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.

June 1, 2000

The Hockey News June 1, 2000

The well hasn&rsquo;t run dry. Not yet. But NHL scouts insist it&rsquo;s getting harder and harder to unearth a bona fide prospect over the age of 20 in Europe who is not already property of an NHL team.&ldquo;None of these guys over there are all that dramatically attractive,&rdquo; said one NHL scout. &ldquo;Then again, when you look at our league, not a lot of the players are dramatically attractive, either.&rdquo;With the NHL expanding to 30 teams and the talent pool getting thinner, teams are forced to look for late bloomers and many of them are coming from the other side of the pond.The Ottawa Senators hit home runs with Daniel Alfredsson, drafting him as a 22-year-old, Sami Salo, also 22, and Magnus Arvedson who was 26. All three are integral members of the Senators.Last June, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim took a chance on 26-year-old defenseman Niclas Havelid from Finland who turned in two goals and nine points in 50 games for them this season.The Boston Bruins, meanwhile, drafted left winger Mikko Eloranta, a Swede, and he responded with six goals and 18 points in 50 games.<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02231/7579672-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="303" height="422"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mikko Eloranta</figcaption></div>Here are a few older Europeans, listed alphabetically, who could be drafted:&#9633; Mikail Bikov, D, 23 A medium-sized (6-feet, 190 pounds) defender who played on the national team. A good skater, very competitive and responsible in his own end. Had one goal for Kazan (Rus.) in 20 games. &#9633; Jukka Hentonen, RW, 26. An attacking-type forward is especially strong in open ice. Very quick and goes to the net hard. Had 17 goals and 45 points for HPK (Fin.). &#9633; Timo Parssinen, LW, 23. Not a great skater, but a natural scorer. Especially tough to defend in tight. Had 25 goals and 52 points in 53 games for HPK (Fin.). &#9633; Martin Spanhel, LW, 23. Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1995 (152nd overall), but released. Spanhel, who had 12 goals and 24 points with Plzen (Czech.) this past season has developed into a decent two-way player who could be drafted as high as the second or third round. &#9633; Tony Virta, LW, 28. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound speedster could step in next season and be a solid third&mdash;or fourth-liner. He had 14 goals and 51 points in 53 games with TPS Turku (Fin.). &#9632;

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NHL DRAFT TEAM STORIES

GETTING TOUGHER TO FIND EURO DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

<div class="byline">By Tim Sassone</div>AU is certainly not well with the Chicago Blackhawks. Far from it.Not oniv have the Hawks missed the playoffs three seasons in a row, the cupboard is more bare than it is full when it comes to prospects for the future.Manager of hockey operations Mike Smith, hired in December to rebuild all facets of the failing organization, illustrated just how bad things are when he postponed for one year an agreement with the Hampton Roads Admirals to be the Hawks&rsquo; American League affiliate.The reason? Smith didn&rsquo;t think the franchise was capable of supplying Hampton Roads with enough players to field a competitive AHL team.&ldquo;We have some prospects signed, but looking at the players projected to be signed, I was not very impressed with them,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;We do not have confidence that our current personnel situation will result in a competitive team next season (at Hampton Roads).&rdquo;The Hawks have two picks in the top 11-their own at No. 10 and the Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; at No. 11 as a result of the Bryan McCabe trade-in the draft and Smith needs to make something good happen, either with the choices or via trades.Calling The Shots Smith gets a lot of credit for some fine draft picks while he was GM in Winnipeg, such as Keith Tkachuk, Teemu Selanne, Alexei Zhamnov, Nikolai Khabibulin and Teppo Numminen. But in many cases, he has admitted it was more a case of good scouting by his staff.Stiff Smith will be the main voice at the Chicago table, partly because of having two picks in the top 11-prompting him to do extensive scouting himself&mdash;and partly because Smith isn&rsquo;t familiar yet with his new staff. And their track record is nothing to brag about.Draft Tendency The Hawks have always been an organization that believes strongly in building through the draft and keeping its No. 1 picks.Smith likes to collect as many draft choices as possible and loves nothing more than to find steals in the late rounds. He did that successfully in Winnipeg with Zhamnov (77th overall in 1990), Michal Grosek (145th in 1993) and Khabibulin (204th in 1992).Immediate Need The Hawks&rsquo; biggest needs are on defense, where they lack the ability to move the puck and overall meanness. This used to be an organization recognized widely for its toughness and gritty play, led by the blueline.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01579/7579400-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="979" height="1815"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Tony Amonte Drafted: 68th by Rangers, 1988</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need What the Hawks need in the long run is basicaUy the same as what they need in the short term. This is an organization that must rediscover its identity as a big, strong, physical team that also has the necessary skill to win.It couldn&rsquo;t hurt to find and develop a big scorer at center to carry on into the next decade. The Hawks have always seemed to have that guy, whether it was Stan Mikita, Denis Savard or Jeremy Roenick-until recently when they&rsquo;ve tried to make do with a past-his-prime Doug Gilmour and an inconsistent Zhamnov. For years, the Hawks have been looking for a goaltender to develop as their own No. 1 guy.Ready To Step In In 19-year-old defenseman Steve McCarthy, the Hawks think they have a player who is going to be one of their top offensive forces and leaders for many years to come. McCarthy had a sensational training camp in 1999 and actually made the opening night lineup. He appeared in five games before being sent back to junior for more seasoning, which turned out to be the best thing for him. McCarthy got to play in the World Junior Championship and was one of the best players for Canada.The Hawks love McCarthy&rsquo;s maturity and his ability to move the puck and handle himself in difficult situations. It&rsquo;s very likely the Hawks&rsquo; first power play next season will find McCarthy at the left point opposite Boris Mironov.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Blair Atcheynum, RW, 31; Radim Bicanek, D, 25; Mark Janssens, C, 32; Josef Marha, C, 24; Ed Olczyk, LW, 33; Derek Plante, C, 29; Bob Probert, LW, 35; Ryan VandenBussche, RW, 27; Doug Zmolek, D, 29.Restricted Free Aqents Anders Eriksson, D, 25; Michal Grosek, RW, 25; Dean McAmmond, LW, 27; Bryan McCabe, D, 25; Michael Nylander, C, 27; Derek Plante, C, 29; Ryan VandenBussche, RW, 27.Unrestricted Free Agents Kevin Dean, D, 32; Ed Olczyk, LW, 33.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Steve McCarthy, 19, D, 6-0, 197, Kootenay (WHL), 23rd overall. Heady and gifted offensively, a Hawks&rsquo; jersey awaits. 13-23-36, 36 PIM, 37 games.Dmitri Levinsky, 18, LW, 6-1, 183, Central Army (Rus.), 46th overall. Skilled and speedy winger has all the tools. 4-6-10, 10 PIM, 34 games.Stepan Mokhov, 19, D, 6-1, 183, Novokuznetsk (Rus.), 63rd overall. Hard-nosed blueliner plays with attitude. 0-1-1,6 PIM, 21 games.<h3>1998</h3>Mark Bell, 19, C, 6-3, 198, Ottawa (OHL), 8th overall. Two concussions this season is cause for concern. 34-38-72, 95 PIM, 48 games.Sean Griffin, 20, D, 6-3, 193, Kingston (OHL), 210th overall. Good size and plenty of toughness to go around. 0-11-11, 93 PIM, 40 games.Tyler Arnason, 21, C, 5-11, 185,St. Cloud State (WCHA), 183rd overall. What sophomore lacks in size, he makes up for in skill. 19-30-49, 18 PIM, 39 games.<h3>1997</h3>Kyle Calder, 21, LW, 5-11, 180, Cleveland (IHL), 130th overall. Needs to improve skating, but a smart, gritty player. 14-2236, 43 PIM, 74 games.Ben Simon, 21, C, 5-11, 178, Notre Dame (CCHA), 110th overall. Solid senior plays competitive and gritty game. 13-19-32, 53 PIM, 40 games.Mike Souza, 22, LW, 6-1, 190, New Hampshire (HE). Good size, strong along boards and dependable two-way senior. 15-25-40, 58 PIM, 38 games.<h3>Draft day monitor</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Chicago&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 Overall Finish21stDraft Position Each Round10th2000 First Round pending lottery 1 Oth, 11 th THN&rsquo;s Top Ranked Players7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.)11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)12. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus. 1)&lsquo;Vancouver&rsquo;s first pick belongs to Chicago &#9632;

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Cupboard needs filling

<h2>AMERICAN LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-01/7580973-1-eng-US/thn22-012.jpg" title="THN22-01" width="505" height="3368"></div><h2>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-02/7580966-1-eng-US/thn22-022.jpg" title="THN22-02" width="507" height="3382"></div><h2>EAST COAST LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-03/7580959-1-eng-US/thn22-032.jpg" title="THN22-03" width="533" height="3374"></div><h2>UNITED LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-04/7580952-1-eng-US/thn22-042.jpg" title="THN22-04" width="505" height="1672"></div><h2>WESTERN PRO LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-05/7580945-1-eng-US/thn22-052.jpg" title="THN22-05" width="507" height="1622"></div><h2>WEST COAST LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-06/7580938-1-eng-US/thn22-062.jpg" title="THN22-06" width="515" height="1748"></div><h2>CENTRAL LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-07/7580931-1-eng-US/thn22-072.jpg" title="THN22-07" width="501" height="1542"></div><h2>ONTARIO LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-08/7580924-1-eng-US/thn22-082.jpg" title="THN22-08" width="494" height="1017"></div><h2>QUEBEC LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-09/7580917-1-eng-US/thn22-092.jpg" title="THN22-09" width="494" height="1237"></div><h2>WESTERN LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn22-10/7580910-1-eng-US/thn22-102.jpg" title="THN22-10" width="517" height="971"></div> &#9632;

THN22-01

IN THIS ISSUE

SCOREBOARD

<div class="byline">By Pavel Barta</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011855/7577632-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marian Gaborik has all the skills necessary to be a big-time scorer in the NHL. Some scouts knock his defense, but they all love his spectacular skating skills.</figcaption></div>The city of Trencin, buried deep in the interior of Slovakia, was host to many battles during World War II. Since then, a lot of snipers have emerged from its landscape, but with different targets.Miroslav Satan of the Buffalo Sabres, Pavol Demitra of the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senator Marian Hossa and Los Angeles King Ziggy Palffy all grew up there or dressed for Dukla Trencin, the city&rsquo;s entry in the Slovakian Extraleague. They are all natural bom (goalie) killers.And now Marian Gaborik, an 18-year-old Trencin native, is waiting in line for his shot. And like those before him who journeyed from Trencin to the NHL, it&rsquo;s deadly. But Gaborik isn&rsquo;t just a one-shot wonder. He&rsquo;s also an explosive skater with great offensive instincts who can beat defenders 1-on-l. A left winger, his upside matches that of his Trencin counterparts in the NHL.He was ranked fourth among European skaters by the Central Scouting Service, while THN thinks even higher of him, ranking him No. 2 overall.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no doubt that he and (Czech forward) Vaclav Nedorost are the best players available in the draft this year,&rdquo; said one European scout. &ldquo;(Gaborik) can play right or left wing and he&rsquo;s big. At 18, he was a leader on his team.&rdquo;Said another scout: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a complete player; he can do a lot of things on the ice. He (carried) his team, almost on his own.&rdquo;Athletically gifted, hockey was a natural choice for Gaborik (pronounced GAH-boar-ik). His older brother, Branislav, played for Trencin from 1992-94. &ldquo;I wanted to imitate him as a boy,&rdquo; said Marian of his older brother. &ldquo;He was the reason I started to play.&rdquo;Besides playing with Trencin in the extraleague, Marian made his debut with the national team last fall and he represented Slovakia at the World Junior Championship for the second time last winter, notching three goals and four points in seven games. His performance in Sweden was considered mediocre at best, but many feel Gaborik elevates his game when surrounded by premier players, which wasn&rsquo;t the case with the Slovakian juniors.He also played at the under-18 world tournament in Switzerland in April, recording six goals and eight points in six games.He missed a chance to become just the second Slovak to take part in both the junior and senior World Championship in the same year (Hossa did it three years ago). National team coach Jan File invited Gaborik on different occasions during the season, but Gaborik opted out this time.Gaborik saw the senior worlds as a big challenge, but he was not disillusioned about his role. He knew he would wear an infantry man&rsquo;s uniform and not a colonel&rsquo;s. He wouldn&rsquo;t get much ice time playing with the likes of Satan, Michal Handzus and the other, older forwards on the Slovak roster.While Gaborik has been an on-ice leader since he was 12, he didn&rsquo;t really start scaring goaltenders until he lined up with Marcel Hossa, who is now with Portland in the Western League and is the younger brother of Ottawa&rsquo;s Marian Hossa. Those who have watched him play frequently say say Gaborik excels when he has a center who can feed him the puck and create chances.Milos Melicherik filled that role with Trencin this season. He helped Gaborik record 25 goals and 46 points in 50 games, which was tied for the team lead in goals and was third in points.In October, the 6-foot-l, 183-pounder had a five-goal game against Skalica while playing on a line with Satan, who skated with Trencin while he negotiated a contract with the Sabres. Though he&rsquo;s usually a devilish sniper himself, Satan assisted on all of Gaborik&rsquo;s goals.&ldquo;It was kind of a strange feeling,&rdquo; Gaborik said. &ldquo;Playing with one of the guys I consider my idols, scoring five goals. It doesn&rsquo;t happen every day. He was very important (in helping) me start the season well (and) get confident.&rdquo;The weak point in Gaborik&rsquo;s game is his distaste for defense. When Trencin coaches changed tactics late in the season and began to play the left-wing lock system, Gaborik initially struggled with his backchecking duties.&ldquo;He needs to improve his defensive play,&rdquo; said a scout. &ldquo;But when he started to focus more on that part of the game, he showed he was capable of doing it well, too. He could be outstanding at both ends of the ice.&rdquo;Last summer, Gaborik refused offers to play junior or minor league hockey in North America, choosing to stay in his hometown.&ldquo;The chance of playing with men in the elite league attracted me very much,&rdquo; Gaborik, said. &ldquo;I also wanted to finish my college I education and felt too young to leave.&rdquo;Though there were those who quietly advised him to go, he didn&rsquo;t opt for the path travelled by last year&rsquo;s No. 1 overall pick, Czech center patrik Stefan, who left home midway through the 1997-98 season to join Long Beach of the International League and to adjust to North American life. But Gaborik still has things in common with Stefan.The two have similar potential on the ice and are alike off it, as well. On a personal level, Gaborik likes to listen to music and he also plays tennis, soccer and squash. But, like Stefan, the one thing he truly focuses on is hockey.Calm and laid-back outside the rink, Gaborik has a strong work ethic once he puts his skates on. He knows if he practices hard, the game might pay huge dividends in the future.&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s better to (concentrate on what is in front of me),&rdquo; Gaborik said. &ldquo;I always try to focus on the game and do my best and not (worry about) how many scouts are in the seats.&ldquo;If I struggled as a player, nobody would care about me.&rdquo; &#9632;

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TOP PROSPECT

Superb Slovakian sniper

The time and place for the NHL entry draft have changed, but a familiar question remains.Who will be the first name called out in Calgary&rsquo;s Airlines Saddledome on June 24?The draft, which returns to Canada for the first time since Edmonton hosted the event in 1995, had the same conundrum last year.The No. 1 pick was up in the air until Atlanta GM Don Waddell went to the podium and made Patrik Stefan the team&rsquo;s first-ever selection. The last-minute uncertainty will likely hold true again this year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011835/7577356-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="295" height="453"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob McKenzie</figcaption></div>There is no clear consensus on the best player in this year&rsquo;s crop of draft-eligible prospects. Any of Dany Heatley, Marian Gaborik or Rick DiPietro could the first to hoist a jersey over their shoulders&hellip;among others.Welcome to the 15th annual THN Draft Preview. There are profiles on THN&rsquo;s 60 top-rated players-as compiled and written by draft guru and THN associate editor Bob McKenzie&mdash;and THN&rsquo;s 61 through 90 ranked prospects can be found on pg. 60. Also featured are updates on the best three picks each organization has made in each of the past three entry drafts.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-021470/7577349-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="1564" height="2430"><figcaption class="caption-body">THN ranked left winger Raffi Torres of Brampton (OHL) sixth among draft-eligible prospects.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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NEW MILLENNIUM, SAME MYSTERIES

<div class="byline">By Brian Costello Draft Preview Editor</div>The NHL will be a league short on superstars in the coming years.Hockey&rsquo;s version of the baby-boomers are nearing retirement with no less than 16 future Hall of Famers set to hang up the blades in the next few seasons.Messier, Bourque, Hasek, Coffey, Chelios, Hull, Yzerman, Francis, Maclnnis and Roy are part of a huge group of superstars in the final period of their careers.When they do retire in such a narrow time frame, it will hit the league with a thud never felt before. Who&rsquo;s going to replace them?THN aims to identify future stars in our Future Watch and Draft Preview issues. In addition to profiles of top prospects in the entry draft, our unique tracking system monitors the progress of past selections. (See pgs. 34 through 63.)Sure, there are many budding stars, but how many future superstars are in the system? A panel of scouts identified just one five-star candidate: New York Islanders&rsquo; goalie prospect Roberto Luongo.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03951/7577387-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="381" height="526"></div>&ldquo;Do you ever wonder who&rsquo;s going to take the spot on the mantle from all these great players?&rdquo; one assistant GM asked. &ldquo;I do. I see some very good players coming up, but not any great ones.&rdquo;The talent evaluators tabbed 14 prospects of four-star caliber, which means above-average NHLers.Can they fill the void? Can Finley replace Hasek, Vishnevski replace Bourque, Brendl replace Messier?Probably not.&ldquo;But it&rsquo;s fun to watch who comes out of nowhere,&rdquo; said the assistant GM. &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s the next Scott Gomez? Who&rsquo;s the next three-star guy who might become five stars?&rdquo;The opportunity awaits. &#9632;

f0003-03

Who will replace superstars?

Finishing last can be a good thing.It at least gives you the best chance of picking first in the entry draft. Unfortunately, it doesn&rsquo;t come with an iron-clad guarantee of stepping up to the podium first.The Atlanta Thrashers pulled off the first part of the deal, finishing last in their first NHL season. The rest is up to the hockey gods. The Thrashers are scheduled to select first overall, but could drop back to second depending on the outcome of the draft lottery which will be held May 31.The Thrashers, along with all of the other teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs plus the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild will participate in the lottery. Under a weighted system, the Thrashers have the greatest chance (25 per cent) of winning the lottery and can pick no lower than second.The Blue Jackets, Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning, which finished second last, each have a 14.6 per cent chance of winning the lottery. A team moving up is not unprecedented. The Chicago Blackhawks won the lottery last year and moved from eighth pick to fourth. The Lightning won it two years ago and moved from third to first.Fourteen balls numbered one to 14 will be placed in a lottery machine and four will be expelled forming a series of numbers. The combination will be compared to a probability chart to determine the team which that combination has been assigned.The second round of the entry draft may also change if compensatory picks are awarded to teams whose first round picks from 1998 re-entered the draft and to those who lost Group III (unrestricted) free agents. If a team&rsquo;s first round pick from 1998 re-entered the draft, that team will be awarded a compensatory pick in the second round at the same slot they picked in the first round last year. Teams have until June 1 to make a qualifying offer to their first round picks from 1999.Teams that are awarded compensatory picks for losing Group II free agents can pick no higher than 11th in the second round and could slide as low as last pick in the round depending on how the free agent they lost played this season or whether or not they dipped into the free agent market. The Thrashers, for example, lost free agent Ulf Samuelsson, but he played just half a season with the Philadelphia Flyers because of injuries and they signed forwards Nelson Emerson and Ray Ferraro who enjoyed good seasons. They will not receive a compensatory Pick for losing Samuelsson.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011763/7577456-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="351" height="380"><figcaption class="caption-body">Patrik Stefan First overall in 1999</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021498/7577449-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="341" height="382"><figcaption class="caption-body">Vincent Lecavalier First overall in 1998</figcaption></div>FOOTNOTES 1. Tampa Bay gets Rangers&rsquo; pick in the Dan Cloutier trade June 26,1999.2. Chicago gets Vancouver&rsquo;s pick in the Bryan McCabe trade June 26,1999. 3. Montreal gets San Jose&rsquo;s pick in the Vincent Damphousse trade March 23,1999. 4. Colorado and New Jersey switch picks as part of the Claude Lemieux-Brian Rolston trade Nov. 3, 1999. Boston has option to take Colorado&rsquo;s pick in 2000 or 2001 as part of the Ray Bourque trade March 6,2000. 5. Vancouver gets Florida&rsquo;s pick as part of the Pavel Bure trade Jan. 17, 2000. 6. Ottawa has the option to take Tampa Bay&rsquo;s pick in 2000 or 2002 as part of the Rob Zamuner trade June 30,1999. 7. Toronto gets Edmonton&rsquo;s pick as part of the Jason Smith trade March 23,1999. 8. New Jersey gets Colorado&rsquo;s pick as part of the Claude Lemieux trade Nov. 3,1999. 9. Boston gets Toronto&rsquo;s pick as part of the Dmitri Khristich trade Oct. 21,1999. 10. Carolina gets Philadelphia&rsquo;s pick as part of the Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour trade Jan. 23,2000.<h2>FIRST ROUND</h2>1. Atlanta2. Columbus/Minnesota3. Columbus/Minnesota4. Tampa Bay5. NY Islanders6. Nashville7. Boston8. Tampa Bay 19. Calgary10. Chicago11. Chicago 212. Anaheim13. Montreal14. Carolina15. Buffalo16. Montreal 317. Edmonton18. Pittsburgh19. Phoenix20. Los Angeles21. Ottawa22. New Jersey 423. Vancouver 524. Toronto25. Dallas26. Washington27. Colorado 428. Philadelphi29. Detroit30. St. Louis<h2>SECOND ROUND</h2>31. Atlanta32. Columbus/Minnesota33. Columbus/Minnesota34. Tampa Bay 635. NY Islanders36. Nashville37. Boston38. NY Rangers39. Calgary40. Chicago41. Vancouver42. Anaheim43. Montreal44. Carolina45. Buffalo46. San Jose47. Toronto 748. Pittsburgh49. Phoenix50. Los Angeles51. Ottawa52. New Jersey 853. Florida54. Boston 955. Dallas56. Washington57. New Jersey58. Carolina 1059. Detroit60. St. Louis &#9632;

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FEATURES

Draft odds favor Atlanta Thrashers

Please excuse us if the statistical profiles of some of the European prospects isn&rsquo;t as complete as you&rsquo;re accustomed to in Draft Preview. A fire at the Russian League hockey office destroyed the statistics of players in leagues below the elite level. Really.With that out of the way, welcome to our 15th annual Draft Preview. Below is all the information you need to best understand the statistics in this special issue. The following legend lists abbreviations for statistics and leagues that are found in player prospect and update sections as well as the Central Scouting Service listing.SPECIAL NOTES European players are identified by team and country or level of hockey. Europeans playing in divisions below the elite leagues are denoted with a .1 or .2. American high school players are identified by USHS. Other abbreviations: bantam (Ban.), midget (Mid.), junior (Jr., Jr. A, Jr. B or Jr. C), independent (Ind.), USA Hockey national under-18 program (U18), World Junior Championship (WJC), Five Nations tournament (5-Nat), World Under-18 tournament (WU18).<h2>Statistics</h2>LEA-league; GP-games played; G-goals; A-assists; P&mdash;points; PIM&mdash;penalty minutes; W-L-T-wins-losses-ties; MIN-minutes; GA-goals against; SV%-save percentage; SO-shutouts; GAA-goals-against average.<h2>Minor Pro</h2>American League (AHL): Albany, Cincinnati, Hamilton, Hartford, Hershey, Kentucky, Louisville, Lowell, Philadelphia, Portland, Providence, Quebec, Rochester, Saint John, St. John&rsquo;s, Springfield, Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Worcester.International League (IHL): Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Kansas City, Long Beach, Manitoba, Michigan, Milwaukee, Orlando, Utah.<h2>Major Junior</h2>Ontario League (OHL): Barrie, Belleville, Brampton, Erie, Guelph, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, North Bay, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peterborough, Plymouth, St. Michael&rsquo;s, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Windsor.Quebec League (QMJHL): Acadie-Bathurst, Baie-Comeau, Cape Breton, Chicoutimi, Drummondville, Halifax, Hull, Moncton, Montreal, Quebec, Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Shawinigan, Sherbrooke, Vai d&rsquo;Or, Victoriaville.Western League (WHL): Brandon, Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna, Kootenay, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Portland, Prince Albert, Prince George, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon, Seattle, Spokane, Swift Current, Tri-City.<h2>Junior</h2>Alberta Junior League (AJHL), British Columbia League (BCHL), Central Junior League (CJHL), United States League (USHL), Eastern Junior League (EJHL), Western Ontario Junior B League (WOJHL).<h2>U.S. College</h2>Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CC-HA): Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Western Michigan.Eastern College Athletic Association (ECAC): Brown, Clarkson, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Renssalaer, St. Lawrence, Union, Vermont, Yale.Hockey East (HE): Boston College, Boston University, Mass.-Amherst, Mass.-Lowell, Maine, Merrimack, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Providence.Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA): Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado College, Denver, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin.<h2>Europe</h2>Czech Republic (Cze.), Finland (Fin.), Germany (Ger.), Kazakhstan (Kaz.), Latvia (Lat.), Norway (Nor.), Russia (Rus.), Slovakia (Slo.), Sweden (Swe.), Switzerland (Swi.), Ukraine (Ukr.). &#9632;

Your guide to stats, teams and leagues

<div class="byline">By Andy Baggot</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011761/7577511-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"></div>Dany Heatley and conventional wisdom don&rsquo;t always see eye-to-eye.Heatley was a premier prospect growing up in Calgary, but instead of casting his lot with a major junior outfit in the Western League like so many phenoms before him, he stayed home to play at the midget and Tier II levels before accepting a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin in Madison.&ldquo;I think the hockey&rsquo;s a lot better (at the U.S. college level) than major junior,&rdquo; Heatley said. &ldquo;The life&rsquo;s a lot better, too.&rdquo;Few freshmen forwards make a sizeable impact in their first year, but Heatley not only led the Badgers with 28 goals in 38 games as a left winger, he became the first rookie forward to make the Western Collegiate Hockey Association first team since 1978 and was voted to the West All-America second team.&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d be successful coming in (to college),&rdquo; said Heatley, who also was voted WCHA rookie of the year. &ldquo;I was confident coming in, but this was more than I could have imagined.&rdquo;Just five U.S. college players have been top-five picks since the NHL entry draft was instituted in 1969. Heatley is expected to gain membership to that exclusive club and he could join Michigan State&rsquo;s Joe Murphy (Detroit, 1986) as the only collegian to go No. 1 overall.&ldquo;I remember (last) summer when one of the first scouting rankings came out and I was some-where in the 20s,&rdquo; Heatley said. &ldquo;I was really happy with that. I thought if I could stick with that for the rest of the year I&rsquo;d be really happy. My goal was to be drafted in the first round.&rdquo;Instead, Heatley progressed so much the Central Scouting Service rated him first among North American prospects in its mid-season and final rankings. The reasons were obvious to the legion of NHL talent evaluators that followed Heatley, the 1999 Canadian Jr. A olaver of the year, during a season that saw him produce two hat tricks and 20 multi-point games.Most importantly, Heatley exhibited an unteachable knack for creating scoring chances, an uncommon sense of poise for someone so young and a ferocious desire to win.And while Central Scouting still lists him as 6-foot-1, he&rsquo;s more like 6-foot-3 and he bulked up 15 pounds to a 200-pound frame that he has learned to use to his advantage around the net.Heatley also upgraded his first-step quickness and became a better skater.In the process, Heatley joined Mark Johnson (1977) and John Newberry (1981) as the only freshmen to lead UW in goals in a season. Heatley, who turned 19 in January, also paced the team in shots (147) and game-winners (six) as the Badgers won the WCHA regular season title for the third time in program history. His 56 points trailed only Hobey Baker Award candidate Steve Reinprecht&rsquo;s 66 for the team lead.Heatley also starred in Team Canada&rsquo;s bronze medal effort at the World Junior Championship.Anaheim Mighty Duck assistant GM Dave McNab, a former Wisconsin goaltender, watched Heatley play enough during the season that he put him on his short list of the best college players in NCAA history. That group includes Johnson, a 1980 Olympic standout who played 11 NHL seasons, Paul Kariya of Maine, Neal Broten of Minnesota, Greg Johnson of North Dakota and Curtis Joseph of Wisconsin.&ldquo;There are just a handful of guys that have made such an impact (as Heatley),&rdquo; McNab said.Heatley got some genetic help in his development. His father, Murray, was a three-year letterwinner at Wisconsin where he scored 72 goals in 86 games from 1968 to 1971. Murray also played three seasons in the World Hockey Association and another nine as a pro in Europe. In fact, Dany was born in Germany.The Heatleys moved to Calgary when Dany was four years old. He followed the Flames growing up and attended his share of games at the Saddledome. Dany also remembers visiting the UW campus twice as a youngster.&ldquo;I was fortunate enough to be down here when I was younger and knew what it was like,&rdquo; Heatley said.Hence his decision to bypass major junior-Heatley was selected in the WHL bantam draft by Red Deer-in favor of college. Heatley, who carried a B average through his first two semesters at Wisconsin, said he has no regrets.&ldquo;I knew I made the right choice right from the get-go, right when I stepped on I campus,&rdquo; Heatley said.Time and again during the season, UW coach Jeff Sauer used the same words to describe Heatley: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a special player,&rdquo; Sauer kept saying.That label goes beyond the numbers. Peter Johnson, a Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; scout, recalled the first time he saw Heatley take the ice in college. &ldquo;I was on the edge of my seat,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;Some games he gets more scoring chances than some guys get in a career.&rdquo;A big decision awaits Heatley: Turn pro or return for his sophomore year at Wisconsin. Conventional wisdom suggests he will jump at the chance to become an instant millionaire. However, Heatley has an NCAA-sponsored health insurance policy for $2 million, so he might be back terrorizing college goaltenders for another year.&ldquo;Some days I think about coming back and where I&rsquo;d fit in and who I&rsquo;d play with and what kind of role I&rsquo;d have,&rdquo; Heatley said. &ldquo;Other times I I&rsquo;m thinking, &lsquo;You could be in the NHL.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s kind of funny thinking about that right now.&rdquo; &#9632;

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THN’s Top Gun

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011963/7577570-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="580" height="3321"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021314/7577563-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1675" height="1527"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rick DiPietro Boston Terriers THN&rsquo;s No.3-Ranked Draft Prospect</figcaption></div>Canada leads in representation among The Hockey News&rsquo; top 90 prospects for the 2000 NHL Entry Draft with 31 players. That&rsquo;s nearly twice as many as runner-up Russia&rsquo;s 16 representatives.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03774/7577556-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="1693" height="176"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04472/7577549-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="1689" height="1596"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rostislav Klesla Brampton Battalion THN&rsquo;s No.4-Ranked Draft Prospec</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05373/7577542-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="585" height="3312"></div> &#9632;

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Nationalities of Potential National Leaguers

<div class="byline">By Bob McKenzie Associate Editor</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011782/7577601-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brent Krahn, Calgary Hitmen THN&rsquo;s No. 12-ranked prospect.</figcaption></div>Unless there&rsquo;s some unexpected wheeling and dealing, the 2000 NHL entry draft will pale in comparison to last year&rsquo;s event in terms of excitement and quality of prospects.The 1999 affair featured lots of moves and a cast of prospects generally considered to be superior to this year&rsquo;s pool of talent. There&rsquo;s no marquee name up for grabs this year, when the draft will be staged in Calgary over two days (the first three rounds on June 24, the remaining six on June 25).&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no Vincent Lecavalier or a player like that,&rdquo; said Atlanta GM Don Waddell, who held the No. 1 overall pick in 2000, pending the outcome of the NHL draft lottery May 31. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t look like there are superstars available this year, but there does appear to be seven to 10 players who have a chance to be very good.&rdquo;There is no clear-cut choice for No. 1 overall.Some teams see University of Wisconsin left winger Dany Heatley as the top choice. Others give it to left winger Marian Gaborik or Brampton defenseman Rostislav Klesla and a few brave souls say Boston University goalie Rick DiPietro has the greatest chance to make an impact.Chances are Heatley, a Canadian, or Gaborik, a Slovakian, will be No. 1. If so, it will only be the third time since the 1979 entry draft that a winger was chosen first overall. Wendel Clark and Owen Nolan are the others.It&rsquo;s an especially strong year for Russian-born players. THN rates nine Russians as first round prospects and another five in the second round.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to know whether it&rsquo;s just the cycle turning in the Russians&rsquo; favor or whether they&rsquo;re doing a better job with their kids,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;All I know is there are more good Russian players this year than any other single nationality.&rdquo;DiPietro notwithstanding, it isn&rsquo;t a memorable year for netminders. THN rated only two in the first round and two in the second.It should be as unpredictable a draft-from top to bottom-as there has ever been. There&rsquo;s little agreement. A common observation made by scouts is that you&rsquo;re as likely to get the prospect you like in the 20s as you are in the top 10.Next year&rsquo;s draft is being tabbed as a bigger name event.The early battle for No. 1 status in 2001 is being waged between Mississauga&rsquo;s Jason Spezza, Russian forwards Alexandr Svitov and Ilya Kovalchuk, Finnish center Mikko Koivu (the bigger, younger brother of Montreal&rsquo;s Saku Koivu) and Plymouth center Stew Weiss.There are also two potential franchise goalies in Halifax&rsquo;s Pascal Leclaire and Kootenay&rsquo;s Dan Blackbum.<h2>Re-entry players, Van Ryn draft wildcards</h2>Columbus GM Doug MacLean won&rsquo;t be surprised if the overall depth of the 2000 NHL entry draft dramatically improves overnight.That&rsquo;s because there may be as many as 30 to 40 prospects re-entering the draft after they failed to come to contract terms with the team that selected them in 1998.The deadline for re-entry is June 1.It&rsquo;s difficult to know which players might re-enter. But some of the higher-profile possibilities included 1998 first-rounders: Erie forward Michael Rupp (Islanders, ninth overall); Sarnia forward Jeff Heerema (Carolina, 11th); Barrie forward Michael Henrich (Edmonton, 13th) and ShaWinigan netminder Mathieu Chouinard (Ottawa, 15th). Some other intriguing names include CHL scoring leader Brad Richards (Tampa Bay) of Rimouski, London defenseman John Erskine (Dallas) and Belleville forward Justin Papineau (Los Angeles).One other key consideration for this draft and future events will be the determination of the status of Sarnia defenseman Mike Van Ryn. He is the unsigned 1998 New Jersey Devil first-rounder who maintained he&rsquo;s exempt from re-entering the draft and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent because of a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement for players who leave college to play major junior. An independent arbitrator has heard the case and will rule on it prior to the draft.&ldquo;If the ruling goes in Van Ryn&rsquo;s favor it could have a huge impact,&rdquo; said one scout. &ldquo;Does that mean if you a draft a college player, say (Dany) Heatley or (Rick) DiPietro, they can make themselves free agents by not signing and playing a year of junior? The Van Ryn ruling will be huge.&rdquo;&mdash;Bob McKenzie &#9632;

