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.

February 10, 1995

The Hockey News February 10, 1995

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01952/6855814-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div>vol.48, No. 21 FEB. 10, 1995 $2.95 &#9632;

Cover-01

IN THIS ISSUE

The Hockey News

<div class="byline">By Stuart Cowan</div>The big question around the Quebec League these days is what&rsquo;s wrong with the Granby Bisons?Most coaches and general managers agreed the talented Bisons were the favorites to win the Lebel Division this season. A third of the way through the campaign, the Bisons were indeed leading the way with a 17-10-1 record. However, the Bisons went 4-16-4 in their next 24 games to drop to fifth place, 20 points back of the first-place Laval Titan.So, what happened?Well, for starters, injuries to Serge Aubin, their best two-way player, and Martin Belanger, their top defenseman, took their toll. Both were out of the lineup for extended periods. Coach Alain Rajotte&rsquo;s trip to the World Junior Championship as assis-tant coach of the Canadian team also didn&rsquo;t help.&ldquo;I felt my team was a wounded beast and I left it like that,&rdquo; Rajotte said. &ldquo;I felt bad, but I said the best thing I can do is go there and win and take that winning experience with me back to the team.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02607/6855277-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="648" height="301"></div>It didn&rsquo;t get any better after Rajotte returned. An 8-1 drubbing by the Hull Olympiques Jan. 24 dropped the Bisons record to 1-6-1 since the WJC. The boo-birds have also come out in Granby, where the team hadn&rsquo;t won in 10 games (0-7-3) since Nov. 20.The biggest problem is goalscoring. With the exception of Christian Matte (41 goals), the Bisons have had little scoring punch. The 8-1 loss to Hull was not only the Bisons&rsquo; third straight defeat, but also the third consecutive game in which they scored only one goal. The Bisons scored 25 goals in a 10-game stretch that included just one win, 6-3 over the lowly Victo-riaville Tigres.&ldquo;We are a young team and (the players) are questioning their abilities and capacity to win,&rdquo; Rajotte said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been under.500 as a head coach and my first ambition this year was to finish strong and have a good playoff. We can still do that. This team has never been past the first series in the playoffs and we&rsquo;re looking forward to doing that.&rdquo;KEEPS SCORING: David-Alexandre Beauregard of the St-Hyacinthe Laser is silencing critics who doubted he could continue his major junior career with one eye. (For more on Beauregard, see story on page 29.)The left winger scored two goals, including the winner, in a 3-2 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads Jan. 22. He added an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes two nights later, giving him four goals and seven points in six games of his comeback. The Laser was 3-3-0 during that span and Beauregard was held off the scoresheet once. Overall, Beauregard had 19 goals and 30 points in 18 games.Beauregard lost his left eye as a result of an accidental high stick in an Oct. 16 game.CATS PURRING: The Shawinigan Cataractes extended their team-record, winning streak to 12 games P with a 5-4 victory over St-Hyacinthe Jan. 24.The victory was also the Cats&rsquo; eighth straight on the road-another team record-and improved their record to 17-2-0 since former NHLer Jean Pronovost took over from Doris Labonte as coach at the end of November.&ldquo;Jean has brought respect and credibility to our organization,&rdquo; said Cataractes&rsquo; president Jean Nadeau.The QMJHL record for consecutive wins is 25, set by the Sorel Eperviers in 1973-74.MISSING THEODORE: How much does goalie Jose Theodore mean to Hull?When Theodore went down with a pulled groin in early January, the Olympiques went on a seven-game losing streak before beating Granby 8-1 Jan. 24. Neil Savary and Gabriel Snau-waert filled in during Theodore&rsquo;s absence.Theodore, who was the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; second-round draft pick in 1994, was expected to be healthy enough to return to the lineup Jan. 29 in St-Hyacinthe. &#9632;

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Sagging Bisons buffaloed by second-segment skid

<div class="byline">By Dave Eminian </div><div class="byline">-Brendan Savage</div>The San Francisco Spiders don&rsquo;t play their first International League game for eight months, but the expansion team acted quickly to snag someone to fill two key front-office positions.The Spiders hired Jean Perron as their coach and general manager Jan. 23 and he brings serious credentials to the IHL.The 48-year-old Perron is the only coach in the IHL to have led an NHL team to the Stanley Cup. He got his ring with the Montreal Canadiens for their 1985-86 title run.Perron also was coach of the Quebec Nordiques in 1988-89 and has worked in the Canadian national and Olympic team programs.He spent 10 seasons as coach of the University of Moncton, a run that included two national titles.Perron will spend the remainder of the season scouting different minor pro leagues and assembling a hockey department staff.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01844/6855339-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="409" height="448"></div>Perron had been working as an analyst for Nordiques&rsquo; games on CJRP radio, but his contract was bought out last September. He has since sued the radio station.ALL-STAR UPDATE: The Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference in the allstar skills competition held before the Jan. 18 game in Las Vegas.Milwaukee Admirals&rsquo; defenseman Pat MacLeod won the hardest shot competition with an effort of 94.2 miles per hour.Phoenix Roadrunners&rsquo; scoring machine Yan-ic Perreault won the fastest skating competition, completing one lap in 13.8 seconds. The knock on Perreault by NHL scouts has always been his weak skating and poor defensive play.Next year&rsquo;s All-Star Game will be in Houston and is targeted to be played on a Saturday.One of the subplots at this year&rsquo;s event in Las Vegas was an impressive trade show put on by the league. League merchandising sources project $25-30 million in sales for the IHL next season and that figure is anticipated to double when the European teams are brought into the mix. North American sports merchandise is reportedly a hot item overseas.The IHL has reached agreement with the owners of the cartoon character Garfield the Cat, under which Garfield will appear on IHL merchandise and in league promotions next season.I-OPENERS: The Peoria Rivermen&rsquo;s league record road win streak was snapped at 12 games Jan. 24 at Cincinnati, where the Cyclones handed them a 5-3 defeat&hellip; IHL sources said the planned expansion to Europe calls for six-to-eight teams to come in at $4 million each, with payments to be spread out over 10 years.Cleveland Lumbeijacks&rsquo; left winger Dave Michayluk scored his 551st IHL career goal Jan. 20, tying him withJoe Kastelic for second on the alltime list for regular-season and playoff goals. Scott Gruhl holds down first place with 596&hellip; Chicago Wolves&rsquo; coach Gene Ubriaco, after his club suffered shootout losses at home on consecutive nights: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going through a situation. It&rsquo;s like frozen Chinese water torture, you might say.&rdquo;IHL owners are studying a different schedule format for next season. A proposal to shorten the schedule was voted down. But a more balanced schedule will be used. Each team will play non-conference opponents three times each and conference foes six times each, eliminating dreaded 11-game series that exist for some teams.Milwaukee Admirals&rsquo; center Tony Hrkac and Stephane Morin of the Minnesota Moose had 19-game point scoring streaks snapped Jan. 22. Both played in the Jan. 18 All-Star Game.<h2>Senators soar to top spot</h2>Bill MacDonald figured if he could just keep the Thunder Bay Senators in the thick of the Colonial League race until Christmas, the Senators would prosper in the second half.Well, the coach did and they are.Thunder Bay shot to the top of the standings by ringing in die New Year with nine wins in 10 games. That included three triumphs over the Detroit Falcons, first-half leaders.With a 31-12-2 record, the Senators were on pace for 104 points, which would shatter the league mark of 94 they set last year. Thunder Bay has won two of the three CoHL titles.&ldquo;In one stretch, we had 15 games in 23 nights and ended up getting 20 of those 30 points,&rdquo; MacDonald said. &ldquo;And 10 of those games were on the road. I&rsquo;m pretty pleased.&rdquo;Thunder Bay had only one scorer-1992-93 MVP Jason Firth-in the league&rsquo;s top 10. But Jean Blouin and Terry Menard were in the top 20 while Menard, Barry McKinlay and Chris Rowland ranked 1-2-3 in plus-minus.Goalie Lance Leslie was the leading contender for top rookie with a league-high 22 wins and a 3.05 goals-against average. &#9632;

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Spiders capture Perron to lead expansion team

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden Editor-in-Chief</div><h2>ETC.</h2>The largest field since 1990 is in the race for No. 1 this year. The NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Bureau named Detroit Jr. Red Wings&rsquo; defenseman Bryan Berard top North American prospect available in the 1995 entry draft, but he&rsquo;s not a lock to go first overall in Winnipeg (probably July 8). As many as five others range from strong to longshot contenders for the No. 1 slot. Berard, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound offensive defenseman with a mean streak, was ranked first among North American skaters by CSB in its mid-season rankings, the first composite list of the season. (See page 41 for complete listing.) Berard, 17, is likened to New Jersey Devils&rsquo; blueliner Scott Niedermayer. NHL scouts love Berard&rsquo;s offensive upside-he had 11 goals and 50 points in 37 Ontario League games-but his toughness (60 penalty minutes) is also widely respected. &ldquo;Berard is a street fighting kind of kid,&rdquo; one scout said. The battle for No. 1 promises to be a fight to the finish. Other challengers: defenseman Wade Redden of the Brandon Wheat Kings, ranked No. 2 by CSB; center Steve Kelly of the Prince Albert Raiders, No. 3; center Petr Sy kora of the Detroit Vipers, No. 4; center Chad Kilger of the Kingston Frontenacs, No. 7; and defenseman Aki-Petteri Berg of TPS Turku Jrs. (Finland), ranked No. 1 among European skaters. CSB has Prince Albert left winger Brad Church and Tri-City Americans&rsquo; center Daymond Langkow ranked ahead of Kilger at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. The top ranked North American goalie is Martin Biron of the Beauport Harfangs, a potential top-10 overall pick. Redden, a member of Canada&rsquo;s gold medal-win-ning team at the World Junior Championship, has a remarkably complete game and is described as &ldquo;17 going on 30.&rdquo; Kelly is considered the fastest skater in the draft and brings to mind former Prince Albert superstar Mike Modano when on top of his game. Sy kora&rsquo;s chances of going first overall were hurt when he sustained a separated shoulder; he could be out for the season. Kilger is a rangy center with excellent skating and playmaking skills. Limited action has kept Berg out of the spotlight this season, but he wowed scouts at a summer training camp in Lake Placid. Meanwhile, Biron is the latest product of the Quebec goaltending factory. Quebecers are 1-2-3: Biron; Jean-Sebastien Aubin of the Sherbrooke Faucons; and Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the St-Jean Lynx&hellip; Three things to remember about the 1995 entry draft: 1. It has been reduced from 11 to nine rounds; 2. The standard minimum age of eligibility is 19, but 18-year-olds can opt in. No deadline for opting in has been set and the mid-season CSB ranking includes all eligible 18-year-olds; 3. The first overall pick will be determined by a weighted lottery for the first time in history. Teams finishing among the last five overall will be eligible to win pick No. 1&hellip; Count on the fewest number of U.S. high school players since 1980 being chosen in the entry draft. That&rsquo;s when seven were picked. Twentyeight high schoolers were chosen last year. Why will so few be selected? Because the best 18-year-olds have to opt in to conform with new regulations. To do so makes them ineligible for U.S. college scholarships, according to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules. Only basketball players are allowed to opt in to a professional draft and remain eligible for U.S. college action&hellip; The entry draft returns to its one-day format this year after last summer&rsquo;s two-day event fizzled&hellip; One NHL streak sure to fall this season: consecutive 100-point seasons. At least one team has hit triple figures for the past 25 seasons. The maximum this season is 96 points&hellip; Mark Everson of the New York Post calls the new NHL, A Slave New World. Colorful and clever, but not true&hellip; Season-opening suspensions from 1993-94 and the preseason were reduced on a pro-rated basis because the season was dropped from 84 to 48 games. But suspensions this season won&rsquo;t be reduced on that basis. If an offense was worth a five-game ban last season, it is expected to be the same this season. Accompanying fines (or salaries withheld) will be based on games, not days as last season. Each game will cost a player 1/48th of his pro-rated salary. No changes to supplemental discipline procedures have been made, but that could happen when collective bargaining talks resume&hellip; The playoff schedule has yet to be finalized, but it&rsquo;s expected teams will play on consecutive nights in each city over the first four games of early rounds. In recent years, teams have had one day&rsquo;s rest between games&hellip; One man dubbed it the 1995-95 season, but this will be known as the 1994-95 season because there were pre-season games last fall&hellip; The National Basketball Association has Bill Murray and now the NHL has Tim Robbins. The critically acclaimed actor and super New York Rangers&rsquo; fan did promotional pieces for ESPN. The U.S. station produced a series of excellent promos last year and continues to be the leader with this year&rsquo;s efforts&hellip; It&rsquo;s only two weeks into a new season and already there have been enough wraparound goals. Isn&rsquo;t it time somebody invented a new way of scoring?.. .Carrie Gardiner passed away Jan. 24, a few months shy of her 99th birthday. Carrie was the wife of Hall of Fame hockey player Herb Gardiner, the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player in 1926-27. She was also the great aunt of THN editor Brian Costello. Carrie&rsquo;s family asked donations be made in memory of her and her late husband to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The address is BCE Place, 30 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont., M5E 1X8&hellip; Highly regarded St. Louis Blues&rsquo; prospect Jamie Rivers led the Canadian Hockey League in goals by a defenseman (32) last season. He&rsquo;s believed to lead junior hockey in tattoos (five) this season. The Sudbury Wolves&rsquo; all-star has a Wolves&rsquo; logo over his heart, a cartoon hockey player on his right hip, a tomahawk on his right hip, an Indian god of death on his left hip and a sinister-looking clown on his right shoulder blade. Next will be an Indian tribal arm band around his right bicep. Rivers, a 19-year-old of Huron descent, gets a volume discount at the Sudbury tattoo parlour he patronizes. The Ottawa native is something of a, uh. free spirit and was a popular interview subject at the WJC. He was a key member of the winning Canadian team. Told he had become a media star, the bilingual Rivers responded. &ldquo;Some people might not think I&rsquo;m the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I beg to differ.&rdquo; Sharpest of all was his sense of timing. The high-risk, high-return defenseman scored the winning goal in Canada&rsquo;s pivotal victory over the Czech Republic and added a go-ahead goal against the Russians three days later. Rivers said he looks forward to eventually joining Mike Keenan in St. Louis and hopes the coach-general manager appreciates his River-boat gambler&rsquo;s playing philosophy. &ldquo;You live and die by the sword,&rdquo; he said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011668/6853684-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="341" height="525"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Berard</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021333/6853677-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="1168" height="1888"><figcaption class="caption-body">A prediction you can take to the bank: No team will get 100 points.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03873/6853670-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="358" height="541"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wade Redden</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Berard No. 1, not by much

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-05499/6853587-1-eng-US/f0002-052.jpg" title="f0002-05" width="358" height="490"></div>Like the Los Angeles Kings before them, the Vancouver Canucks are giving West Coast new meaning. The Kings did little more than coast through the 1993-94 season after reaching the Stanley Cup final the previous spring and the Canucks were equally uninspired early this season.Los Angeles was the first team in 24 years to miss the playoffs after finishing as Cup runners-up and Vancouver started this season on pace to become the second. Four games into the 1995 season. Vancouver was on a seven-game winless streak. (Four into 48 equals seven into 84.) The Canucks had surrendered 20 goals, scored just seven themselves and had yet to hold a lead.The spectre of the Kings hung over the Canucks. It&rsquo;s inconceivable (isn&rsquo;t it?) the more talented Canucks will suffer the same fate as the Kings. But the players and coach Rick Ley acknowledged the thought had crossed their minds-even if it&rsquo;s early in the season. &ldquo;You think of things like that,&rdquo; Ley said, &ldquo;but I don&rsquo;t foresee that happening.&rdquo;Ley&rsquo;s debut as head coach was in a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It dropped the Canucks&rsquo; record to 0-3-1. Ley was suspended for the first would be more understandable were this October rather than January. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be the first to admit September came pretty early for a lot of us,&rdquo; Linden said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-06379/6853580-1-eng-US/f0002-062.jpg" title="f0002-06" width="477" height="848"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jyrki Lumme</figcaption></div>Management hoped the lockout would have the effect of providing players with more time to recover from last season&rsquo;s long months&rsquo; journey into summer. It feared, as did Bure, the potential for a letdown. &ldquo;I was kind of scared in the summertime,&rdquo; said the NHL&rsquo;s leading goalscorer the past two seasons. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;Well, we&rsquo;re going to play real well or we&rsquo;re going to play real bad.&rsquo; So, we play real bad so far.&rdquo;How bad have things been? The Canucks couldn&rsquo;t even raise the curtain on a new season without incident. Thousands of empty seats (attendance is another problem) were witness to a snafu on opening night when one comer of the Western Conference championship banner wasn&rsquo;t clipped correctly. It took two attempts to lift the banner. A similar second effort is needed during games.Vancouver came within a goal of winning the Cup during a glorious 24-game run not because it was significantly more talented than other teams-but three games as punishment for Gino Odjick leaving the bench to join a pre-season altercation.The coach said his big team wasn&rsquo;t doing the little things such as eliminating the man, exiting the defensive zone intelligently and using its natural resources efficiently. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite obvious our big guys aren&rsquo;t playing big and creating room for the small guys,&rdquo; Ley said. Vancouver&rsquo;s size and violent streak were important advantages last spring when the Canucks dumped Toronto in the semifinals. The only thing Vancouver dumped this night was the puck into the Maple Leafs&rsquo; end-to minimal effect. The Canucks seldom won physical battles after the first period, even in the absence of Toronto&rsquo;s only impact tough guy-Ken Baumgartner.Trevor Linden, the captain who shares with Pavel Bure the responsibility of setting the tone for his team, said the early-season difficulties because it blended above-average talent with above-average toughness and excellent goaltending.Curiously, goalies Kirk McLean and Kay Whitmore were rotated through the first four games-some-thing no other team with a dominant No. 1 goalie did to kick off the shortened season. Whitmore had his moments against Toronto, but a couple of them were bad. &ldquo;I hope you&rsquo;re not blaming the goalie,&rdquo; Ley said, &ldquo;because the goalie didn&rsquo;t get much help.&rdquo;Ace defenseman Jyrki Lumme denied a bewildering array of contract problems were at the root of team woes-Bure, Geoff Courtnail, Murray Craven and Lumme all have concems-and said nobody is trapped in the past. He does wonder about a collective mind trap, though. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we are thinking right now,&rdquo; Lumme said. Hockey as intellectual pursuit? What a concept. &#9632;

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What’s with West Coast Stanley Cup finalists?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011498/6853639-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="557" height="657"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sharks&rsquo; center Jeff Friesen is proving he&rsquo;s no floater (Page 12).</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-021243/6853632-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="547" height="658"><figcaption class="caption-body">David-Alexandre Beauregard is back and prospering (Page 29).</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03926/6853625-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="547" height="651"><figcaption class="caption-body">Martin Biron is Central Scouting&rsquo;s top-rated goalie (List on page 40).</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04697/6853618-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="1141" height="2256"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jr. player Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s suicide is shrouded in mystery (Page 47).</figcaption></div>&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll come and I think he knows that. I want him looking aver his shoulder every time we play.&rdquo;-Stars&rsquo; Shane Churla vows revenge for a Pavel Bure elbow last spring. Page 17.&ldquo;The big difference I&rsquo;ve noticed so far is the guys are allowed to have firn here.&rdquo;&nbsp;-New Capital Mark Tinordi compares Washington to Dallas. Page 28. &#9632;

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QUOTABLE

<div class="byline">-Steve Dryden</div>A piece of obscure hockey history may have been established during Week 1 of the NHL season.At the very least, the Washington Capitals challenged a record for ineptitude by scoring just twice on their first 100 shots of the season.Their two per-cent scoring percentage at exactly 100 shots can be no better than third-worst ever. At fourth would be the New Jersey Devils, Washington&rsquo;s Atlantic Division rivals who scored just three goals on their first 100 shots.Scoring was down league-wide through 44 games (an average of 5.5 per game compared to 7.3 over the same period last season), but the Caps and Devils were astoundingly inoffensive.Not surprisingly, both teams were winless. The Capitals&rsquo; sorry scoring rate wasted decent efforts. Washington outshot each of the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens by at least 13&mdash;the largest average advantage recorded by any team in the league.The only goal-scorers for Washington were Dale Hunter and Dimitri Khristich. Eighteen teammates had zero shooting percentages.Washington finished 12th in the standings last year and 15th in goals. &#9632;

