The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

January 3, 1992

The Hockey News January 3, 1992

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div>The Philadelphia Flyers have become the gang that can&rsquo;t shoot straight.Four ties in four games left coach Bill Dineen praising his team&rsquo;s defensive effort but wondering what happened to his scoring attack. The Flyers were 1-1-4 under Dineen, who took over after Paul Holmgren was fired.The Flyers managed eight goals in those games. They had broken the three-goal barrier only three times in their last 17 games.Actually, the Flyers have had trouble scoring goals all year. They&rsquo;ve been averaging fewer than three goals per game. Dineen is puzzled because the team has worked hard but can&rsquo;t seem to finish plays.&ldquo;We have to do a Little more work with our shooting, I guess,&rdquo; Dineen said. &ldquo;You can go through shooting drills but you really can&rsquo;t teach a guy to shoot the puck in the net.&rdquo;DANIELS WORLD-BOUND: Rookie center Kimbi Daniels registered one goal and one assist in 23 games, so the Flyers were willing to loan him to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships in Germany, Dec. 26 to Jan. 4.Due to a lengthy injury list, general manager Russ Farwell waited until Dec. 15 before letting Daniels join the Canadian team. The Flyers haven&rsquo;t decided whether they&rsquo;ll keep Daniels or return him to his Western League team in Swift Current after the tournament.NOTEBOOK: Rick Tocchet suffered a scary moment in a 1-1 tie against Chicago Dec. 14. Tocchet was clipped in the left eye by a stick blade and had to go to Pennsylvania Hospital for an examination. No damage was found and Tocchet was expected to miss one game.<h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 10: Mark Freer, C, recalled from Hershey (AHL). Martin Hostak, C, assigned to Hershey. Dec. 13: Rod Dallman, RW, recalled from Hershey. Dec. 15: Kimbi Daniels. C, loaned to Canadian national junior team.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour, Mike Ricci, Dan Quinn, Mark Freer.LW&mdash;Pelle Ekiund, Andrei Lomakin, Claude Boivin, Tony Horacek.RW&mdash;Kevin Dineen, Dave Brown, Rod Dallman.LD&mdash;Terry Carkner, Kerry Huffman, Corey Foster, Dan Kordic.RD&mdash;Steve Duchesne, Kjell Samuelsson, Gord Murphy.G&mdash;Ken Wregget, Dominic Roussel.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Keith Acton, C, broken left wrist, indefinite. Ron Hextall, G, tendinitis in right shoulder, day-to-day Mark Howe, D, broken left thumb, indefinite. Brad Jones, LW, concussion, day-to-day. Steve Kasper, C, right knee surgery, indefinite. Jiri Latal, D, sore left knee, day-to-day. Mark Pederson, LW, dislocated right shoulder, indefinite. Rick Tocchet. RW. trauma to left eye, day-to-day. &#9632;

IN THIS ISSUE

Disappearing offense leaves team fit to be tied

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021419/6433199-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011599/6433192-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="546" height="770"></div>New York Islanders&rsquo; center Ray Ferraro, who scored at least two goals in each of the Islanders&rsquo; three games, was named NHL Pro Set Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 15.Ferraro notched nine points-seven goals and two assists-as the Islanders went undefeated and picked up four of a possible six points.Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; goaltender Tim Cheveldae, who backstopped the Red Wings to four victories, was the runner-up.Throughout the 1991-92 season, Pro Set Inc., will donate $600 each week to the youth hockey organization designated by the Player of the Week.Pro Set will also contribute $1,200 on behalf of the Player of the Month and $8,500 for the Player of the Year Award. Now in its second season as sponsor of these NHL Awards, Pro Set is contributing over $56,000 to youth hockey organizations across North America.Ferraro had a hand in nine of the Islanders&rsquo; 15 goals during the week. He opened the week with a hat-trick, scoring three goals and adding an assist as the Islanders tied St. Louis 7-7 Dec. 10. The following night, Ferraro notched two more goals-including the game-winner&mdash;and an assist as the Islanders edged Toronto 5-4. He was in on every Islander goal-scoring twice with one assist-as the Islanders closed out the week with a 3-3 tie against rival New Jersey (Dec. 14).Cheveldae was a close second in voting for Player of the Week, posting a 4-0-0 record and 1.98 goals-against average as the Red Wings moved into a tie for the overall league lead.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031185/6433185-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="2449" height="3012"></div> &#9632;

f0004-02

NHL PRO SPOTLIGHT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011425/6433068-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="360" height="352"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-021166/6433061-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="50" height="38"></div>Detroit Red Wings. Finally firing on all cylinders, the Wings had just one loss in 18 games through Dec. 15.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03855/6433054-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="50" height="38"></div>John Tonelli. Tonelli, who played 1,000th game Dec. 10, is like the Duracell rabbit: he just keeps going.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04628/6433047-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="50" height="37"></div>Montreal Forum fans. Not all of them. Just the no-minds that threw objects at Eric Lindros during a game.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-05461/6433040-1-eng-US/f0002-052.jpg" title="f0002-05" width="50" height="37"></div>Ron Caron. Alienated his two best players when he called Brett Hull and Adam Oates &ldquo;floaters.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-06344/6433033-1-eng-US/f0002-062.jpg" title="f0002-06" width="355" height="352"></div> &#9632;

f0002-01

CHEERS & JEERS

<div class="byline">By Dave Luecking</div>The end for Buffalo coach Rick Dudley was the beginning for St. Louis Blues&rsquo; goalie Guy Hebert.Hebert stopped 35 shots in his NHL debut Dec. 11 as the Blues beat the Sabres 6-3. It turned out to be Dudley&rsquo;s final game as Sabres&rsquo; coach. He was fired after the game.But the game was the culmination of a dream for Hebert, who played at tiny Hamilton College in upstate New York and was the Blues&rsquo; eighth-round pick in the 1987 draft.Hebert, 24, signed his first professional contract in 1989-90, serving a two-year apprenticeship in Peoria of the International League before getting his chance against the Sabres.A groin injury to backup Pat Jablonski Dec. 7 created an opening for Hebert. The Blues started Hebert in the Buffalo game to give overworked starter Curtis Joseph a rest.&ldquo;I waited three years to get my first NHL start and it was well worth the wait,&rdquo; Hebert said.Hebert, 24, played with the poise of a veteran in front of his family and friends who made the trip from his hometown of Troy, N.Y. He didn&rsquo;t appear nervous and only once allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the scene.&ldquo;The second period took a long time and it gave me time to think,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I took a glance around and said, &lsquo;Wow. Here I am.&rsquo; I enjoyed it for one second and figured I&rsquo;d better get back to work and get my focus back.&rdquo;Coach Brian Sutter was impressed with Hebert&rsquo;s performance. &ldquo;There are a lot of people in the organization who think he&rsquo;s as good as anybody,&rdquo; Sutter said.HARVESTING OATES: Rumors of Adam Oates&rsquo; departure have been swirling around St. Louis, prompting a denial from general manager Ron Caron that only heightened the tension.In a column by Tom Wheatley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Caron denied he is trying to trade Oates, but he questioned Oates&rsquo; loyalty.Caron said Oates wouldn&rsquo;t make the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman and Jimmy Carson. He also called Oates and his right winger Brett Hull &ldquo;floaters.&rdquo;Oates reacted angrily, saying he had never been called a floater in his life. Oates suggested Caron&rsquo;s dissatisfaction with the contract extension he agreed to for Oates over the summer may have prompted his remarks.NOTEBOOK: After scoring three goals in the first eight games, Brett Hull had 26 goals in the next 23 games, putting him just under a goal-a-game pace with 29 goals in 31 games&hellip;Hull scored his third hat trick and broke Bernie Federko&rsquo;s team mark of 11 career hat tricks in the Blues&rsquo; 7-7 tie against the New York Islanders Dec. 10.<h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Adam Oates, Ron Sutter, Bob Bassen, Michel Mongeau.LW&mdash;Dave Lowry, Dave Christian, Brendan Shanahan, Ron Wilson, Gino Cavallini.RW&mdash;Brett Hull, Nelson Emerson, Rich Sutter, Darin Kimble, Kelly Chase.LD&mdash;Paul Cavallini, Lee Norwood, Rob Robinson.RD&mdash;Garth Butcher, Jeff Brown, Rick Zombo.G&mdash;Curtis Joseph, Guy Hebert.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Murray Baron, D. sprained shoulder, day-to-day. Pat Jablonski, G, pulled groin, day-to-day. &#9632;

Sparkling debut for Hebert

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-07220/6433099-1-eng-US/f0002-072.jpg" title="f0002-07" width="371" height="472"></div>It has been 40 years since Canada won an Olympic gold medal.Dave King&rsquo;s 1992 team will be hard-pressed to end that drought, although some people would have you believe otherwise.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing,&rdquo; King says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard people over the last little while (who have said), &lsquo;Geez, you must really be excited now. You&rsquo;ve got a chance for a gold medal.&rsquo;&ldquo;I never try to play us down but on the other side of the coin, I&rsquo;m realistic enough to know the competition out there is incredibly tough.&rdquo;Canadian optimism is grounded in two circumstances: Eric Lindros&rsquo; arrival and a belief the Soviets have been considerably weakened by world events and player defections.Don&rsquo;t overestimate the impact of either. Lindros is but one player (a young one at that) and suggestions the Soviets are a shadow of their former invincible selves are off-base.Consider that the Soviets tied Team Canada 3-3 at the Canada Cup with a lineup that included just five NHLers. The others are available for the Olympics. Only one member of Team Canada (Lindros) is not in the NHL.The Soviets have won seven of nine gold medals since Canada finished first at the 1952 Games. Their most serious challenge this time will likely come from Sweden-a team loaded with experienced and capable international stars. King guided Canada to fourth-places finishes at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a decent team,&rdquo; King says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not a favorite by any means. When people tell you that, they don&rsquo;t know what international hockey is all about. They&rsquo;re kidding themselves.&rdquo;Canada is in a pool with the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Norway and France. The United States is joined by highly-touted Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany and Italy in the other pool.A new playoff format promises to make this year&rsquo;s Olympic tournament the most exciting ever.The top four teams in each pool A advance, with the first- and second-place teams crossing over to meet the third- and fourth-place teams from the other pool. The four survivors meet in the semifinal and the final two play for gold Feb. 22.Los Angeles goalie Kelly Hrudey has experienced a season from hell. Through 18 decisions, his record was 6-6-6.Nobody knows what shape the 1992 entry draft will take, let alone who will be the top pick.Still to be determined in Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations is number of rounds and eligibility guidelines.Last year, there were 12 rounds and all players were eligible for only the first three rounds.The NHL Players&rsquo; Association opened negotiations by suggesting the draft be abolished. Word is the NHLPA now proposes the draft consist of four rounds. The NHLs latest offer, says a source, calls for 10 rounds and wide-open eligibility. All players would be eligible for all rounds.We tell you about Sergei Krivokrasov on page 22, a top Soviet prospect for the 1992 entry draft.Other Soviets attracting interest are left winger/center Alexei Yashin of Moscow Dynamo, center Alexander Cherbayev of Khimik and defenseman Boris Mironov of the Red Army.Another European to remember is Czechoslovakian defenseman Roman Hamrlik. &#9632;

f0002-07

Gold far from sure thing for Canada

<div class="byline">By Al Morganti</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011570/6433154-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">He didn&rsquo;t win a scoring title or earn a Stanley Cup ring, but St. Louis super-scorer Brett Hull was undeniably the player of the year in 1991. (Photo by Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>The calendar year 1991 featured more than the usual dates highlighted in red for the hockey fan. It was a Canada Cup year, the year The Next One was supposed to enter the NHL and the year in which the complexities of collective bargaining threatened to Overwhelm what was taking place on the ice.It was also a year marked by conflict. Former players went against the NHL in a pension dispute. Current NHLers continued to show a flagrant disregard for one another with numerous stick fouls and acts of violence. Contract disputes and holdouts seemed to make as many headlines as goals and assists.Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Stanley Cup win and Canada&rsquo;s third straight Canada Cup victory are some of the good from the good, bad and ugly of 1991. Here are the year&rsquo;s top 10 stories:1 L&rsquo;Affaire Lindros. A 6-foot-4 lightning rod for controversy, Lindros seemingly played for everyone in &rsquo;91&mdash;the Canadian national junior team, the Oshawa Generals, the Canadian Olympic team, Team Canada in the Canada Cup and Canadian WJC team again-except the team that has been waiting the longest: the Quebec Nordiques.Lindros is the only No. 1 overall NHL pick to refuse to sign with the team that drafted him.The Holdouts: Three other high-profile players that stayed away. 1. Ed Belfour, Chicago (26 days, 13 games before re-signing). 2. Mark Messier, Edmonton (refused to report to Oilers&rsquo; Amp and was finally traded to New York Rangers Oct. 4). 3. Ron Francis, Pittsburgh (22 days, nine games before re-signing).2 Pittsburgh wins the Stanley Cup. The just a matter of time event-eight years after franchise savior Mario Lemieux was drafted first overall-took place May 25 in Minnesota. The Penguins demolished the North Stars, 8-0 that night, the largest margin of victory in a final series game this century.The Champions: Three other major winners. 1. Canada wins WJC in Saskatoon, Sask., Jan. 4. 2. Sweden, wins world championships in Turku, Finland May 4. 3. Canada, wins the Canada Cup in Hamilton, Ont., Sept. 16.3 Brett Hull. The game&rsquo;s best goal-scorer broke his own single-season record for goals by a right winger with 86 in 1990-91. After a slow start to this season, he returned to form and had 83 goals in 78 games in the 1991 calendar year.The Heroes: Three other amazing feats. 1. Paul Coffey breaks Denis Potvin&rsquo;s records for career goals (311, Nov. 10) and points (1,052, Oct. 17) by a defenseman. 2. Chicago&rsquo;s Ed Belfour plays his 74th game of the season March 31, falling just short of the single-season record of 75 set by Grant Fuhr. 3. Fuhr, coming off a 59-game suspension for substance abuse, posts a shutout in his first game back with the Oilers (4-0 over New Jersey Feb. 18).4 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This was supposed to be the year the NHLPA got tough under Bob Good-know, who took over the union&rsquo;s reigns from the controversial Alan Eagleson. But with the year about to expire there is still no new agreement in place between the NHLPA and the NHL.The Issues: 1. Free agency. Everybody watched and waited for the league&rsquo;s confusing system to be overhauled until Ron Caron and the St. Louis Blues could wait no longer. They signed Brendan Shanahan July 24, then wound up losing Scott Stevens to the New Jersey Devils as compensation. 2. Arbitration. The only process tougher to figure out than free agency. 3. The draft. The NHLPA entered negotiations intent on having the draft restructured at least, abolished at best.5 Expansion. While the two conditional expansion franchises struggled to comply with NHL deadlines, the league&rsquo;s 22nd team, the San Jose Sharks, became a huge success-especially off the ice. About the only thing hotter than a Sharks&rsquo; ticket&mdash;they&rsquo;d sold out all of their home dates at the 10,088-seat Cow Palace through Dec. 12-was a Sharks&rsquo; T-shirt&hellip;or sweatshirt or baseball cap.Hot is also a good word to describe the situations of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators. The heat to meet the $50-million fee was on from Day 1, but as the year drew to a close both teams avoided getting burned.Hot Stuff: Three other steamy issues. 1. On April 26, a group of retired players filed suit against the NHL for alleged misuse of pension money. 2. Alan Eagleson&rsquo;s credibility was attacked in a series of newspapers articles by Russ Conway of the Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune and later in the controversial book, Net Worth. 3. Mandatory AIDS testing was discussed after a Montreal doctor revealed a woman who died from the disease two years ago claimed to have had sex with 50 NHLers.6 The Miracle North Stars. Under new ownership, a new general manager, Bob Clarke, a new coach, Bob Gainey, and some old misgivings on the part of the fans, the Minnesota North Stars opened the 1990-91 season in front of crowd of 5,730. They ended the season in the Stanley Cup finals in front of a crowd of 15,378 at the Met Center.The Unreal. Three other amazing stories. 1. Islander goalie Mark Fitzpatrick returned from a potentially-fatal blood disorder. 2. After scoring just three times in his rookie season, Quebec&rsquo;s Owen Nolan had 26 goals in the first 26 games of 1991-92. 3. After contemplating retirement due to the illness of the his father, Walter, Wayne Gretzky stormed back into the scoring race and was fifth in the NHL in mid-December.7 Violence. The Battle of Buffalo between the Sabres and Calgary Flames Dec. 8 &ldquo;highlighted&rdquo; another year of warfare; a year in which players continued to demonstrate a lack of respect for one another. The brawl-filled grudge match was sparked by Jamie Macoun&rsquo;s slash across Pat LaFontaine&rsquo;s face in a game three weeks earlier.The beatings go on: Three other gruesome acts prominent in &rsquo;91. 1. Stick work. Enough said. 2. Checking from behind. Bob Rouse&rsquo;s hit on Calgary&rsquo;s Gary Roberts Nov. 9 was the most flagrant example. 3. Leg hits. Ulf Samuelsson and Craig Muni got most of the ink for these dangerous hits, but they weren&rsquo;t the only perpetrators.8 Mark Messier is traded. The year&rsquo;s biggest deal was struck Oct. 4 after months of speculation. The Oilers sent captain Mark Messier to the Rangers for, among other players, Bernie Nicholls who didn&rsquo;t report to Edmonton until Dec. 9.The trades: Three other blockbusters. 1. Star holdout Pat LaFontaine finally got his wish on Oct. 25 when the New York Islanders traded him to Buffalo in a seven-player deal. 2. Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Stanley Cup championship was cemented March 4, when they acquired Ulf Samuelsson and Ron Francis from Hartford for Zarley Zalapski and John Cullen. 3. Jari Kurri and Wayne Gretzky were reunited May 30 when the Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers completed a three-way deal.9 Bob Johnson passes away. Nov. 26 was not a great day for hockey as Pittsburgh Penguin coach &ldquo;Badger&rdquo; Bob Johnson died two months after he had surgery for brain cancer. The disease was discovered on the eve of the Canada Cup in which Johnson was to coach Team USA.Gone but not forgotten: 1. Terry Slater, the 54-year-old Colgate coach, died Dec. 5 four days after suffering a stroke. 2. Quebec midget goalie Stephane Harvey, 16, died after he was hit with a puck in the neck during an Oct. 20 game. 3. Dick Beddoes, 66, noted hockey writer died Aug. 24 of liver cancer.10 Replay. The NHL finally entered the electronic age with the implementation of instant replay. There were reservations expressed at first but, upon further review, it appears to be working efficiently.The Rule Changes: 1. Crease interference. Not really a change, but the enforcement of the rule disallowing players inside the new, blue half-circle crease has been highly controversial. 2. The breakaway Marsh goal pegs have been far less problematic than their predecessors, the dreaded magnets. 3. The Lindros rule. For the first time ever, an expansion team wasn&rsquo;t given the first overall pick. Instead, the league wanted Lindros to go to an established team. Whoops. &#9632;

f0003-01

Year of the Spat

Better off with Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour and Curtis Joseph instead of Scott Stevens? I&rsquo;m glad Jeff Gordon called his argument, &ldquo;A silly sounding theory.&rdquo; (THN, Dec. 4)Come on, Jeff, just give your readers the facts. The Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; power play is among the worst in the league and the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; is among the best with Scott Stevens. The Devils&rsquo; penalty killing, mean-while, led the league through Dec. 8 and their goals-for and goals-against totals also ranked with the NHL&rsquo;s best.This has not been accomplished by coincidence, but rather with the help of Stevens who is worth every cent of his multi-million dollar contract.As far as Joseph is concerned, the Devils have found a reliable back-up in Craig Billington who was unbeaten in six decisions (5-0-1), had a .919 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average.The most glaring in hole in Gordon&rsquo;s theory, however, is that Stevens, a defenseman, had more points than Brind&rsquo; Amour, a forward (28 to 24).Tyler BleszinskiLa Verne, Calif.<h2>Poor judgment</h2>I think Stan Fischler&rsquo;s suggestion that the NHL permit players to discard their helmets is highly irresponsible (THN, Nov. 22).Just in case Fischler has forgotten the perils of going helmetless, I suggest he contact Ed Kea. Kea, who played in the NHL with the Atlanta Flames and St. Louis Blues, suffered permanent brain damage after he struck his head on the ice in March, 1983 while playing with the IHL&rsquo;s Salt Lake Golden Eagles.Fischler ought to ask Kea if he agrees that players should not be required to wear helmets.Lewis S. WienerWashington, D.C.<h2>Defense rests</h2>I sleep better at night knowing the Los Angeles Kings (or any other team) won&rsquo;t be facing Steve Duchesne and the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; superior defense and goaltending in the playoffs this season.Brett AndersonLos Angeles, Calif.<h2>What gives?</h2>I think that NHL administration officials should be forced to wear helmets. It&rsquo;s obvious they&rsquo;re taking too many pucks to the head.How else could it be that Tom Webster gets a 12-game suspension for throwing a stick at referee Kerry Fraser? Meanwhile, Jamie Macoun takes a whack at Pat LaFontaine, knocks out some of LaFontaine&rsquo;s teeth, severs an artery and breaks LaFontaine&rsquo;s jaw. Macoun&rsquo;s penalty? Nothing beyond the five-minute major and game misconduct assessed at the time.These bonehead decisions will only serve to tarnish the NHL&rsquo;s already-sagging reputation.Tom EremondiSaskatoon, Sask.<h2>The Greedy One</h2>During a nationally-televised game in February, Mark Messier said he wanted to make a statement by staying and playing hockey in Canada.Being a loyal fan of his since 1983, I believed him. I thought it was wonderful to still have players who felt good about playing in Canada.Then came the announcement from Messier in September that he would never wear an Oiler uniform again. I automatically assumed that Peter Pocklington would never meet Messier&rsquo;s salary demands so I blamed Oiler management.Now the truth comes out. Messier was offered, as he said, &ldquo;a nice contract&rdquo; from the Oilers, but he decided $2 million was enough after all and demanded a trade.I tried to be open-minded about the deal to New York until Messier signed his big contract. Now I know who really is The Greedy One and I owe Pocklington an apology.Denyse M. LakeToronto, Ont.<h2>Anyone home?</h2>I&rsquo;m concerned the president of the NHL is either a student of Sigmund Freud&rsquo;s slip or is simply a babbling idiot.John Ziegler&rsquo;s latest snafu occurred early in October on the Larry King Show.When King asked about the NHL&rsquo;s drug policy, Ziegler started talking about the &ldquo;Bob Murdoch case&rdquo; where &ldquo;Mr. Murdoch&rdquo;, was suspended for a year for being caught with illegal drugs.As any hockey fan knows, Bob Murdoch has never been accused of having a drug problem and is doing just fine as an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks. The Murdoch Ziegler was referring to, of course, was Don, a winger with the New York Rangers in the 1970s.Donald CohenMonterey, Calif.Make your feelings known. Fax us your comments at&nbsp;(416) 445-0753&nbsp;or write to&nbsp;Letters, The Hockey News, 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100, Don Mills, Ont., M3B 2R2&nbsp;in Canada. In the U.S., write to&nbsp;Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.&nbsp;Include home and business phone numbers.&nbsp;THN&nbsp;reserves the right to edit submissions. &#9632;

Devils won big in Stevens case

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011513/6433254-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0005-01