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Looking out for No. 1

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THE TOP 60

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011015/7578947-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">&lsquo;True Canadian hockey player&rsquo;Right winger Scott Hartnell excites scouts with his leadership skills, physical play and hockey sense. He captained the WHL&rsquo;s Prince Albert Raiders this past season as a 17-year-old.</figcaption></div>Scott Hartnell is about to become the first elite NHL draft pick in the history of his family-but not his household.Ottawa Senators&rsquo; defenseman Wade Redden, who was chosen second overall in 1995, lived at the Hartnell residence while playing for the Lloydminster Blazers during the 1992-93 Alberta Junior League season.&ldquo;He billeted at our house and we became good friends,&rdquo; said Hartnell, a Prince Albert Raiders&rsquo; right winger and a top prospect for this year&rsquo;s NHL entry draft.&ldquo;I remember watching on TV when Wade was drafted (by the New York Islanders) and I was so happy for him. It&rsquo;s kind of cool to think that I might be in the same position.&rdquo;Hartnell, who turned 18 April 18, was third in the Central Scouting Service&rsquo;s final rankings of North American skaters. THN ranks him fifth among all prospects.Hartnell is highly regarded both on and off the ice. As a 17-year-old Western League sophomore this past season, Hartnell was the Raiders&rsquo; captain.&ldquo;When the coach (former NHLer Kevin McClelland) called me into his office, I didn&rsquo;t know what to do,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder. &ldquo;I thought I was in trouble. When he told me I was the captain, I was super-excited and a little nervous, being so young and all.&rdquo;Hartnell&rsquo;s performance generally belies his age.During the second half) of his rookie season in 1998-99, he played the point on the power play for the first-place Raiders. When Prince Albert encountered injury problems on the blueline, the 16-year-old Hartnell willingly changed positions for eight games.&ldquo;When we were looking for defensemen, he almost told us to put him back there,&rdquo; McClelland said. &ldquo;He felt he could handle it and wanted to try it. He didn&rsquo;t look out of place. That&rsquo;s when you say to yourself, &lsquo;Here&rsquo;s a kid who will do anything to play hockey and to help his team.&rsquo;&rdquo;Although Hartnell has enjoyed an accelerated development, his on-ice acceleration has caused some minor concern.&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s a below-average skater, but it never prevents him from getting where he needs to go,&rdquo; said one veteran NHL scout, who feels that an ordinary stride is Hartnell&rsquo;s only flaw.&ldquo;He has got a lot of hockey sense and that allows him to save a step or two. He goes full speed in any situation, so he&rsquo;s not taking any shortcuts.&rdquo;.The scout also referred to Hartnell as &ldquo;the ultimate captain,&rdquo; lauding the teenager&rsquo;s tenacity, unselfishness and on-ice abrasiveness.&ldquo;He has leadership qualities not only on the ice, but off the ice,&rdquo; noted Canadian Hockey Association director of scouting Barry Trapp, who invited Hartnell to play for the Canadian under-18 team last summer.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if he&rsquo;ll score 40 or 50 goals in the NHL, but he&rsquo;ll be one of those guys who&rsquo;s always in the 25 to 30 range. He gives you everything he has. Whatever line he plays on, that&rsquo;s the best fine.His energy and work ethic are so infectious.&rdquo;This past season, Hartnell-who was chosen seventh overall in the WHL&rsquo;s 1997 bantam draft-had 27 goals, a team-high 82 points and 124 penalty minutes in 62 games.Some of his most impressive numbers were produced away from the arena.An 86-per-cent student, Hartnell was the Raiders&rsquo; nominee for scholastic player of the year. On road trips, the bus becomes his study hall.Hartnell is part of a scholarly family. His father, Bill, is a teacher and his two brothers played NCAA hockey-Chad, 25, with Colorado College and Devin, 22, at Michigan Tech.While spending the off-season in Lloydminster, Hartnell trains, plays golf, goes to movies and watches the Stanley Cup playoffs-usually in the company of family members or friends.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve changed at all,&rdquo; Hartnell said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still the same guy I was a couple of years ago. My friends always tell me not to get a big head about everything that&rsquo;s happening in my life right now.&rdquo;Hartnell prefers to generate big laughs.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a humorous kid and really funny,&rdquo; Trapp said, &ldquo;but you wouldn&rsquo;t know that by the way he plays on the ice.&rdquo;&ldquo;I like to crack jokes and just be myself,&rdquo; Hartnell added. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m an easy-going kind of guy.&rdquo;And someone who is easy to like.&ldquo;With the under-18 team, wherever Scott Hartnell was, the rest of the team was,&rdquo; Trapp said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have to decide who the captain was. On the first day of camp, everyone rallied around him and looked up to him. He&rsquo;s such a down-to-earth guy.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a true Canadian hockey player. From the first time you meet Scott Hartnell, you know you like this guy.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Another prospect in the house

<div class="byline">By Mike Gibb Staff Writer</div>If Max Birbraer&rsquo;s memory of his former life ever fails him, he has the necessary reminders indelibly stained on his skin.There&rsquo;s the barbed wire tattoo around his left arm, which is an everlasting reminder of the three weeks he spent in a military prison in Israel for failing to enlist for mandatory military duty.There&rsquo;s the collage on the inside of his right forearm. Two hockey sticks, the number 25 and the Hebrew phrase &lsquo;Brothers Forever.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s a tattoo he shares with his legal guardian, Paul Rosen, who took Birbraer out of Israel and brought him to Canada where his dream of making the NHL is coming closer to reality. The third tattoo, on his left shoulder, bears the Chinese letters for truth and love, which Birbraer says is his outlook on life.Birbraer&rsquo;s life has only recently become full of truth and love. For the majority of his days, the 19-year-old has lived in the shadow of persecution.Birbraer (pronounced Beer-BRAY-er) was bom and raised in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. His father, Alex, supported his family by importing paint from Russia. The Birbraers had a decent, middle-class life.His grandfather, Anatoly, started him on skates when Max was six. He took Max to practices and games, tied his skates and watched proudly as his grandson became one of the country&rsquo;s top young hockey players. For nine years, Birbraer played on the same team as Nik Antropov, the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; rookie. The two remain good friends.But when Birbraer was 15, his family began to feel the sting of religious persecution. The Bir-braers are Jewish. But Max&rsquo;s parents didn&rsquo;t tell their son until he was 14, out of fear for his safety. A decision had to be made.&ldquo;It was getting dangerous,&rdquo; Birbraer said. &ldquo;Being a Jew in Russia today is like being a Jew in World Warn.&rdquo;The Birbraers followed many Russian Jews and emigrated to Israel in 1996. It was a slightly safer place to live, but not exactly the best move for Max&rsquo;s burgeoning hockey career.Hockey existed in Israel, but it was about as popular in the Holy Land as country music. Still, Birbraer found an arena and a team and practised as often as he could. He has since played on the Israeli under-18 team, world junior team and in three senior World Championships. In April, Birbraer was named the top forward at the Pool D worlds as Israel won its first-ever hockey gold medal.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011049/7578978-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="349" height="465"><figcaption class="caption-body">Max Birbraer</figcaption></div>In 1997, after a year in Israel, Birbraer realized he would never make the NHL if he stayed in Tel Aviv. He needed to play in North America.So along with Rosen, who worked with the Max Birbraer Israeli national team, Birbraer left his family behind for the first time and moved to Canada.He has played Tier II junior in Ontario the past three seasons (in Shelburne and Newmarket), amassing 95 goals in 110 games, including 50 goals and 86 points in 40 games with Newmarket this past season. The Central Scouting Service ranked him 41st among North American skaters entering the entry draft, the highest a Tier II player has been ranked since Dainius Zubrus was 33rd in 1996. The Hockey News rates Birbraer 79th overall.Birbraer had to return home in March, 1999, to renew his passport. But upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, he was taken into custody and put in a military prison. All Israeli males are required to serve two years in the military, but Birbraer had refused in order to continue his hockey career.He spent three weeks in a military prison waiting for a decision on his future. Two days after being released, he joined the national team in South Africa for the worlds, where he helped them capture the silver medal.Upon returning to Israel, Birbraer joined the army for his mandatory enlistment and what would probably mean the death of his hockey career. After three months in basic training, Bir braer&rsquo;s miracle came through. He was allowed to leave the army because of a medical condition.Because of his stay in prison and stint in the army, Birbraer was unable to submit his name for the Canadian Hockey League import draft, meaning another year of Tier ILBirbraer is a physically imposing (6-foot-2,185 pounds) forward-he has seen time at both center and left wing-with reasonable offensive talent.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s strong,&rdquo; said Frank Bonello, director of the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Service. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good skater and has a good change of pace if he comes up to a defenseman. He makes good decisions.&rdquo;If he&rsquo;s drafted, Birbraer figures to play 2000-01 in the minors-he&rsquo;s ineligible to play major junior because a player can&rsquo;t be a rookie and an overager.On the verge of realizing his dream, Birbraer is finally starting to get over his incarceration. He went through a depression and suffered nightmares for months after returning to Canada.&ldquo;It was a painful experience,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But when I look back, if I try to make the best of it, I think I needed it. It made me mentally tougher. But I wouldn&rsquo;t want to do it again.&rdquo;As much as Birbraer wants to make the NHL for himself, he also wants to see the face of his grandfather when he takes to the ice in his first NHL game. Anatoly still fives in Kazakhstan.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen him in four years,&rdquo; Birbraer said. &ldquo;The last time I talked to him was when we won the gold medal and when I told him, he cried.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0028-01

Persecution, prison part of prospect’s past

<h2>KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS</h2>The NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Bureau released its final ranking May 7 of players eligible for the 1999 entry draft. Rankings are subject to change as players opt-in. Information listed includes position (Pos.), team, league, height (Ht.) and weight (Wt.). Skaters&rsquo; stats are: games (GP), goals (G), assists (A), points (P), and penalty minutes (PIM). Goaltenders&rsquo; stats are games (GP), minutes (Min.), goals-against average (GAA) and save percentage (SP). League abbreviations: AJHL- Alberta Junior League; BCHL- British Columbia Junior League; CCHA- Central Collegiate Hockey Association; CHA- College Hockay Association; CZE- Czech Republic; ECAC- Eastern College Athletic Conference; EJHL-Eastern Junior League; FIN- Finland; HE- Hockey East; OHL- Ontario League; OPJHL- Ontario Provincial Jr. A; QMJHL- Quebec League; RUS-Russia; SJHL- Saskatchewan Junior League; SLO- Slovakia; SWE- Sweden; SWI-Switzerland; USHL- United States Junior League; USHS- United States High School; WCHA- Western Collegiate Hockey Association; WHL- Western League.<h2>First Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01931/7579107-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="994" height="900"></div><h2>Second Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02611/7579100-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="1005" height="912"></div><h2>Third Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03406/7579093-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="1005" height="916"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04280/7579086-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="989" height="1638"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rostislav Klesla is the top-ranked blueliner (No. 2).</figcaption></div><h2>Fourth Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05233/7579079-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="1007" height="958"></div><h2>Fifth Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06193/7579072-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="1015" height="586"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07160/7579065-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="993" height="388"></div><h2>Sixth Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08136/7579058-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="1003" height="924"></div><h2>Seventh Round</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09125/7579051-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="997" height="930"></div><h2>Goaltenders</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-10115/7579044-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="1013" height="930"></div><h2>Europeans</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011044/7579037-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="933" height="1682"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02700/7579030-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="925" height="216"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03490/7579023-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="923" height="1412"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04336/7579016-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="913" height="1438"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marian Gaborik is among the cream of the 2000 crop.</figcaption></div><h2>European Goaltenders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05247/7579009-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="949" height="232"></div> &#9632;

f0029-01

CENTRAL SCOUTING SERVICE - EUROPEAN RANKING

<div class="byline">By Steve Keating</div>ST. PETERSBURG, Russia-The Czech Republic ended the big dreams of their little neighbors.The mighty Czechs beat Slovakia 5-3 in the gold medal final of the World Championship May 14 to claim their second consecutive title and reconfirm their position as the international game&rsquo;s undisputed power.A three-goal explosion in the opening period by the 1998 Olympic champions made sure there would be no Hollywood ending to Slovakia&rsquo;s storybook journey to its first ever final.Instead it was an all-too-familiar ending, as the Czechs penned another chapter to their dynasty, becoming the first country to win back-to-back championships since Sweden in 1991 and &rsquo;92.Since the former-Czechoslovakia split apart Dec. 31, 1992, the Czech Republic has established itself as a global hockey power. In eight World Championships, the Czechs have reached the medal podium six times and won the title on three occasions, in 1996, 1999 and 2000. They&rsquo;re also the only country to emerge with a medal the last five championships.Slovakia, a country with just eight indoor arenas, has been slower to carve out its place on the international scene. Its previous best finish in a major championship was a sixth place at the 1994 Olympics.Not surprisingly, the neighbors used the same recipe for success at this tournament, employing a winning mix of domestic and NHL talent. It was a delicate blend that eluded traditional hockey superpowers Russia and Canada.Once again, the Czechs demonstrated they can survive without the world&rsquo;s best player, Jaromir Jagr, and win without one of the world&rsquo;s top netminders, Dominik Hasek.Even the absence of coach Ivan Hlinka, the architect of their world and Olympic triumphs who is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, failed to derail the Czechs. Josef Augusta took over behind the bench and led his team to gold.A tournament littered with upsets warned the gaping gulf between hockey&rsquo;s have and have-nots was closing as Norway, Latvia, Belarus, Switzerland and Slovakia, once nothing more than speed bumps on the way to the final, proved to be major hurdles.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01963/7579145-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="958" height="1293"><figcaption class="caption-body">Czech captain Robert Reichel holds the championship trophy.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;If you were paying attention to what has been happening the last three or four years, you could see what was on the horizon and now it&rsquo;s here,&rdquo; said Canadian coach Tom Renney.Russia, with a roster sprinkled with some of hockey&rsquo;s biggest names, including the NHL&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer Pavel Bure and Ottawa Senators&rsquo; holdout Alexei Yashin, opened on a strong note, demolishing France 8-1 and ended their participation with a win over 1998 champions Sweden.But in between were four crushing losses to underdogs Switzerland, Latvia, Belarus and the United States, sending the hosts crashing out of the tournament after the qualifying round to an embarrassing 11th-place finish.Since they began participating in the World Championship as the Soviet Union in 1954, Russia had never finished lower than seventh.A Canadian team stocked with NHLers also found it had some explaining to do following a shock 4-3 loss to Norway.As the championship progressed the loss loomed large, Canada only advancing to the quarterfinal when Italy scored a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Norway.But Canada was unable to capitalize on its second chance, losing to the Czech Republic in the semifinal and Finland in the bronze medal match by identical 2-1 scores, once again returning home empty-handed.Canada has not won a medal of any description at a major senior international competition since 1997, while Russia has not won gold at the World Championship since 1993.The United States also returned home without a medal, but added some polish to a tarnished international image with a better-than-expected performance that included a 3-0 shutout over Russia.Powering their way through the preliminary and qualifying rounds undefeated with a record of four wins and two ties, the Americans, led by Calgary Flames&rsquo; defenseman Phil Housley and minor league netminder Robert Esche, saw their promising campaign come to shuddering end with a 4-1 quarterfinal loss to Slovakia.<h2>Czech picks</h2>Thirteen members of the gold medalwinning Czech Republic team at the World Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia were drafted by NHL teams. Here is a look al the team, listed alphabetically.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02628/7579138-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="567" height="868"></div> &#9632;

f0031-01

Czechs prove mettle with another world win

<div class="byline">By Dan Wood</div>The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are hoping some of their promising youngsters can make the jump from prospect to NHL player in time for 2000-01.After a disappointing 34-36-12-3 season that left the Ducks four points shy of a playoff berth, GM Pierre Gauthier vowed not to return with the same roster next season. The club will, however, return with the same coach, as Craig Hartsburg signed a two-year extension (through 2002-03) May 17.What new faces Hartsburg has to work with remains to be seen. Anaheim could certainly use more veteran savvy, but the door is also open for younger players if they prove they can contribute and help the Ducks regain a playoff spot. A number of such candidates exist in the system, including wingers Maxim Balmochnykh and Petr Tenkrat.And defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski, Anaheim&rsquo;s first round pick in 1998 (fifth overall), figures to be a blueline mainstay for years to come. Vishnevski had one goal, two points, 26 penalty minutes and a nice collection of big hits in a 31-game stint as a rookie last season.Calling The Shots Former Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; assistant coach Alain Chainey, chief amateur scout for the Ducks, has the final word on the club&rsquo;s entry draft selections. While Gauthier&rsquo;s background is in scouting and he provides plenty of input during the first round and with regard to European players, Chainey and his staff are the key decision-makers.Draft Tendency The Ducks&rsquo; goal is to draft the best player available, regardless of position or any other factors. Given Gauthier&rsquo;s track record when he was GM in Ottawa, Anaheim can also be expected to delve deeply into the pool of older European players. A year ago, the Ducks drafted Tenkrat, 23, and defenseman Niclas Havelid, 27. Havelid definitely added to Anaheim&rsquo;s defense corps. A broken thumb limited him to 50 games, but he had an encouraging NHL debut that included two goals and nine points.Immediate Need Anaheim desperately needs more grit, though it&rsquo;s doubtful they&rsquo;ll find anyone in this year&rsquo;s draft capable of helping next season. Led by superstars Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, Anaheim scores plenty of highlight goals. But the Ducks need more ugly goals that result from elbow grease and the willingness to go to the net and absorb punishment to get the job done. After dropping from first in the NHL on the power play in 1998-99 to 14th last season, Anaheim would welcome a true power forward. Though their young stable of defensemen is promising, the Ducks have to address the loss of power play quarterback Fredrik Olausson, who announced his retirement.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011053/7579176-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="994" height="1827"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Paul Kariya Drafted: 4th by Anaheim, 1993</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need For the first time in franchise history, goaltending was a problem for Anaheim in 1999-2000. Even if Guy Hebert bounces back from a sub-par performance-which is of critical importance for the Ducks in the short term-there is no clear-cut successor. Hebert, 33, has two years remaining on his contract, after which Anaheim will likely look elsewhere for a front-line goalie. Gregg Naumenko, a college free agent signing from Alaska-Anchorage, enjoyed a promising rookie season with Cincinnati of the American League, but is nowhere near being ready for the NHL. Dominic Roussel, Hebert&rsquo;s backup, isn&rsquo;t likely to become more than that. If the Ducks could land a top-notch netminding prospect to groom as Hebert&rsquo;s successor, they would likely jump at the chance.Ready To Step In Balmochnykh, a second round pick (45th overall) in 1997, will receive every opportunity to earn a roster spot in training camp. He figures to challenge for second line duty after posting nine goals and 21 points in 40 games with Cincinnati. An excellent skater with tremendous offensive tools, including a strong shot, the 6-foot-l, 200-pound Russian had one assist in a six-game trial with Anaheim this past season. If the 21-year-old left winger develops quickly, he could provide a complement to Kariya and Selanne.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Tony Hrkac, C, 33; Jason Marshall, D, 29; Jeff Nielsen, RW, 29; Dominic Roussel, G, 30; Pascal Trepanier, D, 27.Restricted Free Agents Antti Aalto, C, 25; Matt Cullen, C, 23; Jorgen Jonsson, C, 27; Mike Leclerc, LW, 23; Marty McInnis, LW, 29; Oleg Tverdovsky, D, 24; Ed Ward, RW, 30.Unrestricted Free Agents Ted Donato, LW, 31; Stu Grimson, LW, 35; Kevin Haller, D, 29; Kip Miller, RW, 30.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Jordan Leopold, 19, D, 6-0, 193, Minnesota (WCHA), 44th overall. Promising sophomore figures to remain in college. 618-24, 20 PIM, 39 games.Petr Tenkrat, 23, RW, 6-1, 185, HPK/llves (Fin.), 230th overall. Finished third, in Finnish League in goals. 35-14-49, 75 PIM, 53 games.Maxim Rybin, 18, LW, 5-9, 180, Sarnia (OHL), 141 st overall. Russian had strong second half in first Ontario League season. 29-27-56, 47 PIM, 66 games.<h3>1998</h3>Vitaly Vishnevski, 20, D, 6-2, 200, Cincinnati (AHL), 5th overall. Physical defender finished season with Ducks in NHL. 1-3-4, 45 PIM, 35 games.Viktor Wallin, 20, D, 6-3, 200, HV71 (Swe.), 112th overall. Earned regular ice time on strong Swedish team. 2-2-4, 16 PIM, 43 games.Stephen Peat, 20, D, 6-2, 210, Calgary (WHL), 32nd overall. One of the toughest players in major junior. 0-10-10, 145 PIM, 35 games.<h3>1997</h3>Maxim Balmochnykh, 21, LW, 6-1, 200, Cincinnati (AHL), 45th overall. Could give Ducks offensive spark in 2000-01. 9-1221,82 PIM, 40 games.Mikael Holmqvist, 20, C, 6-3, 189, TPS Turku (Fin.), 18th overall. Swede made some progress in first year in Finland. 123-15, 14 PIM, 54 games.Jay Legault, 21, LW, 6-4, 217, Cincinnati (AHL), 72nd overall. Goal-scorer turned in solid season in professional debut. 15-1934, 75 PIM, 70 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Anaheim&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish19thDraft position each round12th2000 first round pending lottery12thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9, Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.)11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)12. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus. 1)15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL) &#9632;

f0034-01

Looking for new grit

<div class="byline">By Jeff Schultz</div>A new franchise is forced to take baby steps and last season there was little question the Atlanta Thrashers&rsquo; first step would be in the direction of Patrik Stefan.The Czech center was identified early by GM Don Waddell as the best player in the 1999 draft and the only question was whether they could get him. They did&mdash;the result of a series of trades that moved them up a notch from second to first overall, giving Waddell his potential franchise centerpiece.This year, things are a little different. There are several players that have caught the eyes of Waddell and his scouts. But with no clear-cut No. 1 and a number of prospects the team would be happy to select, the Thrashers might trade down in the first round with the idea of picking up a player or two who could provide a more immediate impact.Unlike Stefan, it&rsquo;s doubtful whomever the Thrashers draft-even Dany Heatley or Marian Gaborik-will step into the NHL next season.Calling The Shots Waddell is very involved in the scouting end of things, moreso than most GMs. While he gathers input from everybody, there essentially is one vote at the draft table-his own.Waddell listens to all of his scouts, but his closest advisor on amateurs is Bob Owen, the team&rsquo;s director of player development. Owen worked for the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Service for four years and Los Angeles for 10 before starting his own service, RHO Hockey, whose client list included Toronto, Ottawa and Nashville. He was one of Waddell&rsquo;s first hires.Draft Tendency The franchise is too early in its infancy to identify trends. But there&rsquo;s little question Waddell is enamored with speed and skilled players and the&rsquo; franchise has put a lot of resources into Europe. The NHL will slowly evolve into a higher sconng league and the focus will be on players who can move the puck and beat trapping defenses through the neutral zone. This is expected to be a Europeanladen draft in the first few rounds and Atlanta figures to get as many as it can.Immediate Need Despite the goaltending woes that arose when starter Damian Rhodes was injured last season, the Thrashers aren&rsquo;t likely to draft goalie Rick DiPietro of Boston University. If other teams are looking at him, Atlanta could trade its pick and move down in the round, still affording them the talented forwards the franchise wants to build around. The Thrashers are short on skill and will focus on that area. The expansion draft last year gave the team bodies to get started, but not to build with.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01990/7579214-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="976" height="1820"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Andrew Brunette Drafted: 174th by Washington, 1993</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need Entering Year 2, every position can be classified as a long-term need. But the most important area to keep an eye on is goaltending. Norm Maracle was taken in the expansion draft from Detroit with the idea of being the franchise&rsquo;s goalie of the future. But when Rhodes was hurt, Maracle was inconsistent. The Thrashers drafted netminder Rob Zepp in the fourth round (99th overall) last season and he went on to have a career year, topping the Ontario League in wins and goals-against average and leading Plymouth to the OHL final. If Zepp continues to develop, the team is fine. If not, there&rsquo;s trouble.Ready To Step In Atlanta scouts knew they had a skilled European in the system after drafting center Zdenek Blatny in the third round (68th overall) of their inaugural draft. What they didn&rsquo;t know was how quickly he would adapt to the North American game. The Czech native tore up the Western League this season, amassing 46 goals and 90 points for Kootenay, plus 27 points in the Ice&rsquo;s 21 WHL playoff games. Blatny is a skilled power forward with good size (6-foot-1, 187 pounds) and he also has a bit of a nasty streak. He wasn&rsquo;t originally on the radar for 2000-01, but the team now feels he can make a push for a roster spot in training camp.Expansion Bait? The Thrashers are exempt from the Minnesota/Columbus expansion draft.Restricted Free Agents Donald Audette, RW, 30; Petr Buzek, D, 23; Brett Clark, D, 23; Hnat Domenichelli, LW, 24; Shean Donovan, RW, 25; Scott Fankhouser, G, 24; Maxim Galanov, D, 26; Steve Guolla, C, 27; David Harlock, D, 29; Joel Irving, RW, 24; Andreas Karlsson, C, 24; Bob La chance, RW, 26; Denny Lambert, LW, 30; Norm Maracle, G, 25; Chris McAlpine, D, 28; Yannick Tremblay, D, 24; Herbert Vasiljevs, C, 24; Bryan Wesenberg, RW, 23.Unrestricted Free Agents Johan Garpenlov, LW, 32; Mike Stapleton, C, 34.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM INAUGURAL DRAFT</h2><h3>1999</h3>Zdenek Blatny, 19, C, 6-1, 187, Kootenay (WHL), 68th overall. Talented power forward will challenge for NHL job. 46-4490, 127 PIM, 68 games.Yuri Dobryshkin, 20, RW/C, 6-0, 189, AK Bars Kazan (Rus.), 159th overall. Progressed rapidly, could be effective third line center. 69-15, 24 PIM, 27 games.Rob Zepp, 18, G, 6-1, 160, Plymouth (OHL), 99th overall. Led &lsquo;rebuilding&rsquo; Whalers team to Ontario League final. 36-11-3, 2.38, 53 games.Luke Sellars, 19, D, 6-1, 195, Ottawa (OHL), 30th overall. Good skills, but needs to improve defensively. 8-34-42, 147 PIM, 56 games.Derek MacKenzie, 18, LW, 5-11, 169, Sudbury (OHL), 128th overall. Hardnosed player had solid season. 24-33-57, 110 PIM, 68 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02696/7579207-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="635" height="718"><figcaption class="caption-body">Zdenek Blatny</figcaption></div>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Atfanta&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish28thDraft position each round1 st2000 first round pending lottery1 stTHN&rsquo;s top ranked players1. Dany Heatley, LW, Wisconsin (WCHA)2. Marian Gaborik, LW, Trencin (Slo.)3. Rick DiPietro, G, Boston University (HE)4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Brampton (OHL)5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.) &#9632;

f0035-01

Skill high on wish list

<div class="byline">By Mike Loftus</div>The Boston Bruins didn&rsquo;t expect to be in this position.After rebounding from last overall in 1996-97 with two straight playoff appearances, Boston assumed they would continue to progress in 1999-2000&mdash;and slide into the latter half of the draft order as a result. Instead, the Bruins missed the playoffs and will have a top-10 pick, plus perhaps another first round choice from Colorado due to the Ray Bourque trade (either this year or in 2001, at Boston&rsquo;s discretion).With jobs available on what will be one of the NHL&rsquo;s youngest teams next season, the Bruins will attempt to continue their recent string of draft successes. Their first choice in each of the past three years (Joe Thornton, Jonathan Girard and Nick Boynton) has made at least a cameo appearance in Boston the next season and as many as six picks since 1997 (Thornton, Girard, Boynton, Sergei Samsonov, Mikko Eloranta and Lee Goren) could play significant roles in 2000-01.Calling The Shots Everyone still listens when GM-president Harry Sinden speaks, but he leaves most draft decisions to his top aide, assistant GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell, and director of scouting Scott Bradley. It&rsquo;s a committee effort, but at this point the opinion of O&rsquo;Connell-who may be Boston&rsquo;s GM by the time 2000-01 starts-carries the most weight. O&rsquo;Connell, who does a significant amount of scouting himself, works closely with a scouting department that has grown since he joined Boston&rsquo;s front office in 1994-95.Draft Tendency The Bruins&rsquo; stated philosophy is to take the best player available, but Boston isn&rsquo;t above identifying and focusing on a need. After losing (the retirement of Cam Neely) or trading (Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet) proven offensive talent, the Bruins went for Thornton (first overall) and Samsonov (eighth) in 1997. Since then, they&rsquo;ve been trying to shore up what was an aging, Bourque-led defense by using top picks on blueline prospects such as Boynton in 1999 and Girard and Bobby Allen in 1998.Immediate Need With so many key forwards (Thornton, Samsonov, Jason Allison, Anson Carter and Brian Rolston) between 20 and 27 and prospects from Providence of the American League and elsewhere (MoDo&rsquo;s Sami Pahlsson and North Dakota&rsquo;s Lee Goren) not far from being NHL-ready, O&rsquo;Connell feels the Bruins are secure up front for the short term.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01952/7579245-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="992" height="1812"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Joe Thornton Drafted: 1st by Boston, 1997</figcaption></div>But with Bourque gone and veteran Don Sweeney set to test unrestricted free agency, the Bruins hope to stockpile defensemen who can soon work their way into the lineup. It&rsquo;s rare to find someone who can step right in on the blue line, though.Long-Term Need Defense remains a priority, especially if Sweeney doesn&rsquo;t come back. The Bruins are expected to dip into the unrestricted free agent pool for blueline help even if Sweeney returns, but three years down the line, any veterans signed or re-signed this summer will likely have faded from the picture. In that time, Boston will also have learned which of its current blueline prospects will have panned out. Assuming some fall by the wayside, the Bruins want to be prepared.Ready To Step In Though disappointed by his return to major junior after 23 games in Boston, Girard has a good shot at sticking next season. Stronger than his 5-foot-l 1, 192-pound frame suggests, Girard is responsible defensively and a good puck-mover who can work the point on power plays-something Boston aches for in the absence of Bourque.If Girard still isn&rsquo;t considered ready, Boynton-who fits the same general description, is a year older than Girard and has one pro season under his belt-might be penciled in.One other possibility is Goren, the big right winger from NCAA-champion North Dakota who led Division I scorers this year with 34 goals in 44 games.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Sean Pronger, C, 27; Joel Prpic, C, 25; Don Sweeney, D, 33; Rob Tallas, G, 27.Restricted Free Agents Shawn Bates, C, 25; Anson Carter, RW, 26; Mikko Eloranta, LW, 27; John Grahame, G, 24; Steve Heinze, LW, 30; Cameron Mann, RW, 23; Erie Nickulas, RW, 25; Sergei Samsonov, LW, 21; Andre Savage, C, 25; Rob Tallas, G, 27; Joe Thornton, C, 20.Unrestricted Free Agents Joe Hulbig, C, 27; Antti Laaksonen, LW, 26; Sean Pronger, C, 27; Don Sweeney, D, 33.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Nick Boynton, 21, D, 6-2, 210, Providence (AHL), 21st overall. Injuries, onset of diabetes made first pro season a challenge. 5-14-19, 66 PIM, 53 games.Matt Zultek, 21, LW, 6-3, 218, Ottawa (OHL), 56th overall. Lingering knee injury forced him back to junior for final season. 9-6-15, 34 PIM, 28 games.Kyle Wanvig, 19, RW, 6-2, 197, Red Deer (WHL), 89th overall. Despite progress, he&rsquo;s expected to spend next season in junior. 23-20-43, 135 PIM, 64 games.<h3>1998</h3>Jonathan Girard, 20, D, 5-11, 192, Moncton (QMJHL), 48th overall. Skilled defender could be ready for full-time NHL duty. 1025-35, 36 PIM, 26 games.Andrew Raycroft, 20, G, 6-0, 150, Kingston (OHL), 135th overall. OHL player of year will re-enter draft if unsigned. 33-20-5, 3.43, 64 games.Bobby Allen, 21, D, 6-1, 198, Boston College (HE), 52nd overall. Weighing decision to turn pro or play senior season. 4-23-27, 40 PIM, 42 games.<h3>1997</h3>Lee Goren, 22, RW, 6-3, 190, North Dakota (WCHA), 63rd overall. Power forward has shot in Boston next year. 34-29-63, 42 PIM, 44 games.Jay Henderson, 21, LW, 5-11, 188, Providence (AHL), 246th overall. Last player drafted in &rsquo;97 is hard-working agitator. 1827-45, 200 PIM, 60 games.Mattias Karlin, 20, C, 5-11, 183, MoDo (Swe.), 54th overall. Has been cast in defensive role on talented MoDo club. 05-5, 10 PIM, 42 games.<h3>Fast facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Boston&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish 24thDraft position each round 7th2000 first round pending lottery 7th, 27thTHN&rsquo;s top ranked players4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Brampton (OHL)5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.)11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)*Colorado&rsquo;s first pick could be transferred to Boston &#9632;

f0036-01

Defense key concern

<div class="byline">By Jim Kelley</div>The Buffalo Sabres acquired one of the best goalies in NHL history via a trade. But despite getting Dominik Hasek from the Chicago Blackhawks in a little-publicized deal in 1992, the Sabres, like most small market, budget-conscious teams, five and die through the entry draft.They have lived well in recent seasons.For each of the past three years, The Hockey News has ranked the Sabres&rsquo; prospect list among the NHL elite (seventh this season). THN&rsquo;s annual Future Watch issue is a good reflection of how teams have fared at the draft and the Sabres take pride in their prospectculling performance.&ldquo;We are an organization that puts a great deal of our efforts into drafting and developing our own people,&rdquo; said GM Darcy Regier. &ldquo;It is key to our being able to compete.&rdquo;Calling The Shots Regier puts more than a nominal effort into the annual prospects hunt, but the big players at the draft table are Don Luce, the director of player personnel, and Jim Benning, the director of amateur scouting.Luce is a former Sabre center who has carved out a solid reputation for identifying young talent. As the Sabres approach the post-Dominik Hasek era, they will no doubt thank Luce for turning up Martin Biron and Mika Noronen in the draft. Both are projected as impact goalies in the Sabres&rsquo; future.Draft Tendency The Sabres like to say they take the best player available, but over the years it has become clear they tend to draft from a defensive state of mind. Goaltenders are always on the Sabres&rsquo; charts and the list of quality blueline prospects-Dmtri Kalinin, Brian Campbell, Cory Sarich and Alexei Tezikov (the latter two have since been traded)-stand out much more than any offense-minded forwards. The Sabres have opted to trade away some of those prospects in recent seasons just to obtain veteran forwards who can help what has for years now been a less-than-potent attack.Immediate Need Forwards who can put the puck in the net top the Sabres&rsquo; wish list. It would be nice if Buffalo unearthed a player who could perform as well in his first years as Chris Drury, Milan Heiduk, Scott Gomez or John Madden performed in theirs. The Sabres last season had to import 37-year-old center Doug Gilmour from Chicago and Chris Gratton from Tampa Bay just to make the playoffs. Gratton might stick around for awhile, but Gilmour is a short-term fix&mdash;the upcoming season may well be his last. As such, a scorer and a olavmakine center is a must.Long-Term Need The Sabres still have a core of young forwards and the post-Hasek years seem secure with Biron and/or Noronen in goal.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01849/7579276-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="982" height="1803"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Doug Gilmour Drafted: 134th bv St. Louis. 1982</figcaption></div>But it&rsquo;s possible that short-term trades and the upcoming expansion draft will cut into the defensive depth. That may cause the Sabres to accelerate their defensive development program, especially if veterans such as Richard Smehlik or Alexei Zhitnik move on via trade, free agency or predraft moves. Veteran James Patrick has been playing more when he should be playing less and he will soon have to be replaced.Ready to Step In Buffalo forceed right winger Maxim Afinogenov a steady diet of NHL ice time this past season and they need him to be a big part of the offense next year. Right winger J.P. Dumont, acquired as a part of the Gilmour deal, appears poised to step up, as does Kalinin and perhaps Campbell as a power play specialist, should the Sabres lose Jason Woolley in the expansion draft.Afinogenov has the ability to be a scoring star once he learns to pass as well as shoot. Dumont is a clever winger with good hands, not unlike Miroslav Satan.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Doug Gilmour, C, 37; Dennis Hamel, RW, 23; James Patrick, D, 37; Domenic Pittis, C/LW, 26; Rob Ray, RW, 31; Dwayne Roloson, G, 30; Geoff Sanderson, LW, 28; Richard Smehlik, D, 30; Chris Taylor, C, 28; Vladimir Tsyplakov, RW, 31; Dixon Ward, RW, 32; Jason Woolley, D, 31.Restricted Free Agents Martin Biron, G, 22; Michael Peca, C, 25; Erik Rasmussen, RW, 24; Dwayne Roloson, G, 30; Geoff Sanderson, LW, 28; Jason Woolley, D, 31; Alexei Zhitnik, D, 28.Unrestricted Free Agents Vladimir Tsyplakov, RW, 31; Dixon Ward, RW, 32.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Barrett Heisten, 20, LW, 6-1, 189, Maine (HE), 20th overall. Grinding forward expected to provide character as a pro. 1324-37, 86 PIM, 35 games.Mike Zigomanis, 19, C, 5-11, 183, Kingston (OHL), 64th overall. Lacks speed, but plays bigger than his size and is strong on puck. 40-54-94, 49 PIM, 59 games.Milan Bartovic, 19, RW/LW, 5-11, 183, Brandon (WHL), 35th overall. Sees game well and can make nifty plays. 26-31-57, 40 PIM, 56 games.<h3>1998</h3>Dmtri Kalinin, 19, D, 6-2, 198, Rochester (AHL), 18th overall. Has good shot at cracking roster next season. 2 19 21, 52 PIM, 73 games.Jaroslav Kristek, 20, RW, 6-0, 183, TriCity (WHL), 50th overall. Likes physical game and has offensive upside. 26-2551,16 PIM, 45 games.Norm Milley, 20, RW, 5-11, 185, Sudbury (OHL), 47th overall. Smallish, but with a definite scoring touch. 52-60-112, 47 PIM, 68 games.<h3>1997</h3>Mika Noronen, 20, G, 6-1, 191, Rochester (AHL), 21st overall. AHL&rsquo;s regular season MVP guided Amerks to Calder final. 3313-4, 2.18, 54 games.Henrik Tallinder, 21, D, 6-3, 194, AIK (Swe.), 48th overall. Not flashy, but steady, solid and growing into frame. 0-22, 59 PIM, 48 games.Brian Campbell, 21, D, 5-11, 185, Rochester (AHL), 156st overall. Small, talented offensive blueliner is honing defensive game. 223-25, 22 PIM, 65 games.<h3>Fast facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Buffalo&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish16thDraft position each round15th2000 first round15thTHN&rsquo;s top ranked players11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)12. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus.l)15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL) &#9632;

