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.

June 1, 1991

The Hockey News June 1, 1991

<div class="image-hero"><img title="CW0001-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0001-014/5953941-1-eng-US/cw0001-012.jpg"></div>INTERNATIONAL GUIDE &#9632;

CW0001-01

IN THIS ISSUE

COLLECTORS WORLD

<div class="byline">BY DICK CHUBEY</div>Don Baizley&rsquo;s one of a kind. After all, few men, if any, have been able to force Edmonton Oiler general manager Glen Sather&rsquo;s hand.Yet, with time running short, that&rsquo;s exactly what Jari Kurri&rsquo;s Winnipeg agent was able to do.Sather was just about to sit down for the May 30 conference call expansion draft when he was informed Baizley had come to contractual terms with the Los Angeles Kings on behalf of Kurri. After the 40-minute, mid-afternoon draft, sather met with the media.Briefly, that is.&ldquo;I just found out an hour ago that Kurri has agreed to a contract with L.A.,&rdquo; said Sather before disappearing again to swing into action for the eventual three-way deal that was announced tnree hours later.Kurri and defenseman Jeff Chychrun from the Philadelphia Flyers were off to L. A. From Edmonton, the Flyers received Dave Brown, who had been requesting a trade for months, and minor-league defenseman Corey Foster (one of the three draft picks the Oilers received from L.A. in the 1988 Wayne Gretzky deal). Defenseman Steve Duchesne and center Steve Kasper, plus a fourth-round draft, also went from the Kings to the Flyers.The Oilers received right winger Scott Mellanby, left winger Craig Berube and 20-year-old center Craig Fisher, a 43-goal man in the American League in 1990-91.It wasn&rsquo;t necessarily the deal Sather wanted to make.&ldquo;I would have preferred trading him elsewhere, but 1 know that&rsquo;s where Baizley was working on him going from the beginning,&rdquo; said Sather. &ldquo;I knew that was coming&mdash;that he wanted to play with Wayne.&rdquo;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad it&rsquo;s over. I&rsquo;m sick and tired of guys whining and moaning around here. There&rsquo;s been too much of a &lsquo;my-way&rsquo; attitude around here&hellip;I&rsquo;m sick and tired of it.&rdquo;Brown, one of a number of Oilers who had played out his option, had been requesting a trade for about five months.The urgency involved was that Kurri&rsquo;s 1990-91 team, Milan Devils of the Italian League, had imposed a May 31 deadline for him to re-sign.The way Sather sees it, he may have to only face the deadly Gretzky-Kurri duo in divisional play next season. With Ottawa and Tampa Bay entering the NHL in 1992-93, he figures there could be a major realignment with L.A. and San Jose switching to the Norris Division. The Smythe, Sather figures, would become an allCanadian sector (Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton).Sather has long sought the services of Mellanby, who turns 25 June 11. In fact, Mellanby&rsquo;s dad, Ralph (the long-time executive producer of Hockey Night In Canada) is Sather&rsquo;s good friend. He even resided in Sather&rsquo;s second house in Banff while working television at the Calgary Olympics.&ldquo;I like Scott&rsquo;s attitude, he&rsquo;s a hardnosed tough guy who goes to the net. In this division you need that,&rdquo; said Sather of Mellanby, who had 20 goals, 21 assists in 74 games last season.&ldquo;I also like Berube,&rdquo; added Sather of the 25-year-old left winger who accumulated 293 penalty minutes (eight goals, nine assists). &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good character guy who comes to play every night.&rdquo;Fisher, a lanky 6-foot-3 180-pounder, could be the sleeper if he&rsquo;s able to strengthen his upper body and put on some weight.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to get stronger,&rdquo; said Sather. &ldquo;He can skate and handle the puck.&rdquo;<h2>EDMONTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Charlie Huddy, D, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft Dave Brown. RW, Corey Foster, D, and rights to Jari Kurri, RW, traded to Philadelphia for Scott Mellanby. RW. Craig Berube, LW, and Craig Fisher, C. &#9632;

THE NHL

SATHER UNLOADS KURRI UNDER THE GUN

&#9632; The champions. Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Springfield Indians, Peoria Rivermen and Spokane Chiefs on winning their league titles. Each club displayed the excellence required to dominate. Simply put, they&rsquo;re simply the best.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021208/5950346-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="377" height="364"></div>&#9632;Thrilling Thursday. Following what many consider was an anti-climatic Stanley Cup championship game, there was about as much anticipation for the expansion draft/Shark feast as there is for, well, the waiver draft. But the league&rsquo;s GMs made Thursday, May 30 a day to remember: There was the Kerr trade, the Kurri trades, and the Milbury trade-in (coach for assistant GM) among other transactions. Bring on the entry draft!&#9632; Brian O&rsquo;Neill. Was the NHL&rsquo;s disciplinarian for on-ice incidents really watching the same replay as the rest of the Western world when he allowed Minnesota&rsquo;s Bobby Smith to escape suspension for cross-ehecking Edmonton&rsquo;s Martin Gelinas? Granted, the vicious hit on the helmetless Gelinas was out of character for Smith, but that doesn&rsquo;t excuse his actions.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03798/5950339-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="382" height="364"></div>&#9632; Ottawa Senators&rsquo; logo. The Senators may have thought they were playing it safe, or perhaps they felt they were being chic. In either event they failed. Condemnation of their new logo has been all but unanimous. A Trojan warrior which looks similar to a condom company&rsquo;s symbol was a leaky idea from its conception. &#9632;

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Departments

CHEERS JEERS

<div class="byline">BY NICK GATES</div>It might be a good idea to hand out programs at the East Coast League&rsquo;s meetings.There are four new clubs&mdash;and one waiting in the wings&mdash;for the 15-team league so there were a lot of new faces at the board of governors meeting May 31-June 2 in Winston-Salem May 31-June 2.Realignment, the controversial overtime shootout and expansion were the hot topics.ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly announced the 64-game schedule for the 1991-92 season, which was expanded by seven days to 21 weeks.The 16-team league&mdash;Charlotte was represented but won&rsquo;t begin play until 1992-93 because its arena couldn&rsquo;t be renovated in time&mdash;was realigned into conferences.Defending champion Hampton Roads was placed in the East, along with Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Roanoke Valley, Knoxville, Richmond and Raleigh, one of four expansion teams.The West will be comprised of Johnstown, Erie, Louisville, Nashville, Cincinnati and newcomers Toledo, Dayton and Columbus.When Charlotte joins the league, it will join the East Division and the conferences may be split into two four-team divisions. That figures to trigger a sizzling debate. Geographically, there is no way to slice the league without stepping on someone&rsquo;s toes.The overtime shootout, considered an aberration by hockey purists, was retained. The penalty-shot format is used to break ties which aren&rsquo;t settled during a five-minute sudden-death overtime.&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t a close vote,&rdquo; said Kelly. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an exciting part of the game.&rdquo;Knoxville coach Don Jackson, whose teams have never fared well in shootouts, abhors the deadlock-breaking rule, as do most coaches. However, Knoxville voted to retain it.&ldquo;We like it,&rdquo; Cherokees&rsquo; co-owner Bob Thomas said. &ldquo;It is exciting for the fans, although the coaches and players hate it.&rdquo;Kelly agreed: &ldquo;If ateam loses, they are upset. Each year we talk about getting rid of it, but when it comes time to vote, the owners choose to keep it.&rdquo;Last year, owners decided to double the expansion fee to $500,000 to discourage adding additional teams. Apparently, it has not served as a deterrent. Prospective owners keep dialing Kelly&rsquo;s number. The league will have 15 teams next season and Charlotte will bring membership to 16 for 1992-93. At that time, further expansion will be discussed.Also, the league&rsquo;s salary cap was increased from $80,000 to $92,400 and NHL affiliations for next season were discussed&mdash;although final decisions will be made when the ECHL meets June 22 in Buffalo at the NHL draft.<h2>CH-CH-CH-CHANGES</h2>The Raleigh IceCaps named their coach May 30. The IceCaps chose Kurt Kleinendorst, whose older brother Scot played eight seasons in the NHL&hellip;Jay Fraser was fired as general manager of the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in late May. His replacement is former Hartford Whalers&rsquo; coach Larry Kish&hellip;Peter Horachek, whose contract was not renewed by Nashville, has contacted several teams about a job. The Knights haven&rsquo;t hired a successor to Horachek and openings remain at Roanoke Valley, Columbus, Winston-Salem and possibly Richmond, where Dave Allison has not decided whether he will return&hellip;Bev Jones, who owned part of the Knoxville Cherokees, sold his interest to Dr. John Staley, Jr. &#9632;

REALIGNMENT TOPS AGENDA AT LEAGUE MEETING

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01886/5953910-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div>SHARKS GET PLENTY OF BITE IN DRAFTS. PAGES 11, 18, 19UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS FOR MILBURY, LEY-PAGES 42, 43MARIO AND CO. FINALLY BREAK ON THROUGH TO WINNER&rsquo;S CIRCLE-PAGE 6FLETCHER&rsquo;S FLEETING FLAME PAGE 14GOODENOW READY FOR ACTION PAGE 9HOLLYWOOD FINNISH: KURRI AND GRETZKY TOGETHER AGAIN PAGE 15 &#9632;

Cover-01

PITT-STOP

<h2>QUOTABLE</h2>&ldquo;People in general, but your peers especially, look at you differently after you &lsquo;ve won a Cup. You&rsquo;ve earned the right to be champions, and they know it. They never think of you in quite the same way again.&rdquo;&mdash;Veteran Pittsburgh defenseman Gord Roberts, on what it feels like to be a Stanley Cup champion. Page 6.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad it&rsquo;s over. I&rsquo;m sick and tired of guys whining and moaning around here. There has been too much of a &lsquo;my-way&rsquo; attitude around here&hellip;I&rsquo;m sick and tired of it. &ldquo;Edmonton Oiler GM Glen Sather, on trading Jari Kurri and Dave Brown. Page 15. &#9632;

THIS WEEK

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011322/5950229-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="520" height="616"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB MCKENZIE</figcaption></div>School is out; the long, hot summer is in. But for posterity&rsquo;s sake, let&rsquo;s go over our A, B, C&rsquo;s one more time:A is for Amazed, which I was (pleasantly) when coach Rick Dudley didn&rsquo;t take the fall for the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; dismal finish.B is for Bucks, which the Philadelphia Flyers apparently had to surrender to the Edmonton Oilers in order to get Jari Kurri. B is also for Betting that the Los Angeles Kings had to reimburse the Flyers.C is for Collective Bargaining Agreement, which won&rsquo;t be reached this summer until the owners come clean as to how much money they&rsquo;re really making.D is for Deals, which we are going to see a lot of this summer. Edmonton&rsquo;s Mark Messier is reportedly available and he&rsquo;s not the only big name being shopped.E is for Eric, as in Lindros, who by saying nothing about his prospects of playing for the Quebec Nordiques has spoken volumes.F is for Foolhardy, which is what the NHL is for threatening to sue Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr for libel and slander. Were the league to proceed, which it won&rsquo;t, it could never win even if it won.G is for Gretzky, who has so transcended his role as player that he was made a special advisor to Team Canada general manager Mike Keenan.H is for Hosing, which the Hartford Whalers gave coach Rick Ley when they fired him only weeks after a vote of confidence.I is for Islanders, the team Pat LaFontaine won&rsquo;t play for next fall unless there is new ownership and a concerted bid by GM Bill Torrey to mend fences.J is for July 1, the date when free agents become free, sort of, in the NHL. The best Type I free agents include Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Mark Recchi, Boston&rsquo;s Glen Wesley, New Jersey&rsquo;s Brendan Shanahan and Edmonton&rsquo;s Adam Graves. The best Type II include Chicago&rsquo;s Ed Belfour, Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Kevin Stevens and Ron Francis.K is for Kurri, who will go early in every hockey pool this fall.L is for Leafs, whose internal power struggles further undermine what should be the NHL&rsquo;s flagship franchise. If sanity prevails, Cliff Fletcher will be installed as chief.M is for Mario, simply magnificent.N is for Newfoundland, which will get a taste of pro hockey, albeit the Maple Leafs&rsquo; American League farm team.O is for O say can you see a worst anthem singer than Pittsburgh&rsquo;s B. E. Taylor?P is for Pay per view, the wave of the future for hockey in the U.S. Just ask Minnesota owner Norm Green.Q is for Quebec, which has to decide whether to trade the No. 1 pick in this year&rsquo;s draft (Eric Lindros) or perhaps risk losing him to the Canadian Olympic program or a rival league.R is for Rival leagues, which I am not going to get excited about until I see real owners with big. bankrolls, signed arena leases and hockey men running hockey affairs.S is for the Sharks and Stars, who seem self satisfied with the results of the cross-pollination and expansion draft. Fine. Just don&rsquo;t count on there ever being another cross-pollination, a back-room deal that was cooked to satisfy vested owner interests. A player can be traded, a player can be sold or waived, but a player should not have to be cross-pollinated.T is for Taxes, which have to be lowered in Canada if the NHL is to survive in cities such as Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Quebec.U is for United States, a team that won&rsquo;t win the Canada Cup this year despite a lot of talk that it will.V is for Vancouver, where Rick Ley is likely to turn up.W is for Wings (chicken, not Detroit or Soviet), which I intend to sample in Buffalo during the NHL Congress.X is for Xenophobic, which is not a good way to be in the 1990s, a decade when the NHL will continue its trend toward a global game.Y is for You&rsquo;ve got to be kidding, which was my reaction to the Ottawa Senators&rsquo; new logo. Never mind that it&rsquo;s a bad logo, what about all the poor saps who bought merchandise with the old Peace Tower logo thinking they had purchased an NHL replica?Z is for ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. which I hope to catch a few of between the NHL entry draft and Canada Cup training camp.Bob McKenzie is editor-in-chief of The Hockey News. &#9632;

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COLUMNS

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN YOUR A,B,C’s

If the NHL truly desires to successfully expand in the United States and get network TV coverage, it will simply have to change its image.John Ziegler states in his interview with Stan Fischler (THN, May 24) that fighting can&rsquo;t be eliminated and attempts to justify his position by saying that basketball, football and baseball have failed to rid themselves of fighting. If he really believes what he&rsquo;s saying, he isn&rsquo;t fit to serve as president.Compared to the other major pro leagues, the NHL makes it virtually impossible for a player to get ejected. (I&rsquo;ve yet to see a baseball umpire look for blood before serving an ejection, and wasn&rsquo;t Roger Clemens ejected from a World Series game and suspended for five games simply for talking?)The NHL has become the domain of foul-mouthed hooligans who I will not allow to become role models for my children. I&rsquo;ll teach them to play and enjoy hockey because it&rsquo;s the greatest game in the world. The only thing wrong with it is the NHL.Stephen Dixon&nbsp; Los Angeles, Calif.<h2>IDEAL FRANCHISE</h2>Special recognition should be given to the Detroit Red Wings for continuing to be one of the best, if not the best, NHL franchise.The few above-average players they have (Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov) enable them to win most of their home games. The remaining duds enable them to lose most of their road games.Everyone&rsquo;s happy. Owner Mike Illitch&rsquo;s bank role continues to grow (19,785 fans per game) and every other owner is happy to see the Wings visit, thereby ensuring a victory and future good crowds.Until the fans in Detroit pull a &ldquo;North Star&rdquo; and stop supporting the team, The Wings will continue to be the most mediocre and best-drawing team in the league.But isn&rsquo;t that what it&rsquo;s all about anyway? What a great NHL franchise.Ron Yule Kirkland, Que.<h2>RACISM HURTS</h2>As a bilingual student who attends a French-speaking school, it has become obvious to me that Quebec will separate from the rest of Canada unless something drastic is done.It&rsquo;s actions so typical of Toronto natives such as Nevin Markwart&mdash;who called members of the Montreal Canadiens &ldquo;frogs&rdquo; during the second round of the playoffs&mdash;that will cause the breakup of Canada.The Quebecois are constantly being insulted by racist Canadians. How do you think a French-Canadian attending a game at Maple Leaf Gardens feels when crude fans boo the anthem when some of its verses are sung in French?It&rsquo;s true that Quebec&rsquo;s demands can be unreasonable at times, but Canadians must be understanding if they wish to save this wonderful country.Markwart deserves much more than the &ldquo;jeer&rdquo; he received in the May 10 issue of THN.Samuel Lapalme-Remis&nbsp; Laval, Que.<h2>FAN SUPPORT</h2>As a devoted tan of our beloved game, I just wanted to say how nice it was to see Minnesota&rsquo;s real fans show up in support of their team in the playoffs.As a matter of fact, as the TV cameras panned the audience during their last game against Pittsburgh, I thought I actually saw both of them.Alice M. Lake Toronto, Ont.<h2>NO CANADA</h2>For those Canadians who think an all-American final is a quirk, think again. In reality, an all-Canadian final is a quirk.Fourteen of the 21 franchises are American-based. Moreover, until as recently as 1979, there were only three Canadian-based teams.And as Don Cherry implied in a recent New York Times article, Americans have taken over professional hockey.S. Koren Garden City, N. Y.<h2>HOCKEY-SOCK</h2>It seems that during the 1991 playoffs, more than ever, players took unnecessary dives to draw penalties and celebrated overtime wins with solo victory dances.Perhaps the old line on the NHL should be changed to, &ldquo;I went to a soccer game and a hockey game broke out.&rdquo;Michael Nininger Toronto, Ont.<h2>WE LIKE BOTH</h2>Is this The Hockey News or the Anti-Baseball News.In recent editions of THN, Dave Molinari and Kevin Dupont wrote why hockey is better than baseball. Earlier this season, Bob McKenzie and Steve Dryden did likewise.I love both sports and when I pick up The Hockey News, I want to read solely about hockey. When I pick up a baseball publication, I want to read solely about baseball.Why can&rsquo;t you guys believe that come June some people will worry if the New Jersey Devils will draft a speedy winger or big defenseman and will care whether the New York Yankees trade for some starting pitching?Nicholas Siclari Staten Island, N. Y.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;

NHL IS RUINING THE WORLD’S BEST GAME

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011484/5950308-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011483/5950377-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Former Flames&rsquo; coach Terry Crisp is taking on a new challange.</figcaption></div>The Ottawa Senators bagged a big investor in entertainer Paul Anka and touched off a little controversy with a new logo.Anka, an Ottawa native who hit it big with hits such as Diana, Put Your Head On My Shoulders and My Way, invested in both the hockey club and the site for the proposed Ottawa Palladium.The deal, which saw Anka invest a rumored $15 million in the team and half the arena site, could wind up with him owning half the $ 100-million Palladium, making the deal worth a potential $65 million.The deal culminated two months of discussions between the Senators and Anka&rsquo;s financial advisor, Donald Abraham.&ldquo;This is very exciting for me,&rdquo; said Anka. &ldquo;Hockey is part of my culture. A big part of it is it involves my home town. If somebody had come to me from Tampa, this deal would not have been struck. I can do something for the team and Ottawa.&rdquo;The Senators new logo, which features a Roman general&rsquo;s head, certainly didn&rsquo;t do much for some fans after the Ottawa Sun obtained a copy of the logo a week before its official unveiling.The Senators brass dismissed the criticism.&ldquo;What has a Blackhawk got to do with Chicago? What has a Penguin got to do with Pittsburgh? What has the &lsquo;CH&rsquo; got to do with Montreal?&rdquo; asked president Jim Durrell. &ldquo;The word Senator goes back to Roman times. There were generals and politicians apppointed to the Senate, leaders of their community. We want those qualities from the players on our team. We will be leaders in the NHL.&rdquo;Meanwhile, the rumor mill coughed up the name of ABC news anchor Peter Jennings, another native Ottawan, as a possible investor in the club.Jennings did have contact with the Senators, but only to get Anka&rsquo;s telephone number so he could congratulate Anka on the deal.Will Jennings be investing in the Senators?&ldquo;Peter likes to keep his private life private,&rdquo; said a publicist for ABC&rsquo;s World News Tonight. &ldquo;No comment.&rdquo;<h2>COUNTER-SUIT</h2>The NHL, taken to court by a group of retired players over pension monies, has filed a counter-suit against several players and three newspapers for what it claims are libellous articles.The league is suing The National, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, and former greats including Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe for statements in articles accusing league members of being &ldquo;guilty of breach of trust, fraud, conversion theft, unfair and illegal bargaining practices and corruption.&rdquo;The National&rsquo;s story in question ran April 25, while the pieces in the Star and Sun ran May 1.The suit seeks unspecified damages and a claim for pre-judgment interest.<h2>OLYMPIC FLAME</h2>Terry Crisp is back in the Olympic saddle again, although at the Olympic Saddledome.The former coach of the Calgary Flames who was fired after the 1990 playoffs, Crisp has accepted an invitation to join the Canadian Olympic team as an assistant coach.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve always dreamed about but never had the chance before,&rdquo; said Crisp, coach of the only Stanley Cup winning team in Flames&rsquo; history.Crisp, who has remained on the Flames&rsquo; payroll as director of professional development, will continue scouting and filing reports to the Flames on possible prospects while working for the Olympic team. He will return to the Flames in March following the Albertville, France games.<h2>AU REVOIR</h2>The CIAU&rsquo;s Ontario Universities Athletic Association will no longer allow Quebec universities to compete in men&rsquo;s hockey programs after the 1991-92 season.The OUAA&rsquo;s decision May 16 will effect teams from McGill, Concordia and the defending CIAU champion Trois Rivieres Patriotes.Three years ago, when several Quebec schools dropped hockey programs, the OUAA granted UQTR, Concordia and McGill playing privleges. But under OUAA rules, those privileges must be reviewed annually.OUAA athletic directors voted 9-4 against extending the hockey schedule.OUAA president Wally Delahey said the action was taken for three reasons: The exorbitant cost of road trips to Quebec; a lack of fan support; and the fact road trips cut into student&rsquo;s study time.&ldquo;Going to Trois Rivieres is an absolute ordeal,&rdquo; Dr. Bob Boucher of the University of Windsor said. &ldquo;Our student athletes hate it. Windsor to Trois Rivieres is simply too much.&rdquo;Added Brock athletic director Bob Davis: &ldquo;Playing them once a year, every other year at home, didn&rsquo;t build up any interest at all.&rdquo;But McGill athletic director Robert Dubeau said the decision could eliminate hockey programs at Quebec schools.&ldquo;We could be forced out of hockey and that would be sad because McGill&rsquo;s hockey team is the oldest in Canada,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We cannot continue a $100,000-a-year program to play two other teams.&rdquo;<h2>HULL OF FAME</h2>St. Louis Blues&rsquo; superstar Brett Hull scored yet another personal victory when he was named the winner of the Lester Pearson Award as the NHL&rsquo;s best player in a vote by his peers. Hull, who earlier was named player of the year by The Sporting News, was named on 294 of 432 players&rsquo; ballots. Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings finished second and Ed Belfour of the Chicago Blackhawks was third&hellip;Canada Cup organizer Alan Eagleson confirmed NHL general managers Serge Savard (Montreal), Bob Clarke (Minnesota) and Glen Sather (Edmonton) have agreed to help Mike Keenan with Canada&rsquo;s entry in the tournament.&mdash;with a file from Chris Stevenson &#9632;

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SENATORS PUT FAITH ON ANKA’S SHOULDERS AND NEW TROJAN LOGO

<div class="byline">BY STAN FISCHLER</div>An unusual father-son controversy erupted in print after Boston Herald columnist Joe Fitzgerald roasted former Boston coach Mike Milbury for his playoff antics&mdash;including the coach&rsquo;s lying about Bobby Carpenter&rsquo;s condition. Fitzgerald&rsquo;s 15-year-old son, Mike, was so incensed over his dad&rsquo;s position that the newspaper printed his criticism. &ldquo;I am wondering how Joe Fitzgerald could have compared Mike Milbury to Victor Kiam and Zeke Mowatt,&rdquo; wrote Mike. &ldquo;Come on! It&rsquo;s bad enough to put down Milbury for doing something for the good of his team, but comparing him to those two! If anyone should apologize, it should be Joe Fitzgerald for making such a ridiculous comparison.&rdquo; Joe&rsquo;s answer: &ldquo;I encourage independent thinking, but I&rsquo;m still of the opinion Milbury was wrong. But what concerns me more is our apparent willingness to justify any action that accomplishes a desirable goal. &ldquo;&hellip;With Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; owner Ed Snider opening his free agent bank vault to the tune of $10 million, Mark Recchi becomes the top man on Philadelphia&rsquo;s shopping list.<h2>SALARY SCARE</h2>Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; president Arthur Griffiths warns player salaries are escalating at an alarming rate. He says Canadian teams now have to pay a 30 per cent premium to compensate for currency and tax differences to keep up with their American counterparts&hellip;All 21 existing NHL clubs will receive nearly $5 million as their pro-rata share of this year&rsquo;s expansion pie&hellip;The Brian Leetch-Rangers&rsquo; negotiations may take an interesting turn. A friend of the defenseman in-sists an expansion team executive told Leetch not to sign a new contract because they&rsquo;ll outbid the Rangers no matter what. Leetch, who is earning $250,000, becomes a free agent next spring and will be aiming for almost $2 million a year.<h2>BUM RAP</h2>Nobody is more upset with Bruins&rsquo; fans calling Craig Janney a wimp than ex-Boston hero Rick Middleton. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a bum rap,&rdquo; says Middleton. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t dish it out because I wasn&rsquo;t big enough and neither is Craig. But the guy sacrifices his body, holding on to the puck that extra half-second, just to get it to Cam Neely when it&rsquo;ll do the most good, even though he knows he&rsquo;s going to pay for it. I don&rsquo;t know too many wimps who&rsquo;d be willing to give up their bodies the way Craig does, and yet he does it all the time.&rsquo;&rsquo;&hellip;The North Stars&rsquo; success nixed the possibility of a new league putting a competitive team in St. Paul. The thinking last fall was Norm Green&rsquo;s club would fail and either a North American or Continental League club would take advantage of the North Stars&rsquo; misfortunes. But Green&rsquo;s persistent work and the team&rsquo;s playoff success changed all that.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011391/5950408-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="562" height="695"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Flyers have their eye on free agent Penguin Mark Recchi.</figcaption></div><h2>DOUBLE-CROSSED</h2>While everyone believed the reasor behind the Penguins&rsquo; &ldquo;For Sale&rdquo; sign was fiscal, it turned out the DeBartolo family&rsquo;s decision was influenced by the National Football League. Word is NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue wants Ed DeBartolo, Jr. to drop his interest in either the San Francisco 49ers or the Penguins be-cause the league frowns on crossownership. Eddie D, Jr. had been siding with his football interests&hellip;The fuss over players intentionally dislodging magnetic nets has prompted the NHL to consider using the Marsh peg nets, successfully used in several Western League cities&hellip;Although Rangers&rsquo; GM Neil Smith denies he&rsquo;s being considered for the top Maple Leafs&rsquo; management post, word is his name is on the short list. Reasons for Smith wanting to leave New York include: the firing of his mentor, former president Jack Diller; uncertainty about potential rapport with Diller&rsquo;s still-unnamed successor (unless it&rsquo;s Smith); and the fact Neil&rsquo;s mother, Margaret Cater, lives in Toronto. Sources say Smith has pursued the Toronto job.<h2>MESSING OUT</h2>Edmonton center Mark Messier is expected to be one of a surprising list of no-shows for the Canada Cup this fall. Since the playoffs, the Oilers&rsquo; captain has been pressured by his mates to recuperate from his season-long injuries and not bother with the tournament. But other older stars are expected to drop out for fear of injury and the desire to be with their families&hellip;The NHL has delayed completion of its new U.S. TV deal much longer than anticipated. &ldquo;If the elements are not in place, you play your cards only when you get the chance,&rdquo; says NHL VP of broadcasting Joel Nixon. Nixon says the NHL is awaiting word on the proposed Sport-sChannel America-Prime Network merger which could, if completed, boost the new entity to 30 million homes. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just waiting for that (SCA-Prime) rocket to go off,&rdquo; says Nixon. &#9632;

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MILBURY’S ANTICS SPARK FUROR

<div class="byline">BY JASON KAY</div>If you can&rsquo;t join &lsquo;em, beat &lsquo;em.That&rsquo;s the approach (Wild) BilHunter is taking in his latest attempt to find his niche in professional hockey.Snubbed by the NHL in his endeavors to bring a big league franchise to Saskatoon, Hunter is boldly taking on the established league and, naturally, feels his Continental Hockey Association can successfully co-exist, if not win.&ldquo;In five years time,&rdquo; says Hunter, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no reason why we can&rsquo;t become the prime major hockey league in North America.&rdquo;&lsquo;We&rsquo; is the CHA, the fledgling league which plans to begin its inaugural season this fall, with six-to-eight North American teams (Saskatoon, Atlanta, Hamilton, St. Paul, southeast Florida and somewhere else in Canada) and possibly four European teams.Hunter, who as a founding member of the World Hockey Association has already done battle with the NHL, has also failed on three occasions to land an NHL franchise over the past eight years.In 1983, he spearheaded a group that purchased the St. Louis Blues and planned to move them north to Sas-katchewan, only to be rejected by league owners. Then, last year, he says he had the financing in place for an expansion team bid but came to the conclusion the NHL&rsquo;s terms were unworkable and that Saskatoon was a longshot, so his group decided to withdraw. He also says he was on the verge of buying an existing NHL team recently, but that the current owner had a last-second change of heart.Clearly not a man to take defeat easily, Hunter has resurfaced and is optimistic his new league will challenge the old guard for a variety of reasons, two in particular: He believes the rule changes the CHA will implement to speed up the game and that European teams are included will pro-vide hockey fans with a favorable alternative.Among the changes the CHA proposes are: (a) the elimination of the center-ice red line for passing; (b) no-touch icing; (c) moving the goal lines out three feet from nine to 12; (d) re-introducing 4-on-4 and 3-on-3 manpower situations for coincidental penalties; and (e) 10-minute sudden death overtimes.Of the alterations, Hunter is most excited about the return of 4-on-4s and 3-on-3s, scenarios the NHL all but legislated out of the game by allowing teams to remain at full strength after coincidental penalties have been assessed.&ldquo;When that rule was instituted because players like (Wayne) Gretzky excelled at them, (the NHL) eliminated one of the most exciting aspects of the game,&rdquo; says Hunter. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to give the game back to the fans and players by speeding the tempo&rdquo;As for Europe, Hunter claims he has reached an agreement with the Soviet sports federation that will see a team from Moscow compete in the league as early as this season, or 1992-93 at the latest. Hunter says the club will be comprised of players from the four Elite League teams based in Moscow&mdash;Central Red Army, Dynamo, Spartak and the Wings. The three other European squads will be determined at the league&rsquo;s general managers&rsquo; meetings following their June 14 draft in Toronto.Skeptics of the new league have an arsenal of ammunition at their disposal. They claim the CHA&rsquo;s timing is poor, that it&rsquo;s entering a market that&rsquo;s already saturated. Furthermore, the CHA will be competing with another upstart organization, the North American League, at a time when the econony is depressed to begin with.And where will the players come from? Detractors of the NHL claim its product is already watered down, and with San Jose, Ottawa and Tampa Bay joining the ranks, it can only be further depleted.Hunter seemingly has all the answers.On timing: &ldquo;History has shown when times are difficult, people turn to sport for relaxation and to get away from their troubles. Sometimes the most difficult time to do well in sports are when times are booming.&rdquo;On a diluted product: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s just a wealth of talent available. There are some 240 free agents in the NHL. I&rsquo;m confident we offer a unique opportunity to attract (established NHLers) to play in this league.&rdquo;On the NAHL: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not making any comment on any other league&hellip;but the NAHL has admitted they don&rsquo;t have solid ownership.&rdquo;The CHA&rsquo;s ownership (Charles Hodgins, Saskatoon; Pat O&rsquo;Halloran, St. Paul; Mario Frankovich, Hamilton; Greg Wakeman and Joe Ardagna, Atlanta) is rock solid, says Hunter, adding first-year franchise fees are $750,000.Whether or not the CHA succeeds or whether it even gets off the ground, one thing is for certain: Hunter won&rsquo;t go down without a fight.&ldquo;I like nothing but the best,&rdquo; says Hunter, the ultimate salesman. &ldquo;If you can&rsquo;t go first class, don&rsquo;t go.&rdquo; Jason Kay is a copy editor and writer for The Hockey News. &#9632;

‘WILD’ BILL HUNTER’S BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

<h2>BOB ERREY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021013/5950463-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="553" height="1184"></div>Born: Sept. 21, 1964, Montreal, Que. Height: 5-foot-10. Weight: 180 pounds. Position: Left wing. Team: Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquired: Pittsburgh&rsquo;s first choice, 15th overall, in 1983 entry draft.Career highlight: &ldquo;I think that one just changed. Winning the Stanley Cup. It&rsquo;s like being on the top of the world in your field, like being a CEO or whatever you&rsquo;ve been aspiring to all your life.&rdquo;On why the Penguins won the Cup: &ldquo;Our positive attitude. We realized we really did have a strong team. I think a lot of teams just don&rsquo;t realize that. When you really have it, you have to go the extra step. And we also realized if we were going anywhere, we had to play defense.&rdquo;If he were NHL president for the day: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d change free agency because it&rsquo;s definitely not free right now. I&rsquo;d allow players that have played 400 games to be free agents without compensation.&rdquo;The toughest goalie to score on: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d better say one of my own. Tommy Barrasso. I&rsquo;m glad he&rsquo;s on our team.&rdquo;Hardest checker in the NHL: Scott Stevens. &ldquo;He knocked me out once in Washington and I&rsquo;m glad I got knocked out because I didn&rsquo;t feel a thing.&rdquo;Favorite movie:&nbsp;Field of Dreams.Most respected opponent: Montreal Canadiens. &ldquo;They throw four solid lines at you all the time and they seem to do everything well. Their organization is solid, not up and down like some teams.&rsquo; &lsquo;If he won a $5 million lottery: &ldquo;Buy a house for my wife down in Florida and spend the rest on my budding golf career.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0005-02

PROFILE

<div class="byline">BY TOM McMIUAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011570/5950494-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Recchi, a Conn Smythe candidate, had a hand in the Cup victory.</figcaption></div>In a light-hearted moment the day before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, someone asked Mario Lemieux if hoisting the Cup would put undue strain on his chronically tender back.Lemieux laughed.&ldquo;No problem,&rdquo; the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins said.And now we have the proof.On a night of snapshot memories frozen into NHL lore, Lemieux and his indomitable Penguin teammates scaled the league&rsquo;s biggest, steepest mountain&mdash;at long last.Twenty-four years of failure and frustration came down to one game May 25 at the Met Center, and the Penguins put on a rink-wide clinic, destroying the Minnesota North Stars 8-0 to win the final series 4-2.Then, with Lemieux leading the way, they carried the hallowed Cup around the rink.Memories. Forever.&ldquo;To see that, to feel that, and to pick up the Cup&mdash;to pick it up&mdash;that&rsquo;s the greatest feeling I&rsquo;ve ever had,&rdquo; a delirious Phil Bourque said. &ldquo;Unbelievable. I can&rsquo;t think of anything I&rsquo;d rather do in life than skate around with the Cup over my head.&rdquo;The party lasted for days, and it may last for weeks, and it may not end in Pittsburgh until the Penguins report for training camp in September.An estimated 25,000 revellers clogged the streets downtown in the moments after the Cup victory, and about 20,000 jammed the lobbies of the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport when the team arrived at 3:30 a.m. Two days later, at a civic celebration at Point State Park, an estimated 80,000 looked on as Lemieux held up the silver trophy, pointed to the cheering throng and proclaimed, &ldquo;This Cup is for you.&rdquo;Memories.&ldquo;Boy, I&rsquo;m so proud right now for the city of Pittsburgh,&rdquo; said Troy Loney, a Pittsburgh kind of guy from Bow Island, Alta., and a member of the organization through lots of lean years since 1982. &ldquo;It has been a 20-year struggle for our fans, but they stuck with us. This is the reward. For all of us.&rdquo;Not that the Penguins made it easy. Ever.They began the season with Lemieux sidelined for 50 games because of a back infection that was a potential threat to his career.They had to adapt to their fourth coach in four years, (Badger) Bob Johnson, who came preaching a topic heretofore unheard of in Penguinland&mdash;team defense.They went 2-9-1 in one particularly devastating 12-game stretch in November and December. And even after innumerable roster changes, they limped home from an 0-4-1 road trip in early March&mdash;having been blitzed for 28 goals in the five games.No matter. Craig Patrick, the low-key general manager, got on the phone to Hartford and conjured up a six-player deal on the eve of the March 5 trade deadline. He sent John Cullen, one of the NHL&rsquo;s leading scorers, Zarley Zalapski, a promising young defenseman, and Jeff Parker, a minor-league center, to the Whalers for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings.What Patrick did was add size and grit and toughness and a commitment to defensive play.In retrospect, it was the deal that put the Penguins over the hump&mdash;the deal that, in effect, won them the Cup.&ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the thing about Craig,&rdquo; Johnson was saying. He&rsquo;s always looking to help the club. He&rsquo;s not afraid to make deals.&rdquo;Samuelsson was the fearless, ornery defenseman every contender needs. Francis was a dynamite two-way center, the perfect complement to Lemieux. Along with Jennings, they made the Penguins a team rich in chemistry&mdash;as evidenced by their 9-2-1 burst in March, which carried them to the Patrick Division title.And everyone was contributing. On the night they clinched the first division championship in team history, Lemieux was sidelined with a swollen eye and goaltender Tom Barrasso was granted a much-needed rest. Rookie Jaromir Jagr scored two goals and backup Frank Pietrangelo backstopped a 7-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.&ldquo;Finally!&rdquo; Loney said.But it was only the beginning.They battled adversity through every round of the post-season&mdash;overcoming injuries to key players, battling from behind. The Penguins lost the first game of each of their four playoff series&mdash;and the first two games against Boston in the Wales Conference finals. But they persevered.&ldquo;I dare you to find a team that overcame more adversity than this one,&rdquo; left winger Kevin Stevens said. &ldquo;And I dare you to tell me a team that is a closer group than this one.&rdquo;They trailed New Jersey 3-2 in the division semifinals, but Pietrangelo, subbing for the ailing Barrasso (shoulder), bailed them out.They lost Samuelsson, Paul Coffey and Peter Taglianetti to injuries in the division final against Washington, but Jim Paek, a rookie defenseman who&rsquo;d spent most of the year with the Canadian national team, bailed them out.They rallied against Boston again and again. Lemieux, regaining his pre-injury form, exploded for 15 points and was plus-9 in the six conference final games.&ldquo;We had adversity every step of the way, the injuries and all, falling behind, but that just made our team stronger,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;We were better in Washington than we were in Jersey. We were better in Boston than we were in Washington.&rdquo;They were best of all in Minnesota, with the Cup on the line. Paired against one of the most charming Cinderella teams of recent times, the Penguins lost Game 1 on home ice, lost Game 3 without Lemieux&mdash;and never blinked.Stevens, their emerging vocal leader, wouldn&rsquo;t let them. Samuelsson wouldn&rsquo;t let them. Barrasso wouldn&rsquo;t let them.Lemieux, the eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner, wouldn&rsquo;t let them.Le Magnifique returned for Game 4 at the Met Center, scoring one goal and setting up another as the Penguins gutted out a 5-3 victory.Back in Pittsburgh for Game 5, Mark Recchi, the team&rsquo;s MVP in the regular season, snapped a four-game slump with two goals to lead a 6-4 win.And Loney noticed a strange feeling in the dressing room before Game 6.&ldquo;The guys were so nervous, so ready, so keyed up that it was scary,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I could see we were going to win it. That we were going to win the Cup. You could feel it.&rdquo;So they skated out with icy stares and thumping hearts and took care of business early. Samuelsson, Lemieux and Joe Mullen scored a flurry of goals for a 3-0 first-period lead. Barrasso was brilliant at the other end.And that set the tone for the greatest night in Penguin history, a night when they would exorcise all the demons of 24 seasons. The North Stars had feasted on Chicago, St. Louis and Edmonton in earlier rounds by jumping to sudden leads, dominating the first period. But the Penguins crushed them by a combined 10-2 in the opening periods of Games 4, 5 and 6.Sensing the kill, blue-collar Bob Errey, Francis and Mullen again scored in the second period, pumping the lead to 6-0. Paek and former North Star Larry Murphy tacked on celebration goals in the third.Eight-nothing. The largest margin for a final series game this century. And when league officials rolled out the Cup and handed it to Lemieux, the Penguins went properly&mdash;and incredibly&mdash;bonkers. &#9632;