Caps & Devils: The gangs that couldn’t shoot straight

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div>Afraid another blow to the head might cause permanent injury or worse, Michel Goulet retired Jan. 26 after 15 seasons in the NHL.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m retiring from professional hockey playing, but I&rsquo;m not retiring from hockey,&rdquo; Goulet said. &ldquo;It will always be a part of me.&rdquo;Goulet will remain with the Chicago Blackhawks as a roving instructor and do radio work. His magnificent career actually came to an abrupt halt March 16, 1994, when he slammed head-first into the boards in Montreal and sustained a serious concussion.After spending more than a week in hospital, Goulet continued to experience dizziness, memory loss, headaches and fatigue. He is fully recovered now, but failed his training camp physical last September when Hawks&rsquo; doctors thought it too dangerous to let him play for fear of what another blow to the head could mean.&ldquo;No one told me not to play, but I decided not to take the risk,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It might not take that hard a hit to cause a problem. I didn&rsquo;t want to take a chance and get hit by a guy like (Jeremy) Roenick.&ldquo;I trained all summer and did the therapy, but when I got back on the ice it was just too fast. It made me realize that after playing pro for 16 years, maybe it was time to turn the page. When you get older and they don&rsquo;t want you anymore it&rsquo;s hard to accept. Today I feel healthy and I realize now that&rsquo;s not something to take lightly.&rdquo;While it hurt Goulet to retire on someone else&rsquo;s terms, the three-month lockout helped prepare him for the eventuality.&ldquo;The lockout gave me more time to realize what I wanted,&rdquo; Goulet said. &ldquo;It made the transition easier. It has been almost a year since my injury. I knew I wouldn&rsquo;t play anymore.&rdquo;Goulet, 34, will be remembered as one of the greatest NHL left wingers ever. He is 11th on the all-time goalscoring list with 548 and second among left wingers with 604 assists.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011614/6853763-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="571" height="752"><figcaption class="caption-body">Michel Goulet is a virtual lock to enter the Hall of Fame in 1997.</figcaption></div>Goulet was three times a first-team NHL all-star and four times scored 50 or more goals in a season during his great years with the Quebec Nordiques.&ldquo;And when he scored 50 goals (1982-86), that&rsquo;s when maybe only two or three guys were doing it,&rdquo; said captain Dirk Graham. &ldquo;He was an unbelievable player in his heyday.&rdquo;Roenick was Goulet&rsquo;s linemate for most of his six seasons in the NHL and credits Goulet for helping make him the player he is today.&ldquo;Michel is a brilliant man and a brilliant player,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;It almost makes me sick to my stomach to see him stand up there and say he&rsquo;s not going to play anymore.&ldquo;He has meant so much to my career. He taught me the smarts of the game; where to be, how to handle the media, what it&rsquo;s like to be a big-name player. He is special.&rdquo;Goulet scored 92 goals in 276 games with the Hawks. The others came in 10 &frac12; seasons with Quebec.&ldquo;The people in Chicago didn&rsquo;t get to see Michel in his prime, but I&rsquo;ll remember what a great competitor he was,&rdquo; said Hawks&rsquo; coach Darryl Sutter. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll go down as one of the great goal-scorers ever to play the game.&rdquo;Goulet said his greatest moment was reaching the Stanley Cup final with the Hawks in 1992, even though he retires without a championship ring. No doubt the next stop for Goulet is the Hockey Hall of Fame.&ldquo;That would be the cherry on the cake, but I haven&rsquo;t really thought about it,&rdquo; Goulet said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t even know how long I have to wait.&rdquo;Regulations require a three-year wait. Goulet shouldn&rsquo;t have to wait a day more. &#9632;

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Goulet displayed ‘brilliance’

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>The reduction in games from 84 to 48 forced the NHL to abandon its 1993-94 formula for individual team schedules and improvise.Here&rsquo;s how it works this year:&#9632; Eastern Conference: Northeast and Atlantic Division teams play six intra-division rivals four times each-two home, two away-and seven inter-division rivals three or four times.&#9632; Western Conference: Central and Pacific Division teams play five intra-division rivals four or five times each and six inter-division rivals four times-two home, two away.Here&rsquo;s how it worked last season:&#9632; Eastern Conference: Northeast and Atlantic Division teams played six intra-division rivals five times, seven inter-division opponents four times and two neutral-site games.&#9632; Western Conference: Central and Pacific Division teams played five intra-division rivals six times, six inter-division rivals four times and two neutral-site games.The differences are:&#9632; Central and Pacific Division teams play unbalanced schedules-in terms of number of games and home-away breakdowns-against intra-division rivals.&#9632; Northeast and Atlantic Division teams play unbalanced schedules-in terms of number of games and home-away breakdowns-against inter-division rivals.Here is the unbalanced component of every team&rsquo;s schedule (H indicates home game, A indicates away game):Central DivisionDallas: Toronto (2H, 3A), Detroit (2H, 3A), Chicago (3H, 2A), St. Louis (3H, 2A), Winnipeg (2H, 2A), Detroit: Toronto (2H, 2A), Chicago (2H, 3A), St. Louis (2H, 3A), Dallas (3H, 2A), Winnipeg (3H, 2A). Chicago: Toronto (3H, 2A), Detroit (3H, 2A), St. Louis (2H, 2A), Dallas (2H, 3A), Winnipeg (2H, 3A). St. Louis: Toronto (3H, 2A), Detroit (3H, 2A), Chicago (2H, 2A), Dallas (2H, 3A), Winnipeg (2H, 3A). Toronto: Detroit (2H, 2A), Chicago (2H, 3A), St. Louis (2H, 3A), Dallas (3H, 2A), Winnipeg (3H, 2A). Winnipeg: Toronto (2H, 3A), Detroit (2H. 3A), Chicago (3H, 2A), St. Louis (3H, 2A), Dallas (2H, 2A).Pacific DivisionAnaheim: Calgary (3H, 2A), Edmonton (2H, 2A), Vancouver (2H, 3A), San Jose (3H, 2A), Los Angeles (2H, 3A). Calgary: Edmonton (2H, 3A), Vancouver (3H, 2A), San Jose (2H, 2A), Los Angeles (3H, 2A), Anaheim (2H, 3A). Edmonton: Calgary (3H, 2A), Vancouver (2H, 3A), San Jose (3H, 2A), Los Angeles (2H, 3A), Anaheim (2H, 2A). Los Angeles: Calgary (2H, 3A), Edmonton (3H, 2A), Vancouver (2H, 2A), San Jose (2H, 3A), Anaheim (3H, 2A). San Jose: Calgary (2H, 2A), Edmonton (2H, 3A), Vancouver (3H, 2A), Los Angeles (3H, 2A), Anaheim (2H, 3A). Vancouver: Calgary (2H, 3A). Edmonton (3H, 2A), San Jose (2H, 3A), Los Angeles (2H, 2A), Anaheim (3H, 2A).Northeast DivisionBoston: Islanders (1H, 2A), Rangers (2H, 2A), New Jersey (2H, 2A), Philadelphia (2H, 2A), Washington (2H, 1A), Tampa Bay (1H, 2A), Florida (2H, 1A) Buffalo: Islanders (2H, 2A). Rangers (2H, 2A), New Jersey (2H, 1A), Philadelphia (1H, 2A), Washington (1H, 2A), Tampa Bay (2H, 2A), Florida (2H, 1A). Hartford: Islanders (2H, 1 A), Rangers (1H, 2A), New Jersey (1H, 2A), Philadelphia (2H, 1A), Washington (2H, 2A), Tampa Bay (2H, 2A), Florida (2H, 2A). Montreal: Islanders (2H, 1 A). Rangers (2H. 2A), New Jersey (2H, 2A), Philadelphia (2H, 2A), Washington (2H, 1A), Tampa Bay (1H, 2A), Florida (1H, 2A). Ottawa: Islanders (2H, 2A), Rangers (1H, 2A), New Jersey (2H, 1A), Philadelphia (2H, 1A), Washington (1H, 2A), Tampa Bay (2H, 2A), Florida (2H, 2A) Pittsburgh: Islanders (2H, 2A), Rangers (2H, 1A), New Jersey (1H, 2A), Philadelphia (1H, 2A), Washington (2H, 2A), Tampa Bay (2H, 1A), Florida (2H, 2A). Quebec: Islanders (1H, 2A), Rangers (2H, 1A), New Jersey (2H, 2A), Philadelphia (2H, 2A), Tampa Bay (2H, 1A), Florida (1H, 2A).Atlantic DivisionNYI: Boston (2H, 1A). Hartford (1H, 2A), Pittsburgh (2H, 2A), Buffalo (2H, 2A), Ottawa (2H, 2A), Montreal (1H, 2A), Quebec (2H, 1A). NYR: Boston (2H, 2A). Hartford (2H, 1 A), Pittsburgh (1H, 2A), Buffalo (2H, 2A), Ottawa (2H, 1A), Montreal (2H, 2A), Quebec (1H, 2A). New Jersey: Boston (2H, 2A), Hartford (2H, 1A), Pittsburgh (2H, 1A), Buffalo (1H, 2A), Ottawa (1H, 2A), Montreal (2H, 2A), Quebec (2H, 2A). Philadelphia: Boston (2H, 2A), Hartford (1H, 2A), Pittsburgh (2H, 1A), Buffalo (2H, 1A), Ottawa (1H, 2A), Montreal (2H, 2A), Quebec (2H, 2A). Washington: Boston (1H. 2A), Hartford (2H, 2A), Pittsburgh (2H, 2A). Buffalo (2H. 1A). Ottawa (2H. 1A). Montreal (1H. 2A), Quebec (2H, 2A). Tampa Bay: Boston (2H, 1A), Hartford (2H, 2A), Pittsburgh (1H, 2A), Buffalo (2H, 2A), Ottawa (2H, 2A), Montreal (2H, 1A), Quebec (1H, 2A). Florida: Boston (1H, 2A), Hartford (2H. 2A). Pittsburgh (2H, 2A), Buffalo (1H, 2A), Ottawa (2H, 2A), Montreal (2H, 1A), Quebec (2H, 1A). &#9632;

A night at the Improv: Unbalanced schedule

<div class="byline">By Brian Costello</div>Fans in Canada made a bold statement in protest of the 105-day lockout, but fans in the U.S. welcomed the NHL back with open arms.Attendance at NHL arenas through 44 games was up 191 fans per game compared to the first 44 games last season. Take away new arenas in Chicago and St. Louis and average attendance is still up 50 fans per game.Strong increases have been seen in Hartford, Tampa Bay, San Jose, Anaheim and New York City. The five largest dropoffs have taken place in Canadian arenas including Winnipeg, where attendance plummeted by 3,661.The Jets drew 13,382 fans to the 15,393-seat Winnipeg Arena for their Jan. 20 opener. That was above the Jets&rsquo; per-game average of 13,297 last season. However, crowds of 9,725 and 8,794 Jan. 21 and 23 raised some eyebrows. Winnipeg&rsquo;s smallest crowd last season was 10,908 for a late-February game.&ldquo;We had three games in four nights and they were between pay periods,&rdquo; said Jets&rsquo; assistant general manager Mike O&rsquo;Hearn. &ldquo;And we didn&rsquo;t expect people to just show up all of a sudden. We didn&rsquo;t even do any marketing.&rdquo;The Jets instead concentrated their efforts on renewing their season-ticket base. Each fan who cancelled season tickets during the lockout was recruited by phone to renew a subscription. About 40 per cent said yes.Other factors contributing to the poor turnouts in Winnipeg were: fan protest against players and owners; the first two games were up against nationally televised games; and the Jan. 23 game was shown on The Sports Network.Moreover, 2,500 mini-pack ticket holders weren&rsquo;t permitted to choose any of the first three games as part of their packages.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s too early to start reading a trend into this,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Hearn said. &ldquo;If we&rsquo;re still below 10,000 fans during the next home stand, then there should be some concern.&rdquo;The Jets were scheduled to host the St. Louis Blues Feb. 2 and San Jose Sharks Feb. 4.Other attendance notes:&#9632; The Detroit Red Wings fell 176 fans short of selling out their Jan. 24 game and 11 fans short of selling out their Jan. 26 game. They had just one non-sellout last season.&#9632; The Los Angeles Kings drew just 12,358 fans to their Jan. 24 home game, their lowest total in four years.&#9632; The Vancouver Canucks drew 12,038 and 12,558 fans to their first two home games, two of their four worst totals in three seasons. Vancouver&rsquo;s 44 per-cent ticket price hike is the second steepest in the league this season.Here&rsquo;s the breakdown of the 44 games played through Jan. 26 compared to last season and the increase or decrease. Home games had yet to be played in Dallas, New Jersey. Ottawa, Pittishburg and Washington.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021160/6853818-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="742" height="874"></div> &#9632;

f0005-02

Canadians reluctant to show full support

<div class="byline">By Jeff Gordon</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011791/6853849-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Castoff Adam Creighton has assumed the No.1 center&rsquo;s position under Mike Keenan.</figcaption></div>Right from Day 1, Mike Keenan has built great expectations for the St. Louis Blues.Is all this Stanley Cup talk unrealistic? Not in his mind. &ldquo;Our mandate here is to win,&rdquo; Keenan said as the Blues got off to a 3-1-0 start. &ldquo;We said from the very beginning our goal was to win the Stanley Cup. Unless you expect it, you&rsquo;ll never win it.&ldquo;We have to develop expectations for our athletes. If that means there is pressure, then they will have to deal with it. It&rsquo;s something you learn to enjoy. It&rsquo;s not something that has to be a burden.&rdquo;Keenan may be a complex man, but his formula for hockey success is fairly simple.His teams are big. They try to keep the puck deep in the offensive zone and work over the opposing defense. They create turnovers and convert them into scoring chances. They work, work, work and hit, hit, hit. When push comes to shove, they fight back. Tremendous conditioning and nightly intensity are paramount. Skill is important, but not as important as character.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really a very simple system,&rdquo; said new Blues&rsquo; winger Greg Gilbert, a Keenanite with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. &ldquo;It takes a few days to learn. It&rsquo;ll take a little while to get all the systems down and everybody thinking the same way.&rdquo;Keenan had his team&rsquo;s full attention when the season started. He didn&rsquo;t have to create one of those taxing pyschodramas that made his tenures with the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago grueling.&ldquo;Mike has changed a lot since Chicago,&rdquo; Gilbert said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s still a very intense person. He wants to win. But that ranting and raving everybody has heard about, he hasn&rsquo;t done very much of that.&rdquo;Keenan&rsquo;s work with the St. Louis Blues provides a fascinating case study. After serving his 60-day suspension for abruptly exiting the Rangers&rsquo; Stanley Cup parade, Keenan began remaking this ambitious-but-misguided organization.During the lockout, he focused on the support staff. The team trainers, team doctors and even the team dentist were jettisoned. Coincidentally, much of the team&rsquo;s marketing, merchandising and public relations staff turned over as well. For years the Blues were run as a family store-with a small and friendly staff-but that quickly changed under Iron Mike.The autumn training camp was run in unremarkable fashion by holdovers Bob Berry and Ted Sator, now associate coaches under Keenan. Then Iron Mike took over during the club&rsquo;s week-long Vail, Colo., mini-camp before the shortened season began.Though his two-a-day practices were brief-us-ually only 45 minutes-they were brisk. The personality of this team began to emerge. The doomed &ldquo;puck control&rdquo; scheme of last season became a vague memory as Keenan moved larger, less skilled, but more imposing players into prominent roles.&ldquo;The players here are pretty happy,&rdquo; said new Blue Esa Tikkanen, a Keenanite in New York. &ldquo;We had a great training camp. We got off to a great start. The guys have been working really hard.&rdquo;Here are the ins and outs of the New Blues:In: Brett Hull as captain and cornerstone forward.Out: For now, anyway, speculation that the Golden Brett and Iron Mike would be at loggerheads.&ldquo;I understand why people want to run with it,&rdquo; Hull said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s because of my reputation. But my reputation has come from all the bull that has gone on with this team for so long. Now one guy is in charge.&rdquo;In: Human eclipse Adam Creighton as the No. 1 center, enforcer Tony Twist as a top left winger and rugged Denis Chasse as the No. 2 right winger.Out: Playmaker Craig Janney as the No. 1 center, speedy Kevin Miller as an integral weapon and gifted Vitali Prokhorov as a supplemental scorer. Miller sat out the second and third games of the season and Janney was scratched for the Blues&rsquo; home opener.&ldquo;Craig is a pace player,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;He has to learn to play at a different tempo. He has to learn to work. It&rsquo;s up to him.&rdquo;Uh oh.In: Goaltender Curtis Joseph as a bulwark performer, a la Mike Richter with the Rangers.Out: Goaltender Jon Casey as a co-No. 1 performer. He should call Glenn Healy for coping tips.In: Creating traffic in front of the net and shooting the puck into traffic at every opportunity-Out: Drop passes in the defensive zone, drop passes in the neutral zone, drop passes at the blueline.In: Body contact.Out: Ice dancing.In: A traveling secretary, a director of video services and a physical therapist.Out: Bothersome writers and broadcasters on the team bus, nosy writers on chartered team flights.The first week under Keenan went well enough, but the changes have only begun at the new Keenan, er, Kiel Center. The emergence of rookies Patrice Tardif and Craig Johnson left him with about a half-dozen extra forwards.The wheels will continue to turn and layabouts and slackards will be tossed off the express. Are some more moves in the works?&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say one way or another until we make evaluations,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;Unfortunately, I didn&rsquo;t get a chance to see the players in the preseason. We are trying to evaluate what we have in the organization. We won&rsquo;t know until we place them in game situations.&rdquo;Keenan would love to add a cornerstone center and would probably part with Janney, Miller and an cadre of players to get one. The Blues also need help on defense.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what will happen with Tardif, Johnson and Chasse,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;They are playing well enough to be in the lineup right now. That gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of what assets we can acquire for the organization.&rdquo;This season, however brief, will completely remake the Blues. &ldquo;The people in the locker room have had a lot of disappointments and embarrassments on a team basis,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;They should embrace the opportunity.&rdquo;And they will. Or else. &#9632;

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WIN-WIN SITUATION

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>Adam Creighton has no false illusions about winning the NHL scoring championship this season.But he had to admit, it felt nice to pick up his newspaper following the first weekend of action and see his name atop the list of scorers.Creighton had three goals and three assists in the St. Louis Blues&rsquo; first two games. In four games, he had four goals and seven points, good for second place in the league.Last season, Creighton would check the chalkboard in the Tampa Bay Lightning dressing room to see if his name was among those scratched from the lineup. Too often-nine times to be exact-it was.&ldquo;I said last summer I&rsquo;d go to Alaska if it meant I&rsquo;d get a chance to play,&rdquo; Creighton said. &ldquo;It was embarrassing sitting out so many games.&rdquo;The 29-year-old center has been an enigma during his 10-year NHL career. An offensive force with the Ontario League&rsquo;s Ottawa 67&rsquo;s, Creighton has never fulfilled the great expectations of a player selected 11 th overall in the 1983 draft.The closest he came was in 1989-90 with the Chicago Blackhawks when, playing under coach Mike Keenan, he scored 34 goals and 70 points-both career bests. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder also had 224 penalty minutes, another career high.Creighton slipped to 22 goals and 51 points the following season before becoming a non-factor with the New York Islanders and Lightning. Just when it looked like he might slip into oblivion, it was Keenan to the rescue.Keenan, the Blues&rsquo; general manager-coach who has an affinity for acquiring players he used to coach, traded defenseman Tom Tilley, to Tampa for Creighton Oct. 6.Creighton has gone from being a benchwarmer on a team desperate for offense to a lamplighter on a team destined for greatness. But four good games don&rsquo;t make a season.&ldquo;I feel like I haven&rsquo;t really played hockey the past three years,&rdquo; Creighton said. &ldquo;Since I was traded to the Islanders from Chicago, it has been all downhill. This is definitely a good change. Mike has given me a chance to prove myself; I want to take advantage of it.&rdquo;There was a day when players, Creighton included, would shudder at the notion of a second tour of duty under Iron Mike. That is no longer the case. Keenan is a winner; a coach with the ability to coax players into taking their game to higher levels.Creighton hopes Keenan can help him iron out his game.&ldquo;I know what it&rsquo;s like to play for him and where I made my mistakes with him the last time,&rdquo; Creighton said. &ldquo;You know what it&rsquo;s like when you&rsquo;re young; he would tell me what to do and I didn&rsquo;t think he knew whathe was talking about. I didn&rsquo;t always listen to him and we had our fights. But everybody has fights with Mike.&rdquo;Playing on a line with right winger Brett Hull and left winger Greg Gilbert, Creighton feels wonderful contributing to a team&rsquo;s success.And one of his biggest supporters comes from Tampa Bay.&ldquo;I hope Adam scores lots of goals this season, just not against us,&rdquo; said Lightning coach Terry Crisp. &ldquo;He handled everything we tried with him-playing him on the wing and with different line combinations-with class. Obviously Mike just knows the right buttons to push. Believe me, we pushed every button we could find.&rdquo;If Keenan indeed knows which buttons to push, he&rsquo;s not giving away any of his secrets.&ldquo;I never lacked any confidence in Adam,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always felt he had the ability to make an impact in the NHL. He comes to our team with a commitment and ability I&rsquo;ve seen in him before. I thought he could do it again.&rdquo; &#9632;

