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.

September 21, 2001

The Hockey News September 21, 2001

<div class="byline">&#x2014;David Boclair</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05375/7207226-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="242" height="224"></div>They were the first of the recent expansion teams, yet after three full seasons the Nashville Predators are arguably the NHL&rsquo;s youngest franchise.They will open training camp Sept. 12 with 56 players, 36 of them under 26. Among those who are all but assured of spots on the NHL roster are forwards David Legwand (21), Denis Arkhipov (22), Marian Cisar (23), Scott Hartnell (19, the youngest player in the league last season), defensemen Mark Eaton (24), Andy Dehnore (24) and goalie Tomas Vbkoun (25). Most of the others who will compete for the final roster spots are in the same age group.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve pushed the envelope so far, we&rsquo;ve made so many moves to acquire young players I don&rsquo;t think we can get any younger,&rdquo; said GM David Poile. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad where we are right now. With the exception of three or four players, I think you can say everyone on our team still has an upside.&ldquo;Now those young players have to earn their stripes and prove that they can play.&rdquo;Tom Fitzgerald, Cliff Ronning, Bill Houlder, Greg Johnson, Patric Kjellberg and Stu Grimson are the only players who will be at least 30 at the start of camp. Neither Fitzgerald nor Houlder is signed beyond 200102, which means the roster is likely to get younger in the future.The approach has worked thus far, to a point. The Predators have improved their point total from one year to the next and their longest losing streak has been seven games. However, they never have finished within fewer than 10 points of the final Western Conference playoff spot.&ldquo;In my three years as captain, last year was the toughest, mentally&hellip;making sure the room was prepared,&rdquo; Fitzgerald said. &ldquo;Hopefully&hellip;now we won&rsquo;t need to worry, &lsquo;What are we going to get tonight?&rsquo;&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Goalie Brian Finley did not attend the team&rsquo;s rookie camp at Traverse City, Mich., because of a recurrence of the groin injury that caused him to miss most of the 2000-01 OHL season as well as the World Junior Championship. Finley consulted with a specialist who diagnosed the incident as scar tissue breaking loose and the feeling is the 1999 first round pick will be ready for training camp&hellip;Defenseman Andy Delmore stayed at defenseman Mark Eaton&rsquo;s home for a week in August after he was traded from Philadelphia. The two played together with the Flyers.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE PREDATORS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06292/7207219-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="987" height="317"></div> &#9632;

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Emphasis on youth in Nashville; how far can kids carry team?

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01965/7208216-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pierre-Luc Emond was traded in the summer to Cape Breton from Drummondville.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

2001-02 QUEBEC LEAGUE SCHEDULE

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Rob Vanstone</div>Center Rory McDade of the Western League&rsquo;s Kelowna Rockets was selected by the expansion Vancouver Ravens with the 107th pick in the National Lacrosse League draft in late August.McDade played lacrosse for his hometown New Westminster Salmonbellies junior club this summer, totalling nine goals and 23 points in nine games.&ldquo;It definitely surprised me to be drafted,&rdquo; McDade said. &ldquo;I thought I had a good year of lacrosse and to be drafted is great. But hockey is my main priority.&ldquo;But to have that option open to me&hellip;it&rsquo;s something I might explore later on.&rdquo;McDade avoided a possible scheduling conflict with hockey training camp when the Salmonbellies were eliminated early in the playoffs after finishing second in the six-team B.C. Major Junior Lacrosse League. &#9632;

Two-sport talent

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01868/7208316-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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HOCKEY MARKETPLACE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011536/7206014-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"></div>Captain Mario Lemieux and his Canadian teammates stirred some controversy by taking part in four days of practise at their Olympic camp. Pg. 8. &#9632;

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Camping Trip

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-021284/7206045-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="295" height="346"><figcaption class="caption-body">Editor&rsquo;s Notebook&nbsp;Steve Dryden Editor-In-Chief</figcaption></div>The stars have never been fully aligned for Saku Koivu in the NHL. Now they are. Every one of them.When news the 26-year-old fabulous Finn has abdominal cancer spread Sept. 6, Mario-Lemieux was the first starto pledge his support. The rest of the hockey world quickly fell in line.Let The Hockey News join in.It has been more than eight years since Koivu rocketed into our consciousness at the 1993 World Junior Championship. He was magnificent as the Finns fought to a fifth-place finish. Canada lost just one game that year en route to gold, but it should have lost another. Finland pummeled Canada 60-26 in shots on goal, believed to be the most lopsided such count ever endured by Canada at the event. Only goalie Manny Legace saved Canada that night in Sweden. Koivu earned two assists-Finland lost 3-2&ndash;and was the best player on an ice surface shared with the likes of Paul Kariya.So, when the diminutive Koivu told me after the game he would play in the NHL someday despite his small size I believed him. So did the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted Koivu 21st overall the following summer. Since then, only injuries and ailments have kept him from reaching his full destiny in hockey He has played just one complete season in the NHL, his rookie campaign. Koivu was the league scoring leader in his second season when a knee injury knocked him out of the lineup, beginning a dreadful streak of bad luck that has reached its nadir.At times during his six-year NHL career, Koivu has been judged lacking-almost entirely the result of periodic injury-enforced absences. Yet, the true measure of his greatness is in the &lsquo;C&rsquo; he wears on his chest-that letter now has sickening irony attached to it-and the full breadth of his hockey experience.The Canadiens&rsquo; most skilled player and its heart and soul is a rare leader. That was never so evident as in 1998 when Finland named him captain of the Olympic team that included Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne. Koivu&rsquo;s international career during the 1990s is among the most decorated of all. Koivu was an all-star at the World Junior Championship, once topped the Finnish League in scoring and spearheaded Turku&rsquo;s playoff championship drive, played a pivotal role in two Olympic bronze medal performances and led the way in three medal efforts at the World Championship-including Finland&rsquo;s first and only gold in 1995.Saku Koivu has always been a man that teams and teammates can count on. Saku Koivu can be sure that now he can count on them and everyone else in the hockey world. &#9632;

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Koivu can count on all those who have counted on him

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkoivsky</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011750/7206076-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"></div>September is supposed to be a time filled with hope and promise for NHL teams and their players, a time when all things are possible-even for a team like the Montreal Canadiens, who have missed the playoffs for a club-record three straight seasons.But so much of that optimism evaporated on an unseasonably warm late summer afternoon with the news captain Saku Koivu, in so many ways the heart and soul of this team, has been diagnosed with abdominal cancer.Suddenly, the career and life of the 26-year-old Finnish native are in danger.&ldquo;He has been hit between the eyes,&rdquo; said Dr. David Mulder, the Canadiens&rsquo; team physician, at a Sept. 6 news conference at the Molson Centre. &ldquo;It has been a very hard thing for him to accept. (But) he has fought many battles and he&rsquo;ll fight this one.&rdquo;Koivu had been working out problem-free in his native Finland this summer, as usual. He began to feel discomfort in his stomach and became very ill on a Sept. 4 flight from Amsterdam to Montreal. Pale and weak from vomiting, Koivu was met at the airport by teammate Brian Savage, who drove him home.&ldquo;He was white as a ghost,&rdquo; Savage said.When Koivu&rsquo;s condition failed to improve through the night, his fiancee, Hanna, called Mulder, who ordered him to report to a Montreal hospital, where he underwent a series of tests, including blood work, ultrasound examinations and a biopsy. &ldquo;I was shocked by the fact he looked extremely ill,&rdquo; said Mulder, who originally suspected Koivu was suffering from appendicitis, due to tenderness in his abdomen.The test results revealed a large amount of abnormal fluid in his abdominal cavity containing malignant cells.Mulder said Koivu could be suffering from the same form of lymphatic cancer that struck Mario Lemieux-the curable Hodgkin&rsquo;s Disease, a cancer of the lymph nodes. &ldquo;But there are 14 other forms of lymphatic cancer alone that are much more serious,&rdquo; Mulder warned.Mulder said a more precise diagnosis, expected by mid-September, will determine the treatment Koivu will receive. The doctor said he doesn&rsquo;t believe surgery is an option, due to the nature of the tumor. Instead, some form of chemotherapy will be the likely course of treatment and should begin shortly.Mulder, who didn&rsquo;t rule out a return to hockey one day for Koivu, said the player&rsquo;s youth, his physical conditioning and good diet will all go a long way toward him fighting the disease. The doctor said Koivu was resting as comfortably as could be expected under the circumstances and asked the media to respect the player&rsquo;s privacy.Predictably, the news cast a pall over the team less than a week prior to the start of training camp. Trades and the acquisition of several players during the off-season held some promise the Canadiens would contend for a playoff position this year, especially with every player under contract and, by all accounts, healthy. Now, who knows?&ldquo;We&rsquo;re speechless,&rdquo; said coach Michel Therrien. &ldquo;We approached the upcoming season with a lot of confidence. We&rsquo;re going to take the next days to regroup and we&rsquo;re going to have to react as a family.&rdquo;Therrien refused to speculate on what impact Koivu&rsquo;s loss would have on the team.Both Savage and defenseman Craig Rivet have been regular visitors to Koivu&rsquo;s hospital room. Rivet is convinced Koivu is determined to battle the disease.He has requested a copy of Lance Armstrong&rsquo;s autobiography, It&rsquo;s Not About The Bike, which chronicles the cyclist&rsquo;s recovery from testicular cancer to his 1999 Tour de France victory.&ldquo;The visits have been quite emotional,&rdquo; Savage said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a friend first and a teammate second.He&rsquo;s a tough little guy. He&rsquo;s going to need all the support he can get.&ldquo;Obviously he is scared.&rdquo;Koivu&rsquo;s illness is the latest blow to a franchise that as seen its share of misfortune recently.In May, 2000, the legendary Rocket, Maurice Richard, died from cancer. Jean Beliveau, another famed Hab, won a battle against throat cancer. Trent McCleary was forced to retire following a near-death experience in which he took a puck to the throat against Philadelphia. And Savage, during a game at Los Angeles, sustained a broken neck, coming within millimeters of being paralyzed.Koivu, a 5-foot-10,181-pound playmaking center, has suffered through an injury-plagued career since being selected 21st overall by the Canadiens in 1993. He hasn&rsquo;t played a full 82-game season since 1995-96, when he was a rookie. Last season, despite missing 28 games with a knee injury that required surgery, his 17 goals and 47 points left him in a tie for the team&rsquo;s scoring lead.News of Koivu&rsquo;s illness sent shockwaves through the hockey world and beyond. Lemieux, who overcame Hodgkin&rsquo;s Disease in 1993, offered words of encouragement while working out with Team Canada in Calgary.&ldquo;I think the most important thing is to get the support from his friends and family,&rdquo; Lemieux said. &ldquo;It is a tough battle, but I think he can make it.&rdquo;(See pg. 7for more on Koivu). &#9632;

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FEATURES

Time to battle

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Denis Gibbons</div>On the day Fleming Mackell turned 16 in 1945, the Toronto Maple Leafs swiped the Montreal native from underneath the noses of the Canadiens by putting him on their protected list.The 5-foot-8,170-pound center helped the Leafs win Stanley Cups in 1949 and 1951 before being traded to Boston for defenseman Jim Morrison in 1952. In his first full season in Beantown, Mackell scored 27 goals and made the NHL&rsquo;s first all-star team along with five future Hall of Famers-Terry Sawchuk, Doug Harvey, Red Kelly, Gordie Howe and Ted LindsayThe industrious pivot, who led all playoff scorers with 19 points in 12 games in 1957-58, also was respected for his penalty-killing prowess.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011717/7206107-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="245" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">Fleming Mackell</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Once I got the puck, I just hung on to it and ragged it,&rdquo; he recalled. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a matter of using your head.&rdquo;Mackell scored 149 goals and 369 points in 665 NHL games with Toronto and Boston. After retiring as a player, he operated a service station in Montreal and then became an auto salesman, working in Montreal, Hyannis, Mass., and Barrie, Ont.Now 72, he lives in St. Sauveur des Monts, north of Montreal. &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

Leafs landed Mackell before hometown Canadiens

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011684/7206169-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alexei Yashin and Mike Milbury shake hands on a contract that has some shaking their heads.</figcaption></div>The longest, biggest contract in hockey history allows Alexei Yashin to be traded to anybody, even Ottawa. It contains only modest league award bonuses, holds no protection against a lockout and stipulates no point where either he or the Islanders have the option of terminating.The only place it gets tricky is where Yashin actually has to play all 10 years, even after he inevitably becomes underpaid in relation to players of comparable talent.&ldquo;I am comfortable with that,&rdquo; Yashin said. &ldquo;I can build my house on Long Island.&rdquo;We&rsquo;ll pause here to look for a bible and a working copy of an oath. Or, if you live in Ottawa, to allow time for upchucking into the Rideau Canal. The last time Yashin felt trapped by an outmoded deal, he went home for an entire season.Of course, an acknowledged different kind of guy insists those circumstances were different. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t just money,&rdquo; said Yashin in marrying the Islanders for $87.5 million. &ldquo;There were other things (in Ottawa) I don&rsquo;t want to get into because this is such a nice day.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited, not because (the contract) is so long, but because (it indicated) a relationship of trust.&rdquo;Circumstances make for strange bedfellows. The new owners of a rundown franchise felt compelled to demonstrate their long-term commitment by signing a virtual career deal with a player who once broke a contract. Like a giddy 18-year-old first-rounder flashing a bonus cheque in a dealership, the Islanders overpaid for the sports car.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a dramatic change from where we were,&rdquo; said GM Mike Milbury. &ldquo;It was, &lsquo;Hey Mike, drop the (travel) charter, hey Mike, forget about the Lowell affiliation, hey Mike, get rid of Ziggy Palffy&rsquo;. There is a little different atmosphere around this place today.&rdquo;We&rsquo;re happy for the fans it&rsquo;s over, but Milbury could have fumigated the foul smells left by John Pickett, John Spano, the Milsteins and Stephen Gluckstern just as ettectivety for five years at $45 million-to-$50 million. The Islanders made a good trade, but did a bad contract, even acknowledging a deal that starts and ends with Yashin&rsquo;s being paid $6.4 million and tops out no higher than $11 million will make him a comparative yearly bargain. Long term, he only becomes one by staying healthy into his deep 30s and content into his early 30s.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021202/7206162-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="298" height="374"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jay Greenberg&nbsp;Columnist</figcaption></div>I told Alexei and (agent) Mark (Gandler), &lsquo;There will be guys making X amount more,&rsquo;&rdquo; Milbury said. &ldquo;We trust you understand that. They said, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re happy with it.&rsquo;&ldquo;It is fair the way it&rsquo;s laid out. Some will say it&rsquo;s crazy, some will say it&rsquo;s a bargain and in the end it will depend how he plays for the next 10 years. I don&rsquo;t see a downside, I think he&rsquo;s durable and consistent.&rdquo;Yashin also has been dispassionate and so far, unable to lift his play in the playoffs. Most good players who get that reputation eventually live it down and the Islanders only hope to be improved enough to find out.Meanwhile, they only had as much leverage to bring Yashin in at his proper slot-$7-mil-lion-to-$8 million a year-as could be found between Mariusz Czerkawski&rsquo;s stone hands and the hard place Nassau Coliseum had become to visit.Yashin, who loves New York (and loves model-actress Carol Alt, who works there), assuredly wants to be on Long Island, so maybe he will live happily ever after.But how can a franchise assume health, motivation and tolerance by the fans for any athlete over 10 years? And even acknowledging owner Charles Wang has smartly bolstered the gun previous owners held to the head of Nassau County, the reality remains there had better be a new arena in the works by the time Yashin&rsquo;s contract is halfway completed or Wang will want to become an ex-owner.&ldquo;We know there will be years Alexei will feel underpaid and some he may be overpaid,&rdquo; Gandler said. &ldquo;But with a 10year deal all these issues are out the window.&rdquo;They give their word and are taking it to the bank. Tired of stumbling down a long, rocky dirt path, the Islanders risk being taken for a ride.<blockquote class="pullQuote">Some will say it&rsquo;s crazy, some will say it&rsquo;s a bargain and in the end it will depend upon how he plays the next 10 years. Mike Milbury on Alexei Yashin&rsquo;s contract</blockquote> &#9632;

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COLUMN

Will Yashin marriage last?

