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.

January 25, 1991

The Hockey News Janaury 25, 1991

<div class="byline">BY BENJAMIN RYAN</div>I always wanted to be drafted by an NHL team. I guess going to a hockey camp is good first-hand experience in getting drafted&mdash;by the Army.The itinerary the hockey school sent looks intense. I kinda feel like Private Benjamin. My first time at camp. What&rsquo;s it going to be like? They should make a movie about this.Honestly, I&rsquo;m really looking forward to going to camp. My coach last season told me this is the best way to improve my skills. And I&rsquo;ve read most of the guys in the NHL went to hockey schools growing up. Plus, if Mom and Dad are paying for everything, I should go along and make them happy.Everything is packed and I&rsquo;m ready to go. It&rsquo;s only for a week, but Mom&rsquo;s bawling. Dad drives me there, pats me on the head, gives me a looney and tells me not to spend it all at once.&#9632; 7:12 a.m.&mdash;&ldquo;&hellip;The seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup final will be determined on the next goal. The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are into octuple overtime. Gretzky wins the faceoff to Robinson. Robinson ahead to Ryan. Ryan streaks down the left wing, fires a pass to Gretzky at the blue line. Gretzky drops a pass to Lindros. Lindros drills a shot off the crossbar&hellip;Ryan pounces on the rebound&hellip;He shoots, he&hellip;&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0182/5911069-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="551" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Nilan assisted in Benjamin Ryan&rsquo;s dream goal.</figcaption></div>&#9632; 7:15 a.m.&mdash;Alarm goes off. Guess it was a dream. My camp is about to begin. I&rsquo;m psyched. Let&rsquo;s get going.&#9632; 7:45 a.m.&mdash;Breakfast. Wayne Gretzky says breakfast is important. He even has a cereal of his own. Wasn&rsquo;t Jim Craig on a box of Wheaties? And don&rsquo;t Mike Mod-ano and Bobby Smith do commercials for milk? They&rsquo;ll feed us well here. They know how much energy we&rsquo;ll need every day.&#9632; 8:30 a.m.&mdash;Lectures and films. It&rsquo;s show time. This is like being in school. Hey, is that Howie Meeker on the screen? Sounds like him&hellip;&rdquo;Now, stop it there, hold it, back it up a second&hellip;now wait-&hellip;there are four Leafs out of position and nobody took the guy going to the net&hellip;keep going. Now stop it right there&hellip;hold it, back it up a second&hellip;&rdquo; Thanks Howie.&#9632; 9:30 a.m.&mdash;On-ice training-&hellip;power skating. Backwards, forward, lateral. This is great. I&rsquo;ve already picked up a step. Next season I&rsquo;ll be like Paul Coffey! These guys know what they&rsquo;re talking about.&#9632; 10:30 a.m.&mdash;On-ice training-&hellip;puckhandling, passing and shooting. Look at all these pucks. Look at all these drills. I&rsquo;ve never seen so many pylons. I never realized there were so many ways to improve my game.&#9632; 11:30 a.m.&mdash;Fun games. Just when I thought I was getting tired, the instructors broke us into teams and we started playing all these weird variations of hockey.&#9632; Noon&mdash;Lunch. I was starting to run out of energy, so they offered a big, hearty fix-me-up meal.&#9632; 12:30&mdash;Relaxation period. Now the time to unwind, put my feet up and catch the Flinstones with the rest of the guys.&#9632; 1:15 p.m.&mdash;Dryland Training. They took us outside and stressed the importance of getting into shape before the season begins. We ran up hills, played team handball and soccer, stretched and got the blood flowing.&#9632; 2:45 p.m.&mdash;Recreation and pool. My Mom says swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. And with all the weight equipment, bikes and rowers they have, pretty soon I&rsquo;ll be a decathlete in the Olympics in addition to playing in the NHL.&#9632; 5:30 p.m.&mdash;Dinner. I love spaghetti. The sauce is good, too. My friends Oscar and Matt tried to take my dessert, but I wound up grabbing a bite of theirs instead.&#9632; 6:15 p.m.&mdash;Video instruction. It&rsquo;s one thing for an instructor to tell you things, but this way they can break it down into individual steps. Put it all together and it makes sense. They speak in a language I can understand.&#9632; 7:15 p.m.&mdash;On-ice training-&hellip;team play and breakout patterns. Players in the NHL are always talking about team play and working as a unit. Now I have the opportunity to learn what that&rsquo;s all about. It takes lots of practise and hard work.&#9632; 9:30 p.m.&mdash;Movies and fun activities. I always wondered what the word camaraderie meant. This is it. I sense a real team spirit developing.&#9632; 10:30 p.m.&mdash;Lights out. Rest up for tomorrow. I can hardly wait&#9632; 10:36 p.m.&mdash;&rdquo;&hellip;Ryan barrels down the right wing. Look at him skate. He dishes the puck off to Gretzky. Gretzky over to Chris Nilan. Nilan fakes a shot at goalie Jiri Crha, then passes to Ryan in the slot. He shoots, he scores. How about this Ryan kid. Where did he learn to play?&rdquo; &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

A TYPICAL DAY AT HOCKEY CAMP

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021336/5909044-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

ELSTON

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0087-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0134/5911954-1-eng-US/f0087-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">BY RICK SADOWSKI</div>Bob Kudelski has built a reputation as being an efficient checker and penalty killer since joining the Los Angeles Kings full-time last season.But that doesn&rsquo;t mean Kudelski, a supplemental draft pick out of Yale in 1986, has hands made of stone.Kudelski, 26, scored 23 goals in 62 games last season&mdash;he missed 16 games with a fractured knuckle&mdash;and he had 18 goals through 44 games this year despite being asked to play all three forward positions on a variety of lines.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s made tremendous contributions no matter where he has played,&rdquo; said Kings&rsquo; coach Tom Webster. &ldquo;He just finds a way to get the job done.&rdquo;Kudelski, 6-foot-l, 200-pounds, has skated at right wing on a line with Steve Kasper, who is currently sidelined with a fractured orbital bone; at left wing with Wayne Gretzky before Tony Granato returned from a rib injury that kept him out for 10 games; and at center, most recently between Luc Robitaille and Dave Taylor.&ldquo;The biggest thing about switching around is that I&rsquo;ve still got to play well in my own end,&rdquo; Kudelski said. &ldquo;I take a lot of pride in my defensive game and I&rsquo;ve got to stick to what I do best. But if I&rsquo;m playing with Luc and Dave, I figure to get some offensive chances.&rdquo;That was the case Jan. 12 at the Forum, when Kudelski took three shots and scored on all of them to register his first career hat trick in the Kings&rsquo; 6-2 thumping of Vancouver.The Kings&rsquo; sixth straight win moved them into sole possession of first place in the Smythe Division for the first time since Dec. 1.&ldquo;(Kudelski) is a guy who always plays hard at both ends,&rdquo; said Gretzky, who has 47 hat tricks in his career, &ldquo;so we&rsquo;re really happy for him. It&rsquo;s nice to see a guy like that get a hat trick.&rdquo;Kudelski, who had six goals in a five-game stretch, scored a goal in each period. His third, a shorthanded breakaway, came with 11:46 to play.&ldquo;I was a little nervous about that one,&rdquo; said Kudelski, who picked off an errant pass just inside his own blue line and broke down the middle before lifting a backhander over Kirk McLean&rsquo;s blocker.&ldquo;It really feels good,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really pleased with the way things aimed out. I&rsquo;ve dreamed about scoring a hat trick in the NHL for a long time.&rdquo;Kudelski had seven goals in his first 10 games but produced only four goals in his next 26 before hitting this streak.&ldquo;I kind of hit a dry spell where I couldn&rsquo;t do anything. It was really frustrating,&rdquo; he said.Kudelski was playing a major role in the club&rsquo;s penalty-killing improvement. After finishing with the fifth-worst percentage in the league a year ago (76.0 percent), the Kings boasted the second-best mark (84.7 per cent). It didn&rsquo;t hurt that they killed 34 of 35 disadvantages over a seven-game stretch.&ldquo;Pretty unbelievable,&rdquo; Kudelski said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing. The guys take a lot of pride in it. We all know that our goals-against has gone down considerably. Our penalty killing really has come a long way.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried to be a little more aggressive in forcing teams to make passes when they don&rsquo;t want to. But we can&rsquo;t think about numbers too much.&rdquo;<h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Wayne Gretzky, Bob Kudelski, Scott Bjugstad. John McIntyre, Todd Elik.LW&mdash;Tony Granato. Luc Robitaille. John Tonelli, Mike Donnelly.RW&mdash;Tomas Sandstrom, Dave Taylor, Jay Miller. Brad Jones, Jim Thomson.LD&mdash;Tim Watters, Brian Benning. Marty McSortey, Rod Buskas.RD&mdash;Larry Robinson. Rob Blake, Bob Halkidis.G&mdash;Kelly Hrudey. Daniel Berthiaume.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Frank Breault, RW, right knee surgery, out for season. Steve Duchesne, D, strained back, day-to-day Steve Kasper, C, ruptured sinus cavity and fractured orbital bone, indefinite. Tom Laidlaw, D, bulging disc, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Gretzky, 26. A&mdash;Gretzky, 58. P&mdash;Gretzky, 84. PIM&mdash;Miller, 124 &#9632;

THE NHL

KUDELSKI CHANGING IMAGE WITH HAT TRICK

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01876/5912308-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div>YOUR GUIDE TO HOCKEY SCHOOLS, EQUIPMENT-PAGE 27SENATORS BELIEVE EARLY START IS A CAPITAL IDEA * PAGE 5LEMIEUX READIES FOR RETURN, EAGER FOR ANOTHER CHANCE-PAGE 8RANGER GOAUES SHARE LOAD PAGE 7LEAFS&rsquo; IAFRATE WANTS OUT PAGE 6 &#9632;

Cover-01

HE’S BACK ON TRACK

&ldquo;If they choose me, I&rsquo;d go. I&rsquo;d take my hockey stick with me.&rdquo;&mdash;Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; center Jimmy Carson, on the chance he gets drafted to fight in the Persian Gulf. Page 16.&ldquo;His hand-eye coordination is unbelievable. He should have been a baseball player&hellip;he would have made a lot more money.&rdquo;&mdash;Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; defenseman Terry Carkner, on the skills of teammate Gord Murphy. Page 27. &#9632;

QUOTABLE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04548/5908913-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="515" height="606"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB MCKENZIE</figcaption></div>Never in the mostly checkered past of the Vancouver Canucks have they had a legitimate NHL superstar. If they&rsquo;re not careful, they never will.Petr Nedved, a gifted 19-year-old center, is the crown prince of the Canucks. Upon his slender 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame rest the high hopes of a franchise struggling desperately to rise out of mediocrity.But even the Canucks&rsquo; renaissance regime of general manager Pat Quinn and director of hockey operations Brian Burke realize it takes time. For both the franchise an&rsquo;d its future king, who only two years ago was playing midget hockey in Czechoslovakia.So, what gives? Why is Nedved, a physically immature specimen with but one year of major junior experience, playing the role of third- or fourth-line center in a league that, for now, is too good for him?&ldquo;Our rationale is quite simple,&rdquo; says Burke. &ldquo;If Petr plays in half our games, then we feel we can justify keeping him. The coaches know that. They&rsquo;re willing to play him.&ldquo;I have no problem with junior hockey or the job it does in developing players. But we feel he will get better faster by playing and practising against NHL players. We&rsquo;ve got him working with our strength coach. We&rsquo;re confident he&rsquo;s in a good situation, the best for his development.&rdquo;The Canucks&rsquo; record in dealing with its first-round picks says otherwise, but Quinn and Burke should not be held accountable for the sins of their forebearers.Admittedly, Nedved is playing more now. The trade of center Brian Bradley to Toronto makes Nedved the No. 3 center, behind Dan Quinn and Igor Larionov.In his first game in that role, Nedved scored a goal, his second of the season. After 28 games of mostly part-time play, he had three assists to go along with his two goals.But you&rsquo;re missing the point if you&rsquo;re counting points. Even if Nedved cuts loose and scores big in the remaining months of the regular season, it says here that the long-term interests of the player and team would have been better served with Nedved starting and finishing the season with Seattle of the Western League.The Canucks, as honorable as their intentions may be, are playing with fire.Nedved, a veritable rake, needs time to grow.Nedved, an offensive whiz with Gretzky-like moves, needs time to play. The stepped-up pace of professional hockey no doubt forces a player to upgrade his game, but there is no substitute for, say, 30 minutes a game.Nedved, with only one year of elite competition (major junior), needs time to establish his confidence. Burke says they are giving him &ldquo;positive reinforcement,&rdquo; but there&rsquo;s no substitute for being the key player upon whom a franchise depends, as would be the case in Seattle.This is not to say that every underage junior should be held back. Mike Ricci, for instance, with three years of junior and two world junior championships, would gain nothing by playing for Peterborough of the Ontario League.Ricci, precisely because of his depth of major junior experience, is more physically, emotionally and mentally prepared than Nedved.Nedved did dominate the WHL at times last season. But he never mastered it. He never assumed that superstar role in junior that is to be his destiny in Vancouver. Really, he never accrued the full benefits of major junior hockey.So now he is a Canuck, a boy, albeit gifted, playing against men. He&rsquo;s learning first-hand the trials and tribulations of the grind that is pro hockey.If Nedved continues to struggle, there will be a perception that, at 19, he isn&rsquo;t as good as predicted. And if next season he still fails to shine brightly, he&rsquo;ll incorrectly be regarded as a 20-year-old mistake, his confidence waning and development retarded.&ldquo;We still think he&rsquo;s the jewel of the draft,&rdquo; Burke says.Agreed. But the good things in life are worth waiting for. Time is on the Canucks&rsquo; side, but they have to make it work for them.The conclusion?Would playing in Seattle this season harm Nedved&rsquo;s development? No.Will playing in the NHL this season disrupt his natural progression? Perhaps.Why take the chance?Bob McKenzie is editor-in-chief of The Hockey News. &#9632;

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COLUMNS

VANCOUVER’S ‘JEWEL’ NEEDS POLISHING IN JUNIOR

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011474/5908982-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="875" height="591"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021199/5908975-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="480" height="243"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03790/5908968-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="570" height="763"></div>Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; center Jeremy Roenick, who led all NHL scorers with nine points (4-5-9) in three games, including two powerplay and one game-winning goal, was named the NHL Pro Set Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 13.Roenick, who has recorded at least one point in his last six games, edged two goaltenders&mdash;Curtis Joseph of the St. Louis Blues and Tom Barrasso of the Pittsburgh Penguins&mdash;and Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; rookie center Sergei Fedorov.Throughout the 1990-91 NHL season, Pro Set, Inc. will donate $500 to the youth hockey organization designated by the Player of the Week. Pro Set will also contribute $1,000 on behalf of the Player of the Month and $7,500 for the Player of the Year Award. As a first-year sponsor of these NHL awards, Pro Set is contributing over $26,000 to youth hockey organizations across North America.Roenick, a runner-up in the 1989-90 Calder Trophy voting, began the week by recording his second four-point game of the season (2-2-4) and the third of his career, in a7-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs (Jan. 10).The following night, Roenick registered two assists while leading his club to a 3-1 road win over the Winnipeg Jets (Jan. 11). He closed out the week with a three-point night (2-1-3) in a 5-3 win over the Minnesota North Stars (Jan. 13).The Chicago Blackhawks opened up an eight-point lead in the NHL overall standings with 65 points and a 31-14-3 record.Joseph and Barrasso each registered 2-0-0 records and 1.50 and 1.00 goals-against-averages, respectively.Fedorov tallied eight points (4-48) in three games. &#9632;

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NHL PRO SET SPOTLIGHT

Like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadelphia, the Twin Cities area is lucky enough to boast professional teams in each of the NHL, NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball.Yet something sets Minnesota apart from these other cities: Plight. None of the pro teams in the other five cities can claim&mdash;across the board&mdash;such futility.&#9632; The NFL Vikings have gone 0-for-4 in Super Bowl appearances, being outscored 95-34 in the process.&#9632; Baseball&rsquo;s Twins reached the top in 1987 by winning the World Series, but have to live with the perception that they won by default. (They came out of the then-weak American League West and had the worst regular-season record of any World Series winner in history).&#9632; The NBA Timberwolves, a recent expansion entry, at least have an excuse for their ineptitude.The North Stars, meanwhile, have had just eight winning seasons since their 1967 inception, making the Stanley Cup finals just once. This season, their situation and their play has greatly enhanced the Minnesota losing mystique.But considering the deal the league struck with the Gunds, it&rsquo;s no wonder the players and fans aren&rsquo;t excited about the team.Matthew M. Phillips Jr. Warren, Ohio<h2>PETE&rsquo;S A HIT</h2>Steve Dryden missed a pair on his hit-and-miss list (THN, Jan. 4).Hit: Vancouver for picking Petr Nedved in the first round of the 1990 draft. Miss: Vancouver for not sending Nedved back to the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) for one more year of junior.Nedved would benefit more by playing in the Western League than sitting on the bench in the NHL. I exhort the gods in Vancouver to give us Petr. You have already destroyed enough or your first-round picks in the past.Nedved is a diamond that needs some polishing before being set. He is not, as one of your readers suggests, a lump of coal.Tom Davis Seattle, Wash.<h2>GOOD CHOICE</h2>Mark Burley&rsquo;s letter claiming Ottawa was a poor choice for expansion (THN, Jan. 4), needs some corrections.First, the Senators will not play three seasons at the Civic Centre, but two at the most.The new Palladium will have a capacity of 22,000. Based on a five-year period, the league won&rsquo;t lose millions because approximately four million people will see live NHL hockey in Ottawa, the same number as would see it in Hamilton.Second, because Ottawa is willing to pay the $50-million entry fee&mdash;which Hamilton wasn&rsquo;t&mdash;the league isn&rsquo;t missing out on any revenue.Shawn Millar Ottawa, Ont.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011474/5909013-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="549" height="701"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hartford lucked out when it got Rob Brown, says a reader.</figcaption></div><h2>LOPSIDED DEAL</h2>Pittsburgh Penguins&rsquo; general manager Craig Patrick made the second-biggest mistake possible for a man in his position. The only mistake that would be more disastrous would be to deal Mario Lemieux for Link Gaetz. Until that happens, the Rob Brown for Scott Young trade may be the most lopsided in hockey history.Nothing against Scott Young; he&rsquo;s a solid 50-point scorer. Rob Brown on the other hand, is probably the second best right winger in the NHL behind Brett Hull. Due to poor management and coaching in Pittsburgh, however, Brown was stuck on third- and fourthlines, seeing little action.Given time, Brown and Lemieux might have complemented each other like Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri did. But there&rsquo;s no chance of that now; there&rsquo;s no chance of a Stanley Cup.Congratulations to Whaler GM Ed Johnston, who just bought the Alaskan oil fields for a cent an acre.Jeff Blatz Lowe Farm. Man.<h2>PHIL&rsquo;S OKAY</h2>Bob McKenzie&rsquo;s comments that Phil Esposito is impulsive and disoriented (THN, Dec. 21) need to be addressed.Perhaps that expansion club called the Toronto Maple Leafs could use Esposito in its management. What other club would have traded Frank Mahovlich to Detroit or a first-round draft choice for Tom Kurvers?Toronto needs a Phil Esposito. The New York Rangers are now reaping the benefits of Phil&rsquo;s impulsive dis-organization.Larry Chase West Bend, Wise.Make your feelings known. Send your comments to:&nbsp;Letters, The Hockey News, 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100, Don Mills, Ont., M3B 2R2&nbsp;or fax us at&nbsp;(416) 445-0753.&nbsp;Include home and business phone numbers. THN reserves the right to edit submissions. &#9632;

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MINNESOTA HOME OF FUTILE SPORTS TEAMS

&#9632; Rick Meagher. After undergoing major reconstructive knee surgery in May, the 37-year-old St. Louis Blue center could have called it quits. But the 12-year veteran returned to score goals in his first two games. He also proved his worth as a team player, stepping aside as captain for Scott Stevens.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031129/5909082-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="373" height="365"></div>&#9632; NHL general managers. After their mid-season meetings in Phoenix, they recommended that video replays on disputed goals be instituted for next season. And that checking from behind be called with a five-minute major and game misconduct. Now, we only need the board of governors to rubber stamp these sound and progressive proposals.&#9632; Tom Watt. The Toronto Maple Leaf head coach questioned the objectivity and credibility of referee Terry Gregson, whose brother-in-law happens to be Calgary head coach Doug Risebrough. After Calgary whipped Toronto 5-3, Watt raised the spectre of biased officiating by Gregson&mdash;a consummate pro. After this outburst, the same cannot be said for Watt.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04940/5909075-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="373" height="361"></div>&#9632; Quebec Nordique fans. Well, a few of them anyway. Boston coach Mike Milbury, who didn&rsquo;t add Quebec&rsquo;s Guy Lafleur to the Wales Conference all-stars, was pelted with debris at le Colisee. Hey, we think Lafleur should be in Chicago for old time&rsquo;s sake, but that doesn&rsquo;t give anyone the right to act like an idiot. &#9632;

f0004-03

CHEERS JEERS

<div class="byline">BY STAN FISCHLER</div>Those who believe the North Stars-Sharks war is vicious now will see more legal bloodletting in upcoming months, a well-informed NHL owner says. Insiders say Minnesota boss Norman Green has two law firms working on a better deal than the one hammered out with Sharks&rsquo; owners George and Gordon Gund. &ldquo;Green is prepared to spend thousands of dollars,&rdquo; says another NHL source. A peaceful solution over the North Stars&rsquo; talent pool has been pursued, but Green is determined to play hardball. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d sit down with Green and the Gunds, pull out a players&rsquo; list and work out a deal,&rdquo; says a potential mediator. &ldquo;The difference is one or two players.&rdquo; Another owner says the Gunds are oblivious to Green&rsquo;s fury. From a political view-point, Green&rsquo;s problem is he has alienated key NHL people.<h2>DOUBLE TROUBLE</h2>One influential NHL owner says Pete Karmanos, the man behind the St. Petersburg bid, &ldquo;double-crossed&rdquo; governors with his expansion demands. And he says he was not surprised with reports Phil Esposito&rsquo;s Tampa Bay group is having some fiscal setbacks. &ldquo;You can be sure the league will bend over backwards to keep Tampa afloat,&rdquo; he says&hellip;Chris Chelios received a major boost in his Norris Trophy quest from an unlikely source: Guy Lafleur. The Flower says Chelios is now Ray Bourque&rsquo;s equal&hellip;The Devils&rsquo; Slava Fetisov and his wife, Lada, a former Russian gymnastic champion, are expecting their first child at an ironic time. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s due on the fourth of July,&rdquo; Slava says.<h2>GO WEST</h2>While Seattle&rsquo;s expansion bid fizzled, hockey interest remains strong in the Northwest. Next month, the WHL is expected to award an expansion franchise to nearby Tacoma. Ex-WHLer Bruce Hamilton is expected to be club president and governor. This would place four clubs in Washington State and give the Tacoma Dome a regular tenant. Yakima, Wash, and Boise, Idaho have been mentioned as possible WHL expansion sites. But conviction remains strong Seattle will be included in the next NHL expansion phase. &ldquo;Everyone will tell you the Thunderbirds&rsquo; (WHL) crowd is the youngest hockey crowd anywhere,&rdquo; says Flyers&rsquo; GM Russ Farwell, who formerly worked in Seattle. &ldquo;Common sense tells you if it&rsquo;s a young crowd, five years from now, when the NHL could come to Seattle, these people are going to be fans. It&rsquo;s going to be a good market. If there were more rinks in the area, it would be even better.&rdquo;<h2>GRIDIRON BOUND</h2>Norris Trophy candidate Brian Leetch&rsquo;s kid-brother Eric has enormous hockey potential. But the young athlete from Connecticut&rsquo;s Cheshire High School has a football career in mind and will likely head for West Point. &ldquo;If Eric ever devoted all his energy to hockey,&rdquo; says Cheshire coach Herb Fay, &ldquo;he&rsquo;d be unbelie vable.&rdquo;&hellip; Flames&rsquo; rookie Stephane Matteau credits Canadiens&rsquo; coach Pat Burns with helping his career. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know anything about defense,&rdquo; Matteau says. &ldquo;But Pat told me I had to play defense to make it to the NHL. When I came to Hull (QMJHL), there were only five English-speaking players. But Burns said we had to learn English because that&rsquo;s the language spoken in the NHL. It was hard, but I&rsquo;m glad I did it.&rdquo; Matteau grew up with Pierre Turgeon who is still a close friend. The two played hockey everywhere: In the kitchen, living room and on the street when ice wasn&rsquo;t available.&rdquo;<h2>CRAIG LOUGANIS</h2>Craig Simpson&rsquo;s notoriety as a penalty-baiter has been a hot topic in Edmonton. Columnist John Short of the Edmonton Journal says Simpson dives so often it&rsquo;s hard to determine when he&rsquo;s fouled and when it&rsquo;s an act. TV analyst John Davidson agrees. &ldquo;Simpson dives so often it&rsquo;s impossible to call a penalty when he goes down,&rdquo; Davidson says. &ldquo;A referee would rather let it go then be embarrassed by calling a penalty that isn&rsquo;t deserved.&rdquo; Rangers&rsquo; defenseman Randy Moller lists Keith Acton, Ken Linseman and teammate Brian Mullen as the NHL&rsquo;s best divers.<h2>PERPLEXING PETR</h2>The Canucks plunge from the .500 mark has been compounded by the question of what to do with Petr Nedved. Vancouver&rsquo;s top draft pick (2nd overall) in the 1990 draft, Nedved has been the 1991 version of the Vladimir Krutov disaster. The difference, of course, is Nedved can return to the WHL&rsquo;s Seattle Thunderbirds for seasoning. And Seattle coach Peter Anholt would love to have him in the lineup. &ldquo;It would help us and help Petr,&rdquo; says Anholt.<h2>DIRTY POOL</h2>It hasn&rsquo;t taken Washington&rsquo;s Mikhail Tatarinov long to single out nasty foes. &ldquo;The dirtiest team in the league is Toronto,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;and (he dirtiest players are Wendel Clark and Rick Tocchet. When Tocchet plays, he doesn&rsquo;t look dirty, but when he plays dirty, he plays very dirty.&rdquo; Tatarinov rates Sergei Fedorov the best Soviet in the NHL and says the Krutov disaster in Vancouver could have been avoided. &ldquo;Everything could&rsquo;ve been different if (Igor) Larionov had helped him, just like Krutov helped Larionov,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t understand why this happened.&rdquo; By contrast, Tatarinov says he has been aided considerably by his American teammates, particularly Rod Langway and Kelly Miller. &#9632;

