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 6, 2005

The Hockey News - #5912

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012060/8687514-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TRICKS UP There were 24 hat tricks in the NHL as of Nov. 23. Through the same number of games in&rsquo;03-04, there were only 13.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1539/8687521-1-eng-US/f0010-152.jpg" title="f0010-15" width="105" height="117"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03920/8687507-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="200" height="171"></div>Todd Marchant&rsquo;s agent Lewis Gross was upset at a perceived lack of support from the union during his client&rsquo;s waiver imbroglio. (See pg. 6 for more.) &ldquo;We were very surprised we did not hear from Ted Saskin on this matter,&rdquo; Gross told The Hockey News. &ldquo;I think the leadership of the union is still there to protect the players and support the player. For a guy who has been a union rep and has supported the union, the leadership of the union to reach out to Todd, I think, would have been the appropriate thing to do.&rdquo; Saskin&rsquo;s reply: &ldquo;Lewis Gross&rsquo;s comments came as a surprise since Ian Pulver from our office has been in communication with both Todd and Lewis. Ian has always handled these type of matters for the NHLPA and we continue to review the Marchant matter.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04629/8687500-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="698" height="1389"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mario Lemieux</figcaption></div>By the way, what was Columbus GM Doug MacLean thinking when he signed Todd&nbsp;Marchant in 2003 for $19 million over six years? In nine seasons, Marchant, a solid two-way player, had one 20-goal and one 60-point season. When Chicago beat Calgary 5-2 Nov. 19, the first star should have been Hawks coach Trent Yawney. His team took eight straight minors in the first period, yet Yawney remained composed. Had he flipped, his team may have come apart. Instead, the Hawks weathered the storm and went on to win the game.Penguin fans are used to Mario Lemieux taking their breath away, but they&rsquo;re holding their breath this year. Super Mario was minus-15 after 21 games, just ahead of teammate Mark Recchi&rsquo;s league-worst minus-16. &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSSUE

SNAPSHOTS from around the NHL

<div class="byline">By PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06378/8688807-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="298" height="298"></div>After taking a detour, record-setting center Jeff Hamilton is back in Bridgeport.The 28-year-old started the season with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia before signing with the New York Islanders Nov. 15. He made his debut for the Sound Tigers Nov. 16.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled Jeff is rejoining our team,&rdquo; said coach Dave Baseggio. &ldquo;He is an elite player in the AHL.&rdquo;Hamilton played eight of 20 games for his Russian team without recording any points. He inked a two-way deal for the rest of the season with the Isles, with his American League salary below the $75,000 limit that permits him to be recalled to the NHL without clearing waivers.&ldquo;After watching some games over in Russia, talking to some people, coming back and seeing some games, it&rsquo;s a changed league,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It definitely benefits players like myself. I thought it was a pretty good opportunity to give it another chance.&rdquo;Born in Englewood, Ohio, Hamilton has spent most of his hockey life in Connecticut. He went from prep school at Avon Old Farms to Yale University and eventually to Bridgeport, where he was an AHL all-star in 2003-04. He led the league with 43 goals in 67 games, including a record 15 gamewinners that season.Hamilton had 23 goals and 52 points in 60 games last season for Hartford.<h2>RUDE WELCOME</h2>Manchester spoiled Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau&rsquo;s Nov. 12 return to the city with a 6-5 overtime win.After four years behind the Monarchs bench &ndash; and six with the parent L.A. Kings &ndash; Boudreau was fired over the summer despite a 169-118-29 record, four playoff appearances and a division title.Monarchs GM Kevin Gilmore and director of operations Hubie&nbsp;McDonough cheered loudly against Boudreau from their seats in the press box during the game.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-11214/8688800-1-eng-US/f0034-112.jpg" title="f0034-11" width="298" height="298"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-08302/8688793-1-eng-US/f0034-082.jpg" title="f0034-08" width="1173" height="1500"><figcaption class="caption-body">BACK FROM THE U.S.S.R. A veteran of three American League seasons, Jeff Hamilton is glad to back after a fruitless stint in Russia.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;To stand up and lose it in front of 8,000 people, I thought was a little overboard,&rdquo; said Boudreau to the Harrisburg Patriot-News.FAMILIAR FACE Former Binghamton Senator Pat Kavanagh helped the defending Calder Cupchampion Philadelphia Phantoms end their teamrecord nine-game losing streak. Kavanagh had a hat trick in a 5-2 home win Nov. 13, their first victory since Oct. 22. He had a team-high seven goals in 16 games after scoring 14 in all 80 games last season for Binghamton, where he planned to play this year.&ldquo;I definitely wanted to go back there,&rdquo; said Kavanagh to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. &ldquo;They just wanted to go in a different direction.&rdquo;NOTES Binghamton&rsquo;s Denis Hamel had eight points, including two game-winning goals, in a fourgame span to earn player-of-the-week honors&hellip;Assigned to Manchester by Los Angeles earlier in the month, 31-year-old Ken Belanger announced his retirement Nov. 14 without having played for the Monarchs&hellip;Portland&rsquo;s 10-4-0 start was the second-best in franchise history, behind 1994-95&rsquo;s 11-0-3 as Washington&rsquo;s affiliate. &#9632;

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Welcome back!

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05423/8688755-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="245" height="389"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Spezza</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04521/8688762-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="209" height="208"></div>4th Season in AHL Best Season 47-21-5 in&rsquo;04-05Arena Broome CountyVP Tom MitchellCoach Dave CameronAll-time Leaders(GP-G-A-Points)Jason Spezza123 54 117 171Denis Hamel158 68 77 145Antoine Vermette161 62 73 135 &#9632;

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AHL PROFILE Binghamton Senators

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011093/8689109-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01712/8689102-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="7090" height="3545"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01622/8689095-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="3322" height="1494"></div> &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

2005-06 Statistics

<div class="byline">Jason Kay</div>It&rsquo;s hard to imagine Steve Yzerman as just a blip on any radar screen, but that&rsquo;s ostensibly what happened to the Hall-of-Fame shoo-in when he voiced his opinion on the new NHL.Following a Red Wings&rsquo; overtime loss to Edmonton Nov. 17 &ndash; the team&rsquo;s third straight defeat &ndash; Yzerman issued his own minority report.&ldquo;Everybody keeps saying this is great. It&rsquo;s not great,&rdquo; Yzerman told the Detroit Free Press. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not hockey.At issue for Yzerman is the discretion he believes has been stripped from referees. He also intimated officials are being persuaded to make calls.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011978/8687140-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="533" height="800"></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll just use Mathieu Schneider&rsquo;s penalty (in the Edmonton game) as an example,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He steps up and takes his guy out, and his stick gets caught and the crowd cheers so the referee puts his hand up. There has to be some discretion. The referees have to use some judgment on what is a penalty and what is not. They&rsquo;ve taken judgment out of it and I think it&rsquo;s somewhat made it easy on the referees just to call anything, because there is no judgment.&rdquo;Damning words, (albeit during a losing streak), from a hockey icon who typically is careful about what he chooses to make public. This isn&rsquo;t a heart-on-the-sleeve guy like Jeremy Roenick or Brett Hull blowing off steam.<h2>LIFE INTERVENED</h2>After creating a ripple, Yzerman&rsquo;s rant never became a flood thanks mainly to life intervening. Steve Larmer dropped his NHLPA bombshell and Jiri Fischer horrifyingly dropped from the Detroit bench. Naturally, those stories took precedence.But it&rsquo;s important Yzerman&rsquo;s message isn&rsquo;t lost. Whether you agree with his assessment, his voice needs to be heard; we need dissenters. Too often in the old NHL, the players were dismissed by the league and its Pollyanic spin-doctoring. Nothing ever was wrong. That type of myopic thinking held the game back.Now open your mouth and criticize the NHL (see Sean Avery) and you&rsquo;re subject to a $1,000 fine. Yzerman escaped with a warning.In this instance, we happen to mostly disagree with Yzerman. We believe it&rsquo;s important referees aren&rsquo;t &ldquo;blessed&rdquo; with too much discretion because that&rsquo;s when the crackdown erosion begins. The grey area needs to be just wide enough to weed out the divers, but should end there. The rules interpretation must remain narrow or we&rsquo;ll all head back down that baby-oil slippery slope.A majority of players also likes the direction the new NHL has taken, based on the results of our previous issue&rsquo;s Player Poll. More than 85 per cent of the NHLers we questioned said the product is significantly better than the one we saw in 2003-04.But we also firmly believe it&rsquo;s important for the athletes, especially those of Yzerman&rsquo;s ilk, to speak their minds, whether it&rsquo;s to the public via the media or to the competition committee or directly to commissioner Gary Bettman. As much as we like the direction the game is taking, we can&rsquo;t afford to let complacency to poison the pot again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031353/8687133-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="503" height="269"></div> &#9632;

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Dissenters allowed

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021661/8687171-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="651" height="981"><figcaption class="caption-body">King Kong</figcaption></div><h2>Going ape, Fedoruk style</h2>Anaheim&rsquo;s Todd Fedoruk got the big thumbs down for his vigilante style hit on Phoenix&rsquo;s Petr Nedved. It&rsquo;s the Bertuzzi mentality with a twist &ndash; let&rsquo;s maim a teammate of the guy you&rsquo;re pissed at. Never mind Denis Gauthier&rsquo;s initial check on Joffrey Lupul was deemed clean by the refs (and by us). Editor Jason Kay questioned Fedoruk&rsquo;s post-game comments about &ldquo;a guy out there with a visor on running around like he&rsquo;s King Kong.&rdquo; Nobody could recall the Kong flick in which the ape had facial protection. More to the point, guys with visors, like Gauthier, aren&rsquo;t off-limits. They can be cleanly nailed and have been for years. It&rsquo;s not like hitting somebody with glasses. Come to think of it, they&rsquo;re fair game, too. Just ask the Hansons. &#9632;

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IN THE NEWSROOM

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03924/8687240-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="800" height="800"></div><h2>THE RULES</h2>OBSTRUCTION CREEPING BACK? My friend and I believe NHL referees are starting to become lackadaisical towards obstruction again.In a recent game, Derian Hatcher struck Sidney Crosby in the mouth twice with his stick and never got a penalty either time. In fact, Crosby got an unsportsmanlike penalty!That says to me the NHL has learned nothing from its past. They&rsquo;ve been talking all the talk about promoting their stars, but if they are so concerned about them, why won&rsquo;t they penalize players for hacking their stars in the mouth?Do they want Sidney Crosby to end up looking like Theo Fleury? This is how the game is promoted now?Morley Deters, Regina, Sask.&lsquo;CRACKDOWN&rsquo; NOT WORKING?I&rsquo;ve been holding off sending this letter since the first week of the season, hoping the parade to the penalty box would end, and that something resembling contact would return. Sadly, it hasn&rsquo;t.This hockey addict, who has played for 40 years and could never find enough hockey to watch, can&rsquo;t stomach watching the NHL anymore. I keep hoping it will change; I tune in for a few minutes, then turn it off because it is too painful to watch.Does the NHL see what it has done to the best game in the world?Mike Braun, Somerset, N.J.GREENBERG, CLARKE WRONGI commend the NHL for its changes. So I have to shake my head after reading articles like Jay Greenberg&rsquo;s &ldquo;Too Easy To Score&rdquo;. (THN, Nov 8)Greenberg uses the words of Bob Clarke to help make his point. This is a guy who is most famous for breaking Valeri Kharlamov&rsquo;s ankle in the &lsquo;72 Summit Series.I&rsquo;m not interested in what people like Clarke have to say about the changes to the game. I'm interested in seeing the skill, speed and finesse this great game has to offer.Most of the games this season have been very exciting. Hockey played the way Bob Clarke thinks it should be played is boring &ndash; just like the NHL has been for the last decade.Ed Vanderwoude, Hamilton, Ont.<h2>FISCHER&rsquo;S FRIENDS</h2>WINGS TEAMMATES A BIG HELPAs as hockey fan who was at the game where Red Wing Jiri Fischer collapsed, I tip my hat to Brendan Shanahan, Robert Lang, Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper, who all aided their fallen teammate and friend without hesitation.The actions of Fischer&rsquo;s team-mates may have helped saved his life. Great job boys &ndash; you make me proud to be a hockey fan. Your actions didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed.Randy Simpraga, Windsor, Ont.<h2>THE CROSBY SHOW</h2>SUCK IT UP, SIDNEYI jumped out of my chair when I realized the Penguins would get Sidney Crosby. However, the more I see of the rookie, the less I think of him.Crosby is showing that, for all his skills, he has much to learn. Positive adjustments in his attitude would take him a long way, both with players and officials.Crosby&rsquo;s talent is real, but the penalties he continues to draw by questionable means aren't. I hope the NHL has enough courage to stand up to a player it has coddled so greatly.Sofie Rhoads, Philadelphia&lsquo;THE NEXT ONE&rsquo;? BAH!You hockey writers had me excited about Sidney Crosby. He is fun to watch, exciting, and very talented. Is he &ldquo;the next Wayne Gretzky?&rdquo; No.It seems the NHL&rsquo;s marketing folks had you guys hook, line, and sinker when they sold this guy as the "Next Great One."Are we trying too hard to find the next Wayne Gretzky? Are we willing to place this label on any player that looks as great as Eric Lindros prior to his rookie year?Dr. Jay Hassenfratz, Buffalo<h2>THE HOCKEY NEWS RESPONDS</h2>While we certainly understand your sentiments, Dr. Jay, the hype around Crosby is justified.Scouts have been following him for years, raving about his rare sense of vision for the game. He may not be rewriting the record books just yet, but remember, he&rsquo;s just 18.Crosby may not wind up as the next one, but nobody believes he&rsquo;ll be &ldquo;The Next Flop&rdquo;, either.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011985/8687233-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="617" height="941"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sidney Crosby</figcaption></div><h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>New NHL a Runaway SuccessThe NHL has finally got its act together. The new rules have definitely brought the game back to its heyday as the sport of speed and excitement.The Nov. 16 game between the Flyers and the Penguins was the best I have seen in years. (And this from an &ldquo;old fogie&rdquo; Bruins fan.) And Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s breakaway goal in overtime was the icing on the cake.Over the last few years the league was getting boring with all the clutching and grabbing. One would fall asleep before the end of the first period, but those days are gone.Keep up the great work, ensure the new rules are enforced, and the future will be bright!Ralph Riddle, Williamsburg, Va.<h2>GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?</h2>CANADA Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Avenue West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7USA Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947E-MAIL <a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a>WEB <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a>Include your name, hometown, & province/state. Submissions will be edited.<h2>POLL RESULTS</h2><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a>Who is tops in this year&rsquo;s rookie class?Sidney Crosby 46.2%Alexander Ovechkin 23.8%Dion Phaneuf 20.3%Henrik Lundqvist 3.6%Alexander Steen 2.3%Jason LaBarbera 1.3%Andrej Meszaros 1.0%Ryan Miller 0.6%Pavel Vorobiev 0.5%Thomas Vanek 0.4%<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021418/8687226-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="370" height="209"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dion Phaneuf(PHANEUF: ROBERT LABERGE/GETTY IMAGES; CROSBY: NICK LAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Letters

