like the infamous New York City of the 1970s. You can go just about anywhere at any time and you&rsquo;ll find people and families enjoying themselves. Check out Times Square if you have to, but eat where the locals eat.</p><p>With that said, here&rsquo;s where you have to go when you&rsquo;re in New York:</p><p><b>1</b> If you&rsquo;re looking for a good sports bar, visit <b>Warren 77</b> (77 Warren St.). This one is in Tribeca and my former teammates Henrik Lundqvist and Sean Avery are partners in it. It&rsquo;s off the beaten path and has a great hockey element. One of the more interesting parts of it is a poster-sized Batman and Robin framed photo in the unisex bathroom. That&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;m going to say about it. When you see it, you&rsquo;ll understand why I mentioned it.</p><p><b>2</b> Located just around the corner from there is <b>Tiny&rsquo;s & The Bar Upstairs</b> (135 West Broadway). It&rsquo;s more of a restaurant than Warren 77 and Lundqvist and Avery are partners in it as well. It&rsquo;s a sit-down kind of place and chances are you&rsquo;ll see Sean in there most nights.</p><p><b>3</b> If you want to spend an afternoon somewhere outside, a fantastic place to do so is <b>The Biergarten at the Standard Hotel</b> (848 Washington St.), a great beer garden located in a hotel in the Meatpacking District. If you&rsquo;re a little more adventurous and want to go to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, there&rsquo;s another excellent beer garden called Radegast Hall & Biergarten (113 N. 3rd St., Brooklyn).</p><p><b>4</b> Another place you&rsquo;ve got to visit is <b>Central Park</b> (14 E. 60th St.). It&rsquo;s clean and beautiful, with a great history and it&rsquo;s always full of families and dogs. You&rsquo;re right in the middle of this massive city, but you feel like you&rsquo;re in the countryside. You can spend a whole day in Central Park just walking around. You&rsquo;ll especially love it if you&rsquo;re a runner. Before you go, pack a lunch and stop at Levain Bakery (167 W. 74th St.). It&rsquo;s got the best cookies in the city.</p><p><b>5</b> If you go to the theater, I recommend <b>The Book of Mormon</b> (230 W. 49th St.) made by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. It&rsquo;s not for kids and has some very strong language, but it is the funniest play I&rsquo;ve ever seen.</p><p><b>6</b> After the show, skip the restaurants around the theater district and go to <b>J.G. Melon</b> (1291 3rd Ave.). It&rsquo;s a little bar that makes the best burgers in the city. Don&rsquo;t insult anybody by going there and ordering a turkey burger, even if it&rsquo;s on the menu. That&rsquo;s like driving 55 miles per hour on the Autobahn. If you&rsquo;re going to J.G. Melon, order a bacon cheeseburger with french fries.</p><p><b>7</b> If it&rsquo;s a rainy day and you&rsquo;re with kids who want to see mummies, go to the <b>Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art</b> (1000 5th Ave.). Should your kids want to see dinosaurs and/or have seen the Ben Stiller movies, go to the American Museum of Natural History (200 Central Park W. at 79th St.). In the case of both museums, you&rsquo;ll go, thinking you&rsquo;re doing it for your kids, but when they say, &ldquo;C&rsquo;mon Dad, let&rsquo;s leave,&rdquo; you&rsquo;ll want to stay and see some more.</p><p><b>8</b> When you wake up the day after the beer gardens and J.G. Melons, but don&rsquo;t want to go for a run in the park and you&rsquo;re more into getting a sweat, then go to <b>Flywheel</b> (multiple locations). It&rsquo;s a spinning class and if you want to experience a New York workout scene, that&rsquo;s really something to see and do.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01343/9844708-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="1027" height="822"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STAN HONDA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>9</b> Last but not least, if you&rsquo;re into Mexican food, check out a place in Soho called <b>La Esquina</b> (114 Kenmare St.). From street level, it looks like a little takeout food shack. But if you make a reservation, you&rsquo;re taken down a flight of stairs to the basement. From there, you&rsquo;ll see one of the most beautiful, dungeon-like dining rooms in New York City. Not to mention the food is incredible.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0050-02

SHANNY’S NEW YORK

<div class="byline">BY BYRON HACKETT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01341/9844816-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="411" height="413"></div><h2><b>STICKS</b></h2><h3><b>WARRIOR</b></h3><p><i>Dynasty</i></p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Dynasty stick line is the newest from Warrior Hockey. Some new features introduced from the Michigan-based company include a smoother flex arc, making it easier to get more crank out of every shot, as well as a thicker lower shaft, for improved stability. The premium AX1 Dynasty provides the most in stick innovation, but for a more economical option Warrior also offers the Dynasty AX2-AX5.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-02216/9844809-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="2076" height="470"></div><h2><b>SKATES</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-03149/9844802-1-eng-US/f0052-032.jpg" title="f0052-03" width="656" height="587"></div><h3><b>BAUER</b></h3><p><i>Vapor APX2</i></p><p>One of the most lightweight skates on the market is endorsed by some of the premier players in the game, like Alex Ovechkin, Claude Giroux and Evander Kane. The skate introduces a unique convenience with easily replaceable steel. Broken or badly chipped skate blades have been a longtime hassle, costing consumers hundreds of dollars to replace. Now it can be done simply by using the Tuuk Lightspeed edge holder.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-04117/9844795-1-eng-US/f0052-042.jpg" title="f0052-04" width="470" height="650"></div><h3><b>EASTON</b></h3><p><i>Mako Skate</i></p><p>When you&rsquo;re the founder of the first one-piece stick, people tend to follow your lead when it comes to hockey technology. The next step for Easton: the top skate. Easton has upped its game in potentially the most comfortable and maneuverable skate on the market with The Mako. It provides the comfort of a running shoe combined with increased flexibility that gives a skater more explosive starts and stops.</p><h2><b>GOALIES</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01319/9844788-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="962" height="744"></div><h3><b>BAUER</b></h3><p><i>Reactor 6000</i></p><p>What&rsquo;s old is new again with Bauer Reactor 6000 goalie gear. The company has reintroduced an old design with tweaks to make its pads more flexible for the athletic goaltenders of today&rsquo;s game. The new pro core insert increases the longevity of the pad, keeping them light and soft for goalies. And Bauer hasn&rsquo;t messed with a good thing when it comes to its glove, choosing to stick with the traditional hand closure that also offers a lightweight design.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-02220/9844781-1-eng-US/f0053-022.jpg" title="f0053-02" width="989" height="739"></div><h3><b>CCM</b></h3><p><i>Extreme Flex</i></p><p>CCM makes its return to the goalie market with its Extreme Flex pads tailored to a new age of goaltenders that favors a hybrid athletic style over the straight-up butterfly. The 90-degree soft boot allows goalies to get a better push off when moving across the crease. The new glove has a catching angle more akin to a baseball mitt, making it easier to flash quick glove saves. And the blocker has been smoothed out, allowing for a larger surface area to stop shots.</p><h2><b>PROTECTIVE GEAR</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-03156/9844774-1-eng-US/f0053-032.jpg" title="f0053-03" width="320" height="474"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-04132/9844767-1-eng-US/f0053-042.jpg" title="f0053-04" width="377" height="319"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0597/9844760-1-eng-US/f0053-052.jpg" title="f0053-05" width="437" height="325"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0682/9844753-1-eng-US/f0053-062.jpg" title="f0053-06" width="293" height="476"></div><h3><b>BAUER</b></h3><p><i>Supreme TotalOne NXG</i></p><p>This line has energy-absorbing molded Vent Armor foam in shoulder caps and body armor, bicep and forearm guards in elbow pads, as well as in shin guards and calf wraps.</p><h3><b>REEBOK</b></h3><p><i>20K</i></p><p>Reebok&rsquo;s new 20K series has all-foam construction in the shoulder and elbow pads for flexibility and safety. Shin guards still require a plastic outer shell for shot blocking.</p><h3><b>WARRIOR</b></h3><p><i>Dynasty</i></p><p>This protective line of shoulder, shin and elbow pads is led by Warrior&rsquo;s AX1 Series that blends enhanced mobility and protection in a multilayered, flexible design.</p><h3><b>EASTON</b></h3><p><i>Mako</i></p><p>The shoulder pads offer balance between protection, mobility and weight. Elbow pads are segmented and shin guards have an anatomic knee and three-piece cap.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0052-01

YOUR GEAR IS HERE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0054-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01330/9844847-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT ULLMAN)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0054-01