<h2>Best of the Hockey World</h2>+ PRAYERS FOR SAKU The hockey world rallies around Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; captain Saku Koivu, who faces a battle against cancer.+ ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL Bryan Berard, who retired last year after a horrific eye injury skates with the U.S. Olympic hopefuls and ponders a return to the NHL.+ ICE IS NICE The Kootenay Ice, backstopped by the superb Dan Blackburn, is The Hockey News&rsquo; choice to capture the Memorial Cup this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03772/7206207-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="374" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Berard</figcaption></div><h2>Worst of the Hockey World</h2>- LIES MY TEAM TOLD ME Pittsburgh claims, in arbitration, Darius Kasparaitus is their No. 6 defenseman even though he led their blueline in ice time.- RFA NO-SHOWS We understand your frustration, guys, but it&rsquo;s the system&hellip;the same system that will benefit you when you&rsquo;re unrestricted. So sign and play.- SAD SIGN OF THE TIMES The Olympics has become a case of, been there, done that, so Sergei Zubov is not going to Salt Lake. How do you say &ldquo;lame&rdquo; in Russian?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04470/7206200-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="374" height="632"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sergei Zubov</figcaption></div>For Mike Brophy&rsquo;s daily Cheers & Jeers visit <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

I&rsquo;m just wondering if Alexei Yashin will honor the contract he signed with the New York Islanders. He&rsquo;s really happy right now, but what about when he&rsquo;s no longer one of the league&rsquo;s top-paid players?Ten years with the same team? What if another Islander signs for a bigger salary than his? Will he honor the deal or hold out again for more money? The way salaries are going up, I think he has made a big mistake.Sounds like another holdout is in Yashin&rsquo;s future.Scott Dowd, Muncie, Ind.<h2>Isles make costly mistake</h2>I&rsquo;ve lost what little faith I had in the New York Islanders. Signing hard-to-please Alexei Yashin to a 10-year deal just doesn&rsquo;t make sense.This is the same player whose previous contract became too long when player salaries took off. But salaries will continue to rise and the Islanders will be stuck in the same place with the stubborn Yashin that the Ottawa Senators were.The only question is how many times the Islanders will be willing to renegotiate.Beth. Stevenson,&nbsp; Tulsa, Okla.<h2>Yashin not worth it</h2>Here&rsquo;s a question for the New York Islanders: If Alexei Yashin is worth upwards of nine million dollars a year for the next decade, what is a player that has a heart worth?Players such as Patrick Roy, Mark Messier, John LeClair and Scott Stevens, to name a few, would be priceless.Wake up, NHL, you&rsquo;re pricing yourself out of the market. Even the most ardent fans can only take some much.Glenn Robinson,&nbsp; Coeur d&rsquo;alene, Idaho<h2>An Island of hope</h2>In reference to the New York Islanders&rsquo; recent trades-and signings-of stars Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin: There is a God.Michael Scala,&nbsp; Bound Brook, N.J. &#9632;

Ten years too long for Yashin

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011876/7206262-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

Derian Hatcher&rsquo;s agent was surprised the defenseman wasn&rsquo;t a top-four pick for Team USA. I&rsquo;ll be surprised if he&rsquo;s one of the top seven. Hatcher&rsquo;s skating and puckhandling abilities will hinder him on the bigger ice.Brad McHugh,&nbsp; Saint John, N.B.Bobby Holik, angry over his arbitration experience, is sure to be even madder after Mike Peca got a five-year, $20-million deal. Peca didn&rsquo;t even play last year, while Holik continued to shut down the NHL&rsquo;s top stars.Michael Morgese,&nbsp; Roselle Park, N.J.I&rsquo;m tired of the outcry over team payrolls. When are we going to stop hearing about &ldquo;inflated player salaries&rdquo; and start hearing about &ldquo;inflated owners&rsquo; profits?&rdquo;Bob Jeffries,&nbsp; New YorkAs a season ticket holder, will I be reimbursed some percentage of my money if Eric Lindros is forced into retirement by another concussion after 20 games? I think not. This may be a gamble that Rangers&rsquo; GM Glen Sather is willing to take, but not me.Tom Porfilio,&nbsp; New YorkIlya Kovalchuk has gotten lots of hype as the NHL&rsquo;s next big superstar-and as a Thrashers&rsquo; fan, I hope he is-but my pick for the Calder Trophy is another Atlanta rookie: Dany Heatley. Derek Corcoran, Atlanta<h2>READERS&rsquo; ONE-TIMERS</h2>This is your place for quick comments on current hockey events. Reader&rsquo;s One-Timers accepts opinions of 60 words or less, so please be concise. &#9632;

Hatcher’s impact lost on big ice

The same thing is happening in Edmonton that has been going on for years. Trade away good players and receive a lot less in return.The people I know who are Oiler fans keep reminiscing about the &ldquo;glory years.&rdquo; But those days are long gone and won&rsquo;t return for a long time&hellip;if at all.The Doug Weight trade was just the latest bad deal in a repeating cycle. The Oilers continually trade away star players in return for prospects and second-rate grinders. Some deals have worked out better than others, but the bottom line is the team just keeps doing what it has done for years-get worse.Joe Wright,&nbsp; Lethbridge, Alta.<h2>Playoffs, not punches</h2>I completely disagree with the letter &ldquo;Bad blood builds rivalries.&rdquo; (THN, August)The writer implied rivalries are usually due to a memorable fight between a couple of &ldquo;heavyweights.&rdquo; But my local team, the San Jose Sharks, has developed a rivalry with the Dallas Stars because of their intense playoff series in 1998 and 2000. This has been fueled by Shark fans booing Ed Belfour every time he touches the puck. (Belfour, remember, played for San Jose for part of a season before signing with Dallas as a free agent.)The NHL game needs some adjustments, but encouraging goon behavior is not one of them.Scott Blake,&nbsp; Millbrae, Calif.<h2>Habs&rsquo; best hands? Mahovlich</h2>Mike Brophy&rsquo;s piece on stickhandling was entertaining, but it indicated his knowledge of Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; hockey comes from old newsreels. (THN, Sept. 7)Guy Lafleur was an electric player and his rushes are legendary, but he wasn&rsquo;t the best stickhandler on those great teams: Pete Mahovlich was.Lafleur&rsquo;s hands were very good, but his speed-along with his booming shot-was his main weapon. When his speed finally left him, so did his efficiency.Mahovlich&rsquo;s hands were simply magical. Anyone who saw those great Habs&rsquo; teams of the 1970s would tell you that.Lyle Howard-Seave,&nbsp; Saint-Felicien, Que. &#9632;

Oilers dying via trade

<div class="byline">By Herb Zurkowsky</div>What Saku Koivu lacks in size, he makes up for in effort and heart. On ice and now off it.Nothing will change the fact Koivu is small by NHL standards 5-foot-9). The best way to compensate, he figures, is to play aggressively.Unfortunately, the Finnish-porn center has paid dearly for his firewagon brand of play.Koivu&rsquo;s career has been plagued by a string of injuries-everything from a strained abdominal muscle to an infected elbow and broken hand. Now he has abdominal cancer and will miss the entire season.The extent of Koivu&rsquo;s cancer and how he responds to treatment will determine if and when he returns (See. pgs. 2 and 3 for more on Koivu.)Following a stellar international career in the early 1990s, Koivu was the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; first draft choice (21st overall) in 1993. Two years later in 1995-96, he made his NHL debut, scoring 20 goals and 45 points in 82 games. It&rsquo;s the only time in Koivu&rsquo;s career he has played a full season.In his second season, Koivu was the NHL&rsquo;s scoring leader, with 13 goals and 38 points in 30 games when he sustained a torn knee ligament in a Dec. 7 game against Chicago. Though he did return for the final 20 games of the season, he never appeared to be the same explosive skater.His speed put him on the cusp of superstardom, but following the knee injury he appeared a fraction slower and lacking confidence.Koivu played in only 50 games in 1996-97, followed by seasons of 69,65,24 and 54 last season. He missed 28 games in 2000-01 with a knee injury that required surgery. Nonetheless, he still scored 17 goals and 47 points in 54 games, placing him in a tie for the team scoring lead.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011705/7206341-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="819" height="1039"><figcaption class="caption-body">Injuries limited Saku Koivu to 70 per cent of Montreal&rsquo;s games in his first six seasons.</figcaption></div>In six seasons with the Habs going into 2001-02, Koivu has played 344 of 492 games, just 70 per cent. He has missed 148 games-almost two full seasons-because of injury.Without Koivu this season, the Canadiens will miss a flashy, smart playmaker-someone who always vowed he was going to shoot the puck more, only to pass it off ultimately to a streaking teammate. Despite his small stature, Koivu insisted on playing the game at a high and aggressive tempo, wading into the corners or standing in front of the net.He became a leader, on and off the ice, and was named captain in 1999, after Vincent Damp-housse was traded to San Jose.The 26-year-old native of Turku, Finland also is a decorated international star, leading his hometown team TPS to two Finnish League titles. He earned a bronze medal at the 1994 Olympics, followed by silver at the &rsquo;94 World Championship; gold at the &rsquo;95 worlds; bronze at the Olympics in &rsquo;98 and silver at the worlds the following year, when he led the tournament in scoring, with 16 points.Koivu was scheduled to represent Finland again at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.This would have been Koivu&rsquo;s seventh season with Montreal. In August, he accepted a one-year qualifying offer of $3.3million U.S. &#9632;

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Habs will miss Koivu’s up-tempo style

<div class="byline">By THN staff</div>Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur is the new spokesman for the makers of Viagra.The former Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; great is to appear in television public service announcements educating men about erectile dysfunction. The advertisements are paid for by Pfizer Canada and were set to begin Sept. 7.Lafleur said he does not suffer from erectile difficulties, but agreed to do the spots because of Pfizer&rsquo;s reputation.&ldquo;Talking about ED can be pretty tough,&rdquo; Lafleur says in the commercial. &lsquo;It&rsquo;s time to get the facts. Get the most out of life.&rdquo;One in three Canadian men suffer from Tectile dysfunction, which can be treated by using Viagra.&ldquo;We wanted someone who would be recognized not only by sports fans, but by regular people across the country as well,&rdquo; Pfizer head of corporate affairs Sophie McCann told the National Post.Lafleur acts as a goodwill ambassador for the Canadiens and Molson Breweries. He also promotes a helicopter company.Companies cannot advertise prescription drugs in Canada, so the advertisement is framed as a public service announcement. Viagra can be promoted in the U.S. and former presidential hopeful Bob Dole has appeared in TV ads as a pitchman.SURGERY FOR NEILSON Ottawa Senators&rsquo; assistant coach Roger Neilson had surgery to remove cancer from his leg.The 67-year-old Neilson confirmed Sept. 6 the return of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.&ldquo;The melanoma is acting up again,&rdquo; Neilson told the Peterborough Examiner. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s localized in the leg. The rest of me is clear. They&rsquo;ll do a procedure at Pennsylvania Hospital (Sept. 7).&rdquo;Neilson was diagnosed with inoperable bone marrow cancer in 1999 when he was coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Later, a malignant lesion was removed from under his right knee last December.PIONEER DIES Steven Kirkpatrick, who made hockey history by playing goal in a wheelchair in a minor pro game, died of an apparent heart attack Sept. 6 in his hometown. He was 22.Kirkpatrick, of Sandusky, Mich., suffered from muscular dystrophy, and needed a ventilator to assist his breathing. But he convinced the Central League Indianapolis Ice to allow him to play a few seconds against the Huntsville Tornado April 1 in Indianapolis.With the co-operation of the Tornado, Kirkpatrick started the regular season game and was allowed to make a save so he could fulfill his dream of appearing in the statistics of a pro game. He then was removed from the game.He also had come to prominence for his lobbying effort to get an arena built in Sandusky and named after Colleen Howe, wife of Gordie Howe. She is a native of Sandusky and the Howes became close friends of Kirkpatrick.At the time of his death, Kirkpatrick was in the midst of his campaign to get an NHL team to let him play a few seconds in an NHL pre-season game.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a sad, sad, sad day,&rdquo; Gordie Howe said. &ldquo;Thank God he got to fulfill his dream of playing in a pro game. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and drive.&ldquo;He was a true friend of the Howes. And a part of hockey history&rdquo;SECURITY CHIEF DIES Frank Torpey, who was the first chief of security for the NHL, has died at age 71. The former FBI agent held the NHL post for 25 years, beginning in 1970.&ndash;With a file from Kevin Allen &#9632;

Legend Lafleur pitchman for Viagra

<div class="byline">By Alan Adams</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011769/7206396-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Theoren Fleury</figcaption></div>Here&rsquo;s a scene from the scrimmage during Day 2 of Canada&rsquo;s four-day mini-camp at the Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary. Theoren Fleury decided to do what he does best-be a pest. Paul Kariya, meanwhile, took it upon himself to try to stop Fleury from crashing the net.Kariya hooked Fleury with his stick and when the two broke free of each other, Fleury replied in kind with a slight slash that landed on Kariya&rsquo;s pants. And as he glanced at Kariya as he headed up ice, Fleury flashed a mischievous grin, as if to say &ldquo;I&rsquo;m back.&rdquo;Fleury is back all right, returning to the place he feels most comfortable-the ice-for the first time since he voluntarily entered an inpatient substance abuse and behavioral program Feb. 28. He admitted to being nervous about his return, but it didn&rsquo;t take long for him to blend in with Canada&rsquo;s best players.&ldquo;I have enjoyed a great summer and I have taken care of things I needed to take care of and after today, I feel I am ready to come back and do what I can do,&rdquo; said Fleury, who arrived at the camp knowing that he had received permission from the NHL to rejoin the New York Rangers when training camps open.With his stint in rehab behind him, Fleury is on a mission. He feels he still owes something to the Rangers and he desperately wants to wear Canada&rsquo;s colors at the Salt Lake City Olympics in February. Fleury is a veteran of the world stage, having played in the 1987 and 1988 world junior tournaments, the 1990 world championship, the 1991 Canada Cup, the 1996 World Cup and the 1998 Olympics.&ldquo;I enjoy playing international hockey,&rdquo; Fleury said. &ldquo;It is a different game and I have been able to travel to places I thought I would never visit.&ldquo;You ask anyone at this camp what it would mean to win an Olympic gold medal and it would rank up there with the Stanley Cup, especially since the Olympics are so close to home and the rivalry with the Americans.&rdquo;Fleury was firing on all cylinders at the orientation camp and he wasn&rsquo;t alone. Eric Lindros, who was back in the midst of NHLers after a 16-month absence, looked like the dominant player he was before his well-chronicled concussion woes. And Paul Kariya, who missed the 1996 World Cup and 1998 Winter Games due to injuries, showed he can take his game to another level when surrounded by a superb supporting cast.Given it was a gathering of Canada&rsquo;s best players, the pace of the practices and scrimmages was fast and furious, prompting associate coach Ken Hitchcock to caution the players to temper their emotions. Off the ice, there was a quasi-controversy about Canada&rsquo;s violation of the mini-camp arrangement.An agreement signed in July between the International Ice Hockey Federation, the NHL and the NHL Players&rsquo; Association prohibited teams from holding more than two days of on-ice sessions without coaches.Then on the eve of the camp, Canada&rsquo;s head coach, Pat Quinn, predictably said his preference was to practise all four days, with the coaching staff running the show.Quinn contended European teams cheated by having practices and charity games in the summer and Canada just wanted to level the playing field. Quinn, however, left it up to the players to decide whether to break with union&rsquo;s position on practice limitations and the players, in a unanimous vote, granted his wish.The stand was interpreted as an act of defiance of the NHLPA. But Ted Saskin, the NHLPA&rsquo;s second-in-command, dismissed the notion of a revolt.&ldquo;There is no defiance of the union,&rdquo; Saskin said. &ldquo;We said to the players to show up in camp and do what you want. We work for the players and what they want to do and if guys want to skate, they can skate.&ldquo;The one thing that is a little bit of a distraction is that the Europeans have in no way breached any of the agreement. Our players did participate in charity games like they do every year, but there was no team management involved in those games so to suggest the Europeans breached those agreements like Pat Quinn did is just plain wrong.&rdquo;In the end, the so-called controversy amounted to no more than a tempest in a goal net. &#9632;