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div>If we believe everything played out just the way Anaheim GM Brian Burke and Columbus GM Doug MacLean say it did &ndash; and who are we to assume otherwise? &ndash; we are left to conclude their understanding of the new CBA is in tip-top shape. Both men got exactly what they wanted out of a ticklish situation.MacLean, six days after acquiring Sergei Fedorov in a trade with the Ducks, was able to unload Marchant&rsquo;s unwieldy contract, with three years left after this season at an average of $2.5 million per year. Burke, meanwhile, landed a player the Ducks &ldquo;have wanted&hellip;for some time&rdquo; five days after passing on Marchant when he was put on waivers the first time, the day after the Fedorov trade.Marchant&rsquo;s name came up in trade talks around the Fedorov deal, but things stalled when MacLean asked Marchant for a blanket waive of his no-trade clause for all 29 teams. Having just signed with Columbus in the summer of 2003, Marchant refused. (Go figure.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021439/8687292-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="241" height="273"></div>Burke and MacLean have insisted in public and in private to the NHL there was never any agreement as part of the Fedorov trade that Anaheim would pick up Marchant if Columbus put him on waivers. Any such agreement would be illegal under the CBA and would ostensibly subject both teams to hefty fines. So here&rsquo;s the $2.5-million question: why did Burke wait the first time Marchant was on waivers? What changed in those five days? The popular thinking is Burke wanted to see if MacLean would send Marchant to the minors and then recall him, thereby making him available to any team at half-price under the CBA&rsquo;s re-entry rule. In that case, Anaheim could have put in a claim and Columbus and the Ducks would have split Marchant&rsquo;s contract and cap space for the length of his deal.Problem is, Anaheim probably wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten Marchant under that scenario &ndash; and Burke knew it. Waiver rules give first priority to the worst teams in the standings. At the time, St. Louis, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Florida and Pittsburgh all would have had a crack before Anaheim, and only Atlanta would have struggled to take a $1.25-million cap hit. Marchant surely would have been snapped up by one of those teams.Could it be as simple as Burke deciding, after two more Duck losses to Colorado and Vancouver in the interim, that his team needed to do something to try to stop the bleeding, even at a steep price?It&rsquo;s possible&hellip;though Burke has never been accused of indecision&hellip;Of this much, however, we can be entirely sure: the entire new-NHL-world scenario is one that Marchant, the not-so-proud owner of one now worthless no-trade clause, never saw coming.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012199/8687285-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="1923" height="2530"><figcaption class="caption-body">Todd Marchant</figcaption></div>.451<h2>TAKE IT EASY</h2>Weighted winning percentage of Detroit&rsquo;s opponents through 23 games. Think the six games against St. Louis and Columbus helped?0<h2>NORTHERN RUSH</h2>Years that all six Canadian teams made the playoffs. As of late November, this season is projected to be the first to change that stat.13<h2>WILD, WILD WEST</h2>Players moved via trades or waivers by the Phoenix Coyotes so far this season. Hey Dogs, calm down. It&rsquo;s not even winter yet.<h2>HOT STUFF</h2>Who&rsquo;s having the best year nobody knows about? Why, that would be Los Angeles Kings third-year winger Alexander Frolov, on pace for a 45-goal, 104-point season and a plus-48 rating. J.R. who?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03837/8687278-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="390" height="279"></div><h2>NOT ENOUGH</h2>The future of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim has become the present of the Portland Pirates. Unproductive in the bigs, rookie forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were sent to the AHL to get more ice time.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04511/8687271-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="267" height="252"><figcaption class="caption-body">(GLENN JAMES/SPORTS ACTION LEFT: SHELLY CASTELLANO; RIGHT: STEVE BABINEAU: SPORTS ACTION)</figcaption></div><h2>LIFE&rsquo;S TOUGH</h2>Just when Joe Thornton is finally having a terrific individual season and receiving plaudits from the Beantown press, his team goes into the dumper. Ah, well, there&rsquo;s always the Olympics. &#9632;

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Wacky waivers

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012090/8687330-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="742" height="433"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s first contract with Edmonton was signed on his 18th birthday.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05400/8687337-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="105" height="117"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>GRETZKY CONTRACT ON THE MARKET</h2>Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s first pro contract with the Edmonton Oilers is expected to fetch $25,000 in an auction on <a href="http://Lelands.com">Lelands.com</a>. The 10-year pact was signed on his 18th birthday, Jan. 26, 1979 when the Oilers were still in the defunct World Hockey Association. &ldquo;I equate (the contract) to Babe Ruth&rsquo;s sale to the New York Yankees,&rdquo; Lelands president Michael Heffner told the Globe and Mail. &ldquo;This is the deal that put hockey and the city of Edmonton on the map.&rdquo;<h2>TV RATINGS BY THE NUMBERS</h2>The NHL had an average audience of 231,000 in games broadcast in the U.S. on OLN through Nov. 22. That&rsquo;s down from ESPN&rsquo;s average of 476,000 in 2003-04, but better than ESPN2&rsquo;s figure of 196,000 in the same period. OLN reaches about 65 million homes, fewer than the approximately 90 million reached by each of the two ESPN stations. In Canada, TSN reported an average audience of 623,000 per game, up from 276,000 in 2003-04. On CBC, Hockey Night in Canada was averaging 1.6 million viewers for the early game and about 1.0 million for the late game. In 2003-04, CBC averaged 1.3 million and 823,000, respectively.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021557/8687323-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="470" height="399"><figcaption class="caption-body">John Hanna</figcaption></div><h2>CANCER CLAIMS HANNA</h2>Former NHL defenseman John Hanna died of cancer at age 70. The Sydney, N.S., native played 198 NHL games over five seasons with the New York Rangers, Montreal and Philadelphia, scoring six goals and 32 points. Hanna also played in the WHA with Cleveland and minor pro in Providence, Springfield, Quebec, Seattle and Jacksonville.<h2>A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT</h2>An offer to buy the New York Rangers and NBA Knicks is three months late and about $100 million short, according to one industry analyst. A Cablevision spokesman, the media conglomerate that owns the teams and Madison Square Garden, confirmed the $700-million offer from financier Russell Glass, but said it wasn&rsquo;t taken seriously. The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 22 that the offer was received and rejected in mid-October.<h2>VAN MASSENHOVEN RECOVERING</h2>Nobody can blame Don Van Massenhoven for putting his whistle away now. The 45-year-old referee endured seven hours of reconstructive facial surgery after being struck by a puck during a game between New Jersey and Florida in Sunrise, Fla., Nov. 23. Panther team physicians took Van Massenhoven to a hospital near Fort Lauderdale to perform the surgery. One game prior to being hit with the puck, Van Massenhoven was in Detroit calling the game which saw defenseman Jiri Fischer suffer a seizure. &#9632;

f0008-01

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031088/8687375-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Robert Lang and Kris Draper anxiously watch over Jiri Fischer.</figcaption></div>An automated external defibrillator (AED) is about the size of a laptop computer, costs a couple thousand dollars &ndash; and should be located in every sporting venue, according to the doctor who used one to save the life of Detroit defenseman Jiri Fischer.When Fischer suffered a seizure and went into convulsions on the bench during a game at Joe Louis Arena Nov. 21, a quick response by medical personnel was crucial. Fischer&rsquo;s heart had stopped and he had no pulse.Wings team physician Tony Colucci said it was important he was seated nearby in the stands and had immediate access to an AED monitor. The device can check a person&rsquo;s heart rhythm and recognize a rhythm that requires a shock. It can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed and what steps to take through voice prompts.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04573/8687368-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="286" height="445"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jiri Fischer</figcaption></div>Fischer, 25, was hospitalized for two days, undergoing a battery of tests, before being sent home Nov. 23. Doctors had not immediately discovered the cause of the seizure. Fischer was diagnosed with an enlarged heart during training camp in 2002.Doctors and Wings management said it was too soon to determine whether Fischer can ever play again.The incident occurred in the first period, after Fischer returned to the bench and collapsed onto D-man Brett Lebda. That&rsquo;s when Wings trainer Piet Van Zant jumped on the scene and motioned for Colucci, who began CPR.The game against Nashville was postponed and will be rescheduled. &#9632;

f0008-03

Fischer awaits medical advice

<h3>THIS WEEK WE ASKED OURSELVES</h3><h2>Who are the biggest &lsquo;small guys&rsquo;&nbsp;in the NHL?</h2>(under 5-10)<h3>10 TEN</h3>Gary Bettman A crafty digger along the board(room)s, he&rsquo;s also an adept trash-talker.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-06319/8687469-1-eng-US/f0008-062.jpg" title="f0008-06" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>9 NINE</h3>Francis Bouillon At 5-foot-8, he&rsquo;s 8-10 inches shorter than many of his union brother defenders.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-07237/8687462-1-eng-US/f0008-072.jpg" title="f0008-07" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>8 EIGHT</h3>Sergei Samsonov The stocky 5-foot-8er as productive as ever &ndash; obstruction crackdown or not.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-08192/8687455-1-eng-US/f0008-082.jpg" title="f0008-08" width="194" height="220"></div><h3>7 SEVEN</h3>Lubomir Visnovsky Keep putting up stats like that and Kings won&rsquo;t care if he&rsquo;s 4-foot-10.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-09155/8687448-1-eng-US/f0008-092.jpg" title="f0008-09" width="194" height="220"></div><h3>6 SIX</h3>Steve Sullivan Has played more than 600 NHL games &ndash; all of them at under 5-foot-9.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-10131/8687441-1-eng-US/f0008-102.jpg" title="f0008-10" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>5 FIVE</h3>Marc Savard We&rsquo;d love to see what the 5-foot-9ish playmaker can do in 82 healthy games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-11116/8687434-1-eng-US/f0008-112.jpg" title="f0008-11" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>4 FOUR</h3>Daniel Briere Listed at 5-foot-10, but we&rsquo;ll bet a paycheck crafty Sabre is smaller than that.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1291/8687427-1-eng-US/f0008-122.jpg" title="f0008-12" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>3 THREE</h3>Martin St-Louis Defending NHL MVP put nails in the coffin of last dinosaur who said &ldquo;size matters&rdquo;.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1376/8687420-1-eng-US/f0008-132.jpg" title="f0008-13" width="194" height="221"></div><h3>2 TWO</h3>Andrew Ference Pint-sized defender plays with more gusto and courage than many 6-foot-4ers.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1455/8687413-1-eng-US/f0008-142.jpg" title="f0008-14" width="194" height="220"></div><h3>1 ONE</h3>Brian Gionta Five-foot-7 and playing big, he&rsquo;s on pace to match three-year total of 65 points.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-1535/8687406-1-eng-US/f0008-152.jpg" title="f0008-15" width="194" height="220"><figcaption class="caption-body">(TOP: CP IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0008-06

COUNTDOWN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div>Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Mike Gartner&rsquo;s office when Steve Larmer decided to defect.Reaction to Larmer&rsquo;s scathing attack on NHL Players&rsquo; Association head Ted Saskin and the rest of the union leadership was, for the most part, predictable. Saskin issued a statement saying Larmer &ldquo;has not received accurate information&rdquo; and that he had never discussed or articulated his concerns internally. NHLPA president Trevor Linden said while he respects Larmer, &ldquo;I certainly disagree with what he had to say. And I found it insulting as well.&rdquo;Those on the other side cheered, pointed to Larmer as a man of character and integrity, a 15-year NHLer and dedicated seven-year union man as the NHLPA&rsquo;s head of player relations who felt he had no recourse but to quit given the sordid events of recent months.On his dissident website, former executive member Trent Klatt said he completely agreed with Larmer&rsquo;s letter. (Klatt retired in September.) Among Larmer&rsquo;s more incendiary statements was the claim that &ldquo;this organization has taken a giant step backwards, back to the days of (Alan) Eagleson where a select few made decisions for the group&hellip;&rdquo; (Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for full text of Larmer&rsquo;s letter.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05458/8687559-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="257" height="396"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ted Saskin</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We are not going away,&rdquo; said Chris Chelios to the Toronto Star, a day before the U.S. National Labor Relations Board heard a legal complaint against Saskin and Co. that had been brought forward by a group of 27 NHLers. &ldquo;If it takes us getting 400 players on board so that the union has to pay our legal bills, we will do that.&rdquo;But from Gartner, nothing. He declined an interview request from The Hockey News and hasn&rsquo;t spoken publicly since Larmer left.Gartner and Larmer are friends who have spent many hours together in recent years on far-flung trips to hand out equipment as part of the Goals and Dreams Fund. If Larmer is &ldquo;respected,&rdquo; as so many put it, it must be doubly so for the squeaky clean Gartner, the union director of business relations who has looked out for players&rsquo; interests since he sat beside Bob Goodenow as NHLPA president in the early 1990s. Yes, his silence speaks volumes; what it says, we&rsquo;re not sure.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06351/8687552-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="379" height="551"></div><h2>QUOTE of the WEEK</h2><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a murmur, you can hear it&hellip;They&rsquo;re expecting things to happen, and things do happen.&rdquo; &ndash; Washington GM George McPhee, on the buzz in the crowd whenever rookie Alexander Ovechkin has the puck</blockquote> &#9632;

f0010-05

Larmer’s letter blow to union

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021478/8687590-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="534" height="634"><figcaption class="caption-body">(STEVE BABINEAU/SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div>CHARLTON CARSCALLEN, FROM HAWKESTONE, ONT., ASKS With the new NHL style, is the role of stay-at-home defenseman gone?&ldquo;Every team needs some defensive defensemen&hellip;you need a good mix. You need penaltykillers, so there is always room for the stay-at-home guy.&rdquo;MIKE O&rsquo;TOOLE, FROM TORONTO, ASKS At the start of the season the refs called everything. Do you think they&rsquo;ll loosen the reins? And how hard has it been to adjust?&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been hard to adjust, for sure! But I think we&rsquo;ve got the hang of it now. As long as they stay consistent, no one will complain.&rdquo;RYAN O&rsquo;CONNOR, FROM HAMILTON, ASKS What advice do you have for a minor bantam defenseman who wants to get to your level?&ldquo;Just work hard and enjoy yourself. I still love to come to the rink every day.&rdquo;MELISSA GYSSELS, FROM CHATHAM, ONT., ASKS Who did you idolize growing up?&ldquo;Chris Chelios, Scott Stevens and Ray Bourque. They&rsquo;ll be Hall of Famers. All of them.&rdquo;MATTHEW HAYASHIDA, FROM ABBOTSFORD, B.C., ASKS Why do you change your hairstyle so much? And can you give me some tips?&ldquo;(Laughing) My wife gives me my hairstyle ideas. But now I&rsquo;m going bald, so there won&rsquo;t be too many more new ones.&rdquo;VISIT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS OF NHL STARS! &#9632;

f0010-02

FAN SHOOTOUT WITH Bryan McCabe

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021302/8687635-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="447" height="203"></div>Q WE ASKED 30 NHL PLAYERSWhat&rsquo;s your opinion on the shootout?<h2>TOP VOTE GETTERS</h2>LIKE IT 70%DON&rsquo;T LIKE 20%INDIFFERENT 10%<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03869/8687628-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="561" height="986"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jocelyn Thibault (THIBAULT: SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-05521/8687621-1-eng-US/f0011-052.jpg" title="f0011-05" width="772" height="673"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marc Denis (DENIS: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>LIKE IT! 70%The majority of NHL players would rather see tie games settled by a shootout than settle for a draw.&ldquo;I like it &ndash; actually, I love it,&rdquo; said Phoenix&rsquo;s Tyson Nash of the goalie-vs.-shooter format.Said Anaheim&rsquo;s Andy McDonald: &ldquo;Originally I didn&rsquo;t like it because it took away from hockey being a team game. But I see what it has done for the fans in terms of making it more exciting for fans.&rdquo;Added Columbus goalie Marc Denis: &ldquo;I like it. Put it this way, when was the last time you saw a fan sitting down during the shootout?&rdquo;Some who don&rsquo;t care for the shootout still thought it had its place in the game. &ldquo;Personally I don&rsquo;t like it, but it&rsquo;s good for the NHL,&rdquo; said Pittsburgh goalie Jocelyn Thibault.Said Boston goalie Andrew Raycroft: &ldquo;I like it. I mean, I don&rsquo;t like it, but I like it. I don&rsquo;t personally like it, but it&rsquo;s good for hockey&hellip;It&rsquo;s getting on ESPN, that&rsquo;s what matters now.&rdquo;But, some will never be converted. &ldquo;It puts too much pressure on the goalie,&rdquo; said Detroit netminder Manny Legace. &#9632;

f0011-02

Player Poll

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-04665/8687666-1-eng-US/f0011-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TWO-SHOT J.R.? Jeremy Roenick celebrates after scoring a controversial game-winner in a shootout against Nashville. (ROENICK: NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>When the shootout was introduced, nobody thought to add a rulebook provision giving referees the right to use video review on contested rebound goals. The oversight went unnoticed until Jeremy Roenick&rsquo;s shootout goal against Nashville Nov. 5. Replays showed Roenick actually scored on a rebound, but the goal stood up and the Kings won the game.In light of the controversy, the NHL&rsquo;s Competition Committee went into action. Phone lines heated up between league vice-president Colin Campbell and the GMs on the committee (David Poile, Don Waddell, Kevin Lowe). An e-mail network coordinated by Mike Gartner in the NHL Players&rsquo; Association office was going full force. Everybody agreed the rule needed to be changed.Likely within a matter of weeks, if not sooner, it will be. Sources say the committee has signed off on the change and an announcement from the NHL is expected soon, possibly before the board of governors meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., Dec. 14-15. The eight-person committee is made up of NHL players Rob Blake, Martin Brodeur, Jarome Iginla and Trevor Linden; the GMs; and, Philadelphia owner Ed Snider. Campbell and Gartner are non-voting members. The group held one conference call before the season and is expected to do so again prior to the governors&rsquo; meeting.Blake said players are always approaching him with comments and suggestions for improvement, which he can then take back to the committee. &ldquo;You get feedback from everyone and that&rsquo;s the most important point,&rdquo; he said.As far as getting player input, Blake said, &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s definitely a step in the right direction.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0011-04