ELSTON

<div class="byline">By Brian Costello</div><h2>Bronco movie in production</h2>Production of a movie chronicling the tragedy-to-triumph story of Graham James and the Swift Current Broncos is in the screenwriting stage.Rainmaker Productions is finalizing the script and setting it up for production. Filming will begin next summer. The movie is planned for release on CBC and in video stores next fall.Four Swift Current players died when the team bus slid off a highway during a snowstorm Dec. 30, 1986. The Broncos recovered and won the Memorial Cup two years later.Active Broncos will play the part of former players in on-ice roles.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021090/6433285-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="557" height="741"><figcaption class="caption-body">Graham James</figcaption></div><h2>Lammens sailing away</h2>Former New York Islander farmhand Hank Lammens is gearing up for the Olympics-not as a hockey player, but as a sailor.The defenseman played out his contract with the Islanders last season and is concentrating full time on qualifying for Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team in the Finn class. He now trains in California.He became the first Canadian to win that class at the Gold Cup World Yachting championships last year.Lammens, 25, had one goal and 26 points in three minor-league season with Spingfield, Kansas City and Capital District. &#9632;

f0005-02

UPDATE

<div class="byline">Compiled by THN Staff</div>The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators made their final arrangements and were expected to become unconditional members of the NHL.Discussions with the league went on for several hours Dec. 16 as both teams finalized the $22.5-million (U.S.) payment to the league.The Senators had some anxious moments as the deadline approached. A special Ottawa city council meeting had to be called to approve a new lease agreement for the Civic Centre.The Senators&rsquo; new deal with the city calls for a two-year contract with a four-year option. It was reported the extra option years were a requirement demanded by the Senators&rsquo; bankers in case their proposed arena, the Palladium, is not ready when planned. The Senators hope to be in the new rink for the 1994-95 season.The Senators had also reportedly reached a one-year agreement to place their No. 1 farm team in New Haven of the American League for next season. The Senators will likely then pursue an agreement to place their AHL affiliate permanently in Saint John, N.B., where an arena is currently being built.<h2>Yawney dealt</h2>In training camp, Trent Yawney decided he&rsquo;d had enough of the Chicago Blackhawks and asked to be traded.It took two months, but it finally happened. Yawney was traded to the Calgary Flames Dec. 16 for left winger Stephane Matteau.Matteau, 21, was out of the Flames&rsquo; lineup indefinitely with the same bone ossification problem that has kept Boston Bruins&rsquo; Cam Neely from playing this season.Yawney spent the past month playing for the Hawks&rsquo; International League affiliate in Indianapolis, where he had two goals and an assist in five games.&ldquo;I guess it has been in the works for a while,&rdquo; said Yawney. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad they finally did it. It has been two months. There have been deals (that were close) before. When I heard about this one, I didn&rsquo;t want to get my hopes up.&rdquo;Blackhawks&rsquo; GM-coach Mike Keenan gave Matteau permission to spend Christmas with his family in Quebec. He will continue his rehabilitation in Chicago following the Christmas break.Matteau, who had one point in four games this season, injured his thigh in a collision with the Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; Frank Breault.<h2>Players added</h2>Canada&rsquo;s national junior team added three players to its training camp roster including defenseman Karl Dykhuis, a member of last year&rsquo;s gold medal squad.Dykhuis has split the season with the Chicago Blackhawks and Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team.He had a goal and four points in six games with Chicago and a goal and three points in 15 games with the Olympic team.Also added were centers Kimbi Daniels from the Philadelphia Flyers and Terry Chitaroni from the Ontario League&rsquo;s Sudbury Wolves. Daniels, 19, had a goal and two points in 24 games with Philadelphia. Chitaroni, 19, had 17 goals and 37 points in 24 games with Sudbury.Thirty-six players attended the team&rsquo;s training camp in Kitchener Dec. 13. The World Junior Championships are in Fussen and Kaufbeuren, Germany Dec. 26 to Jan. 4.Forwards Ryan Sittler (Nichols School, Buffalo, N.Y.) and Marty Schriner (University of North Dakota) were added to the American team&rsquo;s training camp roster. The players replaced University of Minnesota forwards Craig Johnson and Darby Hendrickson, who declined invitations.<h2>Europe bound</h2>For the fourth time in his career, Brent Sapergia has gone to Europe to play hockey.Sapergia&rsquo;s most recent attempt to revive his career in the IHL ended after he played the final game of a 25-game tryout contract.San Diego general manager Don Waddell said Sapergia was out drinking Nov. 30 in Muskegon when he was benched for a game against the Lumberjacks. The Gulls suspended him the next day and he left for Switzerland.&ldquo;Brent has problems and he was having problems again,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;He wouldn&rsquo;t play by my rules, which were to keep his nose clean. He got back into the booze and I couldn&rsquo;t tolerate that.&rdquo;Sapergia has a history of drinking incidents but said in the Nov. 29, 1991 issue of The Hockey News that he no longer has a problem. Sapergia could not be reached for a comment.Sapergia played 23 games and had 14 goals and 20 points, but was minus-9. Sapergia, 29, has previously played in Italy, Finland and England.<h2>Sweet Swede</h2>Detroit Red Wing defenseman Niklas Lidstrom was named NHL rookie of the month for November.Lidstrom, who led all rookie scorers with 30 points in 33 games, had three goals and 14 assists in 14 November games.Lidstrom was plus-24 for the season, second to teammate Paul Ysebaert.<h2>Teen tourney</h2>The best under-17 players in the world will be in Northern Ontario and Quebec from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4 for World Hockey Challenge &rsquo;92. The 10-team tournament replaces the Quebec Cup, which was held in Quebec in 1986, 1988 and 1990.Most of the games will be held in Sudbury and the surrounding area but some will be held in North Bay, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Kirkland Lake, New Liskeard, Iroquois Falls, Elliot Lake and Rouyn, Que.Teams from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Finland and the United States will be joined by five Canadian teams-Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Western and Pacific. &#9632;

Lightning, Senators make final arrangements for NHL

A weekly compendium of significant events and developments.Dec. 10: New York Islander owner John Pickett announces he has executed a letter of intent to sell up to 50 per cent of the team to two Long Island investment firms.Dec. 11: Following a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues at home, the Buffalo Sabres fire head coach Rick Dudley. He is replaced on an interim basis by director of hockey operations John Muckler.New York Ranger center Mark Messier becomes the third-highest paid player in the NHL when he signs a reported five-year, $13-million contract.Dec. 12: The Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; 11-game unbeaten streak is ended in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.Dec. 13: NHL suspends Minnesota North Star defenseman Derian Hatcher 10 games for hitting Washington Capitals&rsquo; right winger Dino Ciccarelli with his stick Dec. 7.Dec. 14: Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; left winger Vincent Damphousse scores four goals to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 win over the Winnipeg Jets.Dec. 16: The deadline arrives for expansion franchises Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning to hand over their final $22.5 million (U.S.) payment to gain unconditional admittance to the NHL. &#9632;

THE WEEK IN HOCKEY: DEC. 9-16

<div class="byline">By Jay Greenberg</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011690/6433371-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="368" height="473"></div>Twenty-two owners offered me a great deal on a new crystal ball-only $50 million, terms flexible-but I turned them down. Over the years I&rsquo;ve learned that with a little bit of polish, Ron Caron&rsquo;s head provides a clear reflection of the future.I see peace in the coming year. I see prosperity. I see Tom Kurvers with a suitcase. I don&rsquo;t see what anyone has ever seen in Brian Lawton, but I certainly conjure the events of 1992 better than Shawn Cronin does his next outlet pass:Jan. 9: When the Chicago Blackhawks fall behind Toronto 2-0 early in the second period, Chicago goalie Ed Belfour pulls coach Mike Keenan from behind the bench, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not faulting Keenan,&rdquo; says Belfour, &ldquo;I just thought the team needed something to wake it up.&rdquo; Keenan responds by kicking over several inanimate objects-an ice cooler, a stick rack and Stu Grimson. After cooling off, Keenan refuses to criticize Belfour. &ldquo;Eddie&rsquo;s a tough guy to please,&rdquo; Keenan tells reporters, &ldquo;but he makes me bear down harder.&rdquo;Feb. 26: The Montreal Canadiens appear to give up their first goal of the new year. But even though the video tape clearly shows Minnesota&rsquo;s Basil McRae shooting the puck past Patrick Roy and over the goalline, the replay official disallows the goal because he doesn&rsquo;t think anybody will believe him.Feb. 28: The Philadelphia Flyers score their first goal of the new year when Kjell Samuelsson&rsquo;s icing attempt, launched in 1987, deflects off Mikko Makela in 1988, Brent Sutter in 1989, Dave Chyzowski in 1990 and David Volek in 1991 to finally enter the net in 1992. &ldquo;It has been a long time coming,&rdquo; says Samuelsson. The illumination of the red light behind the visitors&rsquo; goal at the Spectrum produces a confused reaction in the stands. &ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; asks Fay Dedglory, a Flyer season ticket holder for four years. &ldquo;What does it mean?&rdquo;March 3: The San Jose Sharks, amazing the hockey world by challenging Edmonton for a Smythe Division playoff spot, are stunned when defenseman Doug Wilson asks to be traded. &ldquo;This is getting to be like Chicago,&rdquo; says Wilson. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re too competitive. I came to San Jose to lose and enjoy the game.&rdquo;July 16: Winnipeg City Council ratifies a deal that will keep the Jets in the city until 2053 or until Randy Carlyle retires, whichever comes last. A new Winnipeg Arena, to be completed in 1996, is to be financed through a benefit concert performance by Luciano Borsato.Oct. 5: On opening night of the 1992-93 season, the NHL extends the deadline for the final $22.5 million of the Tampa Bay Lightning&rsquo;s franchise fee. NHL President John Ziegler announces the extension while standing at center ice of a darkened, empty Suncoast Dome, the temporary home of the Lightning, waiting to drop the ceremonial first puck.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021152/6433364-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="547" height="818"><figcaption class="caption-body">Doug Wilson</figcaption></div>The Lightning, who were not permitted to participate in the expansion draft, play their opening game with two players, Phil Esposito at center and Tony Esposito in goal. They lead the Ottawa Senators 1-0 midway in the second period when Phil Esposito has to leave the game with a case of the hiccups.Nov. 8: Enraged by a Ron Hoggarth call and intrigued by how well he might do in a decathlon, Los Angeles coach Tom Webster follows up the javelin toss of a hockey sticky that brought him a 12-game suspendsion by throwing a hammer. Webster attaches Jay Miller to a chain and slings him at Hoggarth, who is hit in the stomach and unhurt.Dec. 16: The start of a game between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden is delayed for 90 minutes by the inability of loan officers to quickly process applications by fans wanting to purchase single-game tickets. Chase Manhattan President Mark Messier apologizes, explaining that his bank made a policy error in demanding the fans&rsquo; first-born sons as collateral for the $8,575 required for the purchase of a pair of blues tickets. &#9632;

f0006-01

More hiccups in store for 1992

<div class="byline">By Stan Flschler</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011530/6433409-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="373" height="472"></div>Will we ever see the day when a woman gets a job alongside a man as a pro hockey player? And maybe even makes it all the way to the NHL?Don&rsquo;t laugh. Kelly Dyer doesn&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s funny, nor does she think it&rsquo;s out of the realm of possibility.Dyer&rsquo;s a goalie who was good enough to understudy Tom Barrasso at Acton-Boxboro (Mass.) High School when the Penguin was the best young netminder in America. Since then, Dyer has tended goal for Northeastern University and the U.S. women&rsquo;s national team.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s possible for a woman to make it to the NHL,&rdquo; says Dyer, who is working for a Boston-based marketing and communications firm. &ldquo;I know some women who, with proper exposure and equal training and opportunities could compete with &ldquo;men, maybe even professionals.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021029/6433402-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="560" height="811"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly Dyer</figcaption></div>She lists Americans Cindy Curley and Kelly O&rsquo;Leary and Canada&rsquo;s Angela James as female players who could compete on an equal footing with males.&ldquo;James is so well-conditioned, that she can go through anything. If a woman has the same dedication, the same year-round training, she can bring her game to an equal level.&rdquo;Dyer, 25, acknowledges the argument that women are physiologically inferior and cannot skate with men has some merit. But that should not rule out women playing pro hockey with men.A major problem, she says, is the male prejudice against female hockey players. &ldquo;Tell me about it,&rdquo; snaps Dyer.NHL people either humor her or hell her to forget it. New York Rangers&rsquo; coach Roger Neilson typifies the league attitude. &ldquo;It (a woman playing pro hockey) could happen in goal,&rdquo; says Neilson, &ldquo;but it would be awfully hard. Girls can play against boys up to a certain age in minor hockey but there comes a time when they can&rsquo;t do it anymore because, physically, it won&rsquo;t work.&rdquo;Nevertheless, if Dyer was good enough to backstop Tom Barrasso, and Barrasso was good enough to win a Stanley Cup, you figure Dyer could play against just about anyone. And she has, almost. &ldquo;I played (with a men&rsquo;s team) against Division I male college players last summer,&rdquo; she recalls. &ldquo;I was on top of my game to the point where we won eight out of nine games and tied the other.&ldquo;The biggest problem for me in terms of male-female play is adjusting to the different levels of the games and reassessing my timing as I go from female to male competition.&rdquo;Dyer salutes female goalie Manon Rheaume, the Quebecoise who recently made headlines by seeing action in a major junior game with the Quebec League&rsquo;s Trots Rivieres Draveurs. Dyer says Rheaume&rsquo;s story proves there are opportunities for women in hockey.&ldquo;I remember when I was eight years old and jealous of my brother,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;He was playing hockey but, because I was a girl, I was limited to figure skating. I wanted to go with him and play. Luckily, my father made some phone calls and discovered girls&rsquo; teams.&rdquo;Womens&rsquo; hockey has become a growth industry. The 1990 World Championships in Ottawa&mdash;the first of what is to be a bi-annual tounament-was televised, attendance was robust and the promise is for even more interest.People are acutely aware that Dyer once was Barrasso&rsquo;s backstop. It is a subject so frequently raised that she became overwhelmed by the coverage.&ldquo;That was a long time ago,&rdquo; says Dyer with dismissal in her tone, &ldquo;and I don&rsquo;t mind the comparisons anymore. I find that as I move to higher levels of hockey the male players are more tolerant and open minded.&rdquo;Dyer has no idea what legal or technical barriers would have to be overcome by an aspiring female player to crack the NHL.&ldquo;I always heard the joke that Tom Johnson (vice president of the Bruins) was going to draft me in the late rounds (1984) just to keep heads spinning. It would have been interesting.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0007-01

No back seat for woman back stop

<div class="byline">By Stan Flschler</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03666/6433440-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">A bitter pull to swallow: Kelly Hrudey says the skate to the bench after being yanked seems like five miles. (Photo by Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>Although Brett Hull spends an entire chapter (&ldquo;Burned To A Crisp&rdquo;) in his new book criticizing his ex-coach Terry Crisp, Canada&rsquo;s Olympic team assistant coach refuses to be drawn into the one-way feud. Confronted with such Hullisms as, &ldquo;Crisp wanted to break my spirit,&rdquo; Crisp tells Bluelines, &ldquo;Brett was a super young man and still is a super young man. Things are said, but that&rsquo;s life. When I had him, I had no problem and we&rsquo;re still the best of friends. Matter of fact, I talked to him the last three times he was in town (Calgary.) Those things (that Hull wrote about) happened a long time ago and I have nothing further to say about them.&rdquo; When his Olympic team tour of duty ends in February, Crisp will begin job-hunting again-but not necessarily for a coaching position since he&rsquo;s on the last year of a $250,000-a-year contract with the Calgary Flames. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be sending resumes out,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;and maybe someone will offer me a general manager&rsquo;s job. I&rsquo;ve taken steps in that direction because I don&rsquo;t want to be a one-dimensional person.&rdquo; Crisp insists he got a bum media rap in the 1990 playoffs when he was accused of blowing his nose in his tie, or so it seemed on TV. &ldquo;I was pinching my nose with my tie to tell the ref (Denis Morel), &lsquo;Hey, that stinks-you blew it.&rsquo;&rdquo;&hellip;Philadelphia Flyer insiders expect that, barring a miracle playoff rush, Bill Dineen will be replaced by either Barry Melrose or Terry Crisp once.<h2>Christmas Gift</h2>With Washington trailing the New York Islanders 7-0 Nov. 30, it appeared that Rod Langway would not show for a scheduled between-periods TV interview. When the Caps&rsquo; captain arrived in the Nassau Coliseum studio, he was asked on camera why, under the circumstances, he had bothered to appear rather than stay in the dressing room. Without missing a beat, Langway snapped, &ldquo;For the gift!&rdquo; The joke was on him, though, as SportsChannel New York assistant director Joni Datillo forgot to bring the gift.<h2>The long skate</h2>Kelly Hrudey claims the worst thing about being a goaltender is getting replaced in the middle of a game. &ldquo;That 100-foot skate to the bench after you have been pulled is the longest, slowest skate in the world,&rdquo; Hrudey says. &ldquo;It seems like five miles.&rdquo;&hellip;Kings&rsquo; Klippings, the official newspaper of the L.A. team, ran an item about missing hockey fan Denise A. Huber who disappeared June 3. Anyone with information should call the Costa Mesa Police Department at (714) 754-5363.<h2>Coaches&rsquo; corner</h2>A couple of coaches-turned-broad-casters almost came to blows recently before an NHL referee intervened. Don (Grapes) Cherry tells Bluelines the episode occurred in the Edmonton Westin Hotel lobby between himself and Gary Green. &ldquo;I told Green I&rsquo;m sick and tired of this Fair Play Commission which has the (Canadian) government pay guys like him to fly all over the place and stay at the best hotels and all they do is tell us that high sticking and checking into the boards is bad. He said, &lsquo;I resent that.&rsquo; Then, I said, &lsquo;You live in Florida and fly up to tell us what&rsquo;s wrong with Canadian hockey.&rsquo; He didn&rsquo;t like that either so I invited him outside. Don Koharski was right there refereeing the whole thing. Finally, he said, &lsquo;Hey, you guys, cut it out!&rsquo; And we did.&rdquo;&hellip;When Stars&rsquo; owner Norman Green&rsquo;s Met Center rink outbid St. Paul&rsquo;s Civic Center for the annual Minnesota high school tournament, Green may have won a business battle but he suffered a big loss in the public relations&rsquo; department. The Twin Cities media is making him look like the bad guy for &ldquo;stealing&rdquo; the event from perennial underdogin nearby St. Paul. Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse picked Green as first runner-up for his annual &ldquo;Turkey of the Year&rdquo; award. &#9632;

f0007-03

It’s forgive and forget time for Crisp with Golden Brett

<div class="byline">By Tim Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011596/6433478-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">No goalie has been better this season at keeping his team in games than the Jets&rsquo; Bob Essensa. (Photo by Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>One phrase accurately describes the state of the Smythe Division.Upside down.The perennial powers, usually referred to in the west as the Big Three, have each been a big flop.After the first third of the season, the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings were barely .500 teams, and the Edmonton Oilers were merely hoping to be.On the other hand, the division&rsquo;s perpetually-downtrodden members grabbed and enjoyed the spotlight. The Vancouver Canucks blitzed from the starting gate and have challenged for first overall since Oct. 3.The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, were second and in hot and surprising pursuit.And even the San Jose Sharks, save one extended losing streak, have forced a few double takes by winning seven games as of mid-December, six of them against Smythe Division rivals.All-star team: C, Cliff Ronning, Vancouver; LW, Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles; RW, Trevor Linden, Vancouver; D, Phil Housley, Fredrik Olausson, Winnipeg; G, Bob Essensa, Winnipeg.Top Rookie: While there were questions of Pat Falloon&rsquo;s readiness to play in the league right away, the second overall pick from June&rsquo;s draft has answered them. After a slow start, the 19-year-old right winger settled in and has continued to improve at the NHL level. Despite an NHL baptism by fire, it appears he&rsquo;ll be a factor, not a follower in days ahead.Surprises: Though they were consensus picks to make the playoffs, nobody imagined the Canucks were capable of this. Coach-general manger Pat Quinn&rsquo;s deals and signings have improved the club&rsquo;s overall talent base and the fact that they were in first overall in mid-December is proof enough this team is for real.Honorable mention goes to the Jets, who were predicted by most to finish out of the playoff picture. They have used outstanding goaltending and sound team defense in their early success.Disappointments: The nod (or is that nod-off?) goes to the Flames. The division&rsquo;s definition of a 100-point team has been surprisingly ordinary when clearly there was an opportunity to establish firm control of this group with the other usual powers, Los Angeles and Edmonton, slip-sliding along. The only category the Flames lead in this season is penalty minutes.The Kings have been almost as guilty as the Flames and their sluggishness only invites more questions about an aging team and a once-again leaky defense.MVP: Jets&rsquo; goalie Bob Essensa has been nothing short of phenomenal in the first third, taking his team straight into contention for first place in the Smythe.Starting 12 straight games before a minor hamstring pull, Essensa rolled up a 7-1-2 record and it was no tag-along stat. Winnipeg is among the bottom-third clubs in goals scored. Essensa&rsquo;s streak rocketed him into the NHL leaders chart in several categories, including most shutouts (three) and best save percentage (.926).The save percentage is Essensa&rsquo;s key stat, since in 14 of Essensa&rsquo;s 18 starts, the Jets were outshot. In those 18 starts, his record was 11-3-4.Honorable mentions go to Linden and goalie Kirk McLean, the key players in the Canucks&rsquo; rise to the top of the division.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021246/6433471-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="1764" height="346"></div> &#9632;

f0008-01

Wild, Wild West

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03929/6433516-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="361" height="466"></div>In early 1985, the New York Islanders visited Calgary and were outclassed in a game by the Flames, then a team on the rise.Afterwards, coach Al Arbour and center Brent Sutter admitted something they&rsquo;d suspected for awhile: That the Islanders, after four Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983 and a trip to the &rsquo;84 finals, were on their way to becoming just another ordinary team.By then, I thought everybody else had figured that out already.After all, success in pro sports isn&rsquo;t forever. It&rsquo;s cyclical. Just because you&rsquo;ve won before does not guarantee you will win again. In fact, it becomes much harder. As an organization, you draft right at the bottom. As players, you get a little fat and less sassy and maybe even a touch complacent.Something similar to the Islanders&rsquo; fall appears to be happening to Calgary right now. The Flames owned the best record in hockey over the past five years and, as a result, people-in Calgary anyway-took the team&rsquo;s success for granted.Around the NHL, coaches and managers always talk about the Flames&rsquo; talent and depth and size. Except&hellip;They&rsquo;re not talking about the current edition of the hockey club anymore. They&rsquo;re still talking about the team that topped out in 1989 with 117 points and the Stanley Cup. That year represented the top of their cycle and nothing anybody could do-not Terry Crisp, not Doug Risebrough-could duplicate that season again.Only in the last little while, however, did it finally dawn on the Flames&rsquo; players: Maybe they&rsquo;re not as good as they think they are.How did it happen? Well, it may be instructive to look at their chief rivals in 1989, the Montreal Canadiens, for a blueprint as to what they could have done.The Canadiens finished with 115 points in 1988-89. Since then, the Canadiens made a series of dramatic changes to their player core, shipping out five of the top seven scorers from that team.The Flames&rsquo; changes were far less significant. Hakan Loob retired. Joey Mullen was traded. The other players who moved on-Jim Peplinski, Lanny McDonald, Brad McCrimmon, Colin Patterson-all provided leadership, but were not core people in terms of their on-ice roles anymore.The main players back then-Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Joe Nieuwendyk, Theoren Fleury, Doug Gilmour, Gary Roberts, Joel Otto, Mike Vernon-remain the main players now.How many players did the Flames add of any consequence over that 30-month period? Perhaps one, Robert Reichel. It&rsquo;s not as if Montreal went out and made a series of great trades. Chris Chelios-for-Denis Savard and Claude Lemieux-for-Sylvain Turgeon backfired. Kirk Muller-for-Stephane Richer helped to even the score.However, the changes provided a spark, an undercurrent of uncertainty that kept everybody hungry, a little off balance and prevented them from getting complacent.The Flames can boast about their stability all they want, but that stability appears to have been translated into a staleness that, in recent months, enveloped the club.Once upon a time, the threat of a trade was just that-a threat. Players didn&rsquo;t want to hear their names come up in trade talk. Now, the only threat a is an exile to Quebec. Privately, some&rsquo; players believe they need a change of scenery.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04478/6433509-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="559" height="803"><figcaption class="caption-body">Patrick Roy</figcaption></div>In Montreal, the best example may be Muller, who after six sometimes frustrating years in New Jersey, found happiness in Montreal.Canadiens&rsquo; goaltender Patrick Roy believes the pressure of playing in Montreal is a good thing.&ldquo;Playing in Montreal forces the guys to be ready for every game,&rdquo; Roy said. &ldquo;The people here know the game so well. They want to see the. team win. For me, that&rsquo;s good to see-because it&rsquo;s easier to motivate yourself to be ready ever night.&rdquo;There may be a lesson, perhaps several, in there for the Flames. &#9632;

f0008-03

Flames dying a natural death

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div>A meaningless exhibition? Not for Calgary Flames&rsquo; defenseman Gary Suter.Suter injured his knee during a 4-2 loss to the Canadian Olympic team Dec. 12 and will be out of the Calgary Flames&rsquo; lineup indefinitely. With Al MacInnis still recovering from a separated left shoulder, the Flames were forced to play two Hights later against Detroit minus their two best defenseman and nine regulars in all.Actually, regulars may be overstating matters, because not all were regulars before their injury run began. By mid-December, the Flames had missed over 140 man-games to injuries and were fifth and sinking fast in the Smythe Division.The Flames had averaged 100 points a season for the past seven years, but if the playoffs were to start in mid-December, they would have been on the outside looking in for the first time in almost two decades.Injuries may be a part of the game-when the games count for points in the standings-but the Flames paid a heavy price for playing an unwanted, mid-season exhibition game. Suter collided with Marc Habscheid, the right point man on the power play.Normally, that wouldn&rsquo;t happen-Suter and MacInnis share a sixth sense whenever they quarterback the power play together-but with MacInnis out, somebody had to be back there.Suter described his injury as a &ldquo;strain or a bruise.&rdquo; He wasn&rsquo;t certain how long he&rsquo;d be out of the lineup.SMOKE SIGNALS: It took some time, but coach-general manager Doug Risebrough finally sent a signal to his team that they were taking too many bad penalties.In the first period of the 4-3 overtime loss to Detroit, right winger Theo Fleury took an unnecessary retaliation penalty.Risebrough benched Fleury, the team&rsquo;s second-leading goalscorer with 17, until early in the third period.NOTEBOOK: Center Doug Gilmour, upset with his arbitration award, hinted that he would file a grievance with the NHL Players&rsquo; Association. Gilmour received a $750,000 (U.S.) salary award from arbitrator Gary Schreider. He had asked for $1.2 million (U.S.) The Flames offered $550,000.<h2>CALGARY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Richard Zemlak, RW and Darryl Olsen, D, recalled from Salt Lake (IHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Joel Otto, Robert Reichel.LW&mdash;Gary Roberts, Paul Ranheim, Marc Habscheid, Todd Harkins, Richard Zemlak.RW&mdash;Theo Fleury, Sergei Makarov, Ron Stem, Rich Chernomaz.LD&mdash;Jamie Macoun, Frank Musil, Darryl Olsen.RD&mdash;Ric Nattress, Mark Osiecki, Jim Kyte.G&mdash;Mike Vernon, Rick Wamsley.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Tomas Forslund, LW, strained right knee, day-to-day. Kevan Guy, D, hamstring, indefinite. Tim Hunter, RW, broken left ankle, indefinite. Al Maclnnis, D, separated left shoulder, day-to-day. Stephane Matteau, LW, thigh bone ossification, indefinite. Martin Simard, RW, tom right knee ligaments, indefinite. Gary Suter, D, strained knee, indefinite. Carey Wilson, LW, left shoulder biopsy, indefinite. &#9632;

