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.

April 4, 1997

The Hockey News April 4, 1997

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011438/6492048-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0011-01

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURE

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011006/6492603-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="172" height="167"></div>Rejean Houle's odyssey is over.The Montreal Canadiens' GM said he has spent the better part of two seasons trying to acquire defenseman Dave Manson. The quest ended at 2:55 p.m. March 18-five minutes prior to the NHL's trading deadline-when he secured Manson from the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Murray Baron and rugged winger Chris Murray.&ldquo;We've always been interested in obtaining a tough, left-shooting defenseman,&rdquo; said Houle, who became Montreal GM in October, 1995. &ldquo;Dave Manson is an excellent defenseman. He's tough, mobile and has an excellent shot, so he can play the power play. I was surprised that we had a chance to get him.&rdquo;Manson is big, at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, and tough; he had 164 penalty minutes in 66 games with Phoenix. But the one-time Chicago Blackhawks' first round draft choice also had a team-low minus-25.&ldquo;I don't think the numbers mean that much,&rdquo; said the 30-year-old Manson, who had three goals and 20 points before the trade. &ldquo;If you look down (the Coyotes' roster), you'll see there aren't too many guys with pluses.&rdquo;As late as the day before the deadline, Houle said he wouldn't be making any major deals. Obviously, he changed his mind.&ldquo;We weren't desperate,&rdquo; Houle said, &ldquo;but with Dave Manson we're even better.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Goaltender Pat Jablonski was sent to Phoenix for minor league defenseman Steve Cheredaryk early on trading deadline day. Jablonski had been sent home by the Canadiens in late-January after he cleared waivers&hellip; The Canadiens have agreed to participate in the NHL's third jersey program and will unveil a new' uniform, to be worn on special occasions, within the next two seasons. Montreal already has turned down two designs proposed by the league. &ldquo;We're the most successful team in hockey,&rdquo; said Bernard Brisset, vice-president, communications. &ldquo;We like to think we are hockey. With 24 Stanley Cups, we are the greatest team in history. The sweater is the Montreal Canadiens and the Canadiens are red, blue and white.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0020-01

NHL TEAMS

Persistent Hab GM Houle finally nets his Man-son

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011527/6491800-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021100/6491793-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="648" height="961"></div>The New England Whalers were on top of the eight-team World Hockey Association halfway through the 1977-78 season, but they had reason to be worried. After an early-season 13-game winning streak, they had been playing only .500 hockey and the Bobby Hull-led Winnipeg Jets were hot on their tails. Coach Harry Neale was troubled with New England's habit of falling behind early in games. High scoring right winger Tom Webster was out with a bad back, defenseman Rick Ley couldn't play because of a bum wrist and the winter flu bug had taken 10 pounds off center Larry Pleau.Realistically, though, the Whalers had no reason to expect the roof to cave in&hellip;but it did.As the players slept on the road in Edmonton in the early hours of Jan. 18, mounds of wet snow and ice pummeled the three-year-old Hartford Civic Center and the roof collapsed under the weight. Their building in tatters, the Whalers were forced to play their remaining home games in the 7,460-seat Springfield Civic Center 30 miles away.The final indignity came a few months later in the playoff final, when the Jets swept aside New England in four straight games to capture the Ayco Cup. &#9632;

f0005-01

DEPARTMENTS

Whale snowed under

<div class="byline">By Bob McManaman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04252/6492879-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="168" height="164"></div>Like a bargain hunter in a department store, Phoenix Coyotes' GM Bobby Smith found he couldn't pass up an enticing 2-for-l deal.Smith bolstered the Coyotes' defense on trading deadline day by exchanging Dave Manson for two other defensemen, Gerald Diduck and Murray Baron.Manson was sent to the Montreal Canadiens for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Baron and enforcer Chris Murray, who was subsequently moved to the Hartford Whalers for the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Diduck.&ldquo;I appreciate Dave Manson and what he has done for this hockey team, but when I had an opportunity to add two big, mobile defenseman like Baron and Diduck, I had to do it,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I think it was a heck of a trade for us.&rdquo;Baron and Diduck, who were paired with Oleg Tverdovsky and Teppo Numminen, respectively, were excited about coming west.&ldquo;I'm looking forward to this,&rdquo; said Baron, 29. &ldquo;This team can really make a ran, when you look around the room and see how much talent is here.&rdquo;&ldquo;It's great to be paired with a guy like Teppo Numminen,&rdquo; said Diduck, 30. &ldquo;I think we'll work together real well as partners. Hopefully, I'll be able to add a lot down the stretch.&rdquo;That's something on which Smith and coach Don Hay are banking. Phoenix added about $600,000 to its payroll by adding Diduck ($1,275 million) and Baron ($850,(XX)), who both are under contract for two more years. Manson is earning $1.5 million this season.&ldquo;This shows everybody that we're building for a run in the playoffs,&rdquo; Hay said.&ldquo;I don't think many teams want to play us in the first two rounds because we can do some damage,&rdquo; said left winger Jeremy Roenick. &ldquo;If we get on a roll and play the way that is outlined for us, I wouldn't want to play against us.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Coyotes made two other moves before the trading deadline. Minor league defenseman Steve Cheredaryk was sent to Montreal for the rights to veteran goalie Pat Jablonski. Phoenix also signed free agent right winger Jocelyn Lemieux, who was playing in the International League, to a contract for the remainder of the season. Jablonski, who hasn't played since January when the Canadiens began using rookie Jose Theodore, was added because of injuries to goalies Darcy Wakaluk and Scott Langkow&hellip;Left winger Keith Tkachuk had the second four-goal game of his career in a 4-2 win at Chicago March 20&hellip;Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin had made 33 consecutive starts. &#9632;

f0023-04

GM Smith gets pair of guard dogs

<h2>Pens'Mullen Yankee dandy</h2>1. Joey's Joy Pittsburgh veteran Joe Mullen becomes first American-born player to score 500 career goals.2. Devil does it, too New Jersey's Dave Andreychuk matches Mullen, also notches career 500th.3. Ducks quacking proud Anaheim sets team record with 12-game unbeaten streak during playoff drive.4. Four goals sake Philadelphia's Eric Lindros, Phoenix's Keith Tkachuk each post four-goal games.5. A fine sight Orlando's Kevin Smyth makes triumphant return to IHL action after losing vision in one eye.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-021178/6493782-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="351" height="494"><figcaption class="caption-body">Keith Tkachuk</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03865/6493775-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="349" height="498"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Smyth</figcaption></div><h3>MINUS</h3><h2>Coaches scrap, face mere slap</h2>1. Brawling bench bosses Phoenix coach Rob Laird, Detroit's Steve Ludzik trade punches, IHL imposes $500 fine.2. Canucks cave in Vancouver's sober stretch drive (1-7-2 in 10 games) out of whack with above-average payroll.3. Declining honors OHL's Ottawa 67's turns down bye into second round of playoffs for fatuous reasons.4. CHL skirmish Alleged skate tampering incident leads to racial slur and near fight between Macon and Memphis.5. Another dark Knight London posts 13-51-2 record in OHL, worst in Canadian League second straight season.<h2>Milestone Joe</h2>Penguins&rsquo; right winger Joe Mullen becomes the first American-born player to score 500 goals. Pg.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011436/6493768-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="1855" height="2621"></div> &#9632;

f0002-02

PLUS

It has been 10 years since John LeClair led a league in goals. He may mark the anniversary with another title this season.LeClair was expected to dominate as a senior at his St. Albans, Vt., high school and he did, averaging more than two goals per game in 1986-87. The goals have come a little harder in the intervening years, but only marginally since his Feb. 9,1995 trade from the Montreal Canadiens to the Philadelphia Flyers. As of March 20, he had 46 goals in 71 games this season, bringing his career Flyers' regular season total to 122. Add another 11 in Tg(r)? JF the playoffs and six during a stunning World Cup performance and he had 139, second only to ST"-/ Jaromir Jagr during that period.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04638/6493813-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="372" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body">By Steve Dryden</figcaption></div>What makes Le-Editor-In-Chief Clair special as a scorer isn't his 98.3 mile-an-hour shot or blistering speed; it's the way he scores. Flyers' GM Bob Clarke says LeClair does the down-and-dirty work scorers of his talents generally avoid. Like co-scoring leader Keith Tkachuk of the Phoenix Coyotes, LeClair is strong on the wall, runs over defenders and stakes out hostile patches of ice as his own. Most elite goal-getters look for seams in team defenses; LeClair bursts through them-and usually cleanly. With few penalty minutes, LeClair is to forwards what Ray Bourque is to defensemen-a physical player who plays boldly within the rules.On a night Eric Lindros scored four goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs March 19, LeClair had three assists and played hard, but did not score a goal. LeClair did. however, score a moral victory. In the third period, he stripped a Leaf of the puck inside the Toronto blueline, beat him with a tight move and then freed himself for a slapper with another sweet 1-on-l move. The only person more surprised than the first Leaf left standing alone was LeClair, who relies on speed, shooting and body position more than stick skills. &ldquo;After I made that move I was a little shocked,&rdquo; LeClair said. &ldquo;I didn't know what to do.&rdquo;That is how opponents feel about him most nights. It's a helpless feeling Clarke hopes to avoid next February when LeClair joins the U.S. in its Olympic quest. Clarke is Canada's GM and while he hasn't named a coach yet and won't be picking players until Dec. 1, he has a strategy in mind to stop LeClair: &ldquo;We're going to get him Canadian citizenship,&rdquo; Clarke said. Canadians accustomed to exporting players to the U.S.-i.e. Ontario-born, British Columbia-trained Brett Hull-would rejoice. LeClair, however, has no plans to change the color of his stars and stripes and that is good news for America's hockey team. &#9632;

f0002-04

A Flyer on the wall: LeClair unique scorer

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011582/6491690-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The NHL hopes high-flying action will continue to hook new fans.</figcaption></div>Gary Bettman will discuss any aspect of the game of hockey, from officiating to video review to offside to the pros and cons of fighting or shootouts&hellip; you name it.But as comfortable as he has become with the game of hockey, the reign of the NHL commissioner will ultimately be judged on how he handles the business of hockey between now and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.No one knows that better than the 44-year-old native of Queens. N.Y., who is embarking on a five-year business trip that will determine whether the NHL sheds its image as a regional sport that is No. 4 out of four.In fact, the critical path, both for Bettman and the NHL, couldn't be clearer: Expansion. A new collective agreement with on-ice officials. New national television rights deals in the United States and Canada. The 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Another World Cup. A new collective agreement with the NHL Players' Association. And, finally, the 2002 Winter Olympics.&ldquo;In terms of the fundamental health of this league, the economic health of this league, which will translate to the fundamental health of what actually takes place on the ice, we've got to deal with all of the things you've just laid out and we have to deal with them well,&rdquo; Bettman said during an editorial conference with The Hockey News.The task is daunting. Still, NHL business has grown-some would say it's booming, considering corporate ventures with Budweiser, Nike and IBM-during Bettman's four-year watch as commissioner.Were not me fourth sport where we are,&rdquo; Bettman said. &ldquo;We're the fourth sport because of where we're not&hellip; South Florida, we're not No. 4, Detroit, Colorado. Philadelphia, we're not No. 4. The game is strong where it is. You look at what has been accomplished in Tampa, South Florida, Dallas, Anaheim, San Jose, Phoenix and Colorado. Where people are exposed to the game, they get hooked on it and become fans. Five years ago, we were in what. 11 U.S. markets? Now we're in 17. The other guys (baseball, basketball and football) are in between 25 and 30. We start out at a disadvantage. Clearly, ratings and interest in the game is greater when you have a bigger footprint.&rdquo;You know what they say about guys with big feet, eh? Yeah, big TV ratings, big revenues. The immediate NHL goal is to increase the size of that footprint.Here's how:Expansion A decision will be made within the next few months as to how many teams will be added to begin play as early as the fall of 1998. Atlanta (10th largest U.S. TV market) and Houston (11th) are frontrunners, but Nashville (33rd), Columbus (34th), Oklahoma City (43rd) and St. Paul (14th) are possibilities.&ldquo;We have been presented with quality applications,&rdquo; Bettman said. &ldquo;We have homework to satisfy ourselves, but I'd be surprised if all were defective.&rdquo; Expansion is coming. The NHL footprint will get bigger. New markets will be created; the value of the NHL TV package will increase.Television Ratings, whether on the Fox network in the U.S. or on Hockey Night in Canada or The Sports Network, are generally down (10 to 15 per cent), which is not a terrific situation with contract renewals on the horizon. (ESPN's ratings have held firm.)&ldquo;Sports viewing is down all over,&rdquo; Bettman said. &ldquo;The Hockey Night (decrease) is a little misleading because they introduced doubleheaders so there are more people watching hockey on Saturday between the two games than before.&rdquo;As for Fox, Bettman said ratings are down 8.5 per cent in NHL markets, but up 18 per cent in non-NHL markets, which he describes as &ldquo;a huge, huge increase.&rdquo; He cites a reduction in the number of regional games, from six to four, on Fox broadcasts as the reason for a drop-off in NHL markets, but added the emphasis is on &ldquo;building nationally.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021276/6491683-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="371" height="468"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob McKenzie Associate Editor</figcaption></div>He described FoxTrax, the glowing TV puck, as &ldquo;a work in progress. If people can tolerate it, hardcore fans, people who don't need it, but nevertheless can watch a game with it, and it brings new people to watch, then it's a plus. It's a question of trying to get more people interested in a game that hasn't been on network television&hellip; So on the handful of windows that we are on Fox, if we can do things that get people to think these games are different or special, we can drive the rating and begin to create a national impact on network television. That's not a bad thing as long as we're not alienating the knowledgeable fans.&rdquo;Bettman acknowledges &ldquo;our ticket prices are high and I do worry about that long-term,&rdquo; but &ldquo;by doing more league win protect itself against a continuing heavy reliance on gate receipts.Olympics Nagano will provide the NHL product with unprecedented exposure, but Bettman said it's important not to over-value the 1998 Olympic experience. It's a &ldquo;building block,&rdquo; he said, not necessarily &ldquo;a watershed event,&rdquo; adding &ldquo;being 14 hours away is a good place for a dry run to get bugs out.&rdquo;It's generally conceded U.S. on-ice success in Nagano means NHL marketing success, but Bettman said &ldquo;if our entire strategy was premised on the fact the U.S. had to be in the gold medal game, I wouldn't be sleeping very well for the next year.&rdquo;That will change in 2002 for primetime Olympics that will be right in the NHL backyard (Salt Lake City. Utah). No matter what, the NHL won't hit a home run in 1998, but could, and should, do it four years later.World Cup In a perfect world, another World Cup will be played, but there is no obligation to stage the tournament. If it's held, it's uncertain whether it would be played in the fall of 1999, as it was last year, or in midseason 1999-2000, like the Olympics. It'll be a joint decision (NHL and NHLPA).&ldquo;I'll give you some scenarios,&rdquo; Bettman said. &ldquo;We decide taking a break in the middle of the season is great and we all agree we're going to do it in the winter of 2000. On the other hand, we conclude that we didn't like taking two weeks off in the middle of the season. And maybe the players will say, 'We don't really like giving up our summers.' So maybe we don't do it at all. We've all agreed to go through one (World Cup-Olympics) cycle. Then we'll decide.&rdquo;The key for Bettman, and the league, is to make the most of their opportunities vis-a-vis expansion, television and international hockey while not falling victim to any ills such as labor strife (with either the players or on-ice officials) or franchise instability (the long-term future of the Whalers in Hartford). That is, the league needs to continue creating a new fan base without alienating the existing one and, above all, do it profitably for all involved.<h2>CRITICAL PATH</h2>What Gary Bettman can least afford now is labor pain. Not surprisingly then. Bettman has proposed to the NHL Players' Association that the collective bargaining agreement be extended from September, 2000, to September, 2003. That would ensure smooth sailing on major projects such as expansion and the Olympics. His immediate task, though, is cutting a new deal with on-ice officials. Here's a look at his calendar of critical concerns.June, 1997: Expansion announcement.September, 1997: Expiration of agreement with on-ice officials.February, 1998: Nagano Winter Olympics.July, 1998: Expiration of Canadian TV deal with Molson.July, 1999: Expiration of U.S. TV deals with ESPN and Fox.September, 1999, or February, 2000: World Cup II.September, 2000: Expiration of CBA with NHLPA.February, 2002: Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. &#9632;

f0003-01

NHL flight path in works

A weekly compendium of significant events and developments (March 14-21).March 14: Sixty-eight-year-old Gordie Howe, looking to play pro hockey in a sixth decade, announces he's attempting April 1 comeback with American League's Syracuse Crunch.Pittsburgh right winger Joe Mullen scores in 6-3 loss to Colorado to become first American-born player to record 500 career goals.March 15: New Jersey left winger Dave Andreychuk becomes 26th player in NHL history to reach 500-goal plateau in 3-2 victory over Washington.March 16: Detroit's Kris Draper and Colorado's Claude Lemieux involved in scuffle in first meeting since Lemieux badly injured Draper in last year's Western Conference final.March 17: Guelph defeats New Brunswick 43 to capture Canadian University Cup.March 18: Kirk Muller, Larry Murphy, Dave Manson, Robert Reichel and Ed Olczyk among 35 players to change teams in 18 trading deadline day deals.March 19: Philadelphia's Eric Lindros has four-goal, six-point night in 6-3 win over Toronto.March 20: Keith Tkachuk scores all Phoenix's goals in 4-2 win over Chicago to tie John LeClair for NHL goal-scoring lead at 46. &#9632;

500 goals for Mullen. Andreychuk: four for Lindros, Tkashuk

An open letter to Mario Lemieux:As a season ticket holder of the Pittsburgh Penguins for over 25 years, I struggled through some lean years. When you came, you brought new hope. You had the potential to become the best hockey player ever.And that's exactly what happened. I can't begin to list your remarkable records, achievements and awards.And now you are seriously contemplating retirement at the end of the season. I can understand if you want to spend more time with your family and on the golf course, but you are only 31 years old. You will have more than enough time to spend with your family later and the golf courses will still be there.It would be a grave injustice to hockey, Pittsburghers and the entire sports world if you retire now. When you do retire, go out in style. But not now.Je vous en prie.Jeffrey Lange,Pittsburgh, Pa.<h2>Bondra for MVP</h2>I have one question. If Peter Bondra doesn't deserve the Hart Trophy as MVP this season, then who does?Bondra, with 23 per cent of the Washington Capitals' goals, is the reason they are even contending for a playoff spot. The recent trade is bound to help the Capitals, but let's give credit where credit is due.Laura Fast,Boulder, Colo.<h2>Good as gold</h2>Bob McKenzie's story on the prospect of Wayne Gretzky playing for the Canadian Olympic team (THN, March 14) was right on. Gretzky doesn't need any charity and will earn his way onto the team. But make no mistake, hockey does owe him and will be forever indebted to him.I could not imagine a greater injustice than No. 99 not participating in the highest-profile event ever in hockey. After all, as McKenzie says, &ldquo;Gretzky has been the game's worldwide trademark for almost 20 years,&rdquo; and &ldquo;has meant more to the game and business of hockey than anyone else.&rdquo;Mark Gage,Whistler, B.C.<h2>Habs lose luster</h2>As time marches on, that great Montreal Canadiens' tradition is fading badly.In fact, I would argue that since the dynasty ended in 1979, the Habs have been fairly mediocre. Sure, they won Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993, but those were accomplished largely due the good fortune of many of the best teams being knocked out early in the playoffs.And things are getting worse. The Canadiens didn't make the playoffs two years ago, were knocked out in the first round last year and are life and death to make the post-season this year.They have been embarrassed several times this year and even considering their injury troubles, some of their performances have been disgraceful.That doesn't mean that some Habs aren't still enjoying a winning environment. Just look at Patrick Roy and John LeClair.What Montreal needs is another housecleaning.R. Newcomb,Langley, B.C.<h2>Where's Brown?</h2>Can someone tell me why Rob Brown isn't playing in the NHL? He was producing a phenomenal 1.66 points per game with the Chicago Wolves of the International League and headed for his third scoring title in four years.In the NHL, he racked up 351 points in 353 games, including a 115-point season. His scoring pace is better than Mike Gartner, Dave Andreychuk, Tomas Sandstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Vincent Damphousse, Peter Bondra. John LeClair, Keith Tkachuk. Doug Weight, Petr Nedved, Valeri Kamensky, Ziggy Palffy, Alexei Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson.With so many teams lacking firepower, why hasn't he been snapped up?David Kramer,Washington, D.C.<h2>Bandits doomed</h2>Baltimore Bandits' owner Mike Caggiano may have done more tnan any previous owner, but I don't know where he spent $400,000 on marketing. I heard just one advertisement all year.Add to that a pathetic arena in a part of town few people want to visit: no Saturday dates because indoor lacrosse and soccer are more important: lousy media coverage; and the lack of Disney magic of any kind from the parent Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and who can blame Baltimoreans for not turning out for American League hockey?Of course, if the owners of the old Baltimore Clippers had just added a few more seats and paid the expansion fee in the late-1960s, Baltimore would be in its fourth decade in the NHL.Ken Kroski.Make your feelings known. Fax us you/comments at&nbsp;(416) 340-1641&nbsp;or write to&nbsp;Letters, THN, 777 Bay St, Suite 2700. Box 148, Toronto, Ont, M5G 2N8&nbsp;in Canada. In the U.S., write to&nbsp;letters, THN. P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.&nbsp;E-mail us at <a href="mailto:THN@transc.com">THN@transc.com</a>. Include home and business phone numbers.&nbsp;THN&nbsp;reserves the right tp edit submissions. &#9632;

