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.

December 2, 2013

The Hockey News - Dec-02-13

<div class="byline">BY RYAN DITTRICK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03451/9882165-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="986" height="1352"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STARTING WITH A BANG</b> Oscar Klefbom&rsquo;s offense hasn&rsquo;t developed yet, but his physical play has impressed in the AHL. <span class="photo-credit">(STEVEN CHRISTY/OKC BARONS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01872/9882172-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="60" height="68"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b><b>ACK WHEN HIS FATHER, HAKAN,</b> coached peewee in the quaint Swedish city of Karlstad, Oscar Klefbom had a spot reserved in one small corner of the ice during practice. &ldquo;I was no more than three or four at the time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t get enough of it. It all started there.&rdquo;</p><p>It began as a hobby, but soon became a career path. Hakan has proudly watched his son develop into a professional, become a champion at the 2012 world juniors and evolve into one of the Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; top prospects. And while there have been hiccups along the way, he&rsquo;s persevered at every turn.</p><p>In his third season with Farjestad of the Swedish League in 2012-13, Klefbom was off to the strongest start of his career. After 11 games, he led the league with a plus-7 rating. But in an October game, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound defenseman sustained a shoulder injury after tumbling awkwardly into the end boards. After weeks of rehab and seeing little improvement, Klefbom, Farjestad and the Oilers opted for season-ending surgery.</p><p>Never one to sigh and shrug his shoulders, Klefbom relied on his infectious, charismatic and over-the-top positive attitude to help him recover. It also led to him becoming one of the most fun-loving characters in the dressing room.</p><p>Five months after surgery, the 19th pick in the 2011 draft was back in Edmonton studying games and practising with the team. By the time training camp rolled around, he was healthier than ever and eager to perform.</p><p>Klefbom appeared in one exhibition game with the Oilers, a 3-2 loss to Winnipeg at the MTS Centre.</p><p>&ldquo;That whole experience was unbelievable,&rdquo; Klefbom said. &ldquo;Walking in the rink, seeing my sweater with my name stitched on the back, I wish I could describe it. I was thinking, &lsquo;Wow, this is the NHL!&rsquo; It was very cool, something I&rsquo;ll never forget.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be ready when (my opportunity) comes. But I have some work to do first.&rdquo;</p><p>To ease his transition to the North American game, Klefbom was assigned to the Oilers&rsquo; American League affiliate in Oklahoma City. Averaging more than 20 minutes a night and playing in all situations with the Barons, he doesn&rsquo;t look like a player who missed nearly a full season of competitive action. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s progressing nicely,&rdquo; said Barons coach Todd Nelson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s so strong in the corners. He wins his battles, always comes out with the puck and breaks it out with precision. It&rsquo;s a testament to how much he practises and how hard he works out in the gym. Very few players his age have that kind of strength and toughness.&rdquo;</p><p>The smooth-skating Swede has a booming shot from the point, but he isn&rsquo;t much of a scorer and had just one point through 10 games. Instead, he&rsquo;s developed a reputation as a shutdown defender. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working on all aspects of his game, but that&rsquo;s a role he&rsquo;s highly experienced with &ndash; and it shows,&rdquo; Nelson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of our most physical players and when you combine that with an active stick and good hockey sense, he makes life miserable on the other team&rsquo;s best players.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Klefbom: &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I pride myself on. I love to throw my weight around.&rdquo;</p><p>Klefbom needs to improve his consistency and adapt to the pace of the North American style before he gets his shot at the NHL level. In time, more offense would be a bonus as well. &ldquo;These are the things all young defensemen have to learn,&rdquo; Nelson said. &ldquo;He loves to get involved out there, but sometimes less is more. We love the enthusiasm, but we don&rsquo;t want him to get overly active to the point where he&rsquo;s skating himself out of position and duplicating coverage.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not afraid of a little hard work. He&rsquo;s very coachable, always has a smile on his face and is always asking for input. I see wonderful things in this kid&rsquo;s future.&rdquo;</p><p><b>2</b>&nbsp;Oscar Klefbom&rsquo;s rank among Oilers prospects, according to THN&rsquo;s Future Watch list. Five of Edmonton&rsquo;s top seven, including each of the top three, are D-men. Darnell Nurse leads the way, followed by Klefbom and Martin Marincin.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04362/9882158-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="250" height="190"></div><h2><b>OSCAR KLEFBOM</b></h2><p><b>POSITION</b>&nbsp;Defenseman</p><p><b>AGE</b> 20</p><p><b>HEIGHT</b> 6-3</p><p><b>WEIGHT</b> 213 lbs</p><p><b>DRAFTED</b>&nbsp;Edmonton, 19th in 2011<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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DEPARTMENTS

NO GROUCH IN OSCAR

<div class="byline">BY CRAIG BOWLSBY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01666/9882324-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>REVOLUTIONARY RULE</b></p><p>President Frank Patrick made the PCHA the first pro league to adopt the forward pass.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HHOF ARCHIVES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N NOVEMBER 1913, SOMETHING</b>happened that changed hockey forever. Frank and Lester Patrick of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association invented a rule called &ldquo;no offside in centre ice&rdquo; and thus gave birth to the modern game&rsquo;s first forward pass.</p><p>It was hideous.</p><p>The hockey world was shocked. For those who experienced it, this rule changed not only tactics and technique, but it changed sportsmanship itself. It had as momentous an impact on the sport as gunpowder did on 14thcentury battlefields. But to understand this impact we have to examine what hockey was like before it.</p><p>It was perfect.</p><p>For 40 years, since the James Creighton era in Montreal, hockey had been honed, stick by stick and rule by rule, into a precise, organized and wellunderstood game. A team carried one man for each position and the players thought of themselves as &ldquo;60-minute men&rdquo; who could play an entire game without a substitute.</p><p>Tradition already dictated the game&rsquo;s tactics. A team attacked in a V-shaped flotilla. Within this shape, the puck and the players criss-crossed in confusing patterns. Speed wasn&rsquo;t needed for this part of the game and any player who advanced ahead of the formation was useless. When a man was with the puck he swung into position and when his group was formed he passed the puck backward to a winger or a center, who surged forward and passed it back to another player, who surged forward, and so on, as the flotilla advanced.</p><p>However, a player often launched out of the flotilla like a torpedo. Half of the goals scored were by individual attacks when a man would spring out of the pack. Here was where speed finally mattered.</p><p>Despite this tradition, the Patrick brothers were never satisfied. Their active, analytical brains constantly examined the possibilities and their new goal was speed. How could they refine the flow and give spectators their biggest thrill? The more they tinkered, the more they felt the energy of the game was writhing in its old form and aching to be released into a new one.</p><p>Finally, they reached the inescapable conclusion that the only way to release that energy was to break the most sacred of the game&rsquo;s rules. It was a daring experiment.</p><p>When they announced their plans, the hockey world was appalled and confused. Some players hated it, while others reserved judgement. Sportswriters and coaches mostly implied that the Patricks were crazy. Even Si Griffis, captain of the Vancouver Millionaires and one of Frank Patrick&rsquo;s key players, called the new rule &ldquo;impossible.&rdquo;</p><p>Passing a puck forward, to the Victorian and Edwardian mind, wasn&rsquo;t only unworkable, it was dishonorable. If one team were steaming out of its own end with the puck, the other team had to have the chance to stop it and to create its own formation to meet the enemy. The forward pass would be so fast and would circumvent the opposing team so easily that it was obviously unfair. It was as if you were on the duelling ground and your enemy suddenly ran over to the side and shot at you.</p><p>In addition, players often received penalties for staying ahead of the play and for not getting back &ldquo;behind the lines&rdquo; before their own team started out again, whether they touched the puck or not. They called this offense &ldquo;loafing&rdquo; and it was considered completely reprehensible. If a player were repeatedly slow at returning (despite the constant puck exchange), he would get a penalty for loafing and everyone would consider him a lazy, shiftless and immoral player. And now the Patricks were encouraging and legitimizing this. (Hitting somebody over the head, or breaking his bones, wasn&rsquo;t immoral, even though it might incur a penalty.)</p><p>The new rule also made a mockery of the game, because the carefully honed passing sequences &ndash; all backward or lateral &ndash; would no longer have the same importance and significance, at least in the middle of the ice. And hockey in that time was considered a science. The intricate passing was based on geometry, on vectors, on confusing the opponent with rapid permutations and perambulations. If science could be undone merely by launching the puck forward, then what game were they playing?</p><p>Furthermore, how were they supposed to control the puck? The speed of the game, after all, was normally as fast as a player could carry the puck, which would be up to 20 miles an hour. With a forward pass, however, a player could advance the puck at two or three times that rate, or even more, without moving much at all. How was one to handle such an increase in power and speed? There were also many objections about how the new blue lines in the middle of the ice would be used and abused. All of these concerns were valid. But realizing that an entirely new level of hockey was possible, regardless of what form it would take, the Patricks ordered their players to employ the rule no matter what happened and everyone held their breath.</p><p>Many unforeseen problems surfaced. A lot more interference happened, as the teammates of the man with the puck often blocked for him as he approached the defensive zone. On the flipside, opponents tended to intercept the puck when it had been sent ahead to the rushing forward. Most importantly, however, the game sped up drastically whenever the forward pass was used and the poor 60-minute men began to gasp and wheeze. They now considered going off for a minute to recuperate, but they got around that in creative ways. They could hide behind the net with the puck to stall. They could create more penalties or delays to give everyone a breather. Or they could just take the puck into their end and signal to the referee that they had to stop the game for a minute. Which the referee did, at least at first.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01601/9882317-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="1047" height="1481"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CAPTAIN &lsquo;IMPOSSIBLE&rsquo;</b></p><p>Si Griffis, who wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; for Patrick&rsquo;s Millionaires, derided his boss&rsquo;s need for speed.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HHOF ARCHIVES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And then, almost magically, as if a new language had become unscrambled in their brains, the players began to appreciate and to manipulate their new freedom with greater ease. The old bogeyman of loafing evaporated because the center ice play became so fast that there was no time to loaf. Lester Patrick had a love-hate relationship with the new rule, but he found he could use both the new and old systems. He overcame his aversion as a player and, by carefully choosing his moments with the forward passing option, helped his Victoria Aristocrats win the league title in March 1914.</p><p>Then the real test loomed. He took his Victoria team to the East and played for the Stanley Cup in Toronto. The forward pass was given only one game to prove itself, though, under western rules, and neither team used it well enough to make a decisive difference. Toronto had the better team, with a much hotter goalie, and it defeated Victoria in three straight games, belying the new rule&rsquo;s importance. The eastern critics still misunderstood the new passing game, and saw it as being slower than regular hockey. This was partly because the players weren&rsquo;t racing back and forth to stay onside, even though the puck actually advanced faster in the center of the ice. One Toronto reporter said it was &ldquo;a good style for an old man&rsquo;s game, but not for young men who have any speed.&rdquo;</p><p>Finally, in 1915, the new weapon was wheeled onto the field and given its true test of fire. The Millionaires had won their league title and met the Ottawa Senators on their home front, at the Georgia Street arena (now called the Denman Arena). The Millionaires used the forward pass as part of their regular game, far more than Lester Patrick&rsquo;s team had done, and they used it to their great advantage. They had immense talent, especially on the attack, while Ottawa was known for its uncrackable defense. But Vancouver could use the forward pass in three of the five possible games.</p><p>It only needed the first three. The Millionaires blew away the Senators, racing around and through them. They hammered Clint Benedict with shots and with each game they showed how their talent could take flight with great passing. Ottawa&rsquo;s coach, Alf Smith, fumed that the new rule was &ldquo;a farce.&rdquo; In the end, Vancouver outscored Ottawa in the three games 26-8.</p><p>Nevertheless, the eastern teams still refused to believe their own eyes and lungs, and they hated the need to adapt, even when Seattle used the forward pass to win the Stanley Cup in 1917. The NHL resisted until 1918-19, when it finally gave in and implemented its own forward passing rules, liberating the game from its restricted past and giving it a dynamic future.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02395/9882310-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="403" height="411"></div><h2><b>HOCKEY&rsquo;S HUGEST</b></h2><p>This tale comes from THN&rsquo;s latest book, <i>Biggest of Everything in Hockey</i>, covering the giants of the sport in 50 categories, ranging from the biggest arena to the biggest upset. Buy it in bookstores, big and small, or at <b><a href="http://THN.COM/BIG">THN.COM/BIG</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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FEATURES

BIGGEST RULE CHANGE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021422/9880526-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="564" height="679"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHRISTOPHER PASATIERI/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>HOT IN CAROLINA</b></h3><p>After missing nearly a whole season due to an eye injury, <b><i>Manny Malhotra</i></b> scores the OT-winning goal in his third game back in the NHL.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>DRAKKAR NOIR</b></h3><p>Baie-Comeau coach Eric Veilleux loses his mind during a QMJHL game, chucking sticks like javelins onto the ice. Oh, and his team <i>won</i>.</p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>ON THE PROWL</b></h3><p>Proving last year was no fluke, the NCAA&rsquo;s Quinnipiac Bobcats start the season 8-1 after losing in the Frozen Four final to Yale in 2013.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>VICTORIA CROSS</b></h3><p>Fans of the WHL&rsquo;s Royals are enraged after one of their own bodyslams mascot Marty the Marmot during a game of musical chairs gone wrong.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-05124/9882455-1-eng-US/f0048-052.jpg" title="f0048-05" width="906" height="808"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SYLVIE POITRAS/AIRBRUSHZAP.COM)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>ylvie Poitras&rsquo; mask design tweaks the classic look. On the right: Brodeur&rsquo;s bulldog &lsquo;Vez,&rsquo; faintly depicted above a shadow of the Trophy. On the left: &lsquo;Stan,&rsquo; above a shadow of the Cup. The trophies display the number of times Brodeur has won them.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Behind THE MASK

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012260/9880211-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="433" height="85"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021913/9880204-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="2127" height="1434"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BUCKET LIFT</b></p><p>Winnipeg&rsquo;s Adam Pardy looks for his lid after Chicago&rsquo;s Brandon Bollig introduces him to the Hawks faithful, one of whom snags his helmet.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(BILL SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

OPENING FACEOFF

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012490/9880249-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" 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> WAS WATCHING AN NFL GAME RECENTLY</b> in which a player was flagged for unnecessary roughness after attempting to make a tackle. The principal point of contact was the receiver&rsquo;s mid-section, it wasn&rsquo;t an unusually violent collision, it didn&rsquo;t happen out of bounds and there was no injury. The TV analyst explained the reason for the penalty was the defender&rsquo;s decision to ostensibly launch himself toward his opponent; it didn&rsquo;t matter if his primary intent was to try to prevent a touchdown. And the analyst agreed it was a good call.</p><p>The rationale for the flag is a radical culture shift for the royalty of North American professional sports whose kingdom was built on extreme violence. Due to changing intelligence about the way the brain is damaged, combined with the threat of monumental litigation, the NFL has decided it must modify. In myriad ways.</p><p>And it&rsquo;s not the only sport that is exploring and embracing new concepts. Major League Baseball, the bastion of tradition, is using replay more extensively than ever. Basketball, soccer, NASCAR &ndash; any number of competitive events designed to entertain &ndash; have bent, chiselled, even reformed rules in the name of progress and modernization.</p><p>The NHL should be no different. (And it isn&rsquo;t.) We get frequent cries of protest from readers begging us to stop advocating change; that hockey is fine as it is and should be left alone. Sorry, that&rsquo;s not going to happen. While we agree the game is exciting and compelling on the whole and we wouldn&rsquo;t want to profoundly alter its fundamentals, it&rsquo;s not perfect or immune to improvement.</p><p>We&rsquo;re reminded of this with our story on pg. 46, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the forward pass. It was an innovative concept that met with significant resistance; and one that revolutionized the game. Imagine an NHL without it, or one in which goalies couldn&rsquo;t fall to the ice to make a save or players didn&rsquo;t take slapshots. But there was a time when that&rsquo;s just how it was.</p><p>Not every suggested change is for the better and only a small handful ever gets serious consideration, but it&rsquo;s critical that Brendan Shanahan&rsquo;s research and development team remains a vigilant and vibrant entity that doesn&rsquo;t grow complacent. We all know what happens to hockey players when they stop moving their feet.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021698/9880242-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="414" height="222"></div><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> DECEMBER 23, 2013</p><p><b>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE:</b> <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></p><p><b>CONTACT US:</b> <a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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WE CAN’T STAND STILL