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PEN-ULTIMATE PITTSBURGH FINALLY REACHES NHL’S PEAK

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Tom McMillan</div>Lord Stanley&rsquo;s favorite piece of silverware has found itself in some odd places over the years.A Montreal street comer, for instance. An Edmonton strip bar.Now, the newest champions&mdash;the Pittsburgh Penguins&mdash;have penned their own little chapter to Stanley Cup lore.Early on the morning of May 26, hours after they&rsquo;d returned from their championship victory in Minnesota, the Cup sat in all its glory on the grass of Tom Barrasso&rsquo;s front yard. The next night, during a team party, it also took a dip in Mario Lemieux&rsquo;s pool.&ldquo;I think the Cup has had a good time,&rdquo; Phil Bourque said.Some players and their wives took a rented school bus from the Pittsburgh airport to Barrasso&rsquo;s house, and the Cup rode with them.&ldquo;We were going down some hills and our bus was backfiring all the way.&rdquo; Bourque said. &ldquo;But to see the Cup in Tommy&rsquo;s front yard was quite a sight.&rdquo;The champs were ready for more two days later when an estimated 80.000 fans wedged their way into Point State Park downtown to whoop it up and gawk at the Cup.Lemieux presented the trophy to the city and the fans. Then each player had a special moment&mdash;a chance to lift it in victory.Bourque set the mood again.&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s take it out on the river,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and party all summer!&rdquo; &#9632;

PENGUINS PERPETUATE STANLEY CUP TRADITION

<div class="byline">BY GARY OLSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011417/5950549-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Pittsburgh Penguins left Bobby Smith and the North Stars down and out.</figcaption></div>The North Stars didn&rsquo;t get a drink from the Stanley Cup but they became the toast of the Minnesota sports community with an incredible journey into the playoffs.Three minutes&mdash;the first three minutes&mdash;in Game 4 of the finals robbed the North Stars of their Met Center mystique and gave the Pittsburgh Penguins the momentum to win the Cup.The Pens jumped ahead 3-0 at the start of Game 4 and hung on to win 5-3, including an empty-net goal, to tie the series 2-2. They led 4-0 in the first period of Game 5 in Pittsburgh and swamped the Stars 8-0 in the deciding game of the finals.Even though the Stars didn&rsquo;t get to raise the Cup this season, along the way they raised the expectations of the team and the community. Mediocrity is no longer an acceptable standard in Minnesota.A season that began with a new owner, a new general manager, a new coach and hundreds of excuses for poor play ended two games shy of the Stanley Cup.The North Stars were emotionally bankrupt after successful series against Chicago and St. Louis, the NHL&rsquo;s two best regular-season teams, and defending champion Edmonton. There&rsquo;s little good that can be said about how it all ended but that&rsquo;s what happens when the wheels fall off a wagon that wasn&rsquo;t built to go so far so fast.&ldquo;My only thoughts are good thoughts about all we&rsquo;ve accomplished,&rsquo;&rsquo; owner Norman Green said. &ldquo;We had an empty building and we filled it, we had a losing team and they became champions.&rdquo;Green didn&rsquo;t even own the North Stars a year ago.Howard Baldwin, a Hollywood dealmaker with a yearning to get back into hockey after being dumped a couple years earlier by Hartford, and Morris Belzberg, a retired rent-a-car executive, bought the team from George and Gordon Gund. The Gunds had threatened to move the Stars to the Bay Area if they didn&rsquo;t get what they wanted: A hockey team for the Bay Area.Baldwin and Belzberg sold to Green, a minority owner of the Calgary Flames for 10 years.Part of the NHL&rsquo;s accommodations to the Gund brothers and a condition of the sale was the opportunity to stock the expansion Sharks, at least partially, through a feeding in the Minnesota talent pool.That process was completed May 30 when the Stars stocked the Sharks with 24 players and two draft picks. Among the losses were just four North Stars&rsquo; regulars: Backup goalie Brian Hayward, one of five goalies claimed by the Sharks; defensemen Neil Wilkinson and Rob Zettler, and crash-and-clash forward Shane Churla, a player whose heart is bigger than his statistics.The Stars recouped their losses by claiming nine players in the expansion draft later that same day. The list includes defensemen Rob Ramage, Dave Babych, Charlie Huddy and Alan Pedersen and forwards Kelly Kisio and Randy Gilhen.The revised player swap was the handiwork of Green and general manager Bob Clarke, hired by the Stars less than two months after he had been fired by the Flyers.It took Clarke just 11 days to hire Bob Gainey.Together, Clarke and Gainey brought high expectations to a team used to high turmoil. Gainey is the sixth coach since November, 1984; Clarke is the third manager since &lsquo;88 and Green is the third owner since June.A season that was to last 113 games and 260 days, farther into spring than any North Stars&rsquo; season before it, began with a Friendship Tour in the Soviet Union. It&rsquo;s perhaps the last place on earth that Clarke and Gainey wanted to go with a team they knew little about.After a few more exhibition games closer to home, it became obvious the North Stars looked more like the Flyers that got Clarke fired than the Canadiens that Gainey left behind.Only 5,730 fans came out to see the openingnight game against the St. Louis Blues, the smallest opening-night crowd in team history. A 3-9-3 record at the start seemed to erase the progress made the two seasons before and tell the fans it was okay to stay away.The North Stars played past Thanksgiving Day with four victories, 14 losses and five ties. They had a lot in common with the turkeys on the table as the NHL feasted on their carcass.There was talk that it might be prudent to sacrifice the season and take a dive big enough to get the No. 1 draft pick and superstar-to-be Eric Lindros.Neither Clarke nor Gainey is very good at orchestrating defeat.On the day of the Stars&rsquo; second road victory&mdash;Nov. 30 in Winnipeg, the 14th road game of the season&mdash;Cathy Gainey, Bob&rsquo;s wife, collapsed from the effects of a brain tumor. She had surgery five days later.That incident, as much as anything that happened on the ice, rallied the players around their new coach. They struggled together&mdash;they rode a 5-13-2 tailspin to the all-star break&mdash;but they learned from the coach&rsquo;s strength and his family&rsquo;s courage.The start of something good happened on the day before the break: The North Stars became tough to beat at Met Center, a pattern that lasted until the last two games against the Penguins.The first obvious signs that there was life among the Stars happened after the all-star break when they fashioned a 12-5-6 record, including a 6-1-5 stretch that lasted into the final two weeks of the season.&ldquo;We could see the team coming together,&rdquo; Clarke said. &ldquo;We had become a respectable opponent for anybody. Right now we&rsquo;re like a lot of teams: We have some strengths and some weaknesses. We either have to correct the weaknesses or camouflage them and hope our strengths are enough to carry us.&rdquo;The optimism of spring took a beating when the North Stars lost six of their last eight games and finished with the 16th best record (27-39 14) in the NHL. More acccurately, that&rsquo;s alsc the sixth worst record in the league. Only Quebec won fewer road games the Stars&rsquo; eight and no one attracted fewer fans than the Stars&rsquo; total of 313,522 fans.The magic of the playoffs started in Game 1 against Chicago when the North Stars defeated the Blackhawks 4-3.Three power-play goals from 11 power-play chances pointed the Stars in the right direction and by the end of the series, Minnesota had scored 15 power-play goals on 54 chances and left the Blackhawks clinging to the President&rsquo;s Trophy and little else.Stewart Gavin and Gaetan Duchesne wrote the final chapter of the St. Louis Blues&rsquo; season by shutting down NHL super shot Brett Hull. He had 86 goals in the regular season and eight more in the first round of the playoffs but only scored three goals against the Stars.The Blues, like the Hawks before them, lost in six games.The defending champion Oilers only lasted five. Mark Messier was hurt and Grant Fuhr wasn&rsquo;t as hot as Stars&rsquo; goalie Jon Casey, who moved among the league&rsquo;s elite goalies&mdash;he had a 2.82 goals-against average at Christmas and 3.04 GAA in the playoffs.The North Stars kept pace with the Penguins through four games but the emotional fever of the first three series was gone and the series was even only in the record book.&ldquo;We need to forget the last game and realize what an incredible journey these players have taken us on,&rdquo; Clarke said. &#9632;

f0007-01

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

<div class="byline">BY ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011500/5950580-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mario Lemieux&rsquo;s two-month layoff helped the Pens learn to play as a team.</figcaption></div>He started his pro career in 1984 with an uneasy command of the English language and a tendency to start every sent-ence with the phrase, &ldquo;But of course&hellip;&rdquo;The Pittsburgh Penguins were a 38-point team when Mario Lemieux arrived and, despite his scoring titles and a Hart Trophy, they didn&rsquo;t get much better in his first six seasons with the NHL team.In his seventh season, Lemieux actually missed the first 50 games recovering from offseason back surgery and its complications. Lemieux&rsquo;s injury forced the Penguins to learn how to win without him. In the end, that may also be how they learned to win with him and how he came to skate off with the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Penguins won their first Stanley Cup.Gradually, the Penguins improved over the two-month playoff marathon as Lemieux&rsquo;s health and play also improved. When it was all over, Lemieux didn&rsquo;t even get a chance to utter those four magic words, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Going To Dis-neyland.&rdquo; Not that it mattered in the heady moments of the Stanley Cup celebration.Lemieux waited for this night a long time, not just during the disheartening years he spent playing for a struggling franchise, but for all the 25 years he spent on the planet.&ldquo;It means everything,&rdquo; saidLemieux, &ldquo;tobe part of a championship team, especially after last year when I played most of the season with back pain, then the surgery. I didn&rsquo;t think I would come back that strong. Towards the end of the year, I was able to do that. Every time you&rsquo;ve got a chance to be in the Stanley Cup final and win it, it&rsquo;s the ultimate dream. It feels great.&rdquo;In the Stanley Cup final, Lemieux played as if he were on a mission. The rest of the Penguins took their cue from him.&ldquo;I have to be a leader on the ice,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My job is to go out and score a big goal and make the big plays and lead the team. When you play in the Stanley Cup final, you play different.&rdquo;Lemieux became the focal point of the series after the first game, in which the North Stars did a good job of limiting his effectiveness. He essentially won the second game for them by scoring the pivotal third goal in a 4-1 victory, turning defenseman Shawn Chambers into a pretzel and then finishing off the play with a dazzling move on goaltender Jon Casey.Then in Game 3, the last one the North Stars would win, Lemieux was an 1 Ith-hour scratch, the result of back spasms that flared up when of all things he bent over to lace up his skates. Lemieux&rsquo;s availability quickly became the story and Penguins&rsquo; management won no friends among the assembled press corps by making Lemieux unavailable the day before Game 4.The overriding feeling was that Lemieux would play, however. He did, of course, and his presence in the lineup made a tangible difference in the Penguins&rsquo; confidence level.They were up 2-0 before he ever stepped on the ice. As if to send a message to the North Stars, Lemieux scored a goal 22 seconds into his first shift. Minnesota never led in the series again.Lemieux finished the final series with 12 points in five games and for a brief illustration of how he dominated, you need only consider an 80-second span of the sixth and deciding game.The situation: The Penguins were up by a goal but playing two men down, courtesy of minor penalties against Kevin Stevens and Gordie Roberts. Pittsburgh lost the faceoff, but Lemieux managed to get out between the point men, Neal Broten and Mike Modano. When Broten tried to feed a pass to Modano, Lemieux used his long reach to touch the puck out of the zone.As Lemieux went off to chase it, Modano tapped him with his stick. Lemieux, perhaps a touch theatrically, crumpled in a heap, forcing referee Don Koharski to call a penalty on the play, negating the two-man advantage.Seconds later, on the North Stars&rsquo; four-on-three power play, defenseman Larry Murphy dumped the puck out of the Penguins&rsquo; zone.Lemieux, hovering just inside the red line, played the carom beautifully and outraced Brian Bellows. With only one possible play because of Bellows&rsquo; angle on him, Lemieux deked to the backhand and fooled Casey completely with his move.His shorthanded goal put the Penguins two up and caused the North Stars to lose what little remained of their poise.Afterwards, Lemieux was asked to describe the feeling of winning the Stanley Cup.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a greater feeling than I ever thought it could be,&rdquo; said Lemieux. &ldquo;I talked to Mario Tremblay and to Pierre Bouchard about this last week in Pittsburgh and they told me about the feeling. I never thought it would be that great.&rdquo;The Penguins&rsquo; win will also put a final rest to Lemieux&rsquo;s undeserved reputation as a floater, a player who didn&rsquo;t try every night. Somehow, that tag always follows around all the big men in the game from the Jean Beliveaus to the Frank Mahovliches.The fact is, Lemieux showed a ton of heart this season in the way he came back from the back injury that troubled him for almost two seasons. Right up until the final game, Lemieux&rsquo;s season read like a M*A*S*H script. Surgery in July to correct the disk problem. An infection that spread to his back in September. The two months flat on his back in a hospital bed followed by a lengthy home convalescence. His girlfriend had to learn how to administer the antibiotics intravenously.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;HE HAD THAT LOOK IN HIS EYE&rsquo;:STEVENS.</blockquote>Then there was the painfully slow recovery, the times when he could barely walk, the deep-seated fears that he would never play again.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a lot of admiration for him,&rdquo; said coach Bob Johnson. &ldquo;Hey, this guy was in serious trouble. He missed 50 games and when he came back he wasn&rsquo;t in any shape to play. Then he had a foot and a groin and an eye injury. He never had the chance to practise. But he got better and better. I think this series has really been great for Mario Lemieux. He has had a chance to show what he can really, really do.&rdquo;After Game 2, Stevens commented: &ldquo;Mario&rsquo;s just playing great hockey and I love to see it. Because I don&rsquo;t think people realize how bad his injury was. You lay in bed for six or seven weeks and see if you can come out and play under the heat he&rsquo;s playing under.&rdquo;In the end, Lemieux produced 44 points, the second-highest playoff scoring total ever. Wayne Gretzky scored 47 in 1985.He showed resilience in the finals and an occasional mean streak, but mainly he showed his wonderful talents, which put a special cast on an otherwise nondescript series.&ldquo;Whenever you have a guy like Mario,&rdquo; said Stevens, &ldquo;you try to build a team around him. 1 think we have that now.&ldquo;I knew our team was ready. I can usually tell. We were pretty focussed. Mario was ready and when the big guy&rsquo;s ready, so is everybody else. I looked across at him, he had that look in his eye all day that he would do whatever it took to win.&rdquo;The final word from Mario was a brief comment on his reputation: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t worry too much about what people say. I didn&rsquo;t worry too much about what people thought.&rdquo;Now, of course, he needn&rsquo;t worry about a thing. &#9632;

f0008-01

CONN MAN

<div class="byline">BY DAMIEN COX</div>Bob Goodenow remembers the incident with a quiet chuckle.It occurred at a meeting last August in Cape Cod between the NHL owners and the players and their representatives. Goodenow, deputy executive director of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, said an otherwise &ldquo;gentle meeting&rdquo; was interrupted by a heated moment between himself and NHL president John Ziegler.&ldquo;I went back and forth with John over a matter,&rdquo; recalls Goodenow. &ldquo;He described it as being apples and oranges. I said, no, we&rsquo;re both talking apples.&ldquo;About a month later, a magazine arrived on apples and oranges and stuff like that. It had a note attached&mdash;from John Ziegler.&rdquo;Goodenow uses the story to relay a personal rule of negotiating, namely that both sides should be able to disagree, but still retain their respective senses of humour. But he also sees the moment as a reference point for what is expected to be a heated summer of collective bargaining agreement talks between the union and the league.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011449/5950618-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="720" height="887"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Goodenow has kept a low profile since joining the NHLPA.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I hope this summer we II be talking about Macintosh versus Delicious,&rdquo; he laughs.One suspects, however, the players and owners won&rsquo;t even be talking fruit when serious negotiations open next month. The differences between the two sides as the NHL lifts off into a new era seem, at least from the outside, to be vast.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021028/5950611-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="719" height="887"><figcaption class="caption-body">NHL president John Ziegler is looking at a long hot summer.</figcaption></div>The players want to see salaries continue on an upward curve. The owners believe monetary matters are out of hand already. The players want less restricted tree agency, home NHL owners believe teams aren&rsquo;t compensated enough under existing rules. Andon it goes. The amateur draft, waiver rules, a drug and alcohol policy&mdash;it seems the two sides are headed for confrontation at every turn.That&rsquo;s where Goodenow comes in. Since taking over full-time as deputy executive director last September&mdash;he will assume the mantle of executive director from Alan Eagleson at the end of this year&mdash;Goodenow has been extremely, and some say surprisingly, low-profile.So what has he been doing? Well, he has been travelling, listening, consulting, probing, cajoling and, in his own words, &ldquo;training&rdquo; for the upcoming negotiations, probably the most important in NHL history.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like the way the Soviets train for a tournament for months,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been preparing and training for months. I&rsquo;m getting ready to do my job.&rdquo;Although he was officially appointed Eagle-son&rsquo;s successor 16 months ago, Goodenow didn&rsquo;t rid himself of all his prior commitments&mdash;and clients-&mdash;until last September. Since then, his life has been a whirlwind of activity, if not headlines and controversy.He kicked off his new post with a trip to the Soviet Union along with two touring NHL clubs last September. In October and November, he set out to meet with the players on all 21 NHL clubs to introduce himself, outline the general approach of the association and get a little early feedback, a task that had him on the road for 25 of October&rsquo;s 31 days.In December, the serious planning began with a review of the key issues for this summer&rsquo;s bargaining. That included tabulating the results of a questionnaire circulated among the more than 500 players.At a January meeting of the 21 player representatives and their alternates at the All-Star Game in Chicago, Goodenow began what he calls &ldquo;collective preparation,&rdquo; which featured working with the player reps on several &ldquo;lesson plans&rdquo; on specific issues. Five key areas&mdash;dispute resolution, waivers, pensions, free agency and several miscellaneous issues&mdash;were isolated and analyzed according to their historical background, a comparison to other sports, the current situation, problem areas and features that are currently working well.&ldquo;We picked the areas that were most important for the membership to understand,&rdquo; says Goodenow.Each team rep then took the lesson plans back to his own teammates and held special sessions throughout February. At each session, attendance was taken and comments and questions were recorded to be sent back to the NHLPA office.This accomplished a key goal of Goode-now&rsquo;s, namely to increase player knowledge of the issues and participation in the collection bargaining process.Goodenow also held some informal chats with the owners and Ziegler in March.In April, he attended the world championships in Finland, and in May conducted a workshop for player agents, which was addressed by well-regarded baseball agent Randy Hen-dricks.&ldquo;I have spent a tremendous amount of time getting a feel for the pulse of things,&rdquo; says Goodenow. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked extensively to coaches, players, owners, agents, managers, sponsors&mdash;you name it. I&rsquo;m trying to understand the business of hockey, which is what it&rsquo;s all about.&rdquo;In speaking to Goodenow, it&rsquo;s easy to sense that along the way he has seen the way the association has operated for more than two decades under Eagleson&rsquo;s rule, and has discarded it as a working model. He talks about making the union more responsive&mdash;&rdquo;If that sounds like it wasn&rsquo;t responsive in the past, in some cases it wasn&rsquo;t&rdquo;&mdash;emphasizes that he reports to the players executive committee, not Eagleson, and relays the happiness with which his new regime has been greeted by the players.&ldquo;The guys like the fresh approach. I know they do,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We have to start something new. We have a lot of ground to make up because historically, this association has been a very tight circle. I&rsquo;ve given everyone a wake up call.&rdquo;Part of what makes Goodenow&rsquo;s first months on the job seem so dull and uneventful, is that they contrast so sharply with Eagleson&rsquo;s stormy and always newsworthy reign. That deflection of attention from himself seems to be part and parcel of Goodenow&rsquo;s strategy as he carves out a new niche for himself and his union.&ldquo;I try to be as calculating as I can be all the time,&rdquo; he says.The most important decision to come from Goodenow&rsquo;s office was probably his refusal to agree to an owners&rsquo; proposal to allow 18-year-olds to be eligible for all 12 rounds of the June draft, not just the first three. That was done with typical steely resolve and a lack of fanfare and publicity.The one glitch on his resume may be in his dealings with the retired players who are suing the NHL for millions in pensions monies. Goodenow and his player reps rebuffed a request by the former players to address the AllStar Game meeting because the agenda was already too full.He privately indicates to holding great sympathy for their cause, a tricky issue for him since part of their case is against what they allege is Eagleson&rsquo;s mismanagement of their pension fund.&ldquo;I think they&rsquo;ve got some questions, yeah,&rdquo; says Goodenow, who has been criticized by some of the retired players for not coming to their aid.That, however, may be partially because he&rsquo;s so focussed on the negotiations this summer that many speculate could result in a players&rsquo; strike or an owners lockout.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sensitive to the fact it&rsquo;s going to be a long summer,&rdquo; he says. &#9632;

f0009-01

GOOD AND READY

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Damien Cox</div>Now that the fun of an unusually surprising NHL season is over, it&rsquo;s confrontation time.Between the NHL owners and the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, that is, as they sit down to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement this summer.Here&rsquo;s a quick look at what to expect:<h2>Key Issues:</h2>1. Free agency: Specifically, the issue will be the compensation rules for teams that sign free agents. The players will contend current regulations restrict player mobility; the owners will argue the rules foster stability and competitive balance.2. Pensions: A key, but very complicated issue. A major point of discussion will be why the players currently have no representation on the NHL Pension Society, which regulates the league&rsquo;s pension plan.3. Revenue sharing: Other major professional sports have set a certain percentage of total league revenue to which the players are entitled. This could prove to be very difficult with the NHL, since the players contend they have little access to the owners books and have no idea what the league&rsquo;s revenue may be.4. Playoff and trophy cash awards: The players contend these are insufficient, such as the $25,000 amount given to each player on the Stanley Cup champion. If the player&rsquo;s team ends up playing the maxium of four, seven-game series, that works out to less than $1,000 per game.5. Drug and alcohol policy: The owners like the current system, which basically means players found using illegal drugs can be suspended indefinitely. The players favor a more sophisticated system that would address the issue of alcohol and give players opportunities for rehabilitation.6. Waivers, trades and the entry draft: These are all areas that involve the issue of player mobility, expected to be a cornerstone of the NHLPA&rsquo;s new philosphy.7. Length of contract: The owners will undoubtedly be looking for another four- or five-year deal, while the players will likely be interested in no more than a three-year agreement.<h2>Key players:</h2>For the owners, the two key figures in the bargaining are expected to be president John Ziegler and chief legal counsel Gil Stein, with influential individuals like Chicago owner Bill Wirtz, Montreal president Ron Corey, Detroit owner Mike Hitch and Quebec president Marcel Aubut helping to shape the debate.For the players, NHLPA deputy executive director Bob Goodenow will be the point man, but he reports to the five-man NHLPA executive committee, which includes Bryan Trottier, Bobby Smith, Ryan Walter, Kevin Dineen and Andy Moog.<h2>Key dates:</h2>The first week of formal, face-to-face meetings begin in late June, with two weeks of talks scheduled for July and one in August.The collective agreement now in force expires at midnight, Sept. 15. &#9632;

PENSIONS, FREE AGENCY, KEY ISSUES IN CBA TALKS

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011520/5950673-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brett Hull was once dubbed lazy; now he may be player of the year.</figcaption></div>Fat and lazy was the tag hung by scouts on Brett Hull early in his career.Well, he has certainly shed the lazy moniker and the only gorging he does these days is on opposition goalies.Hull, 26, defied the critics who said last season&rsquo;s 72-goal performance was a quirk by amassing 86-45-131 totals in 78 games this past season. For his outstanding year, Hull, along with Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings, has been named a finalist for the THN/Black Velvet NHL Player of the Year.The St. Louis Blue right winger&rsquo;s 86-goal campaign was the third highest total in NHL history, behind only Gretzky who totalled 92 and 87 in the early 1980s. The Belleville, Ont., native broke his own record for goals in a season by a right winger and also led the NHL with 29 power-play goals, 11 game-winning goals and 389 shots on goal.But perhaps the most astounding aspect of Hull&rsquo;s season was that he didn&rsquo;t collect a single empty-net or shorthanded score.Gretzky, meanwhile, returns as a Player of the Year finalist following a one-year hiatus. He has won the award eight times (sharing it with Mike Liut in 1981), but has been shut out since 1987.Said to be in decline by many preseason prognosticators, Gretzky proved he still has it at 30. The magical center began the campaign by attaining yet another historical milestone in Winnipeg. On Oct. 26, he earned an assist on a Tomas Sandstrom goal to give him 2,000 career points.He finished the year with 2,142 career points, (163 on the season), his ninth Art Ross Trophy as league scoring champ, a Smythe Division regular-season championship and a sore ear. Gretzky took a Steve Duchesne slap shot on the left ear during the second round of the playoffs in Edmonton.The Player of the Year Award winner. along with all of this year&rsquo;s THN award winners, will be honored at the Hockey News A wards Luncheon June 6 in Toronto. THN has named individual award winners since 1949 when goaltender Charlie Rayner of the New York Rangers was the first THN Player of the Year.The 1991 luncheon is THN&rsquo;s eighth such salute to its winners. For the second consecutive year, all of this year&rsquo;s NHL finalists were voted on by readers of The Hockey News, who cast their ballots 5,000 strong.<h2>OTHER FINALISTS</h2>THN/Pepsi NHL Rookie of the Year: Ed Belfour, Chicago; Sergei Fedorov, Detroit.Until Minnesota met Pittsburgh for the Stanley Cup, the season&rsquo;s best story was the play of Blackhawk rookie netminder. Ed Belfour.The 26-year-old goalie burst onto the NHL scene leading the league in goals-against average (2.47), wins (43) and save percentage (.910).Detroit&rsquo;s Sergei Fedorov created headlines of his own when he left the Soviet national team at last summer&rsquo;s Goodwill Games in Seattle.The gifted 6-foot-1 center exceeded expectations and led the league&rsquo;s rookies in points (79), goals (31), assists (48) and game-winning goals (five).THN NHL Coach of the Year: Mike Keenan, Chicago; Brian Sutter, St. Louis.Mike Keenan proved once again there&rsquo;s a method to his madness. Known as a disciplinarian, Keenan, who took on the added responsibility of general manager prior to the start of last season, was the brains behind the Hawks&rsquo; first-place overall finish.Following close on his heels was Brian Sutter&rsquo;s St. Louis Blues. The Hawks&rsquo; Norris rival, St. Louis finished just one point behind Chicago (106-105) thanks largely to Sutter&rsquo;s tenacious style. In his third season behind the Blues&rsquo; bench, Sutter was able to get the maximum from his hard-working, blue-collar team.THN/The Sports Network Executive of the Year: Ron Caron, St. Louis; Mike Keenan, Chicago.GMs Ron Caron and Mike Keenan like to exchange a few jokes on the golf course. In 1990-91, the two GMs matched one another stroke for stroke in making deals to help their clubs.Caron secured Hull with a megacontract, then enticed free-agent defenseman Scott Stevens from Washington with a similar offer. Then at the trade deadline he gambled and acquired Garth Butcher and Dan Quinn from Vancouver for four players, a trade that helped stabilize the Blues&rsquo; defense.Keenan&rsquo;s biggest move was trading Chicago folk hero Denis Savard to Montreal for defenseman Chris Che-lios in the summer of 1990. Chelios returned to his Norris Trophy winning form of 1989 and helped lead the Hawks to first place overall.THN/GTC Transcontinental Group International Personality of the Year: Dave King, coach, Canadian national team; Mats Sundin, RW, Quebec Nordiques.Dave King continued to forge a place for Canada in international hockey as he led Team Canada to a silver medal at the 1991 world championships. Though offered numerous and more lucrative postings in the NHL, King has continued to dedicate himself to the national program, thus earning a spot among international hockey&rsquo;s elite.Mats Sundin not only made news by leaving Sweden earlier than expected to join the Nordiques, but he was also the hero of Sweden&rsquo;s gold-medal winning performance at the world tournament. The 20-year-old right winger was the tourney&rsquo;s leading scorer and he netted the championship-clinching goal in a game against the Soviet Union.THN/Pro Set NHL Goalie of the Year: Belfour; Patrick Roy, Montreal.Many were conceding the Vezina Trophy to Roy before the season even began. But a combination of too much Belfour and too many injuries left Roy in a battle with the Hawk rookie netminder.Still, Roy enjoyed a solid year despite suffering two ankle injuries. His 2.71 GAA was third best in the league and his.906 save percentage was second best.<h2>ALL-STARS</h2>Listed below are the finalists for the THN/Jofa Titan All-Star Team:Center&mdash;Gretzky; Adam Oates, St. Louis.Left Wing&mdash;Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles; Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh.Right Wing&mdash;Theo Fleury, Calgary; Hull.Defense&mdash;Ray Bourque, Boston; Chris Chelios, Chicago; Paul Coffey, Pittsburgh; Al MacInnis, Calgary.Goal&mdash;Belfour; Andy Moog, Boston; Roy.<h2>OTHER NOMINEES</h2>THN Minor Pro Player of the Year: David Bruce, Peoria; Kevin Todd, Utica.THN Minor Pro Coach of the year: Bob Plager, Peoria; Jim Roberts, Springfield.THN/Bauer U.S. College Player of the Year: David Emma, Boston College; Brad Werenka, Northern Michigan.THN/Cooper Junior Player of the Year: Eric Lindros, Oshawa; Ray Whitney, Spokane.THN/Bauer CIAU Player of the Year: Robert Desjardins, Concordia; Wayne Hynes, Calgary.At the June 6 banquet, The Hockey News will also present the THN/Itech King Clancy Memorial Award to an individual who has made a substantial contribution to the game of hockey and who has continued to be involved in the game; the THN/Inside HOCKEY Man of the Year Award to an individual who has contributed to the betterment of hockey; and the THN/Jofa Titan Minor Hockey Player of the Year Award to an individual, chosen by the stick and equipment manufacturer. who represents all of minor hockey. &#9632;

f0010-01

ENVELOPE, PLEASE

<div class="byline">BY DAMIEN COX</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011373/5950704-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Sharks picked up promising goalie Jeff Hackett in the expansion draft.</figcaption></div>After months of waiting, San Jose finally, has some flesh-and-blood Sharks.The NHL&rsquo;s 22nd team&mdash;and first expansion entry in more than a decade&mdash;acquired its first live bodies May 30 through the leaguewide expansion draft and the controversial &ldquo;cross-pollination&rdquo; dispersal draft with the Minnesota North Stars.San Jose general manager Jack Ferreira sounded more relieved than anything to finally have more than just front office personnel under his charge in preparation for the 1991-92 season.&ldquo;The foundation for our franchise was laid today,&rdquo; Ferreira told a San Jose press conference and international conference call media audience on the day of the dual draft.Ferreira said he wasn&rsquo;t surprised with the 34 players&mdash;eight via the expansion draft, two from draft day trades and 25 from the North Star system&mdash;that he ended up with.&ldquo;The Minnesota deal was pretty cut and dried,&rdquo; he said of the hotly-disputed and once-altered player agreement between the Sharks and Stars. &ldquo;We had projected four or five players on each team we felt were on the bubble, and those were the players we concentrated on with our scouting.&rdquo;The expansion draft yielded some decent talent for the Sharks&mdash;New York Islander goalie Jeff Hackett and Chicago defenseman Bob McGill were the most notable&mdash;and Ferreira used two players he picked up from other teams to make a pair of trades. After drafting the oft-injured Tim Kerr from Philadelphia, Ferreira swapped him immediately to the New York Rangers for left winger Brian Mullen and future considerations.&ldquo;We drafted (Kerr) with the intention of trading him,&rdquo; said the San Jose GM.Philadelphia GM Russ Farwell was active in another deal on draft day, this one of major proportions. Farwell swapped Scott Mellanby, Craig Berube and Craig Fisher to Edmonton for the rights to Jari Kurri, plus tough guy Dave Brown and minor-league defenseman Corey Foster. The Philly GM then turned around and peddled Kurri and defenseman Jeff Chychrun to Los Angeles&mdash;where Kurri will rejoin former teammate Wayne Gretzky&mdash;for defenseman Steve Duschene, veteran center Steve Kasper and a fourth-round draft pick this month.Greg Paslawski, taken from Buffalo&rsquo;s unprotected list, also lasted only minutes as a Shark before being shipped to the Quebec Nordiques for center Tony Hrkac.But the key source of talent that puts the Sharks in a better short-term position than any expansion club in 20 years was the disperal draft with Minnesota.San Jose acquired four North Stars capable of being regulars immediately in goalie Brian Hayward, young defensemen Neil Wilkinson and Rob Zettler, and burly forward Shane Churla. The Sharks then took 21 young players out of the North Star system, including goalie Jarmo Myllys, defensemen Dean Kolstad and Pat MacLeod, left winger J.F. Quintin and 1989 first-round draft pick Doug Zmolek, also a defenseman.The Sharks also took problem child Link Gaetz off the North Stars&rsquo; hands, prompting these words from San Jose director of player development Chuck Grillo.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the meanest kids living. That&rsquo;s the easiest way to explain him,&rdquo; said Grillo. The 6-foot-4 Gaetz, nicknamed the Missing Link, was twice suspended for alcohol-related incidents last season.The North Stars decided to retain promising winger Mike Craig, who they would have lost under the original deal, and in return gave San Jose their second pick in this month&rsquo;s entry draft and their first pick next season.&ldquo;Because we&rsquo;re getting some draft choices, we didn&rsquo;t get some of the immediate help we would have got initially,&rdquo; said Ferreira.Minnesota GM Bob Clarke, a bitter critic of the original deal that was spawned by former North Star owners George and Gordon Gund as a payoff for leaving a franchise in Minnesota, said he was pleased with the final results.Clarke had the option of retaining Wilkinson and Zettler and giving up defenseman Brian Glynn and forward Ulf Dahlen, an option he was expected to exercise.Instead, he chose to hang on to the Glynn-Dahlen combination.&ldquo;We felt that Wilkinson and Glynn are similar players, and we thought that in the expansion draft we would be able to get a defenseman to replace Zettler,&rdquo; explained Clarke. &ldquo;But we didn&rsquo;t think we would be able to get a forward to replace Dahlen.&rdquo;Clarke did pick up some experienced defensive help in the draft when he selected Toronto captain Rob Ramage, Hartford&rsquo;s Dave Babych, Boston Bruin blueliner Allen Pedersen and Edmonton&rsquo;s Charlie Huddy, slated to become a free agent July 1.The area in which the North Stars probably lost the most was goaltending. They sacrificed a capable backup to Jon Casey in Hayward, and gave up some youth and depth in Myllys and Soviet goalie Artur Urbe.Clarke used the expansion draft to acquire Ranger captain Kelly Kisio, Pittsburgh penalty killer Randy Gilhen and several minor leaguers in center Rob Murray (Washington), center Tyler Larter (Winnipeg) and right winger Jim Thomson (Los Angeles). Murray was subsequently traded to Winnipeg for a seventh-round draft pick.Clarke also selected retired Quebec Nordique right winger Guy Lafleur, but not because he wants to lure The Flower back for another year. The league blocked Clarke&rsquo;s attempt to draft Alan Haworth, now playing in Europe, because Huddy had already been taken and only one free agent was permitted to be selected in the draft. The next day Lafleur was traded back to Quebec for Haworth.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to embarass Quebec, but there was no one else to take if I can&rsquo;t take Haworth,&rdquo; said Clarke. &ldquo;I know Guy is retired and has no intention of coming, but we didn&rsquo;t just want to pick up a contract for the sake of it.&rdquo;San Jose&rsquo;s other selections in the expansion draft were: Defenseman Jayson More (Montreal), defenseman Rick Lessard (Calgary), right winger Jeff Madill (New Jersey), right winger David Bruce (St. Louis), center Craig Coxe (Vancouver) and center Bengt Gustafs-son, who was the property of Detroit and played in Europe last year.Ferreira admitted his club will likely be shy some offense next fall, but promised to go after some free agents this summer to address that problem.&ldquo;I talked to two or three GMs who have been in this position before, and they all said the one thing you miss starting off is big goal scorers,&rdquo; he said.<h2>SHARKS</h2>The San Jose Sharks acquired 34 players May 30. In the cross-pollination draft, the Sharks got 24 players from the Minnesota North Stars and 10 players in the expansion draft. (For details see page 40.)CENTER: Tony Hrkac, Craig Coxe, Murray Garbutt, John Weisbrod.LEFT WING: Brian Mullen, Jean-Francois Quintin, Kevin Evans, Mike McHugh.RIGHT WING: Bengt Gustafsson, Shane Churla, David Bruce, Jeff Madill, Peter Lappin. Ed Courtenay, Rob Gaudreau.DEFENSE: Bob McGill. Neil Wilkinson, Rob Zettler, Dan Keczmer, Link Gaetz, Rick Lessard, Doug Zmolek, Jayson More, Dean Kolstad, Pat MacLeod. Shaun Kane. Larry Olimb, Tom Pederson.GOAL: Brian Hayward, Jeff Hackett, Jarmo Myllys. Scott Cashman, Bryan Artur Irbe<h2>NORTH STARS</h2>The Minnesota North Stars lost 24 players to the San Jose Sharks May 30. Only four players&mdash;Brian Hayward, Neil Wilkinson. Shane Churla and Rob Zettler&mdash;were on the NHL roster. The North Stars then acquired 10 players to give them a new-look roster.CENTER: Neal Broten, Dave Gagner, Bobby Smith, Kelly Kisio, Marc Bureau, Perry Berezan, Randy Gilhen, Tyler Larter.LEFT WING: Brian Bellows, Brian Propp, Gaetan Duchesne, Basil McRae, Larry DePalma.RIGHT WING: Stewart Gavin, Mike Modano, Ulf Dahlen, Mike Craig, Doug Smail. Jim Thomson.DEFENSE: Mark Tinordi, Chris Dahl-quist. Brian Glynn, Jim Johnson. Rob Ramage, Shawn Chambers, Allen Pedersen, Curt Giles. Charlie Huddy, Dave Babych.GOAL: Jon Casey, Steve Guenette, Darcy Wakaluk. &#9632;

