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 9, 1999

The Hockey News April 9, 1999

<div class="byline">By John Packett</div>There's a new king of points in the East Coast League.Charlotte center Darryl Noren assumed the mantle of all-time leading scorer in the 11-year-old league March 16 when he assisted on a second-period goal by defenseman Louis Bernard in the Checkers' 5-4 victory over the visiting Florida Everblades.That gave Noren 635 points, one more than long-time leader Trevor Jobe, who spent the early part of the season with the Baton Rouge Kingfish before heading overseas.The Checkers' player-assistant coach added a goal and an assist later in the game to help Charlotte rally from a 4-1 deficit and edge the Everblades.&ldquo;It's an honor and I'm glad we came back to win the game,&rdquo; said Noren, 30. &ldquo;I've done some personal ' (records) and we've lost. It would have been a lot worse if we would have lost. I feel proud of it, but we have bigger things to accomplish (as a team).&rdquo;The Checkers were in danger of not making the playoffs, standing three points out of the 11th and final post-season berth in the Southern Conference with two weeks left in the regular season.Noren finished the week with 640 points, along with 280 goals, with eight games remaining.&ldquo;It's amazing,&rdquo; said Charlotte coach Shawn Wheeler, a former teammate of Noren's at Charlotte and the old Greensboro Monarchs. &ldquo;He has been such a great part of the league. He was in the league when it was a goon league, very physical, and he was able to sustain a great effort then.&ldquo;Now the league's very good with a lot of contract players and he's still consistent.&rdquo;Pensacola Ice Pilots' right winger Sheldon Gorski had earlier become the third player in ECHL history to reach the 600-point plateau. Gorski had 312 goals and 602 points.Right winger Darren Colbourne of the Augusta Lynx needed only two goals to break Jobe's league record of 324 regular season goals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03534/7246487-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="410" height="426"></div>BURSTING WITH PRIDE: The Pee Dee Pride was on the verge of clinching the Brabham Cup while possibly setting a league record for wins and points in a season.Coach Jack Capuano's club (48-14-4) had 100 points with four games remaining and needed only a win or a loss by last season's Brabham champs, the Louisiana IceGators, to claim the regular-season title. The Pride had already wrapped up the Southeast Division crown.It would mark the third time in franchise history the team has captured the Brabham Cup. As the Knoxville Cherokees, it won the Cup in the 1990-91 and 1993-94 seasons. The Cherokees failed to win the playoff championship in either of those seasons.TITAN TELEVISION: The Trenton Titans, who begin play in the 1999-2000 season, have signed a multi-year agreement with Comcast Corp., to televise a minimum of 10 games the next two seasons.CN8, Comcast's broadcast affiliate in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland area, reaches 2.2 million homes, making it the largest audience the ECHL has been exposed to on a regional basis. The Titans, who have sold 4,000 season tickets, also named Brian McKenna as their president-GM.COAST LINES: New Orleans Brass center Darryl Lafrance had registered a point in 21 straight games and scored a goal in nine consecutive contests-the longest streaks in the ECHL this season. Lafrance was player of the week ending March 21 after netting seven goals and two assists in three games&hellip;Pee Dee's Sandy Allan was goaltender of the week after posting a 2-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average and .960 save percentage&hellip;The Florida Everblades were on pace to beat the league record for lowest goals-against average-2.81 set by the 1993-94 Huntington Blizzard. The Everblades were letting in 2.55 goals a game&hellip;The Baton Rouge Kingfish held a benefit March 27 to raise money for assistant captain Scott Humeniuk, who suffered a stroke in early March&hellip;Louisiana IceGators' center John Spoltore was one point away from his second straight 100-point season. Last year, he had 111 points which ranked third in the league. &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

Checkers' Noren crowned all-time ECHL scoring king

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0041-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01441/7246942-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03853/7245725-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="354" height="469"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dale Hunter</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021141/7245732-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="173" height="171"></div>Peter Forsberg was six years old when Dale Hunter first came into the NHL. Milan Hejduk was three.Yet there was Hunter sharing the same dressing room with his new teammates, after the March 23 trade with the Washington Capitals that brought the 38-year-old center to the Colorado Avalanche.Hunter, who spent seven years with the Avalanche's predecessor, the Quebec Nordiques, was the lone trade deadline acquisition by Colorado. Needing a reserve center who could win big faceoffs and add lots of grit, the Avs gave up a second round selection in the 1999 draft-acquired from the Vancouver Canucks as compensation for coach Marc Crawford's departure-for the 19-year veteran.&ldquo;They asked me where I wanted to go,&rdquo; Hunter recalled, &ldquo;and I said, 'Well, Colorado. They have a really good club and it's exciting to go there.' &ldquo;Hunter played much of his first game with the Avs on a line with fellow veteran agitators Claude Lemieux and Theo Fleury.&ldquo;The three most hated guys in hockey, playing on the same line,&rdquo; Fleury said. &ldquo;We were laughing about that one.&rdquo;Some were surprised the Avs didn't land a tough defenseman. Others thought the team gave up too high a draft pick for Hunter, who hadn't scored in 50 games this season and was a healthy scratch 17 times.But former Quebec teammate Michel Goulet, now the Avs' director of player personnel, said the acquisition will pay off.&ldquo;His experience is going to be a valuable asset to the club,&rdquo; said Goulet, who played on the same line as Hunter. &ldquo;He's such a feisty player and great on big faceoffs.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Center Joe Sakic got into the second fight of his career when he dropped the gloves with Chicago center Doug Gilmour March 20. Sakic stood up for right winger Theo Fleury after Fleury took a punch from Gilmour. The only other fighting major Sakic received was in 1990, for a bout with Toronto's Gary Leeman&hellip; Defenseman Jon Klemm had surgery for appendicitis March 25 and will be out until mid-April&hellip;Center Adam Deadmarsh missed five games with back spasms, but was expected back in the lineup by early-April&hellip;Center Peter Forsberg had two goals in a 5-2 win over Vancouver March 25 to give him 13 goals and 40 points in 20 career games against the Canucks. &#9632;

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NHL TEAMS

Feisty newcomer Hunter centers Avs' bad boy unit

<div class="byline">By Jett Legwold</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021014/7245956-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="173" height="172"></div>In the eyes of Nashville Predators' GM David Poile, a flip of a calendar page is all that's needed.He believes a trade deadline with 12 games to play in the regular season just doesn't make sense.&ldquo;That's just one manager's opinion, but the things that are happening, the number of trades, is almost ridiculous,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;I think it is affecting too much change in a season and it's not right or fair to the game.&rdquo;In large part, as expected, Poile stood pat in the trading season. He talked to most teams, but with a thin roster of a first-year franchise, the playoffs out of reasonable reach and a desire to hang on to as many draft picks as possible, he elected to sit the flurry out. Poile came away with an additional sixth round pick in the 2000 entry draft, returning winger Blair Atcheynum to the St. Louis Blues, the team Nashville selected him from in the expansion draft last summer.&ldquo;I just think (the deadline) needs to be moved back about a month,&rdquo; Poile said. &ldquo;There was some discussion about this at our meetings this year, but I think it needs to be looked at by our league.&ldquo;But that's not to say people aren't happy with what they've done. Chicago is probably happy with what they did, Detroit is happy with what they got, the players are probably happy. I just believe that if you took a quiet survey, most managers would favor it moved back and I'm one of them. No sport puts its deadline so close to the end of the season, trading key players after playing 85 per cent of your games. Had it been moved back this year, I would expect many of the deals that were made would not have happened.&rdquo;After letting Atcheynum go, Poile extended by one year the contract of winger Vitali Yachmenev, &ldquo;a similar player in terms of what he does.&rdquo; Yachmenev, who at 24 is four years younger than Atcheynum, immediately got more time killing penalties as well as on the power play. He would have been a restricted free agent at season's end, but will now earn $450,000 next season.Nashville's collection of eight draft picks in the first three rounds of the June entry draft remained untouched. Gritty Scott Walker, center Cliff Ronning, center Greg Johnson and goalie Mike Dunham had garnered some interest, but those are players the Predators likely will build around.NOTEBOOK: GM David Poile said he has had serious discussions with David Legwand's agent, Pat Morris, trying to get a deal done for the team's first draft pick. Legwand, a center, was the No. 2 pick overall of the 1998 entry draft Morris had issued a 48-hour deadline while the team was on a two-day stay in Tampa to try and get a deal done before Legwand's Plymouth Whalers got too deep into the Ontario League playoffs. Morris later pulled back on the deadline&hellip;Tough guy Patrick Cote scored his first NHL goal in a March 24 victory over Tampa. That gave him three points to go with 195 penalty minutes&hellip;Goalie Mike Dunham got his first shutout as a Predator in the Tampa game as well. &#9632;

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Poile holds course on long-term plan while pushing for earlier deadline day

<h2>Detroit rocks hockey world</h2>1. Motown madness Wings gun for three-peat glory with additions of Chris Chelios, Ulf Samuelsson, Wendel Clark.2. It ain't over&hellip;Hull beats Victoriaville 3-2 in six-hour, 13-minute marathon, the longest game in CHL history.3. Lively deadline It's not just the record quantity of players that makes deadline day stand out, but the quality.4. Curious George Denver University coach George Gwozdecky accurately predicts team's overtime hero.5. Checker champ Darryl Noren of Charlotte becomes the East Coast League's all-time scoring leader.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0002-0244/7244970-1-eng-US/c0002-022.jpg" title="c0002-02" width="338" height="485"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ulf Samuelsson</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0002-0335/7244963-1-eng-US/c0002-032.jpg" title="c0002-03" width="338" height="486"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Carey</figcaption></div><h2>Holik gets two for wild whack</h2>1. Slash and burned Bobby Holik gets two-game suspension for breaking Igor Korolev's finger with slash.2. Carey me back Jim Carey's NHL return brief as St. Louis assigns one-time Vezina winner to minors.3. Not-so-nifty 50 NHL poised to have first full season without at least one 50-goal scorer since 1969-70.4. Failing Marc Canucks' winning percentage falls under .300 since Marc Crawford took over as coach.5. Grinding Gears Troubled United League franchise reduced to 11 skaters for six-game stretch because of finances. &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">By Steve Dryden Editor-In-Chief</div>Is Ken Holland the quintessential modern-day manager, the Grinch who bought Christmas, or the best argument yet for moving the trade deadline forward?He is all of the above.The Detroit Red Wings' GM orchestrated one of the most spectacular series of acquisitions in NHL history March 23, and the game is the lesser for his financial and cranial wherewithal. Holland picked up his wallet and whacked the NHL upside the head in stunning fashion, cementing his reputation as one of the brightest young men in the game&hellip;and one of the most dangerous.The league doesn't need another of these embarrassing trade deadline days. This year's flurry of trade activity-which was officially kicked off Feb. 28 when Colorado picked up Theo Fleuryculminated March 23 with a record 21 trades involving 30 players.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0002-0420/7245001-1-eng-US/c0002-042.jpg" title="c0002-04" width="358" height="447"></div>The result has cheapened the integrity and spirit of Stanley Cup competition this season. Chris Pronger called the post-deadline Red Wings an all-star team and while that may eventually prove their undoing, it also neatly sums up the full-season market value of the players. Had the current team been together all year, the Red Wings' 1998-99 payroll would be $55 million. (See pg. 12 for story.) Detroit has more millionaires than the NHL has playoff teams by a 17-16 margin. Detroit led die league in payroll before it traded for Chris Chelios, Wendel Clark, Ulf Samuelsson and Bill Ranford. In raising the Stanley Cup stakes so high, Holland has provided the best reason yet for the NHL to stop the insanity. The frenzy of activity surrounding the trade deadline is just plain bad for the game as the NHL becomes more and more like the Quebec League, where two or three teams load up with all the great graduating players each season to challenge for the QMJHL and Memorial Cup titles.There are many reasons for all the trades in today's NHL. The two most significant are unrestricted free agency and a late trade deadline. Allowing teams to make deals until 26 days before the end of the regular season does two things: it allows teams to acquire high-salaried players at a mere 13 per cent of their full-season value and it encourages teams to throw in the towel on seasons in doubt. Move the trade deadline forward 30 days and fewer teams will be out of the playoff race and fewer teams will want to be on the hook for up to a quarter of a player's salary. It's undeniably a good thing that teams likely to lose unrestricted free agents are smartening up and getting something in return, but for the NHL, it's too much of a good thing. &#9632;

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Trade deadline has become farce for NHL

<div class="byline">By Bob McKenzie Associate Editor</div>Two nagging questions as the 1998-99 regular season winds down:If The Hockey News were to bestow upon the Toronto Maple Leafs the NHL executive-of-the-year award, and that's a distinct possibility, which individual would get it-GM Ken Dryden or associate GM Mike Smith?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011759/7245060-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="307" height="425"></div>2. If it's Smith, where we would send him the award this summer? The Air Canada Centre? Some other NHL venue? Or Martha's Vineyard?For the record, Maple Leaf president and GMDryden believes it's an unfair question.&ldquo;I'm not sure it's a proper question,&rdquo; Dryden said. &ldquo;I think it's a question that's being asked now only because there can't be any more speculation on trades now that the (trade) deadline has passed.&rdquo;There may be a grain of truth to that. If idle hands are the devil's workshop, there's no telling what evil lurks on a slow newsday in Toronto.But in truth, the real reason there is speculation about Smith's future in Toronto and the viability of the current management structure is obvious.Smith's contract as associate GM expires at the end of this season.Any time a key employee-a coach or a GM or even an associate GM-is in the final weeks of a contract, that individual's future is an issue, whatever city and team it may be. Dryden may not like being asked if Smith will be back next season and, if so, what his title and role will be, but it's a fair question.Smith isn't bothered by the issue being raised, which isn't to say he's prepared to shed any light on what will happen either.&ldquo;I don't talk about my contract,&rdquo; Smith said The funny thing-that's funny peculiar as opposed to funny ha-ha-is the Leafs' unique management structure has obtained results this season amid rumors of front-office tension.The Leafs hadn't planned on signing net-minder Curtis Joseph as a free agent, but when the available defensemen got gobbled up at higher salaries than Toronto was willing to pay, the Leafs turned their attention to Joseph. The story goes that the ball got rolling when Dryden and Joseph's agent Don Meehan crossed paths at a convenience store.Smith, in turn, was directly responsible for hiring coach Pat Quinn, signing free-agent Steve Thomas, trading Mathieu Schneider for Alex Karpovtsev, Felix Potvin for Bryan Berard and Darby Hendrickson for Chris McAllister. In spite of the Leafs' struggles in March, every move paid significant and immediate dividends.There have, however, been reports that Dryden and Smith don't get along, that the Leaf success this season has come in spite of a dysfunctional family in a front office that also includes Anders Hedberg, who oversees amateur scouting and prospect development and reports to Dryden.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021406/7245053-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="2287" height="1723"></div>The story goes that Dryden and Hedberg are close and that Smith is anything but with either of them. During Leaf home games, Smith usually sits by himself, far from the rest of the management team.&ldquo;I wouldn't read anything into that,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I've always watched games by myself.&rdquo;Toronto newspapers highlighted the fact Smith and Dryden didn't sit together during a pre-game meal in the media room at Madison Square Garden. Both scoffed at that having any significance whatsoever.&ldquo;That's totally out of whack,&rdquo; Smith said.&ldquo;(The relationship) has been fine,&rdquo; Dryden said. &ldquo;The only question that needs to be asked about (their relationship and the Leaf management structure) is, what are the results? We're getting them, we're getting there.&rdquo;&ldquo;I've worked with Ken as president,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I've kept him fully informed as to what we're doing.&rdquo;Fair enough, but there's some tension there.Dryden holds the title of GM and, clearly, on a day-to-day basis, doesn't perform many, if any, of the managerial responsibilities. Smith, in words and actions, is effectively the GM.The issue is whether Smith is prepared to continue in that unique arrangement. The speculation is that he's not, though Smith refuses to discuss the issue and Dryden won't indicate where this is all headed.&ldquo;We haven't gotten around to talking about (Smith's) future,&rdquo; Dryden said. &ldquo;We will when Mike's contract finishes (at the end of this season).&rdquo;It took Dryden an interminable length of time to determine the future of Leaf coach Mike Murphy last summer. Knowing Smith, he won't allow the situation to drag on that long. In fact, when Smith first took the job as associate GM, he apparently made it clear that he would fulfill his contract as associate GM, but that when it expired, one of three things would happen.One, he would be named GM of the Leafs. Two, he would go to another team as a GM. Or three, he'd return home to Martha's Vineyard and do the hockey con-suiting work he was doing when the Leafs hired him.Smith isn't a slam dunk as &ldquo;:t NHL executive of the year-Calgary Flames' GM Al Coates is a serious Con'S: tender, too, and what happens between now and the awarding of the Cup will be gfc a factor for a number of g other candidates-but he has (r) clearly made significant headway in a Maple Leaf5 renaissance.Now, Dryden has to decide how valuable Smith is to the organization and whether he's prepared to give Smith the full title of GM.Because if Dryden isn't, it's difficult to imagine the current arrangement continuing.<h2>VITAL STATISTICS: Adams voters like new faces</h2>Where the Jack Adams Award is concerned, it's better to be new than a Stanley Cup champion.In the 25-year history of the coach of the year award, only two winners (Fred Shero in 1974 and Scotty Bowman in 1977) won it in the same year as they won the Cup. And only six of the 25 winners finished first overall that year.On the flip side, 14 of the 25 winners were in their first full season behind the bench of that team. Pat Bums has won three Adams Trophies and each time it has been in his first season with a club.That trend shouldn't be a factor this year. As well as first-year Toronto Maple Leaf coach Pat Quinn has done, the top candidates this season should be Jacques Martin of the Ottawa Senators, Kevin Constantine of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ken Hitchcock of the Dallas Stars. The voters, members of the NHL Broadcasters Association, seem to favor coaches of teams showing the most significant regular season improvement. The coach of the year is, on average, guiding a team showing an improvement of 21 points. The next season, though, the average decline is 12.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-04513/7245046-1-eng-US/f0003-042.jpg" title="f0003-04" width="235" height="240"></div>The NHL would do well to conduct its coach-of-the-year balloting after the Stanley Cup final. Not every Cup-winning coach should win the Adams, but playoff performance should be a factor.As for the old joke of not wanting to win coach of the year but to be coach for a year, Adams winners last an average of 2.34 seasons with that team after winning the trophy. Unless you're Ted Nolan, ex of Buffalo, who was fired immediately after winning the Adams.<h3>JACK ADAMS AWARD</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03917/7245039-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="631" height="743"></div><h3>JACK ADAMS AWARD</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-05244/7245032-1-eng-US/f0003-052.jpg" title="f0003-05" width="627" height="743"></div> &#9632;

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COLUMNS

Turmoil in Toronto?