Shootout videos

Ted Saskin messed up. Trevor Linden messed up. So did others on the NHLPA executive who pushed last summer to fast-track Saskin as Bob Goodenow&rsquo;s replacement and to approve Saskin&rsquo;s contract without a vote of team reps, as is specified by the union constitution.Saskin and Linden messed up in more ways than one. Linden&rsquo;s decision to set Saskin&rsquo;s salary on the basis of information provided by Saskin himself was not either man&rsquo;s finest hour. Many players were galled that Saskin was awarded $2 million annually, the same salary Goodenow earned minus 24 per cent. Goodenow put in 15 years and oversaw a period of unprecedented salary escalation; shouldn&rsquo;t Saskin have to work his way up to Goodenow&rsquo;s heights?Saskin&rsquo;s attempts at damage control have been lacking. Some players asking questions about Saskin&rsquo;s appointment and how things are going to be fixed aren&rsquo;t happy with the answers they&rsquo;re getting. By temporarily stepping down or accepting an &ldquo;interim&rdquo; label, Saskin would have done much to quell the dissent.It&rsquo;s understandable how some of the initial mistakes happened. Linden and Saskin had been working closely on the CBA for many months. Their trust was mutual and complete. Sometimes people tend to operate on auto-pilot and not follow rules when they&rsquo;re stressed and overtired and fed up&hellip;not that hockey players who routinely do stupid things on the ice and get suspended for them would know anything about that.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012003/8687704-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="622" height="662"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">(The players) lost. Get over it&hellip; Ted Saskin and Trevor Linden are not the only ones to blame for that.</blockquote>But players should be free to express their anger on the Saskin front. If they want to speak out, fine. If they want to pursue matters at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, fine. Do what you&rsquo;ve got to do, boys, as long as it includes having the courage to look in the mirror, because the instant players or agents start rehashing the CBA is the moment this movement turns ridiculous.You lost. Get over it. Those of you who bothered to vote were 87 per cent in favor of this deal.Yes, the deal included a salary cap. Yes, you said you&rsquo;d never accept one. But you did. It&rsquo;s not the first time a union has would up with egg on its face. Ted Saskin and Trevor Linden are not the only ones to blame for that. You&rsquo;re back playing hockey. Be happy about that. Everyone else is. If players are looking to assign blame for the CBA, start at Goodenow and his &ldquo;brilliant negotiating strategy,&rdquo; as maverick agent Ritch Winter put it, for miscalculating so badly in the first place. NHLers are to blame, too, for following blindly or making the same mistake. And now Winter wants to know who authorized Linden to pursue a salary cap, as if this was the greatest crime?Please. Enough with the revisionist history.<h2>Elston</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021571/8687697-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1136" height="1536"></div> &#9632;

f0012-01

Maybe mirror would help?

<div class="byline">David J. Neal</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011816/8687763-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Stephen WeissFlorida Panthers</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-05603/8687756-1-eng-US/f0013-052.jpg" title="f0013-05" width="233" height="281"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVID J. NEALGuest Columnist</figcaption></div>The morning of Thanksgiving Eve, a corpse lay on the floor of the Southeast Division. It didn&rsquo;t have a familiar face because we often don&rsquo;t recognize what we aren&rsquo;t prepared to see.And who expected to look down here and see Florida Panthers, a team seemingly too young and vigorous to die at this point in the season?Let&rsquo;s play an NHL version of Clue to determine who is responsible for the Panthers being down there.Suspect No. 1:&nbsp;General Keenan&hellip; on the roster&hellip;with free agent decisions.The Panthers needed leadership and grit. But GM Mike Keenan once again reached too far back into the past to get it. Among the 30-something cast signed by Keenan, only grinder Martin Gelinas can claim consistent presence and production at expected levels. Otherwise?As some complimented Keenan for signing 39-year-old forwards Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk to twin, two-year $4.5 million deals, others &ndash; including some high in the Panthers organization &ndash; gasped.Not surprisingly, old muscles mothballed for a year didn&rsquo;t restart smoothly. Groin injuries hampered Roberts aside from the five games he missed. Nieuwendyk, who figured to help on faceoffs, missed more than a month with back spasms.Chris Gratton, 30, had hip flexor and groin problems. He missed five games and had trouble getting up to speed. Alexander Karpovtsev, 35, showed up more bloated than Alexandre Daigle&rsquo;s first contract. After 20 games, 33-year-old center Jozef Stumpel had as many healthy scratches as goals &ndash; one each.Suspect No. 2:&nbsp;Coach Jacques Martin&hellip;on the ice&hellip;with his defensive manacles.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021273/8687749-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="242" height="377"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Keenan</figcaption></div> Daimler-Chrysler. AOL-Time Warner. Martin-Panthers-Current NHL. Some mergers just don&rsquo;t work.Under GM Rick Dudley, the Panthers were being built for speed, skill and aggression. What they needed were the defensive fundamentals Martin could provide.But Martin&rsquo;s defensive obsession has tended to siphon swashbuckling creativity. Instead of jumping whole hog into the newfangled let-it-allhang-out NHL and occasionally playing to outscore, the Panthers too often fence cautiously in games decided by a late goal or special teams, not a Florida strong point.Suspect No. 3:&nbsp;Owner Alan Cohen&hellip;in the front office&hellip;with his love of star names.Who do you think dumped Rick Dudley and interim coach John Torchetti in May 2004 for Keenan and Martin? Dudley is a good talent evaluator who isn&rsquo;t married to an era past. Torchetti would have embraced the new NHL.Suspect No. 4:&nbsp;The injury bug&hellip; on the ice&hellip;with many stings.Having leading goal-scorer Nathan Horton, two-way rookie talent Rostislav Olesz and fast and powerful Anthony Stewart on the injury list helped take the bass out of the Panthers&rsquo; beat.On defense, when Branislav Mezei suffered his fourth serious injury in three NHL seasons, the Panthers were forced to play Eric Cairns (last seen fumbling a playoff game to Tampa Bay) or, worse, Karpovtsev.Suspect No. 5:&nbsp;Hurricane Wilma&hellip; in the head&hellip;with 100 m.p.h. winds.Imagine being on a business trip while your wife was back home in a house, where the only energy was flowed from your young kids. An act of God has blown your modern suburban development back in time to an era predating stoplights, gas and electricity. With all this happening 1,000 miles away to the people you feel you should be taking care of, you have to do your job better than your competition does his.Who did it? All of them. Unlike Oswald, none of them acted alone. They comprise one big, imperfect storm. And the clouds continue to hang over the Panthers.David J. Neal is a columnist for the Miami Herald<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03932/8687742-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="490" height="600"><figcaption class="caption-body">SLIM PICKINGS Florida is again at the bottom of the NHL food chain. Here is their overall ranking the past five years. (LEN REDKOLES/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-04769/8687735-1-eng-US/f0013-042.jpg" title="f0013-04" width="617" height="797"></div> &#9632;

f0013-01

Panthers are clueless

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY </div><div class="byline">Senior Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011980/8687815-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">STARTING SHOCK Mathieu Garon couldn&rsquo;t have believed he would lose a four-goal lead in L.A.&rsquo;s first game. It was a rude welcome to the new NHL. (RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>You knew there was something radically different about the NHL on opening night.That was the night hockey fans were re-introduced to something they had not witnessed for a long, long time: the comeback.Not the comeback from a greedinfested year-long lockout. It was an honest-to-goodness comeback in a game on the ice.Comebacks were dangerously close to extinction in the old NHL. But on this glorious evening, the Los Angeles Kings jumped to a 4-0 first period lead and appeared well on their way to opening the season with a victory.Two years earlier, in the clutchand-grab era, the Kings would have gone into a defensive mode and choked the life out of the Stars.Not this season, though.The Stars clawed back with three goals in the second period, tied it at 10:13 of the third and sealed a victory when defenseman Philippe Boucher connected with 4:36 remaining in regulation time.&ldquo;There were a lot of bad words coming out of my mouth followed by, &lsquo;Are you kidding me?&rsquo;&rdquo; recalled Dallas coach Dave Tippett. &ldquo;Three of their first shots went in. I thought about pulling (Marty Turco), but decided not to because it was the first game of the year. Between periods, I told the guys, &lsquo;Hey, this isn&rsquo;t who we are. Let&rsquo;s go out and show them who we really are.&rsquo; We challenged each other and came out and started skating. If you can skate and get momentum in the game, the chances are you are going to get power plays. That&rsquo;s exactly what happened. Our power play got us back in the game.&rdquo;Four times in the first quarter, teams won games after trailing by three or more goals. Pittsburgh fell behind 4-0 in the first period to Atlanta Oct. 27, but scored seven straight goals in a 7-5 win. Colorado blew three-goal leads Oct. 12 and again seven nights later, in 5-4 losses to Washington and Los Angeles.The new NHL is more wide open on most nights as the league has made a distinct effort to eliminate fouls on the puck-carrier. It has led to more penalties, more power plays and more goals. Not everybody likes it, but the majority of fans were digging the fact the best players now have license to dipsy-doodle without being lassoed to the ice.You think Jason Spezza would have been able to go unmolested to the net to bag the winner against Montreal Oct. 27 in the old NHL? Not a chance. Spezza cut to the net from the right boards, slipped the puck between defenseman Sheldon Souray&rsquo;s legs, deked goalie Jose Theodore and roofed a backhander at 2:48 of overtime.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m the opposing coach, but I&rsquo;ll tell you, that was a great goal,&rdquo; said Montreal&rsquo;s Claude Julien.As talented as hotshot freshmen Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine them putting up the numbers they did in the first quarter while fighting through the neutral-zone trap and being mauled all the way to the net.Scoring is way, way up. Philadelphia&rsquo;s Peter Forsberg was leading the NHL in scoring with 36 points through 19 games and was on pace to score a whopping 155 points. Linemate Simon Gagne was on pace to score 86 goals.When we last watched NHL hockey, Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Martin St-Louis led the NHL with 94 points while three players tied for the goal lead with 41.Not all is perfect, however. Some believe hitting and physical battles have been wiped out in the new NHL. With a clearer path to the net, crease crashing has risen exponentially. And, as hard as director of officiating Stephen Walkom has worked to make sure the standard for calling obstruction remains high, there have been occasional periods where it has slipped. It remains a work in progress.Overall, though, the NHL&rsquo;s game is much improved. Here&rsquo;s a review of the first quarter:<h2>SCORING: UP, UP & AWAY!</h2>There was an average of 6.32 goals per game scored through the first 311 games this season. That total includes 13 game-winning goals in shootouts (that are not attributed to individuals). Through the first 311 games in 2003-04, teams averaged 5.07 goals per game.In 20 games this year, teams have combined for nine or more goals, including in a 10-4 Ottawa win over Buffalo Nov. 2. Ottawa led the way by averaging 4.7 goals per game, while Columbus ranked 30th with a measly 1.8 goals per game.Meanwhile, individual players are piling up points like somebody put them in a time machine and sent them to the 1980s. Ottawa&rsquo;s Daniel Alfredsson enjoyed a rare six-point game in that monster win over Buffalo. Four players have enjoyed five-point nights and 15 have had four-point games. Alfredsson&rsquo;s linemate, Dany Heatley, had recorded points in every game he played.Not all veterans have found the key to success, however. Colorado&rsquo;s Joe Sakic had six goals and 20 points in 22 games, and had just three multiple-point games (all two-pointers). Tampa&rsquo;s St-Louis, who led the NHL in scoring in 2003-04, had just seven goals and 16 points in 22 games. St. Louis&rsquo;s Doug Weight and Vancouver&rsquo;s Brendan Morrison were among a host of other high-profile players struggling to score.<h2>FIGHTING: DOWN & OUT</h2>Fighting isn&rsquo;t extinct, but it is on the decline. Through 311 games, an average of 0.82 fighting majors per game were assessed, compared to 1.40 over the same span in 2003-04. (Put another way, that&rsquo;s approximately 0.4 fights per game this year, compared to 0.7 in 03-&rsquo;04.)Teams are carrying fewer players whose only purpose it is to fight. Many of the busiest fighters from 2003-04 are no longer in the NHL. That includes Krzysztof Oliwa, waived after three games with New Jersey; Andrew Peters, dumped by Buffalo after four games; and, Doug Doull, Matt Johnson, Francis Lessard and Peter Worrell. Worrell is now in the ECHL.Ottawa&rsquo;s Brian McGratton led the league with nine bouts in 18 games this season &ndash; that&rsquo;s a 41-fight pace over an entire season &ndash; while averaging just over four minutes of ice time. Oliwa led the NHL with 31 fights two years ago, playing an average of 4:56 per game.<h2>SHOOTOUT: 1-ON-1 FUN</h2>Like it or lump it, there&rsquo;s no debating whether the shootout &ndash; new to the NHL this season &ndash; is exciting. There were 28 in the first 311 games, with goalies stopping 121 times of 179 shots (.676 save percentage). Nashville, the Rangers and Washington, led by sniping rookie Alex Ovechkin, were 3-1 in shootouts. Ovechkin was a perfect 4-for-4 when his turn came up.While the majority of shootouts ended with three shooters per team (or less) participating, there were a couple of longer battles. Jason Blake of the Islanders scored as the ninth shooter to help New York beat Pittsburgh Nov. 14. Columbus&rsquo;s Trevor Letowski, the eighth shooter, scored to give his side a win over Minnesota Oct. 28.<h2>GOALIE ZONE: LOOK OUT!</h2>The new NHL is not exactly goalie-friendly. Not only was their equipment reduced in size and their ability to handle the puck restricted, skaters now have a freer path to the crease and were using it to crash into the stoppers. And when they weren&rsquo;t being run into, many goalies were suffering pulled groins, likely from all that sliding and side-to-side movement.Some veterans &ndash; New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur, Toronto&rsquo;s Eddie Belfour and Chicago&rsquo;s Nikolai Khabibulin, among them &ndash; struggled to find their way in the new world with inflated goals-against averages and shrinking save percentages.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011758/8687808-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="1884" height="1421"><figcaption class="caption-body">TELLING SHOTS The shootout stone and the Staal &ndash; as in, Carolina&rsquo; Eric &ndash; both made their mark on the first quarter of the season. (JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021376/8687801-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="938" height="908"><figcaption class="caption-body">(STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>SURPRISE TEAMS</h2>CAROLINA Picked by The Hockey News to finish 14th in the Eastern Conference, the stunning Hurricanes shot out of the gate by winning 12 of their first 15 games and have remained consistent as they continue to challenge for the Eastern Conference title. Led by super sophomore Eric Staal, the Canes attained credibility by beating Ottawa 3-2 and Philadelphia 8-6 four nights later.RANGERS GM Glen Sather did two smart things: he surrounded Jaromir Jagr with a number of Czech pals and let him play his game; and, he allowed coach Tom Renney to pick his own staff and guide the team the way he likes. The result? Things have meshed and Jagr paid tribute to the team&rsquo;s hardworking third- and fourth-liners as &ldquo;the best&rdquo; supporting staff he&rsquo;s every played with.LOS ANGELES After blowing a 4-0 first period lead to lose their opener, the Kings have been one of the top clubs in the West. Coach Andy Murray continues to get the most out of his lineup and has been helped by unsung goalie Jason LaBarbera and a revived Craig Conroy.<h2>DISAPPOINTING TEAMS</h2>FLORIDA The Panthers were mired in a 12-game losing streak and showing no signs of turning things around. With some of the best young talent in the game and a rising star in net, you might think they would be running wild in the new NHL. But playing under defenseminded Jacques Martin, and beset by injuries, the Panthers have been the NHL&rsquo;s biggest underachievers.SAN JOSE The Sharks were supposed to be a contender in the West, but a shoulder injury to goalie Evgeni Nabokov and poor special teams had the Sharks swimming against the current. Nils Ekman, who finished second in team scoring in 2003-04 with 22 goals and 55 points in 82 games, had just three goals and four points in 17 games.BOSTON The Bruins have been woefully inconsistent, winning back-to-back games just three times. They had a six-game losing streak during which time they were outscored 24-12. Coming off a Calder Trophy season, goalie Andrew Raycroft was 4-8-2 with a 3.37 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage.<h2>SURPRISE PLAYERS</h2>BRYAN MCCABE The Toronto defense was supposed to be too slow and skill-deficient to survive in the new NHL, but McCabe has fooled the experts. He was off to a roaring start &ndash; and opening the eyes of Canada&rsquo;s Olympic hockey team executive, no doubt&ndash;with nine goals and 30 points in 21 games to lead all defenders.CRAIG CONROY A defensive specialist, you say? Not really. With 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games, Conroy was on pace for careerhighs in goals (43) and points (94). In case you&rsquo;re wondering, Conroy has not sacrificed his defense to improve on the eight goals and 47 points he scored for Calgary two years ago. He was plus-11 for the Kings.MANNY LEGACE The popular backup goalie has stepped comfortably into Detroit&rsquo;s driver&rsquo;s seat. Despite missing two games with a twisted knee, Legace was 12-4-0 with a 2.15 GAA, .916 save percentage and two shutouts as the Wings surprised many by shooting into the lead in the West.<h2>THIS HAPPENED, TOO:</h2>OCT. 5 Vancouver&rsquo;s Todd Bertuzzi returns from his yearand-a-half suspension for attacking Steve Moore, drawing an assist in the Canucks&rsquo; 3-2 win over Phoenix. Moore has yet to return to action.OCT. 19 Talk about a bad break for the Rangers: Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s stick snaps in half as he attempts to shoot on Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro during a shootout. Islander forward Miroslav Satan notches the winner.NOV. 10 Sidney Crosby brings chills to even Canadiens fans when he races in alone as the final shooter in a shootout, fakes a forehand shot and then lifts a backhander past Jose Theodore. The water bottle on top of the Montreal net is sent flying and the Penguins to victory.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011569/8687794-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="314" height="490"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brett Hull</figcaption></div>NOV. 11 Atlanta&rsquo;s Ilya Kovalchuk scores four consecutive goals to lead the Thrashers to a 5-2 win over the defending Stanley Cupchampion Tampa Bay Lightning. The next night, Kovalchuk nets two more.NOV. 15 Brett Hull of the Phoenix Coyotes decides the new NHL is not for him and announces his retirement after playing just five games with his new team.NOV. 17 Tampa&rsquo;s St-Louis scores the game-winner at 18:17 of the third period a week after breaking a finger and having it operated on. Doctors had to remove the nail on his injured finger to put stitches in, and then re-attach the nail. &#9632;