GREEN TO DEAL WITH SHARKS

<div class="byline">BY CHRIS STEVENSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011380/5909137-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruce Firestone&rsquo;s Ottawa Senators have booked 50 dates for next season and have been reported as being ready to join the NHL.</figcaption></div>The Ottawa Senators are preparing to make their NHL debut.And they say they&rsquo;ll be ready by 1991.But the question is, does anybody want them?The Ottawa Sun reported Jan. 8 that the Senators were ready, willing and able to ice a team by October and would contact the league for approval.Quoting an anonymous NHL source, the Sun said the team&rsquo;s chances of lacing up their skates at the Ottawa Civic Centre eight months from now were 50-50.Ottawa, along with Tampa Bay, was granted an expansion franchise to begin play in the 1992-93 season.A rumor circulating had the Senators taking the place of the San Jose Sharks, who were granted a franchise to begin play in 1991. The Sharks have sold about 5,000 season tickets in seven months.The Senators sold about 9,000 in seven days, ensuring every game would be a sellout for their first season at the Civic Centre.If Ottawa did come in &rsquo;91, according to the rumor, the Sharks would begin play in 1992-93.A crazy rumor? Perhaps.But it was later revealed the Senators had booked 50 dates for the 199192 season at the Civic Centre, their temporary home at Lansdowne Park until the Ottawa Palladium is built.Bernie Colterman, Lansdowne&rsquo;s marketing manager, said Senators&rsquo; owner Bruce Firestone and chief executive officer Randy Sexton met with city officials before Christmas to secure the dates and told them there was &ldquo;a possibility&rdquo; the team could start a year early.Sexton confirmed the Senators had been approached by &ldquo;a couple&rdquo; of NHL governors about the possibility of the club beginning play in 1991.&ldquo;We&rsquo;d have to hustle, but I think we&rsquo;re in a position where we could play,&rdquo; said Senators&rsquo; president Jim Durrell. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve said we&rsquo;d hold off hiring a general manager until May or June if necessary, but we&rsquo;d just have to jump into the action faster. Then there&rsquo;s the June draft.&rdquo;Durrell said the Senators didn&rsquo;t want to be seen as being in the position of &ldquo;rocking the boat.&ldquo;We&rsquo;d don&rsquo;t want to be seen in a position of being arrogant or presumptuous,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done our homework and if they want us to come in early, we think we can. As far as we know, (San Jose) is ready to play in&rsquo; 91 and if they are, God bless &rsquo;em. But if the process has to change, we&rsquo;re ready.&rdquo;San Jose officials, meanwhile, vehemently dismissed any notion they would allow their entry into the league to be pushed back a year.Tim Bryant, a spokesman for the Sharks, said only &ldquo;an act of God&rdquo; would prevent San Jose from beginning play next season.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know where that rumor originated,&rdquo; said Bryant. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready to play in October. We&rsquo;ve got 35 front office staff working here. If something is going to happen, I wish they would tell us so we could slow down a little bit.&rdquo;Several governors said they had not heard of any plan afoot to have the Senators enter the league in place of the Sharks or in addition to the Sharks.But Donald Giffin, the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; president said, &ldquo;having Ottawa in the league next season sounded like a damn good idea.&ldquo;You have to respect the ambition of these guys,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re up on their toes and going for it.&rdquo;Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; owner Peter Pocklington said he would consider the idea.&ldquo;We will think about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an interesting proposal.&rdquo;While work has already started on the NHL&rsquo;s schedule for next season, league spokesman Gary Meagher said it&rsquo;s not too late to work Ottawa into plans for next season.Chris Stevenson is a hockey writer for the Ottawa Sun. &#9632;

f0005-01

SENATORS COULD BE READY TO JOIN NHL NEXT SEASON

Born: Oct. 18, 1960. Kamloops, B.C. Height: 6-foot-l. Weight: 200 pounds. Position: Defense. Acquired: Vancouver&rsquo;s 6th choice, 133rd overall, in 1980 entry draft.Career highlight: &ldquo;Winning the silver medal at the 1985 world championships in Prague. We had a great bunch of guys and it was fun to be a part of the team.&rdquo;Boyhood heroes: &ldquo;I grew up when Bobby Orr was very big and I enjoyed watching him play. But Bert Marshall was always someone I respected. He was an idol, someone I always respected. He was the first athlete I met up close.&rdquo;Most embarrassing moment: Four years ago we lost to Pittsburgh 6-0 and I was directly responsible for the first five goals. I finished minus-6 on the night.&rdquo;Most respected player: &ldquo;Mario Lemieux is the most dangerous player in the league when he&rsquo;s healthy. It seems he can score from anywhere on the ice.&rdquo;If he was NHL president: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d change a lot of things, but first. I&rsquo;d change the schedule. The west coast teams travel more than other teams and they should get a break. We should get time off or something.&rdquo;On life in the NHL: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not as glamorous as I was led to believe. There&rsquo;s a lot of time wasted in rinks, on buses and in airports.&rdquo;Hobbies: &ldquo;I love all sports but I particularly like mountain bike riding. There are some great trails at the UBC campus and the Burnaby mountains.&rdquo;Ideal evening: &ldquo;Some late night waterskiing followed by a campfire on the beach with my wife Joanne, my daughter Brianna and sons Ryan and Colin.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021004/5909168-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="540" height="1165"></div> &#9632;

f0005-02

PRO FILE

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div>Al lafrate has told the Toronto Maple Leafs he wants out, and Leaf general manager Floyd Smith seems willing to accommodate him.lafrate told reporters Jan. 14 that he had met with Smith about two months earlier to discuss his situation.&ldquo;I suggested that a trade would maybe be better for both myself and the team,&rdquo; said the 24-year-old rearguard, who had scored only three goals in 44 games and has played poorly all season coming off summer knee surgery.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gone through hell since then-&hellip;not knowing is killing me.&rdquo;Smith, who had said little until lafrate went public, has already made six trades in just over two months. He said he&rsquo;s willing to trade lafrate, and has been trying to, but only for the right price.&ldquo;You could call any general manager in the league right now, and he&rsquo;d tell you that at one time or another I&rsquo;ve called and said, &lsquo;Would you be interested in Al?,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;If I feel there&rsquo;s a deal I can live with, then I wouldn&rsquo;t mind making it&hellip;but Al&rsquo;s going to have to go out and make everybody else want him.&rdquo;Washington, Buffalo, Edmonton and several other clubs are reportedly interested in lafrate, who has been plagued by emotional and personal problems.<h2>IN REVERSE</h2>In wake of sweeping reform legislation enacted by the Presidents Commission at the National Collegiate Athletic Association convention Jan. 7-11, U.S. college hockey appears to be moving in a different direction.Backward.At least that is the perception held by the 44 Division I hockey schools affected by proposals to reduce the number of scholarships, games and size of coaching staffs.&ldquo;Now, in one fell swoop, we&rsquo;re classified a non-revenue sport,&rdquo; North Dakota coach Gino Gasparini told USA Today. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going backward.&rdquo;A 10-per-cent reduction in grant-in-aid, which is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1, 1993, means college hockey will have 18 scholarships instead of the current 20.A 10-per-cent cut in games, which is scheduled to take effect next season, means college hockey will have 34 regular-season contests instead of the current 38.At a school like defending national champion Wisconsin, the NCAA attendance leader for 21 straight years, that means potential lost revenue in the neighborhood of $200,000 to $300,000.&ldquo;I was disappointed in hockey losing four games,&rdquo; Michigan athletic director Jack Weidenbach said during the convention in Nashville, Tenn. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s reduced revenue and opportunity. But you don&rsquo;t get much sympathy for that sport here.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011560/5909199-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="539" height="941"><figcaption class="caption-body">Al lafrate has demanded a trade from the Maple Leafs.</figcaption></div>A reduction in the size of coaching staff, which would go into effect in 1992, would mean one full-time assistant and one part-time assistant could work with the head coach. Many schools currently have two full-time assistant coaches, one focused primarily on recruiting.&ldquo;We have to rely more on secondhand and third-hand reports, and that significantly increases the chance for error,&rdquo; Maine coach Shawn Walsh said.Coaches and league commissioners are hopeful the three proposals can be amended before they take effect, however.Another significant proposal that was adopted dealt with divisional restructuring. It said that to maintain Division I membership, a school must offer seven sports for men and seven for women with a combined outlay of $500,000. Schools can also meet the requirement with a minimum of the equivalent of 25 full scholarships in men&rsquo;s sports and 25 in women&rsquo;s sports, exclusive of football and basketball.Most hockey schools have a divisional mix of sports. For example, only Minnesota and Wisconsin have complete Division I athletic programs in the nine-team WCHA.<h2>REPLAY VOTE</h2>The institution of video replay in the NHL got a boost Jan. 10 when the league&rsquo;s general managers recommended it be used to decide disputed goals as early as next season.NHL vice-president Brian O&rsquo;Neill said the GMs, who gave unanimous approval to the resolution at their recent meetings in Phoenix, Ariz., agreed only on the principle of using replays and the league must still determine how the idea can be put into practise.The GMs&rsquo; recommendation will be forwarded to the NHL&rsquo;s board of governors who will make the ultimate decision, likely at their annual congress in June.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a general feeling that this is what we wanted,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Neill. &ldquo;We just haven&rsquo;t found a way to do it.&rdquo;In another move, the GMs agreed any player guilty of checking an opponent from behind into the boards should receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct. If approved by the board in June, the rule would be implemented next season.<h2>SOVIETS CLINCH</h2>Andrei Lomakin&rsquo;s power-play goal with 2:17 remaining in the third period clinched a 4-3 win for Dynamo Moscow over the Pittsburgh Penguins Jan. 12 and clinched a Soviet win in Super Series &rsquo;90-91.Dynamo&rsquo;s triumph over the Penguins lifted the touring Soviet teams&rsquo; record to 10-6-3 against NHL clubs. That mark was raised to 11-6-3 with Central Red Army&rsquo;s 4-3 overtime victory over Vancouver Jan. 13 with just one match to play (Red Army versus Quebec Jan. 15) in the series.In other Super Series action during the week of Jan. 7-13:&#9632; Washington&rsquo;s Jeff Greenlaw scored a wraparound goal with 65 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Capitals to a 3-2 win over Dynamo Jan. 8. Greenlaw, along with goaltender Jim Hrivnak who made 29 stops, were recalled from Baltimore of the American League for the match.&#9632; Ilya Byakin and Andrei Kovelenko each scored twice in Red Army&rsquo;s 6-4 defeat of the Winnipeg Jets Jan. 10.&#9632; Yuri Leonov scored two late goals to give Dynamo its first victory in six Super Series games, a 4-1 win over Philadelphia Jan. 10.&mdash;With files from Damien Cox and Andy Baggot &#9632;

f0006-01

IAFRATE GOES PUBLIC WITH TRADE DEMAND; GM SMITH WORKING ON A DEAL

Jan. 25-27: Posta Bank Cup. Four-team tournament in Budapest, Hungary, featuring the national teams of Hungary, Italy, Austria and Bulgaria.Feb. 4 and 11: The Beanpot. Boston-area schools Harvard, Northeastern, Boston University and Boston College meet at the Boston Garden.Feb. 7-10: Sweden Cup. National teams of Sweden, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and Finland meet in this four-day tournament.Feb. 10: Buffalo at Winnipeg. Sabres&rsquo; center Dale Hawerchuk will play his first game in Winnipeg since being dealt to Buffalo in the off-season. &#9632;

DATEBOOK

<div class="byline">BY FRANK BROWN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011406/5909254-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Both Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck, inset, are content with their platoon roles. Each had started 24 of the Rangers&rsquo; first 48 games this season.</figcaption></div>There are four arms and four legs on the New York Rangers&rsquo; two-headed goaltending octopus. We will call it VanRichterbrouck, and we advise you to be on guard, because it is coming to the nearest NHL city&mdash;in all likelihood to take two points from your favorite team.In fact, VanRichterbrouck is two distinctly different men. Mike Richter is the 24-year-old rookie; John Vanbiesbrouck is the 27-year-old veteran of seven full NHL campaigns. Richter is the bachelor, Vanbiesbrouck is the married father.But each is nearly the same size; Richter is listed as 5-foot-10, Vanbiesbrouck as 5-foot-8. Each plays nearly the same way, and each has enjoyed the same success as the Patrick Division&rsquo;s first-place Rangers, who have remained the only NHL team this season to employ a strict goalie rotation.Through the club&rsquo;s first 48 games, each made 24 starts. Richter&rsquo;s 14-8-3 record had produced 31 points; Vanbiesbrouck, 12-7-4, had come up with 28. Richter&rsquo;s save percentage was a touch higher (.913 to .901), his goals-against average a tad lower (2.92 to 3.10).All in all, though, they were tough enough to tell apart that coach Roger Neilson&mdash;creator of this rotation gambit&mdash;has confused the two in his post-game remarks. Neilson will catch himself saying, &ldquo;Johnny Van&hellip;er. Mike Richter played a strong game tonight.&rdquo;Generally, Neilson has been correct, even if identities are not his strong point. Only twice in those 48 games was one called upon to relieve the other, with Richter replacing Vanbiesbrouck. against Pittsburgh Dec. 3 and against Detroit Jan. 11. Otherwise, each has started what he has finished, each has gone into the net knowing whether he gives up no goals or 11 goals, he will be starting the game after next; thus any hot streak is three periods long, rather than, say, three weeks.And while it is up to reporters to get them to rip the setup, neither will. Either easily could carry a workload equal to the minutes-played leaders, Ed Belfour of Chicago and Tim Cheveldae of Detroit. Either easily could challenge Belfour&rsquo;s league-leading 28 victories. Vanbiesbrouck won the 1986 Vezina Trophy as the NHL&rsquo;s top target, hefting a staggering total of 4,225 total minutes over 77 regular-season and playoff appearances, providing the Rangers with 39 victories.Yet, you can&rsquo;t get a peep of discontent out of them. They are winning, the Rangers are winning and VanRichterbrouck, many nights, has been the major factor.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d seen it work with Bob Sauve and Don Edwards because that&rsquo;s what I did in Buffalo (in 1980),&rdquo; Neilson explains. &ldquo;It was a fairly similar situation&mdash;one goalkeeper a little more of a veteran than the other, but both pretty even. I don&rsquo;t know how long it went. It certainly wasn&rsquo;t all year long, but we won the Vezina that year, or whatever it was you win.&ldquo;So, I&rsquo;d seen it work, and it was pretty difficult. at the start of this year, to do anything else. I mean, let&rsquo;s face it: They&rsquo;re both pretty good goalies, and I don&rsquo;t like to be guessing about goalies, looking up the records to see who has done better against what teams. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s great.&rdquo;So Neilson went the no-frill, no-arguments route. He pondered and sweated and paced and fidgetted and came up with this complicated, buy-a-codebook format which he will try now to explain.&ldquo;Vanbiesbrouck was the veteran,&rdquo; Neilson says, &ldquo;so we gave him the first game. And that was it.&rdquo;Vanbiesbrouck, who had played at least 47 games in each of the prior five seasons, bought the gig. And Richter, the gifted Olympian, accepted his half-loaf just as eagerly.&ldquo;At the end of the year, I feel Mike proved to the league and to our team and to me that he deserved the right to play a good share of the games,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck says. &ldquo;And it (the rotation) is a lot less of a mental drain. I was saying to my brother the other day on the phone how fresh my mind feels and how refreshing it is to know you can reflect back on the game you just played&mdash;take the good things and the bad things, throw them into a blender and see what you come out with.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s something of a departure for Vanbiesbrouck, a reflection of the maturity that has come to his life and his game over recent years. The Detroit native used to have a lot more &ldquo;me&rdquo; in his outlook; but a sequence of physical and emotional setbacks challenged him to gro-w&hellip;and he did.In no specific order, there were the shots to the face which caused him two broken jaws. There was the household accident in which he fell through a glass table top, severing nerves and tendons in his right forearm. There was the whopping ego blow of being scratched from the lineup for the last playoff game of 1988-89.&ldquo;I hate to admit it,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck says, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m not 19-years-old anymore.&rdquo;The change in Vanbiesbrouck unmistakably has been for the better and there is no question of the respect he receives from Richter.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind rotating with somebody who I think is very good,&rdquo; Richter says. &ldquo;Imagine you&rsquo;re in a rotation in any element. When you feel you&rsquo;re far superior or, going the other way, not worthy of taking the other guy&rsquo;s playing time, there would be a lack of comfort there.&ldquo;But I think we both respect each other&rsquo;s ability to play. And if John goes in there and gets a shutout or plays outstanding and wins the game, what am I going to do? Win it betted It doesn&rsquo;t make any sense to be upset when he&rsquo;s as good as he is.&rdquo;About the only thing that doesn&rsquo;t figure, though is the difficulty each goalie has had in cleaning up the other&rsquo;s mess. Richter was only 4-4-0 in games that followed Vanbiesbrouck losses; Vanbiesbrouck was 2-4-1 in games after Richter had been defeated. It would seem a fresh goalie every night would give the Rangers a stopper every night, a netminder who could stop a losing streak at one game, yet entering the week of Jan. 14, VanRichterbrouck had endured six streaks of two or more losses.It is a testimony to their success, though, that one must reach so far for a negative statistic. While Richter is completing the option year of his contract, and while Vanbiesbrouck heads into his option year next season, each is placing team success ahead of the cold economic fact that individual stats play a huge role in salary negotiations.&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t kid yourself: I&rsquo;m in this game to get the maximum amount of money I can,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck says. &ldquo;But when it comes to the bottom line, I&rsquo;d trade off $100,000&mdash;or any amount of money&mdash;for a Stanley Cup ring.&rdquo;Richter also has some free space on the fourth finger of his left hand.How do you reply, Richter was asked, if GM Neil Smith sits down at the bargaining table and says something to the effect of, &ldquo;You won 20 games. Big deal.&rdquo;Richter wasted no time responding:&ldquo;Hopefully, lean say, &lsquo;Stanley Cup ring. Big deal.&rsquo;&rdquo;VanRichterbrouck has spoken. &#9632;

f0007-01

VANRICHTERBROUCK

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Frank Brown</div>Edmonton coach John Muckier used his &ldquo;goaltending rotation&rdquo; Jan. 12 when the Oilers visited the New Jersey Devils and Kari Takko was given his fifth start of the season.Takko played the first 28 minutes, then Bill Ranford&mdash;who had appeared in 37 of the previous 41 games&mdash;came on in relief, ultimately winning in overtime.While he understands why the Rangers have chosen a goalie rotation of one game in, one game out for John Vanbiesbrouck and Mike Richter, Ranford has no complaints about his workhorse status.&ldquo;What I&rsquo;ve learned from the past is, when you get the opportunity to play, go with it and make the best of it,&rdquo; said Ranford, whose 39 game appearances through Jan. 13 were surpassed only by the figures of Chicago&rsquo;s Ed Belfour (43) and Quebec&rsquo;s Ron Tugnutt (40). The Red Wings&rsquo; Tim Cheveldae also had 39 games played, and his 2,243 minutes outdistanced Ranford&rsquo;s 2,218.&ldquo;I think if it&rsquo;s a situation where you know you&rsquo;re going to be playing every second game, you can deal with it&mdash;really get prepared for it,&rdquo; the goalie added. &ldquo;Both guys have proven they can play game in, game out if they have to, so they&rsquo;re in an ideal situation. A lot of times, it takes two goalies to win.&rdquo;Last spring, the Oilers needed only Ranford, who logged 1.401 minutes over the 22 games in the tournament and was voted MVP for helping Edmonton to its fifth Stanley Cup. Thus, the native of Brandon, Man., had amassed 3,619 minutes and 61 game appearances in just over five months of competition.&ldquo;This year, and even last year, the consistency has been there, and I&rsquo;m really happy about that,&rdquo; the 24-year-old said. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been going overly hot to overly bad. I think that&rsquo;s important. I&rsquo;ve been just trying to keep our hockey club in every game and play consistent.&ldquo;Mentally, it&rsquo;s tough. But I get a lot of support from my teammates, the coaching staff is good to me, and I&rsquo;ve got a great (backup) guy in Kari Takko, who&rsquo;s got a lot of experience. You need all that team support in order to do it.&ldquo;And I don&rsquo;t feel the burden. I know Kari can do just as good a job as I do. But right now. I&rsquo;m playing a little bit more.&rdquo; &#9632;

RANFORD AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM

<div class="byline">BY TOM MCMILLAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011490/5909309-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mario Lemieux, expected back in action soon after the All-Star Game, says there were times during his layoff he felt he wouldn&rsquo;t be able to return.</figcaption></div>John Cullen couldn&rsquo;t help himself. He had the chills.Ten minutes into what was maybe the 100th practice of a relentless regular season, Cullen, the second-leading scorer in the NHL, stopped in wonderment. Mario Lemieux had the puck now, and the world was his pond.A deke here. A juke there. His shot flicked the back of the net.&ldquo;Just to see him out there in his equipment, moving around, gives you chills,&rdquo; Cullen said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve all been worrying about Mario the person, about his health. But now that he&rsquo;s out there skating around, it&rsquo;s &lsquo;Oh, my God. Look at this&rdquo; guy-&rsquo;&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the best player in the world right now, and we&rsquo;ve missed him. Imagine missing the best player in the world. And now he&rsquo;s skating. It gives me a chill, anyway.&rdquo;Thanks in part to Cullen&mdash;his craftiness, his grit, his 72 points through 46 games&mdash;the Pittsburgh Penguins haven&rsquo;t exactly fallen through the bottom of the Patrick Division standings while Lemieux, a two-time NHL scoring champion, rehabilitated himself from a bone infection in his lower back.But Cullen knows what all of Pittsburgh knows, what the rest of the league knows: That adding a healthy Lemieux to the highest-scoring team in the NHL could make for a lethal combination come playoff time.&ldquo;When Mario comes back, he&rsquo;s going to make everybody on our team that much better,&rdquo; Cullen said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll lift everybody&rsquo;s game. Think of that.&rdquo;The chances for a Lemieux comeback were bleak as recently as three months ago, when the bone infection sent such jolts of pain down his legs and up his spine that he could barely crawl out of bed in his suburban Pittsburgh home.But he has made astonishing progress. Team doctors took blood tests in early December and reported that the infection had been eradicated. They cleared him to begin dryland training&mdash;stretching and light lifting&mdash;Dec. 19.He has not looked back since.Lemieux skated for the first time in more than three months Dec. 30 at Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Civic Arena. He dressed in full pads and practised with the team for the first time in almost a year Jan. 9.By the middle of the month, he was jostling along the boards in 1-on-l drills with assistant coach Rick Paterson, a former player for the Chicago Blackhawks. There was even talk that he might return to the lineup shortly after the All-Star Game&mdash;provided that he whips himself into game condition.&ldquo;The pain is gone right now,&rdquo; said Lemieux, who has been shielded from the media by Penguins&rsquo; general manager Craig Patrick, adding a tint of mystery to his return.&ldquo;My back is not a problem. It&rsquo;s just a matter of getting back in shape as quickly as possible.&rdquo;Toward that end, the Penguins and physical therapist Jim Kittleberger devised assorted drills to help Lemieux regain his strength and stamina. In one example, he extended two sticks behind him and dragged coach Bob Johnson up the ice, like a horse pulling a plow. Other times, he played keep-away with Paterson, who was under orders to bump Lemieux, to shove him, to bang him.&ldquo;The problem with this is I can never get the puck,&rdquo; cracked Paterson, who last played for Saginaw of the International League in 1987-88.&ldquo;But this kind of work is important for him, for his legs. You can do all the skating you want, but it&rsquo;s the physical stuff&mdash;the pushing and shoving and hooking and slashing along the boards&mdash;that makes you tired during games.&rdquo;Lemieux tired quickly at first. And no wonder. Since Feb. 14, when he pulled himself out of a game against the Rangers, complaining of excruciating pain, his back problems have kept him off the ice in all but a few instances. He has not seen NHL game action since March 31.Lemieux, 25, underwent surgery in Pittsburgh in mid-July to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, and his original recovery was so rapid and remarkable that he resumed skating in late August, participating in some informal, non-contact scrimmages with teammates. The Penguins boldly predicted he would be in the lineup Oct. 5, for their regular-season opener at Washington.Oops.In late September, while he was traveling with the team on an exhibition tour through Texas, Lemieux encountered such new, shrieking pain that he returned to Pittsburgh for a checkup. It was then doctors discovered an uncommon infection in his back, near the area of the surgery. He was sidelined for three months&mdash;and allowed no physical activity.Even after Lemieux resumed dryland training in mid-December, Dr. Charles Burke, the team&rsquo;s orthopedic specialist, prescribed caution.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re certainly not going to rush him,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve waited three months for this. We&rsquo;ve taken a very conservative approach. But if he&rsquo;s pain-free, and he can play without hurting himself, why not bring him back and let him play?&rdquo;Since then, Lemieux has regularly exceeded the Penguins&rsquo; expectations.And only some caution on his part softened hopes that he would return to the lineup Jan. 22 against New Jersey.&ldquo;I want to make sure this is the last time I have to rehabilitate my back,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So the date is not firm. It might be the 22nd, or a week or two after that.&rdquo;But he has continued to make progress, continued to increase his workload. He accompanied the team on a road trip to Philadelphia and Toronto Jan. 14-17. And, of course, he banged along the boards with Paterson.&ldquo;The first time we did this about Jan. 8, I pushed Mario and he fell down,&rdquo; Paterson said. &ldquo;It was just because he was tired. But for a second there, my heart was in my throat.&rdquo;Paterson, for one, believes Lemieux can make it back soon after the all-star break.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll be 100 percent,&rdquo; Paterson said. &ldquo;That might be a month or so. But he is Mario Lemieux.&rdquo;Which should be enough.Lemieux, remember, has scored at least 100 points in every season since he joined the Penguins as an 18-year-old franchise-saver in 1984. He fired the winning goal in the Canada Cup in 1987, and was named the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player in 1987-88.He erupted for 85 goals and 199 points a year later&mdash;totals surpassed only by Wayne Gretzky in NHL history.It took a cranky back, finally, to accomplish what the world&rsquo;s best checkers could not.The back stopped him. Flattened him. And, for a while in September and October, had him wondering if he&rsquo;d ever lace up his skates again.&ldquo;Especially when I couldn&rsquo;t walk,&rdquo; Lemieux said, &ldquo;it went through my mind that I might never play the game again.&rdquo;He quickly overcame that fear, but the ordeal taught him a lesson. He will never take his talent for granted.&ldquo;It makes you think a lot, that&rsquo;s for sure,&rdquo; Lemieux said. &ldquo;It makes you realize how lucky you are.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0008-01

LEMIEUX PREPARING FOR RETURN TO PENS’ LINEUP

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Tom McMillan</div>You figure it out.The Pittsburgh Penguins lose Mario Lemieux for four months with a back infection, and what happens?They lead the NHL in goals.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s mind-boggling,&rdquo; said John Cullen, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer with 18 goals and 54 assists for 72 points through 47 games.But the numbers don&rsquo;t lie. The Penguins had exploded for 200 goals in their first 47 games, making them the clear-cut league leader.At the same point in the schedule, Calgary had 184 goals in 45 games. Los Angeles had 180 goals in 43 games.Through 47 games, Cullen, Mark Recchi, Paul Coffey and Kevin Stevens were all among the NHL&rsquo;s top 15 scorers, with Cullen and Recchi (23-45-68) ranked second and third in the league behind Wayne Gretzky (26-58-84). And they&rsquo;ve maintained those positions since mid-November.&ldquo;How do you explain it?&rdquo; said Cullen, who was signed as a free agent in 1988. &ldquo;The Pittsburgh Penguins have the most goals in the league without Mario Lemieux. It says a lot about the guys in this room.&ldquo;People around the league must be thinking, &lsquo;My God, look at the Penguins going like this without Mario&hellip;jeepers, creepers.&rsquo;&rdquo;Although coach Bob Johnson has been preaching the virtues of a defensive system, offense has been the Penguins&rsquo; game since opening day.They began the season with a 7-4 shellacking of Washington on the road, then returned home to bash New Jersey 7-4.&ldquo;When we get Mario back,&rdquo; Cullen said at the time, &ldquo;we could be a scary team.&rdquo;They&rsquo;ve been scary ever since.Beyond All-Star Game picks Cullen, Recchi, Coffey and Stevens, the Penguins have veteran sniper Joe Mullen, improving defenseman Zarley Zalapski and rambunctious rookie Jaromir Jagr.Even checking forward Randy Gilhen is getting in on the act. Before this season, Gilhen&rsquo;s career-high was six goals. After 47 games, he had 12. &#9632;

