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.

January 12, 1996

The Hockey News January 12, 1996

<div class="image-hero"><img title="S0007-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/s0007-0315/7341069-1-eng-US/s0007-032.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

THE BLACK ACES

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>If Brett Hull had a sniper for a linemate, someone like, say, Brett Hull, he&rsquo;d have no problem matching his goal total in assists.That&rsquo;s because for everything else Hull is-ace goal scorer, magnet for controversy and a willing I quote on just about any subject-he is also one of the best passers in the NHL.Among the many areas in which Hull has improved the past few seasons, his ability to spot and feed teammates has added a new dimension to his game.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always said that is one aspect of my game people have never given me credit for and that makes me angry,&rdquo; said Hull, whose greatest single-season assist output was 47 in 1992-93, a far cry from the 86 goals he scored two years earlier.&ldquo;Passing is one of the most underrated parts of the game a player can have. There is so much give-and-go in today&rsquo;s game, if you can&rsquo;t make a good pass, you&rsquo;re not much good. You disrupt the flow of the game.&rdquo;Many people aren&rsquo;t aware of Hull&rsquo;s ability to set up teammates. After all, his goals have outnumbered his assists every year since 1989-90. But his passing is much more than simply playing give-and-go. He can spot a teammate 30 feet away and nail him right on the tape with a perfect pass.It&rsquo;s not as noticeable because Hull is known for goals and, like just about everything else he does on the ice, he makes it look easy. Hull&rsquo;s passes are crisp, direct and rarely picked off.The Golden Brett is always among the league&rsquo;s busiest shooters. He had the second highest number of shots in each of the past three seasons after leading the league the previous two years.&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to talk about his shooting ability first,&rdquo; said Blues&rsquo; associate coach Bob Berry. &ldquo;He is a great scorer first and always will be. But his ability to spot teammates in the open and get them the puck makes him more of a complete player.&rdquo;His ability to make plays has not been lost on Blues&rsquo; coach-GM Mike Keenan. &ldquo;Brett&rsquo;s perception and ability to read plays is what makes him one of the best players I&rsquo;ve ever coached in that regard,&rdquo; Keenan said.More often than not, when Hull gets the puck, he rifles it toward the net. He gets his shot away quickly and accurately.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011591/7337076-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="906" height="1692"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021135/7337069-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="542" height="736"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brett Hull, top, and Mike Keenan agree on Hull&rsquo;s on-ice role. (Photo by Brian McCormick/BBS)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;A lot of guys take an extra split second to set their shot up and allow defensemen to get a stick on it,&rdquo; said Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; pro scout Harry Howell. You never see a Brett Hull shot being deflected into the crowd off a defenseman&rsquo;s stick.&rdquo;Hull is the type of prolific shooter who can have an off-season and still produce 57 goals. More and more the Blues are looking to him for contribution in other areas.Keenan believes to be successful, a team must play its best players as often as possible. For Hull that means playing in all situations-taking a regular shift, playing the power play and killing penalties. He routinely logs 30-plus minutes per game.He is a much more complete player than he was when racking up seasons of 72, 86 and 70 goals during the early 1990s. Hull may never hit those totals again, but individual success has already been gained. Even through Hull&rsquo;s high-scoring days, the Blues have never been a real Stanley Cup threat.This season he had 22 goals and 39 points in 28 games, having missed eight games this season with injuries.&ldquo;The No. 1 problem with our game is the labeling that goes on,&rdquo; Hull said. &ldquo;People get this idea you are a certain type of player and the label sticks with you forever. My game has changed dramatically the past few years, but hardly anybody has recognized that.&rdquo;There is no doubt that Keenan and Hull differ on Hull&rsquo;s role as a team leader. Hull was stripped of the captaincy by Keenan earlier in the season. But the two are on the same page in terms of what Hull can do on the ice.&ldquo;His priority and emphasis is on winning,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;If that means scoring fewer goals, I&rsquo;m sure he won&rsquo;t mind. He likes winning. Besides, there&rsquo;s not a big difference between scoring 57 and 65 goals.&rdquo; &#9632;

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FEATURES

Brett’s passing grade

<div class="byline">By Robyn Norwood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011713/7337200-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="151" height="153"></div>The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were broadsided by injuries, playing more than a month without their two top centers, Steve Rucchin and Shaun Van Allen, or their sole enforcer, Todd Ewen.Yet in spite of all that, they greeted the holiday break in the running for a playoff spot. The Ducks showed their potential in a stretch when they won nine of 12, beating the past three Stanley Cup champions. They showed their flip side with a nine-game winless streak.Strength Left winger Paul Kariya is proving extraordinary in his second season, evolving as one of the NHL&rsquo;s top goal scorers as well as a set-up man.What they need A power forward who can plant himself in front of the net and score. That would help their dismal power play, too-once again the worst in the league.Next three recalls 1. Mike Maneluk, LW, Baltimore (AHL); 2 J.F. Jomphe, C, Baltimore; 3. Sean Pronger, C, Baltimore.Biggest surprise Goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov has been able to wrest playing time away from incumbent Guy Hebert, starting eight of 10 games at one stretch. His solid play has been a boon.Biggest disappointment Injuries derailed the team when the Ducks were at the best they&rsquo;ve been in three seasons. It&rsquo;s part of the game, everyone knows that, but nine regulars out at once? The Ducks don&rsquo;t have the depth to survive that.NOTEBOOK: Goaltender Guy Hebert, relegated to the backup role for eight of 10 games, faltered when he got back in net, allowing three consecutive three-goal periods in a two-game stretch. &ldquo;He has had nagging injuries that developed into bad habits and then it became a confidence problem,&rdquo; said coach Ron Wilson. &ldquo;Guy will eventually battle his way through this.&rdquo;&hellip;Defenseman Randy Ladouceur, 35, played his 900th NHL game Dec. 22 against the Vancouver Canucks. &ldquo;It just shows you what persistence and dedication to the game can do,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;Laddy&rsquo;s limited in terms of skill and speed, but he&rsquo;s unlimited in the size of his heart. That shows the ability to do the little things will keep you in the game a long time.&rdquo; &#9632;

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NHL TEAMS

Kariya rises to occasion, injuries set program back

<div class="byline">By Stan Fischler</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011772/7337007-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="354" height="505"></div>It&rsquo;s time once again for The Answer Man. If your question, somehow, did not make this coveted list, it likely was rejected by Mike Keenan&rsquo;s travelling censorship machine.Q: Will Phoenix become a better NHL town than Winnipeg?Wily CoyoteCactushurts, Ariz.A: Don&rsquo;t count on it, especially if the International League&rsquo;s Roadrunners decide to stick around. With bigtime competition from the National Basketball Association&rsquo;s Phoenix Suns, the NHL Carpetbaggers (or whatever they decide to call them) may be the league&rsquo;s first sunbelt disaster.Q: Is Kirk Muller really a quitter or is he actually a saint?Benedict Arnold,Takeahike, Ont.A: Muller has walked out on two out of three teams. First, he went AWOL on the New Jersey Devils, despite being team captain. On Long Island, he was a no-show at first, then arrived and swore his fidelity to the Islanders, then changed his mind, then showed up and managed to contaminate the dressing room. Muller has built an image of a hard worker, but he&rsquo;ll only consistently work hard on his terms and with a winner.Q: Does the arrival of Patrick Roy in Denver assure the Avalanche of a Stanley Cup?I. Cantverywell StopapuckCrevasse, Colo.A. St. Patrick from St. Catherine Street plays good goal when he has an above-average defense and/or a defense-oriented club. Otherwise, he&rsquo;s merely an ordinary, overrated, over-the-hill netminder.And since Sandis Ozolinsh happens to be Colorado&rsquo;s best backliner, Roy come playoff time will look about as good as he did last April in Montreal. That means the Avalanche will make a quick postseason exit&rsquo;Q: Why did NHL owners at their recent meetings offer Gary Bettman a substantial raise and contract extension when the commissioner failed to deliver an across-the-board salary cap?Juan ZieglerRummy, Mich.A: Somebody planted a story that Major League Baseball was interested in de-icing Bettman so he could make some sense out of the diamond mess. Bettman has managed to hypnotize NHL owners into believing he is as indispensible to hockey as artificial ice. Hence the offer.Q: Has the campaign against obstruction fouls been successful?Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle,Beverly Hills, Calif.A: Not quite as successful as the campaign against drug abuse.Q: Does the NHL really frown on fighting?Nellie Nervous,Breakitup, Neb.A: Do bears frown on honey? Do robins ignore worms? Bettman, Inc., privately loves fisticuffs because no fan ever turns away from a good bout. That&rsquo;s why the new NHL-sanctioned Sega video game I features fighting big-time. Want more I proof? Notice how NHL linesmen allow the sluggers to I pummel each other while the officials take their sweet time I before separating the combatants.Q: Who&rsquo;s better, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky or Eric Lindros?David A. Hart,Montreal, Que.A: Mark Messier. He does more than any of the big three.Q: Are hockey players the same wonderful, down-to-earth guys they were when the NHL was a six-team league?J.P. Morgan,New York, N. Y.A: When was the last time you met a millionaire with humility?Q: On the boredom scale, which ranks highest: 1. Kirk Muller&rsquo;s on-and-off-again relationship with the Islanders? 2. Curtis Joseph&rsquo;s holdout? 3. Alexei Yashin&rsquo;s holdout?Ida Longyawn,Whipsnade, Wise.A: Brian Burke&rsquo;s explanation of how the obstruction rules really work.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021292/7337000-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="475" height="852"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexei Yashin</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Roy won’t deliver Cup with that defense

<h2>Santa Gilmour in grand form</h2>1. Grand gesture Doug Gilmour of Toronto Maple Leafs gives gifts to homeless and collects 1,000th career point.2. Other Santas NHLers, Brian Bradley of Tampa Bay Lightning among them, help less fortunate during holidays.3. Streak ends After 33 games without a win, OHL&rsquo;s London Knights defeat North Bay Centennials 5-3 Dec. 22.4. Seasonal call Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; broadcaster Rick Jeanneret&rsquo;s call on Dec. 23 goal by Pat &ldquo;Fa-la-la-la-la, la LaFontaine.&rdquo;5. Player of week Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; rookie Deron Quint ties 64-year-old record with two goals in four seconds.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011550/7336563-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="309" height="437"><figcaption class="caption-body">Doug Gilmour</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-021298/7336556-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="307" height="435"><figcaption class="caption-body">Deron Quint</figcaption></div><h2>Berube ruling harsh, unjust</h2>1. Bad call NHL&rsquo;s interpretation of Rule 66(a), 10-game suspension to Washington Capitals&rsquo; Craig Berube unjustified.2. North Bay Somebody had to lose to London, Centennials now hope they won&rsquo;t be only ones.3. Hack and sit Calgary Flame Ron Stem suspended four games for slashing Jeff Norton of St. Louis Blues.4. Bear&rsquo;s black mark University of Maine coach Shawn Walsh suspended by school one year for variety of violations.5. Decline the penalty Dallas Stars allow league-leading 11 shorthanded goals through 32 games. &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden Editor-in-Chief</div>It&rsquo;s gut check time for NHL scouts.They&rsquo;re faced with some difficult decisions this season. Not since 1992 have there been so few can&rsquo;t-miss prospects for the annual entry draft.June 22, 1996 promises to be a challenging day for the men paid to differentiate between prospects and suspects.Only three draft-eligible players have separated themselves from the pack-Prince Albert Raiders&rsquo; defenseman Chris Phillips, Barrie Colts&rsquo; center-right winger Alexandre Volchkov and Ufa Salavat defenseman Andrei Zyuzin.Achieving consensus on player rankings beyond that is impossible. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s wide open.&rdquo; said a prominent scout. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like the league standings.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03975/7336594-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="326" height="406"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Photo by Glenn James)</figcaption></div>Compare that assessment to early previews on the 1997 draft class.You could name 10 top young players right now and be assured the top five picks in 1997 will be among them. The players: Sergei Samsonov, Central Army (Russia); Dan Cleary, Belleville; Joe Thornton, Sault Ste. Marie; Robert Dome, Utah; Ollie Jokinen, Kalpa (Finland), Kristian Huselius, Hammerby (Sweden); Daniel Tkachuk, Barrie; Patrick Marleau, Seattle; Jarrett Smith, Prince George; and Eero Somervuori, Jokerit (Finland).All of which means this is a good year for scouts to prove their mettle. Here&rsquo;s some free advice: study the 1992 draft results. Four seasons later, there are almost as many second-round picks (10) playing in the NHL as first-round choices (11).&ldquo;This is a real test for scouts,&rdquo; said one of them. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun and challenging and you&rsquo;re actually competing. It&rsquo;s not just a case of where you&rsquo;re slotted in the draft.&rdquo;There may not be any fewer NHL prospects than usual, but most assuredly there are fewer players. Translation: There aren&rsquo;t as many finished products available this season. There are many more works in progress.Teams that know their stuff will be able to make headway because the possibility exists big mistakes will be made and rivals will be able to capitalize.Consider the conflicting fortunes of two division rivals in 1992-the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia picked twice before the Devils chose once; the Flyers took Ryan Sittler and Jason Bowen. Neither is an NHLer. The Devils picked Jason Smith and Sergei Brylin. Both are NHLers.The gauntlet has been thrown down. &#9632;

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NHL teams face tough test in June

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden Editor-in-Chief</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021426/7336639-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexandre Volchkov is the top-rated Ontario League prospect. (Photo by Dan Hamilton)</figcaption></div>The light has finally turned Green.Chris Phillips and Alexandre Volchkov are considered the two best teenage NHL prospects in North America, but scouts are anxious to get a good look at Josh Green.The Medicine Hat Tigers&rsquo; left winger got off to a late start after shoulder surgery and isn&rsquo;t ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau in its first preliminary ranking of the season.Green had six goals and 13 points in 11 Western League games and will challenge for a place among the top prospects by season&rsquo;s end.Catching up to Phillips, a huge two-way defenseman with the Prince Albert Raiders, and Volchkov, an offensive dynamo with the Barrie Colts, is unlikely.They are ranked tops among draft-eligible skaters in the Western and Ontario Leagues, respectively, by CSB. Prospects are ranked by league and classification. (See pg. 36 for full CSB report.)Phillips, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, is the early favorite to go No. 1 and the only undrafted player on the Canadian team at the World Junior Championship. It is rare for a 17-year-old defenseman to play for Canada. Phillips had five goals, 24 points and 50 penalty minutes in 34 games with Prince Albert.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s big, he can skate and he&rsquo;s got lots of character,&rdquo; said Sheldon Ferguson, the Hartford Whalers&rsquo; director of amateur scouting. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re all looking for, a perfect example of unlimited potential.&rdquo;Volchkov, 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, had 24 goals and 42 points in 28 games with the expansion Colts.The skilled forward was at the center of a legal battle between the Colts and Russian Ice Hockey Federation, which contests Volchkov has not been released to play in North America.Barrie went to court to establish its claim to his playing rights and Volchkov has proven well worth the battle.Volchkov, 18, represents the leading edge of a Russiar Soviet invasion that reaches all comers of the hockey world, including the Flint Generals of the Colonial League.That&rsquo;s where one of the more intriguing-if not necessarily higher rated-draft prospects is playing this season.Konstantin Kalmikov, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound left winger, is listed by CSB and bidding to become the first Colonial League player ever drafted by an NHL team. Kalmikov, 17, had four goals, 15 points and 16 penalty minutes in 32 games.CSB says Kalmikov is a Group &lsquo;A&rsquo; prospect, a player designated to go in the first four rounds of the draft scheduled for June 22 in St. Louis. Group &lsquo;B&rsquo; prospects are projected to go in Rounds 5-8.The best of the rated goalies, according to a survey of NHL scouts asked to comment on CSB&rsquo;s top prospects, are Craig Hillier of the Ottawa 67&rsquo;s, Randy Petruk of the Kamloops Blazers and Terry Friesen of the Swift Current Broncos.Still to come is the first ranking of European prospects playing in their homelands.The best of them is Russian defenseman Andrei Zyuzin of Ufa Salavat, who joins Phillips and Volchkov in a group regarded as a cut above the rest eligible for the 1996 draft.Other European players likely to be considered for selection in the first round of the entry draft are: Russian right winger Andrei Petrunin of Central Army (5-foot-9, 169 pounds); Swedish left winger Marcus Nilsson of Djurgarden (6-1, 180); German center Marco Sturm of Landshut (5-11, 176); Czech center Josef Straka of Litvinov (5-11, 185); and defenseman Sergei Zimakov of the Soviet Wings (6-0, 187).CSB is scheduled to release its first composite ranking of all players in late January.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03929/7336632-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="349" height="354"></div><h2>TOP 1996 PROSPECTS</h2>The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its preliminary ranking of 1996 draft-eligible players in North America. Players are listed by league or classification. Highlighted below are 17 players who, according to NHL scouts, are candidates to be picked among the top 10 or so.Information listed includes rank, games (GP). goals (G). points (P), penalty minutes (PIM). Goals-against average and save percentage are given for goalies. Also listed are position, height, weight, team and league/state.Josh Green is unranked by CSB because he had played so few games and Tom Poti is rated an &lsquo;A&rsquo; prospect, a player expected to be chosen in Rounds 1-4. Randy Petruk and Craig Hillier are the top-ranked goalies in their leagues.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011780/7336625-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="481" height="1627"></div> &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

Raider roars to top of ’96 draft class

<div class="byline">By Larry Mahoney</div>ORONO, Me.-Shawn Walsh was composed as he addressed the media in the University of Maine weight room following a 5-2 loss to the Swedish national junior team the day before his one-year suspension began.&ldquo;I liked the sign that said, &lsquo;365 days and counting,&rdquo; said Walsh, who started a one-year suspension without pay Dec. 24. &ldquo;I like numbers, I&rsquo;m going to keep my own numerical count going. But I&rsquo;ve got to find a job first.&rdquo;The suspension was imposed for Walsh&rsquo;s part in numerous National Collegiate Athletic Association violations-including two unassociated with him that could lead to Maine being stripped of its 1992-93 national title.Walsh&rsquo;s suspension was one of several actions announced Dec. 21 after the school completed an 18-month investigation of its athletic programs. Among the infractions were:&#9633; Walsh accepted $l.2(X) from school boosters during a five-game suspension in 1993.&#9633; Walsh and his lawyer contacted people who were to going to be interviewed by investigators, despite directives not to do so.&#9633; Two boosters gave a player and his girlfriend lower rents.&#9633; Goalie Mike Dunham accepted the promise of a stipend for competing in the 1992 Olympics after being falsely assured by USA Hockey the stipend was permissible under NCAA rules.Maine also banned its team from playing in the national tournament this season.Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook was forbidden to do off-campus recruiting for six months and assistant Greg Cronin, who will coach the team for the remainder of the season, was prohibited from recruiting for a month.The hockey program was stripped of two scholarships for 1996-97 and will regain only one for 1997-98. Division college teams are permitted 18 full scholarships.The 450-page report, compiled by a Kansas City law firm and the NCAA, said the university lacked institutional control over its athletic programs with hockey being involved in the vast majority of the 40-plus violations.The NCAA Committee on Infractions may levy further sanctions in the case.The university faces the prospect of being stripped of its 1992-93 national title if the NCAA rules it used two ineligible players-Dunham, now with the Albany River Rats of the American League, and right winger Cal Ingraham.&ldquo;I deserve to be penalized,&rdquo; Walsh said. &ldquo;Although this will be a tremendous blow to leave the university and suffer the financial and emotional pain, I want to see it through and come back.&rdquo;Still to be determined is whether Maine will be eligible for the Hockey East playoff tournament. &#9632;

Walsh handed one-year ban for violations

A compendium of significant events and developments (Dec. 15-27).Dec. 15: Deron Quint of Winnipeg Jets scores two goals in four seconds, ties NHL record for fastest two goals.Dec. 19: Three-way deal sees defenseman Jeff Brown go from Vancouver Canucks to Hartford Whalers; right winger Jocelyn Lemieux from Hartford to New Jersey Devils; center Jim Dowd from New Jersey to Vancouver; and, defenseman Frank Kucera from Hartford to Vancouver.Craig MacTavish of Philadelphia Flyers plays 1,OOOth career game.Owen Nolan scores four goals for San Jose Sharks in 7-4 win over Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.Dec. 20: Calgary Flames trade center Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas Stars for right winger Jarome Iginla and center Corey Millen.Dec. 21: University of Maine suspends coach Shawn Walsh one year.Dec. 22: NHL suspends Craig Berube of Washington Capitals 10 games for leaving bench to join fight.Texas investor Thomas O. Hicks finalizes deal to buy Dallas Stars.Dec. 23: Doug Gilmour of Toronto Maple Leafs collects 1,000th point.Dec. 26: Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; coach Scotty Bowman ties Al Arbour&rsquo;s mark for most NHL games coached (1,606). &#9632;

Quint ties league record, Dallas adds star to lineup

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div>Newspaperman Horace Greeley was credited with coining the famous phrase &ldquo;Go west, young man,&rdquo; in the 1800s.Marcel Comeau, coach of the Canadian team for the World Junior Championship, can be given credit for inspiring a variation on the phrase more than a century later: &ldquo;Go east and take a bunch of young men from the west with you.&rdquo;Canada, which began pursuit of its fourth straight WJC gold medal Dec. 26 in Worcester, Mass., featured 12 Western League players on a 22-man roster. In addition, Rhett Warrener of the Florida Panthers apprenticed in the WHL, while Jason Botterill of the University of Michigan is from Winnipeg to bring the west&rsquo;s contingent to 14.Goalies Jose Theodore and Marc Denis are Quebec Leaguers, but the rest of the roster is dominated by WHLers:&#9633; Six of the seven defenseman are from the west.&#9633; Captain Nolan Baumgartner and assistants Botterill and Chad Allan hail from west of the Ontario border.&#9633; The top line of center Daymond Langkow, left winger Hnat Domeni-chelli and right winger Jarome Iginla are WHL scoring terrors. Members of the line accounted for two goals and six points in a 6-1 win over United States in Canada&rsquo;s first game Dec. 26.Although no records are kept, the Kamloops Blazers&rsquo; four-member contingency is thought to be an all-time high. Iginla and Domenichelli and defensemen Baumgartner and Jason Holland were loaned by the defending Memorial Cup champion Blazers.There is no specific reason for the WHL domination, but there is no doubt the best junior hockey in Canada is being played in the west. Seven of the past 10 Memorial Cups have been won by WHL teams and seven of the top 11 picks in the 1995 NHL entry draft are from the western loop.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a cyclical thing,&rdquo; said Comeau, coach of the WHL&rsquo;s Kelowna Rockets. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no pressure to pick guys according to geography.&rdquo;The QMJHL has four representatives, just three are from the Ontario League and two from U.S. college.Final cuts for Canada were: goalies Martin Biron of the Beauport Harfangs and Craig Hillier (Ottawa 67&rsquo;s); defensemen Jason Doig (Winnipeg Jets), Brad Lukowich (Kamloops), Justin Kurtz (Brandon Wheat Kings) and Jay McKee (Niagara Falls Thunder); forwards Daniel Briere (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Dan Cleary (Belleville Bulls), Jonathan Delisle (Hull Olympiques). Marty Flichel (Kelowna) and Jeff Williams (Guelph Storm).The U.S. team lost Jason Godbout (University of Minnesota) due to injury and cut defenseman Peter Ratchuk (St. Mary&rsquo;s High School) and forwards Dan Lacouture (Springfield Pics) and Adam Edinger (Leamington Flyers). &#9632;

Canada relies on westerners at WJC

<div class="byline">Compiled by THN staff</div>Even though Winnipeg&rsquo;s NHL franchise will die at the end of the season, the Jets may live on.The nickname is one of eight on a ballot that will be used to name the team, which will move from Winnipeg to Phoenix after the season. Other names on the ballot are Scorpions, Coyotes, Wranglers, Outlaws, Renegades, Freeze and Mustangs. Scorpions and Coyotes are the early favorites in the contest, which closes in mid-January.New owners Richard Burke, Steven Gluck-stern and Jerry Colangelo kicked off the contest in late-December. Burke and Gluckstem, meanwhile, officially made Colangelo a Jet-setter by selling at least five per cent of the Jets to Colangelo, president of the National Basketball Association&rsquo;s Phoenix Suns. The trio of hockey owners introduced themselves to a Phoenix news conference Dec. 19 to talk about the relocation of the Jets to the Arizona city in the fall of 1996.Colangelo joined the partnership in December while talks to get the Jets to Phoenix were in full swing. He said his ownership stake will depend on a decision by Burke and Gluckstem. The trio has a lease with America West Arena for five years in its first stage and possibly longer, depending on further negotiations.The sale of the Jets closes in July, though both the transaction and the relocation are expected to be approved without incident by the NHL&rsquo;s board of governors in Boston Jan. 19. Burke and Gluckstem negotiated a $65-million purchase agreement with Jets&rsquo; president Barry Shenkarow, who will stay on as a consultant to the franchise for 10 years.Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; owner Peter Pocklington, meanwhile, is threatening to move his team unless fans buy more tickets. The threat is in response to the NHL discussing a subsidy plan to assist smaller Canadian markets providing strict qualifying criteria is met.WORLD CUP DELAY: Details of the inaugural World Cup of Hockey will be announced at the NHL All-Star Game in Boston.Venue problems in Europe and the U.S. continue to pose a problem and the hassles prompted officials to postpone a Dec. 19 conference to unveil details about the successor to the Canada Cup tournament. Buffalo was supposed to have one, or possibly two Team USA games, but its new arena may not be ready in time.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011712/7336766-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="699" height="916"><figcaption class="caption-body">New Jersey&rsquo;s Lou Lamoriello will assemble Team USA for the 1996 World Cup.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We have the option of Detroit and there has been interest expressed from other NHL clubs,&rdquo; said tournament co-ordinator Susie Mathieu.The Canadian sites are set, with Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa playing host to games.With renovations rendering Toronto&rsquo;s Maple Leaf Gardens unavailable, this means no meaningful games will be played in southern Ontario.Team Canada will be managed by committee, with Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; GM Glen Sather playing a key role. New Jersey Devils&rsquo; GM Lou Lamoriello will assemble Team USA.Slovakia, meanwhile, accepted an invitation to be the eighth team. It will play in a pool along with Canada, USA and Russia.The Canadians will hold their training camp in Whistler, B.C., and have exhibition games scheduled against the Slovaks and USA.The tournament begins Aug. 26. The preliminary round ends Sept. 3 and the medal round begins Sept. 5 in Montreal. The best-of-three final round begins Sept. 10 in Philadelphia, with Game 2 going two days later in Montreal. Game 3, if necessary would be played Sept. 14 in Montreal.RUSSIAN VICTORY: Russia survived a late flurry by Sweden to secure its 23rd Izvestia Cup title in 28 years.Vladimir Vorobyov&rsquo;s third-period goal gave Russia a 2-1 over Sweden Dec. 21. Sweden pulled its goalie in the final minute and came close to scoring. Former Boston Bruin Dmitri Kvartalnov also scored for the Russians.The Czech Republic finished second, Sweden third and Canada, represented by its national team, fourth. Finland, the defending world champion, brought only its second team and finished winless and in last place at 0-1-3.DEAL FOR MEEHAN: Former Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; GM Gerry Meehan and western New York attorney Vince Gaughan secured a contract to handle the world-wide marketing, merchandising and endorsement rights for all of the Russian national hockey teams.The agreement also includes use of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation logo and most of the rights the Russians have to the famed interlocking Olympic rings emblem. The Olympic rings are the single most valued logo in sports marketing and properly handled, the agreement is worth millions for both the Russian hockey federation and Meehan and Gaughan.GOOD START: Gilles Thibaudeau and Paul Gagne each scored twice to lead Canada to a 4-1 win over Farjestad of Sweden in the opening game of the Spengler Cup. Davos of Switzerland beat Togliatti of Russia 3-0 in the other opening-day game Dec. 26.Coached by Andy Murray, Canada is comprised of mostly Canadians playing professionally in Europe.GOALIE A FIRST: Jolene McGee, a 19-year-old fist-year goalie at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ont., became the first female to play on a men&rsquo;s college hockey team in Canada.The Auks lost 11-8 to the school&rsquo;s Peterborough campus team in McGee&rsquo;s first game in late-December. McGee also plays for a senior women&rsquo;s team in Peterborough.&mdash;With files from Tim Campbell, Jim Kelley and Alan Adams &#9632;