f0008-01

COVER STORY

a CANADIAN comeback

<div class="byline">By Kevin Allen</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011671/7206427-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Berard</figcaption></div>Now that defenseman Bryan Berard has tested his ability to perform with limited sight in one eye at the U.S. Olympic camp, there is a vision of him returning to the NHL again one day. With his career considered over because he is legally blind in his right eye, Berard skated and handled himself well enough at the orientation camp in Colorado Springs to spark speculation he might be able to play again if he can resolve insurance issues and convince the NHL to relax its minimum sight requirements.&ldquo;He is back skating and if this can just give him a peace of mind, whether he can keep on going or can&rsquo;t, I wanted to give him the opportunity to be here,&rdquo; said U.S. coach Herb Brooks.Players have been able to play with one good eye at the minor league level, but it&rsquo;s not allowed in the NHL, where players are required to have at least 20/400 vision. Berard, 24, doesn&rsquo;t meet that requirement.Rangers&rsquo; assistant GM Don Maloney attended the camp and was clearly watching Berard. Other teams believed to have expressed interest in Berard include the Atlanta Thrashers, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. Berard, who was a member of the Leafs when he retired, is now an unrestricted free agent.USA Hockey&rsquo;s invitation was considered a nice gesture at first, but Berard toned heads. While he showed some rust due to being away from the game since March 11,2000, when he was struck in the right eye by Marian Hossa&rsquo;s stick, his skating is still first-rate and he&rsquo;s in good physical condition. Berard&rsquo;s teammates at the orientation camp marveled at how well he was competing.&ldquo;We scrimmaged the first night and Brett Hull said to him, &lsquo;Why the hell did you retire?&rsquo;&rdquo; recounted Philadelphia defenseman Eric Weinrich. &ldquo;He is so skilled he could probably play with one eye.&rdquo;Said Team USA captain Chris Chelios: &ldquo;You would never know (he is blind in one eye) if you just watched him. To me he seems fine. He has a blind spot on one side, but it&rsquo;s like anything else-maybe he can adjust to it.&rdquo;Berard&rsquo;s agent, Tom Laidlaw, refused to comment about a possible comeback, saying everything now &ldquo;is just speculation.&rdquo; But Berard, who may try wearing a corrective contact lens, has been urged by friends and advisors to pursue legal action against the NHL&rsquo;s sight requirement under the belief his participation might be protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. That&rsquo;s the same legal argument golfer Casey Martin used in convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to force the PGA to allow him to use a golf cart.Laidlaw said Berard has been working out relentlessly in recent months, primarily because he &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t like being out of shape.&rdquo;It was playing some pick-up hockey this summer with his buddies that prompted Berard to have a desire to attend the U.S. Olympic camp.&ldquo;I think he felt good handling the puck and I think he felt he just wanted to go to camp and see how he felt being on the ice with NHL players,&rdquo; Laidlaw said. &ldquo;But this is just part of him wanting to be in shape. He really wanted to go and hang out with the guys.&rdquo;Besides being cleared to play by the NHL, Berard would also have to settle an insurance matter before returning. He accepted a $6-million settlement when he retired based on the decision to never play again.Berard had three goals and 30 points in 64 games in 1999-2000, his last NHL season.In other U.S. camp news, Brooks took some of the mystery out of Team USA&rsquo;s goaltending situation by implying for the first time that Nashville Predators&rsquo; netminder Mike Dunham is the front-runner to be No. 1 and all but saying he wants New York Rangers&rsquo; veteran Mike Richter on the team.&ldquo;If you had to play tomorrow, looking at goalies today and what they did last year and who has a hot hand, I think we would have to tap Dunham,&rdquo; Brooks said.Brooks was equally laudatory about Richter, who showed at training camp that he is ahead of schedule on his rehabilitation from off-season knee surgery.&ldquo;Experience will be a factor and Mike is our most experienced goaltender,&rdquo;Brooks said. &#9632;

f0009-01

an AMERICAN comeback?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03714/7206458-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="971" height="2133"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021164/7206465-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="166" height="112"></div>Here are our choices for the 23 members of the Canadian Olympic team. All teams must name their full rosters by Dec. 22. 2001. The eight players already named to the team are listed with asterisks. Although these players are our early picks, ultimately, the remaining 15players will be cho sen primarily on the basis of 2001-02 performance. &#9632;

f0009-03

THN’s Early Line Team Canada 2002

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021275/7206559-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="595" height="443"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011741/7206566-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="218" height="214"></div>Hunting season has officially opened and some of the hungriest predators are aspiring NHL rookies. Here-and at the bottom of the team reports-are the first-year players with the best chances of making the big club.<h2>FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS TO WATCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03794/7206552-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="275" height="393"><figcaption class="caption-body">Erik Cole</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04540/7206545-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="274" height="396"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Bell</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05400/7206538-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="587" height="450"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06306/7206531-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="274" height="392"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Williams</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-07221/7206524-1-eng-US/f0010-072.jpg" title="f0010-07" width="275" height="394"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mathieu Garon</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-08165/7206517-1-eng-US/f0010-082.jpg" title="f0010-08" width="586" height="446"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-09124/7206510-1-eng-US/f0010-092.jpg" title="f0010-09" width="274" height="389"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kirill Safronov</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-10102/7206503-1-eng-US/f0010-102.jpg" title="f0010-10" width="274" height="392"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Allen</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1181/7206496-1-eng-US/f0010-112.jpg" title="f0010-11" width="1211" height="1407"><figcaption class="caption-body">Steve Rucchin is looking to bounce back from a tough-luck season.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0010-02

Training camp’s sturdy 30: freshmen with inside track

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Dan Wood</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1344/7206597-1-eng-US/f0010-132.jpg" title="f0010-13" width="570" height="364"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1261/7206604-1-eng-US/f0010-122.jpg" title="f0010-12" width="217" height="244"></div>If the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are to bounce back from last year&rsquo;s last place finish in the Western Conference and contend for a playoff berth, center Steve Rucchin figures to be a key man.Rucchin, who missed 60 games after suffering a broken nose and broken cheekbone when struck by a deflected puck in November, pronounced himself fit entering training camp.&ldquo;Health-wise, I feel really good,&rdquo; said Rucchin, who played in only two games after being hurt because of what Ducks&rsquo; GM Pierre Gauthier termed a vestibular concussion.While the concussion was not typical in the sense of the brain being affected, Rucchin had inner-ear and sinus damage that resulted in concussion-like symptoms. Headaches, dizziness and loss of balance were most prevalent during and after exertion.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working out just as hard, if not harder, than I have in the past,&rdquo; Rucchin said. &ldquo;I can put in several hours of working out and feel pretty good now.&rdquo; Rucchin, 30, sat out the opening six games after suffering a broken metacarpal bone in his left hand during the pre-season. He had only begun to round into form when a slap shot by former Anaheim right winger Teemu Selanne glanced off the stick of Colorado defenseman Adam Foote and nailed Rucchin square in the face as he was being shoved to the ice by defenseman Ray Bourque.Without Rucchin, as well as several other key players who missed significant stretches due to injuries, the Ducks stumbled to a 19-32-8-3 record the rest of the way and finished 25-41-11-5.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Niclas Havelid became the last Duck to come to terms when he agreed to a two-year pact Sept. 4. Finances weren&rsquo;t disclosed. Havelid had four goals and 14 points in 47 games last season, missing the final 35 games because of torn knee ligaments that required surgery&hellip;Anaheim will have four days of practice before its Sept. 15 pre-season opener at Los Angeles&hellip;The Ducks will also open the regular season on the road, Oct. 4 at Boston, where the Bruins will retire Ray Bourque&rsquo;s No. 77.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE MIGHTY DUCKS &#9632;</h2>

f0010-13

Rucchin healthy, ready to contribute

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Jeff Schultz</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1531/7206635-1-eng-US/f0010-152.jpg" title="f0010-15" width="566" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1435/7206642-1-eng-US/f0010-142.jpg" title="f0010-14" width="222" height="252"></div>The Atlanta Thrashers have arrived at the same level as every other sports franchise in Atlanta. If you work in the team&rsquo;s marketing or sales department, that&rsquo;s bad news, not good news.Here&rsquo;s why: Atlanta is a city full of bandwagon sports fans and at least a few thousand bandwagon members from the expansion season in 1999-2000 have jumped elsewhere. Stan Kasten, who is president of all three AOL/Time Warner/Turner sports franchises-Thrashers, Braves and Hawks-projects hockey season-ticket sales will be down approximately 10 per cent this season to &ldquo;between 8,000 and 9,000.&rdquo;The Thrashers were required to sell at least 12,000 season tickets their first year, but it&rsquo;s believed that total was not exclusively full-season packages. Regardless, the drop in sales did not come as a surprise to Kasten or anybody else in the organization. Kasten pointed to the inflated sales of the first season, the fact the team hasn&rsquo;t made the playoffs yet in a competitive sports market and the softening economy.The Thrashers spent a lot of time this off-season on individual and group sales promotion and are expected to have strong crowds in their first six games at Philips Arena.NOTEBOOK GM Don Waddell drove more than 1,000 miles, from Atlanta to Traverse City, Mich., in 13 1/2 hours just to see the team play in a prospect tournament. Waddell was prohibited from flying by doctors because of nerve damage in his left ear suffered while diving in Florida. &ldquo;We stopped three times for gas and one other time for coffee,&rdquo; Waddell said proudly. &ldquo;We got here, went to the hotel, showered and still made the morning skate. No chance I was missing this.&rdquo;&hellip;Defenseman Adam Burt, originally believed to be out until January following back surgery, has made a rapid recovery and may miss only the first few weeks of the season.<h2>MOSTJJKELY TO MAKE THRASHERS &#9632;</h2>

f0010-15

Support waning, fans want a winner

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Mike Loftus</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1718/7206673-1-eng-US/f0010-172.jpg" title="f0010-17" width="570" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-1623/7206680-1-eng-US/f0010-162.jpg" title="f0010-16" width="223" height="242"></div>Robbie Ftorek went to the Boston Bruins&rsquo; four-day rookie camp at Kitchener, Ont., mainly as an observer.Back at Wilmington, Mass., where Boston&rsquo;s main camp was to open Sept. 11, Ftorek was going to be a teacher and the Bruins were going to get a crash course.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a short camp with a lot of games,&rdquo; said Ftorek, whom Boston hired when Mike Keenan&rsquo;s option wasn&rsquo;t renewed. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s going to be really good, though, because there&rsquo;ll be no options; Just go out and make the most of your time.&rdquo;There wasn&rsquo;t going to be much time for Ftorek to teach the system he wants Boston to play. After just four days of practice, the B&rsquo;s faced three pre-season games in four nights between Sept. 15 and Sept 18. All told, Boston was to play five of its nine tune-ups in a seven-night span (Sept. 15-21), then close with four in as many nights from Sept. 27-30.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to make sure we don&rsquo;t let things slide, because little things become big things,&rdquo; Ftorek said. &ldquo;There are things we have to go through. Some might call it tedious; I call it repetitive. When we ask these players why we want them to do something, they have to be able to explain it as well as the coaches know it.&rdquo;Ftorek spent the last 10 seasons in the New Jersey organization. He last coached the Devils for 74 games in 19992000, when GM Lou Lamoriello replaced Ftorek with assistant Larry Robinson-who led the Devils to the Stanley Cup.NOTEBOOK Coach Rob Ftorek was prepared for the possibility that captain and top scorer Jason Allison would still be unsigned when camp opened. &ldquo;Jason has to make a decision that&rsquo;s best for him and his family,&rdquo; Ftorek said. &ldquo;When training camp comes, I can only be concerned with the players who are at camp. I&rsquo;ll still love Jason and I&rsquo;ll want him to play for our team, but I will not be worried or concerned or talking about it.&rdquo;<h2>MOSTJJKELY TO MAKE BRUINS &#9632;</h2>

f0010-17

New coach Ftorek set to make mark

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Bucky Gleason</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021265/7206718-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="568" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011685/7206725-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="218" height="247"></div>Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; GM Darcy Regier thought Miroslav Satan&rsquo;s arbitration award would be a sound barometer for contract talks with Alexei Zhitnik, but the defenseman had other ideas.Zhitnik declined his arbitration rights and elected instead to negotiate with the Sabres. The two sides haven&rsquo;t been anywhere near an agreement and it could be a while before common ground is reached.The Sabres believe Satan is their best player and therefore should be paid accordingly. He was given an arbitration award that will pay him an average of $3.4 million in each of the next two years. But Zhitnik is looking for considerably more.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking for $4 million,&rdquo; said his agent, Serge Levin. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very simple and very logical.&rdquo;Zhitnik is coming off one of his better seasons with eight goals and 37 points in 78 games, but it came after a miserable 1999-2000 campaign in which he had just two goals and 13 points in 74 games. He has led the Sabres in ice time in each of the last four years.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not critical of Alex,&rdquo; Regier said. &ldquo;I think he had a very good year last year. We&rsquo;re happy with Alex&rsquo;s play.&rdquo;But not to the tune of $4 million per season.The Sabres, of course, are fresh off a season in which they refused to bow to captain Michael Peca&rsquo;s salary demands; ultimately, they traded the center to the New York Islanders. Zhitnik doesn&rsquo;t want to hold out for an entire season, but there were no promising signs prior to training camp.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Jay McKee was invited to the Canadian Olympic hockey camp, but there&rsquo;s only a slim chance he&rsquo;ll play for his home country in Salt Lake City. Team Canada boss Wayne Gretzky needed enough players to have competitive workouts and he was short a defenseman when Adam Foote underwent shoulder surgery&hellip;The Sabres are expected to bring 23 to 28 players for weeklong workouts in Charleston, S.C., in early September.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE SABRES</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03870/7206711-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="1205" height="1561"><figcaption class="caption-body">Arturs Irbe has shouldered a staggering workload in Carolina&rsquo;s crease.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0014-02