PENGUINS LEAD NHL IN GOALS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011441/5909364-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="477" height="619"><figcaption class="caption-body">STAN FISCHLER</figcaption></div>Some hot thoughts in the cold winter:&#9632; No matter what the combination of deals offered Pierre Page for his top draft choice, the Nordiques&rsquo; general manager would be super-dumb to give it up&mdash;even for Grant Fuhr, Martin Gelinas and Edmonton&rsquo;s pick.&#9632; Come to think of it, all the conjecture about the Nords&rsquo; dealing their pick is academic. In the end it will be Minnesota in 21st place. I have a very strong feeling about that.&#9632; That Edmonton is alive as a playoff contender tells you everything you have to know about Bill Ranford deserving the 1990 Conn Smythe Trophy.&#9632; Of the top goaltending performances of this or any season, Clint Malarchuk&rsquo;s 50-save effort against the Devils (4-4 tie Dec. 29) should be duly noted. Of the 54 shots about 49 were the quality kind.&#9632; Scott Stevens or no Scott Stevens, the Blues are going absolutely nowhere in the Stanley Cup hunt. Their goaltending is average&mdash;at best&mdash;and Brett Hull can be manacled by any number of Selke Trophy candidates. That dear Harold Snepsts can make the St. Louis squad betrays the overall state of the defense.&#9632; The scariest thought for any club&mdash;but the Devils, of course&mdash;is what Troy Crowder would be like if he owned a mean streak.&#9632; Petr Nedved is Exhibit A proving the 18-year-old draft is dumb and damaging.&#9632; Mike Ricci is Exhibit B proving the 18-year-old draft has kept the Broad Street Boys afloat.&#9632; If the Mike Bossy-Mark Howe spinetrauma tragedies are not enough to compel a serious league study of the growing number of back problems, then the NHL Players&rsquo; Association ought to get into the act. (For further con-firmation, see Mario Lemieux.)&#9632; I can&rsquo;t think of a better bunch of coaches, in terms of personality, than the 1991 brand. Even the one or two creeps aren&rsquo;t that bad.&#9632; If I were picking the Jack Adams (Coach of the Year) Trophy-winner today it would be (Badger) Bob Johnson for keeping the Penguins afloat without Lemieux.&#9632; For those who can&rsquo;t wait, here&rsquo;s the earliest playoff preview of 1991. Favorite: Rangers. Two major uncertainties: Blackhawks and Devils. Best longshots: Oilers. Best ultra-longshot: Maple Leafs.&#9632; If Roger Neilson had an ounce of sensitivity for the NHL city he represents, he&rsquo;d keep his New York putdowns to himself. Or is that refrain true? You can take Neilson out of Peterborough, but you can&rsquo;t take the hick out of Roger.&#9632; Come to think of it, the Rangers really must love New York.Only one out of the whole lot of them, Brian Leetch, actually lives in Manhattan. The rest can&rsquo;t wait to escape to their suburban digs, GM Neil Smith included.&#9632; I wonder whether Wayne Gretzky abhors dirty play as much as he rants against fighting. If so, it would be interesting to hear what The Great One has to say about The Grate One, Tomas Sandstrom, his linemate and bayonet instructor.&#9632; I&rsquo;d still take a perfectly healthy Mark Messier over Gretzky for my club.&#9632; I&rsquo;m still trying to deduce why in the preseason polls, so many wise men selected the Sabres. Rick Dudley is stuck with too many overrated stiffs who will go nowhere at playoff time.&#9632; Bruce McNall realizes that if his Kings don&rsquo;t deliver a Stanley Cup this spring, the L.A. championship drought will extend into the next century. Bet on it because Kelly Hrudey is neither getting younger nor better; the defense is dreadful and one-line teams never win the silverware.&#9632; Nobody deserves a bigger dose of goodwishes than good-guy broadcaster Mike (Doc) Emrick, sidelined with a prostate ailment.&#9632; Who will be daring enough to gamble on Grant Fuhr once he returns&mdash;that&rsquo;s a guarantee&mdash;and Glen Sather puts the goalie on the trading block?&#9632; Division champions should be rewarded with a lot more than they get.&#9632; If MGM was making The NHL Story, I&rsquo;d cast Mickey Rooney as John Ziegler, Jimmy Stewart as Bryan Lewis, Tom Hanks as John Cullen, Jeff Bridges as Brett Hull, Buddy Hackett as Bruce McNall and Bugs Bunny as referee Paul Stewart.Stan Fischler is a freelance writer based in New York City &#9632;

f0009-01

IMAGINE IF CROWDER POSSESSED A MEAN STREAK

<h2>KINGS</h2>Center Todd Elik, who had scored only two goals during a 21-game stretch dating to Nov. 17, was benched by coach Tom Webster when the Kings played Buffalo and Vancouver Jan. 10 and 12&mdash;a5-2win and a 6-2 win. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s going on. I guess it&rsquo;s a message,&rdquo; said Elik, who had 10 goals and 28 points in 39 games while playing on a line with Luc Robitaille and Dave Taylor. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say much. The team&rsquo;s playing well and it&rsquo;s going to be tough getting back into the lineup. I&rsquo;m not going to say I&rsquo;ve been playing badly, but I haven&rsquo;t been that great. I don&rsquo;t want to get myself into trouble by saying anything.&rdquo;&hellip;Referee Bill McCreary ejected Webster for disputing a first-period call Jan. 8 when the Kings beat Hartford 4-3 in overtime. &ldquo;I asked him if his helmet was on so tight that it was squeezing his brain cells,&rdquo; said Webster, who Dec. 13 was tossed by referee Ron Hoggarth for throwing a stick onto the ice in a game with Calgary&hellip;Taylor played in his 921st game Jan. 12 against Vancouver, tying Marcel Dionne&rsquo;s club record&hellip; Marty McSorley scored a career-high 15 goals last season, but it took him 27 games to get his first this year. He got it in the Kings&rsquo; win over Hartford. &ldquo;A big guy like me is always happy to score,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-1,230-pound defenseman. &ldquo;But my job is to play physical and be strong in my own end.&rdquo;<h2>CANUCKS</h2>Central Red Army coach Viktor Tikhonov took an 1-told-you-so shot at the Canucks and a couple of his former players before the final game of the NHL-Soviet exhibition series Jan. 13 in Vancouver. &ldquo;Even a couple of years ago, I was telling everybody that (Vladimir) Krutov and (Igor) Larionov won&rsquo;t succeed in the NHL,&rdquo; said Tikhonov, speaking through an interpreter. &ldquo;The NHL people felt that, because they played on the national team and with Red Army, they were already prepared for the NHL. Nobody asked me. Only now do they ask me.&rdquo; Red Army beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime to finish the series with a 6-1 record&hellip;Coach Bob McCammon fingered his goal-tenders, Troy Gamble and Kirk McLean, as two of the main contributors to the Canucks&rsquo; 1-8-1 slide in their past 10 games ending Jan. 12. &ldquo;The one thing that&rsquo;s scaring me right now is our goaltending,&rdquo; McCammon said. Gamble, the 23-year-old rookie who led the NHL with a 1.97 GAA and a sparkling .925 save percentage on Nov. 29, was pulled after the first period for the second time in seven games, Jan. 10 against Hartford. In those seven games, his average was 5.11.<h2>OILERS</h2>Ken Linseman became the second Oiler to be stopped on a penalty shot this season when he was stymied by Detroit goalie Tim Cheveldae Jan. 9. Linseman, who was also foiled on a penalty shot with the Oilers against Toronto in 1983-84, tried to go through Cheveldae&rsquo;s five-hole, but he slammed the door. &ldquo;He was giving me the far side and I tried to open it up,&rdquo; said Linseman, who was awarded the penalty shot after Wings&rsquo; defenseman Brad McCrimmon closed his hand over the puck in the crease. Defenseman Jeff Beukeboom was stopped by Winnipeg rookie goalie Rick Tabaracci on a penalty shot on opening night&hellip;It took the Oilers until their 42nd game to post their first overtime win. Steve Smith scored 56 seconds into overtime as Edmonton turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win.<h2>JETS</h2>At their annual open practice, the Jets conducted their own skills competition and defenseman Fredrik Olausson had his slapshot clocked at a team-best 88 m.p.h. by a radar gun&hellip;Prior to meeting the Jets for the second time in 10 days, Calgary&rsquo;s Theoren Fleury refused comment on the possibility of another run-in with Jets&rsquo; defenseman Randy Carlyle. &ldquo;What is this, a gunfight?&rdquo; said Fleury, who bloodied Carlyle&rsquo;s nose with his stick in overtime Jan. 2. Carlyle retaliated with several crosschecks and took the only penalty&hellip; Jeremy Roenick, who set up Steve Thomas for the Blackhawks&rsquo; game-winner Jan. 11 at Winnipeg Arena, says he&rsquo;s having trouble believing the Jets&rsquo; poor record. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got a lot of speed and they always play us tough,&rdquo; said Roenick. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s unbelievable the record they&rsquo;ve got with all that talent. It&rsquo;s weird how that can happen. I think they&rsquo;ve got a good club.&rdquo;<h2>FLAMES</h2>It may have saved coach Terry Crisp&rsquo;s job. It may have helped the Calgary Flames repeat as Stanley Cup champions. And now, nine months after a controversial goal eliminated the Flames from the 1990 playoffs, the NHL took the first tentative steps towards adopting instant replay&mdash;and Calgary players were all in favor. &ldquo;After last year, I think everybody on this team would say they want to see replays,&rdquo; said goaltender Mike Vernon. &ldquo;If it were efficient and there was a time limit involved, I don&rsquo;t think the players would mind it at all.&rdquo; Added defenseman Gary Suter: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good idea, especially in the playoffs. When the stakes are so high, you can&rsquo;t afford a misdeal.&rdquo;&hellip;Penalties have posed a major problem to the Flames this season. As of Jan. 13, they played a man short more than any other team in the league except Chicago&mdash;and the Blackhawks had played two more games. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to say if they&rsquo;re picking on us,&rdquo; said left winger Gary Roberts, the Flames&rsquo; most penalized player with 143 minutes. &ldquo;Maybe we put ourselves in a position to get picked on.&rdquo; &#9632;

ELIK BENCHED BY WEBSTER

&hellip;Former New York Ranger and Chicago Blackhawk goaltender Gilles Villemure has the lowest goals-against average of any All-Star game goalie who has appeared in two or more games? Villemure had a .068 GAA in three games. Former Boston goalie Frank Brimsek is second with a 1.02 GAA in two games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021024/5909419-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="932" height="499"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gilles Villemure</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0009-02

DID YOU KNOW…

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>Bob Murdoch had searched for a leader to help the Winnipeg Jets for some time.But as the Jets&rsquo; head coach considered the impending return of a couple of injured performers&mdash;including co-captain Thomas Steen&mdash;he issued a warning.&ldquo;If our players think Thomas Steen&rsquo;s going to be the messiah, that&rsquo;s the wrong attitude,&rdquo; Murdoch said.Messiah, no. But maybe a little divine Swedish intervention helped nudge the Jets in the right direction.The 30-year-old Steen made a surprise return from a fractured right ankle Jan. 13, lending a valuable hand in a rough-and-tumble 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.&ldquo;I felt I didn&rsquo;t want to come back and drag the team down,&rdquo; said Steen, who returned a week ahead of schedule. &ldquo;I tried to give us a little spark. I tried to skate hard and hit just to get some emotion going. AH the guys were doing that today. It felt good.&rdquo;Steen began his comeback with a first-period fight against Frank Musil.Steen received the instigator penalty, but Musil was awarded two extra minors for a slash and high stick.Upon returning from the penalty box, Steen won a key faceoff and shoveled the puck to linemate Pat Elynuik, who snapped home the winning goal.Steen&rsquo;s assist was his 600th NHL point (194-408-600). It drew a standing ovation from 12,433 customers.The victory ended the Jets&rsquo; four-game losing streak.The team&rsquo;s fourth loss was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the leagueleading Chicago Blackhawks. It also marked the return of center Dave McLlwain from a knee injury.Since Steen was injured Nov. 28 after being checked by Calgary&rsquo;s Gary Suter, the Jets had a 4-11-5 record.But the victory against the Flames pulled Winnipeg to within four points of fourth-place Vancouver.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it was extra spark, but he means a lot to our hockey club,&rdquo; said Winnipeg&rsquo;s other co-captain, Randy Carlyle.&ldquo;He has emerged as our top forward. You can tell we missed him, though you can&rsquo;t make excuses for injuries. I think he adds some life to our hockey club.&rdquo;Carlyle added that he was not surprised to see Steen throw down his gloves and have it out with Musil.&ldquo;Thomas is not known as a goon or anything but he&rsquo;s not one to sit back,&rdquo; Carlyle said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an aggressive in-dividual and he plays the game hard. That&rsquo;s Thomas&rsquo; character.&rdquo;<h2>WINNIPEG</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 10: Craig Duncanson, LW, assigned to Moncton (AHL). Jan. 11: Stephane Beauregard, G, assigned to Fort Wayne (IHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Thomas Steen, Ed Olczyk, Dave McLlwain, Mike Eagles.LW&mdash;Doug Evans, Brent Ashton, Phil Sykes. Scott Arniel.RW&mdash;Pat Elynuik, Paul MacDermid, Danton Cole, Greg Paslawski, Mark Kum-pel, Gord Donnelly.LD&mdash;Randy Carlyle, Shawn Cronin, Bryan Marchment.RD&mdash;Phil Housley, Teppo Numminen, Fredrik Olausson, Moe Mantha.G&mdash;Bob Essensa, Rick Tabaracci.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Mark Osborne, LW, broken thumb, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Elynuik, 18. A&mdash;Housley, 28. P&mdash;Housley, 41 PIM&mdash;Donnelly, 138 &#9632;

STEEN RETURNS EARLY TO HELP DOUSE FLAMES

<div class="byline">BY ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div>Eight seasons and many thousands of slapshots ago, Al Maclnnis turned up in Calgary to revive a power play that packed as much punch as the waddling, overweight Buster Douglas did against Evander Holyfield.Over time, so many of Maclnnis&rsquo; points came the same way: Head down, launching a speed-of-sound slapshot towards the opposition goal. If he didn&rsquo;t score and the goalie survived the impact of the shot, somebody was usually there to stuff home the rebound.And so it was the night that Maclnnis became the Calgary Flames&rsquo; alltime leading scorer by setting up a power-play goal for Joe Nieuwendyk in a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 8.Maclnnis&rsquo; assist gave him 563 career points and moved him past Kent Nilsson into first place on the team&rsquo;s all-time scoring list.The record-setting point came in typical Maclnnis fashion&mdash;a shot from the right point that goalie Peter Ing stopped but couldn&rsquo;t control. Joe Nieuwendyk scored on the rebound.&ldquo;How many of my points came the same way?&rdquo; asked Maclnnis, who picked up two assists against the Leafs. &ldquo;Of 564, I&rsquo;d say 561. I&rsquo;m very fortunate to have been with an organization long enough to break the record.&ldquo;The Flames showed a lot of patience the first couple of years. Certainly there were a lot of doubts in a lot of people&rsquo;s minds in the organization whether I could stick and play and make the adjustment from junior.&ldquo;It is a little satisfying for me personally. Hopefully, it&rsquo;s paid off for them too. You never know what could have happened if you didn&rsquo;t get a second chance or if another team had drafted you.&rdquo;When Maclnnis first came up, there were some questions about when&mdash;and even if&mdash;he could play in the NHL.&ldquo;I heard it all,&rdquo; said Maclnnis. &ldquo;&lsquo;He wasn&rsquo;t durable enough. He couldn&rsquo;t skate well enough. He wasn&rsquo;t strong enough.&rsquo; I didn&rsquo;t want to go out and prove everybody wrong. I just wanted to play in the National Hockey League. I just wanted to do well.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to look back five years and say: &lsquo;If I had have given it all I had, maybe I could have played in the league 10 or 11 years.&rsquo; I didn&rsquo;t want that to happen.&rdquo;Maclnnis couldn&rsquo;t remember his first NHL point&mdash;but he did remember his first goal.&ldquo;In Hartford, the year I was up for 14 games. I came out of the penalty box, Jamie Hislop hit me with a breakaway pass. I went in on Greg Millen and slid it between his legs,&rdquo; he said.Maclnnis has developed enough control of his shot so that the players in front of the net no longer worry that he&rsquo;s going to launch one between their eyes.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s as accurate as anybody,&rdquo; said Nieuwendyk. &ldquo;I know exactly where he&rsquo;s going to shoot 90 per cent of the time. He unloads it pretty hard, but if he&rsquo;s trying to score, I don&rsquo;t have to worry about it because he usually does. And if he&rsquo;s aiming for me, he doesn&rsquo;t aim for my head, he aims for the lower part of my body so I&rsquo;ve got a chance to tip it.&rdquo;Or tuck in the rebound.Flames&rsquo; coach Doug Risebrough, who played with Maclnnis for five seasons, praised his development.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy who&rsquo;s really had to work hard for any respect he&rsquo;s got,&rdquo; said Risebrough. &ldquo;When he broke into the league, he was a big shooter. That was all he could do.&ldquo;Then when other parts of his game became a real plus&mdash;his skating, his defensive skills&mdash;people wouldn&rsquo;t look past his shot to see what Maclnnis was all about.&ldquo;Now, there&rsquo;s the all-star team. The Conn Smythe Trophy, this milestone. It makes people realize this guy is a premier player in the league.&rdquo;Maclnnis agreed that his notoriety started to develop the year the Flames won the Stanley Cup.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a disadvantage to playing in Western Canada. We come to the east and if we want to find out who won a game in our division, you have to wait two days to read a score in the paper. That has an effect on it.&ldquo;You can look around the league for examples. Chris Chelios. They won the Stanley Cup in &rsquo;86 and two years later, he won the Norris Trophy. The Oilers win a Stanley Cup and all of a sudden, Mark Messier&rsquo;s the MVP. So I think if you have a winning team, a successful team, a lot of nice accolades go along with it.&rdquo;<h2>CALGARY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Joel Otto, Robert Reichel.LW&mdash;Gary Roberts, Tim Sweeney, Brian MacLellan, Stephane Matteau, Sergei Priakan.RW&mdash;Theo Fleury, Sergei Makarov, Mark Hunter, Martin Simard.LD&mdash;Gary Suter, Jamie Macoun, Frank Musil.RD&mdash;Al Maclnnis, Rick Nattress, Jim Kyte, Roger Johansson.G&mdash;Mike Vernon, Rick Wamsley.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Tim Hunter, RW, torn shoulder muscle, day-to-day Dana Murzyn, D. shoulder separation, indefinite. Colin Patterson, LW, reconstructive knee surgery, indefinite. Paul Ranheim, RW, broken ankle, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Nieuwendyk, 23. A&mdash;Maclnnis, 41 P&mdash;Maclnnis, 59. PIM&mdash;Roberts, 143. &#9632;

MacINNIS SHOOTS INTO FLAMES’ TOP SPOT

<div class="byline">BY DICK CHUBEY</div>The milestone men have struck again. Esa Tikkanen, Mark Messier, Steve Smith and Glenn Anderson all broke records during an 11-day road swing Jan. 819.Steve Smith&rsquo;s goal 56 seconds into overtime in a 5-4 win over New Jersey Jan. 12, capped a four-point performance that gave the big defenseman a milestone 200-career points.But the biggest Edmonton milestone came Jan. 13 in Philadelphia, where the Oilers came from behind to beat the Flyers 5-3.Oiler captain Mark Messier scaled the NHL&rsquo;s 1,000-point plateau and Glenn Anderson registered his 400th goal&mdash;fittingly on the same play.And for good measure, Esa Tikkanen notched his 200th assist.Messier finished with two assists to become the 28th NHLer to reach 1,000 points (1,001).Anderson became the 31st player with 400 goals and was 31 assists away from 500.The two prestigious milestones came at the 5:25 mark of the third period when Anderson tipped home Messier&rsquo;s pass, tying the game at 3-3.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always nice to do it with a win. That to me makes it special,&rdquo; said Messier&mdash;the third Oiler to reach 1,000 points.Departed duo Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri also reached the four-figure plateau.Messier didn&rsquo;t waste time getting the job done either. He picked up the four points he required in just two games since returning to the lineup after reinjuring his knee Dec. 22&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there was too much pressure,&rdquo; said Messier. &ldquo;I figure I had 10 years to do it. I wasn&rsquo;t too worried.&rdquo;And not with his buddy Anderson to his immediate right.&ldquo;Andy&rsquo;s one of the most exciting players in the league,&rdquo; said Messier.&ldquo;He has been compared to (ex-Montreal great) Rocket Richard,&rdquo; added Messier, who turned 30 Jan. 18. &ldquo;Nobody plays with more reckless abandon and his accomplishments speak for themselves.Anderson returned the compliment.&ldquo;I told Mess on the bench that it was ironic we&rsquo;d do it on the same play,&rdquo; grinned Anderson. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve been one of the best pairings in sports history. We&rsquo;ve played together on two Canada Cup winners, five Stanley Cup teams, we got a silver medal at the World Championships and all the individual accomplishments.&ldquo;But when all the smoke has cleared and we&rsquo;re out of the game, I don&rsquo;t think we could&rsquo;ve done it if we weren&rsquo;t such close friends. And don&rsquo;t think it wasn&rsquo;t great for Tik to get his 200th assist.&rdquo;The game wasn&rsquo;t without controversy.Anderson knocked the puck over the goal line with 1:03 remaining in the second period, but Philadelphia defenseman Gord Murphy fished it out.Initially, referee Don Koharski signalled Anderson&rsquo;s milestone goal, but goal judge Mike Condon didn&rsquo;t turn the red light on. Koharski announced no goal after conversing with Condon.And who kept the milestone puck?&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t kept too many over the years, but Mess said I could have this one,&rdquo; said Anderson.<h2>EDMONTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 10: Mario Barbe, D, and Igor Viazmikin, RW, assigned to Cape Breton (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Mark Messier, Craig MacTavish, Ken Linseman, Mark Lamb.LW&mdash;Esa Tikkanen, Adam Graves, Petr Klima, Martin Gelinas, Kelly Buchberger.RW&mdash;Glenn Anderson, Joe Murphy, Dave Brown, Anatoli Semenov.LD&mdash;Kevin Lowe. Steve Smith, Geoff Smith.RD&mdash;Craig Muni, Jeff Beukeboom, Chris Joseph.G&mdash;Bill Ranford, Kari Takko.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Charlie Huddy, D, sprained right ankle, indefinite. Craig Simpson, LW, back spasms, day-to-day.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Tikkanen, 19. A&mdash;Messier, 27. P&mdash;Tikkanen, 38. PIM&mdash;Smith, 141. &#9632;

HIGH-FLYING QUARTET CELEBRATES MILESTONES

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BEAMISH</div>Vancouver: It&rsquo;s a nice place to visit but Tom Kurvers didn&rsquo;t want to play there.That was the initial reaction of the 28-year-old defenseman, who was still at his Toronto residence two days after the Canucks acquired him from the Leafs Jan. 12 for center Brian Bradley&mdash;the Canucks&rsquo; third leading scorer.&ldquo;I need some time to think this through,&rdquo; Kurvers, a Minnesota native, said.&ldquo;Playing in Canada isn&rsquo;t easy for an American. I have a lot of things to consider, before picking up and moving again.&rdquo;Kurvers was the second player acquired on the same day by Canuck general manager Pat Quinn who, after 10 months of inactivity, was caught up in a trading frenzy. Earlier in the day, Quinn acquired defenseman Gerald Diduck from the Montreal Canadiens for a fourth-round draft pick.Diduck, obtained by the Canadiens from the New York Islanders last summer for Craig Ludwig, had been working out with the McGill Univesity Redmen since a Jan. 5 blowup with Habs&rsquo; coach Pat Bums. Burns told Diduck he would never play for him again after the 25-year-old defenseman complained that he deserved more ice time.Unlike Kurvers, Bradley was enthusiastic about a change of scenery. A dynamic player and a fan favorite, Bradley never scored more than 48 points in his four seasons in Vancouver, yet his goals frequently made the highlight films. When given good ice time and linemates, he usually produced. Bradley, however, never seemed truly appreciated by his bosses, who would grind him at contract time.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be playing with some quality wingers,&rdquo; said Bradley, who went from being the Canucks&rsquo; No. 3 scorer to the No. 2 scorer with the Leafs. &ldquo;Gary Leeman is a 51-goal winger. We didn&rsquo;t have too many of those on the Canucks.&rdquo;Kurvers, who has been traded four times, also had initial reservations about his last move, when he was acquired by the Leafs from New Jersey in October, 1989.The year before the trade, Kurvers set a Devils&rsquo; record for defensemen with 66 points. But when GM Lou Lamoriello undertook his Russian renovation, Kurvers was squeezed off the Devils&rsquo; roster and dealt to Toronto for the Leafs&rsquo; No. 1 draft pick in 1991.Not only was Toronto GM Floyd Smith admonished for trading away the team&rsquo;s future for a player who went 145th overall in the 1981 draft and couldn&rsquo;t keep a job in Montreal or Buffalo, but Smith neglected to attach a condition to the trade that Kurvers must report.The Canucks also had no guarantees.&ldquo;I still want to play hockey,&rdquo; said Kurvers, who is earning $275,000 (U.S.) this season&ldquo;I was hoping this time that things would work out with a trade to the States. Playing in the States is in my best interest. I&rsquo;m not crying the blues. Trades are part of the business. It&rsquo;s just that I have to decide if it (going to Vancouver) is part of my future.&rdquo;The Canucks were hoping that Kurvers could add some firepower to the team&rsquo;s anemic power play. It went zero-for-nine Jan. 12 in a 6-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings, dropping the Canucks&rsquo; record to 1-8-1 in their past 10 games.After Dave Ellett and Michel Petit were acquired in separate trades, Kurvers had become the Leafs&rsquo; seventh defenseman and spent most of his time sitting in the press box. He also fell out of favor with coach Tom Watt, who emphasized a more defensive style when he took over from Doug Carpenter in November.<h2>VANCOUVER</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 10: Ian Kidd, D, recalled from Milwaukee (IHL). Jan. 11: Ron Stern, RW, assigned to Milwaukee for two-week conditioning period. Jan 12: Brian Bradley, C, traded to Toronto for Tom Kurvers, D. Kurvers failed to report. Gerald Diduck, D, acquired from Montreal for a fourth-round draft pick in 1991.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Dan Quinn. Dave Capuano, Petr Nedved, Steve Bozek.LW&mdash;Greg Adams, Garry Valk, Gino Odjick, Craig Coxe, Petri Skriko.RW&mdash;Trevor Linden, Robert Kron, Jay Mazur, Stan Smyl.LD&mdash;Doug Lidster, Kevan Guy, Adrien Plavsic, Gerald Diduck.RD&mdash;Garth Butcher, Jyrki Lumme, Robert Nordmark, Ian Kidd.G&mdash;Troy Gamble, Kirk McLean.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Jim Agnew. D, sprained knee, indefinite. Jim Sandlak, RW, sprained thumb, day-to-day.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Linden, 21. A&mdash;Quinn, 25. P&mdash;Linden, 36. PIM&mdash;Odjick, 160. &#9632;

