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April 10, 1992
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.
Trottier may jump the fence after giving up NHLPA post
Pittsburgh Penguins’ center Bryan Trottier, whose role as president of the NHL Players’ Association has kept him immersed in the negotiations, plans to give up that job this June. “I think it’s time they get someone else in there who can put the time in,” Trottier said. “My family…I’ve got to get some time with them.” Trottier has been president of the NHLPA since 1984, when he succeeded Tony Esposito. And, even though the job has countless headaches and no pay, Trottier said he doesn’t “regret one minute of it.” Trottier has enjoyed one of the most productive careers in NHL history, earning five Stanley Cup rings and ranking sixth on the all-time points list (1,408), fifth in assists (888) and 12th in goals (520). The prevailing wisdom around Pittsburgh is he will retire…
Is fighting hurting the NHL? No way!
If you could pinpoint the biggest problem the NHL must confront in the 1990s, it would be this: perhaps one in 11,274 Americans actually likes the sport. According to various popularity polls conducted in the United States by groups other than the NHL, hockey continues to lag behind almost every sport short of cat wrestling, power stapling and the Monster Buick competitions. Why is this? One problem is the SportsChannel America television contract, which each week brings selected cable systems gripping contests like the Whalers-Islanders, Sharks-Whalers, Devils-Sharks, Whalers-Flyers, Sharks-lslanders, Whalers-Devils and so on. Another problem, the purists say, is that would-be hockey fans are annalled by the goon tactics demonstrated in most games. “Fighting has been there since it started,” Hall of Famer Stan Mikita recently opined. “But 1 think people would rather see…
Power shortage a concern
How can a power play that includes Jeremy Roenick, Steve Larmer, Michel Goulet and Chris Chelios be so bad? That’s what the Chicago Blackhawks’ coaching staff was wondering. The Hawks were 1-for-35 on the power play in a six-game stretch, plummeting to 18th overall in the league with a 17 per-cent success rate. At one point in the season, the Hawks ranked in the top five. “Your power play is a reflection of your best players,” associate coach Darryl Sutter said. “We’ve got a Norris Trophy winner (Chelios), a 50-goal scorer (Roenick) and a guy who usually gets 40 (Larmer), so there’s no reason it should be less than 20 per cent. “It’s related to work. We’re not taking advantage of the fact we have the extra man. You never put yourself in…
Future labor pains for ECHL?
The East Coast League-which cleared two million customers for the first time this season-could find itself with labor problems in the near future. The Professional Hockey Players’ Association, which represents players in the American and International Leagues, is now targeting the ECHL. PHPA boss Curt Leichner said ECHL players approached his organization about representation but the reception from the league has not been warm. “The matter is in the hands of our attorneys,” said ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly. ECHL players average between $275 and $300 per week and $15-18 a day for meal money on road trips. Medical and dental benefits and travel payments are paid by individual teams but the league doesn’t have a benefits package. Leichner maintains the money-making ECHL could do a lot better for its players. “It’s a crime what they…
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