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January 17, 1997
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.
How Swede it isn’t: Tre Kronor collapses
GENEVA-Behold the new rallying cry of Swedish hockey-death to the neutral zone trap. “All those who play a 1-3-1 (trap) system should be killed,” said Swedish Ice Hockey Federation president Rickard Fagerlund in a stab at black humor following his country’s embarrassing eighth-place finish in the 1997 World Junior Championship. “That is how I feel. We have a real problem with our game. We have lost tempo. Too much defense, too much waiting, not enough intensity. We need a change.” Fagerlund, considered something of a heretic in his own country, is hoping this year’s failure at the WJC will be the catalyst for that change. Sweden was 2-3-1, including a 6-2 relegationround loss to Switzerland that left Sweden ahead of only weak sisters Poland (0-6-0) and Germany (1-5-0). “Our basic system of developing players…
NHL-FANtasy ’97 interactive affair
It was a scenario that stunned NHL officials. The temperature was well below the freezing point, but some 2,000 people were lined up at the rink at Rockefeller Center in New York waiting to take a slapshot in a promotion involving New York Rangers’ players. That was in January, 1994, during All-Star Game festivities in the days when the fan festival was in its infancy, an unofficial one with no admission fee charged. The Stanley Cup was made available at Grand Central Station for fans to see and pose with for a charity-related fee and NHL merchandise was on sale. “We had to stop the lineup for the shootout about an hour before it started,” recalled Frank Supovitz, the NHL’s vice-president of special events. “That convinced us hockey fans wanted to be…
ECHL rings in New Year with league-wide parity
As the East Coast League reached the midway point of the season, officials couldn’t be happier about the three tight division races. Each division had three teams in virtual dead heats and parity across the league has never been more prominent. In the East Division, the Richmond Renegades, Hampton Roads Admirals and South Carolina Stingrays were within one point of each other heading into 1997. The South Division had the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Mobile Mysticks and Mississippi Sea Wolves separated by two points. In the North Division, the Columbus Chill, Dayton Bombers and Peoria Rivermen were separated by only two points at the close of 1996. “It’s great for the fans and the players” said Richmond coach Scott Gruhl. “Every game is a first-place game.” The top five teams in each divis-ion qualify for the playoffs…
Spitfires happy with rookie Sarno’s home cooking
Windsor Spitfires’ GM Mike Awender figures the five pounds he gained at the dining room table one night last summer were well worth the 180 pounds of hockey player he obtained. Peter Sarno, an unheralded fifth round draft pick from the Jr. A North York (Ont.) Rangers, was leading the Ontario League rookie scoring race with 13 goals and 47 points through 38 games. He had 96 points in North York last season, the first time in his career he was held under the century mark. He had almost 400 points in two seasons as a Toronto Marlboro peewee and more than 300 points in two years in bantam. “He has done it at every level, so we figured he would be a big offensive player for us, or at least create situations…
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