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Scorpions, Coyotes top list of new monikers for Phoenix

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div>Something eventually had to give in the war of words and wills between Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; coach Rick Ley and defenseman Jeff Brown.When it finally did, in a three-way deal that sent Brown to the Hartford Whalers Dec. 20 and also involved the New Jersey Devils, neither man backed down.&ldquo;Skill and talent is nothing if you don&rsquo;t have the work ethic,&rdquo; Ley said. &ldquo;When Jeff Brown first came (in March, 1994 from the St. Louis Blues) he certainly put a lot more effort into it, but he hasn&rsquo;t done that since he got his last contract. We improved our team characterwise.&rdquo;Vancouver received Devils&rsquo; center Jim Dowd, Whalers&rsquo; defenseman Frank Kucera and the Whalers&rsquo; second-round pick in the 1997 NHL entry draft, while disgruntled Whalers&rsquo; right winger Jocelyn Lemieux and Hartford&rsquo;s second pick in 1998 went to New Jersey.Brown, who had a career-high 78 points with St. Louis in 1992-93, signed a four-year, $7.8-million (U.S.) contract with Vancouver in the summer of 1994, the year after the Canucks took the New York Rangers to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final. Strained relations between Brown and Ley came to a head when Brown sat out two games in October. Brown then questioned, in a between-periods radio interview from the press box, whether Ley had the courage to bench other star players.Brown, 29, said he was being made a scapegoat.&ldquo;I thought the benching was a joke then and I still think it&rsquo;s a joke now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m disappointed to be leaving.&rdquo;Brown, who had one goal and 17 points, but was leading Vancouver with plus-6, said his only regret was not being able to help kickstart the Canucks&rsquo; faltering power play.Dowd, 27, had four goals and 13 points in 28 games while Lemieux, 28, had three points in 29 games.Kucera, 27, played in 30 games with the Whalers this season and had eight points. &#9632;

Brown, Ley continue war of words

<div class="byline">By Stu Heckel</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011909/7336828-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Photo by Mark Hicks/BBS)</figcaption></div>It&rsquo;s an image we&rsquo;ve seen countless times. Scotty Bowman walking behind his team&rsquo;s bench, thrusting an ice cube into his mouth and his jaw in the air. What makes it special now is he&rsquo;s doing it as the NHL&rsquo;s all-time games coached leader.The record&mdash;Bowman was scheduled to pass Al Arbour&rsquo;s mark of 1,606 when the Detroit Red Wings played the Dallas Stars Dec. 29&mdash;is the exclamation mark on a truly remarkable career.The 63-year-old native of Montreal, who has coached five teams over 24 seasons, had already cemented his place in history by being the all-time leader in games won (938 entering the Dallas match) and winning percentage (65.9). He is also the leader in Stanley Cup playoff games (244) and wins (152), and guided six Stanley Cup champions (five with the Montreal Canadiens, one with the Pitts-burgh Penguins). Bowman was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder in 1991.That he has been able to last so long&mdash;he broke in with the St. Louis Blues in 1967&mdash;and prosperously in a profession with a horrendous record for job security makes Bowman&rsquo;s accomplishments even more significant.What&rsquo;s the secret to his success? Well, there&rsquo;s both method and madness.The method includes getting the right players on the ice in the right situations, a reliance on team defense, an en-cyclopedic knowledge of the league&rsquo;s talent, an uncanny power of recall, a confidence to execute his game plan and the flexibility to change quickly if it doesn&rsquo;t yield the results.The madness in-volves a dedication to winning that crosses over to obsession and a combative hard shell that covers a deep-seeded caring.Ex-NHL coach Hany Neale said it wasn&rsquo;t until he worked with Bow-man at Hockey Night in Canada he saw the passionate side.&ldquo;You always kind of despised him,&rdquo; Neale said. &ldquo;First of all, he won all the time. And if he had to step on you to get an edge, he would. Here I was coaching the lowly Vancouver Canucks and he was coaching the champion Canadiens and he wouldn&rsquo;t give me a decent practice time at the Montreal Forum.&ldquo;But I never knew he had a great sense of humor, that he was generous, thoughtful and a family man until I got to know him in the years he worked for Hockey Night In Canada. He has become a good friend.&rdquo;Talk to some of Bowman&rsquo;s other colleagues and friends and the one element they always come back to is a mind that relentlessly thinks hockey.&ldquo;When you talk to Scotty,&rdquo; said Roger Neilson, who has coached with and against Bowman, &ldquo;he jumps in the middle of a sentence and goes on to another thought. He&rsquo;s thinking two, three steps ahead. And that&rsquo;s the way he coaches.&rdquo;&ldquo;He kept you off balance and made you think. He played games with your mind,&rdquo; said Arbour, who played for Bowman and also coached for and against him. &ldquo;It was all very calculated. Scotty is a great competitor and great motivator.&rdquo;Of course, being a great motivator doesn&rsquo;t always go hand-inhand with popularity. Bowman has earned a reputation for being ruthless. And while he has adjusted to the modem day player and mellowed with time, tales still travel the NHL grapevine about elongated shouting matches and near mutinies.&ldquo;A lot of those stories get embellished over time,&rdquo; Bowman said.Nonetheless, it&rsquo;s said his former Canadiens&rsquo; players celebrated when Bowman decided to leave for the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; GM-coach role in 1979 and there were rumors of a Penguins&rsquo; players uprising against their coach in 1992.Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; GM-president Glen Sather, who played for Bowman in the mid-1970s in Montreal, tells a story that shows how a player would have a hard time falling into a comfort zone under Bowman. In the middle of a long winning streak, the Canadiens stopped in St. Louis with a few days before a game against the Blues-the perfect time for some revelry.Bowman, however, imposed a curfew.&ldquo;Then he set up a little bench at the end of the hallway in the hotel,&rdquo; Sather said, &ldquo;and sat there to get our attention.&rdquo;For Bowman, it&rsquo;s all about getting and maintaining an edge-no matter how small. After the first game of home-and-home series, he would rush his team to the airport so their chartered plane would depart before the opposition&rsquo;s.&ldquo;Just getting off the ground before them would be a victory,&rdquo; Neilson said. &ldquo;The psychology of the game is very important to him. He&rsquo;ll sit there in his hotel room on game day for a couple of hours and just think, get his thoughts together on what he&rsquo;s going to do.&rdquo;The prospect of losing consumes him. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like to make any plans for after a game, even with my family and that can be tough,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;If we lose, I just want to be totally alone, maybe look at the tape. I&rsquo;m not embarrassed as much as I am frustrated.&rdquo;That frustration leads to sleepless nights and midnight phone calls to confidantes as he replays games in his mind. After losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final last June, he drove around Detroit for two hours in a late night search for answers.<h2>Good team defense trademark of Bowman teams</h2>While he didn&rsquo;t find any that time, he usually does and more often than not, his plans involve star players. Bowman is known for getting the best from his best.&ldquo;I learned a lot from Scotty,&rdquo; said Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; forward Rick Tocchet, who played for Bowman in Pittsburgh. &ldquo;He knew the right guys to put out in the right situations.&rdquo;&ldquo;The coach must take the initiative,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to get inside their minds and get the message across that you need them.&ldquo;With role players, your actions don&rsquo;t always reflect your words. You tell him he&rsquo;s important and the next day you teil him, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re not suiting up tonight, we&rsquo;re giving someone else a chance.&rsquo; You must get them to understand that they must stay ready, that their chance will come.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011735/7336821-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="548" height="889"><figcaption class="caption-body">Glen Sather enjoyed matching wits with Scotty Bowman.</figcaption></div>While variety is important, Bowman&rsquo;s teams have all thrived because of one common thread: solid team defense. Even with the firepower he had in Montreal, defense came first.&ldquo;Toe Blake told me I wouldn&rsquo;t have to worry about scoring goals with that group,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;He encouraged me to talk defense to them.&rdquo;Former coaching great Emile Francis believes the innovative Bowman was the first to juggle his lines on regular basis, starting in junior hockey. The late broadcaster Dan Kelly swore Bowman was the first to use video.And as a tactician behind the bench, he&rsquo;s still among the elite.&ldquo;Few guys can stick with him in a matching war,&rdquo; Neilson said. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s the best there is because of his ability to anticipate.&rdquo;&ldquo;It was always a challenge coaching against him,&rdquo; Sather said. &ldquo;When you have good talent on both teams, you try to match wits with him and it&rsquo;s like a chess game. Those games were more fun, more interesting than pounding the opposition 10-1. I can&rsquo;t think of anyone who&rsquo;s a better coach today.&rdquo;The one nagging question that arises about Bowman&rsquo;s stellar career concerns his franchise hopping. Why has he been with five teams?In fairness, he has been fired just once-in 1986 with the Buffalo Sabres. In St. Louis, he resigned in 1971 after a dispute with management, who wanted the GM to fire his coaching staff. He left Montreal for Buffalo in 1979 because he wasn&rsquo;t comfortable with new GM Irving Grundman. And he headed to Detroit from Pittsburgh in 1993 for a more lucrative offer.Still, it&rsquo;s just a minor blemish on a Hall of Fame career and it doesn&rsquo;t detract from his brilliance.&ldquo;You&rsquo;d have a hard time,&rdquo; Francis said, &ldquo;finding a smarter coach ever.&rdquo; &#9632;

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GREAT SCOTTY

I find it very sad that the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver and the Winnipeg Jets are on their way to Phoenix. Canada, I sympathize for you.But before you get all hot at the United States, let&rsquo;s look at last season&rsquo;s lockout. Weren&rsquo;t the players totally opposed to any form of a salary cap, something that would have helped small-market teams? And aren&rsquo;t more than 60 per cent of the players in the NHL Canadian-born? That majority might have saved both franchises.So, I ask, how much do Canadians love hockey? The answer: a lot. But Canadians in the NHL love something more-money.Jay Petrick,&nbsp;Henderson, N.<h2>Enjoy Mario&rsquo;s magic</h2>What were the editors at The Hockey News thinking when they printed the letter &ldquo;Hands off Mario&rdquo; in the Dec. 15 issue?Fans who understand the game will acknowledge the fact that Mario Lemieux has had opponents rough, hold, trip and commit other infractions just short of felonies to prevent him from scoring since he entered the league in 1984. He has endured an extraordinary amount of abuse throughout his career.Lemieux&rsquo;s excellence should be attributed to a return to good health and the enforcement on obstruction fouls which are designed to help all skilled players in the league.Instead of complaining that Lemieux receives preferential treatment, fans should enjoy watching the greatest player ever to lace up skates perform his magic.After all, he&rsquo;s not going to play this game forever.John McGee,&nbsp;Pittsburgh, Pa.<h2>Devils not hungry</h2>The reason for the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; poor start can be totally attributed to a lack of effort and a lack of hunger in the lineup.It is not a coincidence that the Devils&rsquo; two best players this season, Steve Thomas and Petr Sykora, are missing a certain piece of jewelry on their fingers.Devils&rsquo; coach Jacques Lemaire must find a way to rekindle the hunger or GM Lou Lamoriello will have to put some hungry players in the lineup.Joseph Marchesani,&nbsp;Hazlet, N.J.<h2>Ad was offensive</h2>I am writing concerning the back cover advertisement you ran in the Dec. 22 issue for Easton sticks. I found it to be very offensive to women.The women in the ad are portrayed as sex objects and imply that any woman who is interested in hockey is a puck bunny or groupie.Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not like that and neither are many female fans. I&rsquo;m sure the women who play hockey were offended by the stereotype, too.I feel THN owes all women and girls an apology for running such a degrading ad. I&rsquo;m sure many men and boys were also offended by it.In the future, I ask that the staff of THN refrain from running such ads.Leah Jordan,&nbsp;Skokie, III.<h2>Save our Islanders</h2>I am writing to you as a member of the steering committee of The Coalition to Save the Islanders. We are a group of New York Islander fans who have reached the saturation point with the team&rsquo;s ownership, management, abysmal record and new uniforms.Islander fans are accused of not being loyal. We formed this committee because we are longtime, die-hard fans who love our team and don&rsquo;t want to see it become a disaster.We are proud of its history and don&rsquo;t want to see it swept under the carpet. We are trying to recruit others who are interested in our efforts to save the Islanders. It appears no one else in the organization feels this sense of urgency, so we feel it has been left up to us.Those wanting more information can contact us at: The Coalition to Save the Islanders, 717 East Jericho Tpke, No. 197, Huntington Station, N.Y., 11746.Keri Lannigan,&nbsp;Bellerose, N. Y.<h2>Hard-working Paul</h2>In response to the letter by Jeff Cooke in the Dec. 15 issue, I would like to come to the defense of referee Paul Stewart.Stewie should be given credit for getting where he is through hard work and a love of the game. As a native of Binghamton, N.Y., I saw Stewart&rsquo;s hockey career at its beginning.Stewart was a walk-on at the University of Pennsylvania and upon graduation, he showed up in Binghamton and told team management, &ldquo;I can help you.&rdquo;He knew it was the worst team in the league and had players being beaten up by the likes of Bill Goldthorpe and the Carlson brothers (the real life models for the Slap Shot movie characters the Hanson Brothers).Stewie became a fan favorite by taking on all the league&rsquo;s goons. After a couple of years, he got a training camp tryout with the New York Rangers and requested to room with Nick Fotiu.He knew he would have to learn how to be an NHL-calibre enforcer and even fought Fotiu in an intrasquad game.After a short time with the Cincinnati Stingers and Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association, Stewie&rsquo;s lack of skills caught up with him.Now Stewie is a respected NHL referee with a reputation for being fair. Not many people have good things to say about officials, but Paul Stewart is someone who has truly paid his dues.Ron Weber,&nbsp;Lackawanna, N. Y.<h2>Parker great coach</h2>I found Ken Campbell&rsquo;s comments about U.S. national junior coach Jack Parker to be ignorant and offensive (THN, Dec. 15). If Campbell feels Sean Haggerty should have been selected to the U.S. roster for the World Junior Championship, he is entitled to his opinion.However, to suggest Parker had some hidden agenda in selecting the squad is simply appalling.Apparently, it has not occurred to Campbell that the coach of the defending National Collegiate Athletic Association champions, the Boston University Terriers, might know a thing or two about assembling a winning team.Campbell should refrain from passing judgment on one of the greatest hockey coaches of our time.Sim Shapiro,&nbsp;White Plains, N. Y.<h2>Don&rsquo;t trade Stevie</h2>Steve Yzerman for Alexei Yashin (THN, Dec. 22)? No way!Yzerman has paid his dues for the Detroit Red Wings. When the Red Wings were one of the worst teams in the league, did Yzerman hold out for more money or demand to be traded?Why should Yashin go to a team that has a good chance at winning the Stanley Cup? If Ottawa&rsquo;s young players had any pride, that team could be a contender in about five years.Yzerman waited, so can Yashin. I hope it never happens, but even if it does, I&rsquo;m sure Yzerman will go with his head held high.Jill Sellon,&nbsp;Leamington, Ont.Make your feelings known. Fax us your comments at&nbsp;(416) 340-1641&nbsp;or write to&nbsp;Letters, The Hockey News, 777 Bay St., Suite 2700, Box 148, Toronto, Ont, M5G 2C8&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;

Players like money more than Canada

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011801/7336883-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div>He said it once and then repeated his point later in the conversation. It was as if Joe Nieuwendyk wanted to ensure one message got out: the best thing about his joining the Dallas Stars in a three-player deal with the Calgary Flames was the commitment his new team made to him.That commitment took the shape of a five-year, $11.1-million contract that will pay Nieuwendyk $1.7 million for this season, then $2 million, $2.2 and two final years at $2.6 million.The Flames surrendered Nieuwendyk-who hadn&rsquo;t played for Calgary this season because of a contract impasse-to the Stars minutes before the NHL&rsquo;s 10-day Christmas trading freeze. In exchange, they received center Corey Millen, plus 18-year-old right wing prospect Jarome Iginla.The crux of Nieuwendyk&rsquo;s dispute with the Flames centered on commitment as much as it did money. The Flames were not prepared to offer Nieuwendyk, 29, a long-term contract, in part because of his injury history. Nieuwendyk has suffered two knee injuries-one in 1990, the other in 1993.More recently, he has been bothered by a herniated disc in his back that requires daily maintenance. It only prevented him from playing in four of Calgary&rsquo;s 55 regular season and playoff games last season, but two of those came in the playoffs. Without Nieuwendyk in the lineup, the Flames lost both.&ldquo;The biggest thing is the commitment Dallas made to me,&rdquo; Nieuwendyk said. &ldquo;A five-year contract is a big positive for me; that they showed that commitment to me.&rdquo;In Nieuwendyk, the Stars received the Flames&rsquo; all-time goal-scoring leader. The Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year in 1987-88, Nieuwendyk scored 50 goals in each of his first two seasons. During the first eight seasons of his career, he averaged a goal every other game.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011698/7336914-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="716" height="1006"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jarome lginla, KamloopS Blazers</figcaption></div>By adding Nieuwendyk, the Stars now boast a potent 1-2 punch down the middle. Ultimately, he will take some of the scoring pressure off the team&rsquo;s other marquee player, center Mike Modano, and provide Dallas with a more balanced attack. The Stars were last in the Western Conference in scoring Dec. 18, the day of the trade.Nieuwendyk can instantly jump-start a power play. Few NHLers can match his eye-to-hand coordination in front of the net which, over time, has resulted in many tip-in goals. Moreover, Nieuwendyk possesses good first-step acceleration and isn&rsquo;t afraid to carry a defenseman on his back as he drives to the net. This can either result in a scoring chance or a penalty against the opposition.Of the two, Modano is the more graceful player; Nieuwendyk, by contrast, is not afraid to dig in front of the net. One is Mr. Inside, the other Mr. Outside. They should complement one another.The only similarity is both are essentially goal-scoring centers, so they will require playmaking wingers to maximize their contributions. Just who in the Stars&rsquo; lineup will develop the right chemistry with Nieuwendyk remains to be seen.In his best years in Calgary, he was flanked by a gritty power forward (usually Gary Roberts) on one side and a skilled European (Hakan Loob, Sergei Makarov) on the other.Nieuwendyk reported to the Stars just before Christmas and had no points in two games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been waiting a long time,&rdquo; Nieuwendyk said, &ldquo;but now I&rsquo;ve got half-a-year left, I&rsquo;m awfully excited by the chance to get back to work.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s a thought seconded by Stars&rsquo; coach-GM Bob Gainey.&ldquo;This doesn&rsquo;t guarantee a playoff spot,&rdquo; Gainey said, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s a step in the right direction.&rdquo;For the Flames&rsquo; part, they key is clearly Iginla. The Stars&rsquo; first-round pick in the 1995 entry draft (11th overall), his stock in on the rise, but like any prospect, he&rsquo;s unproven. (See accompanying story for more on Iginla.)The 31-year-old Millen, meanwhile, gives the Flames more of what they already have: another small center. While he has enjoyed some success in his previous NHL stops-three straight 20-or-more-goal seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils in the early l990s-he had seen limited action with the Stars this season after being acquired for Neal Broten last year. &#9632;

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Nieuwendyk excited by Stars’ leap of faith

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div>Certain things are unanimous among hockey people where Kamloops Blazers&rsquo; right winger Jarome Iginla is concerned:&#9633; He is a much better player entering 1996 than he was in the summer of 1995, when the Dallas Stars drafted him 11th overall.&#9633; He is not likely to be a high-scoring NHL star first-liner, but is almost sure to be a solid second-line player with great character.&#9633; For all intents and purposes, he was traded to the Calgary Flames straight up for holdout center Joe Nieuwendyk, a proven star in the league. Corey Millen came along in the deal, but is more of a Stars&rsquo; salary dump than a boost to Calgary&rsquo;s offense.All of this will put the spotlight straight on the maple leaf on Iginla&rsquo;s Canada sweater at the World Junior Championship in Boston, where the 19-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., was slated to play on Canada&rsquo;s top line with Daymond Langkow and Hnat Domenichelli. Iginla said he&rsquo;s up to it.&ldquo;I guess maybe it&rsquo;s a little more pressure (being traded for Nieuwendyk),&rdquo; Iginla told the Calgary Herald, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s not a bad thing because it helps me work harder. It&rsquo;s exciting too because it means they have confidence in you.&rdquo;The Flames believe Iginla will be ready to play in the NHL next season after a year in which his stock soared from a projected second-round pick to a point where some scouts were tabbing him as the best player in Canadian junior hockey this season.He had 35 goals and 68 points in 31 games this season, a marked jump from last year&rsquo;s 33 goals and 71 points in 72 games.At 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds, he doesn&rsquo;t have great speed nor fiery reckless abandon, but is powerfull in the comers and in front of the net. &#9632;

Spotlight on Iginla after deal

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div>It started in June when the Buffalo Sabres traded Alexander Mogilny for three prospects, none of whom were ready to make an impact in NHL.Mogilny for three kids? That&rsquo;s all they could get?The consensus was this was a fire sale of epic proportions, precipitated by the Sabres&rsquo; high payroll and limited revenue streams.It&rsquo;s a sad fact of life in today&rsquo;s NHL: it&rsquo;s difficult for teams to get a good return on high-paid help.How else do you explain the Calgary Flames&rsquo; decision to trade center Joe Nieuwendyk for one young player and a role player?Now all the reports suggest 18-year-old Jarome Iginla is going to be the real deal-and that&rsquo;s fine-but there was a time when teams were prepared to give up five first-round prospects for established, front-line NHL talent. See the first Scott Stevens signing for details.That has all changed. Trends are always difficult to spot when you&rsquo;re in the midst of them, but on the evidence of the first three months of the 1995-96 season, you&rsquo;d have to suggest the NHL&rsquo;s long-awaited salary correction-or plateau-has begun. The new collective bargaining agreement gave NHL teams the means to just say no and more and more teams are making use of that.In the short history of salary escalation, all it took was one maverick team to drive up the price for all the remaining clubs. The early-warning signs should have gone out when the St. Louis Blues-the original NHL mavericks-started dumping salaries in order to make their lineup more cost effective.Once teams such as the Blues and New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings and the NHL&rsquo;s other big spenders decide they cannot add any more salary, then the marketplace effectively stalls.It took the Flames three months to find a taker for Nieuwendyk and it&rsquo;s hardly a coincidence he ended up with the one NHL team that just received a transfusion of funds from a new ownership group.Kirk Muller and Curtis Joseph were still on the sidelines and their respective asking prices plummeted on a daily basis. Once upon a time, Muller was set on signing a five-year deal. A year ago, perhaps someone would have given him that. Now? It&rsquo;s unlikely.The Flames sent a clear message to their players and fans when they traded Nieuwendyk and didn&rsquo;t receive any immediate help in return. This year is history. They will deny this, as they must. After all, tickets need to be sold and miracles do happen. The players will continue to play hard because in this desultory season, the one quality you cannot question is the players&rsquo; work ethic.The reality is that with more than half a season to go, the Flames need to overhaul four teams in the Western Conference standings. Accordingly, the issue isn&rsquo;t just the gap between themselves and the eighth-place team, but the fact there weren&rsquo;t four clubs they could conceivably leapfrog without a minor catastrophe striking them.This isn&rsquo;t really even a hockey question anymore, it&rsquo;s about arithmetic. To make a surge in the standings, they needed to get a comparable player back for Nieuwendyk. Corey Millen isn&rsquo;t it.So, in order, the Nieuwendyk deal: 1. Saves the Flames money; 2. Brings new meaning to the term smurf roster; and, 3. Starts them on a rebuilding phase.Just as there is in Buffalo, the Flames&rsquo; future is a little brighter; the present, a little more grim.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021181/7336969-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="359" height="475"></div> &#9632;

f0009-02

NHL salary correction under way

<div class="byline">After two years as part-time player, rejuvenated Olczvk scoring again </div><div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div>Ed Olczyk is the perfect company man.Give him an assignment and he follows through, no questions asked.When Olczyk&rsquo;s role with the New York Rangers was reduced to leading the team in stretching during their Stanley Cup run, he didn&rsquo;t complain.Nor did he beef about I being sat out the first five I games this season as his I Winnipeg Jets opted for I younger players.But deep down, it was eating away at him and in I mid-November, he finally reached his breaking point. He had just missed four games with a rib injury and was cleared to play, but was a healthy I scratch for the next two games.That&rsquo;s when he lost it.&ldquo;I walked through the garage door into the house and suddenly it hit I me,&rdquo; Olczyk said. &ldquo;I I couldn&rsquo;t go any lower. I had an emotional breakdown with my wife. I wondered how much more I could take. It was like, enough is enough. It couldn&rsquo;t get any worse for me. I couldn&rsquo;t get any lower than I was at that point.&rdquo;Olczyk remained convinced he still had the requisite skills and attitude to be an NHL player. That opinion apparently wasn&rsquo;t shared. Olczyk, who averaged 39 goals a year in three full seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1987-88 through 1989-90, had been reduced to part-time status in Winnipeg and New York.Although he has been in the NHL 11 seasons, Olczyk is only 29 years old. The way he has been treated in recent years, you would think he was a grizzled veteran hanging on for one last pay check. It was as though the hockey world had lost faith in his potential to contribute.When Olczyk finally worked his way back into the Jets&rsquo; lineup, he was placed on a line between tough and talented left winger Keith Tkachuk and Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne.Olczyk scored in his first game back and went on a tear of 13 goals in 13 games. After 35 Jets&rsquo; games he was fifth in team scoring with 16 goals and 25 points.&ldquo;People keep telling me my scoring touch has returned,&rdquo; Olczyk said. &ldquo;I say it never left me. There&rsquo;s one reason and one reason only why my production was down the past few years-I didn&rsquo;t get the opportunity to play. The big joke for the past few years is I needed a pretty long stick to score goals from the press box.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03806/7337038-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="891" height="1737"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ed Olczyk says he simply lost ice time, not his scoring touch. (Photo by Rocky Widner)</figcaption></div>Olczyk&rsquo;s fall from grace happened rather abruptly. When Mike Keenan took over as coach of the Rangers in 1993, he was up front with Olczyk, telling him his biggest contribution to the team would be to keep the guys loose.Olczyk became the leader of the Black Aces-depth players who remain with the team, but play only when injuries hit-and led the team in stretching exercises prior to practices and games.Once a bona fide scorer and team leader, Olczyk had been reduced to a cheerleader.&ldquo;Keenan gave me the role to keep guys loose, to be a positive influence,&rdquo; Olczyk says. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t like the decision, but I respected it. I took the role seriously. Nobody could ever convince me my name doesn&rsquo;t deserve to be on the Cup.&rdquo;Rangers&rsquo; GM Neil Smith and NHL Players&rsquo; Association executive Mike Gartner successfully lobbied to have Olczyk and Mike Hartman&rsquo;s names included on the Cup. Neither had met the NHL&rsquo;s requirements of playing at least 40 regular season games (Olczyk played 37) or dressing for at least one game in the Stanley Cup final. Despite that, Olczyk was voted winner of the Player&rsquo;s Player Award by his teammates, given annually to the best team player on the Rangers.&ldquo;On a team with Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter, he was voted best of the best,&rdquo; said former Rangers&rsquo; director of public relations Barry Watkins. &ldquo;That says so much about how important the players felt he was.&rdquo;Winnipeg GM John Paddock said he always thought Olczyk could help his team and felt a fifth-round choice in the 1995 entrv draft was a low price to pay to get him last season.The price might get a little steeper for the Jets. Olczyk becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. If nothing else, Olczyk has proved when given a chance, he can make a vital contribution.&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t take any shifts off now,&rdquo; Paddock said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an example of a player who didn&rsquo;t play much the past two years, but took advantage of his opportunity when he got it. He knows he&rsquo;s on the edge. He can&rsquo;t have three bad games in a row and not have it come back to haunt him.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0010-03