f0037-01

Draft day critical time

<div class="byline">By Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01926/7579307-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Valeri Bure Drafted: 33rd by Montreal, 1992</figcaption></div>The expectation is that by the time the NHL entry draft rolls around, the Calgary Flames will have a GM in place to oversee their selections.As of late May, however, the Flames were still in search of a front office. Only a handful of key personnel, including senior and special assignment scout Ian McKenzie and director of hockey administration Mike Burke, survived the post-season purge that cost GM Al Coates, player personnel director Nick Polano and coach Brian Sutter their jobs.Team president Ron Bremner indicated his preference was to have a new GM before draft day, but if he couldn&rsquo;t find the right man by then, the organization would press on with their skeleton staff.That&rsquo;s not the ideal situation-especially since the draft is in Calgary-but the priority is landing the right person.Calling The Shots With Polano gone, the most experienced scout in the organization is McKenzie, who joined the Flames in 1972&mdash;the year they entered the NHL. Over the years, McKenzie has done an admirable job discovering gems in the later rounds. Indeed, in McKenzie&rsquo;s days as scouting coordinator&mdash;or before his influence began to wane&mdash;the Flames made some of their most astute choices in team history. Players such as Gary Suter, Brett Hull and Theo Fleury all became NHL stars&mdash;and none were chosen before the sixth round. All things being equal, McKenzie usually prefers Western Leaguers, but over the years, he has argued passionately for players such as Sergei Samsonov in 1997 (the Flames opted instead for Daniel Tkaczuk) and Oleg Saprykin in 1999.Draft Tendency Ever since the Jesper Mattsson fiasco in 1993, the Flames have selected players from major junior with their first picks in each of the past six seasons, but there has been no identifiable pattern. Three of the six have come from the WHL, two from the Ontario League and one from the Quebec League. Many times, their best selections came when they veered significantly from the Central Scouting Service rankings, as they did in 1996, grabbing Derek Morris 13th overall after he was rated 85 th.Immediate Need The Rames need a dominant No. 1 center, someone with size and strength who can complement the contributions of small&mdash;and offensively gifted-Marc Savard and solid two-way players Jason Wiemer and Jeff Shantz. Had the Rames simply held on to their ninth overall choice last year, they might have been able to select that player in Jamie Lundmark, but the Rangers grabbed Lundmark when they traded up to draft in Calgary&rsquo;s place. The last true No. 1 center drafted by the organization was Joe Nieuwendyk. That was 15 years ago.Long-term Need An impact player, preferably a scorer, up front. Only a few players, such as Jarome Iginla, Valeri Bure and Cory Stillman, are proven NHL scorers and of the three, only Bure has ever scored more than 30 goals in a single season.Stillman, twice a 27-goal man, is coming off a year in which he scored just 12 goals in 37 games before season-ending shoulder surgery. The previous management team tried to trade him for much of the second half of 1999-2000. Stillman&rsquo;s job security is presumably much greater now as a result of the front office changes.Ready To Step In The belief is that Rico Fata, who played in the American League as a 19-year-old last season, will crack the Rames&rsquo; 2000-01 lineup. Fata led the Saint John Rames in goals with 29 in 76 games and also had the most shots (254). A lightningfast skater who needed to learn to make plays at top speed, the Rames think that after two years of apprenticing-one in junior, one in the minors-he needs to be in the NHL to get to the next stage in his development.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Tommy Albelin, D, 36; Wade Belak, D, 24; Marc Bureau, C, 34; Steve Dubinsky, C, 29; Grant Fuhr, G, 37; Andreas Johansson, LW, 27; Bill Lindsay, LW, 29; Andrei Nazarov, LW, 26; Steve Smith, D, 37; Clarke Wilm, C, 23.Restricted free agents Wade Belak, D, 24; Jason Botterill, LW, 24; Fred Brathwaite, G, 27; Chris Clark, LW, 24; Jeff Cowan, LW, 23; Steve Dubinsky, C, 29; J.S. Giguere, G, 23; Andreas Johansson, LW, 27; Sergei Krivokrasov, LW, 26; Derek Morris, D, 21; Marc Savard, C, 22; Jeff Shantz, C, 26; Jason Wiemer, C, 24.Unrestricted free agents Eric Charron, D, 30; Stewart Malgunas, D, 30; Darryl Shannon, D. 31; Brad Werenka, D, 31.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Oleg Saprykin, 19, C, 6-0, 195, Seattle (WHL), 11th overall. Multi-talented Russian capable at both ends of rink. 30-36-66, 89 PIM, 48 games.Dan Cavanaugh, 20, C, 6-1, 190, Boston University (HE), 38th overall. Playmaking sophomore has good overall skills. 9-2534, 62 PIM, 40 games.Jesse Cook, 20, D, 6-6, 210, Denver (WCHA), 153rd overall. Sophomore is developing mobility to go with massive size. 2-12-14, 40 PIM, 41 games.<h3>1998</h3>Rico Fata, 20, RW, 5-11, 197, Saint John (AHL), 6th overall. Blazing skater working at making plays at high speed. 29-29-58,. 65 PIM, 76 games.Blair Betts, 20, C, 6-1, 183, Prince George (WHL), 33rd overall. Injuries continue to dog solid, two-way center. 24-33-57, 38 PIM, 44 games.Paul Manning, 21, D, 6-4, 193, Colorado College (WCHA), 62nd overall. Defensively sound, junior is rounding out his game. 6-17-23, 26 PIM, 39 games.<h3>1997</h3>Daniel Tkaczuk, 20, C, 6-1, 197, Saint John (AHL), 6th overall. After a full minor pro season, ready for prime time. 25-41-66, 56 PIM, 80 games.Dimitri Kokorev, 21, D, 6-3, 198, Moscow Dynamo (Russia), 51st overall. Stay-at-home defenseman quietly effective. 0-1-1, 14 PIM, 22 games.Chris St. Croix, 21, D, 6-1, 199, Saint John (AHL), 92nd overall. Solid first-year pro has a chance in a year or two. 5-16-21, 51 PIM, 75 games.<h3>Fast facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Calgary&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish22ndDraft position each round9th2000 first round pending lottery9thTHN&rsquo;s ranked players5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.)11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)12. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.) &#9632;

f0038-01

Big man in middle needed

<div class="byline">By Cecil Harris</div>Defenseman Chris Pronger, the best player drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes&rsquo; organization since Ron Francis in 1981, may receive a Norris Trophy this year and many more before his career is through.But Pronger, traded away by the Hartford Whalers in 1995, will pose beside his trophies in a St. Louis Blues&rsquo; jersey,Though Hartford acquired Brendan Shanahan for Pronger, the Hurricanes still lament letting a budding superstar get away. Ever since, Carolina has been exceedingly patient in waiting for then-high draft picks to blossom.Such patience has begun to pay dividends. After four sub-par NHL seasons, forward Jeff O&rsquo;Neill&mdash;the fifth overall pick in 1994-scored a team-high 25 goals this season. And right winger Sami Kapanen, a fourth round pick in 1995, played in his first All-Star Game.Calling The Shots Sheldon Ferguson, who interviewed for the Calgary Flames&rsquo; vacant GM position, presides over the Hurricanes&rsquo; draft, although GM Jim Rutherford has final approval over all selections.If Ferguson feels strongly about taking a player, his opinion generally prevails. The 1999 selection of defenseman David Tanabe, with the 16th overall pick, is a prime example.&ldquo;Some scouting services thought he was a late first round pick or maybe a second round pick, but I liked him as our pick since (November, 1998),&rdquo; Ferguson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a tremendous skater with excellent hockey sense. Those are things you can&rsquo;t teach.&rdquo;Draft Tendency The Canes use the old line about drafting the &ldquo;best available player,&rdquo; but they have chosen offensive defensemen Tanabe and Nikos Tselios with two of their last three top draft picks. Carolina defensemen scored 43 goals in 1999-2000, but Sean Hill and Paul Coffey-who combined for 24 goals and 84 points-could become unrestricted free agents July 1. Expect the Canes to use another high pick on an offensive defenseman.Immediate Need Francis, a future Hall of Famer, is Carolina&rsquo;s best center, but he&rsquo;s 37 years old. No. 2 pivot Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour combines playmaking ability and a physical presence, but when Keith Primeau was sent to Philadelphia in January (in the deal that landed Brind&rsquo;Amour), Carolina lost its only power center.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01878/7579338-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="976" height="1806"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Ron Francis Drafted: 4th by Hartford, 1981</figcaption></div>Josef Vasicek, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound Czech native chosen in 1998, isn&rsquo;t ready yet. O&rsquo;Neill can play center, but he seems to have found his niche at right wing. Carolina needs bigger forwards to play its dump-and-chase style more effectively. Sending the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Kapanen into comers to take poundings from much bigger defensemen hurts his effectiveness and, potentially, limits career longevity.Long-Term Need The Canes have long-term needs in every area. No. 1 goalie Arturs Irbe is 33. Jean-Marc Pelletier, 23, is expected to be Irbe&rsquo;s backup next season.The club needs power players up front. Once Francis retires (perhaps after 2001-02), the club will need a two-way center with playmaking abilities.Tanabe and Tselios are being counted on as offensive defensemen. Glen Wesley, whom the Canes regard as their top all-around defenseman, will be 32 in October. When he&rsquo;s done&mdash;and preferably before then&mdash;the club will sorely need a consistent hitter on the blueline.Ready To Step In The Canes are excited about the 6-foot-3 Pelletier, whose attributes remind some of Patrick Roy. He might start 20-25 games next year.Tanabe showed much promise in two stints in Carolina and he&rsquo;s expected to be around for a full NHL campaign in 2000-01, particularly if Hill or Coffey leave. If both veterans depart, Tselios will get a long look in training camp.Forwards Erik Cole, Shane Willis and Byron Ritchie are also expected to make the big club. Willis and Ritchie impressed at Cincinnati (International League) in 1999-2000, while gritty Cole scored 19 goals in 33 games with Clarkson.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Mark Fitzpatrick, G, 31; Martin Gelinas, LW, 30; Robert Kron, C, 33; Curtis Leschyshyn, D, 30; Paul Ranheim, LW/RW, 34.Restricted Free Agents Bates Battaglia, LW, 24; Steve Halko, D, 26; Dave Karpa, D, 29; Andrei Kovalenko, RW, 29; Sandy McCarthy, RW, 28; Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, RW/C, 24; Nolan Pratt, D, 24.Unrestricted Free Agents Paul Coffey, D, 39; Jeff Daniels, LW/C, 31; Mark Fitzpatrick, G, 31; Sean HUI, D, 30; Gary Roberts, LW, 34.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>David Tanabe, 19, D, 6-1, 190, Cincinnati (IHL), 16th overall. Exceptional skater with excellent offensive instincts. 0-13-13, 14 PIM, 32 games.Brad Fast, 20, D, 6-1, 195, Michigan State (CCHA), 84th overall. Freshman has the grit, size and puckhandling skills to play in NHL. 5-9-14, 20 PIM, 41 games.Ryan Murphy, 21, LW, 6-2, 200, Bowling Green (CCHA), 113th overall. Power winger has good hockey sense and is fine skater. 9-10-19, 63 PIM, 36 games.<h3>1998</h3>Jeff Heerema, 20, RW, 6-1, 184, Sarnia (OHL), 11th overall. Highly talented winger has knack for scoring. 36-41-77, 62 PIM, 67 games.Erik Cole, 21, LW, 6-0, 185, Clarkson (ECAC), 71st overall. Rugged junior has impressive two-way skills. 19-11-30, 46 PIM, 33 games.Josef Vasicek, 19, RW, 6-4, 210, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL), 91 st overall. Has potential to be power forward Carolina needs. 26-4672, 49 PIM, 54 games.<h3>1997</h3>Shane Willis, 22, RW, 6-0, 176, Cincinnati (IHL), 88th overall. Prolific scorer at every level, but must improve defense. 35-25-60, 64 PIM, 80 games.Nikos Tselios, 21, D, 6-5, 215, Cincinnati (IHL), 22nd overall. Made progress on defensive awareness, puckhandling. 3-19-22, 75 PIM, 80 games.Andrew Merrick, 22, C, 5-11, 202, Michigan (CCHA), 169th overall. Graduating collegian is son of former NHLer Wayne Merrick. 2-3-5, 36 PIM, 16 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Carolina&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish17thDraft position each round14th2000 first round pending lottery14thTHN&rsquo;s top ranked players10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.)11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech)12. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)1 3. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus. 1)15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2) &#9632;

f0039-01

Patience key for Canes

The NHL entry draft will no longer be a long, drawn out day for the prospects. It&rsquo;ll be two long, drawn out days.The first three rounds of the entry draft, which often take up as much time as the next six rounds, will be held Sat., June 24 beginning at 10 a.m. (MDT) at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome.The two-day affair could be a boon for the city of Calgary. The draft typically generates $5 million for the host city. An extra day should mean extra cash spent.&ldquo;It shows the people of southern Alberta another benefit of having the NHL in our city,&rdquo; said Flames&rsquo; spokesman Peter Hanlon.It has yet to be determined which team will pick first in the draft. That will be decided by a lottery during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final with the Atlanta Thrashers, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, holding the best odds for No. 1. The expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild have the next best odds.Part II of the entry draft, Rounds 4 through 9, will be held Sun., June 25, beginning at 9 a.m. (MDT) at the Saddledome.The expansion draft for the Blue Jackets and Wild will be held Friday, June 23 beginning at 7 a.m. (MDT) at a location in Calgary to be determined. The expansion draft is closed to the public and media.<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02574/7579369-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="301" height="424"><figcaption class="caption-body">Patrik Stefan</figcaption></div>The top prospects for the entry draft will be introduced to fans and media at noon June 23 at the Olympic Plaza and the NHL will announce the results of the expansion draft following that. Here are some other points of interest:Internet Real time updates of selections will be available during the draft (www.nhl.com). Live audio feed will also be available on both days of the draft.Ask the Draft Guru You can e-mail questions you have regarding the draft to THN associate editor Bob McKenzie (thn.editor&reg; transcontinental.ca) by June 19. Answers to selected questions will be posted on www.the-hockeynews.com June 22.TV Coverage for three hours on CTVSports-net in Canada and ESPN2 in the United States begins at noon (EST) June 24. RDS will carry condensed coverage of the draft later in the day.1999 Entry Draft The expansion Atlanta Thrashers chose center Patrik Stefan who was ranked No. 1 by Central Scouring Services June 26 at Boston&rsquo;s FleetCenter. &#9632;

f0039-02

HOSTING ENTRY DRAFT GOOD NEWS FOR FLAMES’ FAITHFUL

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div>The greatest day in the history of the Colorado Avalanche organization was June 10, 1996, when it won its first Stanley Cup. But a case can be made that the next-best days in team history are the dates of the last several NHL entry drafts.Without the events that transpired on those days, the Cup and the Avalanche&rsquo;s continued good fortune would not have been possible.The Avs have mined the draft in recent years for hidden gems, such as Chris Drury (72nd overall) and Milan Hejduk (87th) in 1994. Marc Denis, considered Colorado&rsquo;s goalie of the future, was snagged with the last pick of the first round in 1995. And don&rsquo;t forget the four first round picks in 1998, two of whom (Alex Tanguay and Martin Skoula) were regular contributors to the Avs&rsquo; team that entered the 1999-2000 Western Conference final.So, even though the Avs likely won&rsquo;t have a first round pick in this year&rsquo;s draft (due to the Ray Bourque trade), that doesn&rsquo;t mean they won&rsquo;t come away with another useful player or two for the future.And even if the pickings prove slim, this isn&rsquo;t a team in immediate need of top prospects.Calling The Shots Chief scout Bryan MacDonald will be the main man at the draft table. He replaced Dave Draper two years ago, who wasn&rsquo;t an easy act to follow. Draper was responsible for many of the Avs&rsquo; bright young prospects, but retired and now does only a bit of consulting for the team.MacDonald now has most of the responsibility for each selection. GM Pierre Lacroix has veto power, but has always shown great confidence in his scouting staff and repeatedly credited it for Colorado&rsquo;s success.Draft Tendency Because it has drafted late in the first round in recent years, Colorado espouses the &ldquo;take the best player available&rdquo; strategy. As much or more than playing ability, however, Colorado has always looked for youngsters with leadership qualities.The Avs will pass on a prospect who might have marginally more talent than another, but lacks maturity.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have the same approach this year,&rdquo; MacDonald said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01482/7579431-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="980" height="1804"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Joe Sakic Drafted: 15th by Quebec, 1987</figcaption></div>Immediate Need With such a talented roster, there aren&rsquo;t a lot of holes to fill.But the team would like to find a good defenseman who is a right-handed shot. MacDonald said such prospects will get a longer look than others.Wingers with grit are always in short supply and the Avs still are small up front. They&rsquo;ve been drafting bigger forwards in recent years and won&rsquo;t overlook more if the opportunity presents itself this year.Long-Term Need In determining what the Avs need for the future, it all comes down to how much new owner Stan Kroenke wants to spend on his current players.They already have one of the league&rsquo;s highest payrolls and have several top players whose contracts are up after this year. The good news, though, is there are only two unrestricted free agents&hellip;but one of them is Ray Bourque. If they lose him, getting another defenseman in the next year or two will be a priority.The goalie situation is solid, even though Patrick Roy will be 35 in October. Rookie Denis is projected as a future star and prospect David Aebischer has the Avs&rsquo; brass excited. If Aebischer is taken in the expansion draft, though, the Avs will need to restock.Ready To Step In Center Dan Hinote could stick next season, but he might not be around as Colorado faces a numbers problem and will likely expose him in the expansion draft.Although not all that big, Hinote throws his body around all over the ice and isn&rsquo;t afraid to play the role of a pest in front of the net and along the boards.Hinote&rsquo;s work with the puck improved this season as he showed the ability to make quick passes and not look lost or scared in the offensive zone.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: David Aebischer, G, 21; Greg de Vries, D, 27; Alexei Gusarov, D, 35; Dan Hinote, C, 22; Jeff Odgers, RW, 30.Restricted Free Agents AdamDeadmarsh, RW, 25; Greg de Vries, D, 27; Chris Drury, C, 23; Milan Hejduk, LW, 24; Jon Klemm, D, 30; Sandis Ozolinsh, D, 27; Joe Sakic, C, 30; Stephane Yelle, C, 26.Unrestricted Free Agents: Dave Andreychuk, LW, 36; Ray Bourque, D, 39.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Mikhail Kuleshov, 19, LW, 6-2, 200, Cherepovets (Rus.), 25th overall. Good size and hands and had strong second half. Stats not available.Branko Radivojevic, 19, RW, 6-0, 185, Belleville (OHL), 93rd overall. Avs like his speed and hockey sense. 23-49-72, 86 PIM, 59 games.Jordan Krestanovich, 18, LW, 6-0, 170, Calgary (WHL), 152nd overall. Wiry winger needs to bulk up and play in traffic. 19-24-43, 22 PIM, 72 games.<h3>1998</h3>Alexander Ryanzantsev, 20, D, 5-11, 200, Hershey (AHL), 167th overall. Squat build makes him tough customer along boards. 0-1-1, 2 PIM, 2 games.Philippe Sauve, 20, G, 6-0, 175, Hull (QMJHL), 38th overall. Butterfly goalie struggled in final junior year. 9-7-1, 3.45, 17 games.Scott Parker, 22, RW, 6-4, 235, Hershey (AHL), 20th overall. Hulking forward improving, but still a step behind. 12-7-19, 206 PIM, 68 games.<h3>1997</h3>David Aebischer, 21, G, 6-1, 185, Hershey (AHL), 161st overall. Stock took another big jump in AHL playoffs. 29-23-2, 3.31, 55 games.Ville Nieminen, 23, LW, 6-3, 205, Hershey (AHL), 78th overall. Finnish veteran running out of chances to crack NHL. 21-30-51,54 PIM, 74 games.Rick Berry, 21, D, 6-1, 192, Hershey (AHL), 55th overall. Has a lot of toughness and some offensive skill. 9-16-25, 148 PIM, 64 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Colorado&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish9thDraft position each round22nd2000 first round27thTHN&rsquo;s top ranked players24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL)30. Tero Maatta, D, Jokerit Jr. (Fin.)31. Steve Ott, C/LW, Windsor (OHL)&lsquo;Colorado&rsquo;s first pick could be transferred to Boston &#9632;

f0041-01

Avs reload via draft

<div class="byline">By Aaron Portzline</div>Several months ago, when the Columbus Blue Jackets&rsquo; scouting staff first hit the road and got to work, the stock of young talent struck them as unimpressive. Now, though, their outlook has changed.Perhaps it&rsquo;s the second, third or 10th look the Blue Jackets have taken at some players. Maybe it&rsquo;s the anticipation that surrounds any expansion team.&ldquo;At first, this group of players didn&rsquo;t really do much for me,&rdquo; said Don Boyd, Columbus&rsquo; director of amateur scouting. &ldquo;But the closer we get, the more I look at these guys and think there&rsquo;s actually quite a bit there.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not loaded with players at the top, I don&rsquo;t think, but there&rsquo;s definitely talent. It&rsquo;s pretty deep, really, into the first three or four rounds.&rdquo;Boyd heads a group of seven amateur scouts for Columbus. That staff, along with GM-president Doug MacLean and assistant GM Jim Clarke, have watched more than 2,500 games and scouted several hundred players.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an enormous undertaking,&rdquo; said MacLean, who has been to Europe on scouting missions five times. &ldquo;But you put all the time and effort into it because you&rsquo;re confident it will pay off. The future of the Blue Jackets is out there. It&rsquo;s up to us to draft them wisely.&rdquo;On June 23, at the expansion draft in Calgary, the Blue Jackets will select current NHL players from existing teams to take the ice for Columbus in its first two or three seasons.It&rsquo;s the following two days, at the June 24-25 entry draft-that Columbus will begin to determine its long-term future. Thus, the majority of effort has been put forth on this front.&ldquo;My philosophy is to draft by skill, not a player&rsquo;s position,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;Unless you&rsquo;ve got two players on the board in front of you that you think are equal in every way, you throw the position out.&rdquo;Columbus, like everybody else, likes the skill and stickwork of University of Wisconsin left winger Dany Heatley. They also have their eyes on a handful of European players who boast tremendous skating skills. The Blue Jackets made a trade May 25, acquiring center Espen Knutsen from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for a fourth round pick in the 2001 entry draft. Knutsen, 28, finished second in the Sedish Elite League scoring race this season with 18 goals and 53 points in 48 games.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way the league is going,&rdquo; Boyd said. &ldquo;You may not recognize it from way up above, but when you get down on the ice, down toward the lower bowl, it&rsquo;s a speed game.&rdquo;The Blue Jackets will have one of the top four picks in the entry draft lottery-fellow expansion team Minnesota, the Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning are also in the running, for the No. 1 overall pick. The lottery will be held during the first intermission of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. (See pg. 59 for more on expansion draft).MacLean, who has the final word on all Blue Jackets&rsquo; moves, won&rsquo;t even hint at Columbus&rsquo; strategy in the expansion draft. Will they go after a few high-priced players? Will they swing an array of trades for entry draft picks? Will they go for a big-name goalie? There are some suggestions they may take a run at Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Ron Tugnutt, who becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.The list of available players will be released 48 hours after the Stanley Cup final is finished.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to say too much,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got (29) other teams wondering where I&rsquo;m going. I don&rsquo;t want to talk too much strategy.&rdquo; &#9632;

Upon further review, scouts like 2000 field

<div class="byline">By Mike Heika</div>The Dallas Stars have become used to drafting low and they&rsquo;ve learned to make the most of their draft picks.So don&rsquo;t be surprised if Dallas trades down to get more picks, something they&rsquo;ve done in the past.The Stars have proven they can come up with winners in the second, third and later rounds. Currently skating with Dallas are Jere Lehtinen (88th overall in 1992), Roman Lyashenko (52nd in 1997) and Jamie Langenbrunner (35th in 1993). And playing for other teams are Arturs Irbe (196th in 1989), Juha Lind (178th in 1992), Mark Lawrence (118th in 1991), Roman Turek (113th in 1990), Sergey Gusev (69th in 1995) and Petr Buzek (63rd in 1995).&ldquo;We feel that we can pick good players (in the later rounds), you just have to look a little harder,&rdquo; said Craig Button, the Stars&rsquo; director of player personnel.Calling The Shots Button is the man who sits at the head of the table, but all factions of the Stars&rsquo; camp gets involved.GM Bob Gainey has ultimate veto power, although he puts his faith in Button. It used to be a two-man job with Button and Les Jackson running the draft, but Button has taken a larger role since Jackson moved to the Atlanta Thrashers last season.Button relies heavily on the word of his scouts and the Stars have done a great job scouring Europe in recent years, with scouts Evgeny Larionov, Hans Edlund and Jiri Hrdina giving the organization plenty of depth. Button believes Mathias Tjamqvist, a winger from Sweden picked 96th overall last year, is the most recent great European pickup.Draft Tendency The Stars are all about character and it&rsquo;s evident in their selections. They want the player who will outwork everyone else and they typically stay away from the talented prospect that continually needs prodding.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s too difficult to see the traits we look for,&rdquo; Button said. &ldquo;You always want to get skill, but it has to fit into the parameters of your organization. We&rsquo;re not worried so much about size, but skating is very important to us and so is character.&rdquo;Immediate Need After supplying the NHL with two solid netminders in Roman Turek and Manny Fernandez and also developing Ed Belfour&rsquo;s heir apparent in Marty Turco, who should step up to the NHL next season, the Stars&rsquo; goaltending cupboard is bare. The Stars are looking at drafting a 19&mdash;or 20-year-old goalie who could step right in and get significant playing time with their new International League affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies. Either that, or Dallas will draft with long-term crease needs in mind and sign a free agent to step in for the short term.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01511/7579486-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="980" height="1812"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Mike Modano Drafted: 1st by Minnesota, 1988</figcaption></div>With the Stars&rsquo; dissolving their affiliation with the Michigan K-Wings, it&rsquo;s uncertain how many minor league players they&rsquo;ll bring to Utah. However, the organization is interested in keeping 29-year-old goalie Mike Bales.Long-Term Need The Stars&rsquo; core of defensemen is starting to hit 30, so it&rsquo;s time to replenish that area. Richard Jackman, 21, Brad Lukowich, 23, John Erskine, 19, and Dan Jancevski, 18, are in the system, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Stars draft a host of defensemen prospects over the next few years to make sure they have enough.Gainey&rsquo;s system is built on goaltending, defensemen and defensive forwards, so having a huge stock of blueliners from which to pick would be most beneficial.Ready to Step In Turco will turn 25 before the start of next season and is ready to become the No. 2 guy in Dallas behind incumbent Belfour.He has been exceptional during his tenure in the IHL and appears on the path to becoming a solid NHL goalie. Turco had a hiccup last season, but that was mostly because the team in front of him performed poorly.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Joel Bouchard, D, 26; Manny Fernandez, G, 25; Aaron Gavey, C, 26; Brad Lukowich, D, 23; Grant Marshall, RW, 26; Jamie Pushor, D, 27.Restricted Free Agents Joel Bouchard, D, 26; Aaron Gavey, C, 26; Jamie Langenbrunner, RW, 24; Jere Lehtinen, RW, 26; Brad Lukowich, D, 23; Blake Sloan, RW, 25; Marty Turco, G, 25.Unrestricted Free Agents: Shawn Chambers, D, 33; Sylvain Cote, D, 34; Dave Manson, D, 33; Brian Skrudland, C, 36; Scott Thornton, LW, 29.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Mathias Tjarnqvist 21, LW, 6-1, 185, Djurgarden (Swe.), 96th overall. Key part of Elite League champs, but needs to mature. 1212-24, 20 PIM, 50 games.Michael Ryan, 20, C, 6-1, 170, Northeastern (HE), 32nd overall. NCAA freshman struggled and must bulk up. 4-9-13, 47 PIM, 32 games.Justin Cox, 19, RW, 6-0, 160, Prince George (WHL), 184th overall. Competitive, two-way forward made significant progress. 33-3871,74 PIM, 71 games.<h3>1998</h3>John Erskine, 19, D, 6-4, 200, London (OHL), 39th overall. Physical defenseman has Craig Ludwig-like presence. 12-31-43, 177 PIM, 58 games.Tyler Bouck, 20, RW, 6-0, 185, Prince George (WHL), 57th overall. Good skater, character player made offensive impact. 30-33-63, 183 PIM, 57 games.Niko Kapanen, 22, C, 5-9, 180, Hammelina (Fin.), 173rd overall. Pint-sized playmaker ready for next challenge. 20-28-48, 40 PIM, 53 games.<h3>1997</h3>Steve Gainey, 21, LW, 6-0, 180, Michigan (IHL), 77th overall. Progressing as checking forward, but still a few years away. 8-10-18,41 PIM, 58 games.Marcus Kristofferson, 21, RW, 6-3, 200, Espoo (Fin), 105th overall. Has all-around skills, but not yet ready for big club. 7-4-11,42 PIM, 29 games.Teemu Elomo, 21, LW, 5-11, 176, TPS Turku (Fin.), 132nd overall. Gritty winger has mentally matured and is close to NHL. 9-7-16, 28 PIM, 52 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Dallas&rsquo; first selection.1999-2000 overall finish6thDraft position each round25th2000 first round25thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL) &#9632;

f0043-01

Stars big on character

<div class="byline">By Chuck Carlton</div>The mortgage the Detroit Red Wings put on their future has finally come due.For the second straight year, the Red Wings were eliminated in the second round. All the wheelin&rsquo; and dealin&rsquo; for the here and now helped produce Stanley Cup champions in 1997 and &rsquo;98, but it did little for their farm system.&ldquo;The last three or four years we made a lot of moves to keep our team together and be the best team for the present to contend for a Stanley Cup,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland. &ldquo;We traded away prospects and draft picks. We have to think about the future. We are getting older.&rdquo;Even moreso than in past years, the Red Wings are emphasizing this draft as a chance to rebuild, even if they won&rsquo;t pick until 29th. At least that&rsquo;s better than 1999, when they sat until pick No. 120.This season is as good as any to pump new blood into the flagging dynasty. The Red Wings have shown a knack for striking gold in drafts, such as in 1989, when they selected Mike Sillinger (11th overall), Nicklas Lidstrom (53rd), Sergei Fedorov (74th), Dallas Drake (116th) and Vladimir Konstantinov (221st). The Red Wings could use another talent infusion now.Calling The Shots The Red Wings have more experience than most at their draft table. Holland is a former chief scout, as is senior vice-president Jimmy Devellano and coach Scotty Bowman is a former GM.But because all those people understand the nature of the draft, assistant GM Jim Nill has been granted autonomy to run the show.&ldquo;The final call is my call,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;I know on some teams a GM will go to one game, see a guy and fall in love with him and the chief scout says it&rsquo;s the best game the guy ever played in his life. Our guys are great, they defer to the guys in the field.&rdquo;Draft Tendency Other teams can be finicky, holding out for the second pair left defenseman. To the Red Wings, a player&rsquo;s pro potential outweighs his position.&ldquo;We want the player,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking for the best player and the best asset. All things being equal, we&rsquo;ll be looking for a forward. But we can&rsquo;t be choosey.&rdquo;Immediate Need More than anything else, the Red Wings of the 1990s were marked by speed and skill. In this year&rsquo;s playoffs, that became the domain of Colorado.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01398/7579517-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="994" height="1812"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Steve Yzerman Drafted: 4th by Detroit, 1983</figcaption></div>Detroit needs a talent upgrade.In the minors, they&rsquo;re short on forwards, especially those with offensive instincts. The Red Wings sent all their full-time scouts on a mission to Europe this spring, in part because of the relatively weak draft class in North America and in part because any top major junior or collegiate forward will probably go in the first dozen picks.Long-Term Need The Red Wings have a Swiss cheese look at most positions. At forward, Steve Yzerman just turned 35 and Brendan Shanahan and Sergei Fedorov have joined the 30-something crew. The organization hasn&rsquo;t developed a 20-goal scorer since picking Keith Primeau and Slava Kozlov in 1990.Defense could be a bigger problem. Chris Chelios and Larry Murphy were two of the eight oldest players in the league. Steve Duchesne is 34 and Nicklas Lidstrom could bolt to Sweden when his current contract expires after the 2001-02 season.Ready To Step In Because he spent the final half of the season in Cincinnati (American League) and because he was a scratch in the playoffs, Yuri Butsayev nearly became a forgotten man. That&rsquo;s nearly.The Red Wings know all about Butsayev, a 21-year-old Russian who showed uncommon tenacity as a checking left winger early in the season and exceeded expectations.While his older brother, NHL journeyman Slava, got the family share of skill, Yuri inherited the grit. He finished with five goals in 57 games for the Red Wings and drew comparisons to Tomas Holmstrom, who is perhaps the most persistent goaltender pest in the league.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Doug Brown, RW, 35; Kris Draper, C, 29; Todd Gill, D, 35; Yan Golubovsky, D, 24; Darryl Laplante, C, 23; Manny Legace, G, 27; Pat Verbeek, RW, 36; Ken Wregget, G, 36.Restricted Free Agents Kris Draper, C, 29; Slava Kozlov, LW, 27; Chris Osgood, G, 27.Unrestricted Free Agents Brent Gilchrist, LW, 33; Joe Kocur, RW, 35; Igor Larionov, C, 39.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Henrik Zetterberg, 19, C, 5-10, 180, Allsvenskan (Swe.), 210th overall. Small pivot has nice goal-producing touch, but he&rsquo;s still several years away. 16-8-24, 20 PIM, 31 games.Jari Tolsa, 19, C, 6-0, 175, Frolunda (Swe.), 120th overall. Hard-working center has playmaking skills. 10-35-45, 62 PIM, 24 games.Andrei Maximenko, 18, LW, 6-0, 175, Soviet Wings (Rus.), 149th overall. Struggled against senior competition this season. 6-713, 41 PIM, 36 games.<h3>1998</h3>Ryan Barnes, 20, LW, 6-1, 205, Barrie (OHL), 55th overall. Strong up-and-down winger picked his game up even further during playoffs. 17-12-29, 98 PIM, 31 games.Pavel Datsyuk, 19, C, 5-10, 168, Dynamo Energia (Rus.), 171st overall. Creative with puck, but must add muscle to handle rigors of North American game. 1-3-4, 4 PIM, 15 games.Adam DeLeeuw, 20, LW, 6-1,212, Toronto (OHL), 151st overall Gritty character player saw progress slowed by lingering injuries this season. 11-19-30, 107 PIM, 45 games.<h3>1997</h3>BJ. Young, 22, RW, 5-10, 180, Cincinnati (AHL), 157th overall. Depth player in organization. 25-26-51, 142 PIM, 70 games.John Wikstrom, 21, D, 6-4, 210, Wheeling (ECHL), 129th overall. Decent offensive skills, but still longshot project. 4-4-8, 27 PIM, 58 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Detroit&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish2ndDraft position each round29th2000 first round29thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL)30. Tero Maatta, D, Jokerit Jr. (Fin.)31. Steve Ott, C/LW, Windsor (OHL)32. Libor Ustrnul, D, Plymouth (OHL)33. Matt Pettinaer, LW, Calaary (WHL) &#9632;