<h2><b>ARE YOU ANTI-NIEMI?</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><i><span>Y</span>our rankings in the Nov. 4 Goalie Issue are a little off. Antti Niemi in sixth place? He should be first or second. Niemi is playing some of his best hockey since he left Chicago after leading them to the Stanley Cup. The Sharks only lost one regulation game in October. Out of 12 games played, he lost just one regulation game and two in overtime. Niemi had two shutout wins to boot and he was named NHL third star for October. Give the guy the respect he deserves.</i></p><p><b><i>Diana Sprain, Reno, Nev.</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021822/9880367-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="592" height="790"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012378/9880360-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="148" height="148"></div><p>LOVE OR HATE ONE OF OUR FEATURES/STORIES? LET US KNOW BY EMAILING US AT <a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">LETTERS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>EARLY ON, EARLY OFF</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05527/9880353-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="141" height="87"></div><p>When I saw your Goalie Rankings, I thought it was a bit early in the season for that and probably could have waited a couple of months. But when I read the article and saw Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas in there, I see you need a couple of years to get up to speed.</p><p><b><i>Wayne Duran, Winnipeg</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/f0008-07275/9880346-1-eng-US/f0008-072.jpg" title="f0008-07" width="141" height="87"></div><p>Given his previous role as the backup to Niklas Backstrom, I can forgive you for not including Josh Harding in your recent top 30 Goalie Rankings. But, if one were to view the top 30 based on current play, there is no doubt Harding, the NHL&rsquo;s leader is goals-against average and save percentage, easily warrants a spot among the league&rsquo;s elite.</p><p><b><i>Dylan McLean, Minneapolis, Minn.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>STRAIGHT, NARROW</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-11136/9880339-1-eng-US/f0008-112.jpg" title="f0008-11" width="141" height="87"></div><p>I agree wholeheartedly with Ken Campbell about the ongoing need for the shrinking of goalie equipment (Overtime, Nov. 4). No one wants to compromise goalie safety, but when the formula is to draft the biggest guy you can get, put Michelin Man-sized pads on him and tell him to drop to his knees, something has to change. And another suggestion (coming from an ex-goalie from the 1970s): remove the trapezoid and allow goalies to handle the puck anywhere they wish, <i>but</i>&hellip;eliminate the curved goalie stick. Ask any goaltender who&rsquo;s ever stickhandled with a straight stick and then went to the modern curved stick; it&rsquo;s like a jump from peewee to pro. Believe me, there will again be a huge impact.</p><p><b><i>Steve Giannangelo Springfield, Ill.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>RED, WHITE & BOO</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-08221/9880332-1-eng-US/f0008-082.jpg" title="f0008-08" width="141" height="87"></div><p>The Red Wings have the reputation of having one of the most respected and popular jerseys in the NHL, especially for its red and white simplicity. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s so peculiar that a whopping 71 percent of fans disliked the new Team Canada Olympic jerseys (Puck Poll, Nov. 4), which share a style similar to the Wings. What&rsquo;s up with that?</p><p><b><i>Davio Guercio Kelowna, B.C.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>WEST COASTING</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-09181/9880325-1-eng-US/f0008-092.jpg" title="f0008-09" width="141" height="87"></div><p>I&rsquo;m absolutely shocked to see the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks at No. 15 in your Greatest Teams of All-Time Collector&rsquo;s Edition. Yes, they had a great start, but it was a 48-game season. On top of that, they went completely untested against the Eastern Conference. How can you have a team that high when they didn&rsquo;t play most of the top scorers in the NHL? Would Chicago have had their hot start if they went up against John Tavares, Martin St-Louis, Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby or the Hart-winning Alex Ovechkin? Not to mention Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson during their spectacular run? And need I remind you that P.K. Subban, the Norris Trophy-winner, and Calder-winner Jonathan Huberdeau are both in the East?</p><p><b><i>Josh Kotsabasakis, Saint John, N.B.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>CHECK YOUR HEAD GEAR</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-10155/9880318-1-eng-US/f0008-102.jpg" title="f0008-10" width="141" height="87"></div><p>As a rec league goalie, I had been hit numerous times without care because it never really hurt. But one night on a 2-on-0&hellip;Whammo! A pass and a one-timer hit me square in the face as I slid across to make a desperate save. It felt like the back of my head exploded. I fell to my knees ripped off my mask and watched as blood pooled on the ice right in front of me. The puck lodged so hard in the cage the police and EMT could not get it out. Well, 50 stitches, cosmetic surgery and six months before being allowed to play again it dawned on me: perhaps my cage had been getting warped from so many previous impacts it let this perfect shot get inside. Please, people, check your cage for damage before each game. I wish I would have.</p><p><b><i>Scottie Riggs, Old Brookville, N.Y.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-06370/9880311-1-eng-US/f0008-062.jpg" title="f0008-06" width="510" height="591"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-12110/9880304-1-eng-US/f0008-122.jpg" title="f0008-12" width="561" height="652"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0008-02

THN INBOX

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031299/9880405-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="476" height="125"></div><p>WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SEDIN&rsquo;S FOUR-YEAR, $28 MILLION CONTRACT EXTENSIONS?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04742/9880398-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="483" height="337"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0008-03

PUCKPOLL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04770/9880464-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="273" height="311"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012353/9880457-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="1103" height="963"><figcaption class="caption-body">THOMAS <b>VANEK</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021723/9880450-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="1005" height="991"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAROME <b>IGINLA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031116/9880443-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="785" height="951"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN <b>MILLER</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05555/9880436-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="1128" height="971"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STAYING PUT</b></p><p>The Sedins continue the trend of stars re-signing instead of waiting to test free agency.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>OOKING AT THE ROSTER OF</b> potential unrestricted free agents this summer, a veritable treasure trove of big names could be available. Except they won&rsquo;t, because if recent history is any indicator, most of those players will sign extensions long before their rights come up.</p><p>Joe Thornton, Henrik Lundqvist and Dion Phaneuf are all technically eligible, but the chances of them hitting the open market are slim. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s less people in the pool,&rdquo; said Phoenix Coyotes assistant GM Brad Treliving. &ldquo;You just know from now to July a significant amount of guys will re-sign with their own teams.&rdquo;</p><p>Two members of that club are Henrik and Daniel Sedin. They got their new matching deals done Nov. 1, re-upping with the Canucks for four seasons at $28 million per twin. And were it not for the shakeup behind Vancouver&rsquo;s bench this summer, when John Tortorella replaced Alain Vigneault, the pacts may have been consummated sooner. The coaching change meant new chemistry had to be formed between the twins and Tortorella and due diligence needed to be done in the form of games played. &ldquo;Both sides got an equal peek,&rdquo; said J.P. Barry, the Sedins&rsquo; agent. &ldquo;Most impact players are getting extensions in the summer. It seems the ones that drag on are publicized more.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s not surprising to see the Sedins stay on the Left Coast. Not only have they had a tremendous amount of individual and team success there, but they&rsquo;ve been big in the community, once donating $1.5 million to help build a children&rsquo;s hospital in B.C. Plus, how many teams have the space to add two $7-million cap hits? As Treliving points out, this season&rsquo;s artificially low salary cap, as set in the new collective bargaining agreement, has handcuffed a number of teams that would spend more if they were allowed to, but couldn&rsquo;t this year. The new CBA-mandated term limits &ndash; seven years, or eight if a player is re-signing with his current team &ndash; also add a new wrinkle. &ldquo;It definitely affects the younger players,&rdquo; Barry said. &ldquo;It creates higher value for them, not lower. More term means lower cap hits.&rdquo;</p><p>The pressure is coming from the top. Shea Weber, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin all got big money and big term on their current deals, effectively pulling them off the market for the next decade. While Minnesota managed to snag Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in the summer of 2012, both stars were coming from organizations (New Jersey and Nashville) that couldn&rsquo;t afford to keep them at the time and with more stable owners joining the NHL, it&rsquo;s less likely to happen again.</p><p>Even in Phoenix, where the Coyotes were once a ward of the league, the team is taking care of business when it comes to its present and future, re-signing young blueline star Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a six-year pact worth $33 million, coming off his entry-level deal. &ldquo;It comes down to the evaluation of the player,&rdquo; Treliving said. &ldquo;Having seen Oliver for three years, not only was he really important for us, but we believe he can be a special player in this league. There was no hesitation for us. It was a priority to sign him before the season ended.&rdquo;</p><p>So teams couldn&rsquo;t even pinch Ekman-Larsson with an offer sheet. He was off the market before his rookie deal even finished.</p><p>Bridge deals of one or two years have become popular lately, with Montreal&rsquo;s P.K. Subban being the poster child when he signed a two-year, $5.8-million pact. He then went out and won the Norris Trophy, so now the Canadiens are going to pay dearly for his services again this summer. &ldquo;The bridge contract becomes a tool used before a team allocates those big contracts,&rdquo; Barry said. &ldquo;Teams are having to make decisions earlier because of the CBA.&rdquo;</p><p>Notable pending restricted free agents besides Subban include Ryan O&rsquo;Reilly and James Reimer. Will there be offer sheets tendered or will the players be back under contract with their original teams before we know it? In Barry&rsquo;s opinion, the days of elite players in their 20s going to market are dwindling, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean free agency is totally dead. &ldquo;Way back when, we saw players 32 and older get good deals,&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see that again, as long as guys take care of themselves.&rdquo;</p><p>Barry points to Mats Sundin&rsquo;s final NHL contract as an example. It was a one-year deal with Vancouver in 2008-09 that came with a cap hit of $8.2 million. Signing bonuses also factor into those veteran contracts, which are short-term but have a high dollar amount.</p><p>So your team isn&rsquo;t getting a sniff at Steven Stamkos or John Tavares any time soon, but could we interest you in a Daniel Alfredsson or perhaps a Jarome Iginla with a few miles left in the tank?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-04

FREE AGENCY RESTRICTED

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011955/9880495-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-01

The Instigator

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012293/9880564-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>&lsquo;BOB&rsquo; KNOWS BEST</b> Sergei Bobrovsky wants to test the smaller pads more before pondering a Sochi switch. <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021809/9880557-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="232" height="73"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N 2012-13, AT 5.31 GOALS PER</b> game, the NHL had its stingiest season since 2003-04. This past off-season, the league set out to bolster offense via some high-profile rule changes. The adjustments included making nets shallower and, most notably, reducing goalie pad height.</p><p>It&rsquo;s an interesting revelation approaching the 2014 Sochi Games, because the IIHF has confirmed to THN it will not carry over any of the NHL&rsquo;s new 2013-14 rules for the tournament. In other words, goalie pads won&rsquo;t have to be reduced to their new NHL standards for the Olympics. That means, theoretically, any NHL stopper heading to Russia in February could dust off his big, honkin&rsquo; pads from last season and take up more net on the international ice.</p><p>A goalie&rsquo;s first inclination may be to jump at the chance to cover up more for increased protection and better performance. Especially when, over the past three Olympic tournaments, goalies have posted collective save percentages of just .901 (Vancouver 2010), .905 (Torino 2006) and .900 (Salt Lake City 2002).</p><p>But the decision isn&rsquo;t simple. After more than half a season adjusting to the new pads, switching back could throw off a netminder&rsquo;s movements and force a readjustment period when he returns to the NHL after the Olympics. Sergei Bobrovsky, a candidate to start for Team Russia, wants more time to get a feel for the streamlined equipment. &ldquo;There are some pluses and some minuses,&rdquo; Bobrovsky said. &ldquo;But I really just focus on my game and try to stop the puck and nothing else.&rdquo;</p><p>More importantly, have the pad reductions actually put goalies at a disadvantage performance-wise? Through early November, the answer was a resounding no. As of 225 games played league-wide, or 18 percent of the season, goalies posted a .914 save percentage, which is better than last season&rsquo;s .912 mark and would equal the league record set in 2011-12. And if the sample size is too small, it stands to reason goalies will get even better as they adjust to their smaller yet swifter pad configurations. So a switch to larger equipment this winter in Sochi is anything but a slam dunk. &ldquo;To be honest, I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Bobrovsky said. &ldquo;When the time comes, I will think about it and decide.&rdquo;</p><p>Expect most Olympic hopeful NHL goaltenders to adopt the &lsquo;Bob&rsquo; philosophy. There&rsquo;s no point tampering with equipment until they know they&rsquo;ve made their respective teams and they&rsquo;ll want to get the maximum number of NHL games in with their new pads before deciding whether to beef up for Sochi.</p><p>And anyone from another league who plans to backstop his nation at the Games should pay close attention to the NHL numbers. If shorter pads continue to produce outstanding results, we may see international goalies trimming their leather, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

PADDED FOR PODIUM PUSH

<div class="byline">&#x2013; CLIVE BRANSON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031170/9880595-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="363" height="269"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>etroit is unquestionably the most successful NHL team in the United States, having won the Stanley Cup 11 times. The Motor City was selected for an NHL franchise in 1926 and is one of the league&rsquo;s Original Six clubs. The team went through a couple monikers early on, from Cougars to Falcons, but wasn&rsquo;t competitive until 1932, when James Norris Sr., a grain and cattle magnate, bought the team and renamed it the Red Wings. Norris was a former member of the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, a sporting club with cycling roots that was known for its hockey club, the Winged Wheelers, who were the first team to win the Stanley Cup in 1893. Inspired by the team&rsquo;s logo &ndash; a wheel attached to wings &ndash; Norris decided to adopt a version of it to reflect Detroit&rsquo;s growing reputation as the Mecca of the automobile industry. The look galvanized the organization. The Red Wings made it into the playoffs in their debut season and won their first Cup four years later. The logo has barely changed since, proudly showcasing Detroit as both Motor City and Hockeytown.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-03

Behind THE NAME

<div class="byline">&#x2013; SAL BARRY, WEBMASTER OF HOCKEY CARD SITE PUCKJUNK.COM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011967/9880633-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="690" height="651"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>HL SportsPicks Series 33 consists of only four action figures, which may leave collectors feeling shorthanded. But a quick glance at the lineup makes the current release look like a power play. Erik Karlsson, Cory Schneider and Max Pacioretty make their SportsPicks debuts, with a new sculpt of Steven Stamkos rounding out the assortment.</p><p>Sharp-eyed collectors should be on the lookout for six different, hard-to-find variant figures: Stamkos, Pacioretty and Schneider in alternate uniforms, Karlsson and Stamkos in All-Star Game duds, and an ultra-rare Karlsson figure in a throwback Senators&rsquo; jersey (limited to 100 pieces).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021396/9880626-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="592" height="248"></div><p>Small? That&rsquo;s an understatement. TeenyMates, a new line of figurines by Party Animal Toys, might be the tiniest players ever made. Each figure stands one-inch tall and sports a mischievous smile with large, anime-esque eyes.</p><p>A pack of TeenyMates costs around $4 and contains two random NHL figures along with two puzzle pieces. One side of the puzzle makes a rink, the other a mini-poster. Randomly inserted are some cool &ldquo;chase&rdquo; figures, including a glow-in-the-dark TeenyMate (one for every 32 packs), a gold metallic TeenyMate (1:256 packs). The coolest, though, are two throwback figures of Hartford Whalers (1:51 packs) and Quebec Nordiques (1:128 packs) players.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0015-01