Eddie’s O so happy

<div class="byline">By Murray Townsend</div>It&rsquo;s a cold day in Edmonton, about minus-20 Celsius, but Bill Mikkelson knows if The Hockey News is calling it&rsquo;s going down to minus-82 very quickly.That&rsquo;s the number he recorded for the Washington Capitals in 1974-75, the worst plus-minus since the statistic has been kept, and almost certainly the worst ever.It&rsquo;s of little comfort to Mikkelson plus-minus has a serious credibility problem, recently referred to by New Jersey Devils&rsquo; coach Jacques Lemaire as the worst statistic ever.While he&rsquo;s good-natured about the record, Mikkelson would prefer not to be a trivia question answer. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like somebody to break it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s not going to happen. I think this one is probably in the b&infin;ks to stay.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s because plusminus is more of a team stat than an individual one and it&rsquo;s unlikely there will ever be a worse outfit than the &rsquo;74-75 Caps. In their first year of existence, Washington compiled the worst winning percentage (.131) and allowed more goals (446) than any team in NHL history.Against the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens, they were outscored 49-9. Nine of Mikkelson&rsquo;s teammates were minus-50 or worse and one player, Jack Lynch, was minus-54 in 20 games.The inherent weakness of plusminus is that it&rsquo;s not a great indicator of individual play.The statistic is calculated by subtracting the number of even-strength opposition goals for which a player is on the ice from the number of even-strength goals his team scores while he&rsquo;s on the ice. Most of the players on good teams have pluses, most of the players on poor teams have minuses.If a player on a good team gets traded to a weak one, nothing changes but his teammates and his plusminus. The stat becomes most relevant when there is a wide variance between players on the same team.Still, plus-minus does have its merit.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very credible stat,&rdquo; says Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; coach Terry Murray. &ldquo;If a player is just (barely) a minus player, it&rsquo;s not a red flag that jumps up and waves at me and says, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;ve got to make a change here. I think when the number gets to be higher on the minus side, then you do need to address it.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011726/7337107-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="895" height="1758"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bill Mikkelson knows plus-minus is more a reflection of team play.</figcaption></div>But what you also must address when considering plus-minus is a player&rsquo;s role. Defensive forwards assigned to check the opposition&rsquo;s top guns could be doing a good job and still be minus players. Just ask Bob Gainey.The Dallas Stars&rsquo; coach-GM, a multiple Selke Trophy winner as the NHL&rsquo;s top defensive forward, picked up the award one season when he was minus-2, while five of his teammates were plus-35 or better.Conversely, weak defensive forwards with the good fortune of being on good teams can compile big plus numbers.If you need any more evidence plus-minus should be taken with a grain of salt, talk to Ron Andrews. The NHL&rsquo;s director of information and statistician for 19 years, Andrews is often credited with originating plus-minus. He is now the archivist for The Sports Network.Andrews said the numbers have been recorded since the mid-1950s and were made available to the media and public in 1963.Andrews believes the stat&rsquo;s use has gone beyond its original purpose, especially with players using it for bonuses in their contracts.&ldquo;I think a lot of people regard it as law,&rdquo; Andrews said. &ldquo;When I was doing it I thought it was an interesting stat for the media and then the fans.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s all.Andrews experimented with a fairer system in the 1970s, putting a player&rsquo;s plus-minus as a percentage of his team&rsquo;s plus-minus. It was better, but more complicated and difficult for people to understand, so it was eliminated when he left the league in 1982.Mikkelson follows the current plus-minus stats, knowing he has more reason to do so than the average fan. He even remembers the same year he was minus-82 Bobby Orr was plus-80. Orr, incidentally, has the best all-time plus-minus when he was plus-124 for the Boston Bruins in 1969-70.Reflecting on his place in history, Mikkelson isn&rsquo;t about to slash his wrists, but does feel if fate had dealt him a different hand-say a trade out of Washington in &rsquo;74-75-he wouldn&rsquo;t be known as the owner of a dubious record.&ldquo;I think if I had played for the Boston Bruins that year,&rdquo; Mikkelson says, &ldquo;I would have been a plus.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0012-01

Plus-minus=debate

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011601/7337138-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pat Verbeek was tops on the Rangers in goals and PIM last season. (Photo by Jim Mclsaac/BBS)</figcaption></div>On a cold afternoon in December, Gerard Verbeek sat at his farm in Wyoming, Ont., population 1,800, trying to figure out a way to cut costs on his herd of livestock.During the spring and fall, Gerard splits time between his own farm and son Pat&rsquo;s, where he oversees planting and harvesting of com, soy beans and wheat while Pat is playing hockey.The winter is reserved mainly for his own farm, taking stock of the year and looking for ways to make his operation more efficient. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t make our money as easy as these hockey players,&rdquo; he said.In New York, Pat Verbeek had solved his own autumn puzzle a couple months earlier. He didn&rsquo;t have a great start to his second season with the New York Rangers, drawing the ire of coach Colin Campbell with some lazy penalties and 1-on-l battles he should have won, but didn&rsquo;t.&ldquo;I had all kinds of chances and things weren&rsquo;t going in and then I was thinking too much,&rdquo; Verbeek said. &ldquo;The best thing to do is go out and skate and really attack the puck.&rdquo;That&rsquo;s how he eventually got out of his funk, and amidst the bright lights of Broadway, started earning his hay.After 39 games, Verbeek was tied with Mark Messier for the team lead in goals (24), was second to Messier in points (49). And he won over Campbell with his driving to the net, pitbull-like, gap-toothed play. The Rangers&rsquo; success turned hockey into a passion again.&ldquo;The last couple years in Hartford it was hard,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was really hard. Now hockey is just so much more fun. It really is a joy to come to the rink, especially the way we&rsquo;ve been winning lately.&rdquo;Verbeek, 32, had always been a goal scorer, but on a team that can afford financially to surround its stars with other stars, he&rsquo;s doing it more than ever.&ldquo;The fact is,&rdquo; Gerard said, &ldquo;he has never played with as much talent as he is now.&rdquo;&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t hurt to play with guys like (Mark) Messier and (Adam) Graves and (Ray) Ferraro and (Luc) Robitaille,&rdquo; Verbeek agreed. &ldquo;When you get open they get you the puck and that&rsquo;s what really happened.&rdquo;Verbeek has the additional advantage of being is the Rangers&rsquo; only right-handed shot at forward, so he sees a lot of power play duty as the only man who can fire a one-timer from the left side of the ice. But his strength remains driving hard to the net and taking his whacks.&ldquo;A lot of his goals are second and third effort,&rdquo; Campbell said. &ldquo;He plays a 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 power forward game. He just goes through people. The bottom line is he&rsquo;s involved.&rdquo;At 5-foot-9 and only 190 pounds, Verbeek might play big, but in dressing rooms on the road, Ranger teammates still tape the names &lsquo;Verbeek&rsquo; and &lsquo;Ferraro&rsquo; (5-foot-10) above lowmounted urinals.Verbeek tied for the team lead in goals with Graves at 17 and tied for second in penalty minutes with Joey Kocur at 71 behind Nick Kypreos who had 93 minutes last year. For three years in a row with the Hartford Whalers had over 225 PIM. While their boy was growing up, Gerard and Joanne Verbeek told him he should model his game after Bobby Clarke&rsquo;s.When Verbeek wasn&rsquo;t doing that in the early going, Campbell cut off his ice time and that may have served as extra motivation.&ldquo;Regardless of goals,&rdquo; Campbell said, &ldquo;players want to be the go-to guy. They don&rsquo;t want to be the go-away guy.&rdquo;Or in Verbeek&rsquo;s case, the go-back-to-the-farm guy. During his years in Hartford, when the Whalers missed the playoffs, his father would put in the call for Pat to help out with the spring planting. Pat likes farming, but not when there&rsquo;s still hockey to be played.Last summer Verbeek saw a few buddies from his days as a New Jersey Devil from 1983 to 1989-John McLean, Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver (now a Ranger teammate). They all have Stanley Cup rings.That&rsquo;s not necessarily what the boys talk about when they get together at the end of the summer for a pre-season round at the Courtright Hotel in Sarnia-Verbeek and the Hatcher boys from Detroit and Dale Hunter, from nearby Petrolia-but it&rsquo;s all Verbeek has left to accomplish.He could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but Rangers&rsquo; GM Neil Smith said he would like to sign Verbeek to a longterm deal. And provided it&rsquo;s right, Verbeek would love to stay put.&ldquo;The ultimate is getting one of those rings,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s my turn.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0013-01

Farm-boy Verbeek wants Cup harvest

<div class="byline">By Al Morganti</div>We would like to be able to say that &ldquo;for better or for worse,&rdquo; the next commissioner of the NHL is the same commissioner who has been in place since 1993, Gary Bettman&mdash;the only &ldquo;commissioner&rdquo; in the league&rsquo;s history.We would like to say &ldquo;for better or for worse,&rdquo; but where is the &ldquo;worse?&rdquo; Where is the downside?Where, except for some timely political rhetoric of union speak from the NHL Players&rsquo; Association and the officials&rsquo; union, is there any valued suggestion Bettman is leading the NHL down a road better left not travelled?The fact is Bettman will be accorded a contract extension in June. The exact terms and length of his new deal will be approved by the executive committee, probably about $2 million per season.While that may seem steep to some, Bettman is the biggest bargain in the NHL. Better than Raymond Bourque at under $3 million and even better than the next whiz kid who will be forced to work under the rookie salary cap.Doubt it? Look at Major League Baseball, and ask yourself it those owners wouldn&rsquo;t fall over themselves to get a guy who has a sport on the rise. Ask yourself if they wouldn&rsquo;t want to get their sport in the hands of a guy who actually survived a lengthy lockout, then watched the sport come back and prosper.Nobody in league management will criticize the man, at least on the record. There remains that silly argument that Bettman is trying to turn the NHL into the NBA on ice, which isn&rsquo;t such a bad idea when you look at the growth chart of the squeaky sneaker game.However, what bigger champion of the roots of the game is there than Boston Bruins&rsquo; president Harry Sinden-and he has turned into a big Bettman booster.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021121/7337169-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="360" height="476"></div>Bettman has been able to take the league from an afterthought m the minds of most sports fans and turn it into the so-called &ldquo;rising&rdquo; sport. The people at Nike are on record as saying their biggest growth area is now in-line skating and they plan to use NHL personalities to drive that market.So what if Bettman&rsquo;s forte is business? What harm can that do?There is some merit to an argument Bettman has placed too little regard to the live gate; that perhaps the league has become so concerned with national TV there has been a disregard to the warning signs of soft attendance in several markets and what should be an even bigger storm warning-people who are paying for seats, and not attending the games.But it says here the attendance problems are due to ticket prices which have not only reached a ceiling, but in many cases have gone through the roof.The problem Bettman is now facing is banging the owners&rsquo; heads together to be fiscally responsible. It will not be easy, especially when GMs are suddenly now as disposable as coaches, but fiscal sanity is the key ingredient to the NHL&rsquo;s success.When he took over the job, Bettman said he was going to grow the sport and it should have been understood that growing would also entail some transplanting Canadian products into American soil. However, there have also been provisions to help maintain a Canadian base.The bottom line is Bettman hasn&rsquo;t messed with the blueline, the red line, or the goal line. Everything he has done has been done to improve the bottom line and in this day and age, without a fat bottom line you&rsquo;re on very thin ice. &#9632;

f0013-02

Bettman biggest bargain in NHL

<div class="byline">By Mike Loftus</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03887/7337231-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="525" height="939"><figcaption class="caption-body">Craig Billington</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021288/7337238-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="151" height="153"></div>The Boston Bruins weren&rsquo;t quite in a state of shock as they wrapped up the first third of their season, but it&rsquo;s fair to say they were at least unpleasantly surprised.Boston, thinking it had made itself a bona fide Stanley Cup contender by adding Kevin Stevens, Shawn McEachern, Joe Mullen (all from the Pittsburgh Penguins) and Todd Elik, found itself as much as four games below .500 twice.Strength Cam Neely, Ray Bourque and Adam Oates were the team&rsquo;s offensive leaders, as usual. But the likes of Jozef Stumpel, McEachern, Ted Donato, Dave Reid and Steve Heinze also contributed.What they need Improved goaltending. Former East Coast Leaguer Scott Bailey was the team&rsquo;s winningest goalie and he had already been sent back to the minors to hone his game. Blaine Lacher was 3-5-2 with one minor-league refresher course under his belt. Craig Billington was the most effective, but had only six victories.Next three recalls 1. Philip von Stefenelli, D, Providence (AHL); 2. Scott Bailey, G, Providence; 3. Cam Stewart, LW, Providence.Biggest surprise Eighteen-year-old rookie defenseman Kyle McLaren was playing a regular shift and killing penalties.Biggest disappointment Stevens was so ineffective at times he was actually scratched by coach Steve Kasper for a game.NOTEBOOK: The Bruins hoped a 4-01 unbeaten streak through Dec. 26 meant they&rsquo;d straightened themselves out. The streak included a 3-2 overtime victory Dec. 23 at Buffalo that ended an 0-5-1 slump on the road and got Boston back to .500 (1414-4) for the first time since it was 2-2-2 Oct. 17&hellip;Left winger Kevin Stevens had a three-goal, seven-point run during the five-game unbeaten stretch&hellip; Coach Steve Kasper hoped his team wouldn&rsquo;t lose momentum during a light end-of-year schedule. The Bruins played just four times in the last 15 days of December. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really want all this time off,&rdquo; Kasper said&hellip; Boston closed 1995 with five straight victories at FleetCenter, scoring at least six goals in each game. &#9632;

f0014-03

Game plan crumbling

<div class="byline">By Jim Kelley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04602/7337276-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="552" height="946"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dominik Hasek</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05402/7337269-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="149" height="154"></div>If you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you run, then the Buffalo Sabres are impressive young toddlers.After a shaky start to the season, the team began to feel good about itself in December with wins over highly regarded opponents such as the Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens.Maintaining the momentum they had built could be difficult, but for now they have to be considered one of the NHL&rsquo;s surprise teams.Strength Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek was his stellar self and now has Andrei Trefilov as a solid backup.What they need Size and scoring on the wings. Big teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers virtually toy with the Sabres.Next three recalls 1. Jason Dawe, RW, Rochester (AHL); 2. Rob Conn, RW, Rochester; 3. Bryan Fogarty, D, Detroit (IHL).Biggest surprise Randy Burridge, 29, is enjoying a comeback season after two knee surgeries.Biggest disappointment Rookie Brian Holzinger has been ineffective after impressing in a brief stint at the end of 1994-95.NOTEBOOK: With three of their four contracted goalies out, the Sabres recalled 1995 first-round draft pick Martin Biron from Beauport of the Quebec League on an emergency basis for a Dec. 26 game at Pittsburgh. Biron yielded four goals to the Penguins on 16 first-period shots before being replaced by Steve Shields. Shields had been recalled from Rochester of the American League after Dominik Hasek, Andrei Trefilov and Robb Stauber all went down with injuries&hellip;Left winger Dixon Ward had a goal and an assist in his Sabres&rsquo; debut against the Colorado Avalanche&hellip;Right winger Donald Audette returned to the lineup for the win against Montreal Dec. 20 after missing seven games with a knee injury. &#9632;</div>

f0014-04

Sabre surge nice surprise

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06317/7337307-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="150" height="154"></div>This is uncharted territory for the Calgary Flames, a team that only missed the playoffs once in more than 20 years and won regular-season division titles in five of the past eight.The Flames were on pace to win fewer than 20 games this season, which would be an all-time low for the franchise.Slowly, the realization is setting in-the bottom fell out on the franchise in the summer of 1995 and now the Flames must embark on a serious rebuilding phase.Strength Theoren Fleury is consistently above a point a game when he&rsquo;s healthy. Fleury got off to a slow start in terms of goals with just four in 18 games, but rebounded with nine in his next 18.What they need At least two front-line scorers. Left winger Gary Roberts, if he returns this season after undergoing a pair of neck operations, would be one.Next three recalls 1. Marty Murray, C, Saint John (AHL); 2. Todd Simpson, D, Saint John; 3. Vesa Viitakoski, LW/RW, Saint John.Biggest surprise Veteran defenseman James Patrick, forced to take a $400,000 per-season pay cut prior to the season, had a good training camp and a solid first third of the regular season.Biggest disappointment Defense. Zarley Zalapski regressed and Phil Housley was vying with half-a-dozen others for the league&rsquo;s worst plus-minus.NOTEBOOK: Assistant coach Don Hay. who coached Jarome Iginla for two seasons with the Western League&rsquo;s Kamloops Blazers, is high on the prospect the Flames received for Joe Nieuwendyk. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a really smart, energetic young man,&rdquo; Hay said. &ldquo;The thing that makes him appealing is his strength. He battles hard down low. He is a gritty player.&rdquo;&hellip;Right winger Ron Stern, suspended four games for slashing the St. Louis Blues&rsquo; Jeff Norton, was miffed that he read about its length in USA Today before he had his day in court with NHL vice-president Brian Burke&hellip;As of Dec. 26, the Flames had failed to win a game against teams with more than 40 points (0-11-1). They were 99-7 versus the rest of the league. &#9632;

f0014-06

Even a first-round playoff loss would look good now

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08213/7337338-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="525" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Probert</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07256/7337345-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="148" height="151"></div>There haven&rsquo;t been too many good things happening to the Chicago Blackhawks this season.They played .500 hockey at the United Center, losing to teams such as the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks. The commitment to team defense wasn&rsquo;t there and goalie Ed Belfour had a spotty start while trying to cover up for the breakdowns in front of him.Strength Veteran defenseman Chris Chelios is consistently great, showing no signs of slowing down as he approaches age 34. He&rsquo;s still playing more than 30 minutes a game.What they need The Hawks need to recover the lost emotion that always made them one of the grittiest teams in the NHL. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine a Hawks team-especially one with Bob Probert-that isn&rsquo;t physical like this one.Next three recalls 1. Ethan Moreau, LW, Indianapolis (IHL); 2. Sergei Krivokrasov, RW, Indianapolis; 3. Eric Lecompte, LW, Indianapolis.Biggest surprise The dropoff in team defense. The Hawks were No. 1 in the NHL defensively last season, but were middle of the pack this season.Biggest disappointment This was supposed to be a breakthrough season for both Krivokrasov and Jeff Shantz, drafted 1-2 in 1992. Krivokrasov was shipped off to the minors after getting three goals in 28 games while Shantz was on pace to score 10 points for the season.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NOTEBOOK: Goalie Jeff Hackett was on one of the best rolls of his career, winning six straight starts and going unbeaten in seven. Hackett was pushing struggling Ed Belfour, winless in seven starts (0-3-4) for playing time. &ldquo;We might have to (find some type of rotation), but I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ll alternate,&rdquo; said coach Craig Hartsburg. &ldquo;Eddie&rsquo;s still the guy we&rsquo;re going to depend on.&rdquo; Said Hackett: &lsquo;There&rsquo;s no controversy here. Eddie&rsquo;s still No. 1.&rdquo;&hellip;Defenseman Steve Smith returned from back problems Dec. 20 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and had no difficulty taking a regular shift&hellip;Defenseman Cam Russell suffered a broken left orbital bone during a fight with Shane Churla of the Dallas Stars Dec. 23. &#9632;

f0014-08

Home blahs hurt cause

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021106/7337376-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="544" height="668"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scott Young</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011579/7337383-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="152" height="153"></div>The Colorado Avalanche has been anything but dull so far, both on and off the ice.After going through a tumultuous move from Quebec to Denver over the summer, Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix kept busy by shuffling off several players and bringing in some high-profile names.First he acquired 1995 playoff MVP Claude Lemieux, then picked up potential star defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh and most recently netted fivetime all-star goaltender Patrick Roy.Colorado stands as one of the most talented and highest-profile teams in the league, one which some have already anointed as the next winners of the Stanley Cup.Strength Offense, offense and offense. Centers Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic are a formidable one-two punch. The rest of the offense features solid contributors such as Lemieux, Valeri Kamensky and Scott Young.What they need The Avalanche has shown a disturbing tendency to turn the puck over in its own end at critical times. That&rsquo;s partly why the team went through a 4-7-1 stretch in early-and mid-December. Ozolinsh needs to take better care of the puck at times and cut down on bad penalties.Next three callups 1. Anders Myrvold, D, Cornwall (AHL); 2. Janne Laukkanen, D, Cornwall; 3. Josef Marha, C, Cornwall.Biggest surprise Seeing Patrick Roy in an Avalanche sweater. Stephane Fiset led the NHL in goaltending victories at the time of Roy&rsquo;s acquisition, but the former Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; ace gives the Avalanche a bonafide playoff stopper.Biggest disappointment Mike Ricci&rsquo;s lack of offensive production due to nagging injuries. He averaged 25 goals a year in his first four NHL seasons, but was on pace for just seven this year.NOTEBOOK: Goaltender Stephane Fiset continued to play the good soldier, despite losing his best friend, Jocelyn Thibault, and his starting job because of the Patrick Roy trade. Fiset said he has forged a good friendship with Roy and will serve in any role if it can help bring Colorado a Stanley Cup. Fiset was brilliant in the Avalanche&rsquo;s 2-2 tie in Los Angeles Dec. 23, stopping 36 of the Kings&rsquo; 38 shots&hellip;Center Mike Ricci has been a regular visitor to the doctor this season. Plagued by nagging injuries all year, the already gaptoothed Ricci had six teeth pulled Christmas Eve&hellip;Right winger Rene Corbet had two goals and two assists in his first five games after being called up from Cornwall of the American League. &#9632;

f0015-02

Contenders not content with ‘D’