f0011-01

SHARK BAIT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011384/5950735-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="493" height="622"><figcaption class="caption-body">STAN FISCHLER</figcaption></div>Some post playoff punditry&hellip;&#9632; Since the Stanley Cup is the most important pageant of the season, it&rsquo;s stupid to exclude playoff performance when voting for annual awards. Which means Mark Tinordi would be a first team all-star defenseman, alongside Ulf Samuelsson.&#9632; Nothing upstaged the magnificent image of the Minnesota-Pittsburgh finals than the idiotic sight of nets coming off their moorings every time Tom Barrasso exhaled.&#9632; Speaking of tainted image, what about all those jerks who are defacing the league&rsquo;s reputation for integrity with their asinine dives, faked injuries and other obvious attempts at cheating. I might add that Samuelsson&rsquo;s dying swan act in Game 4&mdash;after he received a love tap in front of the North Stars&rsquo; net&mdash;was phonier than a $4 bill.&#9632; Having the Penguins and Stars in the finals was both a joy and disaster. The pleasure was in seeing a club climb out of the NHL cellar smelling like Norman Green&rsquo;s aftershave lotion. The grief was in the endless wails of complaints from critics putting down an under-.500 club going so far.&#9632; The biggest dilemma for Green&mdash;and don&rsquo;t for a second underestimate it&mdash;is what does he do for an encore in 1991-92?&#9632; The most sensible answer to the roving net-running-the-goalie migraine is to return to the old stick-it-in-the-ice nets. In the long run, they&rsquo;d be safer than the present wandering goals because oncoming attackers would once again respect the sanctity of the crease.&#9632; NHL semantics are funny. When a Samuelsson plays mean-spirited hockey, he&rsquo;s a dirty Swede. When a Tinordi does it, he&rsquo;s a hard-nosed Canadian.&#9632; Can someone please tell me what the Blues were thinking when they put Gordie Roberts out to pasture? He was a good reason why the Pittsburgh defense was better than its St. Louis counterpart.&#9632; Video replay is the most important addition the league can develop to legitimize confounding officiating. Sorry, but the NHL has exhausted all its alibis.&#9632; Media hissing and moaning over Mario Lemieux&rsquo;s unavailability a day after he missed Game 3 of the final was a bit much. The Penguins were zealously guarding their injured icon and it served no purpose for them&mdash;right in the middle of the Great War&mdash;to deliver Le Magnifique to the press on a platter.&#9632; With a solid nucleus left over from the upcoming San Jose stripping, the North Stars should be good for second place and at least seven games above. 500 over 80 games in 199192.&#9632; The most paradoxical player over four rounds was Paul Coffey. In my eyes he&rsquo;s the most lyrical, wonderful, speedy player to watch, Gretzky and Lemieux included. Yet the Penguins seem a better team without him because he throws them out of sync.&#9632; Jim Paek will be a great player for Pittsburgh next year.&#9632; Putting games on pay-per-view was not exactly the best public relations move Norm Green could have made. However, he escaped much of the fans&rsquo; wrath because of the general euphoria over his orbiting North Stars.&#9632; The most botched-up advantage of the finals was Minny&rsquo;s failure to erase a one-goal deficit on a five-minute power play late in Game 4 at the Met Center.&#9632; The most insightful pre-playoff remark&mdash;in terms of what eventually happened&mdash;belonged to Bob Johnson. The Badger was right on when he proclaimed, &ldquo;The Penguins will go as far as Tom Barrasso will take them.&rdquo;&#9632; Jon Casey is a terrific defensive defenseman but I still can&rsquo;t figure out whether he&rsquo;s a good goalie or not.&#9632; Kevin Stevens&rsquo; into-the-corner-around-Rod Lang way goal in the Caps-Pens&rsquo; series was right out of the Rocket Richard playbook. The Rocket did precisely the same thing against allstar defenseman Bill Quackenbush. The only difference was Stevens banked his shot off the goalpost past Andy Moog while Richard jammed his puck between Sugar Jim Henry&rsquo;s pads.&#9632; By the way, Stevens will become a superstar when he gets a little more Bob Probert in him.&#9632; You have to be happy for Phil Bourque&mdash;whether he shaves again or not&mdash;for demonstrating how far a plumber can go and that nice guys don&rsquo;t always finish last.&#9632; The North Stars&rsquo; staying power was proven against Edmonton. In the first five minutes of each game, the Oilers made Minnesota look like a bunch of snowshoeing amateurs. But Gainey&rsquo;s guys hung in there&mdash;proving that a good playoff run has much to do with perserverance.Stan Fischler is a freelance writer based in New York City. &#9632;

f0013-01

PLAYOFF HEROICS DESERVE RECOGNITION

<h2>JETS</h2>Plans for a new arena in downtown Winnipeg were unveiled May 31. Registered under the name Manitoba Gardens Corp., it&rsquo;s the brainchild of and will be controlled by the Winnipeg Convention Centre board. Scott Walker, Convention Centre GM, is said to be the driving force behind the undertaking. The site for the 18,000-seat Manitoba Gardens is on two parking-lot blocks across from the Convention Centre. The building&rsquo;s expected cost is $60 million. The majority of the funding for Manitoba Gardens is expected to come from private sources and projected completion is early 1994&hellip;Contract negotiations between GM Mike Smith and Don Baizley, agent for 1988 first-round draft pick Teemu Selanne of Finland, have not produced any fruit and Selanne is now expected to remain in Finland for this year&rsquo;s Canada Cup, the 1992 Olympics and World Championships.<h2>SHARKS</h2>The San Jose Sharks put a priority on toughness when they acquired their first players, and defenseman Link Gaetz fits the mold perfectly. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the meanest kids playing hockey,&rdquo; said Chuck Grillo, the team&rsquo;s director of player personnel. &ldquo;In fact, I think he&rsquo;s one of the meanest kids living.&rdquo; Gaetz, 22, proved that by piling up 222 penalty minutes in only 28 games in the IHL last season&hellip;GM Jack Ferreira said the list of candidates for the Sharks No. 2 overall pick has been reduced to defenseman Scott Lachance of Boston University, center Pat Falloon of the Spokane Chiefs and defenseman Scott Niedermayer of the Kamloops Blazers&hellip;The Sharks have surpassed the 6,700 mark in season-ticket sales for games at the Cow Palace next season.<h2>OILERS</h2>Oilers&rsquo; GM Glen Sather reacted bitterly to a three-game suspension imposed on right winger Glenn Anderson to begin the 1991-92 season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s ridiculous, a total farce,&rdquo; scowled Sather of the fact Anderson was suspended for kicking Minnesota&rsquo;s Gaetan Duchesne during Game 4 of the Campbell Conference championship. &ldquo;Kicking an opponent is one of the most serious offenses a player can commit,&rdquo; said NHL executive vice-president Brian O&rsquo;Neill. &ldquo;In this case, although Anderson may have been attempting to push Duchesne away, it is clear that he did deliberately hit him with his skate and did so with sufficient severity to cause an injury.&rdquo; Sather was particularly peeved that Minnesota&rsquo;s Bobby Smith escaped a suspension for crosschecking Oilers&rsquo; Martin Gelinas to the head during the same game. &ldquo;They ruled Smith stumbled into Gelinas. That&rsquo;s a total farce. They must have been looking at a different film than anybody else in North America.&rdquo;<h2>CANUCKS</h2>The immediate future of fired head coach Bob McCammon remained unclear. GM Pat Quinn said he has told McCammon to seek employment elsewhere if he can improve himself. If he doesn&rsquo;t find a job he likes, McCammon can remain with the Canucks in an unspecified role, Quinn said. &ldquo;His duties would depend on whether or not I end up as coach,&rdquo; Quinn said. McCammon, who did some scouting for the Canucks after he was fired as coach Jan. 31 after 3&frac12; seasons, was told two other teams had enquired about his availability. &ldquo;But those teams haven&rsquo;t called me yet,&rdquo; McCammon said. His contract with the Canucks expired June l&hellip;St. Louis GM Ron Caron said he&rsquo;s interested in dealing for Vancouver&rsquo;s first-round pick at the June draft&mdash;No. 7 overall. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re only interested in No. 7,&rdquo; said Caron. &ldquo;If No. 7 is too much, then we certainly can&rsquo;t afford No. 6.&rdquo; The Blues need a pick in the top seven&mdash;to avoid giving the Washington Capitals five, first-round picks&mdash;as their equalization payment for signing free-agent defenseman Scott Stevens.<h2>KINGS</h2>It&rsquo;s possible Los Angeles and the New York Rangers will play an exhibition game in Las Vegas next fall&mdash;outdoors, on a specially-constructed rink on the Caesars Palace parking lot. Kings&rsquo; owner Bruce McNall would only say such a game &ldquo;is a possibilty,&rdquo; while GM Rogie Vachon said, &ldquo;Nothing&rsquo;s confirmed yet.&rsquo;&rsquo;&hellip;The Kings will open the 1991-92 regular season Oct. 4 in Winnipeg and meet Edmonton in their home opener Oct. 8. It&rsquo;ll be the first time since they began the 1976-77 season in Cleveland that the Kings will begin a season on the road&hellip;It&rsquo;s likely the Kings will attempt to sell the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL and keep the IHL&rsquo;s Phoenix Roadrunners as their sole minor-league affiliate. &ldquo;We could probably save $1 million in salaries alone.&rdquo; said Vachon.<h2>FLAMES</h2>Sergei Makarov will be back in the NHL after all next season, but not necessarily with Calgary Flames. Makarov met with Cliff Fletcher, the Flames&rsquo; former GM, upon his return from the World Championships and indicated he wanted to play in Calgary next season&mdash;but would accept a trade elsewhere if the Flames weren&rsquo;t prepared to play him more. Since GM/coach Doug Risebrough does not guarantee ice time to even his best players, chances are the Flames will move Makarov, if not this summer, then early next season&hellip;Fletcher, speaking to reporters following the recent GM&rsquo;s luncheon, said he does not listen to newspaper polls telling him who to trade and who to keep. &ldquo;If you run a sport franchise based on a few polls, you&rsquo;ll be in last place in an awful hurry,&rdquo; he said. &#9632;

JETS TO GET NEW HOME BY 1994

A Stanley Cup winner in three of his lour seasons with loronto (1946-50), Garth Boesch, 70, is retired and living in Mountain View, Calif. Boesch and defensive partner Bill Barilko were fathers of the blocked shot. &ldquo;It seems to have caught on, doesn&rsquo;t it,&rdquo; Boesch said. The Minestone, Sask., native lives 30 miles from the NHL&rsquo;s newest team in San Jose. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll watch their games, but 1&rsquo;11 always be a Maple Leaf,&rdquo; he said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02996/5950790-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="566" height="415"><figcaption class="caption-body">Garth Boesch</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0013-02

THEN & NOW

<div class="byline">BY ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div>He traded Brett Hull, which represents the only significant blot on Cliff Fletcher&rsquo;s distinguished record as general manager of the Calgary Flames.Fletcher ended his 19-year association with the NHL team May 16 when he resigned as president, governor and GM. Doug Risebrough replaces Fletcher as GM, while Bill Hay, the president of Hockey Canada, joins the Flames as team president.Fletcher will stay on in an advisory capacity until July 1, after which he will pursue other NHL opportunities. There is a strong possibility Fletcher will resurface as the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; chief of hockey operations. Fletcher has had preliminary discussions with the Leafs&rsquo; Don Giffin and plans to meet with him again.&ldquo;This is not a decision 1 made in the last month or two,&rdquo; said Fletcher. &ldquo;Last summer, before training camp opened, I asked myself: How many years do I plan to be in the job market? What do I want to do? I was becoming a bit stale. I&rsquo;m looking for a new challenge to get the competitive juices flowing again. It&rsquo;s not something you may understand, but maybe you will at a later stage in your career.&ldquo;Nineteen-and-a-half years is a long time.&rdquo;Apart from Fletcher&rsquo;s desire to seek a new challenge, there were family considerations that entered into his decision. Fletcher&rsquo;s wife, Boots, has spent much of the last couple of winters at their Florida condominium and became a U.S. citizen earlier this year.&ldquo;She told me if I behave myself, she would let me into her country,&rdquo; said Fletcher. &ldquo;Wherever I do end up will be a hell of a lot closer to Florida than where I am now.&rdquo;Fletcher received permission from the Flames&rsquo; six-man ownership consortium to explore other NHL opportunities. However, he was in no great hurry to find something permanent. Immediately following his resignation, Fletcher represented the Flames at the two-day, GMs&rsquo; meetings in Minneapolis.Managing an expansion team does not interest him, however.Expansion is something every young GM should go through once in his career, but no one should be forced to go through that twice, said Fletcher, who entered the NHL with the Atlanta Flames in 1972.Fletcher&rsquo;s legacy to the new man, Risebrough, is one of the deepest, most talented organizations in the NHL. As a GM, Fletcher represented a pioneer of sorts. In 1982, before it became a fashionable thing to do, he signed more than a dozen U.S. college free agents, players overlooked in the regular phase of the NHL entry draft. Not only did he acquire a number of useful players for his team&mdash;Joel Otto, Jamie Macoun, Colin Patterson&mdash;Fletcher traded others&mdash;Eddy Beers, Neil Sheehy, Gino Cavallini, Charlie Bourgeois&mdash;-for important pieces of their 1989 championship team.&ldquo;In two years time, there&rsquo;ll be 24 teams in the league. You&rsquo;ll get one out of every 24 picks in the draft,&rdquo; Fletcher said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve pretty well closed up the college free-agent avenue. Every club pays equal attention to European players now.Minnesota North Stars&rsquo; owner Norm Green, a close friend of Fletcher&rsquo;s, believes he&rsquo;ll end up running the Leafs.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a unique combination,&rdquo; said Green, &ldquo;a top GM and a top business manager. There are not many of those guys around. 1 just hope he&rsquo;s doing this for himself and not because of other circumstances. To me, it&rsquo;s a strange thing. Cliff is a very, very premeditated thinker. The only cir-cumstance that would make sense to me is that he has got a hell of an offer from somebody in his pocket.&rdquo;<h2>CALGARY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 16: Cliff Fletcher, general manager, resigned. Doug Risebrough named GM May 30: Rick Lessard, D, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. Steve Guenette, G, traded to Minnesota for seventh-round draft pick in 1991. &#9632;

FLETCHER RESIGNS TO PURSUE NEW OPPORTUNITES

<div class="byline">BY RICK SADOWSKI</div>The scourge of the NHL for nearly a decade in Edmonton, the Wayne Gretzky-Jari Kurri act will reopen with the Los Angeles Kings.&ldquo;Those two guys did a lot of magic over the years, They can be scary, general manager Rogie Vachon said following the May 30 deal involving three teams, nine players and a draft pick that enabled the Kings to obtain the rights to Kurri.Kurri, 31, agreed to a three-year (plus option year) contract worth $3.75 million the day of the deal; he&rsquo;ll be paid $800,000 next season, $950,000 in 1992-93, and $1 million each in 1993-94 and in the option year.Kurri didn&rsquo;t come cheap for owner Bruce McNall and the Kings.After the Oilers traded his rights, Dave Brown and Corey Foster to Philadelphia, the Kings sent defenseman Steve Duchesne, center Steve Kasper and a 1991 fourth-round draft pick to the Flyers for Kurri and defenseman Jeff Chychrun.Duchesne, 25, was the Kings&rsquo; topscoring defensemen in each of his five seasons with them. He had 21 goals and 62 points this past season and leaves as the club&rsquo;s all-time leader for defensemen with 95 goals and 292 points in 382 games.Duchesne was so stunned when Vachon called to break the news, &ldquo;I just hung up on him,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The team was bad when I got here. Now, finally, the team is good and they&rsquo;ve gotten rid of me. But now that I&rsquo;ve had a little time to think, it&rsquo;s not that bad.&rdquo;Kasper, 29, had nine goals and 28 points in 67 games this year, 35 goals and 71 points in 173 games since his 1989 acquisition from the Boston Bruins. He couldn&rsquo;t be immediately reached for comment at his cottage in upstate New York.Kurri averaged 47 goals and 104 points in 10 seasons with the Oilers. Last season, in 40 games for the Milan (Italy) Devils, he scored 37 goals and assisted on 60 others.Kurri was at his home in Helsinki, Finland, when the deal was consummated.&ldquo;He was really pleased that in the end he wound up where he wanted to go,&rdquo; said Kurri&rsquo;s agent, Don Baizley. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t rule any teams out, but the Kings were his first choice.&rdquo;According to Sather, Vachon offered him next year&rsquo;s No. 1 pick and one of two players, center Todd Elik or right winger Bob Kudelski in exchange for Kurri.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t confirm any of that,&rdquo; Vachon said.The Flyers and Detroit Red Wings eventually entered the picture, with Philadelphia turning Sather&rsquo;s head by offering wingers Scott Mellanby and Craig Berube, along with minorleague center Craig Fisher.If Sather had dealt Kurri&rsquo;s rights to Detroit, he might have prevented them from falling into the Kings&rsquo; hands.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have a deal with Detroit,&rdquo; Vachon said.He added, &ldquo;We were the last club (Sather) wanted to send Jari to. He tried to avoid it right to the end. Fortunately for us, he liked Philadelphia&rsquo;s offer better than Detroit&rsquo;s.&rdquo;Like Duchesne, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Chychrun is 25 and was bom in Quebec. All similarities end there.Chychrun has three goals, 20 points and 604 penalty minutes in 199 NHL games, all with the Flyers. He had six assists and 105 minutes in 36 games this season.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a bruiser, major-league tough,&rdquo; Vachon said.<h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 21: Jay Miller, RW. signed three-year contract. May 30: Jim Thompson, RW, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. Steve Duchesne, D, and Steve Kasper, C, traded to Philadelphia for Jeff Chychrun, D, and the rights to Jari Kurri, RW. Kurri signed four-year contract. &#9632;

McNALL SPENDS FREELY TO GET HIS MAN—AGAIN

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>Among his off-season projects, besides hiring a new head coach, Mike Smith said he wanted to change the makeup of the Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; farm club in Moncton.The Jets&rsquo; general manager took a giant step in that direction and may have latched on to an NHL player in the process.The six-player trade with the Washington Capitals May 21 involves players who have spent the majority of their pro hockey time in the minor leagues, with one exception.His name is Bob Joyce, a Winnipeg-born left winger who is now on his way home.The 24-year-old former Olympian joins defenseman Kent Paynter, 26, and left-shooting center Tyler Larter, 23, in coming to the Jets&rsquo; organization.Heading to the Capitals are forwards Brent Hughes, 25, Craig Duncanson, 24, and Simon Wheeldon, 24. The trio spent most of their time in Moncton this season and played a collective 13 games with the Jets during the regular season.Joyce joins his third NHL team (Boston and Washington) and should be a decent bet to crack the Jets&rsquo; roster next season. Last season, left wing was the club&rsquo;s weakest position.Joyce, though, has some major work to do, having just finished a season where he never got untracked with the Caps. After a training camp ankle injury, he suited up for only 17 games (3-3-6) and spent most of the year with the American League Baltimore Skipjacks.When the season was finished, he was quite sure he&rsquo;d be moving.&ldquo;It was a kind of mutual thing,&rdquo; Joyce said. &ldquo;We (he and Caps&rsquo; GM David Poile) both agreed it wasn&rsquo;t working out here. They were going to leave me open to the expansion draft or make a deal.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice it happened so soon. Now I won&rsquo;t have to sweat it out this summer.&rdquo;Joyce had gone to Washington from Boston in December, 1989, after nearly two years with the Bruins. He had 18 goals and 49 points in his first (and only) full season there, &lsquo;88-89.The chance for a fresh start, in his hometown to boot, was cause for enthusiasm.&ldquo;I want to prove to myself, to the Jets and maybe to a few other coaches I&rsquo;ve had that they let me slip through and they shouldn&rsquo;t have,&rdquo; he said.With Paynter and Joyce finishing their option years and Larter heading into his, there were reportedly several organizations with some interest in the three. Minnesota was particularly interested in Larter, selecting him in the May 30 dispersal draft.Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; assistant Doug MacLean, who coached all three while he was in the Washington organization, says he knows why the three were in demand.&ldquo;These are character guys,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;For starters, Bobby Joyce is a really safe player. He&rsquo;s a quality kid and he&rsquo;s from Winnipeg. Bobby could make their team. 1 kind of think Winnipeg could be in for a surprise with this (trade).&rdquo;<h2>WINNIPEG</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 21: Brent Hughes. LW, Craig Duncanson. LW, and Simon Wheeldon, C, traded to the Washington Capitals for Bob Joyce, LW, Kent Paynter, D, and Tyler Larter, C. May 24: Jim Vesey, C, acquired from St. Louis as future considerations from Feb. 27 trade which sent Tom Draper, G, to St. Louis. Draper acquired from Winnipeg for future considerations Luciano Borsato, C, and Ken Gernander, C, signed contracts. May 30: Tyler Larter, C, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. Rob Murray, C, acquired from Minnesota for seventh-round draft pick in 1991. &#9632;

JOYCE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOMECOMING

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BEAMISH</div>Will he or won&rsquo;t he? General manager Patrick Quinn indicated his decision to remain as head coach of the Canucks will be influenced by the calibre of applicants for his job.A short list of candidates was being put together and interviews could take place during the draft meetings in Buffalo in June.If he couldn&rsquo;t find the right man, Quinn said he might consider bringing in a third assistant coach to work with Jack McIlhargey and Ron Wilson, then consider elevating him to head coach.&ldquo;We know the kind of man we are looking for,&rdquo; Quinn said at a meeting of NHL GMs during the Stanley Cup finals. That kind of person is a coach with a reputation for teaching young players.&ldquo;We are a young team that basically hasn&rsquo;t learned to play the game yet,&rdquo; Quinn said.Quinn fired head coach Bob McCammon Jan. 31 after the Canucks fell to 19-30-5. He took over himself, guiding the team to a 9-13-4 record. The Canucks qualified for the playoffs by the narrowest of margins&mdash;an overtime goal against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 80.Quinn, 48, who had one year remaining on his contract, signed a new four-year deal after the Canucks were eliminated in six games in their Smythe Division semifinal series with Los Angeles.He would&rsquo;ve been free to sign with another club if the Canucks had not offered him an extension by Aug. 30.The early speculation was that Quinn would remain behind the bench next season. He has the blessing of the Griffiths family, by popular demand the fans want him back there, and coaching gives Quinn a sense of personal satisfaction. He says it&rsquo;s the second best job in hockey, next to being a player.&ldquo;Who&rsquo;s better qualified,&rdquo; said Arthur Griffiths of the man who, in only his second season with Philadelphia in 1979-80, was voted the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year.Quinn admitted he liked the idea of being behind the bench again. The GMs&rsquo; job removed him from everyday contact with the team and media. He enjoyed the feeling of hands-on control again, to be able to teach and develop the young players he selected in the draft or picked up in trades.&ldquo;Pat Quinn understands that every player can&rsquo;t play the same way,&rdquo; said Cliff Ronning. &ldquo;The best teams are a mixture of talents. You don&rsquo;t make a Jari Kurri go down the wing and hit guys. He does what he does best. And that&rsquo;s what Pat Quinn does with the Canucks&mdash;he gets guys to do what they do best.&rdquo;But when he was interviewed several weeks after the season, Quinn appeared to be hedging on whether he could effectively combine the roles of president, GM and coach. One of the reasons for not wearing three hats, he observed, is that &ldquo;maybe you don&rsquo;t end up doing a good job at either one.&ldquo;I think coaching is a full-time proposition,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and there might be times when I want to cover some front-office business or management things.&rdquo;A reputable co-coach, who can handle the team while Quinn is preoccupied by other business, is vital and there are a number of excellent candidates available.<h2>VANCOUVER</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Craig Coxe, C, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

ARE QUINN’S DAYS BEHIND BENCH OVER?

<div class="byline">BY MIKE WEAVER</div>A true NHL expansion team has never made the playoffs in its first season.Sure, four of the six new teams in 1967 qualified but they were competing against one another for postseason berths.And sure, the Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers made the playoffs in 1980 but they started with the rem-nants of World Hockey Association rosters.None of the other six expansion teams who have joined the NHL since 1970 earned post-season berths in their first seasons.Now, where do the San Jose Sharks fit in and what can we expect of them during their debut season in the Smythe Division?&ldquo;From what I&rsquo;ve seen and heard, it looks like we&rsquo;re going to have a quality team,&rdquo; left winger Brian Mullen said. &ldquo;I think we should be able to compete for a playoff spot right away.&rdquo;The Sharks aren&rsquo;t an expansion team in the classic sense&mdash;they are not starting from scratch as have most of their predecessors&mdash;but nor are they blessed with as much talent as the WHA survivors.The Sharks are a breed apart.They are part Stanley Cup finalist, part International League contender and part NHL driftwood.Virtually all 34 players on the Sharks&rsquo; roster acquired May 30 fit into one of these classifications. One exception is Mullen, the highest-scoring player in Sharks&rsquo; pre-history. He comes to the Bay Area with 224 goals, more than all of his new teammates combined.Offense is certain to be a shortcoming in 1991-92, something the Sharks are hoping to counter with a stout, sturdy and tough team defense.But the Sharks don&rsquo;t want you to get the idea that they&rsquo;re building a goon team.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the farthest thing from what we&rsquo;re trying to do,&rdquo; Sharks&rsquo; general manager Jack Ferreira said.Ferreira, who was a scout for the Calgary Flames during the early 1980s, said the goal is to put together a team similar to the one there, which is known for size and speed.&ldquo;Calgary has an aggressive team that is big and strong, but also quick,&rdquo; said Ferreira, who hopes to supplement his roster by pursuing free agents this summer. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the type of team we want.&rdquo;The Sharks, who will add to their roster during the NHL&rsquo;s entry draft June 22, acquired their initial players in a dispersal draft involving the Minnesota North Stars&mdash;defensemen Neil Wilkinson and Rob Zettler were officially the first&mdash;and a league-wide expansion draft in which they and the North Stars combined to select one player from each of the league&rsquo;s 20 other teams.Before the expansion draft started, Ferreira worked out a deal with the New York Rangers in which he would select high-scoring right winger Tim Kerr of the Philadelphia Flyers and then send Kerr to the Rangers for right winger Brian Mullen, who had 62 points last season.The primary strength of the Sharks is goaltending. The roster includes goalies Brian Hayward and Jarmo Myllys from Minnesota, Jeff Hackett from the New York Islanders and unsigned Soviet star Artur Irbe.Hayward has been a backup in recent seasons (to Patrick Roy in Montreal and Jon Casey in Minnesota), but has a career record of 140-138-46 in nine NHL seasons. Myllys was 2413-1 for Kalamazoo last season, Hackett is a top prospect who had three shutouts for the Islanders last season and Irbe is regarded as one of the top goalies in international competition (he had a 2.92 goals-against average in 46 games for Dynamo Riga of the Soviet league last season).<h2>SAN JOSE</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Selected 34 players in dispersal and expansion drafts (see page 11 for details). Tim Kerr. RW, traded to New York Rangers for Brian Mullen, LW, and future considerations. Greg Paslawski, RW, traded to Quebec for Tony Hrkac, C. &#9632;

IS TOUGH TEAM ALREADY PLAYOFF CONTENDER?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011064/5950965-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="518" height="620"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE DRYDEN</figcaption></div>Jack Ferreira was emphatic. This will not be a goon team, he said.Chuck (Gringo) Grillo was emphatic. Link Gaetz is one of hockey&rsquo;s meanest players, he said. Gaetz is one of the meanest kids living, Grillo said.George Kingston was emphatic. The San Jose Sharks will be an aggressive and worthy opponent, particularly in a small rink.The NHL gave birth to a boisterous baby boy May 30. Ten of the 21 professionals acquired that day by the San Jose Sharks earned more than 100 penalty minutes this past season.Does this mean the Sharks will be a bloodthirsty lot?Ferreira, the GM, insisted otherwise but felt compelled to bring up the G-word and then dismiss it during a press briefing heard across North America on conference call.Kingston, the coach, realized he made it sound as though San Jose had a surplus of fighting spirit and quickly explained aggressiveness must be accompanied by discipline.As for Grillo, the director of player personnel, well, he is a chatty guy. But if I&rsquo;m Link Gaetz, who arrived at the 1988 entry draft with two black eyes (which neatly sums up his contribution to minor pro hockey so far), I&rsquo;m suing for definition of character.As for the Sharks, will they live up to theirs? That is, typically active predators sometimes dangerous to humans.Had every one of the new Sharks reached triple figures in penalty minutes in the NHL this season, San Jose would have trailed only one team&mdash;Hartford&mdash;in players with 100-plus penalty minutes. The Whalers had 11.Is there a trend developing? The Ottawa Senators reportedly told Scotty Bowman they planned to load up on strongmen during their early years. That way, at least they&rsquo;d be able to win something.If true, the Senators&rsquo; grasp of the game is as dated as their name. Goonery is gone. Beauty is back. Surely, Sharks&rsquo; management has no plans to market their team on muscles.Kingston has a scholarly background and it seems unlikely he will advocate the sweet science over the science of hockey. And Ferreira, apart from a strange fascination with Jayson (Less is) More, seems like a reasonable man.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to be that kind of team,&rdquo; Ferreira said. &ldquo;Look at Mark Tinordi (of Minnesota). Is Mark Tinordi considered a goon? No, not the way he can perform. When he first came into the league, people thought he was but he&rsquo;s not a goon. Is Scott Stevens a goon? No, they compete and they make you pay the price and that&rsquo;s the type of player we want in the organization.&rdquo;The most obvious reason for what seems like a high number of high-strung hockey players on the Sharks&rsquo; roster is that those were the type of skaters exposed to the new team. Skill players were at a premium.Philadelphia right winger Tim Kerr was the highest-scoring player obtained by the Sharks and he was flipped for the Rangers&rsquo; Brian Mullen and future considerations. Mullen earned 62 points this past season and has never scored more than 71 during his career.The seven new Sharks&rsquo; skaters who played in the NHL in 1990-91 combined for 139 points&mdash;24 fewer than Wayne Gretzky collected with Los Angeles and one more than top draft prospect Pat Falloon earned with Spokane.Ferreira said the three best players eligible for the 1991 entry draft after Eric Lindros are Falloon, Kamloops&rsquo; defenseman Scott Nieder-mayer and Boston University defenseman Scott Lachance. San Jose has the No. 2 choice. Given the Sharks&rsquo; scarcity of scorers, can the GM afford to pass on Falloon?Yes, if they go for Niedermayer who has tremendous offensive skills but did not get a chance to fully showcase them this season.First, he was used sparingly by Canada at the World Junior Championships and second, he suffered a knee injury late in the Western League season.Niedermayer is considered one of the best skaters in the 1991 draft class. He scored 26 goals and 82 points in 57 games, to finish second behind teammate Darryl Sydor in WHL defenseman scoring.Falloon played well for the gold medalwinning Canadians at the WJC while Lachance blossomed as a potential franchise defenseman with Team USA. Ferreira said Niedermayer would also have excelled had he played more.&ldquo;I know he can perform at that level,&rdquo; Ferreira said. &ldquo;He has got a lot of upside (potential). He has that explosiveness you just love to see.&rdquo;Steve Dryden is managing editor of Inside HOCKEY. &#9632;

f0019-01

HERE’S WHO THE SHARKS WILL CHOOSE NO. 2 OVERALL…I THINK

<h2>MAPLE LEAFS</h2>Defenseman Rob Ramage wasn&rsquo;t bitter that the Leafs left him unprotected, allowing the North Stars to pick him up in the May 30 expansion draft. In fact, he said he was looking forward to joining the Stanley Cup finalists. &ldquo;I&rsquo;mexcitedaboutthat,&rdquo;he said. &ldquo;Minnesota&rsquo;s coming off an emotional and very exciting time and it should be very interesting.&rdquo;&hellip;Former Leaf defenseman Jim Thomson died May 19 of a heart attack. The 64-year-old Thomson played in Toronto for 12 years and was a member of four Stanley Cup winning teams&hellip;Chicoutimi Sagueneens&rsquo; goalie Felix Potvin is Toronto&rsquo;s goalie of the future, but GM Floyd Smith says he won&rsquo;t be ready for next season. &ldquo;He needs experience,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s looking forward to playing in the minor leagues next season.&rdquo;<h2>RED WINGS</h2>The Red Wings have one main priority in the upcoming entry draft: Size. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a list of every guy available that&rsquo;s 6-foot-4 and over,&rdquo; GM/coach Bryan Murray jokes. Two players the Wings are said to be interested in: Richard Matvichuk, a 6-foot-2&frac12;, 190-pound defenseman with Saskatoon (WHL), and Alex Stojanov, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound left winger whom scouts compare to Bob Probert. Stojanov, who plays for Hamilton (OHL), and Probert are Windsor natives&hellip;The Wings will pay recent signee Niklas Lidstrom, a Swedish defenseman, a base salary of $200,000 for two seasons plus an option year&hellip;The fear of losing center Sergei Fedorov in an arbitration battle will prevent the Wings from going after any of several Type I free agents. But Murray hinted they may consider giving up two to five No. 1 draft picks to sign the right Type II free agent. &ldquo;If, in fact, this team is a little better, and we make a trade or added a needed commodity to our team, we might think about doing something like that,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t know whether that&rsquo;s where we&rsquo;re at right now. It really depends on how close we think we are.&rdquo;&hellip;The Wings lost the rights to Swedish center Bengt Gustafsson to San Jose in the May 30 expansion draft. The Wings had picked up his rights in last season&rsquo;s waiver draft.<h2>BLUES</h2>Blues&rsquo; GM Ron Caron said the rumor going around that he will trade left winger Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour to Philadelphia for Ron Sutter and the Flyers&rsquo; first-round pick (sixth overall) are just that&mdash;rumors. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t believe anything you hear about that,&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not correct.&rdquo;&hellip;When injuries knocked out three of the Blues&rsquo; top four goaltenders in late February, Caron approached Winnipeg GM Mike Smith for help. Smith delivered Tom Draper for future considerations. Caron paid him back May 24, sending minor-league right winger Jim Vesey to Winnipeg to complete that deal and then sending Draper back to Winnipeg in another deal for&hellip;guess what? Future considerations. &ldquo;We won&rsquo;t get rich on that,&rdquo; said Caron, who agreed with an assessment that the Blues gave Vesey to Winnipeg for renting Draper for three months. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not a bad assessment.&rdquo;&hellip;Blues&rsquo; coach Brian Sutter was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Sutter hobbled around on the bad knee all season.<h2>BLACKHAWKS</h2>The Blackhawks held a three-day, off-ice mini-camp for seven prospects May 13-15 at Chicago Stadium. Those invited to attend were defensemen Adam Bennett, Mike Speer, Karl Dykhuis and forwards Tracy Egeland, Justin Lafayette, Owen Lessard and Craig Woodcroft. Dykhuis was the Hawks&rsquo; No. 1 draft pick in 1990 and spent last season with the Canadian national team. Bennett, Speer and Lessard played last season in juniors while Egeland was in the minors at Indianapolis (IHL). Lafayette (Ferris State) and Woodcroft (Colgate) spent the last four years playing in college. All seven players are thought to have a chance to make the club in training camp&hellip;GM-head coach Mike Keenan was asked if the Hawks would begin next season without making a trade. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think so,&rdquo; he said. Is Keenan sending a message to his players? &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not sending a message. The message already has been sent,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;We have to make improvements to make the club better. We aren&rsquo;t good enough. &ldquo;&hellip;Word is center Troy Murray and defenseman Keith Brown are two veterans Keenan is shopping around.<h2>NORTH STARS</h2>Less than 24 hours after the North Stars were beaten in the Stanley Cup finals, they traded a 1991 eighthround draft pick and future considerations to Buffalo for Darcy Wakaluk, a 25-year-old goalie who has played most of the last three seasons in the AHL. He was 4-5-3 with the Sabres this season and had a 3.33 GAA&hellip;On May 30, the day of the expansion draft, the Stars traded a seventh-round pick to Calgary for goalie Steve Guenette who had a 25-12-4 record and 3.27 GAA with Salt Lake of the IHL&hellip;The NHL announced $25,000 in fines for the North Stars and Penguins as a result of an end-of-period fight between the Stars&rsquo; Mark Tinor-di and the Pens&rsquo; Troy Loney in Game 2. The fines are automatic for altercations outside the actual playing time in a game&hellip;The NHL playoffs are no place to get rich, at least by pro athlete&rsquo;s standards. Each Penguin received $25,000 for winning the Stanley Cup, while the Stars each took home $18,000. Penguins&rsquo; superstar Mario Lemieux makes $29,125 per game during the regular season. &#9632;