Say it ain't so, Mario: Don't hand 'em up Yet

<div class="byline">By Bob McKenzie Associate Editor</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011702/6491845-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div>He is the only NHL player to have graced the pages of Cosmopolitan and Mademoiselle, a strapping all-American boy, all good looks with flowing blond hair, pearly whites and a year-round tan reflecting a passion for golf.Mike Modano, Pretty Boy. If ever there were an NHL player who seemed a victory of style over substance, it was the first player chosen in the 1988 entry draft. The Minnesota North Stars took him ahead of Trevor Linden that year and projections were the 6-foot-3, 200-pound center would light it up as a flashy and dashing star.Funny how things work out, isn't it? Though he once scored 50 goals, he has never had 100 points or racked up the kind of numbers to suggest he's one of the game's elite offensive talents. That notion is long gone, just like the NHL in Minnesota.Now, it's Mike and the Mechanics, as good a label as there is for the 26-year-old, eight-year veteran who is playing a critical, and some would say surprising, defensive role for the Dallas Stars, arguably the hardest-working team in hockey.&ldquo;It hasn't worked out quite like I thought it would, but I'm not complaining,&rdquo; said Modano, who in spite of his metamorphosis still led the Stars in scoring this season with 31 goals and 72 points in 70 games, 23 more points than any teammate. &ldquo;As a young player (with Prince Albert of the Western League), I always thought of myself as a purely offensive player. What I'm doing now, what I've been working on for the past few years, I was so far removed from as a kid.&rdquo;He wears his new strong suit well and the Stars aren't complaining. Why would they? With a record of 42-23-6-first in the Central Division and second only to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference-the Stars have established a franchise record for wins.Under head coach Ken Hitchcock, they've become a gritty team committed to defense-first hockey and a consistent work ethic. The results have been impressive. The wins speak for themselves. The reduction in goals-against, from 3.37 per game last season to 2.41 this season, speak for the players' new-found desire to excellence without the puck.&ldquo;My impression of Mike Modano, without actually knowing him,&rdquo; Hitchcock said, &ldquo;was that he was a very sensitive person who, when things weren't going well, would get easily discouraged and that discouragement would come across as uninterest.&rdquo;And after actually coaching Modano, how accurate was Hitchcock's assessment?&ldquo;I found him not to be that way at all,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;I found him to be a very sincere person who felt as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt if he didn't put up big numbers, we would lose the game.&rdquo;That about summed it up. Modano has never led the league in goals or points, but he has been at or near the top in frustration. In the early days in Minnesota, he was largely a victim of unrealistic expectations, including his own. He sensed the patience running out on him in the Twin Cities and the pressure got to him.&ldquo;In my third and fourth years there, you could sense it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There was more attention, more eyes on me. When it gets like that, you end up trying to do too much. You just get yourself in a deeper hole. That was tough on me.&rdquo;It was in the summer of 1993, when the Stars moved from Minneapolis to Dallas, that Modano got some relief. &ldquo;I looked at it like it was a fresh start for me,&rdquo; he said.Life in Dallas was better, but it wasn't nirvana. GM-coach Bob Gainey was on Modano to be a more responsible defensive player and learn how to score goals in heavy traffic. Modano wanted to oblige, but still figured the measure of a successful player was goals and points. As a goal-scorer, he didn't understand how going into a crowd would benefit him. But he tried and it paid off with Modano scoring 50 goals in 76 games in 1993-94.&ldquo;I went to areas I wasn't going,&rdquo; Modano said, &ldquo;and I learned to pay the price to score goals.&rdquo;The lockout shortened 1994-95 season was unsatisfying-12 goals and 29 points in 30 games. Last season, he was at his familiar level of 36 goals and 81 points in 78 games. He has basically become a 30-goal, point-a-game player with an ever-expanding defensive consciousness.&ldquo;He has actually been a pretty dependable two way player for the last few years,&rdquo; Gainey said. &ldquo;He has worked hard at developing that side.&rdquo;<h2>Modano gets defensive</h2>But truth be told, Modano wasn't enjoying a real sense of fulfillment and new coach Hitchcock, who took over for Gainey early last season, wasn't enamored of the overall situation.&ldquo;Going from (offensive expectations) to (defensive expectations) was tough, very frustrating,&rdquo; Modano said of his tutelage by Gainey. &ldquo;I wanted to be able to do it, but it was a long learning process and I still wanted to do more on the scoreboard than the type of game we were playing.&rdquo;Last season, on a team of mostly minus players, Modano was in the middle of the pack at minus-12. He still harbored thoughts of being the 50-goal, 100-point star. But the Stars missed the playoffs and Hitchcock knew a different approach would be required.Assistant coaches Doug Jarvis and Rick Wilson came to Modano near the end of the season and laid out a philosophical plan of attack that combined a Gainey-like emphasis on defense, but was tailored to suit Hitchcock's passion to pressure the puck and create offensive opportunities. Re-adjusting Modano's game was paramount.&ldquo;I called him in with two games to go last season,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;I told him, 'You can get 100 points, but if you're even or minus, we won't ever win a thing here.' I told him we have to seriously cut our goals-against average and that he was going to be the major factor. I laid it all out for him. He said he wanted some time to think about it. He came back at the end of the season and said, 'Let's do it.' &ldquo;Hitchcock sold Modano on being the &ldquo;lead horse.&rdquo; The Stars' defensive philosophy is to use their No. 1 line-Modano between Greg Adams and Jere Lehtinen, when the wingers are healthy anyway-as their top checking line. Modano has responded to going head-to-head with Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg, Sergei Fedorov, Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya and Eric Lindros.&ldquo;I liked the idea of getting more responsibility and it not having to be measured in goals and points,&rdquo; Modano said.&ldquo;Now, if the scoring isn't there, I concentrate on the other parts of my game. I like the way our defensive play relies on pressuring the puck. We get the puck a lot on turnovers and I'm finding I'm getting as many offensive chances as I've ever had.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011543/6491838-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="1661" height="1825"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Modano doesn't go out to score game-winners, it just works out that way.</figcaption></div>Modano Jed the league in game-wmrung goats with nine. He had assisted on 10 others, which meant he was in on 19 of the Stars' 42 gamewinners. That's 45 per cent.&ldquo;I don't go out saying, 'I'm going to score winning goals,'&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But when we're up 21,1 will go out thinking this is the shift we need to score to put the game away. I'm getting a sense for that and some of those end up being the game-winning goals. Mentally, I'm becoming stronger.&rdquo;Modano taxes a regular turn against me otner teams' top lines. He kills penalties (four shorthanded goals), plays the power play (nine goals) and teams up with defensive specialists Guy Car-bonneau and Dave Reid to nail down victories in the waning moments. Now, on a mostly plusteam, Modano led the way at plus-34.It would be an exaggeration to suggest Modano is the catalyst for the Stars' dramatic turnaround this season-key off-season acquisitions, overall team commitment and Andy Moog's goaltending are the key components-but Hitchcock lauds Modano as a terrific faceoff man and outstanding backchecker who is capable of near flawless 3-on-3 play down low in his own end. Modano also reads the play defensively off the other team's rush well.&ldquo;He has replaced emotion with intensity,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;He used to get sky high or get so down in the dumps. I used to hear the guys in the room last year always saying, 'We need Mike to score, we need Mike to do this or that.' I don't ever hear that anymore. It's assumed he comes to play hard every night and do his job.&rdquo;Even as recently as the World Cup, the impression was that the laid-back Detroit native could use some help in mental preparation. Team USA coach Ron Wilson teamed him with hard-rocks Bill Guerin and Keith Tkachuk, two strong personalities who tried to convert him to their rah-rah, get-to-the-rink-four-hours-early, take-no-prisoners approach.And while there may be something to be said for that type of mentality, Modano may have developed a steeliness and maturity on his own that is masked by golden locks and a million-dollar smile.&ldquo;I don't need to bang my head off the wall to get ready for a game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And with each passing year, I find myself getting to the rink later and later. Billy and Keith do what works for them. I'm a complete opposite, but I don't think that means I'm not prepared to play the game.&rdquo;What he actually learned from the World Cup, Hitchcock said, by watching the top players and how consistently they performed, was that even if they ended up with no points, they still turned in strong efforts.&ldquo;Mike's next challenge is the same as our team's challenge,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;How will he do in the playoffs? How will we do in the playoffs? Then the jury will return the verdict of how good a player he's going to be and how good a team we're going to be.&rdquo;If there's a moral to this Modano story, it's that appearances can be deceiving. Two years ago, the NHL sold him to Cosmo and Mademoiselle as a good looking hockey player. Now, he's on the cover of The Hockey News because he's a good hockey player. It turns out that the NHLer with model good looks is a model NHLer.He's no longer just a pretty face.<h2>GOALS THAT COUNT: SETTLING THE SCORE</h2>Mike Modano was scoring more crucial goals for the Stars this season than any other during his eight-year career. With nine game-winning goals and one gametying goal, 32 per cent of Modano's 31 goals had determined the outcome of a game. His career season high of 30 per cent was set in 1991-92. Listed are season, Modano's games, total goals, game-winning goals (GW), game-tying goals (GT), combined GW and GT goals, and percentage that represents.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021161/6491831-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="646" height="509"></div> &#9632;

f0006-01

FEATURES

Star rises in South

<div class="byline">By Mike Dudurich</div>The kid from Hell's Kitchen, N.Y., has joined one club and started another of his own.When Joe Mullen of the Pittsburgh Penguins deflected a Chris Tamer shot past Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy March 14, he etched his name in history. Joe Mullen: First American-born player to score 500 regular season goals.Mullen is the 25th NHLer to reach 500 goals. Dave Andreychuk of the New Jersey Devils joined the club one night later (See pgs. 20 and 38 for more on 500-goalplateaus.)Mullen came into the season needing just five goals to reach No. 500, but it was a struggle. &ldquo;I kept looking at the calendar and seeing the season coming to an end and was beginning to wonder if I was going to get it,&rdquo; Mullen said.The 40-year-old right winger broke with protocol prior to the game and laughed afterwards.&ldquo;Michel Goulet sent a couple jerseys before the game that had signatures of the guys who have scored 500 goals,&rdquo; Mullen said. &ldquo;He wanted to get Mario's (Lemieux) signature and asked if I'd sign it, too. I normally don't do things like that until afterwards. (But) I signed it and maybe that pressure is something I needed.&rdquo;Prospects to join the U.S.-born 500-goal club are Pat LaFontaine (445 goals), Jeremy Roenick (290). Mike Modano (252), Keith Tkachuk (190), John LeClair (171) and Tony Amonte (168).Mullen identified the following as his five most memorable goals.&#9633; His first NHL goal (Jan. 5, 1982), St. Louis Blues: &ldquo;It was in St. Louis and I had only played a few games. I had the puck behind the net and tried to center it, but it went in off (goalie Gilles Meloche).&rdquo;&#9633; His second NHL goal, St. Louis: &ldquo;It came eight seconds after the first one. We dumped it in, Brian Sutter went in and got it, centered it to me and I beat Gilles to the five-hole.&rdquo;&#9633; His 500th NHL goal (March 14, 1997), Pittsburgh: &ldquo;I pressed all season for it. Guys were telling me get to the net and that's all I was trying to do.&rdquo;&#9633; His 50th goal of 1988-89 (March 31, 1989), Calgary Flames: &ldquo;Doug Gilmour had it behind the net, I went to the right post and when Dougie got it to me, the goalie was looking the other way.&rdquo;&#9633; Playoff goal (April 20, 1986), Calgary: &ldquo;It was near the end of regulation and we had pulled our goalie. (The puck) popped into the air, I grabbed it, put it down and popped it into the open side.&rdquo; &#9632;

Mullen establishes American 500-goal club

<div class="byline">By Josh Rubin</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011609/6491900-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">New Brunswick goalie Frank Leblanc couldn't stop Guelph's Tim Spitzig early in the second period.</figcaption></div>There aren't many ways to top being named top player in the country, but Matt Mullin found one.The diminutive 23-year-old netminder led the Guelph Gryphons to the University Cup March 17 at Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto. He faced 40 shots en route to a 4-3 win over the New Brunswick Varsity Reds and earned MVP honors for the Canadian universities' Final Four tournament.&ldquo;This is an unbelievable feeling,&rdquo; said Mullin, whose last championship was with the Ontario team that won the under-17 World Hockey Challenge in 1991.After the Gryphons took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, some Guelph players took the rest of the night off and New Brunswick outshot the Gryphons 31-15 over the final 40 minutes.But the onslaught wasn't any surprise for Mullin, who March 13 won the Sullivan Trophy as Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union player of the year.&ldquo;I knew whether I faced 40 shots or 20 shots, I'd still have to be on top of my game to win,&rdquo; Mullin said. &ldquo;(Winning the Sullivan Trophy) wouldn't mean a whole lot without a team trophy, too.&rdquo;The win marked the end of Guelph's disappointment at the national finals. Coach Marlin Muylaert's team had been there four times in five years and had come away empty-handed each time.Although Muylaert's team had been impressing opposing coaches all year with its all-around strength, he had no doubt the second-year Mullin was the final piece of the championship puzzle.&ldquo;A lot of people have been talking about how consistent we are at playing a system, but a lot of that is because of Matt,&rdquo; Muylaert said. &ldquo;He really stabilized us as a team. Guys have confidence in him, which allows them to play positional hockey.&rdquo;Although Mullin was never picked in the NHL draft-scouts believe the former Sudbury Wolves' and Windsor Spitfires' goalie is too small at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds-his steady play at the university level attracted the eye of Canada's national team, which invited him to join its current tour.After that, Muylaert isn't so sure his second year goalie will be back between the pipes next season. &ldquo;I'd be surprised if someone, somewhere didn't sign him,&rdquo; Muylaert said.Attendance at the final game was 5,733.Guelph beat the York Yeomen 4-2 in one semifinal game March 15, while New Brunswick edged the Alberta Golden Bears 4-3 in overtime in the other. New Brunswick defenseman Daryl Rivers played the final game with a broken arm, sustained in the semifinal. &#9632;

f0008-01

Guelph rules Canada

<div class="byline">Compiled by THN staff</div>Charges of skate tampering in the Central League led to charges of racial slurs that almost led to an off-ice brawl.The Memphis RiverKings claimed the skate blades of forwards Ryan Pisiak and Derek Grant were tampered with before the start of their playoff opener against the Macon Whoopee March 19.Prior to Game 2 the following day, Pisiak accused Whoopee trainer of being involved in the skate incident. Macon Centreplex Zamboni driver Doug Hill, who is black, became involved and said Pisiak referred to him with a racial slur.Upon hearing that, Macon coach John Paris Jr., who is also black, got involved. Paris got into a shouting match with Memphis forward Jamie Cooke. The exchange became more heated and a finger-pointing and shoving incident ensued.After security personnel rushed to restrain Paris, the situation was thought to have calmed. But Paris began yelling and banging on the glass. Memphis coach Herb Boxer confronted him and Boxer and Paris had to be restrained.The league is investigating.NEW DEADLINE: The deadline for naming hockey rosters for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan has been pushed back to Dec. 1, the Toronto Star reported.Canada, Russia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland campaigned for the extension from the original Aug. I deadline. Only the United States was content with the earlier date.The new deadline allows coaches to base selections on what NHLers accomplish early next season rather than this season. The International Ice Hockey Federation, NHL and NHL Players' Association agreed to the extension.CORRECTION: The NHL record streak of plus-,500 seasons is 32 years by the Montreal Canadiens from 195152 to 1982-83. THN incorrectly identified Boston in the March 21 issue.-With a file from Larry Starks &#9632;

Central League probing slur

<div class="byline">By Norman Lauzon</div>Though you wouldn t say it to their faces, Scott Stevens and Darren McCarty are both April Fools.Maybe it's because they were born on a day regarded as open season for practical jokes that both players evolved to become tough customers.New Jersey Devils' defenseman Stevens was born April 1, 1964 and Detroit Red Wings' winger McCarthy exactly eight years later. But did you know they were born in the same hospital at 3:33 a.m. and delivered by the same doctor?Actually, the last part is an early April Fool's Day prank. But here are facts about birthdates that are true.&bull; Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche were born Oct. 5, 1965. Pittsburgh's Fredrik Olausson was born a year later.&bull; Christmas babies were Dmitri Mironov of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1965), Pittsburgh's Stu Barnes (1970) and Jim Dowd of the American League's Saint John Flames (1968).&bull; The busiest day is June 24 with seven NHLers celebrating birthdays: Bernie Nicholls of the San Jose Sharks (1961), Gary Suter of the Chicago Blackhawks (1964), Uwe Krupp of Colorado (1965), Shane Churla of the New York Rangers, (1965) Bill Huard of the Dallas Stars (1967), Christer Olsson of the Ottawa Senators (1970) and Jere Lehtinen of Dallas (1973).A 1996 survey of the top 650 NHLers show 41 per cent of them were born within the first four months of the year. In contrast, 27 per cent were bom in the final four months.Children bom before minor hockey's summer enrollment dates have an extra year of development on those bom after the summer months. &#9632;