f0044-01

It’s time to rebuild

<div class="byline">By Rob Tychkowski</div>Since they don&rsquo;t stand much of a chance in the free agent bidding wars, a small market team such as Edmonton needs a strong developmental system in order to survive.That&rsquo;s what made the Oilers a dynasty in the early 1980s. But teams that live by the draft can also die by the draft and Edmonton experienced an awful drought from 1984 through 1992. During that nine-year span, not one of their first round picks made the team.The Oilers believe the drought is over. While it hasn&rsquo;t yet become apparent at the NHL level-only four of the 107 players Edmonton drafted in the 1990s are currently with the team-there are a number of draftees who are progressing very well at the minor league and major junior levels.Calling The Shots Oiler director of player personnel Kevin Prendergast will be coordinating Edmonton&rsquo;s strategy on draft day. Prendergast, who joined the Oilers in 1991, was also named vice-president of hockey operations last October.With the retirement of long-time chief scout Barry Fraser, the globetrotting Prendergast has taken on an even larger role in seeking and evaluating talent. Well-respected throughout the league, Prendergast&rsquo;s name came up when the Calgary Flames began their search for a new brain trust.Draft Tendency It&rsquo;s no secret the Oilers have a fondness for American college prospects. Most of their current impact players (Doug Weight, Bill Guerin, Todd Marchant, Mike Grier and Tom Poti) are from the NCAA. Seeing what those players have done has really opened Edmonton&rsquo;s eyes to the college talent pool, though the organization is also very high on Europeans.Of their top five picks last season, two were from Finland, two were from the NCAA and one was Russian. The Oilers have gone without selecting a European or U.S. college player in the first three rounds only once in the last nine drafts.Immediate Need Two words: Gritty forwards. The Oilers are a young, fast and talented bunch. But the club is badly lacking grit. Once you get past Guerin and Grier, there&rsquo;s not much muscle or many antagonists, on the top three lines. The Oilers sat around and waited for opponents to set the tone instead of setting it themselves on too many nights this past season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01325/7579548-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="967" height="1785"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Doug Weight Drafted: 34th by Rangers, 1990</figcaption></div>They need two or three players from the Darcy Tucker mold, forwards who like to initiate the rough stuff and who can pop in a few goals when the chances arise. Mix in a few players with good skills who don&rsquo;t mind getting their noses dirty and it&rsquo;ll make a world of difference.Long-Term Need With Weight headed for unrestricted free agency in two years and the normal exodus of high-end players because of Edmonton&rsquo;s budget restrictions, the Oilers will be looking for first and second line goal-scorers in the near future.They have a good core of mid-20s defensemen in Roman Hamrlik, Janne Niinimaa and Poti, plus a couple of blue-chippers in the minors. And netminder Tommy Salo will still be in his prime in three years.Scoring is another story. Take away Weight, Guerin (who&rsquo;s also unrestricted in two years) and Alex Selivanov (who has been on the trade block for two years) and the offense is desperately lacking. It would leave Ryan Smyth as the only player on the team who has ever scored more than 22 goals in a season.Ready To Step In Beyond Jason Smith, the Oilers don&rsquo;t have much in the way of strong, reliable, stay-at-home defensemen. Chris Hajt, 21, could fit the bill in that department. He came awfully close to making the Oilers last year and nothing about his season suggests he won&rsquo;t be a strong candidate again. The Oilers are certain to lose a defenseman in the expansion draft, so that could be all the opening the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Saskatoon, Sask., native needs. He&rsquo;ll see limited action if he cracks the lineup, but should develop into the kind of quiet, steady presence as his dad, 14-year NHL veteran Bill Hajt.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Sean Brown, D, 23; Jim Dowd, C, 31; Chad Kilger, C/W, 23; Rem Murray, C/W, 27; Bert Robertsson, D, 25.Restricted Free Agents Sean Brown, D, 23; Boyd Devereaux, LW, 22; Mike Grier, RW, 25; Roman Hamrlik, D, 26; Georges Laraque, RW, 23; Todd Marchant, C, 26; Ethan Moreau, LW, 24; Rem Murray, C/W, 27; Alex Selivanov, LW, 29; Jason Smith, D, 26; Ryan Smyth, LW, 24; Igor Ulanov, D, 30, Doug Weight, C, 29.Unrestricted Free Agents German Titov, C/W, 34.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Jani Rita, 18, RW, 6-1, 205, Jokerit (Fin.), 13th overall. Oilers wish he was developing offensive skills in North America. 6-39, 10 PIM, 49 games.Mike Comrie, 19, C, 5-9, 172, Michigan (CCHA), 91st overall. Playmaking sophomore was all-American and Hobey Baker finalist. 24-35-59, 95 PIM, 40 games.Alexei Semenov, 19, D, 6-6, 215, Sudbury (OHL), 36th overall. Big, physical and good at both ends of ice. 9-35-44, 135 PIM, 65 games.<h3>1998</h3>Michael Henrich, 20, RW, 6-2, 206, Barrie (OHL), 13th overall. Play away from puck has improved dramatically. 38-48-86, 69 PIM, 66 games.Shawn Horcoff, 21, C, 6-1, 202, Michigan State (CCHA), 99th overall. Senior collegian has size and skill to make NHL. 14-51-65, 50 PIM, 42 games.Alex Henry, 20, D, 6-5, 220, Hamilton (AHL), 67th overall. Big, strong, steady stay-at-home type. 1-0-1, 69 PIM, 60 games.<h3>1997</h3>Michel Riesen, 21, RW, 6-2, 190, Hamilton (AHL), 14th overall. Has all the skills, but not a solid NHL build. 29-31-60, 20 PIM, 73 games.Jason Chimera, 21, C, 6-0, 180, Hamilton (AHL), 121st overall. Adjusted quite well in AHL rookie season. 15-13-28, 77 PIM, 78 games.Peter Sarno, 20, C, 5-11, 185, Hamilton (AHL), 1.41st overall. Great passer was one of Hamilton&rsquo;s best forwards. 10-36-46, 31 PIM, 67 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Edmonton&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish14thDraft position each round17th2000 first round17thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus.l)15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL) &#9632;

f0045-01

An absence of malice

<div class="byline">By David J. Neal</div>The Florida Panthers make their last payment on the Pavel Bure fleecing when they hand over this year&rsquo;s first round pick to Vancouver. Florida won&rsquo;t have a pick until deep into the second round, the latest the franchise has ever begun its participation in the NHL&rsquo;s pick-and-pray.Obviously, there probably won&rsquo;t be much to raise the pulse of the non-draftnik.&ldquo;We just have to continue stocking depth,&rdquo; said Tim Murray, head of amateur scouting.To a good number of Panthers&rsquo; fans, the juiciest part of the draft festival will be seeing what happens with Columbus and Blue Jackets&rsquo; GM Doug MacLean, who&rsquo;s still beloved in South Florida from his 187 games as the Panthers&rsquo; coach. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if there&rsquo;s some dealings between MacLean and Panthers&rsquo; GM Bryan Murray at the expansion draft.Murray signed a multi-year contract extension with the Panthers May 16.As far as the needs of the Panthers&rsquo; system, they still don&rsquo;t have enough young stagehands to do the dirty work for their talented youngsters.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to add more grit,&rdquo; Tim Murray said.Calling The Shots Tim Murray will have the lead voice at the Panthers&rsquo; table for the second consecutive draft. Murray used to share lead authority with former director of player development Paul Henry, who was released soon after last year&rsquo;s draft. Tim Murray, nephew to GM Bryan Murray and Panthers&rsquo; coach Terry Murray, became an Eastern Canada scout for the Panthers in 1994 after Bryan took the GM&rsquo;s job. Previously, Tim was a Detroit scout for one season.Draft Tendency The monetary unit in Panthers&rsquo; training camp poker games might be the Euro. Of the four drafts during the Bryan Murray era that the Panthers have had a first round pick, three times that pick has been spent on a skilled European. The other time, 1997, three of the next four choices after the first round were European, including left winger Kristian Huselius, who had a breakout year in Sweden in 1999-2000.Though the Panthers don&rsquo;t have a first round pick, considering their pattern with Europeans, it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see how many they select.Immediate Need Florida needs help on defense. During the last 30 games of the regular season and the playoff loss to New Jersey, the blueline deficiencies became as obvious as a nude, coffee-drinking hitchhiker on a Utah high way. Puck movement, offense and clearing the front of the net all proved problematic for the Panther defensemen.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01318/7579579-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="997" height="1818"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Pavel Bure Drafted: 113th by Vancouver, 1989</figcaption></div>As far as offensively oriented backliners, Dan Bovle was named a second team all-star in the American League, but his puckhandling decisions were worse in his 13 NHL games this season than in 22 games in 1998-99.Peter Ratchuk was one of two Louisville players to play more than 65 games and still have a minus rating. Brad Ference will get every chance in training camp to crack the roster.Long-Term Need An infusion of grinding forwards is a must. In the Panthers&rsquo; continuing quest to become the Detroit Red Wings, they&rsquo;ve gathered enough skill. What the Panthers haven&rsquo;t managed to collect is their version of Darren McCarty, Martin Lapointe and Tomas Holmstrom, the bangers with touch that helped elevate Detroit from talented losers to two-time Stanley Cup champions.When right winger Scott Mellanby and center Rob Niedermayer were taken off the top two lines, the Panthers had no slot-and-comer men. That left those lines unable to create offense in tight-checking, playoff-type games.The Panthers hoped 6-foot-6, 235-pound Peter Worrell would become this kind of player, but two knee injuries last fall set him back an entire season.Ready To Step In Defenseman Ference was drafted by Vancouver, 10th overall in 1997, but was sent to Florida in the Bure trade.The Sunrise Boys couldn&rsquo;t be happier with Ference, an able skater, nasty and on the edge. He&rsquo;ll likely begin next season as a fifth or sixth defenseman.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Alex Hicks, LW, 30; Paul Laus, D, 29; Ray Sheppard, RW, 34; Cam Stewart, LW, 28; Mike Vemon, G, 37.Restricted Free Agents Oleg Kvasha, C, 21; Rob Niedermayer, C, 25; Ray Whitney, LW, 28; Peter Worrell, LW, 22.Unrestricted Free Agents Alex Hicks, LW, 30; Ray Sheppard, RW, 34.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Denis Shvidki, 19, RW, 6-0, 205, Barrie (OHL), 12th overall. Exceptionally crafty playmaker and scorer. 41-65-106, 55 PIM, 61 games.Alexander Auld, 19, G, 6-4, 196, North Bay (OHL), 40th overall. Has been impressive since start of rookie camp. 21-26-6, 3.29, 55 games.Niklas Hagman, 20, LW, 5-11, 183, Karpat (Fin.), 70th overall. Diligent worker is swift skater with quick hands. 17-18-35, 12 PIM, 41 games.<h3>1998</h3>Kyle Rossiter, 19, D, 6-3, 218, Spokane (WHL), 30th overall. Strong defensively and is dressing room leader. 11-22-33, 155 PIM, 63 games.Joe DiPenta, 21, D, 6-2, 220, Halifax (QMJHL), 61st overall. Crisp passer also has size to be presence in own zone. 13-43-56, 83 PIM, 63 games.Lance Ward, 21, D, 6-3, 215, Louisville (AHL), 63rd overall. Hulking blueliner took step forward this year. 4-16-20, 190 PIM, 80 games.<h3>1997</h3>Ivan Novoseltsev, 21, RW, 6-1, 213, Louisville (AHL), 95th overall. Great speed and hands, but hampered by injuries. 14-21-35, 22 PIM, 47 games.Kristian Huselius, 21, LW, 6-1, 183, Vastra Frolunda (Swe.), 47th overall. Panthers want to bring nifty stickhandler over this year. 21 - 23-44, 20 PIM, 50 games.Nick Smith, 21, C, 6-2, 194, Louisville (AHL), 74th overall. Checking center has shown leadership qualities. 8-4-12, 8 PIM, 53 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Florida&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish8thDraft position each round23rd2000 first pick 53rdTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players49. Matt DeMarchi, D, Minnesota (WCHA)50. Paul Martin, D, Elk River High (USHS)51. David Hale, D, Sioux City (USHL)52. Ben Knopp, RW, Moose Jaw (WHL)53. Vlad. Sapozhnikov, D, Novokuznetsk (Rus.2)54. Alex, Drozdetsky, W, St, Petersburg (Rus.)55. Brad Winchester, C/LW, Wisconsin (WCHA)56. Peter Hamerlik, G, Skalica Jr, (Slo.)57. Brett Nowak, C/LW, Harvard (ECAC) &#9632;

f0046-01

Blueline help required

Don&rsquo;t bother offering Dany Heatley a tour of the city when the top prospects convene in Calgary for the NHL entry draft.The No. 1-ranked North American prospect for the draft by the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Service will be right at home.The Calgary native is one of four college players ranked in the top 10 among North Americans and the first to top the first since Joe Murphy of Michigan State in 1986. Murphy was subsequently chosen first overall by the Detroit Red Wings.Along with Heatley, a left winger who played at the the University of Wisconsin this season, defenseman Brooks Orpik of Boston College is ranked fourth; defenseman Ron Hainsey of UMass-Lowell is ninth and center Jeff Taffe of the University of Minnesota is 10th.&ldquo;Things are very cyclical,&rdquo; said Frank Bonello, the director of CSS. &ldquo;One year you might have a lot of high picks from the Western League; the next year you might have just a few.&rdquo;Here are some other entry draft notes:&#9633; If the Ontario League finalist Plymouth Whalers were strong this year, having taken the Barrie Colts to seven games in the OHL final, just wait until next year. The Whalers have four players, left winger Tomas Kurka (16th), defenseman Libor Ustrnul (17th), right winger Justin Williams (19th) and center Kris Vemarsky (21st) are all ranked in the first round among North American skaters.<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02184/7579610-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="301" height="435"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dany Heatley</figcaption></div>&#9633; As many as 15 Europeans could be drafted in the first round and Bonello said many of them could be from Russia. Six of the top 10 ranked Euro skaters are Russian including Pavel Vorobiev, a right winger with Yaroslavl, who is rated No. 1.&#9633; Among players from the Canadian Hockey League rated in the first round of North American skaters, 10 are from the OHL; eight from the WHL and two are from the Quebec League.&#9633; When it comes to playing goal, size matters. The top four ranked goalies from North America and top two from Europe are all 6-feet or taller. But the first goalie expected to be drafted, Rick DiPietro from Boston University, is only 5-foot-11 and wasn&rsquo;t included on the final list because he opted into the draft after the rankings were released.&#9633; The biggest skaters ranked are both 6-foot-6; Czech defenseman David Koci and left winger Rich Kearns of Brampton of the Ontario League. &#9632;

f0046-02

HOMETOWN KID HEATLEY LEADS COLLEGE CROWD TO CALGARY

<div class="byline">By Helene Elliott</div>After trading a first round pick and the three players they had previously selected in the first round in the deal that landed Ziggy Palffy andBryan Smolinski last June, the Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; stockpile of surefire prospects is depleted.Not that they have the slightest regret over making that trade with the New York Islanders, even after the glow of their 25-point improvement was dimmed by a swift playoff elimination.&ldquo;We did make a big jump in the standings and we did make the playoffs,&rdquo; said Bill O&rsquo;Flaherty, the Kings&rsquo; director of player personnel. &ldquo;And you can make a strong case the four best teams in the league are on the West side. Smolinski and Palffy have to get a lot of the credit for the significant leap in points.&rdquo;That said, adding depth at the minor league level is a priority because the Kings know they have a long way to go before they can compete with the league&rsquo;s elite and they don&rsquo;t want to get involved in free agent bidding wars to improve their roster.Calling The Shots Dave Taylor, the Kings&rsquo; GM, has the ultimate decision, but he relies heavily on Al Murray, the longtime director of amateur scouting. Murray joined the Kings in 1988 as their Western scouting coordinator before being promoted to his current job in 1994.Draft Tendency During Larry Robinson&rsquo;s coaching tenure, the Kings put a premium on size. That&rsquo;s no longer the case.&ldquo;The way the game is slanted, size isn&rsquo;t as strong a priority as speed and skill,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Flaherty said. &ldquo;We like to draft the best player available.&rdquo;Immediate Need After losing to Detroit in the first round, Taylor cited a need for speed up front in order for the Kings to become serious Stanley Cup contenders.Quality and quantity at center and on the wings are major needs. After giving up center Olli Jokinen, left winger Josh Green and defenseman Mathieu Biron in the Palffy deal, the Kings don&rsquo;t have any can&rsquo;t-miss prospects. Their future was additionally compromised when center Scott Barney, the 29th pick overall in 1997, developed debilitating back problems that have mystified doctors and required surgery. About the only area in which the Kings are well-stocked is in goal, with Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr at the NHL level, Marcel Cousineau in the minors, Alexei Volkov and Cory Campbell at the junior level and Matthew Yeats in college at Maine.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01354/7579641-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="964" height="1785"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Luc Robitaille Drafted: 171st by Los Angeles, 1984</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need Defense looms as a potential problem in two or three years.Workhorse Rob Blake will turn 31 in December, Garry Galley is 37 and Sean O&rsquo;Donnell will be 29 in October. Some young blood is a necessity in the not-too-distant future, ideally with some speed in those young legs.Left wing will also need shoring up. Luc Robitaille, their top-scorer on the port side, had 36 goals last year, but will turn 35 next season. Their second-highest scoring left winger was Craig Johnson with nine goals.The Kings will also need help at center. Behind Jozef Stumpel and Bryan Smolinski, both in their late 20s, there is a void of playmaking pivots and checking center Bob Corkum will be 33 in December.Ready To Step In The Kings have been waiting a few seasons for right winger Pavel Rosa to consistently display the offensive skills that earned him raves during his high-scoring junior career. His time may be now&mdash;or never.&ldquo;We still have hopes he can turn the comer,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Flaherty of Rosa, whose progress in the International League has been rocky after suffering a concussion. &ldquo;It takes three or four years for some kids to get over the hump.&rdquo;Rosa&rsquo;s size-he&rsquo;s listed at 5-foot-ll and 188 pounds, but appears smaller-has worked against him in the past That, unfortunately, isn&rsquo;t something he can correct.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Bob Corkum, C, 32; Steve McKenna, LW, 26; Jaroslav Modry, D, 29; Steve Passmore, G, 27.Restricted Free Agents Aki Berg, D, 22; Dan Bylsma, RW, 29; Brad Chartrand, RW, 25; Craig Johnson, LW, 28; Jere Karalahti; D, 25; Ian Laperriere, C, 26; Jason Podollan, C, 24; Bryan Smolinski, C, 28; Jozef Stumpel, C, 27; Marko Tuomainen, RW, 28.Unrestricted Free Agent Garry Galley, D, 37.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Andrei Shefer, 18, LW, 6-1, 194, Halifax (QMJHL), 43rd overall. Talented enough to make NHL, but lacks consistency. 34-42-76, 30 PIM, 66 games.Jason Crain, 19, D, 6-3, 190, Ohio State (CCHA), 74th overall. Sophomore made strides after recovering from knee injury. 2-9-11,32 PIM, 35 games.Cory Campbell, 18, G, 5-11, 192, Belleville (OHL), 92nd overall. Slid a bit this season, but had flashes of promise. 24-14-2, 3.37 GAA, 43 games.<h3>1998</h3>Alexei Volkov, 20, G, 6-1, 185, Halifax (QMJHL), 76th overall. Played backup role to 17-year-old in Memorial Cup. 23-13-2, 3.35 GAA, 40 games.Justin Papineau, 20, C, 5-10, 160, Belleville (OHL), 46th overall. Didn&rsquo;t develop as much as expected, but still touted. 40-3676, 52 PIM, 60 games.Matthew Yeats, 21, G, 5-11, 165, Maine (HE), 248th overall. A key in Maine&rsquo;s trip to Frozen Four; has made steady progress. 155-4, 2.69 GAA, 26 games.<h3>1997</h3>Scott Barney, 21, C, 6-4, 198, Peterborough (OHL), 29th overall. A troublesome back injury threatens his hockey future. Did not play this season.Richard Seeley, 22, D, 6-2, 199, Lowell (AHL), 137th overall. Concussion marred first pro season, but showed character. 51-6, 37 PIM, 36 games.Sean Blanchard, 22, D, 5-11, 198, Lowell (AHL), 99th overall. In and out of the lineup, but came on at end of season. 1-5-6, 28 PIM, 54 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Los Angeles&rsquo; first selection.1999-2000 overall finish11thDraft position each round20th2000 first round20thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE) &#9632;

f0047-01

Speed, depth needed

<div class="byline">By Tom Jones</div>There are a lot of things to do in Palm Springs, Calif. Relax in one of the fabulous resorts. Play golf from dawn until dusk.And surely, Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough did some of those things on a recent trip there. He also did something much more important. He mapped out the future of the expansion team which begins play along with the Columbus Blue Jackets this fall.Risebrough and his amateur scouts met for four days, figuring out what to do in the upcoming entry draft. The week before, Risebrough and his staff prepared and outlined a plan for the June 23 expansion draft.Palm Springs may have been fun, but it was the reward for a long journey to some of hockey&rsquo;s deepest outposts, searching for those who might wear the first Wild uniform. Risebrough traveled more than 90,000 miles this past season scouting players. His scouts racked up more than 200,000 miles. Special consultant Pierre Page went to Europe five times. The cost for scouting the world last season totaled over $1 million.Needless to say, virtually every stone in virtually every country that has a hockey rink was turned over.&ldquo;The key is preparation,&rdquo; Risebrough said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what all this work is about&mdash;to be prepared.&rdquo;The plan for the entry draft is simple-take the best player in all rounds no matter what the position.When you have no players, you need everything, most of all talent. The plan for the expansion draft, though, is a bit more complicated. The expansion draft essentially will make up the Wild&rsquo;s opening night roster. Risebrough won&rsquo;t rush high picks into the NHL. He likely won&rsquo;t sign any major free agents. So the expansion draft has become the Wild&rsquo;s focus. Making the draft even more complicated is the Wild, unlike past expansion teams Nashville and Atlanta, will be joining the league with another team.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a pretty good idea of who&rsquo;s going to be out there, say 90 per cent, but this isn&rsquo;t an exact science,&rdquo; Risebrough said. &ldquo;I call this a reactionary draft. We don&rsquo;t have the luxury of studying the lists and selecting exactly who we want. We still have a good idea of who will be available and you have lists and I&rsquo;m sure the names on our list are pretty close to the lists Columbus has. But still, we pick a guy then Columbus picks a guy. We have to react to what Columbus does, and vice-versa. That makes it tough.&rdquo;Risebrough also has to have a calculator close at hand. Like every team, payroll is an issue. Risebrough won&rsquo;t say what the Wild&rsquo;s payroll will be, but the guess is around $23 million.Risebrough plans to have a strong minor league system, built to make the Wild competitive for the long-term. Minnesota signed a two-year deal to make Cleveland (International League) its minor league affiliate. Risebrough said he considered an affiliation in the American League, because the AHL has a reputation as the better developmental league, but was confident Cleveland could provide a strong feeder system. Best of all, the Wild will supply Cleveland with coaches, players and a hockey operations staff, giving Risebrough total control.&ldquo;I believe we can be competitive,&rdquo; Risebrough said. &ldquo;Does that mean we will win a lot of games? I don&rsquo;t know. The goal is to be a solid team in the future and that&rsquo;s why the drafts are so important. And that&rsquo;s why we have worked so hard and prepared the way we have.&rdquo; &#9632;

Scouts running Wild looking for draft prospects

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div>Double your pleasure, double your fun. Or, perhaps, considering the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; recent draft record, double the misery.The Canadiens, who have missed the playoffs two consecutive seasons and could certainly use some help, have two first round selections in the upcoming entry draft-their own and San Jose&rsquo;s, which was secured when the Sharks signed free agent Vincent Damphousse following his March, 1999, trade.Montreal, who is in a rebuilding mode, can only hope the choices will make them stronger in a few years, when they&rsquo;ve turned the comer if all goes according to plan.But Montreal hasn&rsquo;t always fared well on draft day. Only two of their seven first choices since 1993, Saku Koivu and Jason Ward, are playing regularly, and it took injuries to get Ward into the lineup. Koivu, meanwhile, has yet to reach his potential due to injuries.Calling The Shots GM Rejean Houle has the final say in the case of disagreements and has made himself more available for scouting trips each year on the job.However, nobody knows the players better than chief scout Pierre Dorion. The 27-year-old Dorion is in his second full season heading the scouting department, but has been with the organization since 1994 and was well-groomed. His late father, Pierre, was the chief scout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.Draft Tendency Only once since 1993, with the selection of defenseman Brad Brown, have the Canadiens failed to pick a forward with their first choice. That trend should continue.Dorion likes character players; athletes who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team. The Canadiens have also increased their resources in Europe, an area long ignored in the 1990s, hiring full-time scouts in Russia and Finland. As well, former assistant coach Dave King spent the year overseas, scouting older, more experienced players.Immediate Need The Canadiens scored 196 goals in 82 games this season. Only the New York Islanders (barely) and the expansion Atlanta Thrashers scored less. Even Nashville, in only its second year of existence, and the woeful Tampa Bay Lightning scored more than Montreal.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01201/7579727-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="991" height="1812"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Martin Rucinsky Drafted: 20th by Edmonton, 1991</figcaption></div>Although most of the Canadiens&rsquo; forwards, who struggled pathetically on offense a year ago, improved their production, the team still could boast only two 20-goal men-Sergei Zholtok, who broke through with a team-leading 26, and Martin Rucinsky, who sniped 25.The Canadiens lack a dynamic scorer, an electrifying player. It can also be argued the team requires more depth everywhere except in goal.Long-Term Need Montreal&rsquo;s penchant of selecting forwards early means there could be some holes to fill along the blueline in a few years, especially after the team traded Vladimir Malakhov, its best defenseman, to New Jersey rather than running the risk of losing him to free agency. Realizing this, Montreal had the foresight to secure two young rearguards-Sheldon Souray and Josh DeWolf-in the Malakhov deal. Souray played regularly for the Habs, but DeWolf went to the American League and requires more seasoning. Eric Weinrich, the team&rsquo;s workhorse on defense, is 33, while 29-year-old Patrice Brisebois is in his prime. Karl Dykhuis, 27, and 25-year-old Craig Rivet are both solid.Ready To Step In Right winger Arron Asham, selected 71st overall in 1996, dressed for 33 games this season before being felled by an abdominal muscle injury. Asham scored four goals during that span, mainly in a fourth line role, but his value goes beyond his production. Although only 5-foot-l 1 and 191 pounds, Asham plays with heart and desire. He has a good shot, understands the game and might be the team&rsquo;s best fighter.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Jesse Belanger, C, 30; Shayne Corson, C, 33; Jim Cummins, RW, 30; Craig Darby, C, 27; Karl Dykhuis, D, 27; Scott Lachance, D, 27; Trent McCleary, C, 27; Oleg Petrov, LW, 28; Patrick Poulin, LW, 26; Craig Rivet, D, 25; Turner Stevenson, RW, 27.Restricted Free Agents Jim Cummins, RW, 30; Craig Darby, C, 27; Scott Lachance, D, 27; Trent McCleary, C, 27; Patrick Poulin, LW, 27; Craig Rivet, D, 25; Brian Savage, LW, 29; Sheldon Souray, D, 23; Jose Theodore, G, 23; Dainius Zubrus, RW, 21.Unrestricted Free Agents Shayne Corson, C, 33.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Chris Dyment, 20, D, 6-2, 201, Boston University (HE), 97th overall. Solid and strong, puck-moving sophomore can produce. 11 - 21-32, 42 PIM, 42 games.Alexander Buturlin, 18, LW, 5-11, 182, Sarnia (OHL), 29th overall. Skilled and shifty, he adjusted to North America after knee injury. 20-27-47, 46 PIM, 57 games.Dusty Jamieson, 19, LW, 6-2, 176, Samia (OHL), 136th overall. One of the hardest-working players on his team. 15-17-32, 15 PIM, 50 games.<h3>1998</h3>Eric Chouinard, 19, C, 6-3, 202, Quebec (QMJHL), 16th overall. Improved defensive weaknesses without losing scoring touch. 5057-107,105 PIM, 50 games.Mike Ribeiro, 20, C, 5-11, 164, Quebec (QMJHL), 45th overall. Outstanding skills, but must get heavier, stronger. 18-31-49, 30 PIM, 23 games.Andrei Markov, 21, D, 6-0, 185, Moscow Dynamo (Rus.), 162nd overall. Great passer, but doesn&rsquo;t play with emotion. 11 - 12-23, 28 PIM, 29 games.<h3>1997</h3>llkka Mikkola, 21, D, 6-0, 189, TPS Turku (Fin.), 65th overall. Offensive defenseman is still at least a year away. 2-6-8, 48 PIM, 54 games.Ben Guite, 21, RW, 6-0, 202, Maine (HE), 172nd overall. Solid two-way senior always gives maximum effort. 22-14-36, 36 PIM, 39 games.Gennady Razin, 22, D, 6-4, 200, Quebec (AHL), 122nd overall. Became steady, defense-minded player this season. 2-9-11, 29 PIM, 66 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Montreal&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish18thDraft position each round13th2000 first round pending lottery 13th, 16th THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players11. Vaclav Nedorost, C, Budejovice (Czech) 1 2. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary (WHL)13. Alexander Frolov, LW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)14, Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus. 1)1 5. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)*San Jose&rsquo;s first pick belongs to Montreal &#9632;

f0049-01

Goal-scorers wanted

<div class="byline">By Jett Legwold</div>Talk of the Stanley Cup brings a gleam to most teams&rsquo; eyes, but nothing brings a twinkle to the eyes of the Nashville Predators like talk of the entry draft.It represents the opportunity to lay the foundation for a bright future, as opposed to the expansion darkness the two-year-old franchise must endure in the meantime.&ldquo;I think with patience we can get to a point where we are good,&rdquo; said Predators&rsquo; coach Barry Trotz. &ldquo;Because we don&rsquo;t want to be good one year and then have a drop-off. We&rsquo;re building with the thought being the organization is strong throughout, that we can be good and be good for a long time.&rdquo;With that in mind, GM David Poile made few moves this past season that didn&rsquo;t include the objectives of &ldquo;getting bigger and getting younger&hellip;we did that in almost every case.&rdquo;And with a third consecutive foray into the draft lottery, Poile has a chance to again do both. They are already calling two players from their first draft class regulars-center David Legwand (second overall) and defenseman Karlis Skrastins (230th), both picked in 1998&mdash;and they yearn for more. Bottom line is, they still need as much help as they can get.Calling The Shots In the end, it all stops with Poile. He has the final say on all hockey matters with this team on everything from scouting to contracts to the draft.Though he covets, asks for and enjoys hearing opinions from all sides, he will ultimately make the choices. However, he does believe in his scouts and especially in chief scout Craig Channell; all input is carefully considered.Poile is organized, meticulous and sweats all of the details. Those around him are advised to do the same.Draft Tendency In their first two drafts, they selected for impact early, but then weren&rsquo;t afraid to take some risks.Legwand and goalie Brian Finley (sixth overall last season) qualify as impact players, while Jonas Andersson-chosen 33rd overall in 1999 despite being just the 33rd-ranked European-was a risk.The Preds have scouted Europe heavily, investing huge blocks of time and scouting resources there.Eight of their 15 selections in last year&rsquo;s entry draft were Europeans and with the amount of miles their scouts have covered making the rounds there this time around, there&rsquo;s reason to expect that trend to continue.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01199/7579758-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="982" height="1821"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Cliff Ronning Drafted: 134th by St. Louis, 1984</figcaption></div>Immediate Need Some offensive pop on the wing and a little size to go with it. This is a team, after all, that played its best center, 5-foot-8, 167-pound Cliff Ronning, at wing most of last season.They could also use more size along the blueline, but Skrastins&rsquo; quick entry to the lineup and Richard Lintner&rsquo;s play (he spent 33 games in Nashville), to go with the addition of veteran Bill Houlder early last season, has alleviated some of the urgency there.Long-Term Need Offensively, Ronning has easily been the steal of this franchise&rsquo;s young life and he has led the team in scoring in each of the its two seasons. He will also turn 35 years old early into next season.While his conditioning is remarkable, as is his durability, the Predators still need some consistent offense from someone who isn&rsquo;t on the downside of their career.Legwand is the most likely candidate and that is the expectation. He could eventually flourish with speed such as Andersson&rsquo;s on the wing, but Legwand needs to bring consistency to his game before he can be considered a go&mdash;to guy. Still, the 19-year-old showed flashes of offensive brilliance in his rookie campaign.Ready To Step In With 1998 draft class graduates Legwand and Skrastins already seeing significant NHL ice time, the most likely draftee to step in is Andersson simply because of his speed with the puck.He has consistently impressed team officials with his professionalism-he brought his own medical records to his pre-draft interview to prove a shoulder injury had healed just fine&mdash;and his play in junior earned him a late-season trip to Milwaukee of the International League.Expansion Bait? The Predators are exempt from the Columbus/Minnesota expansion draft.Restricted Free Agents Drake Berehowsky, D, 28; Greg Johnson, C, 29; Patrie Kjellberg, C/RW, 30; Richard Lintner, D, 22; Marc Moro, D, 22; John Namestnikov, D, 25; Kimmo Timonen, D, 25.Unrestricted Free Agents None.BEST PICKS FROM FIRST TWO DRAFTSBrian Finley, 18, G, 6-2, 180, Barrie (OHL), 6th overall. Inconsistent season, but had great playoff and remains long-term hope. 24-12-6, 3.07 GAA, 47 games.Jonas Andersson, 19, RW, 6-2, 189, North Bay (OHL), 33rd overall. Lean winger has maturity to go with spectacular speed. 31 - 36-67, 27 PIM, 67 games.Jan Lasak, 21, G, 6-0, 202, Hampton Roads (ECHL), 65th overall. Unorthodox, but acrobatic, flourished in North American debut. 36-17-4, 2.55 GAA, 59 games.Adam Hall, 19, RW, 6-2, 200, Michigan State (CCHA), 52nd overall. Big sophomore winger has nose for net. 26-13-39, 38 PIM, 40 games.Konstantin Panov, 19, RW, 5-11, 186, Kamloops (WHL), 131st overall. Has shown nice potential as finisher. 43-30-73, 47 PIM, 64 games.Ed Hill, 19, D, 6-2, 186, Barrie (OHL), 61st overall. Preds like his shot as well as composure with puck. 1-18-19, 63 PIM, 66 games.<h2>1998</h2>Denis Arkhipov, 21, LW, 6-3, 195, AK Bars, (Rus.), 60th overall. Game is ready, but needs time to adapt to North America. 7-9-16, 22 PIM, 32 games.Kent Sauer, 21, D, 6-2, 226, Portland (WHL), 88th overall. Huge and physical, he skates with presence and has good work ethic. 1213-25, 116 PIM, 65 games.Martin Bartek, 19, LW, 6-0, 192, Moncton (QMJHL), 202nd overall. Scoring Slovakian found stride with fourth QMJHL team. 32-44-76, 52 PIM, 69 games.<h2>Fast Facts</h2>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Nashville&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish25thDraft position each round6th2000 first round pending lottery 6thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players2. Marian Gaborik, LW, Trencin (Slo.)3. Rick DiPietro, G, Boston University (HE)4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Brampton (OHL)5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)10. Alexei Smirnov, LW, Dynamo (Rus.) &#9632;

