Houda finds new respect by going back to basics

Don’t tell Doug Houda you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Houda taught himself. The journeyman defenseman had suited up for the New York Islanders for 51 straight games in part because of injuries, but also because he learned to change the way he played. In an 11year career that has had stops with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres, he gained a reputation as an erratic tough guy with no offensive skill who looked for big hits, often taking himself out of position. “It has taken me a lot of years to learn not to do that,” said Houda, signed by the Islanders this season for the leagueminimum $125,000. “When I was younger, that was probably my biggest fault. I try to be more…

Canada, U.S. prepared for university showdown

Candidates for the World University Hockey Championship have been announced and the battle line has been drawn in Detroit. Team USA named 24 players and Team Canada selected 20 players and four alternates for the first-ever game between senior university players. The April 4 match will be played at Joe Louis Arena. Vermont all-America goalie Tim Thomas leads the contingent of seniors playing at U.S. Division I schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, while Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union scoring leader Chris Skoryna from Acadia heads Canada’s roster. (See pg. 38 for rosters.) The average age of the Canadian team is almost 24, more than a year older than the American squad. “I think we will stack up pretty well against the Americans,” said CIAU executive vice-president Mark Lowry. “We know there are a…

TRACKING 1995 TOP PROSPECTS

Coyotes want old J.R., not Superman

When Jeremy Roenick was free for the offering last summer, (or at least as free as NHL restricted free agents get), Philadelphia Flyers’ GM Bob Clarke couldn’t be bothered with him. In fact, Clarke took the opportunity to take a little shot at the Chicago Blackhawk star center’s demand for pay in the $4 million-a-season range. “He’s not worth that much money,” Clarke said. “He’s just a point-a-game guy.” Was Clarke simply stirring the pot? Perhaps. But the numbers bear him out: J.R. Superstar has indeed become a point-a-game guy. Instead of continuing to rise on the dominance scale late this decade, Roenick has leveled off at 27. The Phoenix Coyotes obviously feel Roenick’s contribution doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. They acquired him in a trade and then gave him a…