Zhitnik talks stall as season nears

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Eric Duhatschek</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05394/7206756-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="564" height="356"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04590/7206763-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="220" height="252"></div>This, unhappily, is how things tend to go for Calgary Flames&rsquo; defenseman Denis Gauthier: After a summer in which he had major wrist surgery, vigorously rehabilitated an ongoing shoulder problem and spent 25 hours in a dentist&rsquo;s chair-rebuilding seven teeth broken in a practice-he arrived in town in the first week of September and promptly broke his new temporary bridge.On the ice, stopping a puck, perhaps?&ldquo;No,&rdquo; answered Gauthier, with a laugh,&rdquo;I bit into a bun, out for dinner. I&rsquo;m telling you, it&rsquo;s one thing after another. But I&rsquo;m taking that one with a smile. This is very minor. It&rsquo;s actually kind of funny that it happened that way&rdquo;The 24-year-old Gauthier goes into the new season with a series of personal goals, including one he has been unable to achieve throughout his four-year career-staying healthy. Last season, he played a career-high 62 games and even that required an asterisk. Gauthier broke a bone in his hand during an October fight with Columbus Blue Jackets&rsquo; defenseman Jamie Pushor and was forced to wear a playing cast for the rest of the season, something that inhibited his puckhandling.Gauthier underwent wrist surgery in mid-April and was in a cast for six weeks, meaning he didn&rsquo;t touch a golf club until the end of July. He spent all that time strengthening his wrist and shoulder and now pronounces himself fit for the start of training camp.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the same story every year,&rdquo; Gauthier said. &ldquo;I spend the summer healing and in September, I always say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ve got to stay healthy&rsquo; I spent the first four years learning how to play the (NHL) game. Now, this is the season where I can put those learning experiences into play. This will be fun.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK The Flames were reportedly on the verge on placing veteran defenseman Phil Housley on waivers. It&rsquo;s speculated both the Flames and Housley feel it&rsquo;s time for the 37-year-old to move on&hellip;The Flames signed right winger Garrett Bembridge, their seventh round choice (207th overall) in the 2001 draft.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE FLAMES &#9632;</h2>

f0014-05

Hard-luck Gauthier eyes good health

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Luke DeCock</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07251/7206794-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="566" height="362"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06311/7206801-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="220" height="222"></div>After playing in 152 games over the past two seasons, no one would blame Arturs Irbe if he wanted to take a few more days off this season.He&rsquo;s going to get them whether he likes it or not with the arrival of Tom Barrasso, whose track record indicates he&rsquo;s capable of handling much of the Canes&rsquo; workload in net.&ldquo;How&rsquo;s it going to work out for me? We&rsquo;ll have to see,&rdquo; Irbe said. &ldquo;My idea and my understanding is it&rsquo;s going to help me get some breaks and the bottom line is to help the team. Tom is here to help us win.&rdquo;Irbe&rsquo;s short stature he&rsquo;s generously listed at 5-foot-8-is often a topic of discussion, but the secret to his stamina is the 190 pounds of bulk he has somehow managed to cram onto that small frame.The question is, how long can he keep playing night alter night at age 34, especially considering the compressed schedule to make up for the Olympic break?Carolina coach Paul Maurice reiterated Irbe is his No. 1 goalie heading into the season, then pointed out he said the same thing about Trevor Kidd before the 1998-99 season. Kidd&rsquo;s tenure as No. 1 lasted only days as Irbe began to steal the job away in the season&rsquo;s first week and hasn&rsquo;t relinquished it since.&ldquo;I still approach it as always that I have to be able to be ready to play every game,&rdquo; Irbe said. &ldquo;Tommy should be providing us some games in goal and quite a few wins to help us along the way and that&rsquo;s the idea.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Left winger Tomas Kurka. one of the Hurricanes&rsquo; top prospects, signed just days before rookie camp opened. Kurka could have returned for a third season with Plymouth (OHL) owned by Carolina owner Peter Karmanos but the Canes feel his development is best served by playing for Lowell (AHL)&hellip;The Hurricanes continue to have one of the NHL&rsquo;s scantiest TV packages. They will have 40 games on cable TV this year, with a possibility of seven or eight more on local broadcast TV.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE HURRICANES &#9632;</h2>

f0014-07

Irbe accepts help from vet Barasso

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Tim Sassone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-09188/7206832-1-eng-US/f0014-092.jpg" title="f0014-09" width="571" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08208/7206839-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="220" height="242"></div>It&rsquo;s looking more and more like Tony Amonte&rsquo;s days with the Chicago Blackhawks are numbered.Amonte will be an unre stricted free agent after this season and so far talks about a contract extension have gone nowhere, with the two sides millions apart.&ldquo;It is extremely unlikely that Tony Amonte is going to resign with the Blackhawks,&rdquo; his agent, Mike Gillis, told the Chicago Sun Times.Amonte is trying to remain positive and said he wouldn&rsquo;t continue to negotiate once training camp started.&ldquo;My agent just said that&rsquo;s the way it is at this point in time,&rdquo; Amonte said. &ldquo;I think he might have said that out of frustration because they have talked so much and nothing has been resolved. &lsquo;Unlikely&rsquo; doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s not going to happen. There&rsquo;s still a chance something might happen, but if it doesn&rsquo;t. I&rsquo;m still going to go out and play as hard as I can.&rdquo;GM Mike Smith and senior vice-president Bob Pulford didn&rsquo;t help the situation by going public with comments regarding Amonte. Smith said he didn&rsquo;t consider Amonte a go-to guy and he wasn&rsquo;t the type of player to build a team around. Pulford was critical of Amonte&rsquo;s salary demands.&ldquo;Should he get more money than Owen Nolan? No,&rdquo; Pulford said. &ldquo;Should he get more than Brendan Shanahan? No. (Amonte and Gillis) have to be honest and look at the comparisons. If they do, I think Tony will get signed. If they compare him to Jaromir Jagr, he won&rsquo;t get signed.&rdquo;Pulford helieves Amonte should be paid the same as Washington&rsquo;s Peter Bondra. who made $4.5 million last year.NOTEBOOK The Hawks were set to start training camp with only 44 players to give coach Brian Sutter a better chance to see what he had minus tryouts and extra bodies. Sutter felt there were at least eight to 10 roster spots available&hellip;GM Mike Smith said he was still shopping for a &ldquo;significant&rdquo; center to play on the top three lines. Another center would allow Igor Korolev to play left wing.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE BLACKHAWKS &#9632;</h2>

f0014-09

Hawks, Amonte could part ways

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Jim Benton</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021087/7206870-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="987" height="318"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011549/7206877-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="221" height="250"></div>If anybody is qualified for the job as the Colorado Avalanche&rsquo;s video coach, it&rsquo;s Eric Lacroix.Lacroix, 30, played eight seasons in the NHL before deciding to retire this summer. He played for Los Angeles, Colorado, the New York Rangers and Ottawa.His father, Pierre, is the GM of the Avalanche. Eric&rsquo;s brother, Martin, is pursing a career in motion picture industry.&ldquo;We were looking for a young man with NHL experience and Eric adequately fits those requirements,&rdquo; said Avs&rsquo; coach Bob Hartley &ldquo;He brings a strong hockey background and thoroughly understands the game pertaining to his duties.&rdquo;Eric Lacroix replaces Paul Fixter, now an assistant coach with Hershey, Colorado&rsquo;s AHL affiliate.For Lacroix, it marks the return to the team he left after a controversial trade three years ago. He was dealt from Colorado to the Kings Oct. 29,1998 after Avalanche players expressed uneasiness over sharing the dressing room with the son of the GM.That baggage, apparently, has been left in the past.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity,&rdquo; Eric Lacroix said. &ldquo;This is a new start for me and my wife. We love Denver so much and it&rsquo;s just exciting to have this opportunity. I&rsquo;m really looking forward to the job. Hockey is all I know.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK The Avalanche expected three of its biggest stars to be healthy enough to start training camp Sept. 11. Center Peter Forsberg had his spleen removed May 10. He started skating in August and the Avalanche will slowly ease him back into action. Center Joe Sakic injured his groin during summer workouts. Already named to the Canadian Olympic team, Sakic didn&rsquo;t skate during Canada&rsquo;s orientation camp in Calgary. And, defenseman Adam Foote underwent surgery on his left rotator cuff in July. Foote, who was invited to the Calgary camp but didn&rsquo;t participate, missed 35 games last season after having surgery on his right shoulder&hellip;Right winger Chris Drury, who pitched Trumbull, Conn., to a victory in the title game of the 1989 Little League World Series, has sympathy for the Bronx&rsquo;s Danny Almonte, who created a scandal because he was two years older than the legal age of 12 when he hurled a perfect game in this summer&rsquo;s tournament. &ldquo;I kind of feel bad. not even for the baseball aspect of it,&rdquo; Drury said. &ldquo;There have been reports he hasn&rsquo;t been to school for 18 months. That&rsquo;s the biggest thing.&rdquo;<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE AVALANCHE &#9632;</h2>

f0015-02

It’s a Lacroix family affair again as GM’s son back as video coach

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Aaron Portzline</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04567/7206908-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="987" height="321"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03771/7206915-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="224" height="252"></div>It&rsquo;s often painful for expansion teams to part with high-round draft choices, but the Columbus Blue Jackets were willing to give up a second-round pick in 2003 to acquire Grant Marshall from the Dallas Stars.President-GM Doug MacLean said he was content with his forwards after signing center Mike Sillinger earlier in the summer.Quietly, however, he embarked on a search to find a physical right winger who could chip in 15 or 20 goals on a top line, and his crosshairs landed on Marshall. The deal was struck Aug. 29.&ldquo;You look at his pedigree and he has scored whenever he was given a chance to play in the upper part of the lineup,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;Here in Columbus, he&rsquo;ll have a chance to play in the top six.&rdquo;The Stars spent most of the summer loading up on talented forwards. With each move, Marshall slipped further down in the pecking order for a spot on a scoring line.In Columbus, he&rsquo;ll be counted on to score, something he said he welcomes.Marshall will either team with left winger Geoff Sanderson and center Espen Knutsen on the No. 1 line, or with left winger Ray Whitney and Sillinger on the second. The move likely bumps second-year player David Vyborny to the third line.Marshall was chosen 23rd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1992 entry draft, but was transferred to Dallas, along with center Peter Zezel, as compensation for the Leafs signing free agent right winger Mike Craig.&ldquo;We have skill and speed up front,&rdquo; said coach Dave King. &ldquo;We probably could have used more size (last season) and that&rsquo;s what Marshall brings. He brings size and strength and abrasiveness and it compliments our team real well.&ldquo;Steve Heinze gave us a similar presence when he was with us last season. I think Marshall will give us even more of that kind of presence.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Less than 10 days before training camp was to start, defenseman Deron Quint remained unsigned-and the negotiations, once said to be amicable, seemed to be getting a little more tense. &ldquo;The frustration level is growing,&rdquo; said Columbus president-GM Doug MacLean said,&rdquo;and I&rsquo;m not sure that&rsquo;s a good thing for them.&rdquo; Talks between Quint&rsquo;s agents, Mike Liut and Brian Lawton, will continue, but, MacLean said,&rdquo;If he&rsquo;s not signed, he won&rsquo;t be invited to camp.&rdquo;<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE BLUE JACKETS &#9632;</h2>

f0015-04

There’s a new Marshall in town, Blue Jackets trade for veteran

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Chuck Carlton</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05392/7206953-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="241" height="247"></div>Pat Verbeek is what he is, as good a reason as any why he&rsquo;s back for an encore with the Dallas Stars.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no gray in Pat Verbeek, there&rsquo;s only black and white,&rdquo; said Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock. &ldquo;He has an attitude and a competitive edge that&rsquo;s necessary in building a winning team. And we think he&rsquo;ll bring that to us again.&rdquo;Verbeek hopes his return to the Stars as a 37-year-old unrestricted free agent is just as rewarding this time around. He was a member of the Stars&rsquo; 1999 Stanley Cup team and scored 65 goals in three seasons, including 31 in 1997-98.After spending the past two seasons with Detroit, he signed a one-year, $800,000 deal Aug. 31 with the Stars.During his earlier stint with the Stars, Verbeek played everywhere from the first to the fourth lines. He&rsquo;s willing to make similar adjustments now.&ldquo;In a lot of ways, my role will be the same as it was the last time I was there,&rdquo; Verbeek said. &ldquo;I think I can play up and down the lineup and offer certain things. At the same time, I know I&rsquo;m a little older and I&rsquo;ll have to be able to accept taking a game off here or there or not getting the same minutes.&rdquo;A key stat on Verbeek shows his effectiveness and tenacity. He is the only player in NHL history with 500 goals (515) and 2,500 penalty minutes (2,833). His refusal to back down earned him the enduring nickname &lsquo;Little Ball of Hate.&rsquo;After a summer spent stockpiling skill, the Stars decided to add a little veteran grit to the mix. &ldquo;He brings veteran knowledge and veteran leadership,&rdquo; said GM Bob Gainey &ldquo;He understands the pursuit of victory&rdquo;The trade that sent disgruntled forward Grant Marshall to Columbus freed up roster and salary room for the Verbeek signing. Because Verbeek can play left wing as well as right, he could be a good fit on a line with either Joe Nieuwendyk or Pierre Turgeon.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Sergei Zubov made his decision last season and not even a plea by one of Russia&rsquo;s greatest legends could change his mind. Despite a pitch by newly named Russian Olympic hockey coach Slava Fetisov, Zubov has decided to forego the 2002 Winter Games. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve played in the Olympics, it&rsquo;s time for somebody else to play,&rdquo; said Zubov, a gold medalist for the CIS team in 1992. &ldquo;My focus is on this team (the Stars) and this season.&rdquo;&hellip;While training camp will be held in Dallas, coach Ken Hitchcock is emphasizing a three-day retreat in Breckenridge, Colo., for team bonding.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE STARS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-06320/7206946-1-eng-US/f0015-062.jpg" title="f0015-06" width="989" height="320"></div> &#9632;

f0015-05

Stars counter signing slick skill by adding ‘Little Ball Of Hate’

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Nicholas J. Cotsonika</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021134/7206984-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="561" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011469/7206991-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="221" height="243"></div>Rather than play out the string somewhere else, because the Detroit Red Wings didn&rsquo;t offer him another contract, forward Doug Brown has decided to hang &lsquo;em up in Hockeytown and move on to a business career.Brown said the reason is simple: He, his wife and their five children have grown deep roots in Detroit.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re staying right here,&rdquo; said Brown, a New England native.&ldquo;Simply, this has become home. If I was going to play, this was where I wanted to play.&ldquo;The game plan was to be playing for the Wings or cheering for the Wings. I&rsquo;m not going to make the family move to play for another year or couple of years.&rdquo;Brown, 37, spent 15 seasons in the NHL as a reliable role player. Although he never had a 20-goal season, he finished with 160 career goals.He was surely unheralded when he came to Detroit: The Wings claimed him from Pittsburgh in the 1995 waiver draft. But he became a valuable part of the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup teams, earning the nickname &ldquo;Brownov&rdquo; for his rapport with the Wings&rsquo; Russians, Sergei Fedorov especially.He became so valuable, in fact, when the Wings lost him to Nashville in the 1998 expansion draft they made a trade to get him right back.He said a number of teams inquired about signing him, but he declined.NOTEBOOK Right winger Tomas Holmstrom, a restricted free agent, has agreed to a three-year contract. His agent, Howard Gourwitz, said the contract includes incentives tailored to his unique set of skills. Besides incentives based on overall production, the contract has incentives based on power play production. A gritty forward known for parking himself in front of goaltenders, taking a pounding in the process, Holmstrom had nine of his 16 goals and 10 of his 24 assists last season on the power play.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE RED WINGS &#9632;</h2>

f0016-02

‘Brownov’ retires rather than move

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Robert Tychkowski</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04630/7207029-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="566" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03848/7207036-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="219" height="238"></div>It has always been the dream of local prospects Paul and Mike Comrie to one day suit up for the Edmonton Oilers-to be linemates on the team they grew up worshipping since they were old enough to walk.For a while, the dream was close enough to taste. The Oilers acquired Paul in 1997 (while he was still at the University of Denver) in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning and signed Mike to a three-year contract last December.The talented Edmonton boys, heirs to the multi million dollar Brick furniture empire owned by their father, Bill, were both Oiler property. But that&rsquo;s as far as the dream got.While Mike, who starred at the University of Michigan and later with the Western League&rsquo;s Kootenay Ice, is being groomed as an impact player of the future (his three-year incentive laden deal tops out at $10 million U.S.), Paul&rsquo;s career has been cut short.At just 24, he has been forced into retirement by post-concussion syndrome. The victim of a wayward elbow 20 months ago during a minor league game, Paul is still suffering the same kind of headaches, dizziness and fatigue that chased the likes of Jeff Beukeboom and Pat LaFontaine from the sport.&ldquo;(Doctors) told me I should probably be thinking about an alternate career because it has been over a year and a half (with no significant improvement),&rdquo; said Paul, who played 15 NHL games. &ldquo;And who knows what could happen with the next hit?&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Defenseman Tom Poti and the Oilers were still trying to come to terms on a new deal. Poti, whose performance dipped in his third season, made $850,000 last year, but $350,000 of that was in bonuses. Edmonton&rsquo;s initial qualifying offer was on his base salary of $500,000-no small sticking point&hellip;Left winger Ryan Smyth&rsquo;s take on being at the Canadian Olympic team&rsquo;s orientation camp: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really exciting. Words can&rsquo;t describe how excited I am. It gives me chills to be going to this camp.&rdquo;<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE OILERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05457/7207022-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="1205" height="1563"><figcaption class="caption-body">Look for Pavel Bure to take on a greater leadership role with Florida.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0016-04