<div class="byline">-Rick Mayoh</div>You've heard of the 4-on-4 overtime experiment the NHL is monitoring in the American League. If they went to the annual Lake Placid (N.Y.) International Tournament, they could have watched a 1-on-l overtime session.The East Ottawa-Vanier atom BVoyageurs (10-11-year-olds) beat Philadelphia's Tri-County Phantoms 3-2 March 14 in a game that went down to one skater against one skater.Center Patrick Keogh scored in the sixth two-minute overtime period.The game didn't rival the recent six-hour-and-15-minute battle in the Quebec League, but it offered an alternative to playing into the morning.The teams iced four players each for the first two-minute overtime period, three for the second and two for the third. Then they skated one aside for the next three periods. &ldquo;Every two minutes, they dropped the puck at center and they'd go,&rdquo; said Voyageurs' coach Bruce Poulin. &ldquo;Whenever you deked the other guy, you had a breakaway.&rdquo; &#9632;

Overtime session goes down to 1-on-1 battle

<div class="byline">By Alan Adams</div>The tide may be turning in favor of having the Canadian government help support Canada's NHL teams.The first sign was a Decima poll released in mid-March. According to the survey of 2,000 Canadians conducted March 3-14, almost 40 per cent support government action in easing the tax crunch facing the country's six NHL teams. Respondents in Ottawa were 43 per cent in favor, but support was strongest in the west, with 50 per cent agreement in Edmonton and 45 per cent in Calgary. About 42 per cent of Torontonians were in favor and 34 per cent in Montreal.It was no coincidence the poll was released as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and four Canadian franchise representatives were on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, lobbying politicians about government assistance.Bettman was joined by Toronto Maple Leafs' president Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens' president Ron Corey, Ottawa Senators' owner Rod Bryden and Harley Hotchkiss of the Calgary Flames.They met with cabinet ministers and other senior politicians one day; the next, they sat down with two dozen members of the Liberal caucus.The politicians didn't give any commitment that they were prepared to help the tax-strapped clubs.&ldquo;We want to assess, see whether or not what, if anything, as a Canadian government, we might want to try and do,&rdquo; said caucus chairman Joe Fontana.Sources say NHL representatives were asked by politicians whether the league would put more money into developing Canadian hockey as a tradeoff for tax breaks.The sources also say Industry Minister John Manley is about to ask cabinet for a mandate to negotiate with the NHL. Besides committing to help fund amateur sports, Ottawa also wants a guarantee that teams will remain in Canada for five years.Dryden looked beyond mere survival and said the issue is winning the Stanley Cup. He pointed out that although Canadian teams have always been in the minority in the NHL, Canadian teams won the Stanley Cup six times in the 1940s, six times in thel950s, nine times in the 1960s, six times in the 1970s, six times in the 1980s-and only twice in the 1990s.&ldquo;Does it matter that Canadian teams not only survive, but also compete for a Stanley Cup?&rdquo; Dryden asked.Meanwhile, Corey said he will ask the Quebec government to give the Canadiens the handout it gave the Montreal Expos in mid-March. Under a tentative deal, Quebec has offered the Expos between $7 million and $8 million in tourism funds each year.&ldquo;They know also that they have to do something for me, because the Montreal Canadiens with the Molson company, they have invested the money in the Molson Centre,&rdquo; Corey said. &#9632;

Canadian teams pitch for support

<div class="byline">Compiled by THN staff</div>AWOL from the San Jose Sharks for several days, defenseman Andre Zyuzin surfaced in the Bay Area saying he was OK, but not ready to return to the team.Zyuzin, 21, refused to board the team flight for Boston March 19 following a dispute with coach Darryl Sutter. The team immediately suspended him without pay.The Russian-born rearguard recently parted ways with agent Jay Grossman, but the Sharks are not allowed to talk with his new representative, Vitaly Shevchenko, because he is not certified by the NHL Players' Association.The National Post reported the FBI and NHL security staff are investigating links between Shevchenko, a native of Kiev, Ukraine, and the Russian mafia.The newspaper said Zyuzin paid Shevchenko $38,000 in agent fees and has given him power of attorney over all his matters. It also said Shevchenko lost his NHLPA certification for not paying his dues.However, in a story in the Toronto Sun, Shevchenko vehemently denied the reports about the investigation.Gary Meagher, the NHL's Toronto-based vice-president of public relations and media services, said, &ldquo;I can't comment on that, other than to say we're monitoring the whole situation. Beyond that, we're not going to get into anything.&rdquo;When the Sharks played in Toronto March 24, Zyuzin and Shevchenko were in the same city paying a visit to NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow.Devin Smith, NHLPA manager of media relations, declined to comment on what was discussed in the meeting.It's the second time this season Zyuzin has had a major difference of opinion with the team. Earlier in the year, he was suspended when he refused to accept a demotion to San Jose's American League club, the Kentucky Thoroughblades.<h2>PUCK BRIEFS</h2>Zyuzin was the Sharks' top draft choice, second overall behind Ottawa's Chris Phillips in 1996, but has had difficulty earning a regular pot in the San Jose lineup.He had six goals and 13 points in &gt;6 games as a rookie in 1997-98. In 13 games this season, Zyuzin has three goals and four points.MASTERTON NOMINEES: John Cullen's return to the NHL Tom non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has eamed him a nomination for the Bill Vlasterton Memorial Trophy.Cullen played four games for the Fampa Bay Lightning this season and mother six in the International League before his wavering body forced him to retire. He's now an assistant coach with the Lightning.Nineteen chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association Determined team nominees. They also include: Paul Karina (Anaheim) Ray Bourque (Boston), Steve Smitt (Calgary), Joe Sakic (Colorado), Craig Ludwig (Dallas), Larry Murphy (Detroit), Rob Niedermayer (Florida), Ray Ferraro (Los Angeles), Ken Daneyko (New Jersey), Claude Lapointe (Islanders), Rod Brind'Amour (Philadelphia), Greg Adams (Phoenix), Scott Pellerin (St. Louis), Bryan Marchment (San Jose), Steve Thomas (Toronto), Markus Naslund (Vancouver) and Steve Konowalchuk (Washington).The Masterton winner will be announced during the NHL awards ceremony in June.MLECZKO WINS: Harvard senior forward A J. Mleczko is the 1999 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award.A member of the 1998 U.S. gold-medal winning women's hockey team, Mleczko was chosen from a group of three finalists that included Ali Brewer (Brown) and Nicki Luon-go (New Hampshire).The award is given to the outstanding intercollegiate varsity player for 1998-99. It was presented March 25. &#9632;

NHL looks into Zyuzin affair

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011693/7245194-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="649" height="306"></div>As a former pro goalie, Ken Holland knows something about having a quick glove hand.But the Detroit Red Wings' GM saved his best catch for March 23, 1999-the trading deadline. That's when he snared Wendel Clark and Bill Ranford from Tampa Bay, Ulf Samuelsson from the New York Rangers and, in his biggest move, snatched three-time Norris Trophy defenseman Chris Chelios from Chicago. Detroit lost only goalie Kevin Hodson and defenseman Anders Eriksson from its roster; it also surrendered a host of draft picks.Holland's dealing stands as the single-biggest trading deadline day coup in league history. In addition to adding the talent, Holland's burning of the phone lines also added to Detroit's bottom line. The team payroll, based on players' salaries for all of 1998-99, tops the $55-million mark. (See pg. 12 for more).The Hockey News is making a deposit each week to our Millennium Time Capsule to mark the final year of the millennium. This week THN deposits Ken Holland's phone bill.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021206/7245187-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="629" height="1059"></div> &#9632;

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THN'S Millennium: TIME CAPSULE

Has it ever occurred to anyone that non-hockey fans in the United Sates are non-hockey fans, not because of the negative stereotype fighting creates, but because they simply don't care about hockey.I think the NHL shojild try to keep its fans by leaving the game the way it is. They aren't going to win over many new American fans with PR rule changes like a ban on fighting. Fighting gives hockey a uniqueness.Take note, Mr. Bettman. I will never watch another NHL game if fighting is eliminated.Peter CalauttiCliffside Park, N.J.<h2>Fights must go</h2>Thank you for your report on fighting in hockey.No other sport combines grace, power and aggression like hockey, but I'm sure many people only equate it with fighting. If the NHL truly wants to take its place with the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball, it needs to shed the carnival atmosphere that fighting brings to the game.My favorite players have always been hard-nosed guys such as Terry O'Reilly, Theo Fleury and Darren McCarty, and hockey's greatest appeal is embodied in players like them. But aggressive, passionate play is not the same as a fight between two guys kept on a roster just to beat each other up and interrupt the flow of the game.Is it any wonder fighting has disappeared from playoff hockey? Fighting serves no purpose towards winning games. Eliminating fighting would improve the league's image without changing the game.Tim McEachernNorth Andover, Mass.<h2>Canada farm site?</h2>How long will it be before Canada becomes the farm team location of NHL clubs?First Theo Fleury bolts to the Colorado Avalanche. How long will Bill Guerin stick with the Edmonton Oilers? Alexei Yashin will eventually leave the Ottawa Senators to join his comrades in Detroit. Mats Sundin might exit to the U.S. and Mark Messier will be retiring soon.The trend is that all the best players now playing in Canada will wind up in the U.S. The NHL has a problem. It should fix it before Canada replaces the American League.Derek RogersMarionville, Ont.<h2>Shame on Harry</h2>If Boston Bruins' GM Harry Sinden is so much against fighting, why does he carry Ken Belanger and KenBaumgartner on his team? To protect his star players?Explain why Belanger jumped a finesse player from the Calgary Flames near the end of a game recently-Mr. Sinden, please spare us your anti-fighting lectures until you're prepared to practise what you preach.Steven P. BrownSpencerport, N. Y.<h2>Fix crease rule</h2>How many points would Wayne Gretzky have if the crease rule had been in effect for his entire career?How many games have to be lost, how many great plays nullified because a player had part of a skate in the crease?How many times does the flow and emotion of a game have to be interrupted while the replay official reviews the tape?Stricter enforcement of goaltender interference would allow for elimination of this disruptive rule. I believe there would also be an increase in scoring.Jeff Watson,Hagerstown, Md.<h2>How to end ties</h2>Ties could be eliminated completely by introducing a shootout before the game.A half-goal would be awarded to the winner, so before the puck is even dropped the score is 1/2-0.The game would never be tied, therefore teams could not play for a tie. Players and coaches would know ahead of time what is necessary for a victory.The final result of a game would not hinge on the pre-game shootout like it does with a post-game shootout.A leapfrog effect, whereby a team trailing could take the lead by scoring one goal, would make things very interesting. The pre-game shootout would eliminate the need for a five-minute overtime period played on ice that is not resurfaced.Standings could be kept like those of baseball and basketball, with wins, losses and winning percentage.Fans might even start coming to the arenas earlier and that would result in increased revenue for the teams through sales at the concessions.Steve ParafianowiczSt. Catharines, Ont.Fax us your 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 paulj@trans-continentaLca Include hometown as well as home and business phone numbers.&nbsp;THN&nbsp;reserves the right to edit submissions. &#9632;

Eliminating fighting won't attract new fans

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011886/7245249-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

Now that the NHL trade r deadline has passed and L all major roster moves E have been made, which I team do you think will win I the Stanley Cup?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021272/7245287-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="693" height="431"></div>Place a check mark in me doxoesioe your choice.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03760/7245280-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="546" height="1031"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pittsburgh's Matthew Barnaby</figcaption></div><h2>HOW TO PARTICIPATE</h2>RESPOND BYFax: Puck Poll, 416-340-1641Mail: Puck Poll, 777 Bay St., Suite 2700, Toronto, Ont.M5G 2N1E-mail: <a href="mailto:puckpoll@transcontinental.ca">puckpoll@transcontinental.ca</a>PRIZES Winners are chosen at random. First prize is a copy of The Hockey News' Top 100 Players of All Time book. Five more winners will receive THN desk clocks.RESPONDENTS Include return mailing addresses and phone numbers to be eligible for prizes.RESULTS Results and winners will appear in the May 7 issue of THN.CONTEST RULES See THN masthead on pg. 4. &#9632;

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PUCK POLL

<div class="byline">By Dan Barnes</div>He wants revenue sharing, a salary as, four more teams in the playoffs, in earlier trading deadline to elimilate the rent-a-player scenario, tax relief from the Canadian government and help from the NHL Players' Association.Is it OK that the 'ante is still played once or does that need a change, too?&ldquo;Look, we've got to create a level playing field and this isn't it,&rdquo; laid Edmonton Oilers' GM Glen Sather, masjuerading yet again as Zaptain Canada, proector of all that's north of the 49th parallel.&ldquo;For the good of hockey in Canada, you're going to have to give and take some place.&rdquo;Long before there were 400 millionaires per square inch in the NHL, Sather and the Oilers did much of the taking. He took rival GMs to the cleaners on a bunch of trades, while Wayne Gretzky and company took the Stanley Cup home on a regular basis.Ironically enough, it was the sale of Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 for $15 million that had a big hand in the salary escalation that will forever threaten the very existence of the Oilers and other small-market teams. Kings' owner Bruce McNall made Gretzky a wealthy man and the trickle-down effect has been drowning the Oilers since.It has reached a point where Sather, the master of wheeling and dealing, is a lonely man on trading deadline day. This year, he watched with disdain and disbelief as Detroit Red Wings' GM Ken Holland tried to buy a third straight Cup. He watched the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks make significant and expensive moves to strengthen themselves for the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011714/7245325-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="399" height="567"></div>&ldquo;I still don't believe you have to have the most money to win in this league,&rdquo; Sather said. &ldquo;I hope like hell these teams don't win. If we don't win the Stanley Cup, I'd like to see Calgary win it. I'd sure as hell like to see both of us knock San Jose out of the playoffs.&rdquo;He'd pinned those hopes on his big deal of the season, sending Boris Mironov and Dean McAmmond to Chicago for a quartet of affordable youngsters: Chad Kilger, Ethan Moreau, Christian Laflamme and Daniel Cleary. The best player in the deal, Mironov, went to the Hawks, but Sather re-stocked his roster and managed to do it with nary a millionaire in the mix.It's the only way for him to operate on the salary budget provided him by the Oilers' 37 owners. He wanted to take a run at Vincent Damphousse, but the cost of renting the newest Shark for 26 days between the trading deadline and the final day of the regular season was $900,000.&ldquo;I didn't even make the call to the partners. I knew what the answer would be, Sather said, We can riddle around with the guys on the outside. You're not going to change your star players. It's virtually impossible.I could have traded (center Doug Weight) for some young guys, but that's not going to help.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021143/7245318-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="1270" height="1628"><figcaption class="caption-body">Newcomer Tommy Salo made an immediate impact with the Oilers.</figcaption></div>He did manage to find a goalie as he moved underachieving Mats Lindgren to the New York Islanders for Tommy Salo, who came in and immediately made an impact. In fact, every new player contributed to a change in the atmosphere of a dressing room that had gone sour from too much losing. And as much as Sather had to watch the bottom line and the ability of the new players he was bringing in, those deals were done for chemistry purposes.&ldquo;We were almost waiting for (trades) and it's just horrific that it had to happen. That's just terrible,&rdquo; Weight said. &ldquo;We all love (Mironov), we liked our team as it was and we didn't want anything to happen. We have to look at it as a total positive. We've got to move on.&ldquo;This year we're disappointed in ourselves. We feel we've underachieved. But that's for the summer time, that kind of thinking. We can't focus on that now. An under-achieving team for 70 games can turn into an overachieving team for two months.&rdquo;The Oilers plod through every regular season now, prompting Sather to make some mid-term maneuvers. Last year, he brought in Roman Hamrlik, Bill Guerin, Valeri Zelepukin, Frank Musil, Bobby Dollas and Janne Niini-maa and the team roared through the second half of the season, then upset the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. This year, he waited far longer to shake up the squad and they were stumbling to the finish line, in no way a surefire bet to be around for the post-season party.Although you'd have a tough time convincing Captain Canada of that fact. &ldquo;I'm confident the team is going to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Sather said. &ldquo;We just have to get better performances and more productive performances out of our top guys.&rdquo;And don't forget revenue sharing. And tax relief. And a salary cap. &#9632;