Stevens born to laugh

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011530/6491986-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="413" height="583"></div>Forgive the mind for wandering during the dog days of the NHL schedule. Here are some random thoughts from a hockey writer counting the days until the playoffs begin:&#9633; Wayne Gretzky's retirement You've heard it said about special players, &ldquo;He'll enter the Hall of Fame the day he retires.&rdquo;That generally means the player is so revered, the customary waiting period before eligibility for induction to the Hall should be waived.Where Gretzky is concerned, the off-the-cuff statement should be taken literally. On the very day Gretzky calls it quits, he should take his special place in the Hall.On his own, by himself.Gretzky's induction should be special, just like his career. His final moment of glory should be shared by no others.Have Gretzky announce his retirement in New York and then jet to Toronto for his induction ceremony. Treat it as one of the biggest days in NHL history because, after all, it will be.Four players, Dit Clapper, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Jean Beliveau, had the mandatory three-year waiting period waived in honor of their brilliant careers, but we're talking about the player who has had the single greatest impact on the game. What a great way to bring positive attention to the NHL, (which is something Gretzky has always been keen on), and what a great honor for The Great One.&#9633; The never-ending crease controversy The crease is hockey's high-traffic area. So let's treat attacking players the same as automobile drivers.Drive 10 miles an hour over the speed limit or buzz through a yellow caution light and you're not likely to be ticketed unless you're involved in an accident. It's such a minor offense, it's not worth the paperwork.Get caught with the toe of your skate in the crease on the opposite side of the net when a goal is scored and the goal must stand. Interfere with the netminder and it's no goal.Goalies, like pedestrians, deserve protection. But the NHL has taken things too far. They've done away with photo radar in parts of Canada; let's make better use of the eye in the sky that catches otherwise innocent crease intruders.&bull; Say what? Listening to Ottawa Senators' chairman Rod Bryden threaten to move the team, however delicately he chooses his words, strikes a nerve. If the only reason to go to a Senators' game is to ensure the team doesn't move, what's the point? The Senators are a much-improved team and are clearly headed in the right direction. But that isn't enough reason to dole out the money to watch them play. Fans pay to see winners, not whiners.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021086/6491979-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="551" height="964"><figcaption class="caption-body">Tie Domi</figcaption></div>&bull; Doubleheader weekend How many weekends during the regular season have special meaning? The all-star weekend you say? Give me a break.Why not have one weekend a year when geographical rivals play back-to-back games. Toronto vs. Buffalo; the Rangers vs. the Islanders; Tampa Bay vs. Florida; Philadelphia vs. New Jersey etc. Teams will get geared up in hopes of sweeping their foes and it's one more reason for fans to pay close attention to the results of games in which they might not have any other compelling interest.Sly idea The best thing the FOX Network has brought to hockey is the scoreboard in the top left comer of the screen. I hate watching games on other networks that don't show the score and game clock on a consistent basis.&bull; Mike's World Mike Keenan will return to the NHL; make no mistake about that. He's too good a coach: o keep down for long. The best thing lie can do during his sabbatical is scout the league and discover the virtues of players who aren't named MacTavish, Noonan and Matteau.&bull; Tie one on Few players on the Toronto Maple Leafs have lived up to their job description like enforcer Tie Domi. Here's hoping he earns a $50,000 bonus for personal and team performances to make up for the similar amount he lost last season as the result of a ridiculous eight-game suspension he was given for suckering Ulf Samuelsson. &#9632;

f0009-01

COLUMNISTS

Gretzky should go straight into Hall

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div>Yes, there were deals done at the NHL trading deadline, but none that came close to making the Stanley Cup a done deal.It was indicative of GMs' general unwillingness to alter the makeup of their lineups with so many clubs still fighting for playoff spots that the two highest-profile players to change teams among the 18 deadline-day trades were a pair of second line centers with fewer than 80 points between them.The Toronto Maple Leafs shipped 31-year-old Kirk Muller to the Florida Panthers for prospect Jason Podollan while the Calgary Flames dispatched underachieving Robert Reichel to the New York Islanders for right winger Marty McInnis and goalie prospect Tyrone Gamer.In all, there were 41 draft picks and players dealt March 18, 21 of whom can be considered bona fide NHLers. (See pg. 38 for a list of all trades since the 1996 entry draft.)Top contenders such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars stood pat, rather than risk messing up their chemistry and/or budgets.The reality is it's just not that easy to pull off a big trade anymore as ballooning salaries and league parity clog up the middle and keep GMs on the defensive. Only Toronto, the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks were as many as eight points out of a playoff spot at the deadline.&ldquo;We were looking for a goal-scorer,&rdquo; said Buffalo Sabres' GM John Muckier, who picked up 17-goal-scorer Miroslav Satan from the Edmonton Oilers, &ldquo;and Satan is as good a goal-scorer as you could find.&rdquo;Muckier said his commitment to keeping his young prospects, not money, was the prime reason he didn't pull off a bigger trade. He said to get a high-profile scorer, he would have had to sacrifice his future-something few clubs are willing to do in light of the Panthers' 1996 Stanley Cup run. The Panthers proved high-salaried superstars aren't imperative.&ldquo;There's no salary cap in the league,&rdquo; said Detroit Red Wings' coach-GM Scott Bowman, &ldquo;but it's almost as if teams make their own salary caps.&rdquo;&ldquo;It was very, very quiet out there,&rdquo; said Leafs' GM Cliff Fletcher, one of the most active traders with three deals. &ldquo;I've never gone through a trading deadline day with so few telephone calls and so little going on.&rdquo;Fletcher found himself in one of the easiest situations in which to bargain: at the bottom of NHL fitter with some I pricev veterans and no hope of making a playoff run.For teams that wanted to fine-tune, those veterans were still in some demand. As a result, Toronto dropped the most on the payroll grid compared to THN's Nov. 12 salary survey, going from 12th to 19th overall. Most of the reduction came in deals to dispatch Muller ($2.1 million Cdn.), defenseman Larry Murphy to Detroit ($2.35 million U.S.) and, earlier, center Doug Gilmour and defenseman Dave Ellett (combined $4 million U.S.) to the New Jersey Devils.In reality, teams pay only about 14 per cent of 1996-97 salaries for players acquired at the deadline, but all four Leaf veterans were locked up to expensive deals through at least 1997-98.The other team to lop off a good percentage of player costs was the Boston Bruins, who nosedived to a league-low $14.5 million from $18 million earlier this season. The vast majority of that came in a March 1 trade that sent three of the team's four highest-paid players (Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet and Bill Ranford) to the Washington Capitals.Late-season payroll figures now are most valuable as indications of talent level and playoff hopes. As an example, the Capitals' current payroll, $27.2 million, doesn't reflect poorly on season performance as much as it reflects high expectations for making and performing well in the playoffs.The fortunes of teams with the league's highest and lowest payrolls prove the point again that the correlation between spending and winning isn't always in proportion. The New York Rangers are at a whopping $37.9 million, tops in the league, while the cross-town rival New York Islanders are second lowest at $14.6 million. The extra $25 million spent by the Rangers might not get them home ice in the first round of the playoffs while the Islanders still had a remote chance of making the playoffs.<h2>RATING RETURNS ON NHL PAYROLLS</h2>The New York Rangers' payroll is the unofficial NHL leader at $37.9 million (U.S.), but is management getting bang for its buck puck investment?Not on our scale. The Rangers rate only two pucks for their play this season: they have provided low return on the dollar considering their payroll is 66 per cent above the league average of $22.9 million and their winning percentage a mere four per cent above .500. Two teams, the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres, earned five puck ratings, and two others, the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks, shared a dubious distinction. one puck ratings. (Taken into account is that some payroll figures don't represent season-long amounts.)All payrolls listed, including those of Canadian teams, are expressed in U.S. dollars (at a conversion rate of $0.73 Cdn.). Included are 1996-97 winning percentages through games of March 20.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011587/6492017-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="838" height="1762"></div> &#9632;

f0010-01

Bang for the bucks

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div>Alexander Mogilny arrived in Vancouver on July 8, 1995, with two labels: one good, one bad.Some called him Alexander the Great, which is what he was in 199293, the season he scored a fantastic 76 goals with the Buffalo Sabres. Others referred to him as moody, enigmatic and a divisive force who played whenever the spirit moved him.In nearly two seasons as a Vancouver Canuck, Mogilny has displayed both labels.Sabres' GM John Muckier, who dealt Mogilny to the Canucks for center Mike Peca, defenseman Mike Wilson and a 1995 first-round entry draft choice (which turned out to be defenseman Jay McKee) summed up his former employee quite succinctly.&ldquo;Alex can be as good as he wants to be,&rdquo; Muckier said.Mogilny was very good in 1995-96, his first season in Vancouver, scoring 55 goals He had 51 by the end of February and earned post-season honors as the second team all-star right winger. Without him, the Canucks would not have made the playoffs.&ldquo;He was terrific,&rdquo; said former coach Rick Ley.Current coach Tom Renney has only seen the terrific side of Mogilny sporadically. There was an eight-goal, 16-point November followed by a three-goal, eight-point December. The 28-year-old Russian scored seven goals in February, but had just one in March through the first 10 games. He and oft-injured countryman Pavel Bure were the team's acknowledged tone-setters and when they weren't doing it, neither was the team.&ldquo;As they go, whether we like it or not, so goes the balance of the hockey club,&rdquo; Renney said. &ldquo;When these guys are really excited and interested in playing, it has a spin-off effect.&rdquo;Bure, as it turned out, played most of the year suffering from whiplash, an injury sustained on opening night and that re-occurred every time he was hit. He finally bowed out of the lineup March 3. Mogilny, however.had no such excuses for his spotty performance and his frustrations finally boiled over halfway through the season.&ldquo;I like it here and I want to stay here, but we need help,&rdquo; Mogilny said well before the trading deadline. &ldquo;Everybody knows it all starts with strength up the middle. I'm not in a management position. I don t make decisions and I know it's not easy to make trades. But if it doesn't change, I hope when they make a trade it's me. And I've told them as much.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011547/6492079-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="969" height="2286"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexander Mogilny can become a restricted free agent this year.</figcaption></div>Canucks' GM Pat Quinn, of course, didn't trade for a center back then and didn't do anything at the March 18 deadline either. After missing out on Doug Gilmour and Adam Oates, Quinn did obtain 33-year-old Sergei Nemchinov from the New York Rangers March 9, but the Russian center was suffering from a rib muscle injury and had yet to play a game through March 20.Mogilny was on a less than point-per-game pace for the first time since his rookie campaign of 1989-90 and I becomes a restricted free I agent July 1. He appears to have overcome his mid-season blues and now maintains his spirits are good.He says he is only thinking I about making the playoffs, I not next season.' &ldquo;I don't think that far ahead,&rdquo; said Mogilny, who I had 28 goals and 66 points I in 70 games. &ldquo;If they want I to keep me here. I'll love to I be here. But there are a lot I of twists and turns in this I business. We'll see what happens. Obviously, this season has been disappointing, but I've still done better than a lot of others players in the league.&rdquo;Quinn has stated the Canucks would like to resign Mogilny and will make the necessary qualifying offer (retaining the right to match and to draft pick compensation). However, with Mogilny's moody reputation and rebel attitude, there might not be any interest from elsewhere.One executive from a rival organization said Mogilny is the kind of player who could &ldquo;rip the heart&rdquo; from a team. Renney said Mogilny &ldquo;is a good team player&rdquo; and that he would love to have him back next season.Quinn remains convinced, or at least claims to be convinced, that Bure and Mogilny can play harmoniously either on the same line or with different units. He wants a team with three balanced lines, not one with a conventional first line, second line and checking line. Mogilny is a large part of that plan.&ldquo;I still believe they can play effectively together,&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;If not, they give us offensive capabilities on two lines.&rdquo;The big mystery, of course, is whether the wonderfully talented Russian will become Alexander the Great again, or merely remain Moody Mogilny. &#9632;

f0012-01

Mogilny's Moguls

<div class="byline">By Jay Greenberg</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011452/6492117-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="414" height="587"></div>Where do you buy a ticket to the NHL draft lottery? Like the Bruins, I want to put all my money on Joe Stumpel and take my chances. I can't lose.Ottawa, in two tries, never has. The team that finishes last has more cards up its sleeve than even Marcel Aubut when he double-dealt Eric Lindros. The dice are as shaved as Steve Durbano's head. A club can drop only one position below where it finished or move up a maximum of four places.The ping pong balls blow around for the purpose only of creating a media show. Like Barry Melrose, it's all hot air. There are 1,001 possible combinations, none of them unfavorable to the smelliest team in the league, which stinks, actually. There remains virtually no incentive for the Sharks not to put Greg Hawgood on the power play for the final three weeks of the seasor Oh, Greg Hawgood is the best guy San Jose has to put on its power play fc the final three week of the season? Well you know what we mean.The NHL instituted the lottery in 1995 to keep skunk teams from lying down like Joe Nieuwendyk on a training table. For years, stuff even more fishy than a Rejean Houle trade was going on.&ldquo;You ever going to win a game?&rdquo; Washington GM Max McNab asked Minnesota GM Lou Nanne as both teams vied for the rights to draft Bobby Smith in 1978.&ldquo;Not unless you do,&rdquo; replied Nanne.To make sure the Penguins got Mario Lemieux in 1984, Eddie Johnston was farming out guys who could play. In 1993, Ottawa's Bruce Firestone got caught saying out loud that it was not in the first-year Senators' best interest to win. He even suggested-kiddingly, Firestone later insisted-that four players were in the tank and had been promised jobs for the following season.Gary Bettman came to the NHL from a league that avoided these shenanigans with a lottery. It worked well until Orlando, already an instant contender from drawing the first pick and Shaquille O'Neal in 1992, hit on its one ball out of 66 and won the right to draft Penny Hardaway in 1993.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021030/6492110-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="550" height="826"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joe Thornton</figcaption></div>It was fair, square and incredible luck, but the NBA teams who had so diligently applied their chronic bad judgment to remain terrible thought Orlando was undeserving of such a break.So, the NBA changed its rules and the NHL used the revisions as its role model, designing a lottery almost as restrictive as Jacques Lemaire's system.Los Angeles moved up four picks from seventh to third in 1995, the biggest break any team has received in the first two lotteries. But if you can only drop down one place, there is still much too large a reason to keep losing.We're talking mostly about appearances here. Game dumping, actually, isn't the easiest thing to do. You can't tell players struggling to maintain NHL life not to try.Managements, who are still charging $60 a seat for Toronto-Ottawa games in April, can't make it look obvious by bringing Pete LoPresti out of retirement for a 10 game trial.The purpose of the lottery, and the bottom line on anything a professional league does, is to ensure the public can trust the results.Suspicions naturally run higher in years where there is a Lemieux, an Eric Lindros, maybe a Joe Thornton available. So, the lottery is a good thing, provided, of course, that nobody ever is put in position to take Dave Chyzowski again.The league has good reasons to push both its worst and best teams towards a competitive middle. But it should never put itself in position to reward abject failure by guaranteeing the worst team no worse than the second pick.There is nothing wrong with assigning the 26th club more balls than the 16th, but that's the only break it should get. Otherwise, the purpose of the entire exercise has been defeated almost as badly as the Bruins were in Buffalo recently. Ray Bourque was playing on a gimpy ankle, which was absolutely as honest and stupid as a team can be. &#9632;

f0013-01

Draft lottery too forgiving to league's worst teams

<div class="byline">By Bill Kingstone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011535/6492148-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Back row (left to right): W. Teal, Ted Stackhouse, W. Pop, Corb Denneny, H. McIlroy, George O'Donoghue, Rod Smylie, Lloyd Andrews and John Ross Roach. Front row (I to r): Harry Cameron, Bill (Red) Stuart, Reg Noble, Charlie Querrie, Cecil (Babe) Dye and Ken Randall.</figcaption></div>It has been 75 years since the Toronto St. Pats won their only Stanley Cup. And for 75 years, a man named George O'Donoghue hasn't received the credit he deserves.You won't find O'Donoghue's name anywhere in the NHL's M records, but there is enough evidence to suggest he was the one H who led the St. Pats-forerunners M to the Toronto Maple Leafs-to H hockey's most cherished prize in 1921-22.There are several reasons for Mt his exclusion. Nobody involved with the league at the time is alive K and official records were not kept H until 1927 when the NHL assumed control of the Stanley Cup and became a major professional league. If not for the work of hockey historians, O'Donoghue's accomplishment might never be recognized.But first a little historical perspective:The story of O'Donoghue's rise to prominence began in the fall of 1919 when the cash-strapped Toronto Arenas were sold to the amateur St. Pats. One of the owners was St. Pats' manager Charlie Querrie. O'Donoghue had been the business manager of the amateur team and it wasn't long before Querrie moved him into the same position with the pro St. Pats.Through their first two seasons in the NHL, the St. Pats had mixed success. They squeaked into the playoffs in 1921, but were demolished in two games straight by the Ottawa Senators for the league championship. This is not a typo, the Ottawa Senators were once good.As the 1921-22 season approached, Querrie made some key changes, the most important of which was to give O'Donoghue the job as bench manager.Part of the problem in this identity crisis is the fact the lines between manager and coach have blurred with history. The manager was usually the coach, but his game duties generally weren't that great since players only came to the bench when they were tired or hurt.In accounts of the day, O'Donoghue. Querrie and star player Reg Noble are all referred to as manager. Noble was the on-ice leader and Querrie performed the GM duties.But from the first practice, it was O'Donoghue who ran the team on a daily basis. Toronto newspapers refer to the St. Pats as &ldquo;O'Donoghue's boys&rdquo; and &ldquo;O'Donoghue's Irish Clan.&rdquo;The team had talent. Sensational rookie John Ross Roach was the goalie and the defense was anchored by Harry Cameron and Bill Stuart, who earned a $100 bonus for agreeing not to wear a toque. (Stuart had wonderful red hair and Querrie thought the fans would love to see it as he dashed up the ice. Primitive marketing, no?)Up front. Noble, Ken Randall, Corb Denneny and the exciting Babe Dye led the offense. Under O'Donoghue's guidance, the St. Pats won 13 of 24 games and finished second in the four-team NHL.In the two-game, total-goals final, the St. Pats pulled off a huge upset against the Senators. A controversial goal by Denneny gave the St. Pats a 5-4 win in the first game and two nights later, on a slushy ice surface in Ottawa, the teams played to a tia \Iavt nn fries moniitrio Lester Patrick-coached Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast League.The teams split the first two games and the St. Pats were rocked 3-0 in Game 3. That loss may have been the beginning of the end of O'Donoghue's coaching career. Before Game 4, Querrie went behind the bench beside O'Donoghue and the St. Pats breezed to victory in the final two games to win the Cup.The next season, with little fanfare, Querrie was back behind the bench and O'Donoghue returned to his job as business manager.&#9633;&#9633;&#9633;&#9633;&#9633;The St. Pats lived for 4-1/2 more seasons and never made it to another Cup final. O'Donoghue's name doesn't 3 appear in the record books, but even H more puzzling is the fact another 3 man has been given credit for his 9 success.Eddie Powers is listed as the coach of the St. Pats that year, but there is no proof he was even in the country that season. Hockey historian Ernie Fitzsimmons of Fredericton, N.B.,who has the world's largest collection of pre-NHL statistics, claims Powers led the Boston Westminstersof the U.S..Amateur League to a championship in 1921-22.&ldquo;I guess it's possible Powers could have come back to assist in some manner with the St. Pats,&rdquo; I Fitzsimmons said, &ldquo;but it's unlikely.&rdquo;Hockey historian Bob Duff of Windsor, Ont., is more emphatic. J &ldquo;Eddie Powers was definitely not the coach of that team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He didn't start coaching them until 1924.&rdquo;Duff also says newspapers quoted O'Donoghue after games, &ldquo;and they certainly wouldn't have been quoting the business manager of the team.&rdquo;So whose name is on the Stanley Cup? Unfortunately, nobody's. Only the team name is listed for that season.But that doesn't mean it can't be changed in the record books. History shows George O'Donoghue deserves to be alongside names such as Toe Blake, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour in Stanley Cunlore. &#9632;

f0014-01

O'Donoghue's due

<div class="byline">By Stan Fistthler</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021168/6492179-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="410" height="544"></div>The James Norris Trophy is the most abused prize in big league hockey because its intent has been corrupted over time.When it was introduced in 1953 to memorialize the Detroit Red Wings' founder, its purpose was carefully stated as an annual award &ldquo;to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.&rdquo;That's pretty plain English no matter how you tilt your dictionary. There's no mention of goals, assists or any form of attack in the qualifications.&ldquo;Defense player&rdquo; means someone who plays defense, not someone who technically is called a defenseman. but spends half his lifetime in the offensive zone, pushing for points. And when the Norris founders stated the winner should demonstrate &ldquo;the greatest all-round ability in the position.&rdquo; they meant behind their own blueline.For that reason, Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils should win the award this season.Statistically, there's a huge gap this season between Stevens and the man who will likely take home his second Norris, Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers. Leetch led NHL blueliners with 71 points in 72 games and even sported a stunning plus-32. Stevens, on the other hand, had 20 points (just four goals) in 69 games and was plus-18.But for a barometer of who has been best defensively, you have to look beyond the numbers. Threetime Norris winner Denis Potvin, now a color analyst for Florida Pan thers' games, says given the opportunity he would vote for Stevens.&ldquo;Scott has the two most important ingredients of a mature defenseman,&rdquo; Potvin says, &ldquo;patience and aggression. He's as good as anyone in the league on defense and the Devils' success reflects it.&rdquo;It's a given the 32-year-old Stevens won't win the Norris because defense-interpretive values were forever altered in the late 1960s when Bobby Orr revolutionized the blueliner's role and won eight straight Norris Trophies. As defensemen continued to become more offensive, voters were generally blinded by point totals and didn't consider defensive shortcomings. (Stevens' former Washington Capitals' teammate Rod Langway, a two-time winner, was the exception to this rule).&ldquo;When they think of the Norris these days,&rdquo; says Florida Panthers' coach Doug MacLean, &ldquo;points are a big part of the voting. But when it comes to defense, Stevens is a guy I'd love to have. He's everything about a defenseman that you like and he does things in his own end better than he ever did before.&rdquo;Stevens is the immovable object Jacques Lemaire places on the blueline when irresistible forces such as Eric Lindros come barreling through the neutral zone. Where once, as a Capital, Stevens was prone to think offense first, the Devils' captain has adjusted his style.&ldquo;Checking the top lines is my job now,&rdquo; Stevens says. &ldquo;And I'm doing more penaltykilling.&rdquo;That's the way Lemaire likes it even though it admittedly will cost Stevens any chance of trophy-winning. That thought brings an ironic smile to the coach's mug.&ldquo;When I was with the Canadiens and we won those Stanley Cups,&rdquo; Lemaire recalls, &ldquo;Serge Savard was our best defense-man. Better than Larry Robinson. Larry was always going up the ice and he wound up with two Norrises.&ldquo;But it was Serge who was back there covering for him. Scott is a throwback like Serge.&rdquo;The pity is that Stevens, like Savard, will never win a Norris. &#9632;