Brothers’ dream comes to sad end

<div class="byline">&#x2014;David J. Neal</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-07353/7207067-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="562" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06385/7207074-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="219" height="241"></div>New ownership, new coach, new mix of teammates&hellip;anxious or excited to get this season underway, Mr. Pavel Bure?&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in the league 10 years,&rdquo; said the NHL&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer over the last two seasons. &ldquo;Every season, you get excited. It&rsquo;s going to be a brand new season and we&rsquo;ll see what happens.&rdquo;Bure&rsquo;s flat tone contrasted with his words. Perhaps jet lag from flying into South Florida the previous day sapped the life from his voice. Whatever, he should be excited about this season if for no other reason than the Florida Panthers are clearly Pavel Bure&rsquo;s team, now.His best friend and brother, Valeri, will be on the second line after the draft day trade bringing him from Calgary. The Bure boys probably will get to spend recess together during four-on-four and power play situations. Pavel said the trade didn&rsquo;t begat any more brotherly chats this summer than usual.&ldquo;Not really, because summer is summer,&rdquo; Pavel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s spending it with his kids. I&rsquo;m spending the summer in Moscow. He&rsquo;s training, I&rsquo;m training.&rdquo;The Panthers have given permanence to Duane Sutter, of whom Pavel Bure gave his vocal support for the job at the end of the season. Sutter played Bure every second he could.It was much the same approach Brian Sutter, brother of Duane, used with Valeri Bure in Calgary during the 1999-2000 season.Also, Pavel definitely should assume an even greater leadership role as one of two alternate captains remaining on the Panthers. The other is reticent defenseman Robert Svehla. Captain Scott Mellanby was traded in February last season and has not been replaced. Alternate captain Rob Niedermayer went to Calgary as part of the four-player deal that brought Valeri Bure and center Jason Wiemer.NOTEBOOK The first training camp activity for the Panthers, a team that had chemistry problems from the start of last season, is a team dinner the night the veterans are scheduled to report.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE PANTHERS &#9632;</h2>

f0016-07

Veteran Bure takes new season in stride

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Matt McHale</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-09281/7207105-1-eng-US/f0016-092.jpg" title="f0016-09" width="566" height="359"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-08315/7207112-1-eng-US/f0016-082.jpg" title="f0016-08" width="218" height="235"></div>Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr hear the rumors like everyone else, that starting goaltender Felix Potvin would be a contract no-show for the beginning of training camp.Both say they are too busy to worry about it.Fiset, the Kings&rsquo; projected No. 1 goaltender last season, appeared in just seven games after twice suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.He returned in the final week of the regular season, but since Potvin played the final 22 games of the regular season and all 13 playoff games, Fiset never saw action.&ldquo;But I was all the way back by then,&rdquo; said Fiset, who participated in informal workouts prior to the team&rsquo;s training camp in El Segundo, Calif. &ldquo;This summer was spent getting stronger and working on technique. Those are the important things. We can&rsquo;t sit around wondering about Felix. We have to keep working.&rdquo;Fiset, 30, did not require surgery, but underwent a long rehabilitation process. He was injured first in a pre-season game against Anaheim and after returning for seven games in December, suffered another knee injury after being struck by the helmet of Minnesota&rsquo;s Wes Walz.Storr became the starter after Fiset&rsquo;s first injury. He was hot and cold until losing his job when Potvin was acquired March 15 from Vancouver.The Kings elected not to trade Fiset or Storr despite several offers on draft day.&ldquo;The focus has to be on getting ready, not whether Felix will be in camp,&rdquo; Storr said. &ldquo;I have a better chance of becoming a doctor than figuring out what will happen.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK The Kings signed defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to a two-year contract with an option year for 2003-04. Visnovsky led all rookie defensemen last year with 39 points. Because he was signed at age 24, Visnovsky turned down the Kings qualifying offer of $385,000. The contract is loaded with performance bonuses and he is not eligible for salary arbitration until he is 26.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE KINGS &#9632;</h2>

f0016-09

f0017-02

Wild pleased with upside of kids, hope they’ll make mark in NHL

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Herb Zurkowsky</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04530/7207181-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="988" height="318"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03723/7207188-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="222" height="223"></div>Although the Montreal Canadiens are solid in net, they&rsquo;ve confessed to being intrigued following their first in-depth look at Russian rookie goaltender Vadim Tarasov.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very quick; that&rsquo;s the first thing I noticed,&rdquo; said goaltending coach Roland Melanson after the team&rsquo;s summer conditioning camp. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s all over the place. What we have to do is get that quickness under control. Right now, he&rsquo;s out of control.&rdquo;Tarasov, 24, was selected 196th overall by the Canadiens in 1999. He&rsquo;s only 5-foot-11 and 158 pounds, but Melanson isn&rsquo;t concerned with his size.&ldquo;He plays big,&rdquo; Melanson said. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t have a deep crouch and he covers a lot of the net.&rdquo;Tarasov was named the top goalie in the Russian League in each of the past three seasons. Last year, he appeared in 33 games, posting a 2.11 goals-against average with a save percentage of.911.Tarasov became involved in a scandal that rocked Russian hockey in the summer of 2000. While under contract to Metallurg Novokuznetsk, he signed with a rival team, Avangard Omsk. The Russian League suspended him for a year, but amended the punishment to probation after it was argued the league would suffer with the loss of its top netminder.It was paramount that Tarasov, who speaks no English, travel to North America to be seen by management at the conditioning camp before reporting to rookie camp during the first week of September. That&rsquo;s because he was unable to play at the World Championship, last April, due to a groin injury.With Jose Theodore, Jeff Hackett and Mathieu Garon battling for playing time with Montreal, Tarasov figures to spend the season with the Canadiens&rsquo; American League affiliate, in Quebec.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Sheldon Souray has drawn the wrath of management for waiting until August before reporting he was suffering from pain in his right shoulder. Arthroscopic surgery was quickly scheduled which revealed no serious damage. However, doctors did use the procedure to clean out some debris. Souray is expected to be ready for the first on-ice sessions, Sept. 12 in Montreal&hellip;Guy Carbonneau has agreed to a one-year contract to return as an assistant coach. Carbonneau, a former Habs&rsquo; captain, accepted a development and scouting position with the organization last year, but was later added to the coaching staff.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE CANADIENS &#9632;</h2>

f0017-04

Unorthodox goaltender Tarasov gives Canadiens depth in crease

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Rich Chere</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021007/7207264-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="566" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011353/7207271-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="221" height="250"></div>With an Olympics-interrupted schedule that promises to take a physical toll on everyone, Devils&rsquo; coach Larry Robinson will spend much of training camp formulating a plan to keep his key veterans rested and healthy.Robinson said he realizes the need to avoid overworking players like Ken Daneyko, Scott Stevens, Randy McKay and Sergei Nemchinov.&ldquo;Father time is catching up to Daneyko, Randy and, to a certain extent, Scotty Stevens,&rdquo; Robinson said. &ldquo;When you get older, you can&rsquo;t do a lot of the things you always could.&ldquo;Scotty is a fitness fanatic, so I don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s as much of a concern. But he&rsquo;s got to work harder to stay at that level.Daneyko, 37, said he is ready for the challenge.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll play whatever role is asked,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I thought they did an excellent job with me last year.&rdquo;Age isn&rsquo;t the lone factor. Goalie Martin Brodeur, 29, almost certainly won&rsquo;t top the 40-win mark for a third straight season.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Marty can play as much as he did last year and perform up to his ability in the playoffs.&rdquo; Robinson said. &ldquo;The schedule is going to take its toll. I want a fresh goaltender.&rdquo;That means a rookie (J.F. Damphousse or Fredric Henry) will get a chance to play a good chunk of games this season.NOTEBOOK Goaltender Martin Brodeur said he met with GM Lou Lamoriello in August, but did not get into details about a possible contract extension. Brodeur has one year left on his pact&hellip;Coach Larry Robinson was asked about center Bobby Holik&rsquo;s bitterness over his salary arbitration hearing. &ldquo;The players are the ones who set arbitration up as a tool for them,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;Now they have that as a tool to use and they&rsquo;re all upset at what they hear or when they don&rsquo;t get what they want.&rdquo;&hellip;Lamoriello said the team will not rush rookie right winger Brian Gionta, who scored 33 goals at Boston College last season.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE DEVILS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03703/7207257-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="1201" height="1561"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Spezza has set his mind on making the Senators this season.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0018-02

Devils plan to give veterans more rest

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Peter Botte</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05295/7207302-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="570" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04447/7207309-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="221" height="242"></div>Alexei Yashin is thinking big, and why not? The star center the Islanders signed to the longest and richest contract in NHL history, now has to put his money where his mouth is.&ldquo;I hope all together we can bring a dynasty back and bring pride back to Long Island,&rdquo; said Yashin at a news conference to announce his landmark 10-year, $87.5-million contract. &ldquo;Hopefully, together we can work very hard to bring the (Stanley) Cup back.&rdquo;And with that, the Yashin era officially began for the Islanders, who haven&rsquo;t sniffed the NHL post-season since 1993-94.The Isles hope the long-term commitment owners Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar have made to Yashin and center Michael Peca (five years, $20 million) will spark a revival.Yashin, who earned $3.6 million last season while totaling 40 goals and 88 points for Ottawa, will be paid $6.4 million in the first and last years (2010-11) of the deal and up to $10 million in between.Since the NHL&rsquo;s insurance carrier only covers contracts up to five years at a time, GM Mike Milbury acknowledged the Isles will pay premiums to cover the latter years of what he termed &ldquo;a very creative deal.&rdquo;The pact includes no language protecting Yashin in case of a projected lockout when the CBA expires in 2003-04. There also are no &ldquo;out&rdquo; clauses, no &ldquo;no-trade&rdquo; clauses and no bonuses unless Yashin finishes in the top three in voting for any of the NHL&rsquo;s major awards.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re back in business, basically,&rdquo; Milbury said &ldquo;Instead of trying to survive in the league, we&rsquo;re actually hoping to thrive.&rdquo;(See pg. 5 for more on Yashin).NOTEBOOK Center Alexei Yashin&rsquo;s signing means every player expected to be on the opening night roster is in the fold. The club&rsquo;s payroll, the lowest in the NHL at slightly more than $15 million two years ago, figures to be about $32 million&hellip;Yashin will wear No. 79 because it &ldquo;looks like 19,&rdquo; he said, referring to the number he wore in Ottawa. The Isles will be retiring No. 19 this season in honor of Hall of Fame center Bryan Trottier.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE ISLANDERS &#9632;</h2>

f0018-05

Yashin inks richest pact in NHL history

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Rick Carpiniello</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-07200/7207340-1-eng-US/f0018-072.jpg" title="f0018-07" width="566" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-06234/7207347-1-eng-US/f0018-062.jpg" title="f0018-06" width="222" height="234"></div>The Rangers&rsquo; defense, which yielded 290 goals last season-an average of 3.5 per game-underwent a major overhaul during the summer.GM Glen Sather&rsquo;s first two free agent acquisitions were veteran defenders Dave Karpa (Carolina) and Igor Ulanov. (Edmonton).Sather traded for Ottawa&rsquo;s Sean Gagnon, Calgary&rsquo;s Chris St. Croix and San Jose&rsquo;s Christian Gosselin. He signed prospect Matt Kinch, drafted Fedor Tyutin in the second round and signed the Russian defenseman. Then he claimed Darren Van Impe off waivers from Boston.With Vladimir Malakhov expected back from a second straight major knee reconstruction, after playing in only three games, and Tomas Kloucek, the promising, punishing sophomore, due back in late November or December from similar ACL surgery, there should be plenty of competition for spots in camp.Peter Smrek, Mike Mottau and roughneck Dale Purinton, all of whom made marks with coach Ron Low as rookies last season, will contend for jobs and Sather&rsquo;s first draft pick with the Rangers, Filip Novak, is considered a top prospect.Brian Leetch, of course, is the linchpin. He had a nearNorris season and, health permitting, is the only defenseman guaranteed to be in the opening night lineup. Leetch led all NHL players in minutes per game last year (40:07) and might do so again this season.NOTEBOOK The NHL and NHLPA officially have cleared right winger Theo Fleury to resume playing. Fleury, who voluntarily entered the NHL/NHLPA substance abuse program Feb. 28, has a continuing obligation to comply with the program&rsquo;s treatment and aftercare&hellip;Goaltender Peter Skudra, a native of Latvia who played 25 games for Boston last season, was extended a training camp invitation&hellip;The Rangers open pre-season play against the Canadiens at Montreal Sept. 15, then face the Red Wings in Detroit the following night.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE RANGERS &#9632;</h2>

f0018-07

Rangers’ blueline competition fierce

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Bruce Garrioch</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-09131/7207378-1-eng-US/f0018-092.jpg" title="f0018-09" width="562" height="363"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-08155/7207385-1-eng-US/f0018-082.jpg" title="f0018-08" width="218" height="237"></div>As the Senators opened rookie camp, all eyes were on rookie center Jason Spezza.Selected No. 2 overall by the Senators in the June NHL entry draft, Spezza arrived in Ottawa Sept. 3 to begin workouts and take part in the club&rsquo;s rookie tournament in nearby Hull, Que.The 18-year-old Spezza, who still has a year of junior eligibility remaining, has made it clear he&rsquo;d like to make the NHL this season and doesn&rsquo;t want to return the OHL&rsquo;s Windsor Spitfires if he can avoid it.Spezza played a big role for the Senators, along with defenseman Tim Gleason, selected 23rd overall, in a rookie tournament that included freshmen from the Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers.He showed up 10 pounds lighter, with more muscle and a lot faster on his skates.&ldquo;My job right now is to try and make the club,&rdquo; Spezza said. &ldquo;I think everyone in this (dressing) room feels the same way. Getting drafted was the first step, but I have lots to prove.&rdquo;Ottawa is light at center because of the decision to trade Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders and Spezza, the topranked North American prospect in 2001, has an excellent chance to make the team.Assistant coach Perry Pearn is impressed with Spezza.&ldquo;He wants to work on his skating, to get a bit stronger in that area, and it looks like he&rsquo;s the kind of kid that when he makes a commitment, it happens,&rdquo; Pearn said.NOTEBOOK Right wingers Daniel Alfredsson and Marian Hossa and defenseman Zdeno Chara remained unsigned before training camp&hellip;Coach Jacques Martin and blueliner Wade Redden flew to Calgary to attend the Canadian Olympic team&rsquo;s orientation camp, Sept. 4-7, while left winger Shawn McEachern was in Colorado Springs with Team USA. Redden is among a group of young defensemen trying to secure a spot on the team, while Martin will serve as an assistant to coach Pat Quinn.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE SENATORS &#9632;</h2>

f0018-09

Spezza given shot at playing for Sens

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Wayne Fish</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02914/7207416-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="564" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011253/7207423-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="222" height="222"></div>Pavel Brendl was skating in the rookies&rsquo; mini-camp and changing equipment in the Philadelphia Phantoms&rsquo; American League dressing room. But the 20-year-old Czech right winger&rsquo;s mind was focused on bigger things.Brendl, acquired as part of the trade package for Eric Lindros Aug. 20, doesn&rsquo;t agree with observers who claim his reputed lack of desire in the New York Rangers&rsquo; farm system will hurt his chances of making the NHL.On the contrary, Brendl is sure that with a fresh start and supportive environment, his obvious talent will blossom.&ldquo;Everyone was saying that I don&rsquo;t play well defensively, but I won the plus/minus (teamwise for the Calgary Hitmen) the first year I was in the (Western) league,&rdquo; Brendl said. &ldquo;If I need to work on parts of my game, I will. I think I&rsquo;m smart enough to know where to be at the right time. If that means spending more time in the defensive zone, I will.&rdquo;And as for questions about Brendl&rsquo;s conditioning level, Flyers&rsquo; strength and fitness. coach Jim McCrossin said the right winger checked in right about the acceptable 12 percent body fat level for incoming players.&ldquo;The Rangers&rsquo; organization wanted me to &lsquo;be somebody else,&rsquo;&rdquo; Brendl said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping the Flyers will let me play my game. I think that&rsquo;s the way I can be helpful. I don&rsquo;t feel there&rsquo;s any challenge. The only one is to prove that the Rangers did the wrong thing and that I can do better here with the Flyers than in New York.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Left winger Jan Hlavac, the last unsigned player on the roster, signed a two-year contract on Sept. 4. &ldquo;With (Simon) Gagne, (John) LeClair and Hlavac, we have a strong left side now,&rdquo; said GM Bob Clarke. &ldquo;If someone should get hurt, Jan can play one of the top spots.&rdquo;&hellip;Because of the compressed schedule due to the Olympics, the Flyers&rsquo; conditioning staff said it will have to maximize the limited number of dates available for office workouts.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE FLYERS &#9632;</h2>