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Changes on Sather's mind

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender Staff Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011779/7245363-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div>&ldquo;We made it. We made it through. &ldquo;&nbsp;-Philadelphia Flyers' captain Eric LindrosHaving emerged from four weeks in the darkness, the Philadelphia Flyers have come to appreciate the finer things in life.They savor wins, knowing success can be rarer than a desert waterfall, but it goes deeper than that. The Flyers now go ga-ga over mere goals. Any goals. All goals.So strongly are goals appreciated that players who score these days might not only be named one of the game's three stars, they might also be named pope. To watch the Flyers play in their post-slump world is to see them celebrate red lights behind enemy nets as eight-year-olds cheer the arrival of birthday cake.Just one example: a shot by defenseman Dan McGillis past Toronto Maple Leafs' goalie Curtis Joseph in a 3-1 Philadelphia win March 22. No routine second period slapper from the blueline a month before playoffs begin has ever made so many grown men so backslappin' happy.Their bench turned into the testing room at a jack-in-the box factory. Fifteen players leapt to their feet, raised their sticks towards the sky, high-fived like believers shouting amens in the gospel choir.&ldquo;That's one of the things that might come out of this losing streak,&rdquo; said winger Keith Jones. &ldquo;Every goal is a big goal to us. You score one for your teammates, they're pretty pumped up. You get rid of all the selfishness that sometimes creeps in.&rdquo;If you didn't know better, you'd say the Flyers looked like they hadn't won in nearly a month, they were so excited.But that would be wrong. They won the previous afternoon.Before that, they hadn't won in nearly a month.&ldquo;We've gone through a rough time,&rdquo; explained goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, &ldquo;and we've been humbled.&rdquo;From Feb. 24 through March 16, Philadelphia went winless in a franchise record 12 consecutive games: 0-8-4. Over that time, a team with two of the top goal-scorers in the game in Eric Lindros and John LeClair scored just 22 times, fewer than goals two per game.That alone is tough to figure for a lineup that also has Rod Brind'Amour, Mikael Renberg, Eric Desjardins and, for the last four i games of the winless slide, Mark I Recchi. Set against the backdrop of Philly's 15-game unbeaten streak in December and January, it's downright unprecedented.The Flyers became the first team in NHL history to record 10-game winless and unbeaten streaks the same season.A 5-4 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings March 21 and | a victory over the Leafs the next day broke the slide and appeared i to have the Flyers pointed in the \ right direction.The new-found enthusiasm, according to grinding winger Jody Hull, is a direct result of being so down for so long.&ldquo;It's this whole new life we're trying to envision,&rdquo; Hull said.But even though they were out of Tampa Bay Lighting-like hockey hell after a 17-game-in 31 nights run, the Flyers were still close enough, when pressed, to look back and shudder at the experience.A reporter stumbled and bumbled r trying to ask when they were most shaken. You mean &ldquo;lower than dirt?&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck cut off. Well, yeah.Apparently there were too many occasions to name just one. A fifth consecufive loss, 5-0 to the Ottawa Senators March 4, with rookie Jean-Marc J Pelletier in goal so Vanbiesgr brouck could benefit from &ldquo;rest,&rdquo; was particularly disheartening.The 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche a week later wasn't good either; after that one, owner Ed Snider ripped into the team via local newspapers, saying players weren't sticking up for one another and had suffered a &ldquo;complete mental collapse&rdquo; unlike anything he had seen in years as Flyers' boss. GM ' Bob Clarke ripped them I to their faces in a dressing room tirade the next day.The bedrock bottom a might have been ' a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues March 16. The team had four days off afterward and had planned a mini-vacation in New Orleans. Instead, they spent the time getting the brass out of their bottoms in practice.&ldquo;We didn't deserve to go,&rdquo; Lindros said.Every game brought a different problem-one night penalty killing, the next 5-on-5 play or power play, another poor goaltending.Nobody, though, could pin the blame on Lindros. The imposing captain kept on scoring throughout and provided an inspirational lift by fighting Derian Hatcher 40 seconds into what coach Roger Neilson called the Flyers' best game in months, a 1-1 tie with the Dallas Stars March 14.In the turnaround game against Detroit, Lindros had a goal and an assist including a dramatic gamewinner with less than two minutes to play. He also had a goal and an assist in the Toronto win, but stood out in other ways. With 13 minutes to play in the third and Philly up 31, Lindros, who looks bigger off-ice than his listed 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, dove head-first into the end boards trying to prevent an icing call. The thud reverberated like a wrecking ball hitting solid oak. Later on, he caught Leafs' forward Todd Warriner from behind on a shorthanded break with another sprawling dive.&ldquo;We spent a lot against Detroit,&rdquo; Lindros said matter-of-factly. &ldquo;When you play on the road, you just got to play a good road game. You do what you can do.&rdquo;It would help the Flyer cause if he also could do his best impersonation of a No. 2 defenseman. Actually, make that No. 1, now that Norris Trophy candidate Desjardins is out of the lineup, perhaps until playoffs, with a sprained right knee.At the best of times, the Flyers' defense corps is suspect, especially handling the puck in their own zone. Desjardins is a legitimate No. 1. After that, McGillis is either a No. 2 or No. 3, depending on which scout you talk to, but everyone is in agreement that no one else on the roster is better than a No. 5. Clarke acquired some help in Steve Duchesne at the trading deadline (for defenseman Dave Babych and a draft pick), but the Los Angeles Kings didn't eat $8 million of his contract for nothing.Philadelphia's intensity also came under attack during the slump. Recchi tried to change that against Toronto, but ended up giving himself a concussion when he threw himself for a check against one Leaf and missed, hitting nothing but board. He was expected to miss two games. And even in winning that game, the Flyers barely survived the first minute of every period with Toronto swarming around Vanbiesbrouck, not exactly a sign of positive preparation.Clarke conceded his team needed more toughness with deadline day trades to acquire heavyweight Sandy McCarthy (and winger Mikael Andersson) from the Lighting and scrapper Craig Berube from the Washington Capitals.The changes were well-received, but continued a revolving door routine that had raised questions of its own, like whether the Flyers became a tough team to figure out because it was tough to know who was on it. Clarke has made at least one deal every month except February. Only seven current players were on the team at the end of last season. Since Oct. 5, Clarke has brought in 14 new players and shown 12 others the door (see chart above).But although the Flyers' attack at times looked crippled by too much individual play, players say chemistry has never been a problem. Throughout all the losing, there was nary a hint of backstabbing, sniping or dissension. They were bad, but they were bad together.&ldquo;We wouldn't have gone through a month of not winning without any fights, people undermining certain things, without people whining&rdquo; with a bad dressing room, Lindros said.&ldquo;Everyone on our team understood we never got a break over the last month and a half,&rdquo; added Jones. It wasn't a mental thing or anything towards attitude&hellip;We just needed to get our legs moving. We were standing around too much. It's a different game when you're jumping and hopping out there and we're a much different team when guys are fresh and ready to go.&rdquo;Maybe this will help: On March 24 and 25, the Flyers took part in two days of team-building exercises.They were taken into the woods for six hours, got strapped into harnesses and swung among the trees, avoided electric fences and dug holes. On the phone from his home after returning, Lindros said dirt was peeling off him as he spoke. &ldquo;I'm telling you, this was quite the trip,&rdquo; he said.The bigger trip through the playoffs still lies ahead and it will be interesting to see how the Flyers respond when adversity strikes again, say in the form of back-to-back losses. One school of thought says if the Flyers learned anything from their experience, it is that nothing is a given, including success, so they celebrate it when it comes. There is no such thing as a routine save any more, no such thing as a routine goal. Chances are nothing about their adventures the rest of the way will be routine, either.Of course, if you believe nothing good can come of a month without a win-or maybe it's just a matter of being honest-you're liable to see things differently.&ldquo;The best thing about it,&rdquo; Lindros said, &ldquo;is that we're through it.&rdquo;<h2>IN OUT</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011680/7245356-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="1887" height="990"></div> &#9632;

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FEATURES

FLYING HIGH AND LOW

<div class="byline">By Jason Paul Staff Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011750/7245394-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Arnott turned to hypnosis to help him work throuqh mental barriers.</figcaption></div>Jason Arnott looks like he has been through 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. He has a shiner under his right eye and a toothless smile that would make Bobby Clarke proud.Yet, the big New Jersey Devils' center has never felt better.Arnott had three teeth knocked out by Eric Weinrich's high stick in Montreal in December and took another stick in the face during a game against the Edmonton Oilers. But for Arnott, it's his appearance on the scoresheet that counts.Arnott has rediscovered his scoring touch; he had 12 goals in a 16-game stretch in March. At 24, he hasn't enjoyed so much success since his rookie season (1993-94) with the Oilers. It's a welcome return after his confidence disappeared somewhere between Edmonton and New Jersey last season. Not even a trade in January of 1998 to the Devils for right winger Bill Guerin could pull Arnott out of his hypnotic state on the ice.&ldquo;My confidence wasn't there. I just wasn't feeling comfortable with the puck,&rdquo; he says.A 1998 summer accident that forced him to miss training camp didn't help matters, but a few sessions of hypnosis did. With 11 goals in his first 49 games, Arnott sat down with Devils' massage therapist Juergen Merz in late February to work through mental barriers.But it didn't involve any of that pocket-watch waving stuff-it wasn't a matter of 'getting very sleepy'-it was a case of letting his mind relax.&ldquo;He was putting too much pressure on himself,&rdquo; says Merz, who was a masseur for the 1998 U.S. Olympic team and is trained in hypnotherapy. &ldquo;I tried to take him to a time when he was a kid and playing hockey just for fun.&ldquo;He came to me and said, 'Let's try it.' He went out and scored and then he was on a roll.&rdquo;It's a roll the Wasaga Beach, Ont., native hasn't been on since he scored 33 goals and 68 points in 78 games as a 19-year-old rookie.&ldquo;He helps you with your attitude,&rdquo; Arnott says of Merz. &ldquo;I was scoring before I saw him, but figured I could use more help.&rdquo;Merz has also worked with Arnott's two young linemates-22-year-olds Petr Sykora and Patrick Elias. The three rising stars form New Jersey's top line and there's little question Sykora and Elias have helped Arnott soar to new heights after a disappointing 10-goal season a year ago.&ldquo;He's definitely a better player than he was last year,&rdquo; says teammate Randy McKay, who accidentally sliced Arnott's right wrist climbing over the boards during the 1998 playoffs. &ldquo;That line has been carrying us the last 10 games.&rdquo;Sykora led the team with 24 goals and 60 points, while Elias has 14 goals and 40 points. Arnott's overall totals were 23 goals and 46 points in 65 games.Arnott didn't experience too much fun on the ice his last couple seasons in Edmonton. His frustrations mounted last year when he was placed on right wing, a position in which he didn't feel comfortable. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, who was moved back to center by Devils' coach Robbie Ftorek, didn't believe he could use his size and speed enough on the wing.Off the ice, his life became more complex when a brief relationship with a woman produced a son.&ldquo;I've adjusted to it now,&rdquo; Arnott says.Arnott experienced more turmoil last summer when he sliced open his hand on a fishing trip with some friends. He cut tendons in his left hand while peeling branches for a fire.Unfortunately, he was an hour's boat ride from the mainland and it took all night to get to the hospital.&ldquo;I had lost so much blood, I guess I passed out there in the boat,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;(And) it was so foggy, we didn't know how to get off the lake.&rdquo;They finally found their truck three hours later, but his friend started to fall asleep at the wheel and they pulled over for an hour of shut-eye.&ldquo;I figured I'd rather get there alive and bleeding than not get there at all,&rdquo; Arnott says.Six hours later they reached the hospital.&ldquo;I thought it was just a cut, I'd get a few stitches and then I was going to go back out fishing. Next thing I know, I'm having surgery, I have a cast on and I'm on a bus home.&rdquo;He needed a second surgery m August and missed the entire preseason.&ldquo;I couldn't sweat for six-and-a-half weeks,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I couldn't ride the bike or anything.&ldquo;We were going to make (the fishing trip) an annual thing, but I don't think I'll be invited again.&rdquo;Which is fine with the Devils. They'd rather Arnott have his fun on the ice. &#9632;

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Hypnosis aids Arnott's surge

<div class="byline">By Jay Greenberg</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011573/7245432-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="911" height="1729"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ziggy Palffy gives the Islanders some star value</figcaption></div>Bargain hunters know one when they see one. As they looked over the New York Islanders' marked-down goods, the line grew shorter than the one at the box office.No reasonable offer was being refused. With Bryan Smolinksi, Mike Milbury would have thrown in exclusive rights to Brad Lauer's comeback. For memorabilia buffs, the Isles were pitching the authenticated shadow of Trevor Linden. For amateur teams with limited budgets, they would have moved Mariusz Czerkawski's longjohns with him still in them.These items were worth a fortune. John Spano's fortune. Alas,I there is a saying on Long Island I that you can lead pigs to the I trough, but you can't make them I drink. The buyers were even less I interested than Scott Lachance has looked for the past two years.Phoenix sent a truck, Brad Isbister, for Robert Reichel, which would sound like the Coyotes stole the Islanders' leading scorer, except the Islanders' leading scorer had only 56 points. Tommy Salo went to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-line guy, Sergei Nemchinov to the Devils for bridge and tunnel tolls.Milbury didn't go to the trading deadline as a GM, but a cleaning service on retainer from the owners to make the place presentable for the buyer. Bob Gutkowksi, the former Madison Square Garden president, is the only man interested in the club.An agreement of sale could be completed within a few weeks. It will be conditional on the construction of a new arena. Big condition, but the slumlord arena operator, SMG, is partially owned by the Pritzker family, which owns several hotels. The Pritzkers see more than just a hockey building, they see retail. So if Gutkowski can get the Islanders wholesale, they'll be his.Some people's worst nightmares are other's dreams. Gutkowski grew up with the franchise, was a regular during the Cup years and now sheds a tear whenever he sees Mark Lawrence come over the boards. Gutkowski really wants to make the Islanders go.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021121/7245425-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="400" height="579"></div>Their legacy is four Cups and the best manual ever written on how to ruin a franchise. In three seasons the owner, Howard Mil-stein, has gone from Ebenezer Scrooge to Professor Harold Hill to Richard Nixon, a full trifecta of treachery, fueled by a spectacular run of arrogance that ran off Pat LaFontaine, Ed Westfall, Clark Gillies and Al Arbour.Milbury, a bright guy who sometimes can't help himself, is probably gone if the sale goes through. Depending upon who is out there, coach Bill Stewart, trying to regenerate pride, may survive.Ziggy Palffy was signed so Milstein could make himself look like a responsible owner to the NFL people pondering his bid for the Redskins. Regardless, Palffy, the Isles' closest thing to a franchise player, is indeed signed, as is Kenny Jonsson, one of the best defensemen in the NHL. A potential franchise goalie has been drafted and while Roberto Luongo is awaited, Felix Potvin, as good a goalie as Bryan Berard will prove to be a defenseman, will show Milbury's deal was not brainless.Still, what at the start of the season looked like a team a player or two away, now seems to be almost a start-over project. Gutkowski will have about $30 million a year to spend on talent until a new arena is operational and won't make the mistake of Steve Gluckstem, Milstein's partner, by demanding attendance first.Right now, the only reason the Islanders exist is their big cable contract and remembrances of what were, reason enough to believe what can be again. Every disaster only increases the length of time it will take for the people to come back, but with a new building and confidence in a franchise's direction, eventually they will. &#9632;

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All not lost on Long Island

<div class="byline">By Bob Dutt</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011706/7245477-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">One-time Toronto Maple Leaf rival Wendel Clark will try to help the Wings capture another Stanley Cup.</figcaption></div>Darren McCarty couldn t help himself. Curiosity got the better of him.There they were, on the stick rack in the hallway outside the Detroit Red Wings' dressing room.Chris Chelios' Sher-Woods.McCarty just had to pick one up.&ldquo;First time I've ever been this close to one without it being broken over my head,&rdquo; he said.The enemy was within. A few feet from McCarty, Chelios, the former Chicago Blackhawks' captain, the monster of the midway, a man Detroit fans once hanged in effigy, was trying on his Red Wings' uniform for the first time, calling himself &ldquo;the luckiest man in the world,&rdquo; vowing he was going to make those same fans &ldquo;learn to love me.&rdquo;&ldquo;This is some strange stuff,&rdquo; said Chelios, who agreed to a two-year, $11-million contract extension before the deal was executed.Over in another comer of the room was Wendel Clark-the guy Wings fans once chided as 'Wendy'-also being outfitted in red and white. Elsewhere, goalie Bill Ranford sized up his new Detroit jersey.In the near future, once his broken foot has healed, Ulf Samuelsson will be wearing the winged wheel.Completing the biggest series of trading deadline blockbusters in NHL history, the two-time defending champions, looking to bolt the Stanley Cup down in Motown, added a three-time Norris Trophy winner (Chelios), a productive power forward (Clark), one of the game's surliest defenseman (Samuelsson) and a one-time Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie (Ranford).&ldquo;Detroit just woke up the hockey world,&rdquo; was the way TV analyst John Davidson viewed the moves.By the time the rest of the NHL wiped the sleep from their eyes, Detroit had leapfrogged from a defending champ on the ropes to the odds-on playoff favorite.The rival Colorado Avalanche, who acquired Theo Fleury a few weeks earlier, made just one move on deadline day: Dale Hunter from the Washington Capitals for second- and third-round draft picks-the same price Detroit paid for Samuelsson.Can't imagine Dallas Stars' owner Tom Hicks called to congratulate GM Bob Gainey on the acquisitions of Benoit Hogue and Derek Plante after Detroit's dealing was done.&ldquo;I'm stunned,&rdquo; said Dallas defenseman Craig Ludwig of the Red Wings' additions. &ldquo;Those are great moves. Chelios alone is huge. How can anyone look at that and say they just didn't become a much better team?&rdquo;The mind-boggling aspect is Detroit accomplished this without touching its core players.Chelios cost them defenseman Anders Eriksson and first-round draft picks in 1999 and 2001. Clark and a 1999 sixth round draft pick came from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goalie Kevin Hodson and a second rounder this spring. Ranford was added from Tampa Bay for a conditional draft pick.&ldquo;I didn't think we could come up with these kinds of players without paying a higher price,&rdquo; admitted Detroit coach Scotty Bowman, who gave the credit to GM Ken Holland.&ldquo;He worked the phones as well as I've ever seen anyone work them.&rdquo;The Wings, coming off a string of third-period collapses, were wondering whether their days as titleholders were over, the nuny of activity resulted in a 180-degree attitude adjustment in the Detroit room.Captain Steve Yzerman was positively giddy. There was an extra spring in Bowman's step.&ldquo;We've really upgraded our hockey team,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;We're bigger, we're stronger, we're a lot tougher to play against.&rdquo;Detroit dealt from depth. Hodson was the third goalie behind Chris Osgood and Norm Maracle. It was Bowman's call to add Ranford, a $3million insurance policy in case Osgood gets hurt.&ldquo;After Chris Osgood and Norm Maracle, the only other goalies in our system who had played an NHL game were Ken Holland and (goaltending consultant) Jim Bedard,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;Jim and Kenny are nice guys, but I didn't want them playing goal for me in the playoffs.&rdquo;Eriksson was expendable because the club has top prospects Jesse Wallin and Jiri Fisher on the way up. The third round pick dealt for Samuelsson was acquired this season from the Rangers for Mike Knuble. The second rounder used to get Clark was traded to Detroit two years ago by the San Jose Sharks for Mike Vernon.Bowman suggested he'll take a proven NHLer over potential any day. &ldquo;When you get right down to it, a draft pick is just an unselected person,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There's no guarantee it's going to turn into a player.&ldquo;There are only certain opportunities a team has to win. We don't know how much longer (center) Igor Larionov is going to be this good of a player. We don't know how many more years Steve Yzerman is going to play as well as he has the last couple of years.&ldquo;If we wait for our young players to develop, are we going to have the Steve Yzermans and Igor Larionovs to lead us four or five years from now?&rdquo;<h2>AGE-OLD STORK</h2>If the 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs aren't the oldest team ever to win the Stanley Cup, the NHL should admit to none older. Coach-GM Punch Imlach's ancient warriors included a five-man defense that averaged 34.8 years old. With the trade deadline acquisition of Chris Chelios and Ulf Samuelsson, the Detroit Red Wings' six oldest defensemen have equalled the last Toronto champion.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021355/7245470-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="603" height="441"></div><h2>MOTOWN MILLIONAIRES</h2>The Detroit Red Wings have become the NHL's first $50-million team&hellip;in a manner of speaking. Had the top 23 players now with the team played the entire season in Detroit, the team payroll would be $55.9 million. As it was, the Red Wings led the league at $48.3 million when The Hockey News compiled payrolls in November. Notable players bumped from our roster are defenseman Jamie Macoun and forward Joey Kocur.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03875/7245463-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="596" height="1181"><figcaption class="caption-body">(Photo by Dan Hamilton/VPS)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0012-01