f0014-02

Devils' Stevens deserves Norris

<div class="byline">By Robyn Norwood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011322/6492210-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="175" height="171"></div>The road to the NHL isn't supposed to start at a rink in some Southern California mall.But Richard Park first learned to skate a few miles from the Pond of Anaheim at a now-closed rink at Brea Mall. Thirteen years later, he is the Ducks' first player from the region.A 20-year-old center, Park was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trading deadline for right winger Roman Oksiuta and scored a goal in his first game as a Duck, a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings March 19.&ldquo;That definitely has been a big dream of mine, being a Southern California kid, to play in Southern California,&rdquo; Park said.Park's winding road to the NHL took him from Rancho Palos Verdes in Southern California through the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario League and onto Pittsburgh, who selected him 50th overall in the 1994 entry draft.Bom in South Korea, Park came to the United States with his family when he was three and later moved to the Toronto area with his 19-year-old sister so he could hone his hockey skills.He spent most of this season injured or playing for the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International League after getting four goals and 10 points in 56 games for the Penguins last season.He's excited to join a team on the rise, one that hadn't lost in 12 games (7-0-5).&ldquo;I'm kind of jumping on the bandwagon here,&rdquo; he said.NOTEBOOK: Despite a franchise-record unbeaten streak that was at 12 games and counting, the Ducks were still only holding a playoff spot by three points. 'The streak means nothing,&rdquo; said defenseman Bobby Dollas. &ldquo;Look at the standings. The spread is nothing. Thank God it wasn't a losing streak or we'd be about 10 points out."&hellip;Since coach Ron Wilson clearly wasn't going to play right winger Roman Oksiuta after clashing over Oksiuta's practice habits and defensive play, the Ducks traded Oksiuta and his $600,000 salary to Pittsburgh. &ldquo;I liked everything here,&rdquo; Oksiuta said. 'The one bad thing was I was not playing.&rdquo; Oksiuta had six goals and 13 points, but appeared in only 28 of the Ducks' 70 games. &#9632;

f0016-01

California dream for Park as trade brinqs him home

<div class="byline">By Mike Loftus</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03766/6492241-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="627" height="981"><figcaption class="caption-body">Don Sweeney</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021030/6492248-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="171" height="169"></div>Since the Boston Bruins traded veterans Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet and Bill Ranford to the Washington Capitals for three young players and draft picks, coach Steve Kasper has frequently stated his remaining players should think long and hard about what the deal meant to them.Don Sweeney never needed the reminder.The 30-year-old defenseman, second to Ray Bourque in terms of seniority in Boston, wondered if the youth movement might mean his days were numbered. Sweeney was breathing a bit easier March 18 when the NHL trading deadline passed without the Bruins making a move.&ldquo;I don't think I was losing sleep over (the deadline),&rdquo; Sweeney said, &ldquo;but I make no bones about where I want to play. I love playing here. I look forward to playing each and every day, to being a big part of things. I'm not the type to just strap the stuff on. I want to play as much as they'll let me play.&rdquo;Sweeney's name surfaced in trade rumors for understandable reasons. 1 He's a solid defender, playoff-tested j. (81 post-season games), under a long-term contract that has three years to run, and his $1 million (U.S.) salary j isn't exorbitant.: Besides all that, he has been Boston's most dependable defenseman this season: Sweeney was the only Bruin tc appear in all 72 games through March 19 and he managed a plus-1 rating for t team that had allowed the most goals in the NHL.NOTEBOOK: Left winger Tim Sweeney was disappointed to learn he spent deadline day on waivers for the purpose of making him eligible to play for Providence in the American League playoffs. &ldquo;It's tough. If they want you on the roster down there, they still have to put you through waivers. That means they're not afraid to lose you.''&hellip;Veteran right winger Rob DiMaio was infuriated by a 4-1 loss March 19 at Detroit in which the Bruins took only five shots after the first period to finish with a season-low 14. &ldquo;I'm embarrassed for myself, I'm embarrassed for the guys. I'm embarrassed for the organization,&rdquo; he said&hellip;.Right winger Steve Heinze underwent season-ending abdominal surgery March 21. &#9632;

f0016-03

Vet Sweeney glad to stay

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04558/6492279-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="173" height="170"></div>For some American-born players, joining a Canadian team is not an appealing prospect.Not for Marty McInnis.&ldquo;I was excited,&rdquo; said McInnis, a native of Weymouth, Mass. &ldquo;It's a team battling for a playoff spot. I'd love to get in the playoffs. I haven't been in the playoffs the last two years. I'm looking forward to it. My wife (Missy) has never been to Canada. She's looking forward to it.&rdquo;McInnis, 26, joined the Flames in a trading deadline deal with the New York Islanders for center Robert Reichel. The left winger earned an assist seven minutes into his first game as a Flame, a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks March 19.McInnis' new linemate, right winger Jarome Iginla, described him as, &ldquo;very easy to play with. He created a lot of chances for us. He was the first guy in on the forecheck. He worked really hard down low.&rdquo;Flames' coach Pierre Page was not at all surprised to see McInnis make a comparatively smooth transition to his new team.&ldquo;He's a good two-way player,&rdquo; Page said. &ldquo;He and Iginla will probably be our best two-way hockey players. Plus he adds a lot of speed.&ldquo;We didn't see his shot (against San Jose), but he has a very good shot. We can use him on the point of the power play eventually.&rdquo;Page compared McInnis to Colorado Avalanche right winger Scott Young, a player Page used to coach with the Quebec Nordiques.&ldquo;(McInnis is) one of the best penalty-killers in the league and you can play him against the best players in the league,&rdquo; Page said. &ldquo;Scott Young can score 30 goals. Marty hasn't averaged 30 goals a year, but he can average 20 or more. Players like that are tough to find.&rdquo;The assist in the Sharks' game raised McInnis season totals to 20 goals and 43 points in 71 games, which put him fifth in scoring on the Flames.NOTEBOOK: GM Al Coates confirmed he is trying to get center Michael Nylander back in a Flames' sweater for the start of the 1997-98 season. Nylander, a Flame from 1993-94 through 1995-96, played in Lugano, Switz., this past season following contract problems with management and spats with coach Pierre Page. For all his inconsistencies, Nylander still managed to finish third on the team in scoring in 1995-96, contributing 17 goals and 55 points in 73 games&hellip;The sixth round choice surrendered by the Islanders in the Robert Reichel-Marty McInnis swap (Calgary also got junior goalie Tyrone Gamer) originally belonged to Calgary. New York acquired the pick at last year's deadline for center Bob Sweeney. &#9632;

f0016-04

Yank McInnis eager to play in Canada

<div class="byline">By Jim Kelley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06350/6492310-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="624" height="988"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rob Ray</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05417/6492317-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="173" height="172"></div>There really wasn't anything majestic about it.But when Buffalo Sabres right winger Rob Ray went to the penalty box for the 2,005th minute of his career, fans at Marine Midland arena stood up and cheered-for a very long time.&ldquo;You know, I sat there in the box and I looked at the people and they just clapped and there were some signs up. I think people in this town understand,&rdquo; Ray said after he smashed the 2,000-minute mark via a slash and a series of punches to the face of Boston Bruins' right winger Jeff Odgers. &ldquo;They know what kind of a job it is. I think they appreciate that after all this time (eight NHL seasons), I still do it.&rdquo;Ray was fourth in the league with 259 PIM and 31st on the all-time list with 2,007. In 494 career games, Ray had averaged 4.06 PIM per contest.&ldquo;I don't know if people understand just how hard it is to play that role,&rdquo; said Ray's teammate, right winger Donald Audette. &ldquo;He has been my teammate longer than anyone and he has always done that job. He did it in Rochester (of the American League) when we were down there and he has always done it up here. It's hard. You play what, five or six shifts a game, but when you have to do it you go out there and do it no matter what.&ldquo;Maybe it's entertainment for the crowd, but in (the dressing room) we know how hard it is. It's hard and sometimes it hurts. I've been in the game a long time and everyday I think, 'I'm glad I don't have to do it.' &ldquo;NOTEBOOK: The Sabres made a minor deal at the deadline, picking up right winger Miroslav Satan from Edmonton for prospects Craig Millar, a defenseman, and Barrie Moore, a right winger. The Sabres are hoping Satan, 22, can help their straggling power play&hellip;After two weeks of thinking goalie Dominik Hasek's ribs were just bruised, the Sabres learned March 20 their key player has a slight crack in one of his ribs. Hasek played several games with the injury, believing he couldn't do further damage to the area. Club officials stressed the injury is not serious and said Hasek could have continued to dress as a back-up to Steve Shields. For precautionary reasons, however, goalie Martin Biron was recalled from Hull of the Quebec League. &#9632;

f0016-06

Ray reaches 'milestone'

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-07323/6492348-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="172" height="168"></div>So much for all that trade hype involving the Chica go Blackhawks.As it turned out, March 18 was just another off day for the Hawks when the trade deadline came and went with GM Bob Pulford taking a pass on completing a deal of consequence.Pulford said one thing &ldquo;came close&rdquo; to happening, believed to be a trade for Pittsburgh Penguins' right winger Greg Johnson, but in the end the Hawks chose to stand pat and hope for the best the rest of the season using the players they already have.What the Hawks had on deadline day was a team three games below .500 struggling just to get into the Western Conference playoffs.&ldquo;I don't think we have a bad team,&rdquo; Pulford said. &ldquo;We have made changes and we are making changes.&rdquo;Hawks' coach Craig Hartsburg pointed out there was one big trade made (Ed Belfour to the San Jose Sharks for Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora and Chris Terreri on Jan. 25), which hesays helped make the Hawks a team that can play with anyone.&ldquo;When we've played as a team in games against Dallas and Colorado, we've proven we can compete with them if we have got 20 guys playing hard,&rdquo; Hartsburg said.Does that mean the Hawks can beat them in the playoffs?&ldquo;I think we can beat them, but we need everyone playing at the top of their game,&rdquo; Hartsburg said.NOTEBOOK: The Hawks signed highly regarded 20-year-old center Dmitri Nabokov March 21. Hawks' coach Craig Hartsburg said the team will add its first round pick from 1995 to the lineup after his season ends with Regina of the Western League. Nabokov is believed to have signed for the maximum $950,000 per year for three seasons&hellip;The two small deals the Hawks made March 18 were with Ottawa and Calgary and involved minor leaguers and prospects. The Hawks did send one of their top prospects, right winger Mike Prokopec, to Ottawa for right winger Denis Chasse and defenseman Kevin Bolibruck&hellip;A 4-2 loss to Phoenix March 20 assured the Hawks of a losing record on home ice for the first time since 1957-58. &#9632;

f0016-07

No deadline deals, no fear provided all hands on deck

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011177/6492379-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="172" height="171"></div>Except for game show host Monty Hall few people like to make deals more than Colorado Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix.But Lacroix opted not to look behind any doors at the March 18 trading deadline.Choosing to keep what he has, Lacroix will take his chances in the playoffs on a team that had the best record in the NHL entering the final month of the season and is defending Stanley Cup champion.&ldquo;We're very proud of the group of athletes we have here,&rdquo; Lacroix said. &ldquo;I always said we would listen to whatever could come up in order to improve this club, but we would never do a deal in order to just do a deal. Stability prevails right now.&rdquo;Speculation centered on the Avalanche making a trade to acquire an enforcer and Lacroix said he did look around the league to see who was available.But Lacroix said there are precious few enforcers who are both good at their roles on the ice and provide a positive influence in the dressing room.&ldquo;If you have the right personality as an enforcer. it's something a team has to have in the regular season. I've always said that,&rdquo; Lacroix said. &ldquo;But you have to have the right mixture. Chemistry is 50 per cent of winning. So, if you screw up the chemistry with the wrong person, even though he's the enforcer, it's not good.&rdquo;The Avs inquired about Stu Grimson of the Hartford Whalers, but the Whalers decided not to part with him.There was also speculation the Avalanche had first right of refusal on Tony Twist or Mike Peluso of the St. Louis Blues as compensation for allowing assistant coach Joel Quenneville out of his contract to take the head coaching job in St. Louis.&ldquo;When there is a player with the great qualities of an enforcer and a great person, it's tough to get them,&rdquo; Lacroix said.NOTEBOOK: Center Peter Forsberg started picking up his game. Entering the Avalanche's game against Anaheim March 21, Forsberg had points in nine straight games and goals in six. Those totals included eight goals and 17 points. Overall, Forsberg led the Avalanche with 21 goals and 72 points in 54 games, despite missing 17 games with a knee injury earlier in the season. Center Joe Sakic, who also missed 17 games, was second with 20 goals and 67 points&hellip;Left winger Adam Deadmarsh reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in his three-year NHL career with a pair of goals against Detroit March 16. Deadmarsh's previous high was 21, recorded last season&hellip;Goaltender Patrick Roy's victory over Vancouver March 18 was his 35th of the season-one short of a career-best set with Montreal in 1991-92&hellip;In a recent of string of games, the Avalanche surrendered the first goal of the game 11 of 15 times. Its record during that stretch was 10-4-1. &#9632;

f0017-01

GM Lacroix doesn't force issue of getting enforcer at deadline

<div class="byline">By Mike Heika</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02886/6492410-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="170" height="169"></div>The Dallas Stars were happily reaching their peak at the perfect time of the season.A team that has had its share of hot streaks in 1996-97 was in the middle of its hottest. The Stars had not lost more than two consecutive games this season. Since Feb. 5, they had not lost back-to-back games.After losing consecutive road games against the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings, the Stars went 13-4-2. Since the all-star break, they were 11-1-1 at Reunion Arena.And they did it with as many as five key players on the injured list and goalie Andy Moog nursing a sore back and tender right ankle.&ldquo;It has been great lately,&rdquo; said captain Derian Hatcher. &ldquo;Everything seems to be falling into place for us and we're playing good hockey. What are we, 19 games above .500? I don't care what team you're on, that's pretty good.&rdquo;The Stars improved their offense drastically, averaging 3.68 goals per game after the all-star break. And everyone was getting into the action. After a mid-season slump, center Mike Modano rebounded with a 7-11-18 stretch over 11 games. Right winger Todd Harvey had a goal and four assists in the first 41 games, but had seven goals and 21 points in his next 31. More important, he was minus-3 in the first 41 games and plus-22 in the next 31.Center Joe Nieuwendyk had 29 goals in 55 games this year and was playing his best hockey in two seasons. Left winger Greg Adams was healthy again and had his timing with Modano back.Backup goalie Arturs Irbe took over after Moog's injury and went 2-0-2. The scrappy Latvian appeared to be solidifying his case as a viable alternative to Moog in the playoffs.&ldquo;Things just seem to be coming together,&rdquo; said Stars' coach Ken Hitchcock. &ldquo;But it's funny, it's not like we're doing things we shouldn't be doing. We're playing the game the way we can play it and we're getting the results we expect.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Stars tied their franchise record for wins at 42 in their 71st game. The 1993-94 team won 42 games in an 84-game season&hellip;Goalie Andy Moog rested his sore back and tender ankle for a week, but was expected to test it and possibly come off the injured list March 23&hellip;Right winger Jere Lehtinen was being cautious with his knee injury, but was expected back in the lineup by late-March. The same was true for defenseman Richard Matvichuk and his strained groin&hellip;Left winger Brent Gilchrist had a nagging groin injury and decided to rest it for two weeks beginning March 17&hellip;Center Neal Broten was scheduled to tie Gordie Roberts' record for career games played by a U.S.-born player March 30 in Vancouver and was expected to break it the next night in Edmonton. Broten, who had eight goals and 19 points in 37 games with Los Angeles and the Stars this season, was at 1,094 career regular season games, three short of Roberts' mark. &#9632;

f0017-02

Streaky Stars pick perfect time to embark on another hot spell

<div class="byline">By Cynthia Lambert</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011213/6492441-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="173" height="172"></div>Officially, the Detroit Red Wings gave up future considerations to ac quire defenseman Larry Murphy.But the real burden they must shoulder is the vast majority of Murphy's contract, which pays him $2.35 million this season and $2,475 million in 1997-98.The transaction with the Toronto Maple Leafs was completed just prior to the 3 p.m. trading deadline March 18.&ldquo;We have a $30 million payroll and we've now added this,&rdquo; said Wings' senior vice-president Jimmy Devellano. &ldquo;This shows the commitment from ownership to do our best to win. We're not trying to cut comers.&rdquo;The Wings must reportedly pay the remainder of Murphy's contract this season (about $320,000) and two-thirds of his $2,475 million salary next season (about $1.65 million). To facilitate the trade, Murphy had to waive a no-trade clause in his contract. The three-time NHL second all-star was a target of fan ridicule in Toronto.&ldquo;Cliff (Fletcher, Leafs' GM) called me about 2:30 and said that Detroit was interested in getting me, but I'd have to get rid of the no-trade clause,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;He told me to let him know. My wife (Nancy) and I talked about it for five minutes and I called him back. It made sense to me.&rdquo;And it made sense for the Wings to add a veteran such as Murphy, particularly since Mike Ram sey's comeback attempt officially ended hours before the deadline.&ldquo;We probably might not have pursued (the Murphy trade) if Mike had worked out, but we still would have taken a good look,&rdquo; said Red Wings' coach Scotty Bowman, who coached Murphy for two years with the Pittsburgh Penguins. &ldquo;I feel very good about adding a veteran defenseman who has a lot of experience in the playoffs.&rdquo;In his first game with Detroit March 19, Murphy scored a power play goal in a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Murphy is fourth all-time in scoring among defensemen with 1,046 points in 1,304 games.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Mike Ramsey aborted his comeback attempt March 18 after playing in two games in which he had no points. Ramsey, 36, said he simply couldn't provide the calibre of play the Wings were seeking. &ldquo;I'm real disappointed because I was real excited about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Walking away this time is harder than at the end of last season because everyone was walking away then. Now it's just me."&hellip;Center Steve Yzerman hadn't scored in 14 games through March 20. &ldquo;Yes, it's very troubling,&rdquo; said Yzerman, who had 16 goals in 70 games. &ldquo;You're not going to score if you don't shoot the puck. Somehow I can't get it into my head to shoot. I wasn't exactly on fire before that, either."&hellip;After his Malmo team lost to Leksand in the Swedish Elite League playoffs, Detroit assistant coach Barry Smith was expected to rejoin the Red Wings' staff by the end of March. &ldquo;We may send him to Adirondack (of the American League) to punish him,&rdquo; quipped coach Scotty Bowman. &#9632;