RAMAGE EXCITED ABOUT FUTURE

The first player chosen in the NHL draft is often the top candidate for rookie of the year honors the following season. But in the past 22 years, only Mario Lemieux, Dale Hawer-chuk, Bobby Smith, Denis Potvin and Gil Perreault won the award after being selected No. 1. Second through fourth round picks have been less successful. No player selected in those rounds has won a Calder Trophy.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02772/5951020-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="728" height="509"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mario Lemieux</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0019-02

ODDITIES

<div class="byline">BY GARY OLSON</div>The Minnesota North Stars swapped potential for reality and youth for experience in the May 30 dispersal and expansion drafts that added about $ 1 million in salaries to their payroll.The Stars lost three players&mdash;backup goalie Brian Hayward, defenseman Neil Wilkinson and banger Shane Churla&mdash;from the lineup that lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals five days earlier. Those players, plus defenseman Rob Zettler, a regular until injuries forced him to the sidelines, and 20 players picked from the Minnesota reserve list went to San Jose in a 30-minute dispersal draft that completes the sale of the North Stars and severs ties with former owners George and Gordon Gund.Hayward was available to the Sharks because Clarke traded one of the Stars&rsquo; young players&mdash;defenseman Jayson More&mdash;to Montreal to get him in November. (Ferreira reacquired More with his second pick in the expansion draft.)Wilkinson and Zettler were lost when Clarke chose to keep right winger Ulf Dahlen and defenseman Brian Glynn and Churla was lost when Clarke chose to keep young center Cal McGowan, who scored 58 goals and 139 points for Kamloops of the Western League last season.There were no surprises among the players Ferreira picked from the North Stars&rsquo; reserve list although he did take five goalies&mdash;Hayward, Kalamazoo regular Jarmo Myllys, college players Scott Cashman of Boston University and Brian Schoen of Denver University and Artur Irbe of Latvia, the best goalie in the Soviet Union.San Jose&rsquo;s picks also included Doug Zmolek, the Stars&rsquo; first-round pick, seventh overall, in the 1989 draft. He&rsquo;s a junior at the University of Minnesota.After losing 24 players and two draft picks&mdash;a second-round pick this June and a first-round pick in &lsquo;92 to keep youngsters Mike Craig and Derian Hatcher&mdash;in the morning, the Stars recouped their losses by claiming nine players and a legend in the afternoon expansion draft.Earlier in the expansion draft, Minnesota loaded up on big-name defensemen who have a considerable history in the NHL. The Stars picked Rob Ramage from Toronto with their first choice and then added Dave Babych of Hartford, Allen Pedersen of Boston and Charlie Huddy of Edmonton. The four add $1.25 million in salaries to the Stars&rsquo; payroll.After boosting the Stars&rsquo; defense to 10 regulars with considerable NHL experience, Clarke added centers Kelly Kisio, the captain of the New York Rangers, and Randy Gilhen of the Penguins. Kisio was scheduled to have surgery to repair an abdominal tear May 31 in Vancouver.<h2>MINNESOTA</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 28: Darcy Wakaluk, G. obtainec from Buffalo for a 1991 eighth-round draf pick and future considerations.May 30: Steve Guenette, G. obtainec from Calgary for a 1991 seventh-rounc draft pick. Rob Murray. C. traded to Winnipeg for a seventh-round draft pick.For expansion draft day transactions, see page 11, 40.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Neal Broten, Dave Gagner, Bobby Smith, Kelly Kisio, Marc Bureau, Perry Berezan, Randy Gilhen, Tyler Larter.LW&mdash;Gaetan Duchesne, Brian Propp, Brian Bellows, Basil McRae. Larry DePalma.RW&mdash;Stewart Gavin. Mike Modano. Ulf Dahlen, Mike Craig. Doug Smail, Jim Thomson.LD&mdash;Mark Tinordi. Brian Glynn, Rob Ramage. Allen Pedersen, Charlie Huddy.RD&mdash;Chris Dahlquist, Jim Johnson, Shawn Chambers. Curt Giles. Dave Babych.G&mdash;Jon Casey, Steve Guenette, Darcy Wakaluk.<h3>INJURIES</h3>None.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Gagner, 12. A&mdash;Bellows, 19. P&mdash;Bellows, 29. PIM&mdash;McRae. 94. &#9632;

CUP FINALISTS GROW OLDER WITH DRAFT

<div class="byline">BY KEITH GAVE</div>The Red Wings are taking on a decidedly Patrick Division flavor.In less than a year since he took control as the team&rsquo;s general manager and coach, Bryan Murray has added six players from Patrick Division teams. The latest is forward Alan Kerr, acquired May 28 from the New York Islanders for veteran defenseman Rick Green.In other deals, Murray brought in Kevin Miller and Dennis Vial from the New York Rangers, Paul Ysebaert from New Jersey, and Brad Marsh (from Toronto) and Doug Crossman (from Hartford), who were defense partners in Philadelphia against Murray&rsquo;s Washington teams.Kerr, 27, is a right winger who Murray hopes can spice up his checking line, giving it a physical dimension and some scoring punch.Twice in four full NHL seasons Kerr scored 20 or more goals. His best season was 1987-88, when he scored 24 goals and 58 points in 80 games. He also added 198 penalty minutes.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a young guy looking for a fresh start,&rsquo;&rsquo; Murray said, noting that Kerr wanted off the island after a series of injuries ana a demotion to the minors last season.He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 43 games for Capital District of the American League.Murray remembers Kerr as a difficult opponent from their Patrick Division days.&ldquo;Against us in Washington, he really battled hard,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a hard-nosed kid, fairly competitive, who goes to the net hard. He&rsquo;s not a great skater, but he&rsquo;s a decent skater.&rdquo;The Wings will also receive future considerations, which Murray said is a late-round draft pick. The round and year the Wings will get are contingent on several factors.Green, 35, scored two goals and 16 points in 65 games in his lone season with the Wings. The Wings acquired Green from Montreal last June for a fifth-round pick. But the team was overloaded with aging defensemen, and rather than risk losing him for nothing in the San Jose dispersal draft, Murray decided to trade him.Still, the Wings&rsquo; GM/coach did so with some reluctance. Reliable defensemen like Green are hard to come by. The Wings are hoping Steve Chiasson, who had an injury-plagued &lsquo;90-91 season, will fill that role.Murray said the Wings also had to make room for Swede Niklas Lidstrom, the youngster the Wings signed a week earlier.Other returning defensemen include Brad McCrimmon, Bobby Dolias, Yves Racine, Rick Zombo, Crossman, Marsh and Vial.&ldquo;They like him a lot,&rdquo; Murray said.Detroit liked him too, mainly because of his versatility. He played center well, but with Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Jimmy Carson playing ahead of him, Habscheid was used predominately on the wing and to kill penalties.Goaltender Glen Hanlon, 34, and Marsh, 33, were also left unprotected. It&rsquo;s an experience Marsh has been through before. When the Flyers made him available three years ago, Toronto claimed him.<h2>DETROIT</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 28: Rick Green, D, traded to the New York Islanders for Alan Kerr, LW, and future considerations. May 30: Bengt Gustafsson, C. selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

KERR LATEST PATRICK PLAYER TO JOIN FOLD

<div class="byline">BY DAMIEN COX</div>Will he or won&rsquo;t he?That&rsquo;s the $64,000 question around the halls of Maple Leaf Gardens these days, for until ex-Calgary Flames&rsquo; boss Cliff Fletcher decides whether he wants to make Toronto his new home, the Maple Leaf franchise sits in a state of waiting and utter paralysis.And while Fletcher has the organizational and leadership skills to fix that problem fairly quickly should he choose to assume the rather wide-sweeping powers being offered by Leaf president Don Giffin, what if he doesn&rsquo;t?Since finishing 20th out of 21 teams this season, the Leafs have done absolutely none of the things clubs in their predicament might be expected to do to regroup for next season. And the entire hockey organization seems to be sitting around waiting to see if Fletcher&mdash;or anyone else&mdash;is coming to take over as the No. 1 gun in town.That has resulted in an embarrassing situation in which the contracts of head coach Tom Watt and assistant Mike Kitchen expire June 1, and no one seems to know if they&rsquo;ll be renewed or not. As well, no less than 31 players in the organization are entering their option seasons, and nary a negotiation has begun.No talks have taken place either with feisty winger Wendel Clark, perhaps the club&rsquo;s highest profile player, who becomes a free agent July 1.The only major decision that has been made is to move the club&rsquo;s top farm team to St. John&rsquo;s, Nfld., and even in that case head coach Frank Anzalone has yet to say whether he&rsquo;ll go out east or not.So who&rsquo;s running the show? The Leafs, under the leadership of lame duck general manager Floyd Smith, prepared for the May 30 expansion draft without the experienced hockey chief that Giffin has been looking to install since last fall. The same goes for the June 22 junior draft, although that&rsquo;s slightly less of a major concern given that Smith has already traded away Toronto&rsquo;s first and second selections, third and 25th overall.Smith has been left in the humiliating position of giving the appearance of continuing his duties while his employer searches for someone who will, regardless of job description, take over Smith&rsquo;s job. Indeed, one of the stranger sights of the playoffs came just days after Fletcher announced his resignation in Calgary when he and Smith were seen chatting in the lobby of a Bloomington hotel. An anxious worker and his new boss?At any rate, while some other names&mdash;like New York Rangers&rsquo; GM Neil Smith, for one&mdash;have surfaced as possible candidates for the top Leaf job, all the smart money seems to be on Fletcher.Despite the speculation, Fletcher insisted his future remains open.&ldquo;As of July 15, I have no paycheque coming in,&rdquo; he said at his farewell press conference in Calgary May 16. He was expected to take off for a week of sun and relaxation in Florida and the Caribbean at the end of May, and then head back to Toronto for the NHL awards dinner and formal talks with the Maple Leafs in early June.For his part, Giffin was also maintaining that he plans to bring a list of candidates to the Maple Leaf Gardens board of directors in mid-June.&ldquo;Cliff Fletcher will be on that list,&rdquo; he said.Gardens director Steve Stavro, who is waging a bitter fight for control of the Gardens with Bill Ballard, son of the late Harold Ballard, has also been trying to have Giffin removed as Leaf president and may not wish to rubberstamp his choice. Stavro is said to be more interested in hiring a business type to run the Gardens first, and then follow up later with an experienced hockey man. He has been non-commital on Fletcher.Ballard, on the other hand, has publically praised Fletcher as the man to resurrect the once-great Leafs. Could Fletcher become yet another pawn in the battle for control of the Maple Leaf empire? Stay tuned, folks.<h2>TORONTO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Rob Ramage, D, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. &#9632;

WILL FLETCHER JOIN THE FOLD?

<div class="byline">BY TIM SASSONE</div>Is Mike Keenan being forced to decide on a specific date when he will step aside as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks and concentrate on being general manager?Keenan says no, even though owner Bill Wirtz was quoted in a published report saying he wanted Keenan to make such a decision sometime soon.It&rsquo;s apparent Hawks&rsquo; management (specifically Wirtz and senior vice president Bob Pulford) want Darryl Sutter to be the next head coach and would like to let him know the job will be his when Keenan steps down.&ldquo;Darryl has earned the right to be our next head coach,&rdquo; Wirtz said.He has done everything we&rsquo;ve asked. We always like to promote from within. It won&rsquo;t be a written agreement. We won&rsquo;t announce the agreement. We don&rsquo;t want to make Mike a lame-duck coach.&rdquo;Wirtz went on to say he hoped to meet with Keenan at some point before the entry draft to discuss the situation. Keenan, when asked about Wirtz&rsquo;s comments, disputed the owner&rsquo;s statements and said no such meeting has to take place.&ldquo;Bill Wirtz won&rsquo;t ask me to do that,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;I have a contract, and I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s fair for you to ask me what&rsquo;s in there. But a discussion between Bill Wirtz and I doesn&rsquo;t have to take place.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s no secret Wirtz and Pulford are big fans of Sutter and want to keep him in the organization. However, Sutter has been rumored to be a candidate for vacant head coaching positions in Winnipeg and Vancouver and is getting antsy to be a head coach in the NHL.In fact, Jets&rsquo; GM Mike Smith reportedly asked the Hawks for permission to speak with Sutter but was turned down by Pulford. In an apparent misunderstanding, Keenan wasn&rsquo;t aware Pulford had turned down Winnipeg&rsquo;s request.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not Pully or Mr. Wirtz&rsquo;s decision,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a decision that will be made by myself in conjunction with Mr. Wirtz.&rdquo;Keenan did agree with Pulford&rsquo;s decision.&ldquo;You never want anyone to feel they&rsquo;re being held back, but Darryl can&rsquo;t leave,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re probably not going to stand in anyone&rsquo;s way, but that&rsquo;s part of signing a contract. I went through the same thing when I was coaching at Rochester.&rdquo;Keenan is not in favor of giving Sutter any kind of commitment that he&rsquo;ll eventually be the next coach of the Hawks.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we can guarantee him that right now,&rdquo; Keenan said.Sutter, who has one year remaining on his contract, has said repeatedly he doesn&rsquo;t want to leave Chicago but would like his situation clarified.Keenan has two years remaining on the five-year contract he signed when he came to Chicago in 1988. That might be two years too many for some Hawks, who are said to have grown weary of Keenan&rsquo;s methods after three seasons.It was after his fourth season as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers that Keenan was fired when many of the players rebelled against him.The large issue in all this appears to be how much longer the Hawks will respond to Keenan. There are those who have hinted that the club&rsquo;s first-round playoff collapse after a 106-point regular season was a preview of things to come.<h2>CHICAGO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Bob McGill, D, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

KEENAN’S COACHING DAYS MAY BE NUMBERED

<div class="byline">BY DAVE LUECKING</div>St. Louis Blues&rsquo; general manager Ron Caron knows a loophole when he sees one.The rules for the NHL&rsquo;s expansion draft required that the goalie each team left unprotected should have at least 60 minutes of NHL experience.That&rsquo;s it. 60 minutes. One game. No mention of how recently those games were played, or whether the goalie was even active in professional hockey. Just one game. Nothing else.With that in mind, Caron dipped into the Blues&rsquo; alumni list May 27, signing former Blues&rsquo; goalie Darrell May, who has been out of hockey for two years, to a free-agent contract.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01742/5951154-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="569" height="655"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Caron solved his expansion draft problem with Darrell May.</figcaption></div>The Blues made no secret of their intent, stating in a press release they signed May &ldquo;specifically for the purpose of exposing him in the&hellip;expansion draft.&rdquo;&ldquo;How about that?&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s anxious to go to San Jose, but 1 told him, &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t bother buying a ticket.&rsquo; &ldquo;Good idea. Jack Ferreira, the GM of the expansion San Jose Sharks, knew little about May.&ldquo;I told Jack about him, and he said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know much about him,&rsquo;&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;Do you want to know more? He lives in Edmonton, and he&rsquo;s 30 or 31 years old.&rsquo; &ldquo;Actually, May is 29, and he hasn&rsquo;t played professionally since wrapping up the 1988-89 season as a member of the Blues&rsquo; International League farm team in Peoria, where he was on loan from the Montreal Canadiens.May spent four seasons in the Blues&rsquo; organization, playing six NHL games&mdash;three in the 1985-86 and the 1987-88 seasons. His NHL stats show a 1-5 record and a 5.11 goals-against average.The Blues traded May, Jocelyn Lemieux and a second-round draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for goalie Vincent Riendeau and since-traded Sergio Momesso Aug. 9, 1988, but the Canadiens loaned him back to the Blues&rsquo; farm team.May last appeared in an NHL camp two seasons ago with his hometown Edmonton Oilers. He played senior hockey there last year, and now works in Edmonton generating computer graphics.&ldquo;I approached him, and told him it&rsquo;s an opportunity,&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying he&rsquo;ll be selected, but that&rsquo;s how I solved my problem.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t easy. Caron spent the previous week calling counterparts around the league about acquiring a goalie to leave unprotected. His calls produced nothing, so he and assistant coach Wayne Thomas put together a list of goaltenders.&ldquo;We went through a list of goal tenders a mile long,&rdquo; Caron said, mentioning a few obscure names that don&rsquo;t even appear in the NHL Official Guide & Record Book. May&rsquo;s name is no longer listed either, but Caron said, &ldquo;This guy was more handy. Wayne had his phone number.&ldquo;He quit playing. He had no (hockey) job. He&rsquo;s not on the retirement list&hellip;This is one way to do it. It&rsquo;s better than waiting for someone to turn over a goaltender.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s also within the rules.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re OK; we&rsquo;re legit. I inquired about that,&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;The rules of expansion allow a lot of things. You can even make a trade with an expansion team to get your guy back.&rdquo;May will get a nice paycheck for getting his name on a Blues&rsquo; contract. Although he signed a one-year, plus an option contract for minimal dollars, he&rsquo;ll receive a nice buyout after the Sharks bypass him&mdash;all for allowing himself to be exposed in the draft.Caron, though, didn&rsquo;t rule out the possibility of keeping May under contract.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s under contract with us,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have no plans, perse, but it could be done&hellip;He&rsquo;s handy to have. I don&rsquo;t want to project ahead. We have a full summer ahead. The purpose now was expansion.&rdquo;With another expansion draft&mdash;to stock new teams in Tampa, Fla., and Ottawa, Ontario&mdash;next season, the Blues may want to keep May under contract, unless the NHL closes that loophole.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02473/5951147-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="563" height="609"><figcaption class="caption-body">To acquire Vincent Riendeau in 1988, St. Louis traded May.</figcaption></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 24: Jim Vesey, RW, traded to Winnipeg to complete Feb. 28 deal that sent Tom Draper, G, to St. Louis. Draper traded to Winnipeg tor future considerations. May 26: Darrell May, G, signed two-year contract May 30: David Bruce, RW, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

f0023-01

LOST GOALIE ANSWERS CARON’S MAYDAY

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01806/5951185-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="475" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE MOLINARI</figcaption></div>Some images from the 1991 Stanley Cup finals, which gave us one of the most improbable matchups in history, will linger for a long time.They might endure even after T-shirts sales in Pittsburgh finally have returned to normal levels, which should take at least a few decades.Among them are:&#9632; Mario Lemieux proving his brilliance in the most demanding of forums. Some woefully misinformed observers had made a public display of their ignorance by saying he could not be considered a truly great player until he won a Stanley Cup. Well, now that Lemieux was sur-rounded by capable teammates for the first time in his career, he has.&#9632; The grit and tenacity of the Minnesota North Stars, who showed that you can build a lot of dreams on a foundation of sweat and character. And anyone who could watch the finals without being thoroughly impressed by North Stars&rsquo; center Dave Gagner should forfeit the right to watch this game.&#9632; Tom Barrasso winning more big games in 10 days than his legion of critics thought he&rsquo;d win in a lifetime. They&rsquo;ve said for years he folded like wet tissue under the pressure of an important game. Funny, but he seemed to be standing quite tall as he hoisted the Cup over his head. (Historical footnote: Barrasso now has one more Stanley Cup ring than Don Cherry. Of course, Cherry still leads him in untimely bench penalties.)&#9632; No photo essay on the series would be complete without a few snapshots of Pittsburgh center Bryan Trottier. Charging around the Met Center with the Cup over his head. Hugging and hollering in the locker room. Telling 80,000 people at a victory rally to, &ldquo;Enjoy it, Pittsburgh! Enjoy it, baby!&rdquo;Why not? Trottier certainly did.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s more like a kid than anybody I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; said Pittsburgh left winger Troy Loney. &ldquo;He was more excited about this than almost anybody.&rdquo;The phrase &ldquo;One for the Thumb&rdquo; caught on in Pittsburgh in 1980, after the Steelers had won their fourth Super Bowl in six years. Eleven years later, there are a lot of football players walking around with that fifth digit still unadorned by a ring.But not Trottier, who earned his first four with the New York Islanders. You might think that getting another, coupled with the fact he will turn 35 this summer, would be enough to convince him to get out of the game now, to start the clock ticking on the waiting period before he can be inducted into the Hall of Fame.But you&rsquo;d be wrong, and Trottier has a very simple explanation why: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got another hand.&rdquo;Time has eroded some of the skills that made Trottier one of the game&rsquo;s premier centers, but he still was an integral part of Pittsburgh&rsquo;s championship.He won faceoffs, killed penalties and helped guide his teammates, some of whom had been in the playoffs once in the previous eight years, down the treacherous road that leads to the Cup.He did so much for the Penguins, but not enough to guarantee him a spot on their roster next season. Pittsburgh has some high-octane free agents&mdash;Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi and Ron Francis&mdash;to sign, and it&rsquo;s not clear if there will be any money left for Trottier, who made $400,000 this season.Even after the Penguins won the Cup, Trottier did not know if he figured in their plans. But not because his teammates didn&rsquo;t realize what Trottier has meant to them.&ldquo;I think it would be a tremendous disservice to our hockey club if he were not part of it next year,&rdquo; Barrasso said. &ldquo;He has obviously shown what he can contribute. And more than that, he&rsquo;s a winner.&rdquo;Trottier, for his part, said he&rsquo;s sure he&rsquo;ll &ldquo;find someplace to play,&rdquo; and made it clear that retirement is not part of his short-term plans.&ldquo;When we (the Islanders) lost that thing to Edmonton in &lsquo;84, I felt like I wasn&rsquo;t there, wasn&rsquo;t complete. And I still don&rsquo;t quite feel complete. I still feel there&rsquo;s hockey left in me.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something else I have to do; I don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s (win) another championship, but I want to just go until I&rsquo;m done and I&rsquo;m finished, it&rsquo;s out of me and I don&rsquo;t have to look back with any regrets.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what upset me about the thing on the Island. It was almost like they made that decision, not me. I just feel there&rsquo;s some hockey left in me and I just want to get it out of me, blow it out of me until I can&rsquo;t go anymore.&ldquo;Then I can look back and say, &lsquo;Hey, I gave it everything I had for as long as I could, and I had the enjoyment of my life.&rsquo;&rdquo;Dave Molinari covers the Penguins for the Pitt-sburgh Press. &#9632;

f0024-01

TROTTIER NOT DONE WITH HOCKEY JUST YET

<h2>PENGUINS</h2>Three days after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, owner Edward J. DeBartolo told a press conference he is not currently negotiating to sell the team, but estimated its value at $65- $75 million if it goes on the market. DeBartolo said he has rejected several earlier offers for the franchise&hellip;Authorities estimated that 80,000 people turned out for a victory rally in Pittsburgh May 28&hellip;A crowd projected at 30,000 greeted the Penguins when they returned to Greater Pittsburgh International Airport about five hours after their Cup-clinching victory in Minnesota May 25. One fan died when he fell 21 feet from a perch where he planned to watch the festivities&hellip;No arrests or injuries were reported in downtown Pittsburgh, where the streets were clogged with celebrants for hours&hellip;Injuries kept Paul Coffey from being a major factor in the playoffs, but that didn&rsquo;t detract from his pleasure. Not when he could remember the words of Edmonton GM Glen Sather when the Oilers traded him to the Penguins in 1987. &ldquo;The last thing Glen Sather said to me when he traded me to Pittsburgh was, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ll never win again.&rsquo;<h2>RANGERS</h2>The Toronto Star recently ran a story naming Rangers&rsquo; GM Neil Smith as a candidate for the vacant presidency in Toronto, and a Maple Leaf insiderclaimed Smith&mdash;aTorontonative&mdash;at least had sent a resume. Smith denied any and all such report-s&hellip;Nobody asked him, but Don Cherry said it anyway, about a player the Rangers claimed fourth, 49th overall, in 1989 draft. &ldquo;Put it in the book right now: Louie DeBrusk. If they play him regular, not third or fourth line, he&rsquo;s going to be the absolute favorite of the New York fans. He has got lots of fire, lots of jump. He&rsquo;s not a bad skater, he has got pretty good hands, and can he ever throw &lsquo;em. There&rsquo;s only about three guys in the league now who are tougher, and the Rangers have one of them, Joey Kocur. Bob Probert (Detroit) and Dave Brown (Philadelphia) are the other two; I only hope he (DeBrusk) doesn&rsquo;t try &lsquo;em early in the season.&rdquo;<h2>CAPITALS</h2>On May 21, the Capitals and Winnipeg Jets swung a six-player deal involving minor leaguers. The Capitals gave up center Tyler Larter, left winger Bob Joyce and defenseman Kent Paynter and received center Simon Wheeldon and left wingers Brent Hughes and Craig Duncanson. Capitals&rsquo; GM David Poile decscribed the trio as &ldquo;depth players.&rdquo; As for the trio he sent to Winnipeg, there was a common thread&mdash;they were all sort of going home. Joyce, who grew up in Winnipeg, had come to the Capitals in the Dec. 13, 1989 trade from Boston for Dave Christian. After a slow start, Joyce showed a flash of scoring in early January of 1990, but immediately hurt his knee at Madison Square Garden. The rest of his stay was frustrating. Most of last season was spent in Baltimore (AHL). Paynter played one regular season game and one playoff game with the Capitals, but played out the option on his contract. While he liked the organization, if he was to play in the minors, he said he hoped it could be in Canada, which would allow his wife to work. Winnipeg&rsquo;s minor league club is in Moncton. Paynter, like Larter, is from Prince Edward Island&hellip;Larter, meanwhile, was selected by Minnesota in the expansion draft May 30&hellip;Center Alfie Turcotte, who spent most of last season in Baltimore playing out his option, will likely play for Vilach of the Austrian league next season&hellip;With Mike Ridley and a member of Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer&rsquo;s staff taking part in a ceremonial faceoff, the Capitals officially cut the ribbon on their new practice facility.<h2>ISLANDERS</h2>Don Meehan, the agent for Pat LaFontaine, reported having talked with GM Bill Torrey during the Memorial Cup, but could not report any progress in stalled contract negotiations. Both sides apparently will have to wait for an update on the impending sale of the team. At the moment, it is not clear whether LaFontaine will attend training camp. Meehan said that before the franchise publicly went on the market, LaFontaine had no intention of reporting-&hellip;The sale process did not take any dramatic steps during the Stanley Cup playoffs. While Torrey was attending GM meetings in Minnesota, the Islanders issued a release saying that Salomon Brothers, an investment firm, had completed its financial evaluation of the franchise and was prepared to begin discussions with potential purchasers. Owner John O. Pickett&rsquo;s reported asking price was in the $100-million range.<h2>FLYERS</h2>Flyers&rsquo; defenseman Jiri Latal signed a new multi-year contract May 13. Terms were not disclosed. Latal, 24, played 50 games last season, scoring five goals and adding 21 assists. He was hampered by knee and shoulder injuries&hellip;The Flyers brought in six of their top prospects for a rookie mini-camp the week of May 20-24. Attending were Len Barrie, Craig Fisher, Dan Kordic, Steve MORROW, Pat Murray and Chris Simon. Conditioning coach Pat Croce set up offseason training programs for the young players&hellip;Greg Johnson, the Flyers&rsquo; second pick in the 1989 draft, attended the Canadian national team&rsquo;s evaluation camp in Calgary. Coach Dave King will use the camp to select his roster for the 1992 Olympic team. Johnson, who recently completed his sophomore year at the University of North Dakota, registered 61 assists to lead the NCAA. &#9632;

SALE OF PENGUINS ON BACKBURNER

June 29, 1990: The Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks complete a major deal involving two marquee players. The Habs send all-star defenseman Chris Chelios and a second round pick in 1991 to Chicago for high-scoring center Denis Savard. Savard finished with 59 points in 70 games for the Canadiens while Chelios had 64 points in 77 games with Chicago.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02546/5951240-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="648" height="430"><figcaption class="caption-body">Denis Savard</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0024-02

FLASHBACK

<div class="byline">BY MARK HERRMANN</div>Possibly the hardest part of Hubie McDonough&rsquo;s summer regimen of skating and concentrating will be resisting the urge to do too much of both.Looking back on a season-long slump that both typified and contributed to the New York Islanders&rsquo; malaise, the 27-year-old center believes his extensive off-season ice time was partly responsible for his poor showing. He also thinks he spent too much time thinking about his struggle.&ldquo;I had a meeting after the season with Al (coach Arbour), and he called me a worrier,&rdquo; McDonough said. &ldquo;I know I can&rsquo;t worry about not scoring in three or four games, or about being sent down to the minors.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01711/5951271-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="555" height="593"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach Al Arbour calls center Hubie McDonough a worrier.</figcaption></div>Worrying certainly didn&rsquo;t help. McDonough endured a 31-game goalscoring drought and a stint in the American League. He had only six goals and six assists in 52 games for the Islanders, a marked dropoff from 1989-90, when he became a valuable contributor and instant crowd favorite by collecting 18 goals&mdash;many of them in key situations&mdash;and 11 assists in 54 games, following a November trade from Los Angeles.Having spent most of last summer on a rink near his Manchester, N.H., home, he cited burnout as one of his difficulties.&ldquo;Everybody needs a vacation,&rdquo; he said.McDonough also was hindered by the Islanders&rsquo; decision to move linemate Don Maloney into an administrative position.&ldquo;Donnie was a great comer man and he was respected throughout the league for that,&rdquo; McDonough said. &ldquo;He was one of the best guys for getting the puck out, whether it was shorthanded or even strength.&ldquo;The thing is, he&rsquo;s still around,&rdquo; he said, referring to Maloney&rsquo;s roles as assistant to general manager Bill Torrey and assistant coach. &ldquo;He can find something positive in your worst game.&rdquo;This season, McDonough intends to make his outlook more like Maloney&rsquo;s.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to come in with a lot more confidence in myself,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;All last year, I was thinking I was going to be sent down. But I&rsquo;m going to go in this year like I belong there. &ldquo;He also asserted he will be physically stronger, thanks to rehabilitation on his knee and a weight-training program prescribed by the Islanders.&ldquo;I hope I&rsquo;m back in New York, although if they want to make some moves, I can&rsquo;t do anything about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel I can play three or four more years, and I know I can play in the NHL.&rdquo;With Pat LaFontaine&rsquo;s contract situation unsettled, with Brent Sutter anxious to move to a team that has a better chance to win and with Ray Ferraro eligible for free agency July 1, McDonough actually stands a good chance of receiving all the ice time he could want during the season.In the meantime, he ought to be busy enough this summer to keep him from skating and worrying too much. He and wife Amy were expecting their second child, after moving into a new house.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to make my grass grow,&rdquo; he said.<h2>N.Y. ISLES</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 28: Alan Kerr, LW, and future considerations traded to Detroit for Rick Green, D. May 30: Jeff Hackett, G, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

f0025-01

McDONOUGH STRIVES TO PUT WORRIES BEHIND HIM

<div class="byline">BY DAVE MOLINARI</div>You probably could pick through the two dozen or so Conn Smythe Trophy ballots and never see his name once.Plenty of votes for Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi and Tom Barrasso, to be sure, but it&rsquo;s doubtful Larry Murphy got even a single show of support when it was time to pick the MVP in the Stanley Cup playoffs.No one disputed that Lemieux, whose 44 points were the second-highest in playoff history, deserved to win the Smythe, or that Stevens and Recchi and Barrasso were worthy contenders.It&rsquo;s just that without Murphy, the Penguins might still be dreaming about their first Stanley Cup instead of celebrating it.Murphy finished the playoffs with 23 points&mdash;more than any defenseman except Boston&rsquo;s Raymond Bourque who had 25&mdash;and tied teammate Joe Mullen for the best plus-minus in the league, plus-17.He teamed with Gordie Roberts, another often-overlooked veteran, to form a defensive pairing that was solid throughout the playoffs and stepped into Paul Coffey&rsquo;s role as quarterback of the power play when Coffey was sidelined by eye and jaw injuries.&ldquo;Larry Murphy has never played better hockey than&hellip;in these playoffs,&rdquo; Pittsburgh coach Bob Johnson said.&ldquo;Larry has definitely taken charge out there,&rdquo; Roberts said after Murphy had four assists in Pittsburgh&rsquo;s 6-4 victory in Game 5 of the Cup final. &ldquo;He stepped forward with Paul being out like he was, and he was doing the job defensively, too.&rdquo;That four-point game&mdash;his second of the playoffs&mdash;might have been the best of Murphy&rsquo;s many superb efforts during the postseason, although he is reluctant to measure his performance with statistics.&ldquo;Sometimes you make plays and you don&rsquo;t score goals,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;But a time like (Game 5), everytime you pass to somebody, they manage to put it in the net.&rdquo;The North Stars held down his production in Game 6&mdash;Murphy got a goal and an assist&mdash;but it really didn&rsquo;t matter much. No one except trivia buffs noticed that Murphy scored Pittsburgh&rsquo;s final goal of the season, their eighth in an 8-0 victory that made the Penguins&rsquo; improbable dash to the Cup official.&ldquo;I was so nervous before the game, I couldn&rsquo;t sit still,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;We knew we had to win this one.&rdquo;Well, not really, but the Penguins didn&rsquo;t want to take any chances in a seventh game. And when Game 6 was over, and the Stanley Cup was in his hands, Murphy realized he was living the dream that drives so many players from the first time they pull on skates.&ldquo;I wanted to get my hands on that baby so bad,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s all about, getting that Cup. It doesn&rsquo;t get any better than that.&rdquo;It couldn&rsquo;t have seemed any less likely when the season began and Murphy was playing for Minnesota. He and Peter Taglianetti escaped what seemed to be a hopeless situation when they were traded to the Penguins for Jim Johnson and Chris Dahlquist Dec. 11 in a deal that helped put both teams on collision course in the Cup final.Murphy entered the final with enormous respect for the North Stars&mdash;&lsquo;&lsquo;Talent-wise, they can match up with anybody,&rdquo; he said&mdash;but left it with a championship ring and a deep appreciation for what the Penguins did to make it possible.<h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Randy Gilhen, C, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Bryan Trottier, Jiri Hrdina, Barry Pederson, Ken Priestlay.LW&mdash;Kevin Stevens, Phil Bourque, Bob Errey, Troy Loney.RW&mdash;Mark Recchi, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Mullen, Scott Young, Jay Caufield, Jamie Leach.LD&mdash;Paul Coffey, Ulf Samuelsson, Gordie Roberts, Grant Jennings, Jim Paek.RD&mdash;Larry Murphy, Peter Taglianetti, Paul Stanton, Randy Hillier.G&mdash;Tom Barrasso, Frank Pietrangelo, Wendell Young, Bruce Racine.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Gilbert Delorme, D, leg stress fracture.<h3>LEADERS</h3>G&mdash;Stevens, 17. A&mdash;Lemieux, 28. P&mdash;Lemieux 44. PIM&mdash;Roberts, 63. &#9632;

MURPHY UNSUNG HERO IN TEAM’S CUP DRIVE

<div class="byline">BY RICH CHERE</div>Seven free agents will not be the only financial concerns for the New Jersey Devils during a summer in which the team&rsquo;s entire salary structure will be tested.In fact, all-star right winger John MacLean&rsquo;s desire to renegotiate his contract may be general manager Lou Lamoriello&rsquo;s biggest challenge of all.MacLean, who completed his third consecutive 40-goal season (45-3378), will enter the third year of his four-year deal at a salary of $315,000 in 1991-92.While MacLean and agent Rick Curran both realized May was no time to make threats, a training camp holdout might be on the horizon if the Devils do not renegotiate MacLean&rsquo;s contract.&ldquo;Nothing has happened yet,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still early. It&rsquo;s a long time between now and training camp. I&rsquo;m not going to press anything or make any threats. If the Devils feel the time is right, I&rsquo;m sure something will be done.&rdquo;Curran, who will see plenty of Lamoriello since he represents MacLean, free agent Brendan Shanahan and rookie Jarrod Skalde, agreed.&ldquo;The reality is John signed a contract that was relative to the market of that day and subject to the parameters of the club, which was at the time that nobody was going to make more than Kirk Muller,&rdquo; Curran explained. &ldquo;Since that time, John&rsquo;s play dictates that he really shouldn&rsquo;t be expected to earn a salary less than Kirk Muller. There is no reason to suggest one way or the other as to who should earn more than the other. That&rsquo;s not really the question of debate.&rdquo;Muller, coming off a season in which he scored 19 goals and 70 points&mdash;second on the Devils behind MacLean&mdash;will earn approximately $350,000 next season. Peter Stastny had a more lucrative contract last season at $560,000, but most of that was paid by the Quebec Nordiques.&ldquo;Because of the salary escalation, John finds himself like a lot of other players who are making considerably less than their ability and performance dictates,&rdquo; Curran said. &ldquo;It falls upon the hockey club that they basically recognize the inadequacy. It falls upon them to encourage dialogue to rectify the situation. It&rsquo;s not for me to demand it because we really don&rsquo;t have any right to.&ldquo;I have enough respect for Lou Lamoriello and the New Jersey Devils that I truly believe that Louie recognizes the situation and when he deems the time to be appropriate he will come forward and invite me to sit down and have dialogue with him.&rdquo;What can the Devils be expected to do for MacLean?&ldquo;I have no comment, Lamoriello said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s anything to discuss at all at this time.&rdquo;Lamoriello is known as a tough negotiator.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve known Lou Lamoriello since I played against him when he was coaching at Providence College,&rdquo; Curran said. &ldquo;Without a doubt he is one of the most difficult GMs to negotiate with simply because he works very hard at his side of the table. He certainly makes you work for every cent.<h2>NEW JERSEY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Jeff Madill, RW, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