Injuries continue to mount as Suter hurt in exhibition

<div class="byline">By Tim Campbell</div>He&rsquo;s a person with ample opportunity to do so, but Randy Carlyle refuses to live in the past.Even as the Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; defenseman approaches his 1,000th career NHL game, he is trying to make as little of the milestone as possible.Depending on nights off, Carlyle&rsquo;s Expected to play his 1,000th game Dec. 26 or 28 at home and the Jets plan to mark the occasion with more than just an announcement.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been around a long time,&rdquo; Carlyle said. &ldquo;Longevity? It is if you say so. It&rsquo;s just something that&rsquo;s coming and passing but 1,000 games is a lot.&rdquo;Carlyle, 35, will become the 72nd NHL player to reach the milestone, the third associated with the Jets. (Bobby Hull and Serge Savard are the others).The active players ahead of Carlyle are Larry Robinson, Bryan Trottier and John Tonelli. Carlyle&rsquo;s 1,000th game will be his 509th with the Jets since being acquired in March, 1984 from Pittsburgh.Carlyle couldn&rsquo;t pick out a highlight from his career, during which he has scored 146 goals and 638 points. His Norris Trophy in 1980-81 with the Penguins was probably his biggest personal achievement.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something they can never take away from you,&rdquo; Carlyle said.&ldquo;I look upon this and say I&rsquo;m fortunate to still be playing and to have played this number of years.&rdquo;Picked by Toronto in the second round of the 1976 draft, Carlyle is one of five NHLers to play without a helmet, a trademark for all but three or four games of his career.&ldquo;My first year in Toronto, I put one on,&rdquo; Carlyle said. &ldquo;My play went from making the team to sitting in the press box so I said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m never going to wear this helmet again.&rsquo;&rdquo;STREAK ENDS: The Jets fell two games shy of the team record for unbeaten streaks when their 11-gamer (8-0-3) was halted Dec. 12 in Los Angeles with a 2-1 defeat. The mark of 13 games still stands from a streak in March and April of the 1984-85 season.During their tear, the Jets outscored opponents 16-6 in the third period and overtime, a marked contrast to last year, when Winnipeg had a record of 5-17-6 with the score tied after two periods.NOTEBOOK: After pulling a hamstring Dec. 8, goalie Bob Essensa rejoined the club on the road Dec.14. He was expected to miss four games.During the 11-game unbeaten streak, the Jets were outshot in every game except the 11th, a 3-3 draw with San Jose. &ldquo;Shots against don&rsquo;t bother me if we&rsquo;re doing a good job guarding that last area near our net,&rdquo; said coach John Paddock.Pat Elynuik had four goals and seven points in seven games. His spurt coincided with the return of Thomas Steen, who missed 24 games with back trouble. Steen missed the Dec. 10 date with San Jose. He went to L.A.&rsquo;s Soft Tissue Center for treatment and played two nights later against the Kings.<h2>WINNIPEG</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Thomas Steen, Troy Murray, Stu Barnes, Mike Eagles.LW&mdash;Ed Olczyk, Darrin Shannon, Russ Romaniuk, Mark Osborne, Mike Hartman, Phil Sykes.RW&mdash;Pat Elynuik, Danton Cole, Paul MacDermid, Petri Skriko, Bryan Erickson.LD&mdash;Randy Carlyle, Teppo Numminen, Shawn Cronin, Moe Mantha.RD&mdash;Phil Housley, Fredrik Olausson, Mario MaroisG&mdash;Stephane Beauregard, Mike O&rsquo;Neill.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Bob Essensa, G, pulled hamstring, day-to-day. Dean Kennedy, D, tom left knee ligaments, out for season. &#9632;

Carlyle a grand old man

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div>Vancouver Canuck center Igor Larionov has more than just skating and scoring on his mind these days.After going pointless in his first eight games, the Russian-born Larionov had eight goals and 20 points in his next 21. But these have been difficult times for Larionov. He is keeping a keen eye on political developments in his homeland where Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has been clinging to power.It was Gorbachev, and his policy of glasnost which paved Larionov&rsquo;s route to the NHL.&ldquo;Gorbachev will always live in my heart for what he has done,&rdquo; said the 31-year-old Larionov, in his third season with the Canucks. &ldquo;He opened the doors for myself and the other Soviet players. I think all Russian people should appreciate him. He took the Soviet military out of Afghanistan and started good relations between the Soviet Union and the United States.&rdquo;Larionov keeps in contact with his parents, who told him the breakup of the Soviet Union has done nothing to improve conditions&mdash;not yet anyway.&ldquo;My parents have money, but they can&rsquo;t buy anything&mdash;there is nothing in the stores,&rdquo; Larionov said. &ldquo;It is hard on the older people and kids.&rdquo;Larionov would like to send supplies but said there is no guarantee anything will arrive at its destination.&ldquo;Two years ago, I tried to send 10,000 syringes to my hometown hospital and everything disappeared, it never made it through customs.&rdquo;SOPHOMORE JINX: After a troubled rookie season, in which he had only 16 points, Petr Nedved was looking forward to his second year.He worked out diligently all summer, had a good training camp and was rewarded with two top line-mates-Trevor Linden and Greg Adams&mdash;to open the season. But after 12 games and little production at even strength, the trio was broken up. After 31 games, the 20-year-old Czech center had just 15 points.&ldquo;There have been ups and downs,&rdquo; Nedved said, &ldquo;I expected to be doing better. It&rsquo;s frustrating. Sometimes it&rsquo;s hard to get confidence.&rdquo;&ldquo;Petr is coming along fine,&rdquo; said Canuck coach-general manager Pat Quinn. &ldquo;But he still has a long way to go.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Russian right winger Pavel Bure is making a regular contribution. The Canucks were 8-6-4 with Bure in the lineup. They also went undefeated in the first six games (4-0-2) he played.Left winger Sergio Momesso won&rsquo;t need surgery on his separated right shoulder, but will be lost until early February.Defenseman Jyrki Lumme signed a two-year contract in November. The team never bothered to announce it.<h2>VANCOUVER</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Cliff Ronning, Igor Larionov, Petr Nedved, Ryan Walter.LW&mdash;Geoff Courtnall, Greg Adams, Rob Murphy, Gino Odjick.RW&mdash;Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure, Garry Valk, Robert Kron.LD&mdash;Robert Dirk, Dave Babych, Dana Murzyn, Jim Agnew.RD&mdash;Doug Lidster, Gerald Diduck, Jyrki Lumme, Randy Gregg.G&mdash;Kirk McLean, Troy Gamble.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Sergio Momesso, LW, separated I shoulder, indefinite. Jim Sandlak, RW, sprained wrist, day-to-day. &#9632;

Red-hot Larionov keeps eye on cold state back home

<div class="byline">By Mike Weaver</div>The San Jose Sharks got more than they bargained for when they recalled goalie Jarmo Myllys from Kansas City of the International League.With Jeff Hackett sidelined with a groin and hamstring pull, Myllys joined the Sharks on an emergency basis Dec. 10. Brian Hayward was sent down for conditioning after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him two months.Myllys was expected to be sent back to Kansas City when Hayward was recalled, but Myllys played so well in two starts the Sharks instead sent Arturs Irbe to Kansas City when Hayward came back Dec. 16.Myllys, who was 5-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.93 in Kansas City of the International League, snapped an 11-game NHL losing streak by beating the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 Dec. 12. The victory was the first since Dec. 31, 1988 for Myllys, who took a career record of 1-15-0 into the game.&ldquo;I needed that,&rdquo; said Myllys, who made 29 saves against Edmonton. &ldquo;It was a big win for the team and me.&rdquo;Myllys followed with another solid act in a 3-2 loss to Minnesota Dec. 14.He started the season with the Sharks, but was assigned to Kansas City Nov. 25 after recovering from a split finger.&ldquo;Playing in Kansas City was good for me,&rdquo; Myllys said. &ldquo;Winning some games helped my confidence.&rdquo;HOME IN SMYTHE: The Sharks weren&rsquo;t expected to be competitive their first season in the free-wheeling Smythe Division, but they have a record of 6-8-2 against division rivals, including 4-1-2 in their last seven games.The Sharks earned at least a point against each of their Smythe rivals, and have at least one victory against all but Winnipeg. So what gives?Jets&rsquo; coach John Paddock has a few ideas:&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a case of them being more familiar with the teams inside the division,&rdquo; Paddock said. &ldquo;You always see more of those teams, so you&rsquo;re going to be competitive.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK:Center Dale Craigwell was called up from Kansas City Dec. 12 and had an assist in a 6-3 win over Edmonton. Craigwell was a l0th-round pick in June&rsquo;s NHL entry draft. He had six goals and 18 points in 29 games for Kansas City&hellip;Forwards J.F. Quintin and John Weisbrod, who have been out all season with injuries, may play before the end of the season. Quintin suffered ligament damage in his right knee during an exhibition game and started skating in early December Weisbrod had a separated shoulder and started skating Dec. 12.<h2>SAN JOSE</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 10: Brian Hayward, G, assigned to Kansas City (IHL). Jarmo Myllys, G, recalled from Kansas City. Dec. 12: Dale Craigwell, C, recalled from Kansas City. Dec. 15: Arturs Irbe, G, assigned to Kansas City. Dec. 16: Hayward recalled from Kansas City.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Kelly Kisio, Perry Berezan, Dale Craigwell, Mike Sullivan.LW&mdash;Brian Mullen. Link Gaetz, Paul Fenton, David Bruce.RW&mdash;Pat Falloon, Tony Hrkac, Jeff Odgers, David Williams.LD&mdash;Ken Hammond, Doug Wilson, Rob Zettler.RD&mdash;Neil Wilkinson, Jayson More, Bob McGill.G&mdash;Jarmo Myflys, Brian Hayward.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Perry Anderson, LW, fractured jaw, indefinite. Steve Bozek. LW, hyper-extended back, day-to-day. Dean Evason, C, flu, day-to-day. Jeff Hackett. G, groin and hamstring pull, day-to-day. Brian Lawton, C, tendonitis in left knee, day-to-day. Wayne Presley, RW, broken left hand, indefinite. &#9632;

Myllys bounces back

<div class="byline">By Dan Barnes</div>Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; owner Bruce McNall wonders if his players are taking advantage of him, and is considering stepping aside as team president in favor of a more &ldquo;intimidating&rdquo; person.So &ldquo;disappointed and concerned&rdquo; was the usually-upbeat McNall that, in the wake of a six-game winless streak, he put in a rare appearance at practice Dec. 11.The surprise visit came a few days after general manager Rogie Vachon threatened to shake up the team with trades. Did it get players&rsquo; attention?&ldquo;If it didn&rsquo;t, you were dead&hellip;or traded,&rdquo; Kelly Hrudey said.The Kings responded with a 2-1 win over Winnipeg Dec. 12, then blew a two-goal lead in a 4-4 tie Dec. 14 with Vancouver.McNall emphasized he will not sell the Kings, who were 12-12-7 one year after finishing with 102 points.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a good owner when it comes to moving players or being a tough guy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Owning through intimidation or through threats is not my style. I can&rsquo;t throw chairs around. &ldquo;The way we&rsquo;ve played this year, it&rsquo;s not what I expected. You can blame Webster for his antics from time to time,&rdquo; he said of coach Tom Webster, who is serving a 12-game suspension for throwing a stick at referee Kerry Fraser. &ldquo;You can blame the players from time to time. But I also have to blame myself.&rdquo;Captain Wayne Gretzky said, &ldquo;I think (McNall&rsquo;s visit) hit home. We&rsquo;ve had a whole lot of minor problems that have added up to a major problem, but it&rsquo;s obvious that he is not the problem.&rdquo;DOUBLE TIME: Tom Webster, originally told to stay away from the team when he was suspended Nov. 27, resumed supervising practices when the Kings went 0-5-0.His first order of business was to implement two-a-day practices.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not supposed to be a lot of fun,&rdquo; Webster said. &ldquo;I want teams coming in against us knowing that we&rsquo;re mad.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: General manager Rogie Vachon left the team Dec. 12 after his mother, Lucia, suffered a hear attack at her home in Rouyn, Que. Lucia, 77, was in critical condition&hellip; Wayne Gretzky tied Marcel Dionne for second place on the all-time goals list (731) with a goal in the Kings&rsquo; 4-4 tie with Vancouver Dec. 14. &ldquo;It would have meant a lot&rsquo;more if we had gotten a win out of it,&rdquo; said Gretzky.<h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Brent Thompson, D, and Sean Whyte, RW, recalled from Phoenix (IHL). Dec. 13: Thompson and David Goverde, G, assigned to Phoenix. Darryl Sydor, D, assigned to Canadian national junior team.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Wayne Gretzky, Sylvain Couturier, John McIntyre, Randy Gilhen.LW&mdash;Tony Granato, Luc Robitaille, Mike Donnelly, Jim Thomson.RW&mdash;Jari Kurri, Dave Taylor, Bob Kudelski, Sean Whyte, llkka Sinisalo.LD&mdash;Brian Benning. Peter Ahola, Larry Robinson.RD&mdash;Chariie Huddy, Marty McSorley, Jeff Chychrun.G&mdash;Kelly Hrudey, Daniel Berthiaume<h3>INJURIES</h3>Rob Blake. D, strained right knee ligaments. day-to-day. Jay Miller, LW, viral infection, day-to-day. Tim Watters. D, sprained left ankle, day-to-day. &#9632;

McNall suggests bringing in someone to crack the whip

<div class="byline">By Dan Barnes</div>The fire in Martin Gelinas&rsquo; eyes hasn&rsquo;t died but the emotional kid from Shawinigan, Que., is burning up inside.Gelinas was yanked from the Oilers&rsquo; lineup Dec. 10 in a 7-4 win over Vancouver and missed three straight games before coach Ted Green put him back in the lineup for the ailing Petr Klima Dec. 15 against Detroit.&ldquo;It might do Martin a world of good to see the game from another perspective,&rdquo; Green said when he sat Gelinas out against Vancouver. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been working with him for three years on fundamentals and he doesn&rsquo;t have a good deal of respect for certain areas of the game. He has to make plays with his linemates.&ldquo;He skates like the wind, he forechecks, he&rsquo;s emotional and lives for the game, all the ingredients to be an excellent hockey player. The next step is slowing that down so you can read the offense and the defense.&rdquo;Gelinas, 21, had just five goals and 3 points in his first 30 games. He admits he hasn&rsquo;t handled himself well on the ice.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough. I was expecting so much from this season,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I went to the Canada Cup and had a pretty good training camp and the coaches were expecting more from me. When the team was struggling, I should have been scoring. I was hoping to get 30, but it&rsquo;s not working out.&ldquo;Maybe I&rsquo;m not a 30- or 20-goal scorer. Maybe I&rsquo;m just a guy who works hard and is a third liner or fourth liner. In hockey, you don&rsquo;t decide for yourself, somebody above you decides.&rdquo;Although Gelinas has yet to meet the Oilers&rsquo; high expectations, Edmonton coach Ted Green isn&rsquo;t about to write him off.&ldquo;I played against Rocket Richard in the later stages of his career,&rdquo; Green said. &ldquo;People talked about the fire in his eyes. That&rsquo;s what you see in Martin&rsquo;s eyes.&rdquo;DAILY DOUBLE: Kelly Buchberger was planning to have a peek at his new contract to see if there&rsquo;s a scoring bonus in there.The burly Oilers&rsquo; left winger scored his ninth goal of the year four more than his career high-in the win over the Canucks.&ldquo;I want to see if there&rsquo;s a bonus in there for double figures,&rdquo; he joked, knowing full well there isn&rsquo;t.Buchberger&rsquo;s best offensive season came in 1988-89 when he had five goals and 14 points.&ldquo;Bucky spent a lifetime being a tough aggressive hockey player. I don&rsquo;t want him to do that anymore,&rdquo; said Green, who told Buchberger to concentrate on his penalty killing and new-found offensive duties.NOTEBOOK: The few Northlands Coliseum fans who remained from the announced crowd of 16, 213 for a 4-1 loss to Detroit Dec. 15 booed Oilers&rsquo; defenseman Kevin Lowe&rsquo;s third star selection. &ldquo;They weren&rsquo;t booing Kevin,&rdquo; said Oilers&rsquo; general manager Glen Sather, &ldquo;they were booing the Oilers.&rdquo;Left winger Vince Damphousse&rsquo;s four goals against Winnipeg in a 7-5 victory Dec. 14 was the second four-goal game of his career, the first one coming in last season&rsquo;s All-Star Game.<h2>EDMONTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Bernie Nicholls, Anatoli Semenov, Mark Lamb, Craig MacTavish.LW&mdash;Esa Tikkanen, Vince Damphousse, Josef Beranek, Craig Simpson, Troy Mallette, Martin Gelinas.RW&mdash;Joe Murphy, Scott Mellanby, Kelly Buchberger, Steve Rice.LD&mdash;Kevin Lowe, Geoff Smith, Dave Manson.RD&mdash;Craig Muni, Luke Richardson, Norm Maciver, David Shaw.G&mdash;Bill Ranford, Peter Ing.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Petr Klima, RW, strained back, day-to-day. &#9632;

Gelinas sits and watches

<div class="byline">By Jeff Gordon</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011536/6433698-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Surprising Paul Ysebaert has arguably been the best player on the best Norris Division team this season. (Photo by Michael Digirolamo/BBS)</figcaption></div>Entering this season, long-suffering Norris Division boosters were touting this as the finest quadrant of the NHL.After all, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues finished one-two in the overall regular season standings with 211 combined points and the Minnesota North Stars reached the Stanley Cup final.But all three teams floundered in the first third of the season, leaving the rebuilt Detroit Red Wings in charge of the division. &ldquo;They can play it any way you want it,&rdquo; says Bill Watters, assistant general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.Last season, the Norris was an impressive 109-97-34 against the other three divisions. This season, by contrast, the Norris is well below the .500 mark in games outside the division.So much for Norris superiority. But there were some real bright spots.All-star team: C, Jeremy Roenick, Chicago; LW, Paul Ysebaert, Detroit; RW, Brett Hull, St. Louis; D, Niklas Lidstrom, Detroit, Dave Ellett, Toronto; G, Curtis Joseph, St. Louis.Top Rookie: Typically, import defenseman need time to adjust to the tenacity of NHL forechecking, but Niklas Lidstrom is different. &ldquo;He can&rsquo;t be intimidated,&rdquo; says associate Red Wings&rsquo; coach Doug MacLean. &ldquo;He never gets hit.&rdquo;And he is seldom shut out. Lidstrom is averaging almost a point a game and was plus-20 in the first third. From the blue line, he gives the Red Wings a world-class quarterback. Go ahead, ship him his Calder Trophy now.Surprises: Well, the biggest one was Lidstrom, so we&rsquo;ll pick somebody else. The North Stars saw youngsters Derian Hatcher and Mike Craig step forward, but everybody liked their prospects.How about Paul Ysebaert? He pumped in 15 goals in his first 28 games, equalling the total he scored in 51 games with the Wings last season after arriving from the New Jersey Devils.Disappointments: The Blackhawks won just 10 of their first 27 games (and just two of 10 in the division) after rolling to an NHL-best 106 points last season. Ed Belfour&rsquo;s holdout and the departure of Doug Wilson, Wayne Presley, Troy Murray, Trent Yawney, Steve Thomas and Adam Creighton hurt the Hawks badly.This team has a feckless power play and no offensive depth. Coach-GM Mike Keenan was unable to convert the recalcitrant Yawney or frustrated No. 3 goaltender Dominik Hasek into a badly needed 30-goal scorer via a trade.Did Keenan make too many changes?&ldquo;St. Louis has the same problem,&rdquo; he said during a disatrous five-loss road trip. &ldquo;They made a lot of changes and their team hasn&rsquo;t responded either.&rdquo;MVP: The Wings were an elite team, but who was their early-season MVP? &ldquo;Paul Ysebaert,&rdquo; MacLean suggests. &ldquo;And you know who has really played well for us? Brad McCrimmon.&rdquo;Yeah, but so have a half-dozen of their teammates. The Blues could make a case that goaltender Curtis Joseph is the division&rsquo;s MVP, based on the number of shots he stopped nightly behind a scrambling defense.But Hawks&rsquo; center Jeremy Roenick has emerged as the division&rsquo;s truly most valuable player. He is Chicago&rsquo;s offense.With Steve Larmer struggling and little scoring punch on the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 Blackhawk lines, Roenick&rsquo;s explosive scoring ability carries the team. And his intimidating body checks sets the team&rsquo;s defensive tempo as well.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021243/6433691-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1758" height="294"></div> &#9632;

