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October 17, 1997
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
Avs will win wher East meets West
EASTERN CONFERENCE PREDICTION The Northeast Division race couldn’t be more wide open and the Atlantic couldn’t be tighter, with five teams challenging. Here’s how we see it. Montreal is seeded second as the projected Northeast leader. Playoff teams are in capital letters. 1. PHILADELPHIA Goaltending is not an issue (during the regular sea- son) and no team is as big or deep as the Flyers, who will be energized by Wayne Cashman. 2. MONTREAL Andy Moog will stabilize the netminding, new coaches (notably Dave King) will tighten up the defense and Saku Koivu leads a skilled offense. 3. NEW JERSEY Another year older at key positions, but netminding, defense and overall size/strength still impressive. 4. FLORIDA Dave Gagner and Esa Tikkanen will provide offensive boost and Rob Nieder-mayer will deliver 30 goals. 5. WASHINGTON Improved health a…
Radical icing rule passed to help speed up games
In an attempt to decrease stoppages and increase scoring, the International League’s board of governors voted to adopt three new playing rules for the first five weeks of the season. The most controversial proposal, an intentional icing call that would have given the nonoffending team free possession of the puck in the offensive end, was scrapped. However, the IHL voted to use the defensive blueline instead of the center red line to determine icing, eliminate line changes on neutral zone faceoffs and assess any player who shoots the puck over the glass in the defensive zone an automatic minor penalty. Cleveland Lumberjacks’ GM Larry Gordon, who is also chairman of the board of governors, believes the new icing rule will be a boon. “It opens up the game, speeds it up a lot and…
Women’s pro leagues in works
If the NHL wants to follow the National Basketball Association’s lead by establishing a pro league for: women, it will have to take a number. No fewer than three professional women’s leagues are looking to hit the ice in the next couple of years. Despite the fact women’s hockey is barely out of diapers at the world level, some people think there is big money to be made from it. One group in Canada wants to start play in 1999 and approached members of the Canadian Olympic team with letters of intent. The Women’s Professional Hockey League claims to have substantial financial backing and received signed letters of intent from 16 of 20 top American players, but alltime leading international scorer Cammi Granato said she hasn’t signed anything. The proposed league wants…
‘Second best’ vows to keep trying harder
The International League has two teams on suspension and several others on life support, but that has done nothing to diminish commissioner Bob Ufer’s optimism for the long-range health of the league. The league clearly does not want to compete with the NHL, despite the concerns of some in the older league who believe the IHL may try to go the way of the World Hockey Association. Ufer thinks the league has found its niche promoting itself as the “second-best league in the world” and said the results are beginning to show on the bottom line. The San Francisco Spiders and Phoenix Roadrunners franchises are on suspension for 1997-98, but the league is expected to announce shortly that deals have been completed to move them to Victoria, B.C., and Toronto, respectively in time…
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