MacLEAN’S NEW PACT CHALLENGE FOR GM

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SELL</div>Though he rarely if ever tips a hand before playing it, there is a feeling that Washington Capitals&rsquo; general manager David Poile will be busy come draft time.Nothing is for sure. This is a team built more on trades than draft picks. The current need is for scoring up front. In the end, the only activity might be selecting draft picks. But there will be more of that, too.The Capitals, like the Devils and Oilers, will have two picks in the first round. Washington has its own pick at 14 and St. Louis&rsquo; pick at 21.The Blues owe their first pick to the Capitals as part of the compensation for signing defenseman Scott Stevens. If that pick is not in the top seven overall, then the Blues will owe five consecutive first-rounders. If it is in the top seven, they will have another year to come up with a 1992 pick in the top seven overall.Blues&rsquo; GM Ron Caron said May 21 that he was going to contact Vancouver president and GM Pat Quinn, to see what Quinn would want for the No. 7 pick in the first round.Poile has said several times since last summer he would rather have quality than quantity, meaning he would be happy to see the Blues make a deal.Some scouts have said this is not the deepest draft in history, which doesn&rsquo;t suggest great things for that 21st pick.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m the one who asks that of our scouts and I get varied and different answers,&rdquo; Poile said when asked about the value of the 21st. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a judgement call. We like certain players, but whether they will be available, I don&rsquo;t know. I suppose there is a good chance that who we have rated 10th could be available at 21. That&rsquo;s our own evaluation. Some rate other people higher, but we don&rsquo;t like them for some reason. What&rsquo;s a concern is if St. Louis makes a deal.The Capitals&rsquo; draft history has been sporadic. At times, the draft has been a waste. At other times, it has been productive.One of the problems, which is beyond the Capitals&rsquo; control, is that they have generally picked very low due to normally solid records in the regular season. When they picked Cornwall defensman John Slaney with the ninth pick in the 1990 draft, it marked the earliest they had chosen since they took Scott Stevens with the fifth pick overall in 1982.Among the first-round picks, there have been Yvon Corriveau was taken 19th the next year and went to Hartford (and the minors) in the trade for Mike Liut. Jeff Greenlaw was the top pick (19th again) in 1986 and just played his first mostly-injury free season since then, though it was mainly in the minors. The &lsquo;87 pick went to Quebec, which took Joe Sakic, for Dale Hunter and Clint Malarchuk. Reggie Savage was the 15th pick in 1988. He played his first NHL game this season, but had 61 points in 62 American League games, so the jury is still deliberating. The same goes for goalie Olie Kolzig (19th pick in 1989) and Slaney.&ldquo;We are a team that had made more trades than built through the draft,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;In my own mind, it was out of necessity of where we were when we started. To me, what&rsquo;s important is how successful you&rsquo;ve been on the ice. I don&rsquo;t think you should be judged just on trades or draft picks, but what&rsquo;s important is where you are in the standings.&rdquo;<h2>WASHINGTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 21: Kent Paynter, D, Tyler Larter, C, Bob Joyce, LW, traded to Winnipeg for Simon Wheeldon, C, Brent Hughes. LW. and Craig Duncanson, LW. May 30: Rob Murray, C. selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. &#9632;

POILE WON’T BE BLUE WITH ST. LOUIS’ PICK

<div class="byline">BY WAYNE FISH</div>For the first few hours, Steve Duchesne wasn&rsquo;t exactly thril-led about trading in a &ldquo;We Love L.A.&rdquo; sign for a &ldquo;City of Brotherly Love&rdquo; button.But after the young defenseman had a chance to chat with Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; general manager Russ Farwell about his new team, all that changed.Farwell didn&rsquo;t need much time to convince Duchesne that a move from Los Angeles to Philadelphia would serve in both their best interests.For the Kings, Duchesne was almost a luxury. For the Flyers, he is close to a necessity.So less than 24 hours after the second half of a big three-team trade had been completed May 30, the Sept-Iles, Que. native was looking forward to moving back to the East Coast.The Flyers thought enough of Duchesne to send Scott Mellanby, Craig Berube and Craig Fisher to Edmonton for the rights to Jari Kurri, Dave Brown and Corey Foster. Then they sent Kurri and Jeff Chychrun to Los Angeles for Duchesne, Steve Kasper and a fourth-round draft pick.Farwell made it clear the key to the deal, from the Flyers&rsquo; point of view, was Duchesne.&ldquo;The only reason we got into this, by brokering this deal, we got into talking about the kind of player that we don&rsquo;t normally get to talk about,&rdquo; said Farwell.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy who is going to be here for a long time and we felt like we needed an offensive defenseman, a guy who could get the puck moving, join the play and be part of the offense.&rdquo;Farwell was quick to sell Duchesne on the idea that he could help restore a once-proud franchise to contending status.&ldquo;I told Russ that all I knew about Philly was the downtown area and the rink, so 1 wasn&rsquo;t too excited about going,&rdquo; said Duchesne. &ldquo;But he said Philadelphia has some beautiful suburbs and it&rsquo;s really a good hockey town. So 1 can&rsquo;t wait to get there.&rdquo;The Flyers are counting on Duchesne, who turns 26 June 30, to help put some spark in their offense. He has averaged 21 goals and 64 points the past four seasons.&ldquo;Russ told me they&rsquo;re going to make some changes and get some young players,&rdquo; said Duchesne. &ldquo;They need an offensive-minded defenseman on their power play and they really expect me to be a big part of this team.&rdquo;Duchesne is particularly effective in power-play situations. He owns a hard, accurate shot and many of his goals come when he moves up in the play.&ldquo;They want me to score goals and I can do that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know that much about the Flyers but I do know they have been winners in the past. It would be nice to help bring the (Stanley) Cup back to Philadelphia.&rdquo;Farwell might not be exactly modeling the new Flyers after cross-state rival Pittsburgh, but the Duchesne deal hints that they are headed in that direction.&ldquo;I think Pittsburgh made a few trades with their team and look what happened,&rdquo; Duchesne pointed out.&ldquo;I was disappointed at first about leaving L.A. But I&rsquo;m going back East where hockey is hockey. That&rsquo;s the way I grew up, in a town that had a hockey atmosphere. I look forward to that again.&rdquo;Although Flyers&rsquo; fans are still wondering if this is the answer to their team&rsquo;s scoring woes, Farwell indicated the acquisition of Duchesne is probably only the beginning of a busy summer.<h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 13: Jiri Latal, D, signed multi-year contract. May 30: Tim Kerr, RW. claimed by San Jose in expansion draft. Scott Mellanby, RW, Craig Berube, LW, and Craig Fisher, C, traded to Edmonton for rights to Jari Karri, RW, Dave Brown, RW, and Corey Foster, D. Kurri and Jeff Chychrun. D, traded to Los Angeles for Steve Duchesne, D, Steve Kasper, C, and a 1991 fourth-round draft pick. &#9632;

FARWELL BEGINS SPRING CLEANING

<div class="byline">BY FRANK BROWN</div>Like a building under renovation, scaffolding surrounds the New York Rangers right now. The sign says, &ldquo;Under repair.&rdquo;General manager Neil Smith, wearing his construction worker&rsquo;s hat, swung his post-season hammer for the first time when he arranged a deal with San Jose Sharks&rsquo; GM Jack Ferreira. Ferreira agreed to claim veteran right winger Tim Kerr from the Philadelphia Flyers in the expansion draft, then trade him to the Rangers for veteran left winger Brian Mullen&mdash;who had played so well for Ferreira on Team USA at the World Championships.While he was at it, Smith also excised his captain, Kelly Kisio, from the roster; Kisio was left available for claim in the draft, and the Minnesota North Stars grabbed the veteran center out of the player pool May 30.&ldquo;New York has always been a great city, and the Rangers have great players,&rdquo; said Kerr, who added the Rangers had topped a personal five-team wish list that also included Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota and Pittsburgh.Kisio and Mullen weren&rsquo;t quite as delighted about leaving as Kerr was about arriving.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m having trouble believing my stock could fall that far in a year,&rdquo; said Kisio, who opened the season as one of the team&rsquo;s top centers but ended it with an abdominal muscle injury that required surgical repair.In all, it was impossible to tell which event was more staggering:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01746/5951398-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="568" height="690"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly Kisio couldn&rsquo;t understand how he was left unprotected.</figcaption></div>&#9632; That the Flyers had let Kerr leave without receiving anything in return, which shocked Kerr, stunned others and outraged fans in Philadelphia.&#9632; In the span of a few months, Smith had removed Kevin Miller, Kisio and Mullen. None of the three was especially large, none of the three was especially young; Kisio turns 32 during training camp, Mullen is 29, Miller 25. But all three were major contributors to a power play which, over two seasons, led the NHL in goal production with 194.Kerr, of course, can be a devastating force on the power play when he is healthy; but his arrival did not make the team significantly younger and it did nothing to relieve the astounding crowd of right wingers in Smith&rsquo;s Collection.If anything, Kerr&rsquo;s arrival further improved Smith&rsquo;s chances of swinging a 3-for-1 or 4-for-1 deal for a Mark Messier-type center or a Dave Manson-type defenseman.&#9632;The Rangers now have no president and no captain, adding a certain symmetry to things. Garden CEO Richard Evans said what he thought of the Rangers&rsquo; season by firing team president Jack Diller; by deleting Kisio, Smith (the Rangers&rsquo; boss) seemed to be adding emphasis to the tirade he launched after the team&rsquo;s first-round playoff loss.Kisio was a &ldquo;legacy&rdquo; captain Neilson had inherited from the Phil Esposito/Michel Bergeron administration. Now, Neilson said, management would fill the vacant captaincy.Would the players have input?&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Neilson said. &ldquo;Not really.&ldquo;One reason is, I&rsquo;ve always done it that way. I just don&rsquo;t think it should be the most popular guy on the team, necessarily. You take all things into consideration, but he (the captain) is a guy I want to work closely with in determining policy.&ldquo;In some ways, the captain is almost like another assistant coach&mdash;in the sense he&rsquo;s going to talk to the players about off-ice things we&rsquo;re thinking of planning,&rdquo; Neilson added.<h2>N.Y RANGERS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 25: Miloslav Horava, D, traded to Quebec for Stephane Guerard, D. May 30: Kelly Kisio. C, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. Brian Mullen, LW, and future considerations traded to San Jose for Tim Kerr, RW. &#9632;

f0028-01

SMITH TRYING TO RENOVATE RATHER THAN REBUILD

Although the Springfield Indians and Peoria Rivermen both won their league championships they went about them in strikingly different fashions.The American League Indians started out the season without a lot of expectations. The defending Calder Cup champions changed affiliates in the off-season and inherited a club&mdash;Hartford&rsquo;s team in Binghamton&mdash;that lost a league record 60 games last security. The Indians came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the Cup in six games from the Rochester Americans.In the International League, the Peoria Rivermen lost their first game this season and then strung together a league-record 18 wins in a row on the way to a first-place overall finish. The Rivermen took care of the Fort Wayne Komets in six games to win the Turner Cup.<h2>CALDER CUP</h2>A year after they were the laughing stocks of professional hockey, the Indians were drinking champagne from the Calder Cup.Springfield, whose nucleus includes nine members of that woeful Binghamton team, captured their second consecutive Cup by again defeating the Rochester Americans.Springfield became the AHL&rsquo;s first repeat champion since the Maine Mariners in 1978 and &lsquo;79. But this was an unusual repeat. The Indians were affiliated with the New York Islanders in 1990 and had the Hartford Whalers as their parent team this season.The Indians lost Games 1 and 2, then rebounded to win four straight for the seventh Calder Cup in franchise history. They tied the series with a pair of home victones, 5-1 in Game 3 May 18 and 2-1 in overtime in Game 4 May 20, then breezed to a 6-3 victory in Game 5 May 22 at Rochester behind Chris Tancill&rsquo;s hat trick.The clinching 5-3 victory came May 24. Yvon Corriveau&rsquo;s goal at 11:39 of the second period snapped a 2-2 tie and Michel Picard scored the eventual game winner at 6:00 of the third.Bill Houlder&rsquo;s second fluke short-handed goal of the series&mdash;a dump-in from inside his own blue line bounced past goalie Kay Whitmore, similar to the one he scored from the neutral zone in Game 5&mdash;cut it to 4-3 at 10:40. But James Black touched off the celebration with an empty-net goal at 19:37.&ldquo;We proved to people from last year, when we were the worst team in hockey history, that we had talent,&rdquo; said Black&mdash;one of the members of the Binghamton team that set AHL futility records for fewest victories (11) and points (30).This year, the Binghamton Nine&mdash;Black, Whitmore, Picard, Terry Yake, Brian Chapman, Ross McKay, Blair Atcheynum, Chris Govedaris and Scott Humeniuk&mdash;won more games in the playoffs alone (12) than they did all last season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01649/5951436-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="712" height="701"><figcaption class="caption-body">Springfield&rsquo;s Kay Whitmore captured the AHL&rsquo;s playoff MVP honors.</figcaption></div>Whitmore, who spent the last half of the regular season with Hartford, was returned to Springfield during the quarter-finals after the Whalers were eliminated by Boston in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He went 11-4 with a 2.40 goals-against average and was named winner of the Jack Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy for a lot of guys,&rdquo; Whitmore said of the Binghamton Nine. &ldquo;Last year they didn&rsquo;t know what to think about during the summer. Now they&rsquo;re champions and it has turned a lot of careers around.&rdquo;Defenseman Marc Bergevin certainly didn&rsquo;t foresee another ring when he was traded by the Islanders to Hartford Oct. 31.&ldquo;They were terrible, they didn&rsquo;t play good hockey last year,&rdquo; said Bergevin, who along with Dale Henry and coach Jim Roberts were the only members of last year&rsquo;s title team. &ldquo;But when I got here I went into Jimmy&rsquo;s office and asked him what he thought. He said there was talent and potential, but nobody saw this.&rdquo;<h2>TURNER CUP</h2>Early in the Turner Cup semifinals, it looked like the eventual champions would be either the upstart Phoenix Roadrunners or the surprising Fort Wayne Komets. But then the Peoria Rivermen caught fire&mdash;winning four of the next five in their series with the Roadrunners.The Rivermen carried that success through to the finals winning the first three games and then holding off the Komets for the title. The Rivermen clinched the Cup with a 3-1 win May 20 in Fort Wayne.The Rivermen cruised through the regular season with 58 wins and 121 points&mdash;the best year in their history. The 18-straight wins helped them to the regular-season championship.They had it all&mdash;scoring, defense and the potential coach of the year, Bob Plager. Plager was sent to Peoria to work with the St. Louis players for a season. He expects to be back with the Blues next year.In the meantime, he&rsquo;s enjoying his time in the IHL.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m proud, the city should be proud of these guys,&rdquo; Plager said after winning the title. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a happy ending. They put a good scare into us. We were up 3-0 (in games) but they were very tough games. They came back and won two and when we came here tonight I just said, &lsquo;Hey, fellows, we&rsquo;ve won here before, let&rsquo;s go out and get it.&rsquo; &ldquo;They did just that. Michel Mongeau, the playoff MVP, opened the scoring in the final game with a power-play goal at 5:24 of the first period. That was answered by Dan Lambert&rsquo;s goal&mdash;also on the power play&mdash;which tied things at 18:36 of the first period.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02434/5951429-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="720" height="772"><figcaption class="caption-body">Michel Mongeau paced the Peoria Rivermen to the Turner Cup title.</figcaption></div>Dave Thomhnson made it 2-1 Peoria 37 seconds into the second period while the Rivermen had a man advantage. Thomlinson put the game out of reach with an empty net goal with 10 seconds left to give the Rivermen their second Turner Cup&mdash;their first was in 1985.&ldquo;It has been one of the great things I&rsquo;ve experienced,&rdquo; Plager said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing, I&rsquo;ll never forget it.&rdquo;&ldquo;It was never easy,&rdquo; Mongeau said. &ldquo;We got ahead of them and we thought they&rsquo;d give it (the series) to us&hellip;they didn&rsquo;t. We had to come out and play hard.&rdquo;The Komets, pushed by another potential coach of the year, Al Sims, picked it up after losing Game 3 5-4 May 15 to fall behind 3-0.John Anderson, 33, who sat out all but one playoff game, made good use of his time in Game 4. He scored a hat trick in Fort Wayne&rsquo;s 5-2 win May 17, then went back on the disabled list with a sore knee.Bruce Boudreau took charge in Game 5 May 18, scoring a hat trick including the gamewinner early in the third period as the Komets won 4-3 at Peoria. It was just their second win in 12 games against the Rivermen this season.&ldquo;We wanted to go home with the Cup,&rdquo; said Peoria&rsquo;s David Bruce, who had hat tricks in each of the first three games. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t want to come home for a seventh game. We wanted to win Game 6 and we did. It was a great season, we deserved it.&rdquo;&mdash;With files from Kevin Oklobzija and Bill Pickett &#9632;

f0029-01

TWICE AS NICE

<div class="byline">BY PAUL ABRAMOWITZ</div>After waiting several months for an answer, Butch Goring found out he&rsquo;d be back coaching the Capital District Islanders.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad I&rsquo;m being retained,&rdquo; said Goring, who led the Islanders to a 28-43-9 record in his rookie year in the American League. &ldquo;I feel like I just got started on this job.&rdquo;Goring&rsquo;s contract expired in April and his wait was almost a month. In between, the Islanders&rsquo; front office in Troy, N.Y., was restructered with Ned Harkness taking over as chairman of the board and co-govemor and Dave Hanson as executive vice president and general manager.Hanson is believed to have inquired of at least three people to coach the team, former Adirondack player Ted Nolan, who coached at Sault Ste. Marie; John Brophy, who coached Hampton Roads to the East Coast League title; and long-time Adirondack coach Bill Dineen, who has been scouting for the Philadelphia Flyers.But in the end, it was Goring who took the job.&ldquo;I learned that Butch&rsquo;s approach as a coach is as tenacious as when he played,&rdquo; Hanson said. &ldquo;We all have the same philosophy to winning in the AHL and that&rsquo;s a good mix of skaters, grinders and muckers.&ldquo;Butch is an intelligent man and from everything I&rsquo;ve been able to gather, the lack of success last season had little to do with him. There were so many factors that were not in his control.&rdquo;<h2>NO PROBLEM</h2>Don Stevens, a broadcaster for the Rochester Americans, has taken the first steps to organize an AHL Broadcasters and Writers Association. An organizational meeting was held June 2 in Springfield. The AHL marketing meetings were held the next two days in Springfield.Stevens said the idea of an association first surfaced a few years ago when he surveyed broadcasters after the season to find out what problems they had around the league. He&rsquo;d then take the complaints and present them at the league&rsquo;s spring meetings.It was then suggested to him by league officials to form an association that included writers and broadcasters.&ldquo;This is not to be considered a union like the Players&rsquo; Association,&rdquo; Stevens said.Stevens has a copy of the constitution of the NHL Broadcasters Association and is using it as a guideline. At the first meeting, Stevens said they will devise a constitution and name its goals and focus. Then Stevens said it will be presented to the AHL Board of Governors, whom he hopes will recognize it.&ldquo;In my mind, this association will be started to make sure we have everything to do our jobs better,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;For example, if some place the writers and broadcasters aren&rsquo;t getting their game notes on time, we as a group can find out what the problems are and get them corrected.&rdquo;Stevens said there isn&rsquo;t a great need for an association, but that it&rsquo;ll help.&ldquo;I think things are going pretty well,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The league is pretty cooperative. There are a few cities and a few problem areas. But this is not a show of strength. It&rsquo;s working better at working together in an exchange of information.&rdquo;Stevens sent out 64 letters and hoped to have a nice crowd for the meeting. He, however, has already encountered his first problem. He requested the 15 teams to supply him with names of broadcasters and writers that regularly cover the team. And, five teams didn&rsquo;t respond.<h2>NUMBERS DOWN</h2>After a slow start, the AHL&rsquo;s playoff attendance finished with a total of 183,225 in 41 games&mdash;an average of 4,420. That is the league&rsquo;s third highest figure in the last seven years, but it is far from last season&rsquo;s total when a record 211,816 fans watched 41 games&mdash;an average of 5,166&hellip;As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; transfer of their farm team from Newmarket to St. John&rsquo;s, Nfld., was approved May 30. The AHL board of governors unanimously approved the move for the 1991-92 season. &#9632;

GORING RE-SIGNS WITH ISLANDERS

<div class="byline">BY ADAM TEICHER</div>Last off-season, Howard Baldwin was a part owner of the Minnesota North Stars looking forward to being back in the NHL.And while the North Stars were fashioning their Stanley Cup Cinderella story, Baldwin, who sold his share of the team to Norm Green, was negotiating to buy into another team&mdash;the International League&rsquo;s San Diego Gulls.The Gulls were sold May 14 by founder Harry Cooper to a group headed by Baldwin, formerly a managing partner with the Hartford Whalers, and former San Diego Padres&rsquo; president Ballard Smith. The new owners then fired coach Mike O&rsquo;Connell, who led the Gulls to a 30-45-8 record in their first season in the IHL.One of Baldwin&rsquo;s first moves was to announce that the Gulls would seek a full affiliation with an NHL team. That represents a complete change from the Cooper regime, which wanted to operate as an independent until San Diego could get its own NHL team.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to line up a working agreement with an NHL team,&rdquo; Baldwin told the San Diego Union. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way this team is going to do well and prosper on a businesslike basis.&rdquo;With all NHL affiliations for next season already secured, the Gulls will continue as an independent next season. But the NHL will expand by two teams for the 1992-93 season.&ldquo;We have to have the right affiliation,&rdquo; said general manager Don Waddell, who was retained by the new owners. &ldquo;With San Diego, it has to be the right city. San Diego is one of the biggest cities in the United States. So we can&rsquo;t just bring anybody here. We&rsquo;d like an Edmonton, forex-ample, or a Calgary or a Winnipeg, the traditional hockey cities. I think people would accept that here.&ldquo;Any team could come in here and if we win, people would accept it. But if we don&rsquo;t win, people are going to say, &lsquo;How can we be a farm team of Tampa? Or of San Jose.&rsquo; Nothing against those teams by any means, but that&rsquo;s the mentality of the people of San Diego.&rdquo;Of course, San Diego is just a few miles down the freeway from Los Angeles, setting up speculation that the Kings would pull their IHL club from Phoenix and place it in San Diego.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a natural,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;But we respect that the Kings have an agreement with Phoenix. As long as they continue to work with Phoenix, we won&rsquo;t approach them.&rdquo;But Baldwin, Smith and Waddell will approach coaching candidates at the IHL meetings in Buffalo in June. After little debate, they decided O&rsquo;Connell wasn&rsquo;t right for their situation.&ldquo;This is a tough place to coach, with the weather and the type of player we&rsquo;re going to bring in,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;Mike wasn&rsquo;t going to take us to another level.&rdquo;After a strong start, the Gulls came apart, winning seven of their last 32 games. They were one of two teams to miss the playoffs.Waddell said that under O&rsquo;Connell, hockey wasn&rsquo;t the players&rsquo; main focus.&ldquo;We had guys who wanted to play golf or go to the beach,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;We had guys who weren&rsquo;t focused. The one thing we&rsquo;re looking for in a coach is experience. That&rsquo;s a key to working here. We need someone who has worked in a fair weather city or has a reputation for keeping a hold on the guys.&rdquo;That would almost certainly rule out Ken Morrow, an assistant coach for the Kansas City Blades last year. Morrow, an assistant for Flint in 1989-90 when Waddell was the GM there, has expressed an interest in the position. &#9632;

BALDWIN BUYS GULLS; O’CONNELL OUT OF JOB

<div class="byline">BY HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01685/5951539-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Shane Maitland hoists the Memorial Cup over a celebrating group of Chiefs.</figcaption></div>This was supposed to be Eric Lindros&rsquo; Memorial Cup, but when his Oshawa Generals failed to capture the Ontario League title, the hero&rsquo;s mantle had to be assumed by someone else.That man turned out to be Spokane&rsquo;s Pat Falloon.The 18-year-old right winger put on a one-man show at the major junior hockey championship, scoring eight goals and 12 points in four games and being selected the MVP as the Chiefs breezed to their first Cup ever.Spokane went undefeated in four games, including a 5-1 victory over the Quebec League&rsquo;s Drummondville Voltigeurs in the title game at Quebec City&rsquo;s Le Colisee. Falloon scored once in that game.&ldquo;A lot of people didn&rsquo;t know who I was when I came in here,&rdquo; said Falloon, rated the fifthbest draft eligible prospect by the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Bureau. &ldquo;But I did a good job.&rdquo;Indeed.But Falloon wasn&rsquo;t alone. The center on his line, Ray Whitney, had five goals and 11 points in four games. With only four penalty minutes in the tourney, Whitney was named the most sportsmanlike player.Chiefs&rsquo; right winger Mark Woolf had four goals and nine points in three games, but missed the final for disciplinary reasons.Center Murray Garbutt, overshadowed by his more-heralded teammates, broke out in the title game with a pair of goals. Jon Klemm and Mike Jickling also scored. Jickling, held to one goal through three games, added two assists.And goaltender Trevor Kidd, Calgary&rsquo;s first choice last June, while not severely tested in the competition, nonetheless allowed only five goals in three games.The Chiefs opened the tournament with a 7-3 victory over Drummondville before pasting the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens 7-1 and doubling the Ontario League champion Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 8-4.It was a fitting conclusion to a season which saw the Chiefs win 48 games and go 14-1 in the Western League playoffs.&ldquo;I felt confident coming in here and I thought we&rsquo;d be tough to beat,&rdquo; said Spokane coach Bryan Maxwell, who guided Medicine Hat to the 1987 Cup. &ldquo;I know that&rsquo;s-easy to say now, but we were on a roll coming in here. Plus we have a strong team, we can be physical, we have good offense and defense, and great goaltending.&rdquo;The Chiefs became the second Americanbased team&mdash;after Portland in 1983&mdash;to win the Cup, and only the second team to go through the tournament undefeated. Lindros&rsquo; Generals accomplished the feat last season.Dave Paquet scored for Drummondville against Spokane. The Voltigeurs, other than an early first period tie, were never mentally, physically or emotionally in the game. That might have had something to do with their 2-1 win in overtime 24 hours earlier against Chicoutimi in the tournament semifinal.We came through the back door, but we can leave through the front door with our heads held high,&rdquo; Drummondville coach Jean Hamel said.The Voltigeurs came into the tournament dubiously, having been swept in four games by Chicoutimi in the QMJHL final. But Drummondville acquitted itself, winning three of five games, including a 4-2 victory over the Soo and two against the Sagueneens. Drumondville outscored Chicoutimi 5-3 in a meaningless roundrobin game after both teams had qualified.Still, the Voltigeurs became the 17th consecutive Quebec-based team to play in the Cup without winning it. The 1971 Quebec Remparts were the last provincially-based team to capture the title.The Drummondville-Chicoutimi semifinal was a work of art.Hugo Proulx and Steve Larouche traded first-period goals. The Voltigeurs dominated the remainder of the game, peppering the tournament&rsquo;s best goaltender, Toronto draft choice Felix Potvin, with 54 shots.Potvin kept Drummondville at bay for almost 64 minutes before Ian Laperriere beat him with a fluke goal at 11:26 of overtime.Laperriere was attempting a centering pass from the left wing boards. The puck deflected high off Martin Beaupre&rsquo;s stick in front of the Chicoutimi net, where it was batted past Potvin by Sagueneens&rsquo; defenseman Steve Gosselin.&ldquo;I hope the guys won&rsquo;t be mad at me because I blew our good season,&rdquo; said Gosselin. &ldquo;The guys gave everything to be in the final. It&rsquo;s my fault that we won&rsquo;t be there. When 1 touched the puck, at the same time Felix said &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t touch it.&rsquo; But it was a reflex action.&rdquo;The Sagueneens&rsquo; performance in the tournament was mind-boggling. After a 2-1 openinggame victory against Sault Ste. Marie, Chicoutimi&rsquo;s game fell apart.Here was a team which relied on defense and goaltending all year. It received the latter from Potvin, who allowed eight goals in three games, but where was the defense in the round-robin losses to Spokane and Drummondville?&ldquo;After the Sault Ste. Marie game we played it wide open and I don&rsquo;t know why,&rdquo; coach Joe Canale said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t go 70 plus games and be the best defensive team (in the Canadian League) and then allow 50 shots a game.&rdquo;The Greyhounds clearly were the tournament&rsquo;s disappointment, failing to win a game after going 22-2-2&mdash;including a 12-2 postseason&mdash;since mid-February.&ldquo;We won&rsquo;t remember our 88th game. We&rsquo;ll remember our whole season,&rdquo; Greyhounds&rsquo; coach Ted Nolan said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if things went wrong. We didn&rsquo;t get over the emotional high, physically and mentally, of the (OHL final) series (against Oshawa). It was a great thrill to get here, but we didn&rsquo;t know what it took to win it.&rdquo;The tournament all-star team consisted of goaltender Potvin; defensemen Patrice Brisebois (Drummondville) and Brad Tiley (Sault Ste. Marie), and three Spokane forwards: center Whitney, right winger Falloon and left winger Brent Thurston.The tournament attendance was 58,216 for eight games&mdash;the fourth-highest in Cup history.Next season&rsquo;s Memorial Cup will be played in Seattle. &#9632;

f0031-01

HAIL TO THE CHIEFS

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Herb Zurkowsky</div>Mark Woolf didn&rsquo;t know whether to laugh or cry, so he did some of both.The ebullience the Spokane Chiefs&rsquo; right winger should have felt from a Memorial Cup championship was missing. What remained, mostly, were feelings of disappointment and guilt.The Chiefs defeated the Drummondville Voltigeurs 5-1 to win the Cup, but Woolf didn&rsquo;t play. The 20-year-old overage, who should have been playing the final game of his junior career, wasn&rsquo;t dressed for disciplinary reasons after scoring four goals and five assists in three earlier tournament games.Woolf, by his own admission, consumed two beers sometime between May 16-18, when the Chiefs didn&rsquo;t play.&ldquo;It was a big lesson, not to play in the final game of the Memorial Cup,&rdquo; Woolf said. &ldquo;It definitely was a shocker. I&rsquo;m very disappointed for making a bad judgement call big time. It was a learning experience.&rdquo;The Chiefs had a policy against drinking during the tournament.&ldquo;We have a set of guidelines,&rdquo; Chiefs&rsquo; coach Bryan Maxwell said. &ldquo;No one is bigger than the team. It was very hard to sit him out, but this is another lesson for him.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t the first time this season Woolf got into trouble. Two weeks prior to the start of the Western League playoffs, Woolf was suspended and sent home following his fifth curfew violation of the year. He was reinstated for the start of post-season play, following a vote by the team.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if you&rsquo;d call it an attitude thing,&rdquo; Woolf said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a nice guy and sometimes I make bad judgements that affect me and my teammates. Even if it means missing a game, it had to be done.&rdquo;Woolf was allowed to take part in the pregame meal and warmup with the Chiefs. Near the end of the Drummondville game, he appeared behind the Chiefs&rsquo; bench in full uniform and was on the ice for post-game celebrations.The sixth round 1991 Boston draft choice had 41 goals and 90 points in 67 games this season, adding eight goals and 14 points in 13 playoff games. &#9632;

MIS-CHIEF WINGER GOES OUT CRYING WOOLF

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div>Todd Harvey slept quite well the night before the Ontario League&rsquo;s 1991 Priority Selection. There wasn&rsquo;t much doubt he would be the No. 1 pick. He had a good feeling.&ldquo;I felt confident after the season I had,&rdquo; Harvey said. &ldquo;It means a lot to be picked first overall. It&rsquo;s a great honor.&rdquo;The 16-year-old center joins last year&rsquo;s top pick, Pat Peake, on the Detroit Ambassadors. The first-year team had its sights set on Harvey long before making the official announcement May 25.&ldquo;We made the decision quite a while ago,&rdquo; Ambassadors&rsquo; general manager Tony MacDonald said. &ldquo;We love everything about him. His aggressiveness, his infectious enthusiasm, his team work ethic and the fact he can play wing. He&rsquo;s a guy who&rsquo;s going to make things happen.&rdquo;Harvey is just 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, but plays a hard-nosed style with a fine scoring touch. He had 32 goals and 71 points in 35 games for Cambridge Jr. B this past season.In the second round, Detroit selected 6-foot-2, 190-pound Buffalo, N.Y. midget left winger Ryan Sittler, the son of former NHL great, Darryl Sittler.&ldquo;His on-ice resemblance to his father is uncanny,&rdquo; MacDonald said. &ldquo;His hockey sense is similar as well.&rdquo;<h2>PLATERS HIRE COACH</h2>Rick Tarasuk had a chance meeting with Owen Sound Platers&rsquo; GM Rob Holody late in the season and it paid off. Tarasuk is Platers&rsquo; coach and Holody is his boss.Tarasuk replaces second-year coach Len McNamara, who was fired March 21 after the Platers had just 13 wins in 66 regular-season games.&ldquo;Rob knows my background and he knew I was interested in the job,&rdquo; Tarasuk said. &ldquo;This is an opportunity I&rsquo;ve been working for. Now&rsquo;s the right time for me to move into the OHL.&rdquo;Tarasuk, 34, has several years coaching experience in the Central and Metro Jr. B leagues in Ontario as well as four years as a high school coach. In 1983, Tarasuk was assistant coach of the Centennial Cup champion North York Rangers. He coached the Streetsville Derbys of the COJHL last season.Holody and Tarasuk spent the two weeks leading up to the Priority Selections scouting midget talent camps. With the second pick overall, the Platers chose defenseman Jeff Smith from Wellington Jr. B.&ldquo;I watched him play quite a bit last season and he&rsquo;s exactly what we&rsquo;re looking for,&rdquo; Tarasuk said.<h2>FORMAT CHANGE</h2>The OHL&rsquo;s new playoff format allows two more teams to qualify for post-season action, but also provides greater reward for regularseason divisional champions.Seven of the eight teams in both divisions qualify for the playoffs, up from six last year. The two first-place finishers receive opening round byes, while the other six teams meet in quarter-final series. In the semifinals, the division winner faces the weakest advancing team.In previous seasons, all six teams in each division played in the first round with the top advancing team then receiving a bye in the second round. Under this format, regularseason division winners Kitchener (1989) and London (1990) were upset by sixth-place teams in the first round.<h2>BORDER TRADE</h2>The Windsor Spitfires traded right winger Ryan Merritt, 19, to Detroit for left winger David Myles, 19, and defenseman Tom Sullivan, 19, before the draft&hellip;The OHL is dropping its annual all-star game with the Quebec League and has arranged an all-star game with the Western League instead&hellip;Stratford Jr. B defenseman Chris Pronger was rated the second best prospect by the OHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Bureau, but wasn&rsquo;t taken until the sixth round by the Peterborough Petes. That&rsquo;s because Pronger indicated he&rsquo;ll join older brother Sean at Bowling Green University next season. &#9632;

DETROIT IS HARVEY’S KIND OF TOWN

<div class="byline">BY VANCE OUVER</div>Scott Scissons has taken his first step to-wards the 1992 Olympics.The Saskatoon Blades&rsquo; center attended Hockey Canada&rsquo;s six-day preevaluation camp May 17-22 in Calgary.&ldquo;It was a fact-finding mission,&rdquo; Scissons said. &ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t had the chance to play on a big ice surface. I wanted to see if I could play at that level. It&rsquo;s definitely an option right now, but nothing is set.&rdquo;Scissons, the sixth overall selection at the 1990 NHL entry draft by the New York Islanders, was among 35 hopefuls at the preevaluation camp in Calgary. At 19, he was the lone junior player at the two-a-day sessions. Most players were from American colleges or European teams.&ldquo;He has been consistent,&rdquo; Canadian national team coach Dave King said.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s one of the most pleasant surprises. Young players are usually up and down. We&rsquo;re very satisfied.&rdquo;Ideally, Scissons would like to play for Canada at the Olympics in February of 1992, then join the Islanders or their farm team for the last two months of the season. But he wants to receive the blessing of the Islanders.Scissons said Islanders like Pat Lafontaine, Pat Flatley and retired Ken Morrow used the Olympics as a catalyst for their careers. Scissons would like to convince the Islanders&rsquo; the Olympic experience would do the same for him.&ldquo;Hopefully, they see that as a learning experience and somewhere you can get better,&rdquo; said Scissons, who had 24 goals and 77 points in the Western League last season. &ldquo;Those three players have played very well for the Islanders.&rdquo;<h2>CHIEF ADVICE</h2>Mike Chrun had a tough time sitting back at the Memorial Cup. The Spokane Chiefs right winger missed two out of his team&rsquo;s four games with a sore back.But Chrun, who had 26 goals and 52 points during the regular season, witnessed enough handiwork to have an opinion about junior hockey in Quebec.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little different,&rdquo; Chrun said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t expecting the chippiness from Quebec players. (But) they wear the full face-mask and they&rsquo;re a little braver with their shields.&rdquo;Chrun was among many Chief players in awe of part-owner and baseball player George Brett.George, who owns the Chiefs along with brothers Bob and Ken, received permission from the Kansas City Royals to attend the May 14 game against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, since he was on the disabled list.Brett doesn&rsquo;t know much about hockey, but seized the opportunity to give the Chiefs a pregame talk.&ldquo;He said the ball club was watching us in Toronto,&rdquo; Chrun added. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t want to play. They wanted to take their TV&rsquo;s and watch our game in the bullpen. It was nice for George to come in and give us some incentive.&rdquo;<h2>DANDY BRANDY</h2>Some players sulk when they&rsquo;re returned from professional hockey to the juniors. Brandy Semchuk was relieved.Semchuk, who spent two years with the Canadian National team, joined the Lethbridge Hurricanes Jan. 21 after starting the season with the American League&rsquo;s New Haven Nighthawks. He had just one goal and five points in New Haven and looked at his reassignment to the WHL as a fresh start.&ldquo;This helped my confidence,&rdquo; the right winger said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had a taste of pro and I know what it takes to play there. But if I had played the rest of the year in New Haven, I probably would have sat on the bench.&rdquo;Semchuk, 19, was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 1990. He suffered a groin injury when he arrived in Lethbridge and managed to play just 14 regular-season games, scoring nine goals and 17 points.&ldquo;I needed this,&rdquo; Semchuk said. &ldquo;Even when I first got here I was going back to my old habits with Team Canada&mdash;worrying about defense and letting offense take a back seat. Then I realized in a lot of cases, I can get the puck, skate through a lot of guys, and make things happen.&rdquo; &#9632;