STRANGER THAN FICTION

<div class="byline">WITH ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0055-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01288/9844878-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NOTHING OUT OF SOMETHING</b></p><p>John Tortorella couldn&rsquo;t get New York past Round 2 even though it acquired help at the trade deadline.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-02189/9844885-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="194" height="229"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>OHN TORTORELLA IS MANY THINGS &ndash;</b> proud, prickly as a cactus-turfed football field, relentless in his drive to succeed, prone to fits of rage that would make late comedian Sam Kinison look like Little Miss Sunshine &ndash; but after this year&rsquo;s playoffs, one thing he no longer qualifies as is a modern-day NHL coach. The man has earned a Stanley Cup ring and the attendant accolades, but as it is with the vast majority of coaches, he has a shelf life and it&rsquo;s clear that shelf life is now long past its best before date.</p><p>All the evidence you need to confirm Tortorella&rsquo;s style is obsolete can be found in his former New York Rangers&rsquo; failings in a second-round series loss to Boston. GM Glen Sather rejigged the Rangers lineup at the trade deadline, but Tortorella&rsquo;s charges couldn&rsquo;t conjure any more offense against the Bruins than they were able to before the acquisitions.</p><p>And what did Tortorella do for a strategic answer toward the end of the series? He made Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards (with whom he&rsquo;d won a Cup in Tampa) a healthy scratch for the final two games of his career as Rangers coach. He humiliated one of the game&rsquo;s most accomplished veterans and doubled down on an offense designed entirely around the defensive skills of goalie Henrik Lundqvist. And the sum total of those efforts didn&rsquo;t make a lick of difference against a superior Bruins squad.</p><p>When Sather fired him May 29, few were surprised &ndash; especially NHLers who have endured his tough-guy routine in previous years. One former Tortorella player who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Tortorella was a knowledgeable coach, but called into question his people skills. Meanwhile, former NHLer Matthew Barnaby said on Twitter: &ldquo;Torts is awful to play for. A good guy away from the rink but NO fun at all to be around. Very smart hockey guy but I played for him and ugh.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;PLAYERS TODAY ARE MORE PREPARED AND DON&rsquo;T REACT THE SAME WAY AS PLAYERS FROM MY ERA&rdquo; <br>&ndash; Dave Poulin</blockquote><p>That message lends credibility to the philosophy of Maple Leafs assistant GM Dave Poulin, who in 2011 told me coaching now is more about managing personalities than straight-ahead Xs-and-Os. &ldquo;In some ways, we should call our coaches &lsquo;managers&rsquo; like they do in baseball,&rdquo; Poulin said. &ldquo;Players today are more prepared and don&rsquo;t react the same way as players from my era. You can&rsquo;t deal with them in the same fashion.&rdquo;</p><p>Can you imagine a touchy-feely Tortorella, trying to delicately tweak his players&rsquo; personas and gently nudging them toward the organization&rsquo;s ultimate goal? Of course not. He has a rusty bulldozer for a personality and is only comfortable with the sneer-and-fear approach to handling talent. Asking him for nuance is like asking Sean Avery for humility.</p><p>We shouldn&rsquo;t downplay Sather&rsquo;s role in the mess that is the Rangers, however. He deserves at least as much blame as the coach. His penchant for doling out exorbitant contracts (think Scott Gomez, Wade Redden and now Richards) because owner James Dolan has the financial wherewithal to do so is a key reason why the Blueshirts have become a patchwork of players who don&rsquo;t make for a cohesive unit. Sather has won five playoff rounds in 12 years. That alone is cause for his dismissal.</p><p>Nevertheless, that doesn&rsquo;t excuse Tortorella&rsquo;s subpar job in Manhattan. Some NHL team probably will give him another coaching job, but those who do should have no illusions as to what they&rsquo;re getting. Tortorella&rsquo;s presence may work in the short term, but the longer you leave him in the position the more he is exposed, his Jurassic snark a form of three-card monte street hustle fewer and fewer players fall for.</p><p>There&rsquo;s a reason why Mike Keenan, another famous Cup-winning bench boss with a hard-ass style, has likely coached his final NHL game and will work in Russia next season. The Grumpus Emeritus approach is best left to hockey anthropologists, not active head coaches.</p><p><b>WANT MORE PROTEAU?</b> READ HIS EXCLUSIVE WEB COLUMN THURSDAYS AT <b><a href="http://THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM/PROTEAU">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM/PROTEAU</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0055-01

JURASSIC SNARK SUNK TORTORELLA

<div class="byline">BY SARAH MCLELLAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0056-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01259/9844937-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN <b>MILLER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MILLER: JEN FULLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02170/9844930-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="1824" height="1552"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE <b>SMITH</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SMITH: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-03106/9844923-1-eng-US/f0056-032.jpg" title="f0056-03" width="1107" height="1542"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROBERTO <b>LUONGO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(LUONGO: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0479/9844916-1-eng-US/f0056-042.jpg" title="f0056-04" width="1242" height="1209"><figcaption class="caption-body">ILYA <b>BRYZGALOV</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRYZGALOV: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WITH AN ABBREVIATED TRAINING CAMP</b> and an unusually compact schedule, the NHL season didn&rsquo;t offer much free time &ndash; until now.</p><p>The free agent market won&rsquo;t open for business until July 5, four days later than normal, so that means more time to speculate on destinations for this summer&rsquo;s prized crop of free agent goaltenders.</p><p>Coyotes goalie Mike Smith tops the wish list of more than a handful of teams shopping for a new No. 1 and if he reaches unrestricted free agency, he&rsquo;ll be the best option available. At 31 years old, Smith is in his prime.</p><p>This past season was only his second as a bona fide starting goaltender, but after an impressive performance in 2011-12 that included a 234:25 shutout streak, .930 save percentage and a surprise run to the West-ern Conference final, Smith ranks himself among the best at the position. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been on one- or two-year deals,&rdquo; says Smith, a perennial backup before the Coyotes plucked him out of that cycle two summers ago. &ldquo;This is the time in my career I&rsquo;ve solidified being a No. 1 goaltender and I believe I should be compensated for it.&rdquo;</p><p>The Coyotes would like to keep Smith and Smith would like to stay. But negotiations chilled during the season without ownership clarity. Smith is coming off a two-year deal worth $4 million, so it&rsquo;s a no-brainer he&rsquo;ll get a raise. But he could price himself out of the Coyotes&rsquo; budget if the team isn&rsquo;t able to secure ownership before the start of free agency.</p><p>A deal similar to that of Detroit&rsquo;s Jimmy Howard (six years for $31.8 million) or Dallas&rsquo; Kari Lehtonen (five years for $29.5 million) seems fair, especially considering Smith&rsquo;s body of work as a No. 1 extends only two seasons, but if his camp is asking to be in $7-million range, like Nashville&rsquo;s Pekka Rinne or the New York Rangers&rsquo; Henrik Lundqvist, the Coyotes will be looking for a new netminder. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to sign Mike,&rdquo; says Coyotes GM Don Maloney. &ldquo;That would be our preference. However, if it doesn&rsquo;t happen, we&rsquo;ll find the next Mike Smith.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;WE&rsquo;D LIKE TO SIGN MIKE. THAT WOULD BE OUR PREFERENCE. HOWEVER, IF IT DOESN&rsquo;T HAPPEN, WE&rsquo;LL FIND THE NEXT MIKE SMITH&rdquo;<br>&ndash; Don Maloney</blockquote><p>Because the position is so important and since the free agent market this offseason is littered with backups, it&rsquo;s likely teams view Smith&rsquo;s breakout performance in 2011-12 as the better barometer for his potential than this past season, when his SP dipped to .910. &ldquo;The fact that he hasn&rsquo;t had a particularly great year compared to last year really will just get put into the evaluation that&rsquo;s done on a long-term basis of him going all the way through his career,&rdquo; says ex-New York Rangers GM turned television analyst Neil Smith. &ldquo;So I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s going to necessarily impact him negatively.&rdquo;</p><p>After Smith, the options in the free agent market weaken. Chicago&rsquo;s Ray Emery had a comeback season, going a sizzling 17-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .922 SP, but it&rsquo;s unclear how that production will offset the concerns suitors might have about his injury history and questionable past behavior. He wears a buyer-beware tag. Niklas Backstrom was vital for the Minnesota Wild, but he&rsquo;s 35 years old and required off-season sports hernia surgery. He could still be reliable, but he&rsquo;ll have to take a cut from his current $6-million cap hit. Nikolai Khabibulin (40) and Evgeni Nabokov (37) are other veterans available, but their ages make them less appealing.</p><p>So that means trade activity could receive a serious bump among teams searching for an upgrade in net. Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo should be moved this off-season, but with nine years left on a 12-year contract worth $64 million, it might be hard to find willing trade partners, especially with the cap dropping to $64.3 million. Still, Luongo is a No. 1 and the Canucks could eat part of his salary in a trade.</p><p>Los Angeles Kings backup and restricted free agent Jonathan Bernier seems poised to earn a starting job, but the Kings value his role and thus are in control. Pricey return demands could easily keep Bernier as Jonathan Quick&rsquo;s understudy.</p><p>The 2014 class of unrestricted free agents is deeper and it&rsquo;s possible some of those players are moved before reaching that point. Jonas Hiller (Anaheim), Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Tomas Vokoun (Pittsburgh) and Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott (both St. Louis) will all be in the final year of their contracts next season.</p><p>The emergence of Viktor Fasth might make the Ducks more inclined to move Hiller, but for now he&rsquo;s still positioned as their go-to goaltender after starting all seven of their playoff games in a Round 1 loss to the Red Wings.</p><p>The Sabres are on the cusp of a rebuild and Miller could be dealt to acquire younger assets. Vokoun has had a strong playoff performance for the Penguins, pinch-hitting for Marc-Andre Fleury, and because of that he could garner some serious interest, enough that the Penguins might consider trading him and going with a younger backup next season. Halak and Elliott have been a solid duo for the Blues, but the emergence of youngster Jake Allen could push one of the veterans out.</p><p>The activity on the trade front and the demand for free agent goalies will undoubtedly be dictated by how desperate teams are to fill that void. The Philadelphia Flyers seem to fit that description after failing to make the playoffs with a star-heavy lineup.</p><p>Ilya Bryzgalov has seven years left on a $51-million deal, so he&rsquo;s an easy target for a buyout. If that happens and he decides to stay in the league, Bryzgalov could be had at a discounted price. But his inconsistency and quirky off-ice demeanor might scare off buyers. Besides the Flyers, the Coyotes need to solidify their goaltending as do the Wild, Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers. Only a small group of teams are backed by true No. 1 goalies &ndash; Detroit, Nashville, Boston, the New York Rangers and Montreal among them. That means all other teams in the league &ndash; like Toronto, Edmonton and Colorado &ndash; could explore the free agent market or draw up a trade for improvement.</p><p>Either way, the homework behind those decisions is happening already. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re going to be in the market to sign a free-agent goalie,&rdquo; Neil Smith says, &ldquo;you would know it right now.&rdquo;</p><p><i><b>FREE AGENT</b> worth depends on many factors, including age, contract length and cap space. With all the variables in mind, we&rsquo;ve provided estimated cap hits for the 2013 free agents who played at least one game this year or are notable for past performance. Ages are as of July 1.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0056-01