<div class="byline">By Mike Heika</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03780/7337414-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="153" height="153"></div>A season of streaks had left the Dallas Stars in the same mediocre shape they have been in for most of the past six seasons.This team always has been one that flirts with .500 and falls short and that&rsquo;s where it is now. But the Stars came to that place in a slightly strange way. After starting 2-3-0 on the season, the Stars experienced streaks of 3-0-2,0-4-3 and 4-0-1.Dallas has shown occasional bursts of offense when it can get consistent scoring from its balanced lineup. Too often, however, the Stars were not able to get scoring from any part of the lineup. The result was a paltry 2.7 goals per game scoring average. The addition of Joe Nieuwendyk should be a big boost. (See pg. 9 for more on Nieuwendyk trade.)With the exception of a few weak games, the goaltending was generally dependable. The Stars defense wasn&rsquo;t consistent, but still is considered the strength of the team. Grant Ledyard bounced back from some early-season woes and Richard Matvichuk combined with Mike Lalor to supply a surprisingly steady third pairing.The Stars face a tough challenge. They need to both tighten their defense and score more goals. The emphasis should be on scoring first.Strength The Stars have a big, physical defense that can control games at times. Brothers Kevin and Derian Hatcher are the leaders, but improvement is being seen more in players such as Craig Ludwig, Lalor and Matvichuk.What they need The Stars have to get offense from somewhere and that&rsquo;s where Nieuwendyk fits in. He should provide relief for Mike Modano, the team&rsquo;s top gun.Next three recalls 1. Jamie Langenbrunner, C, Michigan (IHL); 2. Sergei Gusev, D, Michigan; 3. Zac Boyer, Michigan.Biggest surprise Right winger Grant Marshall came in as a borderline prospect, but has fought his way past players who seemed to have a head start. Marshall showed he&rsquo;s a tough guy who can keep up with a relatively fast center.Biggest disappointment Despite his hard work, right winger Jere Lehtinen was not producing offensively as he had just one goal and seven assists through 28 games. The Stars had him penciled in as a 20-goal scorer.NOTEBOOK: Mike Modano was moved from center to right to play alongside newly acquired pivot Joe Nieuwendyk. Modano said he was willing to give I the experiment a chance. Mike Donnelly was the left winger on the line&hellip;After being named Stars&rsquo; player of the month for November, goaltender Andy Moog saw action in just parts of two games during December. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no fun,&rdquo; Moog said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;ll do whatever it takes for the team to win.&rdquo;&hellip; Defenseman Craig Ludwig, known for his shot-blocking, ability, broke the middle finger on his right hand while trying to stop a Gary Suter blast in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks Dec. 23. Ludwig was expected to miss about a month. &#9632;

f0015-03

Getting more goals main goal

<div class="byline">By Cynthia Lambert</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011501/7337445-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="150" height="152"></div>Through the first 34 games of the season, the Detroit Red Wings were right where they wanted to be-at the top of the Western Conference.&ldquo;It seems the games keep getting bigger and harder,&rdquo; said defenseman Paul Coffey. &ldquo;But we keep doing it. I think the best thing we&rsquo;ve got going is our system. When you&rsquo;re weary, when you&rsquo;re tired, you just know what you have to do.&rdquo;Strength Their excellent play on all areas of the ice. After 34 games, the Wings had scored 133 goals and given up just 72. No team in the league had a better goal differential than Detroit.What they need The Wings&rsquo; only real shortcoming is size. They remain one of the smallest teams in the league and have been looking for a big rugged defenseman.Next three recalls 1. Jamie Pushor, D, Adirondack (AHL); 2. Anders Eriksson, D, Adirondack; 3. Mike Knuble, RW, Adirondack.Biggest surprise Greg Johnson was considered an extra player and was on the trade block early in the season. but excelled when asked to fill in for injured Keith Primeau. Through 25 games, Johnson had 12 goals and 22 points.Biggest disappointment There haven&rsquo;t been many, but the ugly contract negotiations with goalie Mike Vernon which began during last spring&rsquo;s playoffs and dragged into training camp represented something of a downer for the organization.NOTEBOOK: The Red Wings put together an amazing 20-2-0 run to give them the best winning percentage (.765) in the NHL through games of Dec. 26. They still, however, didn&rsquo;t have a scorer among the league&rsquo;s top 20. Steve Yzerman, the team&rsquo;s leading point-getter, was 22nd overall with 39 points&hellip;Goalie Mike Vernon recorded his first shutout of the season and 11th of his career in a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks Dec. 23&hellip;Scotty Bowman was named coach of the Western all-stars thanks to Detroit&rsquo;s first-place standing in the conference&hellip;Defenseman Bob Rouse, one of the Detroit player representatives, said he plans on addressing with the NHLPA the fact the Wings had a game on the west coast two days before Christmas. &#9632;

f0016-01

New season, same story for high-flying Red Wings

<div class="byline">By Dan Barnes</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03868/7337476-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="523" height="930"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ryan Smyth</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021160/7337483-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="149" height="151"></div>The Edmonton Oilers were fighting for their playoff lives in late December.Injuries, youth, a lack of talent and a lack of focus conspired to leave the Oilers perilously near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.Off the ice, the financial picture is precarious. The Oilers need to find season ticket holders, more luxury suite owners and enough advertisers to buy up rinkboards and unsold spots in the 17,103-seat Edmonton Coliseum to qualify for up to $7 million in NHL subsidy.Strength The Oilers finally have a first line that commands respect around the league. Doug Weight, Jason Arnott and Zdeno Ciger were an offensive force and responsible defensive players.What they need A second-line scorer and a defenseman who can play 30 minutes a game, rushing the puck while he&rsquo;s at it.Next three recalls 1. Dean Mc-Ammond, LW, Cape Breton (AHL); 2. Fred Brathwaite, G, Cape Breton; 3. Greg DeVries, D, Cape Breton.Biggest surprise Rookie left winger Ryan Smyth hadn&rsquo;t shown much finish around the net, but he continued to make quality offensive plays and had improved his defensive game.Biggest disappointment Rookie center Jason Bonsignore has shown only flashes of the skill the Oilers know lurks somewhere in his 6-foot-3, 220-pound body.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NOTEBOOK: SRO Partners Inc., the company hired by the Oilers to flog tickets, said it had sold the equivalent of about 200 season tickets during it&rsquo;s first five weeks on the job&hellip;Center Doug Weight&rsquo;s points streak was stopped at eight games in a 6-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Dec. 23&hellip;Goaltender Joaquin Gage was sent down to Cape Breton of the American League, but was told he&rsquo;d be back in Edmonton by the All-Star break&hellip;Free agent goaltender Curtis Joseph&rsquo;s agent Don Meehan threatened Dec. 23 to find an offer sheet for his client and have it front-loaded so the Oilers couldn&rsquo;t afford to match it. The Oilers have hinted they may wait until the March trading deadline to deal Joseph&rsquo;s rights. &#9632;

f0016-03

Problems on, off ice

<div class="byline">By Dave Joseph</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04647/7337521-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="549" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body">Radek Dvorak</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05466/7337514-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="148" height="151"></div>In the words of Florida Panthers&rsquo; coach Doug MacLean, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a little bit scary.&rdquo;The Panthers, predicted by many to be scraping the bottom of the Atlantic Division, spent more than a third of the season first overall in the Eastern Conference.Strength Start with the goaltending tandem of John Vanbiesbrouck and Mark Fitzpatrick, the second-ranked penalty killing in the league and four balanced, consistent lines.What they need A scoring forward with a little size. Defensemen Robert Svehla and Magnus Svensson help offensively, but can turn the defensive side into an adventure.Next three recalls 1. Brad Smyth, RW, Carolina (AHL); 2. Mike Casselman, LW, Carolina; 3. Brett Harkins, LW, Carolina.Biggest surprise People were beginning to wonder whether Rob Niedermayer would be a bust, but given more ice time he responded and became an offensive force.Biggest disappointment No question, it&rsquo;s owner H. Wayne Huizenga putting the team up for sale. One wonders what will happen to the team&rsquo;s psyche if it&rsquo;s announced during the winter the club will relocate.NOTEBOOK: Rookie Panthers&rsquo; coach Doug MacLean capped a remarkable first half by being named the Eastern Conference coach in the Jan. 20 All-Star Game in Boston&hellip;Panthers&rsquo; owner H. Wayne Huizenga said unless a local buyer steps in before Feb. 1, he will enter into final negotiations to sell the team to those interested in relocating it. Huizenga said he had received three offers from other cities and expected a fourth. Meanwhile, in a last attempt to encourage Broward County to build a civic center, Huizenga said he will give $25 million toward the construction of a new arena with the assumption he would have no ownership. Huizenga said the money-$l million a year over 25 years-would be a gift. &#9632;</div>

f0016-04

Panthers are ‘scary’ good

<div class="byline">By Michael Apace</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06392/7337552-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="151" height="151"></div>The Hartford Whalers&rsquo; status at the Christmas break is best summed up this way: they have no idea, as of yet, of their status.All they know is if the playoffs began in mid-December, they&rsquo;d be playing golf.They were 5-6-1 when coach Paul Holmgren was replaced by Paul Maurice. Their fortunes didn&rsquo;t improve much. Worse, talk of the team moving as early as next season continued.Strength The emerging line of Brendan Shanahan-Jeff O&rsquo;Neill-Nelson Emerson has helped matters. O&rsquo;Neill went from the press box to being No. 1 center, allowing Andrew Cassels to assume the No. 2 spot where he was effective.What they need The Whalers are hoping Jeff Brown, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in a three-way trade with the New Jersey Devils Dec. 19, will step in and be the point man they need. Brown, who possesses a big shot from the point, gives the power play instant credibility.Next three recalls 1. Kevin Smyth, RW, Springfield (AHL); 2. Scott Daniels, RW, Springfield; 3. Steve Martins, C, Springfield.Biggest Surprise There were hopes O&rsquo;Neill would be broken in slowly, but when Jimmy Carson flopped, he was put on the fast track and looked quite comfortable, scoring four goals and 11 points in 31 games.Biggest disappointment Injury or no, Shanahan was the biggest disappointment. He did pick up his play in December, though.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Jeff Brown, acquired in a three-way trade from the Vancouver Canucks Dec. 19, had to miss three games and postpone his Whalers&rsquo; debut for 10 days because of a sore back. The Whalers were aware Brown had been suffering from back spasms when they sent Jocelyn Lemieux to the New Jersey Devils and Frantisek Kucera to the Vancouver Canucks. Brown had a thorough examination, which included an MRI, the day after he arrived in Hartford and team doctor John Fulkerson said there were no problems with Brown&rsquo;s vertebrae; there was only muscle tightness. &ldquo;Jeff has just got to go through this period of time to get through the muscle spasms,&rdquo; said GM-president Jim Rutherford. &#9632;

f0016-06

Not moving up in standings, but talk of moving persists

<div class="byline">By Lisa Dillman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-08320/7337583-1-eng-US/f0016-082.jpg" title="f0016-08" width="527" height="933"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jari Kurri</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-07360/7337590-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="151" height="152"></div>All the Kings&rsquo; men were falling-and fast.In the first 20-game segment, the Los Angeles Kings picked up a respectable 25 points on the strength of a 10-5-5 start. In their next 15 games, they managed to record only nine points, winning three times and tying three.Strength More often than not, spectacular goaltending from Byron Dafoe. Twice he faced more than 50 shots in a game and tied both. Kelly Hrudey returned from a sore ankle Nov. 22 and was 1-3-3 with a goals-against average of 2.36 and save percentage of 93.9.What they need After Wayne Gretzky, there is a discernable vacuum at center. Yanic Perreault, Kevin Todd and Robert Lang had combined for just 19 goals.Next three recalls 1. Gary Shuchuk, C, Phoenix (IHL); 2. Jeff Shevalier, LW, Phoenix; 3. Yan Vopat, D, Phoenix.Biggest surprise Very little was said about Dafoe when the Kings acquired him and left winger Dimitri Khristich for a first-round pick in a draft-day trade with the Washington Capitals. But if not for Dafoe, the Kings very well could be keeping company in the standings with the likes of the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators.Biggest disappointment The play of Jari Kurri. Certainly, he could get more ice time, but the veteran right winger had been all but invisible this season.NOTEBOOK: Coach Larry Robinson ripped into the officials after a 4-3 loss to San Jose Dec. 22. He was particularly upset at a double minor assessed to defenseman Steve Finn for cross checking at 10:45 of the third period. The Sharks scored the winner of the ensuing power play, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sick and tired of the incompetence of the refs,&rdquo; said Robinson, who was yelling so loudly in the corridor his players could hear him the dressing room. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been getting screwed since Day 1 by these guys and I&rsquo;m just sick of it. We&rsquo;re not allowed to touch them and we&rsquo;re not allowed to say anything.&rdquo;&hellip;Right winger Jari Kurri will be out until mid-January at the earliest after suffering a broken right thumb from a slash in a game against Vancouver Dec. 20. &#9632;

f0016-08

Fast start, faster fade

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011348/7337621-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="153" height="151"></div>The Montreal Canadiens are a better team than the one that missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years last season, but they&rsquo;re not a great team.They&rsquo;re neither as bad as the team that launched this season with five consecutive losses, nor are they as good as the team that won 12 of its first 14 games after Mario Tremblay replaced Jacques Demers as head coach.Strength In Jocelyn Thibault, the Canadiens have a potential franchise goaltender, one who might one day help Montreal fans forget the departed Patrick Roy. Thibault is quick, agile and has a great glove hand.What they need The Canadiens need a physical defenseman, someone who will make the opposition pay the price for invading the slot.Next three recalls 1. David Wilkie, D, Fredericton (AHL); 2. Scott Fraser, LW, Fredericton; 3. Jim Campbell, RW, Fredericton.Biggest surprise Roy&rsquo;s suddenden and acrimonious departure. The man who led the Canadiens to two Stanley Cups and looked to be a Canadien for life was out of Montreal with dizzying speed after a blow-up with Tremblay during a 9-loss to the Detroit Red Wings in November.Biggest disappointment Defenseman Vladimir Malakhov has all the ingredients to succeed, including size and talent, yet remains an enigma.NOTEBOOK: After 10 years and enough acrimony to last a lifetime. Guy Lafleur has returned to the Canadiens&rsquo; fold. Lafleur, one of three players to score 500 goals with Montreal, has been appointed an ambassador by the Canadiens. He&rsquo;ll work with Jean Beliveau and brothers Maurice and Henri Richard. Lafleur will be involved in at least 25 functions per year representing the Canadiens or Molson O&rsquo;Keefe, the brewery which owns the club. Lafleur retired from the Canadiens in November, 1984, after 14 seasons and 518 regular-season goals. He remained with the organization in a front-office capacity only to quit, complaining bitterly that he was underpaid at $75,000. He associated the stipend with that paid a clerk. &#9632;

f0017-01

Somewhere in middle lies Canadiens’ true fortunes

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03736/7337652-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="535" height="916"><figcaption class="caption-body">Petr Sykora</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021030/7337659-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="153" height="152"></div>No one expected the New Jersey Devils to cruise through the regular season following their first Stanley Cup championship, but not even Hall of Fame skeptic Jacques Lemaire anticipated the struggle his team would have in keeping afloat before Christmas.Although they were at about the same place in the standings as a year ago, the Devils experienced enough inconsistency to wonder if their winning chemistry had been irreparably damaged by several minor moves.Strength The Devils&rsquo; defense remained the team&rsquo;s life support system. The Devils had surrendered just 88 goals through 35 games, an average of 2.5.What they need A goal-scoring breakthrough from left winger Steve Thomas. He had 42 goals two seasons ago, but managed just seven in his first 35 games for New Jersey.Next three recalls 1. Denis Pederson, C, Albany (AHL). 2. Patrik Elias, LW, Albany. 3. Ricard Persson, D, Albany.Biggest surprise Rookie center Petr Sykora, who scored 11 goals in his first 25 NHL games, was the team&rsquo;s best center.Biggest disappointment Left winger Valeri Zelepukin, who battled his way back from an eye injury. wasn&rsquo;t able to regain his scoring touch or his confidence. Zelepukin had five goals in 30 games.NOTEBOOK: Left winger Jocelyn Lemieux, acquired from the Hartford Whalers in a three-player deal Dec. 19, said people shouldn&rsquo;t expect a clone of his brother, Claude, the Devils&rsquo; playoff MVP last spring. &ldquo;The one thing people will have to understand is they get the same name, but a different player,&rdquo; Lemieux said&hellip;The Devils&rsquo; 14-17-4 start was the worst by a defending Stanley Cup team since the 1948-49 Toronto Maple Leafs were 12-15-8&hellip;Captain Scott Stevens wasn&rsquo;t pleased with Jacques Lemaire&rsquo;s Dec. 21 criticism of the team&rsquo;s defense and responded: &lsquo;Two goals against. That&rsquo;s a bad night here.&rdquo;&hellip;Although Petr Sykora had nine goals in 10 games from Nov. 29 through Dec. 19, he was scratched from a Dec. 21 game against the Florida Panthers. &#9632;

f0017-03

Defense is saving grace

<div class="byline">By Jim Smith</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011384/7337690-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="150" height="151"></div>The New York Islanders approached the new year with nine injured players, a new GM, seven victories in 32 games and one two-game winning streak.Things went from bad to worse Dec. 20 when they suspended banished forward Kirk Muller for refusing to report back to the team. They failed to trade Muller before the NHL holiday moratorium.Strength Defenseman Bryan McCabe and right winger Todd Bertuzzi have been consistent performers. That bodes well with young goalie Eric Fichaud and defenseman Wade Redden on the horizon.What they need Good health. The Islanders did without key defensemen Rich Pilon, Darius Kasparaitis, Scott Lachance and Dennis Vaske for extended periods.Next three recalls 1. Bob Beers, D, Utah (IHL); 2. Danton Cole, RW, Utah; 3. Chris Taylor, C, Utah.Biggest surprise Center Travis Green, who had five goals and 12 points in 42 games last year, scored nine goals and 25 points in his first 28 games this season. In the last year of a contract at $400,000, Green was setting himself up for a raise.Biggest disappointment Sophomore Brett Lindros, with four years and $6.75 million left on his contract, suffered his third concussion in nine months in a Nov. 24 game and could be done for the season because of dizziness and blurred vision. Lindros had two goals and seven points in 51 NHL games.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Dennis Vaske. who was checked from behind by Eric Lacroix of the Los Angeles Kings in a Nov. 22 game, was suffering from blurred vision more than a month later and had missed 18 games and counting&hellip;After going scoreless in his first seven games, left winger Wendel Clark had 17 goals in his next 26. One of his best efforts came Dec. 21 against the Dallas Stars when, in a 3-3 tie, he had two goals, 11 shots and hit the goal post on a penalty shot&hellip;Defenseman Rich Pilon, who missed 30 of 33 games with injuries, returned Dec. 23 for a 3-1 home win over the Washington Capitals&hellip;Enforcer Mick Vukota broke his right thumb in the Capitals&rsquo; game and was expected to be out at least a month. &#9632;

f0018-01

Muller saga, injuries hurt Islanders’ rebuilding plan

<div class="byline">By Rick Carpiniello</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03725/7337721-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="525" height="914"><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/f0018-021034/7337728-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="148" height="150"></div>Just like old times.The New Rangers, thanks in large part to a 15-game home-ice unbeaten streak (13-0-2), were battling the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and the NHL&rsquo;s overall standings.Strength Depth and goaltending. The Rangers can bring two potent offensive lines in Mark Messier-Adam Graves-Pat Verbeek, followed by Ray Ferraro-Luc Robitaille-Alexei Kovalev. Mike Richter was on a roll comparable to his 42-win, All-Star Game MVP, Stanley Cup season of 1993-94. Backup Glenn Healy, meanwhile, was providing ace relief.What they need They need to get a bit bigger and grittier. Most notably they require a checking forward to face the opposition&rsquo;s No. 1 line.Next three recalls 1. Daniel Lacroix, C, Binghamton (AHL); 2. Peter Ferraro, C/RW, Binghamton; 3. Steve Larouche, C, Binghamton.Biggest surprise The offensive outputs of Messier and Verbeek. The two were battling for the team lead in goals and were on 50-goal paces. Verbeek had two hat tricks and three two-goal games; Messier one hat trick and four two-goal efforts.Biggest disappointment Easily, it has been Kovalev, who snapped a 20-game drought with a goal against the Hartford Whalers Dec. 22. Coach Colin Campbell has showed incredible patience with the enigmatic 22-year-old.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>NOTEBOOK: The Rangers&rsquo; home unbeaten streak reached 17 games (14-0-3), the fifth longest in team history, passing a 16-game Garden streak in the Cup year of 1993-94. The Rangers had 18-game home unbeaten streaks in 1971-72, 1969-70 and 1939-40, and a 24-game streak in 1970-71&hellip;Goaltender Mike Richter was on a 14-3-3 run and led the league with 17 victories&hellip; Right winger Pat Verbeek passed Pierre Larouche for 50th place on the alltime list with career goals No. 395 and 396. He is the only player in the all-time top 20 in penalty minutes (17th place) and in the all-time top 50 in goals&hellip;Left winger Luc Robitaille missed five games-his longest stretch in any of his 10 seasons-with a stress fracture above his left ankle. &#9632;

f0018-03

Mess & Co. hang tough

<div class="byline">By Chris Stevenson</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04465/7337766-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="524" height="899"><figcaption class="caption-body">Daniel Alfredsson</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05307/7337759-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="150" height="148"></div>As the snow, bodies and losses piled up, the Ottawa Senators can only look forward to the opening of the Palladium as a bright spot on the horizon.Which is kind of scary. The Senators had gone nine games without a home-ice win.Strength Rookie right winger Daniel Alfredsson played with the poise of a veteran. At 24, he had a leg up on other rookies who had yet to hit 20, but looked like a star of the future.What they need Signing disgruntled center Alexei Yashin would solve a lot of problems. He would give the No. 1 line and power play instant credibility.Next three recalls 1. Pavol Demitra, LW, P.E.I. (AHL); 2. Michel Picard, LW, P.E.I.; 3. Antti Tormanen, RW. P.E.I.Biggest surprise Nobody in Ottawa really counted on Alfredsson making the team at the start of the season, but he arrived prepared to make an impact and was successful.Biggest disappointment The entire team. Nobody really expected the Senators, as bad as they&rsquo;ve been, to be in last place overall again this season, especially after the start they had. They were 5-3-0 Oct. 26. In the next 24 games they were 2-21-1.NOTEBOOK: GM Pierre Gauthier faxed a list of five Senators up for trade to his NHL counterparts. Players included were rumored to be center Dan Quinn, left winger Phil Bourque, right winger Rob Gaudreau. defenseman Kerry Huffman and left winger Tom Chorske. &ldquo;I took one look at it and threw it away,&rdquo; said a rival GM&hellip;Former Senators&rsquo; coach Rick Bowness, fired in November, was reported to be on his way to the New York Islanders, perhaps as an associate coach. Senators&rsquo; majority owner Rod Bryden gave Islanders&rsquo; coach-GM Mike Milbury permission to talk contract with Bowness&hellip;The Senators hired former Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; chief scout Andre Boudrias as a pro scout consultant. &#9632;

f0018-04

Not much to cheer about

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011278/7337804-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="532" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body">Shjon Podein</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02937/7337797-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="150" height="152"></div>Good health has played a big part in the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; bid to stay at or near the top of the Atlantic Division.With the exception of Eric Lindros missing seven games due to a left knee sprain and goalie Ron Hextall sitting out a few weeks with a hamstring pull, the Flyers had been fairly injury-free.Strength The No. 1 line of Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg was on pace to break the team record (141) for goals by one line in a season.What they need A keener sense of when to shoot. Coach Terry Murray has pleaded for more shots, but sometimes it falls on deaf ears.Next three recalls 1. Russ Romaniuk, LW, Hershey (AHL); 2. Jim Montgomery, C, Hershey; 3. Dan Kordic, LW, Hershey.Biggest surprise After scoring three goals in 44 games last season, grinding left winger Shjon Podein had eight in 36 this season.Biggest disappointment This was supposed to be the breakthrough year for sophomore Patrik Juhlin, but it has been more like a breakdown year. Juhlin scored just three goals in 14 games this season.NOTEBOOK: Center Craig MacTavish played his 1,000th NHL game in the Flyers&rsquo; 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils Dec. 19. Asked the significance of the milestone, the 37-year-old MacTavish cracked, &ldquo;I guess it means I&rsquo;m old.&rdquo;&hellip;Through the Flyers&rsquo; first 31 games, left winger Shjon Podein was on the ice for only two even-strength goals against&hellip;Coach Terry Murray broke up the Flyers&rsquo; top line of Eric Lindros, Mikael Renberg and John LeClair in the loss to the Devils. Murray said he was unhappy with the line&rsquo;s lack of commitment to defense&hellip;Counting last year&rsquo;s playoffs, the Devils had beaten the Flyers in five straight games, including three this season. &#9632;

f0019-01

Team doctor well rested

<div class="byline">By Dave Molinari</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03625/7337835-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="152" height="153"></div>This was supposed to be a winter of transition, a time when the Pittsburgh Penguins tried to adapt to playing without some of their most prominent figures of recent seasons.But as 1995 wound down, Pittsburgh was jealously defending its place among the league&rsquo;s elite teams, riding an extraordinary comeback by Mario Lemieux to one of the finest winning percentages in the NHL.Strength There is no question about the Penguins&rsquo; greatest asset: their offensive power. Lemieux has been the NHL&rsquo;s leading scorer since the earliest days of the season. Jaromir Jagr and Rob Francis were in hot pursuit.What they need The Penguins clearly could use another physical presence on defense, where Chris Tamer and Francois Leroux do most of the hitting.Next three recalls 1. Rusty Fitzgerald, LW, Cleveland (IHL); 2. Peter Allen, D, Cleveland; 3. Greg Andrusak, D, Detroit (IHL).Biggest surprise Pittsburgh&rsquo;s defense corps is the top surprise so far. It is widely viewed as one of the NHL&rsquo;s worst collectively, but performed well in all but a handful of games during the first two-plus months of the season.Biggest disappointment Early-season success-overall and on home ice-wasn&rsquo;t generating as much activity at the box office as many expected. Pittsburgh sold out just four of its first 13 home games.NOTEBOOK: The Penguins&rsquo; winless streak in Montreal swelled to 0-10-2 since Oct. 29, 1988, when Jocelyn Thibault shut them out, 1-0, Dec. 23. The Penguins make their final appearance in the Forum, where their all-time record is 4-52-7, Feb. 24&hellip;Center Ron Francis became the 24th player in NHL history to hit the 1,200-point level when he earned a goal and two assists against Buffalo Dec. 26&hellip;Right winger Tomas Sandstrom, who has played alongside Mario Lemieux, appears to be headed for his first 50-goal season. After 34 games, Sandstrom had 23 goals and was on pace to score 55&hellip;Ed Johnston of the Penguins will be the assistant coach of the Eastern Conference team at the All-Star Game Jan. 20. &#9632;

f0019-03

Surprise! Defense survives, Mario looking good as new

<div class="byline">By Dave Luecking</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05362/7337866-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="534" height="927"><figcaption class="caption-body">Grant Fuhr</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04478/7337873-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="152" height="155"></div>The St. Louis Blues hit rock bottom Nov. 27. A 2-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres extended the Blues&rsquo; winless streak to five games and dropped their record to 812-3, last in the Central Division.But they rebounded. They were 1516-5 after that and climbed into fourth place in the division.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re sneaking up on people, chipping away, and they haven&rsquo;t even noticed it,&rdquo; GM-coach Mike Keenan said. &ldquo;It has been an interesting turnaround for us.&rdquo;Strength Star winger Brett Hull lost his captaincy in a blowup with Keenan, but he&rsquo;s still the team&rsquo;s most important player with 22 goals in 28 games.What they need More scoring from the likes of Geoff Courtnall, Dale Hawerchuk and Shayne Corson-the expensive free agents Keenan signed.Next three recalls 1. Patrice Tardif, RW, Worcester (AHL); 2. Jamie Rivers, D, Worcester; 3. Kevin Sawyer, LW, Worcester.Biggest surprise Grant Fuhr, who showed up to camp overweight, was stellar in the Blues&rsquo; net, making the loss of Curtis Joseph more palatable to Blues&rsquo; fans. Keenan was making noise about starting Fuhr in every game.Biggest disappointment Chris Pronger is adjusting to the game just as most 21-year-old defensemen do. It&rsquo;s just that he&rsquo;s on a multi-million dollar contract and cost the Blues their most popular player in Brendan Shanahan.NOTEBOOK: When coach-GM Mike Keenan stripped the &lsquo;C&rsquo; from right winger Brett Hull in October, he offered Hull an &lsquo;A,&rsquo; but Hull refused. He relented when Keenan asked again on the Blues&rsquo; flight home from Winnipeg Dec. 23. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reason for him not to wear an &lsquo;A,&rsquo; &rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;He has to be part of the leadership group.&rdquo;&hellip;After a 7-1-2 surge moved them two games above .500, the Blues lost three in a row-2-1 in Colorado, 2-1 in Winnipeg and 3-2 in Detroit&hellip;Goalie Grant Fuhr played brilliantly in the 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, making 32 saves. The next night, Winnipeg opened with three excellent chances, scoring on the third at 1:5O. Keenan pulled Fuhr, saying, &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t going to subject him to that again tonight.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0019-05