SCISSONS CONSIDERING OLYMPIC PROGRAM

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div>The Victoriaville Tigres are doing everything to wipe a dismal 1990-91 season completely out of memory. They changed their coach, their general manager, even their team colors.And to top it off, they made center Alexandre Daigle the first choice overall in the Quebec League&rsquo;s midget draft May 25 in Montreal. Daigle, 16, is expected to be the QMJHL&rsquo;s next superstar player and is already labelled as a top prospect in the 1993 NHL draft.Immediately following the QMJHL draft, Tigres&rsquo; GM Gilbert Perreault stepped down and was replaced by third-year marketing administrator Michel Cormier. Also gone is 24-year-old coach Yves Lambert, who took over the team in mid-season when Perreault was forced to stop coaching due to health reasons.Victoriaville had a 10-59-1 record, worst in the Canadian Hockey League. Solace comes in the drafting of Daigle.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the type of guy who can take charge of a game,&rdquo; Cormier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good skater, very aggressive and has been a good team leader. He has to improve his defensive game, but that&rsquo;s to be expected.&rdquo;Daigle was the first 15-year-old to win the Quebec &lsquo;AAA&rsquo; midget league scoring title, scoring 50 goals and 110 points in 42 games for Triple L (Laval, Laurentide, Lanaudiere). He&rsquo;s looking forward to joining the rebuilding Tigres and isn&rsquo;t concerned with pressure put on him to turn the team around.&ldquo;We can improve,&rdquo; Daigle said. &ldquo;Look at how Drummondville went from last place (1455-1 in 1989-90) to playing in the Memorial Cup final in one season. I&rsquo;m very proud to have this chance. Hockey, to me, isjustagame. I just go out to have fun. Good players face pressure, but they also get glory.&rdquo;The Tigres also changed their team colors from blue and red to black and yellow. Why? Because there aren&rsquo;t many ferocious blue and red tigers roaming the jungles.Cormier expects to name a coach by July 1. Andre Savard, a scout with the Quebec Nordiques, and Robbie Ftorek. a former assistant coach with the Nords, are the leading candidates.Cormier&rsquo;s contract was extended through the 1992-93 season.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t say we&rsquo;ll be the best team in Quebec next season, but we sure won&rsquo;t be the worst either,&rdquo; Cormier said. &ldquo;We struggled because we had 14 17-year-olds in the lineup. Now they have the experience. I think people will be impressed.&rdquo;<h2>FLYNN S BACK</h2>Norman Flynn can&rsquo;t guarantee the St-Jean Lynx a championship, but he does promise to put an end to the team&rsquo;s downward spiral the past few seasons.Flynn was hired by new Lynx GM and old friend Georges Marien May 14 to coach the QMJHL team which has fallen in the LeBel Division standings each of the past three seasons.&ldquo;Our goal the first season is simply to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Flynn said. &ldquo;The first job is to work on getting the attitude positive again. 1 saw a lot of good things coaching against this team last year. They had a good young defense.&rdquo;Flynn was fired as St-Hyacinthe Laser coach April 23 despite two winning seasons. A few hours after his dismissal, Flynn was contacted by Marien, his coaching partner for two seasons with a midget team in Montreal.Flynn replaces the fired Pierre Bessette.The biggest concern for the Lynx is finding a replacement for starting goalie Patrick Leb-recque.<h2>PETRONI IN CHARGE</h2>The new coach of the St-Hyacinthe Laser has a simple coaching philosophy&mdash;just keep getting better.&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t matter how you do, you can always improve,&rdquo; Peter Petroni said. &ldquo;You should never be completely satisfied with an accomplishment. You can do better.&rdquo;Petroni was named coach of the Laser May 21, replacing the fired Norm Flynn. At 33, Petroni is one of the youngest coaches in the CHL, but he isn&rsquo;t shy on experience.Petroni spent the past five seasons coaching at the junior-A level in Quebec. He guided the Montreal Olympics&mdash;based in Longueuil&mdash;to a league championship.The Laser signed Petroni to a one-year contract. &#9632;

TOP PICK DAIGLE AMONG MANY TIGRES’ CHANGES

<h2>ROUND ONE</h2>1) Detroit, Todd Harvey, C, Cambridge Jr. B. 2) Owen Sound, Jeff Smith. D. Wellington Jr. B. 3) Kingston, Chris Gratton. C, Brantford Jr. B. 4) Cornwall, Larry Courville, C, Waterloo Jr. B. 5) Geulph. Todd Bertuzzi, C, Sudbury mdgt, 6) Kitchener, Trevor Gal-lant, C, London Jr. B. 7) Windsor, Jamie Allison, D, Waterloo Jr. B. 8) Sudbury. Jamie Rivers, D, Ottawa Jr. A. 9) Peterborough. Dave Roche, LW, Peterborough Jr. B. 10) London, Jason Allison. RW, North York bntm. 11) Ottawa, Steve Washbum, C, Gloucester Jr. A. 12) Belleville, Kevin Brown, RW, Waterloo Jr. B. 13) North Bay. Brad Brown. D. Toronto Red Wings mdgt. 14) Niagara Falls. Ethan Moreau. LW, Orillia Jr. B. 15) Sault Ste. Marie. Aaron Garvey. C. Peterborough Jr B 16) Oshawa, Jason Arnott, C, Lindsay Jr. B.<h3>BELLEVILLE</h3>12) Kevin Brown, RW, Waterloo Jr. B, 28) Daniel Godbout, D, Grand Falls, N.B. high school, 44) Dan Preston, D, Strathroy Jr. B, 60) Doug Doull, C, Wexford mdgt, 76) Ian Keiller, D, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 82) Mike Yacynuk, LW, Mississauga Reps mdgt, 94) Alfonso D&rsquo;Alessio, RW, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 102) Adam Lamarre, D, Markham Waxers Jr. B, 104) Aaron Sussex, D, London Jr. B, 111) Rob Shewchuk, LW, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 124) Greg Foulidis, RW, Markham Thunderbirds Jr. B, 140) Bill Laforge, RW, Edmonton mdgt, 156) Michael Pearce, D, Richmond Hill mdgt, 172) Jody McMillan, G, Kingston Jr. B, 188) Scott Steeves, C/LW Sarnia Jr. B, 204) Gord Dulmage, D, Welland mdgt, 220) Darryl Sheddon, D, Mount Forest Jr. C, 236) Brad Phillios. LW. Kinoston Jr. B.<h3>CORNWALL</h3>4) Larry Courville, C, Waterloo Jr. B, 17) Sam Oliveira, HW, Hamilton Longshoremen mdgt, 20) Alan Letang, D, Ottawa Valley bntm, 36) Mike Prokopec, RW, Barrie Jr. B, 67) Derek Grant, C, Hawkesbury Jr. A, 68) Jason Meloche, D, Thorold Jr. B. 84) Matt Hogan, C, London mdgt, 100) Adam Schmidt, D, North York mdgt, 116) Derek McLaughlin, LW, Petrolia Jr. B, 148) Paul Andrea, C, Cape Breton, N.S. mdgt, 164) Todd Walker, LW, Massena, N.Y. Jr. A, 180) Marc Warner, RW, Gloucester Co., N.B. mdgt, 196) Robert MacDonald, D, Mississauga Reps mdgt, 212) Michael Bois, LW, Thunder Bay mdgt, 228) Justin Krall, D, Detroit Little Caesars mdgt, 244) Ryan Coristine, RW, Chatham Jr. B, 256) Todd VanBuskirk, LW, Moncton, N.B. mdgt, 268) Shawn Wans-borough, C, Kingston Jr. B.<h3>DETROIT</h3>1) Todd Harvey, C, Cambridge Jr. B, 26) Hyan Sittler, LW, Buffalo, N.Y. mdgt. 33) Eric Cairns, LW, Burlington Jr. B, 49) Jeff Kostuch, C, Brockville Jr. A, 65) Derek Wilkinson, G, Chatham Jr. B, 81) Bob Wren, C, Kingston Jr. B, 113) Chris Pickersgill, RW/C Windsor mdgt, 145) Trevor Torrance, LW, Wellington Jr. B, 161) Alex Stepanoff. D, Wexford mdgt, 177) Brent Thombs, G, Dunnville Jr. C, 193) Jason McGregor, LW, Essex Jr. C, 209) Anson Carter, C, Don Mills mdgt, 225) David Kelly, RW, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 241) Jason Karmanos, C, Detroit Compuware Jr. A, 254) Tim White, RW, Detroit Compuware Jr. A, 266) Chris Fres-coln, D, Michigan Nationals mdgt, 275) Mike Sancimino. LW, Detroit Compuware Jr. A, 281) Ray Gabbert, LW, Detroit Little Caesars mdgt, 283) Brian Leitza, G, Chicago Young Americans mdgt.<h3>GUELPH</h3>5) Todd Bertuzzi, C, Sudbury mdgt, 21) Sylvain Cloutier, C, Soo Legion mdgt, 37) Steven Halko, D, Newmarket Jr. B, 91) Grant Pritchett, D, Barrie Jr. B, 101) Jeremy Brown, C, Barrie Jr. B, 117) Chris McMurtry, D, Hamilton Longshoremen mdgt, 132) Matt Mooney, LW, Rayside Balfour Jr. A, 133) Chad Brezynskie, RW/D Elmira Jr. B, 165) Craig Crowe, G, Barrie Jr. B, 181) Bill McComb, C, Owen Sound Jr. B, 197) Bill Govedaris, LW, Wexford mdgt, 213) Brian Barker, C, Detroit Wings Jr. A, 229) Duane Harmer, D, St. Marys Jr. B, 245) Troy Caley, C, Peterborough mdgt, 257) David Vigilanti, LW, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 269) Scott Stewart, D, Petrolia Jr. B, 276) Neil Rynsoever, D, Wexford mdgt.<h3>KINGSTON</h3>3) Chris Gratton, C, Brantford Jr. B, 19) Craig Rivet, D, Barrie Jr. B, 35) Brian Stagg, RW, Powassan Jr. A, 51) Marc Lamothe, G, Ottawa Jr. A, 61) Chris Scharf, LW, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 79) Joel Yates, LW/D Nepean Jr. A, 92) Craig Reckin, LW, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 99) Jamal Mayers, C, Markham Thunderbirds Jr. B, 115) Corrie Johnson, LW, Nova, N.S. mdgt, 131) John Dance, D, Tillsonburg Jr. B, 147) Angelo Papalia, C, Hamilton Jr. B, 163) Rob Bandy, G, Madoc Jr. C, 179) Trevor Doyle, D, Choate, Conn, high school, 195) Michael Kotsopoulos, D, Lindsay Jr. B, 211) Russ Monteith, LW, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 227) Greg Ratushny, D, Nepean mdgt, 243) Dominique Leeman, G, Kingston mdgt.<h3>KITCHENER</h3>6) Trevor Gallant, C, London Jr. B, 22) Tim bpitzig, HW, Kitchener mdgt, 38) Eric Manlow, C, Peterborough bntm, 54) Marc Robillard, LW, Dartmouth, N.S. mdgt, 70) Carlton Denomme, G, Stratford Jr. B, 71) Jason Gladney, D, St. Michaels Jr. B, 118) Matt McKenna, LW, Kitchener mdgt, 134) Mike Koiranen, C. Thunder Bay mdgt, 135) Joe Benninger, G, Kitchener mdgt, 149) Jason Stevenson, D, Kenoramdgt, 150) Dennis Wright, LW, Kalamazoo, Mich. Jr. A, 166) Dan Brown, D, London Jr. B, 182) Shamus Gregga, G, Richmond Hill Jr. B, 198) Jeff Kozakowski, D, Detroit GPD mdgt, 214) Jeff McKinnon, RW, Fort Frances high school, 230) Steve Palmer, C, Mississauga Reps mdgt, 246) Bill Stefura, LW, Kitchener mdgt, 258) Drew Tilson, LW, Oakville Appleby high school, 270) Adam Rodak, C, Thunder Bay mdgt.<h3>LONDON</h3>10) Jason Allison, RW, North York bntm, 42) Brian Stacey, D, Oshawa mdgt, 56) David Gilmore, C, St. Thomas Jr. B, 58) Mark Williams, G, Mississauga Reps mdgt, 106) Cory Evans, RW, Soo Legion mdgt, 122) Petro Kantzavelos, D, Don Mills mdgt, 138) Derek Tupling, C/LW Orangeville Jr. C, 141) Gordon Ross, LW, Richmond Hill mdgt, 154) Terry Neilsen, C, Trenton Jr. C, 170) Brent Holdsworth, D, Hamilton Longshoremen mdgt, 186) Gerry Arcella, G, Don Mills mdgt, 202) Kevin Tucker, C, Elmira Jr. B, 218) Chad Kaczur, D, Brantford mdgt, 234) Drew Herendeen, D, Team Indiana mdgt, 248) Marc Pelletier, RW, Gloucester mdgt, 261) Steve Brett, D, Newmarket mdgt, 273) Brad Griffin, C, Markham mdgt, 279) Kade McAllister, LW, Rayside Balfour mdgt.<h3>NIAGARA FALLS</h3>14) Ethan Moreau, LW/C Orillia Jr. B, 30) Ryan Tocher, D, Hamilton Jr. B, 46) Tom Moores, LW, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 62) Dennis Maxwell, LW, Hamilton Jr. B, 110) Joel Palmer, D, Barrie Jr. B, 126) Adrian Christilaw, D, Brantford mdgt, 136) Tim Thompson, D, Toronto Marlboros mdgt, 142) Gord Duffy, LW, Petrolia Jr. B, 158) Brad Love, RW, Cambridge Jr. B, 174) Mike White, G, Caledonia Jr. C, 190) Neil Fewster, D, Guelph Jr. B, 206) Jason Wallington, D, Niagara Falls Jr. B, 238) Dan Mongrain, D, North Bay mdgt, 251) Jason Salvador, LW, Niagara Falls Jr. B, 264) Chris Baxter, C, St. Catharines-Jr. B, 274) Shane Mahoney, C, Oshawa mdgt, 280) Mike Laur, C, Welland mdgt.<h3>NORTH BAY</h3>13) Brad Brown, D, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 29) Pat Barton, C, Burlington Jr. B, 45) Dominic Belanger, C, Rayside Balfour mdgt, 77) Sandy Allan, G, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 93) Dave Szabo, LW, Oshawa mdgt, 98) Paul Rushforth, C, Ottawa Jr. A, 109) Jeff Shevalier, C, Acton Jr. C, 125) Ryan Sharpe, D, Kenora mdgt, 157) Tim Hill, RW, Oakville Jr. B, 173) Peter Colomvakos, RW, Don Mills mdgt, 189) Ryan Cassidy, C, Kitchener mdgt, 205) Chris Galardi, D, Chippawa Jr. C, 221) Martin Galipeau, LW, Valley East mdgt. 237) Perry Ohm, D, Listowel Jr. B, 250) Mark Costea, D, Welland Jr. B, 263) Peter Papadogiannis, G, Soo Legion mdgt.<h3>OSHAWA</h3>16) Jason Arnott, C, Lindsay Jr. B, 48) Neil Iserhoff, C, Kapus-kasing mdgt, 64) Davide DalGrande, D, Nepean mdgt, 80) Joe Cook, D, Tillsonburg Jr. B, 88) Aaron Albright, RW, Oshawa mdgt, 96) Todd Bradley, RW, Oshawa mdgt, 112) Darren McClellan, D, Brampton Jr. B, 128) Pat Lenehan, RW, Essex Jr. C, 144) Stephane Yelle, C, Cumberland Jr. B, 160) Todd Cyr, D, Pickering Jr. B, 176) Ken Shepard. G, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 192) Darryl Lafrance, C, Valley East mdgt, 208) Mike Mortimer, D, Muskoka Jr. B, 224) Dan Quigley, LW, Valley East mdgt, 240) John Carr, C, Valley East mdgt, 253) Peter Robertson, C, St. John, N.B. mdgt.<h3>OTTAWA</h3>11) Steve Washburn, C, Gloucester Jr. A, 27) Chris Coveny, D, Gloucester Jr. A, 43) Shean Donovan, C/RW Kanata Valley Jr. A, 59) Mike Johnson, D, Halifax, N.S. mdgt, 66) Chris Gignac, C, Windsor mdgt, 75) Ken Belanger, LW, Soo Legion mdgt, 83) Billy Hall, D, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 87) Mathew Burnett, LW, Aurora Jr. B, 123) Tyson Johnson, G, Oakville Jr. B, 139) Matthew Simeoni, G, Thunder Bay mdgt, 155) Sean Gawley, D, Wellington Jr. B, 171) Mark Rigby, D, Tillsonburg Jr. B, 187) Mark O&rsquo;Donnell, LW, Kanata Valley Jr. A, 203) Elio Malandra, LW, Ottawa West mdgt, 219) Olav Ebrahim, D, Ottawa West mdgt, 235) Mark Jodoin, D, Cornwall mdgt, 249) Steve Vos, LW. Sherwood, P.E.I. Jr. A. 262) Mark Yakabuski. LW. Perth Jr. B.<h3>OWEN SOUND</h3>2) Jeff Smith, D, Wellington Jr. B, 18) James Storr, G, Brampton Jr. B, 34) Jason Hughes, D, Kingston Jr. B, 50) Willie Skilliter, C, Wellington Jr. B, 69) Gord Dickie, RW, Mississauga Reps mdgt, 85) Scott Walker, D, Cambridge Jr. B, 114) Joel McArter, RW. Burlington Jr. B, 130) Geoffrey Schnare, G, London mdgt, 146) Greg Lonsdale, D, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 162) Robert MacK-enzie, RW, St. John, N.B. mdgt, 178) Marcello Raimondo, LW, Richmond Hill mdgt, 194) Gilbert Regimbald, D, Cumberland Jr. B, 210) Mike Majewski, LW, Mississauga Black Hawks mdgt, 222) Joel Lahn, LW/C Hanover Jr. C, 226) Steve Black, D, Guelph mdgt, 242) Brian Greer, G, Ottawa West mdgt, 255) Luigi Calce, C, Mississauga Black Hawks mdgt, 267) Tom Carnovale, C, North York mdgt.<h3>PETERBOROUGH</h3>9) Dave Roche, LW, Peterborough Jr. B, 25) Colin Wilson, C, Guelph Jr. B, 41) Chad Lang, G, Newmarket Jr. B, 53) Chad Grills, C, Peterborough mdgt, 57) Kelly Vipond, RW/C Oshawa Jr. B, 72) Gary Hirst, D, Burlington Jr. B, 89) Chris Pronger, D, Stratford Jr. B, 97) Scott Beed, LW, Amherst, N.S. Jr. A, 105) Jeff Walker, D, Valley East mdgt, 121) Scott Turner, C, Kitchener mdgt, 127) Matt St. Germain, RW, Chatham Jr. B, 153) Craig Johnson, G, Wexford mdgt, 169) Chris Stevenson, C, Wingham Jr. C, 185) Shawn Healey, LW, Valley East mdgt, 201) Paolo Fiore, LW, Welland mdgt, 217) Ryan Douglas, G, Mimico Jr. B, 233) Dave Ranieri, C/LW St. Michaels Jr. B.<h3>SAULT STE. MARIE</h3>15) Aaron Gavey, C, Peterborough Jr. B, 31) Briane Thompson, D, Lindsay Jr. B, 32) Gary Roach, D, Sault Ste. Marie bntm, 47) Kiley Hill, LW, Valley East mdgt, 63) Jason Julian, LW, Lindsay Jr. B, 73) Chris Grenville, C, Thorold Jr. B, 74) Gregor Reid, RW, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 86) Chris DeRuiter, C, Kingston Jr. B, 95) Chris Shushack, D, Kitchener mdgt, 107) Brad Baber, RW, Soo Legion mdgt, 143) Shadd Smith, D, Chatham Jr. B, 159) Jeff Goldie, LW, Owen Sound Jr. B, 175) David MacMillan, C, Sudbury mdgt, 191) Jason Sweeney, G, Elmira Jr. B, 207) Jeff Toms, LW, Oakville mdgt, 223) Steve Toll, C, St. Catharines mdgt, 239) Tim Bacik, G, Blenheim Jr. C, 252) Mike Sciarra, RW, Thorold Jr. B, 265) Fred Pagani, LW, Chinguacousy mdgt.<h3>SUDBURY</h3>8) Jamie Rivers, D, Ottawa Jr. A, 24) Barrie Moore, C, Strathroy Jr. B, 40) Phil Miaskowski, C/LW Bramalea Jr. B, 78) Kelvin Solari, D/LW Sudbury mdgt, 103) Mikhail Nemirovsky, LW, Pickering Jr. B, 120) Brandon Schad, RW, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 129) Hendrick Wingenroth, D, Toronto Young Nats mdgt, 137) Todd Jones, RW, Nova, N.S. mdgt, 152) Carmelo Giurleo, G, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 168) Chad Thompson, C, Petrolia Jr. B, 184) Bob Maclsaac, D, Nova, N.S. mdgt, 200) Todd Preston, LW, Peterborough Jr. B, 216) Steve Potvin, C, Don Mills mdgt, 232) Leander Gillard, LW, Sudbury mdgt, 247) Sean Gagnon, LW, Soo Elks mdgt, 260) Ted Salhani, D, Tillsonburg Jr. B, 272) Craig Larmer, LW, Markham mdgt, 278) Wade Kolmel, G, Kenora mdgt.<h3>WINDSOR</h3>7) Jamie Allison, D, Waterloo Jr. B, 23) Matt Mullin, G, Guelph Jr. B, 39) Ryan O&rsquo;Neill, RW, Richmond Hill mdgt, 52) Reuben Castella, LW, Muskoka Jr. B, 55) Eric Stamp, RW, Dundas Jr. C, 90) Ryan Stephenson, D. Barrie mdgt, 108) Peter Allison, D/C Waterloo Jr. B, 119) Jason Knobblock, LW, Michigan Nationals mdgt, 151) Trent Cavicchi, G, Dartmouth, N.S. mdgt, 167) Scott Faulkner, LW, London mdgt, 183) Craig Binns, LW/D Nepean Jr. A, 199) Bill Bowler, C, Toronto Red Wings mdgt, 215) Jamie Middleton, D, York Simcoe mdgt, 231) Dan Predhomme, G, Windsor mdgt, 259) Casey Walsh, LW, Halifax, N.S. mdgt, 271) Mark Burnett, LW, York Simcoe mdgt, 277) Brady Blain, LW, Chatham Jr. B, 282) Mike Mayhew, LW, Chatham Jr. B, 284) Jason Beutten-miller, D, Petrolia Jr. B, 285) Kyle Peterson, C, Thunder Bay mdgt. &#9632;

ONTARIO LEAGUE: AMBASSADORS SELECT HARVEY

<h2>ROUND ONE</h2>l) Victoriaville, Alexandre Daigle. C, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 2) St-Jean, Patrick Carignan. LW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 3) Beauport, Eric Moreau, D, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 4) Shawinigan, Patrick Traverse, D, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 5) Granby. Patrick Lamoureaux, RW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 6) St-Hyacinthe, Sebastien Berube, D, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean. 7) Laval, Emmanuel Fernandez, G, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 8) Hull, Eric Lecompte, C, bntm AA Hurons-Hochelaga, 9) Hull, Sebastien Bordeleau, C, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), I0) Drum-mondville, Jeremie Caissie. RW. mdgt AAA Moncton Flyers. 11) Trois-Rivieres, Charles Paquette, D, bntm AA Selects du Nord, 12) Chicoutimi, Christian Caron, RW, mdgt AAA Richelieu.<h3>BEAUPORT</h3>3) Eric Moreau, D. mdgt AAA Richelieu, 15) Martin Rozon, C, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 23) Ian McIntyre, LW, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa. 27) Jean-Guy Trudel, LW, mdgt AA Malartic, 39) Patrick Deraspe, RW, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 43) Patrice Paquin, LW, mdgt AA Selects du Nord, 63) Troy Welsh, C, mdgt AAA Halifax, 84) Jamie Bird, D, Rochester Jr. B, 105) Charles Boucher, C, mdgt AAA Moncton Flyers, 111) Gregg Pineo, RW. mdgt AAA Annapollis Valley, 123) Jamie Armitage, LW, mdgt AAA Moncton Flyers, 135) Simon Cantin, D, mdgt AA Senateurs de Laval, 147) Steve Dubuc, G, mdgt AA Granby, 159) Remi Dagneau, RW, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 170) Jean-Robert Grenon, D, mdgt BB Sagueneens de Chicoutimi, 178) Marky Houle, LW, mdgt AA College Francais, 185) Christian Desjardins, LW, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 190) Martin Plante, D, mdgt AA Centre Mauricie, 195) Michael Grondin, D, mdgt AA Beauce-Amiante, 198) Brandon Piccarreto, D, Rochester Jr. B.<h3>CHICOUTIMI</h3>12) Christian Caron, RW. mdgt AAA Richelieu, 24) Dany Larochelle, D, mdgt AAA Estrie, 36) Eddy Gervais, D, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 48) Sebastien Boies, RW, mdgt AAA Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy, 52) Patrick Lacombe, D, mdgt AAA Riverains du Richelieu, 60) Martin Lamarche, LW, mdgt AA Cometes d&rsquo;Amose, 72) Hugo Hamelin, G, mdgt AAA Estrie, 74) Michel Guinois, LW, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 75) Stephane Angers, RW, mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 108) Carl Bloudin, LW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 119) Christian Gosselin, LW. mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 120) Patrick Lampron, D, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 132) Steve McKell, D, mdgt AAA Estrie, 144) Joel Harvey, G, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 156) Luc Bastien, C, mdgt AA Pointe-aux-Trembles, 168) Gaetan Paquet, LW, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean.<h3>COLLEGE FRANCAIS</h3>21) Francois Rivard, C, mdgt AA Rouyn, 33) Yannik Gaucher, mdgt AAA Riverains du Richelieu, 45) Benoit Rajotte, RW, bntm AA 47 Richelieu, 57) Guy Tremblay, LW, mdgt AA Marlatic, 69) Jean-Francoi Bechard, D, mdgt AA Lasarre, 81) Jean-Sebastien Lefebvre, D, mdgt AA Rapides de Lachine, 93) Ted Laviolette, D, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 99) Pierre Gendron, C, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 117) Simon Arial, D, mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 129) Ivan Murray, RW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 141) Martin Lafontaine, G, bntm AA Francheville, 153) Pascal Cote, LW, rpdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 165) Jean-Pierre Rous-seau,&rsquo; D, mdgt AA Patriotes du Haut-Richelieu, 175) Pascal Bolduc, G, mdgt AA Quebec.<h3>DRUMMONDVILLE</h3>10) Jeremie Caissie, RW, mdgt AAA Moncton Flyers, 34) Alain Nasredine, D, bntm AA Bourassa, 46) David Lessard, RW, bntm AA Beauce-Amiante, 58) Maxime Peticlerc, LW, bntm AA Beauport, 66) Alexandre Duchesne, LW, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 67) Patrick Miller, G, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 80) Pascal Grenier, D, mdgt AAA Estrie, 94) Philippe Ste-Marie, D, mdgt AA North Shore, 106) Francois Talbot, G, mdgt AA Jeunes Sportifs Hochelaga, 118) Dominec Cote, C, mdgt AAA Estrie, 130) Jonathan Dubois, D, mdgt AAA Estrie, 142) Alexandre Gaumond, RW. mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 154) Eric Girard, D, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 166) Yannick Petit, C. mdgt AA Elites du Richelieu, 176) Michel Turgeon. D. mdgt AA Malartic, 183) Roman Hamrlik, D, mdgt AAA A C. YPS.<h3>GRANBY</h3>5) Patrick Lamoureaux, RW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 17) Christian Labonte, C, mdgt AAA Estrie. 53) Marc Archambault, D, bntm AA Olympiques de Hull, 77) Sebastien Dupuis, G, mdgt AA Pointe-aux-Trembles, 89) Knolly Smith, LW, mdgt AA Senateurs de Laval, 113) Jeremie Rainville, D, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 125) Jeff Connely. C, San Sebastian high school, 137) David Marcellus, LW, mdgt AA Champlain, 149) Andre Tourigny, G. mdgt AA Fran-chville, 161) Jean-Ian Filiatrault, G, mdgt AA Senateurs de Laval, 172) Patrick Drapeau, LW, mdgt AA Sherbrooke, 180) Marc-Andre Sarrazin, G, mdgt AA North Shore, 187) Michel Gilbert, LW, mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 192) Dominic Gagne, C, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa.<h3>HULL</h3>8) Eric Lecompte, C, bntm AA Hurons-Hochelaga, 9) bebastien Bordeleau, C. mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 20) Harold Hersh, RW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 32) Thierry Mayer, D. mdgt AAA Out-aouais, 44) Eric Daze. LW, bntm AA Riverains-Laval, 56) Yanik Francoeur, G. mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue. 68) Steve Auger, C, mdgt AA Citoyens de Joliette, 87) Francois Lajeunesse, LW, mdgt AA Olympiques de Hull, 92) Pascal Lefebvre, D, mdgt AA Rive-Sud, 104) John Robson, mdgt AAA Pictou, 116) Joey Deliva, C, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 128) Yanick Gagnon, LW. Mdgt. AA Cascades des Bois-Francs, 140) Martin Comtois, G, mdgt AA Express de St-Hyacinthe, 152) Pierre-Hugue Bazinet, D, mdgt AA Selects du Nord, 164) Danny Wilson, D, bntm AA Toros &lsquo;87,174) Joe Callaghan, D, mdgt AA Olympiques de Hull, 182) Darby Hendrickson, C, Richfield high school, 189) Dean Grillo, RW, Warroad Minnesota high school, 194) Craig Darby, C, Schenectady high school, 197) Scott Parmentier, C, mdgt AAA Woonsocket North Stars.<h3>LAVAL</h3>7) Emmanuel Fernandez, G, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 19) Brant Blackned, LW, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 31) Philip Gathercole, C, bntm AA Selects du Nord, 51) Dany Plante, D, mdgt AAA Estrie, 55) Patrick Cassin, C, mdgt AA Drummondville, 65) Guillaume Olivier, D, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 76) Yanick Dube, RW, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 79) Nicolas Cossette, D, midger AA Cometes d&rsquo;Amos, 91) Sylvain Blouin, D, mdgt AA Beauport, 98) Yan St-Pierre, LW, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 103) Eric Juneau, LW, mdgt BB Alma, 115) Jean-Francoi Campeau, D, mdgt AA Elites de Salaberry, 127) Claude Chiasson, RW, mdgt AA Pointe-aux-Trembles, 139) Steve Potvin, G, mdgt BB Alma, 151) Stephan Bourbonnais, C, mdgt AA West Island, 163) Jamie Brown, LW, Pomfret high school.<h3>ST-HYACINTHE</h3>6) Sebastien Berube, D, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 18) Etienne Thibault, D, bntm AA Rive-Sud. 42) Marc Desgagne, D, bntm AA Etoiles de I&rsquo;Est, 54) Patrick Belisle, C, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 90) Francois Gagnon, LW, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 102) Stephane Huard, LW, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 114) John-Paul O&rsquo;Connor, C, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 126) Robert Asselin, D, mdgt AA Salaberry, 138) Erasmo Saltarelli, G, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 150) Hugo Bouthiller, LW, Marieville Tier 2,162) Alexandre Gosselin, D, mdgt AA Elites de la Rive-Nord, 173) Benoit Jodoin, C, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 181) Patrick Boyer, G, mdgt AA St-Hubert, 188) Marc Drouin, C, mdgt-AAA Regents (LLL), 193) Hugo Bedard, LW, mdgt AAA Out-aouais, 196) Bruno Lemarche, LW, mdgt AA St-Hyacinthe.<h3>ST-JEAN</h3>2) Patrick Carignan, LW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 14) David Berergon, G, mdgt AAA Saguenay&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 26) Nathan Morin, LW, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 50) Stephane Madore, D, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 62) Eric Alarie, mdgt AAA Estrie, 86) Marc Prevost, RW, mdgt AA Selects du Nord, 96) Jean-Francoi Boileau, D, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 101) Luc Corriveau, D, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 110) Patrick Laferriere, G, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 122) Jeff Gervais, D, bntm AA Elites Rive-Nord, 134) Jean-Christian Honorez, RW, mdgt AA Lachine, 146) Peter Arvanitis, C, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 158) Eric O&rsquo;Connor, LW, mdgt AA 47 Richelieu, 169) Benoit Brassard, D, mdgt AA Jets de St-Hubert.<h3>SHAWINIGAN</h3>4) Patrick Traverse, D, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 16) Jean-Francoi Laroche, LW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 28) Patrick Lalime, G, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 40) Jocelyn Charbonneau, D, bntm AA Elites du Richelieu, 64) Simon Roy, D, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 78) Alain Savage, LW, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 88) Sebastien Plouffe, G, mdgt AAA Montreal-Bourassa, 100) Maxime Jean, RW, mdgt AAA Sagueney&mdash;Lac St-Jean, 112) Patrick Tremblay, D, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 124) Andre Alie, C, mdgt AAA Estrie, 136) Patrick Moreau, LW, mdgt AA Elites de Salaberry, 148) Thierry Dumas, RW, mdgt AA Quebec, 160) Shan Kistabish, G, mdgt AA Cometes d&rsquo;Amos, 171) Philippe Guimont, LW. mdgt AA Beauport, 179, Patrick Blais, G, mdgt AA Centre Mauricie, 186) Daniel Peloquin, D, mdgt AA Vics Yamaska/Missisquoi, 191) Martin Ethier, D, mdgt AA Mariners de Sorel.<h3>TROIS-RIVIERES</h3>11) Charles Paquette, D, bntm AA Selects du Nord, 35) Pierre-Claude Drouin, LW, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 47) Dave Boudreault, C, mdgt AAA Sagueney&mdash;Lac St-Louis, 59) Jocelyn Thibault, G, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 71) Pascal Veilleux, mdgt AA Cascades des Bois-Francs, 82) Eric Patry, RW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 95) Pascal Rheaume, LW, mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 107) Yanick, Tessier, LW, mdgt AA Pointe-aux-Trembles, 131) Eric Pettigrew, D, mdgt AA Etoiles de I&rsquo;Est, 143) Jean-Francois Robert, LW, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 155) Eric Daigneault, C, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 167) Donald Piche, G, mdgt AA Rouyn, 177) Sylvain Kennedy, D, mdgt AA L&rsquo;Express de Bourassa, 184) Curtis Millen, D, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis.<h3>VICTORIAVILLE</h3>1) Alexandre Daigle, C, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 13) Patrick Charbonneau. G, mdgt AAA Richelieu, 22) Martin Woods, D, mdgt AAA Abit-Temiscamingue, 25) Alexandre Laporte, D, mdgt AA Vics de Granby, 29) Pascal Chiasson, D, mdgt AAA Lac St-Louis, 30) Ian Laterreur, LW, bntm AA 47 Richelieu, 37) Pascal Bernier, LW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 49) Carl Poirier, RW, mdgt AA Cascades des Bois-Francs, 61) Dominic Fafard, D, bntm AA Elites du Richelieu. 70) Stephane Larocque, RW, mdgt AAA Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 73) Daniel Germain, D, mdgt AAA Gouveneurs de Ste-Foy, 83) Eric Pelletier, LW, mdgt AA Riverains de Laval, 85) Michael Grady, LW, mdgt AAA Estrie, 97) Stephane Bertrand, D, mdgt AA Hull Aylmer, 109) Sebastien Frechette, G, mdgt AA Cascades des Bois-Francs, 121) Eric Payant, D, mdgt AA Rapides de Lachine, 133) Mathieu Brunet, LW, mdgt AAA Regents (LLL), 145) Jean-Francois Lareau, G, mdgt AA Jets de St-Hubert. 157) Danv Veillette, D, mdgt AA Centre-Mauricie. &#9632;

