LaFontaine questions motives behind team’s no-clear stance

The head games continued with Pat LaFontaine. The Buffalo Sabres’ captain, who has medical evidence he said frees him to return from serious concussion-related injuries, was not cleared to play or practise by team doctors as training camp got under way. LaFontaine’s agent, Don Meehan, said the issue is tied to money. Sabres’ president Larry Quinn, who denied Meehan’s claim, said he wanted all medical evaluations reviewed, including older material from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. That evaluation is said to recommend LaFontaine not be cleared to play and that he strongly consider retirement. LaFontaine, 32, started questioning why the club won’t clear him and took exception to the fact he wasn’t invited to camp or a pre-camp dinner. Quinn said LaFontaine was invited to both. Meehan accused the club of dragging its feet because…

Nylander returns with new attitude

With a little less hair on top and a lot more wis dom inside, Michael Nylander is back with the Calgary Flames for another try at the NHL. Nylander, a stylish playmaking center, bolted from the Flames in the summer of 1996, in part because of a falling out with ex-coach Pierre Page. After playing for a year in Lugano, Switzerland, Nylander quickly realized he was too young, 24, to essentially retire from high-level competition. Even if Page hadn’t moved on to accept the jobs as coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Nylander said he was ready to bury the hatchet with his ex-coach. “I learned lots from when I had Pierre as a coach until now,” Nylander said. “I just think I made some mistakes. I said some things. “There’s always two…

1997-98 WESTERN LEAGUE SCHEDULE

All eyes on Lecavalier

Here’s some bad news for opposing teams around the Quebec League: Rimouski Oceanic center Vincent Lecavalier is going to be bigger and better this season. Lecavalier, the pre-season favorite to be the No. 1 pick at next year’s NHL entry draft, spent much of the off-season in the weight room, adding 14 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame and now tips the scales at 184 pounds. “I’ve gotten stronger, especially in my legs,” said Lecavalier, the QMJHL’s rookie of the year last season after scoring 42 goals and 103 points in 64 games as a 16-year-old. “It’s important for me to get stronger and more physical.” Lecavalier’s added strength was evident at this summer’s under-18 Tri-Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic, where he had three goals and six points in six games…