f0019-02

Brendl determined to secure NHL job

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Bob McManaman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04469/7207454-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="564" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03611/7207461-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="220" height="270"></div>They won&rsquo;t win 20 games.That was Jeremy Roenick&rsquo;s assumption of the Phoenix Coyotes-even before he left the team to sign a five-year, $37.5-million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent.If you believe JR, the playoffs will be nothing but a mirage to the Phoenix faithful in the sun-baked Arizona desert. They gutted the roster. They got rid of their stars.If you believe Wayne Gretzky, on the other hand, the new-look Coyotes won&rsquo;t just make the playoffs, they might be the biggest surprise in the NHL.&ldquo;I travel around the country and talk to people in the hockey industry all the time and they would tell you, to a man, that we&rsquo;ve made some really good changes and done some really special things here that will enable this franchise to be strong,&rdquo; Gretzky said. &ldquo;Not for one or two years, but down the road also.&rdquo;The Coyotes had to slash payroll to survive. That meant trading Keith Tkachuk and Nikolai Khabibulin and letting Roenick leave. They&rsquo;ve added 19 new players since March.But even if the club had been financially solvent and wasn&rsquo;t losing more than $25 million a year, Gretzky said there would have been plenty of changes, regardless.&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t win a championship with seven or eight players,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I felt last year in watching our team that our best players had to compete so hard, there wasn&rsquo;t enough depth to help them out.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Goaltender Zac Bierk, who has played 27 NHL games-all but one with Tampa Bay-was signed to a one-year contract with a club option for a second year. He likely will start the season with Mississippi (ECHL), though Springfield (AHL) is also a possibility&hellip;Center Erik Westrum, who scored 26 goals and 61 points last season for the University of Minnesota, signed a two-year, $875,000 contract&hellip;GM Mike Barnett met with coach Bobby Francis to discuss a possible contract extension.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE COYOTES &#9632;</h2>

f0019-04

Gretzky: Coyotes will be big surprise

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Joe Starkey</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06273/7207492-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="564" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05356/7207499-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="217" height="241"></div>The day of Sami Salo&rsquo;s bachelor party was a day to forget for Penguins&rsquo; defenseman Janne Laukkanen.Laukkanen, a former teammate of Salo&rsquo;s with the Ottawa Senators, sustained a torn ACL in his right knee in the hours leading up to Salo&rsquo;s party, which was held in early June on an island six hours off the coast of Finland.Laukkanen said he injured the knee making a quick stop during a floor hockey game and aggravated it during a playful wrestling match afterward.&ldquo;I just thought it was a little thing, but the next morning I woke up and it was big and I couldn&rsquo;t walk,&rdquo; he said.Laukkanen underwent reconstructive surgery about two weeks later. The good news is his rehabilitation is ahead of schedule and he could return to the Penguins&rsquo; lineup in November.With a history of injury trouble, Laukkanen has played in only 297 of 410 possible games over his five full NHL seasons. He missed 32 games last year, mostly because of knee injuries. They were not related to this injury.There was speculation the Penguins would not be liable for Laukkanen&rsquo;s full salary of $1.3 million this season, because he was injured in a nontraining activity But his agent, Don Baizley, said he expects his client will be paid in full by the club.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Darius Kasparaitis made it clear he is not pleased about his status with the Penguins and no longer is willing to risk his health for the team. The Penguins argued in their arbitration case that Kasparaitis is their sixth-best defenseman. The Hockey News rated him No. 1. &ldquo;If I have injuries, I&rsquo;m just going to rest it,&rdquo; Kasparaitis said. &ldquo;Why risk your career when they have no respect for you?&rdquo;&hellip;Three players are attempting comebacks at camp. Left winger Bob Errey and defenseman Michel Petit haven&rsquo;t played in the NHL since 1997-98, right winger Stephane Richer since 1999-2000.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE PENGUINS &#9632;</h2>

f0019-06

Knee injury forces Laukkanen to sit

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Tom Wheatley</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02782/7207530-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="738" height="332"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011142/7207537-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="221" height="245"></div>That was rugged winger Jamal Mayers winning draws, making nifty drop passes and generally looking like he was born to play center.Granted, it was only game night at Kelly Chase&rsquo;s fantasy camp against a friendly mix of fellow Blues, team alumni and civilian dreamers.Yet Mayers could be one of the new men in the middle for the Blues this season. With youngsters Michal Handzus, Marty Reasoner, Jochen Hecht and Ladislav Nagy jettisoned in the deals for Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight and veteran Pierre Turgeon leaving as a free agent, it left Doug Weight, sophomore Dan Corso and checker Mike Eastwood as St. Louis&rsquo; lone returning centers.Coach Joel Quenneville wants to keep ex-pivots Cory Stillman and Pavol Demitra on the wing. Earlier this summer, the coach hinted Mayers might be an option as the third or even second line center.&ldquo;I said that?&rdquo; Quenneville asked playfully. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see how it all plays out. &lsquo;Jammer&rsquo; showed he can play there. And we want to take a look at the rookie centers, (Daniel) Tkazcuk and (Andrei) Trochinsky.&rdquo;Tkazcuk, no relation to Keith Tkachuk, came from Calgary in the Roman Turek trade. Trochinsky was drafted 170th overall in 1998.&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll all get a chance,&rdquo; Quenneville said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an opportunity for somebody.&rdquo;Mayers, 26, craves a shot at center, his position until late in his college career at Western Michigan.&ldquo;I like taking draws,&rdquo; said Mayers, who had eight goals, 21 points and 117 penalty minutes in 77 games last season. &ldquo;I like contributing more, which you can do at center.&rdquo;Which he did in spot duty in the play-&lsquo; offs, when he also enjoyed an increase in ice time as the Blues got deeper into the post-season. In the conference final against Colorado, he averaged about 12-1/2 minutes per game, compared to 11:04 in the regular season.NOTEBOOK Kelly Chase&rsquo;s week-long fantasy camp in St. Louis drew 65 dreamers at $2,750 each. Chase, the Blues&rsquo; radio analyst, was aided by a dozen current Blues and two dozen alumni, including Detroit right winger Brett Hull. Proceeds benefit the Gateway Locomotives hockey team for special kids.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE BLUES &#9632;</h2>

f0020-02

Blues may turn to tough winger Mayers to plug hole in St. Louis’ thin middle

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Ross McKeon</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04342/7207568-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="741" height="337"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03536/7207575-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="220" height="248"></div>The move felt a bit rushed at times, but with their top minor league team relocated from Lexington, Ky, to Cleveland, the Sharks are looking forward to a wonderful marriage.The Sharks and Kentucky Thoroughblades were affiliated for five years, but the sides made a mutual split after last season. And when the Cleveland Lumberjacks folded, the Sharks decided to start their own franchise-the Cleveland Barons-since San Jose owners George and Gordon Gund already had a building in place (Gund Arena) in downtown Cleveland.&ldquo;There were a lot of logistical challenges, but it looks like it&rsquo;s going to be a positive move,&rdquo; said Sharks&rsquo; assistant GM Wayne Thomas, who doubles as Cleveland&rsquo;s GM.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great for the organization&rsquo;s bottom line. And it brings the minor league team more into the family.&rdquo;Because there are more direct flights in and out of Cleveland to the Bay Area versus Lexington, the move should be beneficial if the Sharks need a quick callup. In addition, the training, weight room facilities, practice ice and control of travel decisions in Cleveland are an upgrade.That the Sharks are entering just their 11th NHL campaign, the solid minor league development and feeder system is vital to the parent team&rsquo;s success. Current Sharks Evgeni Nabokov, Mike Rathje, Scott Hannan, Alexander Korolyuk, Miikka Kiprusoff, Shawn Heins, Matt Bradley and Mark Smith all served time in the Sharks&rsquo; developmental system.NOTEBOOK A rookie camp for players with fewer than 50 games of NHL experience was held for five days before veterans were due to report. For a second straight year, Finnish defenseman Tero Maatta will not attend. San Jose&rsquo;s first pick in the 2000 entry draft (41st overall) will remain in his native land to compete in a tournament. Maatta, 19, is under contract with Espoo of the Finnish Elite League for the coming season&hellip;Journeyman enforcer Troy Crowder will attend San Jose&rsquo;s camp on a tryout basis. The 33-year-old has not appeared in the NHL since playing 30 games for Vancouver in 1996-97.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE SHARKS &#9632;</h2>

f0020-04

Sharks hope affiliate move to Cleveland will translate into success at NHL level

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Damian Cristodero</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02525/7207606-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="571" height="360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01905/7207613-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="220" height="247"></div>All signs are pointing to a Tampa Bay training camp without Vincent Lecavalier.Less than a week before players were scheduled to report, the Lightning and its 21-year-old captain were far apart on money. Tampa Bay doesn&rsquo;t allow players without contracts to participate in camp.It&rsquo;s believed the Lightning were offering a three-year deal worth $5.35 million. The model from Lecavalier&rsquo;s camp: two years, $6.3 million.Kent Hughes, Lecavalier&rsquo;s agent, said there was no progress to report, but the lines of communication were open.&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t use the term &lsquo;holdout,&rsquo;&rdquo; Hughes said. &ldquo;Without a contract agreement in place, Vince can&rsquo;t play for the Tampa Bay Lightning.&rdquo;Lecavalier, who made $975,000 in base salary in each of his first three years in the league, said he was frustrated.&ldquo;There is no progress,&rdquo; he said,&rdquo;so it comes back to me being very disappointed.&rdquo;Assistant GM Jay Feaster echoed the frustration and disappointment.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve come to the table and tried to approach things from a number of different ways,&rdquo; Feaster said.Management is being careful because it is setting a benchmark for future negotiations, such as those to re-sign Brad Richards when his deal expires after the 2002-03 season.Hughes said the Lightning has raised the bar by naming Lecavalier captain and marketing him as a franchise player.NOTEBOOK Left winger Fredrik Modin, the Lightning&rsquo;s top goal-scorer last year, consulted with Dr. Craig Morris, the team&rsquo;s rehabilitation specialist, about a hip flexor problem. Head medical trainer Dave Boyer said the condition wasn&rsquo;t considered serious&hellip;Defenseman Pavel Kubina said teammate and Czech compatriot Petr Svoboda still was experiencing the effects of a concussion sustained in December, but was not considering retirement&hellip;Center Brad Richards showed up a week before camp with 15 pounds of extra muscle on his 6-foot-1 frame.<h2>MOST UKELY TO MAKE UGHTNING &#9632;</h2>

f0021-02

Lightning captain could miss camp

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Ken Campbell</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04221/7207651-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="565" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03306/7207658-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="219" height="252"></div>The Golden Puck is not exactly the Hart Trophy, but the fact Mikael Renberg won the award last year as the top player in the Swedish Elite League says something of his potential to be an impact player in his second tour of NHL duty.That begins this season with the Maple Leafs, quite possibly on the team&rsquo;s top line with center Mats Sundin and left winger Gary Roberts.Playing for Lulea, Renberg finished second in league scoring with 22 goals and 52 points in 48 games. More importantly, after being ravaged by injuries in the NHL, he did not miss a single game.Being home allowed Renberg to be near his five-year-old daughter, Emmy, during a difficult time, after he and his wife Stina divorced. Before the Leafs acquired his rights from Phoenix in exchange for Sergei Berezin in June, Renberg took a long time to decide because he wanted to do what was best for his daughter. Ultimately, he and his ex-wife came up with an arrangement that will allow Emmy to travel to Toronto for three extended stays during the season.&ldquo;I think one of the most important roles you can have as a human being is when you become a parent,&rdquo; Renberg said. &ldquo;I take my role as a father very seriously. Hockey is very, very important to me, but my daughter is No. 1. That&rsquo;s just the way I am.&rdquo;Renberg signed a three-year deal for about $6 million (U.S.). He said he&rsquo;s grateful he once again can play in the top league in the world in a hockey-crazed market and still get to see his daughter regularly.NOTEBOOK Unsigned defenseman Tomas Kaberle reportedly was seeking in excess of $2 million (U.S.) per season, which would represent close to a 1,000 percent raise on his $250,250 salary from last season&hellip;Goaltender Curtis Joseph, who is entering the last year of his contract, was told by the Leafs that if he was not signed to an extension by Sept. 7, they would wait until after the season to conduct further negotiations.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05158/7207644-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="1201" height="1521"><figcaption class="caption-body">Vancouver defenseman Mattias Ohlund says the career-threatening eye injury he suffered two years ago is a non-issue.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0021-04

Renberg ticketed for Leafs’ top line

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Elliott Pap</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-07110/7207689-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="566" height="361"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06128/7207696-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="219" height="252"></div>Defenseman Mattias Ohlund has his eye on a renaissance season with the Vancouver Canucks.The burly Swedish blueliner has missed 57 games the last two campaigns, all as a result of an eye injury suffered during an exhibition game in Ottawa two Septembers ago.Ohlund took a deflected puck in the right eye and has since had three surgeries, lost and regained 12 pounds and survived a scare that perhaps his young career was over. However, all is well again and Ohlund is pumped for 2001-02.&ldquo;I feel good, I feel in shape and I&rsquo;m ready to go,&rdquo; said Ohlund, who turned 25 Sept. 9. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty much back to the condition I was in before everything started (with the eye). It will be nice knowing that going into the new season.&rdquo;Ohlund saw his Vancouver eye specialist in late August and was given the good news that things had stabilized and he won&rsquo;t need another checkup until December. He has lost considerable vision in the damaged eye but, with contacts, said he is doing just fine, thanks.&ldquo;There is a laser thing I can do to improve my vision, but I&rsquo;m quite happy where I&rsquo;m at right now so I don&rsquo;t feel like I really want to do anything more at this time,&rdquo; Ohlund said.&ldquo;The doctors don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m going to have any more problems in five years or 10 years or ever again.&rdquo;Ohlund wore contacts and glasses before the injury so he hasn&rsquo;t had to make an adjustment in that area. He also. wouldn&rsquo;t mind if the whole matter quietly dropped from the public domain.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a big issue any more and I hope it&rsquo;s going to stay that way,&rdquo; he said.NOTEBOOK Goaltending prospect Alex Auld, determined to make a good first impression in his first training camp with the Canucks, moved to Vancouver Aug. 1 to train under conditioning guru Peter Twist. Auld was acquired from the Florida Panthers May 31&hellip;The Canucks open the pre-season in Phoenix Sept. 15 and face the San Jose Sharks in their pre-season home opener Sept. 17.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE CANUCKS &#9632;</h2>