f0012-01

Motor City Madness

<div class="byline">By Bob McKenzie</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03816/6433736-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="373" height="489"></div>This is not an anti-violence column. Repeat, this is not an anti-violence column.When the subject is violence or fighting, you must be careful. Protest too much and you end up being banished to the (Coach&rsquo;s) corner, wearing a dunce cap and having Don Cherry tell all of Canada you&rsquo;re a lily-livered wimp who sits down to pee.In my day job with the Toronto Star, I recently suggested Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; coach Tom Webster should have been suspended 20 games for throwing a stick at referee Kerry Fraser. I wrote that the NHL&rsquo;s new hitting-from-behind legislation isn&rsquo;t nearly tough enough.I also said it was ludicrous for the NHL to exonerate Calgary&rsquo;s Jamie Macoun for breaking Pat LaFontaine&rsquo;s jaw with an errant slash.By my count, I&rsquo;ve exhausted my BH (bleeding-heart) quota for the first half of the season. That&rsquo;s why I took a pass on the Buffalo-Calgary brawl of Dec. 8. And Minnesota North Star Derian Hatcher&rsquo;s eye-threatening stab on Washington&rsquo;s Dino Ciccarelli Dec. 7. And the Chicago-Minnesota game of Dec. 8, which, by my count, saw four players ejected from the game for stick fouls.But then I went to work at one of my other jobs at The Sports Network. All I have to do is sit in a studio and watch a bank of monitors, all displaying a different NHL game. A few times a night, I&rsquo;m supposed to relate what&rsquo;s going on. For that, they pay me. Go figure.I reported for work on Dec. 10. TSN&rsquo;s broadcast that night was Calgary at Washington.The games we were monitoring were Boston at Quebec, St. Louis at the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers at Pittsburgh and Chicago at Detroit.Keeping an eye on five games at one time wreaks havoc on the eyes, but you come away with an infinitely better idea of what happened that night than from traditional means-reading the game summaries the next morning.A picture is, after all, worth a thousand words. And this picture wasn&rsquo;t pretty.Perhaps it was coincidence, but at one point in the evening, all but one of the five games featured a fight. Not just a normal fight, though. In the Ranger-Pittsburgh game, there were two scraps going on simultaneously while the other players on the ice slow danced with one another.The Caps-Flames were on the verge of a brawl. There was chain-reaction mayhem going on with the Blackhawks and Red Wings. The Blues-Isles featured an old-fashioned one-on-one battle, but the Boston-Quebec nonsense saw the two goalies paired off.The image was striking. At that moment, someone might have been playing hockey somewhere that night, but it wasn&rsquo;t in any of the five games I was watching.The worst part of it, though, wasn&rsquo;t the fighting. In the Ranger-Penguin game, it must have taken a good five minutes to sort out the penalties and get back to hockey.It was, quite simply, interminably boring.Does this happen often? I&rsquo;m not sure, but any time I look through the summaries in the morning and see a plethora of penalties in a number of games, I&rsquo;m willing to bet the answer is affirmative.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04474/6433729-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="554" height="857"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Probert</figcaption></div>Don&rsquo;t get the wrong idea. Fighting doesn&rsquo;t repulse me, unless I&rsquo;m the one on the receiving end. I&rsquo;ll even admit to a perverse pleasure in watching Detroit&rsquo;s Bob Probert ply his made.He is the leanest, meanest dude in the NHL, an absolutely terrifying specimen who can play and punch with the best of them.No, what went on that night wasn&rsquo;t repulsive. It was just plain dumb. It was yet another example of how the players this season are playing with a total lack of respect for their peers and the game.It just wasn&rsquo;t good hockey. You don&rsquo;t have to be anti-violence crusader to admit it either. &#9632;

f0012-03

I’m not mellowing; I’m just bored

<div class="byline">By Gary Olson</div>Friday the 13th was anything but lucky for Minnesota North Stars&rsquo; rookie Derian Hatcher.Hatcher was suspended 10 games by the NHL Dec. 13 as the result of a stick-swinging incident with Washington Capitals&rsquo; right winger Dino Ciccarelli Dec. 7. Ciccarelli needed 10 stitches to close a cut under his left eye after Hatcher struck him in the face with his stick. It was the longest suspension given to an NHL player this season. Washington won 4-2.Even though the incident wasn&rsquo;t seen by referee Kerry Fraser or either of the two linesmen, Hatcher was summoned before NHL executive vice-president Brian O&rsquo;Neill.Teammate Mike Craig-who received a 10-minute match penalty for intent to injure in the North Stars&rsquo; Dec. 8 game against Chicago-joined Hatcher in O&rsquo;Neill&rsquo;s lair. Craig was fined $500 and suspended for the North Stars&rsquo; Dec. 10 game against New Jersey for high-sticking Jocelyn Lemieux.&ldquo;The swing by Hatcher was vicious and severe enough to cause serious injury,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Neill said. &ldquo;The blade of the stick was deliberately turned in; this was the direct cause of the injury. The player used extremely careless and reckless means to check an opponent.&rdquo;The North Stars exercised their option to delay the start of Hatcher&rsquo;s suspension until Dec. 21 in the hope that injured defensemen Craig Ludwig and Jim Johnson would be available.Hatcher won&rsquo;t return until Jan. 13 against Edmonton.MIDDLE MAN: Bobby Smith has played 14 NHL seasons, but how often has he tried to score directly from a faceoff?&ldquo;Every game,&rdquo; the veteran center said. But had it ever worked? Not until a Dec. 10 match against the New Jersey Devils.Smith&rsquo;s goal from the left faceoff circle with slightly more than three minutes left in the third period broke a 3-3 tie to give the North Stars a 4-3 win.NOTEBOOK: The North Stars invited former NHL goalie Pete Peeters to watch their Dec. 12 game in Vancouver. It&rsquo;s rumored Peeters will be asked to be a goaltending consultant.<h2>MINNESOTA</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 9; Marc Bureau, C, recalled from Kalamazoo (IHL). Derrick Smith, LW, recalled from Kalamazoo. Dec. 10: Brad Berry, D. recalled from Kalamazoo. Dec. 13: Derian Hatcher, D, suspended 10 games by NHL for strick-swinging incident. Suspension begins Dec. 21. Eligible to return Jan. 13. Dec. 14: Mitch Messier. RW, recalled from Kalamazoo.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Neal Broten, Dave Gagner, Bobby Smith, Todd Elik, Marc Bureau.LW&mdash;Gaetan Duchesne, Steve Maltais. Brian Bellows, Basil McRae.RW&mdash;Mike Modano, Mike Craig, Ulf Dahlen, Shane Churia, Mitch Messier.LD&mdash;Mark Tinordi, Al Pedersen. Brad Berry.RD&mdash;Chris Dahlquist, Brian Glynn, Derian Hatcher, Rob Ramage.G&mdash;Jon Casey, Darcy Wakaluk.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Stewart Gavin, RW. strained groin muscle, indefinite. Jim Johnson, D, sprained knee, day-to-day. Craig Ludwig, D, broken right foot day-to-day. Brian Propp. LW, strained groin muscle, day-to-day. Derrick Smith, LW, tom ankle ligaments, indefinite. &#9632;

Hatcher nets 10 games for stickwork on Dino

Doug Grove has a nose for the net. Since taking up the game six years ago, he has never wanted to play any position other than goal-tender.The 14-year-old Harrisburg, Pa., native has become very adept between the pipes. Last season he led the Lancaster Firebirds Peewee B team to the Delaware Valley League and USA Atlantic district championship.Grove had a 16-2-2 record and 1.63 goals-against average in league play and was 19-9-3 with a 2.13 GAA against the district. He also posted four shutouts.The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder is playing for the Lancaster Firebirds Bantam B team this season and is coached by his father, Doug.Grove&rsquo;s favorite team is the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and his favorite player is Pens&rsquo; goalie Wendell Young.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011445/6433815-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="578" height="1006"><figcaption class="caption-body">Doug Grove</figcaption></div>You or someone you know can be a part of The Hockey News Minor Hockey Showcase. Just send a photograph (non-returnable), along with biographical information (age, height, weight, Team, coach&rsquo;s name, school and grade, as well as favorite NHL team and player) to The Hockey News, attention: Player of the Week, 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100, Don Mills. Ont., M3B 2R2. All entries will be eligible for selection as The Hockey News Minor Hockey Player of the Year. &#9632;

f0013-01

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

<div class="byline">By Damien Cox</div>Grant Fuhr has often made the point this season that he has problems adjusting to losing. He also proved he has trouble being booed.Just nine days after signing a four-year, $6.4-million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs that made him the highest-paid NHL goalie, Fuhr was jeered and heckled by Leaf fans after a dismal effort in a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders Dec. 11.Coming off a so-so outing two nights earlier when the Leafs limited Montreal to 20 shots and lost 4-1, Fuhr played his worst game of the season, allowing five goals on 19 shots against the Islanders. The only cheer for him came with 45 seconds left in the game when he was pulled for an extra attacker. Fuhr was not pleased.&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t ask me. Ask the fans&mdash;they&rsquo;ve got all the answers,&rdquo; he snapped.The next day, he calmed down enough to acknowledge the fans may have been justified in their reaction.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had bad nights, but that one was right up there,&rdquo; he said.Although the Dec. 12 start in Philadelphia had been promised to backup Jeff Reese, Leaf coach Tom Watt stuck Fuhr back in. He responded by stopping 27 shots in a 1-1 tie.&ldquo;When you fall off the horse, the best thing is to climb back on,&rdquo; Fuhr said.TO THE ROCK: It&rsquo;s a philosophy that, had it been in place over the last decade, might have saved a few young Maple Leaf careers.The Leafs&rsquo; decision to assign rookie right winger Rob Pearson to St. John&rsquo;s of the American League Dec. 10 was straightforward; Pearson was no longer playing much, so it was better to have him play somewhere else.&ldquo;Pearson has everything to be an NHL player except pro experience,&rdquo; Tom Watt said. He&rsquo;ll have the chance to play in all situations at St. John&rsquo;s.Pearson, 20, started the year with three goals and an assist in four games, but tailed off as his playing time was reduced. He had eight points in 25 games before being sent down.&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m going to sit in the stands or at the end of the bench, then it&rsquo;s better for me to go where I can play a lot of situations,&rdquo; said Pearson.Pearson&rsquo;s place was taken by veteran winger Kevin Maguire, who was waived earlier this season but played well enough to earn a recall.NOTEBOOK: Center Tom Fergus has refused to report to the minors since being demoted Nov. 20, and is on the suspended list. Leaf general manager Cliff Fletcher has had some inquiries, but doesn&rsquo;t want to accept a higher-salaried veteran of similar-calibre in return.Sudbury Wolves&rsquo; right winger Terry Chitaroni, taken in the fourth round (69th overall) in the June draft, was the only Leaf draftee invited to the Canadian national junior team camp.<h2>TORONTO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 10: Rob Pearson. RW, and Mike Eastwood. C, assigned to St John&rsquo;s (AHL). Dec. 11: Kevin Maguire, RW. recalled from St. John&rsquo;s. Dec. 13: Dave Tomlinson. C, recalled from St John&rsquo;s.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Peter Zezel, Brian Bradley, Mike Bullard, Mike Krushelnyski, Dave Hannan, Dave Tomlinson.LW&mdash;Cralg Berube, Glenn Anderson, Claude Loiselle.RW&mdash;Gary Leeman, Mike Foligno, Daniel Marois, Lucien Deblois. Kevin Maguire.LD&mdash;Dave Ellett, Bob Rouse, Todd Gill.RD&mdash;Michel Petit, Darryl Shannon, Bob Halkidis, Alexander Godynyuk.G&mdash;Grant Fuhr, Jeff Reese.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Rob Cimetta, LW. pulled groin, day-to-day. Wendel Clark. LW, sprained left knee, indefinite. &#9632;

Goalie in a Fuhr—or over poor performance

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div>The way John Tonelli has been shuffled in and out of the Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; lineup, the veteran left winger was wondering if he&rsquo;d ever play in his 1,000th NHL career game.Tonelli, 34, finally reached the milestone in a 1-1 tie Dec. 14 at Philadelphia.&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t seem that long,&rdquo; said Tonelli, who played three years in the World Hockey Association before joining the New York Islanders in 1978. &ldquo;It seems like yesterday I was centering a line with Gordie Howe on my right and Mark Howe on my left in Houston. I was only 18 and my coach was Bill Dineen.&rdquo;It took Tonelli 24 games with the Hawks to reach 1,000. He had been scratched eight times this season. In 13 NHL seasons, Tonelli has never played in fewer than 70 games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen John improving,&rdquo; said coach Mike Keenan. &ldquo;It takes a tremendous amount of work to play on this club because of the tempo and he wasn&rsquo;t used to it.&rdquo;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still trying,&rdquo; Tonelli said. &ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s there and I can come through. You go through stages where you get down, but I&rsquo;ve had to work hard to make it in this league and I&rsquo;m not going to give up.&rdquo;NEW STADIUM; Plans call for ground to be broken on construction of new Chicago Stadium early in April. The facility is scheduled to be completed for the 1994-95 season.The building will sit across Madison Street from the current Stadium and include three levels of skyboxes and 18,500 seats.No decision has been made on the old Stadium, but it will likely be torn down.The joint venture by Hawks&rsquo; owner Bill Wirtz and Chicago Bulls&rsquo; (National Basketball Association) owner Jerry Reinsdorf cleared an obstacle recently when two banks in Japan agreed to finance the project.NOTEBOOK: Steve Smith won his salary arbitration case and will earn $800,000 this season. The Hawks offered the seven-year veteran $600,000. Smith&rsquo;s deal is for one year without an option, meaning he can become a free agent after this season. It makes Smith the third-highest paid Hawk behind Chris Chelios ($1.2 million) and Ed Belfour ($925,000), and the seventh-highest paid defenseman in the league.Defenseman Bryan Marchment was struck in the face by a puck and suffered a broken cheekbone in an 83 win over the U.S. Olympic team Dec. 12. He underwent surgery Dec. 16 and is out indefinitely.After one goal in 22 games, Michel Goulet was benched for a 4-4 tie Dec. 15 against Philadelphia.<h2>CHICAGO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Steve Smith, D, received one-year contract through arbitration. Dec. 16: Trent Yawney, D, traded to Calgary for Stephane Matteau, LW.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Jeremy Roenick, Brent Sutter, Mike Hudson, Jocelyn Lemieux.LW&mdash;Michel Goulet, John Tonelli, Greg Gilbert, Stu Grimson, Dan Vincelette.RW&mdash;Steve Larmer, Brian Noonan, Dirk Graham, Mike Peluso.LD&mdash;Steve Smith, Steve Konroyd, Fanticek Kucera.RD&mdash;Chris Chelios, Keith Brown, Rod Buskas.G&mdash;Ed Belfour, Jimmy Waite.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Bryan Marchment, D, fractured cheekbone, indefinite. Stephane Matteau. LW, thigh bone ossification, indefinite. &#9632;

Tonelli reaches milestone; but looking for regular shift

<div class="byline">By Keith Gave</div>Johan Garpenlov, Brian MacLellan and Doug Crossman weren&rsquo;t able to contribute much in the first two months of the 1991-92 season, but they didn&rsquo;t complain.And when they finally got the chance to play, they responded with surprising effectiveness.In his first game after being scratched for 17 straight, Garpenlov assisted on the game-winning goal in a 4-1 win over the Quebec Nordiques Dec. 12.MacLellan proved his 33-year-old legs are full of life by setting up two goals by Ray Sheppard in the Red Wings&rsquo; 4-3 win at Calgary Dec. 14.And Crossman got into the act by adding some zip to the dangerous Red Wings&rsquo; power play.&ldquo;It feels good to play and to do something, especially in Calgary,&rdquo; MacLellan said. &ldquo;I talked to Garpy (Garpenlov) about it after he played. For me, him and Doug Crossman, it has been hard. But we&rsquo;re winning and as players you sometimes have to accept a lesser role.&rdquo;Each player tried to make a concerted effort not to grumble about not playing-especially since team chemistry was at an all-time high.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that goes unnoticed. It&rsquo;s not good for the team to say a whole lot,&rdquo; MacLellan said. &ldquo;We realized that. But at the same time, we were disappointed.&rdquo;MacLellan&rsquo;s hard work paid off. He avoided salary arbitration and signed a two-year deal with the Red Wings Dec. 9.FOR THE BIRDS: The line of Sergei Fedorov, Paul Ysebaert and Shawn Burr has been dubbed The Pigeon Line by some of the players.Why the Pigeon line? Because they usually score at home, but can&rsquo;t score on the road. Homers. Pigeons. Get it?But the talented threesome-also known as the Knockout Line-finally got its road show together Dec. 14 in Calgary on Fedorov&rsquo;s second goal of the game.&ldquo;Who said we couldn&rsquo;t play on the road?&rdquo; Burr said, loud enough for his teammates to hear. &ldquo;To hell with them. We&rsquo;re road warriors now.&rdquo;Fedorov had just four of his 34 points on the road before the game began. Ysebaert had seven of his 29 points on the road while Burr had scored all but one of his 18 points at Joe Louis Arena.&ldquo;Maybe those few little jabs helped a little, eh?&rdquo; Gerard Gallant said.NOTEBOOK: Troy Crowder will likely return to the lineup in early January. Crowder has been sidelined by a herniated disc in his back since the third game of the season&hellip; The Red Wings&rsquo; impressive 14-1-3 string from mid-November to mid-December was the team&rsquo;s best winning streak since the 1952-53 season when the Red Wings went 11-17.<h2>DETROIT</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec, 9: Brian McLellan, LW, signed two-year contract. Dec. 10: Martin Lapointe, RW, assigned to Canadian national junior team. Dec. 11: Dave Gagnon, G, assigned to Toledo (ECHL). Scott King, G, assigned to Adirondack (AHL). Allan Bester, G, recalled from Adirondack.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Steve Yzerman, Jimmy Carson, Sergei Fedorov, Kevin Miller.LW&mdash;Gerard Gallant, Brian MacLellan, Shawn Burr, Brent Fedyk, Johan Garpenlov.RW&mdash;Bob Probert, Ray Sheppard, Paul Ysebaert. Alan Kerr.LD&mdash;Niklas Lidstrom, Vladimir Konstantinov, Yves Racine.RD&mdash;Brad McCrimmon, Brad Marsh, Steve Chiasson, Dennis Vial, Doug Crossman. Bobby Dollas.G&mdash;Tim Cheveldae, Allan Bester<h3>INJURIES</h3>Troy Crowder. RW, bulging disc in back, indefinite. Vincent Riendeau, G, right knee surgery, indefinite. &#9632;

Three Amigos help out

<div class="byline">By Mark Herrmann</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011312/6433925-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Off-ice distractions and setbacks haven&rsquo;t affected Kevin Stevens&rsquo; game. In fact, he is thriving under the pressure. (Photo by Tim Parker)</figcaption></div>After a drought marked by mediocrity, anonymity, clutching and grabbing, the Patrick Division can claim both the Stanley Cup and a touch of the division&rsquo;s old glory.The first third of the season revealed a faster, stronger, higher-scoring, more star-filled and deeper Patrick. Aside from the Washington Capitals&rsquo; blistering start and the New York Rangers&rsquo; added stature with Mark Messier, the strongest testimony is the fact that, for most of the first two months, the Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins were in fourth place.Washington, like the division as a whole, has spent years going uphill. The Capitals have no single player who can be identified as their star, and that depth is probably their greatest strength.The Rangers, conversely, added a superstar and proven winner when they acquired Messier. New Jersey has withstood the loss of injured star John MacLean and the Penguins have endured all manners of setbacks. Even the New York Islanders, moribund at the start of the season, have shown new life after an overhaul. The Philadelphia Flyers, while making former coach Paul Holmgren their scapegoat, always are competitive when goalie Ron Hextall is healthy and not suspended.In a division that had not boasted a Stanley Cup winner in eight years before last season, it has become clear that a skilled team is going to finish fourth or perhaps out of the playoffs altogether.Here&rsquo;s a brief look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the division through the season&rsquo;s first 30 games.All-star team: C, Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh. LW, Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh. RW, Claude Lemieux, New Jersey. D, Paul Coffey, Pittsburgh; Brian Leetch, Rangers. G, Don Beaupre, Washington.Top Rookie: Ranger Tony Amonte has played both wings, shown diverse offensive skills and has proven to be a dangerous shooter from almost any point in the opposition&rsquo;s zone (12 goals, 29 games). Although critics charged the Rangers panicked by signing him out of Boston University and dropping him into a physical playoff series last spring, Amonte&rsquo;s mature and natural scoring touch implies he is no worse for the experience.Surprises: Even if anyone had predicted the impressive beginning achieved by the Capitals, the forecast could not have included the defense-oriented team&rsquo;s league-leading goal output.Not only have the Capitals received the expected creative shooting and playmaking from their defensemen, they have been sustained by four solid lines. Randy Burridge, in particular, has given them more than anyone had anticipated.Disappointments: As understandable as the Penguins&rsquo; uneven start may have been-considering the death of their coach, the sale of the franchise and tense contract negotiations the Cup winners could not have been satisfied about going more than 20 games without beating a team with a winning record.On an individual basis, John Druce (Washington), Patrik Sundstrom (New Jersey) and Jeff Norton (Islanders) all must be making their coaches wonder what happened to their potential.MVP: Amid the pressures and difficulties that beset the Penguins, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding his own contract, Kevin Stevens emerged as the NHL&rsquo;s hottest scorer. In fact, Stevens&rsquo; strength helped pull the Penguins out of their early slump.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021021/6433918-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="1747" height="346"></div> &#9632;

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Glory Days Again

<div class="byline">By Al Morganti</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03760/6433963-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="367" height="471"></div>Look around these days and you won&rsquo;t find much living proof to the shaky gospel that sports helps build character. Glance at headlines and you see stories about athletes and drugs, athletes and greed, athletes with an attitude.Check a little closer and you&rsquo;ll find ugly stories about college coaches involved in recruiting scams, and coaches who are obviously thinking about dollar signs more than character.That is why the story of Walt Kyle and the United States entry in the World Junior Championships in Germany is so special. Kyle is living proof that sports helps build character. And he is living proof that mental toughness and an inner strength can overcome great odds-even the great odds of beating cancer when it has thrown three strikes at you, but hasn&rsquo;t struck you out.&ldquo;I know a lot of what I say might sound corny to some people,&rdquo; says Kyle, an assistant coach at Northern Michigan University. &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t help it. I really believe that if you stay positive, you can overcome difficulties.&ldquo;When I was battling the cancer, I really did think of the situation like I did as a player; digging down, staying positive, fighting against the odds. I just never gave up.&ldquo;Hey, if that sounds corny&hellip;&rdquo;Well, if it sounds corny then you have never met Walt Kyle, played for Walt Kyle, or ever talked to anybody who has been associated with the man.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just an amazing story,&rdquo; says Ken Hitchcock, the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; assistant coach who used to recruit against Kyle for players in Western Canada when Hitchcock was coach of the Kamloops Blazers.&ldquo;Through all the chemotherapy, he was always positive. I remember he&rsquo;d come on recruiting trips, and there were times his hair had fallen out from the chemo, and his weight would go up and down from the treatments.&ldquo;But he would never feel sorry for himself. And when he recruited, he was always positive. He wouldn&rsquo;t recruit negatively. He wouldn&rsquo;t come in and put down junior hockey like so many other college recruiters.&rdquo;Kyle, 35, had his first bout with cancer when he was a sophomore at Boston College in 1978. At that time, he had a tumor removed from his leg, and routinely got on with his life.&ldquo;I suppose when you&rsquo;re young, you just assume everything will be just fine,&rdquo; Kyle says. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t seem like a big deal. I just dealt with it.&rdquo;It was during his recovery that Kyle decided to transfer from BC to Northern Michigan. He played two more years at Northern Michigan, joined the coaching staff, and then one day in 1984 he noticed a lump on his rib cage.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think much of it. I went in for tests, and they told me it was cancer,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I figured, &lsquo;Oh well, they&rsquo;ll cut it out, and that will be that.&rsquo; You know, you&rsquo;re an athlete, and you feel you&rsquo;re invincible.&rdquo;This time, it wasn&rsquo;t so easy. He was ordered into chemotherapy, and had a recurrence a year-and-a-half later.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s when I got scared,&rdquo; Kyle says. &ldquo;I knew it was bad. I had to have some ribs removed.&rdquo;He also had part of a lung removed, but no matter what part of his body was injured, the disease could never infect his will to live.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04552/6433956-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="548" height="732"><figcaption class="caption-body">Walt Kyle</figcaption></div>Again, Kyle underwent chemotherapy. This time, though, it was more difficult.&ldquo;The way we tried to schedule it, I would take the therapy and then have a couple of days off,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I would schedule the therapy for the night after our games, that way they could give it to me while I was sleeping.&rdquo;It has been almost five years since the treatments, and Kyle is looking toward next spring as the &ldquo;five-year&rdquo; period since the therapy, sort of unofficial time lapse after which many patients can feel confident they have &ldquo;defeated&rdquo; the disease.&ldquo;You try to take the positives out of everything,&rdquo; Kyle says, &ldquo;and it was during my stay in the hospital that I met the woman who I eventually married. You see, good things happen when you least expect them.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-03