Early reviews good for Creighton-Keenan reunion

In the Jan. 13 issue of The Hockey News, one of your readers placed the blame for the lockout on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.The reader wrote, &ldquo;Hang &rsquo;em up, Gary. If you don&rsquo;t know what that means, ask a real hockey man.&rdquo;Since then, the lockout has been solved and most of the credit has to go to Bettman. He proved to me and many others that he is, in fact, a real hockey man. Bettman went against the Hawks on the owners&rsquo; side who wanted to cancel the season if they couldn&rsquo;t get a luxury tax.We criticized him before, so we must now give Bettman credit because it is certainly due. I may even forgive him for leading the charge to change the names of the conferences and divisions.G. McGray,&nbsp;Halifax, N.S.<h2>Thanks, Gary</h2>An open letter to Gary Bettman:Thank you from the bottom of my New York Ranger-loving heart. You were vilified in the media, threatened by stupid NHL players and fans, but in the end you emerged a hero to us all.We also owe thanks to NHL Players&rsquo; Association executive director Bob Goodenow and the rank and file, but nobody deserves as much credit or stands as tall as you.You survived the abuse and came out with a deal that combines the needs of 26 owners, hundreds of players and millions of hockey fans to give us all what we want: NHL hockey.Jill Eisner,&nbsp;Bronx, N.Y.<h2>No miracle here</h2>I was sorry to read the headline, &ldquo;Do you believe in miracles? Yes!&rdquo; used to celebrate the end of the lockout.No. 1, it is not a miracle. The players and owners both stood to lose too much money from their loyal and gullible fans (myself included) to cancel a season. There was never a danger of a deal not being made.No. 2, that quote comes from the greatest moment in U.S. hockey history, the 1980 Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid. The victory of U.S. amateurs over a modern-day equivalent of Pavel Bure, Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny was indeed a true miracle and should not be used in the same context as this ugly, greedy mess of a lockout.Chris Beil,&nbsp;San Diego, Calif.<h2>Gartner applauded</h2>I would like to acknowledge a very classy act by a very classy man. Ed Olczyk and Mike Hartman haveMike Gartner to thank for having their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.The NHL Players&rsquo; Association president lobbied the league to make an exception to its ridiculous rule that a player must play a certain number of games to have his name on the Cup.The last time I checked, none of the trainers suited up for any of the New York Rangers&rsquo; games.Contributions go beyond the ice. Just ask Olczyk who, despite a lack of ice time, was one of the major motivators on the team.And if you look hard enough between the lines, somewhere in that list of Rangers you&rsquo;ll see Gartner&rsquo;s name there, too.Dennis Simone,&nbsp;Staten Island, N. Y.<h2>It wasn&rsquo;t easy</h2>Congratulations to THN. You accomplished the impossible.You managed to publish interesting issues despite the fact there were no NHL games.Hal Wiren,&nbsp;Seattle, Wash.<h2>Devils doomed</h2>I have been a die-hard New Jersey Devils&rsquo; fan since the team came to New Jersey. I was at the Meadowlands for opening night and went to many games during the lean years when 5,000 fans was a packed house.Now the Devils are a contender for the Stanley Cup and they have a great young farm team in Albany.Yet the Devils can&rsquo;t even sell out playoff games and all general manager Lou Lamoriello does is cry about escalating salaries. He practically needed a gun put to his head to sign Scott Stevens and refuses to re-sign Calder Trophy winner Martin Brodeur.Meanwhile, the Devils&rsquo; marketing is atrocious and they have no concept of merchandising. Look around, the New York Rangers, L.A. Kings and Chicago Blackhawks are everywhere.My advice is to advertise, promote the team and sell posters and jerseys. This will put fans in the seats and create money to sign good players.Wake up. Sign Brodeur before Mr. McMullen moves the team and I&rsquo;m forced to become a Ranger fan.John O&rsquo;Dell,&nbsp;Denville, N.J.Make your feelings known. Fax us your comments at&nbsp;(416) 445-2501&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;

Bettman emerges ‘real hockey man’

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011684/6853928-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0008-01

ELSTON

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><h2>Lacher great shot blocker</h2>1. THN top player Boston rookie goalie Blaine Lacher goes 3-0-0 g I with shutout,.976 SP, 0.65 GAA.2. Northeast Division Led by Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Boston, divi-s sion had.763 winning percentage.3. Greg Taylor Boston College goalie sets HE record with 60 saves I in 5-1 loss to Boston University.4. Speed to burn Supposed weak skating Yanic Perreault wins IHL fastest skating competition.5. Adam Creighton Welcome back to NHL. What do you mean I you never left?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021303/6853959-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="538" height="730"><figcaption class="caption-body">Blaine Lacher</figcaption></div><h2>Blues&rsquo; socks darned bad</h2>1. Crime of fashion I Were St. Louis Blues&rsquo; dark socks bought at a S Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; garage sale?2. Crime of fashion II NHL should outlaw those stupid looking nose band aids.3. Wayne Messmer Reason you were fired by Hawks is fundamental bud-you operate IHL competitor.4. Atlantic patsies Entire division posts embarrassing.300 win-S ning percentage through 25 games.5. Canuckleheads Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver looks sloppy going 0-3-1 in first four games. &#9632;

f0008-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">By Al Morganti</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011597/6853997-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="364" height="511"></div>It is still early in the season, very early, and the Edmonton Oilers are playing the role of perfect guests at a house wanning party for the Chicago Blackhawks.The Oilers have been handed the chore of landing in Chicago for the opening of the United Center and the Blackhawks are not about to christen their new building with a loss. By the time it&rsquo;s all over, the Oilers have been run over, 5-1, and it wasn&rsquo;t really that close.The first-night roars are still echoing around the new arena as Edmonton general manager Glen Sather heads down a corridor to his team&rsquo;s dressing room. After a nice start which included two victories, the latest loss is a stark reminder of how ugly things can get in a hurry.&ldquo;What do you call that?&rdquo; shouts a member of the media as Sather and his entourage head down the hallway. Sather rolls his eyes, doesn&rsquo;t miss a beat or a step, and says &ldquo;experience.&rdquo;Welcome to the Edmonton Experience.Up until five years ago, the Edmonton experience was winning. When Sather was able to secure a Stanley Cup in 1990, after trading Wayne Gretzky, he was anointed the best hockey mind in the world. If anybody could make a team survive and prosper in a city such as Edmonton, with an owner such as Peter Pocklington, it was Sather.Recent history hasn&rsquo;t been so kind, however. A front office of Sather, Cliff Fletcher and Harry Sinden couldn&rsquo;t have built a winner in Edmonton the past few seasons. There were and are too many forces working against the franchise.Who would have believed it in the mid-1980s when the great Oiler teams of Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey and others comprised as fine a core of talent as any team in recent memory?If they had stayed together, they may have made the 1927 New York Yankees look like just another collection of pretty good players.Instead, Edmonton was a glorified pit stop. Those stars collected their Stanley Cup booty, then went their separate ways, mostly to American-based teams.Gretzky wound up on one coast, Messier on the other. Coffey landed on a Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh and most of the rest of the crew gathered in New York last spring to show it was not impossible to win a Cup in Manhattan.Yes, if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere-except maybe in a city such as Edmonton. The Albertabased team suffers from all the classic symptoms of small-market syndrome. That leaves Sather and now, new coach George Burnett, the task of turning limited resources into on-ice success.It&rsquo;s not easy on any level, especially psychologically. With a statue of Gretzky gracing the outside of Northlands Coliseum, the first impression a visitor gets of the Oilers is a franchise whose best days are in the past. Messier, meanwhile, has been given the keys to New York. He had been given the keys to Edmonton, too, but by comparison those only opened servant&rsquo;s quarters.It&rsquo;s an awful blue print: put in your time on the tundra, then cash in your? chips somewhere else.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021122/6853990-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="484" height="854"><figcaption class="caption-body">Glen Sather</figcaption></div>Only Bill Ranford and Kelly Buch berger remain from the 1990 Cup champions, but Burnett thinks he can help build a new tradition.&ldquo;We have a lot of learning to do, but we have a solid core group of players,&rdquo; Burnett said. &ldquo;We have people who want to succeed and they want to succeed right here.&ldquo;In some ways, we still pay the price of those past teams. A guy like Jason (Arnott), right away he&rsquo;s supposed to be the next Mark Messier. And then somebody gets labeled the next Gretzky. It doesn&rsquo;t happen like that.&rdquo;The only way it can happen in Edmonton is through patience and good timing. Sather has to hope his young talented core stays together long enough to have a chance of winning.The problem is, unless another Gretzky does come along, the new Edmonton Oilers have no chance of being the old Edmonton Oilers. &#9632;

f0009-01

Oilers mired in small city syndrome

<div class="byline">By Michael Ulmer</div>Suddenly, it&rsquo;s hip to be a Devil.Throughout their dozen years in the Meadowlands, the New Jersey Devils have been perennial afterthoughts in the minds of pre-season pundits.But a convincing 106-point season and a hard-fought seven game defeat in a classic Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers has made the Devils a popular pick to go to the Stanley Cup final.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re right there,&rdquo; said Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; coach-general manager John Muckier. &ldquo;They have good goaltending, a very sound defense and excellent coaching.&rdquo;Save for the free-agent defection of Bernie Nicholls to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Devils return virtually the same cast from last season. In goaltender Martin Brodeur, they have one of the league&rsquo;s brightest and most unflappable young stars.The return of Norris Trophy runner-up Scott Stevens and the continued improvement of Scott Niedermayer gives the Devils a husky and talented defense.The Devils have a capable group of forwards comprised of a good mix of youth and experience. Bill Guerin is an emerging power forward.Unlike the Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, the Devils face no adjustment period to work in a new coach or important new player. In a 48-game season, that stability figures to become even more important.So, how did you know there had to be a but?The Devils thrived as a hard-working, intensely disciplined and error-free team. Last season, the Devils entered the third period of games with the score tied 19 times. They lost three of those games, won nine and tied seven.Theirs is a selfless style, built largely on humility. But the problem with humility is that it often disappears as soon as you realize you have it.&ldquo;Everyone has predictions, Stevens said, &ldquo;but nothing is going to be easy. It&rsquo;s nice to be recognized, but we have to get back to where we were last year.&rdquo;&ldquo;The predictions are good on one hand, as long as we don&rsquo;t start believing what we read,&rdquo; said right winger John MacLean. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve got the kind of team that can coast. We&rsquo;ve got to be a 20-man unit.&rdquo;After only one game, coach Jacques Lemaire was seeing signs he did not like. He lambasted his players for a lack of focus during a practice and reiterated fears of complacency in later interviews.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011657/6854028-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="936" height="1912"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scott Stevens knows the Devils won&rsquo;t excel on predictions alone. (Photo by Jim Leary/BBS)</figcaption></div>The Devils had just one point in their first three games, but deserved at least a point in a 2-1 loss incurred in Buffalo Jan. 25. They outshot the Sabres 30-15 in that game, but were at the mercy of goalie Dominik Hasek.But there is a more tangible problem than attitude, specifically the loss of Nicholls, whose unfailing candor wore thin after a year and a half in New Jersey.Nicholls gave the Devils one reliable center who could be depended upon to take important faceoffs, especially in the offensive zone. In the loss to the Sabres, Buffalo&rsquo;s Dave Hannan cleanly beat Alexander Semak to create the play that led to the winning goal.The Devils proved last year that depth can largely overcome the loss of a franchise-type center, but the departure of Nicholls weakened the club at what was already its weakest position.&ldquo;He did a lot for us, on the draws, he&rsquo;s a great playmaker and he&rsquo;s very good on the power play,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I guess at some point, you&rsquo;ve got to work the younger guys in.&rdquo;A compressed season affords precious little time for working new players into the lineup. During the first week of the season, Brian Rol-ston, a first-round choice whom the Devils are counting on to be a regular in the future, was playing with the American League&rsquo;s Albany River Rats, the Devils&rsquo; minor pro affiliate.Lemaire admits to a measure of concern over the Devils&rsquo; inability to win key draws, but said he will work with what he has.&ldquo;I think we have to work on it,&rdquo; Lemaire said. &ldquo;At times we have certain problems on face offs. There&rsquo;s more work that should be done.&rdquo;MacLean insists the Devils will be hungrier than ever this season.&ldquo;I think you can use last year as a motivating factor as far as we got that close, we were almost there and we lost to the team that did win the Stanley Cup,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;A little harder work, a little bounce here or there, we could have been the ones in the final.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0010-01

Devils’ advocates

<div class="byline">By Michael Ulmer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011495/6854059-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Goalie Grant Fuhr will be an unrestricted free agent at season&rsquo;s end. (Photo by Scott Levy/BBS)</figcaption></div>BUFFALO-But for NHL rule 15(c), the Buffalo Sabres would have this Stanley Cup thing pretty well licked.The statute, enacted in 1931, forbids teams from deploying more than one goaltender at a time. Nobody had tried that little gambit, but the rulemakers, perhaps prescient in anticipating the arrival of Scotty Bowman and Mike Keenan, thought they should nip the idea in the bud.The Sabres, with Grant Fuhr and Dominik Hasek, have $4.3 million worth of goaltending this season-$2.7 million with Hasek and $1.6 million with Fuhr. It&rsquo;s a situation that makes for enviable depth, but awful economics.After a lethargic few seasons, Fuhr is showing signs of aging gracefully. He has reconfigured both his work ethic and technique and the result is a well-conditioned athlete who relies less on natural talent and more on sound mechanics.Fuhr is svelte and powerful at 195 pounds and has worked steadily to lose a lingering habit of trying to stop every shot, low and high, with his glove. Fuhr was so confident in his right catching hand, he never needed to develop a pad stack on that side.The technique worked when Fuhr was faster than most any speeding bullet, but he is now 32. Age and injuries have shaved a nanosecond off his reflex time.&ldquo;Now he&rsquo;s much more effective,&rdquo; said Sabres&rsquo; goaltending consultant Mitch Korn. &ldquo;He gets the whole package in front of the shot instead of just a limb.&rdquo;This is delightful news for the Sabres, but with the presence of Hasek, last year&rsquo;s Vezina Trophy winner and the first goalie in a generation to beat the 2.00 goals-against average standard, it&rsquo;s all a bit excessive. Especially if the Sabres can convert one of them into front-line defenseman or forward.When Hasek arrived at the Sabres&rsquo; pre-season workouts after a few games in the Czech Republic, he was out of game shape. Fuhr was inserted into the lineup and played splendidly in the Sabres&rsquo; 2-1 opening night win over the New York Rangers. Advantage Fuhr.Hasek won his next two starts, including a vintage 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils Jan. 25 in which he stopped 29 shots. Advantage Hasek.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m feeling more comfortable,&rdquo; Hasek said. &ldquo;I think I wasn&rsquo;t in good shape when I headed to training camp, but I was coming in and I changed changed time zones. I felt very tired.&rdquo;Coach-general manager John Muckier, wary of complacency, sent a clear message to Hasek, a message deciphered by the rest of the Sabres. He has convinced the best goalie in the league last year he will have to fight to earn his job.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ll play so many games like I did last year because now we change with Grant half and half,&rdquo; Hasek said. &ldquo;Of course I would like to play 80 per cent of the games, but I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;Fuhr, meanwhile, is already eyeing the end of the season when he becomes an unrestricted Group UI free agent and the Sabres retain no right to match.&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t call it limbo. Suspended animation would be better,&rdquo; Fuhr said. &ldquo;Right now I&rsquo;m here playing for my benefit. (The Sabres) get the benefits of my benefit. I&rsquo;d love to drive up my value because at the end of the year, I&rsquo;m an unrestricted free agent.&rdquo;The less Fuhr plays, the less he&rsquo; can drive up that value. So naturally, Fuhr isn&rsquo;t enamored with the idea of splitting the netminding.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d want to play more, to keep that sharpness in the playoffs,&rdquo; he said.Fuhr said watching Hasek backstop the Sabres in last year&rsquo;s post-season was painful and told The Hockey News during the lockout he wants out of Buffalo.&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t fun, I didn&rsquo;t enjoy it at all,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I spent the playoffs rebuilding my golf swing. That&rsquo;s not something I planned on doing during playoff time.&rdquo;Muckier, meanwhile, said he doesn&rsquo;t know how he will deploy the two other than to use both in the early going. The crease logjam, Muckier said, is a non-issue.&ldquo;Can you keep both happy? I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Muckier said. &ldquo;I hope so. The media always wants to bring this up because they want to start a controversy all the time. It&rsquo;s an old, old story.&rdquo;Defenseman Doug Bodger said the situation is nothing more than an embarrassment of riches.&ldquo;Last year, Dominik had the best goals-against average since Bernie Parent,&rdquo; Bodger said. &ldquo;And (Fuhr) has won five Stanley Cups.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0011-01

Two stars squeeze into Sabres’ crease

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div>The Answerman makes his Hockey News debut to ponder that enemy of NHL solidarity-Canada.Q: Recently. I read excerpts from a Bob Ryan column in the Boston Globe suggesting the real problem with the NHL is Canada. What gives?A: But that ran a couple of weeks ago. What happened, Pony Express a little late this month?Q: Don&rsquo;t get me started. I don&rsquo;t think I understood Ryan&rsquo;s point; isn&rsquo;t Canada still the No. 1 feeder of player talent to the NHL?A: You understand only too well. Ryan argued Canada&rsquo;s place in the game should be limited to supplying more Ray Bourques to the Boston Bruins-and soon. There may be room for the smaller Canadian cities in the minor leagues, but only Montreal and Toronto belong in the NHL.Q: Isn&rsquo;t that a fairly provincial perspective?A: Of course, but what do you expect? The issue isn&rsquo;t really Canada-U.S. anyway, it&rsquo;s small market-big market. Years ago, when he wascoaching the Minnesota North Stars, Pierre Page made an important observation: It&rsquo;s just as easy to operate in a small market where the people arecrazy about the game, as a big market where they&rsquo;re indifferent to it.Q: Any examples?A: All right, how about Calgary? Attendance dropped again last year, plummeting all the way down to a 19,335 per-game average. Of course, that&rsquo;s still about 5,000 more than the annual average in Boston.On the ice, they went out in the first round again, but managed 97 regular-season points, same as the Bruins. If you check records over the past eight seasons, you&rsquo;d seeCalgary had the best cumulative winning percentage. They also won a Stanley Cup.Q: But didn&rsquo;t the Bruins get to the Stanley Cup final in 1990?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021068/6854090-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="363" height="478"></div>A: And boy, what a treat that was to sit in that sweatbox of a Boston Garden, waiting for the lights to come on again. Luckily, they were able to reschedule that game to one of those wholly unsuitable NHL cities. Edmonton.Q: So what are you saying?A: They haven&rsquo;t exactly been operating on the cutting edge in Boston either. But they will now. same as all those small-market teams, scrambling to get ready for the 21 st century. The revolution sweeping pro sports now-adding private boxes at the concourse level-is going to make or break a number of teams. Boston moves to the Shawmut Center. Calgary renovates an 11-year-old building to add 45 new suites. The bottom line is, managed properly, both cities should be able to operate in hockey&rsquo;s brave new world.Q: So there&rsquo;s no problem with Canada?A: I didn&rsquo;t say that. One of the biggest difficulties now is the comparatively weak Canadian dollar. The majority of NHL travel takes place below the 49th parallel, adding 40 per cent to the costs of all eight Canadian teams.Q: So you&rsquo;re saying these teams deserve a handout?A: I&rsquo;m saying the NHL has to decide what course it wants to take. Grow or shrink? The powers that be privately envision a 32-team league operating by the year 2000. Unfortunately, you can only put so many teams in New York or Chicago or Los Angeles.Q: Don&rsquo;t you think you&rsquo;re overreacting here?A: Maybe. Maybe the center of control should shift to New York. After all, commissioner Gary Bettman and union chief Bob Goodenow limited the NHL lockout to under four months. With leadership like that, you can&rsquo;t help but think the game is in good hands. &#9632;

f0011-02

What will NHL do about Canada?