f0018-01

Red Wings show they're serious by opening wallet to get Murphy

<div class="byline">By Dan Barnes</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02894/6492472-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="172" height="170"></div>Silence was golden for Edmonton Oilers' left winger Louie DeBrusk, who didn't hear the ominous ring of a telephone on the NHL's trading deadline day.He made it through, but he knows his own D-Day is long overdue. His contract expires at the end of this disappointing season. It is time for him to make a concerted effort to re-establish himself as an NHL enforcer or risk losing it all. It is probably too late for him to do that in Edmonton, but he can make a statement to another NHL team.&ldquo;I know that the right path for my hockey career is for me to be an enforcer again,&rdquo; he said.But is it the right path for him as a man? That's the conflict he has lived with for most of his time as a player.&ldquo;It's not the fighting (that bothers me),&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Once I'm in a fight I'm actually calm. It's things like waking up from the pre-game nap in a cold sweat.&rdquo;DeBrusk, 26, has matured and his self-esteem has grown. He is nothing like the angry young man who hid inside a bottle of booze whenever things went wrong years ago. He admits to &ldquo;having my fair share of falls off the wagon&rdquo; in past years, but has come a long way.&ldquo;It seems every story people write about me makes me sound weak,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm not. I think I'm a strong person. I've been through a really difficult year and I've been 100 per-cent sober. To me that's strength. If you want to say that I won't fight, that I'm scared, that's just your opinion and you can have it. I don't need everybody's respect anymore.&rdquo;What he does need is to figure out which direction he wants to take. The player who had 205 penalty minutes in 51 games as a sophomore in 1992-93 (along with eight goals), had 89 PIM (and two goals) in 31 games this season.In those earlier days, he would study his opponent, look him up in the obituaries, as he calls the penalty portion of every hockey summary. But today the opponent is within and he is philosophical about his chances for success.&ldquo;It has been too long a fight not to win,&rdquo; he said.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Drew Bannister, obtained from Tampa Bay at the trading deadline for defenseman Jeff Norton, showed up in Edmonton with nerve damage in his right shoulder. The Oilers believed he simply had a braised shoulder, but he has experienced &ldquo;burners&rdquo; in the joint and lost some feeling in his hand. The trade was not contingent on Bannister passing a medical. The 22-year-old wasn't expected to return until late-March at the earliest&hellip;GM Glen Sather's decision not to trade defenseman Luke Richardson was viewed as a commitment to playoff success by the team. Richardson will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Sather said the money he saved by dealing Norton (about $650,000) will be used to increase his offer to Richardson. &ldquo;I feel we can be competitive now,&rdquo; said Sather, who was about $500,000 apart on a deal for the defenseman&hellip;Left winger Kelly Buchberger's 200th NHL point was the winning goal in a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay March 19. &#9632;

f0018-02

DeBrusk continues tough battle to re-establish himself as NHLer

<div class="byline">By Jerry Higgins</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011129/6492503-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="173" height="170"></div>Jim Rutherford was looking for quality, not quantity, at the trading deadline, but feels he got both.The Hartford Whalers' GM made four deals in the last hour before the 3 p.m. cutoff time, trades he believes can put the Whalers in the playoffs for the first time since 1992.The key acquisitions were left winger Derek King and right winger Chris Murray.The Whalers got King, 30, from the New York Islanders for a 1997 fifth round draft pick and Murray came to Hartford from the Montreal Canadiens, via the Phoenix Coyotes, for defenseman Gerald Diduck.King, who was the Islanders' second-leading scorer with 23 goals and 50 points at the time of the trade, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.&ldquo;We'll take our chances in the offseason,&rdquo; Rutherford said. &ldquo;Derek King could like our organization and we could have just as good a chance at signing him as anyone else. If we don't sign him, the fact that we gave up a fifth round pick is OK.&rdquo;King said he hadn't decided which direction to take this summer, but will be happy to talk with the Whalers.Murray, 22, has gained a reputation for his pugilistic skills (116 penalty minutes in 57 games this season) and is happy to get a chance in Hartford.NOTEBOOK &ldquo;I feel wanted,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There's a pretty upbeat atmosphere around here.&rdquo; NOTEBOOK: In the other trades, center Mark Janssens was sent to Anaheim for minor league left winger Bates Battaglia and a fourth round entry draft pick in 1998; and right winger Kelly Chase was sent to Toronto for an eighth round entry draft pick in 1998&hellip;The emergence of center Kent Manderville made Janssens expendable&hellip; Hartford had the league's worst road record at 7-20-7. The Whalers had won only two games away from the Hartford Civic Center since Dec. 5&hellip;Slump report: center Jeff O'Neill, who was demoted to the fourth line, had two points in a 13-game stretch and hadn't scored in 10; center Keith Primeau had one goal and two points in 11 games; and left winger Paul Ranheim one goal in 16. &#9632;

f0019-01

King brings scoring punch; Murray brings plain punch

<div class="byline">By Helene Elliot</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03538/6492534-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="619" height="970"><figcaption class="caption-body">Glen Murray</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02815/6492541-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="170" height="164"></div>The Los Angeles Kings as expected, continued their rebuilding by trading a veteran forward on deadline day. The sutprise was they dealt Eddie Olczyk, not Ray Ferraro.Despite rumors that had Ferraro heading to various destinations, the Kings kept their leading goal-scorer and instead traded Olczyk, 31, to the Pittsburgh Penguins for 24-year-old right winger Glen Murray.The decision to acquire Murray was essentially made March 15. That's when coach Larry Robinson, watching the Kings lose to the Calgary Flames on TV at his home because he had a bad case of the flu, saw from that perspective how emphatically the Kings were dominated physically.&ldquo;You always hate to lose a friend and Eddie was a great guy to have around because he was such a positive guy in the dressing room,&rdquo; Robinson said. &ldquo;But Eddie is not really a physical player and he kind of fits the puzzle for Pittsburgh.&rdquo;In Murray, the Kings get a 6-foot-2, 220-pound player who should contribute physically. A 1991 first round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, Murray had 11 goals, 22 points and 24 penalty minutes in 66 games with Pittsburgh.&ldquo;We have no penetration to the net, guys don't shoot the puck and we get outhnstled on the boards and in the corners, Robinson said, that s (Murray's) bread and butter.&rdquo;Murray earned an assist in his Kings' debut, a 6-2 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim March 19.NOTEBOOK: Center-right winger Ian Laperriere was scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder and will miss the rest of the season. Laperriere, who had 23 points in 62 games, has been bothered by the injury most of the season. He's expected to make a full recovery for next season. &ldquo;It has been getting worse and worse,&rdquo; Laperriere said. &ldquo;I've had to wear a brace the last two months, which is hard for a player who plays (physically) like I do."&hellip; Center Ray Ferraro got a strong endorsement from coach Larry Robinson after the trading deadline. &ldquo;I think Ray is a big part of our future,&rdquo; Robinson said. &ldquo;In getting young kids, we need leadership from our veterans. About four or five teams just wanted us to give him away.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0019-03

Murray adds dash of crash

<div class="byline">By Dave Joseph</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04422/6492572-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="171" height="167"></div>For the fifth time since 1990, and the third time in three years, Kirk Muller has packed his bags. But Muller and Florida Panthers' GM Bryan Murray believe this latest move could be the start of a beautiful relationship.Muller, the former New Jersey Devils' and Montreal Canadiens' captain, was acquired by the Panthers from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the March 18 trading deadline for right wing prospect Jason Podollan.The Panthers were not only looking for help offensively up the middle of their lineup, but also someone to ease the burden of the loss of captain Brian Skrudland, who is out with a torn knee ligament. In Muller, a proven two-way center who has scored 20 or more goals nine times in his career, the Panthers hope they've solved both problems.&ldquo;I'm definitely excited,&rdquo; said Muller. &ldquo;They're a team that definitely fits my style, or, should I say, I fit their style. They're a gritty, hardworking team. I've always considered that the strength of my game.&rdquo;Murray, who fired blanks in his attempts earlier this year to get Doug Gilmour and Adam Oates, also inquired in the days before the trading deadline about Los Angeles Kings' center Ray Ferraro and Calgary Flames' center Dave Gagner. But Muller was No. 1 on Murray's hit list.&ldquo;The reputation I know of Kirk Muller is he's a hard-working, hardnosed, real gritty-type player who has some offensive ability,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;I'd be shocked if there's one guy in the room who doesn't like him a lot.&rdquo;Murray also was satisfied he was able to acquire Muller, 31, without having to deal one of the Panthers' roster players or any draft picks. With the Panthers well-stocked at right wing with the likes of Ray Sheppard, Scott Mellanby, Radek Dvorak and prospect Marcus Nilson, Podollan was expendable. He was playing in the American League at the time of the trade.NOTEBOOK: Right winger Jody Hull, who suffered a mild concussion March 19 in a 7-4 to the Islanders, scored the game-tying goal March 20 in the Panthers' 2-2 tie at Ottawa. That raised the Panthers' record to 8-0-1 when Hull scores a goal&hellip;The Panthers allowed three shorthanded goals in their back-to-back games at Long Island and Ottawa&hellip;Defenseman Paul Laus, who led the league in fighting majors, was listed day-to-day after injuring his right hand March 19 in a punch-up with Islanders' left winger Ken Belanger&hellip;The Panthers entered the final weeks of the season with a league-leading 17 ties. That was seven short of the NHL record of 24, set by Philadelphia in 1969-70. &#9632;

f0019-04

Gritty Muller fills pair of team's holes

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03452/6492634-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="625" height="975"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dave Andreychuk</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02669/6492641-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="171" height="167"></div>Dave Andreychuk's 500th career goal was scored in the same fashion as many of the 499 that preceded it: on a rebound during a power play.The New Jersey Devils' left winger, who hit the milestone in a March 15 I game against the Washington Capitals, has made a very good living by parking himself in front of the. opponent's net and using his soft hands and extra long reach to his advantage.&ldquo;I know I scored my first goal in my first game and it was a rebound in front of the net.&rdquo; said Andreychuk, who had 212 career power play goals over a 15year career that began in 1982 with the Buffalo Sabres. &ldquo;There haven't been too many pretty goals in the 500. There weren't too many that were plays of the week.&rdquo;This one, however, was one to remember as he became the 26th player in NHL history to score 500. His teammates had begun feeding him in an effort to end the tension, but the only goal he scored in the previous four games was an empty-netter in Buffalo March 9 for No. 499.&ldquo;Every time I stepped onto the ice I was thinking about it,&rdquo; he said.As it turns out, he's not going to stop thinking about it now that he has joined an elite group.&ldquo;I'm going to enjoy this for the rest of my life,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When my career I is over, I'll be able to take it to the bank. It's pretty impressive, I guess i You look at the list and it's hard to believe my name is on that list. There are some great Diavers there.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Coach Jacques Lemaire said he would give rookie goalie Mike Dunham four starts in the team's final 16 games, thereby meeting the requirement to prevent Dunham from becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent. If Dunham finishes with precisely 25 appearances, however, it would not be surprising if he files a grievance over several appearances lasting less than a minute&hellip;A 4-1 loss to Florida March 17 ended the Devils' 15-game unbeaten streak at home (9-0-6)&hellip;GM Lou Lamoriello claimed defenseman Chris Li-Puma on waivers from San Jose March 15, but LiPuma was reclaimed by the Sharks when he had to be subjected to waivers in order to be assigned to Albany of the American League. &#9632;

f0020-03

Super Dave reaches 500

<div class="byline">By Jim Smith</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01778/6492672-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="172" height="167"></div>If your team is having trouble scoring and you really are trying to make the playoffs, how do you trade two players with 43 goals between them and get back one with 16?That is what New York Islanders' GM Mike Milbury did at the March 18 NHL trading deadline. He sent Marty McInnis, goalie prospect Tyrone Garner and a 1997 sixth round draft pick to the Calgary Flames for center Robert Reichel. Then he gave away left winger Derek King to the Hartford Whalers for a 1997 fifth round pick.Getting Reichel, 25, who had back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94, seemed a deal to bolster the club for a run at a playoff spot. Deleting King, 30, who earns $852,500 and becomes an unrestricted Group V free agent July 1, looked a lot like a salary dump aimed at enhancing the Islanders' draft position this spring.&ldquo;That isn't true,&rdquo; Milbury said. &ldquo;I've been saying right along I'd stay with a pat hand or add to the team if I got the sense we were close and making a desperate drive toward the playoffs-and I didn't get that (sense).&rdquo;Milbury said he traded King to open up power play time for Todd Bertuzzi and Niklas Andersson. The GM also said he wasn't sure he'd be able to resign King this summer, so &ldquo;we got what we could for Derek.&rdquo;At the time of the deals, the Islanders were six points out of a playoff berth with 12 games remaining.NOTEBOOK: Center Robert Reichel had a goal and assist in his Islander debut, a 7-4 win over Florida March 19. &ldquo;I'm very happy to be here,&rdquo; Reichel said. &ldquo;I was so surprised at that trade, but I'm very comfortable.&rdquo; Reichel and right winger Marty McInnis bumped into each other at Pearson International Airport in Toronto the day of the trade. &ldquo;We just said good luck to each other,&rdquo; Reichel said&hellip;After missing 128 of 133 games due to two concussions and a dislocated shoulder, defenseman Dennis Vaske returned March 19 wearing a new number-28. He previously wore 37&hellip;The past nine winners of the Islanders' &ldquo;Good Guy&rdquo; award, voted on by the local media, have been traded, including forwards Derek King and McInnis. &#9632;

f0021-01

Milbury sends mixed message with swans at trade deadline

<div class="byline">By Rick Carpiniello</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03229/6492703-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="615" height="963"><figcaption class="caption-body">Luc Robitaille</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02421/6492710-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="171" height="165"></div>Coming up empty at the trading deadline didn't particularly irk New York Rangers' GM Neil Smith. It was the runaround he felt he got from rivals that stuck in his craw.In particular, he was frustrated with Toronto Maple Leaf GM Cliff Fletcher.&ldquo;I talked to Toronto at length about several different things and, if the truth be known, I don't think anybody would have paid the price Toronto was asking for,&rdquo; Smith said.Toronto, who eventually traded forward Kirk Muller to the Florida Panthers for prospect Jason Podollan, was apparently seeking a first round draft pick. Smith balked, instead offering a second-rounder and prospect (believed to be either Daniel Goneau or Vladimir Vorobiev). Smith was surprised when Podollan (a third-rounder in 1994) proved to be enough.&ldquo;I was told it would take one specific thing to get him and at the end of the day they took something else completely, so that leads to frustration,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;That's life.&rdquo;Smith made several other inquiries, including a call to the Vancouver Canucks about right winger Alexander Mogilny, apparently willing to part with two prospects. He was told Mogilny was absolutely unavailable at any price. Smith said he also went to at least two other teams who changed their minds about deals before the deadline.Everybody wanted the Rangers top prospects-either Christian Dube or Dan Cloutieror their 1997 first-rounder.&ldquo;So it was really a no-brainer to not do anything,&rdquo; Smith said.NOTEBOOK: Left winger Luc Robitaille suffered an undetected stress fracture in his left foot March 12. Then, while getting off the team bus in Ottawa March 14, he heard a snap. X-rays showed a broken bone, which was expected to keep Robitaille out until at least mid-April&hellip;Center Mark Messier refused to speak to the media following an embarrassing 5-4 home loss to Montreal March 19. The next day, Messier, usually co-operative with reporters, explained his &ldquo;no comment&rdquo; stance by saying, &ldquo;My mother always said, 'If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.' ''&hellip;Right winger Niklas Sundstrom had three of the past five Ranger winning goals through March 20. Two of them came at 1: Z4 lf overtime periods. &#9632;

f0021-03

Tricks of trade frustrate Smith

<div class="byline">By Chris Stevenson</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01902/6492741-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="170" height="168"></div>So much talk, so little action.With persistent Ottawa Senators' trade rumors circulating about such players as Steve Duchesne and Radek Bonk, the deadline passed with GM Pierre Gauthier acquiring Mike Prokopec.Mike who?The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for minor league right winger Denis Chasse, junior defenseman Kevin Bohbruck and a sixth round pick in next year's draft.Three players for a 22-year-old who was playing in the International League?&ldquo;I was kind of wondering if they had the right guy,&rdquo; Prokopec said. &ldquo;I haven't proven myself in the NHL.&rdquo;The Senators were attracted by Prokopec's size and are willing to be patient. &ldquo;He's a young player who we feel can develop into an NHLer,&rdquo; said coach Jacques Martin.Prokopec said he figured he'd have a better shot making the NHL in Ottawa than in Chicago. &ldquo;Chicago is more of a veteran team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Coming to a young team, everybody is the same. I know I can play in the NHL, but in Chicago, it didn't look too good for this year.&rdquo;Gauthier said he didn't make any moves other than acquiring Prokopec because he simply didn't get an offer he couldn't refuse.&ldquo;I feel good about what we've got here,&rdquo; Gauthier said. &ldquo;It's only going to get better.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Goalie Damian Rhodes returned March 20 in a 2-2 tie against with Florida after missing 10 games with a bruised calf. Coach Jacques Martin started Rhodes against the Panthers despite the fact Ron Tugnutt was coming off a tie and a win and had been named the game's first star in both games&hellip;Average home attendance through March 20 climbed to more than 15,000 for the first time since November. At the beginning of the year, Senators' owner Rod Bryden said an average of 15,000 a game would make him happy. With four dates left at the Corel Centre, 15,000 seemed a safe bet&hellip;Rookie right winger Andreas Dackell missed his first game of the season when he was a healthy scratch for the Florida game. &#9632;

f0022-01

Senators feel Prokopec can develop into regular

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03441/6492772-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="616" height="971"><figcaption class="caption-body">Eric Lindros</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02618/6492779-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="172" height="167"></div>Eric Lindros has built a reputation, as an unselfish player. In only one of his five seasons has his goal total exceeded his assists.A criticism of Lindros is that he's a little too generous with the puck. In February alone, Lindros had games of six and five assists, the former a team record.But after an embarrassing 7-5 home loss to the Buffalo Sabres March 15, the Flyers held a 15-minute players-only meeting and captain Lindros' mood seemed to change.In the Flyers' next game, Lindros took matters into his own hands, scoring a career-high four goals and assisting on two others in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.It was Lindros' first hat trick of the season.&ldquo;There's no question Eric has to shoot more,&rdquo; said Flyers' coach Terry Murray. &ldquo;He has a tremendous shot, a real heavy shot and something good is going to be created off that. With (John) LeClair and (Mikael) Renberg going to the net, the rebounds will be there.&rdquo;For his career, Lindros had 188 goals and 240 assists.In fairness, Lindros does draw a lot of double coverage, leaving space for his wingers to score. The Toronto game was an exception.&ldquo;I just got some passes that were unbelievable,&rdquo; Lindros said. &ldquo;You ge quality chances like that, they're going. to go in. Some of Rennie's passes were amazing. It makes hockey real enjoyable.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Coach Terry Murray said he was doubtful defenseman Kjell Samuelsson. out with a neck injury, will be sufficiently recovered in time for the playoffs&hellip;The Flyers' 6-3 win at Toronto March 19 raised their record against the Western Conference to 15-4-5&hellip;GM Bob Clarke said he had some talks with the Maple Leafs on trading deadline day, but nothing materialized. Most teams were after some of the Flyers' young prospects. &ldquo;There were a couple of things we would like to have done, but the price was too high,&rdquo; Clarke said&hellip;Extensive tests revealed center Dale Hawerchuk. sidelined with what was believed to have been a groin strain, instead has a lower abdominal pull which is expected to keep him out until early-April.l &#9632;