THE GOALIE CAROUSEL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01263/9845052-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="958" height="168"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-02177/9845045-1-eng-US/f0058-022.jpg" title="f0058-02" width="599" height="585"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVID <b>CLARKSON</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN DAVID CLARKSON WAS A KID,</b> his father would wake him up for every Stanley Cup-clinching moment. He wanted his son to experience those times when the chalice is hoisted in the air by the winning captain.</p><p>Clarkson remembers that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling and he still turns on the television as an NHLer when a team looks like it&rsquo;s going to win hockey&rsquo;s ultimate prize. But then, it&rsquo;s quiet time. &ldquo;Once they lift it, I turn it off,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to watch them skate around with it.&rdquo;</p><p>Clarkson came agonizingly close to skating around with the Cup himself last season with the Devils before L.A. ended their run. Though New Jersey missed the post-season in the shortened lockout campaign, the power forward has faith in the only NHL team he&rsquo;s ever played for. &ldquo;Mr. Lamoriello does an unbelievable job of finding guys to fit roles,&rdquo; Clarkson said of legendary GM Lou. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great organization that is committed to winning.&rdquo;</p><p>Coach Pete DeBoer also helped unlock Clarkson&rsquo;s potential last season and the two go back to the Ontario League&rsquo;s Kitchener Rangers. &ldquo;It was really refreshing when he came in,&rdquo; Clarkson said. &ldquo;He knew what I could bring and it was a good feeling going into camp.</p><p>But the bruising right winger with a scoring touch will be one of the top free agents on the market and he&rsquo;s due for a big raise from his current $2.7-million cap hit. Will he stay a Devil or seek that Cup-raising moment in person elsewhere?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-03102/9845038-1-eng-US/f0058-032.jpg" title="f0058-03" width="676" height="505"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0478/9845031-1-eng-US/f0058-042.jpg" title="f0058-04" width="305" height="467"></div><p>The Devils have $25 million in cap space, but only six forwards secured for 2013-14. Among RFAs is 2012 Calder finalist <b>Adam Henrique</b>, who will want a substantial raise. Expect GM Lou Lamoriello to play hardball, as other teams did with youngsters heading into their second contracts. Henrique&rsquo;s scoring stats tailed off substantially.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0548/9845024-1-eng-US/f0058-052.jpg" title="f0058-05" width="673" height="379"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0634/9845017-1-eng-US/f0058-062.jpg" title="f0058-06" width="305" height="467"></div><p>In a full season, <b>Josh Bailey</b> was on pace for career highs in virtually every offensive category. His defense improved markedly as well. He was a team-best plus-7 among Isles forwards and coach Jack Capuano entrusted him with regular power play and shorthanded minutes. He&rsquo;ll look to double his $1.1-million cap hit.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0722/9845010-1-eng-US/f0058-072.jpg" title="f0058-07" width="678" height="399"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0810/9845003-1-eng-US/f0058-082.jpg" title="f0058-08" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLARKSON+HENRIQUE+BAILEY+CLOWE: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Despite having his worst season since 2005-06, <b>Ryane Clowe</b> won&rsquo;t have trouble finding wealthy suitors for his services. Even with his terrible start to 2013 (28 games, zero goals, 11 points), he&rsquo;ll still be one of the top power forwards available. Clowe averaged 76 games, 21 goals, 54 points and 95 PIM from 2008-2012.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-098/9844996-1-eng-US/f0058-092.jpg" title="f0058-09" width="678" height="482"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-105/9844989-1-eng-US/f0058-102.jpg" title="f0058-10" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MASON: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Steve Mason</b> is signed, but how the Flyers use him depends on whether they buy out Ilya Bryzgalov. Mason shone in seven games with Philly (4-2-0, 1.90 GAA, .944 SP), but the spotlight was all on &lsquo;Bryz.&rsquo; How Mason would fare as its No. 1 is anyone&rsquo;s guess. He was 63-79-20, with a 3.13 GAA and .899 SP in Columbus after his rookie year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-115/9844982-1-eng-US/f0058-112.jpg" title="f0058-11" width="677" height="523"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-125/9844975-1-eng-US/f0058-122.jpg" title="f0058-12" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DUPUIS: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Pascal Dupuis</b> looks to cash in as a pending UFA after career-high paces in goals, assists and points. He&rsquo;ll use Chris Kunitz-type money ($3.7 million) as a starting point, more than double his current salary. With Dupuis, Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Matt Cooke all UFAs, though, at least one or two won&rsquo;t return.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0058-01

HANGING BY A MOMENT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01213/9845174-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg" title="f0059-01" width="942" height="169"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-02138/9845167-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="599" height="591"><figcaption class="caption-body">TYLER <b>BOZAK</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>YLER BOZAK DIDN&rsquo;T FINISH THE SEASON</b> as he&rsquo;d hoped after a torn bicep sidelined him for the Maple Leafs&rsquo; final two playoff games against Boston. But thanks to this year&rsquo;s less-than-elite crop of unrestricted free agents, the center is poised to cash in with his next deal in a major way.</p><p>Not that he&rsquo;s paying much mind to his contract status. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t thought about it,&rdquo; Bozak said. &ldquo;When the time comes, it&rsquo;ll take care of itself.&rdquo;</p><p>In three-and-a-half seasons as a Leaf, Bozak has posted decent numbers, including 12 goals and 28 points in 46 games this year. He centered the first power play unit, averaged the most minutes of any Leafs forward and was also the team&rsquo;s top faceoff man (25th in the NHL) at 52.6 percent.</p><p>Still, the undrafted University of Denver standout, who the Leafs signed as a free agent in 2009, isn&rsquo;t considered a No. 1 center despite being used that way out of necessity. Bozak, 27, has established a close friendship and playing chemistry with star right winger Phil Kessel. But the probability of Bozak receiving a significant raise on the $1.5 million he made each of the past two years has raised the possibility of him moving on.</p><p>It may be only posturing on his part, but Leafs GM Dave Nonis didn&rsquo;t sound desperate when asked about Bozak&rsquo;s impending free agency. &ldquo;If there&rsquo;s a contract that makes sense for us, we&rsquo;ll sign him,&rdquo; Nonis said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a situation where we have to sign Tyler Bozak. If the player wants to stay, you find a way to make it happen.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-03102/9845160-1-eng-US/f0059-032.jpg" title="f0059-03" width="703" height="444"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0483/9845153-1-eng-US/f0059-042.jpg" title="f0059-04" width="305" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOZAK+RYDER: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; RASK+KADRI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; ALFREDSSON: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>With Tim Thomas gone, <b>Tuukka Rask</b> reclaimed the No. 1 goalie job and didn&rsquo;t disappoint. One thing he still needs to prove is how he can handle the workload over an 82-game season &ndash; his career high is 45 GP &ndash; but all the signs are there that Rask will occupy the Bruins crease for years to come. He will get a long-term deal to reflect that.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0553/9845146-1-eng-US/f0059-052.jpg" title="f0059-05" width="679" height="318"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0640/9845139-1-eng-US/f0059-062.jpg" title="f0059-06" width="305" height="467"></div><p>The upward trajectory continues for <b>Cody Hodgson</b>, who performed well as the No. 1 center. But he still has much to prove, so he&rsquo;ll likely sign a bridge contract for two years at $2-3 million a season, like P.K. Subban did with Montreal and Michael Del Zotto did with the Rangers after coming out of entry-level deals.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0729/9845132-1-eng-US/f0059-072.jpg" title="f0059-07" width="680" height="359"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0816/9845125-1-eng-US/f0059-082.jpg" title="f0059-08" width="305" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOZAK+RYDER: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>With the Canadiens already butting up against the cap, it&rsquo;s a good thing they don&rsquo;t have many free agents to re-sign. The high-profile one is <b>Michael Ryder</b>, who played well after coming over from Dallas before fading in the playoffs. He&rsquo;ll be around $3.5 million again, but it might not be the Canadiens who give it to him.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0913/9845118-1-eng-US/f0059-092.jpg" title="f0059-09" width="679" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-108/9845111-1-eng-US/f0059-102.jpg" title="f0059-10" width="305" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALFREDSSON: FRANCOIS LAPLANTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It will be one-year contracts the rest of the way for <b>Daniel Alfredsson</b>, that is if he decides to return. Contract terms will not be an issue for the captain, who was a driving force behind the Senators&rsquo; successful season. With the team on an uptick, he knows he won&rsquo;t have to endure a rebuild during the twilight of his career.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-116/9845104-1-eng-US/f0059-112.jpg" title="f0059-11" width="678" height="399"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-123/9845097-1-eng-US/f0059-122.jpg" title="f0059-12" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RASK+KADRI: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Maple Leafs are wary of offering <b>Nazem Kadri</b> a big-money, long-term deal, even with what he accomplished this season. If he gets too comfortable, he might fade. The result will probably be a shorter-term deal in the $3-4 million range, depending upon how many arbitration-eligible years are covered off in the deal.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-132/9845090-1-eng-US/f0059-132.jpg" title="f0059-13" width="1459" height="24"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0059-01