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>Either Jeff Friesen has undergone a radical transformation over the past year or a lot of knowledgeable hockey people had him pegged dead wrong.There&rsquo;s the player scouts claimed last season was lazy, inconsistent and an unlikely candidate to make the jump to the NHL without at least another year of junior and possibly a season in the minors.Then there&rsquo;s the Friesen who cracked the San Jose Sharks&rsquo; lineup at the team&rsquo;s training camp in the fall, went back and dominated the Western League during the lockout and was a standout with the gold medalwinning Canadian team at the World Junior Championship.What gives?&ldquo;A lot of what was said about me in the past wasn&rsquo;t fair and wasn&rsquo;t true,&rdquo; Friesen said. &ldquo;A lot of things were simply blown out of proportion.&ldquo;Critics said I would float for two periods and then show up in the third period and score a couple of goals. If you look at my record in junior you&rsquo;ll find I scored the majority of my goals in the first and second periods.&rdquo;Friesen finished ninth in WHL scoring last season with 51 goals and 118 points in 66 games with the Regina Pats. In 25 games with the Pats during the NHL lockout he scored 21 goals and 44 points.It&rsquo;s a little too early to start banging the drum for Friesen as a rookie-of-the-year candidate, but he has looked every inch the big-leaguer playing on a line with Ray Whitney on the left side and Pat Falloon on the right.His first NHL goal, a shorthanded effort, was the game-winner in a San Jose 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 21. He used his speed to victimize another freshman. Leaf rookie defenseman Kenny Jonsson.It&rsquo;s not as though Friesen came to town as a virtual unknown-he was San Jose&rsquo;s first pick in the 1994 entry draft, 11 th overall-but the spotlight fell on fellow newcomer Viktor Kozlov. And that, according to coach Kevin Constantine, is the way it should be.Kozlov, the 6-foot-5 and 225-pound left winger, was the Sharks&rsquo; first pick, sixth overall, in 1993. He elected to play in Russia last season when he couldn&rsquo;t come to terms on a contract with San Jose. Kozlov broke his ankle playing in Russia during the lockout and is expected back in February.&ldquo;Viktor is one year older and the difference between an 18- and 19-year-old in terms of physical and mental maturity can often be very significant,&rdquo; Constantine said. &ldquo;They each had seven points in seven preseason games, but the focus was on Viktor. Now that he&rsquo;s out of the picture, people notice Jeff.&rdquo;The Sharks intend to play Friesen and Kozlov with Falloon when Kozlov returns. They were an effective trio in pre-season games.Friesen, who was fifth among Canadian scorers* at the WJC with five goals and seven points in seven games, made a good impression on Shark management through his dedicated work in the off-season. Neither Dean Lombardi, San Jose&rsquo;s vice-president and director of hockey operations, nor Constantine were scared off by&rsquo;negative scouting reports.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how rumors about players get started, like Jeff being lazy and inconsistent, but we have found none of that to be true,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;He really sold us when he started on the workout program we gave him two weeks after the draft. He worked hard to be the player we wanted him to be. He&rsquo;s a responsible kid willing to do whatever it takes.&rdquo;&ldquo;The reports on Jeff were decidedly mixed,&rdquo; Constantine said. &ldquo;They said he was talented, but potentially lazy. I have not seen that side of him.&rdquo; &#9632;

Friesen proves he’s no lazy boy with San Jose

<div class="byline">By Stan Fischler</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011515/6854152-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="361" height="520"></div>There are a number of hockey thinkers who believe the city of Hartford doesn&rsquo;t merit an NHL team. Counting myself among the undecided, I embarked on a trip to the Connecticut town to check out the situation with two routes of investigation.First, I wanted to see if anyone gives a hoot about hockey in Hartford. Second, I interviewed Pete Kar-manos, the man who has invested millions to save the Whale.The city got good results on the first test after two games. The Washington Capitals-Whalers&rsquo; game on opening night at the Civic Center was a sellout. One evening later, the Whalers-New Jersey Devils match attracted 12,054, which is about 3,500 under capacity. Still, it was more than the 10,492 the Whalers averaged last season.Karmanos, meanwhile, provided some compelling arguments to refute the naysayers. He feels Hartford&rsquo;s place in the NHL is similar to that of Green Bay&rsquo;s in the National Football League and takes issue with anyone who equates small market with failure.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021069/6854145-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="487" height="846"><figcaption class="caption-body">Peter Karmanos</figcaption></div>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a fantasy,&rdquo; says Karmanos, who doubles as CEO of the Detroit-based computer firm, Compuware. &ldquo;Look at Detroit, the sixth largest metropolitan area in America. The Tigers had cash losses in excess of $20 million. The problems are not necessarily related to the market size.&rdquo;Some Bostonians, in particular, snicker the Whalers will never be able to fill the Civic Center the way their Bruins have bulged Boston Garden. Karmanos suggests they&rsquo;re viewing hockey through mud-colored glasses.&ldquo;Our advantage,&rdquo; he explains, &ldquo;is we don&rsquo;t have the competition for the sports dollar a city like New York has. There&rsquo;s no pro basketball team in Hartford, no pro football and no pro baseball. What we&rsquo;re competing with are the leisure sports like golf. Our market is a lot larger than it appears.&rdquo;So why was Karmanos was prominent among the hawkish owners who voted to close the league for 1994-95?&ldquo;1 believe that (had the season been cancelled) the NHL would have survived very nicely,&rdquo; Karmanos says. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a very large silent majority of fans who are fed up with the kind of cost they&rsquo;re suffering. They quickly identified that the players&rsquo; demands were the things that were driving up the costs.&rdquo;While some analysts contend a cancelled season would have opened the big-league gates for the International League, Karmanos asserts that would not have been the case. He also believes the majority of players would have returned in September on the NHL&rsquo;s terms.&ldquo;Contrary to all the blustering, several players in the upcoming year would have crossed the line,&rdquo; Karmanos says. &ldquo;The players realized they&rsquo;re being paid a lot more money than any of them dreamed.&ldquo;Nevertheless, Hartford can absolutely succeed under the new collective bargaining agreement. I say that because the pendulum has moved back toward the center.&rdquo; Karmanos, who has been involved in hockey since he launched a youth program in Detroit during the 1970s, had no compunctions about going eye-to-eye with his Whalers on the contentious issues.&ldquo;I told them the real competition is not between players and management, but between hockey and other sports who are competing for their interest,&rdquo; he says.Outspoken as a businessman, he&rsquo;s no less candid about NHL matters. Karmanos doesn&rsquo;t hesitate when asked his opinion of NHL Players&rsquo; Association executive director Bob Goodenow.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never accused Bob of being a rocket scientist,&rdquo; Karmanos says. &ldquo;In 1992, he caught NHL leadership at its weakest point in the last 10 years and he scored a victory.&ldquo;What he failed to understand this time was the real economic situation in the league. If we had existed with the status quo, maybe seven to nine teams would have gone out of business. Imagine what that would have done to his union.&rdquo;How it would have affected the Whalers is open to debate. But now there&rsquo;s an agreement in place, the Whalers are safe. They&rsquo;ll make it in Hartford. &#9632;

f0013-01

Whale should be safe in Hartford

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>Nobody will ever mistake Larry Murphy for Bobby Orr.Murphy shoots right; Orr shot left.Okay, there are other differences. But there are also similarities.Murphy is in no way as flashy or talented as the former Boston Bruin great, but he has been one of the most effective offensive defensemen of his era-if not one of the most anonymous.As the season kicked off, Murphy had his sights on vaulting past Orr into fifth place on the NHL&rsquo;s all-time scoring list for defensemen.The 33-year-old Pittsburgh Penguin was No. 6 entering the season with 907 points, just eight back of Orr. It won&rsquo;t be the first time he has supplanted Orr in the record book.Murphy burst onto the NHL as a 19-year-old with the Los Angeles Kings and instantly established himself as an offensive force by setting league records for most assists (60) and points (76) by a freshman rearguard. Both records belonged to Orr.&ldquo;I take a lot of pride in my accomplishments on the ice,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m also realistic. 1 know what Bobby On-meant to the game of hockey and he stands alone in terms of greatness. Still, if my name shows up on a chart of highest scoring defensemen with Orr&rsquo;s name, it&rsquo;s an honor.&rdquo;Although Murphy comes across as laid back, he was one of the most intense workers on behalf of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association during collective bargaining agreement talks.Murphy has always made it his business to understand the business of hockey. He has expressed interest in pursuing a front-office opportunity in the game when he retires and has the intellectual ability to be successful.When the Penguins found themselves without a player representative last summer-Kevin Stevens had grown weary of the assignment-they needed a replacement who understood the complexity of the games played in the boardroom.Murphy, a 14-year-veteran of the NHL, was the perfect candidate. He is naturally inquisitive and is already working toward a post-playing career in business. He is part-owner of a Pittsburgh-based financial management company.Murphy made a point of analyzing every collective bargaining agreement proposal so when he was confronted with questions by teammates and the media, he could provide credible answers. He was forced, at times, to take an unpopular stance.One high-profile member of the NHLPA&rsquo;s bargaining committee reportedly chastised Murphy on a conference call after Murphy said there was enough middle ground in an offer made by the owners for the players to give it consideration.The other player reportedly asked, &ldquo;Where are your balls, Murph?&rdquo; to which Murphy replied, &ldquo;I think with my brains, not my balls.&rdquo;There&rsquo;s no denying Murphy still has a zest to play the game. He has two years remaining on his contract and Murphy expects to keep playing beyond that. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the 1995-96 season.Twice a runner-up for the Norris Trophy which honors the league&rsquo;s best defenseman, and twice a second team all-star, Murphy played in just his first All-Star Game last season.&ldquo;That blows my mind,&rdquo; said Penguins&rsquo; coach Ed Johnston. &ldquo;This guy has been among the game&rsquo;s top scoring defenseman consistently throughout his career and he plays in his first All-Star Game in his 14th season? That doesn&rsquo;t seem right to me.&rdquo;Murphy was a key member of the Penguins&rsquo; back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams in 1991 and &rsquo;92. The Penguins were first-round losers in last season&rsquo;s playoff tournament, but Murphy was typically sound. His 17 goals ranked him eighth among defenseman and his 73 points put him seventh.&ldquo;You never have to worry when he&rsquo;s out oh the ice,&rdquo; Johnston said. &ldquo;He does little things that benefit the team.&ldquo;The most obvious is his ability to keep the puck in at the other team&rsquo;s blueline. Whether he has to bat it out of the air with his stick or a glove, he nearly always manages to do it. And he makes it look easy. That&rsquo;s the sign of a great player.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011604/6854190-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="928" height="1588"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios)</figcaption></div><h2>CLIMBING THE CHART</h2>Assuming he plays at least three more seasons, Larry Murphy can expect to finish his career in third place on the all-time scoring list for defensemen. Here are the top 10 point-getters entering this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021212/6854183-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="511" height="511"></div> &#9632;

f0014-01

Excellent points

<div class="byline">-Robyn Norwood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011481/6854228-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="550" height="937"><figcaption class="caption-body">Oleg Tverdovsky</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021032/6854221-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="145" height="145"></div>There&rsquo;s rookiemania in Anaheim, where the Mighty Ducks have six freshmen in their regularlineup and will add a seventh whenever Mikhail Shtalenkov is in goal.Left winger Paul Kariya&rsquo;s prowess is no surprise, but defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky made a splashy debut after being sidelined most of the last three months with lingering groin and foot problems.Tverdovsky showed his speed and offensive-mindedness in his debut, but also played with defensive composure. In his second game, Tverdovsky had three assists.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s only 18,&rdquo; said coach Ron Wilson. &ldquo;What amazed me was he didn&rsquo;t get caught up in the hoopla of opening night, and we have more distractions here than any other team. He&rsquo;s oblivious to everything.&rdquo;David Sacco was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Terry Yake just before the lockout and was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the International League for depth. Instead it looks like he&rsquo;ll stick, playing on a line with his brother, Joe, and getting time on the power play.Other rookie regulars are forwards Valeri Karpov, John Lilley and Steve Rucchin.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Don McSween underwent successful surgery to repair nine tendons and two nerves Jan. 24 after being severely cut on the right wrist by the skate blade of Winnipeg Jet Keith Tkachuk. He&rsquo;s out for the season, but should be ready for training camp next fall&hellip; Forward Patrik Carn-back returned from Sweden in time for the Ducks&rsquo; second game and had a goal and assist in his debut against Winnipeg and made a diving assist on an overtime game-winner against the Edmonton Oilers in his second game. &#9632;</div>

f0015-01

Duck rookies make splash

<div class="byline">-Mike Loftus</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03739/6854259-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="139" height="148"></div>Life hasn&rsquo;t been easy for goalies during the reign of Boston Bruins&rsquo; coach Brian Sutter, as Reggie Lemelin, Andy Moog, Jon Casey and John Blue could tell you.But in his third season in Boston, Sutter may finally have found a goalie with whom he can live.Blaine Lacher, the 24-year-old rookie signed as a free agent by Boston on May 19, stood the NHL on its ear in the first week, winning his first three games while chalking up an 0.65 goals-against average. Lacher capped the week with his first NHL shutout, a 33-save masterpiece in a 1-0 overtime triumph over the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 26.&ldquo;Obviously, I couldn&rsquo;t ask for a better start than this,&rdquo; said Lacher, who won a National Collegiate Athletic Association championship last season at Lake Superior State. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t had much time to think about it yet. I&rsquo;m speechless, really.&rdquo;Actually, Lacher is rarely at a loss for words. Over his first week in the league, he managed to make fun of a goal Philadelphia Flyer Dave Brown scored against him which went off Brown&rsquo;s body. &ldquo;Typical Dave Brown goal,&rdquo; Lacher said. He also referred to Devil Mike Peluso as &ldquo;just a jerk.&rdquo;That brashness is one reason Sutter likes Lacher so much.&ldquo;He has got an attitude,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to make lofty comparisons where he&rsquo;s concerned, but what you want from a goalie is for him to make crucial saves when you need them. That&rsquo;s what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Al Ia-frate met with Bruin management on Jan. 18 to straighten out differences of opinion that led to his trainingcamp walkout in September. &ldquo;It was just a misunderstanding, really,&rdquo; said assistant general manager Mike O&rsquo;Connell. Iafrate left camp, thinking the Bruins were rushing him onto the ice before his surgically repaired left knee was ready. He returned to his home near Detroit after the Jan. 18 meeting to continue rehabilitation, but was expected to be in Boston fulltime by the end of January. &#9632;</div>

f0015-03

Lacher ‘has an attitude,’ motherlode of talent, too

<div class="byline">-Jim Kelley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05380/6854290-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="539" height="948"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pat LaFontaine</figcaption></div>Pat LaFontaine is no longer day-to-day. He&rsquo;s more like mid-February-to-late-February.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04542/6854297-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="137" height="140"></div>The Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; center was told it would be at least mid-February before he might return. That news came 48 hours after he missed the season opener against the New York Rangers and just days after the Sabres announced he was fit to play.The club and LaFontaine revised that statement the morning of the opener and LaFontaine said doctors would consult on a day-to-day basis regarding his situation. Neither he nor coach-general manager John Muckier set a date for his return.LaFontaine has since began thera-py/rehabilitation sessions with supervision by Dr. John Marzo, the team&rsquo;s orthopedic consultant, and Dr. Jeffrey Minkoff, the orthopedic surgeon for the New York Islanders.It was Dr. Minkoff who did the surgery to repair LaFontaine&rsquo;s tom anterior cruciate ligament 14 months ago. The Buffalo News reported it was Dr. Minkoff who countermanded the earlier clearance and told LaFontaine he could not play.The Sabres also noted that Steve Wirth, a physical therapist under contract to the Islanders, would supervise LaFontaine&rsquo;s rehabilitation both in Buffalo and in the New York City area. The Sabres do not have a full-time therapist under contract.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>LaFontaine made one pre-season appearance prior to the 105-day lockout. There was a setback in November while LaFontaine was working out on his own.NOTEBOOK: The Sabres are being sued by M&T Bank for the repayment of money borrowed to pay for the financing of their new arena. The bank claims a loan of $140,000 was not repaid&hellip; Grant Fuhr got the opening night win against the Rangers and Dominik Hasek followed up with wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils. It was the first time since 1975-76 the Sabres opened with three wins. That club set a franchise record for wins from the start of the season with eight. &#9632;

f0015-05

LaFontaine not ready

<div class="byline">-Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021073/6854335-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="547" height="880"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joe Nieuwendyk</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011391/6854342-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="142" height="145"></div>In a move that goes against conventional NHL thinking, the Calgary Flames have taken their team captain, Joe Nieuwendyk, to salary arbitration.The move was Calgary&rsquo;s way of settling a complex issue-how to get Nieuwendyk to declare his contract status for the 1994-95 season.Nieuwendyk did not sign his option papers and didn&rsquo;t file for salary arbitration either. Under the transition rules adopted by the NHL to move from the old collective bargaining agreement to the new one, players in Nieuwendyk&rsquo;s unique position had 10 days from the start of mini-training camp to declare their intentions.When Nieuwendyk did neither by the ninth day, the Flames filed for arbitration. Technically, that gives Nieuwendyk a contract status for the coming season-and means he can play beyond the fifth game.&ldquo;It buys time,&rdquo; said Nieuwendyk&rsquo;s agent, Herb Pinder, &ldquo;but these arbitrations could take a long time before we get to them.&rdquo;In the meantime, there is nothing preventing the two sides from agreeing to a new contract. Nothing except their differences over how much Nieuwendyk should be paid.The Flames reportedly offered $1.6 million (Cdn). on a one-year deal. Nieuwendyk wants a multi-year contract and would probably settle for that amount if it were paid in U.S. dollars.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what message this sends,&rdquo; Nieuwendyk said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy I can continue to play, but it&rsquo;s frustrating. I was hoping it would be over. Now, it&rsquo;s just prolonged.&rdquo;Nieuwendyk missed all of September&rsquo;s training camp because of back spasms. Accordingly, he had played virtually no hockey since last year&rsquo;s playoffs-and even then, his role was limited because of a recurring knee injury. All things considered, he was playing pretty well-showing no ill effects of either of the injuries that had plagued him these past 11 months.&ldquo;Mentally, the (contract) thing has been wearing on me,&rdquo; Nieuwendyk said. &ldquo;That, along with not playing for such a long time, was a tough combination. Now that the situation is clearer, I can work hard every day and know I&rsquo;m going to be playing every night.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Center Michael Nylander, penciled as the team&rsquo;s No. 1 center, will miss nine-to-12 weeks after breaking his left wrist in a Jan. 24 game against the St. Louis Blues when he collided with defenseman Bill Houlder. Coach Dave King described it as, &ldquo;a tragedy. The lockout took away three-and-a-half months, which he needed to develop in. The injury will take away another three months.&rdquo;&hellip; Bad luck continues to dog Kelly Kisio. In his first start of the season, Jan, 22 against the Detroit Red Wings, Kisio broke his ribs.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03798/6854328-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="552" height="888"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly Kisio</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0016-02