Kyle keeps the faith and helps restore it

<div class="byline">By Frank Brown</div>With one signing that was expected and one signing that wasn&rsquo;t, the New York Rangers unmistakably were on their Marks in mid-December.Center Mark Messier finally signed the five-year, $13-million deal that had been in the works since even before his trade from Edmonton to New York was completed. The only surprise was that it took as long as it did to finish off all the details of the complex agreement.After handing over millions to Messier, general manager Neil Smith found it illogical and counter-productive to be pinching pennies with Mark Hardy, who always has been a solid citizen and who, unmistakably, has been one of the Rangers&rsquo; best defensemen this year.After playing out his option and not getting any significant offers over the summer, Hardy had signed a one-year deal and filed for arbitration to set the amount. The Rangers offered $293,000; Hardy sought $400,000.&ldquo;If he gets his one year at our figure, quite obviously, Mark isn&rsquo;t going to be happy. He&rsquo;d be disgruntled by that,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;And if he got the numbers he asked for, he&rsquo;d be happy, but he&rsquo;d know he got it by having to go to arbitration and fight for it. It was a no-win situation.&rdquo;Smith made it a &lsquo;win&rsquo; with the two-year, $375,000 deal that ended up being better than arbitration.&ldquo;It was nice he (Smith) was able to do it,&rdquo; said Hardy, who is the Rangers&rsquo; top plus player (plus-15) this season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a relief to have it off my mind, but I still have to stay mad and play well and prove I&rsquo;m worth more.&rdquo;We will never know how the arbitrator would have ruled. The hearing was Oct. 28, and the decision still had not been announced by Dec. 12, when Hardy signed his new deal.SHARP SHOOTER: Soviet Sergei Nemchinov was on a hot streak even Brett Hull would envy. He had a goal in six straight games (as of Dec. 15), and had scored on the minimum six shots.&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t miss much, does he?&rdquo; coach Roger Neilson said.Nemchinov, 27, is too old to be considered a rookie. So Calder consideration is out. But an informal Marksman of the Year could be up for grabs, as Nemchinov powered to the league lead in shooting percentage at 40 per cent with 14 goals (all at even strength) on the first 35 shots of his NHL career.NOTEBOOK: Brian Leetch, who is seeking a new contract, likely won&rsquo;t get a penny more than what Mark Messier got. It appears entirely possible the Rangers will allow Leetch to test the free-agent market, then match the best offer.<h2>N.Y. RANGERS</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Mark Messier. C. signed five-year contract Dec. 12: Mark Hardy, D, signed two-year contract.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Mark Messier, Sergei Nemchinov, Doug Weight, Darren Turcotte.LW&mdash;John Ogrodnick, Adam Graves, Kris King, Jan Erixon.RW&mdash;Mike Gartner, Tony Amonte, Paul Broten, Joe Kocur, Tie Domi.LD&mdash;Brian Leetch, Mark Hardy, Joe Cirella, Normand Rochefort.RD&mdash;James Patrick, Jeff Beukeboom, Per Djoos.G&mdash;John Vanbiesbrouck. Mike Richter.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Tim Kerr, RW, shoulder surgery, Jan. 5 Randy Moller, D, bruised left ankle, day to day. &#9632;

Smith in a giving spirit to help Mark the holidays

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div>Without &lsquo;The Rat,&rsquo; the New Jersey Devils might be a sinking ship.In a season marred by the loss of John MacLean, the deterioration of Patrik Sundstrom and the end of the line for Walt Poddubny, center Kevin Todd was the Devils&rsquo; lifesaver.The 23-year-old rookie is a Calder Trophy candidate with 11 goals and 27 points in 31 games centering a line with right winger Stephane Richer and left winger Claude Vilgrain.&ldquo;He has surprised a lot of people,&rdquo; Richer said. &ldquo;His stats may not be tops among rookies, but he should have more points than he has. He has given me chances and I didn&rsquo;t score. It&rsquo;ll be a challenge for me to score and make sure he&rsquo;s the top rookie.&rdquo;A native of Winnipeg, Todd got his nickname &lsquo;Prairie Rat from former teammate Jeff Madill while playing with Utica of the American League. It was shortened along the way to &lsquo;Rat,&rsquo; for his facial features and the way he scurries in the corners.&ldquo;The name fits him,&rdquo; coach Tom McVie said. &ldquo;He finds holes along the boards and comes out of there like a rat. He has got that gleam in his eye like a rat.&rdquo;Todd was the AHL&rsquo;s most valuable player last season when he scored 75 goals and 118 points for McVie at Utica.After letting 1989-90 MVP Paul Ysebaert get away in a trade with Detroit, the Devils signed Todd last summer to a two-year contract worth $155,000 per season.McVie made sure Todd was given an honest chance in training camp.&ldquo;Kevin has been so successful in this league because of his seasoning in the minors,&rdquo; left winger Pat Conacher said.Todd acknowledged McVie&rsquo;s influence.&ldquo;My second year of pro had highs and lows,&rdquo; said the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder.&ldquo;McVie told me to concentrate a game at a time. Don&rsquo;t worry about Tuesday when it&rsquo;s Monday.&rdquo;NO MO: Jon Morris, the talented center who never lived up to his potential in the NHL, left the Devils&rsquo; AHL farm team in Utica Dec. 9 in an effort to force a trade. It was the third time Morris quit hockey as a pro.The Devils sent Morris to Utica Nov. 9 after he had one goal with two assists in seven games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m taking a leave of absence,&rdquo; Morris said. &ldquo;Obviously, I have no plans to play in Utica and Lou (Lamoriello) is giving me time to sort things out. I&rsquo;d like to be traded.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Doug Brown had his salary arbitration hearing Dec. 12 in Toronto. The right winger earned $135,000 last season.Defenseman Tommy Albelin made his debut Dec. 13 when Alexei Kasatonov was sidelined with hemorrhoids.Chris Terreri was winless in seven games (0-4-3) between Nov. 14 and Dec. 14&hellip;Claude Lemieux&rsquo;s five-game goal-scoring streak ended when he missed four games with a back injury. Lemieux returned to score goals in his next two games.<h2>NEW JERSEY</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Kevin Todd, Peter Stastny, Laurie Boschman, Neil Brady.LW&mdash;Dave Maley, Dave Barr, Pat Conacher, Watt Poddubny.RW&mdash;Stephane Richer, Claude Lemieux, Doug Brown, Tom Chorske, Randy McKayLD&mdash;Bruce Driver, Scott Stevens, Viacheslav Fetisov.RD&mdash;Eric Weinrich, Ken Daneyko, Tommy Albelin.G&mdash;Chris Terreri, Craig Billington.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Zdeno Ciger, LW, right wrist surgery, indefinite. Alexei Kasatonov, D, hemorrhoids, day-to-day. John MacLean. RW, right knee surgery, out for season. Patrik Sundstrom, C, back spasms, day-to-day. Claude Vilgrain, LW. concussion, day-to-day. &#9632;

‘The Rat’ comes to rescue

<div class="byline">By Dave Molinari</div>Mark Recchi signed a four-year contract worth $3.6 million a few weeks before the 1991-92 season began. And for a while, it looked like those would be the only impressive numbers associated with him this year.He sputtered through October and part of November, searching in vain for the groove that made him one of the NHL&rsquo;s top right wingers a year ago.Recchi&rsquo;s doubles were compounded when his playing time dropped in conjunction with his productivity.&ldquo;I lost a lot of confidence,&rdquo; Recchi said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t getting the ice time I was getting before, and we&rsquo;ve got so much depth on this team that it&rsquo;s easy to get lost in the shuffle.&rdquo;But Recchi recovered quite nicely and entered the third week of December with seven goals in nine games. That ran his 31-game total to 16, more than any teammate except Kevin Stevens (24) and Mario Lemieux (20).&ldquo;He has been our best player lately,&rdquo; Pittsburgh coach Scott Bowman said.Bowman calls Recchi &ldquo;an impulse player. He doesn&rsquo;t try to plot his game&hellip;he just goes out there and plays.&rdquo;Bowman is using Recchi at all three forward positions, and he is effective in every role. He&rsquo;s forechecking with his customary vigor and has re-established himself as a fixture on the penalty-killing and power-play units.ULF ON SHELF: Ulf Samuelsson underwent surgery Dec. 12 to remove bone chips that had accumulated in his right elbow.Scott Bowman said he expected Samuelsson to be out until Jan. 2 but Samuelsson told Dr. Charles Burke, who performed the surgery, that he hoped to return sooner.Samuelsson, whom the Penguins acquired from Hartford with Ron Francis and defenseman Grant Jennings last March 4, had no goals, four assists and 67 penalty minutes in 19 games this season.This is the second time the Penguins have been without Samuelsson this year. A hip injury and the death of his father caused him to miss 10 games earlier in the season, during which time the Penguins went 6-3-1.NOTEBOOK: The Penguins were 2-4-2 in their first eight home games, but followed with a 5-0-2 run that lasted until a 7-2 loss to Washington Dec. 14.Left winger Bob Errey was awarded a one-year deal of $340,000 after going through salary arbitration. He had been hoping to make about $400,000. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t happy with the process, and I&rsquo;m still not happy,&rdquo; he said.<h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Ken Priestley.LW&mdash;Kevin Stevens, Bob Errey, Phil Bourque, Troy Loney.RW&mdash;Mark Recchi, Joe Mullen, Jaromir Jagr, Jamie Leach, Jay Caufield.LD&mdash;Paul Coffey, Gordie Roberts, Grant Jennings, Jim Paek.RD&mdash;Peter Taglianetti, Larry Murphy, Paul Stanton.G&mdash;Tom Barrasso, Wendell Young, Frank Pietrangelo.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Jiri Hrdina, C, torn knee ligaments, day-to-day. Ulf Samuelsson, D, right elbow surgery, indefinite. Bryan Trottier, C, sprained right knee, day-to-day. &#9632;

Recchi regains Midas touch after early-season slump

<div class="byline">By Dave Sell</div>The injury bug that seems to have bitten so many NHL teams this season has virtually remained in its cocoon this winter in Washington.One of the few to feel the effects is defenseman Rod Langway, who sustained two broken toes on his left foot when hit by a shot from Philadelphia&rsquo;s Corey Foster Dec. 5. He isn&rsquo;t expected to return until after the Christmas break.Langway thought it was just a bruise, so he continued on a road trip to Minnesota. There was no improvement, so he had X-rays done and they indicated the injury.Langway also missed two games earlier this season because of a concussion after being struck in the face with a puck.Defenseman Shawn Chambers has yet to play because of lingering knee problems, but since he&rsquo;s new to the organization, it&rsquo;s hard to know what has been missed. He&rsquo;s back practising, but won&rsquo;t return until early January.Capitals&rsquo; coach Terry Murray hopes the good fortune continues for the rest of the season.&ldquo;When you get this far and haven&rsquo;t been hit with serious injuries, there is good luck involved,&rdquo; Murray said.SWING MAN: Dimitri Khristich has been Washington&rsquo;s swing man this season, shifting between left wing and center.The 22-year-old Soviet changes positions when Terry Murray wants to shake things up.Khristich played at left wing in the 40 games he appeared in 1990-91. Murray moved him to center to start this season and has shifted him ever since.Murray&rsquo;s reasoning is he wants to use Khristich to push Mike Ridley, Michal Pivonka and Dale Hunter.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re still trying to find the ideal place,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;It might take a couple years.&rdquo;&ldquo;We talked about it and he doesn&rsquo;t have a problem making the adjustment. He&rsquo;s excited about playing, period.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Capitals were the league&rsquo;s most-improved team through 30 games this season. They were 21-9-0 at the 30-game mark, compared to 16-14-0 at the same point last season&hellip;General manager David Poile was planning on going to Minnesota before Christmas to talk contract with Ron Simon, the agent for goalie Don Beaupre. If Poile had offered Beaupre $600,000 in September, the negotiations would have been over long ago, but the price has gone up. Beaupre doesn&rsquo;t see why Minnesota&rsquo;s Jon Casey (also a Simon client) should make any more than he does.The Capitals are 3-0-0 against Pittsburgh this season and have outscored the defending Stanley Cup champions 21-4. &ldquo;We have a lot of respect for them,&rdquo; Beaupre said&hellip; Dino Ciccarelli had this to say about the 10-game suspension given Minnesota&rsquo;s Derian Hatcher for high-sticking him: &ldquo;The league took the action it had to. The obvious thing was that he turned his stick over (so the toe, instead of the heal, made contact with Ciccarelli&rsquo;s face). I don&rsquo;t think he intended to poke me in the eye or do the damage he did.&rdquo;<h2>WASHINGTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 10: Jim Hrivnak, G, assigned to Baltimore (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Mike Ridley, Michal Pivonka, Dale Hunter, Dave Tippett. Tim Bergland.LW&mdash;Randy Burridge, Dimitri Khristich, Todd Krygier, Nick Kypreos.RW&mdash;Dino Ciccarelli, Peter Bondra, Kelly Miller, John Druce, Alan May.LD&mdash;Calle Johansson, Mike Lalor, Ken Sabourin.RD&mdash;Kevin Hatcher, Al lafrate, Sylvain Cote.G&mdash;Don Beaupre, Mike Liut.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Shawn Chambers, D, left knee surgery, Indefinite. Rod Langway, D, broken toes. Dec. 28. &#9632;

Injury bug not biting

<div class="byline">By Mark Herrmann</div>A consortium of two Long Island investment firms-cautiously but optimistically promising change-agreed to take operating control of the New York Islanders from owner John O. Pickett.Pickett will still own at least 50 per cent of the team but will surrender controlling interest to a group led by Long Island businessmen Stephen Walsh and Robert Rosenthal. The buyers and seller hope to present their transaction for approval before the NHL board of governors at the all-star break in January.Walsh and Rosenthal will wait until the transaction is complete to say what percentage of the franchise their group agreed to buy and for how much.Pickett declined to give details, revealing only that the transaction involves cash and an option to buy up to 50 per cent of the team over the next few years.Walsh, 47, is co-founder and managing partner of Walsh, Greenwood & Co., an investment firm that controls $1 billion in assets. Rosenthal, 42, has a similar position with First Long Island Investors, Inc., which controls about $500 million in assets.Walsh and Rosenthal will serve as co-chief executive officers of the franchise.Like the two other principals of the four-member management team-First Long Island co-founder Ralph Palleschi and Jerome Grossman of Walsh&rsquo;s firm-Walsh and Rosenthal are season ticket holders.VOLEK WANTS OUT: David Volek has asked for a trade. Volek&rsquo;s agent Rich Winter said he and GM Bill Torrey agreed in principle on a contract extension, but Torrey said he could not sign it because John O. Pickett would not allow it&hellip;Ray Ferraro scored seven goals in three games, against St. Louis (three in a 7-7 tie Dec. 10), Toronto (two in a 5-4 win Dec. 11) and New Jersey (two in a 3-3 tie Dec. 14) Ferraro said it was the best scoring streak of his career.<h2>N.Y. ISLES</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 10: Graeme Townshend. RW, assigned to Capital District (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Pierre Turgeon, Adam Creighton, Ray Ferraro, Rob DiMaloLW&mdash;Steve Thomas, Derek King, Benoit Hogue, Ken Baumgartner.RW&mdash;Patrick Flatley, Mick Vukota, Dave McLlwain.LD&mdash;Jeff Norton, Rich Pilon, Wayne McBean.RD&mdash;Joe Reekie, Torn Kurvers, Uwe Krupp, Jeff Finley.G&mdash;Glenn Healy, Steve Weeks.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Bill Berg, LW. broken left foot, indefinite. Brad Dalgamo, RW, sprained left shoulder, Dec. 28. Gary Nylund, D, broken heel, indefinite. &#9632;

Two firms poised to take control

<div class="byline">By Igor Kuperman and Brian Costello</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01894/6434138-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sergei Krivokrasov has drawn comparisons to countryman Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks, above. Krivokrasov is eligible for the 1992 draft. (Photo by Mei Bailey)</figcaption></div>NHL scouts consider Sergei Krivokrasov to be like a rare delicacy found in small print on a gourmet restaurant menu. Hard to pronounce, exotic and probably very, very good.But few know for sure because the young Soviet phenom has played in North America only once. Some observers claim the right winger is every bit as good as Pavel Bure; others say he&rsquo;s an awkward skater whose 5-foot-9, 169-pound frame makes him as much suspect as prospect.The hockey world will have a much better idea after the World Junior Championships in Fussen, Germany Dec. 26 to Jan. 4. Krivokrasov (pronounced Kree-vo-crash-off) headlines what will be, by all accounts, a strong Soviet team.Even if Krivokrasov isn&rsquo;t the best all-around prospect entering the 1992 draft, there are few more talented. Last year as a 16-year-old, he became the second-youngest player to play in the Soviet Elite League when he performed for the powerful Central Red Army team. In the Phoenix Cup, a summer tournament in Japan that featured the world&rsquo;s best under-17 players, Krivokrasov was the top scorer with 13 points in six games.A few NHL scouts saw him, but most didn&rsquo;t. Those who did went away impressed.&ldquo;He was the dominant player over there,&rdquo; an NHL scout said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s small, but he&rsquo;s built like a rock and very explosive. He&rsquo;s a prototype of the great Soviet players Kharlamov, Petrov, Krutov. Anybody who can play regularly for the Central Red Army at 16 and meet the challenge is a bit of a prodigy.&rdquo;In fact, Krivokrasov is so good that prior to the WJC, Central Red Army coach Victor Tikhonov was reluctant to give him a temporary release. Protective of his young talent, Tikhonov knows that Krivokrasov will be in the spotlight.It&rsquo;s still too early to tell where he&rsquo;s rated or when he&rsquo;ll be selected in the 1992 draft. Availability, as always, will be a major factor. But the scout said he should be taken early, &ldquo;and there will be a lot of worse players taken ahead of him.&rdquo;Long before scouts started noticing him, Krivokrasov was a young phenom in the Soviet Union. He was invited to play for the Red Army junior team at the age of 14, just about the same time he discovered that somewhere in North America there is some sort of league called the NHL.&ldquo;I knew about Krivokrasov even when he was just 12,&rdquo; said Vladimir Bogomolov, coach of the Soviet national under-18 team and general secretary of the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation. &ldquo;Every junior coach told me about this smart and skilled little boy who usually plays on teams with guys who are two years older.&ldquo;When he was 14, I invited him to our training camp when there were hundreds of candidates for the under-16 team. Even if I couldn&rsquo;t understand hockey at all, it was impossible not to notice him on the ice.&rdquo;Krivokrasov was born in Angarsk, Siberia, on April 15, 1974 and learned to play hockey in a place where there were no indoor arenas, no hot-water showers, no over-head heaters. Just the bare, cold winter.&ldquo;The temperature was usually between minus-30 and minus-40,&rdquo; Krivokrasov said. &ldquo;The parents sometimes did not let me go to the outdoor rink, the one and only rink in Angarsk. Waiting for a change in lines, some boys tried to leave the bench for the dressing room, but the coach prohibited it.&ldquo;I remember there were no small skates my size. But I was happy to have two sizes more because it gave me a chance to wear extra pairs of warm socks.&rdquo;After coming in from the cold, Krivokrasov became a leader on the Central Red Army junior team, playing with and against players who were older, bigger and stronger. He was always, however, the fastest skater and the best stickhandler.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;He&rsquo;d be the first player I&rsquo;d select for my team&rsquo;</blockquote>Some say that Krivokrasov is as temperamental as he is talented. He has gained a reputation for being a moody player, wanting his way on a team and making a fuss when the red carpet isn&rsquo;t rolled out for him.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not very easy to work with Krivokrasov,&rdquo; Bogomolov said. &ldquo;He has a character. If he can talk to the coach the same language and get along with him, you can be sure that that team will win. But if he argues with the coach or they don&rsquo;t always get along, he can become enemy No. 1 on and off the ice.&rdquo;Krivokrasov played on the same line with Valeri Bure in the European junior championships last year and while they were both outstanding on the ice, they were enemies off of it. Bure, the younger brother of Vancouver rookie Pavel Bure, came to North America over the summer and plays for the Western League&rsquo;s Spokane Chiefs. Bure is also expected to be a high pick in the 1992 draft.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what the problem was, but we didn&rsquo;t talk too much,&rdquo; Bure said. &ldquo;We were on the same team, but I don&rsquo;t know if I would say we were teammates. I think we both played better when we weren&rsquo;t on the same line.&rdquo;Observers say the two players took turns stealing each other&rsquo;s thunder. It was almost as though the national junior team wasn&rsquo;t big enough for both of them. When Bure fled the Soviet Union, that left a clear path for Krivokrasov to take control.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mind saying Krivokrasov is a very good player,&rdquo; Bure said. &ldquo;He has a great, great shot and very quick, maybe as quick as me. I don&rsquo;t know if he&rsquo;s the best (Soviet junior). I haven&rsquo;t seen him play this season. Who knows, maybe he is great now.&rdquo;Viacheslav Kozlov, who will miss the World Junior tournament because of injuries he suffered in a car accident, played two games with Khimik in the Elite League at the age of 15 and is the only player to start at a younger age than Krivokrasov. Krivokrasov was 16 when he scored a goal in his first game and promptly became a regular, playing 41 games.Bogomolov said it was too much for Krivokrasov to be playing with Central Red Army, senior and junior teams and the national junior team, but Tikhonov had the final word.At the end of a hectic 1990-91 season, Krivokrasov showed he still had plenty of energy left by scoring four goals in six games at the European junior championships. With Central Red Army this season, Krivokrasov had seven goals and one assist in 21 games.Krivokrasov&rsquo;s next test will be in Germany. His performance will go a long way toward determining where he&rsquo;ll be selected in the entry draft in June. It would be folly to suggest that he will become a star in the NHL but his upside potential is enormous.With no consensus No. 1 choice emerging from the group of draft eligible players so far, Krivokrasov may leave the tournament as the leading candidate.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s unbelievable how far he is ahead of his age group,&rdquo; said the scout. &ldquo;Whether he can continue to progress in the next couple of years I don&rsquo;t know. But at this stage, if I had to win a Stanley Cup with a group of 17-year-olds, he would be the first player I&rsquo;d select for my team.&rdquo;Igor Kuperman, a former reporter for Sovietsky Sport, the largest sports publication in the Soviet Union, is a communications assistant for the Winnipeg Jets. &#9632;

f0022-01

Siberian Sensation

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div>If anyone had suggested to Grant Marshall a year ago he&rsquo;d be trying out for this year&rsquo;s Canadian national junior team, Marshall would have told him to have his head examined.Anyone except for Marshall&rsquo;s uncle Mervin Robinson, who might want to go out and buy a fistful of lottery tickets.The Ottawa 67&rsquo;s rookie defenseman was lying in a hospital bed one year ago with a broken neck, the result of a check from behind by Sudbury&rsquo;s Jason Young during an Ontario League game in Sudbury Dec. 4, 1990.Young was suspended the balance of the regular-season schedule (30 games). Marshall, 18, returned April 21, the last game of the Ottawa-Oshawa Leyden Division final, which the Generals won.&ldquo;My uncle said he wouldn&rsquo;t be seeing me this Christmas,&rdquo; said Marshall, who led all OHL defensemen with 12 goals and 41 points in 28 games. &ldquo;He felt that I would be invited to the camp.&rdquo;Despite the nature of his injury, Marshall said all along he&rsquo;d be back, &ldquo;but to come back this quickly and this successfully is a surprise.&ldquo;The biggest thing I had to overcome was worry about being hit or hitting people. After the first few games, I wasn&rsquo;t scared. That (playoff) game was the key. I only got three shifts, but I didn&rsquo;t have to go the whole summer wondering if I would ever play again. I kept hounding my doctor to let me play.&rdquo;Marshall spoke to a group of doctors in Toronto Nov. 12 about hitting from behind.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have to worry for my sake,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been there. It&rsquo;s other players who have to realize it has to stop. We, the players, have to police ourselves on the ice.&rdquo;OHL commissioner Dave Branch said checking from behind is his greatest concern.&ldquo;One way (to eliminate it) is to increase the measures that will be taken when the action happens,&rdquo; Branch said. &ldquo;We gave a clear message last year (the Young suspension), but the action is still happening in our league. We have to work harder to educate players on what happens when you hit an opponent from behind.&rdquo;LINDROS RULES: Ottawa 67&rsquo;s co-owner Earl Montagano says the OHL is pandering to Eric Lindros by letting him pick the games he plays with Oshawa while he juggles his time with the Canadian Olympic team and national junior squad.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to raise some hell,&rdquo; Montagano said after Lindros failed to appear with the Generals in Ottawa Dec. 6. &ldquo;Either he&rsquo;s playing in our league or he&rsquo;s not. If he&rsquo;s playing in our league, I want to see him in our building. It makes a difference. Our constitution says he can&rsquo;t play anywhere else without being waived. I guess they better put him on waivers.&rdquo;A league-issued statement to OHL teams in November said Lindros would be in Ottawa. Instead, he was with the Olympic team Dec. 5 in Kitchener, then Dec. 7 in Albany, N.Y.MORRISON DEALT: The Owen Sound Platers added scoring and physical punch with the acquisition of center Justin Morrison from the Kingston Frontenacs for left wingers Greg Clancy and Steve Parson. Morrison, 19, was leading the Frontenacs with 39 points and 63 penalty minutes in 23 games. He was 11th in league scoring last season with 101 points and second in penalty minutes with 222.Niagara Falls Thunder center Todd Simon was Canadian Hockey League player of the month for November. He had 12 goals and 29 points in 13 games and was involved in 54 per cent of the team&rsquo;s 54 goals that month. He was fourth in OHL scoring with 21 goals and 58 points in 31 games. &#9632;

