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November 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.
Rookie Yelle making name with worth ethic, smarts
Scan the Colorado Avalanche roster and you’ll notice one name crying out for more attention. Actually, it’s Yelleing. Stephane Yelle, a 21-year-old center who wasn’t given much of a chance to make the team out of training camp, has elicited a few double-takes around the league, but not in Colorado. “His play hasn’t really surprised us,” said coach Marc Crawford. “He’s a very heady player and he always seems to be in the right place. I think he has a bright future.” The hard-working Ottawa native has become a regular contributor and gained Crawford’s confidence. That confidence paid off in a Nov. 3 game against the Calgary Flames when Yelle pounced on a rebound and slid a backhand shot past goalie Rick Tabar-acci for his first NHL goal. “All I could think was ‘Finally,’”…
O’Connell drops hints
Their season had not yet reached the one-month mark, but the Boston Bruins decided one of their tendencies had grown old. “I’m sick of hearing it’s too early,” assistant GM Mike O’Connell said after Boston blew a 5-2 lead and lost 6-5 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings Nov. 2. “We have a lot of patience with some people, but what are we going to do? Keep waiting until it’s too late?” With that, O’Connell made the first suggestion changes could be made in the wake of Boston’s 3-6-2 start, during which it developed a disturbing habit of choking on big leads. It started with the first game of the season, when the Bruins settled for a 4-4 tie with the New York Islanders in a game they led 4-2. On…
TOOTHLESS SHARKS
The San Jose Sharks have always taken pride in being different. Their front office is full of Americans, until recently they had three people holding down one GM’s job, they’re loaded with Europeans and they beat teams they have no business beating in the playoffs. Here’s a team that promoted its coaches from the Kansas City Blades of the International League and demoted its assistant coaches to Kansas City three days after the NHL season started. Early this season, the Sharks were true to form as the NHL’s oddball. They were the only team in the league to go Oh-for-October and were alone in their pursuit of a first win. What happened? Two years ago, the Sharks set a record for the greatest singleseason improvement in NHL history. This was supposed to be…
HOCKEY WORLD
People like Paul Wilkinson live in every hockey town in North America. They’re the ones who devote their free time to minor hockey long after their own children have moved on. They billet junior players. It seems they’re almost always at the rink. They are the heart and soul of grassroots hockey. The hockey world should not have lost Paul Wilkinson this soon. It didn’t have to. His practice with a group of bantam players in Lasalle, Ont., Aug. 20 started out like any other. But during a backward skating drill, a player fell behind the backwardskating Wilkinson, who tripped over the player and struck his head on the ice. He never regained consciousness and died a week later in hospital at age 52. “He was probably the best coach I kids who…
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