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October 18, 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.
REVOLUTIONARY REPLACEMENT BLADE SYSTEM,
NHL PRE-SEASON STATISTICAL REPORT…
Captain Tkachuk in charge after a season without ‘C’
Keith Tkachuk is ‘C’ing clearly again, thanks to Don Hay. After having his captaincy stripped away last season in a move that left him extremely bitter, Tkachuk was re-named captain by the first-year coach. “I’m very pleased with the situation and I’m very honored,” said the 24-year-old left winger. “I want to be the leader of this team.” The alternates are defenseman Teppo Numminen and forward Kris King, Tkachuk’s replacement last year with the Winnipeg Jets. Tkachuk lost the ‘C’ after signing an offer sheet with the Chicago Blackhawks. By the time the club matched the offer, then-coach Terry Simpson had already decided to pass the captain’s role on to King. “It was a tough situation,” said Tkachuk, a 50-goal scorer who was an assistant captain for Team USA in the World Cup. “But that…
Khristich hopes for stability after year of drastic change
He may have been around only for a season, but in Los Angeles Kings’ time, that makes forward Dimitri Khristich an oldtimer. At least 16 players on this season’s opening night roster arrived in Los Angeles after Khristich, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals in July, 1995. With one solid year of tumult and upheaval, is Khristich surprised he is still in Los Angeles? “No,” he said, smiling. “I think I played well for the team last year. I feel like that I’m needed here.” Khristich, who was named the team’s most valuable player by the local media, had his best performance since the 1992-93 season, scoring 27 goals and 64 points. He started the season playing on a line with Wayne Gretzky and rookie right winger Vitali Yachmenev and finished it by…
Ticket prices should have been slashed
When it comes to NHL pre-season games, it has always been buyer beware. Fans buy tickets, usually at regular season prices, knowing they are not likely to see all of a team’s top stars in the lineup. That’s the nature of the beast when teams audition prospects. But in a year when many of the league’s marquee players had World Cup commitments, ticket prices should have been slashed to reflect the depleted talent pool. Big surprise, they weren’t. That’s because teams make a killing during the pre-season when they take in the usual haul and don’t have to pay player salaries. With the exception of the Boston Bruins, who cut ticket prices in half for a Sept. 21 game at the FleetCenter, it was business as usual. That meant, for example, if you were…