Nats grant Marshall a tryout

<div class="byline">By Vance Oliver</div>Defenseman Brent Bilodeau of the Western League&rsquo;s Swift Current Broncos will wear red, white and blue at the 1992 World Junior Championships in Fussen, Germany.Bilodeau opted to join Team USA when officials on the Canadian team wouldn&rsquo;t guarantee him a spot on the final roster. The 18-year-old rearguard was born in Dallas, Tex., but spent most of his childhood in Clyde, Alta. He is a dual citizen.&ldquo;I talked to them before (the list of players came out),&rdquo; Bilodeau said. &ldquo;They said they would probably invite me to camp, but weren&rsquo;t sure if I would make the team or not. I decided to play with the American team because they guaranteed me I would play.&rdquo;Bilodeau, a first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens last June, was traded from the Seattle Thunderbirds to the Broncos Oct. 8 in a three-for-one deal. He had five goals and 30 points through 32 games this season.More than anything else, he&rsquo;s looking forward to the world tournament (Dec. 26 to Jan. 4) for redemption and retribution.&ldquo;I have a lot of friends playing on that team and I want to show (Team Canada) they made a mistake by not considering me,&rdquo; he said.Bilodeau is joined on the American team by center Steve Konowalchuk of the Portland Winter Hawks.Konowalchuk, who spent his early years in Salt Lake City, Utah, but moved to Prince Albert when he was 14, attended Team USA&rsquo;s evaluation camp during the summer and played a three-game exhibition series against the Soviet Union.&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re going to be pretty strong,&rdquo; said Konowalchuk, a third-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1991.&ldquo;When we played the Russians, we beat them once and lost twice. They were all close games.&rdquo;DRASTIC CHANGE: Former NHL coach Bob McCammon has made a triumphant return behind the bench.McCammon, who last coached with the Vancouver Canucks, guided the Tri-City Americans to eight consecutive victories after replacing the fired Chico Resch Nov. 27.Overall, the Americans won 10 games in a row to climb into third place of the West Division with a 17-13-2 record, one point behind the Spokane Chiefs and six back of the Kamloops Blazers.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no difference (between coaching in the NHL and WHL),&rdquo; McCammon said. &ldquo;You have to be more patient in junior because, obviously, there&rsquo;s more mistakes and you&rsquo;re not dealing with a finished product.&rdquo;Center Terry Degner was second in league scoring with 21 goals and 60 points. Left winger Brian Sakic, a fifth-round pick of Washington in 1990, was fourth with 16 goals and 58 points. Right winger Bill Lindsay, who rejoined the Americans after an unsuccessful tryout with the U.S. Olympic team, had 22 goals and 42 points in 18 games. Lindsay was a fifth-round pick of Quebec in 1991.Shining on defense are two certain draft picks next June. Todd Klassen had 13 goals and 38 points in 30 games, while Jason Bowen, who had shoulder surgery after training camp, was among the top five propects in the WHL. Bowen will return in January.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some talent here,&rdquo; McCammon said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ve got more than talent and that&rsquo;s attitude. That&rsquo;s what makes you win.&rdquo; &#9632;

No guarantee, no way Bilodeau tells Canada

Here&rsquo;s our list of all-stars in the Canadian Hockey League at the halfway point:Center: Brett Seguin, 19, Ottawa (OHL). Still shining after three years of obscurity. Has led OHL in assists last two seasons. 28 games, 15-48-63. NHL rights: Los Angeles.Left wing: Andrew Schneider, 19. Swift Current (WHL). Got off to quick start and maintained pace of close to goal and assist per game. 32-30-34-64. NHL rights: Not drafted.Right wing: Martin Gendron, 17, St-Hyacinthe (QMJHL). At 5-foot-8, 179 pounds, a little small but can score. 29-37-31-68. NHL rights: Not drafted.Defense: Shane Peacock, 18, Lethbridge (WHL). Until shoulder separation Dec. 8, had been outstanding in both ends of rink. 32-9-21-30. NHL rights: Pittsburgh.Francois Groleau, 18, Shawinigan (QMJHL). Captain and main force behind surging Cataractes has thrived offensively. 294-34-38. NHL rights: Calgary.Goalie: Chris Osgood, 19, Brandon (WHL). Has excelled with 3.29 goals-against average for last-place team. NHL rights: Detroit. &#9632;

So far, they’ve been so good

<div class="byline">By Ken Warren</div>Christmas came early for Alain Sanscartier.The second-year coach of the Quebec League&rsquo;s Shawinigan Cataractes started the year hoping for only two things for Christmas.He wanted his team to have 40 points and be within striking distance of Dilio Division preseason favorites Drummondville. Those gifts are a certainty.Shawinigan had 38 points after 31 games and a two-point lead over Trois Rivieres for first place in the division by mid-December. The Voltigeurs, meanwhile, were in fourth place.Sanscartier said the reason for the success is simple.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want a big line,&rdquo; said Sanscartier, who took over from Joe Hardy midway through last season. &ldquo;I traded away (league leading scorer) Hugues Mongeon in the off-season and he&rsquo;s one of the top snipers in the league. I want my players on the same level.&ldquo;Five-on-five, we&rsquo;re not the best offensive team in the league. But we&rsquo;re one of the best defensively. Every player has a job to do. If everyone comes back, we don&rsquo;t allow 2-on-1&rsquo;s or 3-on-2&rsquo;s. Hockey&rsquo;s a simple game, really.&rdquo;While Sanscartier likes to balance the offense among three and sometimes four lines, there&rsquo;s little question who is the leader on defense. Captain Francois Groleau, 18, might be the league&rsquo;s best blueliner.Sanscartier downplays his own influence, saying players come to practice excited. That&rsquo;s a major change from a year ago, when Sanscartier was brought in to restore discipline.Shawinigan&rsquo;s 9-6-1 road record this season speaks volumes. The Cataractes won nine games away from the Municipal Auditorium all last season.&ldquo;After the (1990-91) season, we wanted to make some moves and we got guys who wanted to play,&rdquo; Sanscartier said. &ldquo;In major junior, if you give the guys an inch, they&rsquo;ll take a foot.&rdquo;NYET TO SOVIET: The excitement over the first Soviet player in QMJHL history died down considerably in Chicoutimi.Alexei Issaikine is ineligible to play, according to a new league by-law. No team is allowed to sign a 17-year-old player after Nov. 1 if he was not drafted. The Soviet must enter the draft next season in order to play in the league. Issaikine did not play a league game.The news was not greeted warmly by Chicoutimi coach Joe Canale. But QMJHL president Gilles Courteau was adamant the rule would not be changed to suit Chicoutimi.&ldquo;I understand it&rsquo;s a special case because he&rsquo;s a Soviet,&rdquo; Courteau said. &ldquo;But the rule explains clearly: he does not have the right to play if he arrives after Nov. 1.&rdquo;GENDRON STARS: St-Hyacinthe Laser right winger Martin Gendron was offensive player of the month for November. Gendron, third in league scoring, scored 16 goals and 29 points in 11 games&hellip;College Francais center Dave Chouinard was defensive player of the month. Chouinard had 19 points in 10 games during the month and is one of the league&rsquo;s top penalty killers.Laval Titan rookie goalie Emmanuel Fernandez was player of the week for the period ending Dec. 9.Fernandez lost 1-0 in overtime against Chicoutimi Dec. 6 and two days later stopped 26 shots in a 5-3 win over the Beauport Harfangs. &#9632;

Surprising Cataractes make winning simple

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div>The bus rides that last into the early morning hours are new to Greg Millen, but the veteran goaltender said his first minor-league experience has been beneficial.Millen, 34, is on loan to the Maine Mariners from the New York Rangers. The Rangers obtained him from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season.&ldquo;It has been extremely positive,&rdquo; Millen says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned a lot about the minor-league system and it&rsquo;s going to help me if I want to stay in the game and it helps me relate to players who come up and down. I&rsquo;ve never played in the minors but I think it&rsquo;s something every player should do.&rdquo;Most importantly, Millen is getting to play. He played only 58 minutes last season behind Ed Belfour in Chicago.In five games through Dec. 12, Millen was 1-2-1 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.Maine coach E. J. McGuire doesn&rsquo;t know how long Millen will be with him. A trade involving the Rangers&rsquo; goalie is always possible. He&rsquo;s just taking advantage of having Millen.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve challenged Greg to be another veteran voice in the room, to pull a kid aside and say, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;ve spent 14 years in the NHL and you&rsquo;re not going to make it if&hellip;&rsquo;&rdquo; McGuire said.&ldquo;From what I&rsquo;ve been told, Greg has made a 180-degree turnaround in work ethic. His attitude and positivism have been great and he has shown a willingness to get better, even at a ripe old age.&rdquo;DEFEATING DAFOES: Baltimore rookie goalie Byron Dafoe faced the ultimate in pressure situations when he stopped Rochester&rsquo;s Jody Gage on a penalty shot at 19:59 of the third period, preserving a 2-1 victory Dec. 8.Referee Blaine Angus awarded the penalty shot after ruling defenseman Mark Ferner dislodged the net intentionally. Americans&rsquo; coach Don Lever chose Gage, whose 412 career AHL goals rank him fifth all-time.&ldquo;All through the game you think about making the big save, it keeps your adrenaline going,&rdquo; said Dafoe, who had a 7-4-0 record and 3.28 GAA through Dec. 12. &ldquo;But one second left, a penalty shot, that&rsquo;s the best.&rdquo;FALLING STARS: Adirondack left winger Lonnie Loach won&rsquo;t become the first player to win scoring titles in the International and American Leagues. Loach&rsquo;s 131 points for Fort Wayne were tops in the IHL last season and he was the AHL&rsquo;s leading scorer with 18-22-40 totals through 26 games. But he will be out until February with a broken thumb after being slashed by Mike Stothers in a Dec.7 game at Hershey&hellip;Other standout players on the injured list include Utica Devil right winger Valeri Zelepukin, who is expected to be out until late December with a separated shoulder, and Rochester left winger Jiri Sejba, whose separated shoulder will keep him out until January.Utica center Jon Morris was suspended by the New Jersey Devils after he went home, apparently unwilling to play minor league hockey. He had one goal and four assists in seven games with Utica after his assignment from New Jersey Nov. 9. &#9632;

Goalie Greg’s not just Millen around in Maine

<div class="byline">By Dave Eminian</div>The Phoenix Roadrunners are a .500 team this season-in games not decided by one goal. But it&rsquo;s those one-goal games that have buried the team in the West Division basement.A 2-1 win over the Peoria Rivermen Nov. 19 was the Roadrunners&rsquo; only win in 15 one-goal games. The reason for the dreadful one-goal game performance? It&rsquo;s the effect of having an inexperienced team, said coach Ralph Backstrom.&ldquo;We started with a young team-our 14 guys at the beginning of the year had a combined seven years of pro experience,&rdquo; Backstrom said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather be developing our players in a winning environment. We certainly didn&rsquo;t plan it this way.&rdquo;This was supposed to be a good year for the Roadrunners, which took the eventual-champion Rivermen to seven games in the semifinals last season.When the parent Los Angeles Kings sold their American League affiliate in New Haven in the off-season, it was thought Phoenix would benefit from getting all of the Kings&rsquo; top prospects and minor-league veterans.But some of the big-name players Backstrom was hoping to get from Los Angeles never arrived. One player the Roadrunners could have used is left winger Mike Donnelly, a minor-league veteran who had 13 goals in 29 games for the Kings.The Roadrunners took some measures on their own to bolster their attack. They signed center Bill O&rsquo;Dwyer to an International League contract Dec. 5. O&rsquo;Dwyer, 31, played 25 games for Phoenix last season, scoring three goals and nine assists.The Roadrunners also signed ex-Winnipeg Jet left winger Iain Duncan to a 25-game tryout Dec. 5. Duncan, 27, was 19-45-64 in 66 games with the AHL&rsquo;s Moncton Hawks last season.ALL-STAR UPDATE: The league has settled on a selection process for its Feb. 2 All-Star Game in Atlanta.Each of the IHL&rsquo;s 10 coaches will rank the top four players-regardless of position-from each team in his own division, excluding his own. The top two point-getters from each team earn all-star berths. That will result in a 10-man roster for each side.The all-star coaches-they&rsquo;ll come from the first and second-place teams in each division as of Jan. 1-will then appoint eight more players from the division to fill out 18-man rosters.RULERS OF THE WEST: Kansas City took a 17-3-1 (one overtime loss) West Division record into a Dec. 14 showdown at Peoria. The Rivermen were responsible for two of those four Blades&rsquo; losses. Peoria was 12-0-0 all-time against Kansas City heading into that Dec. 14 game.Fort Wayne Komets&rsquo; center Bruce Boudreau was working on a 13-game point-scoring streak through Dec. 11, three games shy of the season-best 16 by San Diego Gull center Len Hachborn. Boudreau, 36, had eight goals and 10 assists during the streak.Indianapolis Ice rookie enforcer Kerry Toporowski got a five-game suspension, which he served from Dec. 1 to 21, after racking up five ejections in his first 15 games. Toporowski, who had 505 penalty minutes last season with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western League, had 180 this season to lead the league&hellip;When Peoria lost goaltender Guy Hebert to emergency recall to St. Louis Dec. 7, the Rivermen received J.C. Bergeron on loan from the Montreal Canadiens. Bergeron had a 4.32 goals-against average in 13 games for the Fredericton Canadiens. &#9632;

Phoenix running on empty

<div class="byline">By Nick Gates</div>For the first time in his professional career, Richmond Renegades&rsquo; center Trevor Jobe is playing without the security that comes with belonging to an NHL team.Jobe&rsquo;s contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expired in the off-season but it hasn&rsquo;t hurt his confidence, nor his production.With 23 goals, Jobe was second to Hampton Roads&rsquo; Brian Martin, who had 24. Jobe is the league&rsquo;s all-time leading goal-scorer with 120.&ldquo;He has some things he has to learn,&rdquo; said Renegades&rsquo; coach Dave Allison. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to dominate here. You want to develop consistency.&ldquo;Jober can be a great role model for people coming to this league. If he wants to, he has a chance to play in the NHL and that&rsquo;s what this league is all about.&rdquo;Turning on the red light is no longer a priority with Jobe-getting back with an NHL team is.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m playing my best right now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m winning key faceoffs, getting back on defense.&rdquo;A brand-new attitude hasn&rsquo;t hurt his game, either. &ldquo;I got married and she (Tiffany) is great support,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re expecting our first child. She never saw a game before last year, but she is the best coach in the world. We&rsquo;ve come a long way.&rdquo;He means that both literally and figuratively. The Renegades are Jobe&rsquo;s third ECHL team, following Hampton Roads and Nashville. But Jobe, 24, is used to moving around from team to team, after all he played for five different teams as a junior player in the Western League-Calgary, Lethbridge, Spokane, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert.WORDS OF WARNING: Nashville Knights&rsquo; coach Frank Anzalone had a stern message for his last-place team.&ldquo;Essentially, we have 18 players competing for 17 spots,&rdquo; Anzalone said. &ldquo;If someone isn&rsquo;t giving his best effort each time out, he is simply not going to play here.&rdquo;One player who won&rsquo;t be playing in Nashville is defenseman Sean Dooley, who was released by the team on Dec. 6.The Knights were last in the West Division with an 8-14-1 record, but were showing signs of coming around, winning four of six games.A 6-2 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones gave the Knights a three-game winning streak during which they allowed just six goals. The Knights were giving up 5.7 goals per game before the streak.STREAK OVER: Trevor Buchanan&rsquo;s league-high nine-game goal-scoring streak came to an end Dec. 10 when the Louisville IceHawks lost 2-0 to the Johnstown Chiefs. The left winger had 14 goals and five assists during his streak, which included a hat trick in a 10-2 victory over Dayton Dec. 7.Despite Raleigh&rsquo;s 5-16-1 record, the IceCaps have been a big hit at the gate. The expansion team is averaging 4,030 fans a game and has sold out (5,740) three of its 12 games. All those fans were turning out to see what was by far the worst offensive team in the league. The IceCaps had 68 goals in 22 games, an average of 3.1 per game. Nashville, averaging exactly four goals per game (88 in 22) had the next least productive offense.Greensboro right winger Phil Berger collected five goals and five assists in three games to earn player-of-the-week honors for the period ending Dec. 8. He led the league with 23 goals and 53 points in 22 games. &#9632;

Renegade sniper looks for another chance

Here&rsquo;s our list of all-stars in the minor pro leagues as mid-season approaches.Center: Len Hachborn, 30, San Diego (IHL). Hachborn was flourishing on a line with Dimitri Kvartalnov and Rob Nichols. 26 games, 14-28-42. NHL rights: Free agent.Left wing: Kvartalnov, 25, San Diego. With quickness, advanced skills and a great scoring touch, Kvartalnov has all the right stuff. 25-23-21-44. NHL rights: Free agent.Right wing: Valeri Zelepukin, 23, Utica (AHL). Small, speedy winger may not last much longer in the minors. 23-20-9-29. NHL rights: New Jersey.Defense: Chris Luongo, 24, Adirondack (AHL). Luongo was plus-18 on a team that scored only four more goals than it allowed. 27-2-5-7. NHL rights: Detroit.Pat MacLeod, 22, Kansas City (IHL). Has split the season between the IHL, where he was plus-13, and NHL. 10-3-8-11. NHL rights: San Jose.Goal: Felix Potvin, 20, St John&rsquo;s (AHL). Potvin is winning games all by himself, posting a 3.00 goals-against average through 19 games. NHL rights: Toronto. &#9632;

Making major impact in minors

<div class="byline">By Larry Mahoney</div>The Maine Black Bears lived up to their advance billing as college hockey&rsquo;s best team after the first half of the 1991-92 Hockey East season.The Black Bears-who topped several preseason polls-headed into the Christmas break with an 11-1-0 record overall, the best start in their 15-year history.The Black Bears also led Hockey East with a 5-1-0 record, two points ahead of Boston College (4-3-0) and the surprising Lowell Chiefs (4-0-0).After losing the national No. 1 ranking to Michigan in early November, the Black Bears put together an eight-game winning streak, including an impressive sweep of New Hampshire (9-0 Dec. 6 and 6-2 Dec. 7).&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy with the way the players have answered the pressure,&rdquo; said Maine coach Shawn Walsh. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve received unexpected lifts from several people. I didn&rsquo;t expect (senior left winger) Scott Pellerin to be the force he has been. He&rsquo;s on top of his game and has been a real leader.&rdquo;Pellerin had nine goals and 10 assists in 12 games, including a six-game point-scoring streak (six goals).The Eric Fenton-Russ Ingraham-Pellerin line did most of the offensive damage in the first half. It collected 14 goals (27 points) in six league games.&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve become our most threatening line five-on-five,&rdquo; Walsh said.Surprisingly, the highly-touted line of junior center Jim Montgomery (eight goals, 27 points), junior right winger Jean-Yves Roy (11 goals, 22 points) and junior left winger Brian Downey (nine goals, 24 points) didn&rsquo;t dominate.The Black Bears led the league in goals-per game (5.8), fewest goals-against (1.8) and penalty-killing (88.6 per cent). They were second in power play efficiency at 38.1 per cent.&ldquo;The defensemen have come along and the forwards have been coming back and supporting them,&rdquo; saidjunior goalie Garth Snow, who had a 9-1-0 record and 2.43 goals-against average.Snow and sophomore Mike Dunham (2-0-0, 1.50 GAA) faced an average of 17.9 shots per game, while the Black Bears averaged 37.3 shots per game against their opponents.The Black Bears&rsquo; only defeat came at the hands of rival Boston University (5-4 Nov. 15).FRIENDLY CONFINES: Boston College has found a home away from home at Boston University&rsquo;s Walter Brown Arena.The Eagles&rsquo; 5-4 overtime win over the Terriers Dec. 7 gave them a 10-3-1 mark in their last 14 games at Walter Brown.Sophomore right winger John Joyce was the hero, tying the game with six seconds left and winning it in overtime.OPPOSING POINTS: New Hampshire goalie Jeff Levy dropped to 0-5-0 lifetime against Maine following the Black Bear sweep Dec. 6-7. Maine goalie Mike Dunham, on the other hand, is 4-0-0 (1.28 GAA) lifetime against the Wildcats&hellip;Providence senior center Mike Boback became the sixth player in school history to eclipse the 100-assist mark with four assists in a 9-2 win over Brown Dec. 2. He had 102 career assists through Dec. 11&hellip;Northeastern first-year coach Ben Smith picked up his first Hockey East win Dec. 8 (7-5 over Providence.) Huskies&rsquo; senior goalie Tom Cole made 31 saves in his first start since Nov. 19&hellip;New Hampshire left winger Domenic Amodeo was named Hockey East player of the month (November). Amodeo had 12 goals (23 points) in nine games. &#9632;

Bears Maine-tain No. 1 rank

<div class="byline">By Tom Boggle</div>Rensselaer coach Buddy Powers had one question before the 1991-92 season got underway: Could his Engineers score enough to win?With three members from last year&rsquo;s explosive offense missing center Joe Juneau (23 goals, 40 points), right winger Bruce Coles (23 goals, 49 points) and left winger Derek DeCosty (26 goals, 41 points) graduated-several unproven players would be forced to pick up the slack.Powers predicted his team would finish near the top of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference if the offense produced.But his worst fears have been realized. The Engineers skidded to the Christmas break in 11th place with a 1-5-0 record, averaging a measly 2.33 goals per game.After beating Brown 4-1 in their league opener Nov. 15, the Engineers dropped five straight league games, their longest losing streak in league play since 1988-89. They managed just three goals in a three-game stretch against Harvard (6-0 Nov. 16), Vermont (4-1 Nov. 22) and Dartmouth (5-2 Nov. 23).&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t score, you can&rsquo;t win, it&rsquo;s as simple as that,&rdquo; Powers said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not going to win scoring one or two goals.&rdquo;The defense also collapsed in losses to St. Lawrence (8-4 Dec. 6) and Clarkson (4-3 Dec. 7 in overtime).The Engineers did everything but score during their slump. They moved the puck well and had solid scoring opportunities, but failed to capitalize.&ldquo;When guys aren&rsquo;t scoring, they have a tendency to press when they get an opportunity, and that&rsquo;s the situation we&rsquo;re in now,&rdquo; Powers said.One bright spot was the play of freshman forward Craig Hamelin. He led the team with eight goals and 14 points after 11 games (overall).Hamelin had 97 points (39 goals) in 54 games last season for the Kanata Valley Lasers of the Central Ontario Junior League.FAMILY AFFAIR: It&rsquo;s not uncommon for brothers to play on the same college team, but it&rsquo;s rare to see them play against each other.But that&rsquo;s what happened Dec. 6 in Canton, Ohio, when St. Lawrence hosted RPI.With the Saints holding an 8-4 lead late in the game, RPI coach Powers put Tim Carvel the Engineers&rsquo; No. 3 goalie-into the game.It marked the first time Carvel and older brother, Greg, a junior center at St. Lawrence, played against each other at the college level.Greg failed to register a shot on his brother.IN MEMORY: The Colgate Red Raiders will wear shoulder patches for the rest of the year in honor of coach Terry Slater, who died Dec. 5 after suffering a stroke. The maroon and white patches will be inscribed with the words &lsquo;General,&rsquo; Slater&rsquo;s nickname.St. Lawrence senior center Mike Lappin surpassed the 100-point mark for his career with an eight-point weekend in wins over RPI (8-4 Dec.6) and Union College (7-3 Dec. 7). He had 39 goals and 101 points through Dec. 11 and was averaging 2.24 points per game this season&hellip;Yale was the only undefeated team in the nation through Dec. 11 after a weekend sweep of Princeton (5-3 Dec. 6 and 7-4 Dec.7)&hellip;Clarkson forward Todd Marchant was named ECAC rookie of the week for the period ending Dec. 11. Marchant scored the winning goal in the Golden Knights&rsquo; 4-3 win over RPI Dec. 7. &#9632;

