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March 8, 1996
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.
System boasts monster mob
Look down the Buffalo Sabres’ roster and the first thing you notice-after the obvious lack of offensive ability-is the lack of size. That’s going to change. Over the past two years, the Sabres haven’t drafted a single prospect or acquired one in a trade who is smaller than 6-feet. Most of them, meanwhile, are in the 200-pound range. The Sabres of the future are going to be bigger and stronger and if the scouting staff is correct, talented as well. “Size is a necessary part of the package,” said Don Luce, the Sabres’ director of player personnel. “When we’re comparing a player 5-foot-9 and maybe the leading scorer in league versus a player who is 6-foot-3 and has good, but maybe not great numbers, it’s no longer a simple one or the other.…
HALL OVERHAUL Higher standards limit entry
It used to be scoring 400 goals and 1,000 points made you an instant Hall of Famer. Then Garry Unger scored 413 goals and found the door shut. Rick Middleton scored 448 goals, but was not welcome. Bernie Federko compiled 1,130 points and the voters wouldn’t blink. The game has changed and so have the standards. You can have a very good NHL career, score 400 or 500 goals, 1,000 points and not be a sure bet for the Hall of Fame. Dave Andreychuk and Brian Bellows are living proof. They are sure to finish with more points than Rocket Richard, yet like the rest of us will probably have to pay $8.75 to get into the Hall. So what are the standards? In baseball, 3,000 hits will get you in. Other good barometers…
Hidden gem makes good on jump from junior-D
Craig Jalbert beat some big odds as a 14th-round draft pick of the Niagara Falls Thunder who now centers the Ontario League team’s third line. Jalbert, 17, played in the Ontario Hockey Association Junior Development League last season and is only the fourth player to make the jump directly to major junior from junior D since Tom Fergus debuted with the Peterborough Petes in 1979. Fergus played with St. George and followed the OHL with a 12-year NHL career. Jalbert also cannot eat poultry or dairy products because of allergic reactions and that has kept him from bulking up. He’s 5-foot-ll and only 154 pounds. The day the NHL Central Scouting Bureau came to weigh draft-eligible players, Jalbert wanted to wear his leather jacket. When his teammates are eating chicken and pasta on road…
SOUND INVESTMENT
When Bryan Berard analyzes his game, he comes up with a simple conclusion. “I like to establish myself out there,” he says. That hasn’t been a problem for the Detroit Whalers’ defenseman. He established himself last year as the Ontario League’s top rookie and top defenseman and the Canadian Hockey League rookie of the year. He established himself as the best draft prospect and was chosen first overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL entry draft. And this year, he has established himself as the best young player outside the NHL; Berard has been named the No. 1 NHL-affiliated prospect outside the league in The Hockey News’ third annual Future Watch Top 50 ranking. He succeeds Colorado Avalanche star center Peter Forsberg (1994) and Florida Panthers’ rookie sensation Ed Jovanovski (1995)…
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