MARKET CALCULATIONS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BOB DUFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01196/9845411-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="924" height="161"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-02133/9845404-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="599" height="585"><figcaption class="caption-body">VALTTERI <b>FILPPULA</b><span class="photo-credit">(FILPPULA; DEBORA ROBINSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THIS SHOULD BE A BIG YEAR IN THE LIFE</b> of Valtteri Filppula, but an unproductive campaign could hinder his chances at a lucrative summer.</p><p>Among the top NHL players headed for unrestricted free agency, the Detroit Red Wings center stumbled through a disappointing regular season and struggled to put up numbers into the Stanley Cup playoffs. &ldquo;You hope you can help the team more than I have,&rdquo; admitted Filppula, 29. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s frustrating. I feel like I&rsquo;ve had good games, but you need to produce when you get to play that much and that&rsquo;s definitely something I haven&rsquo;t been able to do.&rdquo;</p><p>Coming off a career-best 66-point campaign in 2011-12, he managed just 17 points in 41 games. Wings coach Mike Babcock was equally perplexed by Filppula&rsquo;s failures. &ldquo;We were counting on him being a top-four forward for us last year and he got 60-plus points,&rdquo; Babcock said. &ldquo;We need the same.&rdquo;</p><p>One area the Wings constantly stress with Filppula is he needs to shoot the puck more. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a good shot, but obviously he&rsquo;s a creative player and creative players like to pass,&rdquo; said teammate Dan Cleary. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just in them.&rdquo;</p><p>As the Wings were immersed in the post-season, the two sides weren&rsquo;t yet talking contract. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing going on right now,&rdquo; Filppula said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to focus on playing and then when it&rsquo;s time to think about that I will.</p><p>&ldquo;As of now there hasn&rsquo;t really been any reason for that. We&rsquo;ll see what happens, but it&rsquo;s definitely interesting times.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0394/9845397-1-eng-US/f0061-032.jpg" title="f0061-03" width="681" height="442"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0478/9845390-1-eng-US/f0061-042.jpg" title="f0061-04" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(EMERY: PERRY NELSON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Ray Emery</b> enjoyed a banner regular season with the Hawks, going 17-1-0 with a 1.94 GAA and .922 SP. The 30-year-old pending UFA deserves a raise on the $1.2 million he made, but has he priced himself out of the Windy City? The Hawks are up against the reduced cap for next season already and have multiple players to re-sign.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0557/9845383-1-eng-US/f0061-052.jpg" title="f0061-05" width="668" height="339"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0646/9845376-1-eng-US/f0061-062.jpg" title="f0061-06" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOBROVSKY: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has a big challenge early in his tenure: re-upping RFA <b>Sergei Bobrovsky</b>. The Russian goalie is a Vezina Trophy finalist and his bargaining power will spike if he wins. &lsquo;Bob&rsquo; also had KHL St. Petersburg after his services, not to mention a potential offer sheet. It will take a pretty penny to retain him.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0737/9845369-1-eng-US/f0061-072.jpg" title="f0061-07" width="680" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0819/9845362-1-eng-US/f0061-082.jpg" title="f0061-08" width="305" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUNNER: DAVE REGINEK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Detroit felt it had a hidden gem in Swiss League star <b>Damien Brunner</b> and he delivered 26 points in his first 44 NHL games. He also chipped in valuable offense in the playoffs. The Wings are happy with his play and he&rsquo;s well liked in the dressing room, so a return is in the offing for the UFA, who should double his $1.4-million cap hit.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-0915/9845355-1-eng-US/f0061-092.jpg" title="f0061-09" width="683" height="402"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-1013/9845348-1-eng-US/f0061-102.jpg" title="f0061-10" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOSI: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Predators were happy with <b>Roman Josi&rsquo;s</b> first season replacing Ryan Suter as Shea Weber&rsquo;s &lsquo;D&rsquo; partner and Josi wants to stay with them long term. After Suter&rsquo;s entry-level deal, his ensuing contract earned him $3.5 million a year. Given Josi&rsquo;s similar production at the same stage of his career, he should earn close to that.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-1113/9845341-1-eng-US/f0061-112.jpg" title="f0061-11" width="679" height="401"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-1210/9845334-1-eng-US/f0061-122.jpg" title="f0061-12" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEWART: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Even after a 36-point season, <b>Chris Stewart</b> may be a cap casualty. The Blues have too many guys to re-sign and D-men Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk take priority. Stewart also had one point in six playoff games. The Blues may walk away if Stewart gets an offer sheet paying him more than the $3 million he earned in 2012-13.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-135/9845327-1-eng-US/f0061-132.jpg" title="f0061-13" width="1459" height="24"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0061-01

FROM BULL TO BEAR

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0063-13" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-138/9845648-1-eng-US/f0063-132.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-01159/9845641-1-eng-US/f0063-012.jpg" title="f0063-01" width="599" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROB <b>SCUDERI</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCUDERI: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>IT&rsquo;S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IN HIS NINTH</b> NHL season, with his name twice etched on the Stanley Cup, Rob Scuderi flies under the radar.</p><p>At 34 and in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.4 million per season, he has yet to discuss a new deal with the Los Angeles Kings. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried about it now,&rdquo; Scuderi said. &ldquo;That stuff will figure itself out.&rdquo;</p><p>Scuderi was third in ice time on the Kings during the regular season and second in the playoffs through the second round. &ldquo;He does all the right things at the right times,&rdquo; said captain Dustin Brown. &ldquo;He sacrifices his body. He never looks for any recognition. He just goes about his business, almost like he is going undercover.</p><p>&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t notice him, he&rsquo;s having a good game.&rdquo;</p><p>Scuderi&rsquo;s value goes beyond what he does on the ice. &ldquo;He knows how to handle those big moments when the team may need to settle things down,&rdquo; said backup goalie Jonathan Bernier.</p><p>But with Brown, an unrestricted free agent, and emerging young blueliner Slava Voynov, a restricted free agent, in line for significant pay raises and the cap going down, Scuderi will likely have to take a pay cut to stay in Los Angeles.</p><p>If the Kings and Scuderi can&rsquo;t come to terms on a new deal, it would not be surprising to see his hometown New York Islanders make a pitch for his services. When he won his first championship with Pittsburgh in 2009, he became the first Long Island native to win the Stanley Cup.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-02103/9845634-1-eng-US/f0063-022.jpg" title="f0063-02" width="677" height="482"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0367/9845627-1-eng-US/f0063-032.jpg" title="f0063-03" width="303" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LYDMAN: DEBORA ROBINSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It&rsquo;s same old, same old in Anaheim as Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu once again decide their futures, but now <b>Toni Lydman</b> makes it three old Finns without contracts. Lydman struggled this season and with youngsters Luca Sbisa and Cam Fowler becoming more prominent, his bargaining power is limited.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0448/9845620-1-eng-US/f0063-042.jpg" title="f0063-04" width="681" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0530/9845613-1-eng-US/f0063-052.jpg" title="f0063-05" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BACHMAN: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>New GM Jim Nill has inherited an almost locked-in roster &ndash; which for a non-playoff team isn&rsquo;t necessarily a good thing. But with <b>Richard Bachman</b> in need of a new deal, Nill can at least plan out how long he wants to wait before goalie of the future Jack Campbell or veteran import Cristopher Nilstorp gets a shot at No. 2.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0622/9845606-1-eng-US/f0063-062.jpg" title="f0063-06" width="678" height="441"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0719/9845599-1-eng-US/f0063-072.jpg" title="f0063-07" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PENNER: NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Kings must decide if it&rsquo;s worth retaining <b>Dustin Penner</b> and his wild swings in productivity. When the affable big man is on, he can bring crucial secondary scoring, but he&rsquo;s more often found in the doghouse. Penner seems to be comfortable with the Hollywood aspect of L.A. life, so a hometown discount may be in order.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0816/9845592-1-eng-US/f0063-082.jpg" title="f0063-08" width="680" height="441"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0915/9845585-1-eng-US/f0063-092.jpg" title="f0063-09" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SMITH: ANDY DEVLIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>When it comes to negotiating his biggest contract yet, <b>Mike Smith</b> will point to his league-leading five shutouts and fantastic 2011-12 numbers. The Coyotes, no doubt, will point to a picture of Ilya Bryzgalov and note that netminders tend to fare much better under Phoenix coach Dave Tippett than they do elsewhere.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-1010/9845578-1-eng-US/f0063-102.jpg" title="f0063-10" width="680" height="399"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-1110/9845571-1-eng-US/f0063-112.jpg" title="f0063-11" width="305" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TORRES: RICH LAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Teammates will go to the wall for him, but will management still find value in <b>Raffi Torres</b> given the way his season ended? The oft-suspended bruiser was held out of the last six games of the heartbreaking loss to L.A. thanks to another league ban for a dodgy hit on Jarret Stoll in Game 1. Would he have been the difference?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-129/9845564-1-eng-US/f0063-122.jpg" title="f0063-12" width="1459" height="24"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0063-13