QUEBEC LEAGUE: DAIGLE HAS TIGRES BY THE TAIL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01665/5951721-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01581/5951714-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="3101" height="3613"></div> &#9632;

f0036-01

NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS

When the Minnesota North Stars&rsquo; power-play fortunes took a turn for the worse, so did the team.The North Stars entered the Stanley Cup final with the second best scoring efficiency on the power play in the playoffs&mdash;scoring once every six minutes, 14 seconds on average.But the stubborn Pittsburgh Penguins allowed just three power-play goals in six games&mdash;one goal every 18:49&mdash;and turned Minnesota&rsquo;s Cinderella spring into a horror show.The North Stars finished the 1990-91 playoffs with the fifth-best power-play rating&mdash;one goal every7:19. The Penguins scored a power-play goal every 8:55 against Minnesota and were 10th overall.In addition to the information in the charts below, Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Tom Barrasso&rsquo;s hot-seat time (how long it takes an opposing team to bea a goalie while on the power play) was 8:06. Minnesota&rsquo;s Jon Casey was close behind at 7:58.In the Stanley Cup final, the North Stars had 4:30 of major-advantage power-play time, while the Penguins had 2:30.During the playoffs, the team that scored the first power-play goal of the game went on to win the contest 67 per cent of the time.TEAMS POWER PLAY / PENALTY KILLING TIME FRAME RAUFS Pt AYFD THROUGH 5/26/91<h2>POWER PLAY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1679/5952070-1-eng-US/f0038-162.jpg" title="f0038-16" width="545" height="527"></div><h2>EGA LEADERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1773/5952063-1-eng-US/f0038-172.jpg" title="f0038-17" width="547" height="297"></div><h2>PENALTY KILLING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1868/5952056-1-eng-US/f0038-182.jpg" title="f0038-18" width="543" height="618"></div><h2>HOT SEAT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1964/5952049-1-eng-US/f0038-192.jpg" title="f0038-19" width="541" height="323"></div>Statistics copyright Anthony Puma, Moriches, N.Y., 1991 Patent pending. &#9632;

f0038-16

POWER PLAY LETS DOWN NORTH STARS

<h2>Wed., May 15</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01667/5952018-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="589" height="1147"></div><h2>Fri., May 17</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02511/5952011-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="586" height="1237"></div><h2>Sun., May 19</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03413/5952004-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="586" height="917"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04317/5951997-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="579" height="233"></div><h2>Tues., Mav 21</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05235/5951990-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="586" height="1140"></div><h2>Thurs., May 23</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06196/5951983-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="584" height="1238"></div><h2>Sat., May 25</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07181/5951976-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="591" height="689"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08156/5951969-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="576" height="480"></div>CALDER CUP<h2>Thurs. May 9</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-09141/5951962-1-eng-US/f0038-092.jpg" title="f0038-09" width="581" height="893"></div><h2>Sat., May 11</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-10125/5951955-1-eng-US/f0038-102.jpg" title="f0038-10" width="583" height="818"></div><h2>Sat., May 11</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-11117/5951948-1-eng-US/f0038-112.jpg" title="f0038-11" width="584" height="1035"></div><h2>Mon., May 20</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-12108/5951941-1-eng-US/f0038-122.jpg" title="f0038-12" width="579" height="764"></div><h2>Wed., May 22</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1398/5951934-1-eng-US/f0038-132.jpg" title="f0038-13" width="578" height="423"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1490/5951927-1-eng-US/f0038-142.jpg" title="f0038-14" width="577" height="530"></div><h2>Fri., May 24</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1585/5951920-1-eng-US/f0038-152.jpg" title="f0038-15" width="579" height="712"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01629/5951913-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="580" height="210"></div>TURNER CUP<h2>Fri., May 10</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02441/5951906-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="584" height="1054"></div><h2>Sat., May 11</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03332/5951899-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="578" height="867"></div><h2>Wed., May 15</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04268/5951892-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="581" height="1112"></div><h2>Fri., May. 17</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05220/5951885-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="577" height="95"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06187/5951878-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="574" height="1101"></div><h2>Mon., May 18</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07168/5951871-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="574" height="994"></div><h2>Mon., May 20</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08150/5951864-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="578" height="738"></div>MEMORIAL CUP<h2>Sat., May 11</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-09131/5951857-1-eng-US/f0039-092.jpg" title="f0039-09" width="586" height="523"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-10115/5951850-1-eng-US/f0039-102.jpg" title="f0039-10" width="575" height="428"></div><h2>Sun. May 12</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1199/5951843-1-eng-US/f0039-112.jpg" title="f0039-11" width="576" height="1272"></div><h2>Sun, May 12</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1291/5951836-1-eng-US/f0039-122.jpg" title="f0039-12" width="573" height="102"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1382/5951829-1-eng-US/f0039-132.jpg" title="f0039-13" width="585" height="810"></div><h2>Tues, May 14</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1477/5951822-1-eng-US/f0039-142.jpg" title="f0039-14" width="577" height="1025"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1569/5951815-1-eng-US/f0039-152.jpg" title="f0039-15" width="567" height="131"></div><h2>Wed., May 15</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1663/5951808-1-eng-US/f0039-162.jpg" title="f0039-16" width="577" height="1150"></div><h2>Thurs. May 16</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1758/5951801-1-eng-US/f0039-172.jpg" title="f0039-17" width="583" height="479"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01341/5951794-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="588" height="524"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02225/5951787-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="580" height="136"></div><h2>Sun. May. 18</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03159/5951780-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="588" height="324"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04125/5951773-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="588" height="522"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05105/5951766-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="582" height="132"></div><h2>Sun. May. 19</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0691/5951759-1-eng-US/f0040-062.jpg" title="f0040-06" width="584" height="348"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0782/5951752-1-eng-US/f0040-072.jpg" title="f0040-07" width="582" height="521"></div> &#9632;

f0038-01

PLAYOFF SUMMARIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-08" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0873/5952101-1-eng-US/f0040-082.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0040-08

SCOREBOARD

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01281/5952132-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="555" height="611"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN DUPONT</figcaption></div>No, someone always doesn&rsquo;t have to lose. Case in point? The Minnesota North Stars.Sure, let the record show that the Pittsburgh Penguins won the 1991 Stanley Cup.Let the record also show that Mario Lemieux finally came of age, well past his 25th birthday, and that Kevin Stevens played his way into the salary line right behind St. Louis&rsquo; Scott Stevens&mdash;provided the NHL doesn&rsquo;t stick its hand in the same collusion cookie jar that chopped off the hands of baseball owners.But let the record show, perhaps with an asterisk or by bold italic print, that no one lost in the Cup final this year.The North Stars indeed finished second, and won but two games in the final round. For two months, though, they allowed dreamers to wish upon a star, underdogs to howl, and won successive Cups of respectability with their triumphs over Chicago, St. Louis and Edmonton.Pull out your favorite album or CD this morning. No, not that LP of Vince Lombardi&rsquo;s coaching tips or Don Cherry&rsquo;s sweet summer sonnets. Make it the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson or Madonna. If it&rsquo;s Barry Manilow or Frank Sinatra, please make sure you have the shades pulled and the door closed, to shield you from the neighbors and to protect young, innocent children passing by on tricycles.Now, play your favorite side, let it conjure up all the memories, loves won and lost, and try to pick a winner. Go ahead, find the one song that really gets you going. Is it Hey Jude (my favorite)? Satisfaction? Beat It? Material Girl? When I Was 17?It doesn&rsquo;t really matter what you&rsquo;ve picked as your all-time No. 1 hit. The point is, would you call your No. 2 song on that same album, well, a loser? I doubt it.In fact, chances are that your No. 1 song sounds even better surrounded by one, two or three more songs by the same artist(s). But the runnerup is not a loser, and this was just a year when the Penguins won and the North Stars finished runnerup.&ldquo;This is a tough pill to swallow,&rdquo; said Bobby Smith, a Cup winner in Montreal, a runnerup winner with the North Stars. &ldquo;This is as bad as you can feel in sports. It&rsquo;s tough to take. If you can make the distinction between winning and losing, that&rsquo;s what it really is. It wasn&rsquo;t that we lost. It&rsquo;s that we were so close to winning and didn&rsquo;t win. That&rsquo;s what makes it hurt.&rdquo;Far be it for me to talk anyone out of their pain. My first car was a 1970 Maverick, a car bom not for the road but for the repair shop. My friends who owned slick European cars talked about hugging the comers. I talked about strangling the service manager at the local Ford dealership, convinced that the jury would let me off, and award me damages for mental anguish. I know pain.However, with all due respect for Bobby &lsquo;Smith, I can&rsquo;t believe anyone among the North Stars&rsquo; bom-again fandom will shed a tear of sorrow this summer.The Stanley Cup did not find a home in Bloomington, but hockey did. Remember, the North Stars spent the early months of 1990-91 giving away money in the seats of the Met Centre, only to wind up with sellout crowds in April and May and the added motherlode revenue of pay-per-view telecasts.The NHL is alive and well again in Minnesota, thanks to owner Norm Green, the general managing of Bob Clarke, the coaching of Bob Gainey, and the gritty, disciplined performances of some 20 North Stars.Like Lemieux, Brian Bellows came of age, well past his 26th birthday. Dave Gagner and Mark Tinordi were enough to make Phil Esposito cry. And Jon Casey made more than one brilliant member of the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association wonder why he wasn&rsquo;t somewhere among the top three on the Vezina balloting.The Pittsburgh Penguins are winners. No doubt. They have the best assembly of forwards in the game today&mdash;tomorrow depends on this summer&rsquo;s free-agent market&mdash;and their defense more than survived the crack in Paul Coffey&rsquo;s jaw. Thank Ulf Samuelsson for that, along with Tom Barrasso.Please, though, don&rsquo;t call the North Stars losers.Would you say the same about Yellow Submarine? Start Me Up? Thriller? Like a Virgin? I mean, would you tell Old Blue Eyes that New York, New York is a loser?Of course, New York, New York brings us back to the Rangers. Can we save that discussion until October?Kevin Dupont is a hockey writer for the Boston Globe. &#9632;

f0041-01

RUNNER-UP STILL A WINNING POSITION

<h2>CANADIENS</h2>Habs&rsquo; captain Guy Carbonneau believes his chances of jumping to the arch-rival Quebec Nordiques as a free agent this summer are slim. &ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t think the Canadiens will let me go to Quebec,&rdquo; he told the Journal de Montreal. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got the impression they&rsquo;ll equal any offer by the Nordiques. I think they&rsquo;ll equal any offer from a Canadian team. Only American dollars might make them back off.&rdquo; Carbonneau said his No. 1 choice is to stay with Montreal, but not at any cost. By playing out his option this past season, he lost about $200,000. He&rsquo;s looking to make that up on his next deal&hellip;Montreal fans will have to turn their radios further down the dial to listen to games next season. CJAD 800 bought the Habs&rsquo; play-by-play rights for the next two years, taking them away from CFCF 600. Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Irvin will continue to share play-byplay duties with Ron Francis, while some color work will be done by former Hab Steve Shutt&hellip;Montreal managing director Serge Savard has agreed to join the management team for Canada&rsquo;s entry in the Canada Cup this fall.<h2>WHALERS</h2>Sensing the problems attracting ticketholders after a disappointing 73-point season, the Whalers announced they are holding the line on ticket prices for next season&hellip;After watching goal posts being knocked off their magnetic moorings in the playoffs, Whalers&rsquo; GM Ed Johnston said: &ldquo;It is a complete joke. The way guys are running goalies, one of them is going to be killed. Each team is going to have to dress eight goalies. Of course, goalies knocking the nets off themselves doesn&rsquo;t help. Andy Moog is a master of it.&rsquo;&rsquo;&hellip;Johnson was understandably proud of having a hand in building both a Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh) and Calder Cup titlist (Springfield): &ldquo;Proud and&mdash;ed off (to have his regime toppled in Pittsburgh).&rdquo;<h2>SABRES</h2>The Sabres are dabbling with the idea of buying an indoor soccer league team. No decision has been made yet, but club officials have met with representatives of both the Major Indoor Soccer League and the North American Professional Soccer League. The soccer team would likely play on Saturday nights, a night the Sabres are generally out of town. The proposed acquisition would be part of the Sabres&rsquo; package for a new arena. The Sabres would like to run any new building and be its primary tenant-&hellip;Quebec GM Pierre Page downplayed talk of an offer of Pierre Turgeon and Benoit Hogue to Quebec for the rights to Eric Lindros. Page said rumored deals are cropping up in every city in the league and that&rsquo;s one of the reasons he stated he would not trade Lindros. &ldquo;We will do our job and that means listening to offers, but we heard so many &lsquo;Quebec will trade Lindros&rsquo; rumors that we said we wouldn&rsquo;t just to end the speculation&hellip;Former Sabres&rsquo; goaltender Tom Barrasso reflected on his Buffalo years during the Stanley Cup Finals. Barrasso acknowledged he made his share of mistakes while playing in Buffalo, but said the two things that bothered him the most were being blamed for all the losing and media that never took the time to understand him. After winning the Stanley Cup Barrasso said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve won the cup and they (the Sabres) haven&rsquo;t. That&rsquo;s all that needs to be said.&rdquo;<h2>NORDIQUES</h2>Injury prone defenseman Stephane Guerard, who played just 34 games in five years with the Nordiques, was traded to the New York Rangers May 25. In return, the Nords received the rights to Czechoslovakian defenseman Miloslav Horava, 31. The strategy behind the trade: Horava was put on the available player&rsquo;s list for the San Jose draft. &ldquo;We would&rsquo;ve lost one of our regular defensemen if we hadn&rsquo;t acted in that manner,&rdquo; said GM Pierre Page&hellip;With the signing of junior free agents Denis Chass; (Drummondville, QMJHL), Stephane Charbonneau (Chicoutimi, QMJHL), Jon Klemm (Spokane, WHL) and Rob Reimer (Moose Jaw, WHL), the Nords have proved they intend to start sweeping changes to their American League team in Halifax. The likes of David Latta, Trevor Stienburg, Greg Smyth, Gerald Bzdel and Ken Quinney could be looking for new teams in September&hellip;According to Michel Cormier, new GM of the Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL), Robbie Ftorek is one of the candidates for the head coaching job. Jean Pronovost, Ron Harris and Andre Savard are also possibilities&hellip;The Nordiques are very serious about selecting QMJHL scoring sensation Yanic Perreault. Even though they&rsquo;ll be well stocked at center with Joe Sakic and Eric Lindros, they&rsquo;ll think twice before letting Perreault go.<h2>BRUINS</h2>After being recalled from the1 Maine Mariners (AHL) for the NHL playoffs, forward Ron Hoover and defenseman Ken Hammond made useful contributions. By doing so, both strengthened their bargaining positions when they become free agents without compensation at the end of June&hellip;As the devastated Mas-sachusetts&rsquo; economy starts to show vague hints of recovery. Bruins&rsquo; ownership is hoping to see ground broken in August on the new Boston Garden. That would keep the project on sche-dule for the Bruins to open the &lsquo;93-94 season in a new rink&hellip;Boston&rsquo;s Ch. 7 aired an errant report that Cam Neely and Lyndon Byers had a fist fight in a local nightspot in mid-May. Both players, and eye-witnesses said nothing happened. &#9632;

HABS’ VETERAN WON’T JOIN NORDS

A seven game series is uncommon in the Stanley Cup finals. The last one occurred in 1987 when Mark Messier and the Edmonton Oilers played the Philadelphia Flyers. Since 1965, there have been only two seven game series. During that time, however, there have been eight four game sweeps.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02181/5952187-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="718" height="438"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Messier</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0041-02

NUMBERS

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN DUPONT</div>Neither burned out nor Bruined out, Mike Milbury stepped out from behind the Boston bench May 30, retired from coaching, and now will devote full time to his assistant general manager duties with the club.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m doing this because I want to try something else,&rdquo; said the 38-year-old Milbury, who in two years took the Bruins to the Stanley Cup finals and to the semifinals. &ldquo;I have one life to live, and 1 want to live it in different ways. What&rsquo;s next? Bring it on.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I was burned out, so you can eliminate that. I just thought it was a good thing for me and my family to move to the area of management on a full-time basis.&rdquo;Make no mistake, the Bruins like Mike. In fact, moments after he shed a sweat suit for his tailored front-office garb, cufflinks included, Milbury was all but crowned as the club&rsquo;s GM-in-waiting.&ldquo;This is the ideal time for Mike to jump in with both feet,&rdquo; said Harry Sinden, currently the club&rsquo;s president and GM &ldquo;He can spend the next year or so understanding and learning what goes on away from the rink.&rdquo;In a year or two, the 58-year-old Sinden will be on the cusp of retire ment, and Milbury will be expected to receive the baton from one of th game&rsquo;s most respected and shrew GMs. In a year or two, Sinden figure to focus primarily on his president&rsquo; duties, leaving much of the playe issues&mdash;specificially trades and con tract negotiations&mdash;to his forme hard-nosed defenseman.For the short haul, Milbury wil team with Sinden and vice-presiden Tom Johnson in choosing the nex Bruins&rsquo; coach. An announcement is expected to come sometime after June 14, when returns from a vacation in Greece, and before this season&rsquo;s amateur draft in Buffalo June 22.Milbury&rsquo;s two assistants the past two seasons, Ted Sator and Gordie Clark, are both being considered for the job, said Milbury. But it&rsquo;s doubt ful either one will become his succes sor. If one of them were going to take the job, the announcement likely would have been made the same day Milbury relinquished the job. Why would the Bruins need more time to assess their talents?Three more likely candidates, in eluding Rick Bowness, Jack Parker and Mike O&rsquo;Connell, immediately surfaced. Bowness, who had a brief stint coaching the Winnipeg Jets, has directed Boston&rsquo;s AHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, the past two seasons. Parker is the long-time success ful coach of Boston University O&rsquo;Connell, a former Boston defenseman, coached San Diego in the IHL last season and is moving back to sub-urban Boston this month after not having his contract renewed by the Gulls.&ldquo;I spoke to Mike recently and I let him know my intentions,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Connell, reached by phone in San Diego. &ldquo;I asked him, if there were a change of personnel, would he consider me? He didn&rsquo;t give me then that there was any indication that there was going to be a change. But, you know, I&rsquo;m here and I&rsquo;d welcome the challenge. I&rsquo;d love it.&rdquo;If Bowness did not get the Boston job, he would likely move to another organization, given his aspirations to coach again in the NHL. If that were the case, O&rsquo;Connell might be considered for the job with the Mariners, provided he didn&rsquo;t land in Boston.In Milbury&rsquo;s words, Sinden will retain &ldquo;veto power&rdquo; over all facets of the organization. But it&rsquo;s clear the emotional, often tempestuous Milbury is now on a fast track to the club&rsquo;s directorship.This is the next step of him getting nvolved,&rdquo; said Sinden, &ldquo;prior to him&mdash;hopefully and possibly&mdash;moving on to being GM.&rdquo;<h2>BOSTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Mike Milbury. coach, resigned to become assistant general manager. Allen Pedersen, D, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. &#9632;

MILBURY BURNS UP MANAGEMENT LADDER

<div class="byline">BY JIM KELLEY</div>The Buffalo Sabres went out in the first round of the playoffs, but they ended up giving a player to the Stanley Cup finalist.Darcy Wakaluk, a goaltender who spent the bulk of his time with the Sabres&rsquo; American League affiliate in Rochester, was dealt to the Minnesota North Stars May 26 for future considerations.Sabres&rsquo; general manager Gerry Meehan had said prior to the deal that he was looking to deal Wakaluk rather than expose him to the expansion draft. There had been strong indications that Wakaluk would have been taken by the San Jose Sharks in the draft.Buffalo had provided a goaltender to the expansion pool by making Steve Weeks available. The Sabres picked up the rights to Weeks at the trade deadline last March.Wakaluk, 25, was considered an NHL prospect, but his path to the NHL was pretty much blocked by Puppa and Malarchuk. He played 16 games for Buffalo this past season posting a 4-5-3 record and a 3.33 goals-against average.Among his more memorable contributions was stopping a penalty shot in Chicago Stadium in a game Buffalo won in overtime 5-4. Wakaluk also stood out in a game against Minnesota in which he preserved a 6-6 tie when Buffalo was outshot 9-0 in overtime.But Wakaluk was never able to break through in Buffalo and was pleased with the trade.&ldquo;I kind of expected something to happen,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I figured I&rsquo;d be at home all summer waiting for this to happen. I knew they couldn&rsquo;t protect three. I was happy to hear the news.&rdquo;Meehan said he was aware of San Jose&rsquo;s interest in Wakaluk and decided on the Minnesota offer rather than losing the goalie outright.Wakaluk said he expected he could still end up in San Jose anyway, but either way he&rsquo;s looking for an NHI. ioh<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01308/5952242-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="717" height="911"><figcaption class="caption-body">Seldom-used goalie Darcy Wakaluk is now a North Star.</figcaption></div>Wakaluk expressed no bitterness toward Buffalo despite the fact he had been locked into a minor league role since he was drafted in the seventh round in 1984.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always felt like I could play there (with the Sabres) even with the little time I did get,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I thought I played pretty well against them (the North Stars).&rdquo;Wakaluk twice led the Amerks to the Calder Cup finals, but never won the Cup. This spring he won his first six playoff decisions, but finished with an 8-4 mark and was in net when Springfield beat the Amerks for the second time in as many seasons. He had a 3.41 GAA in the playoffs.<h2>BUFFALO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 26: Darcy Wakaluk, G. traded to Minnesota for eighth-round 1991 draft choice and future considerations. May 30: Greg Paslawski, RW. selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

f0043-01

WAKALUK GETS CHANCE TO STAR

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN JOHNSTON</div>When Robbie Ftorek was hired in the summer of 1989 as the head coach of the Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; farm team in Halifax (American League), an NHL head coaching position seemed just a phone call away.But this summer, Ftorek is just waiting for a phone call.Ftorek&rsquo;s contract as an assistant coach with Quebec expired five days after the Nordiques&rsquo; last-place season ended.&ldquo;Pierre (Page, Nordique general manager) simply told me that he wanted a different kind of chemistry at the coaching staff level,&rdquo; said Ftorek from his home in New Haven, Conn. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why I&rsquo;m the one that has to leave, but I nevertheless respect his decision. He&rsquo;s the boss and I&rsquo;m the employee. I follow orders.&ldquo;I was asked to look elsewhere for a coaching job so I imagine I didn&rsquo;t do the work expected of me with the Nordiques. Because the team still had two coaches under contract and that mine had expired, I guess the choice was an easy one to make on the management&rsquo;s part.&rdquo;But while Ftorek himself contends that he was fired, Page refused to use the word.&ldquo;The contract situation is what Robbie had asked for,&rdquo; Page said. &ldquo;Robbie is simply free to do as he wishes. He&rsquo;s an ambitious man and he wants to coach. My conversations with him in the past few weeks are of a confidential matter. If he wants to talk about them, it&rsquo;s up to him. But I won&rsquo;t.&rdquo;Page then went on to say that Ftorek would always have a job waiting for him in the organization. But not at the coaching level.Ftorek responded by saying that he appreciated the fact that there was an opening for him. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m very disappointed by the way things turned out. I really liked what I was doing with the team. I sincerely thought I would be back in the same capacity in the fall,&rdquo; said Ftorek.Ftorek went on to say that he never had any problems with head coach Dave Chambers.&ldquo;After learning from Pierre Page that I wouldn&rsquo;t be back in September, I had a long talk with Dave,&rdquo; said Ftorek. &ldquo;Sure, coaches aren&rsquo;t always on the same wavelength. That&rsquo;s normal. But I always supported what my superiors decided.&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t always easy. Last season, there were two new coaches (Chambers and Jacques Martin) who really didn&rsquo;t know too much about the organization. On the other hand, I had been around for half of a season the year before. We had our differences, but relations were certainly not strained.&rdquo;Chambers said he wasn&rsquo;t the one who asked for a change.&ldquo;It was Pierre&rsquo;s decision and nobody else was involved in the process,&rdquo; Chambers said. &ldquo;Robbie&rsquo;s contract simply expired. I think Robbie had a head coach&rsquo;s job in mind and now he&rsquo;ll have the possibility to find one.&ldquo;Robbie did an outstanding job for us, especially with the younger players,&rdquo; Chambers said. &ldquo;But I think it was very difficult for him to be an assistant after being very successful as a head coach himself in Los Angeles (91 points in 1988-89).&rdquo;And what about an eventual successor? Will the Nords go for someone like Jean Hamel who did such an outstanding job with the Quebec League&rsquo;s Drummondville Voltigeurs, finalists in the Memorial Cup?&ldquo;Jacques Martin and myself will decide who the man will be and Pierre Page will let us know if he approves or not,&rdquo; Chambers said. &ldquo;An ex-player will have a definite priority over any other candidate.&rdquo;<h2>QUEBEC</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 25: Stephane Guerard, D. traded to New York Rangers for Miloslav Horava, D. May 30: Guy Lafleur, RW, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. Tony Hrkac, C, traded to San Jose for Greg Paslawski, RW. May 31: Alan Haworth. C, traded to Minnesota for Guy Lafleur, RW. &#9632;

FIRED’ FTOREK THOUGHT HE’D BE BACK

<div class="byline">BY JEFF JACOBS</div>As it was described in the Hartford media, coach Rick Ley took the fall. General manager Ed Johnston took the heat. And governor Richard Gordon, the man who forced Johnston to pull the trigger, took a powder.There was only one sadder, uglier scene in Hartford history than the one that took place May 29 at the Civic Center. It was the morning that the the roof collapsed in 1978.No one, not even Johnston, tried to make this firing of Ley as Whalers&rsquo; coach sound like anything but a most unfortunate event.On April 30, Johnston announced Ley, 42, would return as coach of the Whalers. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a dead issue,&rdquo; Johnston said.&ldquo;The decision is 100 percent Eddie&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Gordon said.A month later&mdash;although the Whalers had a 0-0-0 record in May&mdash;Ley got canned.Jimmy Roberts, who coached the Whalers&rsquo; American League affiliate Springfield Indians to the Calder Cup, was expected to be named the new coach.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m bitter with Richard Gordon over the way things were handled, said Ley. &ldquo;You re told everything is fine and then everything changes two or three weeks later.&rdquo;Facing the media alone, Johnston admitted it was the most difficult moment of his professional career. He didn&rsquo;t want to fire Ley.&ldquo;There is no doubt in my mind Ricky did an outstanding job here as coach,&rdquo; said Johnston. &ldquo;But it is obvious that there has been a conflict between Mr. Ley and Mr. Gordon and I failed to get that resolved. To let that continue would be unhealthy for our club. That&rsquo;s why I made the decision.&ldquo;This was the toughest thing I&rsquo;ve ever had to do in my life.&rdquo;Gordon met with Johnston in the owner&rsquo;s office May 28. Both sides deny Gordon ordered Johnston to fire Ley. But Gordon got on a flight with his family hours later to attend the French Open.A press conference was called to announce Ley&rsquo;s dismissal after 160 games, during which time the club was 69-71-20. The Whalers had 85 points in&rsquo;1989-90 and a disappointing 73 last season. Both years ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02229/5952297-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="717" height="1050"><figcaption class="caption-body">Deposed coach Rick Ley received a vote of confidence a month ago.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I think Ricky will resurface soon,&rdquo; Johnston said.Vancouver immediately was recognized as a potential employer.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anybody takes something like this well and Ricky has a lot of pride,&rdquo; Johnston said. &ldquo;This is not a fun situation and it caught him off guard. I do think the handling of the Ron Francis situation (stripping of his captaincy) had something to do with it.&rdquo;Ley had come out publicly in late March saying that he thought he might get fired because Gordon did not like him.&ldquo;A lot of things had gotten back to me (from various people),&rdquo; Ley said. &ldquo;One comment that got back to me was I&rsquo;m fat, overweight, smoke cigars and every time he saw me I had a beer in my hand.&ldquo;One problem is Richard listens to people outside hockey more than in hockey&mdash;like Ivan Lendl.&rdquo;<h2>HARTFORD</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 29: Rick Ley, coach, tired. May 30: Dave Babych, D, selected by Minnesota in expansion draft. &#9632;

f0043-02

LEY PAYS PRICE FOR MEDIOCRE SEASON

<div class="byline">BY CHRIS STEVENSON</div>After the good ship Montreal Canadien was scuttled by the battlecruiser Boston Bruin in the playoffs this spring, you knew there were going to be casualties.And Ryan Walter was the first, as the Habs threw the veteran winger overboard and left him out for the Sharks, who opted to take defenseman Jayson More instead.Walter found out in a post-season meeting with Montreal managing director Serge Savard he did not fit into the club&rsquo;s plans for next season.&ldquo;I told (Savard) I certainly want to play for another year or two and he told me if that was the case, then he would leave me open for the (expansion) draft.&rdquo;But since neither the San Jose Sharks nor the Minnesota North Stars selected the 13-year veteran, Savard planned to place Walter on waivers.Any club in the league could claim him for $25,000.If there was no interest at that price ano waiter cleared waivers, me Habs would buy out the remaining year of his contract. Walter will make $360,000 next season.If he is bought out, Walter said he&rsquo;d consider playing a year in Europe.Walter endured a difficult season in 1990-91, sitting out the Habs&rsquo; first four games and then breaking his wrist on the first shift of the first game he played. That injury cost him 42 games.He wound up seeing action in just 25 games, his lowest single-season total in 13 years in the league.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t really get a chance to play this past season, so I feel like I&rsquo;ve saved a year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I know I&rsquo;ve got something left to give a team.&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;ve got to have the desire to play, No. 1, and then you have to have a chance to play. If you have the first and you get the second, it can be a real turnaround for a career.&rdquo;Walter had just one assist this past season and hasn&rsquo;t scored a goal since Valentine&rsquo;s Day 1990. But his con-tributions to the team go much deeper than his statistics.Though he has slowed noticeably on the ice, he&rsquo;s viewed as a character player, a solid citizen willing to take on the grunt jobs. He&rsquo;s also viewed as a leader by his peers, playing an active role as a vice-president in the Players&rsquo; Association.Walter said he thinks there&rsquo;s evidence in this year&rsquo;s Stanley Cup final that a player like himself can still help a team.&ldquo;I think you just have to look at players like Bryan Trottier (34), Brian Propp (32), Bobby Smith (33) and Neal Broten (31) to see us older guys still have something to offer teams,&rdquo; he said.Walter first distinguished himself in the NHL as a goalscorer with the Washington Capitals, who drafted him second overall from the Seattle Breakers in 1978.He scored 114 goals in his first four seasons in Washington, establishing himself as a leader. He was soon named team captain.But he was traded to the Habs Sept. 9, 1982, in the controversial deal which saw him dealt along with Rick Green in exchange for Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin.Irving Grundman, then Montreal general manager, took the heat for the deal and he eventually parted company with the Habs after that season.But Walter and Green went on to become key players in Montreal&rsquo;s Stanley Cup win in 1986. Walter evolved into a defensive specialist with the Habs.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve enjoyed Montreal,&rdquo; Walter said. &ldquo;I played here for nine years and I&rsquo;d love to be able to play here another nine years, but things change.&rdquo;<h2>MONTREAL</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>May 30: Jayson More, D, selected by San Jose in expansion draft. &#9632;

VETERAN WALTER NO LONGER PART OF TEAM’S PLANS

<div class="byline">BY WAYNE HEPBURN</div>This, being the last THN Collectors World until next season, gives us an opportunity to summarize the regularly listed vintage cards by way of highlighting the noteworthy Price Guide changes for 199091.The great increase in the value of vintage hockey cards is over for now. Through 1989 and 1990, values increased five-to-six fold, but since the fall of &rsquo;90, values have increased at a more modest rate. This may be due in part to the collecting public&rsquo;s preoccupation with the 1990-91 sets.The biggest increase occurred in the Topps sets between 1954-55 and 1965-66. Most of those sets grew in value from 15 to 50 per cent.The big winner this past winter was the 110-card &ldquo;Tall Boy&rdquo; 1964-65 Topps set which increased by nearly 50 per cent to attain a value of $4,600. Collector interest in these odd-sized 2&frac12;- &times; 5&frac34;-inch items has made this one of the premier sets in the hobby. It now ranks with the 105-card 1951-52 Parkhurst set ($6,200), the 105-card 1952-53 Parkhurst set ($4,750) and the 60-card 1954-55 Topps set ($3,300) as the most popular and highly-valued vintage sets from after World War II.The next largest increase was with the 1958-59 Topps set of 66 cards which increased more than 40 per cent, or by $650 to $2,400. Most of this was due to a $400 increase in the value of card No. 66, the Bobby Hull rookie card. The increase was the largest by a single card reported by THN Collectors World this past season. Those Topps sets which experienced a 20 per cent increase were: 1954-55, 1957-58, 1960-61 and 1965-66.Parkhurst sets rose in value as well, especially the three sets from 1957 through 1960. These gained 15 to 20 per cent over the last six months.An examination of the list of cards that increased reveals certain players stand out since a number of their cards&mdash;not just their rookie ones&mdash;appreciated.Bobby Hull&rsquo;s rookie card was not his only card to increase substantially. His 1959-60 Topps issue increased by $100, the 1960-61 version by $50, 1962-63 by $20, 1963-64 by $25, 1964-65 by $80 and 1965-66 by $25.Not surprisingly, Gordie Howe also had a number of his cards grow in value. Some of the largest increases were: 1954-55 Topps ($300), 195758 Topps ($100), 1959-60 Topps ($75), 1963-64 Parkhurst ($50), 1964-65 Topps ($75) and 1965-66 Topps ($50).Maurice Richard cards were also hot this past season as seen by the $250 increase in his 1952-53 Parkhurst card. Other Richard cards which increased were the 1959-60 Parkhurst issue ($25) and 1960-61 Parkhurst ($40).Stan Mikita cards moved up in the Price Guide as well. His 1960-61 Topps rookie card leapt $150 and his 1961-62 Topps card gained $40 over the last few months. Mikita cards from 1962 through 1965 also increased by at least $15.Other noteworthy increases include the Phil Esposito rookie card from the 1965-66 Topps set. Perhaps Esposito&rsquo;s status as part-owner of the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning had something to do with a substantial $150 increase. The Marcel Dionne and Guy Lafleur rookie cards, both from the 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee set, increased by $20 and $30 respectively.Since the Bobby Hull cards led the way in this the season of his son, the Golden Brett, it&rsquo;s safe to assume a connection exists. It&rsquo;s also probably not a coincidence that exactly 30 years after Bobby Hull made his first card appearance as No. 66, Brett Hull&rsquo;s rookie card is the same number. With a little help from Brett, some collectors are predicting that the Bobby Hull rookie card could pass the Bobby On-rookie card&mdash;worth $ 1,500&mdash;in value next season. &#9632;

THE OLDIES BUT GOODIES FROM PAST YEAR

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div>Now that you&rsquo;ve built on your O-Pee-Chee and Topps hockey card collection and added thousands of Bowman, Pro Set, Score and Upper Deck cards to it, how do you go about storing all these cards?That old standby, the trusty shoebox, just won&rsquo;t do in these days of if it ain&rsquo;t mint, it ain&rsquo;t collectible, so just where do you put all those cards without damaging them?It&rsquo;s a question collectors have had to deal with since the days of the Hamilton Chewing Gum and Ice Kings cards. But in those days, as with most things, storing cards was much simpler. If an old shoebox wasn&rsquo;t around, any old plastic photographic sheet would do. Collectors didn&rsquo;t have top load card holders or screw down card holders to worry about. And, most important, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wasn&rsquo;t a part of the card collector&rsquo;s vocabulary. In fact, it wasn&rsquo;t even a word until 1927.Today, the preferred choice of most collectors is the nine-pocket clear sheets which are usually put in binders. They allow the collector to protect his or her cards while making them easy to look at. However, many sheets contain PVCs which may damage cards. Some collectors believe the oily substance used to coat the sheets may, over time, leave marks on the cards. One collector, Bill Kerr of Wingham, Ont., said less than a week after he put his 1959-60 Parkhurst cards in sheets, they became stained horizontally across the back. &ldquo;Now my cards are back in a box still stained, as is my enthusiasm for collecting them,&rdquo; said Kerr.But at least one manufacturer of sheets which contain PVCs said the chemicals have never been known to harm the cards.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve produced in excess of 100 million sheets and to our knowledge, we don&rsquo;t know of a sports trading card that has been damaged because of our sheets,&rdquo; said an industry source from one of the largest manufacturers of these sheets. &ldquo;We feel we have an excellent, high-quality product that won&rsquo;t damage any cards.&rdquo;Sheets containing PVCs have traditionally been stronger than those without the chemical. The vinyl sheets are thicker with more body. That protects the cards better than weaker sheets which bend more easily.No matter which sheets you choose, keep your cards out of the sun and away from extreme heat or cold. The ultra-violet rays from the sun can fade the ink on the cards while extremes in temperatures can damage the cards and the sheets.Some people still prefer the old shoebox method, which is the least expensive and most practical way to store cards you rarely look it. Don&rsquo;t pack the cards too tightly in the box and leave room for tissue paper at the front and back of the box so your cards don&rsquo;t rub against it.Before keeping cards in mint condition became such a high priority, the first and last cards in the box became more worn than the other cards. Since those cards were often the first and last in a set, it&rsquo;s harder to find those cards in mint condition. That&rsquo;s why there&rsquo;s a premium paid for the first and last cards in a set.More expensive cards should be stored in top load or screw down card holders. The top load holders may contain PVCs but generally keep the card protected. There is a way to remove a card from a top load card holder without touching the card. Hold the card holder between your thumb and index finger and hit your wrist. That will cause the card to pop out of the holder without it being touched.When using screw down holders, center the card and gently turn the screws. Don&rsquo;t turn the screws too tightly, it could damage the holder or the card. Since it&rsquo;s a clear device, make sure you keep it out of the sun.Remember, protecting your cards is nearly as important a step in collecting as buying them. Don&rsquo;t allow your fun or investment to go to waste through bad storage. &#9632;