Flames use arbitration to force captain’s hand

<div class="byline">-Tim Sassone</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04586/6854373-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="145" height="140"></div>The Chicago Blackhawks didn&rsquo;t have much time to grow accustomed to their new surroundings.After an initial two-game homestand. the Blackhawks headed out on the road for eight games.But at least they made a good impression in their debut at the $175-million United Center Jan. 25 beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1. For the record, Joe Murphy scored the first goal in the new building.&ldquo;It may take us seven to 10 games to get comfortable in there,&rdquo; said center Jeremy Roenick. &ldquo;It still feels like we&rsquo;re on the road every time I walk into the dressing room.&rdquo;The noise level isn&rsquo;t what it was at cozy Chicago Stadium, mainly because the fans are much further away from the ice. But it is noisy, which was a concern since the National Basketball Association Chicago Bulls have complained about the sterile atmosphere in the United Center.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very much a different crowd,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;The Bulls have an executive crowd. Hawk fans are wild people; that&rsquo;s what we love about them.&rdquo;Captain Dirk Graham agreed it&rsquo;s the fans who brought the old Stadium to life.&ldquo;Everyone talks about the atmosphere in the new place, but to me it&rsquo;s the crowd that makes an atmosphere,&rdquo; Graham said. &ldquo;When the Stadium was sitting there with no one in it, it didn&rsquo;t have much life, either.&rdquo;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s still Chicago and the people are going to act the same way,&rdquo; said defenseman Cam Russell.Coach Darryl Sutter wasn&rsquo;t worried about the larger ice surface, mainly because the Hawks feel they&rsquo;ve upgraded their skill and speed.Sutter said the boards aren&rsquo;t as lively as they are in other buildings, and goaltenders have complained about some inconsistent bounces off the glass.&ldquo;We just haven&rsquo;t played there or practised there enough,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s an adjustment the players will have to make in a hurry.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Bob Probert has entered a halfway house as part of his drug rehab program in California. There was no date set for his release&hellip; Popular national anthem vocalist Wayne Messmer will not be part of the atmosphere at the United Center. Messmer was fired because of his association with the International League&rsquo;s Chicago Wolves. Messmer is an executive vice-president with the Wolves. Messmer sang for the final time at the home opener.Jeremy Roenick didn&rsquo;t appreciate getting kneed by Winnipeg Jet Thomas Steen in a game Jan. 23. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s okay, I know what number he wears and we play them four more times,&rdquo; Roenick said.. .Roger Johansson reported Jan. 25 after being stuck in Calgary for five days due to immigration problems. The Hawks claimed Johansson in the waiver draft Jan. 18. &#9632;</div>

f0016-04

Hawks don’t feel at home playing in United Center

<div class="byline">-Mike Heika</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011246/6854404-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="136" height="130"></div>The Dallas Stars went through all of last season without deciding who was their clear-cut No. 1 goalie, so it&rsquo;s no surprise they picked up this season right where they left off.The key to a 2-0-1 start was above average goaltending by Andy Moog and Darcy Wakaluk.Moog began his second season in Dallas with a 1-0-1 start, including a 1.44 goals-against average and a.945 save percentage.The 34-year-old veteran used two very different approaches in the games. In a season-opening tie withthe Vancouver Canucks, Moog played a conservative style. In a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, Moog was more daring in his approach.&ldquo;I think basically I&rsquo;ve been able to use what I have,&rdquo; Moog said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve still got things to do and places to improve.&rdquo;Wakaluk was similarly strong in a 4-1 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He didn&rsquo;t see a shot for the first 7:48 of the game, but responded well once the Ducks started firing.The tandem that was so successful for Dallas last season is ready to share the time once again this year.&ldquo;I think the team has played welland played hard, but I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re close to what we can do yet,&rdquo; Moog said. &ldquo;I fully expect we can pick up the level of play even more.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The first meeting between Shane Churla and Pavel Bure of Vancouver turned out to be much ado about nothing as the two were rarely were rarely on the ice at the same time. But Churla, who was knocked out of last year&rsquo;s playoffs by a vicious Bure elbow, said he will get revenge sometime: &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll come and I think he knows that. I want him looking over his shoulder every time we play.&rdquo; &#9632;</div>

f0017-01

Goaltending tandem continues to save day

<div class="byline">-Keith Gave</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02942/6854442-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sergei Fedorov joined the Detroit Red Wings after three games.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03678/6854435-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="148" height="142"></div>When does three games seem like three months? When a shortened season gets under way and the NHL&rsquo;s MVP can&rsquo;t play because he&rsquo;s serving a suspension.&ldquo;These three games,&rdquo; said Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; center, &ldquo;they seemed longer than the lockout.&rdquo;Fedorov showed little remorse for the stick attack on Jay More of the San Jose Sharks in last year&rsquo;s playoffs that cost him the three-game sentence. But with a great deal of anxiety, Fedorov rejoined the lineup and scored a pretty goal in a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.&ldquo;I had a suspension. There&rsquo;s nothing I can do about it,&rdquo; Fedorov said. Asked if he regretted sticking More, he added, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. I&rsquo;d rather not answer that, but I guess no.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s part of the game. You can only take so much abuse. I had to do something. Maybe that wasn&rsquo;t the best decision, but hockey&rsquo;s an intense game and I did not control myself so much like a normal person.&rdquo;The Red Wings went 2-1-0 without Fedorov.&ldquo;Without Sergei, we have a good hockey club,&rdquo; said teammate Mark Howe. &ldquo;With him, we&rsquo;re a different hockey team.&rdquo;Amid rumors that the Wings were trying to acquire Valeri Kamensky from the Quebec Nordiques to form an all-Russian line with Fedorov and winger Slava Kozlov, Fedorov confessed to mixed emotions.&ldquo;I would hate for people&rsquo; to talk of Detroit like they talked about Winnipeg last year-too many Russians,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Not that it&rsquo;s a bad idea. Why not? I guess we&rsquo;re doing okay, eh?&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Wings&rsquo; coach Scotty Bowman said he is not offering right winger Martin Lapointe to Quebec for Valeri Kamensky. &ldquo;Martin is as close to an untouchable as we have on this team,&rdquo; Bowman said. &#9632;</div>

f0017-02

Fedorov shows no remorse for attack on Sharks’ More

<div class="byline">-Dan Barnes</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04497/6854473-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="139" height="146"></div>Big-league potential has always been a Thomy issue.The Los Angeles Kings saw it in Scott Thornton and decided it was worth $1,375 million (U.S.) over three years. So they signed the free agent center-who has just five goals in 118 NHL games-to an offer sheet.Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; general manager Glen Sather didn&rsquo;t value it that much, but matched the offer because the prospect of a second-round draft choice as compensation wasn&rsquo;t the least bit palatable.Oilers&rsquo; rookie coach George Burnett, who marveled at in his two seasons with the Cape Breton Oilers, will demand it in Edmonton. And Thornton&rsquo;s teammates have gaped open-mouthed at it for years-in training camps and shinny games-but so rarely on NHL ice.&ldquo;1 feel I have never played up to my potential in this league and to that extent it is up to me,&rdquo; Thornton said. &ldquo;Time isn&rsquo;t running out, I just turned 24 years old. But this is my fifth year in professional hockey.&rdquo;Thornton was impressive in a 2-1 home-opening win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, winning some crucial draws in the last minute.NOTEBOOK: The Oilers signed Swedish center Mats Lindgren to a five-year, $4.3-million deal Jan. 20. He will join the Oilers after his Swedish Elite Division team, Faijes-tad, is finished playing in March. In 21 games, he has nine goals and 18 points&hellip; Center Vladimir Vujtek was assigned to the Las Vegas Thunder of the International League Jan. 20. Vujtek was willing to go to Cape Breton, but loves the change in plans. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s good for me to change, start from the beginning somewhere else,&rdquo; he said.Mike Stapleton negotiated his own one-year contract. &ldquo;I gave him a good deal,&rdquo; Glen Sather said. &#9632;</div>

f0017-04

Great Scott, just do it!

<div class="byline">-Dave Joseph</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011279/6854504-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="145" height="144"></div>If there was one sure thing about the Florida Panthers last season, it was their ability not to blow a game in the third period.After going 30-0-5 last year when holding a lead going into the third period, the Panthers squandered a one-goal lead and lost opening night against the New York Islanders. Then against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida blew two one-goal leads en route to another loss.Suddenly, there were no sure things anymore, and the Panthers were playing undisciplined; a death-sentence under coach Roger Neilson&rsquo;s defensive system.Neilson didn&rsquo;t wait long to shake things up. After being outmuscled in Tampa Bay 3-2 Jan. 25, he shuffled three of his four lines. The experiment worked, as the Panthers came back the following evening in Miami for their first win of the season.The victory was secured by right winger Bob Kudelski, who scored a pair of goals playing on a line with left winger Dave Lowry and center Stu Barnes. Kudelski had gone 17 regular-season games without a goal and 42 without scoring a pair of goals.&ldquo;About time, huh?&rdquo; Kudelski smiled. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re going through a slump like I was, it&rsquo;s always nice to get the first one out of the way.&rdquo;Kudelski&rsquo;s second goal was a beau-ty-a quick flick of the wrist on the power-play from a tough angle.&ldquo;When Kudelski gets good shots they seem to find a hole,&rdquo; Neilson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a scorer and has had a tough time putting it in the net. He looked happy about those goals.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Jody Hull and Rob Niedermayer each scored a pair of goals in the four games&hellip; The only line Roger Neilson didn&rsquo;t change was the checking line of Hull, Mike Hough and Brian Skrudland.The Panthers used defensemen Paul Laus and Brent Severyn against the Lightning instead of veterans Joe Cirella and Brian Benning. Both Laus and Severyn tangled with Rudy Poeschek. Laus came away with three stitches over his left eye. &#9632;</div>

f0018-01

Third-period perfection takes turn for the worse

<div class="byline">-Jeff Jacobs</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03655/6854535-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="544" height="960"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pat Verbeek</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02945/6854542-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="140" height="141"></div>Paul Ranheim can take comfort in one thought.He knows Hartford Whalers fans won&rsquo;t see him play any worse than he did last spring. The left winger&rsquo;s body arrived from the Calgary Flames in a trade last March. His hockey game didn&rsquo;t arrive until Jan. 22.Held out of the lineup on opening night against the Washington Capitals and part of an overload of 15 forwards, Ranheim&rsquo;s future didn&rsquo;t look so swell in Hartford. But he got his chance in Game 2 against the New Jersey Devils and was the Whalers&rsquo; best forward, according to general manager Jim Rutherford.Two games later, he scored a goal-his first as a Whaler-and an assist in the 3-2 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia.&ldquo;Even before I was traded, I really lost confidence as a player,&rdquo; Ranheim said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t playing the entire game, just chasing, trying to keep guys in check. I didn&rsquo;t even want to handle the puck. After the trade, I thought it was all going to suddenly break for me and play the way I used to. It didn&rsquo;t happen that way and I got more frustrated.&rdquo;After Ranheim&rsquo;s signs of rebirth, the Whalers sent Jim Storm to Springfield of the American League, further reducing a slew of trade rumors involving Ranheim in recent months.&ldquo;He was shocked and hurt he was traded. His wife is from Calgary, too,&rdquo; said Hartford coach Paul Holmgren. &ldquo;He came to a team that was struggling. Throw in the fact he was trying to break out of that checking role and there are four factors for you. He was almost robotic in Calgary the last few years after scoring 20 to 26 goals for them.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NOTEBOOK: Before losing in Philadelphia, Hartford had a three-game (1-0-2) unbeaten streak to start the season for the first time in team history&hellip; Right winger Pat Verbeek, a free agent carrying no compensation after the season, has been the subject of trade rumors&hellip; Defenseman Adam Burt missed two games with a slightly sprained right knee. &#9632;

f0018-03

Ranheim has arrived

<div class="byline">-Rick Sadowski</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04410/6854580-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="538" height="934"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly Hrudey</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05275/6854573-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="143" height="144"></div>Don&rsquo;t tell the Los Angeles Kings carrying three goalies is superfluous. Turns out, the Kings could have used four.They were down to one, rookie Jamie Storr, after Robb Stauber and Kelly Hrudey were injured Jan. 22 in the Kings&rsquo; 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Stauber broke the tip of his right ring finger in the first period and Hrudey suffered a severely bruised right kneecap in the second.So Storr went from sitting in the stands to the bench at the start of the second period and took the warmup before the third while Hrudey received a pain-killing injection.Two nights later, with Stauber on the shelf for at least a week and Hrudey too sore to dress, StoiT made his first NHL start. He stopped 35 of 38 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars with Pauli Jaks, summoned frorp Phoenix of the International League, serving as the backup.Storr, 19, became the youngest King ever to tend goal and while his first goal allowed was a soft one, he played well.&ldquo;What I liked to see was how he battled back after that,&rdquo; said coach Barry Melrose.Except for the circumstances that led to his debut, Storr was thrilled.&ldquo;It felt great to get the first one under my belt,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t as nervous as I thought I would be.&rdquo;Storr stopped 31 shots in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in his next start, after which Melrose proclaimed, &ldquo;He was great. 1 think we&rsquo;ve found ourselves a goalie.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Robert Lang, penciled in as the second-line center, was scratched after just one game&hellip; Kelly Hrudey agreed to terms on a two-year, $2.7-million contract Jan. 20. He was entering the option year of his contract. &#9632;</div>

f0018-04

Jamie left to mind Storr

<div class="byline">-Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011182/6854611-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="139" height="133"></div>Gilbert Dionne is at it again. The Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; left winger put himself in the middle of a controversy less than one week after swearing he would keep his mouth shut this season.Dionne played in the Canadiens&rsquo; season opener against the New York Rangers Jan. 21 alongside Kirk Muller, but was held without a shot and was scratched for Montreal&rsquo;s home opener against the Washington Capitals Jan. 25.Asked about the move, Dionne gave what he felt were innocuous remarks. As a rookie, when he played with Denis Savard, &ldquo;all I had to do was plant myself in front of the net and I&rsquo;d get the puck on my stick. It might be better for me if I dropped the scientific play,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to do like the other players-chase the puck like a chicken with its head cut off. That&rsquo;s the way you have to play to be noticed more.&rdquo;Patrick Roy took umbrage with the notion that the players play like chickens with their heads cut off.&ldquo;Gilbert has never made great statements,&rdquo; Roy said. &ldquo;A guy who makes that kind of a statement is not necessarily respected in the dressing room.&rdquo;Dionne said Roy should have come to him first instead of going public.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be in the way of Patrick. He&rsquo;s the best goalie in the league,&rdquo; Dionne said. &ldquo;But he should have pulled me aside. I see he reads the paper everyday. I&rsquo;ll have to watch myself.&rdquo;This isn&rsquo;t the first time Dionne&rsquo;s comments have landed him in hot water. Last season Dionne suggested it was impossible to score with Ron Wilson and Ed Ronan as linemates.He also said John LeClair, a 19-goal scorer in 1994-95 who is held in high regard by management, &ldquo;must have nine lives.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Canadiens&rsquo; general manager Serge Savard is part of a conglomerate which recently purchased Montreal&rsquo;s Chateau Champlain Hotel for $18 million. The hotel is located near the new Forum. &#9632;</div>

f0019-01

Dionne back in hot water after shooting from lip

<div class="byline">-Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03568/6854642-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="542" height="960"><figcaption class="caption-body">Valeri Zelepukin</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02854/6854649-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="151" height="139"></div>Did the lockout have such a devastating effect on the delicate balance of New Jersey Devils, or were one of the Stanley Cup favorites simply off to a rocky start?Although they had the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s top offense last season with 306 goals, the Devils struggled offensively as they opened the season with their worst ever start (0-2-1). They scored just two goals in those three games.The previous worst start came in 1983-84 when the Devils went 1-2-0 under Billy MacMillan, who was fired when the team dropped to 2-18-0.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s frustrating,&rdquo; said captain Scott Stevens. &ldquo;Things don&rsquo;t always go your way. It&rsquo;s still early, but we want to get a win under our belts.&rdquo;After an opening night tie with the Whalers in Hartford, coach Jacques Lemaire lashed out at his players during a lackluster practise session.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like what I see,&rdquo; Lemaire said. &ldquo;The mental aspect is lacking. It&rsquo;s a problem that could&rsquo;ve been there from the start, but it was tiny. I&rsquo;m surprised, but it won&rsquo;t remain.&rdquo;They responded by outplaying the Sabres in Buffalo, only to be defeated 2-1. Then came a 1-0 overtime loss to Bruins&rsquo; rookie Blaine Lacher in Boston after which Lemaire ripped referee Lance Roberts.&ldquo;He has no guts,&rdquo; Lemaire said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the book on him. He&rsquo;S more worried about line changes than about doing his job.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Ken Daneyko was arraigned Jan. 18 in Wayne, N.J. municipal court for allegedly fondling a waitress at a go-go club Dec. 7. Charged with aggravated sexual assault, Daneyko was released on his own recognizance. Prosecutors were to decide whether to send the case to a grand jury.Left winger Valeri Zelepukin was hit in the right eye by a stick during a Jan. 24 practice. He sustained no damage, but remained hospitalized for five days with swelling&hellip; Viach-eslav Fetisov accompanied the club on the road, but did not sign a contract while still getting into shape. &#9632;

f0019-03

Coach issues wake-up call

<div class="byline">-Jeff Williams</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011066/6854680-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="145" height="145"></div>The New York Islanders are deep on the right side, so it looks like right winger Brad Dalgamo is the odd man out.The right wing spot got crowded when the Islanders signed first-round draft choice Brett Lindros and decided rookie Zigmund Palffy was ready to play. Also ahead of Dalgamo at this point are captain Pat Hatley and first-liner Steve Thomas.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be patient for awhile and keep plugging along,&rdquo; said the 27-year-old Dalgamo, who was hampered at the start of the season by a hernia. He underwent a corrective procedure on Jan. 21, the opening day of the season.New coach Lome Henning has changed around the lines that Al Arbour had used for most of the past two seasons and that means the Kid Line, where Dalgamo spent most of his time, is no more.Lindros clearly brings name value and some added toughness to the lineup, though at 19 he has a long way to go. Palffy is a true sniper and got both goals in the Islanders&rsquo; opening-night victory over the Horida Panthers.&ldquo;I guess both those guys bring something different to the lineup,&rdquo; Dalgarno said, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;m sure (the organization) will give them every chance to prove themselves.&rdquo;Dalgamo, the Islanders&rsquo; No. 1 pick in 1986, finally found a place on the roster the last two seasons, though was never more than a third-liner.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Bob Beers, whom the Islanders obtained as a free agent in the off-season, underwent reconstructive surgery Jan. 30 on the bones around his right eye. He was hit by a puck in practice on Jan. 16.When Ray Ferraro scored the tying goal against the Ottawa Senators Jan. 22, it had a special meaning. &ldquo;A whole flood of emotions went through me,&rdquo; said Ferraro, whose father Ed died Dec. 29 in Trail, B.C., of congestive heart failure. &ldquo;Anyone who knows the relationship my dad and me had knows this season has very special meaning for me.&rdquo; &#9632;</div>

f0020-01

Strength on starboard side leaves Dalgarno out in cold

<div class="byline">-Rick Carpiniello</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03482/6854711-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="538" height="954"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Messier</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02715/6854718-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="135" height="142"></div>When New York Rangers&rsquo; captain Mark Messier spoke of the &ldquo;overwhelming&rdquo; commitment the team had just made to him, he broke down and cried.The Rangers finally completed the renegotiation of his contract on Jan. 26, signing him to a new two-year deal with the team holding an option on a third year, at about $6 million per season.&ldquo;To show you what kind of guy we&rsquo;re talking about, when we finished the talks, Neil Smith asked Mark, &lsquo;Are you happy?&rsquo; and Mark said he&rsquo;d be happier if we were 3-1,&rdquo; said Madison Square Garden president Dave Checketts. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what Mark is all about. Mark Messier is all about winning.&rdquo;The option year (1996-97), when Messier will turn 36, is entirely at the Rangers&rsquo; discretion.Messier looked around a room crowded with reporters, Rangers&rsquo; management people and members of his own family and tried to talk about how much his New York experience has meant to him. But he choked up several times, when he got to, &ldquo;It has been three amazing years.&rdquo;Several times he had to stop, saying, &ldquo;Let me get it together here. Oh, man,&rdquo; as tears streamed down his face.Smith, the Rangers&rsquo; president and-general manager, saved Messier by cutting in and saying, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to be a Ranger for life.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>In fact, Messier&rsquo;s status as a Ranger hasn&rsquo;t changed much, but his status among the NHL&rsquo;s salary roll call has. He is now behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.NOTEBOOK: Eddie Olczyk was hospitalized for two days recently with kidney stones&hellip; Jean-Yves Roy made his NHL debut Jan. 25 and scored his first NHL goal that night in a loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Mike Richter started the first four games and was 1-3-0 despite giving up two goals three times and three once. Last year Richter started the season at 0-4-0. &#9632;