f0022-03

Shot in arm from Lindros

<div class="byline">By Mike Dudurich</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01804/6492810-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="171" height="167"></div>The experts figured Craig Patrick would look for help on defense or a power forward or maybe even a veteran backup goalie for the stretch run and playoffs.As happens so many times, the experts were wrong.The Pittsburgh Penguins' GM did not come up with a blockbuster trade at the deadline, but did acquire three forwards he hopes will provide his team with some much-needed depth.On March 18, he sent right winger Glen Murray to the Los Angeles Kings for veteran center Ed Olczyk; center Richard Park to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for enigmatic left winger Roman Oksiuta; and future considerations to the Vancouver Canucks for left winger Josef Beranek.Olczyk, 30, is excited at the prospect of playing for the Penguins.&ldquo;This team is very capable of getting on a roll and doing a lot of damage in the playoffs,&rdquo; said Olczyk, who had 21 goals and 44 points in 68 games.Patrick was pleasantly surprised Olczyk was available. &ldquo;I've known Ed for a long time,&rdquo; Patrick said. &ldquo;He has always been a positive, upbeat guy.&rdquo;Oksiuta, 26, comes to the Penguins after having worn out his welcome in Anaheim. He had six goals and 13 points in 29 games this season.&ldquo;He's a big guy with decent skills, but falls out of favor with coaches sometimes because he's considered lazy,&rdquo; Patrick said. &ldquo;Hopefully, we can get the best out of him.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Right winger Joe Mullen became the first American-born player to score 500 career goals when he beat Colorado's Patrick Roy in a 6-3 loss to the Avalanche March 14. (See pg. 8 for more on Mullen.)&hellip;The Penguins inducted three into their Hall of Fame: defenseman Dave Burrows, administrative assistant Elaine Heufelder and the late Edward J. DeBartolo&hellip;The Penguins put back-to-back wins together March 18 (over Buffalo) and 20 (over Toronto) for the first time since Feb. 4-5&hellip;Left winger Josef Beranek was playing in his native Czech Republic when the deal with Vancouver went down March 18. Within hours, he got his belongings together, obtained a visa and boarded a flight from Prague. &#9632;

f0023-01

Patrick moves forward at NHL trading deadline

<div class="byline">By Dave Luecking</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03355/6492841-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="605" height="963"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Caron</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02509/6492848-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="168" height="164"></div>By standing pat at the trading deadline, the St. Louis Blues will go with what they've got as they try to reach the playoffs for the 18th consecutive season.GM Ron Caron said he &ldquo;tried hard, but not very hard,&rdquo; to make a deal.&ldquo;There was nothing much attractive that was offered,&rdquo; Caron said.With a payroll in the $30-million range and a number of veterans under multi-year, multi-million contracts, the Blues simply could not afford to fill their most pressing need-a No. 2 center.Caron inquired about New York Islanders' center Travis Green, 26, but Islanders' GM Mike Milbury ultimately decided to keep him.Four former Blues were apparently made available to Caron-forwards Nelson Emerson and Kelly Chase and defensemen Murray Baron and Steve Duchesne, but the GM passed.Caron said there was &ldquo;very mild&rdquo; interest in expensive veterans such as defenseman Trent Yawney and left winger Sergio Momesso and Stephane Matteau, but not enough to make a deal. Veteran center Craig MacTavish and left winger Peluso attracted interest from several teams, but the Blues decided they were too valuable to the team.&ldquo;Anyone who can contribute maybe one point toward making the playoffs, whether by atmosphere m the dressing room or accomplishment on the ice, we wanted to keep,&rdquo; Caron said. &ldquo;We believe in this group in the short term.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Right winger Pavol Demitra, whose rights were acquired in a trade with Ottawa for defenseman Christer Olsson Nov. 27, signed a three-year contract with the Blues March 14. Demitra, 22, had 28 goals and 71 points playing with Las Vegas and Grand Rapids in the International League this season. In 59 NHL games over three seasons with Ottawa, he had 12 goals and 38 points&hellip;Right winger Brett Hull had points (eight goals, six assists) in 10 consecutive games and counting. Center Pierre Turgeon had a six-game streak with five goals and 12 points&hellip;Suddenly rejuvenated winger right winger Joe Murphy assisted on three goals in a 4-1 victory over Hartford March 20, giving him a goal and five points in a four-game span. &#9632;

f0023-03

Trades not in budget

<div class="byline">By Dan Wood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01883/6492910-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="172" height="172"></div>The play of Jeff Friesen has been one of the few bright spots in another disappointing season for the San Jose Sharks.Projected as a third line left winger last summer, Friesen has developed into San Jose's top center. The 20-year-old was especially hot in the second half, recording 17 goals and 39 points in 41 games after Dec. 17.&ldquo;Fries has proven he can score a point a game in this league,&rdquo; said coach Al Sims. &ldquo;A No. 1 center has to get 80 to 100 points. Fries may not get that this year, but obviously, if he finishes 50 games with 50 points, next year he's going to come in with that expectation.&rdquo;The 11th overall selection in the 1994 draft, Friesen entered the league in 1994-95 with 15 goals and 25 points in 48 games. Last year, his total of 15 goals and 46 points in 79 games was considered leveling off at best.&ldquo;I've made more progress in a month this year than in the last two years combined,&rdquo; said Friesen, who had 25 goals and 52 points through 71games. &ldquo;It has been a big year for me, as far as being given a chance to play.&rdquo;Chances are. it will fall to players such as Friesen and linemate Viktor Kozlov, 22, to lead the way if the Sharks are to ever escape the misery of the past two seasons.&ldquo;Friesen is probably one of the youngest guys in the league in the role he's filling,&rdquo; said GM Dean Lombardi. &ldquo;His production is pretty good, but he has to continue to grow.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Right winger Tony Granato scored his 20th goal of the season in a 4-2 loss at Calgary March 19, marking the fifth time in his career and first since 199293 Granato has reached that level. His comeback from February, 1996, brain surgery complete, Granato was selected by Bay Area media members as the Sharks' nominee for the Masterton Trophy&hellip;Center Bernie Nicholls' season ended after 65 games when he underwent hernia surgery March 15. The problem was detected during a routine medical exam. Nicholls had played since late-December on a fractured ankle&hellip;Defenseman Mike Rathje's appearance against Phoenix March 14 marked his first action since Nov. 27 and subsequent groin surgery. &#9632;

f0024-01

Friesen starting to bloom as San Jose's top center

<div class="byline">By Roy Cummings</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03383/6492941-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="623" height="976"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jeff Norton</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02591/6492948-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="172" height="167"></div>The Tampa Bay Lightning j didn't get any younger at the trade deadline. Instead it got a lot older, a little tougher and a little more mobile. But that's the trade-off the team said it needed to get back into the playoff race.&ldquo;Sometimes when you're trying to make the playoffs you have to give up some of your youth to bring in experience and that's what we did,&rdquo; coach Terry Crisp-said after the Lightning traded two prospects for two veteran defensemen.In separate deals, the Lightning sent rookie defenseman Drew Bannister to the Edmonton Oilers for Jeff Norton, 31, and minor league goalie Tyler Moss to the Calgary Flames for Jamie Huscroft, 30.The deals brought the Lightning two players it has been sorely lacking. Norton gives it a smooth-skating defenseman who can bring the puck out of his end and man the point on the power play. And Huscroft gives it a hard-nosed, stay-at-home hitter who has a penchant for clearing out the front of his net.&ldquo;The front of our net is not going to be a picnic area anymore,&rdquo; Crisp said. &ldquo;Jamie is the kind of guy who will make you a pay a price for going there.&rdquo;Norton is known primarily for his offense, but had just two goals and 13 points at the time of the trade.&ldquo;I'll be the first to admit I haven't played the way I expected myself to,&rdquo; Norton said. &ldquo;I really just want to have a strong finish and forget the whole year if I can.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Goalie Daren Puppa rejoined the team after completing a one-game conditioning stint with Adirondack of the American League. Puppa stopped 19 shots in a 4-3 Adirondack victory and did not complain of any back pain after the stint. Still, the Lightning was unsure if he was ready to resume regular duties so a plan to trade either Corey Schwab or Rick Tabaracci was scrapped&hellip;There were rumors right winger Dino Ciccarelli asked to be traded before the trade deadline. Ciccarelli denied the claim. The player said that during a meeting with GM Phil Esposito he said he would be willing to move on if the team were looking to rebuild, but that his preference was to stay&hellip;Tampa scored two or fewer goals in five straight games. &#9632;

f0024-03

Kids depart, vets move in

<div class="byline">By Damian Cox</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04241/6492979-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="170" height="167"></div>After almost landing Jason Podollan for Doug Gilmour, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally landed the young right winger for Kirk Muller instead.Clearly, the Leafs have high hopes for the 21-year-old acquired from the Florida Panthers 40 minutes before the March 18 trading deadline.&ldquo;He has a tremendous upside,&rdquo; said GM Cliff Fletcher. &ldquo;He's somewhat of a risk. If he makes it, it will be as a goal-scorer.&rdquo;Podollan, a member of Canada's 1996 World Junior Championship team, has been with the Panthers for brief spurts over the past two seasons. He spent the first half of this season in the minors before joining the Panthers when injuries hit.Last spring, after returning to the Western League's Spokane Chiefs, Podollan potted 21 goals in 18 playoff games for a league record, an indication of the kind of scoring potential the Leafs believe they have acquired..Podollan said he wasn't disappointed to leave the contending Panthers for the last-place Leafs.&ldquo;It wasn't a complete shock, but it really was exciting,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I had a shot at the NHL and found out the things I must do to play here. Being traded to the Leafs, a club that is going with young players, is a wonderful opportunity for me to show what I can do.&rdquo;The Leafs weren't nearly as happy with their acquisition of robust right winger Kelly Chase from the Hartford Whalers for an eighth round pick in the 1998 draft. Chase failed his medical when he reported to Toronto because of tendinitis in his knee, an injury for which he has received cortisone shots after having surgery earlier this season.Fletcher said he wasn't aware of Chase's injury when he swung the deal in the final minutes before the deadline and said he expects Hartford to pay Chase's $400,000 salary until he's healthy enough to play.NOTEBOOK: The Leafs gave Bowling Green right winger Mike Johnson an $800,000 signing bonus when they signed him March 15. The 22-year-old was passed over in three drafts&hellip;Goalie Don Beaupre, demoted to the minors halfway through the season, refused to play in the American League playoffs, so the Leafs loaned Beaupre to Utah of the International League March 19 and will use Marcel Cousineau for the AHL play offs&hellip; Defenseman Dimitri Yushkevich was scratched for two games after swearing at assistant coach Mike Kitchen March 15 in Miami&hellip;GM Cliff Fletcher said the Leafs turned down an offer of a 1997 first round pick for left winger Wendel Clark. The offer is believed to have come from Pittsburgh. &#9632;

f0024-04

Persistency finally nets Podollan

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06145/6493010-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="620" height="985"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Staios</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05175/6493017-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="170" height="171"></div>Pat Quinn forged his reputation as a shrewd dealer at the NHL's trading deadline, but this year he stood pat.Quinn's inactivity summed up his sorry season as the Vancouver Canucks' GM. The team collapsed under the weight of injury and expectation. His only moves were to unload the contracts of non-roster players Frantisek Kucera and Josef Beranek and claim defenseman Steve Staios off waivers from the Boston Bruins. That Staios was a team-worst minus-26 on Boston, the club with the NHL's worst defensive record, said all.&ldquo;Quite frankly, the expectation there was going to be some big move was fostered mostly by (the media),&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;Certain trades that might have been wanted by the press, or even the public, just weren't available.&rdquo;Quinn said he wasn't prepared to risk the future for a short-term fix. Most teams, he explained, were seeking his top three prospects: defenseman Mattias Ohlund, left winger Peter Schaefer and center Josh Holden. He said he was not tempted to move any of the three for a veteran such as Kirk Muller.He cited Toronto as an organization that dealt top prospects and draft choices for veterans, only to have the strategy backfire. He also cited the Canucks' decision in 1986 to trade a young Cam Neely and a first-round pick for center Barry Pederson. &ldquo;It has been done here before and it has been done by a lot of teams,&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;I didn't feel it was a price that should be paid by this organization.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Canucks finished their season series against Colorado 0-5-0 and were outscored 28-7&hellip;Right winger Pavel Bure was still experiencing headaches two weeks after pulling himself from the lineup due to the effects of whiplash. His status remained indefinite and there was speculation he won't play again until next season&hellip;The Canucks, who finished one game above .500 on the road last season, were 13-23-2 on the road this season&hellip;Impending Group V free agent defenseman Chris Joseph said he will shop his services after receiving a token offer from the Canucks&hellip;Defenseman Dave Babych, 35, also slated to become an unrestricted free agent, indicated he would like to re-sign with Vancouver. &#9632;

f0024-06

Quinn won't risk future

<div class="byline">By Dave Fay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-07123/6493048-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="171" height="168"></div>Washington Capitals' GM David Poile spent a little time on the phone March 18, but not much. His dealing was done.After acquiring goalie Bill Ranford and forwards Adam Oates and Rick Tocchet from the Boston Bruins March 1, any deal Poile might have made at the trading deadline would have been window dressing.&ldquo;I'm satisfied with the makeup of this team, if and when we get all our injured back,&rdquo; he said. Of course, this being the Caps we are dealing with, that's a pretty big if.The Caps' injured reserve fist this season was down to just one player, right winger Pat Peake, for only one game, Dec. 20 against San Jose. Kevin Kaminski, Todd Krygier and Chris Simon were injured and the medical unit was back up to standard levels.Through 71 games, the Caps were up to 318 man-games lost to injury and had a clear shot at adding at least 100 man-games to the previous club record total of 233, set last season.Poile said the last-minute trade market may have been slower than usual because the Oates trade and the Feb. 25 deal that sent Doug Gilmour from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the New Jersey Devils took the two most sought after centers off the market.He also said GMs may be hesitant to trade for players who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer-such as Tocchet-without hammering out new contracts in advance.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Phil Housley moved up to left wing and scored a goal 1:21 into a game against Hartford March 16. He pulled a groin on his next shift and was expected to be out until late-March. It was typical Capital luck-Housley had just gotten hot, going 3-2-5 in his previous four games&hellip;With Housley sidelined, center Dale Hunter, a 17-year veteran, was the only Cap to play in each game this season. He was also the only one to play in all 82 games last season&hellip;Goaltender Bill Ranford was undefeated (4-01) at US Air Arena after being traded from Boston March 1 &hellip;If the Caps finish with a losing record this season, it would be only the second sub-,500 record since David Poile took over as GM in August. 1982. &#9632;

f0024-07

Poile happy with lineup, baffled by war wounds

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01811/6493079-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Barrie Moore has been called up nine times and traded once this year.</figcaption></div>The soap opera that has been Barrie Moore's season has come full circle.Moore was a Buffalo Sabre, sort of, when the NHL season opened in Edmonton. Nine demotions, nine recalls and a trade later, Moore is with the Oilers' organization after being traded by the Sabres March 18.In the interim, Moore led the American League in call-ups to the NHL, surviving an up-and-down lifestyle that fits one of his favorite pastimes.You see, come 1 p.m., Moore is on the couch, glued to the TV, a Days Of Our Lives soap opera junkie.The daytime drama has become a can't-miss part of his pre-game ritual. Morning skate, pasta for lunch, Days, then a pre-game nap.Moore, 21, was recalled nine times by the Sabres from the AHL's Rochester Americans. Once, he made a game-day emergency trip from Saint John, N.B., to Washington, D.C., only to be scratched after warmup.&ldquo;But I got to see the sites in Washington,&rdquo; the left winger says.Nine days later, he flew from Rochester to Dallas on game day, skated in warmup at Reunion Arena, then was told to go sit in the stands.&ldquo;Good hot dogs there,&rdquo; he says.Buffalo's ninth-round draft pick in 1993-from the Sudbury Wolves-has been up and down more than a yo-yo. The reason? Keeping only one or two extra players in Buffalo means payroll savings with players on two-way contracts. And with Rochester only an hour away, recalls are easy.When the Sabres needed a quick fill-in at left wing or even center, up went Moore. Of the first 167 days of the season, the second-year left winger was an American for 77 days, a Sabre for 90 and more than a little confused for all 167.In 30 NHL games, the native of London, Ont., had two goals and eight points. In 32 AHL games, he had 14 goals and 29 points. If his skating improves, he should be a full-time NHLer. Until then, like the ice shavings that spray into a goalie then melt, these are the Days of Barrie Moore's Life.Oct. 2: Sabres' coach Ted Nolan tells Moore, &ldquo;Son, pack your bags, you're going out west with us to start the NHL season in Edmonton.&rdquo;Oct. 3: Nolan gives Moore a oneway ticket to Providence, R.I. That's where the Amerks begin defense of their Calder Cup. He flies 5,000 miles (round trip) for one practice.Oct. 4: The wake-up call comes at 6:30 a.m. for the all-day trek: Edmonton to Salt Lake City to Cincinnati to Providence. &ldquo;I got in at 6:15.&rdquo; Game time is 7:30. He scores the winning goal in a 3-2 win. &ldquo;My pre-game meal that day was frozen yogurt and a thing of pretzels on the plane,&rdquo; he says.Oct. 18: Asleep at a hotel in Saint John, Moore is awakened by coach John Tortorella at 1:30 a.m. &ldquo;Moorsie, you're going to Washington.&rdquo;Oct. 19: Assigned to Rochester.Oct. 29: The day before the Amerks' home opener-highlighted by a Calder Cup ring presentation-the Sabres have Moore meet them in Dallas. &ldquo;I took the warmup, but didn't play. I had mixed feelings that time.&rdquo;The next night the Sabres play in St. Louis and Moore scores his first NHL goal.Nov. 4: Assigned to Rochester.Nov. 8: Emergency recall to play in Montreal. 'T remember thinking, 'Am I wasting my time?' He plays.Nov. 11: Assigned to Rochester.Nov. 25: Emergency recall. &ldquo;I walk in, the guys in Buffalo just laugh. It's like it's not even a big deal anymore.&rdquo;Nov. 30: Assigned to Rochester. &ldquo;I leave and guys say, 'See you next week' or 'See you in a couple days.' &ldquo;Dec. 10: Recall No. 5.Dec. 16: Assigned to Rochester.Dec. 20: Recall No. 6, the longest and most treacherous. He is promoted after the second period of a game against the Adirondack Red Wings. The Sabres have a charter flight to Ottawa and heavy snow makes the club fearful Moore won't get to Buffalo in time if he finishes the game.He still doesn't make it. &ldquo;I couldn't see the road anymore. I was thinking I wasn't going to risk my life.&rdquo;He drives back to Rochester and flies out the next day for his longest stay, 39 days. He misses a chance to play with the Amerks in the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland.&ldquo;I didn't have my clothes or my car, so I came back to Rochester on Super Bowl Sunday to get my stuff. I put everything into the drawers in my hotel room.&rdquo; The next day, (Jan. 27) he is demoted. &ldquo;I jinxed myself,&rdquo; he says.Feb. 3: Recall No. 7.Feb. 10: Assigned to Rochester.Feb. 17: Recall No. 8. Two assists in a 5-5 tie with the Calgary Flames.Feb. 19: Back to Rochester. &ldquo;It's frustrating when you put points up, but I don't think they're going to say, 'Oh, you had two assists, you have to stay.' &ldquo;March 3: Brad May's thumb injury brings about Recall No. 9. Five nights later, he scores against Montreal.In Philadelphia March 15, May's return puts Moore in the radio booth with Pete Weber and Danny Gare.&ldquo;Barrie, the way your year has gone, do you think the Sabres will leave you in Philly because the Amerks are here (for a game against the Philadelphia Phantoms the next night?)&rdquo; Weber asks. &ldquo;No, the way my year has gone, we'll go back to Buffalo, they'll send me to Rochester, then fly me back to Philadelphia in time for the game.&rdquo;Sure enough&hellip;March 16: Assigned to Rochester.March 18: Traded to Edmonton and assigned to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. The Bulldogs host the Americans March 27. &#9632;