DELECTABLE COLLECTIBLES

<div class="byline">PRESENTED BY SCOTIABANK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03971/9880867-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="247" height="161"></div><h2><b>1. COLORADO AVALANCHE</b></h2><p>Despite Varlamov distraction, Avs just keep on winning.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04727/9880860-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="246" height="161"></div><h2><b>2. ANAHEIM DUCKS</b></h2><p>One of the NHL&rsquo;s best teams, with one of its worst power plays.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05508/9880853-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="243" height="159"></div><h2><b>3. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</b></h2><p>Fleury pushing to make Olympics with best start of his career.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-06410/9880846-1-eng-US/f0015-062.jpg" title="f0015-06" width="242" height="158"></div><h2><b>4. PHOENIX COYOTES</b></h2><p>Getting balanced scoring, solid defense and great goaltending.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-07348/9880839-1-eng-US/f0015-072.jpg" title="f0015-07" width="246" height="165"></div><h2><b>5. SAN JOSE SHARKS</b></h2><p>The Fins slowing down after getting out of the gates quickly.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-08300/9880832-1-eng-US/f0015-082.jpg" title="f0015-08" width="245" height="160"></div><h2><b>6. MINNESOTA WILD</b></h2><p>Pominville and Parise on fire as Harding shuts the door in net.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-09262/9880825-1-eng-US/f0015-092.jpg" title="f0015-09" width="245" height="173"></div><h2><b>7. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING</b></h2><p>Bolts learning the importance of being stingy defensively.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-10232/9880818-1-eng-US/f0015-102.jpg" title="f0015-10" width="246" height="163"></div><h2><b>8. ST. LOUIS BLUES</b></h2><p>Steen leading surprisingly potent Blues offense (see pg. 32).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-11206/9880811-1-eng-US/f0015-112.jpg" title="f0015-11" width="246" height="158"></div><h2><b>9. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</b></h2><p>Injured centers leaving Leafs scrambling to fill holes.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-12171/9880804-1-eng-US/f0015-122.jpg" title="f0015-12" width="246" height="167"></div><h2><b>10. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</b></h2><p>Jonathan Toews beginning to heat up after poor start.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-13150/9880797-1-eng-US/f0015-132.jpg" title="f0015-13" width="247" height="169"></div><h2><b>11. VANCOUVER CANUCKS</b></h2><p>Tortorella leaning heavily on the Sedins and Kesler</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-14135/9880790-1-eng-US/f0015-142.jpg" title="f0015-14" width="248" height="172"></div><h2><b>12. DETROIT RED WINGS</b></h2><p>No surprise here: Datsyuk and Zetterberg head Wings charge.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-15114/9880783-1-eng-US/f0015-152.jpg" title="f0015-15" width="248" height="167"></div><h2><b>13. WASHINGTON CAPITALS</b></h2><p>Caps with best power play and penalty kill by early November.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-16106/9880776-1-eng-US/f0015-162.jpg" title="f0015-16" width="245" height="174"></div><h2><b>14. LOS ANGELES KINGS</b></h2><p>L.A. waiting for Quick to regain his nearly unbeatable form.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1797/9880769-1-eng-US/f0015-172.jpg" title="f0015-17" width="243" height="176"></div><h2><b>15. NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b></h2><p>Tavares getting support from Okposo, Nielsen and now Vanek.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1885/9880762-1-eng-US/f0015-182.jpg" title="f0015-18" width="247" height="164"></div><h2><b>16. BOSTON BRUINS</b></h2><p>Inconsistency plaguing B&rsquo;s early, but at least Lucic&rsquo;s got game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1974/9880755-1-eng-US/f0015-192.jpg" title="f0015-19" width="242" height="167"></div><h2><b>17. NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b></h2><p>Preds hanging in despite Rinne being out with hip infection.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2062/9880748-1-eng-US/f0015-202.jpg" title="f0015-20" width="247" height="162"></div><h2><b>18. MONTREAL CANADIENS</b></h2><p>Therrien playing musical chairs upfront to find scoring.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2149/9880741-1-eng-US/f0015-212.jpg" title="f0015-21" width="240" height="162"></div><h2><b>19. DALLAS STARS</b></h2><p>Stars starting to align as Seguin and Benn lead the way.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2238/9880734-1-eng-US/f0015-222.jpg" title="f0015-22" width="247" height="166"></div><h2><b>20. OTTAWA SENATORS</b></h2><p>Anderson, Lehner seeing more rubber than highway roadkill.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2326/9880727-1-eng-US/f0015-232.jpg" title="f0015-23" width="247" height="165"></div><h2><b>21. WINNIPEG JETS</b></h2><p>Coach Noel&rsquo;s job security among the most tenuous in the league.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2424/9880720-1-eng-US/f0015-242.jpg" title="f0015-24" width="247" height="168"></div><h2><b>22. CAROLINA HURRICANES</b></h2><p>Malhotra&rsquo;s NHL return one of the few feel-good stories for Canes.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2518/9880713-1-eng-US/f0015-252.jpg" title="f0015-25" width="247" height="166"></div><h2><b>23. NEW YORK RANGERS</b></h2><p>Watch out for the Blueshirts: Lundqvist looks to be rebounding.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2616/9880706-1-eng-US/f0015-262.jpg" title="f0015-26" width="247" height="168"></div><h2><b>24. CALGARY FLAMES</b></h2><p>Flames now coming back to earth after solid start.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2713/9880699-1-eng-US/f0015-272.jpg" title="f0015-27" width="247" height="159"></div><h2><b>25. FLORIDA PANTHERS</b></h2><p>Rookie Barkov is impressing, but Cats struggling to score goals.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2811/9880692-1-eng-US/f0015-282.jpg" title="f0015-28" width="246" height="178"></div><h2><b>26. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</b></h2><p>Maybe moving from West to East wasn&rsquo;t such a great idea.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-298/9880685-1-eng-US/f0015-292.jpg" title="f0015-29" width="244" height="168"></div><h2><b>27. NEW JERSEY DEVILS</b></h2><p>Schneider doing his best behind the Demons&rsquo; popgun offense.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-308/9880678-1-eng-US/f0015-302.jpg" title="f0015-30" width="245" height="160"></div><h2><b>28. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></h2><p>Flyers averaging less than two goals per game a month in.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-317/9880671-1-eng-US/f0015-312.jpg" title="f0015-31" width="247" height="172"></div><h2><b>29. EDMONTON OILERS</b></h2><p>Oil still having heaps of trouble keeping pucks out of own net.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-327/9880664-1-eng-US/f0015-322.jpg" title="f0015-32" width="247" height="174"></div><h2><b>30. BUFFALO SABRES</b></h2><p>Things have officially gone from bad to worse in Buffalo.</p><p><b>HOW FANS PAY.</b> THE <i>SCOTIAHOCKEY</i>&nbsp;<sup>TM</sup> NHL<sup>&reg;</sup> VISA* CARD. AVAILABLE IN ALL 30 TEAMS<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0015-03

POWER RANKINGS

<div class="byline">BY NICHOLAS CARAFA & CURTIS NG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031130/9880968-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021555/9880961-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="376" height="453"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>C</span>HRIS <b>NEIL</b> is the only active NHL player in the top 100 all-time in PIM, with slightly more than <b>2,000</b> He&rsquo;ll soon overtake Mike Foligno to crack the top 50. Dave &lsquo;Tiger&rsquo; Williams is the all-time league leader at 3,966</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-012038/9880954-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="1169" height="903"></div><p>Vancouver&rsquo;s <b>MIKE SANTORELLI</b> did in three days this October what Wayne Gretzky couldn&rsquo;t his entire career: score two regular season OT goals. Santorelli did it against the Devils and Flames</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05595/9880947-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="283" height="283"></div><p><b>6 SOO GREYHOUNDS</b> have signed NHL contracts in the past six months</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04835/9880940-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="707" height="561"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK NESSIA/BAKERSFIELDCONDORS)</span></figcaption></div><p>The ECHL&rsquo;s Bakersfield Condors feature one brother tandem, Greg and Erik Burgdoerfer, and two players with siblings playing in the NHL &ndash; Michael Neal (brother of Penguins winger James) and <b>BLAKE KESSEL</b> (brother of Leafs winger Phil)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04693/9880933-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="531" height="452"></div><p>On Nov. 1, the <b>HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS</b> beat the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 15-5. The Canadian Hockey League record for most goals by one team in a game is held by the Sherbrooke Castors who beat the Shawinigan Dynamos 22-4 Jan. 29, 1978</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05487/9880926-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="271" height="260"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011752/9880919-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="514" height="874"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HOCKEY CANADA)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>TESSA BONHOMME</b> recently played her <b>100</b><sup><b>TH</b></sup> international game for Team Canada at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y. <i>*Hayley Wickenheiser is the all-time leader with</i>&nbsp;<b><i>261</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021333/9880912-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="821" height="1048"></div><p>Edmonton&rsquo;s 3-9-2 start is the worst October the team has had in 20 years. The Oilers went 2-10-1 in 1993-94 with current GM <b>CRAIG MACTAVISH</b> taking faceoffs for the team</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03948/9880905-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="1548" height="1056"></div><h2><b>MARTY&rsquo;S NO. 1&hellip;BY A LONG SHOT</b></h2><p><b>MARTIN BRODEUR</b> has played the most minutes of any goalie in NHL history &ndash; more than 72,000 and counting. He&rsquo;s been on the ice for roughly 12,000 more minutes than the next guy, Hall of Famer and Avalanche bench boss <b>Patrick Roy</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06374/9880898-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="291" height="249"></div><p><b>HC AMBRI-PIOTTA</b> of the Swiss League plays its home games in Ambri, a village with a population of fewer than 500 people, yet the team is averaging nearly 6,000 fans per game this season<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-03

Ice CHIPS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOSEPH PHUNG</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011916/9881006-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(EA SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>SCORE:</b> 8.5 out of 10</p><p><b>REVIEWED ON:</b> Xbox 360 <i>(also available for PS3)</i></p><p><b>IT&rsquo;S FITTING THAT NEW JERSEY&rsquo;S</b> Martin Brodeur is on the cover of EA Sports&rsquo; NHL 14, since both he and the series are celebrating 20 years of being &ldquo;in the game.&rdquo; But while Brodeur is showing signs of slowing down two decades after claiming the Calder Trophy, EA&rsquo;s NHL series is still going strong.</p><h2><b><i>ARCADE MAKES A COMEBACK</i></b></h2><p>The features EA Canada added to this year&rsquo;s game focus on making it more accessible to casual fans, so you&rsquo;ll see big hits, more fights and lots of goals. One new feature that makes the game more believable is the NHL Collision Physics. It factors in speed and momentum whenever contact is made, making all the hits and bumps look more realistic.</p><p>Though not a groundbreaking feature, the new Enforcer Engine delivers a more genuine fighting experience. When a fight breaks out, the view now shifts to a third-person perspective, which feels more natural as it doesn&rsquo;t take you away from any of the on-ice action. And though it&rsquo;s a nice touch to finally see the bruises obtained during a fight stay throughout the game, it does look a little silly to see a player who fought while wearing a visor with a black eye, despite the fact his helmet never came off.</p><p>For those who don&rsquo;t like the arcade-style hockey of the game&rsquo;s default settings, it&rsquo;s a good idea to set the game style to the hardcore simulation setting in the gameplay section of the customize menu. Playing in this setting is more challenging and authentic overall.</p><h2><b><i>LIFE AS AN NHL PLAYER</i></b></h2><p>The new Live the Life mode lets you take your created player into the league and play through each game to build your skills toward becoming a franchise player. As you progress each day, you&rsquo;ll be faced with situations off the ice such as taking part in media interviews, interacting with teammates and earning endorsements.</p><p>Unfortunately, these off-ice scenarios are quite bland. They&rsquo;re presented in text form with four responses to choose from. Whichever one you decide on, it&rsquo;ll increase or decrease your likeability meters (fan, teammate, management and family). Therefore, the higher your meters, the more positive consequences will occur and vice versa. The concept is good, though it could have benefitted from some more depth and cut-scenes to make decisions more visually immersive. Expect improvements next year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021418/9880999-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="450" height="626"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PAYING TRIBUTE</b></p><p>NHL 14&rsquo;s retro option will please old-school gaming fans of the legendary &rsquo;94 version.</p></figcaption></div><h2><b><i>TURNING BACK THE CLOCK</i></b></h2><p>To celebrate the 20th anniversary of NHL 94, the team at EA Canada has created the NHL 94 Anniversary Mode to play locally with friends, so expect plenty of goals and hits. Utilizing the NHL 14 game engine, retro elements have been incorporated, like the blue ice, organ music and the simple two-button control scheme.</p><p>Though it was a thoughtful addition to this year&rsquo;s game, EA Canada should have gone a few steps further by going for a complete retro look (16-bit style graphics like the original) and adding online play.</p><h2><b><i>SCORING ANOTHER WIN</i></b></h2><p>Even though there were only slight gameplay changes to NHL 14, it&rsquo;s still an enjoyable experience. The new modes, while decent, could have been better, but at least all the modes from last year&rsquo;s version are back with improvements. So there&rsquo;s still plenty to keep busy with until next year&rsquo;s game.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

