Search for your favorite player or team
© The Hockey News. All rights reserved. Any and all material on this website cannot be used, reproduced, or distributed without prior written permission from Roustan Media Ltd. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
April 21, 1989
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.
PLAYOFF ODDITIES CONTINUE FOR CAPS
The Washington Capitals’ playoff history is littered with weird events that have prevented the team from escaping the Patrick Division to play in May. There was Bob Carpenter’s cut-out glove, which resulted in the penalty that changed the momentum of a series against the New York Islanders in 1984. Then there was Carpenter’s failed penalty shot, which helped the Islanders rally from a two-game deficit for a 3-2 series victory in 1985. In 1986, the Capitals, unbeaten over more than two years in overtime play, dropped two extra-period decisions in losing to the New York Rangers. The Islanders won that unforgettable four-overtime seventh game in 1987, after goalie Bob Mason’s skate lost a rivet as he fell trying to stop the tying goal. Last year it was a third-period deflection by John MacLean…
THE STATE OF THE GAME, ACCORDING TO ZIEGLER
May 7 is the first anniversary of John Ziegler’s unavailability during Doughnutgate. Where was Ziegler? To this day, we don’t have the answer. But we do know the NHL survived the mess and Ziegler weathered a relentless media assault. A year later, the president still deflects the arrows while the NHL cash registers ring up record receipts. Ziegler had every reason to glow as we sat recently in his office overlooking Rockefeller Center. “Robust is a good word to describe the state of the league,” Ziegler said. “Our economics are the best they could have been and our player talent is the best. It’s the most competitive year we’ve ever had. We’re robust in the sense that we’re bursting to do other things.” One of those things is expansion. The successful ballooning of the…
FLAMES FUELED BY OTTOIN BATTLE WITH CANUCKS
In his previous career as a player agent, one of Brian Burke’s least marketable clients was a hulking center from a Division 11 college in Minnesota. Joel Otto of Bemidji State. Ultimately, Burke was able to interest only one man, Calgary Flame general manager Cliff Fletcher, in the rights to Otto. Fletcher offered a modest two-way deal to the 6-foot-4 center-…and has been rewarded for his gamble ever since. Otto led all the Flames’ playoff scorers following the first four games of the Smythe Division semifinals, with two goals and three assists. He was also named a star in three of the first four games. “I regret placing him there,” said Burke, now a Canucks’ vice-president and director of hockey operations, following game three. “He’s killing us. Of all the free agents I placed,…
NEXT ISSUE
In next week’s issue of The Hockey News, we’ll continue to follow the road to the 1989 Stanley Cup, with full reports on all series. In addition to that, we’ll take a look at the battle shaping up for the leadership of the NHL Players’ Association. NHLPA executive director Alan Eagleson has come under fire from a pair of player agents—Ron Salcer of Los Angeles and Rich Winter of Edmonton—who believe it’s time for a change. We’ll have all the behind-the-scenes maneuvering in what shapes up to be a hard-fought boardroom battle. Plus, we’ll preview this year’s THN Awards, including the incredibly tight three-way race for NHL Player of the Year between Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman. All that and more in the April 28 issue of The Hockey News.…
Made possible with the support of