UNHAPPY KURVERS PURSUING AMERICAN DREAM

It&rsquo;s just a footnote on page 168 of the Washington Capitals&rsquo; media guide, but to Ron Lalonde it&rsquo;s a cherished memory.The former NHL center, who toiled seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals from 1972 to 1979, holds the Washington record for scoring the first hat trick in team history.Lalonde set the record Mar. 30, 1975 in an 8-5 win over Detroit. It&rsquo;s still mentioned today.&ldquo;It is nice because it comes up as a trivia question on the radio from time to time,&rdquo; says Lalonde, 38, now a regional manager with Investors Syndicate in Toronto. &ldquo;It is something nobody will be able to take away from me. It is something I&rsquo;ll always have.&rdquo;Lalonde&rsquo;s record is impressive, considering he was never an offensive threat. A defensive specialist throughout his career, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Toronto-native scored 45 goals and 123 points in 397 NHL games.The NHL didn&rsquo;t have its 400-game benefit until after Lalonde retired. The $250,000 payment at age 55 may have spurred Lalonde on to an extra three games.&ldquo;I guess I was considered a marginal player all the way through,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;but I think I worked hard and made a contribution.&rdquo;Lalonde broke in with the Penguins in 1972 after a solid junior career with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario League.He went pointless in nine games his first season, but established himself as a tough checker the following year. He scored 10 goals and 27 points in 1973-74.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011350/5909570-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="548" height="513"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Lalonde</figcaption></div>Lalonde got off to a good start with the Penguins in 1974-75, but was traded to Washington for Lew Morrison Dec. 14. He finished with 12 goals and 29 points.Lalonde says the trade was tough to accept, considering the Penguins were building for the playoffs while the expansion Capitals were toiling in the NHL basement.&ldquo;Initially it was disappointing to go to Washington because they were doing so poorly,&rdquo; he says of the Caps, who finished 1974-75 with an futility record of 8-67-5.&rdquo;One of Lalonde&rsquo;s fondest memories in Washington came during that first season.Having failed to win a road game all year, Washington broke through against the California Golden Seals Mar. 28,1975, two days before Lalonde&rsquo;s hat-trick record.The Capitals beat the Seals 5-3 at the Oakland Coliseum, the only road win the team earned that season&mdash;an NHL record.&ldquo;It was a wonderful feeling to get that first win and end the streak,&rdquo; Lalonde says. &ldquo;We were so excited, we went out on the ice after the game with a green garbage pail and held it above our heads like we&rsquo;d just won the cup. No one was in the stands, but we had a lot of fun.&rdquo;Lalonde played three more seasons in Washington before jumping to a semi-professional team in Salzberg, Austria.&ldquo;There were eight cities in the league and each team was allowed two import players,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;There were some good players, but it wasn&rsquo;t the same caliber. Beyond the first and second line, the players weren&rsquo;t very good.&rdquo;And the playing conditions weren&rsquo;t much better. Most cities had open air rinks, poor equipment and small crowds.But perhaps the biggest adjustment for Lalonde was the attitude of the players.He was particularly miffed after he saw players from a touring Boston senior team drinking beer and lounging around before a New Year&rsquo;s eve exhibition game.&ldquo;It looked like a Sunday morning pick-up team,&rdquo; Lalonde says.&rdquo;Lalonde returned to North America after one season, but he&rsquo;s glad he went to Europe.&ldquo;It was hard to adjust to that attitude, but it satisfied my desire to play one more season,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It more or less convinced me it was time to do something else.&rdquo;Now a successful businessman, Lalonde says he would like to coach some day.&ldquo;When I returned I wanted to get involved in coaching, but the opportunity didn&rsquo;t present itself,&rdquo; he says. &#9632;

f0015-01

LALONDE’S RECORD A CHERISHED MEMORY

If you collected hockey cards as a kid, one of your fondest memories is probably opening a pack of cards and filling in the ones you needed on your checklist.But in these days of investment-first card collecting, writing on checklist cards is a card-inal sin. After all, if you write on the checklist, you&rsquo;ll severely diminish the value of the card.So what&rsquo;s the best way to keep track of the cards you need? How about the new Checklist computer program from Checklist Card Systems of Hamilton, Ont.Not only does Checklist list virtually every card made since 1910, it also includes a complete price guide. Built-in prices and card descriptions (such as designations for rookie cards and special cards, including trophy winners) appear for all Topps, O-Pee-Chee, Parkhurst and Cigarette cards from 1910 to the present. In addition, computer disks with listings for the new hockey card sets&mdash;Bowman, Pro Set, Score and Upper Deck&mdash;will also be available.The program was developed by Andre Simoneau, 23, an education stu student at the University of Ottawa. If your computer is hooked up to a printer, you can get nine different reports including checklists and want lists.&ldquo;I couple of years ago I wanted to see if there was a program that would help me keep track of my collection,&rdquo; says Simoneau. &ldquo;When one popped up I bought it but it didn&rsquo;t have all the features I wanted it to have. For one thing, it only showed one card on the screen at a time. I said to myself, &lsquo;I think I can make one better than this.&rsquo;&rdquo;And he did. The Checklist program displays 35 cards and their prices on the screen at once. There&rsquo;s also a column on the screen for the user to fill out how many cards he or she has of that player in both mint and very good condition.Simoneau started working on Checklist last summer and unveiled it to the public at a card show in Burlington, Ont., in December. He says he&rsquo;s pleased with the response and is planning to do similar programs for baseball, basketball and football cards.One especially valuable feature of the Checklist program is that any errors on cards are explained. When most price guides list errors, there usually isn&rsquo;t room to explain what the error is. Checklist explains all errors at the end of a particular listing for a set of cards.Checklist can also be used to find a card in any set. For example, if you wanted to know the card numbers of all of Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s cards in the 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee set, you can find out with just a few strokes of your computer keyboard.If you&rsquo;re interested in purchasing the Checklist system or would just like to buy a demo disk, phone (613) 236-3798. Or write to Checklist Card Systems at Box 57025, Jackson Station, Hamilton, Ont., L8P 4W9. &#9632;

A WHOLE NEW WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF CARDS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011240/5909625-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="504" height="614"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE DRYDEN</figcaption></div>More than 180 skaters have been recognized as NHL players of the week since 1980. Not one of them has earned the honor on the basis of defensive excellence.Oh sure, eight rearguards have been chosen a total of 13 times. But it&rsquo;s clear the reasons for their selections were based more on offense than defense. Every one of them earned at least seven points during the weeks they were chosen.The only defensemen to be named players of the week have been Kevin McCarthy, John Van Boxmeer, Mike O&rsquo;Connell, Paul Coffey (five times), Scott Stevens, Chris Chelios, Mark Howe and Ray Bourque (twice).Each was chosen by the league after impressive production of goals and assists&mdash;not the prevention of them.Clearly, there is no more unheralded position in the NHL than that of defensive defenseman. Some people believe the league should give a trophy to the best defensive defenseman. But executive vice president Brian O&rsquo;Neill says there are no plans to add a 12th individual trophy. Besides, he says, defensive defensemen are eligible for the Norris.Only one of them, however, has been chosen since 1967. Rod Langway won in 1983 and 1984. Still, there is justification for the results of Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association balloting. By definition, the Norris is intended for the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around skill. For the most part the PHWA has fulfilled that mandate.Only two Norris winners since 1968, Rod Langway and Coffey, have occupied opposite ends of the defensive spectrum. For the most part, the rest have been compromise candidates&mdash;players who are comfortable at both ends of the rink.Granted, Bobby Orr (1968-1975), Randy Carlyle (1981) and Doug Wilson (1982) were recognized largely for their offensive contributions, but they did not approach defense with the same cavalier attitude as Coffey.The others&mdash;Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson, Ray Bourque and Chris Chelios&mdash;have all been standouts defensively and offensively.Langway and Coffey are the exceptions. The sheer volume of points produced by Coffey made him an inevitable choice. Langway was a less likely winner. He won with seasons of 32 and 33 points. Sixty-five points total. To get an idea of just how anomalous was Langway&rsquo;s triumph, consider that no other defenseman since Orr in 1967 has won the Norris without scoring at least 64 points in his award-winning season.Defensive defensemen can&rsquo;t even get elected to the all-star team, let alone finish tops in top defenseman voting. Only three defensive specialists were picked to the first or second teams during the 1980s&mdash;Langway, Brad McCrimmon and Brian Engblom.If you want to know who is going to be on the all-star team, just check the top scorers among defensemen. During the past four years, three of the league&rsquo;s four highest-scoring defensemen have filled three of four berths on the first and second all-star teams.And what of Langway&rsquo;s soul mates?They have been ignored in all-star voting. It is ludicrous, for instance, that Mike Ramsey is in his 11th full NHL season and has yet to be on an all-star team.Ramsey is one of the premier shot-blockers in the game&rsquo;s history and has appeared in three All-Star Games (as well as Rendez-Vous &rsquo;87) but has never earned a post-season honor. Surely, he should have been picked by now. But modest point totals have kept him from getting the star treatment he deserves. He scored a career-high 39 points in 1986-87. Wilson scored 39 goals in 1981-82 when he won the Norris.Ramsey was ranked the league&rsquo;s second-best defensive defenseman in NHL player balloting conducted by Inside HOCKEY. The players&rsquo; first choice was Bourque. Others named in the top five were McCrimmon, Kevin Lowe and Craig Ludwig.It seems paradoxical that the NHL has an award for the best defensive forward but not the best defensive defenseman. However, to separate an award for defensemen into two parts also seems paradoxical. Would the Norris, then, go automatically to the highest-scoring defensemen? Happily, that trend came to an end three years ago.That&rsquo;s when Bourque won his second Norris, yet was only third in defenseman scoring. Chelios won the following season, although he finished with 40 fewer points (113-73) than Coffey. And Bourque won again last year, despite the fact Al Maclnnis and Coffey outpointed him.Now if only there was more appreciation for defensive defensemen in all-star voting. Until then, however, Momma don&rsquo;t let your sons grow up to be defensive defensemen.Steve Dryden is the managing editor of Inside HOCKEY. &#9632;

f0016-01

THE SAD AND LONELY LIVES OF DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMEN

<h2>MAPLE LEAFS</h2>Coach Tom Watt, perhaps in an effort to deflect some of the criticism from his players, made some rather astounding statements after recent losses to Calgary (5-3 Jan. 8) and Chicago (7-2 Jan. 10). After the Calgary game, Watt criticized referee Terry Gregson of being biased because of his connection with Flame mentor, Doug Risebrough. &ldquo;The non-calls were a joke,&rdquo; said Watt, &ldquo;But you can&rsquo;t expect any more when the referee is the brother-in-law of the opposing coach.&rdquo; Following the Hawk game, Watt predicted: &ldquo;I know coaches aren&rsquo;t supposed to do this sort of thing, but I&rsquo;ll go on record right now as saying that we&rsquo;ll not only meet this team (Chicago) in the first round of the playoffs but we&rsquo;ll beat them.&rdquo;&hellip;The success of the Leafs can be directly correlated to the number of shots they allow. In a pre-Christmas swing through the Patrick Division, the Leafs were 2-0-1 in games when they allowed fewer than 30 shots. In a recent string of seven games, however, the Leafs allowed 30 or more shots in each and sported a 1-4-2 mark.<h2>NORTH STARS</h2>Right winger Stewart Gavin reinjured his left knee (strained medial collateral ligament) against Chicago Jan. 13. The injury, which will keep him out of the lineup from four to six weeks, comes just 10 games after he returned from a similar injury. He missed 19 games earlier in the season-&hellip;Dave Gagner was named to the Campbell Conference All-Star team, just 2&frac12; seasons after he threatened to quit hockey. Gagner&rsquo;s wife Jo-Anne talked him into delaying his decision to quit when he was assigned to Kalamazoo (IHL) just before the start of the 1988-89 regular season. He stayed in the minors for one game and has scored 35 and 40 goals the last two seasons. He had 26 goals through the Stars&rsquo; first 47 games&hellip;The North Stars&rsquo; four shutouts are the most since the 1973-74 season. Jon Casey and Brian Hayward each have two.<h2>BLUES</h2>Paul MacLean scored the game-winning goal in the Blues&rsquo; 3-1 victory over Montreal Jan. 13 that gave the Blues a 3-0-1 record on a four-game trip. The goal was only MacLean&rsquo;s fifth of the season and came after he had sat out six of nine previous games, including the first three on the trip. &ldquo;About the only good thing I got out of the first few games&hellip;&rdquo; he said, pausing for effect, &ldquo;was the frequent flyer miles. &ldquo;&hellip;Captain Scott Stevens was among many of the Blues who thought 1989-90 captain&rsquo; Rick Meagher would retain the captaincy when he returned from his knee injury. But, after a meeting with coach Brian Sutter, Meagher decided to let Stevens remain as captain&hellip;Although Quebec ended Hull&rsquo;s goal-scoring streak at four games in a 4-4 tie Jan. 12, he extended his point-scoring streak to six games with an assist, giving him seven goals and two assists for nine points in that span. That&rsquo;s two fewer points than Oates had in the same span. Oates had three goals and eight assists for 11 points in his six-game point streak. Since returning from an abdominal muscle tear, Oates had seven goals and 14 assists, in 13 games.<h2>RED WINGS</h2>The subject in the Red Wings&rsquo; dressing room recently&mdash;as it was everywhere else in the world&mdash;was war. More specifically, it was about whether center Jimmy Carson would get involved in the fighting if combat broke out between the United States and Iraq. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m registered for the draft,&rdquo; said Carson, known to his teammates as &lsquo;Young Republican.&rsquo; &ldquo;If they chose me, I&rsquo;d go. I&rsquo;d take my hockey stick with me.&rdquo; Carson, 22, is one of two American-born players on the Wings&rsquo; roster, but the only one who would be in immediate jeopardy of being drafted should the United States reinstitute the draft, which would first target men to age 26. Rick Zombo, born in suburban Chicago, is 27. Defenseman Per Djoos was a cook in the Swedish army. &ldquo;Oh, it was terrible,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was only in for seven months, but that was long enough.&rdquo;&hellip;The Wings made a strong pitch for defenseman Tom Kurvers before the Leafs traded him to Vancouver. GM Bryan Murray has made it his top priority to acquire a puckhandling defenseman. The Leafs were looking for a center&mdash;and got one in Brian Bradley. The Wings were believed to be offering Paul Ysebaert, a natural center who has played mostly on the wing in Detroit. The Wings continued to negotiate with several teams, including the Quebec Nordiques.<h2>BLACKHAWKS</h2>Chicago Stadium will be the site of three Canada Cup games next summer involving Team USA. The first game, in late August, will be an exhibition matchup between Canada and the U.S. The other two games will be tournament clashes in early September between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and the U.S. and Finland. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to think Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick will be a big part of the U.S. team, that&rsquo;s why this excites us,&rdquo; said senior vice president BobPulford. &ldquo;Outside of our league, the most exciting thing in hockey is the Canada Cup. It&rsquo;s a premier event, and we think the U.S. is at a stage now where they&rsquo;ll be very competitive and could even win the Canada Cup.&rdquo; Head coach-GM Mike Keenan said he&rsquo;d be interested in coaching the Canadian team again if asked&hellip;The Hawks tied a club record with five power-play goals Jan. 10 in a 7-2 win over Toronto. They had been in a 5-for-46 slump&hellip;Steve Thomas&rsquo; goal Jan. 11 in a 3-1 win at Winnipeg was his first in 15 games. &#9632;

SAY WATT? COACH GOES ON RECORD

Jan. 21, 1945: The Boston Bruins set a NHL record for the fastest four goals by one team. The Bruins score four goals in one minute and 20 seconds in the second period of a 14-3 win over the New York Rangers. Bill Thoms at 6:34; Frank Mario at 7:08 and 7:27; and Ken Smith at 7:54 scored the goals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-02979/5909680-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="600" height="395"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ken Smith</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0016-02

FLASHBACK

<div class="byline">BY MARK HARDING</div>Fans at Maple Leaf Gardens Jan. 12 for the game against the Hartford Whalers were treated to a microcosm of the Leafs&rsquo; season.In just three hours, two players returned from injury, a regular was unceremoniously dispatched to the press box, a veteran performer was traded and another new face was brought in to the dressing room.And. oh yes, the Leafs failed for the 18th time in 25 tries this season to win another hockey game at home. The Leafs and Whalers skated to a 2-2 tie.Dedicated to continue &ldquo;trying until we get something that works,&rdquo; general manager Floyd Smith orchestrated his sixth significant deal of the season by sending 28-year-old defenseman Tom Kurvers to Vancouver in return for center Brian Bradley, 25.In case anyone&rsquo;s keeping track, the Leafs now have more trades this season (6) than road wins (5).This may, however, have marked Smith&rsquo;s final shuffle of the Leaf deck. With the return to the lineup Jan. 12of right wingers Gary Leeman and Mike Foligno from their respective shoulder and knee injuries and the arrival of a &ldquo;natural&rdquo; right-handed center in the form of Bradley, management is hoping that all the pieces of the playoff puzzle are in place.Smith admitted Bradley does not exactly fill the offensive void down the middle created by Ed Olczyk&rsquo;s trade to Winnipeg in November, but warned against underestimating the role Bradley could fill on the team.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s feisty, can check, play on both the power-play and penaltykilling units, is an excellent skater and puck handler and, most importantly, will allow us to play some people where they belong,&rdquo; said Smith.On the night Leeman and Foligno returned to the lineup, coach Tom Watt elected to sit out struggling right winger Daniel Marois, while employing veterans Doug Shedden and Kevin Maguire.Exactly where Bradley fits into Watt&rsquo;s plans was a closely-guarded secret.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to wait and see what happens, but this certainly gives us some flexibility to move people around and get people playing in their natural positions,&rdquo; said Watt.All-star representative Vince Dam-phousse, for instance, has been playing center recently but should move back to left wing.The absence of a right-handed center for such players as Damphousse and Wendel Clark has long been a concern for Leaf management and it was one of the primary reasons behind the short-lived experimentation earlier this season with Leeman at center.Though Bradley will never be mistaken for a 100-point man, his finesse skills will be appreciated regardless of whether he plays on the first line or the fourth.The Leafs are in dire need of offense and for that reason were delighted to have Leeman and Foligno back in action. Both should help ease a great deal of the pressure that has been on Marois in their absence.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to work as hard as ever and play as hard as I can to help the team both offensively and defensively,&rdquo; said Leeman, the former defenseman who scored 51 goals last season. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a lot of new players here since I last played (Nov. 10) but I think we&rsquo;ve got a good bunch of guys and we&rsquo;re all committed to the same thing.&rdquo;<h2>TORONTO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 7: Mike Millar. RW, assigned to Newmarket (AHL). Jan. 12: Tom Kurvers, D. traded to Vancouver for Brian Bradley, C.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Vincent Damphousse, Mike Krushelnyski, Lucien DeBlois, Dave Hannan, Scott Thornton, Brian Bradley.LW&mdash;Wendel Clark, Paul Fenton, Aaron Broten, Dave Reid, Joe Sacco.RW&mdash;Gary Leeman, Doug Shedden, Mike Foligno, Kevin Maguire, Daniel Marois.LD&mdash;Dave Ellett, Luke Richardson, Todd Gill, Brad Marsh.RD&mdash;Rob Ramage, Al lafrate. Michel Petit.G&mdash;Peter Ing, Jeff Reese, Allan Bester.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Tom Fergus, C, groin surgery, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Damphousse. 13. A&mdash;Damphousse, 23. P&mdash;Damphousse, 36. PIM&mdash;Richardson, lafrate. 113. &#9632;

BRADLEY ACQUIRED TO FILL VOID AT CENTER

<div class="byline">BY GARY OLSON</div>Neal Broten may not be a Minnesota North Star by the start of next season.And in Minnesota, that&rsquo;s like seeing Bobby Hull escape Chicago or Guy Lafleur leave Montreal.Neal Broten exemplifies what Minnesota hockey is all about. He has carved his place in the state&rsquo;s hockey history out of black rubber.Broten, 31, was Minnesota&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer with 660 points in 639 games before the 1990-91 season. In 47 games this season, he had 11 goals and 47 points.Broten is also in the option year of his contract and will become a free agent&mdash;without compensation&mdash;at the end of the season.To date there has been little progress in contract negotiations and general manager Bob Clarke could deal Broten before the end of the season.And like Hull in Winnipeg and Lafleur in Quebec, it wouldn&rsquo;t look right.Broten was bom Nov. 29, 1959 in Roseau, Minn., where he became the state&rsquo;s premier hockey player at Roseau High School in the late &rsquo;70s.Following high school, Broten led the University of Minnesota to a national championship and gained All-American status.He also played a prominent role in the U.S. Olympic team&rsquo;s gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., and was selected the first Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey&rsquo;s best player in 1981.Broten joined the North Stars later that season and played in the Stanley Cup final.He has earned all-star honors twice during his career.&ldquo;Naturally, I&rsquo;d like to stay here, but how badly do the North Stars want me?&rdquo; Broten said. &ldquo;I suppose I could yell and scream and pout but I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s an appropriate way to do business.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little disappointed there hasn&rsquo;t been more talk, more effort by the North Stars to sign me. But those are things I can&rsquo;t control. All I can do is play every game as well as I can and hope the general manager likes what he sees.The closer Broten gets to the end of the season, the bigger the gamble for North Stars&rsquo; management.And it&rsquo;s a gamble they may not be willing to take.Some reports say George and Gordon Gund&rsquo;s expansion San Jose Sharks have already made several player contracts.But Broten&rsquo;s agent, Minneapolis attorney Ron Simon, denies the allegations.&ldquo;Initially, we didn&rsquo;t respond to the North Stars&rsquo; offer because it wasn&rsquo;t much different from what was called for in the option year of his contract,&rdquo; Simon said. &ldquo;In mid-December, I made a counter-proposal but haven&rsquo;t heard back from the North Stars.&rdquo;Broten seems unaffected by his contract status or the tampering controversy. Through 47 games, he was the team&rsquo;s only point-per-game player.&ldquo;If I have to go someplace else (to get the kind of contract I feel I deserve), then I have to go,&rdquo; Broten said. &ldquo;Sally and the kids are ready to make a change if that&rsquo;s the way it has to be&rdquo;<h2>MINNESOTA</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Neal Broten, Dave Gagner, Mike Modano. Bobby Smith, Perry Berezan.LW&mdash;Gaetan Duchesne, Doug Smail. Brian Bellows, Brian Propp.RW&mdash;Ulf Dahlen. Ilkka Sinisalo, Mike Craig, Shane Churla.LD&mdash;Mark Tinordi, Rob Zettler. Neil Wilkinson.RD&mdash;Brian Glynn. Curt Giles, Jim Johnson.G&mdash;Jon Casey. Brian Hayward.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Shawn Chambers, D, left knee surgery, indefinite. Chris Dahlqulst, D, bone chip in left wrist, day-to-day Stewart Gavin, RW, strained ligament in left knee, indefinite. Basil McRae, LW. abdominal strain, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Gagner, 26. A&mdash;Broten, 36. P&mdash;Broten, 47. PIM&mdash;Churla, 217. &#9632;

BROTEN SEEING STARS OVER CONTRACT TALKS

<div class="byline">BY KEITH GAVE</div>Sick bay is overcrowded in Detroit. The Red Wings are sustaining casualties to some very important players in Bryan Murray&rsquo;s first campaign as coach and general manager, and he admits it&rsquo;s getting a bit frustrating.The list:&#9632; Gerard Gallant, the team&rsquo;s best winger who had missed nearly half the season with a sore lower back, remains out until late January.&#9632; Defenseman Steve Chiasson, the team&rsquo;s only consistent threat from the blue line, could be out until the end of February with a broken foot suffered when he took a shot off it Jan. 2 in a 6-2 win over Minnesota.&#9632; Center Jimmy Carson is out at least two weeks with a sprained knee that was hurt when he was checked hard but cleanly into the comer boards by the Rangers&rsquo; Randy Moller, in a 6-3 win Jan. 11.&#9632; Right winger Sheldon Kennedy, who was penciled in on the Steve Yzerman line, has missed all season with elbow and shoulder surgery.&#9632; Right winger Bob Probert missed 12 games&mdash;all in the United States&mdash;in December with a broken arm.&#9632; Right winger Marc Habscheid missed 10 games with a separated shoulder, returning Jan. 11. He also missed eight games in November with a groin injury.&ldquo;A lot of injuries,&rdquo; Murray said shaking his head. &ldquo;And to some really key people. It&rsquo;s getting a little ridiculous. Every night it&rsquo;s something else. Every time you think you&rsquo;re getting people back so you can get your numbers set, something happens.&ldquo;I said at the start of the season I wanted to keep a roster of 22 people. But with all the injuries, we haven&rsquo;t been able to do that.&rdquo;In 46 games, the Wings had lost 134 man games to injury or illness. Of all of them, though, none have been more baffling and discouraging than Gallant&rsquo;s chronically sore lower back. For the previous four-plus seasons, he and Yzerman formed one of the best tandems in the NHL, during which Gallant averaged 36 goals and 238 penalty minutes per season while Yzerman was rewriting the record books in Detroit.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s an up-and-down winger and Stevie finds him. He always knows where Gerard&rsquo;s going to be,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We miss his goals, but we miss his toughness, too. He takes a lot of pressure off the guys he&rsquo;s playing with.&rdquo;Until recently, Gallant&rsquo;s problem had baffled physicians, but Dr. David Collon, the Wings&rsquo; orthopedic surgeon, said a battery of tests have isolated three potential sources of the pain in Gallant&rsquo;s lower back. Continued daily therapy sessions should enable him to return playing, perhaps as soon as Jan. 22.&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t look like it&rsquo;s a major problem,&rdquo; Collon said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to cut down the inflammation and stabilize it by strengthening the areas around (the sources of pain). I would be very surprised if we cannot get it under control.&rdquo;But the prognosis is of little comfort to Gallant, 27, who has heard the disparaging whispers regarding the quality of play this season.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s improved, there&rsquo;s not doubt about that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The frustrating thing is that it has been eight weeks now and I don&rsquo;t know for sure when I&rsquo;ll be back.&rdquo;<h2>DETROIT</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 10: Bob Wilkie, D, recalled from Adirondack (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, John Chabot, Paul Ysebaert.LW&mdash;Shawn Burr, Johan Garpenlov, Randy McKay, Keith Primeau.RW&mdash;Bob Probert, Brent Fedyk, Joe Kocur, Marc Habscheid, Dave Barr.LD&mdash;Bobby Dollas, Per Djoos, Rick Green, Bob Wilkie.RD&mdash;Brad McCrimmon, Rick Zombo, Yves Racine, Doug Houda.G&mdash;Tim Cheveldae, Glen Hanlon.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Jimmy Carson, C, sprained knee, Jan. 28. Steve Chiasson, D, broken foot, indefinite. Gerard Gallant, LW, sore lower back, indefinite. Sheldon Kennedy, RW, shoulder surgery, day-to-day. Greg Stefan, G, right knee surgery, Jan. 28.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Yzerman, 30. A&mdash;Yzerman, 31. P&mdash;Yzerman, 61. PIM&mdash;Kocur, 158. &#9632;

