Search for your favorite player or team
© The Hockey News. All rights reserved. Any and all material on this website cannot be used, reproduced, or distributed without prior written permission from Roustan Media Ltd. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
December 6, 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.
Bonsignore out to shine
HAMILTON-It was five games into the American League season when Jason Bonsignore erupted. The 20-year-old Hamilton Bulldogs’ center lit up the visiting Adirondack Red Wings Oct. 14 for a goal and five points in a 6-5 Hamilton win, playing every bit the starring role of dashing young playmaker long envisioned for him. His show undoubtedly won him new fans in only the Bulldogs’ second home game, but those with longer memories might have been shaking their heads. Bonsignore had reason to be fired up. Adirondack’s coach is Glenn Merkosky-the same Glenn Merkosky who embarrassed a certain junior star by sitting him out of a crucial playoff game two seasons ago with the Ontario League’s Sudbury Wolves because of a lax work ethic. Naturally, Bonsignore was drooling at the chance to return the favor. “He was…
No problem with average
Written off in many quarters before the season, the Los Angeles Kings got off to a solid 9-9-1 start, helped by a 5-1-3 stretch through most of November. They were ranked among the league’s top penalty-killing teams all season and coach Larry Robinson was no longer turning several shades of red watching his team face nights of 50-plus shots on goal. PLEASANT SURPRISE: Goalie Byron Dafoe could have sulked when the team made a major trade in the summer for a No. 1 goaltender, acquiring Stephane Fiset from the Colorado Avalanche. Instead, Dafoe opened with an impressive first quarter. He was 5-2-0 in eight appearances with a 2.65 goals-against average and 91.4 save percentage. ICE ADVICE: More goal-scoring from center Dimitri Khristich, right winger Vitali Yachmenev and left winger Kevin Stevens could pay…
Verbeek tough to stop, Vukota just plain tough
Mick Vukota of the New York Islanders’ and Pat Verbeek of the Dallas Stars have a few things in common. They’re both snarly right wingers who have names that begin with the letter V. But that’s where the similarities end. Both are on the list of top 20 active penalty minute leaders, but they part company when it comes to scoring. Verbeek has the lowest penalty minutes to point ratio (2.7:1) among the top 20 active bad boys. The mark was calculated by dividing career points into career PIM (Ver-beek’s 2,276 minutess % 838 points—2.7). Vukota had 41.2 PIM for every point he scored (1,853 minutes % 45 points = 41.2), the highest such mark among the all-time penalty leaders. The accompanying chart shows the NHL’s active penalty leaders listed…
Hockey’s photo finish
A buried treasure has been recovered. Photographer Fred Keenan recently unearthed at his home in Cape Cod, Mass., a remarkable picture of Bobby Orr’s sensational 1970 Stanley Cup winning overtime goal. It had been buried in a box for the past 26 years. Keenan, who shot for the Quincy (Mass.) Patriot Ledger from 1970 to 1984, found the dramatic image (top) after a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Keenan, 72, went through two boxes of old prints-the only surviving images from his days as a Patriot Ledger photographer-and found two images recording Orr’s victory flight. He was launched into orbit by St. Louis Blues’ defenseman Noel Picard. Fans are familiar with Ray Lussier’s photo (above right) that captures Orr horizontal to the ice, but not as familiar with Keenan’s shot…
Made possible with the support of