f0050-01

Prowling for production

Take a long look at last year&rsquo;s first round draft picks. You won&rsquo;t see most of them in the NHL for a while. Only two players taken in the first round, Patrik Stefan and Tim Connolly, were regulars this year. Here&rsquo;s how last year&rsquo;s first-rounders fared this season. Stats are games, goals, assists points and penalty minutes. Goalie stats are wins, losses, ties and goals-against average.1. Patrik Stefan, C, Atlanta Enjoyed a concussion-free season as 19-year-old; showed signs of being a go&mdash;to player. (72-5-20-25-30).2. Daniel Sedin, LW, Vancouver WJC performance aside, enjoyed solid season, finishing 11th in Swedish Elite League scoring (50-1926-45-28).3. Henrik Sedin, C, Vancouver Like his brother, played poorly at WJC but was solid otherwise finishing eighth in Swedish Elite League scoring (50-9-38-47-22).4. Pavel Brendl, RW, Rangers Took some heat when Calgary failed to win WHL, but most observers feel he remains bona fide offensive star (61-59-52-111-94).5. Tim Connolly, C, Islanders Made Islanders largely due to their lack of depth and finished third in team scoring. (81-14-20-31-44).6. Brian Finley, G, Nashville Had a so-so start with Barrie (OHL), but game picked up at Christmas and he was Ontario League&rsquo;s playoff MVP (24-12-6, 3.07).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-02127/7579796-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="292" height="432"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pavel Brendl</figcaption></div>7. Kris Beech, C, Washington Played in shadow of Brendl in Calgary (WHL), but was game-breaker with excellent speed and strong on faceoffs (66-32-54-86-99).8. Taylor Pyatt, LW, Islanders Was OHL&rsquo;s most dominant power J forward, especially in second half with Sudbury (68-40-49-89-98).9. Jamie Lundmark, C, Rangers Gifted two-way Moose Jaw center&rsquo;s season came to end when he broke bone in his hand at WJC (37-21-27-48-33).10. Branislav Mezei, D, Islanders Not flashy, but very skilled. One of most reliable players in OHL; Belleville suffered after he got hurt in playoffs (58-7-21-28-99).11. Oleg Saprykin, C/LW, Calgary Stumbled in Seattle upon return from Flames. Good hands around net and handles physical play well (48-30-36-66-91).12. Denis Shvidki, RW, Florida Had good year with Barrie (OHL), although there is concern about his consistency. Showed flashes of being dominant player (61-41-65-106-55).13. Jani Rita, Edmonton, RW Played as regular in Finnish league (Jokerit), but offensive play not up to par (49-6-3-9-10).14. Jeff Jillson, D, San Jose All-CCHA first team member contributed with grit and leadership for Michigan (36-8-26-34-111).15. Scott Kelman, C, Phoenix Seattle (WHL) center makes an impact in the game on virtually every shift (64-13-42-55-104).16. David Tanabe, D, Carolina Had decent start to NHL career as 19-year-old, but was sent to Cincinnati (IHL) when play slipped (32-0-13-13-14).17. Barret Jackman, D, St. Louis Nearly made the Blues, but was sent back to Regina (WHL) and got stronger as year progressed (53-9-37-46-175).18. Konstantin Koltsov, LW, Pittsburgh Played as regular against older competition with Mettalurg in Russian league (30-3-4-7-12).19. Kiril Safronov, D, Phoenix Became tower of strength on Quebec (QMJHL) blueline; had critics gushing with play at WJC (50-10-29-39-93).20. Barrett Heisten, LW, Buffalo Maine (HE) sophomore made big strides in terms of controlling puck and temper (37-13-24-37-86).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-02132/7579789-1-eng-US/f0051-022.jpg" title="f0051-02" width="307" height="426"><figcaption class="caption-body">Maxime Ouellet</figcaption></div>21. Nick Boynton, D, Boston Challenging for pro year for Providence of AHL (53-5-14-19-66).22. Maxime Ouellet, G, Philadelphia Any chemistry problems I Quebec (QMJHL) endured not related to his play (31-16-4,2.64 GAA).23. Steve McCarthy, C, Chicago Played five games with the Black I hawks, then returned to Kootenay: (WHL). Season ended early when he injured shoulder. (37-13-23-36-36).24. Luca Cereda, C, Toronto I Didn&rsquo;t fare well playing with players his own age as year before when teamed with two older imports with Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland (43-1-5-6-14).25. Mikhail Kuleshov, LW, Colorado Cherepovets (Rus.) winger earned reputation as selfish player (47-3-4-7-69).26. Martin Havlat, C, Ottawa Trinec (Czech.) center finished excellent season by playing at World Championship (46-13-29-42-46).27. Ari Ahonen, G, New Jersey Enjoyed great start with IFK (Fin.), but tailed off after Christmas, Overall, a positive season. (11-7-1, 3.12)28. Kristian Kudroc, D, Islanders Six-foot-6, 230-pounder with Quebec (QMJHL) is physical, yet plays with poise (57-9-22-31-172). &#9632;

f0050-02

PATIENCE A VIRTUE WITH FIRST ROUND ENTRY DRAFT PICKS

<div class="byline">By Rich Chere</div>There is always a degree of uncertainty at the draft table, but usually it involves the young prospects being selected and whether they can make it to the NHL.For the New Jersey Devils this year, the uncertainty lies with those making the picks. After years as a tightly knit group that has been overwhelmingly successful at stocking the organization with top prospects, the Devils&rsquo; draft team might be wondering if this is their &ldquo;last draft&rdquo; and whether their hard work would actually benefit a new management team after owner John McMullen hands over the franchise to the YankeeNets July 12.Even GM Lou Lamoriello&rsquo;s future with the club remained uncertain.&ldquo;That will have to be put aside,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;It will be on the minds of people, but I&rsquo;ve been very consistent and we&rsquo;re asking the same thing of everyone. There is no question in my mind that everyone will be focused. The feeling of change might be in the heart, but not in the head. And you draft with your head.&rdquo;Calling The Shots There could be two GMs calling the shots. Lamoriello may decide to stay or go to another club after the draft, while director of scouting David Conte is also mentioned prominently as a candidate for the GM position with several organizations, including the Devils.Lamoriello has the final word on picks, but he has come to rely heavily on Conte&rsquo;s wisdom.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think any one individual calls the shots because of the way we operate,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;Our scouts have trust for each other, so it could be anyone at any given time. It&rsquo;s very gratifying to see when it happens.&rdquo;Draft Tendency They&rsquo;ve made a goaltender their first pick in two of the last three drafts with Ari Ahonen (1999) and Jean-Francois Damphousse (1997), but the Devils usually manage to sneak at least one skilled forward-such as Scott Gomez in 1998, Petr Sykora in 1995 and Patrik Elias in 1994-out of the first two rounds.Their philosophy has always been that there is at least one gem that has gone unnoticed by other teams. &ldquo;Never have we gone into a draft without the feeling that we would get better,&rdquo; Lamoriello said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01191/7579827-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="973" height="1791"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Patrik Elias Drafted: 51st by New Jersey, 1994</figcaption></div>Immediate Need Gomez answered the need for some offense when he made the jump to the NHL last season, but now the Devils are anxious to add some size and strength on the wings. With right winger Claude Lemieux eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and Krzysztof Oliwa coming off reconstructive knee surgery, Randy McKay could be their only physical winger.&ldquo;If there is an opportunity to get some size and strength on the wings, significant consideration will be given,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;We won&rsquo;t sacrifice, but we might go for quantity in that area and hope one player works out&rdquo;Long-Term Need By signing Brian Rafalski as a free agent after he spent several seasons in Europe, the Devils sidestepped the immediate concern that their defense is starting to age. However, within the next few seasons, war horses such as Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens will be closing out their careers. And unless the Devils re-sign Vladimir Malakhov, who&rsquo;s eligible for unrestricted free agency, that opens another hole.With Scott Niedermayer, Colin White and Rafalski as the core of the defense of the future, the Devils need to restock before the oldtimers depart. And if they can&rsquo;t sign and keep top prospect Mike Van Ryn, their first selection (26th overall) in 1998, there may be trouble on the horizon.Ready To Step In After a season in which Colin White, John Madden, Gomez and Rafalski all stepped up to play significant roles, it&rsquo;s questionable how many more rookies can be added to the lineup. The front-runner is defenseman Willie Mitchell, who appeared in two NHL games after a very successful season at Albany of the American League. It was hoped that Mitchell could immediately fill the gap created when defensemen Sheldon Souray and Lyle Odelein were both traded last season.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Steve Kelly, LW, 23; Sasha Lakovic, LW, 28; Deron Quint, D, 24; Ken Sutton, D, 30; Chns Terren, G, 35.Restricted Free Agents Jason Arnott, C, 25; Steve Kelly, LW, 23; Scott Niedermayer, D, 26.Unrestricted Free Agents Claude Lemieux, RW, 34; Vladimir Malakhov, D, 31.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Ari Ahonen, 19, G, 6-2, 170, Helsinki (Fin.), 27th overall. Rise to NHL could be expedited by experience playing at top European level. 11-7-1,3.12 GAA, 24 games.Mike Commodore, 20, D, 6-4, 235, North Dakota (WCHA), 42nd overall. Powerful junior collegian plays rugged style. 5-712, 154 PIM, 38 games.Andre Lakos, 20, D, 6-6, 210, Albany (AHL), 95th overall. Sleeper improved to become decent prospect due to size and hockey sense. 1-7-8, 41 PIM, 65 games.<h3>1998</h3>Christian Berglund, 20, C, 5-11, 185, Fariestad (Swe.), 37th overall. Adrenaline-filled style would be welcome at training camp. 86-14, 44 PIM, 43 games.Mike Van Ryn, 21, D, 6-1,190, Sarnia (OHL), 26th overall. Highly regarded prospect has been living up to promise. 6-35-41, 34 PIM, 61 games.Brian Gionta, 21, RW, 5-7, 160, Boston College (HE), 82nd overall. Devils believe he&rsquo;ll overcome rap of being too small for NHL. 33-23-56, 66 PIM, 42 games.<h3>1997</h3>Jean-Francois Damphousse, 20, G, 6-0, 175, Albany (AHL), 24th overall. Increased body strength makes him someone to watch. 911-2, 2.81,26 games.Jiri Bicek, 21, LW, 5-10, 195, Albany (AHL), 131st overall. Skilled winger has shown more of a playmaker&rsquo;s touch. 736-43, 51 PIM, 80 games.Sascha Goc, 21, D, 6-2, 220, Albany (AHL), 159th overall. Saw more ice time on depleted defense; chances of making it improved. 9-22-31,35 PIM, 64 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to New Jersey&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish4thDraft position each round27th2000 first round22ndTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL) &#9632;

f0051-01

Who will call the shots?

<div class="byline">By Peter Botte</div>There were smiles everywhere you looked in the Long Island banquet room April 26, the day computer moguls Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar announced they had purchased the New York Islanders.But none of the smiles were broader than that of Mike Milbury, the GM of the embattled club since the middle of the 1996-97 season.Working for negligent owners, the team hasn&rsquo;t reached the playoffs during Milbury&rsquo;s tenure.Thus, his most momentous annual duty as GM has been overseeing team business at the NHL entry draft.But with enough recent top-10 picks and young trade imports stockpiled for THN to tab the Isles as owning the second-best prospect pool in the NHL, Milbury finally has his eyes set on doing his job on a level playing field.Since the sale of the team was announced-pending league approval this summer-Milbury has even spoken about possibly packaging the team&rsquo;s first round pick in the upcoming draft for more immediate help.Calling The Shots Milbury delegates a great deal of authority to amateur scouts, led by assistant GM Gordie Clark. And the team&rsquo;s European scouts unearthed late picks such as Zdeno Chara in 1996 (56th overall) and Mattias Weinhandl in 1999 (78th).But Milbury remains the overriding voice at the draft table, even if the jury remains out on some of his high-end selections, such as Jean-Pierre Dumont (third overall in 1996, since traded) and Michael Rupp (ninth, 1998). Still, it&rsquo;s difficult to argue with the early success of other recent top selections, such as Roberto Luongo (fourth, 1998) and Tim Connolly (fifth, 1999).Draft Tendency Expect the Islanders to take chances. They surprisingly made Dumont the third overall pick in 1996, before quickly giving up on him and trading him to Chicago for Dmitri Nabokov. And they needed forwards in 1997, but came away with goalie Luongo and defenseman Eric Brewer with the fourth and fifth overall selections.Immediate Need Back-to-back 58-point seasons suggest the holes are plentiful. And they are. But the most glaring weaknesses on this team are the lack of veteran leadership (particularly on defense) and a capable power play quarterback.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01184/7579858-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="988" height="1820"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: M. Czerkawski Drafted: 106th by Boston, 1991</figcaption></div>Kenny Jonsson seemed to strangle himself at times with the noose of first-year captaincy. He could use some help beyond role player Claude Lapointe to continue this team&rsquo;s evolution into a playoff contender.Long-Term Need The team has operated solely under long-term goals for so long, it is difficult to picture them shifting that attention to the here and now under new ownership. But Lapointe has been signed to a three-year extension and Milbury hopes to lock up emerging right winger Brad Isbister and defensemen Jonsson and Chara to long-term deals this summer. Leading scorer Mariusz Czerkawski also can expect a hefty raise on his 2000-2001 salary ($1.5 million) if he comes close to duplicating his 35-goal campaign. The beauty of sporting the NHL&rsquo;s youngest lineup (average age of 25) is there likely won&rsquo;t be any retirement parties for any players of significance in the near future.Ready To Step In The Isles are hoping left winger Taylor Pyatt can surprise them and make the same jump Connolly made last season.But stay-at-home defenseman Branislav Mezei is the one that coach Butch Goring will be taking a hard look at in training camp. The 19-year-old Slovakian, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 232 pounds, nearly made the NHL club last fall.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Mikael Andersson, LW, 35; Niklas Andersson, LW, 29; Aris Brimanis, D, 28; Ted Drury, C, 28; Wade Flaherty, G, 32; Chris Ferraro, C, 27; Ian Herbers, D, 32; Daniel Lacroix, LW, 31; Mark Lawrence, RW, 28; Dmitri Nabokov, RW, 23; Scott Pearson, LW, 30.Restricted Free Agents Niklas Andersson, LW, 29; Eric Cairns, D, 25; Zdeno Chara, D, 23; Johan Davidsson, C, 24; Ray Giroux, D, 23; Josh Green, LW, 22; Jamie Heward, D, 29; Brad Isbister, LW, 23; Kenny Jonsson, D, 25; Mike Mader, RW, 24; Dmitri Nabokov, RW, 23; Vladimir Orszagh, RW, 23; Jamie Rivers, D, 25. Ray Schultz, D, 23.Unrestricted Free Agents Mikael Andersson, LW, 35; Aris Brimanis, D, 28; Vladimir Chebaturkin, D, 25; Chris Ferraro, C, 27; Daniel Lacroix, LW, 31; Scott Pearson, LW, 30.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Taylor Pyatt, 18, LW, 6-3, 220, Sudbury (OHL), 8th overall. Came on strong in second half and led league with plus-47 rating. 40-49-89, 98 PIM, 68 games.Branislav Mezei, 19, D, 6-4, 232, Belleville (OHL), 10th overall. Scouts think defensive defenseman is ready for NHL. 7-21-28, 99 PIM, 58 games.Mattias Weinhandl, 20, RW, 6-0, 183, MoDo (Swe.), 78th overall. Serious eye injury didn&rsquo;t stop him from forming dominant line with Sedins. 15-9-24, 6 PIM, 32 games.<h3>1998</h3>Evgeny Korolev, 21, D, 6-2, 207, Lowell (AHL), 182nd overall. Stay-at-home sleeper has had a few stints with Islanders. 110-11,61 PIM, 57 games.Michael Rupp, 20, LW, 6-5, 223, Erie (OHL), 9th overall. Project has shown signs of upside as power forward. 32-21 - 53, 134 PIM, 58 games.Radek Mateiovsky, 22, RW, 6-1, 187, Slavia/Paraubice (Czech), 250th overall. Former junior sniper veteran of senior league. 6-7-13, 40 PIM, 50 games.<h3>1997</h3>Roberto Luongo, 21, G, 6-3, 198, Lowell (AHL), 4th overall. Should emerge as No. 1 stopper next season. 10-12-4, 2.93 GAA, 26 games.Eric Brewer, 21, D, 6-3, 220, Lowell (AHL), 5th overall. Lack of confidence, NHL sophomore jinx, knee injury laid season to waste. 2-2-4, 26 PIM, 24 games.Petr Mika, 21, C, 6-4, 210, Lowell (AHL), 85th overall. Longshot for second line has to make bigger offensive impact. 8-9-17, 20 PIM, 50 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Islanders&rsquo; first selection.1999-2000 overall finish26thDraft position each round5th2000 first round pending lottery5thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players1. Dany Heatley, LW, Wisconsin (WCHA)2. Marian Gaborik, LW, Trencin (Slo.)3. Rick DiPietro, G, Boston University (HE)4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Brampton (OHL)5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.) &#9632;

f0052-01

Top picks to get chance

<div class="byline">By Rick Carpiniello</div>Barring sudden and unforeseen changes, the New York Rangers will go to the draft table in Calgary without a president, without a GM, without a coach and without a first round pick.Since they don&rsquo;t have the latter, it isn&rsquo;t as big a deal that they have none of the former. However, not having the front office in place means the Rangers likely won&rsquo;t be very active, especially compared to last June, when GM-president Neil Smith was at his wheeling and dealing best.Smith traded this year&rsquo;s first and third round picks and two players in a package to grab an extra first-rounder last summer, a pick he used to snag junior sniper Pavel Brendl fourth overall.So, the Rangers are expected to go to this year&rsquo;s draft with only a second-rounder in the first three rounds, unless acting GM Don Maloney is able to complete a deal to add more selections.Smith&rsquo;s scouting staff remains intact, at least until a new GM comes in and names his own people-starting with the coach.Maloney, meanwhile, is plotting out the draft strategy, as well as for the Columbus/Minnesota expansion draft, where he&rsquo;s hoping to somehow not lose goalie Kirk McLean since Mike Richter will probably not be fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery when the 2000-2001 season begins.Calling The Shots Director of scouting Martin Madden will again run the show for the Rangers.The former Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; GM heads a formidable, experienced scouting staff. Maloney, who will have the final vote on all decisions, has done plenty of scouting of his own, but Madden is the expert on junior-aged players. One of the loudest voices on any draft day is that of European scout Christer Rockstrom, who has unearthed some gems in past drafts-such as defenseman Kim Johnsson at 286th overall in 1994.Draft Tendency The Rangers&rsquo; tendency for 11 years under Smith was to take the best player available, regardless of position or size, figuring each player would be an asset to keep or, more likely during the 1990s, trade for help in other areas. However, the result of many of those drafts was that the Rangers often took smallish, skilled players. A prospect&rsquo;s size will matter to a greater degree this year, especially since the Rangers are looking to draft players they hope to keep in their system.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01176/7579889-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="992" height="1828"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Petr Nedved Drafted: 2nd by Vancouver, 1990</figcaption></div>Immediate Need The Rangers don&rsquo;t figure to get anybody that will help them immediately, so current needs won&rsquo;t necessarily be addressed.Even if they were in a position to obtain immediate help, New York needs upgrading in so many areas that it would still come down to the best (and ideally biggest) player available.Long-Term Need The two senior Rangers in terms of years of service are defenseman Brian Leetch, 32, and Richter, 33. Both will have to be replaced down the road.While the Rangers are high on some of their goaltending prospects, particularly 1997 pick Johan Holmqvist, they are likely to continue to try to solidify that position. The more goalies they collect, the more likely one will be a legit No. 1 in the NHL. Ditto for an offensive defenseman, although the Rangers have Hobey Baker winner Mike Mottau coming soon.Ready To Step In Mottau could break into the top six on the Rangers&rsquo; blueline next season, depending, of course, on the coach and the patience that will be allowed for a young player learning on the job. There could be some defense jobs available, particularly with the anticipated departure of Kevin Hatcher and the possible exit of unrestricted free agent Mathieu Schneider. Tomas Kloucek, who was impressive for Hartford in the American League at age 19, could also take a step up.The Rangers are also hoping that either center Jamie Lundmark or right winger Pavel Brendl will force their way onto the team this season. Lundmark almost made it last year, losing out to rookie Mike York; while Brendl came to camp out of shape and had no chance.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Alexandre Daigle, RW, 25; Rob DiMaio, RW, 32; John MacLean, RW, 35; Kirk McLean, G, 33; Kevin Stevens, LW, 35.Restricted Free Agents Alexandre Daigle, C, 25; Eric Lacroix, LW, 28.Unrestricted Free Agents: Kevin Hatcher, D, 33; Mathieu Schneider, D, 31; Kevin Stevens, LW, 35.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Pavel Brendl, 19, RW, 6-1, 197, Calgarv (WHL), 4th overall. Rangers certain he will be an NHL scorer. 59-52-111, 94 PIM, 61 games.Jamie Lundmark, 19, C, 6-0, 174, Moose Jaw (WHL), 9th overall. Has all the attributes to be a star. 21-27-48, 33 PIM, 37 games.Patrick Aufiero, 19, D, 6-1, 186, Boston University (HE), 90th overall. Extremely quick sophomore must get stronger. 3-21 - 24, 37 PIM, 38 games.<h3>1998</h3>Tomas Kloucek, 20, D, 6-3, 203, Hartford (AHL), 131st overall. Strong and agile on skates, almost NHL-ready. 2-8-10, 113 PIM, 73 games.Jason LaBarbera, 20, G, 6-2, 205, Spokane (WHL), 66th overall. Above-average ability, but inconsistent performance. 20-30-4, 3.29 GAA, 55 games.Patrick Leahy, 21, RW, 6-3, 195, Miami (CCHA), 122nd overall. Junior collegian has good skills; needs to push himself. 16-22-38, 89 PIM, 36 games.<h3>1997</h3>Mike Mottau, 22, D, 6-0, 188, Boston College (HE), 182nd overall. Hobey Baker winner is fabulous puck-mover. 6-37-43, 61 PIM, 42 games.Johan Holmqvist, 21, G, 6-1, 200, Brynas Gavle (Sweden), 175th overall. Rangers feel all he needs is North American experience. 23 12-6, 2.60 GAA, 41 games.Burke Henry, 21, D, 6-1, 195, Hartford (AHL), 73rd overall. Came on after slow start to minor league career. 3-12-15, 47 PIM, 64 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Rangers&rsquo; first selection.1999-2000 overall finish23rdDraft position each round8th2000 first pick38thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players34. Kurtis Foster, D, Peterborough (OHL)35. Jared Aulin, C, Kamloops (WHL)36. Tomas Kopecky, C/W, Trencin (Slo.)37. Sergei Soin, F/D, Krylja Sovetov (Rus.1)38. Jonas Nordqvist, C, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)39. Kris Vernarksy, C, Plymouth (OHL)40. Nathan Smith, C, Swift Current (WHL)41. Thatcher Bell, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)42. Antoine Vermette, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL) &#9632;

f0053-01

Time to replace vets

<div class="byline">By Bruce Garrioch</div>The Ottawa Senators won&rsquo;t be looking at the present when they go to the entry draft in Calgary, they&rsquo;ll he searching for the future.In their formative years, the Senators hurried players such as Alexandre Daigle and Chris Phillips into the lineup and hoped they would make an impact. But having made the playoffs the past four seasons and boasting some depth in the organization, the Sens can afford to be more patient with their prospects.&ldquo;I think what you have to do is get people who are going to help you down the road; you have to try to project what&rsquo;s going to happen in five years time,&rdquo; said Senators&rsquo; GM Marshall Johnston.&ldquo;You want to give your players time to develop and mature. You don&rsquo;t want to rush your prospects into the lineup.&rdquo;Finally, the Senators have the luxury to be picky.Calling The Shots Johnston, Ottawa&rsquo;s former chief of scouting, has surrounded himself with a strong scouting department, but has the last word on draft day.Player personnel director Jarmo Kekalainen, a former Senators&rsquo; winger, has taken a more active role, but lives in Europe full-time. Johnston spent the winter scouring various leagues for prospects and has a reputation as a man who has a good eye for talent.Draft Tendency Ottawa likes skilled skaters who hail from the other side of the pond.The Senators have selected Europeans with their first round pick in four of eight drafts. That group consists of Alexei Yashin (second overall in 1992), Radek Bonk (third, 1994), Marian Hossa (12th, 1997) and last year&rsquo;s first-rounder, center Martin Havlat (26th). Kekalainen&rsquo;s input is significant in this area.&ldquo;What you have to do in the first few rounds is draft the best player available, (it) doesn&rsquo;t matter what position,&rdquo; Johnston said. &ldquo;Then, in the later rounds you go from there. That&rsquo;s when you start looking at positions and certain needs.&rdquo;Immediate Need Suddenly, the Senators need depth on defense. Yes, Wade Redden and Phillips are still considered the cornerstones for the future, but the club will need more help. They&rsquo;re in good shape up front and in goal, but the blueline needs a boost. Jason York, 30, and Igor Kravchuk, 33, are key veterans, but are in the 30-plus category. Sami Salo, 25, is going to be around for a long time and Patrick Traverse, 26, has established himself as a bona fide NHLer, but there&rsquo;s not much in the minors. Immediately, the Senators need size and muscle on the blueline, but down the road they&rsquo;ll need skill. If they decide to go with skill, they&rsquo;ll likely opt for the European route.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01180/7579920-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="992" height="1828"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Radek Bonk Drafted: 3rd by Ottawa, 1994</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need Ottawa has lots of prospects in net, but how many will develop into NHLers? Jani Hurme is highly regarded, Simon Lajeunesse has a good upside and Mathieu Chouinard is a top prospect, but he has to be signed before June 1 or he re-enters the draft. The Sens need a goalie who can get them over the top. Tom Barrasso was supposed to be that man, but didn&rsquo;t get it done. He&rsquo;s eligible for unrestricted free agency, though the team will try to re-sign him.If Barrasso gets away, Ottawa might hire someone on a short-term basis, then begin rebuilding with a new netminder. Hurme could be the choice, but can he lead them to a Stanley Cup?Ready To Step In Left winger Petr Schastlivy did an excellent job when he was recalled at the end of the season and the Senators might not be able to deny him in 2000-01.The 21-year-old has good skills, is big enough (6-feet, 191 pounds) and exhibited a goal-scoring knack in 46 games with Grand Rapids of the International League.&ldquo;He has a lot of potential,&rdquo; said coach Jacques Martin. &ldquo;He has the opportunity to be a good player in this league. We just have to take our time to develop him and we have to be patient. Nobody can just walk into this league and be a dominant player right away.&rdquo;That said, the Sens will almost certainly make room for Schastlivy next year.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Kevin Dineen, RW, 36; Patrick Lalime, G, 25; Grant Ledyard, D, 38; Patrick Traverse, D, 26.Restricted Free Agents Magnus Arvedson, RW, 29; Radek Bonk, C, 24; Andreas Dackell, RW, 28; John Gruden, D, 30; Chris Phillips, D, 22; Jason York, D, 30.Unrestricted Free Agents Tom Barrasso, G, 35; Shaun Van Allen, C, 33.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Martin Havlat, 19, C, 6-1, 178, Trinec (Czech.), 26th overall. Compared to Marian Hossa, but needs to bulk up. 13-2942, 46 PIM, 46 games.Simon Lajeunesse, 19, G, 6-0, 170, Moncton (QMJHL), 48th overall. Candidate for Canada at 2001 World Junior Championship. 31-15-1, 2.61, 55 games.Chris Kelly, 20, C/LW, 6-0, 179, London (OHL), 94th overall. Skating isn&rsquo;t problem, but strength, resilience twin concerns. 2943-72, 63 PIM, 63 games.<h3>1998</h3>Petr Schastlivy, 21, LW, 6-0, 191, Grand Rapids (IHL), 101st overall. NHL job is his to lose at training camp. 16-12-28, 16 PIM, 46 games.Mathieu Chouinard, 20, G, 6-1, 200, Shawinigan (QMJHL), 12th overall. Could reenter draft if not signed by June 1.32-20-5, 3.34, 59 games.Chris Bala, 22, LW, 6-1, 180, Harvard (ECAC), 58th overall. Third-year collegian doesn&rsquo;t mind doing dirty work in corners. 10-13-23, 24 PIM, 30 games.<h3>1997</h3>Jani Hurme, 25; G, 6-0, 187, Grand Rapids (IHL), 58th overall. Could be in Ottawa next year if roster spot opens up. 29-15-4, 2.18, 52 games.Karel Rachunek, 20, D, 6-0, 183, Grand Rapids (IHL), 229th overall. Hard-shooting rookie pro making slow progress. 6-2026, 62 PIM, 64 games.Josh Langfeld, 23, RW, 6-3, 205, Michigan (CCHA), 66th overall. Third-year collegian&rsquo;s production tailed off sharply. 9-2029, 56 PIM, 37 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Ottawa&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish10thDraft position each round21st2000 first round21stTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.) &#9632;

f0054-01

Russians, but no rushing

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div>Hey, what are these Philadelphia Flyers trying to pull?You say you miss the old days when the team sort of revolved around one star (Erie Lindros)? Or you wish you had back the suspense whenever the score was tied and their No. 1 goalie (John Vanbiesbrouck) was staring down a short-side slapper? And you pine for those divided locker rooms, thin third and fourth lines and two-minute shifts?Sorry, that era appears to be over.The 2000 Flyers are a more team-oriented outfit with a new captain (Eric Desjardins), new goalie (Brian Boucher) and new coach (Craig Ramsay).This was a year of change for the Flyers, reflected in the promotion of four rookies-Boucher, left winger Simon Gagne and defensemen Andy Delmore and Mark Eaton.All the interior moves suggest that, for the first time in about a decade, the Flyers really are committed to developing&mdash;and hanging on to-prospects in their system.Calling The Shots Assistant GM Paul Holmgren oversees the amateur scouting operation, but GM-president Bob Clarke has the final say on draft day. According to Holmgren, scouts debate and discuss the merits of prospects. If there&rsquo;s a deadlock, Clarke has the tiebreaker. Clarke doesn&rsquo;t go on as many scouting missions as he once did. But at the same time, he seems more committed to youth-he turned down numerous trade offers for Gagne and Boucher.Draft Tendency Clarke tends to opt for homegrown talent. There are only two Euros on the current roster-Valeri Zelepukin and Ulf Samuelsson, who has been injured throughout the playoffs. The Flyers have gotten more involved in European players in recent drafts, but they still like the big, physical Canadian and U.S. players who can grind it out in the corners. In Clarke&rsquo;s second tenure as Philadelphia&rsquo;s GM, he has used the first pick on a goalie three times in five drafts, selecting Boucher (22nd overall in 1995), Jean-Marc Pelletier (30th, 1997) and Maxime Ouellet (22nd, 1999).Immediate Need Another sniper and a puck-carrying defenseman top the shopping list. The Flyers still have nights when they struggle mightily to score. On the blueline, Philadelphia says it made an honest effort to get Ray Bourque just before the trade deadline. But the Flyers may have a budding star in Delmore, who became the first rookie defenseman to score a hat trick in the playoffs. Depending on Lindros&rsquo; status for next season, the Flyers might be in the market for a first line center. Keith Primeau looks more comfortable on the second line, where there&rsquo;s less pressure.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01175/7579951-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg" title="f0055-01" width="980" height="1816"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Mark Recchi Drafted: 67th by Pittsburgh, 1988</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need The Flyers have rebuilt the team that went to the Stanley Cup final three years ago. Only Lindros, John LeClair, Eric Desjardins and Chris Therien remain.Three years from now, the Flyers will need some help on their lower lines. Rick Tocchet (36), Craig Berube (33), Jody Hull (31) and Keith Jones (31, with 40-year-old knees) will most likely be gone by then. The one area where the &ldquo;help wanted&rdquo; sign won&rsquo;t be up is goaltender, with Boucher and Ouellet the likely tandem, barring a trade. Most of the Flyers&rsquo; defensemen are over 30, so look for more defensemen on the draft lists.Ready To Step In Holmgren says he doesn&rsquo;t see too many draftees knocking on the door in September, certainly none in Gagne&rsquo;s class.Defenseman Mikhail Chernov and center Tomas Divisek are possible for injury call-up duty next season. The Flyers like Divisek&rsquo;s grit and ability to make plays in traffic. Chernov has had a rough time of it the past couple seasons-two years ago he was injured and last summer he had to deal with the death of his best friend, Dmitri Tertyshny, in a freak motorboat accident.Ouellet likely needs at least a good portion of a season with the American League&rsquo;s Philadelphia Phantoms before he can move up to the NHL.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Adam Burt, D, 31; Gino Odjick, LW, 29; Ulf Samuelsson, D, 36.Restricted Free Agents Brian Boucher, G, 23; Andy Delmore, D, 23; John LeClair, LW, 30; Eric Lindros, C, 27; Mike Maneluk, LW, 26; Chris Therien, D, 28; Steve Washbum, C, 25; Todd White, C, 25.Unrestricted Free Agents Adam Burt, D, 31; Craig Berube, LW, 33; Jody Hull, RW, 31; Rick Tocchet, RW, 36; Valeri Zelepukin, LW, 31.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Maxime Ouellet, 18, G, 6-2, 193, Quebec (QMJHL), 22nd overall. Impressed for Canada at 2000 World Junior Championship. 31-16-4, 2.67, 53 games.Vaclav Pletka, 20, RW, 5-11, 184, Trinec (Czech.), 208th overall. Speedster among Czech League&rsquo;s leading scorers. 28-2149, 72 PIM, 51 games.David Nystrom, 20, LW, 6-0, 167, Troia (Swe.), 224th overall. Decent puck skills and vision; has come long way. 12-1022, 28 PIM, 32 games.<h3>1998</h3>Tomas Divisek, 20, C, 6-2, 201, Philadelphia (AHL), 195th overall. Strong regular season, but no goals in five playoff games. 18-31-49, 30 PIM, 59 games.Jason Beckett, 19, D, 6-3, 210, Seattle (WHL), 42nd overall. Finished on a high, expected to start next season in AHL. 315-18, 183 PIM, 70 games.Antero Niittymaki, G, 19, 6-1, 172, TPS Turku (Fin.), 168th overall. Could be Phantoms&rsquo; backup goalie next season. W-L-T unavailable, 2.15, 33 games.<h3>1997</h3>Mikhail Chernov, 21, D, 6-2, 207, Philadelphia (AHL), 103rd overall. Hard-nosed, stay-at-home blueliner has good shot. 106-16, 54 PIM, 67 games.Todd Fedoruk, 21, LW, 6-2, 240, Philadelphia (AHL), 164th overall. Big, physical winger had difficult baptism in pro ranks. 1-2-3, 40 PIM, 19 games.Marko Kauppinen, 21, D, 5-11, 178, Joker-it (Fin.), 214th overall. Skilled defenseman still few years away from being ready. 49-13, 16 PIM, 47 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Philadelphia&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish3rdDraft position each round28th2000 first round28thTHN&rsquo;s top-rqnked players24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mbss-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL)30. Tero Maatta, D, Jokerit Jr, (Fin.)31. Steve Ott, C/LW, Windsor (OHL)32. Libor Ustrnul, D, Plymouth (OHL) &#9632;

f0055-01

Flyers big on youngsters

<div class="byline">By Bob McManaman</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0056-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01140/7579982-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Jeremy Roenick Drafted: 8th by Chicago, 1988</figcaption></div>PHOENIX COYOTESTrying to predict each and every prospect the Phoenix Coyotes will select at the 2000 entry draft might be easier than trying to guess what will happen to the club from top to bottom this summer. Dozens of changes could be on the horizon, including a transfer of ownership.Steve Ellman, the Arizona developer in charge of the construction of a new arena, has until June 30 to finalize the purchase of the franchise for a reported $87 million. If the deal falls through, many believe current owner Richard Burke will attempt to broker a deal with an out-of-state interest&mdash;perhaps, Portland&mdash;and the Coyotes might relocate.But if Ellman can seal the deal, changes figure to be on the way. Rumors continue to suggest captain Keith Tkachuk and the $8.3 million he is scheduled to make next season will be traded. The same might happen with unsigned goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.Then, there is the giant free agent mess sitting atop GM Bobby Smith&rsquo;s desk. He has a dozen players whose contracts are set to expire and he can&rsquo;t do much about it until the ownership issue gets resolved. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a holding pattern,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t stay that way for long, though. You can count on it.&rdquo;Calling The Shots When it comes to final decisions on draft day, the Coyotes rely on a two-headed monster. Once again, the tough calls will fall to Bill Lesuk, the club&rsquo;s longtime director of scouting, with heavy assistance from assistant director of amateur scouting Vaughn Karpen. Lesuk, who has been with the franchise for more than 20 years, has the final word on last-minute changes, but the Coyotes&rsquo; track record is to stick with their draft list and pick accordingly.Draft Tendency Like all teams, the Coyotes select the best player available on their list, regardless of position. Typically, they pick at least one goalie, but they broke the mold last year and figure to do the same this time around. Smith sees no need to search for another netminder when Phoenix already has three top talents waiting in the wings in Patrick DesRochers, Robert Esche and Josh Blackbum.Immediate Need Don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Coyotes use a few of their top picks on wingers.Phoenix is getting a little thin on both sides and the team needs to have some skill in the system once veterans such as Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Dallas Drake and Mike Sullivan wind down their careers.Long-Term Need The Coyotes want to get bigger, bigger, bigger. That continues to be one of Smith&rsquo;s main objectives as he enters his fifth entry draft with the organization. Phoenix is physical and aggressive on the forecheck, but they are average-sized throughout the organization.The club may also want to add depth to their blueline. Smith did a good job of locking up his best three defenseman-Teppo Numminen, Jyrki Lumme and Keith Carney&mdash;to long-term deals. But he needs to prepare for the day when they become unrestricted free agents.Ready To Step In There are a handful of players who have earned long looks. Topping the list is American goalie Esche, whom Tkachuk has referred to as &ldquo;the toughest player on our team.&rdquo; Right behind him is DesRochers, who probably needs one more full season to work on his game in the American League to challenge for one of the two spots in Phoenix.Smith and assistant GM Taylor Burke also are keen on young defenseman Robert Schnabel, a 6-foot-6 blueliner from the Czech Republic who is ready for NHL duty after recovering from a serious eye injury last winter. Another defenseman, Kirill Safronov, whom many scouts rated as the best European blueliner in last year&rsquo;s draft, isn&rsquo;t far off. And then there&rsquo;s enforcer defenseman Sean Gagnon, whom the Coyotes sent to Finland this past season to improve his skills. It worked and he may be ready, too.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Sean Burke, G, 33; Dallas Drake, RW, 31; Bob Essensa, G, 35; Tavis Hansen, RW, 24; Benoit Hogue, RW, 33; Lyle Odelein, D, 31; Jean-Guy Trudel, RW, 24.Restricted Free Agents Daniel Briere, C, 22; Travis Green, C, 29; Nikolai Khabibulin, G, 27; Trevor Letowski, C, 23; Robert Reichel, C, 28; Mikael Renberg, RW, 28; Radoslav Suchy, D, 24.Unrestricted Free Agents Greg Adams, LW, 36; Sean Burke, G, 33; Dallas Drake, RW, 31; Benoit Hogue, RW, 33; Lyle Odelein, D, 31.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1997</h3>Kirill Safronov, 19, D, 6-2, 210, Quebec (QMJHL), 19th overall. Big, strong blueliner too good to return to junior next fall. 10-29-39, 93 PIM, 50 games.Scott Kelman, 19, C, 6-3, 200, Seattle (WHL), 15th overall. Shoulder surgery shouldn&rsquo;t set playmaker back too much. 12-38-50, 88 PIM, 58 games.Jason Jaspers, 19, C, 5-11, 185, Sudbury (OHL), 71st overall. Highest-scoring 18-year-old in OHL progressing on schedule. 43-53-96, 99 PIM, 62 games.<h3>1998</h3>Ossi Vaananen, D, 19, 6-3, 200, Jokerit (Fin.), 43rd overall. Keeps improving, but will play one more season in Finland. 1-56, 42 PIM, 43 games.Patrick DesRochers, G, 20, 6-4, 201, Springfield (AHL), 14th overall. Coyotes&rsquo; goalie of future made big commitment to fitness. 2117-7, 3.03, 52 games.Robert Schnabel, D, 21, 6-6, 233, Springfield (AHL), 129th overall. Fully recovered from eye injury and ready for NHL duty. 28-10, 133 PIM, 40 games.<h3>1997</h3>Juha Gustafsson, D, 21, 6-3, 200, Espoo (Fin.), 43rd overall. Torn ACL shouldn&rsquo;t halt development, but he&rsquo;s not ready. 1-45, 26 PIM, 33 games.Wyatt Smith, C, 23, 5-11, 200, Springfield (AHL), 233rd overall. Made himself legitimate prospect with late-season recall. 1426-40, 26 PIM, 60 games.Robert Francz, RW, 22, 6-2, 210, Springfield (AHL), 151st overall. Good athletic talent, but hasn&rsquo;t shown enough to go places. 0-3-3, 89 PIM, 36 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Phoenix&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish12thDraft position each round19th2000 first round19thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhhov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.) &#9632;

f0056-01

Big changes in store?