Overcoming rocky start

<div class="byline">By Mike Weaver</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06274/7337911-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="528" height="941"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Constantine</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-07239/7337904-1-eng-US/f0019-072.jpg" title="f0019-07" width="151" height="155"></div>Another surprising run through the Stanley Cup playoffs isn&rsquo;t in the cards for the San Jose Sharks.The Sharks were 8-24-4 and entrenched in last place. Kevin Constantine, runner-up in voting for NHL coach of the year in 1993-94, was fired Dec. 2 and replaced by Jim Wiley.Strength Since being obtained from the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 15, goalie Chris Terreri performed admirably.What they need The Sharks are lacking consistent leadership in the dressing room and also could also use a front-line defenseman with a mean streak.Next three recalls 1. Vlastimil Kroupa, D, Kansas City (IHL); 2 Ville Peltonen, LW, Kansas City; 3. Alexei Yegorov, C, Kansas City.Biggest surprise Just seven weeks after being given a three-year contract, Constantine was fired. Constantine had a career record of 55-7824 with the Sharks.Biggest disappointment Goalie Arturs Irbe, who played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1994, struggled badly and fell to No. 3 on the Sharks&rsquo; depth chart.NOTEBOOK: Sharks&rsquo; right winger Owen Nolan established franchise records with four goals and five points in a 7-4 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Dec. 19. Nolan scored three goals on power plays, also a single-game record, and set the mark for fastest two goals by an individual, scoring twice in 34 seconds. Nolan&rsquo;s hat trick was the first in the three-season history of the Pond in Anaheim&hellip; When the Sharks followed their Dec. 19 victory at Anaheim with a 4-3 decision over the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 22, it marked the first time this year the Sharks won back-to-back games&hellip;Sharks goalie Chris Terreri had started 19 consecutive games since being obtained from the New Jersey Devils Nov. 15. &#9632;

f0019-06

Magic gone this season

<div class="byline">By Roy Cummings</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011171/7337942-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="150" height="152"></div>Like their new arena slaed to open in October, 1996, the Tampa Bay Lightning is right on schedule.After slipping in 1994-95, the Lightning was on pace for an 8O-point season, which would be the best in franchise history. It would also put the team in playoff contention, a sign it has arrived in its fourth year of existence.Strength With Daren Puppa and now Jeff Reese, goaltending continued to be the Lightning&rsquo;s strong suit. The team also received exceptional play from its special teams, most notably the power play, which surprisingly ranked among the league leaders all season.What they need Goal scoring and defensive depth. The surprising proficiency of the power play masked the fact the Lightning was still scoring fewer than three goals a game. The Lightning was all right in its own end. but it can&rsquo;t afford any injuries and poor play as there are no reliable replacements in the wings.Next three recalls I. Allan Egeland, LW, Atlanta (IHL); 2. Jeff Toms, C, Atlanta; 3. Adrien Plavsic, D, Atlanta.Biggest surprise The power play, which was among the bottom five in the league for the team&rsquo;s first three seasons, is now a top-three unit.Biggest disappointment Jason Wiemer the team&rsquo;s first-round entry draft pick in 1994, didn&rsquo;t score his first goal of the season until just before Christmas.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Enrico Ciccone had the cast removed from his right thumb and returned to the lineup for the Dec. 23 game against the Boston Bruins&hellip;Aaron Gavey was getting a chance as the center on the team&rsquo;s No. 1 line alongside wingers Petr Klima and Paul Ysebaert. Gavey scored two goals in his first game on the unit, a 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. The move of Gavey pushed Chris Gratton back to left wing, where he was playing alongside center Brian Bradley and right winger Brian Bellows&hellip;Goalie J.C. Bergeron will likely be odd man out when Daren Puppa returns in early January. The Lightning will either trade Bergeron or loan him to a minor pro team. Jeff Reese will serve as Puppa&rsquo;s backup. &#9632;

f0020-01

Improving team on target to reach post-season goal

<div class="byline">By Damien Cox</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03560/7337973-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="521" height="917"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kenny Jonsson</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02809/7337980-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="150" height="153"></div>After spending the better part of two years wallowing in mediocrity, the Toronto Maple I-eafs appear to have jumped ahead of the .500 crowd.As 1995 came to a close, the Leafs were entrenched behind the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche in third place in the Western Conference and playing their most consistently successful hockey since beginning the 1993-94 season.Strength There were a lot of good signs through the first third of the season. including: excellent goaltending from Felix Potvin and Damian Rhodes: the re-emergence of Benoit Hogue; Larry Murphy&rsquo;s contribution&rsquo;s from the point; and Doug Gilmour&rsquo;s return to form.What they need Another experienced forward would be helpful. Dave Andreychuk&rsquo;s contributions have tailed off, although he missed five games with a shoulder injury.Next three recalls 1. Ken Belanger, LW, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL); 2. Brandon Convery. C. St. John&rsquo;s. 3. Mark Kolesar, RW, St. John&rsquo;s.Biggest surprise Sophomore defenseman Kenny Jonsson&rsquo;s steady progression has been a boon. He logs as much time as any Leaf blueliner.Biggest disappointment The Leafs were unable to beat most of the top teams in the early going. In their first seven meetings with the Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, the Leafs were 0-7-0.NOTEBOOK: Center Doug Gilmour registered his l,000th career point Dec. 23, assisting on a goal by Mats Sundin in a 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Gilmour thought he had picked up the milestone point earlier in the game, but an apparent goal by Mike Craig was wiped out by video review. The Leafs will honor their captain&rsquo;s achievement in a pre-game ceremony Jan. 13&hellip;Coach Pat Burns picked up his 300th NHL victory in the Oilers&rsquo; game&hellip;Center Paul DiPietro had three goals and an assist in five games after being a surprise recall from Houston of the International League Dec. 13&hellip;Left winger Sergio Momesso and center Darby Hendrickson broke 20-and 17-game goal droughts in a 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings Dec. 16. &#9632;

f0020-03

Just slightly above crowd

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04362/7338018-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="527" height="904"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pavel Bure</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05202/7338011-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="149" height="150"></div>Expected to be a serious contender, the Vancouver Canucks needed a surge prior to Christmas to approach the .500 mark.Adversity came often-Pavel Bure&rsquo;s season-ending knee injury, erroneous Rick Ley firing reports, the Esa Tik-kanen fiasco-but the team eventually seemed to rally in the face of turmoil. Team defense, which had been completely abandoned through the first two months, was re-discovered.Strength Offense. Star players Alexander Mogilny and Trevor Linden were having excellent seasons, while left wingers Roman Oksiuta and Martin Gelinas were solid contributors.What they need The Canucks&rsquo; special teams were far from acceptable with both sitting in the league&rsquo;s lower half. The power play can use Bure as an excuse; the penalty killers can&rsquo;t.Next three recalls 1. Larry Courville, LW. Syracuse (AHL); 2. Lonny Bohonos, C. Syracuse; 3. John Namestnikov, D, Syracuse.Biggest surprise Gelinas, who has hit the 20-goal plateau just once in his career, was on pace to surpass the 30-goal mark.Biggest disappointment Losing Bure deprived the Canucks of one of the NHL&rsquo;s foremost gamebreakers.NOTEBOOK: Rich Winter, the agent for idle left winger Esa Tikkanen, was having trouble getting insurance for his client, who has a bad right knee. According to Winter, the insurance companies want a complete history of Tikkanen&rsquo;s knee problems and that includes X-rays and MRls from St. Louis, where Tikkanen had off-season knee surgery. &ldquo;St. Louis has sent us some letters from their doctors to (Blues&rsquo; coach-GM) Mike Keenan, but we need X-rays, not letters.&rdquo; Winter said&hellip;The Canucks&rsquo; power play, minus the injured Pavel Bure and departed Jeff Brown, went 0-for-14 in consecutive home losses to the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames. (See pg. 5 for story on Brown trade.) &#9632;</div>

f0020-04

Team rallies in hard times

<div class="byline">By Dave Fay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02547/7338049-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="554" height="1084"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joe Juneau</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01931/7338056-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="153" height="153"></div>It is a situation to which the Washington Capitals have grown accustomed: being in the middle of the pack with higher levels not totally out of reach, but the cellar comfortably behind.The season started promising enough as the Caps bolted to an 8-3-0 start. But a 4-8-2 November brought them back to earth and left the team&rsquo;s fans wondering whether they should hope for great things in the new year or just expect average play.GM David Poile certainly believes his team is capable of the former.&ldquo;I feel based on our good start that we can be better than what we are,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;I feel we have room for improvement in all three areas-offense, defense and goaltending&hellip;so I&rsquo;m optimistic about where we stand.&rdquo;Considering all that, the Caps were doing much better than most in the media thought they would this season, but are not doing as well as many scouts feel they have the potential to do. Poile apparently sides with the scouts.Strength Stellar team defense continues to be the Capitals&rsquo; trademark as the team was allowing 2.6 goals per game.What they need Scoring. Unfortunately, the Capitals were scoring an average of just 2.8 goals per game. Aside from Peter Bondra, the Capitals can&rsquo;t depend on regular goal production from anyone.Next three recalls 1. Jeff Nelson, C, Portland (AHL); 2. Martin Gendron, RW, Portland; 3. Eric Charron, D, Portland.Biggest surprise Second-year defenseman Sergei Gonchar has been playing with maturity, seeing the ice well, contributing on offense and adding a physical dimension when necessary.Biggest disappointment Center Joe Juneau went 26 games this season between his first and second goals. That&rsquo;s not a good sign for a player the team would like to be its go-to guy. Juneau must score more frequently for the Capitals to be successful.NOTEBOOK: The Capitals appealed a 10-game suspension assessed left winger Craig Berube Dec. 18. With 40 seconds to go and the Caps trailing the New York Rangers 3-0, Berube left the bench on a line change and immediately started an altercation with Nick Kypreos. Referee Bill McCreary curiously invoked Rule 66(a), which cames an automatic 10-game ban for leaving the bench. The rule was designed to stop bench-clearing brawls. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s ridiculous,&rdquo; said GM David Poile of the penalty. &lsquo;This is a game of hockey; it happens a hundred times a season.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0021-02

Room for improvement

<div class="byline">By Tim Campbell</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03324/7338087-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="151" height="155"></div>Through most of the first half of the season, the Winnipeg Jets wavered a few games above the .500 level, a surprising development to most observers.The team, in its last season in Winnipeg and playing home games in an arena a little more than half full most nights, was relying on a powerful offense and a variety of sharp individual performances to stay afloat.How much longer it can do so remains to be seen, especially if there are no changes in the roster&rsquo;s makeup.With one of the most injured teams in the league this season, coach Terry Simpson has done an admirable job of piecing together and coaxing his lineup to its respectable standing.Igor Korolev, Keith Tkachuk, Nikolai Khabibulin and Ed Olczyk have taken turns picking up the ball, but the tag-off approach may take the Jets only so far if there isn&rsquo;t help on the defensive side of the game.Strength The Jets have depth at forward and plenty of talent. They were consistently among the top teams in goals scored through the first three months of the season.What they need Improved defensive play. The dilemma for GM John Paddock is how to convert his deep talent pool up front to help on the blueline.Next three recalls 1. Andre Faust, C, Springfield (AHL); 2. lain Fraser, LW, Springfield; 3. Ravil Gusmanov, RW, Springfield.Biggest surprise While Khabibulin&rsquo;s goaltending and Korolev&rsquo;s and Olczyk&rsquo;s scoring have made for pleasant stories, defenseman Dave Manson&rsquo;s drastically improved play has been the Jets&rsquo; most welcome news. A minus-20 player during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, Manson was anchoring the blueline as a plus player this season.Biggest disappointment The team&rsquo;s impending departure to Phoenix aside, left winger Darrin Shannon&rsquo;s minimal contributions after a good 1994-95 have only been overshadowed by Paddock&rsquo;s inability to find a deal for help on the blueline.NOTEBOOK: Rookie defenseman Deron Quint tied a 64-year-old NHL record with two goals in four seconds Dec. 15 in a 9-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Nels Stewart of the Montreal Maroons established the mark in 1931. Quint scored at 7:51 of the second period on a power play, then on the ensuing faceoff scored on an attempted shoot-in that took an unexpected bounce off the glass and surprised goalie Joaquin Gage, who was out of the net anticipating the dump-in&hellip;Defenseman Jason Doig, who had played 15 games for the Jets, was returned to Laval of the Quebec League after failing to make the Canadian national junior team. &#9632;

f0021-03

Bolstering blueline big priority

<div class="byline">By Bill Hunt</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0023-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01952/7338118-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Campbell is back in Fredericton and in Montreal&rsquo;s good graces.</figcaption></div>Jim Campbell got so frustrated with the Fredericton Canadiens last season, it ruined his summer.Unhappy about being sat out in the most important American League playoff game, he told his agent to seek greener pastures in the International League. The 22-year-old center had no intention of returning to Fredericton.Three months into the season, Campbell is not only back in Fredericton, he is Fredericton. He led the Canadiens in goals (xx), points (xx) and shots (xx). Not bad for a guy who would have rather been elsewhere.Campbell&rsquo;s lack of consistency was at the root of a near rupture in his relationship with Fredericton and the parent Montreal Canadiens. While his Fredericton teammates caught fire in the AHL playoffs last season-they lost in the final to the Albany River Rats-Campbell was a virtual bystander.He was held without a goal in 12 games and replaced on what became the decisive night by the coach&rsquo;s son, junior call-up Sebastien Bordeleau.Campbell and his agent spent the summer trying to induce an offer from an IHL team.&ldquo;All I could think about all summer was how last year I didn&rsquo;t play much in the playoffs,&rdquo; Campbell said. &ldquo;It hurt. I didn&rsquo;t think (Montreal) would ever call me up and the IHL would give me (better) exposure.&rdquo;The offers didn&rsquo;t come. He waited. Fredericton&rsquo;s camp came. He waited. The season began. He waited.Reluctantly, Campbell rejoined Fredericton three games into the season and got out his frustration with eight goals in three games.Fredericton coach Paulin Bordeleau said Campbell had to realize he was being his own worst enemy.&ldquo;I said &lsquo;Jimmy, if you have something against me because I didn&rsquo;t dress you&hellip;you forgot to look in the mirror,&rsquo; &rdquo; Bordeleau said. &ldquo;&lsquo;We were down 3-0 in the playoffs and you weren&rsquo;t doing anything to help me win.&rsquo;&rdquo;Campbell now leads the Canadiens in shots on goal almost every night. At 6-foot-2, he is both a strong and quick skater. His shot is good and his release is even better.But if Campbell is to get a chance in Montreal, he&rsquo;ll need to learn the defensive aspect of the game-what to do when he doesn&rsquo;t have the puck.That has been the knock on Campbell since he was first identified as a prospect in 1990 at Northwood Prep in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Worcester, Mass., native rebuffed an offer from Boston College and spent two seasons with the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec League before a tour of duty with the U.S. Olympic team in 1993-94.For a while it looked as though Montreal couldn&rsquo;t wait for him to turn pro. Three years after the Canadiens drafted him in the second round of the 1991 entry draft, they had him rated behind only Valeri Bure and Saku Koivu on their prospect chart.He completed 1993-94 with Fredericton and scored six goals and 23 points in 19 games. But the grind caught up with him last season as he had 27 goals and 51 points in 77 games with Fredericton. All of a sudden he slipped to ninth on Montreal&rsquo;s prospect list in THN&rsquo;s Future Watch.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a highly skilled player with good speed, good hands, a good shot and good hockey sense,&rdquo; Bordeleau said. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s going to have to play better defensively if he wants to make it to the NHL.&rdquo;&ldquo;That&rsquo;s probably the only rap they could have,&rdquo; Campbell said.However, Montreal&rsquo;s new director of scouting Pierre Mondou said Campbell&rsquo;s inconsistency is keeping him out of the NHL.&ldquo;He has the offensive skills to play in the NHL, but he has to be consistent,&rdquo; Mondou said. &ldquo;He has to be able to give it to us all the time. But I think he&rsquo;s going to get his chance.&rdquo;Campbell, meanwhile, has no regrets about returning to Fredericton now. He&rsquo;s setting his sights on a 50-goal season and a shot in Montreal.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to maintain what I started,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Fifty would be a nice number, but I&rsquo;m not going to stop there if I get there.&rdquo;. His prime target is a spot in Montreal. The call is coming, Bordeleau believes.&ldquo;He should eventually get a chance,&rdquo; Bordeleau said. &ldquo;If Reggie (Canadiens&rsquo; GM Houle) and Mario (coach Tremblay) call me, the first thing they&rsquo;ll ask me is &lsquo;Is he playing well defensively?&rsquo; Because you can&rsquo;t go play in the NHL and just go up and play offense. If he wants to play, he&rsquo;s going to have to start maybe on the third or fourth line. But he&rsquo;s going to have to start somewhere.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0023-01

Baby Habs’ Campbell lights up Fredericton

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div>The &lsquo;Parents Wanted&rsquo; sign has gone up at Hersheypark Arena.With the Philadelphia Flyers making official their plans to purchase an American League expansion franchise to play in the CoreStates Spectrum next season, the Bears are searching for a new parent team.Establishing a new affiliation won&rsquo;t be a problem, said Bears&rsquo; GM Jay Feaster.&ldquo;There is nothing to suggest we won&rsquo;t be all right,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;Having been around for 58 years and having a pretty decent reputation, we believe we will have options to choose from.&rdquo;The Bears will focus their search on NHL teams with International League farms: the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders.The Penguins, whose farm team is the Cleve land Lumberjacks, would be an ideal parent team for geographic reasons. Feaster said he has spoken with Pittsburgh officials.The Flyers have been Hershey&rsquo;s parent team since 1984-85, winning one Calder Cup (198788). Since Philadelphia is only two hours from Hershey, there is strong Flyers loyalty among many fans, but Feaster said that isn&rsquo;t a major concern.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02627/7338149-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="501" height="346"></div>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been around for 58 years, 30 more than the Flyers, so I think our fans are Hershey Bears&rsquo; fans,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;When &gt; we announce the Fivers&rsquo; score during games, 3,500 tans are cheering and another 3,000 are booing.&rdquo;The Bears gave the Flyers permission to end their agreement one year early, but protected themselves with player assurances from Philadelphia in the event a new parent team can&rsquo;t be found.The Flyers are moving into the CoreStates Center next season, but their parent company, Spectacore, will continue to operate the old Spectrum. The AHL team, bought for the expansion price of $1.5 million, will be one of the tenants. The yet-unnamed Philadelphia team will compete in the Southern Division next season, along with Hershey, the Carolina Monarchs. Baltimore Bandits and the expansion Lexington Thoroughblades.ROAD GREATNESS: The Albany River Rats established an AHL record for consecutive road victories by winning their ninth straight. Center Steve Sullivan scored the winner with 1:02 remaining in an overtime win over Baltimore Dec. 15. The River Rats extended the record to 11 with wins in their next two road games.Albany&rsquo;s overall winning streak was snapped at 15 with a 2-2 home tie against Rochester Dec. 23.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no rings for records, but you get one for winning a championship,&rdquo; said Sullivan, a member of the River Rats&rsquo; Calder Cup team last season. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not looking for records, we just want to be the best team in this league.&rdquo;Said coach Robbie Ftorek: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice for the players to do something that no one else has done, but we have to move on.&rdquo;AHL TIDBITS: Jamie Ram&rsquo;s 25-save blanking of Carolina Dec. 16 was the first shutout by the Binghamton Rangers at the Broome County Arena since Sam St. Laurent blanked the Capital District Islanders in 1991&hellip;Portland Pirates&rsquo; goalie Darryl Paquette made a memorable AHL debut. Recalled from the Hampton Roads Admirals of the East Coast League, Paquette made 29 saves in the Pirates&rsquo; 5-0 shutout at Hershey Dec. 16&hellip;Saint John Flames&rsquo; goalie Duane Roloson played in eight consecutive games, going 4-2-2 with a 1.97 goals-against average and 93.3 save percentage. &#9632;

f0023-02

Bears confident they’ll replace Flyers

<div class="byline">By Kevin IoIe</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011026/7338180-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Curtis Joseph has become a cult hero in the IHL, but yearns for a return to the NHL.</figcaption></div>Taking a Christmas holiday from the International League was a notion Curtis Joseph never thought he would have to consider.The erstwhile Edmonton Oilers&rsquo; goalie, an NHL Group free agent, was playing with the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL while awaiting a trade at the NHL level.On the Thunder&rsquo;s longest road trip of the season, GM Bob Strumm and coach Chris McSorley approached him about going home for Christmas. They told Joseph he had their approval to go home for two weeks, during which he would miss four games.Strumm and McSorley knew there was a chance they would never see him in a Thunder uniform again, but they gave him permission to go anyway.&ldquo;He has done a lot for this franchise,&rdquo; Strumm said. &ldquo;We just felt we owed him that much.&rdquo;Joseph, 28, decided to take the offer and after being named the game&rsquo;s No. 1 star in a victory over the Houston Aeros Dec. 9, he left the team for a vacation.It wasn&rsquo;t much of a vacation. Before Las Vegas played another game, Strumm got a call on his cellular phone while watching a practice.It was Joseph.&ldquo;He felt guilty about being away and wanted to get back with the guys,&rdquo; Strumm said. &ldquo;If that doesn&rsquo;t tell you the class guy he is, what does?&rdquo;Joseph, who played in the 1994 NHL All-Star Game and remains one of the most popular players in St. Louis Blues&rsquo; history, was returning to the minors because he felt guilty about leaving his teammates in the lurch.He returned with mixed emotions. When he signed with the Thunder Nov. 1, none of Joseph, agent Don Meehan or Strumm envisioned it being more than a temporary arrangement.Prior to joining the Thunder, Joseph went to Edmonton&rsquo;s camp for five days as &ldquo;a show of good faith,&rdquo; he says, but Meehan and Oilers&rsquo; GM Glen Sather were unable to reach a deal and Joseph returned home.The IHL was an alternative, giving him a chance to stay sharp while Meehan and Sather got things worked out. It turned out to be more of a full-time job than he expected.&ldquo;I guess I didn&rsquo;t realize how difficult this would be,&rdquo; Joseph said.When Joseph returned to the Thunder after his short vacation-he missed just three days of practice and no games-he had a hard time believing how complicated his life had become.&ldquo;It has been a roller coaster of emotions,&rdquo; Joseph said. &ldquo;There have been tremendous highs and lows. Playing for Las Vegas has been a treat. This is a class organization and the guys have been great. I&rsquo;ve thoroughly enjoyed it.&ldquo;At the same time, it has been so hard because we were close to getting something done (in the NHL). I&rsquo;d have my hopes up and it would crash. That hurt. There were times I thought maybe I should retire.&rdquo;Hot rumors more than a month ago had Joseph being traded to the Boston Bruins.Joseph led the IHL in goals-against average at 1.99 and was second with a 93.0 save percentage. He won nine of 12 games.He found himself becoming something of a cult hero around the league. In Kansas City, the day after Pokey Reddick&rsquo;s spectacular work in the Thunder goal led to a Las Vegas victory, the headline in a local paper read, &ldquo;Thunder Wins Without Joseph.&rdquo;Joseph received ovations from fans of opposing teams as loud as any he received at home. In Minnesota, when he earned a shutout, fans in the stands were bowing in admiration.In addition, he signed hundreds of autographs, not just from fans, but from players who offered up equipment for him to sign.It gave Joseph a perspective on what he was missing in the NHL.&ldquo;When you have something taken away from you, you appreciate it a lot more,&rdquo; Joseph said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that I didn&rsquo;t appreciate (being in the NHL) in the first place. Being here, I see how badly these guys want to get there and what getting there means to them.&rdquo;&ldquo;The only thing I didn&rsquo;t care for was the fact a lot of (reporters) wanted me to blast (Blues&rsquo; coach-GM) Mike Keenan. But that was it.&rdquo;McSorley said Joseph&rsquo;s impact on the Thunder will be felt long after he leaves.&ldquo;There were days I knew Curtis was hurting, that all the rumors and suspense was killing him,&rdquo; McSorley said.&ldquo;But once he put the pads on, you never saw it. It was all business. He never brought his problems to the rink. He showed our guys something I don&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;ll forget.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0024-01