f0020-03

Team keeps its Messiah

<div class="byline">-Chris Stevenson</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01835/6854756-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="549" height="937"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexei Yashin</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02462/6854749-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="139" height="139"></div>The Ottawa Senators inhouse slogan this year is &ldquo;Take &rsquo;Em By Surprise in &rsquo;95.&rdquo;The Senators already lead the league in surprises.Forty-eight hours after signing No. 1 draft pick Radek Bonk after it looked like he&rsquo;d hold out this season, the Senators resolved their bitter contract dispute with their best player, center Alexei Yashin.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy,&rdquo; Yashin said. &ldquo;I just had to make the best decision each day for the next day. I wanted to get the problem fixed for me and the Ottawa Senators.&rdquo;The nine-month dispute erupted when Yashin claimed Ottawa general manager Randy Sexton reneged on a promise to renegotiate his $4.2 million, five-year deal which was signed in April of 1993.Sexton denied the promise was made. Yashin, who wanted $14 million for the remaining four years of the contract, did not report to the Senators when the lockout ended and was suspended without pay by the team.The club relented on its no renegotiation stance, striking a deal where if Yashin meets certain personal marks tied to game-winning and game-tying goals and team goals, he can have his deal reopened following this season. If the standards are not met, it will be reopened the following summer.In addition he can earn up to $400,000 in performance bonuses.&ldquo;He is as important to this club as Doug Gilmour is to Toronto,&rdquo; said Senators&rsquo; coach Rick Bowness.NOTEBOOK: The Senators started the season with 29 players, leading to some grumbling among the sitters. &ldquo;Some guys are ticked off already,&rdquo; said defenseman Dennis Vial &#9632;</div>

f0021-01

Yashin gets new promise

<div class="byline">-Wayne Fish</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03263/6854787-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="139" height="140"></div>Minutes away from making the kind of history a team likes to avoid, the Philadelphia Flyers called on young captain Eric Lindros to change their course.The Flyers opened the season with three straight losses and no team in franchise history had dropped its initial four.Yet the Flyers, who trailed the Hartford Whalers by a goal with five minutes to play on Jan. 26, were on their way to such dubious distinction until Lindros stepped in.After Garry Galley scored to tie the game, Lindros fought off a pair of Whalers behind the net and managed to center the puck to Mark Recchi for the deciding goal in a 3-2 win.The Flyers&rsquo; pleasure was twofold. They picked up a badly needed two points and they also discovered sticking to coach Terry Murray&rsquo;s disciplined system can pay dividends.&ldquo;We needed this, we really needed this,&rdquo; Lindros said. &ldquo;And we got it.&rdquo;The Flyers had strayed from Murray&rsquo;s plan in defeats to the Quebec Nordiques, Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. In the Hartford game, they were determined to stay with the program.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a matter of habit the last three games,&rdquo; said goalie Dominic Roussel. &ldquo;We opened it up in the third period when we got behind and it didn&rsquo;t work. But this time we stayed with the system and it worked out.&rdquo;Lindros, whose conditioning after the lockout came under question, looked good with a pair of goals against the Islanders on Jan. 24. His strongest effort came against Hartford.NOTEBOOK: Right winger Mark Recchi received a 12-stitch cut over his left eye when hit by teammate Mikael Renberg&rsquo;s deflected shot in a 4-1 loss at Boston on Jan. 22. Recchi experienced some blurred vision and will wear a visor for several weeks&hellip; Only once before (1989-90) in team history did the Flyers start 0-3-0. They missed the playoffs that year&hellip; Enforcer Dave Brown&rsquo;s goal at Boston on Jan. 22 was his first since Nov. 18, 1993. &#9632;</div>

f0021-03

Captain Lindros saves day; helps Flyers avoid infamy

<div class="byline">-Dave Molinari</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05144/6854818-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="542" height="954"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jaromir Jagr</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04188/6854825-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="139" height="140"></div>Peruse the talent the Pittsburgh Penguins could send out on then-power play last season and you might wonder why they didn&rsquo;t score nearly every time they had an extra man.But what looked so promising on paper wasn&rsquo;t particularly productive on the ice and Pittsburgh finished the season with a lackluster conversion rate of 18.8 per cent.They scored 76 goals on 404 tries to rank 13th in the league during the regular season and bottomed out during their playoff series against the Washington Capitals, scoring just twice in 27 attempts. That was a major reason the Capitals eliminated them in six games.&ldquo;If there&rsquo;s one facet of our game I wasn&rsquo;t satisfied with last year-and it&rsquo;s an area I&rsquo;ve always prided myself on-it was our power play,&rdquo; said Penguins&rsquo; coach Ed Johnston. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to get a lot more production.&rdquo;They weren&rsquo;t getting it in the early days of the new season, however. The Penguins converted just two of 16 tries with the extra man during their first three games.Pittsburgh&rsquo;s power play has something of a new look, now that Mario Lemieux is out of the mix. But even without him, the Penguins can dispatch such volatile offensive talents as Luc Robitaille, Kevin Stevens and Jaromir Jagr.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got the personnel,&rdquo; point man Larry Murphy said. &ldquo;Execution is the key.&rdquo;Getting the puck on goal and having somebody around to pounce on any rebounds is key.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to shoot more and we&rsquo;re going to try to set up a guy in front of the net all the time,&rdquo; Johnston said.NOTEBOOK: Ron Francis, was chosen to succeed Mario Lemieux as Pittsburgh&rsquo;s captain. &ldquo;It was an easy decision,&rdquo; Ed Johnston said&hellip; The Penguins opened the season with a three-game winning streak on the road, posting victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. &#9632;

f0021-05

Searching for power source

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01943/6854884-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">New faces in new places: Radek Bonk of Ottawa (Bruce Bennett/BBS)</figcaption></div>NHL season No. 78 will always be remembered for a 105-day lockout, but Jan. 20 marked the start of a 103-day regular season. Fans got their first look at the defending Stanley Cup-champion New York Rangers, who made a big impression on the Buffalo Sabres-one of whom lost his head in all the excitement. Well, at least he appeared to after running into Rangers&rsquo; defenseman Jeff Beukeboom (right).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02634/6854877-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="768" height="1501"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mats Sundin of Toronto</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03413/6854870-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="765" height="1495"><figcaption class="caption-body">Al Maclnnis of St. Louis</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04263/6854863-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="675" height="1475"><figcaption class="caption-body">and Mark Tinor-di of Washington.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01839/6854856-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="3270" height="3478"><figcaption class="caption-body">(John Giamundo/BBS)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0024-01

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

<div class="byline">-Kevin Johnston</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01920/6854915-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="143" height="144"></div>Almost seven years after he was drafted, Stephane Fiset is starting to look like a bona fide NHLer.The 24th overall pick in the 1988 entry draft has yet to fulfill the great expectations placed on him by the Quebec Nordiques.After playing six games (0-5-1) with Quebec in 1989-90, Fiset was sent back to junior with the Victoriav-ille Tigres of the Quebec League and starred for Canada which won a gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Finland in 1990.He spent the next couple of seasons shuffling back and forth between the NHL and American League until the 1992-93 season when he backed up Ron Hextali. He played in 50 games last season and was 20-25-4 with a 3.39 goals-against average.For the first time in his career, Fiset has stepped out of the shadows, leading the Nordiques to wins in their first two games. More determined and less nervous, he&rsquo;s finally playing like a No. 1 goalie.The evolution couldn&rsquo;t have come at a better time for the Nordiques, who have a wealth of scoring potential and upgraded their defense.&ldquo;I was affected by everything that was said about me in the first few years of my career,&rdquo; Fiset said. &ldquo;Every time I stepped on the ice at Le Colisee, I could feel my knees knocking together I was so nervous. But that feeling has finally disappeared.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Nobody was more excited than rookie Adam Deadmarsh in the hours preceding Quebec&rsquo;s opening game in Philadelphia against the Flyers. &ldquo;This is a lifetime dream coming true,&rdquo; said the Nordiques&rsquo; 1993 first-rounder.. .Owen Nolan got off to a great start, scoring three goals in his first two games. Rookie Peter Forsberg assisted on all three of Nolan&rsquo;s goals. &#9632;</div>

f0026-01

Fiset’s pipe dream finally becomes reality

<div class="byline">-Jeff Gordon</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02608/6854953-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brendan Shanahan returned without the benefit of practice time.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03482/6854946-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="133" height="142"></div>While the St. Louis Blues were happy with the franchise-record 20,282 they attracted to open the new Kiel Center, it was one fewer spectator than expected.Right winger Brendan Shanahan, who missed the first three regular-season games with a viral infection, was supposed to be in the stands to watch the Jan. 26 game against the Los Angeles Kings. But an medical exam went well that afternoon and, though Shanahan hadn&rsquo;t skated with his teammates since September, coach Mike Keenan gave him the nod.&ldquo;It was a shock, a nice surprise,&rdquo; Shanahan said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t find out until 7 o&rsquo;clock. I spent the afternoon seeing specialists. They thought my (enlarged) spleen was small enough to be protected by my rib cage.&ldquo;But I wish I had known about this before I rode the bike all afternoon.&rdquo;The record crowd, meanwhile, went home happy as the Blues won 3-1.&ldquo;It was a great night,&rdquo; said Blues&rsquo; captain Brett Hull after scoring twice. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy for everybody.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Mike Keenan kept everybody guessing with his early line combinations. Adam Creighton emerged as an unlikely No. 1 center, enforcer Tony Twist got big minutes at left wing and Denis Chasse surfaced as the No. 2 right winger behind Brett Hull. Esa Tikkanen did a little bit of everything&hellip; The club&rsquo;s third and fourth leading scorers from a year ago, Craig Janney and Kevin Miller, ended up in the doghouse. Janney was scratched from the home opener, which immediately triggered trade speculation.Rookie wingers Patrice Tardif and Craig Johnson were recalled from the Peoria Rivermen of the International League on opening day. Defenseman Jeff Batters was recalled when Rick Zombo went down with a sprained ankle. &#9632;</div>

f0026-02

Shanahan gets surprise with start in the Kiel thing

<div class="byline">-Mike Weaver</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04346/6854984-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="139" height="138"></div>The San Jose Sharks IBjLy added a key ingredient for success when they &mdash; obtained Ulf Dahlen from the Dallas Stars last season.If the Sharks remain as good this season, the right winger could be their most valuable player.After the March 19 trade for defenseman Doug Zmolek, the Sharks finished with a run of 8-2-3 (7-0-2 in Dahlen&rsquo;s first nine games), then upset the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round of the playoffs and narrowly missed beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.&ldquo;I just came in at a good point,&rdquo; said Dahlen, who signed a five-year contract in October worth about $6.5 million. &ldquo;Everybody was picking up their game and the team just went on a roll.&rdquo;Coach Kevin Constantine has pinpointed special-teams play as a primary area where the Sharks must improve this season and Dahlen showed signs of being a catalyst on the power play after his arrival last season. The Sharks were 16-for-73 on the power play in Dahlen&rsquo;s 13 games (21.9 percent), and he had a hand in six of those goals.Dahlen picked up where he left off by scoring a power-play goal for the Sharks in their first game and at least a point in each of the team&rsquo;s first three games.NOTEBOOK: Sharks&rsquo; goalie Arturs Irbe earned his first shutout of the season and the fifth of his career making 28 saves to beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 on Jan. 25 at San Jose Arena&hellip; Prospect Alexei Yegor- ov, a third-round pick in the 1994 draft, left his team in Russia and reported to the Sharks on Jan. 24. Yeg-orov, who came to North America after having a falling out with his coach in Russia, is expected to be assigned to the Roanoke Express of the East Coast League. &#9632;</div>

f0026-04

Dahlen key to Shark attack

<div class="byline">-Roy Cummings</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01876/6855022-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="530" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body">Daren Puppa</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02549/6855015-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="145" height="142"></div>A crowd of 22,367 watched in amazement Jan. 24 as Daren Puppa&rsquo;s stock seemingly rose without the Lightning&rsquo;s top goaltender even setting a skate on the ice.One of those in attendance, however, was not convinced Puppa&rsquo;s value rose with every shot that drifted between his backup&rsquo;s arms and legs.After the Buffalo Sabres riddled J.C. Bergeron for five easy goals, Lightning general manager Phil Esposito refused to significantly raise the ante for Puppa. The Lightning are no closer to signing their 1993-94 most valuable player than they were three months ago.&ldquo;The talks are going very slowly and the offer we had on the table, the one that has been there since before the lockout began, is now off the table,&rdquo; said Puppa&rsquo;s agent Tom Reich. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen anything that approaches a deal from them.&rdquo;Reich said his package takes into account the Lightning&rsquo;s financial situation and Puppa&rsquo;s desire to remain in Tampa Bay. There were reports Puppa is seeking an average $2 million a year. Reich said his four-year proposal calls for Puppa to make slightly more than $1 million in the first year and approximately $2 million in the final year-about $7.2 million over four years.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s too much,&rdquo; Esposito said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve made Daren an offer and it&rsquo;s all we can afford. There is no more. He can take it or leave it.&rdquo;Puppa, who filed for salary arbitration, returned to action Jan. 25 and led the Lightning to their first victory, a 3-2 decision over Florida.NOTEBOOK: The Lightning drew an average of more than 22,000 fans for their first three home games of the season, including more than 26.000 for the opener against Pittsburgh. &#9632;</div>

f0027-01

Puppa, Espo don’t agree

<div class="byline">-Damien Cox</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03358/6855053-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="141" height="138"></div>As it turns out, the Toronto Maple Leafs were really just trying to prepare for the worst possible scenario.With only one accomplished NHL heavyweight in their arsenal, veteran winger Ken Baumgartner, Leaf general manager Cliff Fletcher spent much of his summer trying to sign one of several enforcer-types to ensure the team wasn&rsquo;t exposed if Baumgartner went down.At the time, Fletcher knew what few did, namely Baumgartner had suffered a shoulder injury several months earlier that threatened to blow out at any time. Thus, Fletcher went hard after free agents Louie DeBrusk and Troy Crowder.Fletcher&rsquo;s efforts were fruitless, and the worst possible scenario has come to be. Baumgartner was expected to be lost for the year with a serious injury to his left shoulder two games into the season.&ldquo;Some glorious season as it stands-two games,&rdquo; said a frustrated Baumgartner.Baumgartner was scheduled to have major reconstruction surgery in early February to repair a problem first diagnosed last February at the same time he suffered a broken left wrist in a fight with Ottawa Senators&rsquo; enforcer Dennis Vial.&ldquo;In retrospect, you always wonder why you didn&rsquo;t have surgery last June or something,&rdquo; Baumgartner said. &ldquo;We felt rehab was going to work. But with the role I have to play, a bad shoulder left me somewhat a lame duck.&rdquo;The loss of Baumgartner for a minimum of three months leaves the Leafs shorthanded in the fist department, but Fletcher vowed not to have a knee-jerk reaction and jump into the trade market immediately.NOTEBOOK: After being victimized repeatedly in the Leafs&rsquo; first two games, Swedish rookie defenseman Kenny Jonsson was replaced in the lineup by Drake Berehowsky for the club&rsquo;s home opener Jan. 26 against the Vancouver Canucks. It was Berehowsky&rsquo;s 100th NHL game. &#9632;</div>

f0027-03

Punchless Maple Leafs hit with loss of Baumgartner

<div class="byline">-Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05172/6855084-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="541" height="946"><figcaption class="caption-body">Trevor Linden</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04246/6855091-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="141" height="144"></div>A few years back, when the Vancouver Canucks were just beginning to emerge as a force, Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; general manger Glen Sather made a prediction.&ldquo;Wait until they have some success,&rdquo; Sather said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll start having contract problems like we did.&rdquo;As the lockout ended, the problems bobbed back to the surface like an inflatable toy. One of the least publicized was the situation involving 24-year-old Trevor Linden, who is playing out his option. He stands to become a Group II free agent July 1.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see why a player of Trevor&rsquo;s stature should have to play out his option,&rdquo; said his agent Don Meehan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s captain and he has been there since 18. He&rsquo;s a great leader, had a great playoffs and is well known in the community.&rdquo;Linden&rsquo;s salary this season is $1 million (Cdn.) and he is looking to at least triple that figure. So far, he and Meehan have taken the high road, opting to keep their displeasure fairly quiet.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get any sense they would like to get at it,&rdquo; said Meehan, two weeks after the lockout&rsquo;s negotiating freeze was lifted.Canuck negotiator George McPhee said re-signing Linden was &ldquo;a priority&rdquo; and planned to approach Meehan following a 10-day European scouting trip in February.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NOTEBOOK: Geoff Courtnail decided to abandon his fight for immediate free agency (based on a breach of contract claim) and instead sue the Canucks for the difference in salary he would have received on the open market. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to be like Murray Craven, sitting out for who knows how long, waiting for a ruling,&rdquo; Courtnall said.Craven, a free agent waiting to see if he is Group II or Group V, is scheduled to have an arbitration hearing in early February. He does not plan to re-sign with the Canucks under any circumstances and, if ruled Group II, might even take a $400,000 pro-rated deal to prevent the Canucks from receiving compensation. &#9632;

f0027-05

Linden talks in neutral

<div class="byline">-Dave Fay</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01917/6855122-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="139" height="139"></div>When defenseman Mark Tinordi heard the trade rumors, he didn&rsquo;t believe them.But when they proved to be true-he was dealt by the Dallas Stars to the Washington Capitals for Kevin Hatcher Jan. 18-there was initial disappointment before he decided the time was indeed right to move on.It&rsquo;s a trade that should help both teams. Tinordi will be a solid fixture in front of the Capitals&rsquo; net with a decent offensive flair and Hatcher should be a power-play force for the Stars.Tinordi was pleasantly surprised when he arrived in Washington.&ldquo;The facilities here, really first class,&rdquo; Tinordi said of the Caps&rsquo; practice rink.But there was more to it than that.&ldquo;The big difference I&rsquo;ve noticed so far is the guys are allowed to have fun here,&rdquo; Tinordi said of Caps&rsquo; practices.&ldquo;Practice here is a lot faster, a lot more skating, you don&rsquo;t stand around as much as I&rsquo;m used to. And the guys seem to have fun out there. They&rsquo;re allowed to smile and joke. That&rsquo;s going to be a whale of a difference to me because I&rsquo;m used to putting your game face on 192 days a year.&rdquo;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very important to be enthusiastic and enjoy your work,&rdquo; said Washington coach Jim Schoenfeld. &ldquo;I think you can work hard and still do it with a smile. The only thing I don&rsquo;t want to see is someone talking at the expense of doing your job.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK:The Capitals played three games on the road before their home opener Jan. 27 against the New York Islanders at USAir Arena&hellip; Right winger Keith Jones fractured a bone in his mouth Jan. 24 when he was high-sticked by Quebec Nordique Chris Simon.Goalie Rick Tabaracci missed his first scheduled start Jan. 24 when he broke the pinkie finger on his right hand in practice&hellip; Le Colisee fans appear split over loyalties to ex-Nordique Dale Hunter; they booed when he drilled Adam Foote, but cheered when he scored on Stephane Fiset. &#9632;</div>