f0027-01

Days of Barrie Moore's life

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div>Manny Legace did virtually everything a goalie could possibly do last season.He was the American League's first-team allstar. He won the Baz Bastien Award as best goalie. He led the AHL in all three major categories: goals-against average (2.27), save percentage (91.7) and shutouts (five).So what happens at the Hartford Whalers' training camp, where Sean Burke and Jason Muzzatti are incumbents? Legace plays in one pre-season game, then is quickly dispatched to the Springfield Falcons.Can you say befuddled? Can you say angry?&ldquo;It hurt not really getting an opportunity to show what I could do,&rdquo; said Legace, 24. &ldquo;I was really mad and I let everything bother me and I was terrible at the start of the year.&rdquo;With his mind elsewhere, pucks were getting by at an alarming rate. Consequently, as Spring field's second-year goalie Scott Langkow emerged as a top prospect for the Phoenix Coyotes, Legace was assigned to the Richmond Renegades of the East Coast League in December for a one-week conditioning stint.At the same time, Hartford brought in Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec League when Burke was hurt.&ldquo;That's when I sat down and talked to my mom, dad, wife (Karen) and said, 'I can't worry about it anymore,'&rdquo; said Legace, a Group II free agent after this season. &ldquo;My wife told me, 'If Hartford doesn't want you, there's nothing you can do, you won't be there next year, so quit worrying.'&rdquo;No more worries, many more saves. At the AHL all-star break in mid-January, Legace had a 3.40 goals-against average and 87.7 save percentage. In the 16 games after, he had a 2.67 GAA and 91.7 save percentage. His overall numbers (3.07 GAA and 89.6 save percentage) rated in the middle of the pack in the AHL.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02500/6493110-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="469" height="465"></div>&ldquo;The last month he has been as good as (last year),&rdquo; said Springfield coach Kevin McCarthy. COMEBACK: Gordie Howe's AHL career will last just one shift, if all k goes according to plan.Howe said playing one shift form the Syracuse Crunch in an April 1 game against the Kentucky Thorough blades will be enough to satisfy his dream of playing in six decades. Howe, who turns 69 March 31, announced March 14 his desire to play an AHL game for Syracuse.Since then, many in the hockey world have been trashing Howe and the Crunch.His long-time rival Maurice Richard blasted Howe. &ldquo;It was his wife Colleen's idea. She leads him by the nose, and he listens to her.&rdquo;To that, Howe said: &ldquo;It took me 40 years to like the guy and he ruined it in one sentence.&rdquo;BOYCOTT THREAT: A threatened playoff boycott by St. John's Maple Leafs' goalie Don Beaupre was extinguished when he agreed to be transferred at the end of the regular season.The 17-year NHL veteran will be loaned to the International League's Utah Grizzlies at the conclusion of the AHL season April 15. Toronto Maple Leafs' backup goalie Marcel Cousineau will be assigned to St. John's at that time.Beaupre, 35, earlier said he was unwilling to play as much as six weeks of AHL playoff action without financial compensation.EXTRA SKATER: Starting March 15, teams can dress an extra skater (17 instead of 16) under certain criteria. The 17th skater has to come from the junior or college ranks and be on the reserve list of the AHL club's NHL affiliate. The rule is in effect for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. &#9632;

f0027-02

LEAGUES

Legace playing for next season

<div class="byline">By Kevin lole</div>There were bleak days last season for the Los Angeles Ice Dogs, a franchise which struggled to meet payroll as much as it did to secure wins.&ldquo;Real tough times,&rdquo; said defenseman Dan Lambert, the team's soft-spoken captain.But Lambert didn't know how easy that year really was. He had the finest season of his pro career, earning 87 points and finishing as runner-up for the Governor's Trophy, given to the league's top defenseman.This season, Lambert's sensational play has helped Long Beach to the top of the Western Conference standings and, with 12 goals and 57 points in 58 games, he is the frontrunner for the Governor's Trophy.But he has done it with a heavy heart after being drawn into the middle of the Graham James saga. James is the ex-j Western League coach jailed for sexually assaulting two former players.Lambert lists James, who was h coach at Swift Current, as the biggest influence on his career. Boston Bruins' winger Sheldon Kennedy, whose allegations helped bring &ldquo;James to trial, was Lambert's roommate.When the story broke, Lambert was an emotional wreck. Lambert said he was angry at what occurred, but didn't want to turn his back on the man who had done so much for him.&ldquo;It was a huge mistake,&rdquo; Lambert said. &ldquo;It came as a shock to me. But I'll always think of Graham as a friend because he did a lot for me. I can't control what happened between Graham and other players. I had no knowledge of it, but I feel sorry for Sheldon.&ldquo;But I couldn't turn my back on (James). Graham made a mistake and he's paying for it. I don't agree with what he did. but I don't feel I can completely cut off our relationship because of it.&rdquo;SMYTH RETURNS: Orlando left winger Kevin Smyth, who lost the sight in his right eye when he was struck by an errant shot Dec. 28. has returned to the Solar Bears' lineup.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01848/6493141-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="417" height="466"></div>Smyth wore a full shield with a cage at the bottom and had an assist in an 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones March 19.The 23-year-old Banff, Alta., native underwent five surgeries after the injury to repair a severely damaged retina, lacerations to the eye and a fractured eye orbit. He was cleared to play March 3 and returned after missing 33 games.&ldquo;It was exciting for me to get back because I spent three months not knowing whether I'd ever be able to play again,&rdquo; Smyth said.Doctors told Smyth his left eye had 100 per cent straight ahead vision but limited peripheral vision to the right.&ldquo;I felt a little tired but happy to be back. As each game and each day passes, I'll learn a lot more about how to deal with this.&rdquo;Smyth is property of the Hartford Whalers, but cannot return to the NHL because of league bylaws regarding vision requirements.COACHES BRAWL: Phoenix Roadrunners' coach Rob Laird and Detroit Vipers' coach Steve Ludzik got into a fistfight following a March 8 game.Witnesses said as the coaches left the ice, &mdash; Ludzik shoved Laird, who turned around and landed a punch. They proceeded to exchange blows before security broke the fight up.Ludzik was apparently upset the Roadrunners were playing exceptionally physical hockey and was yelling at Laird throughout the game.Each coach was fined $500.I-OPENERS: Las Vegas Thunder assistant GM Clint Malarchuk was pressed into duty March 14 against Long Beach when the team was left with just one goalie. Then when Andre Racicot was hurt during a shootout, Malarchuk had to come in. Malarchuk, 35, stopped all four shooters he faced and Las Vegas, which trailed the shootout 3-1 when Racicot left, came back to win. Malarchuk played the entire 60 minutes the next night against the Cleveland Lumberjacks, making 27 stops in a 5-2 loss. &ldquo;I don't know how I did, but I'm pretty sure I lead all assistant GMs in most goaltending categories,&rdquo; he cracked. &#9632;

f0028-01

Lambert won't turn back on former coach James

<div class="byline">By John Packett</div>And then there was one.With the announcement March 14 that the Knoxville Cherokees were relocating to Florence. S.C.. in 1997-98, the Johnstown Chiefs became the only one of the East Coast League's original five members to remain in the same city.The Knoxville franchise was founded in 1988-89, along with the Erie Panthers, Carolina Thunderbirds (based in Winston-Salem, N.C.), Virginia Lancers (based in Vinton, Va.) and Johnstown. Erie moved to Baton Rouge, La., Carolina moved to Wheeling, W. Va., and Virginia is now in Tallahassee, Fla.Knoxville's principal owners, Dr. John Staley Jr. and Warren Payne, said the decision 0 to leave was not an easy one and was based on the small size of the Knoxville Civic Coliseum (cap. o. 4,803) and an inability to re-negotiate a new lease with the city.&ldquo;In order to remain competitive in this league, we need a better facility and the city of Knoxville was not able to commit to build one in the future,&rdquo; the co-owners said in a statement. &ldquo;We have put a lot of time and money into this team and have agonized over this decision. We've studied the numbers over and over again and it's just not financially viable in Knoxville.&rdquo;The co-owners said the Cherokees never made money during their nine-year existence, losing more than $1 million.ECHL owners approved the move to Florence, where the team will play in the 7,500-seat Florence County Civic Center.&ldquo;The commitment made by the city of Florence has been substantial,&rdquo; said Richard W. Adams. ECHL president and CEO. &ldquo;With more weekend dates and a modem building with luxury suites, we expect the franchise to do extremely well.&rdquo;BACK ON TOP: The Louisiana IceGators completed a remarkable climb from the bottom of the South Division-after forfeiting nine games in November-to the top by beating Jacksonville 7-6 March 14.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02562/6493172-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="415" height="427"></div>The Birmingham Bulls overtook them the next night, however, and were three points ahead of Louisiana and the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks with two weeks remaining in the season.ATTENDANCE RECORD: The IceGators broke their own ECHL single-season attendance mark with three home games remaining in the regular season.In 32 home dates, the IceGators attracted 364,785 fans, nearly 23,(XX) more than last season's record of 342,154 last season.Louisiana, which is averaging 11,399 (third in all of minor pro hockey), could reach the 400,000 mark by season's end.The team would need to sell out the final three games of the season to reach that plateau. With 100 standing room spots recently added to the ' Cajundome, the attendance capacity is 11,800.COAST LINES: Knoxville ended ' a 20-game road losing streak with a 5-3 victory over Birmingham March 11. It was the second-longest road losing string in ECHL history, topped only by the Roanoke Valley Rebels' 26-game streak in 1992-93&hellip;The Cherokees set a league mark for fewest shots on goal (11) March 14 in a 5-2 loss in Mobile. Knoxville did not have a shot on goal during the last 36:14&hellip; Wheeling Nailers' defenseman Martin LePage was selected player of the week for the period ending March 16 after scoring two goals and seven points in two games. The 1992 draft pick of the Quebec Nordiques was plus-8 in the Nailers' 11-3 rout of the Huntington Blizzard March 14&hellip;The IceGators literally gave the shirts off their back for charity when they played with green sweaters St. Patrick's Day March 17. Led by all-star defenseman Chris Valicevic's sweater, which sold for $4,(XX), the auction brought in $34,325 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the official charity of the ECHL. &#9632;

f0028-02

Cherokees leave Knoxville for better deal in Florence

<div class="byline">By Kevin lole</div>There is no single breeding ground for NHL GMs. Montreal's Rejean Houle stepped into his job after serving as a brewery executive. Colorado's Pierre Lacroix was previously a player agent. And Philadelphia's Bob Clarke went directly from the ice into the front office.But Don Waddell of the Orlando Solar Bears could be the first to make it from the portable toilet industry.The 38-year-old Waddell is one of the International League's brightest minds and directs, arguably, the league's finest outfit. Orlando made it to the Turner Cup final in its first season last year and has been competing for first overall this season.In addition, the Solar Bears are profitable.Because of that, it shouldn't be long before Waddell's name begins to get mentioned as a candidate to fill NHL vacancies.&ldquo;I respect Donnie's opinion a great deal and I communicate with him a lot,&rdquo; said Larry Pleau, the New York Rangers' vice-president of player personnel. &ldquo;He's a real people-oriented guy who has worked hard and done a great job. Give him time and he'll get his chance. When I you put together a record like he I has, you make yourself hard to miss.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03397/6493210-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="413" height="541"></div>But Waddell was easy to miss lit-tie more than a decade ago. He had I just retired as one of the IHL's best defensemen and was making his living hawking portable toilets. He had I played one game in the NHL, in 1980-81 with the Los Angeles I Kings, but was enough of a pragmatist to know he wasn't going back. Then he got a call from Rick Dudley, who was coaching Flint in the IHL. Flint was short of defensemen and Waddell was in Toledo, just 2-1/2 hours away.&ldquo;I asked my wife if she wanted to go to a game and she said OK,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;And when I told her I was playing, well, you should have seen the look.&rdquo;It was enough to get him back into the business though. He quickly became a player-assistant and took Dudley's job as Flint coach-GM when Dudley left to become coach in New Haven of the American League in 1988. Waddell coached in Flint in 1988-89 and their moved on to the San Diego Gulls.It was with the IHL's Gulls that Waddell really learned the ropes. He went through more than 70 players that year. A mistake or a bad game could cost a player his job. Waddell laughs about it now, but he spent many sleepless nights that first year pondering how to improve ins team, which finished last in its division, 35 points behind the team above it and 71 points out of first.&ldquo;I was constantly trying to find a better player,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That was the best experience I ever had. I learned pretty quickly that the grass is not always greener. I think I'm a patient guy now and whenever I feel a bit impulsive, I just think back to that year and it helps me gain some perspective.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04280/6493203-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="413" height="545"><figcaption class="caption-body">Don Waddell</figcaption></div>It is the same way he is viewing his career. He has been approached, he says, on several occasions about NHL front-office jobs. Either the timing or the situation, or both, were not quite right.And anybody who knows Don Waddell understands he doesn't do anything unless it is just right.Those who know him best, I though, are adamant in their belief I the day is not too far away when Waddell will head up an NHL team.&ldquo;He built this franchise into an NHL-type organization,&rdquo; said his coach in Orlando, ex-NHLer Curt Fraser. &ldquo;You take a look at what he did here and why wouldn't someone there want to give him a chance? If they want to win and do things in a first-class manner, they will.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0028-03

Going from the outhouse to penthouse

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03303/6493248-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg"></div>Windsor Spitfires' coach Paul Gillis is living the life of a man on death row, not knowing when the execution will take place.It's expected Gillis will quit or be fired after the Ontario League playoffs. The rift with GM Mike Awender, also a minority owner, is evident. The two often pass in arena corridors without speaking.Gillis, who has spoken with the expansion Toronto St. Mike's Majors about their coaching job, has the support of captain D.J. Smith, a Toronto Maple Leafs' blueline prospect.&ldquo;Many of the players are in support of Coach, but we want to focus on the playoffs,&rdquo; Smith said two games into their series with the Sarnia Sting.&ldquo;We're trying to keep it together here. It's unfortunate. You want the organization on the same page. It's tough to understand. (Gillis) played in the NHL (11 seasons) and he's the only guy in the organization who has been in the NHL at any level. When he's talking, it's first-hand experience.&rdquo;Gillis, who joined the team at midooint last season, is unset he has never been consulted about any trades. When Awender was asked about Gillis' status for next season, the GM said all aspects of the team will be reviewed. As long as Gillis is coaching &ldquo;he has my support,&rdquo; Awender said.The Spitfires were third in the West Division, 29-29-8 which represented a 20-point improvement over last season.Smith, 19. whom the Leafs acquired a year ago from the New York Islanders, said Gillis has prepared him for a pro career.&ldquo;He got me away from fighting,&rdquo; said Smith, with 190 penalty minutes this season after being among league bad boys last season with 260. He had 201 minutes his rookie year.DOUBLE WINNER: Oshawa Generals' center Marc Savard, with 43 goals and 130 points, is the fourth player in 64 years of junior hockey in Ontario to win two scoring titles.He won in 1994-95 with 139 points and was on track last season until breaking his ankle. Nobody has won three titles.The other two-timers are Billy Taylor with Oshawa (1936-37 and 1938-39), Andre Boudrias with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens (1961-62 and 1963-64) and Marcel Dionne with the St. Catharines Blackhawks (1969-70 and 1970-71).STINGY DEFENSE: The Ottawa 67's set an OHL record for fewest goals allowed in a season, 177. The previous best was 193 by the Niagara Falls Flyers in 1970-71 in a 62-game schedule. The best 66-game total was 204 by the Peterborough Petes in 1975-76. Ottawa goalies finished 1-2 in goals-against average with Tim Keyes at 2.62 and Craig Hillier at 2.66.SAD SACKS: For a second consecutive season, the London Knights had the worst record in the Canadian Hockey League, 13-51-2. The Knights set a CHL futility record last season at 360-3. Thev're 34-155-9 the oast three seasons.<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 15-20): Cameron Mann's five goals and 15 points in three games against Kingston-eight points in Game 3-made him Peterborough's career playoff goal leader (36)&hellip;Ottawa captain Alyn McCauley was slated to return Game 3 against Belleville after missing the first two with a concussion&hellip;Pointless the first three games, Windsor's second line of D.J. Mando, Jeff Zehr and Peter Sarno accounted for six points in Game 4 to avoid a Sarnia sweep. With his team trailing Detroit 3-1 in the opener, Sault Ste. Marie's Joe Thornton scored three in a row&hellip;Luch Nasato had five assists in Barrie's 8-3 win over Owen Sound in Game 1.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01743/6493241-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="636" height="737"><figcaption class="caption-body">Swift Current's Todd McLellan was named the WHL's top boss.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0029-03

Spitfires' rift likely means end for Gillis

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04215/6493286-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg"></div>Small-town Saskatchewan has produced some big-time players.That was obvious when the Western League distributed its awards March 18.Brandon Wheat Kings' left winger Peter Schaefer was named most valuable player. Seattle Thunderbirds' center Patrick Marleau was runner-up.Schaefer hails from Yellow Grass, Sask. Marleau is from the Saskatchewan community of Aneroid.&ldquo;It must be the small-town ice time,&rdquo; Schaefer said. &ldquo;(Marleau) got the same as me. We could play shinny all the time at the rink.&rdquo;And it paid off.&ldquo;I'm definitely excited over the award,&rdquo; said the 19-year-old Schaefer. &ldquo;I was very honored to be up against a player like Patrick Marleau. Even though he's only 17, he's a great player.&rdquo;Schaefer finished fourth in WHL scoring with 49 goals and 123 points in 61 games, while Marleau was third with 51 goals and 125 points in 71 games. The Portland Winter Hawks' Todd Robinson was the top scorer with 38 goals and 134 points.Reaching the 50-goal plateau would have been sweet for Schaefer,. &ldquo;I didn't get 50 goals, but I'm still happy with my season,&rdquo; Schaefer said. &ldquo;I guess it wasn't meant to be.&rdquo;Schaefer had a much better finishing touch March 14. He scored three shorthanded goals in an 8-1 victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, becoming only the third WHL player to accomplish that feat. Kalvin Knibbs of the TriCity Americans, (Jan. 31, 1990) and Glen Goodall of Seattle (Jan. 27, 1990) previously notched shorthanded hat tricks.YOUTH SERVED: At 29, Todd McLellan of the Swift Current Broncos is the WHL's youngest coach-GM. He's also among the most successful.McLellan was honored as the league's executive of the year. He was also runner-up to Brent Peterson of the Portland Winter Hawks in voting for coach of the year.&ldquo;You definitely don't consider that at the beginning of the year,&rdquo; McLellan said. &ldquo;I had a lot of people approach me and congratulate me, but it should be recognized as a team award.&rdquo;(See pg. 42 list of WHL end of season award winners).(PACKED IN PORTLAND: The Winter Hawks set a WHL attendance mark March 15 when 19,103 fans watched Portland tie Seattle 6-6 at the Rose Garden. The previous record of 18,655 was set Oct. 26,1995 when Portland played host to the Saskatoon Blades. The Winter Hawks drew a league-high 305,553 customers during the 1996-97 season.<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 19-20): Moose Jaw opened its Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 4-2 victory over second-ranked Brandon. Moose Jaw, the conference's seventh seed, got a 43-save performance from outstanding 19-year-old rookie Donovan Nunweiler in the March 19 opener&hellip; The night before, third-ranked Swift Current scored six first period goals en route to an 8-1 victory over sixth seeded Medicine Hat. Swift Current's Chris Szysky had one goal and three assists&hellip; The three Western Conference series began March 21.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02476/6493279-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="633" height="733"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pavel Rosa is the first European to win the scorinq crown.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0029-04