Joseph gambles on Las Vegas

<div class="byline">By Dave Eminian</div>The financially-struggling Los Angeles Ice Dogs will be sold to Barry Kemp, the creator and executive producer of the ABC-TV network comedy Coach.League sources said the deal is done and the team will move to Long Beach, Calif., next season.&ldquo;I would expect the comers to be nailed down (by Christmas),&rdquo; Kemp said in published reports in late December.He stopped short of confirming the franchise will make its third move in as many years. Outgoing owner Fred Comrie who was a key recruiter in the IHL&rsquo;s expansion boom the last three years-moved the team from its birthplace in San Diego to L.A. this season.Comrie is projecting a $2.5-million operating loss. League sources say Kemp bought the team for $4.5 million and agreed to assume the debts.&ldquo;If we can get the team to break even in four to five years, then we&rsquo;ve done a successful job,&rdquo; said Kemp, who inherits a team that was averaging 4,319 fans per game, second-worst in the IHL. &mdash;Kemp says he likes the L.A. Sports Arena-which is home to the National Basketball Association&rsquo;s L.A. Clippers-and it would be unfair to blame low attendance on that venue.He said the team needs to improve its marketing and create some stability and credibility in the market. 1FOUNDER DIES: The IHL&rsquo;s last living founding father, Fred Huber, died at his Sun City, Ariz., home Nov. 26. He was 83.Huber was one of six men to attend a secret meeting at a Windsor, Ont., hotel in December, 1945, during which the IHL was conceived.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02702/7338211-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="367" height="407"></div>&ldquo;I was there for the birth of the baby,&rdquo; Huber said in a September, 1994 interview, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the only one left who has lived to tell about it.&rdquo;He became the IHL&rsquo;s second commissioner in 1949. His memory is honored with a league trophy awarded in his name to the annual regular-season point champion. Memorials may be sent to the Arizona Lung Association, 102 West McDowell Rd., Phoenix, Ariz., 85003.BENCH BOSSES: The coaching staffs for the annual All-Star Game-which this season is Jan. 13 in Houston-have been set based on division leaders through games of Dec. 17.The Eastern Conference squad will be led by Cincinnati Cyclones&rsquo; head coach Ron Smith (26-6-4 in the North Division) and assisted by Orlando Solar Bears&rsquo; head coach Curt Fraser (21-9-3 in the Central).The Western Conference coaches are Chris McSorley of the Las Vegas Thunder (24-6-4 in the Southwest Division) and Phil Wittliff of the Milwaukee Admirals (14-15-4 in the Midwest).I-OPENERS: Cincinnati goaltender Frederick Chabot made 30 saves, notched an assist and picked up a win Dec. 14 in a road game against the Detroit Vipers, then drove back to Cincinnati to assist his wife in the birth of the couple&rsquo;s first child. Suzanne Chabot had gone into labor while watching the Cyclones&rsquo; game on television. A six-pound, 13-ounce boy named Gabriel arrived a few hours later&hellip;Detroit signed head coach-GM Rick Dudley to a three-year extension through the 1998-99 season&hellip;Sylvain Turgeon of the Houston Aeros played in his 700th pro game Dec. 16&hellip;Milwaukee center and former league MVP Tony Hrkac returned from a broken wrist suffered last spring and played his first game of the season Dec. 20 against the Peoria Rivermen. He left the game in the first period after suffering a slight concussion from a hit near the penalty boxes. &#9632;

f0024-02

Ice Dogs to be sold, on move again

<div class="byline">By John Packett</div>In southern Louisiana, folks enjoy spicy cajun food, month-long partying for Mardi Gras and plenty of hunting and fishing. Now, there&rsquo;s another favorite pastime-hockey.Specifically, the Louisiana IceGators, who have become an instant hit after setting up shop in Lafayette as one of four new teams in the East Coast League this season.In 11 home games, the IceGators attracted five sellout crowds of 11.026 to the Cajundome and another near-sellout of 10,000-plus. Louisiana is the runaway leader in attendance in the 21-team ECHL with an average of 9,324, and the financial impact has been felt all over the Acadiana area.Brothers Dave (vice-president and GM) and Tim Berryman (director of marketing) are the architects. After watching what the South Carolina Stingrays were able to accomplish in North Charleston, S.C., the Berrymans headed further south.&ldquo;We saw first-hand what impact an (ECHL team) had on Charleston,&rdquo; Tim said. &ldquo;You want to better it. Things are unfolding like we wanted. The market is two-thirds the size of Charleston&rsquo;s, but we&rsquo;re benefitting from pulling all over the state. We&rsquo;re Louisiana&rsquo;s team.&rdquo;That could change as soon as next season, if Baton Rouge (about 50 miles east of Lafayette) becomes the 22nd member of the league. An announcement is expected soon.The IceGators have kept fans entertained with the same between-period insanity other ECHL teams have staged, such as slinging hot dogs into the crowd and push-the-puck-with-your-nose races. Cajun comedian Ralph Begnaud helps educate fans while the Zamboni cleans the ice.It hasn&rsquo;t hurt that the IceGators have been winning under coach Doug Shedden. Louisiana was 20-7-1, including 11-1-0 at home, three points ahead of the Nashville Knights in the South Division.OLIE THE GOALIE: Olie Sundstrom of the Erie Panthers became the second ECHL goalie in nine months to score when he found the empty net Dec. 15 against the Wheeling Thunderbirds.Sundstrom joins Corwin Saurdiff of the Hampton Roads Admirals. Saurdiff accomplished the feat March 18 against the Charlotte Checkers.Trailing 5-3, Wheeling pulled its goalie for an extra attacker. Sundstrom fired a shot that crossed the goal line with 1:57 remaining.ALL-STAR DEBUT: The Jan. 23 All-Star Game in Tallahassee. Fla., will be available for the first time to fans throughout much of the southern and eastern U.S., thanks to a broadcast agreement with Home Team Sports, SportsSouth, SportsChannel Ohio and Continental Cablevision.&ldquo;The all-star broadcast is our first step in television broadcast and production,&rdquo; said Corey Chandler. ECHL director of marketing. &ldquo;Next season, we are expanding our television efforts by producing a 10-12 game package for broadcast on several of the regional sports networks.&rdquo;MOVIE MADNESS: ECHL fans will recognize members from last season&rsquo;s Wheeling and Johnstown Chiefs clubs in the movie Sudden Death, which opened Dec. 22.The Thunderbirds and Chiefs portray the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins, who couldn&rsquo;t work because of the lockout.Game footage was shot at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh last December. Chiefs featured are Brandon Christian. Rob Laurie and Matt Hoffman as well as Tim Tisdale of Wheeling.COAST LINES: A raffle by Wheeling raised $2,781 to help pay for the medical costs of Boston University freshman Travis Roy, who was paralyzed after crashing headfirst into the boards during his first collegiate game Oct. 20. &#9632;

LEAGUES

Louisiana fans catch on to hockey madness

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div>The most abysmal start in Canadian Hockey League history mercifully came to an end for the London Knights two days before Christmas.The Knights defeated the North Bay Centennials 5-3 to end an 0-31-2 streak to start the season. The losing streak broke five Ontario League futility records and equalled one CHL record. The string of 33 games without a win was the longest from the start of a season and the longest in OHL history and was just three short of the CHL record.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want another tie for Christmas,&rdquo; said Knights&rsquo; goalie Eoin McInerney. &ldquo;I already have a closet full of bad ones.&rdquo;The win came only two games into Tom Barrett&rsquo;s tenure as the Knights&rsquo; new coach-GM. Barrett, 57, was named to the post Dec. 21. He replaced Mike Fedorko, who was fired Oct. 25. Knights&rsquo; assistant coach Murray Nystrom filled in as interim coach and remains an assistant with Barrett.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not the hero, the boys are,&rdquo; Barrett said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy for them. It&rsquo;s a nice scenario to be able to go away for a week (the Christmas break) and forget about it, to go away with a nice feeling about themselves.&rdquo;Barrett guided the Kitchener Rangers to the Memorial Cup final in 1984, his first season in the OHL. He was coaching the Saginaw Wheels of the Colonial League until being fired 15-games into this sea son.The streak followed the Knights every where and became the subject of national media attention.&ldquo;It was pretty tough, said McInerney, a London native. &ldquo;But the next day after the win, I was Christmas shopping at the mall and people were coming up and shaking my hand. It&rsquo;s really hard to explain what we went through. I wish other people could have strapped on the pads and gone out there.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011024/7338266-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="665" height="224"></div>NO WORD YET: Doctors couldn&rsquo;t give Chicago Blackhawks&rsquo; prospect Chris Van Dyk any word on whether he&rsquo;ll regain full sight following a second operation on his left eye.Van Dyk, 19, a Windsor Spitfires&rsquo; defenseman, was accidentally struck by the stick of Kitchener Rangers&rsquo; rookie Boyd Devereaux during a Dec. 1 game.Van Dyk had peripheral vision, but no central vision in the eye. Surgery was first performed Dec. 6 at St. Michael&rsquo;s Hospital in Toronto to repair a partially tom retina. Surgery to relieve pressure was then performed Dec. 19 at Toronto Western Hospital.&ldquo;The doctors don&rsquo;t know if his direct vision will come back,&rdquo; Van Dyk&rsquo;s father, Gerard, said in late December. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still a case of time will only tell.&ldquo;Chris has been in good spirits. He was hoping after eight weeks to make it back for the playoffs. I really don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll play again this year. There&rsquo;s so much damage, so many things wrong. The doctors want to see if it&rsquo;s healing before any more surgery.&rdquo;Devereaux was assessed a major and game misconduct for high sticking, but OHL commissioner Dave Branch ruled Dec. 15 it was accidental and there would be no suspension.JUST SAY YES: Rico Fata, the 15-year-old rookie sensation currently playing for his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, said he will play with whichever team drafts him June 1 in Kitchener.It looks as if London will have first pick, but Fata said he wouldn&rsquo;t hold this abysmal season against the Knights.&ldquo;The OHL is where I want to play next year and if London drafts me, there will be no controversy,&rdquo; Fata said. &ldquo;I will play in London next year.&rdquo;Fata had six goals and 16 points in 32 games. He is with the Greyhounds under an OHL rule allowing a player to play for his hometown team before he goes through the draft process. &#9632;

f0026-01

Knights win! Knights win! Futility streak ends

<div class="byline">By Stuart Cowan</div>The Beauport Harfangs played Scrooge with Joe Canale, firing their coach Dec. 26 and replacing him with Alain Vigneault.Vigneault was fired by the NHL&rsquo;s Ottawa Senators Nov. 20 after spending three years there as an assistant coach. He was the Hull Olympiques&rsquo; coach for five seasons, between 1987 and 1991, winning 220 games and advancing to the Memorial Cup in 1988. He was also an assistant with the Canadian team at the World Junior Championship in 1989 and 1991.&ldquo;Some will say this is a step backwards,&rdquo; said Vigneault, who signed with the Harfangs through 1997-98, &ldquo;but I have nothing to excuse myself for. I keep the same ambition as before, to coach a team in the NHL at some point.&rdquo;Canale, whose contract runs out at the end of this season, will stay with the Harfangs as a scout. In 2 1/2 seasons in Beauport, he had a 93 73-17 record. He was also coach of the Canadian team that won gold at the 1994 WJC.The Harfangs, who have eight NHL dratted players in their lineup, were expected to be one of the Quebec League&rsquo;s top teams, but struggled to an 18-19-2 record under Canale.&ldquo;We had nothing against Joe,&rdquo; said Harfangs&rsquo; president Jean Legault, who made the decision Dec. 22, but waited until after Christmas to break the news to Canale. &ldquo;What we had a problem with is the fact the team was third in its division and eighth overall in a 14-team league with eight NHLers on the team.&rdquo;Legault also said he wouldn&rsquo;t have made a change if Vigneault wasn&rsquo;t available. Vigneault knows Harfangs&rsquo; GM Raymond Bolduc and head scout Denis Heon was Vigneault&rsquo;s assistant in Hull. &ldquo;Right away you can feel chemistry between the hockey boys,&rdquo; Legault said.&ldquo;(Vigneault) has a good reputation,&rdquo; Legault added. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very knowledgeable and technical. He&rsquo;s also very good with star players. You need a coach who can deal with young guys who think they are big stars.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02692/7338297-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="552" height="274"></div>Beauport is the fifth team to make a coaching change this season. Vigneault is Beauport&rsquo;s fourth coach in the team&rsquo;s 5 1/2 year history.DYNAMIC DUO: For the first time in the history of the WJC, both goalies for Canada this year come from La Belle Province.Hull&rsquo;s Jose Theodore and Chicoutimi Sagueneens&rsquo; Marc Denis earned the two spots during the selection camp. Of the four goalies invited to the camp, three were from Quebec. Martin Biron of the Beauport Harfangs and Craig Hillier of the Ontario League&rsquo;s Ottawa 67s were the two goalies to get cut.Heading into the WJC, Theodore had a 22-5-1 record and 3.15 goals-against average, while Denis was 14-10-2 with a 3.02 average. Theodore was the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; second-round pick at the 1994 NHL entry draft, while Denis was the Colorado Avalanche&rsquo;s first-round pick in 1995.Two other QMJHL players also made the Canadian team-Drummondville Voltigeurs&rsquo; defenseman Denis Gauthier and Sherbrooke Faucons&rsquo; center Christian Dube.BRIERE GETS AXE: Drummondville center Daniel Briere, who led the QMJHL in scoring with 45 goals and 103 points, was among the final cuts from Canada&rsquo;s selection camp.Blair Mackasey, who coaches Briere in Drummondville and is an assistant with the Canadian team, said it was Briere&rsquo;s vital stats-5-foot-8 and 163 pounds-that cost him.&ldquo;No doubt his size was a factor against the bigger and more mobile defensemen,&rdquo; Mackasey said. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t have a bad camp, but he didn&rsquo;t have the camp he or we expected.&rdquo;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to get cut,&rdquo; Briere said. &ldquo;Now my dream will have to wait until next year.&rdquo;GRANBY HURTING: Center Martin Chouinard&rsquo;s broken hand has become a real pain for the Granby Predateurs.Chouinard, who had been Granby&rsquo;s offensive weapon with 30 goals and 82 points in 37 games, sustained the injury Dec. 10 and was expected to be out until mid-January. &#9632;

f0026-02

Vigneault’s availability spells doom for Canale

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div>Portland Winter Hawks&rsquo; GM Ken Hodge is concerned about the possibility of the NHL coming to his Oregon city.Even so, he granted permission for surveys regarding the NHL&rsquo;s viability in Portland to be conducted at Winter Hawks&rsquo; home games.&ldquo;Does it matter if they do it inside or outside the building?&rdquo; Hodge said. &ldquo;They own the building. It&rsquo;s pretty hard to say no. Co-operation is very important.&rdquo;The Rose Garden is also the home facility for the National Basketball Association&rsquo;s Portland Trail Blazers. Paul Allen is an owner of the Rose Garden and the Trail Blazers.Alien&rsquo;s staff has surveyed Winter Hawks&rsquo; fans and has also solicited the opinions of Trail Blazers&rsquo; supporters.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t done a study on it,&rdquo; Hodge said. &ldquo;I think it would be difficult. One of two franchises would be successful. One wouldn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;Having said that, Hodge can understand why people would view Portland as a potential NHL site.&ldquo;We have a building that seats 19,500 for hockey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think that would be very attractive for a lot of franchises in the NHL.&ldquo;But attendance is slipping (in the NHL). Why? It&rsquo;s the cost. We&rsquo;ve got 1.3 million people and one major-league franchise already. Do you think the city can handle two major-league franchises at the prices that are charged?&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a few years left here. Down the road, the NHL is certainly a concern.&rdquo;NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently said his league isn&rsquo;t in a hurry to expand. Portland is one of several viable locations, but nothing is likely until possibly the year 2000.Portland is to play 12 of 36 home games at the new Rose Garden. The remaining 24 are at the 10,016-seat Memorial Coliseum.In their first game at the Rose Garden, Oct. 26, Portland set a Western League attendance record by attracting 17,709 spectators for a 5-4 overtime victory over the Saskatoon Blades.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03549/7338328-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="340" height="348"></div>Winter Hawks&rsquo; ticket prices range from $6.50 to $11.50 (U.S.) &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of difference between that and prices of $25 to $65,&rdquo; Hodge said.MAKES MARK: Saskatoon Blades&rsquo; center Mark Deyell is enjoying a banner season.That wasn&rsquo;t enough to land him an audition with Canada&rsquo;s national junior team-even though Deyell was fourth among WHL scorers when the tryout roster was announced.The 19-year-old Deyell had 28 goals and 71 points in 33 games.Within two weeks of the national junior selection camp, Deyell had ascended to second place in WHL scoring. He trailed Kamloops Blazers&rsquo; left winger Hnat Domenichelli, who had 85 points after 31 games. Domenichelli made Canada&rsquo;s team for the World Junior Championship.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve put in a good effort and I&rsquo;ve worked hard at both ends of the ice,&rdquo; said Deyell, a fifth-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994.&ldquo;You&rsquo;d hate to say politics had anything to do with it, but you never know. They make the decisions. These things happen in hockey. You have to deal with it. Hopefully, my break will come in the NHL.&rdquo;HITMEN A HIT: The expansion Calgary Hitmen set a franchise attendance record Dec. 16 when 7,905 fans watched Calgary defeat Saskatoon 5-3 at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome.The previous best was set in the home opener, when 6,021 spectators were at the Corral for a 7-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels,JAN THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRD: Seattle Thunderbirds&rsquo; center Jan Hrdina established a WHL season-high seven points in one game.He had three goals and four assists in a 10-8 loss to the host Tri-City Americans Dec. 17.Hrdina, 19, had six points in the third period. The WHL record for points in one period is seven, set in 1967 by Gerry Pinder of Saskatoon and equalled in 1976 by Mike Bradbury of the Brandon Wheat Kings. &#9632;

f0026-03

Winter Hawks cautious of NHL testing market

<div class="byline">By Chris Miller</div>What do you do with a player like Jason Wright?If you&rsquo;re Michigan Tech coach Bob Mancini, you promote him to co-captain. Wright, a senior defenseman for the Huskies, has emerged as a three-way leader this season.&ldquo;There have been nights when he has been the best defensive player and the best offensive defenseman,&rdquo; Mancini said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s definitely a leader off the ice. He&rsquo;s a great kid.&rdquo;Wright had six goals in 21 games, but is more concerned about team accomplishments.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care about stats,&rdquo; Wright said. &ldquo;The only important thing is that the team does OK. My only goal is to be on a team that does well.&rdquo;Mancini added a &lsquo;C&rsquo; to Wright&rsquo;s uniform in early December, making him a co-captain with senior center Pat Mikesch.A four-year regular, Wright has seen ups and downs during his career at Tech. The Huskies finished fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association his freshman year, but dropped to last place the next year. They were eighth last season as Mancini used a lot of rookies. Ten second-year players are regulars this season.&ldquo;Our goal is to finish in the top four and be a playoff contender,&rdquo; Wright said.Tech was 8-10-3 at the holiday break and tied for fifth in the WCHA. The Huskies averaged fewer than three goals per game and had no one with more than seven goals.<h2>WCHA</h2>Mikesch, who had 93 points in two seasons, was handicapped by a sore shoulder that affected his shot.TIGER TERRORS: Colorado College hit the halfway point of the season unbeaten. The Tigers, 14-0-3 and ranked No. 1 in the country, were four points ahead of second-place Denver and five up on Minnesota at the break.Colorado College was averaging more than two power-play goals per game and had at least one in all 17 games. Peter Geronazzo (19 goals) continued on a torrid pace for the twotime defending regular-season champions.The Tigers got more good news when backers of the Colorado Springs World Arena announced ground would be broken by July. Completion for the Tigers&rsquo; new home is set for late 1997, meaning the team has another season-and-a-half at the Air Force Academy rink.NOTEBOOK: Wisconsin winger Mike Strobel picked up his second fighting major, meaning he&rsquo;s one away from being suspended for the remainder of the season under a new WCHA rule&hellip;Northern Michigan entered the Great Lakes Invitational one loss away from a school record for consecutive defeats. It had 10&hellip;Alaska-Anchorage was mired in an eightgame winless streak at Christmas&hellip; Di vision Mankato State announced it would elevate to Division I status with an ultimate goal of joining the WCHA. &#9632;

Huskies’ defenseman has all the Wright stuff

<div class="byline">By Matt Carlson</div>The University of Illinois-Chicago Flames have taken on a decidedly local flavor.This season, UIC coach Larry Pedrie&rsquo;s freshman-laden roster includes 11 players from Illinois. Some rookies, especially forwards Tony Kolozsy, Jeff Edwards and Chuck Mindel. are starting to make an impact.Kolozsy, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound center from Rolling Meadows, Ill., led the Flames in scoring through 17 games with 10 goals and 15 points.&ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t difficult to find,&rdquo; said Pedrie, who recruited Kolozsy from the Omaha Lancers of the United States League. &ldquo;He talked to a number of schools, but he had an interest in staying (in Chicago).Like most Chicago-area players who aspire to play Division I, Kolozsy required grooming at a competitive level not available in Illinois leagues or high schools before heading to college.&ldquo;Intelligence is his biggest asset,&rdquo; Pedrie said, &ldquo;and as a skater, he has great balance.&rdquo;Edwards, a right winger from Elk Grove Village, Ill., has played on a line with Kolozsy much of the year. That&rsquo;s nothing new-the two skated together at Omaha and previously with the Team Illinois AAA midget program.&ldquo;The big thing is his physical play and toughness,&rdquo; Pedrie said of the winger who had five goals and eight points in 17 games.Mindel, who can play either center or left wing, might be the Biggest surprise. The Tinley Park, Ill., native had seven goals and 14 points in 17 games. Unlike Kolozsy and Edwards, he never left Chicago for college preparation, skating both with the Team Illinois program and in local high school leagues.<h2>CCHA</h2>POLAR BEAR EXPRESS: Few Central Collegiate Hockey Association skaters are faster than University of Alaska-Fairbanks junior forward Cody Bowtell.The Nanooks&rsquo; forward has used his speed to race to the top of the CCHA scoring chart. The undrafted 5-foot-10, 175 pounder had 14 goals and 25 points in 15 games.Bowtell has been flying down the right wing of a line with Greg Milles and Pat Williams.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not supposed he&rsquo;s getting points,&rdquo; said said UAF coach Dave Laurion. &ldquo;I am surprised he&rsquo;s the top scorer in our league because our team isn&rsquo;t one of the top teams.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Western Michigan and Bowling Green didn&rsquo;t hit the jackpot when they played a game at Las Vegas&rsquo; Thomas & Mack Center. Only 470 people showed up to watch the Broncos post a 6-4 win in the 12,347 seat arena Dec. 15&hellip;In a year of frightening spinal injuries, some good news: UIC junior forward Al Dunbar is recovering from a &ldquo;bruised spinal cord&rdquo; sustained Nov. 25 when he collided with a linesman. According to Larry Pedrie, Dunbar has &ldquo;full mobility, but his strength is completely depleted and he has to rebuild it.&rdquo; &#9632;

Chicago-area rookies burning up for Flames

<div class="byline">By Tom Boggie</div>John Emmons, the defensive specialist, is finally becoming John Emmons, the offensive force.Emmons was thrust into a defensive role his first three seasons at Yale in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs had accomplished offensive players such as Andy Weidenbach. Mark Kaufmann and Martin Leroux to handle the scoring.But this season, with very little in the way of a supporting cast, Emmons has become the Bulldogs&rsquo; offensive leader.As the Bulldogs hit the Christmas break with a 4-8-0 record, Emmons led the team in goals (six) and points (12) in 12 games. The six goals are a career-high, one more than he scored in 25 games as a sophomore.He also picked up 59 penalty minutes, which put him well on his way to breaking the team record of 95, set by Rob Baseggio in 1987-88.One of his biggest goals was an overtime winner against Princeton Nov. 21. He also accounted for the only goals in road losses at Harvard (5-2) and Brown (5-1).&ldquo;Like many kids coming out of high school, John had to play a different role when he got to college,&rdquo; said Yale coach Tim Taylor. &ldquo;He was a puck-carrying center in high school, but he had to become a defensive specialist in college and also with the (U.S. national junior) team.&rdquo;Emmons, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound native of New Caanan, Conn., drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1992, is one of the most experienced international college players. He played in two World Junior Championships.<h2>ECAC</h2>But when he failed to make the national team that played in the World Championship in Finland last winter, Emmons got a dose of reality.&ldquo;That was a wake-up call,&rdquo; Taylor said. &ldquo;That was the first time in a while he wasn&rsquo;t selected for the national team. He had always been a hard worker, but last summer he took his conditioning to another level.&rdquo;ONE-TWO PUNCH: U.S. Division I college statistics show that Vermont juniors Martin St Louis and Eric Perrin are two of the best forwards in the nation.St. Louis led the nation in assists per game with a 1.82 average while Perrin was third in the nation in points per game, averaging 2.17. St. Louis was right behind him at 2.09.KEY PENALTY KILLER: Harvard senior Tommy Holmes has always been a key member of the Crimson&rsquo;s highly regarded penalty-killing unit, but this season he has become even more valuable.Holmes, who had just two goals and 15 points in 30 games last season, was Harvard&rsquo;s No. 2 scorer with five goals and 16 points through 12 games. Three of Holmes&rsquo; goals were shorthanders, tying him for second in the nation in that category. &#9632;

Emmons finding groove as Bulldogs’ go-to man

<div class="byline">By Larry Mahoney</div>All-rookie team goalie Brian Regan would be gunning for the all-sophomore team this season-if there were such a thing.The University of Massachusetts-Amherst stopper is showing why he was named Hockey East&rsquo;s top freshman goalie last season.Regan was Hockey East&rsquo;s player of the week for the period ending Dec. 17 and had a 3.53 goals-against average and 88.7 save percentage. He stopped 71 of 73 shots in a pair of non-league victories over RPI and Princeton Dec. 9 and 12.&ldquo;He has been pretty consistent all year,&rdquo; said UMass-Amherst coach Joe Mallen. &ldquo;He has always been good on the initial shot, but he has become better on the second shots this year.&rdquo;The Minutemen went 6-28-2 a year ago, 321-0 in their first season in Hockey East.Against Hockey East competition this season, the Minutemen were an impressive 3-5-0 and had already played six of their nine games against first-place Boston University, second-place Providence and fourth-place UMass-Lowell.UMass-Amherst doesn&rsquo;t have the most experienced defense, so Regan&rsquo;s numbers don&rsquo;t stack up with those of his rivals. But as the last line of defense, he has been Mallen&rsquo;s savior.&ldquo;He directs initial shots away from danger areas,&rdquo; Mallen said. &ldquo;He has also improved his puckhandling. He recognizes when to play the puck and when to tee it up for the defensemen.&rdquo;<h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2>Mallen also said Regan is playing with more confidence.BIG CHANCE: This was the big opportunity Maine Black Bears&rsquo; goalie Blair Marsh had been waiting for.With all-America goalie Blair Allison headed for Team Canada and the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland, Marsh had the opportunity to start six consecutive games.Four of those were to come on a six-game exhibition tour of Canadian colleges.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be fun to play again. It&rsquo;ll be a neat feeling,&rdquo; Marsh said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be like being back in juniors again, with all those games close together. I&rsquo;m looking forward to having a good time.&rdquo;Allison started every game a year ago and Marsh saw a little mop-up time, but Marsh started three games this year and won all three. He had an 0.90 GAA and a 96.4 save percentage in five games.COMEBACK COMPLETE: Boston University goalie J.P. McKersie made his first start since March 31, 1994 and played one period of an 8-3 win at Dartmouth Dec. 12.McKersie was in a near-fatal bicycle accident in July, 1994. He was riding home late at night when he was hit by a car. He sustained serious head injuries, but rejoined the team this season.Sophomore center Chris Drury notched his second consecutive hat trick in the win. &#9632;