INVISIBLE BUT INVALUABLE

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0064-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-02104/9845700-1-eng-US/f0064-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOTH: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01170/9845707-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="175" height="175"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>AD ADAM MCQUAID PLAYED</b> an 82-game season in 2012-13, he would have had somewhere in the range of 15 fights and 155 penalty minutes. So the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association, which awards the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy to &ldquo;the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey,&rdquo; might have some &rsquo;splaining to do if McQuaid wins the trophy.</p><p>But this is also a trophy Bobby Clarke won 41 years ago. Gary Roberts, proud owner of more than 2,500 PIM during his career, was also honored. And the last time we checked, guys such as Adam Graves, Cam Neely and Ken Daneyko weren&rsquo;t exactly in the habit of taking any prisoners, either.</p><p>So it&rsquo;s clear sportsmanship with the Masterton is a little like judges&rsquo; questions in a beauty pageant. They play it a little fast and loose with that particular requirement, but they do not fool around with perseverance and dedication. And when it comes to those two qualities, there aren&rsquo;t many players who have it in the abundance Adam McQuaid does.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s start with the premise that all NHL players, from the penalty minutes leader to Lady Byng winner, are tough. Almost each one has a story of persever-ance that would be worthy of a Masterton Trophy. From that perspective, McQuaid is hardly unique. But few can match the health scare he received this season and even fewer could come back from it and thrive so quickly and decisively.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-01173/9845693-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg" title="f0065-01" width="1398" height="1425"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STRONG AS A BEAR</b></p><p>Three months after having his rib removed because of a blood clot, Adam McQuaid suited up for Boston.</p></figcaption></div><p>Mention the words &ldquo;blood clot&rdquo; and things can get pretty somber in a hurry, particularly given the worst-case scenario. If not detected in time, blood clots generally go to one of two areas &ndash; the heart or the brain &ndash; and neither of them usually ends well. When you&rsquo;re 25 years old and you&rsquo;ve just signed a three-year contract worth $4.7 million, there are better times for something like this to happen. With so much to look forward to in life, McQuaid was suddenly faced with the prospect of his own mortality. He never really saw it that way, however. &ldquo;Honestly, I didn&rsquo;t realize how serious it was,&rdquo; McQuaid says, &ldquo;which was probably a good thing.&rdquo;</p><p>It all started just before the lockout when McQuaid was working out and skating with some Bruins players and Boston-area NHLers at Harvard University. His father, Mark, actually thinks it stemmed from a shoulder-to-chest hit his son absorbed a couple of years ago. Some of the guys noticed how big his arms were, to the point where they joked all he did was curls during the summer. Something wasn&rsquo;t right, and when McQuaid&rsquo;s arm blew up one day, he was concerned. He left, with his mother Dianne in tow, to go back to his home in Prince Edward Island to wait out the lockout. But only about two hours into the trip, McQuaid was so concerned that he and his mother pulled off the road and went to a hospital in Augusta, Maine.</p><p>Doctors there suspected a blood clot, but couldn&rsquo;t find one and sent him on his way. By the time he arrived in P.E.I., things were getting scarier, so he went to the emergency ward, where doctors still could not locate the clot. He was sent immediately to Halifax, which is about three-and-a-half hours away, where doctors finally discovered the problem. There was a good reason it had gone undetected and was so difficult to find, since it was located in the first rib, which is just under the clavicle. The rib and scar tissue around it had been compressing one of his arteries and causing the blood clot to form, a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome. McQuaid immediately had surgery to remove the clot in Halifax, then travelled to Boston to have the rib and some muscle from the right side of his neck removed.</p><p>The only lasting sign of the surgery is a two-inch scar near his collarbone. Even though he was on blood thinners for three months and couldn&rsquo;t work out much until December, he was ready for training camp when it opened in January and was in the opening night lineup for the Bruins. It was a startling transformation, particularly since the same young man who lifted the 34.5-pound Stanley Cup over his head in the summer of 2011 couldn&rsquo;t even lift a jug of milk after his surgery.</p><p>Patients typically need to be on blood thinners for six months after this kind of surgery, but McQuaid was able to discontinue them in three. There were fears he would have to miss the entire season, but there he was, back to his robust self, blocking shots, battling defenders and being a stay-at-home presence for the Bruins. He did end up sitting out 12 games with a strained shoulder &ndash; the other one &ndash; and missed two more games to attend his grandmother&rsquo;s funeral, but played in 32 contests during the regular season and was a mainstay on the blueline for the Bruins through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Youngsters Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski might have been getting more accolades, but the soft-spoken Mc-Quaid was earning kudos for his steady play. He looks like a guy who could quietly and efficiently play as a No. 5 or 6 defenseman in the NHL for the next decade.</p><p>McQuaid acknowledges his immense good fortune and he has enough perspective to realize how things could have turned out if he had not been so lucky. But on the other hand, he has even more perspective, enough to know there are people who have been through far more difficult ordeals than he has. Everything turned out well for him. Because the problem was a thoracic one and the source of the clot was removed, he no longer has to be on blood thinners.</p><p>You might have expected there would be at least one or two jokes about Adam&rsquo;s Rib or McRibs floating around the Bruins dressing room, but the reality is all of it happened during the lockout, so a lot of his teammates didn&rsquo;t even know what had transpired until they all returned to the NHL in January. &ldquo;Maybe it puts things in perspective,&rdquo; Mc-Quaid said. &ldquo;It could have been worse had the blood clot travelled. I try not to think about that too much. But I do feel lucky, to be honest. Not only to be here and playing in the NHL, but just to be here period.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-02124/9845686-1-eng-US/f0065-022.jpg" title="f0065-02" width="121" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>CHECK OUT <b><a href="http://THN.COM/MCQUAID">THN.COM/MCQUAID</a></b> FOR AN <b>EXCLUSIVE VIDEO ON ADAM M</b>C<b>QUAID</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0064-02

TO BE HAPPY HERE

<div class="byline">BY DANIEL NUGENT-BOWMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0066-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01166/9845745-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MAC ATTACK</b></p><p>Nathan MacKinnon&rsquo;s electric showing at the Memorial Cup moved him to No. 1 on ISS&rsquo;s list.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MATT SMITH/HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>ATHAN MACKINNON BOLTED</b> across the ice and leapt into the Halifax Mooseheads bench moments after he flipped a shot into an empty net from center ice. The insurance goal capped off a sublime fivepoint night as he led the Mooseheads to their first Memorial Cup championship with a 6-4 win over Seth Jones and the Portland Winterhawks. The center was also the tournament MVP thanks to his 13 points in just four games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-02103/9845738-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg" title="f0066-02" width="211" height="226"></div><p>Was MacKinnon&rsquo;s performance enough for him to leap over Jones as the No. 1 pick at the draft June 30? It&rsquo;s reopened a debate that appeared to be all but closed. &ldquo;There are people out there that say they don&rsquo;t care about one tournament, but when you have a tournament like the one Nathan MacKinnon just had you have to re-evaluate,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;I guarantee Colorado is re-evaluating.&rdquo;</p><p>The Avalanche own that first pick and Jones &ndash; a smooth-skating, 6-foot-4, 206-pound defenseman &ndash; has been the consensus top prospect since the world juniors ended in January.</p><p>Jones was a vital member of the U.S. team that won gold. MacKinnon was a role player as Canada finished fourth.</p><p>But International Scouting Services has flipped MacKinnon and Jones in its rankings since the Memorial Cup. The scout is still leaning towards Jones, but only based on potential. &ldquo;There is no doubt based on this tournament that MacKinnon&rsquo;s the better player right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But when you&rsquo;re looking at a franchise looking to make a decision at the draft, they&rsquo;ve got to forecast three, four, five years down the road. Nathan MacKinnon is a lot closer to his ceiling now than Seth Jones is.&rdquo;</p><p>If MacKinnon has reached his ceiling, he proved at the Memorial Cup it is sky-high. In the tournament opener against Portland, the Halifax native exploded for a second-period hat trick. On one of the goals, he blew down the left wing, cut around Jones and beat goalie Mac Carruth five-hole. The 17-year-old also added an assist. MacKinnon then registered another hat trick and two helpers against Jones and the Winterhawks in the final.</p><p>MacKinnon and Jones became friends three years ago when they attended a summer camp held by Creative Artists Agency out of Los Angeles. They still text each other and plan to room together at the draft.</p><p>MacKinnon gathered little glee out of besting his good bud. &ldquo;It was cool,&rdquo; said MacKinnon after the final game, before quickly stressing &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not a Seth-versus-Nathan kind of thing. It&rsquo;s more of a Portland-versus-Halifax thing.&rdquo;</p><p>While the 5-foot-11, 179-pound center tried to downplay the draft debate, his teammates were glad to throw in their support behind him, especially after his effort in the final. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just Nate,&rdquo; said defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. &ldquo;He just rises to the occasion. It was a great series between Jones and Nate. Fortunately, Nate got the better of him.&rdquo;</p><p>Added winger Stephen Mac-Caulay: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure he helped himself in the draft. I&rsquo;m not a scout. But he didn&rsquo;t hurt his cause, that&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo;</p><p>Jones still may go first overall, but MacKinnon has changed the conversation. Some wondered what all the fuss was about when MacKinnon picked up a single assist in six games at the world juniors. But, for the scout, that tournament was an exception and the Memorial Cup closer to the norm: &ldquo;It was almost a confirmation for those watching over 18 months as to how good he can be.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0066-01

