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February 17, 1995
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.
Friesen off to pleasin’ start
Add San Jose Sharks’ center Jeff Friesen to the NHL rookie-of-the-year race. The 11th overall pick in last June’s draft, Friesen has been a clutch performer for the Sharks, seeing regular duty on both special teams and at the end of close games. “He has been playing with a lot of poise,” coach Kevin Constantine said of Friesen who, at 19, is the youngest player in the NHL. “He makes smart plays and he isn’t afraid to skate against some the best players in the league.” Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Paul Kariya and Quebec Nordiques’ Peter Forsberg were the Calder Trophy favorites entering the season. Kariya led rookie scorers with seven points after seven games and Forsberg had four points in five games. Friesen had two points after six games, but had narrowly…
From champs to chumps, Rangers under gun early
The defending Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers were 2-5-1 after eight games, and the city was on the verge of panic. Could this be 1992-93 all over again? That season the Rangers fell from the Presidents’ Trophy winners to cellar-dwellers in their division. Probably not. But the Rangers stumbled out of the starting blocks. It resembled last season’s 4-5-0 start, when the team was quaking in its skates from the fear of then-coach Mike Keenan. They went 18-1-3 in their next 22 games, ran away with the regular-season title and won their first Cup since 1940. This team doesn’t appear to be on the verge of any 18-1-3 tear. The Rangers make mammoth mistakes, can’t score and aren’t physical. “It seems to be more mental than physical,” said defenseman Brian Leetch. “The guys…
Devils can’t do it without offense
Considering the alternative, we were delighted to see the Game On, even if the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres were going on and on and on in a painful attempt to break a 1-1 tie. The play suggested these guys had not only been locked out, but manacled for three months, too. Granted, this was hardly atypical of scenes from around the jump-started NHL. Horrendous screeching and grinding noises have been emanating from the league’s larger bodies and even little pips are squeaking, too. In desperation, trainers have shelved the ethyl chloride in favor of the WD-40. Nevertheless, in the Devils’ home opener, they looked as rusted as owner John McMullen’s vault. Squeaked out of a berth in the final by a double overtime goal, rattled throughout the long summer with thoughts…
Captaincy a tribute to old warrior
Out with the old and in with the…old. In a decision that took nearly two weeks to make, Dallas Stars’ coach-general manager Bob Gainey named Neal Broten the team’s new captain, replacing the traded Mark Tinordi. Broten’s resume is impeccable. In fact, no player better represents the franchise’s history better than the 35-year-old who is in his 15th season with the team. There was still a lot of thought given to 24-year-old Mike Modano taking the reigns. “There seems to have been a shift away from a guy who gets it done in the trenches to the young guy who is your best player,” Gainey said of captaincies granted to Vancouver Canucks’ Trevor Linden, Philadelphia Flyers’ Eric Lindros and Winnipeg Jets’ Keith Tkachuk. “And there was a lot of thought given to that.…
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