f0028-01

Tinordi more than happy to earn salary as a Cap

<div class="byline">-Tim Campbell</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03433/6855153-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="538" height="957"><figcaption class="caption-body">Teemu Selanne</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02608/6855160-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="141" height="144"></div>It was a year ago when the nightmare began with a most harmless looking collision.But one year and one six-inch scar later, Teemu Selanne was making jokes about his last visit to the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.&ldquo;I hate this building,&rdquo; Selanne said Jan. 26 as the Winnipeg Jets drove up to the glitzy new southern California arena for practice. It was the first anniversary of that grim night when Selanne and Mighty Ducks&rsquo; defenseman Don McSween got tangled up during the second period.When the play went back up ice, McSween stepped on the back of Selanne&rsquo;s left leg. The Finnish Flash&rsquo;s Achilles tendon was 75 per cent severed and his season ended after 51 games and 25 goals.For the Jets, the music was already off-key, but that night, the band packed up and left for the season.Selanne has rehabilitated his left leg fully and appeared in good form in the Jets&rsquo; first four games. On his return to scene of the accident, he said he had one thing on his mind-winning-and the injury would not be a factor in his preparation or performance against the Ducks.&ldquo;Of course not,&rdquo; he smiled, showing off his scar. &ldquo;But it was in my mind as soon as I saw this building again. It was exactly one year ago.&ldquo;It was just bad luck. But I&rsquo;ve had big injuries before and it becomes a great challenge after (you&rsquo;re healed). I look for the positives.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Seven points in four games indicates Selanne is back in a groove. He has been skating every bit as well as he did before the injury.NOTEBOOK: Right winger Tie Domi was shunted to the press box because of lackluster play for games Jan. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks and Jan. 25 in San Jose against the Sharks&hellip; The Jets top two defensemen, Dave Manson and Teppo Numminen, missed the first win of the season, 5-3 win over Chicago. Manson had a suspected kidney bruise, but was fine, while Numminen was out with the flu. &#9632;

f0028-03

Selanne in fine form

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01808/6855191-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">David-Alexandre Beauregard was the top Laser before his injury. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios)</figcaption></div>The last goal David-Alexandre Beauregard thought he would ever score was a shot in the dark.Beauregard was on a breakaway. Three seconds later, he lay sprawled on the ice at the Gaucher Arena in St-Hyacinthe, his left eye socket reduced to a small pool of liquid and blood after taking an accidental high stick from Xavier Delisle of the Granby Bisons.&ldquo;I shot with both eyes closed,&rdquo; Beauregard said of the Oct. 16 incident. &ldquo;My other eye closed on instinct.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t until the puck went in the net that he reached up toward the pain. &ldquo;After the shot I touched my eye and 1 knew it was finished.&rdquo;A shot in the dark. After all, it wasn&rsquo;t much different from his chances at an NHL future. He was chosen by the San Jose Sharks last summer 217th overall in the 11th round.But once in a while, something special emerges out of blackness. Beauregard is back playing and prospering with his St-Hyacinthe Laser teammates in the Quebec League.It was neither unprecedented nor entirely improbable that he would return, though for three weeks after the accident he didn&rsquo;t think it possible. Top players, because of their ability, often come back from career-threatening injuries when the less skilled cannot.Beauregard had four goals and seven points in his first six games back beginning Jan. 12 against the Vai d&rsquo;Or Foreurs. He was the best player on the team before the accident with 15 goals and 23 points in 12 games. Now, with head tilted left for better peripheral vision and a protective facemask tougher to dislodge than a safe at Fort Knox, he is the best again.&ldquo;There are guys who have two eyes but not any heart, there are guys who have the fire and the heart,&rdquo; explained Dr. Lyn Montas, the ophthalmologist who operated on Beauregard. &ldquo;These are the things that make the difference.&rdquo; The fire came to surface in a Sharks&rsquo; training camp scrimmage in September. Beauregard was playing with members of the Sharks&rsquo; minor-pro affiliate Kansas City Blades. Five players on each side were selected for a tie-breaking shootout. The 6-foot, 176-pound left-winger from the throw-away round was steamed he wasn&rsquo;t chosen.&ldquo;He was looking right into the coaches&rsquo; eyes, looking like, &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;re going to have five shooters without me being one of them.&rsquo; And they loved it,&rdquo; said Sharks&rsquo; scout Tim Burke, the man responsible for drafting Beauregard.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s like a breath of fresh air. When you&rsquo;re around this kid you feel energy.&rdquo;&#9632; The loss of one eye does not take away 50 per cent of vision-more like 30 to 40 per cent. In that, Beauregard is in good hockey company. Larry Dyck, a one-eyed goalie with the Kalamazoo Wings of the International League, was leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. New York Islanders&rsquo; defenseman Rich Pilon prospers with severely restricted vision in one eye.Then there&rsquo;s one-eyed Frank McGee. The Ottawa Silver Seven Stanley Cup legend had a 14-goal game against Dawson City in the 1905 final. Over four seasons he averaged three goals per regular season game, leading Ottawa to three consecutive Cups.But as it stands today there will be no more Frank McGees and no David-Alexandre Beauregard in the NHL.Sharks&rsquo; director of hockey operations Dean Lombardi said Beauregardis still a legitimate prospect, but in the eyes of the NHL he is as good as blind. NHL by-law 12.7 bans players with one eye from playing in the league.&ldquo;The bylaw is based entirely on the safety of the competing player and the other players,&rdquo; league spokesman Gary Meagher said.If the NHL doesn&rsquo;t change its policy soon the courts may make their own verdict. One-eyed defenseman Greg Neeld challenged a similar American League policy 20 years ago and won (see story below). Legislation protecting persons with disabilities has broadened since then.In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act outlawed disability-based discrimination as long as an individual is qualified for the job and poses no direct threat to the health and safety of others.Beauregard could sue the NHL under the ADA, said Arlene Mayer-son, legal counsel for the Disabled Rights Education and Defense Fund in Berkely, Calif., or could go after the Sharks (who could seek second remedy from the league) under state or federal employment law.&ldquo;Now I&rsquo;m thinking more of my junior career,&rdquo; Beauregard said tactfully. After that we&rsquo;U see what comes.&rdquo;Beauregard&rsquo;s versatility holds his NHL promise. A scorer in junior, he is equally pesky, reckless and fearless-a Bob Errey-type player.&ldquo;By the time this guy got through training camp, he went from longshot to bona fide prospect,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;The bottom line is if he wants to assume that risk (of playing in the NHL), who are we to play God?&rdquo;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big accident, but I can live with this. My confidence was there,&rdquo; Beauregard said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to play just for the pleasure of playing.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0029-01

Out of the darkness: Beauregard returns

<div class="byline">-Mark Brender</div>Talent wasn&rsquo;t enough for Greg Neeld to play in the NHL. The league&rsquo;s by-law against one-eyed players saw to that. But talent could be enough for David-Alexandre Beauregard.In 1977, Neeld won a New York state court case against the American League for his right to play. If Beauregard pursues his NHL dream through the courts, he would be building on the legal ease Neeld began 18 years ago.&ldquo;If (Beauregard) wants to continue, he could use that as a precedent and probably have it turned over if the NHL decides to keep him from playing,&rdquo; said Neeld, 39, now working for a security systems company in Vancouver.Having been denied his own NHL career, he would like nothing better.The common bond between Neeld and Beauregard is an opponent&rsquo;s errant stick and enough ability and desire to overcome adversity.Beauregard, a 19-year old with the St-Hyacinthe Laser and 1994 San Jose Shark draft pick, lost his left eye in a Quebec League game earlier this season. He has since rejoined the Laser.Neeld was a consensus first-round pick before he was struck in the left eye by a stick from Kitchener Ranger Dave Maloney in an Ontario League game in 1973. Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; general manager Punch Imlach still saw enough in Neeld&rsquo;s potential to warrant a significant gamble in the 1974 draft-a fourth-round selection on a one-eyed defenseman whom NHL administrators shunned like the plague.League officials and his agent Alan Eagleson, advised Neeld to quit and return to school for his own safety. He fought them all.Neeld never did make it to hockey&rsquo;s highest level. Imlach&rsquo;s effort to bypass the NHL by-law was quickly blocked and Neeld lost a U.S. antitrust suit against the league. But his perseverance laid the groundwork for Beauregard to complete the inroads Neeld began.With a new lawyer. Neeld went after the AHL, where Imlaeh initially wanted him to play. U.S. District Court judge John T. Blfvin invoked the state&rsquo;s human rights law in striking down the league&rsquo;s by-law. Neeld kept playing in other leagues throughout the legal battles. A six-year career took him through the International and North American Leagues, the World Hockey Association and Europe.Two years after the injury he had learned how to carry his head tilted to the left, with his right eye focused straight ahead to expand his field of vision.&ldquo;All my skills were the same, but I couldn&rsquo;t see the plays happening like before,&rdquo; Neeld said.He eventually received a $100,000 out-of-court settlement from the NHL ($75,000 of which went for lawyer&rsquo;s costs) to stop pursuing his case. His lawyers told him they would quit if he didn&rsquo;t accept the deal.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want their money,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to play in the NHL.&rdquo; &#9632;

Neeld faced blind justice in NHL bid

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div>When the alarm sounds, the Belleville Bulls count on their Firemen Line.Brian Secord, Daniel Cleary and Craig Mills comprise the most potent line in the Ontario League. The Bulls&rsquo; trio was united at the start of the season and was given its nickname by rookie goalie Kory Cooper.&ldquo;We wear red jerseys in practice and Kory said it reminded him of firemen,&rdquo; said Secord, who centers the line that scored 77 goals and 198 points in 48 games.Cooper was quite imaginative when he came up with the line&rsquo;s nickname. He said Secord is the axe; Mills, the left winger, is the engine; and Cleary, the right winger, is the siren.Secord was 11th in the OHL, leading the Bulls with 24 goals and 72 points. Cleary topped all rookies and was second on the team with 24 goals and 66 points. Mills was third on the team with 29 goals and 60 points.&ldquo;Everywhere we go, people are impressed with the kid,&rdquo; Secord said of Cleary, from Newfoundland, who turned 16 Dec. 18. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s so smart with the puck. It just follows him around.&rdquo;Secord is one of only three players left on the team from the 1992 draft. He was the Bulls&rsquo; second pick. Richard Park, the first rounder, and Marc Dupuis, picked third, are the others.The fourth-place Bulls are in the tightest race in the OHL, which is taking shape in the East Division.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01912/6855246-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="714" height="271"></div>DEALING TIME: The Windsor Spitfires, showing how intense the battle is for first in the West, made an interesting trade at the Jan. 27 deadline.The Spitfires got goalie Jamie Storr and a seventh-round draft pick from the Owen Sound Platers. Center Mike Loach and a third- and fourth-round pick went to the Platers.Storr is with the Los Angeles Kings and should he not return this season, the deal is reduced to Loach for a seventh-round pick.The Kitchener Rangers were the most active team, trading five players, including their top three scorers.Trevor Gallant, who led Kitchener with 22 goals and 57 points and was its first pick in 1991, went to the North Bay Centennials for left winger Jim Ensom and a fifth-round pick in 1996.Winger Eric Manlow, second on the Rangers with 54 points, and center Andrew Taylor, Kitchener&rsquo;s first pick in 1993, went to the Detroit Jr. Wings for defenseman Robin La-Cour, the Jr. Wings&rsquo; first pick in 1993, and winger Dylan Seca. The Rangers also got a second-round pick.Wes Swinson, the leading defenseman scorer with 12 goals and 50 points, center Jason Morgan and a sixth-round pick were acquired by the Kingston Frontenacs with Kitchener getting center Brian Scott, a fifth- and eighth-round pick.The Sarnia Sting, a day after saying it was committed to making the playoffs, traded top scorer Stephane Soulliere to the Guelph Storm for a third-round pick. The Sting, the worst team in the Canadian Hockey League at 11-30-3, obtained Soulliere from the Oshawa Generals Nov. 21.&ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;m a bit of a suitcase now, but the saying is you can&rsquo;t trade bad players,&rdquo; said Soulliere, with 19 goals and 49 points.LUCKY 13: Windsor Spitfires&rsquo; overage center Bill Bowler could graduate with his name all over the record book.Bowler, the OHL&rsquo;s active career points leader with 428 in 230 games, was nearing the all-time marks for points and assists. The Spitfires 13th-round pick in 1991 had 289 assists. The record is 303, held by former Ottawa 67&rsquo;s center Brett Seguin. The career points record is 479, set by Stan Drulia with Belleville, the Hamilton Steelhawks and Niagara Falls Thunder.Bowler also has his eye on the Canadian Hockey League record for a consecutive-game points streak. He had at least a point in all 41 games and was 20 off Mario Lemieux&rsquo;s record. Bowler had 21 games remaining. &#9632;

f0030-01

Firemen Line continues to burn up league for Bulls

<div class="byline">By Bob Vanstone</div>Darren Ritchie fashioned a fast 50.The Brandon Wheat Kings&rsquo; right winger notched his 50th and 51st goals of the Western League season Jan. 25-in his team&rsquo;s 49th game.The undrafted Ritchie passed the half-century mark during a 6-5 loss to the host Lethbridge Hurricanes.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to do, but I wasn&rsquo;t really thinking about getting 50 goals within 50 games,&rdquo; said Ritchie, 20. &ldquo;My goal was to get 50 over the season. I did it a little more quickly than I thought I would.&rdquo;Ritchie became the first WHL player to reach the 50-goal plateau this season. He had been blanked for two successive games before returning to form against Lethbridge.&ldquo;I owe a lot to linemates Marty Murray and Chris Dingman,&rdquo; Ritchie said. &ldquo;They do a lot for me.&rdquo;Kamloops Blazers&rsquo; center Darcy Tucker was poised to become the WHL season&rsquo;s second 50-goal man. He scored 46 times in 42 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03420/6855308-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="385" height="380"></div>As impressive as the 50-in-50 standard is, it&rsquo;s nowhere near the WHL record. Bill Der-lago of Brandon scored the league&rsquo;s fastest 50 goals. He did it in just 27 games in 1977-78.CHIEFS TURN CORNER: Inconsistency has been the most consistent aspect of the Spokane Chiefs this season.Spokane opened the season with a 7-3-0 record. After that, the Chiefs went into a 4-25-1 tailspin. Undaunted, Spokane responded with an eight-game winning streak.The latest run of prosperity brightened the spirits of general manager Tim Speltz.&ldquo;You always want to be in the upper echelon,&rdquo; Speltz said. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re in the lower part, you tend to question everything you do.&ldquo;It was never a finger-pointing situation. Everybody in the organization said, &lsquo;We have to do more.&rsquo; That came from management, coaches and players. Everybody took it upon themselves to improve.&rdquo;And it worked.The eight-game winning skein improved Spokane&rsquo;s record to 19-28-1, which was good for fifth place in the seven-team West Division.&ldquo;I have to give a lot of credit to (coach) Mike Babcock,&rdquo; Speltz said. &ldquo;He believed in the system and his approach never changed when things weren&rsquo;t going that well.&rdquo;SAC ATTACK: Lethbridge Hurricanes&rsquo; leading goal-scorer Mark Szoke sustained a painful injury to his left elbow Jan. 11 during a 6-5 loss to the Saskatoon Blades.Szoke, 20, collided with Blades&rsquo; defenseman Wade Belak and fell on the elbow, lacerating his bursa sac. The wound became infected, forcing him to undergo a blood transfusion.As a result, the left winger missed the next five games. He resumed practising Jan. 23, but the elbow was expected to remain tender until mid-February. Szoke was preparing to return to action in early February.Szoke had 35 goals and 64 points in 40 games with Lethbridge. He already has seasons of 55 and 42 goals with the Hurricanes.A VIRTUAL TODD-LER: At 27, Swift Current Broncos&rsquo; coach Todd McLellan looks like he could still play in the WHL.Instead, McLellan is the league&rsquo;s second-youngest coach-next to 26-year-old Doug Hobson of the Prince George Cougars.&ldquo;One of the benefits I have as a young coach is I played in the league for four years with Saskatoon and I understand how the league runs and what players go through,&rdquo; McLellan said.McLellan spent the previous two seasons coaching the Saskatchewan Jr. League&rsquo;s North Battleford North Stars.&ldquo;The difference between the leagues is starting to show,&rdquo; McLellan said. &ldquo;There are more resources available here.&rdquo;CALL RUSTY: Calgary Hitmen coach-GM Graham James is creating a family atmosphere with his expansion team. His brother, Rusty James, was named the franchise&rsquo;s assistant GM Jan. 24. Rusty James spent the previous six seasons coaching midget hockey in Halifax. &#9632;

f0030-03

Hitting 50 plateau early has Ritchie feeling rich

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div>Barry Nieckar&rsquo;s career was nearly over before it began, so he&rsquo;s now fighting to make sure he won&rsquo;t be so easily forgotten again.Nieckar led the American League in penalty minutes (317) and fighting majors (29) in 39 games and was on pace to shatter Rob Ray&rsquo;s AHL single-season record of 446 minutes. At his current pace, Nieckar would end the season with 585 PIM.But the left winger provides more than toughness for the Saint John Flames. He wears an &lsquo;A&rsquo; as alter--nate captain and led the Flames with a plus-11 rating.&ldquo;He has come out of nowhere and been given a legitimate opportunity,&rdquo; said Saint John coach Bob d Francis. &ldquo;At this point you&rsquo;d have to consider him a prospect.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02551/6855370-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="428" height="435"></div>The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder never got above Jr. A during his amateur days and earned a job with the Raleigh IceCaps of the East Coast League following a free-agent tryout in 1991-92.The Hartford Whalers signed Nieckar the next season, but a serious hand injury curtailed his development. The five tendons in his right hand were sliced when he was stepped on after a fight and he played just two NHL games and 21 in the AHL with the Springfield Indians.He played sparingly in Springfield last season before going back to Raleigh.While everyone else went to camp in September, Nieckar was at home in Edmonton.&ldquo;I thought I was done,&rdquo; Nieckar said.But Francis remembered him and Calgary Flames&rsquo; assistant general manager Al Coates soon was phoning Edmonton.&ldquo;I watched him play one game in Phoenix and one game in Springfield, but what intrigued me was his intensity,&rdquo; Francis said. &ldquo;He gives you that physical presence, but he&rsquo;s also a solid all-around player (five goals, nine points in 38 games) who works hard.&rdquo;And he&rsquo;s smart when it comes to k penalties. &ldquo;There are very few times when he&rsquo;s in the box alone,&rdquo; m Francis said.COACH MARIO: His playing career is winding down, so Mario t Roberge is looking to the future.The 31-year-old tough-guy left winger accepted an assignment by the Montreal Canadiens to the Fredericton Canadiens, where he will be a playing assistant coach.Roberge&rsquo;s job in Montreal was filled by Gerry Fleming and Turner Stevenson. Roberge played 28 games last season, scoring one goal, three points and 55 penalty minutes. He had four goals, eight points and 142 minutes in 50 NHL games the year before.He hasn&rsquo;t been an AHL regular since 199091, when he led the league with 365 minutes. He scored a goal in his first game back with Fredericton, Jan. 20 against the P.E.I. Senators.&ldquo;Although he was a little disappointed at first, I think he&rsquo;s looking down the road and wants to stay with the organization,&rdquo; said Fredericton coach Paulin Bordeleau.&ldquo;He can still play. He won&rsquo;t be a 50-goal scorer, but we need somebody in the toughness and reputation area.&rdquo;AHL TIDBITS: The Springfield Falcons signed right winger Brad Smyth from the Birmingham Bulls of the ECHL, where he was the league leader with 33 goals&hellip; The Albany River Rats drew a franchise record 11,731 for a Jan. 21 game with the Providence Bruins.P.E.I. goalie Jean-Francois Labbe made 54 saves, the most by an AHL goalie in at least three years, in a 6-3 win at Fredericton Jan. 20&hellip; After losing their first seven road games, the Cornwall Aces were 7-3-4 in their next 14 away games. &#9632;