NHL 14 A HIT AMONG GAMERS

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011669/9881100-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021194/9881093-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="483" height="205"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021136/9881086-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="2598" height="1804"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NEW NEW YORK</b></p><p>Unlike the past, Evgeni Nabokov, Cal Clutterbuck and the Isles fought through adversity to win Ottawa.</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><i><b><span>I</span></b></i>t was one of those games that, if the New York Islanders had lost, would have been the biggest injustice in the history of the sporting world, or at least since Hulk Hogan lost the title to The Undertaker back in 1991. Like infamous wrestling referee Earl Hebner, the officials made a couple questionable calls. The Senators scored a goal the Islanders felt didn&rsquo;t cross the line, which was all they needed on a night when Evgeni Nabokov was porous. Including the shootout, they fired 59 shots at the Senators and twice battled back from two-goal deficits. And they won. They won the game 5-4 and for that night at least, Liz Lemon&rsquo;s former boyfriend and Kevin Connolly could go to bed not distraught.</p><p>All right, that should do it for the Islanders jokes. Because here&rsquo;s the thing: the Islanders aren&rsquo;t playing the part of cuddly, lovable punch line anymore. After years of a frustrating rebuild and stalled efforts to build a new rink dubbed The Lighthouse Project, the franchise has emerged from the fog and is beginning to see the light. This was no more evident than in Ottawa, when the Isles stuck to their game plan and won a contest they would have lost a couple years ago. The former Islanders would have allowed their woes to consume them and the subsequent defeat would have been another lesson in how to lose. &ldquo;Yeah, like, &lsquo;Here we go again,&rsquo; then three or four in a row,&rdquo; says coach Jack Capuano. &ldquo;I know what you mean.&rdquo;</p><p>The Islanders are a flawed team that plays in a flawed division in a flawed conference, but there&rsquo;s a positive vibe around this group. The early-season trade that saw management deal fan favorite Matt Moulson to the Buffalo Sabres for Thomas Vanek was a clear statement by the Islanders. They gave up a first-rounder in 2014 and a second-rounder in 2015, sending the message they&rsquo;re getting sick of waiting around for the future. They want to win now and, hey, they play in the Metropolitan Division, so anything is possible. Are they there yet? Not even close. Despite them publicly backing Nabokov, their goaltending needs an upgrade. Their penalty killing is pretty leaky and they still sometimes look like the old Islanders, as evidenced by a 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals in early November that followed a two-game win streak. It was a game in which the Capitals scored four goals in five minutes, prompting resident star and captain John Tavares to opine, &ldquo;It should be embarrassing.&rdquo;</p><p>Perhaps that&rsquo;s a little bit of a stretch, particularly for a franchise that has had many embarrassments over the past two decades. But now that they&rsquo;re growing up, those awkward, gangly years are behind them. And the fact they find losses like the one to the Capitals embarrassing is actually a sign of progress. So is the acquisition of Vanek, a big-ticket player with an expiring contract who comes with no guarantees beyond this season. Moulson grew up with and became a high-end scorer with the Islanders and probably would have been happy to stay long-term. But GM Garth Snow made the determination the Islanders weren&rsquo;t going to compete for a Stanley Cup with Moulson as a go-to player.</p><p>But here&rsquo;s what might be most telling about the Vanek trade and what it says about the culture change within the organization. They made the deal largely because they didn&rsquo;t like where they were in the standings and how they were playing. In March and April of last season, the Islanders went 16-6-5 and were as good as any team in the league down the stretch. Then after taking the Pittsburgh Penguins to six games in the first round of the playoffs, they created a level of expectation they hadn&rsquo;t had in years. It wasn&rsquo;t like they gave the Penguins an I-can&rsquo;t-believe-we-actually-won-this-series kind of scare, but they did extend one of the most powerful teams in the league. The Islanders lost two games in overtime, including Game 6 when they blew three one-goal leads on home ice. &ldquo;What I liked about our group last year was it didn&rsquo;t matter who we played, who we dressed, we had that attitude and swagger in the second half of the season that we were going to get to where we wanted to get,&rdquo; Capuano says. &ldquo;And then when we got to the playoffs to play Pittsburgh, we weren&rsquo;t satisfied just being in the playoffs and playing Pittsburgh. We&rsquo;re going to win the series.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011494/9881079-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="1660" height="1751"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>I COULD GET USED TO THIS</b></p><p>Newly acquired Thomas Vanek was immediately impressed with the Islanders&rsquo; speed and camaraderie.</p></figcaption></div><p>But this season, for the first time in what feels like forever, the Islanders had actually been underachieving. Prior to making the deal for Vanek, they were a fairly pedestrian 4-4-3 and coming off two games that highlighted their inconsistency &ndash; an impressive come-from-behind win in Pittsburgh followed up by a stinker at home to the lowly Philadelphia Flyers. New York has gone from a team that expects to lose to one that now expects to win. Vanek should help on that front, at least for the rest of this season. &ldquo;We made the playoffs last year and it should have happened the year before,&rdquo; Snow says. &ldquo;When we play to our capabilities, we can win on any given night.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I&rsquo;VE PLAYED WITH SOME FAST PLAYERS, <b>BUT TO HAVE EIGHT OR NINE OF THEM,</b> THAT&rsquo;S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE<br>&ndash; THOMAS VANEK</blockquote><p>The Islanders are young, fast, kind of small and, coincidentally, the lightest team in the league. Only five teams &ndash; the Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets &ndash; skew younger than the Islanders&rsquo; average age of 27.1. More important, it is a squad that has grown up together, taken its lumps, experienced a little success and remained relatively intact. The result is a group that Vanek noticed, shortly after he arrived, has a unique <i>esprit de corps</i>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a fast team and it plays hard every night and when I say it&rsquo;s close-knit, I mean it&rsquo;s really close-knit,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen this in years. I came in and I see each and every guy working out together and doing all the little things together. It was great to see.&rdquo;</p><p>Vanek also noticed a difference when it came to how quickly the Islanders move their feet and the puck. For the last little while in Buffalo, Vanek and his teammates were confined largely to chasing the other team around the ice. With so little zone and puck possession time, Vanek had become accustomed to a system that didn&rsquo;t put much of an emphasis on speed. That&rsquo;s not the case with the youthful Islanders. Man for man, they might be the fastest team in the league. Michael Grabner can win a footrace with anyone and Frans Nielsen, who spent the first month of the season among the top 10 scorers, was finally beginning to capitalize on a lot of the chances his blazing speed was creating. Even on his own line, Vanek is seeing a hurry-up offense with Kyle Okposo and Tavares, who has arguably worked harder than any other player in the league to improve his skating. And that&rsquo;s rather unique for a young NHLer. Many in their first years in the league work hardest at the things they&rsquo;ve already mastered. And what you end up with is a player without many dimensions to his game. Tavares, by comparison, gets up and down the ice much better than he has in the past and it&rsquo;s made him a 200-foot player. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve played with some fast players,&rdquo; Vanek says, &ldquo;but to have eight or nine of them, that&rsquo;s pretty impressive.&rdquo;</p><p>If the Islanders could only speed up the clock on the next two seasons, everything would be even better. Sentenced to play in the dilapidated Nassau Coliseum for this season and next, the team should be peaking as a franchise right around the time they move into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for 2015-16. After years of political one-upmanship and stonewalling for a new rink, the Islanders made the decision to move to Brooklyn, despite the fact Barclays Center is a basketball venue with a current seating capacity of only 14,500 for hockey. That could be increased to 15,813 for the Islanders, the kinds of attendance numbers that would help them wade their way out of years of accumulated red ink. There will be bad sight lines and obstructed views at Barclays, but the Islanders will maintain their local roots and move into a state-of-the-art arena. The hipsters and bohemians there will love the hockey culture, especially the playoff beards, and the players will likely not have to relocate. The Islanders plan to keep their practice rink at or near the current location in Syosset and will charter a couple cars on the Long Island Rail Road to go into Brooklyn for the games. As the original home for everyone from Jay-Z to Neil Simon, Brooklyn has become a destination spot, one that will benefit the franchise&rsquo;s profile.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011308/9881072-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="1235" height="502"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02922/9881065-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="1235" height="842"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALL ABOARD!</b></p><p>So players won&rsquo;t have to relocate from their homes around the old Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, the team plans to charter a train to home games at the Barclays Center, something they tested out during the pre-season.</p></figcaption></div><p>And right around that time, the Islanders should be building toward the status of being a perennial playoff contender. As players such as Tavares, Okposo and Josh Bailey continue to mature, the Islanders will continue to build their roster, secure in the knowledge free agents such as Vanek will at least know where the team is going to be 10 years from now. It will be a delicate balancing act, however. Tavares is the crown jewel of the franchise and he has made his commitment to the team, with four years left after 2013-14 on a deal that will pay him $6 million a season from 2014-15 through &rsquo;17-18. Vanek is in to keep the last year of his seven-year, $50-million deal that carries a cap hit of $7.1 million and a current salary of $6.4 million. There were reports Buffalo approached Vanek this summer with an offer to make him the highest-paid player in the NHL, one that he disputes. But the question is, can the Islanders make Vanek the highest-paid player on the team ahead of Tavares? They&rsquo;re going to have to do that if they want to keep him. And there will be players in the future that will command salaries much higher than Tavares&rsquo;. For the Islanders, it certainly isn&rsquo;t a cap issue. They&rsquo;re still the lowest-spending team in the league and that&rsquo;s with &ndash; wait for it &ndash; them still on the hook for $2.2 million on the Alexei Yashin buyout this season and next.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I&rsquo;M CONFIDENT ONCE WE HAVE A PLAYER <b>IN OUR ORGANIZATION</b> WE HAVE SHOT TO HIM<br>&ndash; GARTH SNOW</blockquote><p>Vanek wanted to wait to see where the Sabres were going with their rebuilding project and when he saw that it was right to the bottom of the NHL standings, he made it clear he wasn&rsquo;t going to be a part of that kind of growing process. There&rsquo;s no such worry with the Islanders. They are a team on the rise, going into a new rink with a certain amount of good vibe surrounding them. And if the salary cap goes up significantly from $64.3 million &ndash; meaning the $44-million floor will go up as well&ndash;even the Islanders are going to have to spend money.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03640/9881058-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="1072" height="805"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04442/9881051-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="1074" height="734"></div><p>So the best thing the team could do with Vanek is create a winning atmosphere where he can also have personal success. The latter is being taken care of with him playing on the top line with Tavares and Okposo. The former will take care of itself if the team can play up to its potential and take advantage of being in the NHL&rsquo;s worst division. But it&rsquo;s more than that. The Island, well, it has a certain stigma that takes living and working there to shake. Part of the problem is the arena. For his part, Snow himself had a negative perception of Long Island when he signed there as a free agent after playing in Quebec, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Pittsburgh. Doug Weight, former Islander who&rsquo;s now an assistant coach with the team, thought he was going to retire in St. Louis, but moved to Long Island and he and his family fell in love with the place. &ldquo;Sometimes when a player comes here and he hasn&rsquo;t been part of our organization, he&rsquo;s really only seen the parking lot between the Marriott and the Coliseum,&rdquo; Snow says. &ldquo;Those players don&rsquo;t really know what Long Island is all about. I&rsquo;m pretty confident that once we have a player in our organization, we have a pretty good shot at being able to keep him.&rdquo;</p><p>Snow and the Islanders have actually done a remarkable job of locking up their young talent to long-term deals for, relatively speaking, little money. After this season, Tavares has four more years on his contract with a cap hit of $5.5 million. Josh Bailey is in for four more years at $3.3 million and Okposo and Cal Clutterbuck are around for two and three years, respectively, at $2.8 million. Promising 23-year-old defenseman Travis Hamonic has six more on his deal at just $3.9 million. What also speaks to their depth, and part of the reason why they thought they could give up first- and second-round picks to get Vanek, is that Snow no longer seems intent on rushing young players into the NHL. Case in point is Ryan Strome, the fifth overall pick in 2011 and the Islanders&rsquo; top prospect. Projected ultimately as the No. 2 center behind Tavares, Strome is a top-10 scorer in the American League and was second in rookie scoring. The Islanders were 10th in the NHL in last season&rsquo;s edition of THN Future Watch and have a crew of solid, if not unspectacular, NHL prospects on the way.</p><p>But there&rsquo;s still work to do to make this roster into one that can legitimately compete for a championship and that work will likely be done in free agency. The Islanders have built through the draft and lived through lean times, the same way the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks did, but can we expect the same results a few years down the road?</p><p>When you compare the blueprints, they don&rsquo;t exactly match up. The Penguins took the scorched-earth policy to their rebuild. It almost caused the franchise to move, not locally like the Islanders, but far, far away. It has created a team, however, that should legitimately challenge for the Stanley Cup for the next decade (if their goalies can only stop getting a case of the yips in the playoffs). In a five-year span, the Penguins got Ryan Whitney at fifth overall (2002), Marc-Andre Fleury first (2003), Evgeni Malkin second (2004), Sidney Crosby first (2005) and then Jordan Staal second (2006), with what amounts to a total of 11 draft slots. Between 2003 and 2007, the Blackhawks got Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker, Jack Skille, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with 28 slots. The Washington Capitals built their core, which includes Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Karl Alzner, with 45 slots. The Islanders, meanwhile, got Tavares, Bailey, Okposo and Nino Niederreiter (who they dealt to the Minnesota Wild for Clutterbuck) with 84 draft slots in five years.</p><p>The key to the entire plan remains Tavares, who&rsquo;s quickly inserting himself into the NHL&rsquo;s elite. With Vanek and Okposo on his wings, there&rsquo;s no reason why he won&rsquo;t fully exploit his talents. Tavares took over the captaincy once Mark Streit left for Philadelphia and he has embraced the role with gusto. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not kid ourselves,&rdquo; Capuano says. &ldquo;Guys like Johnny are looking at other elite players in the league and that&rsquo;s just natural. That&rsquo;s what those guys do. They&rsquo;re looking at what a Phil Kessel is doing or how a Crosby is doing and Johnny is no different. He strives to be the best player he can be.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-021084/9881044-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="1530" height="1797"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CORE SAMPLES</b></p><p>John Tavares is the Isles&rsquo; crown jewel while Travis Hamonic, below with Peter Regin, anchors the &lsquo;D&rsquo;.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03844/9881037-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="724" height="918"></div><p>And like his team, Tavares is maturing right before our very eyes. Heck, he even looks like a hockey player now, thanks to taking a puck to the face in a pre-training camp workout that knocked out his four front teeth. Tavares had the requisite dental work done, including getting four posts put in to anchor his new fake teeth. Then in just the fourth game of the season, Tavares took another puck in the mouth in Chicago and they all fell out. For now, he&rsquo;s going to go with what hockey players call a &ldquo;flipper,&rdquo; which is a dental plate that goes in and out of the mouth depending on whether or not you&rsquo;re going to a dinner party that night.</p><p>A gap-toothed Bobby Clarke-type of photo with the Stanley Cup might be years away. It might never come for Tavares or the Islanders. But there is a vibe around this team that hasn&rsquo;t been present for years. Fish sticks logos, John Spano ownership escapades and the Rick DiPietro saga are behind them now and better days lie ahead. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the exciting part,&rdquo; Tavares says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just dipping our toes in the water. But it&rsquo;s just an opportunity for us and now we have to go out there and take advantage of it.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-01

Rising laughing stock islanders

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03770/9881145-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="374" height="664"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011482/9881138-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="2879" height="1718"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE BRAIN GAME</b></p><p>What Sam Reinhart lacks in sizzle he makes up for with superior sense and smarts.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CRANBROOK PHOTO & STUDIO)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b><b>HEN FIVE OF THE FIRST</b> six picks and seven of the top 10 players went straight from the draft to the NHL, you know it was a pretty fruitful group. That was 2013, the crop that included big names such as Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksander Barkov and Seth Jones.</p><p>But what about 2014? The names at the top aren&rsquo;t so big just yet, but scouts are still content with this year&rsquo;s batch, even if it doesn&rsquo;t have that &ldquo;wow&rdquo; factor. &ldquo;Last year&rsquo;s draft was one of the better drafts we&rsquo;ve seen in the past few years,&rdquo; says one scout. &ldquo;By comparison this year is not as good, but if some players progress, it will be a solid draft. You just have to dig a little deeper.&rdquo;</p><p>Another scout speculates 2014 goes about 45 players deep, then the talent pool drops off, at which time teams must go with their own personal preferences to suss out the hidden gems. In comparison, NHL franchises were still snapping up high-quality players in the third and fourth round last year.</p><p>There is certainly a lot of hockey yet to be played and a lot of players who need to prove themselves in the eyes of talent hawks. Players such as Nick Ritchie of the Peterborough Petes (Ontario League) and Alexis Vanier of Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) added significant bulk to their frames in the offseason, while on the other side of the coin, scouts want to see if Finnish offensive defenseman Julius Honka, playing with the Swift Current Broncos and putting up a lot of points, can handle the big forwards of the Western League in his own end over the long term.</p><p>Even right at the top there are questions. Sam Reinhart of the WHL&rsquo;s Kootenay Ice is the No. 1 prospect right now, but not with a bullet. The center boasts incredible smarts on  the ice, makes his linemates better and plays at both ends of the ice. With nine goals and 30 points in his first 18 games, he is fourth in league scoring. Will he get dinged by the fact he&rsquo;s not flashy? &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not really big, he&rsquo;s not fast and he&rsquo;s not strong,&rdquo; says one scout. &ldquo;If he adds any one of those three, he&rsquo;ll separate himself from the rest, because he is so smart.&rdquo;</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s Aaron Ekblad, the consensus No. 1 defenseman available and captain of the OHL&rsquo;s Barrie Colts. He does have size, skill and the ability to munch a lot of minutes. But one NHL exec tells me he&rsquo;d like to see Ekblad take things to the next level this season, while another scout hopes Ekblad can recreate his insanely good play from last year&rsquo;s post-season.</p><p>One dark horse to watch is Kingston Frontenacs pivot Sam Bennett. Like Reinhart, he&rsquo;s a true center (another NHL exec estimates 70 percent of junior pivots become NHL wingers, but these two can play the middle with the big boys). He brings a combination of off-the-charts hockey sense and competitive vigor to the table and we all remember how high character guy Gabriel Landeskog went in 2011.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-021040/9881131-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="772" height="903"><figcaption class="caption-body">SAM <b>BENNETT</b> <span class="photo-credit">(AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>If one of those players doesn&rsquo;t go in the top three, it will likely be because of Willie Nylander. The son of former NHLer Michael Nylander is now his dad&rsquo;s teammate and sometimes linemate with Rogle in Sweden and has &ldquo;difference maker&rdquo; written all over him. He and the team got off to a rough start this season and the coach was even fired, but Nylander&rsquo;s high-end skill is beginning to shine through. As with North America, the European crop for 2014 isn&rsquo;t as lauded as last year&rsquo;s. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just OK,&rdquo; says one NHL scout based over there. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t have the high, high end, the Barkovs or (Elias) Lindholms. They&rsquo;re a notch below. I&rsquo;m not saying they&rsquo;re not good players, just a notch below those guys. But it has some depth, if you look at the second tier.&rdquo;</p><p>Perhaps part of the problem is our tendency to constantly think of the future. In this case, the 2015 draft.</p><p>That&rsquo;s when NHL teams will be praying their lottery ball pops up in order to win the right to select Connor McDavid, the Erie Otters phenom whose promise puts him in the Sidney Crosby region of hype. And he&rsquo;s not alone. Out west, there&rsquo;s Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who brings incredible playmaking and vision, much like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in his draft year. Heading back to Sweden, there&rsquo;s gifted defenseman Oliver Kylington, playing against men in the nation&rsquo;s top league for Farjestad, where he has three points in nine games.</p><p>But the 2014 class still has its solid performers and in the sidebar on the right you&rsquo;ll find a top 10 mock draft based on the NHL standings as of early November. New Jersey was omitted since it must forfeit its pick as punishment for the Ilya Kovalchuk contract debacle.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-03