MACKINNON REOPENS DEBATE

<div class="byline">BY DANIEL NUGENT-BOWMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0067-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0067-01125/9845790-1-eng-US/f0067-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STAMPEDING HERD</b></p><p>The Mooseheads&rsquo; enjoyed a 16-1 run in the QMJHL playoffs before winning the national crown.</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span> FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP IS</b> supposed to be the most meaningful. But that isn&rsquo;t the case for Stephen MacAulay. &ldquo;This one was a little more special with everything that&rsquo;s happened this year,&rdquo; said the Halifax Mooseheads right winger after his team captured its first Memorial Cup with a 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks.</p><p>The Canadian major junior national championship was MacAulay&rsquo;s second in three years, his first coming in 2011 with the Saint John Sea Dogs.</p><p>After winning that tournament in Mississauga, Ont., his mother, Jean, made her way down to the ice to celebrate with him. But that September, Jean was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The disease eventually spread to her liver.</p><p>She wasn&rsquo;t healthy enough to travel to Shawinigan, Que., to watch her son play in the Memorial Cup tournament last year when the Sea Dogs lost in the semifinal.</p><p>Jean died March 11. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m playing with a bit of a heavy heart now and more motivation,&rdquo; MacAulay said before the 2013 final in Saskatoon.</p><p>MacAulay is quick to admit his mother wasn&rsquo;t much of a hockey fan. But like any good mom, she made sure he was well nourished by making pregame dinners and cinnamon rolls on weekends. She took an interest in the game he loved.</p><p>Jean was her son&rsquo;s biggest supporter. So when she took a turn for the worse, he wanted to be there to support her</p><p>Having been chosen in the third round of the 2008 Quebec League draft by Saint John, MacAulay was halfway through his fifth year with the Sea Dogs this season. After two league championships, they were near the league basement. It made a lot of sense to move him closer to his Cole Harbour, N.S., home.</p><p>A trade was consummated between Halifax GM Cam Russell and his Saint John counterpart Mike Kelly at the deadline in January. &ldquo;To be close to my family and friends, especially during the tough times this winter, I was glad to be home rather than travelling back and forth from Saint John,&rdquo; MacAulay said.</p><p>Jean&rsquo;s condition deteriorated in February and MacAulay stayed at home to be with his mom, only playing in home games. When he returned to the team full-time shortly after Jean&rsquo;s death, the Mooseheads rallied around him. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a solid young man from a solid family,&rdquo; said Mooseheads coach Dominique Ducharme. &ldquo;The fun part out of all of this was for him to come back to the rink and see the guys.&rdquo;</p><p>But Halifax didn&rsquo;t just acquire MacAulay as an act of goodwill. Led by star prospects Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, the team was in the midst of a spectacular season that saw them go 58-6-3-1 and win the regular season crown by 27 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0067-0268/9845783-1-eng-US/f0067-022.jpg" title="f0067-02" width="681" height="896"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HOME OVER HOCKEY</b></p><p>Stephen MacAulay was dealt to Halifax so he could be with his mother, Jean, in her final days.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CHL/WHL/DEREK MORTENSEN)</span></figcaption></div><p>However, they were bereft of anyone with a championship ring and MacAulay provided needed experience. After the Mooseheads cruised through the QMJHL playoffs with a 16-1 record and hoisted the Memorial Cup, MacAulay had played in four President&rsquo;s Cup finals, winning three, and had gone to three national championships, winning twice. It&rsquo;s an impressive run of success that paid dividends in pressure situations for the Herd. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the type of player that gets a little pent up in the dressing room before games,&rdquo; said co-captain Stefan Fournier. &ldquo;Every so often he&rsquo;d be there to have a calming hand.&rdquo;</p><p>Ducharme said MacAulay earned the respect of his mates from the moment he walked in the room. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound right winger had 20 points in 16 playoff games, plus five more at the Memorial Cup. His versatility was invaluable. &ldquo;He can be in a defensive position, on an offensive one, on the P.K., on the power play, he can be involved physically,&rdquo; Ducharme said. &ldquo;He brings a lot to our team. You can&rsquo;t measure it.&rdquo;</p><p>MacAulay grew up cheering for the Mooseheads. He can remember going to the games with his dad, Garth, from the time he was young enough to sit on his lap</p><p>To be a part of such a dominant team that won the first Memorial Cup in franchise history was something he&rsquo;ll cherish. &ldquo;You couldn&rsquo;t have written it up any better,&rdquo; MacAulay said.</p><p>The final was MacAulay&rsquo;s last in major junior. He&rsquo;ll turn pro next year and try to make the St. Louis Blues, who drafted him 164th overall in 2010.</p><p>He celebrated on the ice at Credit Union Centre with family, including Garth, older sister Suzanne and Jean&rsquo;s twin sister, June Strachan, who MacAulay calls his &ldquo;second mom.&rdquo;</p><p>There was only one person missing. But Jean wasn&rsquo;t forgotten. &ldquo;I wish she was here,&rdquo; MacAulay said. &ldquo;I love her and I know she was here.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0067-01

CUP WIN WAS MOM’S MEMORIAL

<div class="byline">BY CASEY IPPOLITO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0068-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-01130/9845835-1-eng-US/f0068-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TOTAL PACKAGE</b></p><p>In a poll, OHL coaches rated Tyler Biggs among the hardest shooters and best shot blockers.</p></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="120" height="136"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>S FORMULAIC HOCKEY NICKNAMES</b> go, &lsquo;Biggsy&rsquo; is rather fitting for Tyler Biggs. That&rsquo;s because the hulking 20-year-old has been playing with an NHL frame since then-Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke called his name with the 22nd pick of the 2011 draft.</p><p>The 6-foot-3, 224-pound right winger had taken strides offensively and developed a two-way game with the Oshawa Generals. &ldquo;I was walking by the dressing rooms and I saw this kid on the bike who was chiselled like a gargoyle and that was Tyler,&rdquo; said one Ontario League exec. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t realize just how strong this guy is.&rdquo;</p><p>A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Biggs played one season with the Miami RedHawks, where he played a second-line role as a freshman. A season later, he joined a Generals team with an established core, but had little trouble fitting in. &ldquo;He stuck up for his teammates a few times,&rdquo; said Generals coach D.J. Smith. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all it usually takes.&rdquo;</p><p>Biggs found chemistry with Columbus prospect Boone Jenner and 2014-eligible left winger Michael Dal Colle, forging the Generals&rsquo; top line. &ldquo;You hear things of people doubting my offense and I wanted to shut those people up and show them I could score &ndash; and I&rsquo;ve done that this year,&rdquo; Biggs said. &ldquo;I put up a goal in mind to score 25-plus goals and I reached that.&rdquo;</p><p>Along with his 26 tallies, he totalled 53 points in 60 games, good for third on the club in both categories. Beyond using his belligerent style to create space, Biggs believes the evolution of his down-low play was a catalyst for his offensive production. &ldquo;I got a lot better at protecting the puck, just keeping my feet moving right away down low in the offensive zone instead of allowing myself to get pinned,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I took a big step forward with that.&rdquo;</p><p>Biggs was rated Toronto&rsquo;s No. 3 prospect in Future Watch 2013, but didn&rsquo;t get any support as a top 50 prospect league-wide. One scout suggests Biggs probably projects out as a bottom-six forward rather than a top-six forward. Refining his offensive game is something that will get constant attention. Biggs and Smith agree he must work on his hands and finishing in tight.</p><p>Selected to Team USA for the 2013 world juniors, Biggs played a key role on the tournament-leading 90 percent penalty kill that helped the Americans capture gold. The emergence of his two-way game was reflected in the Ontario League coaches poll, where Biggs was rated the third best shot blocker and the third hardest shooter in the Eastern Conference. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been, in the last three months, one of my best defensive forwards,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s been on the ice in key situations. He&rsquo;s way more of a complete player.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite Tyler&rsquo;s NHL physique, he wasn&rsquo;t a man among boys in the OHL. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think there would be as many guys as big as there are,&rdquo; Biggs said. &ldquo;You look at our team and I&rsquo;m not even the biggest. There&rsquo;s three or four guys bigger than me.&rdquo;</p><p>That experience, playing in a physical, high-skill league, will serve him well at the next level. He&rsquo;ll likely start next season in the American League. After the Generals bowed out in the second round to Barrie, Biggs joined the AHL&rsquo;s playoff-bound Toronto Marlies for his first taste of the pro game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-0343/9845828-1-eng-US/f0068-032.jpg" title="f0068-03" width="510" height="811"><figcaption class="caption-body">TYLER <b>BIGGS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(IAN GOODALL/GOODALLMEDIA.COM)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>TYLER BIGGS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-0270/9845821-1-eng-US/f0068-022.jpg" title="f0068-02" width="280" height="147"></div><p><b>POSITION</b> Right winger</p><p><b>AGE</b> 20</p><p><b>HEIGHT</b> 6-3</p><p><b>WEIGHT</b> 224 lbs</p><p><b>DRAFTED</b> Toronto, 22nd in 2011</p><p><b>53</b></p><p>Points for Tyler Biggs over 60 games in his first OHL season. He had 26 goals. Both stats ranked him third on the Generals.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0068-01