<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2>Though it&rsquo;s no longer a given, Jason Spezza still has the inside track on being the first overall pick in 2001.There is also an interesting battle brewing between a pair of Canadian goalies that could see them being selected second and third.Dan Blackbum of the Western League&rsquo;s Kootenay Ice and Pascal Leclaire of the Quebec League&rsquo;s Halifax Mooseheads are both considered first-rate prospects. Red Line Report ranked Leclaire No. 1 overall for 2001, though some scouts feel Blackbum will be the better of the two.&ldquo;Both are great goalies,&rdquo; said one scout, &ldquo;but Blackbum is special. He&rsquo;s the real deal. He has great technical ability and the heart of a lion.&rdquo;In his last 66 appearances leading up to the Memorial Cup tournament, Blackbum, 16, was 48-12-5 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. He played 90 shutout periods in that span.Leclaire, 17, in his second year of junior, has shared the Mooseheads&rsquo; crease with veteran Alexey Volkov and has put up impressive numbers. He was 23-13-2 with a 3.35 GAA and .903 SP.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a solid, technically skilled goalie, but he doesn&rsquo;t have a &lsquo;specialness&rsquo; about him,&rdquo; a scout said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0295/7580013-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="311" height="436"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Spezza</figcaption></div>After taking the hockey world by storm two years ago as a 15-year-old with the Brampton Battalion, Spezza had a relatively indifferent season with I the hapless Mississauga IceDogs, I who chose him No. 1 overall in the I 1999 Ontario League draft.&ldquo;If he keeps improving at the rate I he has, he&rsquo;ll be a very good player in I our league,&rdquo; said an NHL scout.But another added: &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s going to be a disappointment. The expectations are very high for him. He&rsquo;ll still go No. 1, but somebody better than him will be picked after him.&rdquo;Here are some other potential high picks:&#9633; Tim Gleason, D, Windsor (OHL). Phil Housley-type defender loves to join rush. &#9633; Jens Karlsson, RW, Vastra Frol (Swe.). Need a hit, he&rsquo;ll deliver; need a goal, he&rsquo;ll score. &#9633; Mikko Koivu, C, TPS Turku (Fin.). Saku&rsquo;s younger brother has excellent offensive touch. &#9633; Ilya Kovachuk, LW, Spartak (Rus.). Has explosive offensive ability and hunger to match. &#9633; Brian McConnell, C, U.S. Development Program. Can beat you with power or finesse. &#9633; Alexander Svitov, D, Avangard (Rus.). Think of any game situation&mdash;he plays it well. &#9633; Steve Weiss. C, Plymouth (OHL). Offensive player described as quick, fast and dirty. &#9632;

f0056-02

SPEZZA, GOALTENDERS WILL MAKE NOISE IN 2001 DRAFT

<div class="byline">By Joe Starkey</div>The Pittsburgh Penguins got a boost this season from their first-year American League farm team in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.GM Craig Patrick said the new team made a huge difference in player development. An example is center Tyler Wright, who started the season in the AHL, where he regained a long-lost scoring touch.Wright was a new player when he returned to the NHL in December. Had the Penguins been sharing a farm club with another NHL team, he might not have had the freedom to test his offensive skills at the minor league level. He might not have been used on the power play, for example, or played 20-plus minutes per game.&ldquo;When you don&rsquo;t have control, it&rsquo;s difficult for guys to develop,&rdquo; said Patrick, who also acts as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&rsquo;s GM.Elsewhere in the organization, the Pens are fairly well-stocked, especially for a team that has drafted low the past decade. A handful of prospects, such as right winger Robert Dome, center Milan Kraft, defensemen Andrew Ference and Josef Melichar and goalie Tyler Moss, could play in the NHL next season.Calling The Shots Head scout Greg Malone runs the drafts and Patrick is a final arbiter on disputes, but the Penguins operate a democratic draft table. Each scout-including European scout Mark Kelley-has a say and can influence a selection. Patrick believes in letting his staff do its job. One of the things that makes him so good is his ability to delegate responsibility. Malone, a former Penguins&rsquo; center, is in his ninth season as the team&rsquo;s head scout.Draft Tendency There is a detectable pattern here. Patrick has supervised 10 drafts as Pittsburgh&rsquo;s GM and seven times the Pens have opted for a skilled European forward with their first round pick. The three deviations&mdash;Swedish detenseman stefan Bergkvist (1993), Canadian center Chris Wells (1994) and Canadian goaltender Craig Hillier (1996)-have not panned out. The trend continued last season when the Penguins chose Belarusian right winger Konstantin Koltsov 18th overall.Immediate Need The Penguins could use a big, rugged winger who can score. They have plenty of skill and some grit with the likes of Rene Corbet, Wright and Matthew Barnaby, but they lack a true power forward. They haven&rsquo;t had a hard-hitting winger who could contribute offensively since Rick Tocchet was traded in 1994.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01129/7580044-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="989" height="1808"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Jaromir Jagr Drafted: 5th by Pittsburgh, 1990</figcaption></div>And if the Penguins are unable to sign unrestricted free agent Ron Tugnutt, goaltending depth becomes an immediate problem.Long-Term Need Most of the skilled forwards in the organization are wingers, so the Penguins could use a couple of creative centers. And it wouldn&rsquo;t hurt to have some physical, North American-style players from whom they can pick and choose when the club needs a boost. The Penguins have an abundance of skill, but not necessarily an abundance of, size and grit, which other teams have&mdash;creating a scenario for trade possibilities.Ready To Step In Milan Kraft, a lanky Czech, should be skating on the Penguins&rsquo; first or second line next season. A first round pick in 1998 (23rd overall), Kraft almost made the club in training camp, but wound up spending the season with Prince Albert of the Western League. Malone is impressed with the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Kraft, who has gained 13 pounds since draft day.&ldquo;He has raised his level of play to where he&rsquo;s actually dominating,&rdquo; Malone said.Kraft, 20, starred at the World Junior Championship in January. In the championship game against Russia, he scored the winning goal in the shootout to give the Czechs the title. Once in Pittsburgh, Kraft would join the Penguins&rsquo; seven other Czechs, not to mention coach-inwaiting, Ivan Hlinka.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Rob Brown, RW, 32; Tom Chorske, LW, 33; Pat Falloon, RW, 27; Steve Leach, RW, 34; Ian Moran, C/D, 27; Peter Skudra, G, 27; Dan Trebil, D, 26.Restricted Free Agents Jean-Sebastien Aubin, G, 22; Matthew Barnaby, LW, 27; Josef Beranek, LW, 30; Bob Boughner, D, 29; Rene Corbet, LW, 26; Robert Dome, RW, 21; Pat Falloon, RW, 27; Janne Laukkanen, D, 30; Aleksey Morozov, RW, 23; Dan Trebil, D, 26.Unrestricted Free Agents Rob Brown, RW, 32; Tom Chorske, LW, 33; Steve Leach, RW, 34; Peter Popovic, D, 32; Ron Tugnutt, G, 32.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Konstantin Koltsov, 19, RW, 6-0, 187, Metallurg (Rus.), 18th overall. Great speed; needs to improve scoring touch. 34-7, 12 PIM, 30 games.Sebastien Caron, 19, G, 6-1, 160, Rimouski (QMJHL), 86th overall. Workhorse netminder had most victories in league. 38-11-3, 3.53, 54 games.Matt Murley, 20, LW, 6-1, 192, Rensselaer (ECAC), 51 si overall. Excellent playmaking sophomore led team in assists. 9-2938, 42 PIM, 35 games.<h3>1998</h3>Milan Kraft, 20, C, 6-3, 202, Prince Albert (WHL), 23rd overall. Could center Penguins&rsquo; first or second line next year. 34-3569, 42 PIM, 56 games.Alexander Zevakhin, 19, LW, 6-0, 187, Central Army (Rus.), 54th overall. Leader has battled knee injuries all season. 0-1-1, n/a PIM, 15 games.Scott Myers, 20, G, 5-10, 175, Prince George (WHL), 110th overall. Tied for fifth in league with .909 save percentage. 3015-3, 2.85, 49 games.<h3>1997</h3>Robert Dome, 21, RW, 6-0, 210, Wilkes-Barre (AHL), 17th overall. Took step back; star glimmer is getting dimmer. 12-26-38, 83 PIM, 51 games.Andrew Ference, 21, D, 5-10, 190, Wilkes-Barre (AHL), 208th overall. Proved in 30 games with Pens he can play in NHL. 820-28, 58 PIM, 44 games.Josef Melichar, 21, D, 6-2, 214, Wilkes-Barre (AHL), 71st overall. By all accounts, this defenseman is NHL-ready. 3-9-12, 126 PIM, 80 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Pittsburgh&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish13thDraft position each round18th2000 first round18thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players14. Ilya Nikulin, D, Tver (Rus. 1)15. Martin Samuelsson, W, MoDo Jr, (Swe.)16. Brad Boyes, C, Erie (OHL)17. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Erie (OHL)18. Anton Volchenkov, D, Central Army (Rus.2)19. Jarret Stoll, C, Kootenay (WHL)20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.) &#9632;

f0057-01

Farm aid helps cause

Jay Bouwmeester found much of the attention he received this season distracting.Mainly because the 16-year-old defenseman was concerned it took away from his teammates, particularly those older than him. Well, Jay, better get used to it. It&rsquo;s just the beginning.Bouwmeester made such a huge impression as a rookie in the Western League, he was one of two 16-year-olds to play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in Sweden. Center Jason Spezza of the Mississauga IceDogs was the other.&ldquo;He grasps things quickly, acclimatizing himself to the level of play,&rdquo; said Rick Carriere, his coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers. &ldquo;I think that was apparent at the World Junior tournament. He&rsquo;s driven and focuse and feels his way through things with so-much ease.&rdquo;&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a thoroughbred,&rdquo; said an NHL scout. &ldquo;He has all the physical tools; now he just has to be trained to win like a thoroughbred.&rdquo;Another observer noted: &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll often carry the puck deep into the other team&rsquo;s end, but when there&rsquo;s a turnover, he&rsquo;s the first guy back.&rdquo;The 6-foot-3-l/2, 200-pound Bouwmeester scored 13 goals and 34 points in 64 games for the Tigers, who used four 16-year-olds regularly and failed to make the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0292/7580075-1-eng-US/f0057-022.jpg" title="f0057-02" width="304" height="431"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jay Bouwmeester</figcaption></div>One scout likened him to Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues.&ldquo;It took Pronger a few years in the NHL to learn how to apply his natural talent,&rdquo; the scout said. &ldquo;Bouwmeester will be the same.&rdquo;Another scout warned it was far too early to get excited about Bouwmeester&rsquo;s offensive upside.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not creative enough to be a superstar in the NHL,&rdquo; the scout said. &ldquo;But he is physically strong, though. He&rsquo;ll make an impact.&rdquo;Here are some other potential high picks in 2002:&#9633; Kari Lehtonen, G, Jokerit (Fin.). The 6-foot, 170-pound goalie led Finland to a gold medal at the World Under-18 tournament. &#9633; Trevor Daley, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL). Is considered a cross between Paul Coffey and Alexei Zhitnik because of his great offensive instincts. &#9633; Steve Eminger, D, Kitchener (OHL). An excellent two-way performer who makes an impressive first pass out of his team&rsquo;s zone. &#9633; Jiri Hudler, C, Vsetin (Czech.). Speedy little pivot plays with players two year older and more than holds his own. &#9632;

f0057-02

BOUWMEESTER JUST THE RIGHT MEDICINE FOR WHL TIGERS

<div class="byline">By Dave Luecking</div>Since the arrival of GM Larry Pleau three years ago, the St. Louis Blues have begun to reap the benefits of Ted Hampson&rsquo;s labor.With a background in player development, Pleau arrived with a mandate to build the Blues&rsquo; farm system and develop a pipeline for players drafted by Hampson, the Blues&rsquo; director of amateur scouting.The plan paid off this past season with five homegrown players making an impact in the team&rsquo;s Presidents&rsquo; Trophy-winning season of 114 points. Playoff scoring leader Jochen Hecht, 25-goal scorer Michal Handzus, crafty center Marty Reasoner, grinder Jamal Mayers and rookie winger Ladislav Nagy came up through the system.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a nice feeling,&rdquo; said Hampson, who has seen too many young players traded by previous regimes before they blossomed into NHL players. &ldquo;You can really see the benefits of development. The guys in Worcester (American League) have done a great job.&rdquo;Calling The Shots Hampson calls the shots at the Blues&rsquo; draft table. In his 17th season with the team, Hampson has specialized in finding diamonds in the rough-mid&mdash;to late-rounders who have blossomed into NHLers either with the Blues or elsewhere. His finds include Cliff Ronning (134th overall in 1984), Guy Hebert (159th, 1987), Bret Hedican (198th, 1988), Ian Laperriere (158th, 1992), Mike Grier (219th, 1993), Handzus (101st, 1995), Jean-Luc GrandPierre (179th, 1995) and Nagy (177th, 1997).Draft Tendency In the last three years, the Blues have focused on drafting defensemen to build depth in the organization. They&rsquo;ve used all but one of their first four picks since 1997 to select blueliners, for a total of 11. That includes first-rounders Barret Jackman (17th, 1999) and Christian Backman (24th, 1998) and promising prospects Jan Horacek (98th, 1997), Peter Smrek (85th, 1999) and Matt Walker (83rd, 1998). In all, the Blues have used 15 of their 27 picks in the last three years to pick defensemen.Immediate Need With so many forwards making the jump to the NHL the past two years, the organization&rsquo;s farm system is thin up front. Only two players picked in the past three years-Nagy and Andrei Trochinsky (170th, 1998)-have impressed the club. Nagy, 20, is on the fast track to the NHL, but Trochinsky played last season in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, only two minor-leaguers&mdash;center Dan Corso and left winger Derek Bekar&mdash;are remotely close to reaching the NHL and neither one figures to be a first&mdash;or second-liner. So the focus for the Blues&rsquo; draft this year will have to be at forward.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01137/7580106-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="988" height="1827"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Pavol Demitra Drafted: 227th by Ottawa, 1993</figcaption></div>Long-Term Need With the exception of captain Chris Pronger, 25, and Al Maclnnis, who turns 37 in July, the Blues&rsquo; defense is a mixed bag of veteran journeymen who have a minimal upside. Jeff Finley, the only blueliner assured of being back next season, is 33. Todd Reirden is 28, but he was scratched in the last four games of the playoffs. Marc Bergevin, who turns 35 in August, and Rico Persson, who turns 31 in August, won&rsquo;t be protected in the expansion draft. Looking three years down the road, there&rsquo;s not much beyond Pronger. The Blues&rsquo; player development system will have to crank out several defensemen, while the team explores free agency and trades to shore up the blueline in the immediate future.Ready To Step In St. Louis rushed Nagy to the NHL because of Pavol Demitra&rsquo;s late-season concussion. Nagy showed flashes of brilliance in his recall, scoring two goals and six points in 11 regular season games and adding a goal and two points in six playoff contests. In the Blues&rsquo; scheme, he won&rsquo;t be a regular on the first two lines in 2000-01, but there is an opening next to Marty Reasoner on the Blues&rsquo; third line, which the team now envisions as more of an offensive unit than a checking line.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Marc Bergevin, D, 34; Jim Campbell, RW, 27; Kelly Chase, RW, 32; Brent Johnson, G, 23; Reed Low, RW, 23; Jamie McLennan, G, 28; Scott Pellerin, LW, 30; Rico Persson, D, 30; Pascal Rheaume, LW, 26; Bryce Salvador, D, 23.Restricted Free Agents Lubos Bartecko, LW, 23; Michal Handzus, C, 23; Jamal Mayers, RW, 25; Scott Pellerin, LW, 30; Rico Persson, D, 30; Todd Reirden, D, 28.Unrestricted Free Agents Bob Bassen, LW, 34; Mike Eastwood, C, 32; Dave Ellett, D, 36; Tyson Nash, LW, 25; Stephane Richer, RW, 33; Rudy Poeschek, D, 33.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Barret Jackman, 19, D, 6-1, 200, Regina (WHL), 17th overall. Physical style and intensity creates room on the ice. 9-37-46, 169 PIM, 52 games.Peter Smrek, 20, D, 6-1, 215, Worcester (AHL), 85th overall. Adjusted to facing bigger, stronger players in first pro season. 5-19-24, 24 PIM, 62 games.Trevor Byrne, 20, D, 6-3, 200, Dartmouth (ECAC,) 143rd overall. Freshman was on ice in all key situations. 3-9-12, 22 PIM, 30 games.<h3>1998</h3>Christian Backman, 20, D, 6-2, 187, Vastra Frolunda (Swe.), 24th overall. Had trouble cracking first division club&rsquo;s lineup. 1-0-1, 12 PIM, 15 games.Andrei Trochinsky, 22, C, 6-5, 187, Ust-Kamengorosk (Kaz.), 170th overall. Nagging injuries hampered development. 0-3-3, 20 PIM, 16 games.Matt Walker, 20, D, 6-2, 222, Kootenay (WHL), 83rd overall. Rugged player became regular on team&rsquo;s power play. 624-30, 148 PIM, 69 games.<h3>1997</h3>Ladislav Nagy, 20, RW, 5-11, 183, Worcester (AHL), 177th overall. Showed promise during late-season recall. 23-2851 67 PIM, 69 games.Jan Horacek, 21, D, 6-4, 206, Worcester (AHL), 98th overall. Struggled with consistency and didn&rsquo;t progress as expected. 1 - 8-9, 143 PIM, 66 games.Jame Pollock, 20, D/RW, 6-3, 202, Worcester (AHL), 106th overall. Defenseman with big shot saw significant time at right wing. 12-10-22, 49 PIM, 53 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to St. Louis&rsquo; first selection.1999-2000 overall finish1stDraft position each round30th2000 first round30thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL)30. Tero Maatta, D, Jokerit Jr. (Fin.)31. Steve Ott, C/LW, Windsor (OHL)32. Libor Ustrnul, D, Plymouth (OHL)33. Matt Pettinger, LW, Calgary (WHL)34. Kurtis Foster, D, Peterborough (OHL) &#9632;

f0058-01

Starting to see rewards

<div class="byline">By Ross McKeon</div>The San Jose Sharks are without a first round pick for the first time in franchise history, but they&rsquo;re not stressing about it.San Jose views the 2000 entry draft as a real crapshoot after the first four or five selections. In addition, because the Sharks have so many recent high first round picks either already in the NHL (Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm), very close (Scott Hannan, Jonathan Cheechoo) or on the way (Jeff Jillson), the absence of another No. 1 will give some payroll relief from any more rookie salary-cap contracts.Calling The Shots Director of amateur scouting Tim Burke will oversee the Sharks&rsquo; efforts for a fifth straight year. Burke is the principal decisionmaker and responsible for evaluating amateur talent at every level.A member of the San Jose scouting department since 1992-93, Burke spent the previous five seasons in the New Jersey Devils&rsquo; organization, where he served in several capacities: He was a Devils&rsquo; assistant coach; head coach of the American League&rsquo;s Utica Devils; and a pro scout.Draft Tendency While judging 17- and 18-year-old talent is an inexact science, the Sharks look for speed first and foremost.San Jose is not concerned with any one position in particular. The team usually selects the best player available at each position, with foot speed serving as the ultimate tie-breaker.In recent years, the Sharks have favored the traditional western Canadian major junior player, a vast departure from the club&rsquo;s early drafts, which were dominated by European selections.Immediate Need The Sharks might not fill these needs in the 2000 draft, but they could use a right-handed shooting defenseman for the power play and a backup goalie with some NHL expenence incase their lightly tested prospects aren&rsquo;t ready for the role. Size on the wing, especially the left side, would be helpful.Where does the organization have to shore up the most? Because their best forward prospects are already in the NHL, the Sharks need help on the wings in terms of size, speed and scoring. The only legitimate NHL prospects at those spots are Jonathan Cheechoo, a sniping right winger who graduates from major junior to the AHL next fall at Kentucky, and minor league right winger Matt Bradley.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01116/7580137-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg" title="f0059-01" width="988" height="1809"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Owen Nolan Drafted: 1st by Quebec, 1990</figcaption></div>Bradley completed his second full season with Kentucky and will try to win a job with the Sharks in training camp. Beyond those two, San Jose&rsquo;s prospects on the wings are either in junior, Europe or competing in the college ranks&mdash;all far from the NHL.Long-Term Need The Sharks could use toughness, both on the blueline and up front. They have several wingers, such as Jeff Friesen, Alexander Korolyuk and Niklas Sundstrom, who are heavy on skill, but generally light on physical play. The same is true of the defense corps.Ready To Step In Scott Hannan is cut from the cloth of the solid and steady defenseman. Not flashy, Hannan has size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), good hockey sense, a developing shot and solid work habits.The Sharks were so impressed with his potential, they made a draft day trade in 1997 to acquire a second first round pick with which they picked Hannan 23rd overall. After four seasons of junior with Kelowna of the Western League, Harman spent half of the 1999-2000 season with Kentucky before being promoted to San Jose Jan. 14. He dressed in 22 of the Sharks&rsquo; final 29 regular season games. Possessing a lefthand shot, Hannan is versatile and able to play either the left or right side with equal efficiency.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Mike Craig, RW, 29; Tony Granato, RW, 35; Dave Lowry, RW, 35; Stephane Matteau, LW, 30; Brantt Myhres, RW, 26; John Nabokov, G, 24; Jeff Norton, D, 34; Jarrod Skalde, C, 29; Ron Stem, RW, 33; Ron Sutter, C, 36.Restricted Free Agents Todd Harvey, RW, 25; Alexander Korolyuk, RW, 24; Patrick Marleau, C, 20; Brantt Myhres, RW, 26; John Nabokov, G, 24; Owen Nolan, RW, 28; Marcus Ragnarsson, D, 28; Steve Shields, G, 27; Marco Sturm, C/LW, 21; Niklas Sundstrom, RW, 24; Andy Sutton, D, 25.Unrestricted Free Agents Mike Craig, RW, 29; Tony Granato, RW, 35; Dave Lowry, RW, 35; Stephane Matteau, LW, 30; Jeff Norton, D, 34; Jarrod Skalde, C, 29; Ron Stem, RW, 33; Ron Sutter, C, 36.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Jeff Jillson, 19, D, 6-2, 200, Michigan (CCHA), 14th overall. Sophomore&rsquo;s play leveled off after strong first half. 8-26-34, 111 PIM, 36 games.Willie Levesque, 19, RW, 6-0, 195, North-eastern (HE), 111 th overall. Hard-nosed sophomore not flashy, but provides steady effort. 9-13-22, 45 PIM, 33 games.Nicholas Dimitrakos, 21, RW, 5-11, 190, Maine (HE), 163rd overall. Sophomore had brilliant spurts, but performance fluctuated. 11-15-26, 14 PIM, 30 games.<h3>1998</h3>Jonathan Cheechoo, 19, RW, 6-0, 200, Belleville (OHL), 29th overall. Scorer needs to work on defense in minors next year. 45-46-91, 102 PIM, 66 games.Eric LaPlante, 20, LW, 6-0, 195, Quebec (QMJHL), 65th overall. Tough winger with scoring touch turns pro next season. 18-42-60, 318 PIM, 65 games.Robert Mulick, 20, D, 6-2, 205, Kentucky (AHL), 185th overall. Depth player unable to earn single point all season. 0-0-0, 52 PIM, 52 games.<h3>1997</h3>Scott Hannan, 21, D, 6-2, 220, Kentucky (AHL), 23rd overall. Meat-and-potatoes defender will compete for NHL job. 5-12-17, 14 PIM, 41 games.Mark Smith, 22, C, 5-10, 200, Kentucky (AHL), 219th overall. Longshot ninthrounder plays with big heart. 21-45-66, 153 PIM, 79 games.Joe Dusbabek, 22, RW, 6-1, 200, Notre Dame (CCHA), 163rd overall. Graduating Irishman will get look in first camp. 8-19-27, 30 PIM, 36 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to San Jose&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish15thDraft position each round16th2000 first pick46thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players42. Antoine Vermette, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)43. Jozef Balej, RW, Portland (WHL)44. Alexander Tatarinov, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)45. J-F Racine, G, Drummondville (QMJHL)46. Shane Endicott, C, Seattle (WHL)47. Niklas Kronvall, D, Djurgarden (Swe.)48. Teemu Laine, RW, Jokerit (Fin.)49. Matt DeMarchi, D, Minnesota (WCHA)50. Paul Martin, D, Elk River High (USHS) &#9632;

f0059-01

Lack of No. 1 no problem

<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2>Nothing against the two Stanley Cup finalists, but Doug MacLean hopes one of them wins in a hurry. And who can blame him?The length of the final will have a direct bearing on how much time the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild have to prepare for the expansion draft, which takes place June 23 in Calgary, one day before the entry draft begins.&ldquo;I hope it&rsquo;s a sweep,&rdquo; said MacLean, president and GM of the Blue Jackets.The Blue Jackets and Wild will be provided with teams&rsquo; protected fists approximately three days after the final concludes. The latest it could go is June 12. They will then use the time up until the expansion draft to attempt to swing side deals with existing teams. The clubs could secure the rights to players in return for a promise to stay away from others on the available lists.Last year, when there was just one team entering the NHL, the Atlanta Thrashers, GM Don Waddell was able to take his time and make side deals. This year, with two teams coming in, the teams won&rsquo;t have that same luxury.A coin toss will be held at the draft lottery May 31 to determine which of the expansion teams will be designated Team A and Team B. Then at the expansion draft, another coin flip will be held to decide which team will have the higher pick at the entry draft and which team will have the option of picking first among available goalies in the expansion draft. The team that picks first in goalies will choose 1-4-5. The other teams picks 2-3-6.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0275/7580168-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="308" height="428"><figcaption class="caption-body">Damian Rhodes</figcaption></div>The team that picked second in goalies then has the option of picking first among defensemen or forwards. Each team will pick eight defensemen and 13 forwards. The team that picks first among defensemen will pick: 1-46-7-9-12-14-15. The team that picks first among forwards picks: 1-4-6-7-9-12-14-1517-20-22-23-25. Teams may take up to 10 15minute timeouts during the expansion draft to make side deals.Both teams will likely wind up with a larger team payroll than the most recent expansion teams. The Thrashers&rsquo; and Predators&rsquo; payrolls came in at about $17 million last season.&ldquo;We have to make sure the players can help our team or has (trade) value to an existing team,&rdquo; said Wild GM Doug Risebrough.Goalies are traditionally pivotal players for expansion teams. Last year, Atlanta traded for Damian Rhodes from Ottawa. The year before, Nashville got Mike Dunham from New Jersey. &#9632;

f0059-02

EXPANSION CLUBS ANXIOUS TO SEE ROSTERS TAKE SHAPE

<div class="byline">By Damian Cristodero</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0060-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01106/7580199-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Vincent Lecavalier Drafted: 1st by Tampa Bay, 1998</figcaption></div>Tampa Bay Lightning GM Rick Dudley served notice at last year&rsquo;s entry draft that he&rsquo;s not afraid to do the unexpected.Dudley surprised many by trading away Tampa Bay&rsquo;s first round pick, which just happened to be No. 1 overall. As part of his wheeling and dealing, Dudley acquired the New York Rangers&rsquo; first round pick this year, giving the Lightning two lottery picks. The question now is, how will the Lightning utilize those picks?The club has pressing needs and can use immediate help at every position. The positive spin is they&rsquo;re one of the youngest teams in the NHL and have a farm system that is gaining respectability.Whether Dudley opts to cash in one or both of the first round picks for immediate help remains to be seen. He didn&rsquo;t reveal his hand last season until the last minute and will likely keep everyone guessing again this year.Calling the Shots There is only one voice in the room when it comes to the final word on personnel decisions and that is Dudley&rsquo;s. Sure, when it comes down to trades that could cause havoc with the team&rsquo;s salary structure, Tom Wilson, the Lightning&rsquo;s chief executive officer, gets into the act. But Wilson was adamant recently about the good job he thinks Dudley has been doing in building the team, so he is more than happy to let the GM run the show.Draft Tendency Tampa Bay&rsquo;s management group has been around for just one draft, so it&rsquo;s too early to make sweeping statements. However, speed on offense and big, bruising defenders seem to the team&rsquo;s liking. Check out defenseman Brett Scheffelmaier, taken in the third round (75th overall) last year: 6-foot 5, 202 pounds and 277 penalty minutes for Medicine Hat of the Western League this past season. Then there&rsquo;s blueliner Kaspars Astashenko, selected in the fifth round (127th). He&rsquo;s 6-foot-l, 206 pounds and earned 86 PIM with Detroit and Long Beach of the International League in 1999-2000.Immediate Need Where to start? The Lightning&rsquo;s needs are wide and varied. Dudley spent much of his first year restocking the organization after it was left bare by the previous regime.Dudley initially concentrated on defensemen in his talent search, so the club could now use some upgrading up front. Of their top 26 forward prospects heading into 1999-2000, just six scored more than 20 goals. Center Vincent Lecavalier, the first overall pick in 1998, lived up to expectations by leading the Lightning with 25 goals, but he&rsquo;ll need support.Long-Term Need Just as scoring punch is an immediate issue, it&rsquo;s something that must be addressed for the long-term as well.Goaltending is also still in flux. Dan Cloutier has been pegged as the team&rsquo;s future in net, but he was inconsistent in his first full NHL season. The talent in the farm system is unproven; the addition of a veteran to take some of the heat off Cloutier and act as a mentor would help.Ready To Step In Dimitry Afanasenkov could make the team next season as a first or second line player. In fact, Lightning officials will be surprised if he doesn&rsquo;t. The right winger was outstanding for Sherbrooke of the Quebec League with 56 goals and 99 points in 60 games. He wasn&rsquo;t shy either, earning 70 minutes in penalties.The 20-year-old Russian has great vision on the ice and a nice finishing touch. Afanasenkov doesn&rsquo;t represent the entire solution to the team&rsquo;s search for a high-scoring winger, but he won&rsquo;t hurt considering the Lightning averaged just 2.5 goals per game in 1999-2000.Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Shawn Burr, LW, 33; Ben Clymer, D, 22; Jassen Cullimore, D, 27; Kevin Hodson, G, 28; Steve Martins, C, 28; Bryan Muir, D, 26; Rich Parent, G, 27; Robert Petrovicky, C,.26; Daren Puppa, G, 35; Reid Simpson, LW, 31.Restricted Free Agents Kaspars Astashenko, D, 25; Zac Bierk, G, 23; Dan Cloutier, G, 24; Dwayne Hay, LW, 23; Brian Holzinger, C, 27; Ryan Johnson, C, 23; Dan Kesa, RW, 28; Pavel Kubina, D, 23; Steve Martins, C, 28; Fredrik Modin, LW, 25; Bryan Muir, D, 26; Robert Petrovicky, C, 26; Wayne Primeau, C, 23; Todd Warriner, LW, 26; Andrei Zyuzin, D, 22.Unrestricted Free Agents Rich Parent, G, 27; Daren Puppa, G, 35; Reid Simpson, D, 31.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Sheldon Keefe, 19, RW, 5-11, 185, Barrie (OHL), 47th overall. Hard-working winger plays Theo Fleury-type game. 48-73-121, 95 PIM, 66 games.Jimmie Olvestad, 20, LW, 6-1, 194, Djurgarden (Swe.), 88th overall. Exceptional skater projected as checking forward. 4-37, 28 PIM, 42 games.Brett Scheffelmaier, 19, D, 6-5, 202, Medicine Hat (WHL), 75th overall. Stay-at-home defender has good range and a mean streak. 1-9-10, 277 PIM, 70 games.<h3>1998</h3>Dimitry Afanasenkov, 20, RW, 6-2, 200, Sherbrooke (QMJHL), 72nd overall. Great finisher should make Bolts as sniper. 56-4399, 70 PIM, 60 games.Brad Richards, 20, LW, 6-1, 187, Rimouski (QMJHL), 64th overall. Unsigned playmaker was CHL&rsquo;s top scorer, but skating is iffy. 71-115-186, 69 PIM, 63 games.Eric Beaudoin, 20, LW, 6-2, 202, Guelph (OHL), 92nd overall. Not expected to be signed after relatively flat season. 38-3472, 126 PIM, 68 games.<h3>1997</h3>Kyle Kos, 21, D, 6-3, 207, Detroit (IHL), 33rd overall. Moves puck well; needs to work on skating and positioning. 1-2-3, 77 PIM, 44 games.Matt Elich, 20, RW, 6-3, 196, Detroit (IHL), 61st overall. One of the organization&rsquo;s best skaters, but scoring touch eludes him. 12-4-16, 12 PIM, 48 games.Mark Thompson, 21, D, 6-8, 234, Toledo (ECHL), 109th overall. Must develop skating and mean streak. 1-2-3, 122 PIM, 53 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Tampa Bay&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish27thDraft position each round4th2000 first round pending lottery 4th, 8thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players2. Marian Gaborik, LW, Trencin (Slo.)3. Rick DiPietro, G, Boston University (HE)4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Brampton (OHL)5. Scott Hartnell, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)6. Raffi Torres, LW, Brampton (OHL)7. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Togliatti (Rus.)8. Brooks Orpik, D, Boston College (HE)9. Pavel Vorobiev, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)*New York Rangers&rsquo; first pick belongs to Tampa Bay &#9632;

f0060-01

Quick fix or high picks?