Deadline drama in Detroit

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011583/7245508-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"></div>As late as four days before the NHL's March 23 trade deadline, Chicago Blackhawks' GM Bob Murray had no intention of dealing Chris Chelios.But on the Friday prior to the Tuesday deadline, Chelios had agent Steve Reich ask the Hawks for permission to speak with teams that might extend his contract in the event of a trade.Stunned by Chelios' sudden flip-flop about wanting to finish his career as a Blackhawk, Murray went to work, finally sending his captain to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Anders Eriksson and two first round draft picks. Chelios forced the deal after once more asking the Hawks to extend his contract beyond next season and being told no.&ldquo;It was all about money,&rdquo; said Murray, who up until the weekend before the deadline was prepared to honor the no-trade handshake agreement Chelios had with owner Bill Wirtz.Chelios, who got a two-year, $ll-million extension from the Red Wings that will take him to age 40, disputed Murray's claim.'Tf they think this was a money issue they're way off,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It's about feeling wanted.&rdquo;Chelios said he was stung by comments Murray made in February about not giving him a new contract until he had played out the old one in 19992000. Chelios claimed he only asked the Hawks for a one-year extension at the same $3.7-million salary he is earning now and will get next season.Murray said the sides never spoke about money.Chelios' sudden about-face made some people wonder if he meant his strong earlier comments about wanting to finish his career as a Blackhawk. He said repeatedly for two months that he didn't want to be traded, insisting it would be the worst day of his life if it ever hanoened.Murray never said the Hawks wouldn't re-sign Chelios if he continued to play well through next season, adding that the decision not to extend the deal now was one made by the entire organization, including Wirtz, a staunch Chelios supporter.'We've extended and renegotiated his contract twice already,&rdquo; Murray said. 'We were all on the same page here&hellip;We wanted to see where we were going as a team. He's got security now&hellip;he just made himself $11 million. I think he should thank Mr. Wirtz.&rdquo;There was no comment from Wirtz, who was out of the country at the time of the trade.<h2>MOVERS & SHAKERS</h2>Listed below, in ordererd teams with the greatest number of incoming players, are NHL players of significance, draft picks and future considerations (FC) traded between Feb. 28 and the March 23 NHL trade deadline. Draft picks are listed by year and round. Also provided are players' positions and ages and an assessment of what teams needed approaching the trade deadline and what they actually got. &#9632;

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Bitter parting for Chelios and Hawks

<div class="byline">By Canmy Clark</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011693/7245539-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="171" height="173"></div>Mighty Ducks of Anaheim GM Pierre Gauthier thought his acquisition of Vancouver Canucks' center Peter Zezel would give the team more depth and leadership for the stretch run and playoffs.And it would have-had Zezel been up for the role.But a day after the deadline day deal,Zezel told Gauthier he wasn't going to report to the Ducks in order to spend time with his dying 3-1/2-year-old niece. Zezel's failure to report nullified the trade. Vancouver would have received future considerations.&ldquo;Any other time I would have loved to go play for Anaheim,&rdquo; Zezel said. &ldquo;But if I am not with my family through this, 1 will regret it the rest of my life.&rdquo;Jilliann, the daughter of Zezel's sister, Neda Carter, has neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. She is on morphine to ease the pain and her young life is now measured in days, not decades.Zezel is angry he was put in the position where he had to tell Anaheim that he wouldn't report. Zezel said his agent, Mike Gillis, had told the Canucks to call him before making a trade.&ldquo;1 would have told Pierre I couldn't come because of my situation and maybe he could have tried to get somebody else,&rdquo; Zezel said.Canucks' GM Brian Burke said that wasn't true. Gauthier, meanwhile, said he wasn't angry with Zezel or the Canucks.&ldquo;(Zezel) said his mind wasn't into it and I said, 'OK,' &ldquo;Gauthier said. &ldquo;We wanted to bring a Little depth and veteran leadership to the mix. Unfortunately, he's not coming and there's a legitimate reason and we move on.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Right winger Teemu Selanne was tied with Philadelphia center Eric Lindros for the goals lead with 40 as of March 25. Selanne needed 10 goals in his last 12 games to reach 50. &ldquo;It's scary (not to have a 50-goal scorer in the NHL),&rdquo; Selanne said. &ldquo;But it's how the game is right now."&hellip;Right winger Tomas Sandstrom. 34, was undecided whether he would continue to play in North America go to Europe or retire after the season. &ldquo;It's a pretty big decision to make,&rdquo; he said. &#9632;

f0014-01

Gauthier says no one to blame after Zezel refuses to report from Canucks

<div class="byline">By Mike Loftus</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021272/7245570-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="173" height="172"></div>Kyle McLaren might like to inflict pain on opponents, but he takes pains to avoid discussing the notion that he's destined to become Boston's Mr. Everything on defense when Ray Bourque finally decides to retire.&ldquo;It's not something I think Kyle should say anything about, to tell the truth,&rdquo; said defenseman Don Sweeney, McLaren's even-strength and penalty-killing defense partner. &ldquo;It's for everybody else to say those things.&rdquo;People are, in fact, starting to say those things about McLaren, who at just 21 years old is reaching the end of his fourth NHL season. Though it had been shortened to a maximum of 52 games because of a holdout (15 games) and a shoulder injury (14), McLaren is playing a larger role than ever.Coach Pat Bums' decision to use McLaren, who scored five goals in each of his first three seasons, on the power play point with Bourque means McLaren now plays nearly as much, and occasionally more than Boston's captain, who averages slightly less than 30 minutes per game.&ldquo;Kyle's starting to take on a really big load, and that's nice to see because he's going to be the guy once I leave,&rdquo; said Bourque, the 20-year vet who is signed through next year. &ldquo;He's going to be taking up all that time and he's showing he can do it.&rdquo;McLaren's main value to Boston is as a strong defender and the team's most punishing hitter on the blueline, but his offensive game is showing signs of development. It took just 33 games for him to set a career high of six goals, and with 614-20 totals (in 42 games) through March 25, he had a shot at matching the career-high 25 points he collected in 66 games last season. Half his points had come on the power play.&ldquo;It's very different for me,&rdquo; McLaren said. &ldquo;Some days you feel good, some days you feel like nothing's going right. But little by little, I've felt more able to control things back there and see the ice more, instead of always just giving the puck to Ray.&rdquo;Just don't tell McLaren he's Bourque's heir apparent.&ldquo;I always say I'm learning from a great teacher, and I'm learning as I go,&rdquo; McLaren said. &ldquo;I'm not going to try to replace Ray when he's gone. I'm just going to try to be the best guy I can be.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Boston did try to find a deal at the Match 23 deadline for little-used veteran defenseman Dave Ellett. but ended up putting him on waivers instead. Ellett. who turned 35 on March 30, wasn't claimed and will remain with the Bruins as defensive insurance&hellip; Defenseman Ray Bourque's ninth goal of the season, in a 3-3 tie with Chicago March 25, left him one behind Carolina's Paul Coffey, the NHL leader in career goals by a defensemen with 385. &ldquo;Paul Coffey's still playing, though,&rdquo; Bourque said. Tm sure he's going to score a few more goals."&hellip;Right winger Dmitri Khristich suffered a mild shoulder separation March 24 at Ottawa, but was expected to be back within a week. &#9632;

f0014-02

Bourque-like playing time for McLaren good preparation for future Bruins' role

<div class="byline">By Jim Kelley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03876/7245601-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="171" height="172"></div>Finally, some moves that should satisfy the critics of Buffalo Sabres' GM Darcy Regier.The critics, in return, might say this is what they've been calling for all along.The Sabres bolstered blueline toughness and scoring finish up front on deadline day by acquiring Joe Juneau, the Washington Capitals' center/left winger who nearly singlehandedly pushed Buffalo out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference final last spring, and defenseman Rhett Warrener from the Florida Panthers.In return, the Sabres sent promising defense prospect Alexei Tezikov to the Capitals and defenseman Mike Wilson to the Panthers.The Sabres also sent veteran, but seldom-used, center Derek Plante to the Dallas Stars for a second round pick in the 1999 entry draft.&ldquo;Obviously I was traded to a team that's going to make the playoffs and that's nice,&rdquo; Juneau said. &ldquo;I was brought here to help them down that road. I had a great playoff last year and also played great against Buffalo. That could be a big part of why I'm here. It's a fast team with great goaltending. That's what you want in the playoffs.&rdquo;Juneau scored the overtime goal that knocked the Sabres out of the playoffs last season. He also had a huge hand in eliminating the Ottawa Senators in a surprise first round win.In trading for Juneau, soon to be an unrestricted free agent, the Sabres gave up on Plante and tried to improve their overall offense, especially their weak power play.Juneau, 31, had 14 goals and 27 assists for the Caps at the time of the trade, but he brings years of playoff experience to a still young Sabres team.&ldquo;In the overall picture we've added four new players (Stu Barnes, Juneau, Warrener and rookie defenseman Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre), to our lineup,&rdquo; said coach Lindy Ruff. &ldquo;I believe we got some very good players.&rdquo;Ruff knows Warrener because he was an assistant coach handling the Panthers' defense when Florida went to the Stanley Cup finals in 1996.Warrener, Barnes and Sabres' defenseman Jason Woolley were all with the Panthers then.Wilson, who missed the start of the season in Buffalo as an unsigned free agent, did not fit into the Sabres' long-term plans.NOTEBOOK: Sabres' goalie Dominik Hasek threw a scare into the club when he asked (and received) permission to fly to Germany to consult a specialist regarding his recent groin strain. After a whirlwind 24-hour trip, Hasek was informed that he may have a slight hernia problem, something that will be looked at again at the end of the season. Hasek missed 12 games with a groin strain, but came back to play brilliantly in an overtime win against the Rangers and a tie with the New Jersey Devils. Hasek suffered a neck strain in the Devils' game and backup Dwayne Roloson played in a 2-1 loss at Detroit&hellip;Right winger Miroslav Satan had six points in three games, but was shut out against the Red Wings. &#9632;

f0014-03

Improved Sabres emerge smiling after picking up Juneau, Warrener

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011558/7245632-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="173" height="171"></div>After his first game with the Calgary Flames, Tom Chorske discovered an important fact of life playing for a team in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.&ldquo;The air's a little thin,&rdquo; said Chorske with a laugh.Chorske can be forgiven for a little heavy breathing in his debut. After all, the 32-year-old-acquired from the Washington Capitals for future considerations-has had his season largely mined by an abdominal tear that required surgery in early December.Chorske, one of the NHL's faster skaters, had only just returned to the Capitals' lineup when the Flames added him for the stretch run.&ldquo;I'm getting there,&rdquo; said Chorske, who had no goals and three points in 20 games this season. &ldquo;It's just my fifth game back after missing 45. I'm getting my legs under me. I'm still working my way back. I think there's better things to come from me.&rdquo;That thought was seconded by coach Brian Sutter.&ldquo;He's just going to get better and better,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;Positionally, he's very, very good. He knows the game, inside and out.&rdquo;The Flames picked up Chorske partly as an insurance policy in case right winger Steve Dubinsky-recovering from minor knee surgery-is out longer than anticipated. Dubinsky could return in late March or it could be as late as mid-April.For Chorske, joining the potentially playoffbound Flames could enhance his marketability in July when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The Flames gave up a conditional late-round draft choice to acquire Chorske, who earns $600,000 (U.S.) per season.GM Al Coates described Chorske, &ldquo;as a seasoned NHL veteran that brings playoff experience and depth. We're in a playoff race, so every game is like a playoff game. We need people who understand that. We rely on defense here. He's a very good defensive player.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The NHL announced March 26 it has awarded Calgary the 2000 entry draft&hellip;Right winger Valeri Bure was on a remarkable personal run. After not scoring a game-winning goal in the Flames' first 65 games, Bure had the winner in four of the team's next six, culminating with the decisive goal in a March 25 2-1 win over his ex-team, Montreal. In all, Bure had scored nine goals in 11 games, giving him 22 for the season and matching his previous career high, established in 1995-96. Explaining the surge in production, Bure said: &ldquo;I'm getting more ice time and I'm playing a lot on the power play. It gets me chances. That comes with ice time."&hellip;Goalie Tyler Moss, caught in the team's sudden surplus of netminders, was assigned to Orlando (International League) for the duration of the season&hellip;Six different goalies have seen action for Calgary this season, but with either Fred Brathwaite or Ken Wregget in net, the team was a respectable 19-13-10. &#9632;

f0015-01

Newcomer Chorske gives Flames veteran savw. defensive smarts

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021092/7245663-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="172" height="171"></div>There was a time with the trade deading approaching that Chicago Blacknawics ojivi Bob Murray wondered if he would get anything done. Then all hell broke loose.On March 20, three days before the deadline, Murray made one of the biggest deals in franchise history, completing a seven-player swap with the Edmonton Oilers that brought defenseman Boris Mironov, left winger Dean McAmmond and defenseman prospect Jonas Elofsson to Chicago for Ethan Moreau, Chad Kilger, Christian Laflamme and Dan Cleary.Two days later came the stunning deadline day deal that sent captain Chris Chelios to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for defenseman Anders Eriksson and first round picks in 1999 and 2001.Getting Mironov and Eriksson were keys to the Hawks' future as Murray looks to reshape his defense to get with the times in the NHL.&ldquo;They're both defensemen who can move the puck and get it to the forwards and that has been a big problem for us,&rdquo; Murray said.The price for the 27-year-old Mironov was steep, but getting a defenseman to quarterback the Hawks' inconsistent power play was Murray's top priority for next season.&ldquo;We've now got a guy who can run our power play,&rdquo; Murray said.&ldquo;We gave up a lot, but there aren't too many defensemen in the league like Boris Mironov,&rdquo; said Hawks' winger Eric Daze. &ldquo;You've got to pay a price.&rdquo;Mironov, among the league's defensemen scoring leaders with 12 goals and 43 points in 66 games, had been hearing for weeks he was going to be traded, particularly with him set to be a restricted free agent this summer.&ldquo;It was sad to go because I considered Edmonton my second home, but this can be a new start,&rdquo; Mironov said. &ldquo;I want to be the best defenseman in the league. That's my goal.&rdquo;Eriksson, 24, comes to Chicago with the pressure of being the guy who was traded for Chelios. &ldquo;That's not too much, is it,&rdquo; Eriksson joked.NOTEBOOK: The Hawks planned to play left winger Dean McAmmond on one of their top two lines. McAmmond, originally drafted in the first round by the Hawks in 1991 (22nd overall), scored a goal in his debut March 21, a 4-3 win over Colorado&hellip;Right winger Nelson Emerson turned down a two-year contract offer from the Hawks before he was traded to Ottawa March 23 for rugged right winger Chris Murray. The Hawks plan to pursue Emerson again when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July l&hellip;In an attempt to dump some big salaries, the Hawks placed left winger Bob Probert and defensemen Dave Manson and Doug Zmolek on waivers March 19, but none of the three were claimed. Zmolek has three years left on his contract, Probert two and Manson one. Combined their deals total roughly $8.5 million over the three years&hellip;With his many deals, GM Bob Murray shaved his payroll from almost $36 million to under $30 million. &#9632;

f0015-02

GM Murray shakes up franchise; defenseman Mironov prize catch

<div class="byline">By Todd Graff</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011479/7245694-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="173" height="172"></div>Through the rash of injuries that has plagued the Carolina Hurricanes' defense this season, Glen Wesley seemed to avoid the curse. Heck, Wesley was the Hurricanes' immutable presence since arriving in North Carolina, considering he was the only player to suit up in every game.But the 12-year veteran suffered a sprained ankle against the New York Islanders March 24. An MRI revealed no ligament damage and Wesley was expected to return in early April.&ldquo;I'd like to go sooner,&rdquo; Wesley said. &ldquo;But I don't want to jeopardize it. We've still got a bunch of games left.&rdquo;The injury brought to an end an ironman streak for Wesley, who had played in 185 straight games for the Hurricanes.&ldquo;I can only imagine how hard it is to play 185 consecutive games in this league,&rdquo; said center Keith Primeau. &ldquo;It's so demanding and such a physical game and so hard on the body that 185 games takes an elite athlete.&rdquo;Wesley has been the stabilizing force for the Hurricanes' defense this season. Every other blueliner with Carolina since the beginning of the season had missed at least seven games due to injury.Wesley, meanwhile, gets matched against the opponent's top line almost every night and was a plus-11, his best plus-minus rating since his sophomore season with the Boston Bruins in 198889.NOTEBOOK: On why the Hurricanes were one of just five teams to let the trade deadline pass without a move, GM Jim Rutherford said, &ldquo;Most years you're able to improve yourself. We didn't feel there was a way to better our team for what we wanted to pay. I think we made our necessary moves over the summer."&hellip;Defenseman Steve Chiasson, who underwent shoulder surgery Jan. 5, was hoping to return to the lineup in early April&hellip;With a 2-1 victory against the Islanders March 24, the Hurricanes reached 76 points, surpassing their total from last season (74) and the previous season (75) with 10 games remaining&hellip;The win against the Islanders also snapped a season-high four-game winless streak. &#9632;

f0016-01

Wesley's ironman run ends, but ankle injury not serious

<div class="byline">By Mike Heika</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04635/7245763-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="171" height="167"></div>The Stars added speed to their lineup in two deals and hope they have shored up their third and fourth line offensive depth.Benoit Hogue, reacquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a conditional draft pick and defenseman Sergey Gusev, and Derek Plante, picked up from the Buffalo Sabres for a second round draft pick, both have speed and scoring ability.Hogue, 32, played for the Stars in last year's playoffs and had four goals, including two game-winners.&ldquo;Those two players add a different element to our game,&rdquo; said Stars' coach Ken Hitchcock.Hogue was inserted on the second line as a left winger with center Joe Nieuwendyk. That allowed Jamie Langenbrunner to move to right wing-a position where he's more comfortable. &ldquo;Jamie needs to play the right side, it's just easier for him right now,&rdquo; Hitchcock said.Pat Verbeek, who scored 31 goals last season and had been on a hot streak when playing beside Nieuwendyk, was moved off the second line and onto a line with Guy Carbonneau and Dave Reid.The Stars are getting a &ldquo;new&rdquo; Hogue, who is six pounds lighter and had 12 goals through March 24&mdash;twice the number he scored last season.&ldquo;I think I revived my career,&rdquo; Hogue said of his free agent signing with the Lightning. &ldquo;When I had my great years in New York (with the Islanders in the early 1990s), I felt like I could use my speed. And that's the way I feel now.&rdquo;Just two seasons ago with the Sabres, Plante had 27 goals and 53 points, as well as four goals and six assists in 12 playoff games. This season, however, the 28-year-old had been a healthy scratch for much of the year. He had four goals and 15 points in 41 games with Buffalo.&ldquo;He wasn't a fit there right now,&rdquo; said Stars' director of player personnel Craig Button. &ldquo;We believe he'll be a much better fit here.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: After giving up defenseman Sergey Gusev for left winger Benoit Hogue, the Stars recalled defenseman Brad Lukowich from Michigan (International League)&hellip;The club turned down several offers from teams who wanted backup goalie Roman Turek. Turek stopped 31 shots against Los Angeles March 25 and was the first star in a 2-1 win that boosted his record to 13-2-3&hellip;Coach Ken Hitchcock on his past problems with Hogue, which included Hitchcock's kicking Hogue off the bench in a 6-4 loss to Montreal Jan. 1, 1997: &ldquo;He left the team on good terms, he's coming back on good terms. We know Benny better than any team in the NHL. We feel we're getting a player in a pretty good situation right now.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-04