MIDDLE CLASS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011305/9881309-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02895/9881302-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>1 SAM REINHART</b></h2><p>C, KOOTENEY <b>(BUF)</b></p><p>The youngest of the three Reinhart brothers has incredible hockey sense and makes those around him better. A dangerous two-way threat in the WHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03640/9881295-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04484/9881288-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>2 AARON EKBLAD</b></h2><p>D, BARRIE <b>(PHI)</b></p><p>Playing in his third OHL season thanks to an exceptional status designation, Ekblad has great size, plays a ton of minutes and can put up points.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05403/9881281-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06336/9881274-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>3 SAM BENNETT</b></h2><p>C, KINGSTON <b>(EDM)</b></p><p>Gaining a lot of momentum. Bennett&rsquo;s hockey sense is off the charts and he pairs it with a great competitive streak. Rarely gets out-muscled in the OHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07263/9881267-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08222/9881260-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>4 WILLIE NYLANDER</b></h2><p>C, ROGLE <b>(FLA)</b></p><p>High-end skill and game-breaking talent. Nylander made his debut against men last year in Sweden, where he played alongside father Michael.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09183/9881253-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-10157/9881246-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>5 LEON DRAISAITL</b></h2><p>C, PRINCE ALBERT <b>(CLB)</b></p><p>Highlight-reel player would be the highest ever drafted from his native Germany. Makes plays equally deadly on forehand and backhand in WHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-11133/9881239-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-12113/9881232-1-eng-US/f0029-122.jpg" title="f0029-12" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>6 MICHAEL DAL COLLE</b></h2><p>LW, OSHAWA <b>(NYR)</b></p><p>Big kid has great offensive toolbox - hands, vision and creativity. Next mission is to work on his play away from the puck. OHL points are rolling in.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1392/9881225-1-eng-US/f0029-132.jpg" title="f0029-13" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1479/9881218-1-eng-US/f0029-142.jpg" title="f0029-14" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>7 KASPERI KAPANEN</b></h2><p>RW, KALPA <b>(CAR)</b></p><p>The son of Sami Kapanen has also played with his father and is a scout&rsquo;s favorite. Kasperi has skill and plays a responsible two-way game in Finland.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1570/9881211-1-eng-US/f0029-152.jpg" title="f0029-15" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1666/9881204-1-eng-US/f0029-162.jpg" title="f0029-16" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>8 JAKE VIRTANEN</b></h2><p>LW, CALGARY <b>(WPG)</b></p><p>A nasty customer who can skate, Virtanen was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 WHL bantam draft and brings strength along with his skill game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1759/9881197-1-eng-US/f0029-172.jpg" title="f0029-17" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1850/9881190-1-eng-US/f0029-182.jpg" title="f0029-18" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>9 BRENDAN PERLINI</b></h2><p>LW, NIAGARA <b>(OTT)</b></p><p>Perlini has been a breakout player in the OHL, piling up points thanks to his size, release and ability to make himself available by finding seams in the &lsquo;D.&rsquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1945/9881183-1-eng-US/f0029-192.jpg" title="f0029-19" width="179" height="258"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-2038/9881176-1-eng-US/f0029-202.jpg" title="f0029-20" width="229" height="118"></div><h2><b>10 HAYDN FLEURY</b></h2><p>D, RED DEER <b>(CGY)</b></p><p>A composed blueliner with size, skating and sense, Fleury is fluid and mobile on defense in the &lsquo;Dub.&rsquo; Only question remaining is his upside with the puck.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0029-01

MOCK DRAFT FOR 2014

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-021027/9881340-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ONE-ON-NONE</b></p><p>Braden Holtby was reduced to a punching bag when induced to fight by Philly&rsquo;s Ray Emery.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011490/9881347-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="200" height="238"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE UGLY, INDEFENSIBLE SPECTACLE</b> involving the Flyers and Capitals Nov. 1 makes life easier for those of us who have been arguing the NHL must rid itself of superfluous fighting. It does no favors for the league or the sport. And that the sight of Ray Emery punching unwilling combatant Braden Holtby was met mostly with disgust is yet another indictment of the archaic mentality that stubbornly supports this egregious garbage.</p><p>When Philadelphia goalie Emery skated the length of the ice to goad Washington keeper Holtby into a fight during a line brawl, I thought the NHL would have no choice but to suspend him. I was wrong. When the league announced Emery wouldn&rsquo;t face supplementary discipline, I wasn&rsquo;t happy. It said it has no precedent within the rulebook to punish him, but there was no precedent to sentence Sean Avery to anger management in 2008 for untoward remarks he made about Dion Phaneuf&rsquo;s future wife Elisha Cuthbert. And this is a league that&rsquo;s reacted swiftly to remove something from the game it doesn&rsquo;t believe ought to be there. The best example came in 2008, when Avery (yes, him again) waved his stick in Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s face during a game. In response, the NHL redefined the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty overnight. That&rsquo;s right, overnight. It wasn&rsquo;t wanted, so it was gone.</p><p>That said, after speaking with a high-ranking league source, I&rsquo;m not as angry as I was. Because in an odd way, there&rsquo;s a precedent the league is following by not suspending Emery. And that precedent should lead to further restrictions on over-the-top fighting.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;ONCE YOU SEE HOW THE MAJORITY OF FANS ARE REPULSED BY IT, YOU MUST ACCEPT THAT CHANGE IS INEVITABLE</blockquote><p>Think to March of 2010 and the decision made by NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell to not suspend Matt Cooke for his blindside hit on Marc Savard. At the time, I was incensed. But Campbell, in his own way, was challenging the league to create a better headshot rule. Cooke hit Savard March 7 &ndash; and three days later (and after a scheduled GM meeting), the NHL had a new headshot rule.</p><p>Fast-forward to today. When Emery snapped, hardcore, pro-fighting people were some of those clamoring loudest to see NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan come down hard on him. Why? Because they know how untenable their position becomes without punishment. But the Flyers/Caps gong show came from a culture not everyone in the league agrees with anymore &ndash; and though it seems counterproductive, no suspension for Emery effectively lets fighting apologists twist in the wind.</p><p>You want to pretend all NHL fights are admirable, Iginla-on-Lecavalier acts of chivalry? Not a chance. You have to wear this Emery incident. You have to own it. And once you see how the majority of fans are repulsed by it, you must accept change is inevitable, as many NHL figures do. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a feeling these types of events are a distraction from the parts of hockey we all love,&rdquo; said one NHL assistant GM. &ldquo;Nobody&rsquo;s interested in eliminating fighting, but there&rsquo;s no appetite to see somebody else do what Emery did.&rdquo;</p><p>The NHL&rsquo;s GM meeting is expected to ensure mimicking Emery&rsquo;s actions will be discouraged through a tougher rule that could be implemented next season. That rule could automatically suspend any player who instigates a fight with a goalie (and that includes the opposing goalie) for 10 games. Or it could punish any goalie who crosses center ice.</p><p>Regardless of the specifics, the point is a positive one. Emery escaping supplementary discipline is frustrating. But if it means the league will substantially mitigate the number of similar on-ice eyesores in the future, I can live with it.</p><p><b>WANT MORE PROTEAU?</b> GET DAILY UPDATES AT <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-02

THE LAST OF THE GOALIE OUTLAWS

<div class="byline">BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03725/9881392-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK BUCKNER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011467/9881399-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span></b><b>IRST, ALEXANDER STEEN WAS TOLD WHAT</b> he could do. Then he was told what he couldn&rsquo;t do. Both shaped him into who he is today, a player who was leading the NHL in goals and a player Blues coach Ken Hitchcock recently called the &ldquo;conscience&rdquo; of his club.</p><p>Steen, 29, went from the playpen to the Winnipeg Jets locker room. The son of Thomas Steen, a star for the franchise in the 1980s and early 1990s, Alexander grew up surrounded by players such as Teppo Numminen, Phil Housley, Tie Domi, Keith Tkachuk, Teemu Selanne and Alexei Zhamnov. &ldquo;They were unbelievable teams and great guys,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;They were awesome to me. I was allowed to hang around the room and run around. I was always welcomed. It&rsquo;s hard not to want to be in the NHL when you grow up like that. He&rsquo;s your dad, that was his job. Once you get a little older, you realize it&rsquo;s special. But in the early going, it&rsquo;s normal.&rdquo;</p><p>Steen lived in Winnipeg until he was 12, but with his father&rsquo;s career finishing in Germany, he returned to Sweden, where the family had spent every summer since he was born. Alex played two years of junior and then skated his way onto the national junior team. All the while, the left winger remembers his famous last name having a big impact on predictions for his future.</p><p>But that didn&rsquo;t always remain the case. Despite joining Frolunda of the Swedish League and being drafted 24th overall by Toronto in 2002, there were knocks on Steen&rsquo;s game. He wasn&rsquo;t a good skater, he wasn&rsquo;t big enough, he didn&rsquo;t possess enough offense. &ldquo;Every year, somebody was trying to tell me who I was as a player, what I could do and what I couldn&rsquo;t do,&rdquo; Steen said. &ldquo;It fuelled me. If there was something they thought I couldn&rsquo;t do, I&rsquo;d work on it. I&rsquo;ve always worked on things that were viewed as weaknesses, trying to round out my game. I don&rsquo;t like people labelling me. If there was a reason why I got labelled a certain way, I&rsquo;d want to get out of it right away. I always felt like it limited me.&rdquo;</p><p>The creation was a player some scouts call the most intelligent in the NHL today, a forward who plays defense like a defenseman, a special-teams constant and a guy who you dare not say lacks scoring ability unless you&rsquo;re prepared to watch the red light beam brightly. Steen had 14 goals through 14 games this season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02899/9881385-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="1530" height="1056"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STEEN&rsquo;S GENES</b></p><p>Alexander Steen believes hockey sense is the main trait he inherited from his dad, former NHL star Thomas.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>How did the Blues even get their gloves on him? After playing four seasons with the Maple Leafs, a time period Steen said was surreal, the organization was in transition. The club was in the midst of a third straight season of missing the playoffs when it fired GM John Ferguson Jr., replacing him on an interim basis with Cliff Fletcher. A few months later, coach Paul Maurice was out the door and Ron Wilson was ushered in.</p><p>Not long after the start of the following season, on Nov. 24, 2008, Toronto packaged Steen and fellow first-round pick Carlo Colaiacovo to the Blues for right winger Lee Stempniak. &ldquo;I figured it was coming,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;When I got traded, it wasn&rsquo;t a big surprise to me. Not that I hadn&rsquo;t lived up to anything. I did what I could. But a lot of new people had come in and they had just made up their minds that this is what&rsquo;s going to happen. But now you&rsquo;re going to a team that wants to develop you. I&rsquo;m extremely grateful for guys like Larry (Pleau) and Doug (Armstrong), (John Davidson) and Al (MacInnis).&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03700/9881378-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="790" height="971"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FREDERICK BREEDON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Don&rsquo;t let Steen fool you, though. It was more motivation. In his first year in St. Louis, he netted six goals and 24 points in 61 games. Like Steen had been doing earlier in his career, only perhaps now more intensified, he used any activity possible to make him stronger, more agile, faster. &ldquo;You name it, I do it in the summer,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;People think that if you have a problem with your quickness, you get up every morning, eat three egg yolks and you do 60 sprints and that&rsquo;s it for the day. That&rsquo;s not true. I do all sorts of stuff. I&rsquo;ve tried boxing, cross-country rollerblading, wrestling &ndash; not WWE &ndash; I run, I bike, tennis, floor ball. Some of the stuff is almost embarrassing. I don&rsquo;t even want to tell you. But you name it, I&rsquo;ve done it.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I&rsquo;VE ALWAYS WORKED ON THINGS VIEWED AS MY WEAKNESSES. I DON&rsquo;T LIKE PEOPLE LABELLING ME<br>&ndash; Alexander Steen</blockquote><p>Badminton? &ldquo;Yes, and it&rsquo;s harder than you think it is,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;All of it rounds you out as an athlete. You just become a more complete athlete. That&rsquo;s my philosophy.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s hard to argue with Steen&rsquo;s results. He scored a career-high 24 goals and had 47 points in 68 games in 2009-10. &ldquo;It was 24, not 44, but it was nice,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand why I get (criticized offensively) because I feel like I can do both&hellip;It was a big year for me confidence-wise.&rdquo;</p><p>The Blues rewarded Steen with a four-year, $13.5-million contract extension. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a quiet professional,&rdquo; says Armstrong, who succeeded Pleau as the Blues&rsquo; GM. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a player that leads by example and not by his words&hellip;very detail-oriented in all areas of the game. You&rsquo;re very comfortable that he&rsquo;ll play well and you&rsquo;re also very comfortable that you&rsquo;re going to get 100 percent effort out of him every time.&rdquo;</p><p>Some of that comes from his father. &ldquo;Hockey sense,&rdquo; Steen names as the top shared trait between the two. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very similar in the way that we play. He was a better skater than I am. Everybody says he was so defensive, but he had good numbers (264 goals and 817 points in 950 games). Obviously the older I got, 14 and 15, he could start talking about the game at a different level. That&rsquo;s where the awareness comes from.&rdquo;</p><p>The younger Steen&rsquo;s offensive numbers haven&rsquo;t been overly impressive in recent years, but that&rsquo;s because the Blues moved him around the lineup out of necessity. But he began 2013-14 with David Backes and T.J. Oshie and the three have been so electric that any breakup should only be temporary. &ldquo;He can pretty much do it all,&rdquo; Oshie says of Steen. &ldquo;He goes out every night and works as hard as he can. He doesn&rsquo;t get enough credit for doing all the little things.&rdquo;</p><p>Steen&rsquo;s charmed season includes two goals in his first NHL game in Winnipeg on Oct. 18 and the game-winner against the Jets with less than a minute remaining in regulation Oct. 29. He also beat Chicago on Oct. 9 with a goal in the final minute. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to lie to you, it&rsquo;s been fun, obviously enjoyable that the puck is going in,&rdquo; Steen says. &ldquo;Saying that, I realize how I&rsquo;ve scored goals.</p><p>It&rsquo;s been a collective effort.&rdquo;</p><p>How many will Steen have in the end? &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to go a long ways above 20, that&rsquo;s all I know,&rdquo; Hitchcock says. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to continue to play at this pace, I hope, but whether he gets the goals per month he got in October, I don&rsquo;t know. But when you&rsquo;re this sound of a player, you&rsquo;re going to get your chances.&rdquo;</p><p>These days, folks only say Steen <i>can</i>.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-03

