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August 1, 2001
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.
Devils make Leafs do it
It wasn’t long ago the Toronto Maple Leafs were happy to feel they could at least be competitive with the consistently powerful New Jersey Devils. Since then, the Devils have gradually become the sole focus of the Maple Leaf universe. An objective has turned into a preoccupation and now, without question, an obsession. Whether that obsession is a healthy one remains to be seen. But like the NFL’s Houston Oilers of the Bum Phillips era, who once designed their club around trying to dethrone the Pittsburgh Steelers, so too have Pat Quinn’s Leafs come to view the Devils as the hurdle that must be overcome for Toronto to challenge for the Stanley Cup. In consecutive years, the Devils have eliminated the Leafs from post-season competition. Two years ago, Jersey held the Leafs to a…
Chicago falls short in free-agent race
Despite promises to be heavily involved in the free-agent market, the best the Blackhawks could do was sign a pair of mid-level players in defenseman Jon Klemm and right winger Steve Thomas. While Klemm is certain to help the worst defensive unit in the Western Conference, the 38-year-old Thomas must prove he has something left in the tank after scoring just eight goals for Toronto this past season. “We feel he can still play,” said GM Mike Smith. “But we’re going to have to be careful how we utilize him.” Thomas signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. He turned down a one-year offer from the Maple Leafs worth a reported $550,000. Smith failed in his attempt to land free agent center Yanic Perreault, a player he coveted. Perreault signed with Montreal. Smith also…
Stagnant Rangers might be worse
The New York Rangers overindulged in 1999 and then paid for it over the next two seasons. In 2001, they may end up paying for their frugality. Ranger GM-president Glen Sather has come up empty this summer in his attempts to land an impact player, his swing-and-miss on Jaromir Jagr punctuating the famine. Sather’s refusal to negotiate much beyond his original offer of Jan Hlavac and Kim Johnsson cost him a chance to get the premier offensive player in the league, probably the one player who could have put the starving Rangers into the playoffs for the first time in five years. “I was trying to make as good an offer as we could, but I didn’t want to decimate the team in the future,” Sather said. “It didn’t work out. I wasn’t…
Flames add muscle by inking Boughner
With a slumping dollar and an inherent difficulty for its teams to compete, few NHL players want to come to Canada. Even fewer with real options would consider joining a team that missed the playoffs five years in a row. So why did defenseman Bob Boughner, most recently with the Pittsburgh Penguins, sign a three-year, $6.1 million contract with the Calgary Flames? “Calgary’s a team that’s trying to change things,” Boughner answered. “They’re a team that’s on the upswing. They’re bringing in some leadership, energy-type of guys with playoff experience. I think it’s their time.” Essentially, Boughner will take Tommy Albelin’s place in the lineup. He will provide more of a physical dimension and take some of the pressure to play the body off a pair of younger defensemen, Denis Gauthier and…
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