Dallas adds speedsters for playoffs

<div class="byline">By Mario Annicchiarico</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06387/7245794-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="355" height="474"><figcaption class="caption-body">Tommy Salo</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05460/7245801-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="172" height="172"></div>In desperate need of clutch goaltending down the stretch. Edmonton Oilers' GM Glen Sather acquired the man it had long been reported he r"".(tm) was pursuing.Tommy Salo found himself in Edmonton colors three days before the trading deadline, coming over from the New York Islanders for center Mats Lindgren and an eighth round draft pick in 1999.Sather made another trade that saw seven players swap positions that same day. He moved defenseman Boris Mironov, right winger Dean McAmmond and Swedish prospect Jonas Elofsson, a defenseman, to the Chicago Blackhawks for right winger Chad Kilger, left winger Ethan Moreau, defenseman Christian Laflamme and left winger Daniel Cleary, who had been playing with Portland of the American League.&ldquo;It was obvious that we needed a goaltender,&rdquo; said Sather, who the week before traded Mikhail Shtalenkov to the Phoenix Coyotes for a fifth round draft selection.That left the Oilers with Bob Essensa and unproven Steve Passmore, and the two had failed on a road trip.Coach Ron Low immediately cast Salo into the No. 1 role. &ldquo;I think if you look at his record he has been a winner everywhere he has been,&rdquo; Low said.Salo was 17-26-7 this season with a 2.62 goals-against average and .904 age on a disappointing Islanders' team.Passmore was sent back to the American League and Essensa, who is No. 2 again, will likely be exposed in the expansion draft.The 33-year-old Essensa said he can accept his role.&ldquo;We have to get to the playoffs,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;From my perspective, as long as I'm around and contributing, that's all I care about.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Left winger Ethan Moreau made an immediate impact with three assists in his first game as an Oiler and goalie Tommy Salo picked up the victory in a 4-3 win over Vancouver March 20. &ldquo;This is a nice opportunity for me to show that I'm a pretty good goalie,&rdquo; Salo said. &ldquo;I don't think I can be any happier for the opportunity."&hellip;The seven-player deal with Chicago was a comfortable one for center Dean McAmmond, who went back to the team that drafted him 22nd overall in 1991. &ldquo;It's kind of a good feeling to know I'm going back to the team that drafted me, that paid interest in me at the start of my career,&rdquo; McAmmond said. &ldquo;I've been in Chicago before. I've played in that jersey before.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-06

Sather pins hopes on Salo in bid for post-season berth

<div class="byline">By David J. Neal</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-07355/7245832-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="174" height="169"></div>The Florida Panthers had inquired about Edmonton Oiler Boris Mironov, looking for an offensive defenseman. They had scouted the New York Islanders' Rich Pilon, looking for a hard-nosed defenseman.They wound up with neither, getting Mike Wilson for Rhett Warrener in a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that ostensibly was: your young, underachieving defenseman for mine.Not that the Panthers were expected to do much deadline dealing to propel them towards the playoffs. They pared the organization down to get right winger Pavel Bure in January and were looking at his return from knee surgery as the boost they would need to catch the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot.Warrener was once the Panthers' best defender in 1-on-l situations. But his development stalled after the 199697 season.Panthers' scouts see Wilson having some offensive upside, though he had only three points in 30 games at the time of the trade. &ldquo;Mike's not going to hit anybody,&rdquo; said Panthers' GM Bryan Murray. &ldquo;He's just a really solid overall defenseman. And, I think our toughness is fine.&rdquo;A lefthand shot, Wilson could make Terry Carkner expendable. Carkner, a regular scratch since mid-March. has a year left on his contract at $2.1 million. If he isn't selected in the expansion draft, the Panthers might buy him out.NOTEBOOK: If the NHL ever has a charity basketball event, bet on the Panthers. The trade for Wilson means Florida could put on the court a starting five-Wilson, centers Viktor Kozlov and Chris Wells, along with left winger Oleg Kvasha and right winger Peter Worrell-of players 6-foot-5 or taller. If Wells or Kvasha could be converted to defense, the Panthers could put all five on the ice at once&hellip;The Panthers have decided to keep this year's first round pick and give Vancouver next year's as part of the Pavel Bure trade&hellip;Center Ray Whitney's penalty shot goal against Anaheim March 21 was the team's second in a month after 5-1/2 seasons with no successful penalty shots. Bure scored against Detroit Feb. 26. &#9632;

f0016-07

Panthers settle on Wilsor in deadline day tinkering

<div class="byline">By Chuck Carlton</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011330/7245863-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="173" height="173"></div>The expectations were high, but not unreasonable.Uwe Krupp was supposed to be the missing piece for the Detroit Red Wings' defense, a player who could spell Nicklas Lidstrom and Larry Murphy and help form a great second pairing.Management envisioned him filling the void left by the limousine accident which ended Vladimir Konstantinov's playing career two years ago.That hope has ended for this season, with Krupp's sum total being 22 games and five points. A herniated lumbar disc has effectively ended his season. Hopes of a playoff return are beyond remote after a recent recurrence of back spasms.&ldquo;The reality is going into the playoffs, we have to think Uwe won't be available,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland. &ldquo;Anything we get is a bonus.&rdquo;Krupp's status was at least one of the driving forces behind the acquisition of three-time Norris Trophy winner Chris Chelios and ever-combative Ulf Samuelsson at the March 23 trading deadline.While Krupp, 33, has gone through a few encouraging workouts since the relapse, that hardly signals a return.&ldquo;He's doing better. He's making progress,&rdquo; said trainer John Wharton after Krupp saw yet another specialist, this one at Michigan State. &ldquo;He had some mild relief from that. He's able to ride the bike and get back on his rehab program. It's all positive. But as far as playing games in the near future, that's not going to happen.&rdquo;For a while, the Red Wings were optimistic about Krupp. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins told Krupp to resume skating, hoping the nerve damage in his back would heal. Then came the setback a week after Krupp began practice.Krupp signed a four-year, $16.4-million contract as a free agent last summer and has a notrade clause for the first three years of the contract.But it's likely that if he does not play this season, he'll be left exposed in this summer's expansion draft.NOTEBOOK: Owner Mike Hitch gave approval for the four major moves at the trading deadline, even though the Red Wings' payroll could easily exceed $50 million next season. The Red Wings have 17 millionaires on their roster. &ldquo;I'm always concerned about the payroll,&rdquo; Hitch said. &ldquo;But when it comes down to the one-yard line, you're weighing payroll and weighing all the other things that go with it and having the possibility of another shot at the Cup. It's an expensive venture. It's a dangerous venture. It's a risk. But we're risk-takers and I think we've proven that before. We're willing to take another risk.&rdquo; (See pg. 12 for more on Detroit's trades)&hellip;Left winger Brent Gilchrist returned to the lineup March 19 against Tampa Bay after missing 88 consecutive regular season games with a lower-abdominal muscle pull which required two surgeries. &ldquo;1 never believed I wasn't going to get here,&rdquo; Gilchrist said, &ldquo;but I can't lie and say that some nights there wasn't fear this day may not come.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0017-01

Painfully disappointing season comes to early finish for Krupp

<div class="byline">By Helene Elliott</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021016/7245894-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="172" height="171"></div>Angeles Kings an opportunity to correct a costly mistake-the signing last summer of defenseman Steve Duchesne to a three-year contract (plus an option) at $3.75 million per year.Scratched and later waived because of his season-long ineffective play, Duchesne was bought out for a lump sum reported to be $4.25 million, signed to a new contract and traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for veteran defenseman Dave Babych and a fifth round draft pick in 2000. That brought Duchesne's compensation for his sub-par season to more than $7 million, including most of this season's salary plus the buyout.Duchesne's struggles had caused problems on the ice and in the dressing room. When he was held out of the lineup for three games-all victories-some players asked coach Larry Robinson not to change the lineup and Robinson obliged. Even after the winning streak ended, Duchesne did not reappear.&ldquo;You could call it a chemistry move,&rdquo; said GM Dave Taylor.Signing Duchesne was the Kings' lone foray into free agency last summer and it may well be their last for some time, even though they are moving into the new, $375-million Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles next season and have said they would like a marquee player who could fill seats. Moving into the new arena without a superstar and coming off a poor year will make it difficult to draw fans.&ldquo;This has been a very difficult and very expensive lesson,&rdquo; Taylor said. &ldquo;I'm not sure if you'll see us too active in the free agent market in the future.&rdquo;In their other deadline-day move, the Kings traded Yanic Perreault to the Toronto Maple Leafs for minor league right winger Jason Podollan. Perreault had 28 goals last season, but was streaky this season and went 21 games without a goal after scoring four times in the Kings' first four games. He had no goals in his last 23 games with the team.NOTEBOOK: Defenseman Dave Babych, acquired by Los Angeles in the Steve Duchesne trade as something of a throw-in, can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. How much he will play for the Kings is questionable, but the 37-year-old veteran said he's not ready to retire. &ldquo;I've got to finish off strong this year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm certainly not thinking about stopping."&hellip;Left winger Luc Robitaille and defensemen Mattias Norstrom and Sean O'Donnell were the only Kings who had played in all of the team's games through March 25. Besides the lockout-shortened 48-game season in 1994-95, the last time a King player played every game in a season was 1993-94, when defensemen Rob Blake and Darryl Sydor played every game in the 84-game schedule&hellip;The Kings' 2-1 loss to Dallas March 25 stretched their futility streak against the Stars to 0-11-6, including five one-goal losses this season. It also dropped them eight points out of eighth place in the Western Conference. &#9632;

f0017-02

Duchesne free agent experiment proves costly lesson for Kings

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011363/7245925-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="175" height="173"></div>It wasn't what the Montreal Canadiens did at the NHL trading deadline as much as it was what they didn't do.Vincent Damphousse became the sixth Canadiens' captain this decade to be traded when he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks for a fifth round draft pick this year and a second round selection in 2000, but others expected to move did not.Defenseman Stephane Quintal, who like Damphousse is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, was relieved not to be dealt. And GM Rejean Houle hung on to forwards Shayne Corson and Brian Savage, along with defensemen Vladimir Malakhov and Igor Ulanov, who were all rumored to be on the trading block.According to published reports, San Jose was willing to relinquish a first-round draft choice for Corson.Houle said the fact that he didn't clean house should prove to people the Canadiens aren't going through a rebuilding phase.&ldquo;I don't like the word 'rebuilding.' I prefer to say we're in a transition process,&rdquo; he said. ''We want to have a mix of veterans and young players. Our goal is to make the playoffs, but I have to think about the transition and that means young players and draft picks.&rdquo;Quintal was happy and relieved to be staying. Underpaid at $900,000 (U.S.), he said he expects to sign a new contract soon and might not test the market.&ldquo;The Canadiens want to keep me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They've already made an acceptable offer. We're not that far from agreement.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Canadiens will receive San Jose's first round draft choice in 2000 if traded center Vincent Damphousse signs with the Sharks&hellip;In another deal made at the trade deadline, the Canadiens acquired forward Jean-Francois Jomphe from Phoenix for an undisclosed amount of cash. Jomphe, 26, has scored 10 goals and 39 points in 104 career NHL games over four seasons with Anaheim. Jomphe joined the Canadiens' minor league affiliate in Fredericton. &#9632;

f0018-01

Mass exodus fails to materialize as Houle opts for 'transition' over rebuilding

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03710/7245987-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="172" height="172"></div>During a week of trading which produced several deals bordering on DiocKDusters, the New Jersey Devils barely created a stir when they acquired Sergei Nemchinov from the New York Islanders for a fourth round draft choice in 1999.And yet there were those who compared it to the trade that brought veteran forward Neal Broten to the Devils in 1995 and a Stanley Cup to New Jersey that spring.&ldquo;It is kind of the same type of thing,&rdquo; said right winger Randy McKay. &ldquo;Maybe the numbers aren't there, but when we got 'Brotsie,' he was a fourth line player who was barely seeing any time. Sometimes these things work out that way.&rdquo;Nemchinov, 35, seems to be a perfect fit. A twoway player who had eight goals in 67 games with the Islanders, he scored a goal in his Devils' debut March 23 to help his new teammates earn a 1-1 tie with Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres.&ldquo;I think he was a great acquisition,&rdquo; said defenseman Ken Daneyko. &ldquo;Maybe it wasn't one of the blockbusters like some other teams made, but he really did some slick things offensively. He's going to fit right into this team.&rdquo;Skating at right wing with Sergei Brylin and center Brendan Morrison, Nemchinov became only the second player to play for all three New York-area teams (Rangers, Islanders, Devils). Pat Conacher was the first.&ldquo;Every player wants to be in the playoffs, so I'm happy to be traded to the Devils, one of the best teams in the league,&rdquo; Nemchinov said. &ldquo;I knew it was coming because there were lots of rumors. The Islanders are trying to rebuild the team.&rdquo;Nemchinov called himself a &ldquo;two-way player&rdquo; and the Devils hope he can do exactly what Broten did in 1995, which was to play strong in his own end and score some key goals.&ldquo;You find that your most talented people and your people with the best hockey sense have the ability to make that transition to a defensive-minded, checking type of player,&rdquo; coach Robbie Ftorek said. &ldquo;But he still has the ability to score goals. He's got his legs and when you have your legs, you can always play offensively.&ldquo;Did you happen to watch the Olympics?&hellip; He had a guy by the name of Mogilny on one side and Bure on the other side. Maybe he was the checking guy out of the three, but I don't think so.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Center Bobby Holik was suspended for two games March 23 for slashing Toronto center Igor Korolev three days earlier. The loss of pay cost him $61,788. It was Holik's second two-game suspension of the season; he was punished in November for slew-footing Florida defenseman Paul Laus&hellip;Defenseman Scott Stevens began skating on his own, but wasn't ready to return from a groin pull&hellip;Coach Robbie Ftorek coached his 200th NHL game March 20. He appeared in 334 games as a player&hellip;With 24 road victories this season, the Devils were within three of tying the record of 27, set by Montreal in 1976-77 and equalled in 1977-78. &#9632;

f0018-03

Could unheralded pick-up Nemchinoi turn out like Broten deal for Devils?

<div class="byline">By Jim Smith</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011261/7246018-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="171" height="172"></div>The New York Islanders' long-anticipated firesale turned out to be a treepiuiung as GM Mike Milbury traded four high-salaried veterans and acquired or promoted five low-salaried players, cutting the team's payroll by $2.5 million to $24 million.Milbury got rid of goalie Tommy Salo (earning $1.15 million), left winger Ted Donato ($1 million), center Robert Reichel ($1.2 million plus $500,000 paid by the Calgary Flames) and Sergei Nemchinov ($1.5 million). He sent Salo to the Edmonton Oilers for all-purpose forward Mats Lindgren and an eighth-round 1999 draft pick. Donato went to the Ottawa Senators and Nemchinov to the New Jersey Devils, each for a fourthround 1999 choice.But the stunner was Reichel, the team's top scorer, was sent to the Phoenix Coyotes along with the fourth-rounder from the Donato deal for Brad Isbister and a swap of 1999 third round picks.Milbury said the Islanders could not meet the salary demands of Reichel, who was looking for a deal averaging $3 million a year and the team was afraid to lose him for nothing. But Islanders' fans were shocked the only two players Milbury received in four transactions are damaged goods.Lindgren, 24, and earning $650,000, is playing with a harness to prevent his previously dislocated shoulder from popping out again and said he will require off-season surgery. Isbister, 21, earning $425,000, has had hernia surgery this season and reported with a groin injury that could sideline him for the rest of the year.&ldquo;We started to push upwards of $25 million and we weren't getting the results we'd hoped for so we decided to cut back and hopefully we'll be able to do something this summer,&rdquo; Milbury said. &ldquo;We did what I felt were the bare necessities of trimming.&rdquo;Left winger Vladimir Orszagh (earning $285,000), right winger Warren Luhning ($600,000) and goalie Marcel Cousineau ($425,000) were all promoted to the big club from Lowell of the American League.NOTEBOOK: Rookie left winger Mike Watt ended a 32-game drought with his first goal since Dec. 26 in a 3-1 victory over Vancouver March 19. It snapped the team's 0-6-2 winless streak&hellip;Goaltender Wade Flaherty, a native of Terrace, B.C., made 21 saves against the Canucks to earn his first victory since Dec. 26. Flaherty allowed only seven goals in four straight starts on the road, but the team scored just six and he went 1-3-0&hellip;GM Mike Milbury and coach Bill Stewart were tap-dancing around the fact Stewart does not have a contract for next season&hellip;Center Craig Janney was hospitalized after developing a blood clot in his lower right leg and will miss the rest of the season. He picked up a goal and three assists in 18 games with the Islanders. In his last eight games, Janney was scratched five times, suspended once and given a total of only 6:22 minutes of ice time in the other two&hellip;The Isles had 21 one-goal losses through games of March 24. &#9632;