Minutemen struggle while Regan shines

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011007/7338861-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="464" height="441"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02677/7338854-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="741" height="243"></div>REVOLUTIONARY REPLACEMENT BLADE SYSTEM.<h2>STANDINGS</h2>NHL Standings through games of Dec. 26/95 (82-game regular season). GP-games played; W-wins; L-losses; T-ties; GF-goals for; GA-goals against; Diff.-difference between goals for and against; P-points; Pct.- percentage of actual points versus possible points.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03484/7338847-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="1318" height="1194"></div><h2>PLAYOFF RACE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04329/7338840-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="880" height="676"></div>The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. Division leaders are seeded No. 1 and No. 2. The regular season ends April 14. Playoffs begin April 17.<h2>TEAM PENALTIES</h2>PIM-Total penalty minutes including BMI bench penalty minutes; Avg.-average penalty minutes per game.League Average&hellip;&hellip; 20.9 min.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05254/7338833-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="1002" height="447"></div><h2>OVERALL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06220/7338826-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="412" height="759"></div><h2>RESULTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-13122/7338819-1-eng-US/f0028-132.jpg" title="f0028-13" width="448" height="2137"></div><h2>TOP SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-08174/7338812-1-eng-US/f0028-082.jpg" title="f0028-08" width="576" height="1347"></div><h2>TOP DEFENSEMEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-09160/7338805-1-eng-US/f0028-092.jpg" title="f0028-09" width="568" height="296"></div><h2>TOP ROOKIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-10152/7338798-1-eng-US/f0028-102.jpg" title="f0028-10" width="564" height="316"></div><h2>GOALS-AGAINST AVG.</h2>GP-games played; Min.-total minutes; GA-goals-against; SO-shutouts; GAA-goals-against average; League average is average GAA of all goalies who have played minimum 420 minutes.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-11143/7338791-1-eng-US/f0028-112.jpg" title="f0028-11" width="566" height="893"></div><h2>SAVE PERCENTAGE</h2>GP-games played; Min.-total minutes; SA-shots faced; GA-goals against; SP-save percentage; League average is average save percentage of all goalies who have played minimum 420 minutes. Save percentages are now expressed as actual percentages (i.e. 97.9), rather than averages (i.e. .979) as they were in the past.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-12134/7338784-1-eng-US/f0028-122.jpg" title="f0028-12" width="562" height="889"></div><h2>POWER PLAY</h2>Adv-total advantages; PPG-power-play goals; Pct.-power-play goals divided by total advantages.League Average 17.4%<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-07197/7338777-1-eng-US/f0028-072.jpg" title="f0028-07" width="954" height="444"></div><h2>PENALTY KILLING</h2>TSH-total times shorthanded; PGA-power-play goals allowed; Pct.&mdash;Penalty-killing percentage.League Average 82.6%<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-14107/7338770-1-eng-US/f0028-142.jpg" title="f0028-14" width="911" height="446"></div><h2>POINTS PER GAME</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01892/7338763-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="369" height="1001"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02577/7338756-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="338" height="446"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruins&rsquo; Adam Oates</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03380/7338749-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="339" height="453"><figcaption class="caption-body">Panthers&rsquo; Scott Mellanby</figcaption></div><h2>PLUS/MINUS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04262/7338742-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="363" height="1089"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05221/7338735-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="341" height="487"><figcaption class="caption-body">Flyers&rsquo; Eric Lindros</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06183/7338728-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="338" height="500"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sharks&rsquo; Doug Bodgei</figcaption></div><h2>PENALTY MINUTES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07152/7338721-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="361" height="1053"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08131/7338714-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="336" height="478"><figcaption class="caption-body">Panthers&rsquo; Paul Laus</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09120/7338707-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="338" height="475"><figcaption class="caption-body">Red Wings&rsquo; Doug Brown</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-10110/7338700-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="1440" height="2233"><figcaption class="caption-body">Buffalo&rsquo;s big shooter: Pat LaFontaine led the Sabres in shots, goals, assists and points.</figcaption></div>KEY TO ABBREVIATIONSStatistics provided by National Hockey League: PLAYER-listed by uniform number, position (F-forward; D-defenseman; G-goalie), name; GP-games played; G-goals; A-assists; P-points; +/- -plus/minus; PIM-penalties; PP-power-play goals; SH-short-handed goals; GW-game-winning goals; GT-game-tying goals; S-shots; PCT-shooting percentage. Players indicated by an asterisk (*) are eligible for the Calder Trophy.<h2>ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-11101/7338693-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="709" height="659"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1289/7338686-1-eng-US/f0029-122.jpg" title="f0029-12" width="705" height="111"></div><h2>BOSTON BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1373/7338679-1-eng-US/f0029-132.jpg" title="f0029-13" width="709" height="722"></div><h2>BUFFALO SABRES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1466/7338672-1-eng-US/f0029-142.jpg" title="f0029-14" width="702" height="106"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1559/7338665-1-eng-US/f0029-152.jpg" title="f0029-15" width="718" height="605"></div><h2>CALGARY FLAMES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1656/7338658-1-eng-US/f0029-162.jpg" title="f0029-16" width="714" height="862"></div><h2>CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1751/7338651-1-eng-US/f0029-172.jpg" title="f0029-17" width="716" height="668"></div><h2>COLORADO AVALANCHE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1846/7338644-1-eng-US/f0029-182.jpg" title="f0029-18" width="714" height="839"></div><h2>DALLAS STARS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1941/7338637-1-eng-US/f0029-192.jpg" title="f0029-19" width="708" height="101"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011004/7338630-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="729" height="704"></div><h2>DETROIT RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02667/7338623-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="737" height="654"></div><h2>EDMONTON OILERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03461/7338616-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="727" height="674"></div><h2>FLORIDA PANTHERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04318/7338609-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="727" height="604"></div><h2>HARTFORD WHALERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05234/7338602-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="726" height="443"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06189/7338595-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="721" height="234"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES KINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07160/7338588-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="727" height="777"></div><h2>MONTREAL CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-08140/7338581-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="717" height="108"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-09124/7338574-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="726" height="792"></div><h2>NEW JERSEY DEVILS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-10110/7338567-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="717" height="399"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-11101/7338560-1-eng-US/f0030-112.jpg" title="f0030-11" width="718" height="376"></div><h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1295/7338553-1-eng-US/f0030-122.jpg" title="f0030-12" width="725" height="739"></div><h2>NEW YORK RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1386/7338546-1-eng-US/f0030-132.jpg" title="f0030-13" width="724" height="645"></div><h2>OTTAWA SENATORS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1480/7338539-1-eng-US/f0030-142.jpg" title="f0030-14" width="732" height="698"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1574/7338532-1-eng-US/f0030-152.jpg" title="f0030-15" width="728" height="617"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1659/7338525-1-eng-US/f0030-162.jpg" title="f0030-16" width="1478" height="2063"><figcaption class="caption-body">Messiah in Manhattan: Mark Messier was pacing the New York Rangers with 50 points.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01923/7338518-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="722" height="208"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02596/7338511-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="726" height="586"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03433/7338504-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="724" height="683"></div><h2>SAN JOSE SHARKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04320/7338497-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="730" height="889"></div><h2>TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05254/7338490-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="720" height="732"></div><h2>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06210/7338483-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="727" height="695"></div><h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07184/7338476-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="721" height="963"></div><h2>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08156/7338469-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="729" height="646"></div><h2>WINNIPEG JETS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09135/7338462-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="721" height="772"></div><h2>NHL SCHEDULE</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-10116/7338455-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="1460" height="3424"></div> &#9632;

f0028-01

NHL STATISTICAL REPORT

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONSStatistics provided by National Hockey League; Players are listed by uniform number, name, games played (GP), minutes played (MIN), goals-against average (GAA), wins (W) losses (L) ties (T), empty-net goals (EN), shutouts (SO), goals against (GA), shots against (SA), save percentage (SP). Players indicated by an asterisk (&rsquo;) are eligible for the Calder Trophy. Numbers beside teams indicate rankings tor the Bill Jennings Trophy. For goalies&rsquo; individual rankings see page 28.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01989/7338899-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="721" height="609"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02665/7338892-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="2217" height="930"></div> &#9632;

f0032-01

NHL GOALTENDING STATISTICS

f0032-03

NHL SUMMARIES

<h2>WORLD JUNIOR</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-12177/7339941-1-eng-US/f0036-122.jpg" title="f0036-12" width="468" height="390"></div>ResultsDec. 26: Canada 6, USA 1; Finland 5, Switzerland 1; Czech Republic 5, Russia 3; Sweden 6, Slovakia 0.ScheduleDec. 27: Slovakia vs. Russia; Czech Republic vs. Germany; USA vs. Ukraine; Switzerland vs. Canada. Dec. 28: Germany vs. Sweden; Ukraine vs. Finland. Dec. 29: Slovakia vs. Czech Republic; Russia vs. Sweden; Switzerland vs. USA; Canada vs. Finland. Dec. 30: Germany vs. Slovakia; Ukraine vs. Switzerland. Dec. 31: Finland vs. USA; Sweden vs. Czech Republic; Russia vs. Germany; Canada vs. Ukraine.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-13168/7339934-1-eng-US/f0036-132.jpg" title="f0036-13" width="465" height="53"></div>First Period1. CAN Holland 1 (Gordon, Langkow) 1:242. CAN Botterill 1 (McCauley. Wright) 4:473. CAN Gauthier 1 (Redden. Podollan) (pp) 13:30 Pen-Berard USA (hooking) 2:32; Larsen CAN (hooking) 5:10; Gauthier CAN (boarding) 9:20; Clymer USA (hooking) 12:07; Baumgartner CAN (interference) Sylvia USA (slashing) 14:33; Domenichelli CAN (holding stick) Kealty USA (hooking) 15:33.Second Period4. CAN Langkow 1 (Iginla) 1:105. CAN Domenichelli 1 (Langkow, Iginla) (pp) 5:04 Pen-Holland CAN (roughing) 2:41; Clymer USA (slashing) 4:37; Baumgartner CAN (hooking) 9:15; Botterill CAN (hooking) 19:11; Baumgartner CAN (crosschecking, 10-minute misconduct) 19:57.Third Period6. USA Reasoner 1 (Berard, Clymer) (pp) :357. CAN Larsen 1 7:56Pen-Berard USA (elbowing) 8:13; Mills CAN (slashing) 14:54; Gauthier CAN (roughing) 18:56.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-14157/7339927-1-eng-US/f0036-142.jpg" title="f0036-14" width="464" height="180"></div>Attendance: 10123<h2>SPENGLER CUP</h2>Standings<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-15153/7339920-1-eng-US/f0036-152.jpg" title="f0036-15" width="461" height="155"></div>ResultsDec. 26: Canada 4, Farjestad 1; Davos 3, Togliatti 0.<h2>CENTRAL SCOUTING</h2>The following is a preliminary listing of players eligible for the 1996 NHL entry draft as compiled by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Players from major junior and US college leagues are ranked. Players from other leagues are listed alphabetically and sorted by probable draft position. &lsquo;A&rsquo; prospects are projected to be picked in rounds 1-4; &lsquo;B&rsquo; prospects, rounds 5-8.Ontario League: 1. Alexandre Volchkov, Barrie, C; 2. Boyd Devereaux, Kitchener, C; 3. Chris Allen, Kingston, D; 4. Jason Doyle, Sault Ste. Marie, RW; 5. Wesley Mason, Sarnia, LW; 6. Chris Hajt, Guelph, D; 7. Kurt Walsh, Oshawa, RW; 8. Glenn Crawford, Windsor, C; 9. Jeff Brown, Sarnia, D; 10. Geoff Peters, Niagara Falls, C; 11. Jan Bulis, Barrie, C; 12. Richard Jackman, Sault Ste. Marie, D; 13. Matt Bradley, Kingston, RW; 14. Mike Lankshear, Guelph, D; 15. Jason Sweitzer, Oshawa, LW; 16. Robert Mailloux, Kingston, LW; 17. Peter Hogan, Oshawa, D; 18. Andrei Shurupov, Belleville, C; 19. Jesse Boulerice, Detroit, D; 20. Evegeny Korolev, Peterborough, D; 21. Chester Gallant, Niagara Falls, RW; 22. Steve Waslyko, Detroit, C; 23. Jeff Paul. Niagara Falls, D; 24. Colin Beardsmore, Detroit, C; 25. Andrew Long, Guelph, RW; 26. Jason Robinson, Niagara Falls, D. Goalies: 1. Criag Hiller, Ottawa; John Hultberg, Kingston; 3. Michal Podolka, Sault Ste. Marie; 4. Kory Cooper. Belleville; 5. Robert Esche, Detroit; 6. Allan Hitchen, Peterborough.Quebec League: 1. Remi Royer, Victoriaville, D; 2. Jean-Pierre Dumont, Vai d&rsquo;Or, LW; 3. Daniel Briere, Drummondville, C; 4. Mario Larocque, Hull, D; 5. Francois Methot, St-Hyacinthe, C; 6. Etienne Drapeau, Halifax, C; 7. Mathieu Descoteaux, Shawinigan, D; 8. Alex Jacques, Shawinigan, C; 9. Colin White, Hull, D; 10. Daniel Corso, Victoriaville, C/LW; 11. Pierre Dagenais, Moncton, LW; 12. Carl Prudhomme, Hull, RW; 13. Sebastien Simard, Drummondville, LW; 14. Xavier Delisle, Granby, C; 15. Daniel Archambault, Vai d&rsquo;Or, D; 16. Gordie Dwyer, Laval, LW; 17. Eric Belanger, Beauport, C; 18. Francois Hardy, Vai d&rsquo;Or, D; 19. Alexandre Coutre, Victoriaville, D; 20. Jean Nicolas Bordeleau, Chicoutimi, D; 21. Marc Etienne Hubert, Chicoutimi, C; 22. Pierre Felix Lemay, Beauport, D; 23. Jean-Francois Lacasse, Beauport, C; 24. David Thibault, Drummondville, LW; 25. Marc Simard, Victoriaville, D; 26. Jean Simon Lemay, St-Hyacinthe, RW.<h2>CENTRAL SCOUTING</h2>Goalies: 1 Mathieu Garon, Victoriaville; 2. Francis Larivee, Laval; 3. Marc Tanguay, St. Hyacinthe; 4. Matthew Carmichael, Hull; 5. Martin Bradette, Rimouski.Western League: 1. Chris Phillips, Prince Albert, D; 2. Matt Higgins, Moose Jaw, C; 3. Josh Holden, Regina, C; 4. Lance Ward, Red Deer, D; 5. Jonathan Aitken, Medicine Hat, D; 6. Cory Sarich, Saskatoon, D; 7. Jesse Wallin, Red Deer, D; 8. Jaroslav Svejkovsky, Tri-City, RW; 9. Trevor Wasyluk, Medicine Hat, LW; 10. Luke Curtin, Kelowna, LW; 11. Jonathan Zukiwsky, Red Deer, C; 12. Darren Van Oene, Brandon, LW; 13. Curtis Tipler, Regina, RW; 14. Dan Focht, Tri-City, D; 15. Henry Kuster, Medicine Hat, RW; 16. Boris Protsenko, Calgary, RW; 17. Joey Tetarenko, Portland, D; 18. Zenith Komarniski, Tri-City, D; 19. Derek Morris, Regina, D; 20. Trent Whitfield, Spokane, C; 21. Travis Brigley, Lethbridge, LW; 22. Travis Tipler, Moose Jaw, LW; 23. Boyd Kane, Regina, LW; 24. Greg Philips, Saskatoon, C; Jason Norrie, Seattle, RW; 26. Nathan Strueby, Calgary, C. Goalies: 1. Terry Friesen, Swift Current; 2. Randy Petruk, Kamloops; 3. Mike Whitney, Red Deer: 4. Aren Miller, Spokane; 5. Tim Winters, Regina.U.S. College: 1. Erik Rasmussen, Minnesota, C; 2. Craig MacDonald, Harvard, C; 3. Marty Reasoner, Boston College, C; 4. Andrew Van Bruggen, Northern Michigan, RW; 5. Matt Cullen, St. Cloud, C; 6. Mark Parrish, St. Cloud, RW; 7. Brett Clark, Maine, D; 8. Sean Ritchlin, Michigan, RW; 9. Ben Storey, Harvard, D; 10. Brendan Buckley, Boston College, D; 11. Craig Adams, Harvard, RW; 12. Wyatt Smith, Minnesota, C; 13. Matt Oikawa, St. Lawrence, RW; 14. Andt Berenzweig, Michigan, D; 15. Jason Sessa, Lake Superior, RW; 16. Michael Anderson, Minnesota, RW; 17. Chris Bogas, Michigan State. D; 18. Mike Ford, Michigan State, RW; 19. Brian Urick, Notre Dame, RW; 20. Michael York, Michigan State, C; 21. Reggie Berg, Minnesota, C; 22. Gaetan Poirier, Merrimack, LW; 23. Justin Clark, Michigan, RW; 24. Jon Coe, Providence, C; Brian Waldo, Colorado College, D; Jon Cameron, Providence, RW. Goalies: 1. Michel Larocque. Boston University; 2. Jean-Marc Pelletier, Cornell; 3. Nolan MacDonald, Vermont; 4. Peter Zakowich, Harvard; 5. Dave Weninger, Michigan Tech.<h2>OTHER &lsquo;A&rsquo; PROSPECTS</h2>Metro Toronto Jr. A: Jeff Farkas, Niagara Scenics, C. Central Ontario Jr. A: Daynus Zubrus, Pembroke, LW. Western Ontario Jr. B: Adam Edinger, Leamington, C. Colonial League: Konstantin Kalmikov, Flint, LW. Eastern U.S. Junior League: Dan Lacouture, Jr. Whalers, LW. United States Hockey League: Josh Dewolf, Twin Cities, D. U.S. High School: Kevin Caulfield, Thayer, RW; Brett Chodorow, Taft, RW; Heath Gordon, Cushing, LW; Anthony Hutchins, Lawrence, C; John Picnic, Hotchkiss, LW; Tom Poti, Cushing, D; Mike Souza, Wakefield, C; Ben Clymer, Jefferson, D; Brad Defauw, Apple Valley, C; Joe Dusabek, Minnetonla, RW; Brian Gaffaney, Alexandria, D; Peter Ratchuk, Shattuck, D. Goalies: Scott Sterling, Omaha.<h2>B-PROSPECTS</h2>British Columbia Jr. A: Nathan Borega, Vernon, D; Kevin McElroy, Vernon, D; Trevor Wideman, Nanaimo, C. Manitoba Jr. A: Matt Deamrski, Winnipeg Blues, LW; Brent Kyle. Neepawa, D; Nate Leslie, Portage. RW. Saskatchewan Jr. A: Aaron Karpan, Yorkton, C; Ben Keup. Melfort, C. Central Ontario Jr. A: Mauro DiPaolo, Cornwall, RW; Frank Kovac, Brockville, C; Maxim Spiridonov, Smith Falls, RW; Oleg Timchenko, Smith Falls, RW; Dmitri Yakushin, Pembroke, D. Provincial Jr. A: Adam Fleming, Hamilton, D; Paul Lawson, Hamilton, LW; David Soules, Hamilton, C; Shaun Wilcox, Trenton, D Western Ontario Jr. B: Anders Johnson, Stratford. LW; Jeff Lukasak, Petrolia, D; Andrew Merrick, Sarnia, C. Eastern U.S. Jr. A: llkka Laitenen, Snow Devils, C; Bob Siewert, Tyngsboro, D. Independent: Brendon Hodge, Boston Bulldogs, LW. Michigan National Midget AAA: Evgeny Afanasiev, Little Caesars, LW; Eugene Dubravin, Little Caesars, C; Oleg Panasenko, Little Caesars, D; Ryan Powell, Little Caesars, LW. North American Jr. A: David Adler, Detroit Freeze, D; Lou Colsant, Compuware, C; Chris Feil, Springfield, D; Ben Simon, Cleveland, C; Brian Upesleja, Soo, C. U.S. Hockey League: Alex Brooks, Green Bay, D; Joe Borro, Waterloo, D; Nick Lent, Omaha, RW; Corey Martinson, Rochester, C; Tim O&rsquo;Connell, Moorhead, D; Doug Schueller, Twin Cities, D; Rich Smith, Des Moines, C; Ernie Thorpe, Green Bay, D; Roger Trudeau. Waterloo, LW. U.S. High School: Blake Bellefeuille, Framingham, C; Vincent Clevenger, Framingham, RW; Jeff Dessner, Taft, D; James Duval, B B& N, C; Nick Gillis. Cushing, RW; Bobby Hanson. Tabor. C; Rob Hodge, Taft, D; Greg Quebec, Deerfield, LW; Matt Reid, Northwood, C; Rick Sacchetti, Deerfield, D; Matt Scorsune, Hotchkiss, D; Mark White. Arlington Catholic, D; Keith Anderson, Theif River Falls, C; Peter Armbrust, Edina, RW; Troy Bagne, Moorhead, RW; Craig Kanis, Burnsville, D; Jay Kopischke, Alexandria, LW; Mike Lyons, St. Paul Johnson, D; Aaron Miskovich, Grand Rapids, C; Andrew Otten, Minnetonka, RW; Jason Price, Eden Prairie, RW; Ryan Trebil, Jefferson, D; Travis Wasley, Edina, D. Goalies: Alfie Michaud, Lebret, G; Ian Olsen, Ottawa; Mark Birmingham, Blaine; Dean Weasler, Rosemount; Graham Melanson, Deerfield. Joseph Prestifilipro, Hotchkiss; Mike Sheehan. Avon Old Farms; James Whalen, Catholic Memorial; Erik Day, Des Moines; Greg Naumenko, North Iowa; Jayme Platt, Des Moines; Scott Stirling, Omaha. &#9632;

f0036-12

MISCELLANY

NHL ROSTERS AND TRANSACTIONS

(OT) denotes overtime gameTeam affiliations are listed in parentheses under names<h2>AHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01888/7340164-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="459" height="721"></div>80 game regular season*Teams are awarded one point for an overtime loss.ResultsDec. 15: St. John&rsquo;s 6, PE11; Providence 7, Binghamton 3; Carolina 6, Rochester 5; Adirondack 5, Springfield 1; Syracuse 4. Cornwall 1: Albany 4. Baltimore 3 (OT); Saint John 6. Cape Breton 1; Portland 6. Hershey 3. Dec.l6: Saint John 3, St. John&rsquo;s 2; Albany 2, Providence 1: Adirondack 4, Syracuse 1; Binghamton 4. Carolina 0; Cornwall 2, Rochester 1; Portland 5, Hershey 0: Worchester 5. Springfield 2; Cape Breton 6. Fredericton 5. Dec. 17: Carolina 4, Rochester 2; Portland 7, Baltimore 4; PEI 7, Fredericton 1. Dec. 18: PEI 3. Cape Breton 1. Dec. 19: Cape Breton 5, St. John&rsquo;s 0: Saint John 8, Fredericton 1 Dec. 20: Binghamton 5. Adirondack 4: Cornwall 4, Baltimore 3; Dec. 21: St. John&rsquo;s 6, Fredericton 4; Dec. 22: Albany 3, Providence 2; Hershey 4, Worchester 4 (0T); Rochester 7, Adirondack 4; Binghamton 3, Syracuse 1; Baltimore 2, Cornwall 1. Dec. 23: Baltimore 9, Syracuse 5; Rochester 2, Albany 2 (0T); Adirondack 3, Binghamton 3 (0T); Providence 7, Springfield 6 (OT); Cornwall 4, Hershey 3; Dec. 26: Rochester 6, Syracuse 5; Albany 5, Adirondack 3; Binghamton 6, Baltimore 2; Springfield 6, Portland 5.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02610/7340157-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="482" height="1386"></div><h2>ADIRONDACK RED WINGS</h2>(Detroit)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03490/7340150-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="469" height="473"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04384/7340143-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="466" height="204"></div><h2>ALBANY RIVER RATS</h2>(New Jersey)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05297/7340136-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="476" height="787"></div><h2>BALTIMORE BANDITS</h2>(Anaheim)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06254/7340129-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="483" height="784"></div><h2>BINGHAMTON RANGERS</h2>(NY Rangers)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07232/7340122-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="483" height="661"></div><h2>CAPE BRETON OILERS</h2>(Edmonton)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08198/7340115-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="493" height="582"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-09179/7340108-1-eng-US/f0038-092.jpg" title="f0038-09" width="469" height="207"></div><h2>CAROLINA PANTHERS</h2>(Florida)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2539/7340101-1-eng-US/f0038-252.jpg" title="f0038-25" width="482" height="657"></div><h2>CORNWALL ACES</h2>(Colorado)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-11144/7340094-1-eng-US/f0038-112.jpg" title="f0038-11" width="484" height="930"></div><h2>FREDERICTON CANADIENS</h2>(Montreal)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-10158/7340087-1-eng-US/f0038-102.jpg" title="f0038-10" width="483" height="701"></div><h2>HERSHEY BEARS</h2>(Philadelphia)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-12133/7340080-1-eng-US/f0038-122.jpg" title="f0038-12" width="468" height="500"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-13121/7340073-1-eng-US/f0038-132.jpg" title="f0038-13" width="469" height="208"></div><h2>PEI SENATORS</h2>(Ottawa)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-14112/7340066-1-eng-US/f0038-142.jpg" title="f0038-14" width="476" height="771"></div><h2>PORTLAND PIRATES</h2>(Washington)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-15104/7340059-1-eng-US/f0038-152.jpg" title="f0038-15" width="476" height="799"></div><h2>PROVIDENCE BRUINS</h2>(Boston)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1697/7340052-1-eng-US/f0038-162.jpg" title="f0038-16" width="468" height="771"></div><h2>ROCHESTER AMERICANS</h2>(Buffalo)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1786/7340045-1-eng-US/f0038-172.jpg" title="f0038-17" width="471" height="425"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1880/7340038-1-eng-US/f0038-182.jpg" title="f0038-18" width="471" height="376"></div><h2>SAINT JOHN FLAMES</h2>(Calgary)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1975/7340031-1-eng-US/f0038-192.jpg" title="f0038-19" width="476" height="849"></div><h2>SPRINGFIELD FALCONS</h2>(Hartford/Winnipeg)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2066/7340024-1-eng-US/f0038-202.jpg" title="f0038-20" width="472" height="836"></div><h2>ST. JOHN&rsquo;S MAPLE LEAFS</h2>(Toronto)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2159/7340017-1-eng-US/f0038-212.jpg" title="f0038-21" width="473" height="661"></div><h2>SYRACUSE CRUNCH</h2>(Vancouver)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2255/7340010-1-eng-US/f0038-222.jpg" title="f0038-22" width="470" height="279"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2350/7340003-1-eng-US/f0038-232.jpg" title="f0038-23" width="472" height="402"></div><h2>WORCESTER ICECATS</h2>(NY Islanders/St. Louis)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-2443/7339996-1-eng-US/f0038-242.jpg" title="f0038-24" width="469" height="2918"></div> &#9632;