f0014-01

COVER STORY

FIRST QUARTER REPORT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031039/8687853-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="368" height="512"></div><h2>TWO-LINE PASS</h2>The removal of the red line to allow two-line passes is a breath of fresh air to a game that had grown stagnant. Hockey now has a longbomb play, and when it is executed it can bring you right out of your seat.<h2>RETURN TO TAG-UP OFFSIDE</h2>The NHL never should have eliminated this rule in the first place. It reduces stoppages in play and that&rsquo;s a good thing.<h2>DIVING MINORS</h2>Players who dive should be embarrassed.<h2>REDUCED GOALIE EQUIPMENT</h2>Shooters can once again see the net and goalies are not put in harm&rsquo;s way by wearing slightly smaller pads and gloves.<h2>SUSPENSION FOR INSTIGATING IN FINAL FIVE MINUTES</h2>It must be working because it hasn&rsquo;t been called.<h2>SHOOTOUT</h2>It would be even better with five shooters from each team, not just three. When the shootout ends quickly, it can be anticlimactic.<h2>NEW RINK DIMENSIONS</h2>The larger offensive and defensive zones plus the moving of the net closer to the backboards allow for more creativity on offense and less cycling down low.<h2>RESTRICTING GOALIES&rsquo; ABILITY TO PLAY THE PUCK</h2>Playing the puck is an acquired skill and those who do it well should be able to use it often. With all the other changes in the game, this one wasn&rsquo;t necessary.<h2>NO LINE CHANGES AFTER ICING</h2>The offending team must keep its players on the ice, no matter how tired they may be. But with all the timeouts, it doesn&rsquo;t come into play as often as you might think.<h2>MINOR PENALTY FOR SHOOTING THE PUCK OVER THE GLASS</h2>But it&rsquo;s understandable why the league instituted this rule. If there&rsquo;s a rule that reduces icing, you can&rsquo;t have players shooting the puck into the crowd to stop play.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04788/8687846-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="406" height="390"></div> &#9632;

f0016-03

BROPHY ON THE NEW RULES

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03895/8687891-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="240" height="285"><figcaption class="caption-body">DARREN PANGGuest Columnist</figcaption></div>Count me among those who like the new NHL.For me, hockey came to a pause during the Stanley Cup two years ago between Tampa Bay and Calgary, watching how few good scoring chances there were in that series. The quality shots were few and far between. It became acceptable for every player checking another to have his stick up high, almost in the armpit. I loved the fact players fought through checks, but the hooking and holding away from the puck went too far.I wondered to myself, when is this going to end?Players are finally able to make plays again. A player can skate through the neutral zone with speed. A slower opponent who doesn&rsquo;t quite have the ability to keep up can&rsquo;t eliminate that player&rsquo;s progress by grabbing on and laying his stick in the player&rsquo;s midsection. It has led to more flow and creativity.I think there are still a handful of officials that haven&rsquo;t quite grasped the fact they are supposed to be consistent in their calls. Some nights I get a sense that obstruction is creeping back into the game because the referees are allowing it to.That said, I think some referees could use better judgement in terms of what is and isn&rsquo;t a penalty. They must realize when two players are battling and one falls it doesn&rsquo;t always mean a foul has been committed. It may be one player is stronger than the other.I love the fact scoring chances are coming from the middle of the ice and not just from the outside. I don&rsquo;t care how thin the goalie equipment is, shots from outside aren&rsquo;t going in.With the extra four feet in the offensive zone, there is a little more room for a player to take the puck off the halfboards and cut into the middle to create a quality scoring chance instead of just a marginal scoring chance. I think I have seen Jaromir Jagr do that 3,000 times already this season.Although I was a goalie, I felt scoring needed to go up. Goalies will get used to having different numbers than they had in the past. In the old 21-team NHL that I played in, the goals-against averages were higher and the save percentages were lower. The goaltending wasn&rsquo;t as good, but the shots weren&rsquo;t coming from behind the net or on the goal line or from the hash marks. The shots came from the middle of the ice and there were odd-man breaks; 2-on-1s, 3-on-2s and 4-on-3s.I&rsquo;ve had fun watching the Alexander Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby rookie battle. At the end of the day, because of the players surrounding Crosby, I think he will emerge as the winner in the Calder Trophy race. Before the year started, I suggested he&rsquo;d get 85 points and I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll be far off that mark.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021223/8687884-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="374" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body">CROWD PLEASER Darren Pang likes what he has seen from Washington rookie Alexander Ovechkin this season.</figcaption></div>I was critical of Ovechkin during the World Junior Championship last year because of his antics; I felt he had a lot to learn before he would be successful in the NHL. I must say, however, I have been impressed with him through the early part of the year. I just don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll be able to continue to play with that energy all the way through the season because of the team he plays on. Too much rides on his shoulders.Two other rookies who have stood out for me are Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Phoenix defender Keith Ballard.Overall, the first quarter was a great start to what I think will be a remarkable year.&ndash; Darren Pang is a former NHL goalie who does color commentary for Phoenix Coyotes TV broadcasts. &#9632;

f0017-03

That’s hockey!

<div class="byline">Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011642/8687929-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CUJO&rsquo;S REVENGE Far from being the Old Man in the Net, Curtis Joseph is on pace this season for the best save percentage of his career.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021265/8687922-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="237" height="283"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK BRENDERSenior Writer (SHELLY CASTELLANO)</figcaption></div>These kid goalies sure are all right, Curtis Joseph mused as he looked out over the practice rink. They were all so composed, so square to the shooter, so effortless in their movements. Sometimes his nephew was among them. The more Joseph watched, the more he was impressed. Heck, these kids are better than all right, he thought. They&rsquo;re better than me.&ldquo;He would look at the kids at the goalie school and say, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t do that, do I?&rsquo;&rdquo; remembers David Franco, a former Jr. B netminder and Joseph&rsquo;s off-season tutor in Vaughn, Ont. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;No, that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m trying to get you to do.&rsquo;&rdquo;Joseph doesn&rsquo;t dispute it. If he wanted to become a better goalie, he had to learn what the kids were learning. That meant rebuilding the very foundations of his game.Even as he signed a $900,000 deal with Phoenix this past summer (with bonuses that could push it to $2.2 million), a good portion of the hockey fraternity thought he was finished like last year&rsquo;s turkey dinner. Turns out he was just getting started.Joseph and Franco started working together about three years ago. During the lockout Joseph recovered from three ankle surgeries in an 18-month span and trained hard on his new game. For Franco, it&rsquo;s only this season that the lessons are starting to pay off. After all, it&rsquo;s not easy to undo a lifetime of bad habits you never knew you had.&ldquo;I thought if I get more efficient I could be a better goalie,&rdquo; Joseph says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably harder for me because I&rsquo;ve had 16 years of my own style, getting up on the wrong leg.&rdquo;Now there&rsquo;s a scouting report we&rsquo;ve never seen before: Quick; likes to challenge shooters; can be prone to guessing; gets up on the wrong leg.The guy is eighth all-time in wins (405, as of Nov. 23) in the best league in the world. He has played in all-star games and is considered among the best goalies of his generation. And now we discover he&rsquo;s done it with his legs mixed up? How can this happen?&ldquo;No coaching, I think that&rsquo;s it,&rdquo; Joseph says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not remembering it&rsquo;s the wrong leg, or you don&rsquo;t know it&rsquo;s the wrong leg. But when you see how efficient it can be (the other way), it probably is the wrong leg.&rdquo;You&rsquo;d think it&rsquo;d be the speed of the getting up that was important, not the how. That&rsquo;s what Joseph thought, too, if he ever thought about it at all. He has since learned to think differently.He has learned about &ldquo;the power leg&rdquo; &ndash; that is, the leg that drives the movement around the crease. Young goalies that slide around the crease and pop back up again smooth as butter &ndash; Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Marc-Andre Fleury, for example &ndash; have it down to a science. Joseph, 38, never knew the science existed. If he was moving to his right to make a save, he&rsquo;d get up with his right leg. If he was moving left, he&rsquo;d get up with his left leg.It should have been the other way around. His way left him off-balance and out of position. He was spectacular because he needed to be.It wasn&rsquo;t just the getting up that was a problem, either. If a forward dropped his shoulder, Joseph would turn his leg or lean his shoulders over his knees, making himself smaller. Armchair goalies said he might as well head to the casino, he was guessing so much.<blockquote class="pullQuote">I&rsquo;ve had 16 years of&hellip; getting up on the wrong leg Curtis Joseph</blockquote>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t that he was guessing, it was his style,&rdquo; Franco insists. &ldquo;He used to chase the shooter&hellip; By chasing with your body, you&rsquo;re forced to make the first move.&rdquo;There are two morals to this story. One, any goalie who doesn&rsquo;t receive specialized instruction and still manages to make it and excel in today&rsquo;s NHL is an incredible talent. Two, Joseph deserves a lot of credit for going back to school and making it right.It&rsquo;s not as if his game was falling apart. He had a strong stretch run and playoff with Detroit in 2003-04, and led the NHL in goals-against average in the post-season. Still, his improvement isn&rsquo;t hard to see.After 24 games, Joseph was 9-7-0 with a 2.26 GAA and a .926 save percentage, fifth-best in the league &ndash; and this from a guy who was rarely among save percentage leaders at the height of his career. In a year when goalie stats are taking a beating, Joseph&rsquo;s are getting better. He&rsquo;s also the main reason Phoenix has come roaring back after a rocky opening month.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m enjoying myself, I certainly am,&rdquo; Joseph says. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve made me feel very comfortable.&rdquo;So what&rsquo;s next for the man with a leg up on his former self?&ldquo;As a player, you strive for consistency. I think I&rsquo;d be striving for that. For a whole year.&rdquo;Right, he&rsquo;s just getting started. &#9632;

