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July, 1998
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.
Leafs take leap of faith on Antropov
The Toronto MapleBLeafs went into the entry draft having not had a first round pick the previous two drafts. Instead of playing it safe on their return to opening round action, they took one of the bigger gambles in team draft history. After first doing a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks to move to the 10th pick overall from the eighth, the Leafs went out on a slender Central Asian limb and grabbed Kazakh center Nikolai Antropov. Antropov entered the draft rated 17th among Europeans on the Central Scouting Bureau rankings. “He hasn’t been seen very much,” one scout said. “So it’s a projection.” Antropov, 18, stood out at the World Junior Championship in Finland last January when he was part of a Kazakh team that upset Canada 6-3. Antropov picked up three assists…
Quenneville great settling influence for Blues
When Joel Quenneville bolted the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche during 1996-97 to replace Mike Keenan as coach of the St. Louis Blues, there was a potential financial sacrifice attached to the move. If the Avalanche repeated as Cup champs, bonuses in Quenneville’s contract as an assistant in Colorado would have paid him more money than he would earn as head honcho with St. Louis. “Money was never an issue,” Quenneville said. “The only thing that might have held me back was the fact we had such a great team in Colorado and such a great chance to repeat. But you can’t pass up the chance to become a head coach, especially with a great organization like St. Louis.” At the time Quenneville took the reins, things actually weren’t so great…
Dominant Hasek says bring on rule changes
On the same day the NHL intro-uced a series of rule changes imed at making his job that nuch tougher, Dominik Hasek vas a happy man. First he received his second Lester B. Pearson Award br MVP as voted by the "layers. Then he dominat-:d an NHL awards night hat had all the uncertain-y of a Gilligan’s Island erun (remember that spisode where they hought they’d get off the sland?). His second straight Hart Trophy as VIVP, fourth Vezina Tro-phy and fourth first-team ill-star berth made for a lovely evening. But Hasek now sees goals, lots more of them, and that makes him even happier. “I even like the smaller crease,” Hasek said. “The fans don’t like the big decrease in goals and I don’t like it either. 1 don’t mind at all…
Pleau closes Hull of an era, Brett becomes shooting Star
After 10 years, three months, two weeks and two days as the St. Louis’ Blues marquee player, unrestricted free agent Brett Hull was shown the door June 30, told by GM Larry Pleau the Blues wouldn’t try to re-sign him. In doing so, the Blues’ new regime severed ties with the most popular, productive and colorful player in franchise history, thereby accomplishing what former GM Mike Keenan couldn’t. Saying that he would be “forever a Blues’ alumni,” Hull said it was weird to hear terms such as “ex-Blue” or “former Blue” associated with his name. Maybe that’s why it only took him three days to forge a new identity—that of a Dallas Star. Hull signed a three year deal worth $17 million with an option for a fourth. (For more on Hull, see…
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