f0038-01

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Team affiliations are listed in parentheses under names(OT) and (SO) denote overtime and shootout<h2>IHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01838/7340370-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="490" height="724"></div>*82 game regular seasonResultsDec. 14: Cincinnati 7. Detroit 1; Kansas City 7, Houston 5; Orlando 4. Indianapolis 2; San Francisco 4, Utah 2 Dec. 15: Atlanta 5. Indianapolis 2; Orlando 6, Chicago 5 (SO); Houston 7, Cleveland 1; Fort Wayne 3, Mik waukee 2; Las Vegas 6. Phoenix 1; Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 4; Michigan 3, Cincinnati 2 (SO); Peoria 4, Minnesota 2; Kansas City 2, Utah 0. Dec. 16: Atlanta 8, Indianapolis 3; Detroit 5, Fort Wayne 3; Milwaukee 4, Chicago 1; Orlando 4, Minnesota 2; Phoenix 2. Las Vegas 1; San Francisco 5. Los Angeles 4. Dec. 17: Detroit 4. Houston 3; Michigan 5, Los Angeles 4; Utah 4. Kansas City 3. Dec. 19: Michigan 3, Las Vegas 2 (SO) Dec. 20: Orlando 6, Kansas City 5; Fort Wayne 5, Atlanta 3; Peoria 2, Milwaukee 0; Cleveland 4, Detroit 3 (SO); Utah 6, Los Angeles 5 (SO); Phoenix 5, Michigan 4 (SO). Dec. 22: Cleveland 6, Atlanta 3; Fort Wayne 7, Minnesota 2; Chicago 4, Detroit 2; San Francisco 6, Michigan 1; Utah 5, Los Angeles 3; Orlando 6, Milwaukee 3; Cincinnati 7, Houston 3; Kansas City 6. Peoria 5 (SO). Dec. 23: Los Angeles 6, San Francisco 4; Minnesota 3. Detroit 1; Indianapolis 3, Fort Wayne 2; Cincinnati 5, Houston 4 (SO); Kansas City 5, Peoria 4; Las Vegas 3, Phoenix 2 (SO); Chicago 7, Milkwaukee 4; Cleveland 6, Atlanta 2; Utah 4. Michigan 3. Dec. 26: Atlanta 3, Orlando 2 (SO); Indianapolis 2, Cincinnati 1; Cleveland 6, Michigan 5 (SO); Detroit 6, Fort Wayne 2; Kansas City 4, Milwaukee 0; Chicago 3. Peoria 2; Phoenix 4, Los Angeles 2; Minnesota 6, Las Vegas 3; Utah 4, San Francisco 3 (SO).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02547/7340363-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="488" height="1533"></div><h2>ATLANTA KNIGHTS</h2>(Tampa Bay)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03412/7340356-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="473" height="135"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04333/7340349-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="488" height="562"></div><h2>CHICAGO WOLVES</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05279/7340342-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="479" height="622"></div><h2>CINCINNATI CYCLONES</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06237/7340335-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="480" height="567"></div><h2>CLEVELAND LUMBERJACKS</h2>(Pittsburgh)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07214/7340328-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="482" height="669"></div><h2>DETROIT VIPERS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08191/7340321-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="470" height="561"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-09163/7340314-1-eng-US/f0039-092.jpg" title="f0039-09" width="475" height="110"></div><h2>FORT WAYNE KOMETS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-10141/7340307-1-eng-US/f0039-102.jpg" title="f0039-10" width="471" height="619"></div><h2>HOUSTON AEROS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-11124/7340300-1-eng-US/f0039-112.jpg" title="f0039-11" width="481" height="642"></div><h2>INDIANAPOLIS ICE</h2>(Chicago)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-12110/7340293-1-eng-US/f0039-122.jpg" title="f0039-12" width="477" height="615"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY BLADES</h2>(San Jose)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1399/7340286-1-eng-US/f0039-132.jpg" title="f0039-13" width="476" height="592"></div><h2>LAS VEGAS THUNDER</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1493/7340279-1-eng-US/f0039-142.jpg" title="f0039-14" width="474" height="286"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1582/7340272-1-eng-US/f0039-152.jpg" title="f0039-15" width="475" height="309"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES ICE DOGS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1675/7340265-1-eng-US/f0039-162.jpg" title="f0039-16" width="476" height="564"></div><h2>MICHIGAN K-WINGS</h2>(Dallas)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1771/7340258-1-eng-US/f0039-172.jpg" title="f0039-17" width="474" height="650"></div><h2>MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1861/7340251-1-eng-US/f0039-182.jpg" title="f0039-18" width="472" height="597"></div><h2>MINNESOTA MOOSE</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-1957/7340244-1-eng-US/f0039-192.jpg" title="f0039-19" width="479" height="589"></div><h2>ORLANDO SOLAR BEARS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2052/7340237-1-eng-US/f0039-202.jpg" title="f0039-20" width="467" height="130"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2147/7340230-1-eng-US/f0039-212.jpg" title="f0039-21" width="478" height="468"></div><h2>PEORIA RIVERMEN</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2241/7340223-1-eng-US/f0039-222.jpg" title="f0039-22" width="471" height="632"></div><h2>PHOENIX ROADRUNNERS</h2>(Los Angeles)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2338/7340216-1-eng-US/f0039-232.jpg" title="f0039-23" width="476" height="609"></div><h2>SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS</h2>(Independent)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2432/7340209-1-eng-US/f0039-242.jpg" title="f0039-24" width="474" height="525"></div><h2>UTAH GRIZZLIES</h2>(NY Islanders)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2526/7340202-1-eng-US/f0039-252.jpg" title="f0039-25" width="470" height="702"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-2618/7340195-1-eng-US/f0039-262.jpg" title="f0039-26" width="481" height="2061"></div>Schedule JanuaryTuesday, Jan. 2: Detroit at Peoria, 7:00 pm; Chicago at Utah, 7:00 pm. Wednesday, Jan. 3: Milwaukee at Minnesota, 7:00 pm; Chicago at San Fran., 7:30 pm. Thursday, Jan. 4: Michigan at Orlando, 7:00 pm. Friday, Jan. 5: Michigan at Atlanta, 7:30 pm; Milwaukee at Chicago, 7:30 pm; Cincinnati at Cleveland. 7:00 pm; Indianapolis at Detroit, 7:30 pm; Phoenix at Fort Wayne, 8:00 pm; San Fran, at Houston, 7:00 pm; Peoria at Las Vegas, 7:00 pm; Kansas City at Minnesota, 7:00 pm. Saturday, Jan. 6: Michigan at Atlanta, 7;3O pm; Cleveland at Chicago, 7:30 pm; Phoenix at Cincinnati, 7:30 pm; Indianapolis at Kansas City, 7;3O pm; Peoria at Los Angeles, 7:00 pm; Fort Wayne at Milwaukee, 7:00 pm; San Fran, at Minnesota, 7:00 pm; Detroit at Orlando, 7:30 pm; Los Angeles at Utah, 7:00 pm. Sunday, Jan. 7: Phoenix at Cleveland, 7:00 pm; Cincinnati at Fort Wayne, 6:00 pm; Peoria at Los Angeles, 3:00 pm. Tuesday. Jan. 9: San Fran, at Cincinnati, 7:30 pm; Fort Wayne at Las Vegas, 7:00 pm. Wednesday. Jan. 10: Detroit at Indianapolis, 7:00 pm; Houston at Kansas City. 7:30 pm; Fort Wayne at Los Angeles, 7:00 pm; Cleveland at Michigan, 7:00 pm; Minnesota at Utah, 7:00 pm. Saturday, Jan. 13: All-Star Game at Houston. Monday. Jan. 15: Las Vegas at Utah, 7:00 pm. Tuesday, Jan. 16: Orlando at Atlanta, 7:30 pm; Minnesota at Las Vegas, 7:00 pm; Michigan at Peoria, 7:00 pm. Wednesday, Jan. 17: Chicago at Houston, 7:00 pm; Orlando at Indianapolis, 7:00 pm; San Fran, at Kansas City. 7:30 pm; Los Angeles at Milwaukee, 7:00 pm. Friday, Jan. 19: Peoria at Atlanta, 7:30 pm; Cleveland at Detroit, 7:30 pm; Los Angeles at Fort Wayne, 8:00 pm; Orlando at Houston, 7:00 pm; Cincinnati at Kansas City, 7:30 pm; Utah at Las Vegas, 7;OO pm; Indianapolis at Michigan. 7:30 pm; San Fran, at Milwaukee. 7:00 pm; Minnesota at Phoenix, 7:00 pm. Saturday, Jan. 20: San Fran, at Chicago, 7:30 pm; Los Angeles at Cincinnati, 7:30 pm; Peoria at Detroit, 7:30 pm; Fort Wayne at Indianapolis, 7:30 pm; Orlando at Kansas City, 7:30 pm; Houston at Las Vegas, 7:00 pm; Cleveland at Michigan. 7:30 pm; Phoenix at Milwaukee, 8:00 pm; Minnesota at Utah, 7:00 pm. Sunday, Jan. 21: San Fran, at Atlanta, 7:00 pm; Phoenix at Chicago, 3:00 pm; Detroit at Cincinnati. 6:00 pm; Michigan at Fort Wayne, 6:00 pm; Houston at Utah, 6:00 pm Wednesday, Jan. 24: Atlanta at Houston. 7:00 pm; Los Angeles at Indianapolis, 7:00 pm; Detroit at Kansas City. 7:30 pm; Las Vegas at Michigan. 7:00 pm; Fort Wayne at Minnesota, 7:00 pm; Chicago at Orlando, 7:00 pm. &#9632;

f0039-01

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

NHL affiliations are given in parentheses beside names(OT) and (SO) denote overtime and shootout<h2>ECHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01548/7340597-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="484" height="700"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 20: Columbus 6. Huntington 4; South Carolina 4, Hampton Roads 2: Wheeling 5, Nashville 2; Lousiana 6. Mobile 2; Toledo 4, Dayton 2; Birmingham 4, Knoxville 3 (SO) Dec. 21: Erie 5, Louisville 3. Dec. 22: Tallahassee 6, Louisiana 2; Knoxville 7, Wheeling 3; Jacksonville 5, Raleigh 4 (SO); Louisiana 5, Columbus 4; Richmond 4. Roanoke 2; South Carolina 6, Mobile 2; Charlotte 4, Hampton Roads 3 (SO): Nashville 6, Erie 2; Huntington 4, Dayton 3. Dec. 23: Erie 4, Knoxville 2; Mobile 4, South Carolina 3 (SO); Richmond 7, Johnstown 4; Roanoke 9, Hampton Roads 4; Louisville 7, Wheeling 5; Louisiana 4. Jacksonville 2; Nashville 9, Birmingham 2; Columbus 4. Toledo 3; Raleigh 2. Tallahassee 1 (SO); Huntington 3. Dayton 1. Dec. 26: Erie 2, Columbus 1; Wheeling 4. Toledo 3; Tallahassee 4, Knoxville 3; Richmond 4, Charlotte 3 (SO); Huntington 5, Johnstown 3; Raleigh 4, Roanoke 1; Mobile 3, Jacksonville 2.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02345/7340590-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="473" height="555"></div><h2>COLONIAL LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03248/7340583-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="466" height="359"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 20: Brantford 5. Detroit 2; Thunder Bay 9, Utica 3. Dec. 21: Saginaw 6, Quad City 5 (SO). Dec. 22: Muskegon 3, Brantford 2; Detroit 5, Saginaw 4 (SO); Utica 2, Madison 1 (SO); Flint 8. Quad City 5. Dec. 23: Flint 5, Detroit 3; Madison 8, Utica 4; Muskegon 4, Quad City 1. Dec. 26: Detroit 7, Brantford 2; Flint 5, Muskegon 4 (SO).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04195/7340576-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="474" height="827"></div><h2>CENTRAL LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05168/7340569-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="474" height="206"></div>*64 game regular seasonResultsDec. 20: Wichita 5, Memphis 4; Tulsa 3, San Antonio 2 (SO). Dec. 22: Memphis 7, Fort Worth 3; Tulsa 2. Oklahoma City 1 (SO); San Antonio 8, Wichita 2. Dec. 23: Oklahoma City 7, Wichita 5; San Antonio 5, Tulsa 4 (SO); Memphis 2, Fort Worth 1 Dec. 25: Oklahoma City 7, Tulsa 3. Dec. 26: Tulsa 6, San Antonio 5.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-06149/7340562-1-eng-US/f0040-062.jpg" title="f0040-06" width="472" height="431"></div><h2>WEST COAST LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-07135/7340555-1-eng-US/f0040-072.jpg" title="f0040-07" width="475" height="226"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 21: San Diego 11, Bakersfield 6. Dec. 22: Anchorage 7, Alaska 6; San Diego 9, Bakersfield 5; Reno 5, Fresno 4. Dec. 23: Bakersfield 6, Fresno 3; San Diego 2, Reno 0; Anchorage 3, Alaska 2 (SO). Dec. 26: San Diego 6, Red Army 2.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-08123/7340548-1-eng-US/f0040-082.jpg" title="f0040-08" width="474" height="436"></div><h2>QMJHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0998/7340541-1-eng-US/f0040-092.jpg" title="f0040-09" width="474" height="475"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 15: Sherbrooke 4, Moncton 1; Beauport 6, Rimouski 4; Halifax 3, Drummondville 2; Hull 7, Victoriaville 4; Shawinigan 4, Laval 1; Chicoutimi 4. St-Hyacinthe 1; Vai d&rsquo;Or 3, Granby 1. Dec. 16: Chicoutimi 4, Rimouski 2; Halifax 4, Sherbrooke 3; Moncton 5, Drummondville 3. Dec. 17: St-Hyacinthe 8. Laval 7 (OT); Hull 5, Beauport 4; Shawinigan 5, Victoriaville 4; Granby 7, Vai d&lsquo;Or 3. Dec. 18: Hull 4, Laval 3. Dec. 19: Chicoutimi 5, Halifax 2. Dec. 20: Beauport 4, Halifax 3; Vai d&rsquo;Or 6, St-Hyacinthe 3. BDec. 21: Hull 7, Moncton 4: Vai d&rsquo;Or 4, Rimouski 1; Shawinigan 4, Halifax 2. Dec. 22: Shawinigan 7, Chicoutimi 5; Drummondville 4, Laval 3; Granby 4, St-Hyacinthe 1; Rimouski 4, Sherbrooke 3; Moncton 6. Victoriaville 4.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1091/7340534-1-eng-US/f0040-102.jpg" title="f0040-10" width="465" height="531"></div><h2>OHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1182/7340527-1-eng-US/f0040-112.jpg" title="f0040-11" width="475" height="607"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 14: Peterborough 3, Oshawa 2; Sault Ste. Marie 5, Windsor 3 Dec. 15: Guelph 4, Niagara Falls 1; Kingston 4, Sudbury 3; Sault Ste. Marie 4, London 4; Oshawa 4. Belleville 3; Kitchener 3. Ottawa 1: Owen Sound 8, Sarnia 7. Dec. 16: Kitchener 4, Belleville 3; Guelph 3, Detroit 3; Niagara Falls 3, London 2 (OT); Sarnia 7, Owen Sound 6; Peterbroough 6, Sudbury 1. Dec. 17: Barrie 9, Owen Sound 4; Detroit 7, London 2; Kitchener 3, Kingston 0; Ottawa 4, North Bay 1; Oshawa 7, Sudbury 4; Guelph 6, Sault Ste. Marie 3. Dec. 18: Windsor 3, Guelph 2. Dec. 20: Peterborough 3, Belleville 2; North Bay 7, Owen Sound 5. Dec. 21: Barrie 6, North Bay 1; Sault Ste. Marie 8, Niagara Falls 5; Peterborough 5, Ottawa 1; Sarnia 9, London 3. Dec. 22: Guelph 7. Sault Ste. Marie 2; Kingston 6. Belleville 4; Sarnia 3, Kitchener 0; London 5, North Bay 3; Oshawa 2, Ottawa 1.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1277/7340520-1-eng-US/f0040-122.jpg" title="f0040-12" width="473" height="504"></div><h2>WHL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1373/7340513-1-eng-US/f0040-132.jpg" title="f0040-13" width="473" height="603"></div>*70 game regular seasonResultsDec. 15: Brandon 6, Lethbridge 3; Kelowna 5, Kamloops 4; Portland 7, Swift Current 5; Saskatoon 5, Red Deer 3; Regina 4, Moose Jaw 1; Tri-City 2, Medicine Hat 1. Dec. 16: Calgary 5, Saskatoon 3; Kelowna 5, Prince George 4; Moose Jaw 4, Lethbridge 1; Portland 3, Kamloops 2; Seattle 4, Swift Current 2; Spokane 8, Medicine Hat 6. Dec. 17: Brandon 7, Regina 2; Calgary 5, Red Deer 3; Spokane 7, Kamloops 1; Tri-City 10. Seattle 8. Dec. 19: Prince Albert 4, Moose Jaw 2; Regina 11. Saskatoon 3. Dec. 20: Tri-City 5, Kamloops 0; Prince Albert 3, Saskatoon 1. Dec. 22: Portland 7. Kelowna 4; Saskatoon 4, Moose Jaw 2.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1462/7340506-1-eng-US/f0040-142.jpg" title="f0040-14" width="475" height="628"></div><h2>NCAA TOP 10</h2>The following Top 10 listing is compiled by Tim Leonard of the Record, a Troy, N.Y. newspaper.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1560/7340499-1-eng-US/f0040-152.jpg" title="f0040-15" width="471" height="308"></div><h2>ECAC</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1654/7340492-1-eng-US/f0040-162.jpg" title="f0040-16" width="460" height="360"></div>*28 game regular seasonResultsDec. 15: Harvard 5, Princeton 1.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1749/7340485-1-eng-US/f0040-172.jpg" title="f0040-17" width="474" height="776"></div><h2>WCHA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1844/7340478-1-eng-US/f0040-182.jpg" title="f0040-18" width="471" height="324"></div>*32 game regular seasonResultsDec. 15: North Dakota 4, Denver 3; Wisconsin 4, Northern Michigan 3; Michigan Tech 4. Minnesota-Duluth 2; Colorado College 5. St. Cloud State 4; Minnesota 3, Alaska Anchorage 3. Dec. 16: Denver 6, North Dakota 3; Michigan Tech 2, Minnesota-Duluth 1 (OT); Wisconsin 4, Northern Michigan 2; Colorado College 3. St. Cloud State 1; Minnesota 5, Alaska Anchorage 0.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-1941/7340471-1-eng-US/f0040-192.jpg" title="f0040-19" width="471" height="938"></div><h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2039/7340464-1-eng-US/f0040-202.jpg" title="f0040-20" width="459" height="310"></div>*24 game regular seasonResultsNo conference games played.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2138/7340457-1-eng-US/f0040-212.jpg" title="f0040-21" width="474" height="870"></div><h2>CCHA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2236/7340450-1-eng-US/f0040-222.jpg" title="f0040-22" width="463" height="359"></div>*30 game regular seasonResultsDec. 14: Illinois-Chicago 4, Alaska Fairbanks 3. Dec. 15: Miami 6, Ferris State 4; Alaska Fairbanks 3. Illinois-Chicago 1; Lake Superior 6, Ohio State 2; Western Michigan 6, Bowling Green 4. Dec. 16: Ferris State 2, Miami 1; Alaska Fairbanks 4, Illinois-Chicago 1; Lake Superior 3. Ohio State 2 (OT).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2334/7340443-1-eng-US/f0040-232.jpg" title="f0040-23" width="475" height="1318"></div><h2>OUAA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2432/7340436-1-eng-US/f0040-242.jpg" title="f0040-24" width="472" height="655"></div>*26 game regular seasonResultsNo conference games played.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2527/7340429-1-eng-US/f0040-252.jpg" title="f0040-25" width="473" height="522"></div><h2>AUAA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2624/7340422-1-eng-US/f0040-262.jpg" title="f0040-26" width="459" height="410"></div>*26 game regular seasonResultsNo conference games played.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2722/7340415-1-eng-US/f0040-272.jpg" title="f0040-27" width="464" height="465"></div><h2>CWUAA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2820/7340408-1-eng-US/f0040-282.jpg" title="f0040-28" width="465" height="281"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-2915/7340401-1-eng-US/f0040-292.jpg" title="f0040-29" width="468" height="496"></div> &#9632;

f0040-01

SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">By Larry Starks</div>Fans in Oklahoma City are hailing rookie goalie Jean Filiatrault as the second coming of Alan Perry, the ex-Blazer who was the Central League&rsquo;s top goalie the past two years.Filiatrault was 11-3-1 with a 3.63 goals-against average. Blazers&rsquo; coach Doug Sauter said he&rsquo;s one of the top goalie prospects in all minor-league hockey. And fans in Oklahoma City love him so much, they&rsquo;ve started a fan club.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the reason NHL teams should be scouting this league,&rdquo; Sauter said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the best prospects in this league. There are other good goalies, but because of his age, he has to be considered a prospect.&rdquo;Filiatrault, 21, has combined with Sergei Tkachenko to give the Blazers the best 1-2 goaltending punch in the league. After 30 games, the Blazers had allowed a league-low 108 goals. With Perry in the net, the Blazers led the league in defense two straight seasons. Perry retired last season.&ldquo;I have a lot of people tell me about Perry and how good he was,&rdquo; said Filiatrault, who had a 2.14 average last season at Saint Laurent College in Cornwall, Ont. &ldquo;I was just hoping to come in and have a strong season.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m expecting myself to get better. I want to see an evolution of me getting better and helping the team win.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Fort Worth Fire defenseman and former NHLer Vern Ray collapsed on the ice during a Dec. 9 game against Oklahoma City and was diagnosed with an abnormal rapid heart rate. He was expected to have surgery in late December and could miss the rest of the season&hellip;The Wichita Thunder signed Mikhail Kravets, who played earlier this year with the Milwaukee Admirals of the International League. Kravets played two games with the San Jose Sharks from 1991 to 1993. &#9632;

Goalie Filiatrault touted as CHL’s top prospect

<div class="byline">By Jack Falla</div>Enough with the rats already. The Florida Panthers-astonishing in their muted ascendancy, remarkable in their architecture-have gone from missing the playoffs by a point in each of the past two seasons to leading the NHL in points at Christmas. A team Las Vegas odds makers three months ago listed at 100:1 to win the Stanley Cup was posted at 20:1 at the Stardust Casino just prior to the new year. Next to L&rsquo;affaire Roy, the Panthers are the biggest story of tire first third of 1995-96. So why the obsession with the rat?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01482/7340659-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="392" height="480"></div>In case you&rsquo;ve been scouting juniors in the Ukraine since September, you should know that minutes before the Panthers&rsquo; Oct. 8 home opener against the Calgary Flames, a rat (probably displaced from the recently closed Boston Garden) wandered into the Florida dressing room where startled Panther forward Scott Mellanby slap shot it against the wall, killing it. When Mellan by scored two goals in a 4-3 win over the Flames, Panthers&rsquo; goalie John Vanbiesbrouck said Mellanby had the league&rsquo;s &ldquo;first rat trick-two goals and one rat.&rdquo;Since then. Panther fans have taken to throwing toy rats (and at least one computer mouse) onto the ice every time the Panthers score. The rats are picked up by the &ldquo;rat patrol,&rdquo; workers from the Orkin pest control company. At first, the rain of rats was clever and casually amusing. &ldquo;And it helped build a direct relationship between our fans and the players,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck said. But lately it seems predictable and disruptively boorish. Even Mellanby said recently the ratfests &ldquo;are getting old.&rdquo; They are also a distraction from the most important thing about this team-Florida is a Cup contender-in-embryo.Team president Bill Torrey, architect of the New York Islanders&rsquo; clubs that won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, is building the Panthers the way he built the Islanders: by using the drafts (entry and expansion) to get gritty two-way players.&ldquo;We drafted character guys&hellip;guys who&rsquo;ll show up every night,&rdquo; Torrey said. &ldquo;They may not be good enough some nights, but they&rsquo;ll fight and scrap and work to beat you.&rdquo;But while Bowtie Bill used the entry draft to build the Islanders, he used the expansion draft to form the core of the Panthers. Eleven of his team&rsquo;s players-including leading scorer Mellanby, goalies Vanbiesbrouck and Mark Fitzpatrick I and team captain Brian Skrudland-arrived via the 1993 expansion draft.And, shrewd as ever at the entry draft, Torrey&rsquo;s I first-round picks all seem destined for stardom: 6I foot-2, 210-pound center Rob Niedermayer (1993) has the size and skills to develop into a I Mark Messier-like force-&ldquo;and hopefully Rob will be carrying the Cup around someday,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck said; defenseman Ed Jovanovski (1994) will, according to Torrey, someday be &ldquo;the big horse&rdquo; that anchors the defense of all Cup-winning teams; and, left winger Radek Dvorak (1995) from the Czech Republic was sixth in team goal scoring and has a regular job on Skrudland&rsquo;s line.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02319/7340652-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="1530" height="2171"><figcaption class="caption-body">Solid expansion and entry draft picks, such as Ed Jovanovski, form the Panthers&rsquo; core.</figcaption></div>But the biggest reason the Panthers have gone from prey to predators is rookie coach Doug MacLean has modified fired coach Roger Neilson&rsquo;s conservative and restricting neutral zone trap and allowed the Panthers to go for the kill.Build a better rat trap and the players will beat a path to the goal.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to know the coaches believe we don&rsquo;t have to trap everybody to win the game,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck said. &ldquo;Now we&rsquo;ll forecheck. Hound them to get another goal to drive the nail in. That comes under the heading of killer instinct.&rdquo;The most dramatic measure of Florida&rsquo;s newfound killer instinct versus its previous survival instinct is in the dramatic reduction in ties. The Panthers finished 1993-94 with a stupefying 17 ties, any one of which, if converted to a win, could have put the team into the post-season. Panther ties this season? Just two through 35 games.&ldquo;We used to be desperate for a point (in the standings),&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck said. &ldquo;(Now) we&rsquo;re disappointed with a point. That&rsquo;s a big difference.&rdquo;Paradoxically, the Panthers&rsquo; emphasis on offense hasn&rsquo;t hurt them on defense. Their 81 goals allowed was second only to the Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; 72. Vanbiesbrouck and Fitzpatrick have been among the league&rsquo;s top goaltending tandems all season and the team&rsquo;s penalty killing was second in the NHL.&ldquo;They&rsquo;re clearly disciplined and a good hockey team.&rdquo; said New York Islanders&rsquo; coach-GM Mike Milbury.&ldquo;That team is the best team I&rsquo;ve played against this year. They&rsquo;re just solid,&rdquo; said Islander Derek King.&ldquo;They take advantage of every mistake you make,&rdquo; said New Jersey Devils&rsquo; coach Jacques Lemaire after Florida beat the defending Stanley Cup champs 2-1 Dec. 11.But can the Panthers win the Stanley Cup? They can, but they won&rsquo;t. They can because they&rsquo;re as good as in the playoffs. Even if they play .500 hockey for the rest of the season, the Panthers will be going to the dance. But they won&rsquo;t win the Cup-at least not this season. While the Panthers swarm at you with four balanced lines, they don&rsquo;t yet have the big gun up front. Mellanby only ranked 19th in the league in scoring and was the only Panther in the top 20. &ldquo;The only way to be an elite team is to have that big scorer. And, man, are they hard to get,&rdquo; MacLean said. The Panthers also don&rsquo;t have much of a power play. Even though Mellanby was among the top power play scorers in the league, the Panthers 17.7 per cent efficiency put them only 11th overall.But the biggest &lsquo;X&rsquo; factor working against the Panthers may be the inevitably corrosive effect of franchise instability. Team owner Wayne Huizenga claims he is losing $15 million a year playing in the Miami Arena where he doesn&rsquo;t share in parking and concessions revenue and where there isn&rsquo;t a big enough herd of those cash cows of the 1990s-luxury boxes.Huizenga said in November the team is for sale, though that may be something of a negotiating ploy since: 1. The franchise is not listed with a broker; 2. Huizenga and Torrey are reviewing an arena proposal from the city of Sunrise, Fla.; and, 3. The team is lobbying for passage of a two per-cent hotel bed tax in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties with proceeds going to help build a new arena (the Rat Skellar?) for the Panthers.Meanwhile, the best test of whether the 199596 Panthers are genuine fang-and-claw predators or a soon-to-be-endangered species, is coming. Beginning Dec. 30 in Pittsburgh, the Panthers began a stretch where they played nine of 10 games on the road, including games at Colorado and Philadelphia. Let the Panthers finish this trip with a winning record and two or three victories over the legitimate contenders and you can forget the rats. These cats are killers. &#9632;

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January 12, 1996

THE BLACK ACES

Brett’s passing grade

Kariya rises to occasion, injuries set program back

Roy won’t deliver Cup with that defense