T.O.’S TOWERING NEW PRESENCE

<div class="byline">WITH STAN FISCHLER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0069-01113/9845873-1-eng-US/f0069-012.jpg" title="f0069-01" width="976" height="1467"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SOPHOMORE HIJINKS</b></p><p>Pentti Lund&rsquo;s playoff performance in 1950 helped goalie great Bill Durnan decide it was time to retire.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HHOF IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0069-0274/9845880-1-eng-US/f0069-022.jpg" title="f0069-02" width="193" height="229"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>ENTTI LUND WAS THE NHL&rsquo;S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR IN 1948-49</b> and became a sensational sophomore the following season, guiding the New York Rangers to an upset playoff win over the future Hall of Famer-laden Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>The Finnish-born left winger was assigned by Blueshirts coach Lynn Patrick to shadow the NHL&rsquo;s leading goal scorer that year, Rocket Richard. Nobody expected Lund to shut down the Rocket, or for New York to win the series. This was considered somewhere in the realm of fantasy since the Rangers finished the campaign under .500 (28-31-11) while the Canadiens, along with Detroit Red Wings, were among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.</p><p>But the affable Lund, who died in Thunder Bay, Ont., April 16, at the age of 87, startled the hockey world by spearheading a five-game upset of the Habs. Lund, originally a Bruins find, not only beat six-time Vezina Trophy-winner Bill Durnan five times, his performance caused the legendary Habs goaltender to retire.</p><p>As for Richard, the only goal he managed over five games came on the power play when Lund was on the bench. Otherwise, he went oh-for-five-games with Lund checking him at full strength. &ldquo;It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing,&rdquo; Lund once told me in one of our many conversations about his career.</p><p>Unfortunately for Lund, the magic didn&rsquo;t last long enough to get his name on the Stanley Cup. In the final, the Rangers took Detroit to overtime of Game 7, where Lund&rsquo;s teammate Edgar Laprade hit the post in the first OT. Detroit secured the Cup with a goal in the second extra frame. &ldquo;The odds were against us again,&rdquo; Lund said. &ldquo;We were denied use of our home ice, Madison Square Garden, for all seven games.&rdquo;</p><p>In those days when the circus came to MSG, the elephants had priority over the stickhandlers. NHL president Clarence Campbell did the Rangers a big &ldquo;favor&rdquo; by allowing them to play two &ldquo;home&rdquo; games at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto while the other five were held at Detroit&rsquo;s Olympia Stadium. Playing on a line with Don &lsquo;Bones&rsquo; Raleigh and Ed Slowinski, Lund put New York in position to win the Cup by setting up Raleigh&rsquo;s overtime goal in Game 5. It gave the vagabond Rangers a 3-2 series lead.</p><p>Thanks to Lund, the Blueshirts appeared to have the Cup gift-wrapped in the second period of Game 6 when he beat Red Wings goalie Harry Lumley, providing the visitors with a 3-1 lead. But Detroit rallied to force a seventh game that appeared to be sealed for the Rangers in the first overtime by Lund&rsquo;s Thunder Bay neighbor, 93-year-old Laprade on a breakaway. &ldquo;I cut in from the right side,&rdquo; Laprade says, &ldquo;and Lumley came out about three feet. My shot beat him, but hit the inside of the post and bounded out.&rdquo;</p><p>Stan Saplin, who handled publicity for the Rangers, told me Lund&rsquo;s performance &ldquo;was one for the ages, coming &lsquo;this&rsquo; close to the upset of all hockey upsets, considering all our final round games were on the road.&rdquo; Lund tied for the playoff goal-scoring lead with Sid Abel (six) and led in points as well (11).</p><p>Another interesting angle of Lund&rsquo;s hockey life is the manner in which the Bruins allowed him to slip through their grasp. Born in Karijoki, Finland, six-year-old Lund and his kid brother, Joe, travelled alone to Canada from Finland in 1932 to join their father and mother, who had arrived in 1927 and 1930, respectively. Lund picked up hockey so quickly and so well that by the time he was 17 the Bruins placed him on their semi-pro Eastern Amateur Hockey League club, the Boston Olympics. He won the 1946 playoff scoring title and a year later paced the Olympics to the U.S. Senior Open title over the Los Angeles Monarchs.</p><p>But in 1948, the Bruins traded Lund to the Rangers. As a freshman in 1949, he won the Calder Trophy, edging runner-up and teammate, Allan Stanley, a future Hall of Famer and previously a member of the Olympics as well.</p><p>In later years, as sports editor of the Fort William <i>Times Journal</i>, Lund met with neighbor and former teammate Laprade to recall those halcyon days in Manhattan. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll always remember Pentti as one fine player and a perfect gentleman as well,&rdquo; Laprade says. &ldquo;On the ice he reminded me of Toe Blake of the Canadiens, who played alongside the Rocket. Pentti went up and down his wing; so steady and so reliable. And as we know, he could score the big ones.&rdquo;</p><p>Lund finished his NHL career with the Bruins, but he&rsquo;ll always be remembered as the Ranger who defused the Rocket.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0069-01