RPI having difficulty engineering goals

Here&rsquo;s our list of college all-stars at the halfway point of the 1991-92 season:Center: Scott Beattie, Sr., Northern Michigan (WCHA). The nation&rsquo;s leading scorer last year is shining again offensively. 15 games, 13-28-41. NHL rights: Not drafted.Left Wing: Denny Felsner, Sr., Michigan (CCHA). Using superb skating ability to create numerous offensive opportunities. 13-11-1930. NHL rights: St. Louis.Right Wing: Jim Hiller, Jr., Northern Michigan. Beattie&rsquo;s right hand man has emerged from his talented linemate&rsquo;s shadow. 15-16-26-42. NHL rights: Los Angeles.Defense: Mark Astley, Sr., Lake Superior State (CCHA). Smooth skating rearguard among league&rsquo;s top 10 scorers all year. 15-517-22. NHL rights: Buffalo.Dan Laperriere, Sr., St. Lawrence (ECAC). Talented passer averaged 1.73 assists per game through Dec. 8. 11-5-19-24. NHL rights: St. Louis.Goalie:. Darrin Madeley. Jr., Lake Superior State. Continues to post exceptional numbers, 9-2-0, 1.52 goals-against average, after stellar sophomore year. NHL rights: Not drafted. &#9632;

Cream of mid-season crop

<div class="byline">By Matt Carlson</div>By coach Jeff Jackson&rsquo;s own admission, the Lake Superior State Lakers were due for a major drop-off this year.In a pre-season coaches&rsquo; poll, Jackson picked his defending Central Collegiate Hockey Association champions to finish fourth.But after a 3-2 overtime win over Michigan Dec. 6 and a 10-0 shutout over the Wolverines the following night in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Lakers&rsquo; coach had cause to upgrade his expectations.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m having a hard time believing it,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t anticipate us doing as well because of what we lost (top offensive talent). But we&rsquo;re getting a lot of progress out of our young kids-freshmen and sophomores&mdash;and role players who are really producing for us.&rdquo;The Lakers improved to 12-3-0 overall, 10-20 in the CCHA and stretched their first-place lead to five points over second-place Michigan State (7-2-1) with the sweep. While the Lakers don&rsquo;t have a scoring star in the mold of graduated centers Jim Dowd (24 goals, 78 points last season) or Doug Weight (29 goals, 75 points), they do have remarkably balanced scoring. On any given night, any of Jackson&rsquo;s four lines can connect.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a believer that you have to play four lines to have success,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You have to use your top players with young players and role players. This year, we&rsquo;ve done a lot of mixing and matching.&rdquo;GRIN AND BEAR IT: Michigan coach Red Berenson wasn&rsquo;t about to hit the panic button despite the Wolverines&rsquo; sluggish start.On paper, Berenson&rsquo;s squad (8-3-2 overall and 6-3-2 in league play) would seem to be the most talented in the CCHA&mdash;and perhaps the entire NCAA.But the Wolverines can&rsquo;t seem to overcome at least one obstacle-Lake Superior State.Michigan had a 1-10-2 record against the Lakers in their last 13 meetings. The Wolverines&rsquo; lone victory came last year (4-3 in overtime Nov. 17). Since Berenson took over behind the Wolverines&rsquo; bench in 1984, Michigan is 426-2 against the Lakers.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re (Lake Superior) an older team than we are,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re one of the younger teams in the country. Being younger and talented isn&rsquo;t always as good as being experienced.&ldquo;From Day 1, I&rsquo;ve said we&rsquo;re not as good as people say we are.&rdquo;A PIECE OF ICE: Every time Miami-Ohio hits the road, the Redskins go searching for a piece of ice.Actually, when the Redskins win away from Goggin Arena, they want to preserve the memory. After all, the team went 5-29-3 overall last year (3-26-3 in CCHA) and won only once outside Oxford, Ohio.This year, the Redskins were 6-7-1 (overall) and 5-5-0 at foreign rinks.After each road victory, the Redskins engage in an interesting ritual. They wait for their opponents to leave the ice and then form a circle and scrape up shavings with their skates. The shavings are compacted into a snowball which is placed in a jar and labelled with the date and score of the game.The jars are kept in a &ldquo;trophy case&rdquo; in the Redskins&rsquo; dressing room at Goggin Arena. &#9632;

Lakers’ strong start thrills cautious Jackson

<div class="byline">By Andy Baggot</div>Colorado College has been one of the hardest-working teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since Brad Buetow took over as coach four seasons ago.And this year the Tigers have added some big players, talent and confidence to the mix, making them one of the league&rsquo;s most-improved teams. The Tigers were 4-8-2 through Dec. 10, but their sub-.500 record failed to reflect their accomplishments. Last season at this point, they had a 1-13-0 record.The Tigers opened the 1991-92 season on the road, scratching out an 8-8 tie Oct. 18 against defending national champion Northern Michigan. They also defeated North Dakota 5-4 in overtime Oct. 25 and rallied to defeat Northern Michigan 5-4 in overtime Nov. 30.Rookie goaltender Paul Frank (4-4-1, 3.84 goals-against average) was a big reason for the Tigers&rsquo; success. Buetow has been inclined to rotate his goalies in the past, but Frank has convinced him to alter that stance.Center Steve Strunk (13 goals, 20 points), right winger Chris Venkus (eight goals, 14 points) and left winger Jody Jaraczewski (six goals, 13 points) have carried the load offensively, while defenseman Chris Hynnes, Shawn Reid, Kent Fearns and Brian Bethard are much improved.&ldquo;Our skill level is much better, plus we&rsquo;re stronger teamwise than we ever have been,&rdquo; Buetow said.The Tigers have never finished higher than third (1979-80) in the WCHA standings. Last year, they had a 9-22-1 record in league play (13-26-1 overall).RIDE SHARING: St. Cloud freshman defenseman Jay Moser narrowly avoided an embarrassing predicament during a road trip to Marquette, Mich.The day after completing a series split with Northern Michigan (8-4 loss Dec. 6, 6-4 win Dec. 7), the Huskies loaded their bus for the eight-hour trip home.But there was one problem. Unbeknownst to coach Craig Dahl or Moser&rsquo;s teammates, Moser returned to his room, thinking the bus wouldn&rsquo;t be leaving right away. When he looked out, he saw the team had left.Moser stationed himself in the lobby hoping a joke was in progress and the team would return to pick him up. It was no joke.Moser was saved when assistant coaches John Harrington and Ron Grahame showed up. Harrington had driven his car to Marquette and planned to leave later in the day. Moser hitched a ride.PENALTY RECORD: Colorado College and Wisconsin set a WCHA record for penalty minutes by two teams in one game Dec. 7. Referee Greg Shepherd called 23 penalties against Wisconsin for 63 minutes, while the Tigers received 20 infractions for 57 minutes. The 120 minutes eclipsed the previous record of 116 set Dec. 3, 1988 by Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth. Wisconsin won the game 6-3&hellip;North Dakota center Jeff MacLean was named player of the week ending Dec. 20. McLean had eight points in North Dakota&rsquo;s sweep of Denver (6-1 Dec. 6, 7-6 Dec. 7)&hellip;St. Cloud sophomore defenseman Tony Burns signed a contract with the Toledo Storm of the East Coast League. Burns was on academic probation after failing to register a 2.0 grade-point average the previous quarter. &#9632;

Tigers’ hard work paying off

<div class="byline">By Bruce Hallihan</div>The last time the University of Moncton lost six games in a row, Gene Hackman was attracting moviegoers to The French Connection in the late 1970&rsquo;s.But after watching the Blue Eagles&rsquo; performance in the first half of the 1991-92 Atlantic Universities Athletic Association season, it would be easy to mistake them for the French Disconnection.Moncton dropped its final six games to close out the first half at 3-9-0, last in the MacAdam Division.It is a major disappointment for the francophone university, which has won six AUAA titles and three Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championships in the last 11 years. They were tops in the nation two years ago.Moncton coach Len Doucet has established a reputation for building winners. In his previous six seasons, Moncton was 91-23-6.&ldquo;Three-and-nine, we&rsquo;re not very proud of that,&rdquo; Doucet said. &ldquo;People just don&rsquo;t respect us anymore and that&rsquo;s something we&rsquo;re determined to get back.&rdquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy but making the playoffs is a distinct possibility. The Blue Eagles are one point behind Mount Allison for the final playoff spot.&ldquo;When you dig your own grave, you have to get the right picks and shovels, get the earth out of the hole and go from there,&rdquo; Doucet said.The key problems for the Blue Eagles in the first 12 games:&bull; The loss of goalie Patrick Cote (academic problems), all-Canadian defenseman Steve Salter, industrious winger Eric Boisvert (graduation), right winger Richard Linteau (playing in Germany) and left winger Sylvain Lemay (returned to Sept Iles, Que.).&bull; Struggling rookies: &ldquo;We had 11 rookies in the lineup and we didn&rsquo;t think it would take them this long to get accustomed to the league.&rdquo; Doucet said.&bull; Struggling special teams: The Blue Eagles&rsquo; power play was 11-for-72, a 15.3 per cent efficiency rate. The penalty killing unit was functioning at a 71.9 clip-10-for-64.&bull; All-star center Dany Gauvin quit five games into the season. Gauvin-who had 135 points the previous three seasons felt he wasn&rsquo;t getting the ice time he deserved. Gauvin has since rejoined the team. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not the saviour, but he can be a major cog in our turnaround,&rdquo; Doucet said.&bull; Denis LeBlanc, the team&rsquo;s top recruit, is struggling in his first season. LeBlanc had 151 points the last two seasons with St-Hyacinthe (Quebec League), but had just four goals and eight points in 11 games.&ldquo;This team has a good attitude. If people think there are internal problems, I can honestly say there aren&rsquo;t,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Most of the players worked their butts in the first half. Two or three years ago if we had a record like this, there would have been a war here because we had a handful of very temperamental, headstrong players.&rdquo;The Blue Eagles open the second half by playing in the Duracell Cup in Toronto Jan. 2 to 5. Other teams participating include Brandon, York, Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier and Trots Rivieres. &#9632;

Blue Eagles grounded in unfamiliar spot

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01835/6434505-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Members of the Belleville Thruway Muffler Demons tournament champions include: (front row, from left) Brian Cronkright, Bill Curry, Pat Sagriff, Dave Nicholls, Rob Galt, Brian Sagriff and Scott Gilbert; (back row, from left) Coach Len Lake, Joe Collins, Darrell Coltman, Craig Kitchener, Clarence Broekema, Doug Shaw, Paul Rountree, Chris Grillis and MVP John Latchford.</figcaption></div>The Belleville Thruway Muffler Demons were too devious for the Morrisburg Pink Flamingos in the championship final of The Hockey News Classic Cup tournament in Belleville Dec. 6 to 8.The Demons cruised to a 12-2 triumph in the deciding game, led by two goals each from John Latchford, Craig Kitchener, Clarence Broekema and Dave Nichols.Brian Sagriff, Scott Gilbert and Doug Shaw also scored for the Demons and Rob Galt was the winning goalie. Donald Nesbitt and Bobby Deleavey replied for the Flamingos and David Black took the loss in goal.The Demons earlier toyed with the Flamingos in the opening game of the tournament, winning 9-1, before tying the Toronto Toros 3-3 and downing the Chiefs 8-2 in a semifinal game.Latchford had four goals during the tournament and was selected MVP.The Classic Cup is in its second year of operation and the Belleville tournament was the third in a series of 17 across Ontario. Twelve teams participated at the Dick Ellis rink and Quinte Sports Centre.Trenton Royal Tavern beat Belleville Utilities 7-2 in the recreation division final. Oshawa Firestone Hawks beat Ray Henderson Flyers 5-3 in the consolation final. &#9632;

f0028-01

Demons scare up tournament win

<h2>STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01732/6434830-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="982" height="929"></div><h2>OVERALL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02470/6434823-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="490" height="605"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03297/6434816-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="462" height="1149"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Yzerman</figcaption></div><h2>OVERTIME RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04210/6434809-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="475" height="612"></div><h2>RESULTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05183/6434802-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="480" height="1130"></div><h2>DIVISIONAL RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06150/6434795-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="512" height="779"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07124/6434788-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="904" height="1063"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Leetch had two goals and added two assists as the N.Y. Rangers defeated Hartford 6-2 Dec. 14.</figcaption></div><h2>POWER PLAY</h2>(ADV)&mdash;TOTAL ADVANTAGES; (PPG)&mdash;POWER-PLAY GOALS; (PCT)&mdash;POWERPLAY GOALS DIVIDED BY TOTAL ADVANTAGES.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08108/6434781-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="459" height="645"></div><h2>TEAM PENALTIES</h2>(PIM&mdash;TOTAL PENALTY MINUTES INCLUDING (BMI) BENCH PENALTY MINUTES; (AVG)&mdash;AVERAGE PENALTY MINUTES PER GAME.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09100/6434774-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="384" height="644"></div><h2>PENALTY KILLING</h2>(TSH)&mdash;TOTAL TIMES SHORTHANDED; (PPGA)&mdash;POWER-PLAY GOALS ALLOWED; PCT)&mdash;SUCCESSFUL PENALTY-KILLING PERCENTAGE.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1091/6434767-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="454" height="639"></div><h2>TOP SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1185/6434760-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="591" height="555"></div><h2>TOP DEFENSEMEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1276/6434753-1-eng-US/f0029-122.jpg" title="f0029-12" width="591" height="297"></div><h2>TOP ROOKIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1364/6434746-1-eng-US/f0029-132.jpg" title="f0029-13" width="591" height="294"></div><h2>LEADERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1460/6434739-1-eng-US/f0029-142.jpg" title="f0029-14" width="592" height="1496"></div><h2>SCHEDULE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1554/6434732-1-eng-US/f0029-152.jpg" title="f0029-15" width="473" height="1282"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1651/6434725-1-eng-US/f0029-162.jpg" title="f0029-16" width="464" height="831"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1748/6434718-1-eng-US/f0029-172.jpg" title="f0029-17" width="457" height="744"><figcaption class="caption-body">Donald Audette</figcaption></div><h2>BOSTON BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01828/6434711-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="996" height="1181"></div><h2>BUFFALO SABRES</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02554/6434704-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1010" height="838"></div><h2>CALGARY FLAMES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03379/6434697-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="995" height="863"></div><h2>CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04268/6434690-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="1000" height="238"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05193/6434683-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="986" height="652"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06156/6434676-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="974" height="928"><figcaption class="caption-body">Tim Cheveldae has led the Detroit Red Wings to the top of the overall standings with a league-leading 19 wins.</figcaption></div><h2>DETROIT RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07131/6434669-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="990" height="814"></div><h2>EDMONTON OILERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-08118/6434662-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="985" height="809"></div><h2>HARTFORD WHALERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-09104/6434655-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="1000" height="761"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES KINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1091/6434648-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="1000" height="786"></div><h2>MINNESOTA NORTH STARS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1184/6434641-1-eng-US/f0030-112.jpg" title="f0030-11" width="999" height="710"></div><h2>MONTREAL CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1278/6434634-1-eng-US/f0030-122.jpg" title="f0030-12" width="998" height="708"></div><h2>NEW JERSEY DEVILS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1374/6434627-1-eng-US/f0030-132.jpg" title="f0030-13" width="989" height="62"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01769/6434620-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="998" height="636"></div><h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02501/6434613-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="996" height="1079"></div><h2>NEW YORK RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03363/6434606-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="989" height="817"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04273/6434599-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="990" height="725"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05222/6434592-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="989" height="188"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06184/6434585-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="991" height="712"></div><h2>QUEBEC NORDIQUES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07159/6434578-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="984" height="713"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08137/6434571-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="984" height="791"></div><h2>SAN JOSE SHARKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09120/6434564-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="990" height="732"></div><h2>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-10101/6434557-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="999" height="848"></div><h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1184/6434550-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="999" height="691"></div><h2>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1260/6434543-1-eng-US/f0031-122.jpg" title="f0031-12" width="985" height="665"></div><h2>WINNIPEG JETS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1349/6434536-1-eng-US/f0031-132.jpg" title="f0031-13" width="984" height="941"></div> &#9632;

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NHL STATISTICAL REPORT

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01823/6434882-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg"></div><h2>TEAM-BY-TEAM</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02565/6434875-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="1000" height="1228"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03391/6434868-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="988" height="314"></div><h2>LEADERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04266/6434861-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="1001" height="814"></div> &#9632;

f0032-01

NHL GOALTENDING STATISTICS

<h2>NOTE</h2>Unofficial game summaries provided by National Hockey League; (shots on goal/plus-minus); SA-shots against; GA-goals against; ENG-empty net goals; DEC-decision, charged to goaltenders of record when deciding goal is scored.<h2>MONDAY, DEC. 9</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05195/6435081-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="589" height="1132"></div><h2>TUESDAY, DEC. 10</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06161/6435074-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="581" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07134/6435067-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="586" height="2170"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08119/6435060-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="599" height="2184"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-09101/6435053-1-eng-US/f0032-092.jpg" title="f0032-09" width="582" height="2160"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-1091/6435046-1-eng-US/f0032-102.jpg" title="f0032-10" width="593" height="2178"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01742/6435039-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="596" height="1483"></div><h2>WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02505/6435032-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="592" height="1949"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03371/6435025-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="583" height="604"></div><h2>THURSDAY, DEC. 12</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04293/6435018-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="596" height="2824"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05242/6435011-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="579" height="3512"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01832/6435004-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="602" height="906"></div><h2>FRIDAY, DEC. 13</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02590/6434997-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="591" height="2541"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03459/6434990-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="587" height="537"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04352/6434983-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="592" height="799"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05281/6434976-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="388" height="39"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06248/6434969-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="1788" height="2040"><figcaption class="caption-body">Since joining the Islanders as part of a package for Pat LaFontaine Oct. 25, Benoit Hogue has flourished offensively with 11 goals and 26 points in 21 games. (Photo by Marco Camponelli)</figcaption></div><h2>SATURDAY, DEC. 14</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-07228/6434962-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="590" height="398"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-08212/6434955-1-eng-US/f0034-082.jpg" title="f0034-08" width="598" height="827"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-09190/6434948-1-eng-US/f0034-092.jpg" title="f0034-09" width="579" height="527"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-10185/6434941-1-eng-US/f0034-102.jpg" title="f0034-10" width="585" height="809"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-11174/6434934-1-eng-US/f0034-112.jpg" title="f0034-11" width="577" height="3533"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01791/6434927-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="603" height="3524"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02581/6434920-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="585" height="3435"></div><h2>SUNDAY, DEC. 15</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03471/6434913-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="589" height="2485"></div><h2>SPORTSCHANNEL AMERICA SCHEDULE</h2>SportsChannel America has announced its second-half NHL schedule of 40 games. SCA is also televising the All-Star Game Jan. 19 in Philadelphia.Jan. 3: Philadelphia at San Jose; Jan. 4: Quebec at Islanders; Jan. 7: San Jose at Vancouver; Jan. 9: Hartford at Islanders; Jan. 10: Chicago at Winnipeg; Jan. 11: Toronto at New Jersey; Jan. 12: Islanders at Philadelphia; Jan. 14: San Jose at Los Angeles; Jan. 15: Buffalo at New Jersey; Jan. 21: Winnipeg at Hartford; Jan. 27: Chicago at Calgary; Jan. 28: Minnesota at Hartford; Jan. 30: Minnesota at Philadelphia, Chicago at Vancouver. Feb. 1: Chicago at Los Angeles; Feb. 2: St. Louis at Philadelphia; Feb. 4: Philadelphia at New Jersey; Feb. 5: Chicago at San Jose; Feb. 6: New Jersey at St. Louis; Feb. 8: Chicago at St. Louis; Feb. 11: Islanders at Calgary; Feb. 14: Islanders at Rangers; Feb. 16: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia; Feb. 19: Montreal at Hartford; Feb. 20: New Jersey at Chicago; Feb. 25: Islanders at Philadelphia; Feb. 27: Philadelphia at Calgary; Feb. 28: Montreal at Chicago. March 1: Philadelphia at San Jose, Chicago at Buffalo; March 3: Philadelphia at Los Angeles; March 7: New Jersey at Washington; March 11: Los Angeles at Hartford; March 14: Washington at Philadelphia; March 21: Chicago at Toronto; March 24: San Jose at New Jersey; March 26: San Jose at Islanders; April 1: Islanders at Toronto. &#9632;

f0032-05

NHL SUMMARIES

NOTE: ALL STATISTICS ARE AS OF MONDAY. DEC. 16/91 UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED.NHL AFFILIATIONS OF MINOR PROFESSIONAL TEAMS APPEAR IN BRACKETS; INDEPENDENT TEAMS WITH NO NHL AFFILIATION ARE INDICATED BY (IND).<h2>AHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04379/6435210-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="575" height="2295"></div><h2>COLONIAL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05319/6435203-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="585" height="928"></div><h2>IHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06291/6435196-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="575" height="1690"></div><h2>ECHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07269/6435189-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="593" height="1661"></div><h2>OLYMPICS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01748/6435182-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="602" height="3365"></div><h2>WORLD JUNIOR SCHEDULE</h2>AT FUSSEN AND KAUFBEUREN, GERMANY GAME TIMES (EST) IN PARENTHESESDEC. 26: CZECHOSLOVAKIA VS. SWEDEN (7 A.M); SOVIET UNION VS. SWITZERLAND (10 A.M); CANADA VS. GERMANY (11 A.M.); UNITED STATES VS. FINLAND (2;30 P.M.).DEC. 27: SWITZERLAND VS. CANADA (7 A.M); FINLAND VS. CZECHOSLOVAKIA (10 A.M); SWEDEN VS. SOVIET UNION (10:30 A.M.); UNITED STATES VS. GERMANY (2 P.M.).DEC. 29: SOVIET UNION VS. FINLAND (7 A.M.); CANADA VS. SWEDEN (10 A.M); CZECHOSLOVAKIA VS. GERMANY (10:30 A.M.); UNITED STATES VS. SWITZERLAND (2 P.M.).DEC. 30: FINLAND VS. CANADA (7 A.M); SWEDEN VS. UNITED STATES (10 A.M.); SWITZERLAND VS.CZECHOSLOVAKIA (10:30 A.M.); SOVIET UNION VS. GERMANY (2 P.M.).JAN. 1: SWEDEN VS. SWITZERLAND (7 A.M); GERMANY VS. FINLAND (10 A.M.); SOVIET UNION VS. CZECHOSLOVAKIA (10:30 A.M); CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (2 P.M.).JAN. 2: SWITZERLAND VS. FINLAND (7 A.M.); UNITED STATES VS. SOVIET UNION (10 A.M); GERMANY VS. SWEDEN (10:30 A.M.); CZECHOSLOVAKIA VS. CANADA (2 P.M.).JAN. 4: FINLAND VS. SWEDEN (7 A.M); GERMANY VS. SWITZERLAND (10 A.M.); CZECHOSLOVAKIA VS. UNITED STATES (10:30 A M.); CANADA VS. SOVIET UNION (2 P.M.).<h2>CHL TOP 10</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02525/6435175-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="587" height="330"></div><h2>WHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03427/6435168-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="599" height="1954"></div><h2>OHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04326/6435161-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="608" height="1700"></div><h2>QMJHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05271/6435154-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="603" height="1611"></div><h2>WCHA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06237/6435147-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="592" height="1141"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07217/6435140-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="561" height="1046"><figcaption class="caption-body">Duane Derksen</figcaption></div><h2>CCHA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-08200/6435133-1-eng-US/f0036-082.jpg" title="f0036-08" width="592" height="1036"></div><h2>ECAC</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-09187/6435126-1-eng-US/f0036-092.jpg" title="f0036-09" width="591" height="1173"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-10178/6435119-1-eng-US/f0036-102.jpg" title="f0036-10" width="563" height="705"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Montgomery</figcaption></div><h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-11172/6435112-1-eng-US/f0036-112.jpg" title="f0036-11" width="578" height="876"></div><h2>CWUAA</h2>THE CWUAA HOCKEY LEAGUE IS ON ITS HOLIDAY BREAK ANO WILL RESUME PLAY ON JAN. 10,1992.<h2>OUAA</h2>THE OUAA HOCKEY LEAGUE IS ON ITS HOLIDAY BREAK AND WILL RESUME PLAY ON JAN. 7.1992.<h2>AUAA</h2>THE AUAA HOCKEY LEAGUE IS ON ITS HOLIDAY BREAK AND WILL RESUME PLAY ON JAN. 4.1992. &#9632;