f0019-01

Islanders unload quartet of vets as Milbury whittles team payroll

<div class="byline">By Rick Carpinlello</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02921/7246049-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="171" height="172"></div>Dne punch may have ended the career of New York Rangers' oerenseman Jeff Beukeboom.Beukeboom announced March 19 he was going to sit out the remainder of 1998-99 because of post-concussion syndrome, the result of his second concussion this season.Now the question is whether Beukeboom will ever play again. &ldquo;I've looked at the scenario where it's possible I might not play this game again,&rdquo; Beukeboom said. &ldquo;At the same time, I feel in my heart that I probably will.&rdquo;Beukeboom said his neurological/psychological tests have all come up normal, but that he is still suffering from post-concussion symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. Some days are better than others and no day is typical.&ldquo;(It's) like a dull toothache, but I don't take medicine for it,&rdquo; he said.Beukeboom figures he has suffered four or five major concussions in his career and &ldquo;quite a few smaller ones.&rdquo;He had a severe concussion when Owen Nolan, then with the Quebec Nordiques, delivered a forearm to Beukeboom's head in 1995 playoffs. This season, his troubles began when he was sucker-punched by Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings Nov. 19. Beukeboom missed only two games after the Johnson punch, which resulted in a 12-game suspension for Johnson. Six games later, he was out again with post-concussion symptoms.He was also involved in two fights in between that concussion and his last one, when his head collided with the knee of Carolina Hurricanes' left winger Martin Gelinas Feb. 12. The Rangers' medical staff doesn't believe that collision would have been substantial enough to cause a major injury under normal conditions, thus the concern for Beukeboom's well-being.In addition to talking to doctors, Beukeboom said he has met with former teammate Pat LaFontaine, who retired last summer because of multiple head injuries.NOTEBOOK: The Rangers' decision to trade defenseman Ulf Samuelsson was sealed when the free-agent-to-be broke a bone in his right foot March 21. Figuring they would have to make the playoffs without him anyway, the Rangers dealt Samuelsson to Detroit for a second round pick and the return of their own conditional pick (either a second- or third-rounder in 2000). That was dealt to the Wings in September for right winger Mike Knuble&hellip;Center Wayne Gretzky returned March 22 from a 12-game absence due to a protruding disc in his cervical spine&hellip;Right winger Todd Harvey had his broken thumb re-examined March 23 and it had not healed sufficiently for him to return&hellip;The Rangers made three trades for young defensemen on deadline day, obtaining Jason Doig from Phoenix (for defenseman Stan Neckar), Kevin Brown from Edmonton (for right winger Vladimir Vorobiev) and Chris O'Sullivan from Calgary (for defenseman Lee Sorochan). &#9632;

f0019-02

Head injuries force Beukeboom to sit out season, possibly career

<div class="byline">By Bruce Garrloch</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011152/7246080-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="178" height="173"></div>The Ottawa Senators have a couple of new players to get used to down the stretch, but they opted against making major changes at the NHL trade deadline.As the clock ticked towards the March 23 deadline, Senators' GM Rick Dudley made two deals to bolster the club by picking up forwards Nelson Emerson from the Chicago Blackhawks and Ted Donato from the New York Islanders.Instead of making a deal to get higher profile Joe Juneau (traded to the Buffalo Sabres) or Trevor Linden, Dudley opted to snag Donato for a draft pick and sent Chris Murray to Chicago for Emerson.&ldquo;We feel good about these players and you can think whatever you want, but we see these as significant changes,&rdquo; Dudley said. &ldquo;I believe that we're a better team today than we were the day before and that's important.&ldquo;We're making changes to our team without having to lose many players off the roster. We didn't disrupt it that much. Obviously, we had to lose Chris Murray, but you've got to give up something to get something.&rdquo;While Donato was excited about getting an opportunity to play for a playoff contender, the news took Emerson by surprise. Traded to Hawks by the Carolina Hurricanes in January, Emerson's family was scheduled to arrive in Chicago March 24. The moving van was on the way to the Windy City when the deal happened.NOTEBOOK: Left winger Daniel Alfredsson, troubled by various injuries all season, is back on the shelf. Alfredsson suffered a slight abdominal pull March 17 in Anaheim and is out of the lineup indefinitely&hellip;The Senators named personnel director Marshall Johnston assistant GM and scouting co-ordinator Trevor Timmins director of hockey operations March 24. Johnston replaces assistant GM Ray Shero who left in November to join the expansion Nashville Predators. Johnston was a candidate for the GM's job of the expansion Minnesota Wild&hellip;The Senators lost their first season series of the year (3-2-0) when they lost 3-0 to the Boston Bruins March 24 at the Corel Centre. Boston could be a first round opponent. &#9632;

f0020-01

Dudley opts for fine-tuning over deadline blockbuster

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03544/7246111-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="366" height="472"><figcaption class="caption-body">Craig Berube</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02791/7246118-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="179" height="172"></div>When Philadelphia Flyers' 3M Bob Clarke acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for highly regarded prospect Dainius Zubrus, he justified it by saying a team sometimes only gets one shot at a Stanley Cup and this might be it for the Flyers.Clarke put a bit of a disclaimer on that remark March 23, the NHL trade deadline day by refusing to pay a steep price for the defenseman he coveted, Chicago's Chris Chelios.&rdquo;The Blackhawks were willing to part with Chelios, a power play quarterback the Flyers so desperately need, but only if Philadelphia's top prospect, center Simon Gagne, were included in the deal. No thanks, said Clarke, and he picked up Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Steve Duchesne instead.Duchesne played for the Flyers in 1991-92 before a blockbuster trade sent him to Quebec along with five other players, two No. 1 draft picks and $15 million for Eric Lindros. He returned to Philadelphia in exchange for veteran defenseman Dave Babych and a fifth round pick in the 2000 draft.In a separate deal, the Flyers brought back another of their former players, tough guy Craig Berube of Washington, in exchange for future considerations.Earlier, Clarke acquired scrapper Sandy McCarthy (and winger Mikael Andersson) from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Berube deal brought to 12 the number of trades Clarke has made during the year in what is surely a team record-breaking season for transactions.Clarke wasn't about to let Gagne go.&ldquo;We weren't willing, under any circumstances, to pay that high a price,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Certainly, he (Chelios) will help Detroit, but there were other teams who wanted Berube him as well but they weren't willing either.&rdquo;Duchesne and Berube can become unrestricted free agents at season's end.NOTEBOOK: Center Eric Lindros registered his 600th NHL point in a 3-1 win at Toronto March 22. Lindros scored his 40th goal on the milestone play. Lindros reached the 600 mark in his 429th NHL game. With 69 games played, Lindros was within four games of matching his career high (73) for a season&hellip;Left winger John LeClair missed four games with a hip flexor injury. That probably cost him a chance to register a fourth straight 50-goal season, which would have tied him with former power play specialist Tim Kerr. With 11 games to play, LeClair needed 11 goals to get 50. LeClair said he wasn't thinking about the milestone because the Flyers had been slumping so badly. &ldquo;The bottom line is we have to win some games going into the playoffs.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0020-03

Trade day lands toughness, but big fish Chelios gets away

<div class="byline">By Bob McManaman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04349/7246149-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="177" height="171"></div>When they traded second line center Cliff Ronning to the Nashville Predators earlier this season, the Phoenix Coyotes handed the keys to the second line to promising rookie Daniel Briere.But following months of test driving, the 21-year-old prospect had his ice time reduced and, then, his NHL license revoked when he was sent down to the minors.The move came as a result of the Coyotes acquiring the experienced, second line playmaker they have been searching for since parting ways with Ronning. In Robert Reichel, whom they obtained three days before the trading deadline from the New York Islanders for young winger Brad Isbister and an exchange of draft picks, the Coyotes added instant scoring and another threat to their slumping power play unit, beefing up their biggest weakness for the stretch run and playoffs.Reichel was the Islanders' leading scorer, totaling 19 goals and 56 points at the time of the deal.He had five points in his first three games with the Coyotes, including a power play goal and an assist in his Phoenix debut, a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings after joining the club only a few hours before faceoff.&ldquo;I can't remember the team ever getting a player as good as he is this late in the year,&rdquo; said Coyotes' veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen, now in his 11th season with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise.&ldquo;This shows me management is committed to winning,&rdquo; added captain Keith Tkachuk. &ldquo;Management has done its part. Now we have to do our part.&rdquo;Reichel, a restricted free agent this summer, said he was shocked the Islanders moved him, but he liked the idea of joining a playoff-bound team.&ldquo;This is a very good team and I think we can do some exciting things here,&rdquo; Reichel said.NOTEBOOK: Center Jeremy Roenick was accused by Dallas forwards Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk and Brett Hull of taking a cheap shot at center Mike Modano, who suffered an eye injury after a huge body check by Roenick March 23. Roenick was given a five minute major and a game misconduct on what the Coyotes insist was a fair hit. &ldquo;Guy Carbonneau is a (expletive), anyway,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;Joe is a class guy, but I'm a physical player and he's not. And Hull makes comments about everything&hellip; Again, he's not a physical player, either."&hellip;The Coyotes acquired defenseman Stan Neckar from the Rangers for defenseman Jason Doig and a sixth round draft pick. &#9632;

f0020-04

Players rave over nabbing Reichel

<div class="byline">By Joe Starkey</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06152/7246180-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="361" height="474"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bobby Dollas</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05193/7246187-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="177" height="172"></div>When the Pittsburgh Penguins needed some veteran defensemen after a recent glut of injuries, they didn't have to look far.Two of them were sitting in the press box.Neil Wilkinson, 31, and Bobby Dollas, 34, were called into action after Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher and Maxim Galanov went down with injuries. Kasparaitis is gone for the season with a knee injury; Hatcher was expected back from a broken foot in early April; and Galanov might not be ready for the playoffs because of a separated shoulder.&ldquo;You don't wish injuries on anybody,&rdquo; Dollas said. &ldquo;But you know the old quote: 'One man's misfortune is another man's profit.' &ldquo;Between them. Wilkinson and Dollas had been scratched more than a bad mosquito bite this season. Wilkinson was a healthy scratch 31 times going into March. Dollas was scratched nine times, including six times in February. Both were unhappy for much of the season, but both answered the bell when they were needed.The Penguins' goals-against average in the first 10 games with Wilkinson and Dollas in the lineup was a miniscule 1.67. They didn't do it them selves, of course, but they didn't hurt either.&ldquo;The nice thing is that we didn't have to throw in some rookies,&rdquo; said Penguins' coach Kevin Constantine. &ldquo;We had some guys who've been through the wars.&rdquo;Dollas, whom the Penguins acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last summer, played his best game of the season in t 2-2 tie with the NewYork Rangers March 21 He not only scored hi: second goal of the sea son-beating Mike Richter with a high bullet-but he played more than 23 minutes of sound hockey.NOTEBOOK: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Bernard Markovitz rejected Penguins' co owner Roger Marino's request to shop the team to out-of-town investors. He also ordered the Penguins to keep their pledge to play at the Civic Arena through 2007. The order applies to any new ownership group that emerges through bankruptcy proceedings&hellip;Left winger Kip Miller sustained three cuts worth 19 stitches around his right eye when he was inadvertently slashed by Nashville defenseman Joel Bouchard March 20. Miller returned a game later wearing a visor. &ldquo;I was in shock at first,&rdquo; he said of the injury. &ldquo;I thought it was really bad."&hellip;Right winger Alexei Kovalev broke an 18-game scoring drought with a goal March 23 against Chicago. &#9632;

f0020-06

Dollas, Wilkinson do just fine in move from civies to blueline

<div class="byline">By Dave Luecking</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07132/7246218-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="176" height="170"></div>Although the Detroit Red Wings loaded up at the traue oeauune for another run at the Stanley Cup, the St. Louis Blues still believe they have a chance to catch them in the Central Division standings. &ldquo;Everybody's worried that they got better, but if we play our game with the confidence we have been&hellip;that's the key,&rdquo; said Blues' forward Scott Pellerin. &ldquo;We have to worry about how we play instead of how they're playing&hellip; lite pressure is on them to play unbelievable.&rdquo;The Blues have no such pressure. Their only deadline move was to reacquire Blair Atcheynum by sending a sixth round pick to the Nashville Predators, which picked him in the expansion draft.Atcheynum's credentials-118 NHL games in nine professional seasons-pale in comparison to the credentials of the veteran stars Detroit landed at the trade deadline-Chris Chelios, Ulf Samuelsson, Wendel Clark and goalie Bill Ranford.&ldquo;They still have to come together as a team,&rdquo; said center Pierre Turgeon. &ldquo;Their trades look good, but you just don't know.&rdquo;Through March 25, the Blues were 31-29-11 for 73 points, three behind the Red Wings with 11 games remaining.&ldquo;We can't quit,&rdquo; said Blues' captain Chris Pronger. &ldquo;They might not peak for a while. They have a virtual all-star team, but sometimes you might not have the proper chemistry.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: The Blues went 5-1-1 after coach Joel Quenneville separated his top scorers, Pavol Demitra and Pierre Turgeon. Demitra was centering a line with right winger Lubos Bartecko and left winger Michel Picard that had 13 goals and 28 points in the seven games. Turgeon was playing between left winger Scott Pellerin and a grab-bag of right wingers&hellip;The Blues' 5-1-1 stretch also corresponded with the return of goalie Grant Fuhr, who was 4-1-1 in that span with a 2.30 goals-against average&hellip;Through March 25, right winger Jim Campbell had missed three games with a pulled groin. After Blues' doctors cleared him to play, he sought a second opinion from a doctor who said he needed surgery. The Blues planned to seek a third opinion. &#9632;

f0020-07

Blues not ready to concede division title to Red Wings

<div class="byline">By Dan Wool</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011042/7246249-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="174" height="173"></div>From where the San Jose Sharks stood-26th in a 27-team league in goals for-the chance that Vincent Damphousse may rediscover his scoring savvy of years past was too much to pass up.Damphousse, 31, had only 12 goals and 36 points in 65 games for the Montreal Canadiens, but it was his track record that convinced Shark GM Dean Lombardi he was worth a shot. Only two years ago, Damphousse had 81 points to lead Montreal, and the year before that he had 94.Lombardi wanted to get some veteran help for young players such as Patrick Marleau, Jeff Friesen and Marco Sturm, all of whom have played well, but carry a disproportionate share of the offensive load.&ldquo;This makes us a better team now and it doesn't get us off-course,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;In terms of the price we paid, draft picks and not having to give up good young players, it's a good risk.&rdquo;Damphousse, 31, is earning $3,275 million this year, but is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.At minimum, the March 23 deadline deal will cost the Sharks a fifth round selection in this year's entry draft and a second-rounder next year. San Jose would also owe Montreal its 2000 first round pick if the Sharks re-sign Damphousse.&ldquo;I think I have a lot of good years left,&rdquo; Damphousse said. &ldquo;If I like it and the team wants to sign me, we'U talk.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: Center Vincent Damphousse payed immediate dividends, scoring twice in his first game with the Sharks, an 85 win over Toronto March 24&hellip;In the same game, San Jose snapped an 0-for-19 streak with the man advantage and matched a season high with three power play goals, and left winger Jeff Friesen ended a 12-game drought. The Sharks stretched their season-high unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2)&hellip;Goaltender Steve Shields went 6-1-2 while making nine straight starts from March 3 through March 24. Included in that stretch was a 43-save performance in a 1-1 tie with Montreal March 22. Goaltender Mike Vernon, who had been sidelined with a strained groin, dressed as Shields' backup during the final three games of that stretch. &#9632;

f0022-01

Sharks hope Damphousse adds bite to tame attack

<div class="byline">By Tim Buckley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03521/7246280-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="356" height="474"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Hodson</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02731/7246287-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="174" height="172"></div>In mid-March, the day after a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning coach-GM Jacques Demers was so upset with the effort of his last-place team that he kicked all players off the ice after skating them hard in a 30minute practice.'1 didn't want to take up their precious time,&rdquo; Demers said sarcastically. &ldquo;They have things to do. They need to go shopping, go play golf, go buy a new car. I just wanted to make sure I didn't waste their time.&rdquo;Nearly one week and a slew of trades later, Demers was not much happier. Following a 3-0 loss at home to the Nashville Predators March 24, Demers was so livid that he made Lightning players sit for 45 minutes in full gear while watching the first two periods on videotape.&ldquo;We knew that with the second-youngest team in the league we were going to have some battles with kids,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but we had to let our youths know&hellip;that an effort like this would not be acceptable.&rdquo;Despite that, Demers said he liked the new look of his Lightning following his first trade deadline day as GM.Out went aged forwards Wende] Clark, Benoit Hogue, Mikael Andersson (the last of the Lighting originals), Sandy McCarthy and Brent Peterson and goalie Bill Ranford. In came forward Colin Forbes from the Philadelphia Flyers, defenseman Sergey Gusev from the Dallas Stars and goalie Kevin Hodson from the Detroit Red Wings. Tampa Bay rid itself of Ranford's $3-million contract, unless Detroit decides to buy him out for next season-in which case the Lightning is on the hook for about $1 million.Demers trimmed about $6 million from a grossly inflated payroll and added to the foundation of what he believes can be an up-and-coming club. &ldquo;We have a bright future,&rdquo; he said.NOTEBOOK: Lightning defenseman David Wilkie and center Darcy Tucker, best friends the last seven years, became fathers of baby girls within two hours of each other when their wives, Jackie Wilkie and Shannon Tucker, both gave birth March 19. The two couples believe their children may have even been conceived the same night, at the same hotel. &ldquo;I'm pretty sure my wife got pregnant at (Tucker's) wedding,&rdquo; Wilkie said. Said Tucker: &ldquo;I know my wife got pregnant the night we were married."&hellip;Goalie prospect Zac Bierk, who had been playing with Cleveland in the International League, has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, a rare ailment that produces vertigo-like symptoms. His season is likely over and his future uncertain. &#9632;