INJURY LIST MAKING MURRAY FEEL SICK

<div class="byline">BY TIM SASSONE</div>One day Ed Belfour was thinking about how great it would be to play in his first All-Star Game in Chicago Stadium.The next day he was just like many other people around the Windy City trying to find tickets so he could at least see the game.Belfour took the news well that Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; coach John Muckier had left him off the Campbell Conference all-star squad and taken his own Bill Ranford instead, although there seemed to be a hint of disappointment in the voice of the Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; rookie goalie.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not much I can do,&rdquo; Belfour said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a rookie and this is more of a veteran&rsquo;s game. There&rsquo;s always another year.&rdquo;At the time he was snubbed by Muckier, Belfour had a 25-11-2 record and 2.44 goals-against average to lead the league in both departments.&ldquo;Hopefully next year I&rsquo;ll have the same kind of year, we&rsquo;ll have the Cup here in Chicago, and I&rsquo;ll make the team,&rdquo; Belfour said. &ldquo;Ranford won the Cup and deserves to be there.&rdquo;Head coach Mike Keenan&rsquo;s reaction was pretty much the same as Belfour&rsquo;s.&ldquo;Eddie deserved it, but probably if I was Muckier I&rsquo;d pick Ranford because he won them a Stanley Cup,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s his privilege of coaching the all-star team. I&rsquo;ve been in that position.&rdquo;Belfour planned to spend the all-star weekend entertaining his parents, who had arranged to visit from Carman, Man.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01932/5909783-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="703" height="1404"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ed Belfour has been the best goalie this season, but isn&rsquo;t an all-star.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I think Mom and Dad were expecting to come down here to see me play, but that&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; Belfour said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to take them to the game, but I don&rsquo;t know if I can get any tickets.&rdquo;While Hawks&rsquo; owner Bill Wirtz had no qualms with Muckier leaving Belfour off the Campbell team either, he did say the NHL must find a better way of selecting its all-star alternates.Hawk management was particularly upset that Denis Savard wouldn&rsquo;t be coming back to Chicago to participate in the skills competition and All-Star Game.&ldquo;I think the process has to be reviewed, definitely,&rdquo; said Wirtz, who made no direct mention of Boston coach Mike Milbury&rsquo;s controversial selections. &ldquo;I think in the All-Star Game, people want to see the dynamic players in the league.&ldquo;Even though the coach may be right in selecting who he wants, I think people want to see (Quebec Nordique) Guy Lafleur and Denis Savard. It&rsquo;s important to have people like that at the game so the fans can enjoy them.&ldquo;The All-Star Game is a showcase for us. We close down the league for a few days, important sponsors come in and we want to show them the best we have. It would be stupid for us not to.&rdquo;One dynamic player who was to be on hand for the all-star festivities was Hawks&rsquo; center Jeremy Roenick, who had a difficult time explaining how he felt about it.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in shock,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big honor, but I couldn&rsquo;t have done it without (linemates) Steve Larmer and Michel Goulet. They&rsquo;ve played such a large part in my season and I owe it to them.&rdquo;Roenick celebrated the all-star selection by getting nine points in his next three games. He was named the game&rsquo;s No. 1 star in wins over Toronto (7-2 Jan. 10), Winnipeg (3-1 Jan. 11) and Minnesota (5-3 Jan. 13).&rdquo;&ldquo;Just a coincidence,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;Obviously, I&rsquo;m pumped up to make the all-star team, but everyone is playing well.&rdquo;<h2>CHICAGO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 8: Frantisek Kucera, D, recalled from Indianapolis (IHL). Jan. 10: Dirk Graham, RW, signed three-year contract. Jan. 13: Kucera assigned to Indianapolis.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Jeremy Roenick, Troy Murray, Adam Creighton, Mike Hudson.LW&mdash;Michel Goulet, Greg Gilbert, Steve Thomas. Mike Peluso.RW&mdash;Steve Larmer, Dirk Graham, Wayne Presley. Jocelyn Lemieux, Stu Grimson.LD&mdash;Doug Wilson, Trent Yawney, Steve Konroyd.RD&mdash;Bob McGill, Chris Chelios, Dave Manson.G&mdash;Ed Belfour, Jacques Cloutier, Greg Millen.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Keith Brown, D, dislocated left shoulder, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Larmer, 29. A&mdash;Larmer, 38. P&mdash;Larmer, 67. PIM&mdash;Peluso, 153. &#9632;

f0020-01

BELFOUR NOT UPSET OVER ALL-STAR SNUB

<div class="byline">BY DAVE LUECKING</div>When the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee snapped in the third game of the Norris finals against the Chicago Blackhawks last season, Rick Meagher&rsquo;s career was in jeopardy.The St. Louis Blues&rsquo; veteran center underwent major reconstructive surgery May 1, and faced a long recovery and even longer odds. With Meagher turning 37 Nov. 2, there were serious doubts he could overcome the injury and Father Time, but he overcame both.It took him eight months, but Meagher completed his long road to recovery Jan. 8, making his season debut in the Blues&rsquo; 42nd game, a 5-3 victory over New Jersey at the Meadowlands.Then, three nights later, Meagher scored two goals in the Blues&rsquo; 4-4 tie at Quebec, giving the Blues the rare distinction of having two players on a goal-per-game pace so late in the season.Brett Hull, of course, was the other with 45 goals in 45 games. Teammates gave Meagher a hard time about temporarily joining Hull in the goal-per-game club.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re on me all the time anyway,&rdquo; he said, with a laugh.During his long rehabilitation, the laughter was therapeutic, keeping his mind off the injury. His teammates did their best to ease the tension and were at their best before his season debut at New Jersey, making his return that much easier.&ldquo;I had enough teasing from everybody to keep my mind off it,&rdquo; he said.The teasing went like this.From Harold Snepsts at the morning skate: &ldquo;Hey, Mick, if you think you&rsquo;re nervous, wait until New Jersey sees you out there for warmups. No, wait, they&rsquo;ll get nervous as soon as they see your name in the lineup. They&rsquo;ll go, &lsquo;Uh, oh, Mick&rsquo;s back.&rsquo;&rdquo;From Vincent Riendeau: &ldquo;These guys didn&rsquo;t want you eight years ago. They said you were too old eight years ago.&rdquo; (The Devils traded Meagher to St. Louis in August of 1985 for Perry Anderson.)And from teammates in general: &ldquo;I got out my jersey and about eight guys sneezed,&rdquo; Meagher said.Why?&ldquo;The dust and the cobwebs,&rdquo; he said.Once the dust settled, Meagher had played a workmanlike game, making it through 16 shifts at left wing and killing penalties. He was surprised to play so much.&ldquo;I had 16 shifts?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;Geez, I thought (Blues&rsquo; coach Brian Sutter) was supposed to ease me into the lineup. The first shift was tough, hard Not because I was nervous or anything, but just getting my legs going. Hell, I haven&rsquo;t played in eight months.&rdquo;Teammate Ron Wilson couldn&rsquo;t tell the difference, saying Meagher didn&rsquo;t look out of place.The Nordiques seconded that motion a few nights later. Meagher started the game on left wing with Hull and Adam Oates and tipped in a shot by Scott Stevens 50 seconds later.&ldquo;I lost my mind there a little playing with Hull and Oates,&rdquo; Meagher said, with a laugh.Later, he took a cross-ice pass from Cliff Ronning and beat a prone Ron Tugnutt, pumping once before shooting and looking every bit the sniper that he isn&rsquo;t. The goals were the 142nd and 143rd of his 12-year career.First, he said he pumped because he had lost control of the puck, but when told it looked like he knew what he was doing, Meagher jokingly said, &ldquo;Yeah, I did, as a matter of fact.&rdquo;Seriously, though, Sutter was ecstatic that Meagher has made it all the way back from an injury many expected him not to overcome.<h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Ron Wilson, Adam Oates, Bob Bassen, Cliff Ronning, Rick Meagher.LW&mdash;Gino Cavallini, Geoff Courtnall, Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour. Sergio Momesso.RW&mdash;Brett Hull. Dave Lowry, Rich Sutter, Paul MacLean.LD&mdash;Scott Stevens, Glen Featherstone, Robert Dirk.RD&mdash;Jeff Brown. Mario Marois. Tom Tilley.G&mdash;Vincent Riendeau, Curtis Joseph.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Paul Cavallini, D, left index finger surgery, day-to-day. Herb Raglan, RW, left knee sprain, indefinite. Harold Snepsts, D, dislocated finger on left hand, day-to-day.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Hull. 45 A&mdash;Oates, 30. P&mdash;Hull. 62. PIM&mdash;Featherstone 109. &#9632;

MEAGHER BEATS THE ODDS TO PLAY AGAIN

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01819/5909845-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="456" height="614"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE MOLINARI</figcaption></div>You just can&rsquo;t reason with some people. They latch onto a couple of factoids, skew them to fit a preconceived notion and then refuse to re-think their position.Take the folks who protested when Boston coach Mike Milbury named Chris Nilan&mdash;who, in an incredible coincidence, also is on the Bruins&rsquo; payroll&mdash;to the Wales Conference AllStar team.Right away, they dug up some meaningless statistics, like how Nilan has averaged about 26 penalty minutes for every goal he&rsquo;s gotten in the NHL, and decided he wasn&rsquo;t a prototype allstar; that Nilan didn&rsquo;t belong in the event that is supposed to be a showcase for the game&rsquo;s most skilled performers.Can you believe it?Mind you, many of the complainers are the same bleeding-hearts who actually believe players should wear helmets, and feel there&rsquo;s something inappropriate about going at a fallen opponent&rsquo;s neck with your skate blades.Fortunately, Milbury wasn&rsquo;t about to be bothered by the bleatings of these outsiders. After all, how many of them have taken a team to the Stanley Cup finals in their first year of coaching?He didn&rsquo;t get bogged down in that tired, old school of thought that the best and most exciting players are the ones who should be in the AllStar Game. He wanted to put together a team. A real team. A team that could, for example, storm into the Hartford Civic Center and put those second-class Whalers back in their place. Which, presumably, is in second class.Milbury wanted a team that could handle any eventuality. You know how out-of-hand those All-Star Games can get, and Milbury didn&rsquo;t want to be caught unprepared.Like, what happens when some thug like that Gretzky guy who plays out on the Left Coast starts intimidating Wales players with cheap shots and late hits? You know what a mindless brute he can be, especially in these fierce-and-warlike all-star affairs.So let&rsquo;s say Gretzky attacks some helpless Wales Conference opponent, maybe Cam Neely, from behind. Drops him with a couple of wicked cross checks to the back of the neck. Neely, an avowed pacifist, cowers while Gretzky prepares to pummel him into a bloody mess.Enter Nilan who, when he&rsquo;s not too busy scoring goals, can be a pretty fair physical presence himself. Why, you can bet that even Gretzky, King of the Goons, will have second thoughts about beating up on the poor Wales players now that he&rsquo;ll have to answer to Nilan.And you can rest assured Nilan will see to it that guys like Steve Larmer keep a pretty low physical profile in Chicago Stadium that afternoon, too. Larmer is a wild man bent on maiming every opponent in sight during most games&mdash;why, the beast had 54 penalty minutes just two seasons ago&mdash;but you can be sure he won&rsquo;t be goring anybody with his stick or starting any bench-clearing brawls Jan. 19.Will it be just a coincidence that those Campbell goons will stay under control when Nilan is on the other team? I think not.Besides, having Nilan on hand might add a dimension or two to the proceedings. Maybe we&rsquo;ll even be treated to a stick fight between Nilan and, say, Chris Chelios. That&rsquo;s an enchanting part of hockey that you just don&rsquo;t see enough of in All-Star Games.But what a lot of people are overlooking is that Milbury simply exercised his prerogative by putting Nilan on the Wales team. He could have filled out the roster with members of his immediate family if he were so inclined.Sure, there were some yelps of protest&mdash;quite understandably&mdash;when guys like Kirk Muller and James Patrick were left off the team while Nilan and Garry Galley made it, but there&rsquo;s an easy way to prevent a recurrence: Let their team make it to the Stanley Cup finals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02569/5909838-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="703" height="687"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Nilan will offset the goon tactics of Chicago&rsquo;s Steve Larmer.</figcaption></div>And some people were upset that Guy Lafleur was overlooked. They figured a Hall of Famer doing his last tour of duty deserved a spot in the game.Fran Rosa of the Boston Globe, among others, has proposed that players such as Lafleur be accommodated with a place on the team that does not count against the 20 available spots. But that never would work. It&rsquo;s far too logical.Still, perhaps it is time to come out with a more equitable way to complete all-star rosters after fans have chosen the starters. Some method that will assure a larger number of deserving players make it than are doing so now.Pulling names out of a hat, perhaps. Or maybe consulting a Ouija board. Or at least a dartboard.Dave Molinari covers the Penguins for the Pittsburgh Press. &#9632;

f0022-01

DART BOARD WOULD BE A FAIRER METHOD

<h2>ISLANDERS</h2>Goalie Mark Fitzpatrick, markedly improved after battling eosinophilia myalgia syndrome&mdash;a potentially fatal illness&mdash;for more than three months, was given clearance to begin light practising with the team Jan. 10. He said his wrists and legs felt tight, but added that just putting on the equipment and facing shots for the first time represented the high point on his road to recovery. Doctors said there was no guarantee the illness, which caused severe swelling in his feet, hands and forearms, will not flare up again. &ldquo;I realize this is not totally beaten, by any means, but I do have one foot in the door,&rdquo; the 22-year-old said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve turned the corner. I&rsquo;m not going to die from it.&rdquo;<h2>FLYERS</h2>Defenseman Mark Howe was expected to make a decision Jan. 14 regarding surgery for his ailing back. Howe, 35, has been sidelined since Oct. 25 with disc problems. After consulting with several different doctors and undergoing extensive tests, Howe was told his problem might be corrected with a surgical procedure less debilitating than orginally thought. &ldquo;He has an unusual type of herniated disc,&rdquo; said team physician Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi. &ldquo;The proposed procedure is not a major decompression or exposure of the spine. What we&rsquo;re intending to do through a very small incision is remove a disc fragment.&rdquo; Bartolozzi said such a procedure requires only four to six weeks rehabilitation time.<h2>DEVILS</h2>In a telephone conversation with Bruins&rsquo; coach Mike Milbury, John Cunniff recommended John MacLean, Bruce Driver and Kirk Muller for the Wales Conference all-star squad. Only MacLean was chosen, the second selection of his career. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s unfortunate Kirk wasn&rsquo;t selected. He was the 12th leading scorer in the league and he was first among left wingers,&rdquo; Cunniff com-plained.<h2>PENGUINS</h2>Paul Coffey, who is closing in on NHL scoring records for defensemen, tied a Pittsburgh club mark with a goal and an assist in Pittsburgh&rsquo;s 5-1 victory against Calgary Jan. 10. The points gave him 343 as a Penguin and tied him with Ron Stackhouse as the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history&hellip;Dynamo Moscow rallied in the third period to beat the Penguins 4-3 before a crowd of 15,275 at the Civic Arena Jan. 12. The large crowd does not necessarily reflect great interest in the game because the Penguins included it in season-ticket packages.<h2>CAPITALS</h2>Veteran defenseman and captain Rod Langway developed back spasms two hours before the Capitals&rsquo; Jan. 11 game against Calgary&mdash;a 4-2 win. Langway could not play that night, and with no time to call up a replacement, the Capitals played with five defensemen. A team physician said Langway would need a week of rest. The team is hoping he will be able to play Jan. 22 in Detroit, the first game after the all-star break.<h2>RANGERS</h2>Steady defenseman Mark Hardy, completing his option year, admitted the lack of a contract for next season was beginning to wear on him. &ldquo;It really doesn&rsquo;t bother me, other than it&rsquo;s all I think about when I&rsquo;m not playing,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;It (playing out the option season) is the toughest thing I&rsquo;ve ever done. &ldquo;&hellip; Right winger Ray Sheppard, who signed a termination contract upon joining the Rangers last summer, said he will not negotiate until after the season to avoid distractions. &#9632;

FITZPATRICK GIVEN GO-AHEAD TO PRACTISE

Jeff Roberts is a Craig Ludwig clone.The 4-foot-8, 63-pound defenseman from Ancaster, Ont., is a rock-solid defenseman who comes through in the clutch.A versatile athlete&mdash;he has played both wing positions&mdash;Jeff has spent the last two seasons playing for the Ancaster Royals rep team in the Ontario Tri-County League.Prior to playing for the reps, Jeff led his Ancaster tyke house league team to the league championship two years in a row.Jeff has played minor hockey since he was five. His coach this season is George Parker.Jeff&rsquo;s defensive skills run in the family. His grandfather, Don Roberts, was a talented backliner who played in Midland, Ont., in the 1920s and 30s.His favorite hockey team is the Montreal Canadiens and his favorite players are Stephane Richer and Patrick Roy.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01734/5909900-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="542" height="1069"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jeff Roberts</figcaption></div>You or someone you know can be part of the JOFA-TITAN Minor Hockey Showcase. Just send a photograph (non-returnable), along with biographical information (age. height, weight, team, coach&rsquo;s name, school and grade, as well as favorite NHL team and player) to JOFA-TITAN SHOWCASE, c/o The Hockey News. 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100. Don Mills, Ont. All entries submitted will be eligible for selection as THN/JOFA-TITAN Minor Hockey Player of the Year. &#9632;

f0023-01

PLAYER OF WEEK

<div class="byline">BY FRANK BROWN</div>His were the only clothes still hanging in the walk-in closet at the rear of the New York Ranger players&rsquo; lounge. For his outfit, Brian Leetch was wearing one blue towel around his waist and another around his shoulders; there still were questions to answer after the Hartford Whalers had been conquered 4-3 Jan. 13.Though all his teammates had dressed and gone, the third-year defenseman answered every last request. And when yet another media member stuck his head in the door, Leetch simply pulled up a blue-padded chair and sat on its left arm. It was time for a mid-season report by the Wales Conference all-star defenseman, who that night had scored his 10th and 11th goals to match last season&rsquo;s total.With 44 assists in 48 games, Leetch was within four of matching his career-best for a season. With 53 points, he was within 18 of the figure that won him Calder Trophy honors in 1987-88. He was barely a week from his second consecutive all-star appearance. Yet with his usual candor, the defenseman readily ran off the list of things he still feels he must improve.&ldquo;Just mentally getting ready for every game is the hardest part, is going to be always, and remembering the things you do well,&rdquo; the 22-year-old said. &ldquo;In games I don&rsquo;t feel I have the legs to jump into the play, I can&rsquo;t just go through the motions. I have to work hard in my end and try to always help the team.&ldquo;The defensive part of the game is always going to be something I&rsquo;ll have to work on continually, but the mental side has a lot to do with it.&rdquo;The mental side received a boost from his selection to join center Darren Turcotte and represent the Rangers in the All-Star Game.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great to get the recognition and to be considered in that group,&rdquo; Leetch said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s anyone who doesn&rsquo;t like getting a pat on the back&mdash;or being told you&rsquo;re doing a good job and here&rsquo;s the reward.&rdquo;Uh, yeah. There were a few good things to which Leetch could admit.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice that the team&rsquo;s winning. It takes a big load off your back,&rdquo; said the Rangers&rsquo; No. 1 pick, ninth overall, in the 1986 draft. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t feel the pressure individually, as you do when the team&rsquo;s not going well.&ldquo;But it&rsquo;s tough to get real excited, because things are going well, but I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m doing things that much different.&rdquo;Most of the things Leetch has tried have worked. Granted, he could be doing better than plus-three on a team that was plus-16 as of Jan. 14 (124 even-strength goals scored, 108 surrendered). But given that he is barely 10 months removed from a fractured left ankle that can only get stronger, there weren&rsquo;t many somber details in the halfway report on the key defenseman of a first-place Rangers&rsquo; team.<h2>N.Y. RANGERS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 8: Tie Domi, RW, assigned to Binghamton (AHL). Jan. 12: Rick Bennett, LW, recalled from Binghamton.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Bernie Nicholls, Kelly Kisio, Darren Turcotte, Kevin Miller, Mark Janssens.LW&mdash;John Ogrodnick, Lindy Ruff, Rick Bennett.RW&mdash;Mike Gartner, Brian Mullen, Ray Sheppard. Paul Broten, Jody Hull.LD&mdash;Brian Leetch. Mark Hardy, Normand Rochefort, Miloslav Horava.RD&mdash;James Patrick, David Shaw, Randy Moller.G&mdash;John Vanbiesbrouck, Mike Richter.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Jan Erixon, LW, sprained right knee, day-to-day Bob Froese, G, right shoulder surgery, out for season. Kris King, LW, sprained left knee, day-to-day. Troy Mallette, LW, bruised right shoulder, day-to-day.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Gartner. 24. A&mdash;Leetch, 44. P&mdash;Leetch, 54. PIM&mdash;Mallette, 120. &#9632;

CONSISTENCY IS LEETCH’S GOAL IN ALL-STAR SEASON

<div class="byline">BY DAVE MOLINARI</div>The Edmonton Oilers have won five of the past seven Stanley Cups, but they couldn&rsquo;t do it. Neither could the Calgary Flames, who own one Cup and are in hot pursuit of a second.Both teams couldn&rsquo;t stop the roll Pittsburgh is on. They tried, and got steamrolled for their trouble.But the NHL schedule maker found a way. Oh, nobody came up with a sure-fire way to beat the Penguins, but the league discovered a method guaranteed to slow the swelling in the win column: Don&rsquo;t let them play very often.Mind you, we&rsquo;re talking about a coincidence, not a conspiracy. Few people could have imagined that Pittsburgh would be on this kind of a roll&mdash;12 wins in 16 games&mdash;as the all-star break approached.But after playing 22 games in 41 days, the Penguins hit a stretch that included only two league games between their 5-1 win against the Flames Jan. 10 and a visit from the New Jersey Devils Jan. 22. The main culprits: An exhibition game against Dynamo Moscow Jan. 12 and the all-star break.But even though the Penguins&rsquo; streak allowed them to re-establish visual contact with the first-place New York Rangers in the Patrick Division, they weren&rsquo;t complaining about having so much time off in the middle of the month.They had accumulated a lot of bumps and bruises in the previous six weeks and also figured the extra practice time would speed the return of some players, such as Mario Lemieux and Randy Hillier, who have had long-term injuries.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01704/5909955-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="699" height="762"><figcaption class="caption-body">Goalie Tom Barrasso was named player of the month for December.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I think the time off is going to be good for us,&rdquo; goalie Tom Barrasso said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it will hurt us in any way. When you&rsquo;re gaining confidence, you don&rsquo;t lose that overnight.&rdquo;No one was on more of a hot streak than Barrasso, who won 10 of 11 starts and was named NHL player of the month for December. He was challenging shooters and looked like a guy who could glove a speck of dirt during a windstorm.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s in that rhythm right now that he&rsquo;s playing with a lot of confidence,&rdquo; Pittsburgh coach Bob Johnson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s standing up. He&rsquo;s facing the puck. He sees the puck when he&rsquo;s in that rhythm, and the ones he doesn&rsquo;t see hit him.&rdquo;Barrasso stopped so many shots&mdash;and maybe had enough others hit him&mdash;that he could have been penciled in as the No. 1 star before most games even began.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just unbelievable,&rdquo; said Pittsburgh center Jiri Hrdina, who was traded to the Penguins Dec. 13. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen a guy play like this in a long time.&rdquo;The connection between Barrasso&rsquo;s plunging goals-against average and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s rising point total is clear. The Penguins have been the NHL&rsquo;s highest-scoring team&mdash;with 200 goals through 47 games&mdash;even without Lemieux. Preventing goals has been the problem&mdash;and the key to their success of recent weeks.&ldquo;The most important guy on the team is the goalie,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;When the goalie&rsquo;s playing well, you&rsquo;re in the game. If we&rsquo;re going to go anywhere, this is the way Tom Barrasso has to play.&rdquo;But the Penguins won&rsquo;t be going anywhere&mdash;at least, not higher than second place&mdash;for a while. Even victories in their two road games, at Philadelphia Jan. 15 and Toronto Jan. 17, the week of the All-Star Game wouldn&rsquo;t be enough to let them catch New York, no matter what the Rangers did during that time.But it&rsquo;s too early to concentrate on the standings, particularly when fourth place is even closer than first. At least for the moment, the Penguins are more concerned with sustaining the quality of the play despite the dearth of games.&ldquo;Hopefully, we can stay focused and just keep playing the way we have been,&rdquo; left winger Troy Loney said.&ldquo;At least we&rsquo;re not coming off a losing streak or something, where we&rsquo;d be thinking about it, and going crazy,&rdquo; newly-acquired right winger Scott Young said. &ldquo;At least we&rsquo;re on a winning streak, where we can think some positive things about the way we&rsquo;ve been playing.&rdquo;In truth, there&rsquo;s no point dwelling on quirks of the schedule because that is a variable over which teams have no control, at least not after the schedule is finalized. Pittsburgh&rsquo;s emphasis has to be on the games it will play, not the ones missing from the schedule during this slow stretch.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s only one way to look at it,&rdquo; defenseman Paul Coffey said. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t worry about getting into a groove or getting out of a groove, because we&rsquo;ve got no choice.&rdquo;<h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;John Cullen, Randy Gilhen, Jiri Hrdina, Barry Pederson.LW&mdash;Phil Bourque, Kevin Stevens, Bob Errey, Troy Loney.RW&mdash;Mark Recchi, Joe Mullen, Jaromir Jagr, Scott Young, Tony Tanti, Jay Caufield.LD&mdash;Paul Coffey, Zarley Zalapski, Gordie Roberts.RD&mdash;Peter Taglianetti, Paul Stanton, Larry Murphy, Gord Dineen.G&mdash;Tom Barrasso, Frank Pietrangelo, Wendell Young.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Gilbert Delorme, D, leg stress fracture, indefinite Randy Hillier, D. broken foot, day-to-day. Mario Lemieux, C, back infection, day-to-day. Bryan Trottier, C, pulled groin, day-to-day.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Recchi, Stevens. 23. A&mdash;Cullen, 54. P&mdash;Cullen. 72. PIM&mdash;Coffey. 87. &#9632;

f0025-01

LULL IN SCHEDULE THREATENS MOMENTUM

<div class="byline">BY RICH CHERE</div>With his jaw wired shut, his swollen right eye unable to open and his fractured right cheekbone still sore from 90 minutes of corrective surgery, Brendan Shanahan issued a promise.The 22-year-old left winger vowed that when he returned to the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; lineup after four to six weeks, he would not be gun-shy standing in front of the net despite an injury which could have ended his promising NHL career.&ldquo;I broke my jaw, my cheekbone was pushed in and my teeth were displaced. They had to go inside my mouth and push everything back out and wire it in place,&rdquo; Shanahan said. &ldquo;But I know this is just part of the game. When I get back I&rsquo;ll be standing right in front of the net on the power play again.&rdquo;Shanahan was struck in the face by a Tommy Albelin slapshot in a Jan. 8 game against St. Louis. The shot deflected off the stick of Blues&rsquo; defenseman Harold Snepsts. Shanahan suffered a fractured cheekbone but sustained no damage to the orbital bone and, therefore, no vision problems.The injury occurred 47 seconds into the 5-3 loss to the Blues. It happened only 35 seconds after defenseman Bruce Driver suffered a broken rib in a collision with teammate Dave Maley and Blues&rsquo; center Bob Bassen. Driver&rsquo;s injury was costly to the Devils, but Shanahan&rsquo;s accident could have been devastating.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t see the puck coming. I just remember getting hit. I knew the &lsquo;shot was taken and when I got hit, it felt like my face had caved in,&rdquo; Shanahan said. &ldquo;I immediately thought to myself: &lsquo;Oh, my God, I just got hit with a puck!&rsquo; It didn&rsquo;t feel like my face. I&rsquo;ve never been hit quite like that or felt that kind of impact before.&rdquo;&ldquo;You always wonder if there is something you could&rsquo;ve done differently,&rdquo; said Albelin, who fired a slapshot from the left point while Shanahan was tied up near the crease. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t aiming at him.&rdquo;Shanahan fell to the ice, flipped off his gloves and then rose quickly after realizing he was badly injured. He staggered several times and was spitting blood while on his way off the ice.The following day Shanahan underwent a closed reduction of the sinuses in which his maxillary sinus bone was repaired from within his mouth without opening the skin on his cheek. Hackensack (N.J.) Medical Center director of oral surgery Dr. Dennis Christensen performed the successful operation.The Devils, who staggered through an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3), missed their fourth-leading scorer. Shanahan had 17-18-35 totals in 45 games. They also missed Driver, who had been the team&rsquo;s best defenseman.&ldquo;Right now I&rsquo;m hurting,&rdquo; Driver said. &ldquo;It hurts in two spots, where I got hit with the stick and more on the side. The prescription is rest until I&rsquo;m able to do anything.&rdquo;Just 12 seconds after the opening face-off, Driver was ready to start out of his own end when he made a pass and then collided with Bassen and Maley.&ldquo;I knew Bassen was going to hit me and I was bracing myself for the hit,&rdquo; Driver explained. &ldquo;When Bassen hit me, Maley was picking up someone from the side. I think Dave put up his stick because he thought I was going to land on him.&rdquo;In Shanahan&rsquo;s case, the Devils are counting their blessings. But will they become a little gunshy?&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried about the guys going to the net,&rdquo; said coach John Cunniff. &ldquo;That wears off in a while. If you want to score goals, that&rsquo;s where they are at. I don&rsquo;t think our goal-scorers will stop because of what happened to Brendan.&rdquo;<h2>NEW JERSEY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Jan. 11: Myles O&rsquo;Connor, D, Jeff Madill, RW, and Zdeno Ciger, LW, recalled from Utica (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Peter Stastny, Dave Maley, Jon Morris. Laurie Boschman.LW&mdash;Kirk Muller, Patrik Sundstrom, Zdeno Ciger, Pat Conacher, Al StewartRW&mdash;John MacLean, Claude Lemieux, Jeff Madill, Doug Brown, Troy Crowder.LD&mdash;Ken Daneyko, Viacheslav Fetisov, Lee Norwood, Tommy Albelin.RD&mdash;Alexei Kasatonov, Eric Weinrich, Myles O&rsquo;Connor.G&mdash;Chris Terreri, Sean Burke.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Bruce Driver, D. broken rib, indefinite. Walt Poddubny, LW, right knee surgery, out for season. Brendan Shanahan, LW, fractured right cheekbone, indefinite.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;MacLean, 28. A&mdash;Muller, 36. P&mdash;Muller, 49. PIM&mdash;Stewart, 137. &#9632;