f0018-01

Reborn Joseph gets a leg up

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021020/8687960-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Shane Doan</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011403/8687967-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="125" height="106"></div>Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne&nbsp;Gretzky escaped a fine from the NHL after winger Shane Doan was assessed an instigator penalty for punching Vitaly Vishnevski in the last five minutes of a 2-1 loss to Anaheim Nov. 21. Under new rules, that is cause for a one-game suspension, as well as a $10,000 levy against the coach. The rule was aimed at goons, and since Doan is more than a fighter, the NHL decided the rule did not apply. Doan was still fined $1,500.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>CENTRAL DIVISION</h2>CHICAGO After a hot start, rookie left winger Pavel Vorobiev went six games without a point. &ldquo;He has to learn to play against people that recognize his skills,&rdquo; said coach Trent Yawney&hellip;The Hawks blocked 22 shots in their 4-3 win at Edmonton Nov. 19, led by defenseman Jaroslav Spacek&rsquo;s nine&hellip;The wins at Calgary and Edmonton Nov. 18-19 marked the first time the Hawks had swept through Alberta since 1995.COLUMBUS Todd Marchant&nbsp;was part of the original Sergei Fedorov deal with Anaheim, but exercised his no-trade clause. The team put him on waivers, with &ndash; who else? &ndash; the Ducks claiming him. (See pg. 6 for more.)DETROIT Captain Steve Yzerman is not happy with the new brand of hockey, saying the NHL has gone too far in its attempt to abolish obstruction, with too many marginal penalties being called. &ldquo;Everybody keeps saying this is great; it&rsquo;s not great, it&rsquo;s not hockey,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said after his team&rsquo;s 6-5 overtime loss to Edmonton Nov. 17.NASHVILLE Center David Legwand became the fourth player in franchise history &ndash; and the first draft pick &ndash; to score 75 goals for Nashville when he got his third of the season Nov. 23 at Columbus.ST. LOUIS Curtis Sanford&rsquo;s record in his first 10 games &ndash; 7-3-0 spread over two seasons &ndash; was the second-best start by a goalie in team history. Brent Johnson went 8-2-0.<h2>NORTHWEST DIVISION</h2>CALGARY The Flames won eight games in a row to start the month of November. Seven of those victories came at the Saddledome. The franchise record of 10 straight wins was set by the Atlanta Flames in 1978-79&hellip;Right winger Tony Amonte goes down in history as the first Flame to score a shootout winner. His goal was the difference in a win over Colorado Nov. 21.COLORADO Rookie goalie Peter Budaj, who came into the season described as a shootout specialist, lost his first three shootouts with the Avs. Budaj allowed goals on six of seven shots, while the Avs only scored on one of seven&hellip;Right winger Milan Hejduk&nbsp;had only two goals in a 15-game stretch, after scoring two in his first game back following knee surgery.EDMONTON Shawn Horcoff&rsquo;s four assists in the third period against Detroit Nov. 17 tied a team record held by Wayne Gretzky.MINNESOTA The image of Sergei Zholtok hyperventilating on the Wild bench two years ago flashed before coach Jacques Lemaireas he watched Detroit&rsquo;s Jiri Fischer being resuscitated after suffering a seizure Nov. 21. &ldquo;It is scary when you see guys jumping on him and give him CPR; I thought of Zho right away,&rdquo; Lemaire said. Zholtok died of heart failure playing a game in Belarus last November. He was honored in an emotional pre-game ceremony Nov. 19. (See pg. 8 for more on Fischer.)VANCOUVER Center Trevor Linden took the first penalty shot of his 17-year NHL career &ndash; he never took one in junior either &ndash; and scored on Anaheim&rsquo;s Ilya Bryzgalov with a backhand deke Nov. 20.<h2>PACIFIC DIVISION</h2>ANAHEIM Left winger Todd Fedoruk received a three-game suspension for a retaliatory hit on Phoenix center Petr Nedved during a 2-1 win Nov. 22. The victory snapped Anaheim&rsquo;s team recordtying, eight-game losing streak.DALLAS The Brenden Morrow-Jason Arnott-Bill Guerin line had one of the team&rsquo;s hottest strings in years when it collected nine goals and 20 points in a four-game span. Arnott led the way with five goals and seven points&hellip;Dallas scored a power play goal in 12 straight games (Oct. 28-Nov. 23). The team record is 17, set in 1986&hellip;Jere Lehtinen scored winners in three consecutive games, tying a franchise record.LOS ANGELES Goalie Mathieu Garon won three of four starts while Jason LaBarbera&nbsp;spent four days away from the team to deal with a family matter&hellip;The Kings&rsquo; top line of Craig Conroy, Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov combined for 33 goals and 77 points in 21 games. The other 14 forwards had 36 goals and 88 points.PHOENIX Defenseman Paul Mara is off to the best offensive start of his career with 15 points in 24 games&hellip;Center Dave Scatchard became the fourth Coyote (joining Keith Ballard, Oleg Saprykin and Yanick Lehoux) to score a goal in his first game on the team, a 4-3 shootout win (Phoenix&rsquo;s first-ever) over San Jose Nov. 19.SAN JOSE Right winger Grant Stevenson debuted Nov. 23 in Calgary, the fifth Shark to appear in his first NHL game this season. His uncle, Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall was in the crowd to see him score the first NHL goal of his career. &#9632;

f0020-02

Gretzky avoids fine

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04525/8688005-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="616" height="180"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03744/8687998-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="617" height="2785"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0020-04

POWER RANKING

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03487/8688036-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="783" height="770"><figcaption class="caption-body">David Tanabe (TANABE: SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011143/8688043-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="125" height="106"></div>Boston GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell&nbsp;said his reasons for trading center Dave Scatchard to Phoenix for 25-year-old blueliner David Tanabe was all about needing help on defense and nothing to do with Scatchard. &ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t want to miss an opportunity,&rsquo;&rsquo; O&rsquo;Connell said. &ldquo;We hate to give up on a very solid player in Scatchard, but we just felt we had some strength at center and (Alexei) Zhamnov is getting his feet underneath him and (Brad) Boyes is developing and we think he&rsquo;s ready to take some ice time. And we&rsquo;ve got (Travis) Green and (Patrice) Bergeron.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>NORTHWEST DIVISION</h2>BUFFALO Defenseman Teppo Numminen, like Detroit&rsquo;s Jiri Fischer, was diagnosed with a heart abnormality years ago then cleared to play. Numminen, a 17-year NHL vet, has a dilated aorta, while Fischer&rsquo;s condition apparently stemmed from extra-thick heart tissue. &ldquo;I know what my situation is,&rdquo; Numminen said. &ldquo;I feel comfortable with the diagnosis I had with the doctors during training camp and years before.&rdquo;MONTREAL Jose Theodore&nbsp;didn&rsquo;t let a nagging, though unspecified pain, interfere with his playing time. He was in net for a 5-3 loss in New Jersey Nov. 18, one day after acknowledging he had been playing through an injury in recent weeks. Theodore also had a stellar performance Nov. 22, making 36 saves before stopping Atlanta&rsquo;s Ilya Kovalchuk, Peter Bondra and Marian Hossa as the Habs won the first shootout ever in Montreal.OTTAWA Winger Chris Neil&nbsp;was on leave after his mother Bonnie died in a car accident Nov. 22 near her home in Flesherton, Ont. Slippery conditions were blamed for the crash. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s distraught and he&rsquo;s in shock,&rdquo; said Neil&rsquo;s agent Todd Reynolds. &ldquo;I spoke to him and he&rsquo;s been doing a lot of crying.&rdquo;TORONTO Eric Lindros&nbsp;reached the 700-game plateau in a 5-1 loss to Boston Nov. 23. &ldquo;Seven hundred games&hellip;could have come a lot sooner,&rdquo; he said&hellip;A number of Leafs were very vocal about the resignation of Steve Larmer from the NHLPA. Lindros, Ed Belfour, Tie Domi, Darcy Tucker and Bryan McCabe were among the players who signed a complaint about the hiring of Ted Saskin to the U.S. National Labor Relations Board.<h2>ATLANTIC DIVISION</h2>NEW JERSEY Rookie winger Barry Tallackson&nbsp;scored his first goal Nov. 19 in Ottawa. Nevertheless, he was a healthy scratch the next game&hellip;With 14 goals in 21 games, right winger Brian Gionta was on his way to passing his career high of 21 in 2003-04.NY ISLANDERS Center Shawn Bates, who was off to the best start of his career with 10 goals in 21 games, is out until late December with a strained right hamstring sustained in a 5-2 win at Florida Nov. 19. The Isles recalled center Jeremy Colliton, their second round pick in 2003, to replace Bates. He made his NHL debut against Buffalo Nov. 23.NY RANGERS After failing on his first three shootout shots, Jaromir Jagr scored in a 3-2 win at Buffalo Nov. 22 to give the Rangers their third straight shootout victory and a 3-1 record in the penalty shot competition. &ldquo;I can keep my job now,&rdquo; said a smiling Jagr.PHILADELPHIA Center Keith Primeau, sidelined since Oct. 30 with his second major concussion in two years, wasn&rsquo;t considering retirement. &ldquo;I try not to let myself get into that mindset because there&rsquo;s still so many things to accomplish and I&rsquo;m not ready to not be playing,&rdquo; he said.PITTSBURGH Mario Lemieux&nbsp;said he might not play for Canada in the Olympics. &ldquo;There are too many good young players now to just to take a spot because you&rsquo;re a name,&rdquo; he said&hellip;The Pens raised eyebrows when they sent Marc-Andre Fleury to the minors a day after he stopped 45 shots in a win at Philadelphia. The team hopes to avoid paying him a $3-million bonus, which kicks in if he plays 25 or more games.<h2>SOUTHEAST DIVISION</h2>ATLANTA Goalie Jani Hurme passed a physical exam Nov. 23, allowing him to resume his career more than two years after a staph infection caused him a multitude of potentially life-threatening ailments. The Thrashers placed Hurme, who will make a pro-rated portion of his $918,000 salary, on waivers for the purpose of sending him to Chicago (AHL).CAROLINA Left winger Andrew Ladd, the fourth overall pick in 2004, made his NHL debut against Tampa Nov. 20.FLORIDA Gary Roberts&nbsp;became the 75th player in NHL history to score 400 goals when he scored in a 5-3 loss to the Islanders Nov. 19&hellip; Florida lost its 12th straight game Nov. 23 to the Devils; the franchise record of 13 was set in 1997-98.TAMPA BAY Right winger Martin St-Louis returned four days after fracturing his ring finger &ndash; an injury that was supposed to keep him out up to a month. And, in dramatic fashion, he scored the winning goal in his first game back. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t blow this story out of proportion,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a fingertip, you know?&rsquo;&rsquo;WASHINGTON Moscow Dynamo is suing rookie left winger Alex Ovechkin, claiming it had an option on his services before he signed with Caps. His agent Don Meehan and the Caps said the suit has no merit. &#9632;

f0021-03

Bruins tab Tanabe

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02743/8688088-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="568" height="247"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04370/8688081-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="376" height="392"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pavol Demitra</figcaption></div><h2>LONG LIVE THE KING</h2>Pavol Demitra of the Kings lights it up with three goals and 14 points in a fivegame span.<h2>LIFE SAVERS</h2>Detroit&rsquo;s medical staff reacts quickly to save the life of defenseman Jiri Fischer after he suffers a seizure on the bench.<h2>NO STOPPING DANY</h2>Dany Heatley of the Senators registers at least one point (15 goals, 33 points) in each of Ottawa&rsquo;s first 19 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05258/8688074-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="486" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body">Todd Fedoruk (DEMITRA & FEDORUK: SHELLY CASTELLANO)</figcaption></div><h2>VIGILANTE PAYS</h2>Todd Fedoruk of the Mighty Ducks is suspended three games for a dirty hit on the Coyote&rsquo;s Petr Nedved.<h2>WHERE&rsquo;S PAVEL?</h2>The Lightning&rsquo;s Pavel Kubina led all NHL defensemen with 17 goals in 2003-04, but had no goals in 24 games this year.<h2>NHLPA MESS</h2>With the game soaring on the ice, it&rsquo;s too bad the NHLPA can&rsquo;t straighten itself out in the boardroom. &#9632;

f0021-02

PLUS MINUS

f0022-01

Quarterly Report

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03603/8688430-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>On his own, New York Rangers rookie Dominic Moore is a great story.After all, how many young men get to captain Harvard&rsquo;s hockey team and then make a significant impact with one of the NHL&rsquo;s most storied franchises? Moore is among a handful of scrappy youngsters who have helped the Rangers become one of the NHL&rsquo;s surprise teams through the first quarter.But let&rsquo;s be honest. What&rsquo;s the first thing you think when you hear his name? Isn&rsquo;t that Steve Moore&rsquo;s brother?Yep, that&rsquo;s what most people think and the Rangers know it. So they protect him. When a group of reporters surround Moore following a morning skate in Toronto, they are warned not to bring up the Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore incident or the pending civic suit Dominic&rsquo;s brother has launched against the Canucks and a number of individuals resulting from Bertuzzi&rsquo;s attack on him two seasons ago.Still, when Moore is asked about the support his brother has received from fans, he is happy to answer.&ldquo;We certainly appreciate the support and concern people show,&rdquo; Moore says. &ldquo;I know he appreciates that a lot. He&rsquo;s working extremely hard to make a full recovery and we&rsquo;re hoping he&rsquo;ll be able to play.&rdquo;Dominic Moore is a smart kid who doesn&rsquo;t need protection from the Rangers&rsquo; media relations staff. He can hold his own in a scrum. Like his brothers, Steve and Mark, he is Harvard-educated. But unlike others who attend the esteemed school, he went there with one goal: to make the NHL. Most who attend Harvard are there strictly for the education.&ldquo;Hockey has always been first and foremost my goal,&rdquo; Moore says. &ldquo;Certainly a place like Harvard has that reputation, but the way I looked at it, it was the best of both worlds. They have a strong tradition of hockey there. Some great players have played at Harvard.<blockquote class="pullQuote">For him, it&rsquo;s all about second and third effort. Rangers&rsquo; coach Tom Renney</blockquote>&ldquo;It was certainly a great place to get the college experience, but I didn&rsquo;t feel at all I was sacrificing anything on the hockey end. Harvard was in the top 10 in the country my last two years there and I just felt like it was the best opportunity for me to combine school and hockey.&rdquo;The Rangers&rsquo; third round pick (95th overall) in 2000, Moore got a cup of NHL coffee drawing three assists in five games in 2003-04, then had 19 goals and 49 points for Hartford in the American League last year. He is a speedy, heads-up player with good vision and patience with the puck. He had 6 goals and 7 points this season through 24 games.&ldquo;He is a very intelligent player,&rdquo; says Rangers coach Tom Renney. &ldquo;For him, it&rsquo;s all about second and third effort. He handles the puck well and he skates well. He can do things at speed both with and without the puck that makes him a very effective player for us. Because of that he can play up and down the lineup which makes him a very valuable player.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0030-03

