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May 20, 1994
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.
Canada, where’s your Hart?
The day after Canada strutted its hockey superiority by winning gold at the World Championships, its ego took a blow to the mid-section. The NHL announced the finalists for its major awards May 9 and for the first time there are no Canadians in the running for the Hart Trophy. Russian-born Sergei Fedorov of the Detroit Red Wings, Czech-born Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres and American-born John Vanbiesbrouck of the Florida Panthers are the contenders for the league’s MVP award. Just twice in the modern era-since 1945-has the Hart trophy crossed Canadian lines: Stan Mikita in 1967 and 1968 and Brett Hull in 1991. Mikita was born in Czechoslovakia, but grew up in Canada. Hull was born in Belleville, Ont., but represents USA in international play. The Calder Trophy, meanwhile, may go…
Quebec League hopes to end futility at home
No. 7 didn’t prove to be any luckier for Gilles Courteau than one through six. He’s hoping he doesn’t have to wait around long enough to prove 13 isn’t unlucky. Courteau has attended seven Memorial Cup tournaments as president of the Quebec League and has yet to see his league win. The QMJHL hasn’t won the national junior championship since 1981 when the Ontario-based Cornwall Royals captured their second straight title. QMJHL teams have been in the final just four times since. In fact, no Quebec-based team has won the title since Guy Lafleur led the Quebec Remparts to the Memorial Cup in 1971. There is no clear cut reason why, but there are several theories. The most popular one is that the QMJHL plays a more wide-open style and is less disciplined defensively.…
Russia can wait while Bets prepares for big time
Maxim Bets’ season turned out to be a bit longer than he expected. The 20-year-old forward was planning on going to his off-season home in Russia once the Spokane Chiefs were eliminated from the Western League playoffs. But just before the NHL trading deadline March 21, the St. Louis Blues traded Bets-who was their second-round pick in the 1993 draft-to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for defenseman Alexei Kasatonov and a 1995 sixth-round pick. Ten days later, Bets signed a three-year contract with the Ducks and put on an NHL jersey. By April 8, he was making his NHL debut. “He has to be in awe of what really happened in such a quick fashion,” said David McNab, director of player personnel for the Ducks. “He was going home. Once his season ended, he…
Good, bad and the weird from 1993-94 season
The 1993-94 season was a memorable one for what happened on the ice. Wayne Gretzky became the NHL’s scoring King, the San Jose Sharks posted one of the biggest upsets in playoff history and Sweden won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in dramatic fashion with a shootout win over Canada. There may not have been as many exciting moments in the card industry, but one thing there was no shortage of this season was product. Thanks to NHL expansion, collectors were inundated with more cards than ever before. Here is this observer’s completely subjective sampling of the best, worst and wackiest in hockey cards this season: Best card: Upper Deck’s Garry Valk. In a year when static shots reigned, Valk is pictured on his card jumping into the arms of a teammate after…
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