INJURIES STRIKE DOWN SHANAHAN, DRIVER

Before enrolling their children in a hockey school, it&rsquo;s adviseable that parents do a little bit of studying and research on their own.Choosing the school that fits your budget while best suiting your child&rsquo;s needs can be an enormous task. But armed with the proper information and education, parents can make a more educated decision.Welcome to the Summer &rsquo;91 Hockey School/Equipment Guide. Class is now in session. Tests results will be known this summer when you send your child to hockey camp.&ldquo;This is an overall, complete source of what hockey schools are available both in North America and overseas,&rdquo; says Randy Green, advertising manager at The Hockey News. &ldquo;With the stories in this issue and all of the schools listed, this is a great reference tool for parents. Using this as a guide, they can call up a particular school, get a brochure and talk to the directors of the school to find out about the level of hockey offered at the school and other activities.&ldquo;Do they want specific training in an atmosphere that is highly hockey intensive or do they want a camp atmosphere with a concentration on hockey?&rdquo; says Green. &ldquo;Those kinds of questions are answered easily.&rdquo;The guide has been divided into six geographical areas. Camps in Ontario, western Canada, Quebec and the Maritimes, eastern U.S., western U.S., and overseas are all listed. The camps are listed alphabetically by region.Green says this guide can help families get an early start on planning their summer holidays. By using the guide, hockey schools can be planned around the annual family vacation.Not only does the supplement provide parents and players with information to help them choose a hockey school, it also gives them information on the newest and most advanced hockey equipment available on the market. In most cases, the equipment advertised and written about in the supplement hasn&rsquo;t even hit the marketplace yet.Stories on the happenings at the Canadian Sporting Goods Association&rsquo;s Annual Convention and Exhibition in Montreal&mdash;used by manufacturers to preview new lines of equipment&mdash;appear in the supplement. This year&rsquo;s show, the 74th annual, is being held at Place Bonaventure and the Palais de Congres in downtown Montreal from Feb. 17 to 20. It is the largest sporting goods show in Canada and the biggest hockey show in the world, with 80 hockey manufacturers on hand.&ldquo;At this show, the equipment manufacturers are displaying their new, improved products to the general public through the suppliers and retailers,&rdquo; says Green. &ldquo;That gives the dealers a chance to buy in preparation for next season.&rdquo;Green says the tie-in between hockey schools and equipment is a natural one. &ldquo;It gives our readers a sneak preview of what&rsquo;s coming out,&rdquo; says Green. &ldquo;That can really help the parents who are buying equipment for their sons and daughters for the next season. If they have to buy equipment for the season, they might as well buy it before the camp. That way the child can work in the equipment at the camp and get adjusted to it, rather than at the beginning of the hockey season.&rdquo;While no other body undertakes a hockey school and equipment guide like this one, Green cautions that it is not a complete listing and should not be treated as such. He also says the guide should serve as a reference tool to parents and players, but not the only reference tool. Follow-up calls to the school and research on a variety of schools must also be done to guarantee success.&ldquo;It is a very helpful guide but by no means is it a complete reference for all of the schools that are out there,&rdquo; says Green. &ldquo;The schools are listed and advertised but they pay for the privilege to do that. There are others out there that have chosen not to take part in it.&rdquo; &#9632;

YOUR GUIDE TO HOCKEY SCHOOLS AND CAMPS

Only one skate has remained at the forefront of the game and continues to prevail as hockey&rsquo;s number one performer: BauerAnd it&rsquo;s the only skate that has an NHL following three times that of its closest competitor.The reasons are simple: Bauer skates are&mdash;and always will be&mdash;crafted with meticulous dedication to superior quality and high performance.Why? Because today&rsquo;s game demands it.And now Bauer takes the legacy of the Supreme line into 1991 with the introduction of the new Bauer Supreme Custom 3000.This skate incorporates several new features and designs along with the proven attributes that have made Bauer the number one skate in the world.For starters, the new Bauer Supreme Custom 3000 utilizes a new superior Flofit&reg; ankle support system.This design actually combines a moulded anatomical ankle component along with superior Flolite ankle pads.<blockquote class="pullQuote">BAUER IS THE NO. 1 SKATE IN THE WORLD</blockquote>The end result is a system that conforms exactly to a players&rsquo; individual ankle contours.The ankle support also provides the ultimate in lateral support and comfort.Bauer has also introduced a new moulded heelpiece component which gives the skates increased foot flexibility.This top end model utilizes many of the features that have helped Bauer.achieve their market lead.A patented three-dimensional Superfeet III&reg; footbed, is anatomically designed to properly distribute body weight along the axis of the blade.To further Bauer&rsquo;s mandate of quality, a revolutionary three part tongue was developed called Formfit&reg; Plus.The tongue is anatomically designed to fit the left and right foot individually.It also reduces lace bite, increases protection against impact, allows for full freedom of movement and remains on the foot for improved circulation and comfort.The Bauer Supreme 3000 is available with the V2 Stainless Blade&mdash;40 per cent thinner than conventional blades&mdash;for increased speed and agility.Models are also available with the Tuuk Plus Stainless Steel and ICM Supersteel blades.Bauer also introduces the Bauer Supreme Custom 3000 sports with distinct two-colour graphics. The graphics identify this skate as the premiere model.But regardless of the high-quality attributes that have made Bauer famous, Canstar&rsquo;s research team is constantly developing new improvements and features to not only meet the game&rsquo;s everincreasing demands, but to exceed them.And that&rsquo;s why Bauer hockey skates will always be respected as a skate of supreme distinction and outstanding quality. &#9632;

BAUER LEADS THE WAY IN SKATE TECHNOLOGY

The setting is new but the proud Huron Hockey School tradition and commitment to excellence remain the same with relocation of the main, resident summer camp to Cornwall, Ontario.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re extremely excited about ushering in this new era to begin our third decade,&rdquo; says director of administration Paul O&rsquo;Dacre, &ldquo;The Cornwall location offers geographical advantages and an outstanding facility while we maintain the excellent staff that Huron is famous for.&rdquo;Excitement is mutual within the management ranks of the city of Cornwall. &ldquo;This is certain to enhance Cornwall&rsquo;s hockey reputation,&rdquo; says Paul Fitzpatrick, the director of economic development. &ldquo;The success of the Royals with their three Memorial Cup titles and the number of people from that organization that have made their way to the NHL has identified Cornwall as a good hockey town. The fact that Huron is bringing its outstanding reputation to our area is a positive statement for Cornwall.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01731/5910065-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="696" height="625"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gen Hamada</figcaption></div>The city of Cornwall is strategically located on the Canada-U.S. border along the St. Lawrence River and is just a one hour drive from both Ottawa and Montreal. The Cornwall location will be able to accommodate players worldwide&mdash;but especially from Ontario, Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes, New York, Vermont, Maine, New Hampsire, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania&mdash;who want to experience the more intense atmosphere and additional ice time offered by the day/resi-dent program.It&rsquo;s offered at five different levels; Beginner, Minor Developmental, Elite, High School&mdash;Jr./College and Pro along with separate instruction for goaltenders. Another day/resident program based in the northern Michigan resort area of Traverse City will be able to handle youngsters from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Northern and Southern Ontario regions.The key to the Cornwall school is the beautiful Civic Complex. It&rsquo;s a 4,000 seat facility that is the crown jewel of Cornwall&rsquo;s waterfront recreational area.&ldquo;I worked in Cornwall when it was one of sixteen satellite schools,&rdquo; says longtime Huron staff member Shawn Walsh, head coach of the University of Maine Black Bears, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always liked the Civic Complex with its large ice surface, spacious dressing rooms and handy meeting rooms. Plus you&rsquo;ve got all that rolling, grassy area beside the rink and along the river. This allows you to be very creative with what you do off the ice to keep things more interesting for the kids.&rdquo;The close proximity to the Montreal (Dorval) and Ottawa airports is another point in Cornwall&rsquo;s favor. It will come in handy for many hockey school students but none more so than the one hundred or so players who come to Canada each summer from Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Japan in quest of hockey knowledge with an assist from Huron Hockey School.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02506/5910058-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1477" height="645"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Left to right): Ted Sator, Jack Rosaasen, Ron Mason, Shawn Walsh</figcaption></div>Gen Hamada is a Canadian now residing in Osaka, Japan, who brought a group of 13 players to Huron last summer. &ldquo;Canada is the Mecca of hockey,&rdquo; says Hamada who was a member of McMaster University&rsquo;s Canadian championship team in 1963. &ldquo;So the main reason for bringing these youngsters over is psychological.&ldquo;I want my players to adapt to the Canadian way of thinking, getting up for every practice and every game,&rdquo; continues Hamada, who has overseen minor hockey programs in Japan since 1974. &ldquo;And of course with all the great Huron staff, guys like Ted Sator of the Boston Bruins, Ron Mason of Michigan State, Shawn Walsh of the University of Maine, they get the very best possible instruction.&rdquo;Hamada, who believes about half the kids he brought over could play high school level hockey in Canada, has noticed definite improvement in their confidence and technical levels this season.Michigan State&rsquo;s Mason, whose Spartans are perennial contenders for the NCAA title and is one of the co-founders of Huron Hockey School, is enthused about the move. &ldquo;What we&rsquo;re doing is upgrading our program, upgrading the living accomodations and everything else that&rsquo;s necessary to keep our hockey school the best in the country.&rdquo;Players attending the Cornwall resident program will be housed in Mille Roches Hall, the highrise residence affiliated with St. Lawrence College.While improvements are inevitable, coach Mason vows the core of the Huron curriculum will remain unchanged. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve revolutionized some of the techniques of skating instruction and, over the years, learned a lot of specialty aspects of skating,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;For us to change that would be a real big mistake.&rdquo;Mason maintains there always seems to be one or two &ldquo;natural&rdquo; skaters from every group of thirty kids on the ice. &ldquo;The players that we can help are the ones who tend to struggle a bit on their blades.&rdquo;There are drills to improve balance and instruction designed to modify body posture along with techniques to teach young skaters how to best use their edges and become comfortable with positions that will make them stronger on their skates.Mason also admits the sport of hockey has evolved into a puck control type game. The ability to handle the puck while skating is now essential. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve incorporated that into what we&rsquo;ve learned from our skating development and all those ingredients combined together, have helped Huron be so successful over all these years.&rdquo;Huron Hockey School helped pioneer off-season instruction programs for draft picks and young pros in the days before NHL teams had instituted their own systems.The Montreal Canadiens, just prior to their glorious run of four straight Stanley Cups from 1976-79 sent standouts such as Steve Shutt, Pierre Mondou and Doug Risebrough to Huron for specialized skill development.Shutt enjoyed his most prolific years of 45, 60 and 49 goals after attending Huron. Mondou improved his stamina and skating skills while using a unique move which quickened his change of direction. This move was captured on videotape, broken down technically, and was soon taught to other skaters as part of the Huron curriculum. Risebrough, meantime, was already thinking like a coach.&ldquo;He really wanted to understand what was going on,&rdquo; says Ron Mason of the young player who&rsquo;s now in his first full season as coach of the Calgary Flames. &ldquo;He was a coach back then, too&rdquo;, adds Mason. &ldquo;Because even though Doug was a great player, he strove to understand the things we were trying to do and learned how to teach them himself. I remember Doug as a guy who put a lot into everything he did and it doesn&rsquo;t surprise me at all that he&rsquo;s now coaching in the NHL.&rdquo;Success in the most competitive hockey league in the world has been achieved by a number of past and present Huron instructors. They include Mike Keenan, coach and general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks; Ted Sator, assistant coach of the Boston Bruins; Bill Mahoney, former coach of the Minnesota North Stars; and Jacques Martin, assistant coach of the Quebec Nordiques.&ldquo;When we first started out we were all young and just excited about the sport of hockey,&rdquo; says Mason. &ldquo;We wanted to learn new ideas and new techniques and show them to other coaches and players.&rdquo;That premise of hockey education remains a constant, while the knowledge continues to grow heading for Cornwall and the summer of 1991 when over 1,000 young players will enjoy the many amenities of the Civic Complex.And while the city enjoys the economic spinoffs of Huron&rsquo;s first year in Cornwall, Shawn Walsh believes there will be another important benefit. &ldquo;It will surprise me if you don&rsquo;t see in the next two or three years a marked improvement in players in the Cornwall Minor Hockey Association. And that&rsquo;s because if they&rsquo;re smart and get in-volved with the main Huron camp they&rsquo;ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the best hockey players in North America.&rdquo;There is, of course, a serious nature to all that has to be accomplished, but Huron never loses sight of the fact that hockey school must still be fun for a young student to get the most of it.&ldquo;We make sure we include some fun drills that the kids really enjoy doing,&rdquo; says Walsh. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why we get a lot of players who return to the school. They feel like they&rsquo;ve really learned something but they&rsquo;ve also enjoyed themselves, both on and off the ice.&rdquo;So make that read; Huron Hockey School&rsquo;s proud tradition and commitment to excellence in a fun learning environment remain the same when the new era is ushered in at Cornwall, Ontario, beginning in early July. &#9632;

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HURON EXPANDS… NEW ERA BEGINS

Eastern Ontario Jr. A Camp celebrates its 13th anniversary in 1991.The program is designed for elite players who intend to play at competitive levels.The objective is to teach the various systems of hockey used today in North America and Europe (not covered at conventional hockey schools). We also offer goaltending and power skating instruction.The staff includes:Head director; Mac MacLean, the originator of the camp in 1979, is coach and general manager of the Brockville Jr. A Hockey Club and previously was a scout for the New York Rangers (NHL) and the Kitchener Rangers (OHL).Chief instructor; Jeff Brown has been associated with the camp since the age of 13 when he participated at the Bantam level. He then attended for the next three years as a student. Later, he became an assistant instructor and progressed to become Chief Instructor. Jeff is currently the anchor man on the power play for the St. Louis Blues (NHL). Jeff will be teaching only two or three days per week this year because of the demands of his professional career.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01675/5910096-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="548" height="568"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ray Sheppard is a graduate of the Eastern Ontario Jr. A Camp.</figcaption></div>Instructor; Ken McRae, a first round draft pick (18th overall in 1986) of the Quebec Nordiques, is joining us for the third year and will be with us for two of the six weeks.Power skating; Lisa McGuire will teach power skating&mdash;which has become a very valuable addition to our camp as this is our seventh season since implementing it.Goaltending instructor; Ray Pilon has joined us for his first season as Goalie Instructor. He previously played Major Junior A for the Kitchener Rangers. To assist Ray, we also have the Boni Goalie machine.This no-nonsense program is a week of gruelling activities with a minimum of five hours of ice time per day. Each candidate must also follow an off-ice training program during the summer which is supplied by the camp.Eastern Ontario Jr. A Camp is proud of its graduates who have gone on to be drafted by the OHL such as Jason Firth (Kitchener Rangers), Todd Backman (Oshawa Generals), Scott Feasby (Belleville Bulls) and others. And several players have gone on to the NHL such as Trevor Steinburg (Quebec), Jim Kyte (Calgary), Terry Carkner (Philadelphia), Claude Loiselle (Quebec), Ray Sheppard (New York Rangers) and Bruce Cassidy (Chicago). All agree that this camp was instrumental in their development and preparation for hockey at its highest levels. &#9632;

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THIRTEEN A LUCKY NUMBER FOR JUNIOR CAMP

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HOCKEY SCHOOLS… IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

In 1991, North American Hockey Development Programmes begins its third season in Barrie, Ont., and our second season in Greensburg, Penn.So far, more than 1,000 students have taken part in our various programs and last November we expanded to a satellite clinic held in Morgantown, W. Va., which was a major success.This year in Barrie we will offer a Beginner&rsquo;s Program along with half and full-day fundamental programs.There are also three different goaltender courses available for all ages.These are under the direction of Dave Prior, head goaltender coach and scout for the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL.A new feature for 1991 at the Barrie School is the addition of the National Coaches Certification Program (NCCP) recognized by the OMHA. Both the coach level and intermediate level courses will be available along with a certification program for trainers.Once again, the beautiful Allandale recreation complex will be our home and the complex features an Olympic and a North American sized rink, swimming pool and full weight room.The staff at NAHPD is first class and NHL stars make periodic visits for autograph and photo sessions. It all adds up to a memorable learning experience for every student.Featured at our Greensburg location are:&#9632; Fundamentals in hockey training (six- to 13-year-olds), preparation and conditioning camp (14-year-olds and up), a coaches clinic and both introductory and enriched goaltending courses with Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; Dave Prior.&#9632; Both locations feature a fulltime medical trainer on staff.Whichever NAHDP location you choose, only the finest instruction will be given to the aspiring hockey player.It&rsquo;s sure to be a summer you will not forget! &#9632;

MEMORABLE SUMMERS TO BE HAD AT NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

Be with your son at the rink, don&rsquo;t just drop him off.That&rsquo;s a great motto for parents who have children involved in minor sports and the Prostar Niagara Hockey School has taken it one step further. All in one complete package, you can register your son at this annual camp and stay in beautiful Niagara Falls for a week.Accommodations for six nights for parents and student will be provided at Howard Johnson&rsquo;s by the Falls. The hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool, games room, exercise room and all the other necessities needed for a fun week.Niagara Falls is one of the top tourist centers in North America as the Pro-Star School is one of the top hockey schools available.Current and former NHL stars pass along their secrets on being a top player.Besides the basic camp set-up that teaches players the regular and the finer points of the game, the school offers specialty classes.Goaltenders can join the &ldquo;elite&rdquo; category where they recieve an extra hour of ice time each evening. Frank Pietrangelo of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Bob Froese of the New York Rangers work one-on-one with goalies during this special hour. You can&rsquo;t find two better stars of the game to provide this special professional instruction.And don&rsquo;t despair Dad, you can even hit the ice during the week. There is a special Dad&rsquo;s camp for fathers 30 and over where they have two hours of ice time each evening.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01729/5910182-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="555" height="657"><figcaption class="caption-body">Frank Pietrangelo is an instructor at the Pro-Star School.</figcaption></div>Also offered is an &ldquo;elite&rdquo; bantam and midget conditioning camp for those players looking at a hockey scholarship or at being drafted at the Junior level. This session consists of off-ice flexibility, plyometrics, two hours of exciting drills on ice, one hour of hockey-related weight training, and a one hour scrimmage daily.The list of instructors is an impressive one and the school is sold out each year. However, more and more families are taking advantage of the week-long family package as people have attended from as far away as California.Don&rsquo;t delay in sending in your application or phone the school for further information. For more details on the school, plus address and phone number see the ad on this page. &#9632;

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SCHOOL CATERS TO PARENTS AS WELL AS TO CAMPERS

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When it comes to choosing what type of hockey camp to go to this summer the most important considerations may well be what type of player is involved and what he or she hopes to get out of it.Some hockey schools are geared to the elite player who is on all-star or rep teams while other camps are more appropriate for the house league or recreational player. The aim of both types of camps is on improving hockey skills in an enjoyable way but at one the instruction and on-ice sessions might be more intense whereas at others the emphasis is on having fun while learning.&ldquo;With recreational players you deal strictly with fundamentals,&rdquo; says one director of a camp which offers a day school geared for house league players and a resident program for the more serious player. &ldquo;The curriculum would be pretty close to the resident program other than the intensity. We&rsquo;d probably do some drills without a puck because with a puck the kids have two things to think about. Whereas with the older more elite player, he can do both skating and stickhandling at the same time.&ldquo;In other sessions where the day kids are working on fundamental skills&mdash;passing, shooting, puckhandling&mdash;we&rsquo;ll take that one step further with the resident program into defensive and offensive team concepts,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We may have to touch on the basics but, by and large, they don&rsquo;t need as much time on them. There are two different levels of training.&rdquo;The makeup of the off-ice aspects of the camps differs as well. The camps geared for the more serious players will have office activities built around the on-ice sessions whereas the recreational camps will have more all-around activities.&ldquo;The day students come on ice and get a video session, then maybe a recreation session,&rdquo; the director says, &ldquo;whereas (the rep players) are in the classroom, they&rsquo;re playing soccer or baseball. It&rsquo;s more of a fun type of atmosphere&mdash;not that the other isn&rsquo;t. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re the house league player trying to get better. Resident students will follow up on-ice sessions with scrimmages every night, they may have mental training preparation. But they do have down time where they&rsquo;ll play football or baseball.&rdquo;Naturally, in both types of camps you&rsquo;ll get players of the same age with vastly different backgrounds and skills. The first step is to determine which kids belong in which groups or even in which program.&ldquo;First of all, you are classed according to age,&rdquo; says the director. &ldquo;Second, we&rsquo;ll put them through a series of tests which will quickly indicate to us whether Johnny belongs in group A or group B.&ldquo;At another school, their emphasis might not be on hockey at all. It&rsquo;s just one part of a recreational activity program. But hockey is only a two-hour segment of their, say, 10-hour day. That&rsquo;s totally fun and games.&ldquo;Those schools serve a purpose, too. I mean the elite are so few compared to house league&mdash;the vast majority of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association players are house league players.&rdquo; &#9632;

KIDS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AT CAMP

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HOCKEY SCHOOLS… IN WESTERN CANADA

On June 30, 1991, Okanagan Hockey Schools will begin their 28th year of bringing the best in hockey instruction to aspiring young hockey players.Throughout the previous 27 years of operation, Okanagan Hockey Schools has held true to the commitment of providing quality instruction, both on and off the ice, while maintaining a positive atmosphere of fun and enjoyment while learning.Okanagan Hockey School&rsquo;s Penticton location operates eight seven-day sessions beginning June 30 and concluding Aug. 24. The Memorial Arena location offers full dormitory facilities with 24 hour adult supervision, a modern dining room, which serves three (as-much-as-you-can-eat) meals daily, and a schedule of activities away from the ice surface. These activities include feature movies, short walks to the beach, trips to the Okanagan Game Farm, Okanagan River Channel rafting and the Waterslides as well as a full slate of recreational activities.In addition, sessions for those students not wishing to board are available each week, with numerous camping and motel facilities available within walking distance to the Arena complex and the beautiful Okanagan Lake Beach.Canadian Airlines International is the official airline of Okanagan Hockey Schools. Special airfare rates are available to participants and their parents wishing to travel to Penticton by air.To take care of day students and their parents&rsquo; accommodation needs, Okanagan Reservations Inc. services will arrange and book your hotel, motel or campground reservations at no charge.Shawn Dineen is head instructor in charge of programming at Okanagan Hockey School. Programs feature a specifically structured format for players aged eight to 17 years.The goal of our program is to ensure that all players receive the individualized attention and instruction necessary to reach their maximum potential. To achieve this, we have selected instructors from throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe, so that their unique experience and skills complement each other&mdash;thus providing a diversified program based on each player&rsquo;s individual strengths and weaknesses.We at Okanagan Hockey School believe that leadership ability and positive self-image are highly regarded characteristics in our fast-changing, information-oriented society. We have incorporated the teaching of these positive attributes into our program.The catalyst for achieving maximum skill development, strong leadership ability and positive self-image is fun. Our goal is for each player to enjoy what he is learning. Work hard&mdash;but make it fun.The program at Okanagan Hockey Schools features:&#9632; Two ice sessions daily.&#9632; Elite sessions for 10 years to 17 years.&#9632; Off-ice dryland training.&#9632; Off-ice skills center.&#9632; Aerobic exercise classes.&#9632; Ironman Triathlon competition.&#9632; Written evaluation for players eight to 13 years.&#9632; Notebook evaluation for players 14 to 17 years.&#9632; Lectures and seminars.&#9632; Fitness testing.&#9632; Athletic Awards competition.&#9632; At Okanagan Hockey Schools, the emphasis is on the improvement of the young hockey player through high quality hockey instruction. In conjunction with this fine hockey program, Okanagan Hockey School provides an environment which is conducive to the development of not only athletic ability, but also sportsmanship and attitude. These are schools where hard work and fun are coordinated to bring out the best in each participant.For additional information and a brochure, write Okanagan Hockey Schools, P.O. Box 201, Penticton, B.C., Canada, V2A 6K3 or phone (604) 493-1408; fax (604) 4939222. &#9632;

EMPHASIS ON FUN AT OKANAGAN PLAYER SCHOOL

In the summer of 1991, the Olympic Oval Hockey and Ringette Schools will continue to offer top-flight hockey and ringette instruction to young athletes.The facilities at the University of Calgary are world class and you will train at many of them. These include the Olympic speedskating and oval complex, a new 3,000-seat gymnasium, state-of-the-art weight-training facilities, and big-screen video-analysis rooms.In concert with the University of Calgary hockey program, the hockey school will offer three five-day hockey sessions at the finest hockey training facilities in North America, along with superb instruction from one of Canada&rsquo;s finest university programs.Off-ice teaching includes pre-practice sessions that introduce sport psychology concepts such as mental imagery, visualization and relaxation techniques, an introduction to current weight-training concepts and current sport medicine concepts of injury rehabilitation and prevention.University of Calgary Dinosaurs&rsquo; head coach Willie Desjardins will run the Elite Invitational Camp this year. This is an accelerated progression program designed to bring together top major bantam, major midget, and pee wee players. The camp is strictly limited to above-average players.To apply, simply ask for the special evaluation and application forms. In addition to this we will have a Monday evening invitational league which will teach you more about the finer points of tactics in hockey.Aided by Ringette Calgary, the ringette school will offer three five-day ringette sessions under the supervision of Gerri Zuk.Of special interest this year, will be our elite invitational Ringette Camp. This camp is designed for the A level 11-16-year-old player who is looking for a greater physical and mental challenge.<blockquote class="pullQuote">ELITE RINGETTE CAMP OF SPECIAL INTEREST AT OLYMPIC OVAL</blockquote>The University of Calgary offers fully-supervised residence facilities. For those in residence, there is a full schedule of events, including feature movies, and special facility passes to the athletic facilities on campus at the University of Calgary.Also, based on the teams&rsquo; schedules, you may also receive passes to the Canadian Football League&rsquo;s Calgary Stampeders&rsquo; games and the Pacific Coast League&rsquo;s Calgary Cannons&rsquo; baseball games.The program at the Olympic Oval includes all of the following features:&#9632; Two ice sessions daily (that&rsquo;s a minimum of 2&frac12; hours of ice every day).&#9632; Off-ice and dry-land training sessions.&#9632; Written evaluations for each player.&#9632; Lectures and video presentations.&#9632; Complete sport programs (for all of our students ages eight- to 11-years-old).&#9632; One coach for every six players (for the goaltenders&rsquo; instruction).&#9632; One coach for every 10 players (for the hockey and ringette players).&#9632; An introduction to less-commonly explored topics such as sport psychology, nutrition, athletic injuries and rehabilitation.&#9632; An introduction to weight training for both hockey and ringette players. &#9632;

RINGETTE, HOCKEY OFFERED AT CALGARY SCHOOL

Sylvan Lake Summer Hockey School isn&rsquo;t the only camp operating in a resort area with lush scenery, wonderful watersports opportunities and of course, excellent hockey facilities.But it is the only camp to feature instruction by all six members of hockey&rsquo;s first family, the Sutter brothers. The Sutters, three of whom still play in the NHL (two are coaches, one a scout), were born in Viking, Alta., about 110 miles as the crow flies from Sylvan Lake.Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Ron and Rich Sutter each take one week of instruction at Sylvan Lake Summer Hockey Camp. New York Ranger captain Kelly Kisio, Ranger defenseman Randy Moller, and Darcy Loewen (Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; organization) all take a week, as well.&ldquo;The Sutters are a draw,&rdquo; says Graham Parsons, director of the camp, now in its 17th year of operation. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re professional instructors and they&rsquo;re hardworking instructors. They enjoy it and they enjoy the kids.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re putting back what they figure the game has given them.&rdquo;And hockey has been good to the Sutters. Between them, Duane (now a scout with the Chicago Blackhawks) and Brent helped the New York Islanders win four Stanleq Cup championships. Darryl is now a co-coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. Twins Ron and Rich are sparkplugs with Philadelphia and St. Louis, respectively.&ldquo;When we are looking for instructors, naturally the Sutters were involved,&rdquo; Parsons says. &ldquo;Brian himself devised the program, and put many, many hours into it.&ldquo;As he went on his career, he developed into a leader and then captain of the St. Louis Blues. Now, he&rsquo;s a coach. Everybody we hire is either a captain or has leadership skills. We look not just for the marquee value, but people who work well with kids.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01278/5910347-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="551" height="589"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Sutter spent hours devising the Sylvan Lake program.</figcaption></div>The typical stay at Sylvan is a week, though some students stay for two or three. Because of the nearby tourist amenities, Parsons says families often decide to build a vacation around one child&rsquo;s stay at the camp.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a hockey school and a vacation spot,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;one of Alberta&rsquo;s tops vacation spots, centrally located, exactly half-way between Edmonton and Calgary, 11 miles west of Red Deer.&ldquo;A lot of people make a holiday out of it when they come for their session. It has all the amenities of a vacation resort, a town with&mdash;in the summertime&mdash;about 10,000 people. There&rsquo;s a mile-and-a-half long beach at Sylvan Lake Provincial Park, located approximately two blocks from the (Sylvan Lake) arena.For non-hockey-playing youngsters there is the Sylvan Lake Figure Skating School. Goaltenders also get special treatment at the Sylvan Lake Goaltending School, taught in three long weekend sessions by Bill Ranford of the Edmonton Oilers.But the hockey school, which runs from June 28 to Sept. 2, is the main draw.While moms and dads are relaxing on the beach, sailing, windsurfing, golfing, shopping or enjoying the waterslides, future hockey stars are enjoying two 90-minute long ice sessions and robus physical education sessions Chalk talks and lectures about nutrition and conditioning go hanc in-hand with the rigorous ski workouts.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a full-day program,&rdquo; Par sons says, &ldquo;with classroom sessions and an on-ice session in the morning. And then, in the after noon, it&rsquo;s physical training, with an on-ice session.&rdquo;Instructors stress skating skills and puck control in on-ice sessions. Dry-land training tests strengthen hockey fundamentals using soccer, swimming, football and jogging as the major tools.&ldquo;We have good discipline, but it&rsquo;s not a military camp style,&rdquo; Par sons says. &ldquo;There are elite schools, but we&rsquo;re in the middle We don&rsquo;t turn a kid away because he can&rsquo;t skate. But we do put them to their levels and we consider age groups and we try to keep them so they&rsquo;ll enjoy their stay at hockey camp.&rdquo; &#9632;