Playing smart

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011149/8688468-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Filip KubaMinnesota Wild (JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02759/8688475-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="105" height="118"></div>The new NHL rules and an extra four feet in the offensive zone have changed life for special teams players, but the essentials remain the same.&ldquo;Penalty killing is all about shooting lanes and passing lanes, and you work from the most dangerous to the least dangerous,&rdquo; says Dallas associate coach Rick Wilson. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s basically the big-picture philosophy.&rdquo;Wilson says the good power plays are still the ones that feature constant movement of the puck and personnel. The difference is, with an extra four feet to play with, a new scoring area has opened up in the area from the top of the circle to the blueline. Where defensemen or forwards used to shoot for deflections or just to get it on net, now they&rsquo;re shooting to score.&ldquo;That four feet is huge,&rdquo; said Phoenix goalie Curtis Joseph. &ldquo;The points are being used a lot more and they&rsquo;re getting it to the net.&rdquo;Power plays also are capitalizing on penalty-killing defensemen who can no longer clear out the front of the net with impunity.&ldquo;You&rsquo;re seeing lots of new looks that way &ndash; double screens and movement through the big part of the middle of the ice,&rdquo; Wilson said.Because of the number of man advantages, power plays are having a bigger impact on games than they used to. About 39 per cent of all goals have been scored in manadvantage situations this season, compared to about 28 per cent in 2003-04. The average power play success rate is only marginally up, at 17.7 per cent this year versus 16.5 per cent at the same point in&rsquo;03-04.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>SPECIAL RANK</h2>The &lsquo;Special Teams Rank&rsquo; (STR) is obtained by adding teams&rsquo; power play and penalty-killing percentages. The NHL average is 100.0.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03570/8688461-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="892" height="1452"></div> &#9632;

f0031-01

Four ‘huge’ feet

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02814/8688506-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011225/8688513-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="105" height="118"></div>CALDER-ELIGIBLE ROOKIES IN RED | SEE PG. 39 FOR TRANSACTIONS, INJURIES | TOP TWO PLAYERS ON PP UNIT PLAY THE POINTS</div><div style="clear: both;"> &#9632;</div>

f0032-02

Depth Charts

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05384/8688551-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="524" height="625"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04463/8688544-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="181" height="181"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ROSS DETTMAN)</figcaption></div>If Teemu Selanne is the Finnish Flash, then defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is the Norwegian Nightmare. Come across the Syracuse Crunch blueline with your head down or try to slither along the boards when Tollefsen is catching a wave and surfing across for a hit and, well, the next face you see might be the trainer&rsquo;s.The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder quickly has established himself as one of the AHL&rsquo;s hardest hitters. He doesn&rsquo;t just bodycheck &ndash; he punishes.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a hard-nosed kid who loves the big hit, the open-ice hit,&rdquo; said coach Gary Agnew. &ldquo;He just has a knack of being able to time when he can step up and deliver the hit. I wouldn&rsquo;t say it&rsquo;s a lost art, but it&rsquo;s somewhat rare today. He has a real talent and it&rsquo;s something we need in our organization.&rdquo;This is the second AHL campaign for Tollefsen, 21. He had two assists through 15 games; last year, he had just three assists in 64 games. When the Crunch endured injuries this season, Tollefsen served as an alternate captain.The Columbus Blue Jackets&rsquo; third-rounder in 2002 will never be a scorer. He had three goals and 30 points in his second of two seasons with Brandon in the Western League. His game will always be hitting. He had 115 penalty minutes last year and 43 in 15 games this season. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of grease and grit in his game,&rdquo; Agnew said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a solid prospect.&rdquo;Tollefsen was called up to Columbus on Nov. 21. &#9632;

f0033-05

Just point to a target

<div class="byline">By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06335/8688589-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="298" height="298"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03584/8688596-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="113" height="112"></div>Chicago Wolves GM Kevin&nbsp;Cheveldayoff knows a lot of goalies.Way too many goalies.Cheveldayoff has spent two months scouring the hockey world for someone to play goal. Nine goalies have suited up for the Wolves and the latest, Karl Goehring, didn&rsquo;t even get into uniform before he was plucked off waivers by the San Antonio Rampage.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to make it an even dozen,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff joked. &ldquo;The guy who has really had it tough is our trainer because I keep telling him to change the nameplate. The number 30 is worn out.&rdquo;Steve Shields, Michael Garnett, Adam Berkhoel, Tuomas Tarkki and Gregg Naumenko all have played for the Wolves this season. Scott Reid, Kevin Reiter and Michel Robinson dressed as the backup at least once.The goalie shuffle is a result of the injury epidemic to hit netminders with the parent Atlanta Thrashers. Pasi Nurminen blew out his knee in the summer and Kari Lehtonen, Mike Dunham and Shields all have been hurt this season, prompting endless recalls.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been the thrills of a lifetime for Garnett and Berkhoel to get their first NHL wins, but on the flip side comes the pressure of having to carry an NHL team,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t complain. We were blessed with (Lehtonen) for two years.&rdquo;RUPP AND DOWN In June of 2003, Mike Rupp scored the Stanley Cupwinning goal for the New Jersey Devils. Now he&rsquo;s skating for the Syracuse Crunch.Rupp was assigned by the Columbus Blue Jackets Nov. 17 after going pointless in 12 NHL games. He was obtained Oct. 8 in a trade with Phoenix.&ldquo;I have battles going on in my head,&rdquo; Rupp said. &ldquo;But if I come down and pout I&rsquo;ll never get out of here. I&rsquo;ve been playing hockey since I was six. I want to play in the NHL.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011104/8688582-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="1238" height="1574"><figcaption class="caption-body">HELLO, NHL Injuries to the Atlanta Thrashers resulted in Wolves goalie Michael Garnett starting five games for the parent club. He recorded one win.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m playing more here and I&rsquo;m playing a style I like.&rdquo;Rupp is a go-to center for the Crunch. With Columbus, he was a fourth-liner.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, powerful guy who adds a dimension we haven&rsquo;t had since Sean Pronger,&rdquo; said coach Gary Agnew.GOALIE FOUND When Steve Passmore headed to Europe, San Antonio needed a replacement.They found him on the waiver wire in the guy Passmore actually replaced in Finland: Karl Goehring.Goehring returned from an aborted season in Finland and signed with the Chicago Wolves.But because he started the season in Europe, American League rules required Goehring to pass through waivers.WHAT A LINE The Grand Rapids Griffins&rsquo; line of left winger Valtteri Filppula, center Tomas Kopecky and right winger Darryl Bootland is one of the AHL&rsquo;s best.Filppula notched five goals and 11 points in a four-game span. In that same stretch, the trio combined for 27 points.Filppula, a 21-year-old Finn drafted 95th overall by Detroit in 2002, is playing his first pro season in North America. &#9632;

f0033-06

Net worth crumbling

As of Nov. 23, 2005<h2>AHL WEST</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07295/8688641-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="566" height="708"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02745/8688634-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="394" height="595"><figcaption class="caption-body">Curtis Murphy</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08239/8688627-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="137" height="136"></div>22 GP3 G14 A17 Pts</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>TOP WEST DEFENSEMEN</h2><h3>PLAYER PTS</h3>1. Curtis Murphy, Hou 172. Kurtis Foster, Hou 15&ndash; Aaron Johnson, Syr 154.Mark Giordano, Oma 145.Sven Butenschon, Man 13&ndash; Andre Benoit, Ham 13&ndash; Kyle Quincey, GR 13&ndash; Ron Hainsey, Ham 13&ndash; Nathan Paetsch, Roc 1310. Mike Mottau, Peo 12 &#9632;

f0033-07

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-10170/8688672-1-eng-US/f0033-102.jpg" title="f0033-10" width="243" height="388"><figcaption class="caption-body">Miroslav Zalesak</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-09202/8688679-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="209" height="208"></div>5th Season in AHL Best Season&nbsp;37-28-8-7 in&rsquo;03-04Arena Quicken LoansGM Wayne ThomasCoach Roy SommerAll-time Leaders(GP-G-A-Points)Miroslav Zalesak196 84 82 166Patrick Rissmiller216 49 80 129Ryane Clowe146 38 64 102 &#9632;

f0033-10

AHL PROFILE Cleveland Barons

As of Nov. 23, 2005<h2>AHL EAST</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011243/8688724-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="579" height="729"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02835/8688717-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="215" height="331"><figcaption class="caption-body">Lawrence Nycholat</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03658/8688710-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="137" height="136"></div>18 GP2 G14 A16 Pts</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>TOP EAST DEFENSEMEN</h2><h3>PLAYER PTS</h3>1. Lawrence Nycholat, Her 162. Ryan Whitney, W-B 143. Bruno Gervais, Bri 134.John Slaney, Phi 125.Filip Novak, Bin 11&ndash; Chris Kelleher, W-B 117. J-F Fortin, Her 9&ndash; Marty Wilford, Man 9&ndash; James Wisniewski, Nor 9&ndash; Mark Wotton, Her 9 &#9632;

f0034-01

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-07340/8688845-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="531" height="616"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-09260/8688838-1-eng-US/f0034-092.jpg" title="f0034-09" width="180" height="181"><figcaption class="caption-body">(RICH STIEGLITZ)</figcaption></div>At age 33 and with a second child on the way, Steve Martins could make a lot more money playing in Europe. But the 11-year veteran chose bus rides over big bucks.After a year in Finland during the NHL lockout, Martins signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators Aug. 19 that landed him back with their American League affiliate in Binghamton.Wanting to be close to his family &ndash; and have another crack at the NHL, where he has played 263 games &ndash; the journeyman center and Harvard graduate turned down several other lucrative offers.&ldquo;At this point in my career, my age would kind of dictate otherwise,&rdquo; Martins said. &ldquo;But I just didn&rsquo;t feel it was the right time to kind of give up on that opportunity. To be able to play, even in this capacity in an organization like Ottawa, it&rsquo;s just a great fit.&rdquo;Having spent parts of five seasons in Ottawa&rsquo;s system, the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder made an immediate impression on the Senators. In the early stages of training camp, Martins benched 315 pounds, more than 1 .7 times his weight and the most of any player in the organization.That kind of commitment is only a fraction of the passion that Binghamton&rsquo;s alternate captain and inspirational leader has for the game.&ldquo;At this time, I really didn&rsquo;t feel like I was willing and ready to give up my job as a professional hockey player, playing a game that I love and make decent money doing it,&rdquo; Martins said. &#9632;

f0034-07

Passion alive for Martins

<div class="byline">By MIKE MASTOVICH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02805/8688918-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="786" height="1405"><figcaption class="caption-body">MULTI-TASKER Jason Courtemanche, a well-travelled enforcer in the&rsquo;90s, had his hands full for a one-game stint.</figcaption></div>For a guy who officially announced his retirement six years ago, Jason Courtemanche displayed versatility when pressed back into action with the San Diego Gulls.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011160/8688925-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="175" height="171"></div>A 35-year-old radio executive, Courtemanche rejoined San Diego&rsquo;s patchwork lineup and did more than simply fill in for the injury-riddled Gulls.The defenseman scored his first goal since 1999 against Bakersfield Nov. 18, drew an early penalty and was ejected for his role in a fight.He had one point and 17 penalty minutes.As if that wasn&rsquo;t a full night, Courtemanche finished in the Gulls&rsquo; broadcast booth, providing color commentary in a 7-0 victory at ipayOne Center.Courtemanche had 1,610 penalty minutes in the ECHL, WCHL and IHL from 1993 to 1999. He also came out of retirement to play 16 games for Bakersfield two years ago and three contests with San Diego last season.<h2>INDIGENOUS CELEBRATION</h2>Utah Grizzlies Louis Dumont, Alfie Michaud and Brad Heraufparticipated in the State of Utah&rsquo;s &lsquo;Indigenous Day&rsquo; celebration in Salt Lake City Nov. 21.&ldquo;We are honored and pleased to have the American Indian hockey players with us,&rdquo; said Forrest Cuch of the Division of Indian Affairs.SURVIVOR ATTIRE The Mississippi Sea Wolves are selling Hurricane Katrina Survivor T-shirts to benefit the rebuilding and restoration of the team after flood waters destroyed the interior of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.The Sea Wolves&rsquo; front office, dressing rooms, ice making equipment and two Zambonis were wiped out by the hurricane.<h2>RINGING ENDORSEMENTS</h2>Five of the six winners from CBC&rsquo;s Making the Cut are plying their trade in the ECHL.Florida defenseman Kevin Lavallee, Pensacola center Dominic Noel, Bakersfield defenseman Jordan Little, Columbia center Matt Hubbauer and Phoenix goalie Michael Mole were among the winners on the 2004 Canadian show.<h3>EYE ON EUROPE</h3><h2>Lumme still playing for love of the game</h2>The Toronto Maple Leafs bought out Jyrki Lumme&rsquo;s contract after 2002-03 and he virtually disappeared from the scene. Two years later, he has resurfaced in Finland with Ilves Tampere &ndash; as a player and partowner. &ldquo;I basically retired and played just a couple of days a week the year before when Ilves called,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my hometown and my old club so it&rsquo;s very special.&rdquo; The 39-year-old defenseman has proved many doubters wrong with solid play at both ends of the rink. Lumme was among defensemen leaders with five goals and 10 points and was plus-13 in 20 games in the Finnish Elite League. &ldquo;I have no special goals or aspirations, I just enjoy playing hockey,&rdquo; Lumme says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been pretty much what I expected, although I am surprised at my stamina. It&rsquo;s not like I was working out a lot when I wasn&rsquo;t playing.&rdquo; Lumme laughed when asked about playing in the Olympics. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just not on my radar at all,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But sure, I&rsquo;m ready to be even a cheerleader.&rdquo;<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03661/8688911-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="142" height="179"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>&ndash; RISTO PAKARINEN<h3>UNITED LEAGUE</h3><h2>Bad luck continues for Komets&rsquo; MVP</h2>Fort Wayne Komets goalie Kevin St. Pierre was sidelined until early December after being diagnosed with vertigo. The viral ear infection affects balance. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t really do anything,&rdquo; St. Pierre, 30, told the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. &ldquo;As soon as you exert yourself, you get dizzy. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve never experienced before.&rdquo; The 2003-04 league MVP has battled health problems in the past. It was feared a series of concussions would end his career before he joined the Komets in &lsquo;03-04. He missed the first six weeks that season after losing the tip of his index finger while working for the family business. At the time of his latest setback, St. Pierre was 2-2-1 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04533/8688904-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="470" height="236"></div>&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE<h3>CENTRAL LEAGUE</h3><h2>Thunder stranded, but at least in style</h2>The Wichita Thunder aren&rsquo;t sweating the high cost of gas. The team&rsquo;s new vehicle, despite a rather inauspicious debut, is above such pedestrian worries. The team bus sleeps 25, has a pair of big screen televisions, a refrigerator and a washroom with doors that open via push button. &ldquo;Kind of like Star Wars,&rdquo; said coach Mark French. Even with all those luxuries, the Thunder would have preferred a more traditional mode of Kansas transportation &ndash; a farm truck &ndash; for the team&rsquo;s first road trip. Wichita&rsquo;s wonder wagon had wheel trouble, leaving the team stranded on Kansas&rsquo; scenic highways for hours&hellip;The Odessa Jackalopes retired the No. 14 sweater of their all-time points leader, John Bossio, at a November home game.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05448/8688897-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="203" height="110"></div>&ndash; DAVID HENRY<h3>SOUTHERN PRO LEAGUE</h3><h2>Phillips brothers keep it in the family</h2>Huntsville Havoc left winger Luke Phillips is always looking out for younger brother Tom. &ldquo;He was having a rough time with his junior team back home (Birken, B.C.),&rdquo; 23-year-old Luke Phillips said. &ldquo;They weren&rsquo;t treating him that good, so I told him to come play a year with me. He&rsquo;s never been out of Canada, so if you want to break into the league you might as well do it with someone you know.&rdquo; Not only are the brothers roommates, but they&rsquo;ve become linemates as well. Tom, 20, centers Luke and right winger Bill Monkman. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going really well,&rdquo; Luke Phillips said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve never played that much together, except street hockey. But I look at him and I know what he is going to do. It seems to work both ways.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06405/8688890-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="312" height="240"></div>&ndash; NICK GATES<h3>NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE</h3><h2>Toughest test yet challenging Unice</h2>Goaltender Josh Unice knew joining Team USA&rsquo;s national under-17 squad would be a far different experience than he has ever had before. But he never expected it to be this different. &ldquo;I knew it would be a challenge, but I didn&rsquo;t realize how tough the training would be,&rdquo; the 16-year-old Toledo, Ohio native said. &ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m in the best shape I&rsquo;ve ever been in." Only a junior in high school, Unice already has his college plans set: he accepted an offer to join Bowling Green in the fall of 2007. He also considered Michigan State, New Hampshire and Maine. Standing 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Unice is a solid angle playing goalie who says he&rsquo;s constantly working on &ldquo;being ready for the shot.&rdquo; He&rsquo;s not NHL draft eligible until 2007.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07360/8688883-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="166" height="127"></div>&ndash; PAUL SHAHEEN<h3>THE WOMEN&rsquo;S GAME</h3><h2>Canadians waiting for U.S. to awaken</h2>Canada has beaten the U.S. six times in pre-Olympic play. Team Canada captain Cassie Campbell doesn&rsquo;t think the Americans have shown their real colors yet. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we have seen the best of what they have to offer,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They are physically very strong and gifted.&rdquo; Players from both teams know each other well. They frequently square off for the championship in international competition and some U.S. players are teammates in Canada&rsquo;s National Women&rsquo;s League. Team USA cut former captain and long-time great Cammi Granato, 34, earlier in the season. &ldquo;That was a complete shock to me&rdquo; Campbell said. &ldquo;I know what some of her teammates think of her. Cammi was an incredible player and a huge leader. I think it was a mistake.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-08320/8688876-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="186" height="149"><figcaption class="caption-body">(COUTESY SAN DIEGO GULLS)</figcaption></div>&ndash; ELIZABETH ETUE &#9632;