<h2>DRAFT PRIMER</h2>Wondering which prospects just missed out getting their mug shots in our top 60?THN takes special care to give you all the information you&rsquo;ll need on the top 60 prospects (pgs. 9 through 26), good for two rounds of drafting. But just to show we did our homework, here are the best of the rest. If the draft goes according to THN, these are the prospects that will be selected in the third round.Some of these players may sneak up into the second round as teams start trying to fill needs instead of &ldquo;taking the best player available.&rdquo; Also, each team has their prospects rated differently, so No. 61 on our list may be no No. 58 on another and so on.Don&rsquo;t think because these guys aren&rsquo;t smiling at you like the top 60 are that they won&rsquo;t have an impact in the NHL Each team is filled with players who weren&rsquo;t projected blue-chippers. This is where a team&rsquo;s homework, prudent research and good luck comes into play.This players and the rest after No. 90 can play pivotal roles in the NHL. Players are listed with position and team they played for this past season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-0262/7580230-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg" title="f0060-02" width="277" height="440"><figcaption class="caption-body">Filip Novak</figcaption></div>THN&rsquo;s 3rd Round ProspectsRk. Player, Pos., Team (League)61. David Morisset, RW, Seattle (WHL)62. Sven Helfenstein, F, Kloten (Switz.)63. Wade Davis, D, Calgary (WHL)64. Filip Novak, D, Regina (WHL)65. Janne Jokila, W, TPS Jr. (Fin.)66. Ivan Huml, LW, Langley (BCHL)67. Jakub Cutta, D, S. Current (WHL)88. Nick Schultz, D, Prince Albert (WHL)69. Tuukka Makela, D, Helsinki Jr, (Fin.)70. Olli Malmivaara, D, Jokerit Jr. (Fin.)71. Johan Hagglund, C, MoDo Jr. (Swe.)72. Ilya Bryzgalov, G, Togliatti (Rus.)73. Yanick Lehoux, C, B-Comeau (QMJHL)74. Carl Mallette, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)75. Joel Lundqvist, C, Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)76. Tomas Surovy, C/W, Bystrica (Slo.1)77. Vladimir Luchkin, C, Cherepovets (Rus.2)78. Shane Bendera, G, Red Deer (WHL)79. Max Birbraer, LW, Newmarket (Jr. A)80. Jan Bohac, C, Slavia Praha (Czech)81. Daniel Widing, RW, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)82. Agris Saviels, D, Owen Sound (OHL)83. Lou Dickenson, C/LW, Mississauga (OHL)84. Ryan Aschaber, G, Windsor (OHL)85. Alexander Ljubimov, D, Togliatti (Rus.)86. Davis Parley, G, Kamloops (WHL)87. Dominic Moore, C, Harvard (ECAC)88. Marc Cavosie, C/LW, Rensselaer (ECAC)89. Levente Szuper, G, Ottawa (OHL)90. Dan Ellis, G, Omaha (USHL) &#9632;

f0060-02

NO PHOTO DOESN’T MEAN NO IMPACT FOR THESE PROSPECTS

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div>The Toronto Maple Leafs adopted a radical change of direction at last year&rsquo;s entry draft and it had nothing to do with the players they selected.In fact, the Leafs&rsquo; efforts at the draft table were overlooked and outdone by the climax of a nasty front office power struggle that resulted in several casualties. The day before last year&rsquo;s draft in Boston, team president Ken Dryden fired associate GM Mike Smith, calling him on his car phone while Smith was driving his wife to a cancer treatment. Dryden immediately began wooing coach Pat Quinn, who ultimately assumed the dual role of coach and GM and when the dust settled, director of player personnel Anders Hedberg had left the organization and was replaced by Nick Beverley.Beverley, who held the job previously with the Leafs, is charged with the task of building the roots of the organization. While the scouting staff has provided the Leafs with good young talent, the youth beyond the NHL level is thin and suspect. Beverley has a chance to change that because the Leafs have five picks in the top 100 in each of the next two drafts.Calling The Shots Beverley, 53, has been a coach, scout, director of player personnel, assistant GM and GM with the Los Angeles Kings and Maple Leafs since retiring as a player in 1980. He had offers to join other teams, but Quinn was eager to promote him to head of the scouting department after Hedberg left. Because Beverley does both pro and amateur scouting, he leans heavily on chief amateur scout Mark Hillier, chief European scout Thommie Bergman and longtime senior scout Floyd Smith.Draft Tendency Under Hedberg, the Leafs had a decidedly European bias at the draft table. The Leafs have gone to Europe for their last two first round picks in Nik Antropov (10th overall in 1998) and Luca Cereda (24th, 1999) and have had some good fortune with the likes of Tomas Kaberle (204th, 1996), Danny Markov (223rd, 1995) and Sergei Berezin (256th, 1994) in later rounds during Beverley&rsquo;s tenure with the Leafs as director of player personnel. Beverley is less concerned with filling needs than he is with taking the best player available and will likely provide more balance between North American and European choices.Immediate Need It will be impossible for the Leafs to address it in this draft, but the almost certain end of Bryan Berard&rsquo;s career has created a gaping void for a mobile defenseman who can move the puck and run the power play.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01109/7580261-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="985" height="1824"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Mats Sundin Drafted: 1st by Quebec, 1989</figcaption></div>The Leafs were just 2-for-43 with the extra man in the playoffs, including 0-for-20 in their second round ouster to the New Jersey Devils. Beyond Kaberle, who doesn&rsquo;t have Berard&rsquo;s upside, there are no players in the organization that have given any indication they can provide that element either immediately or in the long-term.Long-Term Need Superstar goalie Curtis Joseph has two years left on his contract, but the Leafs don&rsquo;t have a single netminding prospect in their system who will be ready to take over the No. 1 spot when Joseph succumbs to the trauma of facing too many shots. Granted, good goalies are easier to acquire than position players, but the Leafs are bereft of them beyond Joseph.The Leafs are also severely challenged in the grit department, which was a big reason why they lost to the Devils.Ready To Step In Jeff Farkas showed an impressive array of skills in his three-game playoff stint, but is fresh out of Boston College and there are concerns about his mental and physical toughness at the NHL level. The center/left winger was chosen 57th overall in 1997. Farkas is seen as a top-two line player and power play specialist.Adam Mair, another center/left winger, was rookie of the year for the Leafs&rsquo; farm team, St. John&rsquo;s of the American League, but struggled in the playoffs after excelling in the post-season the year before. Selected 84th in 1997, Mair is projected as a third- or fourth-liner who provides character and a physical edge to the lineup.Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Greg Andrusak, D, 30; Bryan Berard, D, 23; Wendel Clark, LW, 33; Tie Domi, RW, 30; Glenn Healy, G, 37; Dmitri Khristich, LW, 30; Kris King, LW, 34; Chris McAllister, D, 24; Alyn McCauley, C, 23.Restricted Free Agents Jonas Hoglund, LW, 27; Alexander Karpovtsev, D, 30; Danny Markov, D, 23; Chris McAllister, D, 24; Alyn McCauley, C, 23; Yanic Perreault, C, 29.Unrestricted Free Agents Wendel Clark, LW, 33; Glenn Healy, G, 37.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Luca Cereda, 18, C, 6-2, 203, Ambri-Piotta (Switz.), 24th overall. Had miserable season in Swiss league; will play major junior in fall. 1-5-6, 14 PIM, 43 games.Jonathan Zion, 19, D, 6-0, 198, Ottawa (OHL), 110th overall. Rebounded after difficult season; has good on-ice vision. 752-59, 16 PIM, 66 games.Peter Reynolds, 19, D, 6-3, 190, North Bay (OHL), 60th overall. Struggled after trade from London, but had solid playoff. 3-2932, 53 PIM, 61 games.<h3>1998</h3>Petr Svoboda, 19, D, 6-2, 200, Dukla Jihlava (Czech.), 35th overall. Strong player projected as No. 5 or 6 defender. 1-2-3, PIM not available, 39 games.Jamie Hodson, 20, G, 6-2, 190, Brandon (WHL), 69th overall. Came back after knee surgery and remains long-term project. 1321-3, 3.33 GAA, 39 games.Mihail Travnicek, 20, RW, 6-1, 198, Litvinov (Czech.), 228th overall. Banned from international play for spearing; will play in AHL next year. 3-6-9, 30 PIM, 51 games.<h3>1997</h3>Adam Mair, 21, C/LW, 6-1,195, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL), 84th overall. First full season as pro had ups and downs. 22-27-49, 124 PIM, 66 games.Jeff Farkas, 22, C/LW, 6-0, 185, Boston College (HE), 57th overall. Has great speed and skills, but strength an issue. 30-25-55, 55 PIM, 39 games.Frantisek Mrazek, 21, LW, 6-4, 220, St. John&rsquo;s (AHL), 111th overall. Blew out knee before second pro game and missed season. 0-0-0, 0 PIM, 1 game.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Toronto&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish7thDraft position each round24th2000 first round24thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players20. Marcel Hossa, C, Portland (WHL)21. Justin Williams, RW, Plymouth (OHL)22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Taffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA) &#9632;

f0061-01

Time to replenish stock

<div class="byline">By Elliott Pap</div>The black hole that has enveloped the Vancouver Canucks since the mid-1990s is disappearing.Two years into GM Brian Burke&rsquo;s regime, the Canucks have reshaped their roster and are beginning to resemble a team capable of making the playoffs.The Canucks finished with a 15-10-50 surge using only four players above the age of 30, one of them being 39-year-old captain Mark Messier. They improved from 58 points to 83 and jumped from 13th in the Western Conference to a tie for ninth.Better still, their pipeline is teeming with prospects from super Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin to Harold Druken, Josh Holden, Bryan Allen, Steve Kariya, Jarkko Ruutu, Zenith Komamiski and Rene Vydareny.&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t really a position that is screaming out for help,&rdquo; said Canuck assistant GM Dave Nonis, who oversees the farm operation and development of players in Vancouver&rsquo;s system.Calling The Shots Mike Penny is the Canucks&rsquo; draft guru, a job he has held since the mid-1980s with the exception of two seasons when he did some pro scouting and player development work as an assistant GM. But when Burke assumed command in 1998, Penny was restored to his old job as the head of amateur scouting.Penny doesn&rsquo;t have a first round draft pick to work with this season; it was traded away to Chicago in the Bryan McCabe deal that netted Vancouver the Sedin twins.Draft Tendency The team&rsquo;s draft philosophy has not wavered. The Canucks will always take the most talented player available regardless of position.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d say we&rsquo;re pretty deep at center, but it we happen to get to the point where the next player on our list is a centerman, we&rsquo;ll definitely take him,&rdquo; Nonis said. &ldquo;These days, younger players are the easiest to move. You can always trade that asset later in the year&hellip;and try to upgrade somewhere else.&rdquo;Immediate Need The Canucks&rsquo; depth at the NHL level is solid at every position with the exception of goal. This is a problem that dates back years; they have not drafted a No. 1 goalie since taking Glen Hanlon 40th overall in 1977.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01111/7580292-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="997" height="1827"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Markus Naslund Drafted: 16th by Pittsburgh, 1991</figcaption></div>The top Vancouver netminders and most of the backups have been acquired through trades beginning with Richard Brodeur, then Kirk McLean, Sean Burke, Arturs Irbe, Garth Snow and Felix Potvin. The Canucks don&rsquo;t have anyone in the system who appears capable of sliding in behind Potvin if Snow, as expected, leaves through either the expansion draft, unrestricted free agency or a trade.&ldquo;With 30 teams in the league, it seems tougher and tougher to get depth at goaltending,&rdquo; Nonis said.Long-Term Need Like their immediate need, the Canucks are in a pickle at the goaltending position. They plan to re-sign Potvin and declare him their main man for at least the next three years and perhaps longer. But they cannot look within their system and say there is an heir apparent.Last spring, they signed free agent University of Maine netminder Alfie Michaud with the hope he might develop into an NHL-caliber backstop. However, Michaud&rsquo;s first season in the American League was not a success as he won just 10 of 32 decisions (10-17-5).Ready To Step In You can&rsquo;t discuss one without the other-Daniel and Henrik Sedin are coming to Vancouver as a dual entry and will step right into the lineup.Left winger Daniel and center Henrik are expected to begin as third line players, but there is no telling what they are capable of accomplishing. A number of scouts felt they were ready to play this past season as 19-year-olds. They turn 20 on Sept. 26.&ldquo;We expect them to contribute and be quality third line guys,&rdquo; Nonis said. &ldquo;If they can do more, that&rsquo;s great.&rdquo;Expansion Bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Greg Hawgood, D, 31; Darby Hendrickson, C, 27; Vadim Sharifijanov, LW, 24; Garth Snow, G, 30; Brent Sopel, D, 23; Harry York, C, 26.Restricted Free Agents Donald Brashear, LW, 28; Darby Hendrickson, C, 27; Brad May, LW, 28; Brendan Morrison, C, 24; Felix Potvin, G, 28; Brent Sopel, D, 23; Harry York, C, 26.Unrestricted Free Agents Greg Hawgood, D, 31; Mark Messier, C, 39; Garth Snow, G, 30.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Daniel Sedin, 19, LW, 6-1, 200, MoDo (Swe.), 2nd overall. High-scoring winger finishes plays started by brother. 27-3259, 28 PIM, 61 games.Henrik Sedin, 19, C, 6-2, 200, MoDo (Swe.), 3rd overall. Playmaking pivot second in Swedish scoring race. 14-47-61, 22 PIM, 61 games.Rene Vydareny, 19, D, 6-1, 200, Rimouski (QMJHL), 69th overall. Offensive defenseman hurt early, but played well down stretch. 7-23-30, 41 PIM, 51 games.<h3>1998</h3>Bryan Allen, 19, D, 6-4, 215, Syracuse (AHL), 4th overall. Injury-prone blueliner&rsquo;s season was washout. 1-1-2, 11 PIM, 9 games.Justin Morrison, 20, RW, 6-3, 200, Colorado College (WCHA), 81st overall. Had up-and-down, disappointing junior season. 7-20-27, 28 PIM, 38 games.Jarkko Ruutu, 24, LW, 6-2, 195, Syracuse (AHL), 68th overall. Became one of best players on farm team after slow start. 26-3258, 164 PIM, 65 games.<h3>1997</h3>Ryan Bonni, 21, 0, 6-4, 195, Syracuse (AHL), 34th overall. Showed steady improvement and played with consistency. 5-13-18,125 PIM, 71 games.Larry Shapley, 22, RW, 6-6, 215, Manitoba (IHL), 148th overall. Also played in ECHL, but concussions limited him to 29 games overall. 0-0-0, 83 PIM, 18 games.Dennis Martynuk, 20, LW, 6-3, 190, Spartak (Rus.), 201st overall. Winger no longer appears to be in Canucks&rsquo; plans. Stats not available.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects close to Vancouver&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish20thDraft position each round11th2000 first pick 41stTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players37. Sergei Soin, F/D, Krylja Sovetov (Rus.l)38. Jonas Nordqvist, C, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)39. Kris Vernarksy, C, Plymouth (OHL)40. Nathan Smith, C, Swift Current (WHL)41. Thatcher Bell, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)42. Antoine Vermette, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)43. Jozef Balej, RW, Portland (WHL)44. Alexander Tatarinov, RW, Yaroslavl (Rus.)45. J-F Racine, G, Drummondville (QMJHL) &#9632;

f0062-01

Good depth, except in net

<div class="byline">By Dave Fay</div>If you were to read about what the Washington Capitals are looking for in the 2000 NHL entry draft and the subject didn&rsquo;t concern scoring, you&rsquo;d think you were perusing the April Fool&rsquo;s edition of The Hockey News.Welcome to reality. The Caps are looking for offense, specifically people who are creative around the net and can finish off plays. Washington is loaded with people who can direct the puck toward the goal, but not many who can put it behind the netminder on a regular basis.Case in point is the Capitals&rsquo; surprisingly quick exit in the first round of the playoffs. Washington lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games, wasting a 102-point regular season. The Capitals were outscored by the Penguins 178 in the series despite outshooting Pittsburgh by an average of 10 per game. The Penguins blocked nearly as many Washington shots (93) as they took themselves (109). When the totals were in, Pittsburgh goalie Ron Tugnutt stopped 152 of 160 shots (.950 save percentage) and the Capitals missed another 74 they attempted to put on net. Add it up and Washington attempted 327 shots and just eight got through.The Caps fared better during the regular season-227 goals for an average of 2.8 per game-but still paled when compared to the elite teams. Of the clubs that qualified for the post-season, only Buffalo, Dallas, Edmonton and San Jose scored less frequently.Yes, the Caps are looking for scoring.Calling The Shots Ross Mahoney is the Capitals&rsquo; director of amateur scouting and is a former teacher, coach and player who directed Buffalo&rsquo;s program for 10 years before coming to Washington.&ldquo;He has worked with young men his whole career, so he can not only evaluate talent, but also cut through the nonsense when it comes to interviewing candidates,&rdquo; said GM George McPhee.Should a disagreement arise over a selection, McPhee said he tries to point parties in the right direction, but the final call is Mahoney&rsquo;s.Draft Tendency Being fast with a hint of a mean streak won&rsquo;t hurt your chances with the Caps. Under McPhee, the club has shown a tendency to go against tip sheet predictions and so far it has paid off. Last year, they claimed Kris Beech of the Calgary Hitmen with the seventh overall pick and got a player they hope will be a No. 1 center down the line.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-01103/7580323-1-eng-US/f0063-012.jpg" title="f0063-01" width="988" height="1824"><figcaption class="caption-body">1999-2000 Top Scorer: Adam Oates Undrafted: Signed by Detroit, 1985</figcaption></div>Immediate Need Three of Washington&rsquo;s four losses to the Penguins were by one goal, proving Olaf Kolzig kept them in games, but the power play was 3-for-21. In the regular season, the Caps&rsquo; power play ranked 21st over all with a 15 per-cent efficiency.Washington needs a power play quarterback and a garbageman up front.Long-Term Need A backup to Kolzig will be needed in the next year or so and Adam Oates, 38, can&rsquo;t center the first line forever.The system is starting to produce some quality players and McPhee has had decent luck with free agents. The long term is not a major concern at the moment.Ready To Step In Beech may move somebody out of a job in September. He was impressive in his first training camp and every Washington scout who saw him play this past season gave the 19-year-old rave reviews.Beech sees the ice very well, is loaded with ability and is a creative playmaker and uncanny passer.However, McPhee strongly believes rushing youngsters has destroyed more careers than it has helped. If Beech doesn&rsquo;t make the grade in camp, the club won&rsquo;t hesitate to send him back.&ldquo;If he&rsquo;s ready, he&rsquo;ll start on the fourth line, the same way Jeff Halpern did this season,&rdquo; McPhee said. &ldquo;If he shows he can handle that, we&rsquo;ll move him up. But if he stays, he won&rsquo;t sit on the bench.&rdquo;Expansion bait? Candidates to be exposed in the June 23 expansion draft: Mike Eagles, C, 36; Terry Yake, C, 35; Rob Zettler, D, 32.Restricted Free Agents Jan Bulis, C, 22; Sergei Gonchar, D, 26; Ken Klee, D, 29; Andrei Nikolishin, C, 27; Chris Simon, LW, 28; Brendan Witt, D, 25.Unrestricted Free Agents Martin Brochu, G, 27; Mike Eagles, C, 36; Jim McKenzie, LW, 31; Joe Murphy, RW, 33; Joe Sacco, LW, 31; Terry Yake, C, 35; Rob Zettler, D, 32.<h2>BEST PICKS FROM PAST THREE DRAFTS</h2><h3>1999</h3>Kris Beech, 19, C, 6-2, 180, Calgary (WHL), 7th overall. Excellent playmaker full of promiser 32-54-86, 99 PIM, 66 games.Michal Sivek, 19, C, 6-3, 210, Prince Albert (WHL), 29th overall. Big center with great wheels never takes a shift off. 23-37-60, 65 PIM, 53 games.Charlie Stephens, 19, RW, 6-4, 225, Guelph (OHL), 31st overall. Right winger has great size, but must work on consistency. 16-34-50, 87 PIM, 56 games.<h3>1998</h3>Chris Corrinet, 21, RW, 6-3, 220, Princeton (ECAC), 107th overall. Late-bloomer is year away from turning pro. 10-14-24, 41 PIM, 30 games.Mike Siklenka, 20, D/RW, 6-5, 228, Hampton Roads (ECHL), 118th overall. Big, versatile player graduated to Portland (AHL). 7-4-11,62 PIM, 58 games.Mike Farrell, 21, D, 6-1, 205, Providence (HE), 220th overall. Takes care of business in own zone; finished year in AHL. 3-6-9, 71 PIM, 36 games.<h3>1997</h3>Jean-Francois Fortin, 21, D, 6-3, 208, Portland (AHL), 35th overall. Needs experience, better conditioning to excel as pro. 3-5-8, 44 PIM, 44 games.Curtis Cruickshank, 21, G, 6-3, 220, Portland (AHL), 89th overall. Steady progress for goalie who climbed from ECHL to AHL. 4-5-1,2.99 GAA, 10 games.Henrik Petre, 21, D, 6-1, 187, Brynas (Swe.), 143rd overall. Only other player left from &rsquo;97 class isn&rsquo;t expected to play in NHL. 3-3-6, 73 PIM, 47 games.<h3>Fast Facts</h3>THN&rsquo;s top-ranked players represent our range of prospects dose to Washington&rsquo;s first selection.1999-2000 overall finish5thDraft position each round26th2000 first pick26thTHN&rsquo;s top-ranked players22. Alexei Mikhnov, W, Yaroslavl (Rus.)23. Lars Jonsson, D, Leksand Jr. (Swe.)24. Ron Hainsey, D, Mass-Lowell (HE)25. Ruslan Zainullin, RW, Kazan (Rus.)26. Brian Sutherby, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)27. Krys Kolanos, C, Boston College (HE)28. Jeff Toffe, C, Minnesota (WCHA)29. Tomas Kurka, LW, Plymouth (OHL)30. Tero Maatta, D, Jokerit Jr. (Fin.) &#9632;

f0063-01

Scoring pop Capital idea

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy Senior Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="THN01-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn01-01/7580354-1-eng-US/thn01-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Who is that unmasked man? Flyer goalie Brian Boucher makes a save for the ages as he stops New Jersey&rsquo;s Patrik Elias on a breakaway with an outstretched glove hand.</figcaption></div>The Philadelphia Flyers gave it their all, but in the end, only Eric Lindros was left seeing stars.Lindros, playing in just his second playoff game of the season, sustained the sixth concussion of his career and third since March, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final seven minutes into the first period.The New Jersey Devils won the game 2-1 earning the right to meet the defending Stanley Cup-champion Dallas Stars in the final.The clean hit administered by Scott Stevens on Lindros was the most dramatic moment of the 2000 playoffs through three rounds. Here are THN&rsquo;s 10 most memorable moments.1. Lindros hit Game 7, New Jersey at Philadelphia May 26. Forced inside by Devils&rsquo; defenseman Scott Niedermayer, Lindros cuts across the ice just inside the Devils&rsquo; blueline and is hammered by Stevens. Lindros is left motionless on the ice by the legal check. He leaves the game and is hospitalized overnight.2. Primo Primeau Game 4, Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, May 4. In the fifth period of overtime, the Flyers&rsquo; Keith Primeau corrals the puck in the neutral zone and breaks into the Pittsburgh end along the right boards. He fakes defenseman Darius Kasparaitis to the outside, slams on the brakes, cuts back in and beats Ron Tugnutt with a high shot to the short side.3. Save of the century Game 3, Philadelphia at New Jersey, May 18. With Philadelphia nursing a 2-1 lead early in the second period and the Flyers on a power play, New Jersey&rsquo;s Patrik Elias springs free on a breakaway. Elias comes in on Brian Boucher and makes a nifty deke, only to have Boucher sprawl across the crease, roll over on his back and block the puck with his outstretched glove hand while his mask goes flying.4. Post-al Strike Game 7, Colorado at Dallas, May 27. With time running out, Avs&rsquo; defenseman Ray Bourque clangs a shot off the right post. The puck rubs the pad of goalie Ed Belfour before hitting the post. It it culminates a flurry of activity in which the Avs dominate the Stars after trailing 3-0 after two periods.5. Oh no, not again Game 2, Buffalo at Philadelphia, April 14. With Buffalo clinging to a 1-0 second period lead, Philadelphia&rsquo;s John LeClair fires a slapshot that enters the net through a hole in the side. It isn&rsquo;t until a few minutes later-when a different camera angle from those used by the video replay goal judges is discovered-that it is confirmed the goal should not have counted. The Sabres and their fans, who are still incensed about last season&rsquo;s in-the-crease Stanley Cup-deciding goal, are angered once more as the goal stands and the Flyers win 2-1.6. Backbreaker Game 7, San Jose at St. Louis, April 25. With time running out in the opening period, San Jose right winger Owen Nolan blasts a desperation shot from just inside center ice that fools Blues&rsquo; goalie Roman Turek. The goal stands up as the game&mdash;and series-winner as the Sharks upset the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy winners.7. One-man show Game 1, Detroit at Colorado, April 27. Avalanche center Peter Forsberg roars into the Detroit zone off the right boards, loses the puck momentarily, but kicks it back up to his stick as he slips past defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. He then cuts to the net past defenseman Chris Chelios and beats Chris Osgood high on the glove side.8. Speed to burn Game 4, Philadelphia at New Jersey, May 20. Simon Gagne breaks into the New Jersey zone, slows momentarily as he fakes to the inside, then cuts to the outside past Devils&rsquo; defenseman Brian Rafalski and drives to the net, swooping past goalie Martin Brodeur and depositing a backhander with 3:20 remaining to give his team a commanding two-goal lead.9. Throwing the game Game 2, San Jose at St. Louis, April 15. St. Louis Blues&rsquo; defenseman Marc Bergevin catches the puck and attempts to toss it behind his team&rsquo;s goal, but instead throws it past a startled Turek into the net. Sharks&rsquo; defenseman Gary Suter is credited with the goal as San Jose wins 4-2.10. Tic-tac-toe Game 2, Detroit at Colorado, April 29. Chelios rifles a shot off the left boards into the Colorado end. The puck rebounds off the back boards and into the slot area, eluding Avs&rsquo; goalie Patrick Roy, who left his cage to get it. Tomas Holmstrom is johnny-on-the-spot and scores into the vacated goal.The Hockey News<h2>PLUS</h2>1. Czech it out The Czech Republic wins another world title.2. Seventh heaven First time since 1964 Cup semis go to the max.3. Heat is on Dany Heatley THN&rsquo;s No. 1 prospect for the draft.4. Triumphant return Eric Lindros scores in his first playoff game.5. Hot Hull Brett Hull his old dangerous self through three rounds.<h2>MINUS</h2>1. Barrie Dolts Barrie fined $5,000 for disrespectful behavior.2. Flyers crash Philly blows 3-1 series lead to Devils.3. Big elbow Avs&rsquo; Dave Andreychuk knocks out Richard Matvichuk.4. Hosts flop Russia hosts World Championship, finishes 11th.5. Hackers Computer hackers wreak havoc with NHL&rsquo;s website. &#9632;

THN01-01

Heart-stopping moments

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="THN10-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn10-01/7580399-1-eng-US/thn10-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Game-worn jersey</figcaption></div>Ever wonder why it is that Father&rsquo;s Day comes around every year and never fails to catch you off guard? You go to the mall, see the signs, check the calendar. Then panic sets in. He&rsquo;s got a tie for every day of the year. He doesn&rsquo;t play croquet. The Benny Goodman CDs are all sold out. What now?Fortunately, dads who love hockey make things easy. Everyone knows that when all dad&rsquo;s hockey sticks go missing only to mysteriously reappear in the back garden propping up mom&rsquo;s tomato plants, what he really needs are a few lightweight kevlar-fibreglass composite models with super-torque energy transfer. Mom won&rsquo;t dare take those.If the old man spends half his salary on steel wool to clean the quarter-inch layer of rust on his Cold War era skate blades, the dutiful child won&rsquo;t hesitate to get him a new pair; he&rsquo;ll love the Tuk blades. Or, when the forty-something black-and-white television is working overtime mid-way through the first period on a Saturday night in frosty February, the only proper response is to show him how great that classy Detroit Red Wings winged wheel really looks&hellip;in colour. Make him really happy by throwing in the NHL Center Ice satellite package, which brings more than 800 NHL games into your home during the season. Contact your local licensed satellite dealer for details and be sure to warn mom.As for the rest of you--those sons and daughters with difficult fathers who somehow don&rsquo;t fit into any of the above categories--we&rsquo;re here to help. Follow this hockey gift checklist and you&rsquo;ll never buy him another pair of socks (replica Original Six hockey socks excepted).We start with dad&rsquo;s equipment bag. Open it up and take a deep breath. If you turn away in disgust it&rsquo;s time dad realises those pinesmelling Christmas trees aren&rsquo;t just for cars anymore.Poke around some more. If you don&rsquo;t find any tape, get him some of that, too. You&rsquo;ll need real hockey tape and the clear shin guard variety. Buy lots. It&rsquo;s one of hockey&rsquo;s dirty secrets people who don&rsquo;t have tape in their bag all the time, never have tape in their bag at all. That means your dad has gone through his entire life bumming tape off everyone else. One of these days some guy is going to punch his lights out Four or five hundred rolls should do fine.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn10-02/7580392-1-eng-US/thn10-022.jpg" title="THN10-02" width="570" height="732"></div>One more thing on tape: Stay away from the funky coloured stuff. Remember, the point is to help dad look good on the ice, or at least stop him from looking really bad. Getting him a gift certificate for a season&rsquo;s worth of skate sharpening might help here, too. You can even pick up a hand-held sharpening stone as insurance. That way, when he trips over the blue line, dad can crawl his way to the bench and immediately begin sharpen his edges, as if they were the problem. If he&rsquo;s a goalie, get him an extra water bottle for the top of the net. Make sure to fill it up with something special once in a while.Speaking of goalies, there&rsquo;s no need to tire yourself out firing pucks on dad in the driveway before his big game. Get him a puck-shooting machine so he can practice alone before he goes to work. An appropriate model might weigh about 100 pounds and fire pucks at speeds up to 80 miles an hour. Dad can set the machine to target the weak glove hand or low stick side as needed. You can start by scouting the scene on-line at a site such as www.boni.com and going from there.A more socially oriented training gift would be to sign dad up for one of those weeklong summer adult hockey camps. He&rsquo;ll love the exercise and he&rsquo;s bound to improve. Better yet, sign him up for the Montreal Canadiens fantasy hockey camp this summer in Mont Tremblant, Que. For a mere$ 6,495 (Cdn.), your father can skate on the ice with Guy Lafleur, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson and others, and see just how far he was from making it to the NHL. Maybe he&rsquo;ll i be able to beat them at golf in the afternoon.Okay, back to the equipment bag. If dad&rsquo;s hockey shirt is faded and tattered, you have a few options. One is to head to your nearest sporting goods store with NHL licensed apparel Cor shop on-line) to pick up that authentic sweater of his favourite team. With name and number included, you&rsquo;ll still be coughing up less than$ 200.Alternatively, you can go retro and get in on an auction for, oh, game-worn 1920s and 30s Eddie Shore jerseys or replica Bobby Orr sweaters signed by the man himself that will cost you, oh, a lot more. For information, send off a note to stantonauctions@aol.com or check out the Orr stash at www.bobbyorrslocker.com.The other major piece of equipment to look for in the equipment bag is the helmet. If it looks like your father has been wearing his since before he was a father, do both of yourselves a favour by purchasing him an up-to-date model. Over time, helmets lose their protective ability and become less able to help prevent concussions or other head injuries. You might not get the right size, so save the bill. The important thing is to act quickly.This is only scratching the surface, of course. Any hockey playing father also needs his share of dietary supplements, energy bars, ice packs, long underwear, &ldquo;Property of Cmsert favourite team here)&rdquo; t-shirts and a comfy living room recliner for post-game relaxation.But if none of the above captures the depth of feeling you have for dad, try this Give him an IOU, good for one season of hockey heaven. Next winter when the crisp air returns and the snow begins to fall, head to the lumberyard. Don&rsquo;t come back until you have a backyard rink in the back of the pick-up truck. Put up the boards, flood the snow with water late at night, turn on the floodlight and make the hot chocolate. Dad will head out after dinner and won&rsquo;t come in until you tell him it&rsquo;s time for bed. When he complains that the game isn&rsquo;t over, say next goal wins, but he still has to go to work in the morning. This gift is priceless, the only sure thing to make him feel like a kid again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn10-03/7580385-1-eng-US/thn10-032.jpg" title="THN10-03" width="906" height="216"><figcaption class="caption-body">Signed Bobby Orr stick</figcaption></div> &#9632;

THN10-01

From hockey tape to puck shooting machines, Father’s Day gifts are a snap for hockey dads

<div class="byline">By Bob McKenzie, Associate Editor</div>As good a story as Wayne Gretzky is, Walter may be a better one. As good a person as Wayne is, and he&rsquo;s a better person than he is a player which is saying something, he has nothing on his father.Gretzky&rsquo;s unbridled passion for playing the game was incredible, but it no doubt stemmed from Walter Gretzky&rsquo;s love and appreciation of life in general. This is especially true of Walter since he suffered a brain aneurysm that neariy took his life in 1991.&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t supposed to live,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;(The doctor) told (wife) Phyllis to call Wayne and the boys because I probably wouldn&rsquo;t last the night.&ldquo;When you get a second chance, just being here, well, this is all a precious thing to me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Very precious.Walter speaks the words, but his actions tell the tale. The retired Bell Canada worker has always seemed to have a firm grasp on the meaning of life, of how it&rsquo;s not what you take, but what you leave that&rsquo;s important.&ldquo;My dad has always been my biggest fan and my biggest critic,&rdquo; Wayne said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mean he was hard on me. He would talk to me about what would make me a better player. He has always been such a big part of it There has never been a day he wasn&rsquo;t a big part of my success.&rdquo;It was as if Walter was chosen to shepherd a special talent into the worid and he didn&rsquo;t disappoint. It was Walter who put Wayne on the ice for the first time, just shy of his third birthday, on the frozen river, the Nith, behind Wayne&rsquo;s grandparents&rsquo; farm in Canning, Ont., and captured it on the family&rsquo;s movie camera.It was Walter who flooded the famous backyard rink, but not because he figured he had a future NHLer on his hands. &ldquo;It was,&rdquo; Walter said, &ldquo;for self-preservation. I got sick of taking him to the park and sitting there for hours freezing to death. It was Walter who took six-year-old Wayne to tryouts for a team of 10-years-olds, the beginning of a hockey career that is now legendary.Through it all Walter taught his son humility and grace. No story has received more play, or perhaps been a bigger factor in the career of No. 99 than Walter&rsquo;s stinging admonishment after 10-year-old Wayne went through the motions before a packed house at a late-season game.&ldquo;My father said, I don&rsquo;t ever want to see you do that again. All these people came to see you play. You have to be at your top level every night, whether it&rsquo;s an exhibition or Game 7,&rsquo;&rdquo; Gretzky said.That Gretzky has so seldom disappointed on or off the ice, is a tribute to himself and his father. If Gretzky is the ultimate hockey player, Walter is the ultimate hockey dad. He is likely to miss Wayne playing as much as Wayne will miss it &mdash; maybe more.Spending an afternoon with Walter Gretzky is an exercise in the reaffirmation of life. Maybe that&rsquo;s because few people value it as much as Walter, who has been a much different person since his aneurysm.&ldquo;Yeah, he&rsquo;s changed,&rdquo; Wayne said. &ldquo;He became more relaxed, more at ease. He&rsquo;s having more fun, which I tried to get him to do for 20 years.&rdquo;An abridged version of a story first published in the book &ldquo;The Great One--Wayne Gretzky, A legend in our time.&rdquo; &#9632;