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SUTTERS THE MAIN DRAW AT SYLVAN LAKE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01293/5910378-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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HOCKEY SCHOOLS…IN WESTERN CANADA

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02210/5910409-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">New York Islander David Chyzowski owns and operates Canadian Professional Hockey Schools in Edmonton with his father and brothers.</figcaption></div>Here we are after 26 years of providing professional hockey schools to over 15,000 hockey players from mite to professional, from oldtimers to recreation players, both male and emale from all corners of the world.What started out as a local hockey school during the spring school break in Winnipeg in 1965, soon erupted and became known far and wide throughout North America, then Europe, South America and South Africa.Canadian Professional Hockey Schools has become known throughout the world as one of the most progressive hockey schools in existence. We are one of the very few hockey schools that are in the hockey school business fulltime, twelve months per year.We are constantly striving to update our material to keep ourselves abreast of the everchanging style of the game. We have a full-time staff of professional instructors ready to go anywhere in the world to instruct hockey players and coaches.During the past 26 years many of the players who have attended CPHS have progressed and made hockey a career, some at the professional and college level, some became top college or professional coaches after their playing careers ended. Many of these former students still work at the CPHS as instructors during their free time. We pride ourselves that 90 per cent of our hockey instructors attended CPHS.Many of our former students have become top instructors and coaches in their own right, and are now managing their own hockey schools under the Canadian Professional Hockey School umbrella in Canada, United States and Europe.NHL star, David Chyzowski, a first round draft choice of the New York Islanders in 1989, his two brothers, Barry and Ron, together with their father and Walt Kyle, an assistant coach with the University of Northern Michigan, own and operate Canadian Professional Hockey Schools in Edmonton. Another former student, Glen Wal-ko, is doing a terrific job in Champaign, III., and Winnipeg. Glen is also one of the leading AAA coaches at the Bantam level. Bob Leslie and Gary Clark are partners in the Landsberg, Germany, operation and Gert Holmqvist is operating the Calgary/Drumheller hockey schools. The Chicago hockey school is under the management of long time associate, Steve Whittier. Jake Fleming is operating the hockey school at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.We provide many opportunities for you to further your career as a hockey player, coach or entrepreneur.The success of the Canadian Professional Hockey Schools is in large part due to the knowledgeable expertise and diligent efforts contributed by Wayne Fleming, assistant general manager/assistant coach of the Canadian national team. We have the most dedicated office staff, counsellors and instructors. Without these very important people, there would not be a Canadian Professional Hockey Schools.We would like to extend our warmest welcome to you. We are looking forward to renewing old friendships, making new ones and working with you to make you a better player and person. &#9632;

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HISTORY IN MAKING AT CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

Okanagan Hockey School began bringing quality hockey instruction to aspiring athletes in 1963. From that time on, goaltending has become an area of concentration for the directors.Over the past 27 years, the program has grown through the on-ice instruction and the off-ice input of such accomplished goaltenders as Cesare Maniago, Joe Daley, Rogie Vachon, Andy Moog, Steve Abbott and Troy Gamble.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01304/5910440-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="550" height="852"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruin Andy Moog is an instructor at Okanagan Hockey School.</figcaption></div>The on-ice and off-ice program offered by OHS Goaltending School features:&#9632; Three on-ice sessions daily.&#9632; One off-ice flexibility and goaltenders&rsquo; gymnastics session daily.&#9632; One off-ice session featuring pitching machines along with specific eye-hand co-ordination drills each day.&#9632; One lecture session daily on the technical factors involved in successful goaltending.&#9632; Videotape analysis daily of the goaltenders&rsquo; basic skills.&#9632; Aerobic excercise classes stressing conditioning and flexibility.&#9632; Students will be required to compile a log book of their week&rsquo;s activities and complete workbook questions.&#9632; Written evaluations for all students.&#9632; Top goalie competition.&#9632; Boarding facilities are available.Because of the co-ordination of the Okanagan Hockey School and OHS Goaltending School, students will have the unique opportunity to be involved in several scrimmage sessions during their week-long stay, plus a feature game on the last day of OHS Goaltending School.At OHS Goaltenders&rsquo; School we sincerely believe that the value of our school is in direct proportion to the quality of our staff. Our staff is composed of instructors who have had many years of experience with us and bring with them a wealth of knowledge about the skill development necessary to become the best at the goaltending position.The instructors working with us this summer come from Junior A, College, Minor Professional and the National Hockey League. We feel this range of personnel provides the aspiring goaltender with a wide spectrum of high level instruction in his position.Instructors will feature NHL goaltenders Andy Moog, Troy Gamble, Kelly Hrudey, Bob Essensa, Pete Peeters, along with numerous U.S. College goaltenders. All goaltending instruction is under the direction of Doug Cole (University of Wisconsin/River Falls) and Bruno Campese. Okanagan Hockey Schools are committed to bringing the best in hockey instruction for all players involved in the game today.Canadian Airlines International is the official airline of OHS Goaltenders&rsquo; School. Special airfare rates are available to players and their parents wishing to travel to Penticton by air. To take care of students and their parents&rsquo; travel as well as accommodation needs, Okanagan Reservations Inc. will arrange and book your airline reservations, hotel, motel or camp ground reservations at no chargeThey can be contacted at Bo 717, Penticton, B.C., Canada, V2J 6P1 or by phoning toll free in B.C. Alberta and all of the United States 1-800-663-1900. All others, phone (604) 493-3200 or fax (604) 493 8677. &#9632;

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GOALTENDING FEATURED AT OKANAGAN SCHOOL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01217/5910471-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Montreal Canadians&rsquo; Vezina Trophy winner Patrick Roy is one NHL goalie who prefers the butterfly style.</figcaption></div>To stand or not to stand? That is the question facing developing goalies.Conventional wisdom says netminders should be conservative, standing their ground, going to the ice only when absolutely necessary.But if you consider the statistics goalie instructor and former WHA puckstopper Jim Park has compiled, that thinking hardly seems wise.According to the Toronto-based Park, roughly 70 per cent of the saves NHL goalies make are when they&rsquo;re down and only 30 per cent are made standing up. And of the 30 per cent stand-up saves, about 80 per cent are what Park calls &ldquo;piece-of-cake&rdquo; stops.&ldquo;A big part of the misunderstanding,&rdquo; says Park, &ldquo;is that people are looking at goalies from different angles. The coach&rsquo;s perspective from the bench is wrong because he&rsquo;s looking down at the ice.&rdquo;Park says the angle from which to get the proper read is ice level. From there, coaches will notice that when the goalie goes into the butterly position&mdash;providing he&rsquo;s comfortably out of his crease&mdash;he&rsquo;ll get maximum net coverage.But what about the top corners? Park advises to let the shooters have them.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s much more difficult for players to be accurate high than low,&rdquo; says Park. &ldquo;If the goalie takes away the bottom of the net he&rsquo;s doing his job.&ldquo;Shots that ring in under the crossbar will go in whether the goalie is standing up or going down.&rdquo;The butterfly detractors&rsquo; biggest beef is that manoeuvre leaves the five-hole&mdash;the space between the goaltender&rsquo;s pads&mdash;vulnerable.Park says at least half of the between-the-leg goals go in because the move isn&rsquo;t executed properly.&ldquo;If you take a look at those goals,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;50 per cent of them are along the ice and go off the goalie&rsquo;s skate. His stick must be on the ice.&rdquo;Pioneered by then-Detroit netminder Roger Crozier in the early &rsquo;60s, the butterfly was brought into prominence in the &rsquo;70s by Chicago&rsquo;s Tony Esposito. Now, it&rsquo;s the choice of the majority of NHL goalies, including two-time Vezina Trophy winner Patrick Roy and last season&rsquo;s runner-up, Daren Puppa.Park says the butterfly has become so much a part of the game the term &ldquo;stand-up goalie&rdquo; is now a misnomer.&ldquo;If stand up means someone who makes more saves up than down, then there&rsquo;s no such thing in the NHL as a stand-up goalie,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;The lowest ratio&mdash;someone such as Calgary&rsquo;s Mike Vernon&mdash;is about 60-40 (60 per cent down and 40 per cent up).Of course, if not executed properly, the butterfly isn&rsquo;t effective. Park says when goalies begin to go down, their stick must be on the ice, their hands must be up and they must be prepared to explode to all four corners of the net.Are there any situations when standing up is more effective than the butterfly?&ldquo;Only on bad-angle shots, when the guy&rsquo;s by the boards on the other side of the face-off circle,&rdquo; says Park. &ldquo;From there, the goaltender should take a step out towards the shooter and close up his pads.&rdquo;Perhaps even more revealing than Park&rsquo;s stats on stand-up saves versus on-the-ice saves is the percentage of game-saving stops made while going down.According to Park, approximately 95 per cent of &ldquo;big&rdquo; saves are on-the-ice stops.&ldquo;Those are the kind of saves coaches look at,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Those are the kind that can change the momentum of a game and pick up the whole team.&rdquo; &#9632;

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TAKING A STAND IN FAVOR OF GOING DOWN

The International Goaltenders School was formed 11 years ago to provide a program of instruction exclusively for goaltenders and in the past 10 years more than 7,400 goalies have attended the school.Both the total number of goaltenders attending the school, and the high rate of returnees, attest to the excellence of the program.Our instructors all have played goal&mdash;or still are goaltenders&mdash;and some have taken the highest goaltending instruction available in Europe and Canada.Most instructors have a graduate degree in education and some have several years experience in coaching.The instructors are dedicated, willing and able to provide &ldquo;the most important player on a hockey team&rdquo; the instruction long neglected. The main emphasis is placed on personalized instruction with a low student-to-instructor ratio, and the students leave the school with the personal motivation to continue their development during the season.Consider this a personal invitation to join us this year at the International Goaltenders School in Yorkton, Sask.; Calgary and Edmonton, Alta.; and Grand Forks, ND. &#9632;

MORE THAN 7,000 GOALIES ARE IGS GRADS

In the past, Cooper earned the position as the leader in the protective equipment market by mastering four simple, yet crucial principles: air suspension, lightweight comfort, technologically advanced design and construction, and exciting styling.Now, Cooper strengthens their position with exciting, all-new state-of-the-art products that will set the standards in innovation and quality for the 90s and beyond.At the fore of this launch is the amazing line of Techniflex (TM) gloves with TF1000&mdash;representing the Super pro model and the TF 750&mdash;and TF 500 at the pro and junior pro levels.The Techniflex glove is the only glove in professional hockey that&rsquo;s designed to fit the exact contours of your wrist and fingers, allowing for incredible stick handling and ease of movement.Cooper also introduces three new pro pants to complement the Techniflex line&mdash;the HP1000, HP750 and HP500.The top-of-the-line HP1000 is the lightest hockey pant in professional hockey today. Emulating the design of the unique Techniflex glove, the HP1000 has been anatomically designed to fit the exact contours of your waist and thigh areas.Featuring a unique blend of high-density foams along with air suspension technology, the Techniflex line of pro pants represent protection that&rsquo;s clearly ahead of its time.The popular All Star series gloves&mdash;designed for recreational senior and junior players&mdash;introduces three new designs for &rsquo;91.The TS Pro model features pre-curved fingers and a pre-curved back for improved flexibility and reduced break-in.The AS50 and AS40 Senior models utilized a double thumb and internal foam for professional protection along with Cooper&rsquo;s exclusive Tuffstuff (R) covering to ensure lightness, durability and cut-resistance.Like the senior models, the junior models&mdash;AS 30, AS 20, and jAS 10&mdash;also feature Tuffstuff (R) and pre-curved fingers and back.For advanced professional body protection, Cooper reintroduces an improved CSB Super Pro Cooperall (R) Upper Body Protector at the Super Pro level.This model offers the ultimate in upper body protection because it incorporates air suspension technology for shock management with Cooper&rsquo;s exclusive Armourfoam (TM) padding for high-density protection for the back, upper spine and shoulder caps.The CSB Super Pro also features increased protection at the sternum and clavicle areas with new HD80 high-density foam-moulded pads.In elbow pads, Cooper introduces four new editions to the EK series with the EK21, EK10, and EK5 at the senior level, and the EK2 at the junior level.Both EK21 and EK10 feature professionally-styled polyethylene-reinforced elbow cap for high-density protection.The EK5 and EK2 feature an elongated padded cap and brushed nylon foam padding for comfortable protection.All Cooper shinguards now feature injection-moulded caps and shins to dramatically reduce cracking and retain their shape for a longer length of time.The DG Pro and DG62 feature greatly improved shock absorption through the adjustable air suspension cushion next to the shin and knee, while the DG19 and DG18 utilize extended foam padded knee flares for excellent wrap-around protection. &#9632;

COOPER EQUIPMENT GEARS UP FOR THE ’90s

With over 25 years of experience, Christian Bros. Hockey Sticks continues to be a large player in the hockey stick industry.As has been the case for the past thirteen years, Christian continues to increase its market share worldwide, especially in the very competitive Canadian marketplace.The reasons for their success are simple according to Tim McClure, product/marketing manager for Jelinek Sports (Christian&rsquo;s exclusive Canadian distributor).&ldquo;Christian is a family business and the principles of the company are to ensure products with their name don&rsquo;t leave the factory unless they&rsquo;re top quality,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Because of their involvement in the day-to-day business, they&rsquo;re very quick to pick up on problems and correct them. As players try the sticks, they find they really like the balance, responsiveness and overall feel.&rdquo;Christian Bros, continues to display one of the company&rsquo;s strongest characteristics: Innovation.For the 1991 season, Christian will introduce the 2020 EXCELL to the Canadian market&mdash;a lightweight yet very stiff stick used by a number of NHL professionals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01182/5910550-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="549" height="803"><figcaption class="caption-body">Neal Broten is one of several NHLers to use Christian products.</figcaption></div>Cosmetically, Christian has colour co-ordinated the shaft design on the SS 2000 with their very popular Diamond Design braided fiberglass blades.With the aluminum market strengthening, Christian Bros.&mdash;one of the first companies to introduce the aluminum shafted stick&mdash;have introduced the new chrome coloured C7 REALITE. The shaft is stiff yet much lighter than other aluminum shafts.Christian Bros, continues to get excellent feedback from its involvement in anti-drug campaigns across the U.S. and Canada.The company endorses and supports the war against drugs by adding brief messages on stick shafts.Messages such as &ldquo;Just Say No to Drugs&rdquo; or &ldquo;The Choice for Me&hellip;Drug-Free&rdquo; have been accepted by coaches, parents, fans and the many NHL players who are using the Christian product.More and more professional players in Canada, the U.S. and Europe have taken notice of Christian&rsquo;s reputation for quality, craftsmanship and service.It&rsquo;s for these reasons that the list of satisfied professional customers continues to grow.Some of the game&rsquo;s brightest stars are using Christian products including: Ed Belfour (Chicago); Neal Broten (Minnesota); Brett Hull (St. Louis); Al lafrate and Luke Richardson (Toronto); and Andy Moog (Boston), who plays with the very unique Christian Curtis Curve.&ldquo;We feel Christian Bros, can make a stick that is ideally suited for every type of player&mdash;from the 2020 EXCELL to the original Black Magic,&rdquo; says McClure. &ldquo;There is no substitute for craftsmanship and feel in a stick.&ldquo;A stick is really an extension of the player himself. I know Christian can provide the tools to do the job.&rdquo;As Dave Christian of the Boston Bruins says: &ldquo;The Christians are still playing the game and making hockey sticks, so the motto continues to live on&mdash;Hockey Sticks By Hockey Players.&rdquo; &#9632;

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CHRISTIAN STICKS TO QUALITY AND INNOVATION

Expansion is on everyone&rsquo;s mind heading into the 1990s.With the NHL adding three new teams in the next two seasons while Major League baseball looks to expand, all eyes are on new potential markets.One direct beneficiary of growing interest in sports teams is officially licensed products.Wayne Gretzky has helped make Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; sweaters and items the most popular but hot items with Sharks, Lightning and Senators emblazoned on them will help expand the growing market of NHL-licensed products. It will be a reflection of how the expansion teams in San Jose, Tampa Bay and Ottawa will help increase the NHL&rsquo;s exposure in those new areas. The league announced in December its plans to have two new teams in place by 1992-93&mdash;as well as adding the San Jose franchise next season.The hockey card industry has also seen great expansion in 199091. What used to be the domain of one company (O-Pee-Chee/Topps) now has three new companies&mdash;Pro Set, Score and Upper Deck&mdash;competing for the market.All these new developments will make the NHL more prominent in the next few seasons. And as the NHL grows in popularity, so does the demand for NHL-licensed products.&ldquo;The licensing of NHL products in Canada reached its greatest heights in the late 1980s,&rdquo; says Doug Kelcher, the vice-president of Time Warner Sports Merchandising (formerly the Licensing Corporation of America, Canada). &ldquo;The growth pattern continued in 1990 when, by our estimates, it achieved $60-million at the retail level.&ldquo;The 1990s began strongly and we envision the course will be one of increase. The NHL in Canada enjoys tremendous year-round media exposure. These (products) provide instant recognition for our players and for the team and league logos.&rdquo;The added benefit of new markets can only help increase the exposure of the NHL&mdash;especially in the United States. Teams in San Jose, Tampa Bay and Ottawa will help make inroads in Northern California and Florida and build on the high profile of the NHL in Canada. All three will be part of an increase in exposure for NHL licensed products.&ldquo;There are several more aspects which will power the NHL into the 1990s,&rdquo; says Kelcher. &ldquo;There is the NHL&rsquo;s 75th anniversary (1992) followed by the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Cup (1993). As well, the Hockey Hall of Fame will be moved to the new site in downtown Toronto with a museum and participatory attractions for young and old.&ldquo;Taking everything into account, there is much reason for optimism, not only for the immediate future, but for the long-term future of the NHL.&rdquo;Another long-term reason for optimism is the increased interest in hockey cards. Sports cards&mdash;especially baseball&mdash;have been big in the U.S. for years but hockey is now becoming more and more popular. In Canada, the effect has been even greater.&ldquo;The trading card craze in Canada has spawned enormous attention for the NHL. All of us are either collectors of memorabilia or envious of those who collect such items,&rdquo; Kelcher says. &ldquo;Trading cards have long been extremely strong in North America but, now, more than ever, hockey fans have a greater assortment of high-quality cards. The attention hockey cards now receive, as some media have even started columns on them, untaps this category as never before. It&rsquo;s potential is, indeed, tremendous.&rdquo;As is the potential of other NHLer licensed products. &#9632;

NHL EXPANDING ON THE ICE AND OFF

CCM proudly introduces its new 652 Tacks in 1991. Available in two distinct models, the 652VT and the 652CF, these brand new skates are loaded with features which are designed to improve every dimension of your game.The new 652VT Vakutack combines CCM&rsquo;s exclusive Vakuform material with the unique new Heel Stabilizing Wedge, designed by CCM, to provide improved heel lock and increased lateral support.This visually exciting new technology has put CCM at the forefront of skate design. The 652VT also has the all-new Grip-tite leather lining which minimizes heel slippage, improves comfort and resists water absorption.This skate also has a newly redesigned tongue which is anatomically contoured to fit well and eliminate lace bite. The 652VT contains Vakuform so that your skates can be heat moulded for a perfect fit right in your favorite hockey shop by using the Vakutack Fitting System. This technology was first introduced in 1989 with the 651 Tacks and now, the second generation is being introduced in the 652VT.<blockquote class="pullQuote">NEW SKATE SURE TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN NHL</blockquote>For those hockey players seeking a more traditional custom fit, we are pleased to introduce the 652CF. This model has all of the same advanced features of the 652VT with the Heel Stabilizing Wedge and the Grip-tite lining; however, it doesn&rsquo;t contain Vaku-form allowing the skate to be heat moulded to your foot.This top end professional skate will make a major impact in the NHL along with the 652VT and, because of its exciting new look, is sure to be a favorite for proficient young players and adult players alike.In addition to these two skates, CCM has also re-designed its Super Tacks, Sport Tacks and Junior Tacks. All of these skates are visually exciting with new graphics and all have re-designed patterns and construction.The Super Tacks and Sport Tacks both have the new Grip-tite lining which is used on the new 652 Tack and the Junior Tacks are being offered in two colors; one with white and red graphics and one with neon yellow graphics. The fit and comfort have been improved in all of these skates and the new look is eye-catching.These new Tacks skates will be available in the summer at your local hockey retailer or sporting goods store. Drop in and try on the most technologically advanced skates that are sure to improve your hockey-playing ability.Turn on your power with CCM! &#9632;

HEEL WEDGE IN CCM’S VAKUTACK

There&rsquo;s one reason why Cooper Goalie equipment has enjoyed more NHL support over the years than any other brand: Because of experienceCooper has enjoyed a heritage that has spanned seven decades of professional hockey.Other brands have come and gone, but Cooper remains the world leader in goal equipment.Why? Because Cooper has been around the game longer. And therefore, it has developed a unique understanding of where the game of hockey has been&mdash;and where it&rsquo;s going.And now Cooper is proud to present Cooper Legends, an equipment line that consists of the Legend goal pad, catch glove, blocker and upper body protector, all created using the latest technology with the craftsmanship of the past.The GP LGD Super Pro goal pad is especially impressive. This model is constructed using lightweight foam, combined with conventional styling for maximum performance.The use of foam construction makes the pad 40 per cent lighter and at least 35 per cent more protective than conventionl pads.And the deep leg channel, internal knee-lock and padded dome pocket on the boot, actually locks the player&rsquo;s leg into the pad for an unprecedented fit.The GP LGD also features a special internal foam &ldquo;Saw Cut&rdquo; knee, allowing the player to achieve exceptional bend and flexibility at the knee.In catch gloves, Cooper Legend features a unique GMLGDC Super Pro model which utilizes a special side trap, allowing for a dramatic expansion of usable catching surface in the glove.This feature actually eliminates errant rebounds off the cuff and allows the goalie to freeze the puck.The unique bar and web system at the base of the cuff allows the goalie to more effectively cover the space between the body and the arm.This high performance catch glove also incorporates an extended &ldquo;Comfort Flex&rdquo; thumb for improved stick control and protection. It features a large T-trap with an extended scoop and is poly-backed from top to bottom.Like the GMLGDC CATCH, the Legends GMLGDS Super Pro Blocker incorporates new, precedent-setting features, placing it in a class all its own.For example, GMLGDS features &ldquo;The Wedge&rdquo;&mdash;a unique concave blocking surface with a curved top to provide exceptional multidirectional rebound control.It also sports a new cuff design that allows comfortable interaction with the arm pads and makes puck handling much easier.Another superior feature is the large, one-piece thumb that provides exceptional protection and manoeuverability.The Legends SALGD Super Pro upper body protector was specifically created to meet the demands of today&rsquo;s goalies who require exceptional flexibility to stop exceptionally fast shots.With this in mind, the SALGD was created with ultra-slim design in the elbow, shoulder and chest area for maximum freedom of movement.Further, the chest pad is tapered in the middle to allow greater mobility. A new two piece overlapping side and belly wing system also ensures protection to the mid-body area.And the design features a unique lace-in neck collar that&rsquo;s adjustable to two positions. This allows for a custom fit, again, enhancing the goalie&rsquo;s flexibility and overall performance.There are myths. And then there are Legends.Cooper separates fact from fiction through experience. &#9632;

COOPER GOALIE EQUIPMENT THE REAL McCOY

Eric Lindros has the Midas touch. Every team he touches turns to gold.Lindros, who recently won his second gold medal with Canada&rsquo;s world junior team, plays for the Ontario League&rsquo;s Oshawa Generals&mdash;who won the Memorial Cup last season. The season before, Lindros was the MVP of the Jr. B champion St. Michael&rsquo;s Buzzers.Add to this Lindros is the heavy favorite to be this season&rsquo;s first overall pick in the NHL entry draft and you have a very marketable spokesperson.&ldquo;We (Eric&rsquo;s parents and advisors) are trying so hard to keep everything in its proper perspective,&rdquo; says Rick Curran, Lindros&rsquo; Toronto-based agent. &ldquo;Our objective is to come away from this season where (both Eric and the companies) can win, everybody feels good about the experience.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not setting objectives that are unrealistic&mdash;in terms of off-ice activities. If we who are around him keep everything in perspective then it will be much easier for Eric to.&rdquo;Which could be hard for a 17-year-old who is in demand for endorsement deals worth tens of thousands of dollars.Endorsements are very common in professional hockey, from the hometown star promoting the local car dealership to the megabuck contracts for the elite players. But it is unheard of for a player to land endorsements before he is even drafted by the NHL&mdash;until Lindros.Lindros has agreements to be associated with Score, which makes hockey cards, and Karhu, the makers of Titan, Koho and Jofa sticks and equipment. There are also a couple of other offers that are in the negotiation stage.&ldquo;There are very few players who are in a position to take advantage of big endorsements. That&rsquo;s why it is so unique that a nonprofessional would be involved,&rdquo; says Curran.The vast majority of players with endorsements have contracts with stick or equipment manufacturers. The elite players, such as Los Angeles&rsquo; Wayne Gretzky, Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Mario Lemieux, St. Louis&rsquo; Brett Hull or Detroit&rsquo;s Steve Yzerman, are in demand for a wide variety of products. One deal put Gretzky in the newspapers for more than goals and assists. There was a mechanical problem with a table hockey game that Gretzky endorses&mdash;a problem that was quickly rectified.But the main thing for all players who are involved with endorsements is to have a strategy.&ldquo;We have set a definite game plan,&rdquo; says Curran. &ldquo;Does (the endorsement) fit what our long-term objectives are; is it something compatible with him playing with the Oshawa Generals; and is it something that has any risk that it invites any unwarranted criticism.&ldquo;The criteria is set so that if a company is involved today we want to make absolutely certain they are a quality company and that it will become a long-term arrangement.&ldquo;Eric&rsquo;s family also wanted to structure it so that it is absolutely benificial for both sides.&rdquo;Market location and size also determines potential earnings. For instance, Yzerman might be considered a more desirable spokesman in Detroit than Lemieux is in Pittsburgh.Earlier this season, there were rumors that Lindros might refuse to report to some teams if drafted by them&mdash;but Curran says that is not the case.&ldquo;We have never suggested that we will create an issue over where he is going to be drafted,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s willing to go and accept the challenge of whomever that is.&ldquo;Once that has been determined we&rsquo;ll assess that market environment. Once again sit down and say: &lsquo;Okay, where does this fit?&rsquo;; &lsquo;What opportunities would it be prudent to pursue?&rsquo;; &lsquo;What limitations are there given this particular market?&rsquo;; and make a final decision on which direction to go in.&rdquo;But whichever direction that is will be one seldom travelled by a teenaged hockey player. &#9632;