f0022-03

Demers awaits 'bright future' though present hardly sunny

<div class="byline">By Paul Hunter</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04352/7246318-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="173" height="170"></div>Five years, three coache: and one GM later, Yanit Perreault is getting the chance deniet him the first time he was a Maph Leaf.Toronto reaquired Perreault, a center it drafted in 1991, from the Lo: Angeles Kings during a quiet day o maneuvering at the NHL's trade deadline. The Leafs sent Jason Podollan, a right winger who led the American League in scoring with 42 goals and a 1999 third round pick to the Kings in exchange.Toronto, a noticeably soft team had planned to use the final day of dealing to add some size and grit either up front or on the blueline. Bu when center Igor Korolev suffered badly broken finger three days earlier and joined fellow pivot Alyi McCauley on the sidelines, the Leafs priorities changed. They couldn't go into the playoffs with Mats Sundit and Steve Sullivan as their only healthy centers.The Leafs considered renting player such as Joe Juneau, Dali Hunter or Vincent Damphousse, but were unwilling to part with young taient or significant draft picks in return Enter, or make that re-enter, Perreault.The 27-year-old Perreault was no really given an opportunity to display his scoring touch during his first stin with Toronto. Despite scoring 131 goals in 203 games for the Leafs AHL farm team at St. John's, Pa Bums, Toronto's coach at the time considered Perreault's labored skating and weak defense too much of i liability. He played only 13 game before being traded to L.A. in 199' for a fourth-round draft pick.Perreault was &ldquo;pretty happy&rdquo; to get a fresh start in familiar territory. Joze Stumpel and Olli Jokinen had a firn grip on L.A.'s top two center spot and he'd recently been bounced to left wing.&ldquo;It's been a tough year for the Kings. Everything went wrong,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I've struggled offensively. It' good for me to get a change.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK: At the deadline, Toronto also sent defenseman Jason Smith to Edmonton for a fourth round pick in 1991 and a second round pick in 2000. The Leaf had nine blueliners and Smith had been scratched 10 times and requested a trade.&rdquo; don't know if (what we got) is enough to be honest with you,&rdquo; said associate GN Mike Smith. &ldquo;We're satisfied with it, but to get an NHL defenseman for a fourth and a second pick is a pretty good deal for Edmonton."&hellip;Center Igor Korolev's let index finger was broken in four piece when he was slashed by New Jersey center Bobby Holik March 20. It took surgeon 90 minutes to insert a plate into his finger and screw it back together. He'll be out of estimated six weeks &#9632;

f0022-04

Perreault's return role center stage

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06209/7246349-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="357" height="475"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kevin Weekes</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05266/7246356-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="173" height="172"></div>With his team a disaster on the ice, Vancouver Canucks' GM Brian Burke failed to swing a deal at the NHL trading deadline and will now set his sights on the summer.Burke seemed unfazed that he was unable to entice a desperate playoff-bound team into surrendering an asset that would help the Canucks.&ldquo;This trading deadline puts pressure on teams who think they have a shot, not on teams like ours,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our trading position is actually better, in my opinion, in the off-season with a lot of teams.&rdquo;Burke figures some teams which loaded up for a playoff run will unload if they are upset in the early rounds. He thinks a few front-line forwards, a commodity Vancouver desperately needs, will be available. The Canucks would probably part with a young defenseman for a puck-moving center.&ldquo;A lot of teams that think they're going somewhere in the playoffs aren't,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;Only four teams will make it to the conference finals and the others are going to sit down, look at their teams and say: 'You know what? Back to the drawing board.' &ldquo;Burke rejected the notion he was reluctant to upgrade this year's team to protect his draft position. At 25th overall March 23, Vancouver was looking at a top five selection and, possibly, the No. 1 overall pick if it wins the draft lottery.The only move Burke did make on the trading deadline blew up in his face when veteran center Peter Zezel refused to report to Anaheim, thus voiding a deal for an eighth-round pick. Zezel did not want to be traded as his three-year-old niece in Toronto is terminally ill with cancer. Zezel then left the Canucks and donated the remaining portion of his $800,000 (U.S.) contract to charity. The Canucks then matched the donation (See pg. 14 for more on Zezel.)NOTEBOOK: Canuck captain Mark Messier returned to the lineup March 25 after missing six weeks and 18 games with a sprained left knee. The Canucks were 311-4 in his absence and then lost 4-1 to St. Louis in his first game back&hellip;Goalie Kevin Weekes was still seeking his first win in the NHL after going 0-5-1 in his first six decisions&hellip;The Canucks lost their season series with St. Louis in resounding fashion, dropping all four games by a combined 20-4 count&hellip;Marc Crawford's winning percentage in Vancouver sunk below .300 as the Canucks lost six straight to fall to 5-17-5 under their new coach&hellip;After going pointless in eight games, center Steve Washburn was waived and sent to Syracuse of the American League. &#9632;

f0022-06

Better dealing to be done in off-season, Burke says

<div class="byline">By Dave Fay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07179/7246387-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="173" height="169"></div>Washington Capital GM George McPhee said his primary concern as the March 23 trading deadline neared was to move potential unrestricted free agents who had served the club well over the years to places they wanted to go.It may just have been GM-speak of a nice gesture for P.R. spin doctors until McPhee went out and did it.He said it was his way of thanking some of the veterans for what they had done, especially for their performance last year when the Caps reached the Stanley Cup finals.&ldquo;These players did it for us Iasi year,&rdquo; McPhee said. &ldquo;We wanted to do it for them this year. This club competed like hell this season, but they just couldn't win because they weren't good enough.&rdquo;One player McPhee wanted to take special care of was Dale Hunter, the 19-year NHL veteran who spent 12 of those seasons as a Cap and five as their captain.McPhee and Hunter agree on the scenario. Hunter, 39 in July, was asked if he wanted to finish his career a Cap or go to a contender. Told which teams were interested, Hunter picked Colorado, which was a no-brainer. The Avs were Hunter's first team, the Quebec Nordiques in those days, and now have his first left winger, Hall of Famer Michel Goulet, as director of player personnel.&ldquo;These guys really took care of me, I'll never forget that,&rdquo; Hunter said.NOTEBOOK: The Caps' return in dealing veteran forwards Dale Hunter, Craig Berube (to Philadelphia) and Joe Juneau (to Buffalo) was a second round draft pick from the Avs, future considerations from the Flyers and defenseman Andrei Tezikov and futures from the Sabres. The Caps also gave up two third round picks&hellip;Coach Ron Wilson said goalies Ollie Kolding and Rick Tamarack would split the final games of the season. Tamarack lost to Phoenix 4-2 March 24, but he bettered by one the team record for penalty shot stops when he stopped his third of the season, brushing aside Robert Reichel&hellip;The Caps signed defenseman Dean Stork, a junior at the University of Massachusetts, and assigned him to Portland of the American League. &#9632;

f0022-07

GM rewards loyal veterans by finding them new homes

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div>Don't look now, but here comes Peter White, poised and ready for a run at American League history.Barely cracking the top 20 in scoring heading into the all-star break, the seventh-year center of the Philadelphia Phantoms climbed to fourth with four weeks remaining in the regular season. White had 28 goals and 77 points in 68 games, trailing Providence's Randy Robitaille by nine points through March 24.But despite slicing the gap between Robitaille and himself almost in half in four weeks, White, 30, didn't believe an unprecedented fourth AHL scoring title was possible.&ldquo;You never know, " but unless he goes into a serious slump or he gets called up, I don't think anybody can catch him,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;I had the pleasure to play on the same line with him in the All-Star Game and he's a very good player.&rdquo;The same can be said about the ultramodest White and his resume is proof. He has won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL's leading scorer the past two seasons with the Phantoms, and also won the scoring race in 199394 with the Cape Breton Oilers. Each year he had 105 points.This year, if he happens to complete the improbable rally, his wife deserves an assist. Jody White, also the daughter of Flyers' GM Bob Clarke, began to have labor pains while watching the Phantoms play the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks March 21.She insisted Peter continue to play, and she even stayed to watch. But eventually young Peter Robert Phillip White decided it was time to enter the world, and White left the bench with 14 minutes remaining to bring Jody to the hospital.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01934/7246425-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="515" height="513"></div>&ldquo;I talked to her between the second and third period and she said the contractions were about seven minutes apart, and that I should finish the game,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;She was trying to hold the little guy in as long as she could. We were only at the hospital about three hours before he was bom.&rdquo;White's roar into the scoring race coincides with the Phantoms' drastic turnaround. Just 2217-5 at the all-star break, the defending Calder Cup champs went 174-1 in the next 22 games. White has 15 r goals and 35 points in that span.Springfield's Bill r Sweeney is the only other player to win three scoring titles and he did it from 1960-61 through 1962-63. While a fourth would be special for White, he has already achieved one goal this season in earning his first NHL recall since 1995-96. He played sparingly in three games with the Flyers earlier this year.&ldquo;I didn't play very much, maybe two shifts a game, but it was still great just to be there, especially for morale,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;It was actually great to finally see at least a little light at the end of the tunnel.&rdquo;FOUR ON FOUR WORKS: The system of using four players on four in overtime may be here to stay, even if the NHL doesn't adopt the rule change next season.The AHL has used the system for a month and it seems to work. Of the first 30 games that went to overtime, 18 were decided (60 per cent, up from 33 per cent before the switch).Shots per minute were up from .93 to 1.3 and the average length of overtime had decreased from 4:09 minutes to 3:36.&ldquo;If it's adopted by the NHL, of course we will too,&rdquo; AHL president Dave Andrews said. &ldquo;But even if the NHL doesn't, I'll be quite surprised if there isn't some movement within our league to do it on a permanent basis for next season.&rdquo;The movement won't be starting in Newfoundland, however. St. John's coach Al MacAdam isn't a big fan, though his team is 2-2 since the system came in.&ldquo;I'm not sure it's good for the game, except it's exciting, and it's nervous excitement at that,&rdquo; MacAdam said. &ldquo;Five-on-five is more of a zone game and angles game and 4-on-4 is more 1-on-1.&rdquo;FLAG OF SURRENDER: Any chance the Portland Pirates had of gaining the final playoff berth in the Atlantic Division virtually disappeared at the NHL trade deadline as forwards Benoit Gratton, Trevor Halverson and Matt Herr (ranked 1, 2 and 5 in team scoring) were recalled by the Washington Capitals to replace the departed Joe Juneau, Dale Hunter and Craig Berube. The Pirates were eight points behind Saint John.&ldquo;It was a mountain before, now it's Mt. Everest,&rdquo; said winger Mark Major.AHL TIDBITS: The Rochester Americans retired sweater No. 9 to honor Jody Gage, their scoring star from 1985 to 1996, and Dick Gamble, their scoring hero of the 1960s&hellip;Center Steve Guolla, the AHL MVP last season, won't be returning to the Kentucky Thorough-blades. The San Jose Sharks didn't send him back down before the March 25 playoff roster freeze&hellip;Defenseman Dallas Eakins was a remarkable plus-14 in 12 games for the St. John's Maple Leafs since being demoted by Toronto&hellip;Cincinnati Mighty Ducks' Jeremy Stevenson scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Hersney Marcniv, his first game after missing 53 with knee ligament damage&hellip; Providence Bruins' goalie David Brumby made 29 saves and beat the Saint John Flames 2-1 in his AHL debut March 21&hellip; Hershey Bears' right winger Christian Matte had seven goals and 21 points during a 12-game points streak.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02612/7246418-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="1313" height="2275"><figcaption class="caption-body">Philadelphia's Peter White is gunning for another AHL scorinq title.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

Philly scoring star has the White stuff

<div class="byline">By Kevin lole</div>It's not often that one gambles and wins big in Las Vegas, but that's what happened to Long Beach Ice Dogs' coach-GM John Van Boxmeer.Van Boxmeer acquired right winger Patrice Lefebvre from the Thunder March 18 as the player to be named later in a Dec. 1 deal that sent defenseman Keith McCambridge from Las Vegas to Long Beach for forwards Scott Hollis and Shawn Wansborough.Lefebvre is the most decorated player in Thunder history. He is the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 553 points in 429 games. He was the International League's scoring champion and most valuable player last season with 116 points. He led the Thunder in scoring in four of his five complete seasons and he is the only player in franchise history to have more than one 100-point season.At the time of the Dec. 1 trade, Van Boxmeer and Las Vegas GM Bob Strumm agreed that if the Thunder was not within two points of the final playoff berth March 18, Long Beach could have its choice of any IHL-contracted player on the Las Vegas roster and stipulated Lefebvre must be on the list.When it became clear Las Vegas would not be within two points by that date, Strumm attempted to trade Lefebvre elsewhere to avoid losing him to Long Beach for nothing.The league ruled Strumm would be able to do that, but ruled that any team which acquired him would have to expose him to Long Beach March 18. Thus, the only way a team would be able to prevent losing him to the Ice Dogs would have been to renegotiate his contract and put in a relocation clause that would have made it difficult for the Ice Dogs to select him.Van Boxmeer complained Strumm's effort violated the spirit of the deal, though Strumm insisted he was looking out for his team's best interest. In addition to trying to trade Lefebvre elsewhere, Strumm twice had his players sign relocation contracts in an effort to prevent the Ice Dogs from getting a player from him, but the league vetoed those clauses.Van Boxmeer said he hopes Letebvre is the player who can put the talented Ice Dogs over the top. He now adds the player considered by many to be the most skilled forward in the league to go along with Dan Lambert, considered the most skilled defenseman in the league.&ldquo;They're very similar in that they both make the other players on the ice better,&rdquo; Van Boxmeer said. &ldquo;Patrice Lefebvre, whenever he gets the puck, generates a lot of interest and attention and frees up a lot of room for other players to get open.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011002/7246456-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="747" height="306"></div>ANOTHER VEGAS DEAL: Las Vegas, which played its way into the playoff chase by going 20-7-2 after dumping its NHL affiliation with the Phoenix Coyotes, landed two-way center Chris Taylor from the Providence Bruins of the American League along with defenseman Yevgeny Shaldybin for rookie center Sean Berens and defenseman Jason McBain.The key to the deal was Taylor, who was one of the main cogs in the Denver/Utah Grizzlies' back-to-back Turner Cup title teams in 1995 and 1996. Berens led IHL rookies with 24 goals and McBain was the Thunder's second-leading scorer.MOSS TO BEARS: The Orlando Solar Bears made a move to shore up its goaltending, acquiring Tyler Moss from the American League's Saint John Flames along with center Eric Healey for center Allan Egeland and defenseman Arttu Kayhko.David Liftman has had a career year in goal for the Bears and was tied for the league lead in wins, but Moss' acquisition should give Orlando one of the top tandems in the league. Moss played 11 games with the Calgary Flames this year, going 3-7-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average. He was 2-5-1 with a 3.16 GAA in Saint John.I-OPENERS: When Jimmy Waite made his debut in the Utah net March 12, he became the Grizzlies' 10th goalie this season, which is believed to be a league record. The others were Petr Franek, Martin Brochu, Scott Langkow, Scott LaGrand, Steve Vezina. Ryan Bach. Frederic Beaubien, Mark McArthur and Phillipe DeRouville... The Cincinnati Cyclones acquired goalie Jim Carey from the St. Louis Blues after Carey cleared NHL waivers. &#9632;

f0026-01

Lefebvre leaving Las Vegas in delayed December deal

<div class="byline">By Brendan Savagi and Dave Henry</div>First, their equipment manager kidnapped much of the club's gear and held it for ransom. Then, the owner relieved the coach of personnel decisions. Now, the Saginaw Gears are being forced to use only 11 skaters.It's safe to say things can't get much worse for one of the United League's most troubled franchises, which has coach Robert Dirk and his troops eager to see the season mercifully end.Dirk claims he was stripped of his personnel decisions by owner Khaled M. Shukairy once it became apparent the Gears would not make the playoffs. Dirk said he was also forbidden from representing Saginaw in the overage junior draft, a chore that instead was handled by the owner's nephew.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02675/7246525-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="412" height="209"></div>When players were injured or called up, Dirk said he wasn't allowed to sign replacements since the club will lose at least $500,000. The end result was a 15-game winless streak through March 21 that saw the Gears dress just 11 skaters for the final six games of that stretch.With four games remaining in the \ season, the Gears had the UHL's worst record (20-42-8) and were on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight season.&ldquo;I feel like crying,&rdquo; said Dirk, the 1997-98 UHL coach of the year for Winston-Salem. &ldquo;I feel like throwing up. I can't sleep at night.&rdquo;Shukairy said he only stripped Dirk of personnel decisions for one day because he feared Dirk would hold a fire sale. And Shukairy said his nephew, Sam Shukairy, made Saginaw's junior picks because Dirk couldn't be contacted on the day of the draft.Shukairy, who also owns the Flint Generals, was expected to complete a sale of the Gears March 26.&ldquo;All this just goes to show what kind of year we're having,&rdquo; said captain Keith Osborne. &ldquo;One day it's sticks, we don't have any and guys have to use broken ones. The next day, it's something else. It's brutally run around here, starting and ending with the owner. This is horse manure.&ldquo;You've got to feel for Dirky, who has done a great job here considering the circumstances he has had to endure.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04379/7246518-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="349" height="253"></div>WPHL AWARDS: The Waco Wizards, who won a woeful 18 games last year, not only capped off their turnaround season with a Central Division title, but Todd Lalonde was named coach of the year and Kory Cooper was named outstanding goaltender and rookie of the year.Cooper, 22, tied the league record or wins in a season (36) entering the season's final weekend. He had a 68 goals-against average and .913 re percentage with four shutouts. orpus Christi Ice Rays' center Chris Auuertson, who had 40 goals and 104 points, was named the most valuable player, edging out Arkansas Glacier Cats' winger Tim Findlay by a single vote. Eric Brule of the Abilene Aviators was named the league's top defenseman. &#9632;

f0026-02

Saginaw coach 'feels like throwing up' over disarray

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div>Peter Sarno believes growing up in a big city such as Toronto forces you to mature quickly.&ldquo;You have to,&rdquo; Sarno said. &ldquo;Life is going to move past you if you don't catch up to it.&rdquo;Ontario League shooters have spent the past three seasons trying to catch Sarno. He was rookie scoring leader, then league scoring champion two years in a row.It's only the second time anyone has won back-to-back scoring crowns. Marcel Dionne won in 1969-70 and 1970-71 with the St. Catharines Blackhawks.Sarno had 37 goals and 130 points with the Sarnia Sting, centering 57-goal scorer Ivan Novoseltsev, the Florida Panthers' fourth round selection in 1997. After producing 33 goals and 121 points for the Windsor Spitfires in 1997-98, Sarno was traded to Sarnia last June.He didn't miss a step as the playoffs began, collecting four assists as the Sting defeated the London Knights 6-3March 21 in the first game of the Western Conference quarterfinal.The Edmonton Oilers, who selected Sarno in the sixth round of the 1997 draft, were concerned when the unsigned pick posted a minus-41 mark last season. The horrible rating was also No. 1 on Sting coach-GM Mark Hunter's mind.&ldquo;Peter took some heat for that rating, but he took a lot of pride in improving it with us,&rdquo; Hunter said.Sarno was a much improved plus-32 with the Sting this season.SOUR GRAPES: A day after saying he was getting out of junior hockey, Mississauga IceDogs' co-owner Don Cherry decided he'd &ldquo;stick it out.&rdquo;Cherry had said &ldquo;tonight was the last straw&rdquo; after a 4-3 overtime loss to Kingston March 17. He was upset with the officiating and said the league was picking on him.&ldquo;Wayne Gretzky (who was involved with Hull Olympiques' ownership) told me 'They'll be after your team-cut the big star down to size.' That's why he got out. Why am I in it if we keep getting stiffed?&rdquo; Cherry said.The expansion IceDogs led the league in penalties and scored only 145 goals, breaking the Toronto St. Michael's Majors' Canadian Hockey League record for futility of 154 last season.SIN BIN SITTER: Barrie Colts' left winger Ryan Barnes spent 399 minutes in the penalty box, breaking Mike Moher's record of 384 in 1981-82 with Kitchener. Barnes was the Detroit Red Wings' second round draft pick in 1998.WHALE WATCHING: The Plymouth Whalers gave up only 162 goals in a 68-game schedule, breaking the Ottawa 67's mark of 172 last season in a 66-game schedule.<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01950/7246563-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="628" height="726"><figcaption class="caption-body">Cody Rudkowsky of Seattle was the WHL's player of the year.</figcaption></div>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 19-25): Lou Crawford-coached Belleville, which equalled its franchise record for points set last season, made a four-game sweep of Sudbury in the opening round&hellip;Andrew laniero scored at 3:41 of the second overtime to give Kingston a 4-3 win over Barrie in Game 3&hellip;Backup goalie Greg Hewitt made 60 saves and Jeff Zehr scored at 10:36 of double overtime to give Sarnia a 2-1 lead over London&hellip;Owen Sound defenseman Mike Lankshear got a gross misconduct for striking the Sault Ste. Marie mascot with his stick in Game 3<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02606/7246556-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="1068" height="723"></div> &#9632;