f0031-02

Rugged Nieckar no saint, but integral in Saint John

<div class="byline">By John Packett</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03399/6855401-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="523" height="352"></div>Just call Darren Schwartz Mr. All-Star.The Tallahassee Tigers Sharks&rsquo; left winger has dominated all three East Coast League AllStar Games, scoring six goals and adding three assists for a record nine points.Schwartz scored a natural hat trick in the first period of the Jan. 24 All-Star Game, but it wasn&rsquo;t enough to prevent his East Division team from losing 6-5 to the West Division before a crowd of 5,662 at the Greensboro Coliseum.&ldquo;I just love the game and I come to play hard all the time,&rdquo; said Schwartz, the league&rsquo;s third all-time leading scorer. &ldquo;I played with Rick Ko-walsky (of the Hampton Roads Admirals) and Glenn Stewart (of the Greensboro Monarchs). When you have guys that play like that, it makes the game a lot easier.&rdquo;Schwartz could have been named MVP-just as he was in the inaugural affair in &rsquo;93-but that honor went to Toledo Storm left winger Jay Neal, who scored two goals and added an assist in leading the West comeback. Knoxville Cherokees&rsquo; center Steve Flom-enhoft had a goal and three assists, while Johnstown Chiefs&rsquo; right winger Dennis Purdie had a goal and two assists.Schwartz started the season in England, but after being traded from the Wheeling Thunderbirds to Tallahassee, he was in the Florida city by the time the season started. He led the Sharks in scoring with 30 goals and 56 points.&ldquo;The weather&rsquo;s beautiful and that&rsquo;s where I make my home now,&rdquo; Schwartz said. &ldquo;The hockey has really taken off and we&rsquo;re getting good crowds. We started out slow, in last place, but our team has really improved.&rdquo;Schwartz, 26, is Tallahassee&rsquo;s playerassistant coach and wants to gets into coaching when his playing days end.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting a good start in Tallahassee,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;(Coach) Terry Christensen and (general manager) Tim Mouser are treating me well and I&rsquo;ve got a lot of responsibilities. I hope to have maybe another year or two left in me, but I&rsquo;ll take it as it goes.&rdquo;SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: The ECHL awarded an expansion franchise to Mobile, Ala., for next season.Majority owner Eric Margenau of New York City and business partner, Fred Mayer-son, paid $1 million for the league&rsquo;s 19th team, which will play in the Mobile Civic Center.Louisville, which is sitting out this season, is expected to transfer to Jacksonville, Fla., and become the 20th team, according to league commissioner Pat Kelly. Other cities which have submitted application fees to join the ECHL include Pensacola, Fla., Evansville, Ind., and Columbia, S.C.The season will be expanded by two games in 1995-96, giving each club 70 games. Training camps will open Oct 1 to coincide with the end of camps in the American and International Leagues.GAMES AWARDED: Next year&rsquo;s All-Star Game will be held in Tallahassee and the 1997 event will be in Charlotte, N.C. &#9632;

f0031-03

Schwartz always saves his best for all-star classic

<div class="byline">By Chris Miller</div>Brad Federenko stepped into an ideal situation as a freshman, but a promising position soon evaporated.In his first year at Minnesota-Duluth, Federenko began the 1992-93 season on a line centered by Derek Plante, with Chris Marinucci on left wing. Plante went on to be the nation&rsquo;s leading scorer, while Marinucci was a year away from winning the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey&rsquo;s best player.Federenko? He watched the Bulldogs win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association title from the stands after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. The injury occurred in the third game of the &rsquo;92-93 season.As a red-shirted freshman in 1993-94, he had 13 goals in 36 games. This season, he has fulfilled his promise. After scoring a goal in eight straight overall games, he sat second in league goalscoring with 18 in 21 league games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not doing anything different,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;just getting a little more open. My job is to jump into the holes and put the puck in the net.&rdquo;Playing his off wing on a line with freshman center Mike Peluso and speedy junior right winger Joe Ciccarello, Federenko has realized the potential coach Mike Sertich saw when he recruited the Prince Albert, Sask., native.&ldquo;Brad works to get open,&rdquo; Sertich said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like he&rsquo;s in a game of tag-nobody wants to be &lsquo;it.&rsquo; He finds a way to avoid being covered.&rdquo;<h2>WCHA</h2>The undrafted 22-year-old scored 85 goals in two seasons with the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Jr. League before coming to UMD.BIZARRE ACCIDENT: A grotesque injury Jan. 11 left the North Dakota Fighting Sioux shaken and freshman defenseman Mitch Vig sidelined. During a 2-on-l drill, Vig caught the skate of forward Ryan Johnson between his right glove and elbow pad.The skate sliced through a major artery, sending blood spurting. Sioux coach Dean Blais quickly applied pressure to the wound and trainer Dave Buccholz bound it for Vig&rsquo;s trip to United Hospital in Grand Forks.Surgery was performed to repair nerve and muscle damage. Vig, who played 15 of 24 games, is probably out for the season.RED-SHIRT REPORT: Sophomore defensemen Darcy Dallas of Northern Michigan and Rick Mrozik of Minnesota-Duluth, injured early in the season, will be red-shirted.Both Dallas (broken clavicle) and Mrozik (broken leg) hoped to return by mid-season, but weren&rsquo;t at full strength.QUITE A CHANGE: There was a time when Colorado College was one of the worst draws in the WCHA. Not any longer.When the first-place Tigers split at Minnesota Jan. 20-21, the teams set single-game (9,504) and series (18,991) attendance records at Mari-ucci Arena. &#9632;

Goal-hungry Federenko making up for lost time

<div class="byline">By Tom Boggie</div>University of Vermont sophomore right winger Martin St. Louis is one of the top scorers in the nation and he has the battle scars to prove it.St. Louis had 12 goals and 41 points in 20 games overall. He and longtime friend Eric Perrin teamed up to produce one of the best one-two punches in the country. Perrin, the 1994 Eastern College Athletic Conference rookie of the year, was right behind his linemate with 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists.Because they are also among the smallest skaters in the ECAC-St. Louis is 5-foot-9, 163 pounds; Perrin measures 5-foot-9, 158-they&rsquo;re paying a high price for their points.&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got plenty of stick marks on them,&rdquo; said Vermont coach Mike Gilligan. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re getting hacked and whacked.&rdquo;What the duo lacks in size, it makes up in quickness and both are incredible special teams performers. Six of Perrin&rsquo;s goals came on power plays, almost all off of St. Louis&rsquo; feeds.&ldquo;Martin gets a lot accomplished on special teams, in terms of points,&rdquo; Gilligan said. &ldquo;There are probably four or five skill kids like him in the league. (Steve) Martins at Harvard is a cut above the rest, I feel, and RPI has a few, but we&rsquo;re lucky to have a couple like those kids. (St. Louis) has done a nice job generating the offense.&rdquo;Both St. Louis and Perrin are on a pace to easily surpass 100 career points before the end of their sophomore years. Heading into the last weekend of January, St. Louis had 92 points and Perrin 85 points in 53 games each. St. Louis scored 51 points as a freshman, tying the rookie record set by Tim O&rsquo;Connell in 1972-73.<h2>ECAC</h2>The offensive presence of the two Laval, Que., natives has become even more important with the loss of seniors Rob Pattison and Brian Leddy. Pattison played in only eight games before suffering a knee injury and Leddy was an academic casualty after the first semester.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had to juggle things around and our goaltending isn&rsquo;t as strong as it was prior to Thanksgiving,&rdquo; Gilligan said, &ldquo;but we&rsquo;ve signed on for the whole tour.&rdquo;FRESH FACE: There was a subtle changing of the guard in goal at Colgate late in January. Jason Gates signed a one-year contract with the Muskegon Fury of the Colonial League Jan. 18.Freshman Dan Brenzavich, the man who replaced Gates in the Red Raiders&rsquo; goal, notched his first career shutout Jan. 21, blanking Cornell 6-0 with a 31-save performance.NOTEBOOK: The RPI Engineers saw a pair of firsts on their trip to the Air Force Academy on Jan. 20-21. Senior goalie Tim Spadafore, a walk-on, got his first career start in four seasons Jan. 20 and made 35 saves to help RPI post a 4-3 win. In the second game of the series, freshman defenseman Patrick Brownlee scored his first career goal in a 7-2 RPI triumph. &#9632;

Little big men score big-time for Vermont

<div class="byline">By Matt Carlson</div>What was a choppy start is now becoming a rocky year for the Lake Superior State Lakers.After a tie and loss at Miami-Ohio Jan. 20-21, the defending national champions fell to 5-8-3 and a tie for seventh place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. En route to the national title last season, the Lakers were 18-8-4 in the conference and 31-10-4 overall.Barring a roaring second half, LSSU will have a hard time qualifying for this year&rsquo;s national tournament unless it wins the CCHA tourney and receives an automatic berth.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not happy where we&rsquo;re at,&rdquo; said Lakers&rsquo; coach Jeff Jackson. &ldquo;But our goal is the same it has always been in the nine years I&rsquo;ve been here. It&rsquo;s not the NCAA tournament. It&rsquo;s to get to Joe Louis Arena (site of the CCHA Final Four). Anything else is gravy.&ldquo;If we deserve to be in the NCAA tournament, we will be. But right now, we don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;The Lakers&rsquo; most noticeable deficiency is a lack of scoring. The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.-based squad had 75 goals in 22 games overall. Although LSSU is usually a defense-first team, its output in 1993-94 was 4.34 goals per game. Moreover, not a single Laker ranked among the CCHA&rsquo;s top 30 point-getters.&ldquo;Our scoring has always been spread out,&rdquo; Jackson said, &ldquo;but this year, its spread out even further. We haven&rsquo;t scored the way we&rsquo;re capable of scoring.&rdquo;<h2>CCHA</h2>However, Jackson won&rsquo;t fix blame on veteran forwards such as Sean and Gerald Tallaire, Wayne Strachan and the injured Rob Valice-vic, who have produced more in the past.&ldquo;Guys aren&rsquo;t having banner years,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;As a team, we&rsquo;ve underachieved, but I don&rsquo;t know if individuals have underachieved.&rdquo;A QUICKER GLANTZ: The Bowling Green Falcons continue to fly and score high. Contributing to the power surge has been a resurgence by senior left winger Tom Glantz.Bothered by shoulder problems, Glantz slipped to eight goals and 22 points in 29 games last season. As a sophomore in &rsquo;92-93, he had 17 goals and 31 points in 41 games.Although he missed five games with a dislocated shoulder earlier this season, Glantz had 16 goals and 23 points in 19 games.&ldquo;I always had the big boomer,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but over the summer I concentrated on getting my shot off quicker around the net. I worked a lot on strengthening my wrists.&ldquo;I realized that if I wanted to move on in hockey, I had to have a big senior season.&rdquo;MIGHTY MIKE: In allowing Lake Superior three goals on 60 shots Jan. 20-21, Miami senior goalie Chuck Thuss lowered his goals-against average to 2.38 to take the league lead. He also had the CCHA&rsquo;s best save percentage at.918.&ldquo;Thuss is the best in our league right now,&rdquo; Jeff Jackson said. &#9632;

Going down with ship not part of Laker plan

<div class="byline">By Larry Mahoney</div>Boston College sophomore goalie Greg Taylor said his glove felt like it weighed &ldquo;around 20 pounds&rdquo; at game&rsquo;s end.That&rsquo;s because Taylor had just shattered the Hockey East record for saves when he made 60 in a 5-1 loss to arch-rival Boston University on Jan. 21. Taylor shattered the league record of 49 saves, set by Chris Terreri of Providence in 1984-85.&ldquo;Without question, it was one of the best performances I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; said BC coach Jerry York. &ldquo;Of those 60 shots, 30 were probably from in close.&rdquo;&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t too tough to keep my focus,&rdquo; said Taylor, a native of Androssan, Alta. &ldquo;1 like seeing a lot of shots.&rdquo;Taylor said he made 59 saves for the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Jr. League in a double overtime playoff game once, but he can&rsquo;t recall ever making 60 in a game. He said he was a little surprised when he learned he had faced 65 shots.&ldquo;BU has a great offensive team and they had a lot of power plays. They got a bunch of rebound shots,&rdquo; Taylor said.UP AND DOWN: A microcosm of Providence College&rsquo;s season occurred during the week of Jan. 17-22.The Friars knocked off a good Brown University team 6-3, then got thumped at home by Hockey East cellar-dweller UMass-Amherst 7-3 before beating the Minutemen 5-2 the next night.<h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been inconsistent from goal to defense to forward,&rdquo; said first-year coach Paul Pooley. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll play well for periods of time, but we&rsquo;ll have lapses. We have trouble putting together a full 60-minute game.&rdquo;Pooley didn&rsquo;t have great expectations for the season and his goal continues to be &ldquo;to get better every day.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The league-leading University of Maine Black Bears played to their sixth tie and lost their fifth shootout. Following their 3-3 tie with Northeastern on Jan. 21, NU beat the Bears 3-2 in the shootout. NU is now 4-0 in shootouts including two wins over Maine. Black Bears&rsquo; coach Shawn Walsh doesn&rsquo;t have an explanation for his team&rsquo;s 1-5 shootout record. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if we concentrate quite as well during the shootouts as we do during the games. Who knows, maybe I&rsquo;m just rationalizing,&rdquo; Walsh said. Still, the Bears were 9-0-6 in league play with nine games left.After a split against New Hampshire, UMass-Lowell had won its last four Friday night games and lost its last four Saturday night games in two-game series&hellip; BU has played just one game this season with its entire team healthy. Defensemen Rich Brennan (sprained knee) and Shane Johnson (bruised shoulder) are currently on the mend. &#9632;

Goaltender saves mark Taylor-made at Boston

f0034-01

NHL STATISTICAL REPORT

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0047-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01283/6855783-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jr. B player Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer, seen here with two young fans, took his own life Jan. 7 in St. Catharines.</figcaption></div><h2>What made &lsquo;gentle giant&rsquo; take his life?</h2>Whenever Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer was frustrated or depressed, he would run. He would pound his frustrations into the pavement. Sometimes he would go for miles and miles until he was exhausted and his body ached.People who knew Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer didn&rsquo;t think he had any reason to run Jan. 7. The 19-year-old was having the time of his life. He was a bruising left winger for the St. Catharines (Ont.) Falcons and was in the midst of his best season ever. He was the toughest customer in the Golden Horseshoe Jr. B league. Nobody would go near him on the ice and when they did, they wished they hadn&rsquo;t.O&rsquo;Dwyer was popular at school and spent afternoons as a teaching assistant at a local elementary school-the thing he loved doing most aside from playing hockey. He loved being called Mr. O&rsquo;Dwyer.He was working part time at a sporting goods store and accepting merchandise as payment in lieu of money.&ldquo;As far as we knew everything was happy days,&rdquo; said Norm Vince, O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s stepfather of 18 years.But O&rsquo;Dwyer still ran on Jan. 7.Wearing street clothes, he left his billet&rsquo;s home and pumped his feet as fast as they would go. About a mile away, he darted across Westchester Ave.-forcing traffic to stop or swerve to avoid hitting him.Then, without missing a step, Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer jumped off the side of the overpass running across Hwy. 406. He landed on the freeway 50 feet below and died instantly of massive internal injuries.While he lay dead on the road, teammates waited for him at Garden City Arena to board the team bus for a road game in Fort Erie, Ont.Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s death has left everyone who knew him shattered and confused.&ldquo;He wouldn&rsquo;t hurt a soul, except on the ice,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s mother, Michele Vince, in an interview at her Scarborough, Ont., home. &ldquo;If he was really planning to do this, he would have left me a letter saying he was sorry a million times. And he would have told me why so I wouldn&rsquo;t be sitting here saying, &lsquo;Why did you do this to me and to yourself and everyone else?&rsquo;&rdquo;St. Catharines Collegiate principal Peter Crich is trained to take notice of suicidal tendencies in young people and he&rsquo;s baffled.&ldquo;We have experience with this and we see these things in young people from time to time, but this makes no sense,&rdquo; Crich said. &ldquo;Scott showed us no indication he was going to take his own life.&rdquo;O&rsquo;Dwyer was the toughest player in the Golden Horseshoe circuit, a seven-team league that stretches from suburban Hamilton to Fort Erie, just across the Peace Bridge from Buffalo. Off the ice, O&rsquo;Dwyer was bright, thoughtful and quick with a joke or comedic impression. He was known to many as &ldquo;the gentle giant.&rdquo;&ldquo;We always said we would be best man at each other&rsquo;s wedding,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s best friend Aaron Brand, a winger with the Ontario League&rsquo;s Sarnia Sting. &ldquo;Even if he didn&rsquo;t play hockey, we&rsquo;d still be best friends.&rdquo;At Birchmount Park Collegiate in Scarborough-where a scholarship has been established in O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s name-he was enrolled in an academic program for exceptional athletes. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder was a Scarborough high school champion in javelin, discus and shot put.But despite his athleticism, O&rsquo;Dwyer was unable to make an impact in junior hockey. With the Falcons, O&rsquo;Dwyer felt like he belonged for the first time in a long time. He had spent the previous two years bouncing from team to team, unable to fulfill the measure of promise demonstrated in minor hockey.O&rsquo;Dwyer was drafted 196th overall by the OHL&rsquo;s Owen Sound Platers 1992 and spent two days in training camp before being cut. O&rsquo;Dwyer was tough enough and determined enough, but all the perspiration in the world couldn&rsquo;t hide serious skating shortcomings. &ldquo;You could see pretty quickly he wasn&rsquo;t good enough, no matter what his role was going to be,&rdquo; said a former Platers&rsquo; team executive.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02195/6855776-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="355" height="478"></div>O&rsquo;Dwyer played Jr. B for Oshawa in 1992-93 and then tried the OHL again last year. He attended the Windsor Spitfires&rsquo; training camp as a walk-on in 1993-94, but lasted only a short time before accepting a partial scholarship at Canisius College, a Division III college in Buffalo.But O&rsquo;Dwyer went home at Christmas after not playing a single game during the first half of the Canisius College season and joined the Falcons late last season for their run to the Ontario championship final. He was badly out of shape and overweight, but the Falcons were being pushed around too much. They needed muscle and saw potential in O&rsquo;Dwyer.&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t play very much last year, but we gave him a chance,&rdquo; said Falcons&rsquo; general manager Bob McLaren. &ldquo;We thought he could come back and be a foundation for our team.&rdquo;O&rsquo;Dwyer received a stunning team jacket and plaque at the post-season banquet. He watched three-year team members receive rings and that was all the motivation he needed. He went home, worked out relentlessly and lost 35 pounds before training camp.This season he was getting a regular shift and making the most of it. He had six goals and 14 points to go along with 100 penalty minutes in 14 games.There were, however, a couple of glitches-a bizarre theft in November and notable disagreement with his billet in the days leading up to Jan. 7.O&rsquo;Dwyer had never been in trouble in his life, but was suspended for 30 days by the team when he took a pair of boots out of a dressing room at a road game. The team simply announced he was suspended &ldquo;for conduct unbecoming a Falcon.&rdquo;O&rsquo;Dwyer also had a run-in with his billet, but his parents said the two patched up their differences and resumed a close relationship. They thought of him as one of their own.Michele Vince was likely the last person O&rsquo;Dwyer spoke to before his death. He called his mother Jan. 7 and told her he wanted to come home. He had made similar calls in the past, but rarely followed through. On these occasions, he would usually call back the next day as though nothing had happened.Michele told him he was welcome to come home, but said why not play his game that night and think about it overnight?&ldquo;He told me he loved me and I told him I loved him,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;He had money in his wallet. If he wanted to come home that badly, he would have hopped on a bus and not even bothered going to his game.&rdquo;O&rsquo;Dwyer did neither. Instead, he went out and ran.Those who knew O&rsquo;Dwyer believe he momentarily lost control of his life and made a tragic decision. At his funeral, the minister said, &ldquo;Except for one fleeting second, Scott O&rsquo;Dwyer loved life.&rdquo;If that is true, O&rsquo;Dwyer doesn&rsquo;t fit the pattern of suicides.&ldquo;Totally impulsive suicide out of context is extremely, extremely rare,&rdquo; said Karen Letofsky, executive director of Distress Centre I in Toronto. &ldquo;People never just snap and go out and do it.&rdquo;Research shows adolescent boys are eight times more likely to try to kill themselves than girls. Letofsky said the most common trigger points among suicidal males aged 19 and under are relationship issues, failures, sexual identity crises and depression.Letofsky said increased alcohol and drug consumption is common, but autopsy results showed traces of neither in O&rsquo;Dwyer&rsquo;s system. One of his nicknames was &lsquo;Half-pint&rsquo; in deference to his low tolerance and dislike for alcohol.Those who cared for O&rsquo;Dwyer will never know what possessed him to take his own life Jan. 7. But it will affect them for the rest of their lives.&ldquo;Scott had too much to live for,&rdquo; Michele said, &ldquo;and not enough to die for.&rdquo; &#9632;

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February 10, 1995

The Hockey News

Sagging Bisons buffaloed by second-segment skid

Spiders capture Perron to lead expansion team

Berard No. 1, not by much