BLUES’ BEST KEPT SECRET IS OUT

<div class="byline">BY SHELLY ANDERSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-021042/9881430-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FITTING RIGHT IN</b></p><p>Jussi Jokinen has found a home among the Penguins top-six since being acquired late last season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JUSTIN K. ALLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011488/9881437-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span></b><b>ERHAPS THE WORD MOST ATTACHED TO</b> Jussi Jokinen is &ldquo;versatility.&rdquo; He can play any forward position on any line, which has served him well during his NHL career and has earned him a spot alongside Evgeni Malkin as the Pittsburgh Penguins&rsquo; second-line left winger.</p><p>To understand just how adaptable he is, consider that Jokinen &ndash; who has immersed himself into North American culture to the point where he&rsquo;s a big NFL fan &ndash; has made a successful transition from a city full of Dallas Cowboys fans early in his career to a city nicknamed &lsquo;Steeler Nation&rsquo; in his thirties, though he doesn&rsquo;t let the oil-and-water contrast bother him. &ldquo;The NFL is nothing in Finland,&rdquo; Jokinen says of his homeland. &ldquo;I knew pretty much nothing about the NFL when I got here, but when you are in the U.S. you get to know that sport a lot. That&rsquo;s probably becoming my favorite sport to watch.&rdquo;</p><p>Olli Maatta, the Penguins&rsquo; 19-year-old rookie defenseman, leans on Jokinen. He&rsquo;s learned the rules of the dressing room from his fellow Finn, but he&rsquo;s also come to learn Jokinen&rsquo;s preferred area of expertise.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;HE&rsquo;S ONE OF THE VETERANS. HE&rsquo;S A REALLY SMART GUY, SO WHEN HE TALKS THE GUYS LISTEN<br>&ndash; Olli Maatta</blockquote><p>&ldquo;He loves every kind of sport,&rdquo; Maatta says. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the guy you go talk to if you want to talk some baseball, you want to talk soccer, anything. He knows. He loves sports.&rdquo;</p><p>Jokinen figures Maatta, after two years of junior hockey in Canada, is having an easier time adjusting to North America in his first NHL season than he did. Jokinen was 22 when he stuck with Dallas in 2005-06 after having played in Finland. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big culture shock when you first come,&rdquo; Jokinen says. &ldquo;I think maybe the biggest thing for me is people&rsquo;s personality. Everybody here talks a lot. Us Finns are more quiet, more reserved.&rdquo;</p><p>Jokinen, 30, can look around the dressing room and see a few big personalities, none more so than Pascal Dupuis, who doesn&rsquo;t seem to have an off switch. &ldquo;They would think he was crazy or something in Finland,&rdquo; Jokinen says, letting loose a big grin.</p><p>Dupuis just shrugs and says, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d probably try to blend in a little more than I do here.&rdquo;</p><p>Jokinen retreats to Finland in the summers, playing a lot of golf and spending time with family and friends, but he isn&rsquo;t so quiet when he comes to his career. He was one of four players the Penguins brought in before the 2013 trade deadline. The others &ndash; Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray and Brendan Morrow &ndash; turned out to be rentals who moved on during free agency. Jokinen&rsquo;s deal, signed when he was with Carolina, expires at the end of this season.</p><p>In 10 games with the Penguins in 2012-13, Jokinen had seven goals and 11 points, though he tailed off in the playoffs, as a lot of Penguins did, with three assists in eight games. In his season end interview with coach Dan Bylsma and GM Ray Shero, Jokinen spoke up. &ldquo;We talked a little bit that there could be one open spot in the top-six,&rdquo; Jokinen says. &ldquo;I told them, and they knew already, that I&rsquo;m most comfortable playing in that top-six.&rdquo;</p><p>And through early November, that&rsquo;s where he&rsquo;d been playing, with seven goals and 10 points through 15 games. His love of sports served as a good icebreaker with Malkin. &ldquo;We are both interested in some of the things happening with European hockey and the KHL, stuff like that,&rdquo; Jokinen says.</p><p>Jokinen seems to be in a good place. He has his family living with him now, including daughter Sandra, who&rsquo;s almost two, and two-month-old son, Jesper. He&rsquo;s even got the ear of his teammates, breaking away from his quiet demeanor to stand up and talk. &ldquo;When it&rsquo;s the right moment, he does,&rdquo; Maatta says. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the veteran guys. He knows how things go. He shares his opinion. He&rsquo;s a really smart guy, so when he talks the guys listen.&rdquo;</p><p>Over the years, Jokinen has picked up several North American traits. &ldquo;He opens up,&rdquo; Dupuis says. &ldquo;He laughs. He&rsquo;s got a good personality. He&rsquo;s fun to hang out with. Yes, he is a quiet guy, but he does his thing. He&rsquo;s a competitor, too. Sometimes those shy guys are shy on the ice, but he&rsquo;s a competitor.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0034-02

GROWING HIS SPORTS GUT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0035-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011378/9881552-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02982/9881545-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03814/9881538-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="660" height="658"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIC <b>STAAL</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE ERA OF LONG-RUNNING TRIOS LIKE</b>&nbsp;&lsquo;The French Connection&rsquo; and &lsquo;Legion of Doom&rsquo; is over. In a time of video and advanced stats, coaches can&rsquo;t help but fiddle with their chemistry experiments and change up their lines.</p><p>It&rsquo;s fair to wonder, then, if Eric Staal, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty&rsquo;s days are numbered as a tight unit in Carolina. Last season, Staal had 53 points in 48 games, Semin 44 in 44 and Tlusty&rsquo;s 23 goals, in 48 games, tied for fifth-most in the NHL. This season through 12 games: eight points for Staal, seven for Semin and three for Tlusty. They were a combined minus-12 versus plus-34 last year.</p><p>When a typically stellar line struggles, does each player take it upon himself to improve or must the trio work collectively? &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little bit of both,&rdquo; Staal said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re coming around here the last little bit. Jiri missed some of training camp and Alex missed some of the pre-season at the end, so we didn&rsquo;t get a lot of time together. Our pace has been higher in practice, which is important.&rdquo;</p><p>Given their successful resumes, Staal and Semin will heat up, but what about Tlusty? His 38 points were a career high. &ldquo;Last year it took a little while for Jiri to score his first one, too,&rdquo; Staal said. &ldquo;But if you get them in bunches, like anybody, once you get that confidence going, it goes a long way. He&rsquo;ll get there and we&rsquo;re going to need him.&rdquo;</p><p>Staal knows his stats. Tlusty took 10 games to score in 2012-13. So if the trend continues and Tlusty explodes, one of the NHL&rsquo;s rare &ldquo;Big Lines&rdquo; may live to fight another season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04673/9881531-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="753" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05575/9881524-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>Anaheim&rsquo;s only goaltending concerns entering the season were finding enough crease time for Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth and Hiller&rsquo;s pending UFA status. But with Fasth injured, big Dane <b>Frederik Andersen</b> complicated matters by posting a shutout in his debut and four straight wins to begin his career. He may make Hiller expendable.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06518/9881517-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="753" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07444/9881510-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>There was a time last season when many thought <b>Patrice Bergeron</b> would be the No. 2 center on Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team, but with Bergeron on pace for career lows offensively, his spot is less secure. Still one of the best faceoff men and penalty killers in the NHL, he hasn&rsquo;t lagged defensively, but needs to increase his offensive output.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-08383/9881503-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-09330/9881496-1-eng-US/f0035-092.jpg" title="f0035-09" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PAUL BERESWILL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>One of Buffalo&rsquo;s few bright spots this miserable season has been young defenseman <b>Mark Pysyk</b>, who was logging 20 minutes a game. Because he played only 19 games last season, Pysyk is still considered a rookie by the NHL. Fellow frosh D-men Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov are also providing hope on the blueline.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-10287/9881489-1-eng-US/f0035-102.jpg" title="f0035-10" width="752" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-11244/9881482-1-eng-US/f0035-112.jpg" title="f0035-11" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>After three goals in a five-game NHL test in 2011-12 and points in his last seven games of 2012-13, <b>Sven Baertschi</b> was expected to be an offensive kingpin for the rebuilding Flames. While he has shown flashes of creative flair playing with rookie Sean Monahan, Baertschi hasn&rsquo;t been able to get shots to the net and his production has sputtered.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-12215/9881475-1-eng-US/f0035-122.jpg" title="f0035-12" width="753" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-13179/9881468-1-eng-US/f0035-132.jpg" title="f0035-13" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ABELIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The trade was pricey &ndash; blueliner Jamie McBain and a second-rounder that became J.T. Compher to Buffalo &ndash; but the Canes are getting a nice contribution from <b>Andrej Sekera</b>. Not only is the Slovakian D-man on a great points pace, he&rsquo;s also playing a career-best 23:21 per game, while starting the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0035-01

WALKING A FINE LINE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011389/9881660-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02952/9881667-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03787/9881653-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="660" height="623"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRYAN <b>BICKELL</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>RYAN BICKELL</b>&nbsp;<b>CAME INTO CHICAGO</b> this season with a new contract and his second Stanley Cup ring. Expectations for the Blackhawks left winger have never been higher, but he&rsquo;s taking them in stride despite a slow start to the year. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve played OK,&rdquo; Bickell said. &ldquo;The shortened summer kind of hurt me &ndash; I had surgery on my thumb &ndash; and set me back a bit. But it&rsquo;s a long season and our team is still winning.&rdquo;</p><p>Given Bickell, 27, has yet to reach or surpass the 20-goal plateau in three NHL seasons &ndash; his career high came when he scored 17 as a rookie &ndash; the four-year, $16-million contract he signed in June raised a few eyebrows around the league. It was his performance during last season&rsquo;s Cup-winning playoff run, however, that increased his monetary value to more than seven times what he made in his entry-level deal. The Bowmanville, Ont., native had nine goals (including two game-winners) and 17 points in 23 games. He saved his best for last, with four points over the final three games of the Cup final &ndash; all Hawks wins.</p><p>That offensive output, combined with Bickell&rsquo;s physical game, makes him an important component of Chicago&rsquo;s attack. But Bickell has been around the NHL block long enough to know he and his teammates won&rsquo;t be judged until the post-season and health is a key. And he&rsquo;s thankful Hawks coach Joel Quenneville understands that also. &ldquo;&lsquo;Q&rsquo; emphasizes the importance of days off and taking care of injuries,&rdquo; Bickell said. &ldquo;If you need an extra day, he&rsquo;s willing to give it to you.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04629/9881646-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="753" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05531/9881639-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BILL SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Niklas Hjalmarsson</b> is becoming more versatile. He&rsquo;s still a workhorse defensive defenseman, second on the Hawks in blocked shots and first in ice time on the PK, but his offense is exploding. His eight points in 15 games put him two off last-season&rsquo;s 46-game total. His pace of 44 points would crush his career high of 17.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06470/9881632-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="753" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07400/9881625-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Semyon Varlamov</b> started the season as the biggest &ldquo;wow&rdquo; on the NHL&rsquo;s most surprising team. Before his shocking arrest on second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault charges, the Russian netminder won seven of eight starts with an SP greater than .940. Will he be able to maintain that level in the face of his legal problems?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-08339/9881618-1-eng-US/f0036-082.jpg" title="f0036-08" width="753" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-09287/9881611-1-eng-US/f0036-092.jpg" title="f0036-09" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Is there such a thing as a Vezina hangover? <b>Sergei Bobrovsky</b> may have it. Be it the higher expectations, readjusting to Eastern shooters or some sort of Ilya Bryzgalov hex, the Jackets&rsquo; star stopper has been average at best. Last season he gave up four or more goals five times; this year it happened four times in October alone.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-10256/9881604-1-eng-US/f0036-102.jpg" title="f0036-10" width="752" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-11233/9881597-1-eng-US/f0036-112.jpg" title="f0036-11" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(EVAN GOLE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Coming off his best offensive year, <b>Alex Goligoski</b> wasn&rsquo;t broke, so maybe the Stars shouldn&rsquo;t have tried to fix him. They signed Sergei Gonchar to reunite the pair from their Pittsburgh days and the early result was dismal. Goligoski had one point and was a minus-9 in 11 games, prompting coach Lindy Ruff to scratch him.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-12217/9881590-1-eng-US/f0036-122.jpg" title="f0036-12" width="753" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-13198/9881583-1-eng-US/f0036-132.jpg" title="f0036-13" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAVE REGINEK/NHL VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>When Detroit signed <b>Stephen Weiss</b> in July, they did so thinking they were getting a point-producing second-line center, but it has been anything but a good fit so far. After scoring an overtime winner in the second game of the season, Weiss had just one goal in his next 14 and shuttled between the second and third lines.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-01

BIG PICTURE, NOT PRESSURE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011240/9881782-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02879/9881775-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03709/9881768-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="660" height="667"><figcaption class="caption-body">KRIS <b>VERSTEEG</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>K</span>RIS VERSTEEG</b>&nbsp;<b>SAYS HE WANTS TO</b> accomplish two things during his hockey career: win the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers and help his hometown Lethbridge Hurricanes win the Memorial Cup.</p><p>Versteeg has made it known he is ready to make a bid on the WHL Hurricanes if they ever come up for sale. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my hometown team and I take a lot of pride in that,&rsquo;&rsquo; Versteeg said. &ldquo;I take pride in where I&rsquo;m from. The team hasn&rsquo;t won in a while and I think now the expectation is to just lose.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Last month the Lethbridge <i>Herald</i> published that Versteeg had partners ready to purchase the struggling team. President Brian McNaughton said the franchise is not for sale, though Versteeg would be welcomed to volunteer his time. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s a long process,&rsquo;&rsquo; Versteeg said, &ldquo;but if the team ever comes for sale, I want to be part of the solution there. The business partners I have are excited about becoming part of it.&rdquo;</p><p>Versteeg, 27, has said similar things about playing for the Panthers. He had an injury-plagued 2012-13, getting in just 10 games as his season came to a close when he needed reconstructive surgery after hurting his knee in a game against Tampa Bay March 12.</p><p>And he admits he hasn&rsquo;t gotten off to the start he wanted. As of early November, he was on track for his lowest point total in any full season. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been playing my best, but that said, I&rsquo;m ready to turn that around,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a long process from this injury. I just have to keep at it every day.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04610/9881761-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05551/9881754-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It took 2012 first overall pick <b>Nail Yakupov</b> 11 games to score and that included unwanted time as a healthy scratch. After six goals in his final three games of 2012-13, Yakupov left fans expecting a big jump in production. Even THN&rsquo;s Ultimate Pool Guide had him earmarked for 32 goals, projected to be top-25 in the league.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06490/9881747-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07421/9881740-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>When the Panthers signed NHL refugee Tim Thomas over the summer, they knew they were gambling, but thought they had a capable tandem in him and <b>Jacob Markstrom</b>. But through the early going, Thomas was in and out of the lineup with injuries and Markstrom was not making progress after a decent rookie season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-08331/9881733-1-eng-US/f0037-082.jpg" title="f0037-08" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-09270/9881726-1-eng-US/f0037-092.jpg" title="f0037-09" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LANCE THOMSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It&rsquo;s a surprise and a disappointment to see <b>Jonathan Quick</b> among the bottom-feeders in NHL save percentage. Quick is a stingy beast in the post-season with a career SP of .929, but his regular season numbers have slipped the past couple of years. Bottom line, however, is he is winning and among the league leaders in minutes played.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-10231/9881719-1-eng-US/f0037-102.jpg" title="f0037-10" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-11192/9881712-1-eng-US/f0037-112.jpg" title="f0037-11" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Mikko Koivu</b> didn&rsquo;t produce like a No. 1 center in October, with one goal and eight points in 13 games. That&rsquo;s not enough for a guy making more money than Pavel Datsyuk and Jonathan Toews. Coach Mike Yeo temporarily moved Koivu off the first line, separating him from Zach Parise for the first time since Parise signed as a free agent.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-12168/9881705-1-eng-US/f0037-122.jpg" title="f0037-12" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-13146/9881698-1-eng-US/f0037-132.jpg" title="f0037-13" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Ex-GM Pierre Gauthier is not fondly remembered in Montreal, but credit him for a great trade in 2011 when he landed <b>Michael Bournival</b> from Colorado for Ryan O&rsquo;Byrne. Bournival is a crafty player who, despite third-line minutes, is proving he can score in the NHL. Undersized at 5-foot-11, Bournival is aiming to fit in as a top-six talent.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-01