Hockey’s first father set the standard for the Great One

<div class="byline">By Mark Brender</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="THN15-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn15-01/7580454-1-eng-US/thn15-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hockey schools offer a great off-season destination for fathers and sons</figcaption></div>Kelly Clymer had a ball of fun travelling across the continent from Dallas to Guelph, Ont., last summer to attend hockey camp with his son Taylor. The two are doing it again this year, and this time they&rsquo;re bringing a few buddies along with them -- three kids from the squirt team Kelly coaches in Dallas and a friend from the adult recreational team he plays on himself.Now some people might think watching a nine-year-old skate for a week isn&rsquo;t their idea of a good time, even if he is your own nine-year-old, but that&rsquo;s not what Kelly intends on doing. He caught a few glimpses of his son on the ice last year, but the truth is that Kelly spent more time on the ice than Taylor. At the end of the week, both of them were happy and exhausted campers. This year they&rsquo;re again expecting nothing less.The Can-Am Adult/Child Hockey School in Guelph, isn&rsquo;t the only place fathers and sons can bond around the game in the off-season, but it just might be one of the best. For the Clymers, it all began when Kelly started looking for a hockey school for Taylor to attend. Kelly went to a hockey school when he was young and wanted the same thing for his son. Kelly never intended to actually go back to school himself all these years later; he just thought he&rsquo;d go along to watch over Taylor. But when he heard about the Guelph program, it seemed like a perfect fit. At 41, he figures he has a few more good years in him, and you&rsquo;re never too old to keep learning.&ldquo;It was fabulous,&rdquo; said Kelly, a beer distributor. &ldquo;We had no distractions. My cell-phone doesn&rsquo;t work there, my beeper doesn&rsquo;t work there, and (Taylor] has never seen me without my cell-phone or beeper going off at least 12 times an hour.&rdquo;The adults are on the ice about five-and-a-half hours a day, kids three and a half. Though the programs are separate and don&rsquo;t mix on the ice until the ever-popular, end-of&mdash;the week father-son game, dads always have the opportunity to sneak away from their own activity time to see how the kids are progressing.According to Eric Chapman, assistant director of Can-Am Hockey Schools, part of the attractiveness of the program is the flexibility afforded parents to improve their own hockey skills while still keeping a proud eye on the developing offspring.Before the Clymers arrived at the camp, Taylor wanted to bunk with his dad in the dormitory, but as soon as he met other campers his age he changed his mind. Father and son ended up sleeping in separate dorms. Taylor even got his own spending money to budget during the week. &ldquo;He did pretty well,&rdquo; Kelly said. As far as the father-son tilt, pitting Clymer versus Clymer, Kelly said: &ldquo;They really kept great control of the game as far as the refs calling penalties on the fathers.&rdquo;The Clymers also took in one of the most popular off-season attractions for families when visiting the Toronto area: the Hockey Hall of Fame. Much to Taylor&rsquo;s delight, their first image stepping into the main exhibit area was a huge picture of the 1998-99 Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars, snapped on-ice at Buffalo&rsquo;s Marine Midland Arena moments after the Game 6 win, with the prized Cup front and center.&ldquo;It was good for him because he felt a lot of pride for Dallas,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;The Hockey Hall of Fame for any hockey fan is sacred ground.&rdquo;No matter what NHL city is nearby, there&rsquo;s always a way for dad and the kids to get a feel for the action, even if opening night is months away. Virtually all NHL arenas offer regularly scheduled tours of the facilities and the newer facilities especially are well worth the trip.There are other ways families can play the sport together in the summer as well. Many roller hockey centers now have adult and kid leagues and open public skating sessions. Indoor plastic ice hockey training facilities such as the Puckmasters franchises can gear one-on-one training and instruction programs for anyone&rsquo;s need.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no age restriction at all,&rdquo; said Puckmasters&rsquo; spokesman Susan MacDonald. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got three-on-three games in some of the places, so maybe three dads could go out and play three sons.&rdquo;Kelly Clymer believes that regardless of how far or how seriously a child--or a father--takes the game, the lessons it provides will always apply. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best sport in the world for teaching you (about] teamwork,&rdquo; he said.An important family value to be sure, and one worth experiencing in any season. &#9632;

THN15-01

Parent/child hockey camp offers a unique bonding experience

<div class="byline">By Frank Condron</div>Brian Passmore clearly remembers how he felt when the day he and his oldest son and namesake had been dreaming of for years finally arrived last summer.The Streetsville, Ont, resident was a little late coming home from his job as sales manager for a trucking company that day, so his wife Sue beat him to the answering machine to check the messages. When he finally arrived, he found his wife bursting with excitement as she dragged him in to hear the voice captured on the tape. It was the assistant general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, inviting their 19-year-old son Brian to try out for the NHL club at training camp that September.&ldquo;We were going crazy,&rdquo; Passmore, 47, recalls. &ldquo;We kept the message on the machine for weeks and played it for anyone that came to the house. We even framed the official invitation that came later.&rdquo;Young Brian didn&rsquo;t make the big club last year, but he had a good camp and returned to the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League for his third junior season more confident than ever that he can achieve his goal of playing in the NHL. He is eligible for the draft this spring, and has seen interest from the Carolina, Columbus and Minnesota clubs, as well as the Oilers. As far as his father is con-cemed, though, just having his son invited to play at the highest level is reward enough for years of hard work and sacrifice.&ldquo;We are just so proud of what he has achieved up to now,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We really had no idea he would get as far as he has, and when you start out playing hockey that can&rsquo;t be your motivation anyway. You have to play the game because you love it and that is what I have always tried to stress.&rdquo;Passmore thought his son might have what it takes to make it all the way to the pros right from the beginning, when he was just five-years-old. He would run to the rink, Passmore remembers, and he thought about hockey all the time. He even wrote letters to his favorite NHL players and wrote about his games in his journal at school. &ldquo;Even his teachers asked us if he thought about anything else,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I guess he had the fever right from the start.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn16-01/7580492-1-eng-US/thn16-012.jpg" title="THN16-01" width="884" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Passmore (inset) coached son Brian throughout most of his career</figcaption></div>Passmore knows about the &ldquo;fever.&rdquo; He played rep hockey himself growing up, eventually earning a hockey scholarship to Boston University. Like young Brian, he even got a tryout with a pro club--the Toronto Toros of the WHA--but packed it in rather than go to the minors.Aside from young Brian, the Passmores also have two more sons, 18-year-old Sean and 16-year-old Darryl, who also play elite-level hockey. And for all three boys, their father has been a constant presence throughout their hockey careers.&ldquo;I coached them all, right from tadpole up,&rdquo; Passmore says. He coached eldest son Brian through all the levels of rep hockey up to peewee, and was still coaching the younger two at the midget and bantam levels last year. At times, the family hockey schedule took up every night in the week, with dad often coaching back-to-back practices that had him on the ice for three hours at a stretch.&ldquo;It got to the point where our relatives just wouldn&rsquo;t invite us to anything in the wintertime,&rdquo; says Sue.With his three boys all reaching an age where he can no longer coach them, Passmore stepped back from his rigorous coaching schedule this year to just enjoy watching his sons play. And after years of devoting all his spare time to his sons&rsquo; hockey addiction, he has suddenly found out there is a whole world outside the hockey rink. &ldquo;I just realized there are lots of other things to do and get done,&rdquo; he laughs. &ldquo;But I would do it all over again.&rdquo;Steve Thompson is just beginning to get a taste of the kind of life Brian Passmore has led for more than 15 years. A 40-year-old owner of a delivery business in Brampton, Ont, Thompson has twin 10-year-olds, Mark and Brent who started playing hockey two years ago, and a 5-year-old, Kevin, who just laced up the skates for the first time this past winter. In addition to his six-day, 65-hour workweek, Thompson now devotes most of his spare time to coaching his boys.&ldquo;Monday is power skating for the twins. Saturday morning is Kevin&rsquo;s game. Saturday afternoon is the twins&rsquo; game. Sunday is practices,&rdquo; says Thompson. On the evenings in between, he manages to squeeze in. a few games of old-timers hockey himself. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never missed one of their practices or games. Sometimes it costs me money because I have to get guys to work for me, but that&rsquo;s not an issue because I enjoy it&rdquo;Thompson finds that coaching his boys in a sport they all love gives him an opportunity to teach them life lessons in the context of the game. &ldquo;They can team about discipline, being a part of a team, working for a common goal,&rdquo; he explains.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn16-02/7580485-1-eng-US/thn16-022.jpg" title="THN16-02" width="577" height="688"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hockey dad Steve Thompson coachs his three boys, including Kevin, 5.</figcaption></div>Just like Passmore&rsquo;s three boys when they were younger, the three Thompson boys are in their &ldquo;hockey mad&rdquo; phase right now. Aside from their regular hockey, they play on the road, in the basement, and watch games on TV. Thompson says he isn&rsquo;t sure yet whether any of his boys have enough &ldquo;fever&rdquo; for hockey to carry them all the way to the pros, but he isn&rsquo;t concerned either way.&ldquo;I just want them to enjoy playing hockey as much as I enjoy iL and I will do whatever I have to do to allow them to do thaL&rdquo; Thompson says. &ldquo;But if they end up developing another passion, I say let them enjoy what they want to enjoy.&rdquo;And as a father who has managed to guide his son from minor hockey to the doorstep of the NHL, what advice does Passmore have for fathers like Steve Thompson, who are just beginning that journey? &ldquo;Just let them play.l think a parent&rsquo;s job is just support the kids and let them take their own course.&rdquo;Little Kevin Thompson dreams of the NHL too, and like young Brian Passmore, he just might have a chance to get there some day. But no matter what happens, he knows he has a devoted dad behind him all the way. &#9632;

THN16-01

Sharing the dream

Statistics provided by National Hockey League: Players are listed by uniform number, name, games played (GP), minutes played (MIN), goals-against average (GAA), wins (W) losses (L) empty-net goals (EN), shutouts (SO), goals against (GA), shots against (SA), save percentage (SP). For goalies&rsquo; individual rankings see page THN 7<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-05/7580544-1-eng-US/thn18-052.jpg" title="THN18-05" width="757" height="313"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-06/7580537-1-eng-US/thn18-062.jpg" title="THN18-06" width="761" height="454"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-07/7580530-1-eng-US/thn18-072.jpg" title="THN18-07" width="747" height="459"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-08/7580523-1-eng-US/thn18-082.jpg" title="THN18-08" width="753" height="455"></div> &#9632;

THN18-05

NHL PLAYOFF GOALTENDING STATISTICS

NOTEUnofficial game summaries provided by National Hockey League; (shots on goal/plus-minus); SA-shots against; GA-goals against; ENG-empty net goals; Dec-decision, charges to goaltenders of record when winning goal is scored<h2>SATURDAY, MAY 13</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-09/7580827-1-eng-US/thn18-092.jpg" title="THN18-09" width="499" height="1020"></div><h2>SUNDAY, MAY 14</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-10/7580820-1-eng-US/thn18-102.jpg" title="THN18-10" width="507" height="750"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-11/7580813-1-eng-US/thn18-112.jpg" title="THN18-11" width="491" height="216"></div><h2>MONDAY. MAY 15</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-12/7580806-1-eng-US/thn18-122.jpg" title="THN18-12" width="505" height="1062"></div><h2>TUESDAY, MAY 16</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-13/7580799-1-eng-US/thn18-132.jpg" title="THN18-13" width="505" height="818"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-14/7580792-1-eng-US/thn18-142.jpg" title="THN18-14" width="493" height="212"></div><h2>THURSDAY, MAY 18</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-15/7580785-1-eng-US/thn18-152.jpg" title="THN18-15" width="501" height="920"></div><h2>FRIDAY, MAY 19</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-16/7580778-1-eng-US/thn18-162.jpg" title="THN18-16" width="505" height="946"></div><h2>SATURDAY, MAY 20</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-17/7580771-1-eng-US/thn18-172.jpg" title="THN18-17" width="503" height="920"></div><h2>SUNDAY, MAY 21</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-18/7580764-1-eng-US/thn18-182.jpg" title="THN18-18" width="511" height="1154"></div><h2>MONDAY, MAY 22</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-19/7580757-1-eng-US/thn18-192.jpg" title="THN18-19" width="509" height="980"></div><h2>TUESDAY, MAY 23</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-20/7580750-1-eng-US/thn18-202.jpg" title="THN18-20" width="519" height="1090"></div><h2>WEDNESDAY, MAY 24</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-21/7580743-1-eng-US/thn18-212.jpg" title="THN18-21" width="491" height="922"></div><h2>THURSDAY, MAY 25</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-22/7580736-1-eng-US/thn18-222.jpg" title="THN18-22" width="491" height="904"></div><h2>FRIDAY, MAY 26</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn18-23/7580729-1-eng-US/thn18-232.jpg" title="THN18-23" width="491" height="188"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-01/7580722-1-eng-US/thn19-012.jpg" title="THN19-01" width="508" height="765"></div><h2>SATURDAY, MAY 27</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-02/7580715-1-eng-US/thn19-022.jpg" title="THN19-02" width="521" height="1016"></div><h2>IN THE NEWS</h2>A weekly compendium of significant events and developments (May 12-27).May 12 Retired superstar Wayne Gretzky says he is interested in becoming part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.May 14 The Czech Republic defeats Slovakia 5-3 in the gold medal game of the World Championship. Finland beats Canada 2-1 to claim the bronze.May 15 Former Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; great Jean Beliveau is diagnosed with cancer.May 16 The trial of Boston Bruins&rsquo; right winger Marty McSorley is moved from. Oct. 2 to Sept. 18 so it won&rsquo;t conflict with the start of the 2000-01 NHL regular season. McSorley was charged after slashing Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; forward Donald Brashear in the head during a game last February.The Florida Panthers re-sign GM Bryan Murray to a multi-year contract.May 17 Rocket Richard enters a Montreal hospital and doctors are concerned his abdominal cancer has come out of remission.May 19 Glen Sather resigns as GM-president of the Edmonton Oilers.The Barrie Colts of the Ontario League get up and walk out of a banquet when OHL commissioner and Canadian Hockey League president David Branch gets up to speak.May 22: The Chicago Blackhawks name Alpo Suhonen, a native of Finland, head coach.The Detroit Red Wings announce they will not pick up the $3 million (U.S.) option on veteran defenseman Larry Murphy&rsquo;s contract.Keith Gretzky. Wayne&rsquo;s younger brother, resigns as coach-GM of the United League&rsquo;s Asheville Smoke.Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; center Eric Lindros is given the OK to join his teammates in practice. Lindros has been out three months with post-concussion syndrome.May 24: Lindros returns to action, playing his first playoff game in two years, and scores in a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. oThe Alexei Yashin arbitration case opens in New York. Yashin is arguing his contract with the Ottawa Senators is expired after he sat out the third and final year of the deal this season rather than play. The Senators are arguing he owes them another year.May 25: It is announced Richard is suffering from spinal osteoarthritis.The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire center Espen Knutsen from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for a fourth round pick in the 2001 entry draft.May 26: New Jersey defeats Philadelphia 2-1 to win Eastern Confernce final and advance to the Stanley Cup final.May 27: Richard dies from abdominal cancer.Dallas defeats Colorado 3-2 to win Western Conference final 4-3 and advance to Stanley Cup final against New Jersey.<h2>STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-03/7580708-1-eng-US/thn19-032.jpg" title="THN19-03" width="509" height="1696"></div><h2>AUSTRIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-04/7580701-1-eng-US/thn19-042.jpg" title="THN19-04" width="493" height="638"></div><h2>BELARUS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-05/7580694-1-eng-US/thn19-052.jpg" title="THN19-05" width="493" height="612"></div><h2>CANADA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-06/7580687-1-eng-US/thn19-062.jpg" title="THN19-06" width="497" height="262"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-07/7580680-1-eng-US/thn19-072.jpg" title="THN19-07" width="501" height="474"></div><h2>CZECH REPUBLIC</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-08/7580673-1-eng-US/thn19-082.jpg" title="THN19-08" width="497" height="624"></div><h2>FINLAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-09/7580666-1-eng-US/thn19-092.jpg" title="THN19-09" width="495" height="620"></div><h2>FRANCE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-10/7580659-1-eng-US/thn19-102.jpg" title="THN19-10" width="505" height="614"></div><h2>ITALY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-11/7580652-1-eng-US/thn19-112.jpg" title="THN19-11" width="501" height="614"></div><h2>JAPAN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-12/7580645-1-eng-US/thn19-122.jpg" title="THN19-12" width="493" height="170"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-13/7580638-1-eng-US/thn19-132.jpg" title="THN19-13" width="491" height="502"></div><h2>LATVIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-14/7580631-1-eng-US/thn19-142.jpg" title="THN19-14" width="493" height="620"></div><h2>NORWAY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-15/7580624-1-eng-US/thn19-152.jpg" title="THN19-15" width="489" height="620"></div><h2>RUSSIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-16/7580617-1-eng-US/thn19-162.jpg" title="THN19-16" width="487" height="586"></div><h2>SLOVAKIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-17/7580610-1-eng-US/thn19-172.jpg" title="THN19-17" width="489" height="640"></div><h2>SWEDEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-18/7580603-1-eng-US/thn19-182.jpg" title="THN19-18" width="483" height="164"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-19/7580596-1-eng-US/thn19-192.jpg" title="THN19-19" width="507" height="494"></div><h2>SWITZERLAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-20/7580589-1-eng-US/thn19-202.jpg" title="THN19-20" width="481" height="640"></div><h2>UNITED STATES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-21/7580582-1-eng-US/thn19-212.jpg" title="THN19-21" width="489" height="2226"></div><h2>SUMMARIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn19-22/7580575-1-eng-US/thn19-222.jpg" title="THN19-22" width="507" height="3402"></div> &#9632;

THN18-09

NHL PLAYOFF SUMMARIES

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn02-02/7580865-1-eng-US/thn02-022.jpg" title="THN02-02" width="823" height="972"></div>The Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; seven-year itch may be over, but several former Habs are still scratching and clawing in the Stanley Cup final.For the first time in the NHL&rsquo;s modern era, the Canadiens will go more than seven years between Cups. But the legacy of the NHL&rsquo;s proudest franchise continues in the Cup finalists.The Dallas Stars are loaded with former Habs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn02-01/7580879-1-eng-US/thn02-012.jpg" title="THN02-01" width="199" height="141"></div>It starts off the ice with GM Bob Gainey and assistant coach Doug Jarvis. On the ice, Dallas features Guy Carbonneau, Mike Keane, Kirk Muller, Scott Thornton, Dave Manson and Brian Skrudland.In the other dressing room, three New Jersey Devils are also one-time Canadiens: right winger Claude Lemieux, defenseman Vladimir Malakhov and coach Larry Robinson.Both the Stars and Devils reached the final after seven-game conference championships.Dallas defeated the Colorado Avalanche 32 in Game 7 of the Western Conference final and New Jersey slipped past the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. It was the first time since 1964 both semifinal series went the limit.The last Stanley Cup final to go the full seven games took place in 1994, when the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn02-03/7580872-1-eng-US/thn02-032.jpg" title="THN02-03" width="166" height="171"></div>Whichever team wms the 2000 championship will earn a place in history as the first Stanley Cup winners of the new millennium.Game 1 of the final series was slated for May 30 in New Jersey. The latest the series can run is June. 12.<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION DRAFT HISTORY</h2><h2>Building Dallas Stars</h2>The Dallas Stars (who began NHL life as the Minnesota North Stars) have used a combination of bucks and brains to construct a club going for its second straight Stanley Cup.Three premier draft picks&mdash;Mike Modano, Derian Hatcher and Richard Matvichuk&mdash;are crucial players. The Stars added three other key players&mdash;Joe Nieuwendyk (trade), Brett Hull and Ed Belfour (free agents)&mdash;because they could afford them, while deals to bring in players such as Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor are also part of the success story.The table at left shows how the Stars entered the NHL. Listed first are draft choices, including teams that drafted them, which year and which overall choice. Listed second are free agent acquisitions.Drafted by Stars: 8 Traded for by Stars: 12 Free Agents: 4<h2>Building New Jersey Devils</h2>When it comes to the entry draft, you&rsquo;ve got to give the Devils their due.Eleven members of the Stanley Cup finalists are homegrown talents, a rarity in today&rsquo;s trade-happy NHL in which players are routinely shuffled around the league.That said, New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello has added several pivotal players via trades.Jason Arnott (Edmonton), Bobby Holik (Hartford), Alexander Mogilny (Vancouver) and Claude Lemieux (Colorado) contribute to one of the deepest lineups in the NHL.The table at right shows how the Devils entered the NHL. Listed first are draft choices, including teams that drafted them, which year and which overall choice. Listed second are free agent acquisitions.Drafted by Devils: 11 Traded for by Devils: 10 Free Agents: 2<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION DRAFT HISTORY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn02-04/7580858-1-eng-US/thn02-042.jpg" title="THN02-04" width="820" height="933"></div> &#9632;

THN02-02

Habs gone, but presence lives on

<h2>STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-01/7581067-1-eng-US/thn23-012.jpg" title="THN23-01" width="501" height="1592"></div><h2>BARRIE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-02/7581060-1-eng-US/thn23-022.jpg" title="THN23-02" width="498" height="602"></div><h2>HALIFAX</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-03/7581053-1-eng-US/thn23-032.jpg" title="THN23-03" width="490" height="535"></div><h2>KOOTENAY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-04/7581046-1-eng-US/thn23-042.jpg" title="THN23-04" width="496" height="327"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-05/7581039-1-eng-US/thn23-052.jpg" title="THN23-05" width="496" height="323"></div><h2>RIMOUSKI</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-06/7581032-1-eng-US/thn23-062.jpg" title="THN23-06" width="496" height="933"></div><h2>SUMMARIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-07/7581025-1-eng-US/thn23-072.jpg" title="THN23-07" width="509" height="272"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-08/7581018-1-eng-US/thn23-082.jpg" title="THN23-08" width="510" height="1675"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-09/7581011-1-eng-US/thn23-092.jpg" title="THN23-09" width="502" height="1677"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn23-10/7581004-1-eng-US/thn23-102.jpg" title="THN23-10" width="499" height="1679"></div> &#9632;

THN23-01

2000 MEMORIAL CUP

<div class="byline">By Wayne Fish</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn03-01/7581098-1-eng-US/thn03-012.jpg" title="THN03-01" width="148" height="143"></div>In a sport that bills itself as the fastest on earth, careers change in a heartbeat.One minute Eric Lindros appeared to be making a successful comeback from his second and third concussions of the season, scoring a goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final between the Flyers and New Jersey and poised to make a big impact in Game 7.The next, Lindros was crumpled on the ice 7:50 into the deciding game.Lindros was leveled by a shoulder-to-chin hit from New Jersey defenseman Scott Stevens. A number of people on the Flyers, including interim coach Craig Ramsay, believe the hit was clean.Later, Lindros was hospitalized. The diagnosis: A concussion&mdash;the fourth in the last five months for Lindros and the sixth of his career, all coming since March, 1998.The pain of a 2-1 loss, which completed the erasure of the Flyers&rsquo; 3-1 lead in the series, was almost lost in the concern for Lindros.John LeClair was one of the players who helped Lindros off the ice.&ldquo;It was sickening to see something like that,&rdquo; LeClair said. &ldquo;I was just trying to encourage him, tell him everything was going to be OK.&rdquo;Stevens said he felt bad for Lindros, but stopped short of any sort of apology. No penalty was called on the play.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t watch it (the hit on replay), I didn&rsquo;t want to watch it,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to celebrate about it. It&rsquo;s a hit and people sometimes get hurt. I found it a little tough to play after that.&rdquo;The big hit seemed to give the Devils an extra bit of momentum, momentum that had been building since Game 5 when New Jersey stopped the Flyers&rsquo; three-game winning streak with a 4-1 win.After that, New Jersey used better neutral zone play to record consecutive 2-1 wins. The comeback marked the first time a team has rallied from a 3-1 deficit in conference final &ldquo;I&rsquo;m as proud as I can be of this group of men,&rdquo; Ramsay said. &ldquo;They played with so much heart and courage.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK The Flyers are now 5-5 all-time in Game 7s, 4-3 at home&hellip;Goalie Brian Boucher narrowly escaped an eye injury when a shot from New Jersey left winger Scott Gomez in Game 6 got through his mask and stuck there. &ldquo;I was mosdy in shock,&rdquo; Boucher said. &ldquo;All I saw was black (from the puck).&rdquo;&hellip;Left winger John LeClair received 39 stitches in Game 2 from the follow-through of goalie Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s clearing attempt, but played in the next game wearing a visor. He took it off later in the series&hellip;LeClair and center Keith Primeau were held goalless in the series&hellip;For the second time in six years, the Flyers shook off their problems at the Meadowlands and went 2-1 in a series against the Devils. Going into the series, they had won only six games in New Jersey since 1990. &#9632;</div>

THN03-01

Hit leaves Lindros’ career in doubt, suffers sixth concussion in two years

<div class="byline">By Adrian Dater</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn03-02/7581129-1-eng-US/thn03-022.jpg" title="THN03-02" width="145" height="145"></div>Twenty-one was not a lucky number for Ray Bourque.In his 21st NHL season, Bourque was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche with the express hope that finally, after so long in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, he could win his first Stanley Cup.But, again, it was the same old story for Bourque: Close, but no Cup.For the second straight year, the Colorado Avalanche came within one victory of making the Stanley Cup final. But they were denied again by the Dallas Stars, who beat Colorado in seven games in the Western Conference final.Just like last year, the Avs were forced to go to Reunion Arena in Dallas to try and win a do-or- die game. Again, Reunion proved to be unfriendly confines for the Avs, despite the presence of the ageless Bourque. He did all he could in the deciding game. His final shot was the best chance for the Avs to tie the game after coming back from a 3-0 deficit entering the third period. Bourque fired a wrist shot that beat Ed Belfour, but clanged off the post in the final minute of a 3-2 loss.The Avs entered Game 7 on a high thanks to Bourque, who scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner in Colorado&rsquo;s 2-1 victory at home in Game 6. Bourque&rsquo;s second period.goal was his first of the playoffs, part of which he missed because of a sprained knee suffered in the second round against Detroit.&ldquo;I might not have been as aggressive in certain situations as I wanted to right when I came back,&rdquo; Bourque said. &ldquo;Maybe I didn&rsquo;t pinch as much or be as physical coming off a play.&rdquo;Still, the 1999-2000 season for the Avalanche will be remembered for how it was changed overnight by Bourque&rsquo;s acquisition. The Avs went from a team struggling to make the playoffs to one that couldn&rsquo;t lose down the stretch.But the veteran Stars again proved too tough for the Avs to get past.&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve got an excellent team,&rdquo; Bourque said of Dallas. &ldquo;They make it hard for teams to make plays against them.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Avalanche captain Joe Sakic slumped in the conference final for the second straight year. Sakic, who was held goalless in the conference final, had only two goals in the Western final a year ago&hellip;Avs&rsquo; defenseman Adam Foote returned to the Colorado lineup in Game 4 of the conference final after suffering an injury to his right eye. The injury, which happened after taking a stick from Dallas left winger Jere Lehtinen, forced Foote to miss most of Game 2 and all of Game 3&hellip;Avs&rsquo; goalie Patrick Roy now owns a 6-10 career record when his teams are facing playoff elimination. He also lost his third Game 7 in a row with the Avalanche&hellip;Rookie left winger Alex Tanguay, who played with Sakic and right winger Milan Hejduk most of the season, was dropped to the fourth line against Dallas. &#9632;</div>

THN03-02

Cup curse continues for Bourque, move west not enough for first taste

<div class="byline">By Bob McManaman</div>The Grand Canyon State officially became the Great One State when retired superstar Wayne Gretzky formally agreed to become a part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.Gretzky ended weeks of speculation and uncertainty by agreeing to become financial partners with developer Steve Ellman May 27&mdash;the final day Ellman had to consummate a deal with outgoing owner Richard Burke.Gretzky came aboard with just 25 minutes remaining in a firm, midnight deadline which required Ellman to wire a $10 million, non-refundable advance to the NHL office as a down payment. If the payment wasn&rsquo;t made, the Coyotes reportedly were going to be sold to Paul Allen and the franchise would have moved to Portland, Ore., for next season.&ldquo;If I hadn&rsquo;t done this deal, the team was moving,&rdquo; Gretzky told The Toronto Sun. &ldquo;I own a piece of the Coyotes and I am really excited about it. It was such a good deal for me that I couldn&rsquo;t pass it up.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s even a greater deal for the greater Phoenix area, a community that can now forge ahead with plans to build Ellman&rsquo;s $535-million redevelopment project in the city of Scottsdale, a plan that will be anchored by a new 18,000-seat arena.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn04-01/7581160-1-eng-US/thn04-012.jpg" title="THN04-01" width="565" height="732"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wayne Gretzky has become a Part-owner of the Coyotes.</figcaption></div>Gretzky reportedly will have complete control of the Coyotes&rsquo; hockey department and was scheduled to be introduced during a news conference May 31. At that time it&rsquo;s expected Gretzky will elaborate on plans for the hockey department. He indicated he will significantly add to the team&rsquo;s $31 million payroll, not reduce it.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re now in the business of bringing the Stanley Cup to Phoenix,&rdquo; Ellman said. &ldquo;I hope people understand the magnitude of what this means for all involved.&rdquo; Captain Keith Tkachuk does.&ldquo;This is the best possible news,&rdquo; Tkachuk said. &ldquo;Phoenix deserves a hockey team and that&rsquo;s what they&rsquo;re going to get. Wayne&rsquo;s coming in makes all the difference in the world.&rdquo;Gretzky&rsquo;s investment, still somewhat unclear, also allowed Ellman to work out a new deal with the NHL that now gives him until the end of the calendar year to fully complete the purchase of the franchise from Burke for a reported $87 million.Initially, he had until June 30 to finish paying off Burke. But he can extend that deadline with an additional $6.5 million payment at that time, giving his group plenty of opportunity to bring aboard more investors. Ellman is in the middle of raising $100 million in funds to not only pay off Burke, but to wipe out anticipated debt increments stemming from Burke&rsquo;s bank loans.Within an hour after Gretzky&rsquo;s involvement became public, it was learned several entities had expressed interest in buying into the team.&ldquo;This deal is going to get done,&rdquo; Ellman said. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have wired $10 million of my own money into this project if I wasn&rsquo;t sure that was going to be the case.&rdquo; &#9632;

THN04-01

Gretzky joins Coyotes

<div class="byline">By Robert Tychkowski</div>It was a year-long soap opera with a surprise ending.After 25 years and five Stanley Cups with Edmonton, Hall of Fame GM-president Glen Sather turned in his resignation May 19. It was 16 years to the day Edmonton won its first championship.At his farewell media conference, Sather quoted his horoscope, which described the situation perfectly: &ldquo;A clash of wills is almost inevitable&hellip;either you&rsquo;re throwing your weight around or somebody is doing it to you. Either way it&rsquo;s a soap opera and it ain&rsquo;t pretty. Just back off.&rdquo;So he did. His working relationship with Edmonton&rsquo;s 37-man ownership group strained beyond repair, the man responsible for the NHL&rsquo;s last dynasty decided to step away.It appeared Broadway was calling and Sather looked ready to accept the charges in late May. The New York Rangers emerged from a host of likely destinations to become the frontrunner for Sather&rsquo;s services.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the first time since I&rsquo;ve been 16 years old that I&rsquo;ve been unemployed,&rdquo; Sather said.Sather&rsquo;s resignation had its roots set two years ago, when Peter Pocklington was forced to sell the team.A group of investors was rounded up by local millionaire Cal Nichols to keep the team from moving to Houston. It included Jim Hole and Bruce Saville, who pitched in $12 million as the deadline approached.Hole agreed to buy in on one condition-that he, not Nichols, be named chairman of the group. Hole, a good friend of Sather, became the liaison between Sather and the group of 37. Hole and Sather froze out the other owners, who began to question Sather&rsquo;s $2-million salary. Some felt the stipend excessive for a GM who hadn&rsquo;t had a winning season in seven years.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn04-02/7581191-1-eng-US/thn04-022.jpg" title="THN04-02" width="340" height="447"><figcaption class="caption-body">Glen Sather</figcaption></div>Nichols, on the threat of resigning from the group, ousted Hole as chairman last March.Immediately, Nichols, who wanted to reign in expenses, clashed with Sather.Later in March, Neil Smith was fired by the Rangers and rumors surfaced batner was a replacement candidate.There was a window in Sather&rsquo;s contract which allowed him to negotiate with other teams, but that wasn&rsquo;t until June. The other owners thought the Rangers were tampering, but Hole had given permission.The ownership group held an emergency meeting, in which they voted to rescind permission for the Rangers to negotiate until the June window.The next morning, Sather, the only GM in the team&rsquo;s NHL history, resigned.Sather assumed coaching duties of the Oilers March 3, 1977. He was named GM and president June 15, 1979. He led them to five Cups from 1984 through 1990, amassing a 464-268-110 record.He won the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year in 1986 and was elected to the Hall as a builder in 1997.Sather also coached Canada to the 1984 Canada Cup title, was GM of the 1987 Canada Cup-winning team, GM of Canada&rsquo;s 1994 World Championship-winning team and was coach-GM of the 1996 World Cup team.The situation changed temporarily May 23 when Sather announced he would stay with the Oilers as a consultant, until he found a new position or a new GM was named. &#9632;

THN04-02

Sather leaves Oilers

<div class="byline">By Brian Costello Senior Editor</div>Maurice &lsquo;Rocket&rsquo; Richard is remembered for dark, piercing eyes, a brilliant scoring touch and a passion for the game that made him one of hockey&rsquo;s greatest icons.The legendary Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; right winger captivated NHL fans for 18 seasons from 1942-43 through 1959-60. He was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games in a season when he did it in 1944-45.Richard succumbed to abdominal cancer May 27, after a two-year battle with the disease. He was 78. Richard slipped into a coma during the night of May 26 while hospitalized with the recurrence of the cancer first diagnosed in 1998.Richard was admitted on the same day Jean Beliveau, his former teammate, announced he was starting radiation treatment for a malignant tumor doctors discovered on his neck. &ldquo;I feel good and I fully intend on winning this next battle,&rdquo; said Beliveau, 68.The Rocket was the first NHLer to score 500 NHL goals and guided the Canadiens to eight Stanley Cups titles. He was named the NHL&rsquo;s fifth-best player of all-time by a panel of hockey experts assembled by The Hockey News in 1997. Only Wayne Gretzky (No. 1), Bobby Orr (No. 2), Gordie Howe (No. 3) and Mario Lemieux (No. 4) ranked ahead of him.Richard scored 544 goals and 965 points in 978 regular season games-leading the league in goals five times&mdash;and added 82 goals and 126 points in 133 playoff games. Richard won eight Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, including five in a row (1956-60) on a team that is generally regarded as the best ever.Richard was born Aug. 4, 1921, in Bordeaux, Que., the eldest of eight children. He made the Canadiens at 21, impressing coach Dick Irvin more with his effort than his skills. &ldquo;I never in my life saw a rookie with such a desire to make good,&rdquo; Irvin said. Montreal teammate Ray Getliffe christened him &lsquo;Rocket.&rsquo;Within a year, Richard was the right winger on the top unit with center Elmer Lach and left winger Toe Blake. One of hockey&rsquo;s greatest units, the &lsquo;Punch Line&rsquo; was established. Later, Richard would team with his younger brother, Henri, himself an extraordinary player. Henri was nicknamed &lsquo;Pocket Rocket.&rsquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thn05-01/7581222-1-eng-US/thn05-012.jpg" title="THN05-01" width="310" height="375"><figcaption class="caption-body">Maurice Richard</figcaption></div>With a hard, accurate shot, immense strength and a quick, powerful stride, the Rocket had a knack for rising to special occasions. Leading Montreal to its first Cup in 13 years in 1944, Richard set one playoff record with 12 goals in nine games and tied another with five goals in a 5-1 win over Toronto.Richard was a hero to Canadiens&rsquo; fans and the province of Quebec. The passions Richard enflamed turned ugly March 17, 1955, after NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the remaining three games of the season and the playoffs for pushing a linesman. On March 17, the infamous &lsquo;Richard Riot&rsquo; erupted at the Forum and fans took their anger out on Campbell and rampaged through the city&rsquo;s downtown.Canadiens&rsquo; fans were enraged because the suspension deprived Richard of a clear chance to win what would have been the only scoring championship of his career. The 14-time NHL all-star earned one Hart Trophy as league MVP, but never a scoring title-despite holding the alltime mark for goals (544) and points (965) when he retired.He relied on instinct to become one of the game&rsquo;s greatest goal-scorers: &ldquo;I find if I have a plan to fool the goaler he usually beats me. But if I don&rsquo;t know what I&rsquo;m going to do, how can he?&rdquo;The NHL honored Richard&rsquo;s goal-scoring ability in 1999 with the introduction of the Rocket Richard Trophy, which goes annually to the player with the most goals. He became the only living player in league history to be honored with a trophy.The Rocket&rsquo;s last goal was in the third game of a four-game Cup final sweep against the Maple Leafs in Toronto April 12,1960.&ldquo;What I remember about him the most was his eyes,&rdquo; said Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall. &ldquo;When he came flying toward you with the puck on his stick, his eyes were all lit up, flashing and gleaming like a pinball machine. It was terrifying.&rdquo;In retirement, Richard served as a Canadiens&rsquo; ambassador and walked through town with the aura of royalty. Richard and wife, Lucille, who died in 1994, had seven children and 14 grandchildren. &#9632;

THN05-01

Rocket Richard: Hockey icon

<h2>PUCK BRIEFS</h2>The start of next season&rsquo;s NHL schedule has forced a change in a trial date for Boston Brum Marty McSorley.His trial on charges of assault with a weapon was moved from Oct. 2 to Sept. 18 so it doesn&rsquo;t conflict with the start of the regular season.McSorley was charged after Vancouver Canuck Donald Brashear was slashed in the head with a stick during a game in Vancouver in February.SHOT KILLS PLAYER Andrew Hunter, an 18-year-old from Casselman, Ont., was killed May 16 when he was hit in the chest by a slapshot during a recreational hockey game. &#9632;

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June 1, 2000

GETTING TOUGHER TO FIND EURO DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Cupboard needs filling

SCOREBOARD

Superb Slovakian sniper