f0021-07

Ohlund looks ahead with clear vision

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Dave Fay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0970/7207727-1-eng-US/f0021-092.jpg" title="f0021-09" width="564" height="358"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0890/7207734-1-eng-US/f0021-082.jpg" title="f0021-08" width="219" height="253"></div>Capitals&rsquo; left winger Chris Simon played much of last season with one arm and, to throw opponents off, tried to pretend he was 100 per cent.Few were fooled; his goal production fell from 29 in 1999-2000 to 10 last season.Simon&rsquo;s chronically bad right shoulder dislocated early and often, rendering him all but powerless one season after he topped all his personal bests. What followed was another round of surgery, his fourth as a Cap and fourth to rebuild the right shoulder (the left shoulder also had been previously surgically repaired).His latest surgery differs from the others in that his right arm&rsquo;s range of motion was deliberately restricted surgically in an effort make it more secure and stable. Simon said he knew that going in and will still be able to do pretty much what he desires in life.&ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t hurt to shoot, but the strength still isn&rsquo;t there and that&rsquo;s the main thing-getting it to work properly and regaining my strength,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I believe 100 per cent that it won&rsquo;t pop out any more.&rdquo;The right arm was immobilized for two months after surgery and rehab started as soon as he was able to move it. He has been working out at the team&rsquo;s facility since early August and hopes to get medical clearance to take part in full drills shortly after training camp opens.NOTEBOOK Sixteen regulars have been working out informally for three weeks to better their conditioning in preparation for camp. Two of those players-left winger Steve Konowalchuk and center Jeff Halpern-took a few days off to attend the U.S. Olympic team&rsquo;s camp&hellip;With agent Mike Barnett switching sides of the table to become GM in Phoenix, J.P. Barry of International Management Group has taken over as Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s primary representative. Preliminary talks on an extension of the superstar right winger&rsquo;s contract-which has two seasons to go-have started, but there doesn&rsquo;t appear to be any rush on either side.<h2>MOST LIKELY TO MAKE CAPITALS &#9632;</h2>

f0021-09

Simon believes shoulder woes over

<div class="byline">By Kevin Oklobzija</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011033/7207772-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="346" height="354"></div>From the time they first laced up skates, Chris and Peter Ferraro have been dashing side-by-side up and down the ice.Through their youth hockey days in Long Island, N.Y., to their junior days with the Dubuque (Iowa) Saints of the United States League, to their one season of NCAA hockey at the University of Maine and finally to pro hockey with the New York Rangers&rsquo; organization, the twins were teammates and usually linemates.No one knew if they could play apart. Until 1998, when Peter, a right winger, moved to the Boston Bruins&rsquo; organization, while Chris, a center, signed with Edmonton. And they still flourished. Peter was the playoff MVP as Providence won the Calder Cup in 1998-99. The next spring, Chris won the Turner Cup with the International League&rsquo;s Chicago Wolves.&ldquo;I think that question of whether we can play apart has been answered,&rdquo; Peter said. &ldquo;I sure hope it has.&rdquo;The Washington Capitals think it has. But they also believe the Ferraros belong together, which is why they signed both in August. The 28-year-olds from Port Jefferson, N.Y., figure to be the leaders for the American League&rsquo;s Portland Pirates.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very, very happy we&rsquo;re both going to get a new opportunity,&rdquo; Peter said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not only twin brothers, but we&rsquo;re best friends. We started our careers together and we play great together.&rdquo;But before they think about settling in Portland, the twins are going to Washington&rsquo;s training camp believing they can play for the Capitals.&ldquo;I think we can find a niche and if it&rsquo;s a third or fourth line role, I&rsquo;ll play any role in the NHL,&rdquo; Peter said. &ldquo;We can maybe provide a spark and jump and maybe agitate a little.&rdquo;Or a lot. They&rsquo;ve been known in the AHL as the &lsquo;Twin Terrors&rsquo; and not just because they can score.&ldquo;A lot of guys say they hate playing against us and I take that as a compliment,&rdquo; Peter said.Peter has played 88 NHL games for the Rangers, Bruins and Penguins. Chris has played 73 for the Rangers, Oilers, Penguins and Islanders. They&rsquo;ve played about 30 NHL games together.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just such a natural feeling when we&rsquo;re playing together, Chris said. &ldquo;The only one I see is him. It&rsquo;s almost a sit uation where everyone else is invisible.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02723/7207765-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="827" height="811"><figcaption class="caption-body">An Albany River Rat last season, Chris Ferraro is joining Portland and brother Peter this year.</figcaption></div>BOGY&rsquo;S BACK The original &lsquo;Bogy,&rsquo; Humphrey Bogart, is renowned for the famous line,&rdquo; Play it again, Sam&rdquo; in Casablanca. The St. Louis Blues want the current &lsquo;Bogy&rsquo; to play it again, too.The Blues re-signed Eric Boguniecki, the fireplug centerman, to a two-year contract and he&rsquo;ll be expected to continue to produce big offensive numbers for the Worcester Ice Cats.The 5-foot-8,190-pound Boguniecki scored 30 goals and 70 points in 73 games last season with the AHL&rsquo;s Louisville Panthers and then the IceCats, following a Dec. 14 trade. That included 17 goals and 45 points in 45 games for Worcester.&ldquo;&lsquo;Bogy&rsquo; provides both grit and goals at the AHL level,&rdquo; said Worcester GM John Ferguson Jr., who also is the Blues&rsquo; director of hockey operations.ROYAL SIGNINGS Defense may be the key for the expansion Manchester Monarchs in their initial season, after the parent Los Angeles Kings signed goalies Marcel Cousineau and Travis Scott and defensemen Brett Hauer and Jason Holland.Hauer has been an IHL first-team allstar the past three seasons with the Manitoba Moose. He also was named the league&rsquo;s most valuable defenseman the past two years. Last season he played all 82 games, scoring 17 goals and 59 points.Holland played the past three-plus seasons with the Rochester Americans, helping them to the lowest team goals-against average in two of the past three seasons.Cousineau (15-20-2,2.85 goals-against average) and Scott (16-15-1, 2.52 GAA) formed the goaltending tandem last season for the Lowell Lock Monsters, Los Angeles&rsquo; previous affiliate.AHL TIDBITS Springfield&rsquo;s goaltending got better when the parent Phoenix Coyotes signed Zac Bierk to a one-year contract. Bierk was 24-18-5 with a 2.89 GAA and six shutouts last season for the IHL&rsquo;s Cleveland Lumberjacks. He has played 13 NHL games (4-5-1) for Tampa Bay and Minnesota&hellip;Defenseman Elias Abrahamsson has rejoined the Hamilton Bulldogs, the team he played for in the 1999-2000 season on loan from the Boston Bruins&hellip;Dave Cieslinski, director of ticket sales and operations for Rochester, was named winner of the Ken McKenzie Award for excellence in promoting his team. The Amerks drew a franchise-record 341,169 fans last season. McKenzie is co-founder of The Hockey News&hellip;With the expansion to six divisions, the AHL introduced two new trophies. The Emile Francis Trophy will be presented to the North Division champion and the Bud Poile Trophy to the West Division winner. Francis and Poile are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. &#9632;

f0022-01

Ferraro twins together again

<div class="byline">By Rob Mueller</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03514/7207803-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="302" height="316"></div>In a progressive Southern town where college football is king, Scott White makes no guarantees his expansion Columbia Inferno will set the world on fire in its first East Coast League season.The rookie head coach is content playing second fiddle to the South Carolina Gamecocks and legendary coach Lou Holtz. Still, when it comes to his first hockey club, White vows the Inferno will be anything but second-rate.&ldquo;I want our club to be known as a team that competes every night,&rdquo; said White, who spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Greensboro Gener als. &ldquo;Our goal is to make the playoffs and I think that&rsquo;s a pretty realistic goal.&rdquo;White said the Inferno&rsquo;s affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks is a huge component of its plan to build around youth.But he also hopes to sign a few veterans, including former NHL defenseman Dennis Vial, who played parts of 10 seasons with Ottawa, Detroit and the New York Rangers, racking up 794 penalty minutes in 242 NHL games. Vial, 32, is Ottawa&rsquo;s career leader with 625 PIMs.TOUGH AS NAILS Toughness has been the trademark of John Brophy&rsquo;s teams and the ECHL&rsquo;s winningest coach is building a Wheeling Nailers club that promises to reflect that image.The former Hampton Roads&rsquo; coach, in his first season with Wheeling after taking last year off following a near-fatal car accident, lured defenseman Dan Kopec-who averaged 288 penalty minutes in three ECHL seasons with Raleigh and Augusta-out of a one-year retirement. Brophy also signed forward Brendan Walsh, a member of Maine&rsquo;s 1999 NCAA championship team. Walsh recorded 179 PIMs in 25 games with the Jackson Bandits last season.COAST LINES The Trenton Titans resigned leading scorer Aniket Dhadphale (30 goals and 65 points in 68 games)&hellip;The first-year Reading Royals made their first trade Aug. 28, acquiring defenseman Chris Aldous from Pensacola for future considerations&hellip;The Columbus Cottonmouths added a potential all-star to their blueline, signing defenseman Paul Buczkowski, who led Tallahassee in scoring two seasons ago and played for San Antonio of the Central League in 2000-01. &#9632;

f0022-03

No promises, but playoffs Inferno’s goal

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Brendan Savage</div>Defenseman Scott Feasby, the United League&rsquo;s all-time Jeader with 541 games played, has re-signed for a ninth season with the Muskegon Fury. The Fury also inked tough guy Bruce Ramsay, whose 2,034 penalty minutes in seven seasons is a UHL record. He helped Thunder Bay win three Colonial Cups&hellip;Flint signed left winger Bobby Reynolds, who was leading the UHL in scoring in 1999-2000 before leaving midway through the season to join Houston of the International League&hellip;Port Huron re-acquired defenseman Lee Cole in a trade with Missouri&hellip;Binghamton re-signed forward Justin Plamondon, the club&rsquo;s all-time leader in games played&hellip;Fort Wayne claimed center Chad Grills off waivers from Flint and Elmira re-signed right winger Carl Drakensjo. &#9632;

UNITED LEAGUE

<div class="byline">&#x2014;Don Ruiz</div>West Coast League teams gradually are filling the allimportant goaltending position. Blair Allison, a former WCHL outstanding goaltender of the year, signed with the Idaho Steelheads after one season in the United League, where he also won the top goalie honors. The tandem of Luciano Caravaggio and Scott Hay followed new coach Paul Kelly from Topeka of the Central League to Bakersfield. David Goverde was without a team when Phoenix suspended operations, but quickly signed with Tacoma. San Diego inked Boyd Ballard to back up last season&rsquo;s outstanding goalie Trevor Koenig, who has had knee problems. Fresno re-signed David Mitchell, last season&rsquo;s WCHL rookie of the year. Mitchell was second in wins (29) and third in save percentage (.900.) &#9632;

WEST COAST LEAGUE

<div class="byline">&#x2014;David Henry</div>The Fort Worth Brahmas signed defenseman Adam Davis, a 21-year-old Dearborn, Mich., native who is only the second player from the Texas Tornado of the North American League to sign a pro contract&hellip;Of the first 19 players under contract to New Mexico, 12 are 25 or younger and seven are rookies&hellip;With the 512-game schedule for the 16-team Central League complete, officials finalized the system of qualification for the playoffs. The four division winners earn automatic berths, while the two teams with the next highest point total in each conference, regardless of division, also will make it&hellip;Austin Ice Bats&rsquo; defenseman Jeff Kungle announced his retirement in August. Kungle, 28, was a two-time all-star in the Western Pro League. &#9632;

CENTRAL LEAGUE

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0023-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01924/7207906-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jarret Stoll Kootenay Ice</figcaption></div>You shouldn&rsquo;t be too surprised if the 2002 Memorial Cup champion emanates from the Western League&rsquo;s Special K Division. The five-team B.C.Division, as it is formally known, includes three powerhouses-the Kootenay Ice, Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets.How do you choose between The Big Three?&ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough,&rdquo; said one GM,&rdquo;but if you have to pick one, look at the goaltending.&rdquo;Look no further than Dan Blackburn. The Kootenay netminder is without equal in the WHL.At 16, he backstopped Kootenay to the league title and was named playoff MVP. At 17, he was the league&rsquo;s top goaltender-and was then drafted 10th overall by the New York Rangers. At 18, who knows what he can accomplish?The Blackburn Factor was seriously considered when The Hockey News&rsquo; major junior panel discussed the Canadian Hockey League&rsquo;s elite teams.Three teams from the Special K Division made our top five. Kootenay is first, Kamloops is third and Kelowna is fifth. They sandwich the Quebec League&rsquo;s Baie-Comeau Drakkar at No. 2 and the Ontario League&rsquo;s Guelph Storm at No. 4.Why Kootenay? It isn&rsquo;t just Blackburn. The ace netminder is in good company on the Ice roster.Up front, the Ice boasts attackers such as Jarret Stoll (106 points in 62 games last season), Marek Svatos (23 goals in 39 games), Tyler Beechey (32 goals) and Jason Jaffray (31 goals).Blackburn, Stoll, Beechey, Jaffray and defenseman Trevor Johnson (53 points last season) were among the players who helped Kootenay reach the Memorial Cup two years ago under coach Ryan McGill, who still calls the shots for the Ice.That experience is invaluable.That said, Kootenay might not be the best team in its division. The competition is that good.The Blazers&rsquo; roster could include 20 returnees only two of whom are 20-year-olds. The Blazers have a deep, talented lineup which includes 108-point man Jared Aulin and 42-goal pistol Scottie Upshall, who was the CHL&rsquo;s top rookie last season. Center Erik Christensen, 17, should also emerge following a 21-goal sophomore season.Shaone Morrison (13 goals last season) will quarterback a lethal Kamloops power play.In goal, the tandem of Davis Parley and Steve Belanger provides a wealth of experience. If either teenager can approach Blackburn&rsquo;s stratospheric level, watch out.But also keep an eye on Kelowna.Like Kamloops, the Rockets have a talented array of skaters. They were deep up front even before right winger Chuck Kobasew-whom Calgary took 14th overall in 2001-opted to leave Boston College and play for Kelowna.Factor in Rory McDade (98 points), and point-a-game forwards Carsen Germyn, Kiel McLeod and Tomas Oravec and the Rockets have two gifted scoring lines. Who do you stop?For additional punch, there is defenseman Richie Regehr (37 points in 71 games). The only question mark is in goal, following the graduation of work-horse Kevin Swanson.The Rockets have high hopes for 19-year-old Jason Stone and rookie Josh Lepp, 16.If Stone and Lepp aren&rsquo;t the answers, Rockets&rsquo; GM Bruce Hamilton will trade for a veteran.&ldquo;Anybody can beat anybody on any given night,&rdquo; said Kamloops&rsquo; GM Mike Moore.&ldquo;You aren&rsquo;t going to just show up and win.&rdquo;<h2>Draft Spotlight</h2>Here are three players from each league who figure to be top picks in the 2002 NHL entry draft.<h3>WESTERN LEAGUE</h3>1. Jay Bouwmeester, 18, D, Medicine HatAt 6-fdot-4, third-year man is a dazzling skater.2. Lance Monych, 17, RW, BrandonSmooth skater has deft touch around net.3. Scottie Upshall, 18, RW, KamloopsNot real big, but competitive and skilled.<h3>ONTARIO LEAGUE</h3>1. Rick Nash, 17, LW, LondonPure scorer is at his best in clutch moments.2. Petr Kanko, 17, RW, KitchenerHe&rsquo;s only 5-foot-11, but has a knack for scoring.3. Patrick Jarrett, 17, C, MississaugaA smart, feisty two-way leader.<h3>QUEBEC LEAGUE</h3>1. Maxime Daigneault, 17, G, Vai d&rsquo;OrWas sensational at Six Nations tournament.2. Jimmy Cuddihy, 17, C, ShawiniganSturdy, skilled pivot working on quickness.3. Michael Lambert. 17, LW, MontrealLanky sniper will be a handful when he fills out. &#9632;

