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.
January 11, 1991
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.
ZENT PROVIDES PLENTY OF PORTSIDE POWER
Practice sessions at Nichols High School in Buffalo just weren’t enough for Jason Zent. Every day, either before or after the team’s workout, Zent walked to the school’s figure skating rink to practise on his own. “I’d do that from September through the end of the season in February,” he said. “I’d work on my shot.” The 19-year-old’s hard work may ultimately give him a shot at helping the New York Islanders solve their offensive problems. Of course, projections for NHL success may be premature for the University of Wisconsin freshman. After all, he hasn’t exactly dominated the Western Collegiate Hockey Association this season. But promise appears boundless for the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Zent, whose wrist shot is reportedly as hard as other players’ slap shots. And he’s a two-time member of the U.S. Junior team and a…
BATTLE ALMOST WON FOR RUGGED DEFENSEMAN
Neil Wilkinson seems to be a prospect who’s time has come. It hasn’t, but it’s near. Wilkinson, 24, has spent much of the last two seasons with the North Stars, playing his way into the lineup one day and out of it the next. He’s a tough-as-nails defenseman who sometimes doesn’t play tough. He’s an add-to-the-offense defenseman who sometimes is slow to move the puck. “Wilkie is an aggressive player who can do all the things an NHL player needs to do,” North Stars’ general manager Bob Clarke said. “What he needs now is to add some consistency to his game, add some solidness to his play. “The coaches know he can play but they need to know how he’ll play every night. He’s with us because he needs to practice at the…
SUSPENSION OF OHL STAR SHOULD BE COMMENDED
Grant Marshall doesn’t want revenge so much as a return to the Ontario League. The Ottawa 67’s defenseman suffered a broken neck Dec. 4 when he was checked from behind into the end boards by Sudbury Wolves’ center Jason Young. OHL commissioner David Branch suspended Young for the balance of the regular season—29 games—in a commendable ruling that has proven controversial. The Wolves can ask that Young be reinstated should they make the playoffs. Many people, including Hockey Night in Canada entertainer Don Cherry, believe the penalty is too severe. Cherry went on at length (and ad nauseam) about the unfairness of the suspension during a televised game Dec. 22. Marshall did not see the show, but heard about it from friends. Five days later the two met at a Toronto hockey tournament. Cherry…
BOIVIN BULLIES HIS WAY TO THE TOP
Claude Boivin reminds the Philadelphia Flyers of their “Bullies” days, which means he may wind up on Broad Street sooner than expected. The big left winger has thrown some thunderous body checks in Hershey, Penn.—home of the American League Bears—and the echoes have been heard all the way to Philadelphia. Boivin, the Flyers’ first-round pick (14th overall) in the 1988 draft, has impressed scouts with his ability to knock people off the puck and get an offensive play started. Because of Boivin’s improving two-way play, Flyers’ general manager Russ Farwell considers him the franchise’s top prospect as the hockey season nears the halfway point. “Boivin has been the steadiest guy in Hershey,” said Farwell. “He has played well, contributed points-wise and he’s physical. He has brought his game up to that level quickest. “From start…
Made possible with the support of