LINDROS ENDORSEMENTS BLAZE NEW TRAIL

It&rsquo;s a fact. No other skate in the history of hockey is as advanced or progressive as Mega&reg;.And that&rsquo;s because no other skate manufacturer has invested more time and money toward studying the bio-mechanics of skating than the Canstar Sports Group.Utilizing modern computer technology and the science of biomechanics, Canstar&rsquo;s Research and Development staff teamed up with McGill University for what has become an unprecedented four-year collaboration to create the world&rsquo;s most technologically advanced hockey skate.<blockquote class="pullQuote">THE WORLD&rsquo;S MOST ADVANCED SKATE</blockquote>Today, top pros such as the Boston Bruins&rsquo; Norris Trophy winning defenseman Raymond Bourque and the New York Rangers&rsquo; standout center Bernie Nicholls, are skating and scoring with the results of that famous collaboration&mdash;the Mega hockey skate.There are six high-performance components that make the Mega* devastating.For starters, every Mega&reg; skate is equipped with Mega&rsquo;s* exclusive Medial Power Clip.The name says it all. The Medial Power Clip improves fore-foot control and actually transfers natural energy directly to the ice to achieve a more powerful skating stride.And each Mega model properly aligns your foot. Each model uses the new Megafit Footbed which cradles your heel and supports the mid-foot for superior control.What&rsquo;s more devastating, is 1991 has seen the development of an even more advanced Mega hockey skate&mdash;the Mega&reg; 10-90 V2.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01118/5910677-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="551" height="850"><figcaption class="caption-body">New York Ranger Bernie Nicholls wears Mega skates.</figcaption></div>The anatomical ankle support has been further upgraded for 1991, continuing to provide a perfect ankle fit and eliminating the need for break-in of the rear foot and ankle area.And not only is the 10-90 V2 the most advanced skate, it&rsquo;s now faster and more maneuverable.The senior models of the 10-90 V2 will be supported with the TUUK Plus V2 Stainless Blade featuring a thin design that increases speed by reducing drag by 20 per cent.Hockey is going to become faster, swifter, and more powerful.And that&rsquo;s why today&rsquo;s hockey players are skating with Mega&reg;. Because if you&rsquo;re going to win, you can&rsquo;t afford to follow trends. You have to set them. Just like Canstar has done with Meqa&reg; skates. &#9632;

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CANSTAR SETTING TRENDS WITH NEW MEGA SKATES

Wearing protective head gear. It may have been frowned upon in days gone by, but today, it&rsquo;s a part of the game&mdash;at every level of hockey.Players of all ages&mdash;from minor hockey to the NHL&mdash;are wearing protective head gear.Where just 20 years ago only a handful of NHL players wore helmets, today, only seven&mdash;Winnipeg&rsquo;s Randy Carlyle, Quebec&rsquo;s Guy Lafleur, Washington&rsquo;s Rod Langway, Edmonton&rsquo;s Craig Mac-Tavish, Toronto&rsquo;s Brad Marsh, St. Louis&rsquo; Harold Snepsts, and Chicago&rsquo;s Doug Wilson&mdash;don&rsquo;t wear protective head gear.And with career-threatening eye injuries becoming a very real possibility, almost a quarter of today&rsquo;s NHLers wear visors.Some of the games biggest stars&mdash;including Boston&rsquo;s Ray Bourque, Buffalo&rsquo;s Pierre Turgeon, New York Rangers&rsquo; Darren Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; Luc Robitaille and the Islanders&rsquo; Pat LaFontaine&mdash;wear protective visors.According to NHL rules, helmets are mandatory for all players who signed their first professional contract after June 1, 1979.But NHL players can make their own decisions on visors or faceshields.Several minor pro leagues have followed the NHL&rsquo;s lead on head protection rules.American, International and East Coast League rules stipulate helmets are necessary, but visors are optional.Head gear rules for North American college and junior players vary from the NHL and minor pro leagues.In the NCAA, a Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) approved helmet and full face-shield are mandatory.But Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference executive director Joe Bertagna says the NCAA may adopt a half-visor rule in the near future.Canadian university rules stipulate players must wear a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved helmet with a minimum half-visor.Canadian junior hockey rules are slightly different.Players in the Western and Ontario League must wear CSA approved helmets and half-visors.But players in the Quebec League must wear a CSA approved helmet and full-shield because of provincial law, says CHL director of information Jim Price.The drive for maximum on-ice protection has been aided, in large part, by minor hockey associations in Canada and the U.S.The Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) says players in all minor classifications must wear an HECC approved helmet with fastened chin strap.A full HECC approved face-shield is also mandatory.The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) requires all players to wear helmets approved by the CSA. A full face-shield (CSA approved) is also mandatory.The major suppliers of NHL face-shields are Itech Sport Products of Montreal and New-York based Gerry Cosby & Co.Robin Burns, president of Itech, says the attitude towards protective head is changing.&ldquo;When you see 30 per cent of hockey&rsquo;s elite at this year&rsquo;s All-Star game wearing visors, you can see what&rsquo;s happening,&rdquo; says Burns, whose company makes 75 per cent of the visors used by NHL players. &ldquo;I think the old belief that people who put on helmets were sissies is disappearing. Now if you see someone without a helmet you think he&rsquo;s an idiot.&rdquo;Burns says the work of NHL opthalmologist Dr. Thomas Pashby&mdash;recognized as the sport&rsquo;s leading expert on eye injuries&mdash;has helped open the public&rsquo;s eyes.Pashby has compiled statistics on eye injuries in Canadian amateur hockey since 1972.He says about 25 hockey careers in Canada, at all levels, have ended because of eye injuries.And of the 200 people who have been blinded, none were wearing protective eyewear. &#9632;

HEAD GEAR IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE GAME

Finally a product has been developed that will significantly reduce spinal injuries in contact sports.&ldquo;Few people realize that the spine has less natural protection than the head,&rdquo; says Dr. Howard Fisher, the Canadian chiropractor ^ho invented the Back Strip. &ldquo;If you wouldn&rsquo;t play a contact sport without a helmet, you shouldn&rsquo;t be playing it without spinal protection.The Back Strip is especially effective for children involved in contact sports, where the potential for spinal injury is high.Dr. Fisher says he designed the Back Strip to absorb the sharp initial impact of a blow and spread the focus of the traumatic force over a wider area of the back.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01120/5910732-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="286" height="452"></div>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the diffusion of the force of the blow that greatly reduced the chance of injury to the vulnerable spinal region,&rdquo; Dr. Fisher says.The ideal piece of protective equipment for an athlete must meet very important criterion: the athlete must be confident that he is fully protected but must never be conscious of the equipment. In short, the device must be light, flexible and non-cumbersome. The Back Strip fits this criterion extremely well.&ldquo;We did not report any injury directly related to low-velocity trauma among our users of the Back Strip,&rdquo; says Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; trainer Jacques Lavergne. &ldquo;The Nordiques and I feel free and are very enthusiastic to recommend Back Strip to any hockey player of any level who cares about his or her back health.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">TORONTO HOCKEY REPAIR FOCUSES ON NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL</blockquote>Toronto Hockey Repair has built a reputation for quality work in the repair and design of hockey equipment. Fioren-zo Aracadi, the owner of Toronto Hockey Repair, indicated that the main focus of the company is the individual.&ldquo;We realize that innovation and new products, materializes with respect to the needs of the individual hockey player,&rdquo; said Aracadi. &ldquo;We have expanded our facilities to 1342 Bloor St. West, in the community of Parkdale in Toronto.&ldquo;Parkdale is the entrepreneurial community of Canada. Not just in hockey, but in the new growth industry, in cleaning up our environment.&rdquo;Toronto Hockey Repair manufactures custom-made goalie pads, catchers and blockers. THR personalizes lightweight goalie pads with your name on the sides. Some used equipment is available as well.In addition, THR will install calf protectors and toe guards, repalm blockers, replace toe and leg straps and will repair bags, shoulder pads and shin pads.THR also manufactures custom-made goalie bags, and regular bags.&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re in Toronto, make sure to visit our new showroom at 1342 Bloor Street West, or call (416) 533-1791 and ask for me, Fiorenzo.&rdquo; &#9632;

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SPINAL PAD DESIGNED TO REDUCE INJURIES IN CONTACT SPORTS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0054-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01120/5910763-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;sEaston stick has helped improve his game. Goalies say the stick gives off a glare which makes him even more difficult to stop.</figcaption></div>Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; center Wayne Gretzky swears by them.And so do over 80 NHL players, including the NHL&rsquo;s top goal scorer, St. Louis right winger Brett Hull, and New York Ranger defenseman Brian Leetch.And nine NHLers will bring one to the NHL All-Star Game in Chicago Jan. 19.What these players are wholeheartedly praising are the new aluminum sticks being offered by Easton.For the first time in the four years they&rsquo;ve carried the Easton name, aluminum sticks are outselling wooden ones by a two-to-one margin.And that number could skyrocket by the end of next year.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re as hot as pistols,&rdquo; says Easton representative Gary Whittaker. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been a really hot item this season and I believe that trend will continue.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s distinctive (to have an aluminum stick) and it shows up well. It&rsquo;s the kind of stick a player of that caliber should be playing with.&rdquo;Easton aluminum sticks&mdash;which retail between $40 and $80&mdash;have replacable wooden blades that cost $11 to $13. There are six sticks to choose from: Three silver and three gold.Whittaker believes there are three reasons for the company&rsquo;s success this season: the stick&rsquo;s sturdy design; the replaceable blade; and the support of some of the NHL&rsquo;s biggest stars.The highest profile player on the Easton team this season is Kings&rsquo; captain Wayne Gretzky.Gretzky has said numerous times his new Easton has improved his game.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I said Gretzky&rsquo;s presence helped us a lot,&rdquo; says Whittaker. &ldquo;I think he deserves about 20 per cent of the credit (for the increase). He&rsquo;s such a highly visible player whose presence has to have an impact.&ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s the entire reason. They sticks are a quality product&mdash;they&rsquo;re economical and people are recognizing that.&rdquo;Gretzky&rsquo;s new stick has also caught the eye of opposing goaltenders.Several NHL backstops have complained Gretzky&rsquo;s stick is distracting when television lights shine on it.But the Great One says he&rsquo;ll continue to use the stick despite their claims.&ldquo;His stick is polished, which is why it shines like that,&rdquo; says Whittaker. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the same stick sold at retail outlets everywhere. But they don&rsquo;t give off a glare.&rdquo;Another big reason for Easton&rsquo;s success this season is stick design.Several NHL players have complemented Easton on the stick&rsquo;s lightweight construction and extra stiff shafts.Both features enable players to get maximum power on their shots.Whittaker says one of the main misconceptions among hockey fans is professional players have their sticks tailor-made.But that belief is not completely true.Stick shafts used by NHL players are the same as ones displayed in retail outlets. Only the blades have been altered.Therefore a fan seeking his player&rsquo;s favorite stick can still get the same features in a local hockey store.Another reason for Easton&rsquo;s success has been the durability and consistency of their aluminum sticks.&ldquo;The pros are also impressed with the durabilty of our sticks,&rdquo; says Whittaker. &ldquo;The stick is made to break, but they get more games out of it than a wooden stick. And they like the fact it gives the same flex night after night.&rdquo;Easton sticks come in four flexes.With this season&rsquo;s success in aluminum stick sales, Easton is expanding its presence in the market with the addition of two new products.The new Convex Aluminum Stick with a Fiberplus Pro Blade recently hit sporting goods&rsquo; storesThe stick features a convex handle for a rounder, fuller feel and a fiberglass reinforced hosel to prevent premature breakage.The stick will provide extra stiffness all the way down the shaft to help players produce a harder shot.Easton has also introduced a junior aluminum stick&mdash;the H99 Wayne Gretzky signature model&mdash;with black shaft and grey and white L.A. Kings&rsquo; graphics.The stick is perfectly tailored to the younger player, with the Easton &ldquo;tack palm&rdquo; grip and the &ldquo;floating cuff&rdquo; for increased flexibility combined with better wrist proted tion.Easton is also offering an upscale youth package for the discriminating young hockey player consisting of SP99 shoulder pads, GX99 hockey gloves, SG99 shin guards and the EP99 elbow pads. &#9632;

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EASTON SHINES WITH GREAT ONE’S HELP

These are not the best of times for the sporting goods industry in Canada.Faced with a slumping economy, an uncertain marketplace and the new seven per cent goods and services tax in Canada, manufacturers, suppliers and retailers are bracing themselves for trying times ahead.All of which makes the annual Canadian Sporting Goods Association&rsquo;s Annual Convention and Exhibition even more important this year. This year&rsquo;s show, which will be held from Feb. 17 to 20 at two Montreal sites, is the 74th annual show and is the biggest sporting goods extravaganza in Canada.With less money being spent on sporting goods by the public, it is important for the manufacturers to be aggressive and competitive. It is also important for the retailers to come away with the best deals.&ldquo;Even with the recession, there is a lot of interest in the show,&rdquo; said Yves Paquette, executive director of the CSGA. &ldquo;But everyone is a little more careful right now. These are the times when you really want to have a successful show.&rdquo;The CSGA&rsquo;s show is closed to the general public and is open only to manufacturers, suppliers and retailers. Organizers are expecting more than 10,000 to attend the event each of the four days.The show will follow much the same format as last year. Place Bonaventure, located in downtown Montreal, will serve as the main headquarters for the show. The 284,000-square-foot facility will house all of the hockey exhibits in the show. All of the footwear and fashion sportswear exhibitors will be housed in the nearby Palais de Congres, which has about 100,000 square feet of space. Last year, there was a sportswear fashion show prior to the event but this year, it has been moved to the Sunday night.Not surprisingly, the main attraction of the show are the hockey exhibits. Of the 600 exhibitors that take part in the show, 80 are exclusively hockey equipment manufacturers. In fact, the CSGA show is the largest hockey show in the world and gives retailers their first opportunity to see what new lines of equipment the manufacturers have to offer.It may only be February, but retailers are already thinking about next season.&ldquo;This gives suppliers the first chance to see what the companies have,&rdquo; said Paquette. &ldquo;They see the new lines and at the show, or in the days following the show, they buy the products so the manufacturers can produce them and deliver them on time for the next season. It is important to get a good jump on this, especially these days with all the hockey schools in August and the summer development programs.&rdquo;But it is not only a hockey show. Manufacturers of all sporting goods from exercise equipment to running shoes will be on hand for the event. Many visitors come from overseas to take in the event and millions of dollars will likely be spent on the latest in sporting. goods.&ldquo;Many of our buyers are international,&rdquo; said Paquette. &ldquo;We work very closely with the Canadian external affairs department to promote Canadian products abroad.&rdquo;The CSGA also has its own booth at the show and will be on hand to add to its 2,000-plus strong membership. Members of the CSGA are primarily retailers and suppliers but anyone connected with the sporting goods industry may become a member of the CSGA. All members must have been in business for at least a year. Suppliers are charged $125 annually and retailers are charged $100. Membership fees for sales representatives are $90 per year.For their annual membership fee, members receive a number of services from the CSGA. Insurance, store planning services and mailing lists are among the benefits offered. Members are also kept up to date on the latest trends in the sporting goods industry by a quarterly newsletter produced and distributed by the CSGA. All exhibitors at the show must also be members of the CSGA.Paquette said the CSGA also plans to offer more seminars in the future and would like to develop sub-committees which would respond to the needs of particular sports.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re always trying to service the industry better,&rdquo; said Paquette. &#9632;

CSGA BOASTS WORLD’S BIGGEST HOCKEY SHOW

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0056-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01109/5910825-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0185/5910818-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="3099" height="3624"></div> &#9632;

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HOCKEY SCHOOLS… IN EASTERN UNITED STATES

The fame, fortune and adulation of making it to the show can be a heady experience. It&rsquo;s been known to make more than one player forget his roots and develop an inflated ego.Which is precisely why so many NHLers find it refreshing to return to their hometown during the summer and teach at hockey schools and camps. It reminds them of who they were and what it meant to them as aspring players.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have a lot of opportunity to go to hockey schools&hellip;in fact I just went to one (in Thunder Bay),&rdquo; says New Jersey Devils&rsquo; left winger Walt Poddubny. &ldquo;But the thing I remember most was being taught by the celebrities&mdash;they really weren&rsquo;t, they were just senior league players&mdash;but it made it so special that they would take time to speak to me one-on-one. It made me feel special.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01105/5910856-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="553" height="562"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Tugnutt credits much of his success to hockey school.</figcaption></div>Poddubny is reminded of that feeling every time he laces up the skates to teach at a summer school.&ldquo;Sometimes you take (being an NHLer) for granted,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;But &ldquo;when you see the look on the kids&rsquo; faces, it&rsquo;s really a great feeling.&rdquo;Hartford Whalers&rsquo; right winger Pat Verbeek concurs.&ldquo;I just remember (when I was younger) when a pro player stepped on the ice, it was the biggest thrill,&rdquo; says Verbeek. &ldquo;And the kids always try to impress and just have a good time.&ldquo;I hope, at the clinics I&rsquo;ve taught at, I&rsquo;ve passed on what I&rsquo;ve gotten out of the game to the kids.&rdquo;Toronto&rsquo;s rookie goaltender Peter Ing, meanwhile, simply found the hockey school atmosphere conducive to team play.&ldquo;Like any kind of camp you go to, you make friends at hockey school,&rdquo; says Ing. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s just another part of being a team&mdash;the camaraderie.&ldquo;(Schools) are also good for just having the opportunity, at such a young age, to get summer ice time.&rdquo;While Poddubny, Verbeek and Ing remember the schools and camps they attended for the friendship and thrill of meeting big leaguers, Quebec netminder Ron Tugnutt points to his hockey school days as the key to his mak ing the NHL.Tugnutt&rsquo;s experience differed from the others in that he went once a week, throughout the year, rather than just in the summer. He attended George McGratten&rsquo;s goalie school, located in suburban Toronto, from age six to 14.&ldquo;George is the main reason I&rsquo;ve made it as far as I have,&rdquo; says Tugnutt. &ldquo;My dad was a big influence, too, but George was really the key reason.&rdquo;Tugnutt says McGratten, with whom he is still close, was a disciplinarian who taught something new to the young netminders each session, whether they wanted to learn or not.&ldquo;One of the things George had you do,&rdquo; says Tugnutt, &ldquo;every time you did something wrong, you had to take off your gloves and do push-ups on the ice.&ldquo;In the dead of winter, you can imagine how cold it was. So when you went back in net, just stopping the puck with your hands hurt.&rdquo;Tugnutt&rsquo;s experience also differed from most others who attend a school or camp in that there was little off-ice activity. At virtually every school, time is set aside to play softball, watch instructive movies or do dry-land training. Not at McGratten&rsquo;s.&ldquo;We stuck strictly to hockey,&rdquo; says Tugnutt. &ldquo;The only off-ice stuff we did was a half-hour seminar before we went on the ice. We&rsquo;d learn how to put on equipment, how to-tape a stick properly and so on.&rdquo; &#9632;

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SCHOOL, CAMPS REMIND NHLers OF THEIR ROOTS

Now in its 20th season, Exeter Hockey School has trained over 13,000 young hockey players, boys 10-17 and girls 10-20. The program is sponsored by Phillips Exeter Academy, an independent, coeducational, residential, secondary school located in Exeter, N.H.The two one-week and three two-week sessions are divided into three divisions, 180 players and 36 goalies. Each division has four teams and plays a nine-game schedule. The students train on two rinks in a multi-million dollar gymnasium. Each student has four hours of ice time daily. Mornings are devoted to fundamentals and individual drills, afternoons to systems and group drills, and evenings to games.The professional staff is drawn from high schools and colleges. The player-coach ratio of five-to-one enables each participant to receive a high degree of individual instruction and a comprehensive evaluation and report card at the end of the session.The school has stop-action video facilities for replay of individual and team performance in competition. &#9632;

EXETER SCHOOL PROVIDES FIVE-TO-ONE RATIO

Laura Stamm doesn&rsquo;t like to admit it, but Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; defenseman Brad Marsh was once a student of hers at a power-skating clinic.Even though hockey&rsquo;s foremost skating instructor couldn&rsquo;t turn the slow-skating Marsh into a roadrunner on ice, she did give him the step he needed to secure a job in the NHL.&ldquo;Brad developed into a better skater than he was initially,&rdquo; says Stamm, who worked with Marsh when he was a rookie in Atlanta 12 years ago. &ldquo;He did get better. A lot of guys you can only give them one step. But it&rsquo;s the step that can make a difference between making it in the pros and not making it.&rdquo;&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t turn just anyone into a great skater like a Paul Coffey or Mike Gartner or Mark Messier, but I can add a step to their game.&rdquo;More and more hockey schools across North America are including power skating in their sessions.&ldquo;Power skating is the catchphrase of the hockey world,&rdquo; Paul O&rsquo;Dacre of Huron Hockey School says. &ldquo;There are hundreds, probably thousands of so-called power skating experts out there now. That&rsquo;s what the people want to hear. Skating is the most basic hockey fundamental, but it&rsquo;s also the most neglected&mdash;as evidenced by the pro camp we run.&rdquo;Power-skating specialist Audrey Bakewell says hockey enthusiasts ultimately copy the style of the most successful professional athletes. It&rsquo;s no coincidence the Edmonton Oilers&mdash;who have won five Stanley Cups in the past decade&mdash;base their game around skating.Stamm says instruction has to come from the coaches, not from NHL idols.&ldquo;Coaches have to say This is what we do. This is part of our training,&rsquo;&rdquo; Stamm says. &ldquo;Then at the end of skating they can play for 15 minutes. Kids just want to play, but they can&rsquo;t get better just from playing.&ldquo;What a shame it is that a player 18 or 19 has to come and get help with his skating. That should be taken care of when he&rsquo;s a youngster.&ldquo;Power skating is not conditioning training. In order to learn skating correctly, you have to break it down and learn slowly. You can&rsquo;t learn at top speed.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a puzzle. You learn one piece at a time. Then you work on the whole, then quickness and development of being able to perform explosively without technique breaking down.&rdquo;Bakewell, who has worked with the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues, says power skating can help the good skater just as much as the poor skater.Players looking for a summer program in power skating should pick a good instructor who can suit the player, Bakewell says. Once the player has technique down pat, he can work on speed and agility and manoeuverability. Eventually, Bakewell says, it will become part of his game and the previous energy used to skate laboriously will be used to play the game.Stamm has a working agreement with the Los Angeles Kings this season. She provides lessons to not only the NHL players, but minor-leaguers in New Haven and Phoenix and junior players in the Canadian Hockey League.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just giving them information that they don&rsquo;t already have,&rdquo; Stamm says. &ldquo;Some incorporate it immediately and others have trouble. Attitude isn&rsquo;t the big deal, it&rsquo;s just how well they can use the information.&rdquo;King forwards Frank Breault and Sylvain Couturier have benefitted the most from Stamm&rsquo;s help. Breault started his rookie year in Los Angeles, but a knee injury ended his season. Couturier has developed his game around skating and was recently called up.As for Wayne Gretzky and his skating?&ldquo;He&rsquo;s great,&rdquo; Stamm says. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s a fabulous skater. He&rsquo;s unorthodox, but he gets there quicker than anybody.&rdquo;Stamm has been helping hockey players since 1970 and says she picks up new things every year.&ldquo;I learn how to incorporate things, new ways to explain technique,&rdquo; Stamm says. &ldquo;And I learn from observation or talking to people.&ldquo;The misconception is power skating is going out and skating as fast and hard as you can. If you&rsquo;re just teaching conditioning, you&rsquo;re teaching a player to go faster at what he does badly. I try to teach how to go faster and do it correctly at the same time. You want to turn skating into your advantage.Bakewell has worked with Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull and others and is in the process of publishing a book on the topic of power skating.Laura Stamm Powerskating examines, with in-depth analysis, skating and training techniques. It has been available through mail order for three years and is now in bookstores.The emphasis on skating will continue. The influx of swift-skating Europeans and new arenas with larger ice surfaces will change the attitude of youngsters who hope to play in the NHL some day. &#9632;

POWER SKATING IMPORTANT AT ALL AGES

Being prepared is important in all facets of life, and nowhere is that more true than for potential travelers.So it&rsquo;s imperative for young hockey players and their parents to research the facilities supplied by each school or camp, in order to know what to pack and what to I leave at home.The following is a checklist of things to keep in mind when preparing to attend a hockey camp:&#9632; Be sure to find out about medical insurance. In Canada, all Canadian residents are covered under their provincial hospital insurance plans. If attending a camp in Canada, non-Canadian residents should check with their own insurance plans to assure coverage. The same applies for schools in the United States.<blockquote class="pullQuote">MAKE SURE YOU HAVE INSURANCE AT HOCKEY SCHOOL ORCAMP</blockquote>&#9632; Accommodation arrangements at schools will vary. Most camps assign rooms-mates arbitrarily, but there are some exceptions. Be sure to inquire about bedding, towels and laundry facilities. If laundry rooms are available, it&rsquo;s probably a good idea to show the campers how to sort clothes.If the hockey player is attending for more than a week, he should take at least two or three towels.&#9632; Some camps will have on-site pro shops. These are really convenient if you&rsquo;ve forgotten any equipment or need supplies or repairs. For schools that don&rsquo;t have pro shops, remember to pack extra &#2404; sticks, laces and other necessities.&#9632; The storing of valuables can present a problem. Students are advised to bring as few valuable items (watches, extra money, tape recorders, stereos) as possible to prevent unnecessary headaches.Valuable goods necessary for the trip can usually be stored somewhere safe on the campgrounds. If schools provide lockers, be sure to find out if a lock is required.&#9632; Most schools will have some sort of store or tuck shop and postal service available. In most cases, $25 to $30 should suffice for a one-week stay.&#9632; While there probably won&rsquo;t be a lot of spare time, it&rsquo;s usually a good idea to take along some light reading material. And if you plan an extended stay, writing tools and paper are suggested.&#9632; If staying cool at night is of concern, you may want to pack a portable fan if your camp is not air-conditioned. And if you have problems waking up, it might be a good idea to take along an alarm clock.&#9632; To help the instructors with identification you may wish to put a name tag on you helmet prior to the first session. Some camps may provide this service.<h2>ON-ICE EQUIPMENT</h2>&#9632; Skates. Make sure they&rsquo;re the proper fit.&#9632; Hockey gloves.&#9632; Elbow pads.&#9632; Hockey pants.&#9632; Shin guards and straps.&#9632; Support and cup.&#9632; Garter belt.&#9632; Hockey socks.&#9632; Extra socks for skates.&#9632; Two pairs of long underwear.&#9632; Two undershirts.&#9632; Helmet with face mask.&#9632; Mouth guard.&#9632; Sticks and tape.&#9632; Hockey sweater. This may be provided by the school.<h2>OFF-ICE EQUIPMENT</h2>&#9632; Running shoes.&#9632; Sweatsuit.&#9632; T-shirts.&#9632; Gym shorts.&#9632; Towels.&#9632; Pencil and notebook.&#9632; Gym bag.&#9632; Athletic support.&#9632; Athletic socks.&#9632; Baseball glove.&#9632; Tennis racquet.&#9632; Reading material.&#9632; Fan.<h2>CLOTHING</h2>&#9632; Pyjamas.&#9632; Socks.&#9632; Shorts.&#9632; Shirts.&#9632; Underwear.&#9632; Sweater.&#9632; Long pants.&#9632; Bathing suit.&#9632; Light jacket. &#9632;

THE KEY TO ENJOYABLE STAY AT HOCKEY SCHOOL IS PREPARATION

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0063-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0189/5910959-1-eng-US/f0063-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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HOCKEY SCHOOLS…IN WESTERN UNITED STATES

There are many roads to the NHL.And they stretch from Moose Jaw to Moscow.But one of the most important new avenues to the National Hockey League is the annual Pro Elite Hockey Free Agent Camp.Founded and directed by Boston Bruins&rsquo; scout Joe Lyons, the three-year-old Pro Elite Free Agent Camp now has over a dozen graduates who have made the NHL.Many more have signed pro contracts with AHL and IHL teams, as well as European clubs.The camp also produces a large number of ECHL players.&ldquo;Somehow a lot of talent gets overlooked or blossoms late,&rdquo; Lyons says. &ldquo;The Pro Elite Free Agent Camp gives these kids a chance to showcase their ability. is rigorously scouted by every NHL team, as well as by many other pro organizations.&rdquo;This year&rsquo;s Free Agent Camp runs from June 24 to June 28, with a special goalie evaluation and pre&mdash;camp training session the week before. Admission is selective.Obtain application forms from Pro Elite Hockey, Canton, Mass., Tel: 617&mdash;828&mdash;1939. &#9632;

Search for your favorite player or team

January 25, 1991

A TYPICAL DAY AT HOCKEY CAMP

ELSTON

SCOREBOARD

KUDELSKI CHANGING IMAGE WITH HAT TRICK