f0027-01

Slick Sting pivot Sarno two-time scoring champ

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div>The Brandon Wheat Kings finished the Western League's regular season with a flourish.And without a record.The Wheat Kings were one victory shy of a seventh consecutive 40-win season. That feat has been accomplished only by the Regina Pats (1979-86) and Kamloops Blazers (1989-96).Brandon slipped out of contention for a share of that record March 3 with what proved to be its final regular season loss-a 7-3 setback at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders.&ldquo;I said that night at the office that we'd win 39 games,&rdquo; said Wheat Kings' GM Kelly McCrimmon. &ldquo;That's exactly what we did.&ldquo;The 40 wins are a measuring stick, for sure. We would have preferred to have 40, but we're more encouraged by how excited we are going into the playoffs.&rdquo;A 39-29-4 record placed Brandon third in the 11-team Eastern Conference, behind the Calgary Hitmen (51-13-8) and Prince Albert (45-22-5).&ldquo;I don't think we're foolproof, but we're a little healthier than we were and we have some continuity,&rdquo; McCrimmon said before a first-round series with the Red Deer Rebels.&ldquo;It took a little longer than we hoped because we were playing with so few people for so long. For the entire month of February, we were using nine forwards and four or five defensemen.&rdquo;LUCKY SEVEN: Seattle Thunderbirds' goalie Cody Rudkowsky was honored as player of the year at the WHL's awards banquet in Calgary March 23.Rudkowsky, 20, had the WHL's best save percentage (.920). He also had the third-highest shutout total (seven) in WHL history, behind Chris Worthy (10, 1967-68 Flin Flon Bombers) and John Davidson (eight, 1971-72 Calgary Centennials).Rudkowsky got the nod over Moose Jaw Warriors' center Chad Hinz, who had 117 points in 71 games. Rudkowsky was also recognized as the top goaltender.Calgary left winger Pavel Brendl received trophies as the top rookie, top scorer (134 points) and for having the best plus-minus (plus-68).The Tri-City Americans' Don Hay was a double winner-as coach-of-the-year and executive of the year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04275/7246601-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="625" height="728"><figcaption class="caption-body">Calgary's Matt Kinch was the WHL's most sportsmanlike player.</figcaption></div>Other winners were: Brad Stuart, Calgary (top defenseman); Ajay Baines, Kamloops (faceoff man); defenseman Andrew Ference, Portland Winter Hawks (humanitarian); center Chris Nielsen, Calgary (scholastic); Scott Clark, Regina (marketing/public relations); and defenseman Matt Kinch, Calgary (most sportsmanlike).<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03403/7246594-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="1065" height="723"></div>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 24-25): Kenric Exner made 17 saves as Kamloops blanked Kelowna 2-0 to open a Western Conference first-round series. Kamloops extended its home-ice undefeated streak to 31 games&hellip;Kootenay made its first-ever playoff appearance falling 7-5 in Calgary. Trevor Wasyluk had three goals for the Ice&mdash;a third-year franchise&hellip;Scott Schoneck scored with 11.7 seconds left to give Moose Jaw a 3-2 win over Swift Current. The Warriors, with Rastislav Stana in goal, won despite being outshot 37-20. &#9632;

f0027-04

Loss to Raiders costs Brandon share of record

<div class="byline">By Gordie Sutherland</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05182/7246632-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg"></div>The Hull Olympiques and Victoriaville Tigres spent six hours and 13 minutes making major junior history March 19.A marathon match between the teams didn't end until left winger Brock Boucher scored in the fifth overtime period to give the host Olympiques a 3-2 win in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.It took 146 minutes and 31 seconds of hockey to decide a winner, making it the longest playoff game in Canadian Hockey League history.&ldquo;That was something else,&rdquo; said Hull forward Ryan Lauzon, who was on the ice for Boucher's winner at 6:31 of the eighth 20-minute period. &ldquo;It was pretty gruelling. I don't think there was a part of my body the next day that didn't ache. It was something I'll never forget, that's for sure.&rdquo;The final shots were 89-66 in Hull's favor and goalies Philippe Bergeron of the Olympiques and Pierre-Luc Therrien of the Tigres went the whole way.About 1,800 of the original 2,566 fans were still on hand to see Boucher capitalize on a rebound for the winning goal.&ldquo;From 7:30 until 1:45 in the morning, these guys played hockey,&rdquo; said Hull coach Claude Julien. &ldquo;It would be the equivalent (of) 2.43 games, so almost two-and-a-half games we played.&rdquo;The teams played Game 4 the next night, meaning they played 11 periods in 27 hours. Hull won 3-1 to take a 3-1 lead in the series.The Olympiques were also involved in the old Quebec League record for longest game. Back on March 26, 1990, they fell 5-4 to College Franoais de Longueuil in a game that took 103 minutes and 50 seconds.The previous CHL record was set March 21, 1996 when the Regina Pats needed 122 minutes and 46 seconds to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2.HOME HUNTING: The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are still without a nest for next season.Serco, the Ottawa company that the Cape Breton Regional Municipality hired to manage Sydney's Centre 200, has rejected the Screaming Eagles' latest lease offer. The current agreement expires July 31.&ldquo;We want to get a long-term offer to operate out of Centre 200 and stay in Sydney,&rdquo; said Eagles' executive vicepresident David Huntington. &ldquo;We're not at that point, which is discouraging, but we're not ready to throw in the towel yet.&rdquo;The red flag went up in December when it was revealed the team had lost more than $600,000 since setting up in Sydney before the 19971998 season. The Eagles pay a base rental fee of $3,700 per game. The charge increases with the number of tickets sold.More than 80 per cent of the team's ownership group is local, including Port Hood native Al Maclnnis of the St. Louis Blues.<h2>PLAYOFFS</h2>HIGHLIGHTS (MARCH 15-25): Led by the scoring of Brad Richards ant goaltending of Philippe Sauve. Rimouski upset Moncton in four games Richards had 12 points, while Sauve posted a 1.72 goals-against averagt and .953 save percentage&hellip;The Bathurst/Halifax matchup will be closeh followed with NHL prospects such as Roberto Luongo and Jonathar Girard with Bathurst and Alex Tanguay and Ladislav Nagy skating witt Halifax. Girard led Bathurst scorers with 10 points in the first round. &#9632;

f0027-05

Boucher scores in fifth overtime in Hull of a game

Winning their conference didn't give two teams an easy ride in the NCAA Division I tournament.Playoff champions from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association faced each other in the first round.CCHA champion Michigan and WCHA champion Denver drew the No. 5 and 4 seeds respectively and played in the East Regional in Worcester, Mass., March 26.The top two seeds in the East belonged to New Hampshire (No. 1) from Hockey East and Clarkson (No. 2) from the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Those schools received first-round byes. New Hampshire, the No. 2 ranked team in U.S. college hockey polls, faced the winner of the Denver/Michigan game March 27, while ECAC playoff champion Clarkson met the winner of the other East Regional first round game, No. 3 ranked Maine (Hockey East) and No. 6 ranked Ohio State (CCHA).In the West Regional in Madison, Wise., No. 1 ranked North Dakota (WCHA) and No. 2 ranked Michigan State (CCHA) received byes. North Dakota was the top ranked team in college hockey polls, while Michigan State was No. 3.The West Regional first round featured Hockey East playoff champion Boston College (No. 4) facing No. 5 ranked Northern Michigan (CCHA). The winner played North Dakota. The other game featured No. 3 ranked Colorado College (WCHA) against No. 6 St. Lawrence (ECAC). The winner played Michigan State.The Final Four takes place April 1 and 3 in Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond. Semifinals (4 p.m. and 9 p.m.) are on ESPN2 April 1, with the April 3 final at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.In the Division III national championship, Middlebury College Panthers from Northfield, Vt., won its fifth straight title with a 5-0 victory over Wisconsin-Superior March 20.Ben Barnett and Nickolai Bobrov each scored two goals for the Panthers. Jon Marsh made 12 saves to earn the shutout.Middlebury had a 21-5-1 record this season and was 116-14-7 over the past five years, including 19-1 in NCAA tournament play.&ldquo;It has been an unbelievable ride,&rdquo; Bobrov said. &#9632;

North Dakota. New Hampshire enter as favorites

St. Lawrence coach Joe Marsh probably wishes Shawn Grant had skipped a couple days of summer school.Grant, a freshman goalie at Clarkson who used to spend part of his summers as a pupil at the St. Lawrence Hockey School, came back to haunt his former teachers at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships. Grant made 53 saves to carry the Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over St. Lawrence in the title game in front of a record crowd of 8,469 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.The title was Clarkson's first since 1993, and erased the frustration of last year's double-overtime loss to Princeton in the championship game.&ldquo;If you keep knocking on the door long enough, it's bound to open sooner or later,&rdquo; said sClarkson coach Mark Morris.<h2>ECAC</h2>Altnougn Grant spent pan or ms summers at the St. Lawrence Hockey School as a youth, the Potsdam, N.Y., native grew up following Clarkson hockey and always knew he wanted to bring a championship back to Potsdam.&ldquo;I wasn't here in 1993, but I saw a tape of the game and I always wanted to do that,&rdquo; Grant said. &ldquo;When the season began, that was my goal-to win the ECAC championship.&rdquo;The Knights (25-10-1) got the winner when senior Ben Maidment snapped a rising shot over the shoulder of St. Lawrence goalie Eric Heffler at 11:25 of the third period. Grant made 21 of his saves in the third.The Knights had advanced to the championship game with a 6-5 victory over Princeton in the semifinal. The tournament win allowed the Knights to sweep both the regular season and playoff titles.SAINTLY HAUL: St. Lawrence walked off with all the major awards at the tournament banquet. In addition to Heffler being named player of the year, Marsh was named the coach of the year and Brandon Dietrich, who led the nation with seven game-winning goals, was named the rookie of the year.Named to the all-ECAC first team were forwards Jeff Hamilton of Yale, Danny Riva of RPI and Erik Cole of Clarkson; Mitchell and Jeff Burgoyne of Cornell on defense; and Heffler in goal.Syl Apps of Princeton was voted the best defensive forward for the second year in a row, and Burgoyne earned the honor as the best defensive defenseman.-Tom Boggie<h2>CCHA</h2>After a disappointing regular season, Michigan sophomore center Mark Kosick knew he had to change the way he approached the game.Apparently, he made the proper adjustments because Kosick earned the most valuable player award in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship March 1920 by collecting three goals and five points in the 3-2 semifinal win over Ohio State and the 5-1 victory over Northern Michigan in the final.Last season as a freshman, Kosick was the Wolverines' second-leading scorer with 14 goals and 46 points in 45 games. He also scored two goals in the NCAA championship game victory over Boston College. But even after his two-game outburst, Kosick only had 12 goals and 33 points this season.&ldquo;Mark is a kid I've been talking to in practice,&rdquo; said Michigan coach Red Berenson. &ldquo;Telling him, 'Mark, you've got to skate harder, you've got to move the puck quicker, you've got to bear down more on your shot. You're a better player than this.' But he thought he was playing well.&ldquo;I told him he had to change his game, that he was in a rut. And sure enough, he came out and had a great tournament.&rdquo;Kosick, a native of Victoria, B.C., deflected the individual praise.&ldquo;It feels great to score, everybody wants to score,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But, like I said before, all anybody cares about is team (performance).&rdquo;The Wolverines (24-10-6) felt they had to at least defeat Ohio State in the semifinal to have a decent shot at the NCAA tournament. After the semifinal victory over Ohio State, Kosick said: &ldquo;We knew if we lost this game, there'd be a one per-cent chance of making the NCAA's. The third period had the feel of a national championship game.&rdquo;Northern Michigan had made it to the CCHA final with a surprising 5-3 upset win of Michigan State.SUPER YORK: Michigan State's Mike York was named the CCHA's player of the year.The senior center was also named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The league's other Hobey nominee is Ohio State's Hugo Boisvert.York had 22 goals and 51 points in 51 games, while Boisvert had 24 goals and 51 points in 40 games. Michigan State's Ron Mason was named the CCHA coach of the year.-Paul Harris &#9632;

Freshman goalie Grant showstopper for Knights

They were the overwhelming choice to win the league's regular season title, but wound up finishing third.However, the Boston College Eagles successfully defended their Hockey East tournament championship by edging No. 2 seed Maine 3-2 March 19 and regular season titlist New Hampshire 5-4 in overtime at the FleetCenter March 20.The Eagles won both games despite the fact sophomore right winger and Hobey Baker Award finalist Brian Gionta was held pointless.&ldquo;He was still a factor, but Blake (Bellefeuille) played so well,&rdquo; said Eagles' coach Jerry York, who saw his squad extend its winning streak to six games. &ldquo;We played well over the course of the season, but we never had everything in sync. But there were nights I thought this team was capable of being outstanding.&rdquo;Bellefeuille, a junior center, had two goals and an assist both games, including both game-winners, and was chosen the most valuable player.<h2>HOCKEY EAST</h2>York was also impressed with sophomore goalie Scott Clemmensen's 33-save performance against Maine in the semifinal.&ldquo;(It) set the tone for us. He feels good about himself and is playing very, very well,&rdquo; York said.Clemmensen was chosen the all-toumament goalie while defenseman Bobby Allen and forward Jeff Farkas were also selected from Boston College. Forward Jason Krog and defenseman Jayme Filipowicz of UNH rounded out the all-star team.Boston College, New Hampshire and Maine all qualified for the NCAA Tournament.The semifinals between UNH-Providence and Maine-BC drew 13,760, bettering the previous mark of 9,289 in 1998. The final attracted 14,278, beating the old record of 12,212 set in 1992.UNH STARS: Jason Krog was named Hockey East's player of the year while UNH linemate right winger Darren Haydar was rookie of the year and Cats' bench boss Dick Umile was coach of the year. Steve O'Brien was picked the best defensive defenseman.UMass-Lowell's Doug Nolan was the best defensive forward and Maine's Steve Karina won the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award for the third straight year.Karina and Krog were unanimous choices to the All-Hockey East first team. They were joined by Gionta, Boston University goalie Michel Larocque, Maine defenseman David Cullen and UNH defenseman Filipowicz.-Larry Mahoney<h2>WCHA</h2>Denver coach George Gwozdecky has done some pretty amazing things recently.Chief among them is becoming the first coach in the 40-year history of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to register 25 or more wins one season after 25 or more losses.The Pioneers prevailed in nine of their last 10 games down the stretch, including a 4-3 victory over top-ranked North Dakota in the WCHA championship game March 20. Not only did the decision enable Denver to win its first Broadmoor Trophy since 1986, it bumped its overall record to 26-12-2.Not bad for a club that a year ago at this time was in the throes of trying to analyze an 11-25-2 season, which represented the second-most losses in program history. The abrupt turnaround resulted in the Pioneers being seeded fourth in the East Regional and securing a first-round date opposite defending NCAA champion Michigan March 26 at the Centrum in Worcester, Mass.But in the midst of this rebound, Gwozdecky twice showed a remarkable sense of clairvoyance. The latest episode came in the WCHA playoff semifinal against rival Colorado College. As the teams prepared for overtime, Gwozdecky told his players he knew who would score the game-winner and who would set it up, then proceeded to write down the combination on a piece of paper. Sure enough, just as Gwozdecky predicted, Paul Veres scored the goal and Kelly Popadynetz got an assist to provide a 3-2 win at the Target Center in Minneapolis.The sequence was reminiscent of the Denver Cup championship game against Boston College Dec. 28. Prior to overtime, Gwozdecky said Mark Rycroft would win it with an assist from Paul Comrie. The ensuing 4-3 win proved Gwozdecky right.&ldquo;I'm not saying I have all the answers, by any means,&rdquo; Gwozdecky said after the victory over North Dakota. &ldquo;But I know how to loosen the guys up in a game like this.&rdquo;This is not the first time Gwozdecky has orchestrated a 12-month turnaround at Denver. He came over from Miami (Ohio) and inherited a club that finished 15-20-3 in 1994. The following season, the Pioneers went 25-15-2 and advanced to the NCAA tournament.GOOD, BUT NOT BEST: Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 12 teams in 1988, WCHA entries have the best record (49-39-1), but teams from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association have won the most titles (five).-Andy Baggot &#9632;

Eagles flying high again after Hockey East title

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01990/7246742-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01974/7246735-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="7317" height="4221"></div> &#9632;

f0030-01

NHL STATISTICAL REPORT

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01990/7246773-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0034-01

NHL GOALTENDING STATISTICS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02677/7246818-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01934/7246811-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="3470" height="4035"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01896/7246804-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="3669" height="4221"></div> &#9632;

f0034-02

NHL GAME SUMMARIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01799/7246849-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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NHL ROSTERS AND TRANSACTIONS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01825/7246880-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"></div>(OT) denotes overtime gameTeam affiliations are listed in parentheses under names &#9632;

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01532/7246911-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"></div>(SO) denotes shootout gameTeam affiliations are listed in parentheses under names &#9632;

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April 9, 1999

Checkers' Noren crowned all-time ECHL scoring king

SCOREBOARD

Feisty newcomer Hunter centers Avs' bad boy unit

Poile holds course on long-term plan while pushing for earlier deadline day