HELPFUL HINTS FOR PROPER CARD STORAGE

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div>There&rsquo;s a fine line between having a little fun and self-serving promotion. Fortunately, Upper Deck didn&rsquo;t cross the line with its High Number Series, but too many more Upper Deck board signs showing on the cards would be a bit much.If the high-quality photography and sharp design wasn&rsquo;t a good enough clue this is an Upper Deck set, just take a look at the Daniel Berthiaume, Brian Propp and Bobby Holik cards. They all prominently show Upper Deck rink board advertising in the background. And, just to make sure we know these are Upper Deck cards, Kris King is shown on the back of his card posing in an Upper Deck sweatshirt. He joins California Angels&rsquo; righthander Bert Blyleven as Upper Deck sports card models. Neat idea having a player model your clothes, but why Kris King?This series of cards deviates from what Upper Deck has always done with its baseball High Number cards, which is to keep special cards to a minimum and just show rookies, players missed in the Low Number Series and traded players in their new uniforms. The High Number hockey series includes some great surprises such as the All-Star Game and skills competition subset, the NHL heroes subset and the most popular part of the cset, the cards from the gold-medal winning Canadian national junior team.The 150-card set is a great investment for the future not only because of the NHL stars featured, but because of the future NHLers who are so prominent in the series. The Canadian national junior team subset includes two players&mdash;Spokane Chief right winger Pat Falloon and Kamloops Blazer defenseman Scott Niedermayer&mdash;expected to be picked in the top five of the NHL entry draft in June.Upper Deck also figured out a way to include Oshawa General Eric Lindros in the set, even though he has an exclusive deal to appear only on Score NHL cards for the 1990-91 season. Lindros, an assistant captain at the tournament, is shown on a card with the other captains from the team&mdash;assistant Kris Draper and captain Steven Rice. Lindros&rsquo; name only appears on the back of the card.Of the 21 players included in the subset (not counting Lindros), 16 have been drafted by NHL teams. All five others are expected to be selected in June.One other non-NHLer attracting collector interest is Soviet national team left winger Pavel Bure. The Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; draft pick (113th overall in 1989) is pictured wearing the jersey of the Soviet national junior team at the 1991 World Junior Championships in Saskatoon. He likely won&rsquo;t be in the NHL until at least after the 1992 Olympics, but he is expected to be an impact player when he does.Other special cards honor Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s 2,000th point and Brett Hull&rsquo;s feat of scoring 50 goals in 50 games. Both Gretzky and Hull are also included in the 20-card All-Star Game subset. The six winners of each of the skills competitions is also honored with a card.The 15 top rookies in the set are referred to as &ldquo;Young Guns.&rdquo; They include Holik, Sergei Fedorov and Ken Hodge Jr. The checklist card has a photo of Fedorov and Detroit teammate Johan Garpenlov on the front. Judging by this subset, the future of the Calgary Flames is quite bright. Three of the 15 players&mdash;Tim Sweeney, Robert Reichel and Stephane Matteau&mdash;play their home games in the Saddledome.The NHL heroes subset is 14 cards of retired players who appeared in the Heroes of Hockey game the day before the All-Star Game in Chicago. Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke and Denis Potvin are among those in the subset.The rest of the set includes other rookies, players missed in the first set and traded players in new uniforms. Like the other card companies, Upper Deck got burned by the NHL trading deadline. But with the later release date of the High Number Series, just five players are shown in what is now an outdated uniform.Overall, the Upper Deck High Number Series is an excellent set for the collector and investor alike. The outstanding group of young players will make this a popular set for years to come. If players such as Lindros, Bure and Falloon live up to expectations, this could very well become the most sought-after set of the season. &#9632;

NO MISTAKEN IDENTITY WITH THIS CARD SET

<div class="image-hero"><img title="CW0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0013-012/5952424-1-eng-US/cw0013-012.jpg"></div>(714) 992-6467211 South State College Suite #238 Anaheim, CA 92806 &#9632;

CW0013-01

BRENT’S CARDS

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div>Trying to provide fans with the ultimate baseball experience is the goal of the inaugural CocaCola All-Star Fanfest. It should also be quite an experience for collectors of baseball memorabilia.Fanfest will be held July 5 to 9 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, a slapshot away from Skydome, home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Madison Square Garden Event Productions, a new division of Madison Square Garden, is responsible for producing the show in conjunction with Major League Baseball and the Blue Jays.The five-day show will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for July 9, when the show ends at 4 p.m. That night, for the first time ever, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played in Toronto.Tickets are being sold on a timed-entry basis, in an effort to keep crowds at any one time to an acceptable level. Once a fan is present at the 140,000 square foot area, he or she can stay as long as he or she wishes.Fanfest has identified 19 different attractions for the show. For collectors, the ones which provide the most interest will be the IBM Cooperstown Hall of Fame, Victory Productions&rsquo; Collectors Comer and the Upper Deck Heroes of Baseball.The Hall of Fame exhibit will be the largest ever displayed outside of Cooperstown. Fanfest honorary chairman Ferguson Jenkins recently became the first Canadian-born player to be inducted into the Hall.A Babe Ruth display, featuring a Yankee locker from the slugger&rsquo;s era along with one of his bats and uniforms, is the focal point of the more than 100 artifacts making the tour. The rest of the exhibit is comprised of glass-enclosed cases which include artifacts spanning five eras. The cases include the equipment and uniforms of several Hall of Earners and curren players as well as press clippings anc photos from each time period.Collectors Corner will feature a large and comprehensive collection of cards and memorabilia for collectors to buy, sell and trade. The sponsor Victory Productions, is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Pro Set cards.Collectors will have 81 dealer tables to visit, with dealers coming from Canada and the United States. The tables will be split on two levels&mdash;Line Drive Hallway and Grand Slam Hallway.While baseball cards and memorabilia will be prominent, collectibles from all sports can be bought from dealers. Originally, dealers were going to be required to display two-thirds baseball at their tables but now their only requirement is that dealers display some baseball.The Heroes of Baseball exhibit will give fans a chance to meet and get autographs from retired major leaguers. All autographs will be free with the $12 admission charge. Admission is $8 for children 14 and under and those 65 and older.At press time Upper Deck was unable to confirm who would be signing autographs, but a company spokesperson did say Upper Deck was trying to get as many Hall of Famers as possible. Many of those players will be appearing in the Upper Deck sponsored Heroes of Baseball game being held the day before the All-Star Game. Upper Deck will also have a booth in Collectors Comer to provide fans with information about the company. &#9632;

FANFEST A FEAST FOR BUFFS AND COLLECTORS

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div>Don&rsquo;t go to the Hockey Hall of Fame&rsquo;s Collectors Work memorabilia show this August expecting to buy a Gordie Howe-signed stick or the sweater Wayne Gretzky was wearing when he passed Howe as the all-time leading scorer.Yes, the Hall will be selling some of its artifacts in preparation for its move to downtown Toronto, but nothing like a Howe stick or a Gretzky sweater.The Hall will sell some of its duplicate artifacts, but only those which the Hall has collected itself. Nothing donated to the Hall, which makes up the bulk of the items, will be sold.&ldquo;We have a concern about the public perception that we&rsquo;re selling off donated artifacts, and that is not the case,&rdquo; said the Hall&rsquo;s director of finance and administration Jeff Denom-me. &ldquo;The things we sell are going to be materials we&rsquo;ve collected on our own accord.&rdquo;That means items such as duplicate photos, media guides, programs and cards will be the most prominent collectibles the Hall is selling during the 20-day event at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto Aug. 14 to Sept. 2. Card manufacturer Pro Set and The Hockey News Collectors World are sponsoring the show.Denomme said the Hall is working with Pro Set and player agent Rick Curran to try to get as many as 30 NHL players to appear at the show and sign autographs.Admission to the show and all autographs will be included in the price of a ticket to attend the CNE.Says Pro Set VP of marketing Victor Shaffer: &ldquo;The reason we&rsquo;re there is because we&rsquo;re trying to align ourselves with all the major events that are important to the game of hockey. We think this is one of them.&rdquo;The Dallas, Tex. based company has sponsored several U.S. shows this season, but this will mark their first appearance at a Canadian exhibition. And after their successful debut in the hockey market this year, they&rsquo;re looking forward to it.&ldquo;When people think about the NHL we want them to think about NHL Pro Set,&rdquo; Shaffer said. &ldquo;Foot-ball was our first product and it remains a big part of what we do. But we&rsquo;ve established ourselves in the hockey world pretty quickly. We sold more cards in our first year in hockey than we did our first year in football. Hockey will continue to grow in the &rsquo;90s and we are doing everything we can to establish ourselves as THE hockey card company.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0015-013/5952479-1-eng-US/cw0015-012.jpg" title="CW0015-01" width="562" height="821"><figcaption class="caption-body">Patrick Roy may attend the Hockey Hall of Fame card show.</figcaption></div>Pro Set will offer collectors free samples at the show, but Shaffer wouldn&rsquo;t specify what products would be handed out. The company is also trying to sign several &ldquo;high profile players&rdquo; for the show. Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy, an avid card collector in his own right, will likely attend, Shaffer says.Dealer Ken Cameron of Newmarket, Ont. based The Great Canadian Card Company says the show is one of the highlights of the summer for small card dealers. An estimated 175,000 collectors will attend.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re really looking forward to it,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no amount of advertising anywhere that can do what this ultimately will. Being at the Ex at that time of year, it&rsquo;s like Canada&rsquo;s biggest party.&rdquo;Only 20 dealer tables are available at the show and only a few tables remain. For more information on getting a dealer table, contact Phil Pritchard at the Hall at 416-495-1345. &#9632;

CW0015-01

DUPLICATES TO BE SOLD AT HALL OF FAME SHOW

<div class="byline">BY RAND SIMON</div>That the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup was probably no surprise to card collectors. The rookie card values of the Penguin players overwhelms those of the North Star players by a margin nearly as great as Pittsburgh&rsquo;s 8-0 win in the clinching game.If you add up the rookie card values of the Penguin players, you get a little more than $250. The North Stars&rsquo; total is only a little more than $25. In fact, three Penguins&mdash;Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey and Bryan Trottier have a rookie card more valuable than the entire North Stars&rsquo; team.The surprising Stanley Cup final appearances of the North Stars and Penguins had card collectors searching through their collections to find rookie cards of players on the two conference champions. Veteran collectors know there&rsquo;s nothing like a Stanley Cup appearance to give a card a little boost in the price guides.With that in mind, we present a checklist of rookie cards for all North Stars and Penguins who played at least one playoff game this season. Except where andicated, card values are for regularly-issued O-Pee-Chee cards. If a player doesn&rsquo;t have an O-Pee-Chee card, the Pro Set card number and value is most frequently used instead as Pro Set card values for 1990-91 are closest to O-Pee-Chee values.<h2>NORTH STARS</h2>Jon Casey, G, 1989-90, No. 48, $1.Brian Hayward, G; 1985-86, No. 226, $1.50.Shawn Chambers, D, 1989-90, No. 142, $0.15.Chris Dahlquist, D, 1990-91, No. 528, $0.20.Curt Giles, D, 1982-83, No. 166, $0.10.Brian Glynn, D, No NHL card.Jim Johnson, D, 1990-91 Score, No. 202, $0.06.Mark Tinordi, D, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 145, $0.10.Neil Wilkinson, D, 1990-91, No. 443, $0.10.Neal Broten, C, 1982-83, No. 164, $1.50.Marc Bureau, C, 1990-91 Score, No. 423, $0.10.Dave Gagner, C, 1988-89, No. 215, $1.50.Bobby Smith, C, 1979-80, No. 206, $5.Brian Bellows, LW, 1983-84, No. 167, $6.Gaetan Duchesne, LW, 1988-89, No. 208, $0.20.Basil McRae, LW, 1989-90, No. 216, $0.10.Brian Propp, LW, 1980-81, No. 39, $4.50.Doug Smail, LW, 1982-83, No. 388, $0.25.Shane Churla, RW, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 135, $0.10.Mike Craig, RW, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 613, $0.15.Ulf Dahlen, RW, 1988-89, No. 47, $0.25.Stewart Gavin, RW, 1983-84, No. 331, $0.10.Mike Modano, RW, 1990-91, No. 348, $0.75.<h2>PENGUINS</h2>Tom Barrasso, G, 1984-85, No. 18, $1.50.Frank Pietrangelo, G, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 509, $0.15.Paul Coffey, D, 1981-82, No. Ill, $75.Randy Hillier, D, 1985-86, No. 212, $0.10.Grant Jennings, D, 1990-91, No 510, $0.10.Larry Murphy. D, 1981-82, No. 148, $0.75.Jim Pack, D, No NHL card.Gordie Roberts, D, 1979-80, No. 265, $0.35.Ulf Samuelsson, D, 1987-88, No. 23, $0.25.Paul Stanton, D, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 633, $0.10.Peter Taglianetti, D, 1988-89, No. 257, $0.15.Ron Francis, C, 1982-83, No. 123, $12.Randy Gilhen, C, 1990-91, No 250, $0.10.Jiri Hrdina, C, 1990-91, No. 234, $0.15.Mario Lemieux, C, 1985-86, No. 9, $110.Bryan Trottier, C, 1976-77, No. 115, $40.Phil Bourque, LW, 1989-90, No. 19, $0.50.Bob Errey, LW, 1989-90, No. 50, $0.15.Troy Loney, LW, 1990-91, No. 347, $0.10.Kevin Stevens, LW, 1990-91, No. 360, $1.Jaromir Jagr, RW, 1990-91 Pro Set, No. 632, $2.Joe Mullen, RW, 1982-83, No. 307, $6.Mark Recchi, RW, 1990-91, No 280, $2.Scott Young, RW, 1989-90, No. 209, $0.25. &#9632;

NO SURPRISE TO COLLECTORS PENGUINS WON CUP

The big news in this edition of The Hockey News Collectors World Power Play/Penalty Box listing is the new arrivals. Both Upper Deck French edition and the Canadian Home Shopping Club (CHSC) are basically hype-driven products.In the case of Upper Deck French edition, the hype does not originate with the company. It has. if anything, played down the miniscule print run of both the regular series and the virtually non-existent High Number French runs. There has been reported sales of over $8,000 (U.S.) for a 24-box foil case of High Number French. Curiously, Upper Deck limited the print run on this product because it perceived a unilingual French edition would create little or no demand in the U.S. market.The big question is. Who are the end users? Are there collectors who will pay $20 or more for a pack where the only distinguishing feature is that they are (in the case of the U.S.) in a foreign tongue? This product is quickly becoming a hype-driven, dealer-only item. In the same vein, Upper Deck High Number English is still hot, hard to get and a definite keeper.Topping the Power Play is another hot, low production issue from O-Pee-Chee. Premier has not slowed despite a surprise, late-issue factory set.Following Premier are the Dynamic Duo from the St. Louis Blues, Adam Oates and Brett Hull. It&rsquo;s the&rsquo; first time this season Oates has passed Hull on the list.Eric Lindros and Theo Fleury have managed to bump Wayne Gretzky out of the top five for the first time this season. This is consistent with a general trend away from big-ticket items. That helps explain the exit of Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe as well. This is a seasonal phenomenon in card collecting attributed to a belief that big-ticket item buyers are well-seasoned collectors who know there will be very little movement on big cards between June and September, so why buy now?Jeremy Roenick and Sergei Fedorov are joined by the main man from the Cinderella North Stars, Brian Bel-lows. Bellows has toiled in relative obscurity until lately but showed enough in Minnesota&rsquo;s unsuccessful Cup drive to gain some new fans.Last, but not least, welcome back Super Mario. Lemieux gained more than an MVP award this May, he also became a champion.Now, from the pinnacle to the pits. The CHSC may be No. 12 on the Penalty Box list now, but you can expect a lot of movement if recent complaints and feedback are any indication. Using a smattering of knowledge about cards, the hype hucksters on the CHSC sell very ordinary card collecting items at grossly inflated prices. The buyers are usually new or potential collectors who quickly find out after a trip to a legitimate dealer or a chat with a card collecting friend that they have paid well above the going rate. Not a very good introduction to the hobby.As for the rest of the list, Jari Kurri may be spending his final time as No. 1 on the Penalty Box.Now that he&rsquo;s set to rejoin Gretzky as a member of the Kings, Kurri will likely regain collector interest. If Kurri returns to the NHL and displays the kind of form he did before leaving for Italy, we may find him on the other list on this page early next season.Since Kurri left the NHL before the big hockey card boom, his cards never rose&rsquo;much on the price lists. He appears to be a great investment at this time.Following Kurri are his Penalty Box companions, Philadelphia goaltender Ron Hextail, Toronto right winger Gary Leeman and Montreal center Denis Savard. All three have spent most of the season in the Box. All three are also past stars who still aren&rsquo;t too old to be washed up.Some recent bottom-feeding on Jimmy Carson cards are a result of low prices and the hope that Carson and Detroit are parting company. With Fedorov and Steve Yzerman holding down the top two center spots, look for Carson to change teams this summer.Pierre Turgeon, Bernie Nicholls and Larry Robinson cards are still not moving. Only Turgeon is young enough to win back the hearts of card collectors.John Cullen and Mark Messier cards may be a smart, but risky, purchase this summer. Both are team leaders, 100-point men and will get tons of ice time next season. They could very easily find their way onto the Power Play with good early-season starts in October.Pro Set I will be a bargain-binner for some time yet. There&rsquo;s still tons of it out there and with all those errors, it&rsquo;s not likely to become a more sought-after commodity.<h2>POWER PLAY</h2>1. O-PEE-CHEE PREMIER (1)2. ADAM OATES (3)3. BRETT HULL (2)4. ERIC LINDROS (5)5. THEO FLEURY (6)6. WAYNE GRETZKY (4)7. UPPER DECK FRENCH (NR)8. JEREMY ROENICK (10)9. UPPER DECK HIGH (9)10. SERGEI FEDOROV (8)11. BRIAN BELLOWS (NR)12. MARIO LEMIEUX (NR)Number in parenthesis is last month&rsquo;s ranking.<h2>PENALTY BOX</h2>1. JARI KURRI (1)2. RON HEXTALL (3)3. GARY LEEMAN (4)4. DENIS SAVARD (5)5. PIERRE TURGEON (7)6. JIMMY CARSON (2)7. JOHN CULLEN (8)8. MARK MESSIER (11)9. BERNIE NICHOLLS (10)10. LARRY ROBINSON (6)11. PRO SET I (12)12. CHSC (NR)Number in parenthesis is last month&rsquo;s ranking. &#9632;

HYPE-DRIVEN PRODUCTS MAKE THEIR MARK

The Hockey News Collectors World presents its fourth and final special supplement to this year&rsquo;s Price Guide.Previous special guides were: inserts, pre-World War II cards and old photo issues and Beehives. Now we are publishing lists for 12 different non-card collectibles which have had varying degrees of popularity among collectors. We&rsquo;d like to give special thanks to Gary Lane of Georgetown, Ont., for his contributions to this guide.Our regular Price Guide, beginning on page 28, includes all regularly-issued cards by the major card companies from 1951 to 1991.All prices are in Canadian funds. As of June 1, the Canadian dollar was worth 87 cents U.S.<h2>61-62 SHIRRIFF COINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-013/5952768-1-eng-US/cw0018-012.jpg" title="CW0018-01" width="438" height="439"></div>NOTE: THE 1961-62 SHIRRIFF COINS WERE ISSUED AS A PREMIUM IN SHIRRIFF PRODUCTS. THEY WERE ALSO ISSUED IN SALADA PRODUCTS. AT THE PRESENT TIME, THERE IS NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE AS TO WHICH ISSUE IS RARER. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COINS ARE THE BACKS WHICH ARE CLEARLY MARKED AS &lsquo;SHIRRIFF&rsquo; OR SALADA&rsquo;. THE COINS ARE 1&#8540; IN DIAMETER AND DO NOT HAVE CLEAR PLASTIC PANELS IN THE FRONT. PLASTIC MOUNTING SHIELDS WERE AVAILABLE FROM BOTH SALADA AND SHIRRIFF. SET PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE SHIELDS.SET PRICE 200.00<h2>BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-03/5952761-1-eng-US/cw0018-032.jpg" title="CW0018-03" width="564" height="587"></div><h2>BLACK HAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-04/5952754-1-eng-US/cw0018-042.jpg" title="CW0018-04" width="571" height="155"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-05/5952747-1-eng-US/cw0018-052.jpg" title="CW0018-05" width="586" height="465"></div><h2>MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-06/5952740-1-eng-US/cw0018-062.jpg" title="CW0018-06" width="574" height="599"></div><h2>RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-07/5952733-1-eng-US/cw0018-072.jpg" title="CW0018-07" width="585" height="592"></div><h2>RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-08/5952726-1-eng-US/cw0018-082.jpg" title="CW0018-08" width="583" height="590"></div><h2>CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-09/5952719-1-eng-US/cw0018-092.jpg" title="CW0018-09" width="584" height="272"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-10/5952712-1-eng-US/cw0018-102.jpg" title="CW0018-10" width="576" height="331"></div><h2>SHIELDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-11/5952705-1-eng-US/cw0018-112.jpg" title="CW0018-11" width="592" height="185"></div><h2>62-63 SHIRRIFF COINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-12/5952698-1-eng-US/cw0018-122.jpg" title="CW0018-12" width="561" height="551"></div>NOTE: THE 1962-63 SHIRRIFF COINS DIFFER FROM OTHER COIN ISSUES BECAUSE THEY ARE METAL WITH BIOGRAPHIES IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH ON THE BACK. THESE COLOR, 1&frac12; IN DIAMETER COINS FEATURE MONTREAL AND TORONTO PLAYERS ALONG WITH ALLSTARS AND TROPHY WINNERS.SET PRICE 160.00<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-13/5952691-1-eng-US/cw0018-132.jpg" title="CW0018-13" width="600" height="2057"></div><h2>63-64 TORONTO STAR WEEKLY PHOTOS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-14/5952684-1-eng-US/cw0018-142.jpg" title="CW0018-14" width="526" height="768"></div>NOTE: THE 63-64 TORONTO STAR WEEKLY PHOTOS ARE USUALLY SOLD AS A SET. THERE IS LITTLE INTEREST IN INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS (EXCEPT FOR BOBBY HULL AND GORDIE HOWE). THE TITLE ON THE PHOTOS IS HOCKEY STARS IN ACTION&rsquo;. THE PHOTOS ARE IN COLOR, MEASURING 5X7 WITH WRITE-UPS ON THE BACKS.SET PRICE 200.00<h2>BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-16/5952677-1-eng-US/cw0018-162.jpg" title="CW0018-16" width="534" height="93"></div><h2>BLACK HAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-17/5952670-1-eng-US/cw0018-172.jpg" title="CW0018-17" width="530" height="221"></div><h2>RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-18/5952663-1-eng-US/cw0018-182.jpg" title="CW0018-18" width="527" height="217"></div><h2>RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-19/5952656-1-eng-US/cw0018-192.jpg" title="CW0018-19" width="526" height="101"></div><h2>CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-20/5952649-1-eng-US/cw0018-202.jpg" title="CW0018-20" width="532" height="242"></div><h2>MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-21/5952642-1-eng-US/cw0018-212.jpg" title="CW0018-21" width="531" height="267"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-22/5952635-1-eng-US/cw0018-222.jpg" title="CW0018-22" width="524" height="153"></div><h2>68-69 SHIRRIFF COINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-23/5952628-1-eng-US/cw0018-232.jpg" title="CW0018-23" width="550" height="552"></div>NOTE: 68-69 SHIRRIFF COINS WERE INCLUDED IN SHIRRIFF PRODUCT (MOST NOTABLY JELLO). THESE PLASTIC DIAMETER COINS FEATURED A CLEAR PLASTIC FRONT AND COLORED PLASTIC BACK. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SHORT PRINTED VARIATIONS AND HIGH NUMBERS. PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICES MAY VARY ON THE NYR #14, 15, 16, OAK. #5b, 11, 12 AND CHI #11 a.SET PRICE 4000.00<h2>BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-25/5952621-1-eng-US/cw0018-252.jpg" title="CW0018-25" width="561" height="472"></div><h2>BLACK HAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-26/5952614-1-eng-US/cw0018-262.jpg" title="CW0018-26" width="569" height="500"></div><h2>RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-27/5952607-1-eng-US/cw0018-272.jpg" title="CW0018-27" width="562" height="472"></div><h2>CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0018-28/5952600-1-eng-US/cw0018-282.jpg" title="CW0018-28" width="554" height="94"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0019-014/5952593-1-eng-US/cw0019-012.jpg" title="CW0019-01" width="3054" height="1791"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0020-013/5952586-1-eng-US/cw0020-012.jpg" title="CW0020-01" width="1873" height="3603"></div><h2>68-69 POST MARBLES</h2>NOTE: 68-69 POST MARBLES FEATURE PLAYER PORTRAITS OF MONTREAL AND TORONTO PLAYERS ENCASED IN A &frac34; DIAMETER MARBLE WITH ONESIDE CLEAR AND ONE SIDE EITHER BLUE (TORONTO) OR RED (MONTREAL). ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN CEREAL, THESE MARBLES WERE PACKED IN SMALL BAGS. PLEASE ADD 50 PER CENT FOR COINS STILL IN BAGS. THE PLASTIC RINK&rsquo; DISPLAY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SET PRICE.SET PRICE 135.00<h2>MONTREAL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0046-06/5952579-1-eng-US/cw0046-062.jpg" title="CW0046-06" width="529" height="476"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0046-07/5952572-1-eng-US/cw0046-072.jpg" title="CW0046-07" width="528" height="455"></div><h2>80-81 PEPSI COLA BOTTLECAPS</h2>NOTE: THE 1980-81 PEPSI COLA CAPS FEATURE BLACK AND WHITE PORTRAITS OF PLAYERS FROM CANADIAN TEAMS ONLY. SOME DAMAGE MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING REMOVAL. A CIRCULAR DISPLAY FROM PEPSI WAS AVAILABLE THRU A MAIL-IN OFFER. SET PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE DISPLAY. USUALLY SOLD AS A SET.COMPLETE SET (140 CAPS) 120.00DISPLAY 40.00<h2>VANCOUVER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0046-09/5952565-1-eng-US/cw0046-092.jpg" title="CW0046-09" width="521" height="122"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0047-012/5952558-1-eng-US/cw0047-012.jpg" title="CW0047-01" width="1863" height="1783"></div> &#9632;

CW0018-01

SPECIAL GUIDE FOR NON-CARD COLLECTIBLES

<div class="byline">BY ADAM TEICHER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="CW0021-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0021-014/5952806-1-eng-US/cw0021-012.jpg"></div>Hobbies for professional athletes can be dangerous. Look where football, for example, got Bo Jackson.George Brett&rsquo;s hobby is not as hazardous as that of Jackson, his former Kansas City Royals&rsquo; teammate. All Brett has to do to indulge is flip on his fax machine, take the Mercedes for a spin or hop on a jetliner.At any of those moments, Brett is transported to his sidelight as partowner of the Western League and Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs. Among a nine-man ownership group, Brett and his brother Bobby hold the controlling interest.For Bobby, the active owner, it&rsquo;s a labor of love. He&rsquo;s the Chiefs&rsquo; governor, their hands-on guy.For George, it&rsquo;s just pure fun.&ldquo;I get to enjoy it while Bobby has to work at it,&rdquo; Brett said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t make any of the decisions, I don&rsquo;t have meetings with the Chamber of Commerce or the city or the county. I don&rsquo;t go to the governor&rsquo;s meeting. That&rsquo;s Bobby&rsquo;s job. I&rsquo;m just a guy who owns a portion of the team. I go in, shoot the bull with the kids, watch them play and then leave. That gives me a lot of pleasure.&rdquo;In a similar ownership deal a few years ago, the Brett brothers purchased Spokane&rsquo;s Class A Northwest League baseball Indians, another successful franchise. But Brett has a special affection for the Chiefs.The main reason is the Chiefs play much of their season during baseball&rsquo;s off-season. Brett has time to be a Chiefs&rsquo; fan.At his winter home in Palm Springs, Calif., Brett collects newspaper articles and stat sheets sent via the fax from the Chiefs&rsquo; office. He will ride around town in his car with the radio tuned to the Chiefs&rsquo; broad-scast because he can&rsquo;t pull in the station from his radio at home. Occasionally, he&rsquo;ll even hop on a flight to Spokane to watch in person.He&rsquo;s also a season-ticket holder of the International League&rsquo;s Kansas City Blades, making it to Kemper Arena for about half of the games.A life-long hockey fan, right? Actually, Brett didn&rsquo;t play as a kid in the Los Angeles area. He became a fan of the sport after joining the Royals. He got hooked watching the NHL Scouts, who moved out of Kansas City to Denver after two unsuccessful seasons.But Brett didn&rsquo;t lose his hockey interest. When home for the winter, he attended Kings&rsquo; games in the preWayne Gretzky days.That was the extent of his involvement with the sport until last year, when the Bretts came across the opportunity to purchase the Chiefs.&ldquo;Because of the baseball team, we have a tremendous relationship with the city of Spokane,&rdquo; Brett said. &ldquo;We rescued the baseball program that was there, upgrading it to where fans started coming out. After Bobby looked at the (financial) numbers, he thought we could make it work. It was something we wanted to do for the city of Spokane.&rdquo;The Bretts&mdash;including Ken, a former major league pitcher and John&mdash;bought the team from Vic Fitzgerald last May. The Brett&rsquo;s business venture was-quite successful, if attendance figures are any indication. The Chiefs drew an average of 3,410 fans per game this past season, up from 2,572 in 1989-90.Brett attended a half-dozen or so Chiefs&rsquo; regular-season games. He then went to a Memorial Cup game in Quebec City while the Royals were in Toronto and Brett was disabled with tom knee ligaments.He also played hockey for the first time in a Spokane area senior league.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a helluva workout,&rdquo; said Brett, who found going up and down the wing a lot more invigorating than playing first base. &ldquo;I never realized that before. I used to say, &lsquo;Why do they have to change lines so often?&rsquo; I could never understand why guys could only skate two or three minutes at a time. After I was on the ice for two or three minutes, I was more than ready for a break.&rdquo;After taking off the skates, Brett would spend time with the Chiefs&rsquo; players, who were awestruck by their famous owner&rsquo;s presence.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s an idol for a lot of them,&rdquo; general manager Tim Speltz said. &ldquo;They were all impressed that he has time to come and will spend it with them. It&rsquo;s a different sport, but they&rsquo;re all hoping they can someday reach the superstar status of George Brett. It&rsquo;s a big thing to them.&rdquo;And it&rsquo;s a big thing for him.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an awful lot of fun to go to a game and sit there watching your team play,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When I was in Quebec City, they gave us a suite, they had a gal running the suite for us. We had passes to go anywhere we wanted and could go into the locker room any time we wanted.&ldquo;I was really nervous before the game. It was scarier than playing, because then you can control the outcome. When you own, you just sit there and hope your boys are prepared. It&rsquo;s a very helpless feeling.&rdquo;But it became a great feeling when the Chiefs won the Memorial Cup with a 5-1 win over Drummondville May 19. Just two days later, the Royals announced Brett had signed a two-year, $7-million contract.Brett, who turned 38 May 15, appears destined for the baseball Hall of Fame when his career comes to an end. While his knee injury will likely delay his assault on 3,000 hits until 1993 (he started the season with 2,707), he is recognized as one of the greatest hitters of all-time.George Brett was just like any other kid&mdash;he collected baseball cards. And like many kids, most of his cards got thrown out over the years. That&rsquo;s where the similarities end. After all, how many kids wind up having a major league baseball card of themselves? And, one worth about $200 to boot?&ldquo;I threw them out somewhere along the line,&rdquo; Brett said. &ldquo;Now I really wish I would have hung on to them instead of throwing them away.&rdquo;Brett&rsquo;s first card appearance came in the 1975 Topps series. Since then, more than 50 cards of Brett have been made by the major card companies. And, that doesn&rsquo;t count the countless extra all-star and leader cards that have also been made of him. Score honored Brett this year by including him in its seven-card bonus set called, &ldquo;Cooperstown Bound&rdquo; of players likely to make it to the Hall of Fame.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0021-024/5952799-1-eng-US/cw0021-022.jpg" title="CW0021-02" width="542" height="756"></div>If Score is right, and Brett does make it to Cooperstown, his cards will be even hotter than they are now.The Brett Topps Checklist: Topps: 1975 (No. 228), 1976 (No. 19), 1977 (No. 580), 1978 (No. 100), 1979 (No. 330), 1980 (No. 450), 1981 (No. 700), 1982 (No. 200), 1983 (No. 600), 1984 (No. 399), 1985 (No. 100), 1986 (No. 300), 1987 (No. 400), 1988 (No. 700), 1989 (No. 200), 1990 (No. 60), 1991 (No. 540), (Stadium Club No. 159). &#9632;

CW0021-01

GEORGE BRETT

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN ALLEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="CW0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cw0022-014/5952837-1-eng-US/cw0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Bellows and Mark Baribeau have collected a small fortune of cards.</figcaption></div>Brian Bellows has invested in Mike Modano&rsquo;s future with the same conviction as the Minnesota North Stars.Bellows, a serious hockey card collector who is close to earning a degree in finance and accounting from St. Thomas (Minn.) College, purchased more than 100 Modano rookie cards because he believes they will perform like a high-yield stock.&ldquo;I said to Mike: &lsquo;The best investment you could make would be to go out and buy 1,000 of your own cards, then go out and have a helluva career,&rdquo; Bellows said.North Stars&rsquo; equipment manager Mark Baribeau introduced Bellows to hockey card collecting and investing last year. They formed a business partnership that owns so many unopened cases of cards they had to find storage places outside their homes.Baribeau purchased more than 1,000 Modano rookie cards&mdash;many of them for as little as 20 cents. &ldquo;I might have overdid it,&rdquo; he says, laughing.Modano smiled about it all. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to admit that they have me interested,&rdquo; he said.Bellows is one of a growing number of NHL players who are in cards as a hobby or a business. Toronto Maple Leaf Dave Reid owns a store in Ajax, Ont., with Detroit Red Wing Allan Bester, and New York Ranger Darren Turcotte and Winnipeg Jet Pat Elynuik are planning to open stores. Montreal Canadien Patrick Roy has been collecting for years.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a drug,&rdquo; Bellows said with a laugh.&rdquo; You do it once and you want to keep doing it.&rdquo;North Stars&rsquo; left winger Doug Smail also collects and others have become curious when they hear Baribeau and Bellows discuss cards like two Wall Streeters discussing the stock market.&ldquo;I just believe cards are a good investment,&rdquo; Bellows said. &ldquo;With the emergence of (Wayne) Gretzky in California and San Jose and Tampa coming into the league there&rsquo;s a huge, untapped American market that&rsquo;s just now starting to arrive.&rdquo;Baribeau said Bellows is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to buying cards. But Bellows, proud of his business sense, clearly separates the collecting and the business aspects of the industry, &ldquo;I tend to see the newer cards as investments and the older cards as my collection,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I like to put the older cards in those plastic sheets and look at them. I&rsquo;m not going to turn them over.&rdquo;He has all of the sets from the years he has been in the NHL&mdash;his NHL career began in 1982&mdash;plus some going back to 19.69-70. He bought a 1955-56 Parkhurst set, which includes the Jacques Plante rookie card, that he won&rsquo;t receive until he returns to Canada this summer.His favorite card is the Ken Dryden rookie card that pictures the retired Habs&rsquo; netminder crouching and in full gear. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just a great goaltender shot,&rdquo; he said of the card that appears in the 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets.Bellows and Baribeau are deeply investing in unopened cases of this year&rsquo;s Score and Upper Deck hockey, but have purchased some of the other available sets, including Ontario League cards.&ldquo;When you hear about (Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; owner) Bruce McNall buying cards you know they have to be good investments,&rdquo; Baribeau said.Bellows has discovered his instincts have been his best guide. &ldquo;I remember buying O-Pee-Chee Premier for $15 a box in Winnipeg,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just thought they were great looking cards. Now they are out of sight.&rdquo;O-Pee-Chee Premier is now selling for more than $200 a box in most places. Bellows has had similar lucrative hunches on individual cards.&ldquo;I thought Adam Oates was underpriced and I bought some of his rookie cards before he went on his streak,&rdquo; Bellows said. Oates&rsquo; rookie card, in the 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets, was listed at $4 at the start of the season and is now priced at $40.He foresees Score and Upper Deck&mdash;because they are premier editions&mdash;rising sharply in value. Many of the cases they have purchased have jumped by $100 from their purchase price.Bellows said he will stick with hockey &ldquo;because that&rsquo;s what I know.&ldquo;But premier editions are so great. I want to get a lot of Upper Deck premier edition football (due out sometime this summer).&rdquo;The business strategy of the Bellows-Baribeau partnership? &ldquo;Patience is the virtue,&rdquo; Baribeau said. &ldquo;Three years ago people laughed at you if you were a hockey card collector. And I know a guy who bought 300 Topps Brett Hull rookies for five cents each. And he hung onto them and look what they are worth now.&rdquo; Hull rookies are worth about $70.Bellows has about 300 of his own cards, many of them given to him by dealers when he just stops by to chat during shows.&ldquo;The first time I looked at my rookie card it was $5 and I went &lsquo;Whoa!,&rsquo;&rdquo; Bellows said. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s up to about $7 and my brother said it&rsquo;s $13 or $14 in my hometown (St. Catharines, Ont.) That&rsquo;s not bad with the media vacuum we have in Minnesota.&rdquo;On the road, Bellows seeks out card shops like a relentless forechecker chasing a puck carrier. &ldquo;My girlfriend (Tracy Sullivan) thinks I&rsquo;m nuts,&rdquo; Bellows said. &ldquo;My teammates? Some of them think I&rsquo;m nuts too.&rdquo;Bellows plans to intensify his collecting in the off-season. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward this summer to going to shows and picking up older sets,&rdquo; Bellows said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be great.&rdquo;Though the enterprise is a business, Bellows and Baribeau still allow themselves to enjoy their cards. Baribeau keeps several wax boxes of all varieties locked in his office.&ldquo;Whenever we get the fever,&rdquo; Baribeau said, &ldquo;we come in here and open a few packs.&rdquo; Who knows, maybe if they&rsquo;re lucky, they&rsquo;ll add to their Mike Modano collection. &#9632;

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June 1, 1991

COLLECTORS WORLD

SATHER UNLOADS KURRI UNDER THE GUN

CHEERS JEERS

REALIGNMENT TOPS AGENDA AT LEAGUE MEETING