FINN’S SHADOW OUTSHINED STAR

<div class="byline">BY MIKE ASHMORE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-01111/9845939-1-eng-US/f0070-012.jpg" title="f0070-01" width="949" height="998"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>INSTANT INSPIRATION</b></p><p>Nick Niedert decided to be a pro goalie while watching an ECHL game in San Diego.</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>ECURITY PERSONNEL AT NEW YORK&rsquo;S JOHN F. KENNEDY IN</b>ternational Airport were in a frenzy after Nick Niedert went running up the strictly off-limits baggage claim ramp at the sight of his equipment. The veteran minor pro goalie wasn&rsquo;t looking to stop a bullet, just a hockey puck. But he was so excited, he could only think to say one thing: &ldquo;I just got called up, I need my hockey gear!&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-0263/9845932-1-eng-US/f0070-022.jpg" title="f0070-02" width="193" height="250"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NICK</b> NIEDERT <span class="photo-credit">(RICK BACMANSKI PHOTOARTISTRY)</span></figcaption></div><p>All of a sudden, people started clapping and cell-phone cameras started going off. Guards who, in his words were &ldquo;about to shoot me or something&rdquo; instead helped Niedert grab his goalie pads and escorted him out of the building so he could jump into his friend&rsquo;s car and go to Madison Square Garden, as he told them. Except Niedert wasn&rsquo;t called up to the Rangers, nor was he driving to New York. He needed to get to Danbury, Conn., to play in a Federal League playoff game against the New York Aviators. He left that detail out.</p><p>That was two years ago and Niedert, now 30, has plenty of stories like that from his nearly decade-long trek through the minor leagues. He&rsquo;s been just about everywhere in the circuit and seen just about everything. This season alone, he played on five teams in four leagues and he&rsquo;s worn at least 23 different jerseys since his pro career began in 2004-05 with the Macon Trax of the Southern Pro League.</p><p>Since then, he&rsquo;s endured a remarkable journey, one he insists has taken 20 years off his life. It&rsquo;s taken him from the lowest minor league levels all the way to an improbable American League stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;HOCKEY HAS BEEN HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE DOESN&rsquo;T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE&rdquo;<br>&ndash; Kathleen Niedert</blockquote><p>Niedert&rsquo;s pit stops stretch from Elmira, N.Y. to Orlando, Fla. Along the way, he&rsquo;s endured numerous transportation issues. To name a few: he&rsquo;s had the emergency hatch blow out of the top of the bus, the emergency exit in the bottom of the bus fall off and he was with the ECHL&rsquo;s Wheeling Nailers when their bus caught on fire last year. &ldquo;My bed was by the back door and I smelled the smoke,&rdquo; Niedert says. &ldquo;I opened up the door and I screamed at the top of my lungs, &lsquo;Stop the bus!&rsquo; Everyone in the front yelled and I just screamed back, &lsquo;Stop the f---ing bus, we&rsquo;re on fire!&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>After the driver pulled over and put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher, the players got back on their wounded chariot after standing on the side of the road in their tracksuits. Niedert slept with his duffel bag wrapped around his arm, just in case they had to escape again.</p><p>Not surprisingly, his gear &ndash; he uses a set of white equipment since there&rsquo;s no sense getting anything with team colors &ndash; has usually escaped unscathed. But he wasn&rsquo;t so fortunate when his bag was left near a heater following a trade from Columbus to Knoxville of the SPHL in his first season. After meeting his new team on the road and tracking down his equipment bag on game day, he opened it to find his Under Armour pants had melted onto his clear throat guard. He had to scramble to replace everything at the last minute.</p><p>Niedert started toward his winding pro path as a five-year-old playing squirt hockey in Waterloo, Iowa, even receiving THN&rsquo;s minor hockey player-of-the-week honors in 1988. He moved full time from forward to goalie in peewee and jumped to bantam when he was 12. He joined the Waterloo Warriors high school team at 14 and played on U.S. Selects teams in the summer between the ages of 15 and 17, which is when he got used to the rigors of travelling.</p><p>It was also around then that it became clear this was what he wanted to do with his life. On spring break in California with his parents, a 15-year-old Niedert was watching a San Diego Gulls International League game. &ldquo;I looked at my parents and I said, &lsquo;You know what, I&rsquo;m going to do this &ndash; this is what I&rsquo;m going to do,&rsquo; &rdquo; Niedert says. &ldquo;And my mom and dad were like, &lsquo;What are you talking about?&rsquo; I said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going to play in the minors. This is what I&rsquo;m going to do. If I can&rsquo;t make the NHL, OK, but dammit, I&rsquo;m going to do this.&rsquo; I kept that in my head until I was 22 and signed my first contract. For seven years, I wanted to do that. Seven years! I got to do it and I&rsquo;ve been doing it for nine.&rdquo;</p><p>Niedert has supplemented his hockey earnings with summer jobs at a sports center in Danbury and a hockey camp in Sundridge, Ont. Though he&rsquo;s long accepted he was never going to make the NHL, it was only a short time ago he was able to answer the question that had been burning in his head ever since he started his career: is it all worth it?</p><p>Only after he won his first career ECHL start Dec. 21, 2011, did Niedert know. In an emotional embrace with his mother after the game, she asked and he finally had the answer. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;You know what, it actually was,&rsquo; &rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Look at all the things that have happened the past two years. These things shouldn&rsquo;t happen, they don&rsquo;t happen, they never happen. The last two years of my life, I&rsquo;ve had so many unbelievable things happen.&rdquo;</p><p>The ECHL is Niedert&rsquo;s NHL. He admits it&rsquo;s the highest level he&rsquo;ll get to, fully conceding this is the best he&rsquo;ll ever play. And that&rsquo;s OK with him. But that&rsquo;s not to say it hasn&rsquo;t taken its toll. &ldquo;Sometimes, if I had to do it over again, I don&rsquo;t know if I would have put him in hockey,&rdquo; says his mother Kathleen Niedert. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s been his whole life. He doesn&rsquo;t know anything else. His life has been so much joy and so much sorrow. His dad and I, we are so very proud of him, but it&rsquo;s just broken my heart as a mother so many times.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0071-01111/9845925-1-eng-US/f0071-012.jpg" title="f0071-01" width="1005" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COLOR BLIND</b></p><p>Niedert wears only white equipment because he changes teams so often.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(STEVE HAMPTON/H&H MULTIMEDIA)</span></figcaption></div><p>Undersized at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, but with a personality big enough to fill a rink, Niedert managed to squeeze a dizzying number of transactions into the month of March alone. He was released by the ECHL&rsquo;s Gwinnett Gladiators, headed to the FHL&rsquo;s Whalers, only to be told there wasn&rsquo;t a spot for him on the playoff roster, which led him back to the ECHL&rsquo;s Reading Royals, only to be released again, after which he landed in SPHL Huntsville.</p><p>Niedert is unsure if he&rsquo;ll play next season, but that&rsquo;s not for a lack of teams wanting him &ndash; he&rsquo;s already received plenty of contract offers. Whether or not he&rsquo;s done, it&rsquo;s been a great run. &ldquo;Every damn second, every f---ing second is worth it,&rdquo; Niedert says. &ldquo;If somebody went up to me back then and said, &lsquo;This is what you&rsquo;re going to do the next 10 years of your life,&rsquo; I&rsquo;d have said you&rsquo;re full of s---. I&rsquo;d love to, but you&rsquo;re full of s---. And then you&rsquo;re going to say my best years are when I&rsquo;m 29 and 30? Huh? F--- you. I would have walked away. I probably would have punched you and walked away. But it&rsquo;s been unbelievable.&rdquo;</p><h2><b><i>The Way Of The Road</i></b></h2><p>Goaltender Nick Niedert has packed more than a career&rsquo;s worth of transactions into the past two years alone, suiting up for 13 teams, several on multiple occasions, in five leagues.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0071-0258/9845918-1-eng-US/f0071-022.jpg" title="f0071-02" width="959" height="1316"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0071-0335/9845911-1-eng-US/f0071-032.jpg" title="f0071-03" width="970" height="1219"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0070-01

THE LIFE OF A TRAVELLIN’ MAN

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-01109/9845970-1-eng-US/f0073-012.jpg" title="f0073-01" width="479" height="592"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GUESS WHO: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>&ldquo;I won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and &rsquo;75 as Bobby Clarke&rsquo;s left winger on the Flyers.&rdquo;</i></blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>&ldquo;I scored 40-plus goals five times in a Hall of Fame career cut short at 31 by a bad knee.&rdquo;</i></blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>&ldquo;I captured the Jack Adams Award as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach in 2000-01.&rdquo;</i></blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0073-01

Guess WHO!

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0268/9846008-1-eng-US/f0073-022.jpg" title="f0073-02" width="230" height="405"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DREGER: BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>TYLER BOZAK</b></h2><p>Toronto center was subject of trade rumors, will be a free agent in the summer. Often featured on TSN.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0341/9846001-1-eng-US/f0073-032.jpg" title="f0073-03" width="231" height="405"></div><h2><b>DARREN DREGER</b></h2><p>Toronto reporter tweets trade rumors plus free agent signings in the summer. Works for TSN.</p><p><b>Submitted by:</b> Angelo DeThomasis</p><p>Email your suggestions to <b><a href="mailto:sab@thehockeynews.com">sab@thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0073-02

Separated AT BIRTH

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0422/9846039-1-eng-US/f0073-042.jpg" title="f0073-04" width="914" height="914"></div><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/XWORD</a></b></p><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 He went first overall in 2008</p><p>4 The NHL&rsquo;s top coach gets the Jack ___ Award</p><p>7 Use up the playing time of a penalty</p><p>8 Howie Morenz, the &lsquo;Stratford Streak,&rsquo; actually was born in this Ontario town</p><p>10 A ___ team is one that enjoys unexpected success</p><p>12 Hit on the head</p><p>13 Laval university&rsquo;s teams are nicknamed the ___ et Or (Red and Gold)</p><p>14 Easy</p><p>18 Think too highly of (a prospect, say)</p><p>19 Legendary Leaf ___ Barilko</p><p>20 Ray ___ is GM in Pittsburgh</p><p>21 SIHR is the ___ for International Hockey Research</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Joe ___ led the Avs to two Cups</p><p>2 Trophy awarded to Canada&rsquo;s senior amateur champs</p><p>3 Luxury box</p><p>4 Speed up</p><p>5 Montreal&rsquo;s ___ Galchenyuk, pictured</p><p>6 Teemu ___ is known as the &lsquo;Finnish Flash&rsquo;</p><p>9 The Flyers play at the ___ ___ Center</p><p>11 A ___ player is one aged 18-19</p><p>12 Covers closely</p><p>15 He&rsquo;s coach in Washington</p><p>16 Brit ___ was rookie of the year in 1966</p><p>17 ___ Hart was the voice of the Flyers for decades</p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. SCOOTER, 4. CAMPS, 7. RUFF, 8. TURNOVER, 10. BACKHANDER, 12. MIAMI, 13. EMERY, 14. ZDENO CHARA, 18. IROQUOIS, 19. DINO, 20. RANDY, 21. YAPPERS <b>DOWN</b> 1. SCRUB, 2. OFFICIAL, 3. ROUYN, 4. CONFERENCE, 5. MOVE, 6. SCRAPPY, 9. CHRIS DRURY, 11. PENALIZE, 12. MESSIER, 15. NOISY, 16. ATOMS, 17. JOHN<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0073-04

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0073-0514/9846070-1-eng-US/f0073-052.jpg" title="f0073-05" width="661" height="822"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MASK: DAVEART.COM)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>JUSTIN PETERS</b> | CAROLINA HURRICANES</p><p>With help from mask artist Dave Gunnarsson, Justin Peters puts a wild spin on his nickname, &lsquo;Pete Dawg.&rsquo; His mask features a vicious, stitched up &lsquo;Frankenstein&rsquo;s dog&rsquo; biting through a chain, with an eye dangling from its socket and Peters&rsquo; moniker on its collar.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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July 13, 2013

2013-14 CAP SPACE

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