f0035-04

SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">By Kevin Dupont</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01670/6435241-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="375" height="484"></div>Hockey is full of groin pulls, tom ligaments, hip pointers and enough aching backs to make Doan&rsquo;s Pills the NHL&rsquo;s daily vitamin of choice.Fans don&rsquo;t want to hear about injuries. Coaches ignore them for as long as they can. Management bemoans the endless stream of trainers, therapists and orthopedists onto their rinks. Players sit on packs of ice, wire their biceps to various volts of electric stimuli, and talk about taking Magnetic Resonance Imaging exams.No one just opens wide and says, &ldquo;Ahhh,&rdquo; anymore. That was old-time hockey.The hockey player in all of us, though, likes to think we could take 11 stitches to the chin and report to the office five minutes late, shirt bloodied, and not miss one shift to the Xerox machine. The realist in all of us knows that we&rsquo;d probably call in sick for three or four days, long enough to devise some story of heroism, and never let on that the stitches came courtesy of the front steps we forgot to shovel.Filed away in a drawer at home, Bob Carpenter has the Kodachromatic proof of his pain. He has the X-rays, as well as a vivid, full-color photograph of the left kneecap he shattered last Dec. 8 in a fall at the Montreal Forum. The photo is something out of &ldquo;Gray&rsquo;s Anatomy&rdquo;, tendons and ligaments and blood included. Even an amateur anatomist can trace the many fracture lines that left the kneecap more fragmented than this morning&rsquo;s map of Mother Russia.Someday, Carpenter figures, he&rsquo;ll find just the right place to put his private picture collection, his art de patella.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll do something with it,&rdquo; he said, churning up another country mile or two on an exercise bike, both legs wheeling. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, maybe I&rsquo;ll frame it&hellip;something like that.&rdquo;In the meantime, the 2 8-year-old Carpenter keeps skating forward and doesn&rsquo;t look behind. Ideally, he&rsquo;d like to play another five-to-seven years, and jokes that someone, somewhere is going to have to pull the stick out of his hands and the skates off his feet to make him retire. He&rsquo;s a hockey player. It&rsquo;s all he has ever known. The Can&rsquo;t Miss Kid is now an Adult Who Made It, with no post-career plans and no plans for a post-career.Setbacks, like recurring pain in the knee that put him back on the injury list in mid-December are bound to happen. A year ago, no one knew if Carpenter would ever play again. Now, back as one of the Boston Bruins&rsquo; few consistent players this year, no one knows if he&rsquo;ll ever stop.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m mildly surprised,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I mean, to think back that it was only a year ago&hellip;and with the doctor telling me, &lsquo;Hey, you may never play again.&rsquo;&rdquo;First there was the operation, the kneecap pulled together with a hardware store&rsquo;s supply of wire and screws. Then there was the initial therapy, Carpenter hooked up to one of those medical contraptions-a Current Passive Motion machine-that kept his leg flexing back and forth for six weeks. What ever happened to crutches? Old-time hockey. For 23 hours a day, with time off only for lunch, shower and good behavior-Carpenter had his leg rocking back and forth to promote healing under the kneecap.The leg went up, and Carpenter thought, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back.&rdquo; The leg went down, and Carpenter thought, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back.&rdquo; One hundred times. One thousands times&hellip;&ldquo;I remember calculating it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Funny, but when I first got on the machine, it just kind of hummed. By the seventh week, it was making this weird grinding noise. I forgot what it was, exactly, but I think my leg went up and down something like 300,000 or 400,000 times. It seemed like a long time then, but if some kid had an injury like this, I&rsquo;d tell him, Hey, do it for eight weeks.&rsquo; Looking back, it&rsquo;s like six or seven weeks was nothing&hellip;to be where I am now.&rdquo;Of course, not everything is perfect. Ice and anti-inflammatory pills are still central parts of Carpenter&rsquo;s game. He still can&rsquo;t play both ends of back-to-back games.&ldquo;I know, if I get hit the wrong way, it&rsquo;s over,&rdquo; said Carpenter. &ldquo;The doctors have told me if it breaks again, there is nothing they can do. Nothing. It&rsquo;s like riding around on a spare tire-once it goes, forget it.&rdquo;It was almost gone once, but Carpenter didn&rsquo;t forget it. Old-time determination and new world medicine got him back playing the game he loves.&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t like it if it was over, obviously,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;d be happy with what I&rsquo;ve done-700 games and 10 years, no complaints. Now, if it had happened in my third year, I would have been bitter, no question.&ldquo;But now, these are the bonus years.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0037-01

Picture perfect comeback story

<div class="byline">By Jeff Jacobs</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02473/6435279-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Being a great player on a bad team earned Joe Sakic a spot on the THN all-star team. (Photo by John Giamundo/BBS)</figcaption></div>Two seasons ago, the Adams Division had the No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7 teams in the NHL. Impressive.But on Dec. 11, those same four teams were: No. 1 (Montreal tied with Washington), No. 14 (Boston), No. 15 (Hartford) and No. 17 (Buffalo). And the hottest team was the division&rsquo;s last-place club (No. 20). Quebec ran up a five-game unbeaten streak after Pierre Page fired Dave Chambers and went behind the bench himself.The second coaching casualty in the division was recorded Dec. 11 when the underachieving Sabres fired Rick Dudley.All and all, not so impressive.&ldquo;Other than Montreal getting away on us, I&rsquo;d have to say everybody is sitting there wondering what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Hartford coach Jim Roberts said. &ldquo;Are we going to be good enough? Are we terrible? I think everybody is looking for an identity.&rdquo;But before anybody dumps on the Adams too much, consider this division&rsquo;s true identity through the first one-third of the season: It&rsquo;s the Red Cross Division. Long-term injuries have struck the best players. The Bruins, in fact, have already surpassed 135 manpower games lost.All-star team: C, Joe Sakic, Quebec; LW, Kirk Muller, Montreal; RW, Owen Nolan, Quebec; D, Ray Bourque, Boston; Eric Desjardins, Montreal; G, Patrick Roy, Montreal.Top Rookie: With Eric Lindros in absentia, the winner is Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; right winger Donald Audette. Le Petit Sniper has bounced back wonderfully from surgery last season after he ripped left knee ligaments. He&rsquo;s showing the form that got him 42 goals and won him American League rookie-of-the-year honors in 1989-90.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s an Yvan Cournoyer,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an intense little guy with speed. You have to take your hat off to him.&rdquo;Surprises: Boston&rsquo;s Bobby Carpenter is back, almost miraculously, from a ravaging knee cap injury, but even the man with the bionic knee would have to give way to Nolan. He scored three goals as a rookie after being taken No. 1 overall in 1990. It&rsquo;s not inconceivable he could get 50 this season.&ldquo;I would say he&rsquo;s a long way ahead of Cam Neely-a similar type of player&mdash;at the same stage of his career,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;Some people made bad comments about him that he was the wrong No. 1 choice. But the kid is showing people what he&rsquo;s all about.&rdquo;Despite long-term losses of Brian Skrudland, Shayne Corson and Russ Courtnall, Montreal&rsquo;s rise has been impressive.Disappointments: The play of the Bruins and Sabres has been well below expectations. Of course, both have explanations as Buffalo lost Pat LaFontaine to injury soon after the big trade and the Bruins&rsquo; 50-goal powerhouse, Cam Neely, hadn&rsquo;t even played a game because of a thigh injury.MVP: We listed Kirk Muller as the Adams Division all-star left winger even though he has seen a lot of ice time at center. But Joe Sakic deserves to be on the all-star list. And besides, as Whalers&rsquo; goalie Kay Whitmore says, &ldquo;The only position I see Muller at is standing at my crease batting in pucks into my goal.&rdquo;Muller has more than made up for the goals the Canadiens lost in giving up Stephane Richer to New Jersey. And he certainly needs no character references. Roberts, who won five Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, has a fascinating slant on Muller: &ldquo;I think he has hit an atmosphere in hockey that suits his character. He&rsquo;s the closest thing outside their organization the Canadiens could find to fit the type of player they like to build a team around.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03362/6435272-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="1764" height="300"></div> &#9632;

f0037-02

From First to Worst

<div class="byline">By Chris Stevenson</div>The revolving door at the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; clinic continues to spin crazily. But at least in the case of Russ Courtnall, the Habs and their medical staff have finally figured out in which direction the speedy winger is headed.For two months, nobody seemed to know if Courtnall was coming or going when it came to his nagging shoulder injury. Finally, on Dec. 10, the decision was made that his tom rotator cuff and injured muscle was showing enough improvement that season-ending surgery would not be necessary.Courtnall, who missed all but the Habs&rsquo; first three games of the season, is expected back sometime in late January.Courtnall first injured the shoulder in a pregame warmup during the exhibition season when he was tripped by teammate Alain Cote and crashed into the boards. He re-injured the joint in the Habs&rsquo; third game of the year against Hartford.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good news because before I didn&rsquo;t know if I would be able to come back or not,&rdquo; said Courtnall, the Habs&rsquo; leading scorer last season with 76 points.HE WON&rsquo;T STAND PAT: Habs&rsquo; coach Pat Burns was at his line-juggling best against the Buffalo Sabres Dec. 14.With his club down 2-0 after the first period, he completely shuffled his lines. The result? The Habs scored three goals in the second period on their way to a 4-2 win.The biggest move was switching Denis Savard back to center after weeks of work on the right wing. Savard, who had been playing with Mike McPhee and Guy Carbonneau, lined up with Shayne Corson and Mike Keane.In what Burns called one of the best games he has played, Keane wound up scoring the Habs&rsquo; first goal and assisted on two others.NOTEBOOK: Kirk Muller and the Canadiens finally got around to signing on the bottom line and making a new four-year contract for Muller official. He&rsquo;ll be paid a $100,000 bonus and collect about $925,000 a season&hellip; John LeClair scored his first goal since Oct. 16 in the team&rsquo;s 4-2 win over Buffalo Dec. 14.Defenseman Petr Svoboda was due for a visit to the dentist&rsquo;s chair after catching a puck in the mouth against the Sabres. &ldquo;I practically lost all my lower teeth,&rdquo; he said&hellip;Svoboda, by the way, appeared to patch things up with Pat Burns after sitting out one game and missing a practice. Burns claimed Svoboda wasn&rsquo;t happy with his contract and his play had suffered. He played well in his return against Toronto Dec. 9.<h2>MONTREAL</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Kirk Muller, RW. signed four-year contract.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Guy Carbonneau, Stephan Lebeau, Denis Savard, Paul DiPietro.LW&mdash;Mike McPhee, John LeClair, Shayne Corson, Sylvain Turgeon, Mario Roberge.RW&mdash;Brent Gilchrist, Kirk Muller, Mike Keane, Todd Ewen.LD&mdash;Jean-Jacques Daigneault, Petr Svoboda, Mathieu Schneider.RD&mdash;Eric Desjardins, Lyle Odelein, Sylvain Lefebvre, Alain Cote.G&mdash;Patrick Roy, Roland Melanson.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Benoit Brunet, LW, broken right ankle, indefinite. Russ Courtnall, RW, tom rotator cuff in right shoulder, indefinite. Donald Dufresne, D, tom right knee ligaments, indefinite. Brian Skrudland, C, tom left knee ligament Jan. 3. &#9632;

Courtnall to return in January

<div class="byline">By Jeff Jacobs</div>Hartford Whalers&rsquo; owner Richard Gordon wants to make one thing perfectly clear: his financially-strapped team is not for sale.Several rumors have been circulating around the league suggesting the Whalers are up for sale.The most prominent rumor had the team being taken over by the NHL at the December board of governors meetings in Florida, while another had it being sold to interests in Las Vegas or Southern California for $53 million.But Gordon emphatically denied a sale would take place.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made it very clear the team is not for sale and it&rsquo;s not moving,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never talked to another city. Can I be anymore emphatic than that?&rdquo;No, he cannot. And after two important civic meetings in early December, there were indications key people were soon going to step in and help.Gordon already has management control of the team, but he&rsquo;d love to have somebody share in the losses which he said could be more than $5 million this year.&ldquo;Hey, I&rsquo;m not coining money down here. I can&rsquo;t imagine doing more than I am,&rdquo; he said.How much longer can Gordon keep it up?&ldquo;Not can, the answer is, &lsquo;I won&rsquo;t.&rsquo;&ldquo;Our last meeting (Dec. 13) was most positive. We discussed a plan about raising revenues, ticket sales, skyboxes, advertising, the responsibility of the corporations. The city has its own problems. Can we help them make the Civic Center more profitable? We&rsquo;re working on it.&rdquo;UNLUCKY BREAK: Center Geoff Sanderson wears No. 13 on the ice, and he wasn&rsquo;t so lucky Dec. 8. after suffering a lacerated right knee in a car accident.Barbara Riess, 25, was driving Sanderson&rsquo;s Jeep Wrangler while the Hartford rookie rode in the passenger seat, according to Hartford police.Riess told police Sanderson had asked her to run a red light and when she did, she sideswiped another car.In addition to the laceration, Sanderson sustained a bump on his head and a cut on his nose The 19-year-old was expected to miss two or three games.NOTEBOOK: Pat Verbeek left his arbitration hearing Dec. 11 in Toronto with little idea how it will turn out. Verbeek and his attorney Tony Abbatine wanted as much as $1.1 million in September. The Whalers never went above $700,000 a year.<h2>HARTFORD</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;John Cullen, Rob Brown, Andrew Cassels, Joe Day.LW&mdash;Murray Craven, Jim McKenzie, Michel Picard, Randy Cunneyworth.RW&mdash;Chris Tandll, Ed Kastelic, Mark Hunter, Pat Verbeek. Bobby Holik.LD&mdash;John Stevens, Randy Ladouceur, Zarley Zalapski.RD&mdash;Doug Houda, Brad Shaw, Adam Burt, Marc Bergevin.G&mdash;Peter Sidorkiewicz, Kay Whitmore.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Geoff Sanderson, C, lacerated right knee, day-to-day. &#9632;

Gordon strapped but Whale is not for sale

<div class="byline">By Stephen Harris</div>Good coaches will try anything to wake up a lifeless team, even if it&rsquo;s unexpected, shocking and controversial. The motivational move Rick Bowness tried Dec. 10 in Quebec City qualified as all of the above.With the Bruins on their way to their third consecutive loss-trailing 4-1 after two periods-Bowness ordered Craig Janney and Bob Sweeney to remove their equipment and stay in the dressing room for the third period of what became a 5-2 loss.&ldquo;I could have done it to most of the team,&rdquo; Bowness said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t find a guy out there who wanted to play our kind of game. I picked them because they&rsquo;ve been around this team awhile and they&rsquo;re supposed to be leaders.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not something you enjoy doing. I have to get everyone&rsquo;s attention. If it&rsquo;s drastic, it&rsquo;s drastic.&rdquo;He got everyone&rsquo;s attention, all right. In doing so, he sparked a wide range of highly-emotional responses, from ineffable support for his bold decision to speculation he&rsquo;d gone temporarily mad; from an attack on management by on anonymous Bruin to a silly announcement by Janney&rsquo;s father he intended to boycott future Bruins&rsquo; games.But most of all, Bowness got the reaction he wanted from his players. They snapped an 0-3-1 streak two nights later, dominating Montreal 52, and then beat Toronto 4-3 Dec. 14 to climb back to .500.&ldquo;It has been an emotional week, but it finished on a positive note,&rdquo; Bowness said after the victory over the Maple Leafs. &ldquo;This team believes in itself. From here, it&rsquo;s onward and upward.&rdquo;If so, his banishment of Janney and Sweeney will claim a place in the lore of Boston coaching.&ldquo;There were plenty of occasions when I wanted to (do it), but it never got to that point,&rdquo; said Bruins&rsquo; assistant general manager and ex-coach Mike Milbury.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very strong dose of medicine, no question. But given the number of occasions he has had to sit behind the bench and see what appears to be a disinterested team, maybe it&rsquo;s a dose that was required.&rdquo;There was speculation Bowness&rsquo; job might be in jeopardy and he didn&rsquo;t exactly get a vote of confidence from GM Harry Sinden.&ldquo;If you are going to hang him, at least let him tie his own knot,&rdquo; Sinden said.COMEBACK ON HOLD: Bob Carpenter&rsquo;s miracle comeback hit a snag Dec. 12, when pain in his surgically-reconstructed left knee forced him to the sidelines.&ldquo;Bobby needs to take time off,&rdquo; said Bowness. &ldquo;He saw the doctor and was told it&rsquo;s nothing to worry about. In the course of surgery, he lost muscle and needs time to build it up.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: A goal and assist in the win over Toronto Dec. 14 gave center Vladimir Ruzicka 12 goals and 19 points in his last 19 games.American League call-ups Dave Reid, John Byce and Lou Crawford all made immediate contributions.<h2>BOSTON</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 12: John Byce, RW, and Lou Crawford, LW, recalled from Maine (AHL). Dec. 13: Bob Beers, D, and Chris Winnes, RW, assigned to Maine.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Craig Janney, Vladimir Ruzicka, Barry Pederson, Bob Sweeney, Ken Hodge.LW&mdash;Dave Reid, Brent Ashton, Scott Amiel, Nevin MarkwartRW&mdash;John Byce, Steve Leach, Lou Crawford, Chris Nilan, Peter Douris.LD&mdash;Glen Wesley. Garry Galley, Don Sweeney.RD&mdash;Ray Bourque, Stephane Quintal, Jim Weimer.G&mdash;Andy Moog, Reggie Lemelin.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Andy Brickley, LW, right shoulder surgery, indefinite. Bob Carpenter, C, sore left knee, indefinite. Glen Featherstone, D, back surgery, indefinite. Cam Neely, RW, left thigh contusion, indefinite. Dave Poulin, C, abdominal strain, indefinite. Dave Thomlinson, LW, lower back pain, indefinite. Jim Vesey, C, bruised right shoulder, indefinite. &#9632;

Bowness wakes up the troops

<div class="byline">By Kevin Johnston</div>The Quebec Nordiques are expecting big things from right winger Mats Sundin. One of the more talented youngsters in the NHL, Sundin had an intriguing season last year, his first in North American pro hockey.Sundin proved he has above-average talent when, at the age of 19, he scored 23 goals and finished with 59 points. He followed that up by leading Sweden to a gold medal at the World Championships.And although Sundin was off to a respectable start in his sophomore year-nine goals and 26 points in 31 games-many people expected more.In Sundin&rsquo;s defense, he started slowly, as did many players involved in the Canada Cup. To make things worse, the Nordiques couldn&rsquo;t find an offensive center to play with him. Kip Miller was too inexperienced and Eric Lindros-originally pegged as the No. 2 center-held out. Sundin played with Joe Sakic last year, but Owen Nolan replaced him and had phenomenal success early in the season.Sundin didn&rsquo;t mind that but felt that former coach Dave Chambers misused him. He said Chambers accused him of not hustling and not finishing his checks.&ldquo;I was confused,&rdquo; Sundin said, &ldquo;because I felt I was playing the same way I did last year. That really put me off my game.&rdquo;After Pierre Page replaced Chambers behind the Nordiques&rsquo; bench, Sundin was given defensive duties. Surprisingly, that&rsquo;s when his game picked up. Playing with Claude Lapointe and Doug Smail, Sundin was sent out to face the league&rsquo;s best players.&ldquo;What we&rsquo;re doing now is what&rsquo;s best for Mats,&rdquo; Page explained. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s terrible to put as much pressure on a young man as people are doing with Mats. We can&rsquo;t ask for miracles from our younger elements.&ldquo;Playing on a defensive line will make him a better player in the long run.&rdquo;STEPPING FORWARD: The Nordiques have drastically improved their defense under Pierre Page. When Dave Chambers was fired after 18 games, the Nordiques had given up 81 goals for a per-game average of 4.5. In 13 games under Page, the team gave up 45 for an average of 3.46. The two-way play of the forwards is a major reason for the improvement.&ldquo;It was always the defensemen&rsquo;s fault,&rdquo; said rearguard Steven Finn. &ldquo;We were the ones that were blamed. And more often than not, we weren&rsquo;t the ones that coughed up the puck in neutral territory.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Pierre Page is searching for a center to lighten Joe Sakic&rsquo;s, load. He confirmed he had talks with a few of his counterparts, most notably Doug Risebrough of the Flames. &ldquo;I spoke with Doug when we met at Bob Johnson&rsquo;s funeral,&rdquo; Page said. &ldquo;Calgary has several good centermen. But Doug is being very careful.&rdquo; Rumors had the Nordiques going after Doug Gilmour, but according to Page, the price is too high&hellip;Valeri Kamensky could be in action by Dec. 30. His equipment is already hanging in the dressing room.<h2>QUEBEC</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>Dec. 11: Curtis Leschyshyn, D, Bryan Fogarty, D, and Wayne Van Dorp, LW, assigned to Halifax (AHL).<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Joe Sakic, Claude Lapointe, Marc Fortier, Jamie BakerLW&mdash;Mike Hough, Doug Small, Stephane Morin, Tony Twist.RW&mdash;Owen Nolan, Mats Sundin, Greg Pasiawski, Herb Raglan, John Kordic.LD&mdash;Greg Smyth, Mikhail Tatarinov, Alexei Gusarov, Craig Wolanin.RD&mdash;Randy Velischek, Steven Finn, Dan Lambert, Adam Foote.G&mdash;Ron Tugnutt, Jacques Cloutier.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Stephane Guerard, D, right knee surgery, indefinite. Valeri Kamensky, LW, fractured left ieg. indefinite. &#9632;

Page’s arrival revives bewildered Sundin

<div class="byline">By Jim Kelley</div>The new coach of the Buffalo Sabres is an old hand at the profession, but don&rsquo;t look for John Muckler to stay behind the bench beyond the end of this season.The Sabres&rsquo; director of hockey operations replaced the fired Rick Dudley as coach immediately after the Sabres lost to St. Louis 6-3 Dec. 12.Muckler, 55, is looking to broaden his management career and insists he is strictly an interim coach.&ldquo;There seems to be some confusion as to what the word interim means,&rdquo; Muckler said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to go beyond this year. We&rsquo;re going to find another coach. Whether he&rsquo;s going to come from within the organization, that will be our first attempt. If we can&rsquo;t fill the bill, of course we&rsquo;re going to go outside.&rdquo;Muckier, who was co-coach with Glen Sather for four Stanley Cup championships and won a fifth on his own with the Edmonton Oilers, becomes the 13th coach in Sabres&rsquo; history and the fourth in the five-plus years Gerry Meehan has been the Sabres&rsquo; general manager.Muckler replaced Dudley when Meehan relieved the beleaguered coach of his duties after the most recent winless streak reached eight games (0-6-2).The Sabres were 9-15-4 under Dudley and had slipped to fourth place in the Adams Division (one point out of fifth) when Meehan made the change. Dudley was offered another postion in the organization.Meehan said firing Dudley was &ldquo;regrettable&rdquo; and something he had hoped wouldn&rsquo;t have to happen.&ldquo;But with the team&rsquo;s performance in recent weeks, not withstanding the loss of a star player, I think it is something that requires a change,&rdquo; he said.The Sabres were without newly-acquired center Pat LaFontaine, goaltender Daren Puppa (both lost to injuries) and were playing with four rookies in the lineup much of this season.Meehan said he is aware of the injury issue and other circumstances but felt the team was still not performing at a level necessary for it to be consistent and contending in the Adams Division.Dudley said he was aware the end was near since early December and though he tried to pull the team out of its slide, he did not use injuries as an excuse.&ldquo;It happened,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We lost and it happened. Even if the losses didn&rsquo;t seem fair, we still lost.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Ted Darling, the voice of the Sabres since the team entered the NHL 22 years ago, was removed as the team&rsquo;s play-by-play announcer because illness has affected his performance. &ldquo;Despite all recent efforts to help Ted improve his on-air performance, he has been unable to meet the standards necessary for a quality broadcast,&rdquo; said team vice-president Mitchell Owen. Darling was replaced in the interim by former Sabre Jim Lorentz.The Sabres lost their first two starts under John Muckler&mdash;8-4 Dec. 13 to Hartford and 4-2 Dec. 14 to Montreal. The Sabres had the early lead in each game (3-0 and 2-0), prompting Muckler to question the team&rsquo;s stamina and conditioning.<h2>BUFFALO</h2><h3>TRANSACTIONS</h3>None.<h3>ROSTER</h3>C&mdash;Dale Hawerchuk, Christian Ruuttu, Dave Sriuggerud.RW&mdash;Donald Audette, Colin Patterson, Alex Mogilny, Tony Tanti, Rick Vaive.LW&mdash;Randy Wood, Dave Andreychuk, Brad May, Rob Ray.LD&mdash;Mike Ramsey, Doug Bodger, Grant Ledyard, Ken Sutton.RD&mdash;Randy Hillier, Kevin Haller, Brad Miller, Jay Wells.G&mdash;Tom Draper, Clint Malarchuk.<h3>INJURIES</h3>Pat LaFontaine, C, fractured jaw, Indefinite. Daren Puppa. G, broken left forearm, day-to-day. &#9632;

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January 3, 1992

Disappearing offense leaves team fit to be tied

NHL PRO SPOTLIGHT

CHEERS & JEERS

Sparkling debut for Hebert