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May 17, 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.
Ranger Richter on the rise
Suddenly, they were gone. Within a matter of months near the end of the 1994-95 season, the American League’s Binghamton Rangers lost three of their best defensemen. The parent New York Rangers traded Michael Stewart to the Hartford Whalers and then failed to re-sign free agent Joby Messier. Mattias Norstrom, it was assumed, would be with the big club in ’95-96. The man left behind was 25-year-old Barry Richter. It was expected the veteran 6-foot-2, 195-pounder would take over as the top blueliner on the team. He did that and more. He became the top defensemen in the entire league, recently winning the Eddie Shore Plaque. “I think you need ice time to gain confidence and I got a lot more ice time this year,” Richter said. “I think that was good for me.” What…
Samuelsson ready for action in playoffs against Pen pals
A year ago, after the New York Rangers were wiped out by the Philadelphia Flyers in a second-round playoff sweep, coach Colin Campbell and GM Neil Smith huddled together. One of the things Campbell told Smith he needed was “an Ulf Samuelsson type of defenseman.” “I never thought he’d go out and get Ulf Samuelsson,” Campbell has said many times since. The Rangers saw the value of a Samuelsson first-hand in their first round playoff victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Samuelsson was arguably their best player in the six-game series as the Rangers came back from a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series for the first time in their history. “Ulf has done exactly what he has done before,” Campbell said. “He has played exactly the way we expected him to play. He…
Page checks out prospects
Pierre Page spent the first week of the Calgary Flames’ summer in Saint John, N.B., watching the club’s American League affiliate play. It was more than a make-work project for the Flames’ coach. All season, Page talked about the need to integrate younger players into the lineup. None were deemed ready to make the step to the NHL, however. So Page’s goal was to discover how much progress they’d made with a year of minor pro hockey under their belts. Under the right circumstances, up to six young players could crack the Flames’ lineup next season. More than anything, Page wanted players who had won championships at other levels, to help the Flames reverse their pattern of first-round losses. In six of the past seven years, the deciding game of a Flames’ playoff…
Pinnacle turning over new Leaf
Some people employed in the card industry will certainly be able to tell, but the sale of Leaf-Donruss to Pinnacle should have little effect on collectors. As was speculated in the April 19 edition of Collectors World, Leaf-Donruss has been sold to Pinnacle. The companies are delaying an announcement pending approval from licensees and U.S. anti-trust bodies. That is seen as a formality, since there was no problem when Fleer bought Skybox last year. While Pinnacle reportedly still intends to produce cards under the Leaf-Donruss banner, including hockey cards, there are reportedly big changes coming. It has been speculated by industry insiders that Pinnacle will be downsizing the company and will close the Chicago-area office formerly occupied by Leaf. There are also reports that it will close its design and photography headquarters…
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