f0035-02

What a busy night…

<div class="byline">By NEIL HODGE</div>Stephane Goulet feels blessed. The left winger plays a key leadership role for the 2006 Memorial Cup-host Moncton Wildcats.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03608/8688991-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="289" height="412"></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in my third season and at 19, I couldn&rsquo;t ask for anything more,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;All the doors are open for me to have a good season and take advantage of the situation.&rdquo;Goulet is determined to help the Wildcats win the Memorial Cup and is also looking for a pro contract.Edmonton drafted him 208th overall in 2004 and he&rsquo;s among Quebec League leaders in scoring this season.&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s one of those late picks that&rsquo;s going to make it,&rdquo; said Moncton coach Ted Nolan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got good size. He&rsquo;s an intelligent kid. He has a great shot and a nose for the net.&ldquo;Some of his goals &ndash; I don&rsquo;t care if it&rsquo;s junior, the AHL or NHL &ndash; those goals were goals. He came out of the corner on a very sharp angle and somehow got the puck in. You need a scorer&rsquo;s touch to do that.&rdquo;Nolan is impressed with Goulet&rsquo;s ability to score in any situation, whether it&rsquo;s an ugly goal in front of the net or off a fancy passing play.Goulet had 14 points in 54 games with the Quebec Remparts as a rookie in 2003-04. Twelve of those points came in the final 10 games when he was promoted from the fourth line.The native of Ste-Gervais de Bellechasse, Que., had 22 goals and 47 points in 69 games with Moncton last year.Goulet, no relation to Hall of Famer Michel, played in the 2005 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, part of the selection process for Canada&rsquo;s national junior team.He credits his off-season training and linemates for his fast start this season, as well as Nolan &ndash; named the top NHL coach in 1996-97 with Buffalo.&ldquo;I take all the advice he gives me,&rdquo; Goulet said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been there and he knows what it takes to make the step from junior to the pros.&rdquo;Goulet is working on improving every aspect of his game, whether it&rsquo;s skating or defense, as he tries to become a complete player.&ldquo;He wants to play pro hockey and he realizes what he has to do to get there,&rdquo; Nolan said. &ldquo;He needs to work on his leg power and his first three steps, but there&rsquo;s a good future for this kid. He keeps working and getting better. If he continues on this path there&rsquo;s no question he can play in the AHL next season.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011130/8688984-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="1380" height="2014"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07309/8688977-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="1596" height="413"></div><h3>WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE</h3><h2>Resurgent Cougars hunting respectability</h2>By ROB VANSTONEThe Prince George Cougars have spent time as the top cats in the Western League&rsquo;s B.C. Division.That is a drastic departure from the previous two seasons, in which Prince George missed the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04469/8688970-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="323" height="374"></div>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice,&rdquo; said Cougars GM and alternate governor Dallas Thompson. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all in our jobs here because we love them. When things aren&rsquo;t going well, you certainly work hard to try to get it going.&ldquo;Now we&rsquo;re enjoying it a bit more, but we still know there&rsquo;s a lot of work to be done yet.&rdquo;The work of first-year coach Mike Vandekamp has played a key role in the resurgence.&ldquo;We have a group that is similar to what we had last year,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;Bringing Mike in and changing the way we play here, we&rsquo;ve certainly utilized our assets better.&rdquo;So much for the &ldquo;underachievers&rdquo; label.&ldquo;We have some guys who have come back in good frames of mind with big-time goals,&rdquo; Thompson said. &ldquo;It all seems to have come together.&rdquo;The Cougars have been led offensively by Chicago draft pick Eric Hunter (team-leading 15 goals, 29 points through 25 games) and St. Louis draft pick Nicholas Drazenovic.NOTES The Kootenay Ice named Ron Dube director of scouting. He replaced Roy Stasiuk, who left to become GM of Lethbridge&hellip;An 11-game losing streak in November moved the Brent Sutter-coached Red Deer Rebels &ndash; a perennial powerhouse &ndash; to the Central basement.<h3>ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE</h3><h2>Hazing target Aliu leaves Spits, wants trade</h2>By JIM CRESSMANRookie right winger Akim Aliu &ndash; a central figure in the Windsor hazing incident that led to the 40-game suspension of coach Moe Mantha &ndash; walked out on the team, demanding a trade.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05395/8688963-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="385" height="234"></div>The 16-year-old, who left the Spitfires Nov. 18, will sit at home in Toronto until Jan. 1, when the Ontario League&rsquo;s 10-day trading window opens for first round picks.Aliu refused to strip naked when four other rookies were ordered to cram into the washroom of the team bus during a return trip from an exhibition game in London in early September. Two weeks later, Aliu and veteran center Steve Downie fought twice in practice.An investigation by commissioner &nbsp;David Branch into the fights led to the discovery of the hazing and Mantha&rsquo;s subsequent suspension.Mantha was also suspended as GM for the balance of the regular season and playoffs.Aliu said ever since the hazing came to light, he has felt like an outcast. He had earlier made public his request for a trade, but continued to play.Downie, who walked out on the team after being suspended five games and ordered to take anger-management counselling, has since been dealt to Peterborough. He was drafted 29th overall by Philadelphia last July.NOTES The Kitchener Rangers signed 2002 third-rounder Matt Auffrey. The right winger was in his sophomore year with the Wisconsin Badgers after playing in the U.S. national team development program.<h3>QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR LEAGUE</h3><h2>Older Latendresse ain&rsquo;t too bad, either</h2>By NEIL HODGEThey&rsquo;re the top brother act in the Quebec League: center Olivier Latendresse, 19, of the Val-d&rsquo;Or Foreurs and right winger Guillaume, 18, of the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Both played for Team QMJHL in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge Nov. 21. The QMJHL beat the Russian allstars 7-4.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06343/8688956-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="283" height="404"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Guillaume, 6-foot-1 and 216 pounds, was drafted 45th overall in 2005 and almost made the Montreal Canadiens this season. Drummondville took him second overall in the 2003 QMJHL draft (behind Sidney Crosby) and he&rsquo;s an excellent bet to make the national junior team.Olivier, 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes. He led Val-d&rsquo;Or and was seventh in QMJHL scoring with 11 goals and 42 points in 25 games.&ldquo;Olivier&rsquo;s size is probably why he wasn&rsquo;t drafted,&rdquo; said Val-d&rsquo;Or coach Claude Bouchard. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m convinced he can play in the AHL some day and then we&rsquo;ll see about the NHL. I&rsquo;m convinced the new rules with less obstruction will help him.&ldquo;He would have more points if we had some other first line players to play with him.&rdquo;NOTES New rules and officiating standards are having a big impact. There was a 14.9 percent increase in goals per game &ndash; from 6.3 to 7.2 &ndash; as of mid-November compared to last season. The total power plays per game jumped a whopping 44.2 per cent and the number of power play goals increased 63 per cent. &#9632;

f0036-03

A season of fulfillment

<div class="byline">By LARRY MAHONEY</div>Fighting his way through a crowded slot to get to the front of the net isn&rsquo;t anything new for Boston College junior center Brian Boyle.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03546/8689064-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="277" height="130"></div>When you&rsquo;re raised in a family with 12 brothers and sisters, you get used to crowds. That&rsquo;s especially true at the dinner table.&ldquo;You had to learn to eat fast or you weren&rsquo;t going to eat too much,&rdquo; quipped Boyle, a first round draft choice (26th overall) of the Los Angeles Kings in 2003.The 6-foot-7, 235-pound Boyle has been as productive on the ice as he was at the dinner table.After getting eight points in 35 games as a freshman, he tallied 19 goals and 27 points in 40 games last season including seven goals and nine points in his last eight games. His 13 power play goals tied him for fourth nationally. The 2005 Hockey East Tournament MVP, also chosen as his team&rsquo;s most improved player, had nine points in his first nine games this season.&ldquo;His game has come a long way over the past few years,&rdquo; said Kings scout Bob Crocker. &ldquo;He has a pro shot. He can shoot as well as anybody in the NHL. He has real nice hands and a good touch on the puck. He is still maturing into his body. I don&rsquo;t see him getting beat skating at the college level.&rdquo;Crocker also noted Boyle is solid defensively, has good on-ice awareness and uses his wing span to &ldquo;cover a lot of area and protect the front of the net&rdquo; on the penalty kill.Boyle has been pleased with his progress at BC, a school he says he wanted to attend ever since he first laced up a pair of skates.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in the right spot,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The coaches have really pushed me. It&rsquo;s the best decision I&rsquo;ve ever made.&rdquo;Boyle tries to take full advantage of his size. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an advantage I have so I might as well use it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I can use to separate myself (from opposing defensemen).&rdquo;&ldquo;Sometimes you feel like there isn&rsquo;t much you can do against him,&rdquo; said Maine defenseman Mike Lundin. &ldquo;He has such a long reach, he&rsquo;s so strong and he can handle the puck well. You aren&rsquo;t going to move him from the front of your net.&rdquo;Boyle knows he still has work to do, however.&ldquo;I need to get a little quicker out of the gate,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working on my strength, too. You can always get stronger.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011010/8689057-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="1490" height="1580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-08264/8689050-1-eng-US/f0037-082.jpg" title="f0037-08" width="1596" height="414"></div><h3>CENTRAL COLLEGE</h3><h2>Frank the Tank impresses with old-school grit</h2>By PHILIP COLVINIt took exactly one game for Western Michigan fans to notice freshman defenseman Chris Frank. In the Broncos&rsquo; opener against Robert Morris, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Frank delivered three big open-ice hits and by the end of the game the Lawson Arena crowd was standing and chanting &ldquo;Frank the Tank! Frank the Tank!&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04456/8689043-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="409" height="151"></div>Frank&rsquo;s competitive spirit and crushing checks have made him a favorite among the Broncos student section, the Lawson Lunatics.A strong, agile skater, Frank picks his spots but still leads the team with 54 penalty minutes.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s an intelligent, hard-nosed kid who doesn&rsquo;t just run around,&rdquo; said Western Michigan coach Jim Culhane. &ldquo;He hits guys and they go down because he&rsquo;s so strong on his feet, and then he gets a penalty.&rdquo;The eighth-place Broncos have had their ups and downs &ndash; they swept top-ranked Ohio State to open CCHA play, then lost four straight to start November &ndash; but Frank&rsquo;s aggressive play has been a positive overall.&ldquo;A big hit can change the momentum in a game and Chris has provided that for us,&rdquo; Culhane said.<h3>HOCKEY EAST</h3><h2>Extracurricular brawl lands Bears in hot water</h2>By LARRY MAHONEYTwo Maine players were arrested and four others received one-game suspensions for their part in an alleged fight with a member of the baseball team.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05407/8689036-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="277" height="130"></div>Junior winger Mike Hamilton and sophomore winger Wes Clark were suspended indefinitely after being charged with assault and aggravated criminal trespass.Brent Shepheard, Rob Bellamy, Travis Wight and Bret Tyler were charged with criminal trespass, and sat out the team&rsquo;s 7-2 exhibition win over the U.S. national team development program&rsquo;s under-18 squad Nov. 19.According to police reports, Hamilton and his teammates went to an apartment complex to confront a member of the baseball team, who was involved with Hamilton&rsquo;s ex-girlfriend.Hamilton allegedly got into a fight with the man and Clark allegedly punched and kicked the victim, but the other four players either weren&rsquo;t involved or tried to break the fight up.Maine pitcher Will Carroll received stitches over his left eye at the hospital. Hamilton and Clark were arrested and spent a night in jail before being released on bail.The court date for all six players is Dec. 23.<h3>EASTERN COLLEGE</h3><h2>Westgarth finds inspiration in an unlikely location</h2>By TOM BOGGIEA year away from hockey was just what Princeton junior defenseman Brett Westgarth needed to get the fire burning again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06356/8689029-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="401" height="167"></div>In his first two seasons, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Westgarth was an important part of former Tiger coach Len Quesnelle&rsquo;s defense, but something was missing.So last year, he got away from the game. About as far away as possible. He spent five weeks in Ecuador, installing an irrigation system and teaching children English. Slowly, the fire was rekindled.This year he&rsquo;s back, and playing with new enthusiasm. In eight games, Westgarth had a goal and three points, already surpassing his totals (two points) from his first two seasons.&ldquo;I was really excited to get back and play for coach (Guy) Gadowsky,&rdquo; Westgarth said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun playing for him, even in practice.&rdquo;Getting a veteran back on defense was like getting an unexpected recruit for Gadowsky, the Tigers&rsquo; second-year coach.&ldquo;We knew we were getting a big strong guy, but we underestimated what he would bring in terms of rushing the puck and shooting. He has brought a lot of things to us that we didn't expect.&rdquo;<h3>WESTERN COLLEGE</h3><h2>Gophers and Bulldogs ready to take it outside</h2>By ANDY BAGGOTThe idea of staging a college hockey game in an outdoor stadium isn&rsquo;t new, but two WCHA schools are pursing a unique concept indoors.Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth will stage a men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s doubleheader Feb. 10, 2007 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07319/8689022-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="216" height="47"></div>Seating for the event, dubbed &lsquo;State of Hockey Celebration,&rsquo; will be approximately 64,000. The doubleheader will be part of a three-day celebration of hockey. Youth and high school games will also take place.Some of the proceeds will benefit the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn.The doubleheader comes on the heels of two headline-making outdoor games involving legendary programs and stadiums.In Oct. 2001, Michigan State and Michigan skated to a 3-3 tie before a world-record hockey crowd of 74,554 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.In February, Wisconsin will host Ohio State at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay. When tickets went on sale last month, 22,000 of the 40,000 were sold on the first day. &#9632;

