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October 11, 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.
Big bucks available to middle men
Faceoff specialists, bruising defensemen and penalty killers are all are valuable parts to a team, necessary components for a consistently successful club. And all are second-class citizens when it comes to reaping financial rewards in the NHL. It has been an annual news flash ever since the NHL Players’ Association started disclosing salaries in 1990 and a look at the top 25 NHL wage-earners for the 1996-97 season proves it again: the best way to take home big bucks is to produce big points. Most often that means being a forward, specifically a center. Of the top 25-paid players for the 1996-97 season, 10 are pivots, including the top three: Mario Lemieux ($11.3 million); Mark Messier ($6 million) and Wayne Gretzky ($5 million). Another eight are wingers, four are defensemen and three are…
PLUS MINUS
Team USA wins first World Cup 1. On top of world Americans defeat Canada two games to one in final series to claim first World Cup. 2. Richter scale USA goalie Mike Richter the difference in 5-2 win over Canada in deciding game. 3. Stop that dance Phoenix Coyotes play Macarena, then threaten to arrest fans who do that silly dance. 4. Positive step NHL, Players’ Association agree on substance abuse program that stresses rehab over punishment. 5. Super Sergei Russian Sergei Samsonov fires five goals in first two International League pre-season games for Detroit. Could be long year in Toronto 1. Losing ways Exhibition games mean diddly in May, but Toronto was only team not to win in pre-season (0-5-1). 2. Alexandre Daigle Jokes about bombs on planes, when not referring to your career to date, simply…
First goal in eight months sweet feeling for Granato
It was only an pre-season game, and a 4-2 loss at that. Still, it was a special moment when San Jose Sharks’ left winger Tony Granato buried his first goal of the exhibition season. It came in the third period of a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Granato’s first game since last Jan. 14, when he was with the Los Angeles Kings. Exactly one month later, Granato underwent brain surgery after being injured during a game against the Hartford Whalers. “It’s a huge thrill for me just to practise with the guys, let alone to be in a game and score a goal,” said Granato, who had also picked up one assist in his first three pre-season games. “It’s obviously a pretty rewarding feeling, but the one that will mean a…
Three-way deal would break logjam
Just wondering… Now that Brendan Shanahan is the latest NHLer to lay down the law-trade me or else-could the Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes find happiness in a three-comer deal? Shanahan, Keith Primeau of Detroit and Jeremy Roenick of Phoenix are all on the outs with their respective teams for a variety of reasons-contract, playing time, championship opportunities. So why not solve everybody’s problem with one dramatic move and place Primeau with the Whalers, Shanahan with the Coyotes and Roenick with the Red Wings? There’s a precedent for this, one that the respective GMs would do well to remember. A year ago, a similar scenario unfolded among the New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders. All three unloaded unhappy players and all three were wildly pleased with the results. Claude…
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