Schaefer cops MVP award, just misses 50

<div class="byline">By Stuart Cowan</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05188/6493317-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg"></div>The Hull Olympiques are keeping their champagne on ice.Hull won the Jean Rougeau Trophy as Quebec League regular season champions after posting a 48-19-3 record, but there was no celebration after the Olympiques clinched the title with a 3-0 win over the Beauport Harfangs March 12.&ldquo;We didn't celebrate at all,&rdquo; said Hull GM Charlie Henry. &ldquo;That's a credit to the guys on the team. If you're a good team, you should do well and we expected to do well.&rdquo;The Olympiques, who have an automatic berth in the Memorial Cup as host team, had a first round bye in the QMJHL playoffs. More importantly, they have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs-as well as at the Memorial Cup. Hull had a 28-6-1 record at home this season and had lost only once at the Robert Guertin Arena since Dec. 4, posting a 19-1-1 record.The Olympiques also have history on their side. The previous two times they won the regular-season title (1985-86 and ^STBS), they went on to win the playoff championships.CORSO TOP PLAYER: Victoriaville Tigres' center Daniel Corso won the Michel Briere Trophy as QMJHL MVP after scoring 51 goals and 119 points in 54 games while leading the Tigres to the Dilio Division title with a 43-23-4 record.The 1996 St. Louis Blues' seventh round draft pick moved from right wing to center this season and responded offensively. He was held off the scoresheet just nine times and had 32 multiple-point games. He had a hand in 41 per cent of Victoriaville's goals despite missing 16 games, including the last nine games of the regular season as a result of mononucleosis.The Tigres had a first round bye in the playoffs and it wasn't certain when Corso would return. When originally diagnosed Feb. 25, he was expected to miss up to six weeks.ROSA MAKES HISTORY: Hull's Pavel Rosa became the first European player in league history to win the scoring title. A 1995 second round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, Rosa finished with 63 goals and 152 points in 69 games, becoming the fifth QMJHL player to lead in goals, assists and points.The others to accomplish the feat were Dale Hawerchuk, Pat La-Fontaine. Mario Lemieux and Daniel Briere.Other 1996-97 winners were: the Halifax Mooseheads' Clement Jodoin (top coach), Shawinigan Cataractes' Stephane Robidas (top defenseman), Chicoutimi Sagueneens' Marc Denis (lowest goals-against average), Rimouski Oceanic center Vincent Lecavalier (top offensive rookie), Hull goalie Christian Bronsard (top defensive rookie), Drummondville Voltigeurs' center Daniel Briere (most gentlemanly player) and Vai d'Or Foreurs' goalie Roberto Luongo (top pro prospect). Lecavalier finished the season with 103 points, the eighth-highest-ever total for a QMJHL 16-year-old.<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 15-20): Sherbrooke was eliminated in the first round for the third straight year when it was swept 3-0 by Vai d'Or. Dominic Chiasson had one goal and five assists in an 8-2 clinching victory March 20&hellip;Laval's first trip to the playoffs since 1994-95 was a short one as Drummondville completed a 3-0 sweep&hellip;Halifax, which entered the playoffs with a 17-game unbeaten streak at home (16-0-1) was shocked 9-3 by Beauport on home ice in Game 1 before rebounding to win the next two games&hellip;Hull plays Drummondville and Granby faces Vai d'Or in the second round of the playoffs. &#9632;

f0029-05

Memorial Cup hosts put party on back-burner

There's something about the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament that brings out the best in Cornell junior goalie Jason Elliott.Elliott was named tournament MVP for the second consecutive year after leading the Big Red to a 2-1 win over top-seeded Clarkson in the championship game at the Olympic Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., March 15.The Australian-born goalie stopped 36 shots in a 5-3 semifinal win over RPI, then had 31 saves in the final against Clarkson.Elliott, who finished fifth in the league with a 2.70 goals-against average, became just the second player in tournament history to win back-to-back tournament MVP awards. The other was another Cornell goalie, Ken Dryden, who accomplished the feat in 1968 and 1969 before going on to a Hall of Fame NHL career.&ldquo;Any time you win an award like this, it's great, but knowing Ken Dryden is the only other player to have won it back-to-back, that's a real bonus,&rdquo; said Elliott, a 1994 draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings and the team's No. 10-ranked prospect in THN's Future Watch.In the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, Michigan captured the playoff title with a 3-1 victory over Michigan State March 15. It was Michigan's third CCHA playoff championship in four years.The Wolverines scored twice (Warren Luhning and Brendan Morrison) in the opening three minutes.In the semifinals March 14, Michigan routed Bowling Green 7-2 and Michigan State stormed back from a 3-0 third-period deficit to Miami and won 4-3 in overtime. Michigan State defenseman Chris Bogas scored twice, including the tying goal with four minutes remaining. Brian Crane scored the winner three minutes into overtime.In Hockey East, Boston University coach Jack Parker opted to go with a hot hand over all-Hockey East goalie Tommy Noble and the move paid off. Michel Larocque stopped 45 of 49 shots over two games in BU's 3-2 semifinal win over UMass-Lowell March 14 and 4-2 final win over New Hampshire March 15. Larocque was named tournament MVP.&ldquo;Tommy has had an outstanding season, but Michel is hotter than a pistol and we're going with him the rest of the way,&rdquo; Parker said.New Hampshire blanked Boston College 4-0 in the other semifinal.In the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, North Dakota and Minnesota, who tied for first during the regular season, went to overtime in the final, with the Fighting Sioux winning 4-3.North Dakota's David Hoogsteen was the playoff MVP. He had a shorthanded goal in the title game and earned an assist on the winner in overtime when his shot deflected off a Minnesota stick and caromed to teammate Peter Arm-brust, who scored on a 30-foot wrist shot.Colorado College beat St. Cloud State 6-0 in the third-place game and, as it turned out, edged the Huskies for an NCAA berth.The 12 teams named to the NCAA tournaments were Michigan, North Dakota, Cornell, Miami, Minnesota and Michigan State in the West Regional March 22-23 at Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Clarkson, Boston University, New Hampshire, Colorado College, Vermont and Denver in the East Regional March 21-22 in Worcester, Mass. Two teams advance from each region to the Final Four, scheduled for Milwaukee, March 27-29. &#9632;

Elliott repeats Dryden's MVP heroics

Clarkson's Todd White had a pretty good week, but not a great week.The senior center was named player of the year in the Eastern College Athletic Conference and one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top U.S. college player.The undrafted 21-year-old, however, wasn't pleased with his top-ranked Knights falling 2-1 in the ECAC final to Cornell March 15.The Big Red put together a smothering defense that held White to two shots. The Kanata, Ont., native earned a spot on the all-tournament team, scoring a hat trick in Clarkson's 5-1 semifinal win over Princeton.<h2>ECAC</h2>White led the ECAC in scoring with 24 goals and 47 points in 22 games. His 37 goals and 73 points in 36 games overall gave White a 2.03 points-per-game average, tops in U.S. college hockey. He is the first Clarkson skater to be named player of the year since Steve Cruickshank in 1982.BEST IN LEAGUE: Stan Moore of Union was named coach of the year after guiding the Skating Dutchmen to an 18-13-3 record in his first year behind the bench. The Dutchmen set a school record for Division I wins and led the league in overall defense.Harvard goalie J.R. Prestifilippo, who had a 2.90 goals-against average, was top rookie.The ECAC all-star team consisted of Union goalie Trevor Koenig, Cornell defenseman Steve Wilson. Clarkson defenseman Matt Pagnutti. Todd White. Colgate winger Mike Harder and Vermont winger Martin St. Louis.FURTHER REVIEW: Instant replay was used for the first time in the history of the ECAC tournament and one goal was reviewed in each of the semifinal games.Both goals were allowed to stand, although the review of an RPI goal against Cornell didn't sit well with the Big Red. The replay appeared to confirm Matt Garver pushed a loose puck past Cornell's Jason Elliott with his hand.&ldquo;I don't know what the guy upstairs (replay official John Gallagher) saw, but I saw him push it in with his hand.&rdquo; Elliott said.-Tom Boggie<h2>CCHA</h2>There may have been better players than Brendan Morrison in Central Collegiate Hockey Association history, but the senior Michigan center has one distinction: he's the only player to be named CCHA player of the year twice.&ldquo;I didn't know that was the case when I received the award,&rdquo; said Morrison, who had 28 goals and 83 points in 41 games. &ldquo;I guess there have been a lot of great players in our league. And it's just quite an honor to have done something nobody else ever did.&rdquo;Past winners include Brian Hoizinger. David Oliver. Brian Savage. Jim Dowd, Steve Weeks. Ken Morrow and Mike Lint, who is Michigan's volunteer goalie coach.The CCHA player of the year trophy joins the mountains of acclaim Morrison has won. Michigan participated in three tournaments this season (The College Hockey Showcase, Great Lakes Invitational and CCHA championship) and last season's THN U.S. college player of the year was the MVP in all three.He's the first player to win three consecutive Great Lakes MVP awards and he became Michigan's all-time leading scorer and assist man.The 21-year-old was a 1993 second round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils.Both he and senior linemate Jason Botterill (a 1994 first round pick of the Dallas Stars) had the opportunity to sign with their NHL teams this past summer. Both elected to stay and try to win their second straight NCAA title.AWARD WINNERS: Miami's Mark Mazzoleni was named top coach and Western Michigan's Daryl Andrews top rookie.Andrews, a defenseman drafted by New Jersey in 1996, was second in rookie scoring with six goals and 22 points. He led rookies with a plus-10 rating. Mazzoleni led the Redskins to their second-best winning percentage (.722).Michigan senior center John Madden was named best defensive forward, Ferris State senior Andy Roach was selected best offensive defenseman and Michigan State junior Tyler Harlton was best defensive defenseman. (See pg. 42 for all-star teams.)-Paul Harris &#9632;

Knight has Golden year, but Clarkson No. 2 team

The Hockey East jury has returned a verdict on Chris Drury: outstanding.Drury, a junior center for Boston University, won the league scoring title with 41 points in 24 games and was named the Hockey East player of the year.&ldquo;He plays with a lot of grit and determination and that's the way he leads,&rdquo; said BU coach Jack Parker. &ldquo;He shows our players how the game has to be played.&rdquo;&ldquo;He's a special kind of player,&rdquo; said New Hampshire coach Dick Umile.Drury, selected 72nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1994, was rated 10th among Colorado Avalanche prospects in THN's Future Watch.(See pg. 42 for Hockey East award winners and all-star teams.)<h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2>MAKING SI HIDES: Hockey East doesn't have an award for the most improved player, but if it did New Hampshire sophomore center Jason Krog would be the clear-cut winner.The 5-foot-ll, 180-pound native of Femie, B.C., elevated his point total from 19 in 32 games as a freshman to 66 in 38 games as a second-year collegian. His 44 assists were the fourth highest in New Hampshire history.&ldquo;I'm playing with more confidence this season,&rdquo; Krog said. &ldquo;I've also been on a line with some great players (Mark Mowers and Tommy Nolan) and I've gotten more ice time.&rdquo;Dick Umile said Krog has emerged as one of the best players he has ever coached.UMILE COMEBACK: Dick Umile, recovering from a mild heart attack March 8. Was scheduled to return behind the Wildcats' bench for their first NCAA Tournament game March 21 against Colorado College.The 47-year-old Umile was released from hospital March 11 and prescribed rest. Assistants Chris Serino and Brian McCloskey ran the bench in his absence and Umile watched from the stands as his team lost 4-2 to Boston University in the Hockey East final March 15. Umile didn't enjoy the experience.&ldquo;It was awful,&rdquo; he said.-Larry Mahoney<h2>WCHA</h2>Minnesota junior defenseman Mike Crowley was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year, a slam-dunk decision that came after he tied for the scoring title.Crowley was an all-WCHA player for the second straight season. A first-team all-America in 1996, he is also a Hobey Baker Award finalist for the second straight season.Crowley, property of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, set a single-season record for Gopher blueliners (63 points) last season and had eight goals and 53 points this season.On the day the awards were announced, Crowley, 21, scored an overtime goal to lift the Gophers past St. Cloud State in the WCHA playoffs.&ldquo;Some day I can look back on (the award) and it will mean a lot,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but right now the win is the only thing I'm thinking about.&rdquo;Said defensive partner Brian LaFleur: &ldquo;When you play against him or with him, you find out pretty quickly how good he is.&rdquo;MORE STARS: Mike Crowley shared the league scoring title with Colorado College sophomore center Brian Swanson, who was the leading vote-getter on the all-league team.North Dakota's Dean Blais was named top coach, Minnesota-Duluth goalie Brant Nicklin was top rookie. Colorado College senior defenseman Eric Rud was top defensive player and Denver senior winger-defenseman Petri Gunther was top student-athlete. Gunther, a computer science major from Mikkelli. Fin., has a 3.95 grade-point average.(See pg. 42 for WCHA all-stars.)RED-HOT RECRUIT: Prize recruit Scott Gomez has given a verbal commitment to join Colorado College next year.The 17-year-old high school senior moved from Alaska to play junior hockey for the South Surrey Eagles in the British Columbia Junior League this season. The high-scoring center is the prize college recruit out of Canada.Gomez finished second in BCJHL scoring this season with 48 goals and 124 points in 54 games.-Chris Miller &#9632;

'Special' Drury honored as best in Hockey East

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01836/6493427-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01846/6493420-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="7290" height="4220"></div> &#9632;

f0032-01

HOCKEY IS AN OFFICIAL SUPPLIER TO NHL STATISTICAL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02529/6493458-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0036-02

NHL GOALTENDING

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01760/6493489-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="593" height="459"></div> &#9632;

f0036-01

NHL SUMMARIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01682/6493527-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01749/6493520-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="3435" height="3892"></div> &#9632;

f0037-01

NHL GAME SUMMAARIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01714/6493558-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0039-01

NHL ROSTERS AND TEANSACTIONS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01419/6493589-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0040-01

CANADIAN LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01364/6493620-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0042-01

SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">By Sherry Skalko</div>LAKE PLACID, N.Y.-Six international tournaments, five silver medals.That sums up the history of the United States in women's international competition. The silver medals have been the result of losses to Canada in the championship finals of three World Championships, two Pacific Rim Championships and 1996 Three Nations Cup.The rivals meet again in the eight-team 1997 World Women's Championship, March 31-April 6 in Kitchener, Ont., and surrounding areas.As showdown No. 7 approached, U.S. national team coach Ben Smith dispelled any notion revenge was on the minds of his players.&ldquo;We don't care who we beat for the championship,&rdquo; Smith said, &ldquo;And we'll make sure our players feel the same way.&rdquo;But everything is pointing toward a Canada-U.S. showdown in the final, as has been the case in the 1990, '92 and '94 world tournaments. The two countries are miles ahead of the others.Smith doesn't have a set of those silver medals in his trophy cabinet, but center Lisa Brown-Miller has three of them. &ldquo;(Canada is) our biggest rival who we faced every time in the finals,&rdquo; Brown-Miller said. &ldquo;Mentally, we are strong and we realize we have the potential and the talent to beat them.&rdquo;The U.S. has beaten Canada before. It won 52 in the preliminary round of 1995 Pacific Rim event. Canada discounts the loss, claiming it played its B team, though the same team eventually won the tournament. Last October, the U.S. won 2-1 in overtime at the Three Nations Cup, but again the win came in the preliminary round.Since Smith was named 1998 U.S. Olympic coach last May, the players have been under the guidance of one coach and have been able to adapt and settle in under one style.A big blow for the Americans could be the absence of superstar forward Cammi Granato, who has been bothered by back spasms. But Canada could be without two of its stop forwards in France St-Louis and Danielle Goyette.Unlike the Canadians, who rely on club team play for development, the Americans have conducted a series of mini-camps to prepare and Brown-Miller likes what she sees.&ldquo;Canada is a little concerned because of all the training we've been doing,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They may feel we have caught up to them or might be half a step ahead.&rdquo;(See pg. 42 for tournament schedule.) &#9632;

U.S. looks for gold in showdown No. 7

Tournament History Canada has won all three events.Best Goalie Danielle Dube, 21, has been Canada's No. 1 for two years. She'll likely be backed up by Lesley Reddon and Manon Rheaume will probably be cut.Best Defenseman Geraldine Heaney, 29, has been arguably the world's best women's player the past seven years.Best Forward Hayley Wicken-heiser, 18, is not as dangerous as the legendary Angela James, but she's a strong, two-way player.Coach Shannon Miller<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01376/6493682-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="554" height="747"></div>Geraldine Heanev<h2>CANADA ROSTER</h2>Goalies Danielle Dube, Vancouver; B.C.; Lesley Reddon, Mississauga, Ont.; Manon Rheaume, Lac Beauport, Que.Defensemen Therese Brisson, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que.; Cassie Campbell, Brampton, Ont; Judy Diduck, Sherwood Park, Alta.; Rebecca Fahey, Sackville, N.B.; Geraldine Heaney, Weston, Ont.; Fiona Smith, Edam, Sask.Forwards Lori Dupuis, Williamstown, Ont.; Nancy Drolet, Drummondville, Que.; Danielle Goyette, Ste-Foy, Que.; Jayna Hefford, Kingston, Ont.; Angela James, Thornhill, Ont.; Luce Letendre, Brossard, Que.; Karen Nystrom, Scarborough, Ont; Laura Schuler, Scarborough, Ont; France St-Louis, St-Hubert, Que.; Vicki Sunohara, Scarborough, Ont; Hayley Wickenheiser, Calgary, Alta.; Stacey Wilson, Salisbury, N.B.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02263/6493675-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="2018" height="1618"></div><h2>Great Wall of USA</h2>Erin Whitten gives the United States spectacular goaltending and a legitimate shot at the gold medal. &#9632;

f0043-01

Team Canada

History The championship has been held three times under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation.1990 Ottawa Final Standings: 1. Canada 2. USA 3. Finland 4. Sweden 5. Switzerland 6. Norway 7. Germany 8. Japan. Gold medal game: Canada 5, USA 2.1992 Tampere, Fin. Final Standings: 1. Canada 2. USA 3. Finland 4. Sweden. 5. China 6. Norway 7. Denmark 8. Switzerland. Gold medal game: Canada 8, USA 0.1994 Lake Placid, N.Y. Final Standings: 1. Canada 2. USA 3. Finland. 4. China 5. Sweden 6. Norway 7. Switzerland 8. Germany. Gold medal game: Canada 6, USA 3.1998 Olympics Women's hockey makes its debut at the Nagano Games. The top five teams in the World Championship, along with host Japan, qualify for the Games.All-time leading scorer Cammi Granato of USA has 22 goals and 36 points in 15 games (1990, '92 and '94).Television TSN will carry the Canada-Russia game Tuesday, April 1 (7:30 p.m. EST), and gold medal game Sunday, April 6 (8 p.m). NTV-Plus Sports in Moscow will have both games tape delayed. Rogers Cable in Ontario will show Canada-China Thursday, April 3 (7:30 p.m.), for broadcast on April 4 at 7:30 p.m.<h2>1997 Women's Championship, March 31-April 6, Kitchener, Ont.</h2><h3>GROUP A</h3>CANADA Superior depth and talent maKe the three-time united states Americans nave made great strides champs favorites over the U.S.CHINA A well-coached team that trains full-time, China FINLAND The Finns don't have a large player pool, buttheir plays a cohesive game with strong defense and goaltending.RUSSIA The team is big, disciplined and physical, but the SWEDEN Sweden has not progressed much over the years players are surprisingly poor skaters.SWITZERLAND This team is relatively weak across the NORWAY The Norwegians will not be a factor. Look for board, but brings a determined work ethic to the rink.<h3>GROUP B</h3>UNITED STATES The Americans have made great strides and are eager to unseat Canada as the No. I nation.FINLAND The Finns don't have a large player pool, but their top 25 are among the elite in the world.SWEDEN Sweden has not progressed much over the years and will battle Russia for the crucial fifth-place spot.NORWAY The Norwegians will not be a factor. Look for them to battle Switzerland to avoid eighth place. &#9632;

Tournament Primer

Tournament History The U.S. has placed second three times.Best Goalie Erin Whitten, 25, is the best women&rsquo;s goalie in the world and has helped close the gap between USA and Canada.Best Defenseman Kelly O&rsquo;-Leary, 29, gives the Americans loads of experience and offense from the blueline.Best Forward With Cammi Granato questionable because of back spasms, much of the scoring responsibility will fall to 25-year-old Karen Bye.Coach Ben Smith<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03220/6493737-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="554" height="753"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kelly O&rsquo;Leary</figcaption></div><h2>USA ROSTER</h2>Goalies Sarah Tueting, Winnetka. 111. Erin Whitten, Glens Falls, N.Y.Defensemen Chris Bailey, Marietta, N.Y.; Colleen Coyne, East Falmouth. Mass.; Kelly O&rsquo;Leary. Aubum, Mass.; Tara Mounsey, Concord, N.H.; Vicki Movsessian, Lexington, Mass.; Angela Ruggiero, Harrison Twp., Mich.Forwards Laurie Baker, Concord, Mass.; Alana Blahoski, St. Paul. Minn.; Lisa Brown-Miller, Union Lake. Mich.; Karyn Bye, River Falls, Wis.; Tricia Dunn, Derry, N.H.; Cammi Granato, Downers Grove, Ill.; Katie King, Salem, N.H.; Shelley Looney, Trenton, Mich.; A.J. Mleczko, Nantucket, Mass.; Stephanie O&rsquo;Sullivan, Dorchester, Mass.; Gretchen Ulion, Marlborough, onn.; Sandra Whyte, Saugus, Mass. &#9632;

Search for your favorite player or team

April 4, 1997

FEATURE

Persistent Hab GM Houle finally nets his Man-son

Whale snowed under

GM Smith gets pair of guard dogs