f0037-03

Big man at the table

<h2>2 MINUTES IN THE BOX</h2>Mike SillingerSt. Louis Blues Pos Center Age 34 Birthplace Regina, Sask.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03340/8689175-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="509" height="638"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04250/8689168-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="181" height="181"></div><h3>START THE CLOCK&hellip;</h3>Best trash talk you&rsquo;ve heard during a game?&ldquo;&lsquo;Who gave that guy a jersey?&rsquo; Brett Hull used to say that all the time, about anybody.&rdquo;Three things you can&rsquo;t live without?&ldquo;Family, friends &ndash; and a couple cool ones.&rdquo;Favorite vacation spot?&ldquo;Atlantis in the Bahamas. I had some success at the blackjack tables there.&rdquo;What&rsquo;s the best practical joke you&rsquo;ve ever seen?&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen guys turn purple before, when someone put dye in their equipment. The trainers weren&rsquo;t very impressed, though.&rdquo;Dumbest question you&rsquo;ve been asked?&ldquo;&lsquo;Why can&rsquo;t you guys win?&rsquo; Uh, because we&rsquo;re not trying to win. Is that what people expect to hear?&rdquo;All-time favorite Slap Shot line?&ldquo;&lsquo;I&rsquo;m tryin&rsquo; to listen to the @#$% song!&rsquo;&rdquo;Which teammate of yours over the years would make the best singer?&ldquo;Sean Burke is known to break out his guitar after a few cocktails and he&rsquo;s pretty good. But definitely not Darren McCarty. He&rsquo;s terrible.&rdquo;TIME&rsquo;S UP!&ndash; ADAM PROTEAU<h2>CROSSWORD</h2><h3>ACROSS</h3>1 The current Cup holders8 They last went all the way in 19679 Pictured, blueliner currently with 8 Across, he&rsquo;s a Finn10 Many say ___ James should be in the Hall of Fame11 Punch was their first coach12 There&rsquo;s OHL hockey in Owen ___14 The Wings play at Joe ___17 Pressure19 Gary ___ was drafted third overall by Toronto in 198220 Pestered21 One of several Oilers to have his number retired22 Ex-Isle Dave ___ is now with Boston<h3>DOWN</h3>2 Former Flyer ___ Sinisalo3 Minnesota&rsquo;s football stadium is named after ___ Humphrey4 The Stastnys made their mark with this team5 Former goalies Hall and Healy6 Remove from the play: two wds.7 They are coached by Steve Stirling11 The Senators&rsquo; Bryan ___13 Mike ___ scored more than 300 times in 11 NHL seasons15 Veteran defender ___ Ozolinsh16 The Sabres were once led by &lsquo;The ___ Connection&rsquo;17 One of the Niedermayers18 Jab with one&rsquo;s stick bladeBy Larry HumberAnswers in next issue and @thehockeynews.comLAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-07151/8689161-1-eng-US/f0043-072.jpg" title="f0043-07" width="1072" height="1071"></div>ACROSS 1. WEIGHT, 4. ARNOTT, 9. BRENDAN, 10. BAKER, 11. LITHE, 12. HOLLAND, 13. DOUG, 15. TODD, 18. OVERLAP, 21. ELMER, 23. PENNY, 24. UNITING, 25. RECALL, 26. ALBERT. DOWN 1. WOBBLE, 2. INEPT, 3. HEDBERG, 5. REBEL, 6. OAKLAND, 7. TIRADE, 8. INCH, 14. OCEANIC, 15. THE HILL, 16. COOPER, 17. BRIGHT, 19. LOYAL, 20. PAUL, 22. MAINE.<h2>SEPARATED AT BIRTH</h2>Have you spotted these two personalities in the same room at the same time? Submitted by Margaret Anne Morgan of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05212/8689154-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="244" height="278"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jose TheodoreFrench-Canadian goalie taking shots for Montreal</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06173/8689147-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="244" height="278"><figcaption class="caption-body">Olivier MartinezFrench actor filmed Taking Lives movie in Montreal</figcaption></div>Submit ideas for Seperated at Birth to <a href="mailto:separated@thehockeynews.com">separated@thehockeynews.com</a><h2>JERSEY HOUND</h2>Los Angeles Kings, circa 1988Evidently, having your team&rsquo;s uniform linked to gangsta rap culture wasn&rsquo;t a big priority for the Kings.The early&rsquo;90s saw West Coast rappers repping the silver-and-black ice edition in scores of music videos, but the Kings were making their own noise in arenas around the NHL.Going from the now-ironically awesome gold-and-purple of the Marcel Dionne 1970s and early&rsquo;80s to a more foreboding color scheme transformed the Kings from sartorial laughingstocks into a sleek and deadly team that made a Stanley Cup run in 1993.Having Wayne Gretzky on the team didn&rsquo;t hurt either.&ndash;&nbsp;RYAN KENNEDY<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01615/8689140-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="865" height="1273"></div> &#9632;

f0043-03

Last Minute of Play

<div class="byline">by charlieteljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02406/8689206-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0043-02

hockeysockpuppettheatre

<div class="byline">Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01504/8689258-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-05150/8689265-1-eng-US/f0044-052.jpg" title="f0044-05" width="238" height="286"><figcaption class="caption-body">ADAM PROTEAUStaff Writer</figcaption></div>The chance to get five Canadian Olympians in the same room is rare. So when veteran women&rsquo;s hockey stars Sami Jo Small, Cassie Campbell, Jennifer Botterill, Hayley Wickenheiser and Cheryl Pounder agreed to participate in a conference call from their training base in Calgary, we were all over it.THE HOCKEY NEWS&nbsp;How does everybody feel about the current state of the women&rsquo;s game?CASSIE CAMPBELL It&rsquo;s definitely headed in the right direction. There&rsquo;s more attention devoted to the women&rsquo;s game at the national level, more awareness overall of what we do. Where I think we&rsquo;re still struggling is at the club level. I think there&rsquo;s a lack of promotion, and a lack of communication between the two leagues (Western Women&rsquo;s League and National Women&rsquo;s League) that needs addressing.JENNIFER BOTTERILL As Cassie said, the women&rsquo;s game has continued to grow, which is fantastic. The challenge is to have that same support, and to get corporate Canada on board with the women&rsquo;s game, for the four-year cycle and not just in Olympic years.CHERYL POUNDER In the club system, we lose a lot of skilled players who are between the national and club team levels. We have to work on promoting our leagues to keep those players involved, because those are the players who will keep the leagues stronger.SAMI JO SMALL In terms of refereeing and coaching, I think maybe those two areas haven&rsquo;t progressed as far as the players have. Not enough girls are being encouraged to go into officiating and coaching. The officials and coaches we have now are good, but there&rsquo;s not enough depth in those two areas as there is when it comes to players.HAYLEY WICKENHEISER&nbsp;Bringing the two leagues together is huge for our future. We need a national championship where the best from the west plays the best from the east.Internationally, I&rsquo;d like to see the better players from other countries come over and compete in North America. It would be best for the development of players in other countries, and it would make the elite leagues here a lot stronger.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02285/8689251-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="379" height="379"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03220/8689244-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="379" height="379"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04175/8689237-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg" title="f0044-04" width="379" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body">FANTASTIC FIVE Five women have played crucial roles for Canada&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s team over the years. They include, clockwise from top left, Cheryl Pounder, Cassie Campbell, Jennifer Botterill, Hayley Wickenheiser and Sami Jo Small. (ALL: GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">We need a national league. It just makes sense. Cassie Campbell</blockquote>THN&nbsp;Some European countries are starting to develop players, although certainly not at the rate Canada and the U.S. have. What has to happen to develop the game in those countries?CC It has to start with the IIHF. The game in Canada is on the right track, but even the U.S. needs changes. I mean, those girls don&rsquo;t have a place to play after college.In terms of Europe, I think the only way things will change is if there&rsquo;s the chance to win money. If the IIHF has monetary rewards for winning medals at world championships, that could change the ideology of what people in those countries think of our game.JB The first thing that comes to mind is exposure. Here in Canada, we&rsquo;re so widely supported across the country, young girls are excited to play. By exposing the game in Europe, I think you&rsquo;ll get more girls excited to play, and the interest level will grow as it has here.SJS One thing we don&rsquo;t have control of is the social status of women in some of these countries. Sweden and Finland are modern societies. But when you talk about Russia, Kazakhstan and some Eastern Bloc countries, it&rsquo;s a bit harder to change the ideology when women there aren&rsquo;t allowed to take certain positions in government, or play certain roles in society. It&rsquo;s a different way of life. But the Scandinavian countries are similar to ours and we can work with them to improve their development systems.HW It took 15 years in the men&rsquo;s game for the gap to close between Canada and the rest of the world, and I think the women&rsquo;s game is right in line with that time frame.I also think it comes down to the players in those countries. It took players in Canada like France St. Louis, Angela James, and Dawn McGuire standing up to Hockey Canada and saying, &lsquo;No, we need to be treated better,&rsquo; before that happened. I think that same kind of leadership has to happen in Europe.CP Also, some of the European players who&rsquo;ve made the trip to Canada see how we approach the game, how we treat ourselves, how we&rsquo;re treated, the sacrifice it takes to make a winning program. They&rsquo;re taking that experience back with them, and trying to build on that. That&rsquo;s definitely a positive step.CC I asked a couple of Swedish players what it would take for them to come and play in our leagues. They said all they&rsquo;d need was a job, some sort of income that won&rsquo;t leave them in debt because they want to come over and play. There isn&rsquo;t the financial means for that to happen right now.THN&nbsp;Two questions to finish up: What keeps everybody optimistic about the future of the women&rsquo;s game, and what worries you?CC The love and passion for the game here is so inspirational. To me, when a little girl comes up to me or my teammates and is excited to see us, that&rsquo;s more important than medals or representing your country.What worries me are people who are getting into the game for the wrong reasons, and the people in the women&rsquo;s game who are afraid to lose some of their power and afraid of change. We&rsquo;ve got a great game and we can&rsquo;t be afraid of change.I&rsquo;ve played in both the WWHL and NWHL, and it&rsquo;s disappointing to me to see the problems. We need to find a way to bring the best players in the country together. We need a national league. It just makes sense.JB I&rsquo;m optimistic because the game is continuing to grow, and all our players are more excited than ever. It&rsquo;s great that people all across the country have more passion for the game. All the hockey schools we do every summer have more and more girls involved, and that&rsquo;s really encouraging.My concern is about the club system here in Canada. These Olympic years are great for us, but it&rsquo;s such a challenge to find something for international players in those years between the Olympics. Finding that balance for everybody to play and continue to develop is crucial.SJS I&rsquo;m really excited that hockey has become an acceptable sport for young girls. When I was growing up in Winnipeg, it was frowned upon, and like a lot of girls here, I was called every derogatory name in the book as a seven-or-eight-year-old trying to break those barriers. It&rsquo;s great to see girls that age now who have no knowledge of that unfortunate past; for them, it&rsquo;s just a game that&rsquo;s fun to play.As Cassie said, I&rsquo;m worried about the people in the game for the wrong reasons. We&rsquo;re seeing parents now who want their girls to have the college scholarship and to be on the national team, and they&rsquo;re putting a ton of pressure on these girls.That&rsquo;s unfortunate to see, because we didn&rsquo;t see much of that when we were kids. It used to be the girls who put the pressure on themselves to be better; now, parents are forcing their children into playing, even though it&rsquo;s not their passion.CP I&rsquo;m very optimistic. There were a huge amount of people who watched us in Salt Lake City; and the explosion of enrollment in the amateur level is awesome.One of the things that worries me is that, while Canada keeps getting better, there&rsquo;s still a gap between us and other countries we need to close. And I think it&rsquo;s important that young girls who&rsquo;ve gotten into this sport have a place to see their role models play. We have to get the best possible elite league going, so these little girls can come and enjoy themselves and have a place to dream of playing one day.HW I&rsquo;ve got concerns internationally and at the club level, which everybody has summed up pretty well. But I&rsquo;m optimistic because this is still the greatest game in the world, and Canadians will always be passionate about it. &#9632;

f0044-01

Women’s work is paying off

<div class="byline">with Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="C0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-01291/8689310-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly Sutherland</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-03111/8689303-1-eng-US/c0004-032.jpg" title="C0004-03" width="239" height="276"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE BROPHYSenior Writer</figcaption></div>Just about everybody laughed when the NHL said it would come back with a new game that was rid of obstruction.&ldquo;This time we really, really, really mean it,&rdquo; the NHL&rsquo;s brass beamed.They even pulled one of their best refs, 42-year-old Stephen Walkom, out of uniform and put him in charge of officials because he &ldquo;got it.&rdquo; Walkom is passionate about his new post and has vowed to succeed where others before him failed.Things started off OK, but by mid-November I started to sense the standard was slipping. I have no statistical data to back up this assertion, but as I watched games I found myself thinking, &ldquo;Why wasn&rsquo;t that called?&rdquo; and, &ldquo;Hey, that&rsquo;s hooking!&rdquo; a lot more than I did in October. By no means have we returned to the clutch-and-grab fest that ruled the NHL for the past decade, but I see more stickwork not being called in November than I did in the first month of the season.And I&rsquo;m not alone.&ldquo;At the start of the year everything was called in black and white,&rdquo; said one player. &ldquo;Now there seems to be a little gray seeping into the scenario. At the start of the year a stick in the belly on the cycle would be called, but now it&rsquo;s not being called.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m starting to do it myself because I am seeing other guys getting away with it. If I see other guys cheating then I feel that I have to cheat, too.&rdquo;<h2>BIG QUESTIONS</h2>&ldquo;All I want to know is what I can and can&rsquo;t get away with,&rdquo; said another player. &ldquo;It changes from night to night.&rdquo;That has been a popular refrain from the beginning of time, but when the league insists it will make sure the standard is maintained this season, and already players are confused, something is going wrong.By the way, players requested anonymity because when they attach their names to complaints about the league they get tagged with a $1,000 fine.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-02178/8689296-1-eng-US/c0004-022.jpg" title="C0004-02" width="314" height="489"><figcaption class="caption-body">Stephen Walkom (JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>I absolutely love the &ldquo;new NHL.&rdquo; I don&rsquo;t care how many penalties are called or how many power play goals are scored or how many times a team plays 5-on-3 because it cannot adhere to the rules. Star players now have the opportunity to do things in games that, previously, they only tried in practice (when there wasn&rsquo;t an opponent draped all over them or a stick jutting through their ribcage).Scoring is up and games are exciting. A team can be down by two goals entering the third period and still have a chance to win. It was game over in that situation two years ago. Players are holding the puck longer this season than they ever dreamed of in the past decade. Or at least you did.I stubbornly &ndash; perhaps foolishly &ndash; said the standard wouldn&rsquo;t slip when so many others said the NHL would do what it has done so often in the past: call things tight early and then let players get away with more and more as the season progresses. By the time the playoffs roll around, it&rsquo;s the Calgary Stampede all over again.<h2>UNDER THE GUN</h2>&ldquo;I certainly don&rsquo;t want it to erode and we are monitoring every game,&rdquo; Walkom says. &ldquo;When it happens we deal with it immediately. We want to stay on track and our guys are doing everything we can to stay on track. It&rsquo;s not easy and it&rsquo;s going to be work all year for our group. This isn&rsquo;t an easy mission we&rsquo;re on.&rdquo;Referees are under more scrutiny than ever. They make hundreds, if not thousands, of instant decisions every game and they aren&rsquo;t always going to be right. That is a given.<blockquote class="pullQuote">If I see other guys cheating then I feel that I have to cheat, too. Anonymous NHLer</blockquote>Then you factor in the numerous replay angles that TV offers, often showing a play from a perspective the ref couldn&rsquo;t possibly have seen in real time, and you know the perfect game is virtually impossible to call. On top of that, the refs&rsquo; judgment is constantly evaluated by their bosses &ndash; the same people who decide if they work the playoffs, or next season for that matter.All of that is understood.The NHL has made it easy for referees this year and the only way this experiment will work is if the guys in stripes don&rsquo;t start selecting which plays they will and won&rsquo;t call.&ldquo;We never said there would be zero-tolerance, because there is going to be situational contact in the game,&rdquo; Walkom says. &ldquo;But if the referee sees a hook or a tug or a pull, we want it called.&rdquo;Walkom insists the standard will be as high when the playoffs begin as it was when the first puck dropped to open the season. Here&rsquo;s hoping what I witnessed in early November was just an aberration. &#9632;

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December 6, 2005

SNAPSHOTS from around the NHL

Welcome back!

AHL PROFILE Binghamton Senators

2005-06 Statistics