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March 31, 2000
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.
Wayne may be gone, but his retirement lives on in memorabilia
When it comes to Wayne Gretzky retirement memorabilia, it’s been as popular as Cabbage Patch Kids or Tickle Me Elmo dolls in their day. Since 99 hung up his skates last season and then was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last November, Gretzky memorabilia has barely had any time to start collecting dust on the shelves. What little memorabilia there’s been anyway. “I’ve been disappointed with the lack of merchandise,” said Ottawa Sports Gallery co-owner Dave Bullis. “There’s not enough stuff. Where are the videos? Where are the photos?” Bullis estimates that Gretzky merchandise is still his No. 1 com-modity - he sells more Gretzky jerseys than any other current or former NHLer, and all of his retirement memorabilia sold out in days. “Anything with Wayne on it is still my best…
Puzzlingly poor power play problem that won’t go away
Jim Schoenfeld was dis-missed as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes after two seasons partly because he refused to give up control of the team’s power play and accept GM Bobby Smith’s request that a specialist assistant be brought in to run it. Exit Schoenfeld. Enter Bob Francis, Rick Bowness and the handpicked power play guru, Wayne Fleming. Well guess what? The season’s version of the power play has proven to be just as ineffective as last year’s. Entering the final few weeks, the Coyotes were on pace to finish with a franchise-low 40 man-advantage goalsone less than a year ago, when the team ranked second last in the league. Through 70 games, Phoenix had produced only 34 times on 265 total chances for a 12.8 percent success rate. Only the Buffalo Sabres (with…
Leafs grow accustomed to sorrow
The Bryan Berard injury devastated the Toronto Maple Leafs, but as both individuals and as a team, the Leafs are getting accustomed to dealing with off-ice tribulations. Berard’s injury was one of several tragedies and near-tragedies to befall the Maple Leafs recently. In the week before Berard’s injury, centre Alyn McCauley learned that his grandmother had suddenly died and Gerald Diduck rushed to Edmonton to be with his family after his sister plunged down an elevator shaft and suffered serious and extensive fractures to both legs, both heels and her pelvis. Carla Diduck also blew out both her knees. And during an early-March road trip, conditioning coach Phil Walker learned that his father-in-law had been killed in a car accident in eastern Canada. Diduck’s sister faces an extensive rehabilitative period, but after early…
‘I could have died,’ Brashear tells show
The passage of time is healing the brain bruise sustained by Vancouver’s Donald Brashear when he was clubbed over the head by Boston’s Marty McSorley, but it’s not soothing his disgust about the attack. In his most candid interview since the Feb. 21 incident, Brashear told Be A Player, the NHL Players’ Association weekly TV show, that he’s con-founded why McSorley resorted to the assault that led to the longest suspension in NHL history and a criminal charge that goes to court for a preliminary hearing April 4. “He really tried to injure me,” Brashear said on the show that aired March 18. “I could have died. I don’t think this guy should be playing in the league anymore.” McSorley approached Brashear from behind in the dying seconds of the Feb. 21 game…
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