RESTORATION PROJECTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011347/9881890-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02943/9881897-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03763/9881883-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="660" height="632"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVID LEGWAND<span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>HLERS ARE CREATURES OF HABIT AND</b>&nbsp;David Legwand is no different. Before home games, he meets up with teammates Mike Fisher, Matt Hendricks, Matt Cullen and Patric Hornqvist at a local restaurant for their pregame meal: chicken and pasta. It&rsquo;s just one of many rituals he&rsquo;s developed after 15 years in the Music City. &ldquo;Nashville feels like home, being there for so long, knowing a whole bunch of people, having people come visit and those types of things,&rdquo; Legwand said. &ldquo;It feels like home, playing there and growing with the team.&rdquo;</p><p>But there&rsquo;s a chance it could be coming to an end if an early-season silence is any indication. Legwand is in his contract year and there have been no talks since the pre-season. In 2007, the two sides negotiated during the season and had a deal done by December. &ldquo;If (free agency) presents itself on July 1, then that&rsquo;s what happens,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Then we move forward and go from there.&rdquo;</p><p>Legwand, 33, is the prototypical Predator, being Nashville&rsquo;s first ever draft pick and the poster boy for its style of play &ndash; gritty, defensive, unflashy. He&rsquo;s never lived up to his No. 2 overall selection in 1998, but leads the team all-time in games played (908), goals (204), assists (334) and points (538). At this point, though, there&rsquo;s no rush to get a deal done soon, or at all. &ldquo;We want to see how the year goes,&rdquo; said GM David Poile. &ldquo;We made some commitments to a lot of people last year in free agency and we need to see how this plays out so that we can make a determination for what&rsquo;s right for both sides.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04620/9881876-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05499/9881869-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LANCE THOMSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Craig Smith</b> showed promise as a rookie, averaging 0.50 points per game, but the sophomore jinx bit him last season and he slipped to 0.17 PPG. Smith rebounded in 2013-14 to match his rookie scoring clip and clicked on a line with Matt Cullen and Gabriel Bourque. Smith was minus-1 after going minus-20 his previous two seasons.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06429/9881862-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07359/9881855-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="327" height="505"></div><p>There hasn&rsquo;t been much good news in Newark, with the offense drying up and goaltending not exactly the dynamic duo folks envisioned. But hey, <b>Marek Zidlicky</b> is on a tear. The veteran offensive defenseman was on pace for his best numbers in years and playing nearly 23 minutes a game, second on the team to Andy Greene.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08295/9881848-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-09250/9881841-1-eng-US/f0038-092.jpg" title="f0038-09" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>Power forward <b>Kyle Okposo</b> has gone through wretched cold streaks in the past, followed by great runs. This season he skipped the bad and went right to the fun and the Isles aren&rsquo;t complaining. Okposo, not John Tavares, led them in scoring as November started, ranking among the top 10 in the NHL with 17 points in 14 games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-10214/9881834-1-eng-US/f0038-102.jpg" title="f0038-10" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-11187/9881827-1-eng-US/f0038-112.jpg" title="f0038-11" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>At the 2010 WJC, <b>Chris Kreider</b> was a happy teenager who helped the U.S. to gold. Then he left college to join the Rangers for the 2012 playoffs. Soon after, the joy seemed to evaporate. He struggled last season, but with coach John Tortorella out, Kreider seems reborn, scoring six points in seven games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-12174/9881820-1-eng-US/f0038-122.jpg" title="f0038-12" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-13158/9881813-1-eng-US/f0038-132.jpg" title="f0038-13" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Last spring, <b>Jean-Gabriel Pageau</b> was the toast of the town for his clutch play in the first round against Montreal. This season, he was simply toast. After scoring once in eight games, Pageau was dispatched to AHL Binghamton to find his game. Pageau was one of a number of young Senators who looked stalled early on.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-01

LEGWAND LAYS LOW

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011234/9882005-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02835/9882012-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03661/9881998-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="660" height="631"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE <b>DOWNIE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>TEVE DOWNIE WANTED SO MUCH TO</b>&nbsp;make a good first impression, but all he wound up making on the first night of his return to the Philadelphia Flyers was a trip to the hospital.</p><p>With the Flyers well on their way to a 7-0 beatdown at the hands of the Washington Capitals Nov. 1, Downie tried to supply a spark to his new team by engaging in a fight with Aaron Volpatti. Instead, a well-placed left hook by the Caps winger connected under Downie&rsquo;s left eye and left him with a concussion and some sinus damage.</p><p>Downie, a 2005 first-round draft pick of the Flyers who was shipped to Tampa Bay in 2008, was brought back from Colorado in a trade for Max Talbot to provide some energy. That&rsquo;s why Downie was so disappointed when he was banged up so badly he needed two nights of medical attention. &ldquo;Yeah, you want to make a good impression,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t go the way I wanted it to. I have to put it behind me.&rdquo;</p><p>GM Paul Holmgren said he traded for Downie because &ldquo;we felt we needed someone to stir the pot.&rdquo;</p><p>Downie, 26, was more upbeat on Oct. 31, the day of the trade. He said he&rsquo;s a more mature player since his first tour of duty in Philadelphia. &ldquo;My first year (2006) I took a couple suspensions (including a 20-gamer, the fifth-longest in NHL history),&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was really eager to get to the league and make an impact. Now I&rsquo;ve been in the league, this is my seventh season. I&rsquo;ve grown, I&rsquo;ve learned the game, I know when to pick my spots now.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04558/9881991-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05475/9881984-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Flyers have been a train wreck. Nearly the whole team has disappointed, save Vincent Lecavalier and Steve Mason. One veteran who sticks out is <b>Kimmo Timonen</b>, who is nearing the end of his NHL career with a whimper. The well-respected Finn had zero points through 13 games, bizarre after such a fruitful 2011-12.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06398/9881977-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07346/9881970-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Coyotes have a plethora of prospect D-men working their way up the ranks, so it&rsquo;s mildly surprising to see <b>Derek Morris</b>, 35, eating top-four minutes and on pace for 10-year highs in goals and points. His strong play has kept David Rundblad, Brandon Gormley, Chris Summers and Connor Murphy relegated to prospect status.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08295/9881963-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="752" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-09240/9881956-1-eng-US/f0039-092.jpg" title="f0039-09" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>For all the grief he has taken over his play in the past two post-seasons, <b>Marc-Andre Fleury</b> is clearly living in the now. The affable netminder had some of the best stats in the NHL and became the season&rsquo;s first goalie with 10 wins. Plus, he was doing it without a safety net, as backup Tomas Vokoun was lost early to blood clots.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-10209/9881949-1-eng-US/f0039-102.jpg" title="f0039-10" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-11183/9881942-1-eng-US/f0039-112.jpg" title="f0039-11" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK BUCKNER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Chris Stewart</b> led the Blues in scoring last season (18 goals, 36 points in 48 games), but went quiet in the playoffs and the slump carried into 2013-14. Including the post-season, his goal-less streak reached 18 games before he snapped it Nov. 1. He isn&rsquo;t rewarding St. Louis for giving him a raise from $3.0 million to $4.2 million.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-12167/9881935-1-eng-US/f0039-122.jpg" title="f0039-12" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-13142/9881928-1-eng-US/f0039-132.jpg" title="f0039-13" width="328" height="483"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>True Sharks fans know the unheralded value <b>Marc-Edouard Vlasic</b> brings to the table. He logs a ton of minutes, is stable in his own end and rarely misses a game. Now he&rsquo;s chipping in offensively and led Sharks blueliners in the early going, helping out while Dan Boyle was on the shelf. Vlasic&rsquo;s career high is 36 points in 2008-09.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0039-01

LIGHTING FIRE UNDER FLYERS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01944/9882120-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02616/9882127-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03480/9882113-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="660" height="640"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOM <b>WILSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OM WILSON HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT</b> role for the Capitals this season, bringing his big body and willing fists to the ice, plus chipping in with some offense. For a player still eligible for the world juniors, he&rsquo;s been remarkably confident and given the way his NHL career started, that&rsquo;s commendable.</p><p>Wilson, 19, joined the Caps during the 2013 playoffs, getting into three games after his season with the OHL&rsquo;s Plymouth Whalers ended. In his second contest, a hit on the Rangers&rsquo; Ryan McDonagh wrecked the rookie&rsquo;s skate blade, causing a humorous scene as he tried in vain to get back to the bench. &ldquo;It was pretty funny,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;I tried to take a couple strides, fell down a few times and realized what was going on. From there it was just a battle to get back to the bench. When I got to center ice, Jason Chimera gave me a push to help me out. I put a smile on. What else can you do?&rdquo;</p><p>Maybe the broken blade was some sort of weird good luck charm, as Wilson earned an unexpected roster spot with Washington right out of camp. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has so far beaten down Calgary&rsquo;s Lance Bouma after the Flames center injured Jack Hillen, and held his own with experienced Flyers vet Wayne Simmonds in the infamous Ray Emery line brawl. &ldquo;I want to bring some energy and youth,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;I just bring everything I can.&rdquo;</p><p>With four fights, 35 hits and three points through 16 games, he was certainly leaving it all on the ice. Except his skate blade.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04383/9882106-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05327/9882099-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Lightning have more than 13 feet worth of goalies, but until this season, the size of <b>Ben Bishop</b> and Anders Lindback did not give them elite puck-stopping. That has changed, particularly with Bishop, who&rsquo;s finally found a home and seized the No. 1 job. He was among the league leaders in wins the first quarter of the season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-06289/9882092-1-eng-US/f0040-062.jpg" title="f0040-06" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-07250/9882085-1-eng-US/f0040-072.jpg" title="f0040-07" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Paul Ranger</b> had not played an NHL game in almost four full seasons, but was a regular contributor on a blueline with many NHL-caliber defensemen. There were moments early on when he struggled in defensive zone coverage and adapting to the speed of the game, but he looked more comfortable and proficient with each game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-08217/9882078-1-eng-US/f0040-082.jpg" title="f0040-08" width="752" height="597"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-09164/9882071-1-eng-US/f0040-092.jpg" title="f0040-09" width="327" height="505"></div><p>The Canucks signed hometown boy <b>Mike Santorelli</b> in the offseason in the hope he&rsquo;d push for playing time and be a cheap alternative at center for a team with salary cap issues. Not only is Santorelli the team&rsquo;s best man in the faceoff circle, he&rsquo;s scoring at a 50-point pace and playing second-line minutes. All this for $550,000.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-10150/9882064-1-eng-US/f0040-102.jpg" title="f0040-10" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-11131/9882057-1-eng-US/f0040-112.jpg" title="f0040-11" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>With all the Caps&rsquo; firepower, who knew <b>Jason Chimera</b> would be one of their top scorers? Playing on a third line with Mikhail Grabovski and Joel Ward, Chimera was on pace for his best offensive season ever. An excellent shooting percentage was propelling the veteran, who has never scored more than 39 points in a campaign.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-12120/9882050-1-eng-US/f0040-122.jpg" title="f0040-12" width="752" height="596"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-13104/9882043-1-eng-US/f0040-132.jpg" title="f0040-13" width="327" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Plenty scoffed at the Jets for giving <b>Bryan Little</b> a five-year deal paying him $4.7 million per season, but he proved Winnipeg right in October. His seven goals led the team and matched last season&rsquo;s entire output and his two shorthanded tallies tied him for the NHL lead. The key to his goal production: scoring on 23.3 percent of his shots.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE

<div class="byline">BY CASEY IPPOLITO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02595/9882210-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DREAM BIG</b> If Anthony Mantha uses his size more consistently, his potential as an NHLer will skyrocket. <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01849/9882217-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="60" height="68"></div><p><b>A TOP THE QUEBEC LEAGUE</b> scoring race in early November, towering double digits above the runnerup, you&rsquo;ll find Anthony Mantha.</p><p>It&rsquo;s been a staggering statistical season for the Val d&rsquo;Or Foreurs right winger from Longueuil, Que., whom the Red Wings drafted 20th overall this past June. He was one of three major junior players to score 50 goals last season, and it appears he&rsquo;ll sleepwalk to 60 this year. Mantha&rsquo;s 20 goals and 43 points in 17 games put him on pace for 78 goals and 167 points. That would be one point shy of Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s total in his final junior season.</p><p>Mantha and Foreurs coach Mario Durocher agree, his sweltering start is thanks in part to attending Red Wings training camp. &ldquo;He learned from camp that he has to use his body a little bit more 1-on-1,&rdquo; Durocher said. &ldquo;He came here after his time in Detroit really confident and we&rsquo;re seeing the results of that.&rdquo;</p><p>Not only did Wings camp inspire the 6-foot-5, 204-pounder to tweak his game, it exposed him to the on- and off-ice habits of workhorses Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not the best players because they&rsquo;re soft,&rdquo; Mantha said. &ldquo;Those two players are always hard. They&rsquo;ve got skills, but they also work hard.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the difference. It&rsquo;s the mentality down there, being an everyday-er. It&rsquo;s being at the top of your game every day, playing and practising as well as you can, getting in the gym and giving it your all.&rdquo;</p><p>Leading up to Mantha&rsquo;s draft day, his skill was never in question. His game is built around his shot &ndash; his slapper and wrister are dangerous anywhere in the offensive zone. He knows it and tests goalies often, averaging six-plus shots per game.</p><p>He skates well for a player his size &ndash; not as swiftly as Eric Staal or Rick Nash, but he often beats defenders with his speed while protecting the puck with an exceptional wingspan. Mantha models his game after Staal, while Durocher likens him to Sean Couturier. A better comparison, though, is James Neal. Both have supple hands, elite goal scoring instincts, move well with a big frame and shoot the puck liberally.</p><p>Despite the strides Mantha has taken in using his size to create offense, his game is still plagued by the same holes scouts knocked him for leading up to the draft. One NHL scout, who ranked Mantha outside the first round, still sees problems. &ldquo;He takes the easy way out,&rdquo; the scout said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll probably score 60 goals this year, but not playing the right way.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;When it&rsquo;s not going his way, it affects him and he takes bad penalties. And when he&rsquo;s physical, it&rsquo;s for his own reasons. It&rsquo;s for his ego. Hitting players who frustrate him, but not using his size as a tool consistently. He can&rsquo;t play that way and expect to be a Red Wing.&rdquo;</p><p>Watching Mantha live on a Friday night in October against Halifax, everything the scout mentioned was on display. Mantha took a minor penalty in every period and finished minus-3. His frustration mounted after missing on several prime scoring chances. He was keyed on defensively and the extra attention took its toll. The defense finished their checks and Mantha responded with retaliatory hits that took him out of plays. He worked no harder defensively once the Foreurs surrendered the lead, but instead jumped the zone early a few times looking for passes. It was a blip of poor play in an otherwise phenomenal season, but it exposed the wrinkles he&rsquo;ll need to iron out before making the eventual leap to the NHL.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>The good news for Mantha? His weaknesses stem from immaturity and inexperience. At 19, these are issues for many top prospects. He has superior skill that can&rsquo;t be taught, whereas his bad habits can he massaged away through coaching and the natural trial and error of a player&rsquo;s maturation.</p><p>There are a few key developmental stepping stones for Mantha en route to the NHL. His coach believes he has already outgrown the &lsquo;Q&rsquo; and is ready for the American League. One of the oldest 18-year-olds in the 2013 draft, Mantha can jump to the pros next year. In the meantime, Durocher and Mantha have aspirations for the international stage. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a goal right now: it&rsquo;s Team Canada,&rdquo; Durocher said in reference to the World Junior Championship. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to try to help him get there. It&rsquo;s going to be tough to make the team. What he brings this year, he really has to show it every game. That&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s working hard to get some stats, so they have no choice.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03494/9882203-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="224" height="207"></div><h2><b>ANTHONY MANTHA</b></h2><p><b>POS</b> Right winger <b>AGE</b> 19 <b>HT</b> 6-5 <b>WT</b> 204 lbs</p><p><b>DRAFTED</b> Detroit, 20th overall in 2013<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-02

THE MAN, BUT NOT YET A MAN

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01751/9882248-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FROM PUTTS TO PICKS</b></p><p>The Original Six Pool&rsquo;s draft weekend includes two days of spirited golf competition.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MATT LARKIN)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N TORONTO, ROLLED UP AT THE ANKLES, MY BRIGHT BLUE</b>&nbsp;pants are perfectly fashionable. On the first tee of a golf course just outside Edmonton, with 13 guys? Not so much.</p><p>They tell me my pants are something Peewee Herman would wear. They treat me as one of their own &ndash; even though I&rsquo;ve known them for all of one hour.</p><p>They make up the Original Six fantasy hockey league, dating back to 1979. They&rsquo;re longtime THN readers and they&rsquo;ve invited me out west for some golf, storytelling and, of course, their annual draft.</p><p>They&rsquo;re all interesting characters I won&rsquo;t soon forget. To name just a few: Gord Metcalf is the group&rsquo;s keeper of records, accurately described in advance to me as &ldquo;midget Kenny Rogers.&rdquo; Bob Peters is the league&rsquo;s rookie and father to Warren Peters, a checking forward with 96 NHL games to his name. Jim Sharmen is the biggest THN fan of the group. Denis Rowley is the host of the draft. Apparently he&rsquo;s unrecognizable to his friends. How much weight has he lost? Fifty pounds? &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell you when I&rsquo;m done,&rdquo; he says with a twinkle in his eye. Wayne Buskas is slick and blond, like a younger Bobby Hull, and brother of former NHL D-man Rod Buskas.</p><p>Helmut Verges has multiple sclerosis and can&rsquo;t play golf anymore, but that doesn&rsquo;t stop him from riding with the group all weekend, providing analysis on every hole.</p><p>Conrad Kathol is the league villain, known for his clever trades. He&rsquo;s nicknamed &lsquo;Satan&rsquo; for his ability to tempt other GMs, though he thinks he gets a bad rap. &ldquo;People remember the trades that worked out and don&rsquo;t remember the ones that didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Kathol says.</p><p>As Sharmen explains, the league has altered its rules to contain Kathol over the years, as Kathol has cooked up schemes like drafting Evgeni Malkin a year before Malkin reached the NHL. &ldquo;They always say watch out for Conrad because he thinks outside the box,&rdquo; Sharmen says.</p><p>And then there&rsquo;s Original Six treasurer Cam Fischer. The man who first told THN the league&rsquo;s story. Shortly before we tee off, Cam pulls me aside and confesses he had a heart attack a few months ago. &ldquo;When you think you are dying and you have a nice wife who calls 911 and saves your life, you don&rsquo;t expect that you&rsquo;re ever going to make it to another pool event or any event,&rdquo; Fischer says. &ldquo;These guys are not just friends anymore. They&rsquo;re lifelong buddies. Just to be able to participate &ndash; 35 years! S--t, I haven&rsquo;t been married to my wife that long.&rdquo;</p><p>The draft is amazingly elaborate. It opens with &ldquo;official business,&rdquo; as Metcalf reads meeting minutes about rule changes and the gang holds votes.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;WE AREN&rsquo;T JUST FRIENDS. WE ARE LIFELONG BUDDIES<br>&ndash; Cam Fischer</blockquote><p>Then there is a ceremony with official trophy presentations for the regular season and playoffs. As reigning king Kathol (regular season champ, and that&rsquo;s who is acknowledged as the true big Kahuna) explains upon accepting, the league created pretty-looking trophies that can appear on mantles and not piss off the GMs&rsquo; wives.</p><p>Playoff champ Rowley accepts the Lawrence Wilkie Memorial Trophy, named after an original member who passed away. Conrad accepts the Next Dead Guy Trophy. No joke, that&rsquo;s the name of the hardware, and the next man to pass on will get his name etched on it forever.</p><p>Then the draft commences. Between selections, the only sounds are shuffling papers and pins dropping. The picks are spoken aloud, as an online draft would defeat the purpose of the whole weekend. It&rsquo;s about keeping friends together for decades, not winning. Well, maybe a little about winning.</p><p>It&rsquo;s the perfect way to run a hockey pool &ndash; and it&rsquo;s no surprise the world&rsquo;s oldest sets the standard.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IS A POOL

<div class="byline">BY ADAM KOZAK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01661/9882279-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE MARSHALL PLAN</b></p><p>Grant Marshall overcame a broken neck to win two Cups and earn a spot on CBC&rsquo;s <i>Battle of the Blades</i>.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(STEPHEN DUNN/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span></b><b>EC. 4, 1990, IS A DAY GRANT MARSHALL WILL NEVER FORGET.</b>&nbsp;He was 17 years old playing in his first season in the Ontario League with the Ottawa 67&rsquo;s when he was viciously checked from behind by Jason Young in a game against the Sudbury Wolves. The hit left him with a broken neck and temporary paralysis. In the blink of an eye, his NHL dream was put on hold. &ldquo;At that point I was so scared,&rdquo; Marshall says. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t move. My life was turned upside down.&rdquo;</p><p>Almost every doctor advised him against playing full-contact hockey, except Dr. Charles Tator, the renowned brain injury expert. Leading a normal life was in the cards, but pursuing his dream of playing in the NHL was in doubt. The news was devastating for Marshall, who grew up just outside hockey-crazy Toronto and remembers neighborhood games of road hockey and hoisting an aluminum garbage can as if it were the Stanley Cup. But he returned less than a year later and it was if he hadn&rsquo;t even left. &ldquo;My first game back in junior I went after the biggest guy on the ice: Eric Lindros,&rdquo; Marshall says. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s who I am, that&rsquo;s my nature. If I was going to pursue this dream of mine, I had to play the game the way I needed to play, with my personality. If it wasn&rsquo;t going to work out, at least I knew that I tried.&rdquo;</p><p>Try is a bit of an understatement. Marshall went on to play 700 NHL games and win two Stanley Cups. But rather than boast, Marshall feels grateful the opportunity that almost never happened. Never forgetting that cold December night 23 years ago, he&rsquo;s thankful to have had the chance to fulfill his boyhood dream, which makes exchanging a stick for a dancing partner that much more special.</p><p>After receiving a call from fellow ex-NHLer Ken Daneyko inquiring about participating in <i>Battle of the Blades</i>, it took Marshall all of eight minutes to agree to take part. The CBC reality TV show couples former NHL players with figure skaters to perform dance routines. Pairs compete to raise money for charity and Marshall knew right away which one to twirl for.</p><p>Think First is a non-profit organization, founded by the surgeon who stitched up Marshall years ago, with the aim of preventing brain and spinal-cord injuries. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something near and dear to my heart,&rdquo; Marshall says. &ldquo;For Dr. Charles Tator to be able to fix me up so I can pursue my career and my dream of playing in the NHL&hellip; I wouldn&rsquo;t be doing <i>BOTB</i> without him, so it&rsquo;s all come full circle down the road.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;MY FIRST GAME BACK IN JUNIOR I WENT AFTER THE BIGGEST GUY ON THE ICE: ERIC LINDROS<br>&ndash; Grant Marshall</blockquote><p>The season after the injury, Marshall had 83 points for the 67&rsquo;s, which impressed the Toronto Maple Leafs enough to take him 23rd overall in 1992. He was traded to Dallas in 1994 and won his first Stanley Cup with the Stars five years later. His best offensive season came with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2001-02, when he had a career-high 15 goals. The New Jersey Devils picked him up for the 2003 playoffs and Marshall scored six goals, including the series clincher in triple overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2, as the Devils went on to win their third Cup. &ldquo;To chip in six goals, it didn&rsquo;t matter,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;If I didn&rsquo;t get any goals and we win the Stanley Cup, I&rsquo;d be just as happy.&rdquo;</p><p>Who knows how Marshall&rsquo;s life would have turned out if he&rsquo;d listened to the naysayers, but it&rsquo;d be hard to imagine it being better spent than living out his NHL dream. &ldquo;Life&rsquo;s too short,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t have fun, why are you doing it?&rdquo;</p><p><b>FOR MORE TALES</b> OF PLAYERS PAST, CLICK ON <b><a href="http://THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM/BACKCHECKING">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM/BACKCHECKING</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

FOLLOWING HIS HOCKEY HEART

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01469/9882355-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="523" height="640"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DENIS BRODEUR/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><i>&ldquo;I rank among the top five Swedish NHLers in career goals and penalty minutes.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a two-time 40-goal man whose best years came in L.A. on Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s line.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i>&ldquo;I lost in the 1993 final as a King, but won the Cup in 1997 as a Detroit Red Wing.&rdquo;</i></p><p>WHO AM I: TOMAS SANDSTROM<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-01

Guess WHO!

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-02301/9882393-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="246" height="437"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT LEVY/NH LI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>DEREK DORSETT</b></h2><p>Winger fought Matt Martin three times in 19 months. Plays with Marc Staal on Broadway Blueshirts.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-03211/9882386-1-eng-US/f0048-032.jpg" title="f0048-03" width="245" height="437"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOANNE RATHE/THE BOSTON GL OBE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>MICKY WARD</b></h2><p>Boxer fought Arturo Gatti three times in 13 months. Played by Mark Wahlberg in Hollywood movie.</p><p><b>Submitted by:</b> Scott Morrison</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>

f0048-02

Separated AT BIRTH

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-04171/9882424-1-eng-US/f0048-042.jpg"></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 Claude ___ is a Flyers sniper</p><p>4 Slang for skates</p><p>9 Bans</p><p>10 Championship</p><p>11 Wrapped up</p><p>12 Jordan ___ is now a Blue</p><p>13 The most desirable Olympic medal</p><p>15 The Wild&rsquo;s ___ Cooke</p><p>18 Geraldine Heaney is third female ___ to HHOF</p><p>21 Carolina&rsquo;s Tuomo ___</p><p>23 Lars ___ is a center with the Habs</p><p>24 Philadelphia rarely loses when it plays God Bless ___</p><p>25 Audition</p><p>26 How teams travel in the minors</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Fight, drop the ___</p><p>2 Ranked</p><p>3 Unassisted</p><p>5 Release: two words</p><p>6 Known as &lsquo;Hockeytown&rsquo;</p><p>7 Reliable</p><p>8 United States Hockey League: abbr.</p><p>14 Ryan ___ is with Colorado</p><p>15 San Jose&rsquo;s Patrick ___</p><p>16 The Coyotes are known as the &lsquo;___ Dogs&rsquo;</p><p>17 Tickets</p><p>19 Finnish city that boasts an elite hockey team</p><p>20 Veteran captain Shane ___, pictured</p><p>22 Forward lines</p><p><b>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. FRASER, 4. CLARKE, 9. ANAHEIM, 10. RUN UP, 11. CHEST, 12. EYELETS, 13. WILD, 15. RASK, 18. STEVENS, 21. BUBLA, 23. ICING, 24. MARLIES, 25. TEEDER, 26. JOHNNY <b>DOWN</b> 1. FRANCE, 2. A-GAME, 3. EJECTED, 5. LORNE, 6. RANGERS, 7. EXPOSE, 8. IMPE, 14. ICE TIME, 15. ROBERTO, 16. ASSIST, 17. RAMSAY, 19. EAGLE, 20. SEMI, 22. BRIAN<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-04

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-06104/9882486-1-eng-US/f0048-062.jpg" title="f0048-06" width="676" height="668"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRAD WATSON/NHL VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The flame-snorting horse was an interesting alternate logo for Calgary, but this new third jersey offers a lot more for fans.</p><p>To start, the script &ldquo;Calgary&rdquo; logo features a cool font and a unique way of displaying it, especially when you work the miniaturized classic flaming &lsquo;C&rsquo; crest underneath. The shoulder logo, which incorporates mountains and a subtle nod to the Calgary Stampede (the font resembles  the event&rsquo;s official logo) are also an upgrade to the flags on the current primary jerseys. There&rsquo;s also a nice use of black on the shoulders.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-06

JerseyHOUND

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02335/9882517-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="899" height="1053"><figcaption class="caption-body">P.K. <b>SUBBAN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01443/9882524-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="200" height="238"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b><b>HILE TALKING TO REPORTERS</b> recently, Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban said the following: &ldquo;I just want to be the best player on the ice every night.&rdquo; Then he caught himself and recovered with: &ldquo;I just want to be the best player I can be on the ice every night.&rdquo;</p><p>All of which shows that slowly but surely, the Canadiens are succeeding in their attempts to beat Subban down and put him in his place. And it is a very, very dangerous game they are playing.</p><p>It begins with them telling Subban and goalie Carey Price, the two best and most important players on the team, that their post-game celebration has to stop because it attracts too much personal attention. And it continues to the point where Subban was sat out of key times in games, where he&rsquo;s getting less ice time than half of the defense corps and his spot on the Canadian Olympic team is in jeopardy. The fact anyone was even talking about whether or not Subban belonged among the top eight defensemen in Canada a year after winning the Norris Trophy was absurd, but the Canadiens were doing him few favors in the way they were handling him.</p><p>(Heck, even the online betting website, Bodog, got into the act, posting odds on whether Subban will be on the Olympic team and whether or not he&rsquo;ll be playing for the Canadiens in 2014-15.)</p><p>Complicating all of this is the fact Subban is scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer. It didn&rsquo;t have to be that way, of course, had the Canadiens not insisted Subban sign a two-year bridge contract after his entry-level deal expired rather than a long-term deal. That decision is now looking pretty dicey financially, but more importantly, it could end up with the Canadiens ultimately drumming their best defenseman right out of Montreal.</p><p>What if Subban decides he doesn&rsquo;t want to stay where his talents and personality are not appreciated? The Canadiens may think they&rsquo;re exerting some sense of control over Subban, but it won&rsquo;t be long before the player is firmly holding the tiller. That&rsquo;s because if Subban decides he doesn&rsquo;t want to commit long-term to the Habs, he can tell them he&rsquo;s not interested in signing a deal and will elect to take them to arbitration.</p><p>From there, the Canadiens will only have the option of choosing a one- or two-year deal, which would bring Subban into unrestricted free agency. And if Subban were to do that, he&rsquo;d be in for quite a payday. In the summer of 2011, Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators went to arbitration and was awarded $7.5 million on a one-year deal. That was a summer after he finished second in Norris Trophy voting. Subban, by comparison, won the Norris last season and will probably be a finalist again this season. That same summer, Drew Doughty signed an eight-year deal with a cap hit of $7 million and last year Alex Pietrangelo signed a seven-year deal worth $6.5 million a year, the same terms and money Erik Karlsson got after winning the Norris Trophy the summer before.</p><p>So it&rsquo;s easy to see that, if nobody signs him to an offer sheet first, Subban will get between $6.5 million and $8 million on a two-year arbitration award, which is more than the Canadiens would have had to pay had they signed him to a long-term contract coming out of his entry-level contract. But more importantly, that will give Subban only two years left before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Who knows what can happen in that time? Michel Therrien might not be the coach by then, but Subban may decide that by that time he&rsquo;s had enough of playing in Montreal and dealing with people who don&rsquo;t appreciate him.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">IT COULD END UP WITH THE CANADIENS DRUMMING THEIR BEST DEFENSEMAN RIGHT OUT OF MONTREAL</blockquote><p>The only risk Subban runs by going this route is if he suffers a career-threatening injury, he wouldn&rsquo;t have the security of a guaranteed contract. But you get the sense Subban isn&rsquo;t wired that way. He plays the game with a certain amount of risk and recklessness without much regard for his personal safety and there&rsquo;s no reason to believe he stays up at night worrying about financial security.</p><p>He probably doesn&rsquo;t worry too much about a coach and an organization that seems intent on stomping all the bravado out of him, either. You can see the Canadiens are walking a fine line here. They can&rsquo;t allow one player to become bigger than the team, but by harnessing a player such as Subban, they run the risk of diminishing the qualities that make him so dangerous and effective. Not sure about you, but I&rsquo;d want my player to want to be the best player on the ice every night. By sitting him out late in close games, you remove him from situations that he lives for and where he can make the biggest difference.</p><p>And if it ultimately results in Subban leaving Montreal in his prime, we may all look back 10 years from now and wonder exactly what it was the Canadiens were trying to accomplish.</p><p><b>CAN&rsquo;T GET ENOUGH CAMPBELL?</b> GO TO <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b> FOR DAILY UPDATES<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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December 2, 2013

NO GROUCH IN OSCAR

BIGGEST RULE CHANGE

PLUS MINUS

Behind THE MASK