f0023-01

It’s a Special K season

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011001/7207937-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"></div>What does Dan Blackburn do for an encore? For the second successive year, the Kootenay Ice goaltender is being asked that question.As a 16-year-old rookie, Blackburn backstopped to the Western League tit berth in the Memorial Ct was named the WHL&rsquo;s to] rookie and playoff MVP.Last season, Blackburn was honored as the league&rsquo;s best goalie. The New York Rangers selected him 10th overall in the 2001 NHL draft.&ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s a lot left for me to accomplish in junior,&rdquo; said Blackburn, 18, who missed Canada&rsquo;s national junior selection camp last year due to a groin injury. &ldquo;One of my goals is to (play in the) world junior, if I end up back.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d also like to hang on to the goal-tender-of-the-year award. That would be a good sign. As a team, we&rsquo;ve done well over the last two years, but hopefully we&rsquo;ll do better in the playoffs.&rdquo;The Ice, which is based in Cranbrook, B.C., lost to Swift Current in the second round of the 2001 playoffs. Blackburn could hardly be blamed, considering his.939 post-season save percentage.&ldquo;Dan has a lot going for him,&rdquo; said Ice GM/vice-president Jeff Chynoweth. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an honors student. He&rsquo;s a special person.&rdquo;Plus an excellent candidate for the WHL&rsquo;s MVP award-providing he is returned to junior by the Rangers.&ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be a step forward if I end up staying there, but not too many 18-year-olds play in the NHL,&rdquo; Blackburn said.Here&rsquo;s a look at how the WHL shapes up this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Last year&rsquo;s records are in parentheses. Eight teams in each conference qualify for the post-season:<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>EAST DIVISION1. Brandon Wheat Kings (32-32-5-3). Coach: Dean Clark. GM: Kelly McCrimmon. Kingpin: Center Ryan Craig, 19, had a breakthrough year. Fresh face: Winger Eric Fehr, 16, produced 45 goals in 36 midget games. Outlook: The Kings could ice as many as 18 returnees.2. Moose Jaw Warriors (34-29-4-5). Coach: Curtis Hunt. Director of personnel: Marv Merkel. Kingpin: Center Brian Sutherby, 19, a Washington 2000 first-rounder, could hit 50 goals. Fresh face: Defenseman Jason Lundmark, 17, is the brother of Rangers&rsquo; prospect Jamie. Outlook: Moose Jaw has the potential to win 40 games.3. Saskatoon Blades (19-43-5-5). Coach: Kevin Dickie. GM: Brent McEwen. Kingpin: New Jersey first round pick Adrian Foster, 19, has played only 12 games in two years due to abdominal tears. Fresh face: Center Daniel Volrab, 18, is a quick thinker. Outlook: Goalie Michael Garnett can steal games.4. Regina Pats (40-27-3-2). Coach: Bob Lowes. GM: Brent Parker. Kingpin: Filip Novak, 19, is a talented offensive defenseman. Fresh face: Czech defenseman Matej Trojovsky, 17, is a year away from making an impact. Outlook: The Pats are rebuilding after hosting the 2001 Memorial Cup.5. Prince Albert Raiders (18-47-3-4). Coach/director of operations: Donn rk. Kingpin: Center Greg Watson, 18, is an offensive threat. fresh face: Winger Jeremy Colliton, 16, was an Alberta Jr. League all-star at 15. Outlook: The Raiders are a year away<h2>CENTRAL DIVISION</h2>Red Deer Rebels (54-12-3-3). I: Brent Sutter. Kingpin: winger Colby Armstrong, 19, will be an elite scorer. Fresh face: Chicago&rsquo;s 2000 first round pick, center Mikhail Yakubov, 19, will make a quick impact. Outlook: The Cup champion Rebels are strong defensively.2. Swift Current Broncos (43-20-7-2). Coach-GM: Brad McEwen. Kingpin: Left winger Tim Smith, 20, is coming off two 90-point seasons. Fresh face: Defenseman Ivan Usenko, 18, will help compensate for the loss of three rearguards. Outlook: There isn&rsquo;t a shortage of firepower.3. Medicine Hat Tigers (24-40-5-3). Coach: Bob Loucks. GM: Rick Carriere. Kingpin: Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, 18, is out to prove he&rsquo;s No. 1 in 2002 draft. Fresh face: Center Stefan Meyer was impressive in four games as a 15-year-old. Outlook: The Tigers will take a step forward.4. Lethbridge Hurricanes (29-35-4-4). Coach-GM: Bryan Maxwell. Kingpin: Center Tomas Kopecky, 19, is a threat. Fresh face: Defenseman Brent Seabrook, 16, was an allstar in the Pacific International Junior League. Outlook: Maxwell&rsquo;s teams play an unrelenting style.5. Calgary Hitmen (37-27-5-3). Coach: Richard Kromm. GM: Kelly Kisio. Kingpin: Goalie Brent Krahn, 19, needs to rebound from a flat season. Fresh face: Phoenix 2000 first-rounder Fredrik Sjostrom, 18, fills offensive void. Outlook: Top five scorers have graduated. Ouch.<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE B.C. DIVISION</h2>1. Kootenay Ice (45-174-6). Coach: Ryan McGill. GM: Jeff Chynoweth. Kingpin: Center Jarret Stoll, 19, is a solid bet to win the scoring title. Fresh face: Winger Thomas Plihal, 18, has nice hands and smarts. Outlook: Kootenay is a contender thanks to balance and Blackburn.2. Kamloops Blazers (35-28-7-2). Coach: Dean Evason.&rsquo; GM: Mike Moore. Kingpin: Center Jared Aulin, 19, is the league&rsquo;s top returning scorer. Fresh face: Defenseman Josh Pokol, 16, plays with edge. Outlook: Aulin and 42-goal man Scottie Upshall lead a talented team.3. Kelowna Rockets (37-23-7-5). Coach: Marc Habscheid. GM: Bruce Hamilton. Kingpin: Center Rory McDade, 20, had 98 points. Fresh face: The addition of former Boston College right winger Chuck Kobasew, 19, is a coup. Outlook: Kelowna&rsquo;s only question mark is in goal.4. Prince George Cougars (31-334-4). Coach: Ed Dempsey. GM: Daryl Lubiniecki. Kingpin: Dan Hamhuis, 18, is junior hockey&rsquo;s most skilled defenseman. Fresh face: Center Michal Lukac, 17, has been compared to ex-Red Deer star Martin Erat. Outlook: Prince George has talent, but is not in the class of the Special K&rsquo;s.5. Vancouver Giants (expansion). Coach: Milan Dragicevic. GM: Scott Bonner. Kingpin: Former Michigan State center Jeremy Jackson, 19, could be a top-10 scorer. Fresh face: Center Marian Havel, 17, was the first pick in the import draft. Outlook: Vancouver has more talent and experience than most expansion teams.<h2>U.S. DIVISION</h2>1. Spokane Chiefs (35-28-7-2). Coach: Perry Ganchar. GM: Tim Speltz. Kingpin: Center Jeff Lucky, 18, could blossom into an elite player. Fresh face: Defenseman Scott Scherger, 17, isn&rsquo;t flashy, but will be effective. Outlook: The Chiefs&rsquo; depth will create difficulties for foes.2. Portland Winter Hawks (37-27-5-3). Coach: Mike Williamson. GM: Ken Hodge. Kingpin: Right winger Joe Balej, 19, should exceed 50 goals. Fresh face: Defenseman Braydon Coburn saw playoff duty as a 15-year-old. Outlook: An excellent nucleus returns from a team that won the Western Conference.3. Seattle Thunderbirds (3033-8-1). Coach: Dean Chynoweth. GM: Russ Farwell. Kingpin: Center Dustin Johner, 18, makes plays at top speed. Fresh face: Aaron Bader, 16, is a fine Minnesota-born winger. Outlook: The T-birds will sag after losing their top four scorers.4. Tri-City Americans (21-36-8-7). Coach: Troy Mick. GM: Bob Tory Kingpin: Center Eric Johannson, 19, had 36 goals without much help. Fresh face: Defenseman Shawn Belle, 116, is a fantastic skater who will turn heads. Outlook: Tory will turn things around, but needs time. &#9632;

f0024-01

In a league of his own

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01994/7207968-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"></div>His first season, he almost singlehandedly beat the Barrie Colts in the Ontario League final. His second season, he and his Plymouth Whalers outshone Jason Spezza and the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Conference semifinal. What will Stephen Weiss do in Year 3? He has MVP written all over him.That is, if the Florida Panthers don&rsquo;t keep the 2001 fourth overall pick as an 18-year-old center.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the best allround forward in the league,&rdquo; said his former coach-GM Peter DeBoer, who left the Whalers in the off-season to join the J Kitchener Rangers. &ldquo;There might be guys who are more dynamic oftensively, but his play in the playoffs speaks for itself.&rdquo;Since being drafted into the OHL in 1999, Weiss has played hockey at various levels in all four seasons of the calendar. It was for that reason he declined an invitation to attend the Canadian junior team&rsquo;s summer evaluation camp, a move that caused some to question his commitment.It turns out it was his commitment to becoming a better player that led him to make that decision. The national junior team, however, has scratched his name from future involvement.&ldquo;He played 200 games the last two years and needed a summer to work himself in the best position to make the Panthers,&rdquo; said Mark Guy, of Newport Sports Management, which represents Weiss.Weiss stayed off the skates after attending the Panthers&rsquo; rookie camp in July and went to the gym, adding 17 pounds.OHL MVP? Or NHL rookie? TBA.Here&rsquo;s a look at how the OHL shapes up this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Last year&rsquo;s records are in parentheses. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the post-season.<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE WEST DIVISION</h2>1. Plymouth Whalers (43-15-5-5). Coach-GM: Mike Vellucci. Kingpin: Weiss, if he doesn&rsquo;t ask for a trade to Kitchener. Fresh face: Goalie Jason Bacashihua, 19, was an OHL 18th-rounder in 2000, but went in the NHL&rsquo;s first round to Dallas last June. Outlook: Vellucci will be tested in his rookie season.2. Windsor Spitfires (34-22-8-4). Coach: Tom Webster. GM: Mike Kelly. Kingpin: Center Steve Ott, 19, has a drive to succeed. Fresh face: Right winger Cam Jansen, 17, will challenge the league&rsquo;s toughest. Outlook: Put the Spitfires first if Jason Spezza returns from Ottawa.3. London Knights (26-34-5-3). Coach: Lindsay Hofford. GM: Mark Hunter. Kingpin: Left winger Rick Nash, 17, is the No. 1 OHL choice for the draft. Fresh face: Left winger Dylan Hunter, 16, is a son of co-owner Mark Hunter. Outlook: Toughness can go a long way.4. Sarnia Sting (28-31-7-2). Coach: Jeff Perry. GM: Terry Doran. Kingpin: Center Eric Himelfarb, 18, doubled his output. Fresh face: Center Dan Fritsche, 16, wrote teams before the draft to say he didn&rsquo;t want to play in the OHL. Outlook: Coowner Dino Ciccarelli and his brothers will have to wait a year.5. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (2338-4-3). Coach-GM: Craig Hartsburg. Kingpin: Defenseman Trevor Daley, 18, can break open a game. Fresh face: Jeff Carter, 16, could be the top center. Outlook: Hartsburg always shows great patience.<h2>MIDWEST DIVISION</h2>1. Guelph Storm (34-23-9-2). Coach: Jeff Jackson. GM: Alan Millar. Kingpin: Kevin Dallman, 20, is the OHL&rsquo;s best D-man. Fresh face: Pittsburgh native Matt Puntureri, 16, is the real deal at center. Outlook: Jackson has a winning track record.2. Owen Sound Attack (31-27-73). Coach: Frank Carnevale. GM: Dan Halliburton. Kingpin: Defenseman Argis Saviels, 19, is a Colorado prospect. Fresh face: Defenseman Dan Rogers, 17, spurned college. Outlook: New coach,&rsquo; new expectations.3. Erie Otters (45-11-10-2). Coach: Dave MacQueen. GM: Sherry Bassin. Kingpin: Center Brad Boyes, 19, dominates games. Fresh face: Center Brad Bonello, 17, will provide depth. Outlook: Shrewd trading of overagers will allow them to retool.<h2>Stephen Weiss Plymouth Whalers</h2>4. Brampton Battalion (33-229-4). Coach-GM: Stan Butler. Kingpin: Defenseman Jay Harrison, 18, was coached in bantam by OHL commissioner Dave Branch. Fresh face: A lot of teams wanted 6-foot-2 winger Chad Robinson, 16. Outlook: Last year needed to be their year.5. Kitchener Rangers (26-36-6-0). Coach-GM: Peter DeBoer. Kingpin: Center Derek Roy, 18, gets the job done. Fresh face: NHL scouts are drooling over Czech winger Petr Kanko, 17. Outlook: People need to give DeBoer time to rebuild.<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION</h2>1. Ottawa 67&rsquo;s (33-21-10-4). Coach-GM: Brian Kilrea. Kingpin: Center Miguel Delisle, 19, has played in two Memorial Cups. Fresh face: Center Corey Locke, 17, will make an impact. Outlook: The CHL&rsquo;s top coach is seldom burned by graduation.2. Peterborough Petes (30-28-8-2). Coach: Rick Allain. GM: Jeff Twohey. Kingpin: Second-year center Eric Staal, 17, makes players around him better. Fresh face: Winger Jamie Tardif, 16, has board savvy Outlook: Watch them next season.3. Kingston Frontenacs (28-28-11-1). Coach-GM: Larry Mavety. Kingpin: Center Cory Stillman, 18, is reliable. Fresh face: Center Anthony Stewart, 16, will strut his stuff. Outlook: Mavety has been close, but never had a cigar.4. Oshawa Generals (20-36-7-5). Coach-GM: George Burnett. Kingpin: Chris Minard, 19, found a home after trade from Majors. Fresh face: Nathan Horton, 17, plays a responsible game. Outlook: They still have a long way to rebound.5. Belleville Bulls (37-23-5-3). Coach: Jim Hulton. GM: Brad Vaughan. Kingpin: Scoring champ Kyle Wellwood, 18, is on his own. Fresh face: Defenseman Oliver Maron, 18, has poise. Outlook: They can&rsquo;t replace Randy Rowe&rsquo;s 64 goals.<h2>CENTRAL DIVISION</h2>1. Toronto St. Michael&rsquo;s Majors (35-23-82). Coach-GM: Dave Cameron. Kingpin: Slovakian goalie Peter Budaj, 19, will be Mr. Shutout. Fresh face: Center Ryan Rorabeck, 16, has offensive skills. Outlook: Experience helps cause.2. Barrie Colts (29-28-7-4). Coach: Bud Stefanski. GM: Mike McCann. Kingpin: Winger Blaine Down, 19, is a setup artist. Fresh face: Winger B.J. Crombeen, 16, comes from a family of OHLers. Outlook: The Colts are stepping it up.3. North Bay Centennials (32-28-6-2). Coach-GM: Mike Kelly. Kingpin: Chris Thorburn, 18, will be a premier center. Fresh face: Winger Denis Yachmenev, 17, is the brother of Vitali, who once scored 60. Outlook: The Cents will surprise.4. Sudbury Wolves (35-22-8-3). Coach-GM: Bert Templeton. Kingpin: Michael Jacobsen, 20, will anchor the defense. Fresh face: Russian defenseman Anton Lavrentiev, 18, is a Nashville pick. Outlook: Never underestimate Templeton at the trade deadline.5. Mississauga IceDogs (3-56-7-2). Coach: Don Cherry. GM: Trevor Whiffen. Kingpin: Center Patrick Jarrett, 17, is out till November. Fresh face: Russian winger Igor Radulov, 19, scored eight goals in a scrimmage. Outlook: The IceDogs will experience the wrath of Grapes. &#9632;

f0026-01

Weiss: Plymouth’s rock

<div class="byline">By Willy Palov</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02656/7208006-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Yanick Lehoux Baie-Comeau Drakkar</figcaption></div>Richard Martel is sincere when he says he wishes the best for Yanick Lehoux. He has watched Lehoux grow into a superstar during their three years together in Baie-Comeau and nobody would be prouder if the 19-year-old center one day made it to the NHL.One day. That&rsquo;s the kicker.&ldquo;All summer I have been waiting to see if Yanick will make the Los Angeles Kings and I am still waiting,&rdquo; said Martel, the Drakkar coach-GM. &ldquo;Our whole season depends on Yanick. If he comes back we will be very good, but if he doesn&rsquo;t, that changes everything.&ldquo;I think he is the best player in our league. He has improved every year since we drafted him (first overall in 1998) and he will improve again if he is back.&rdquo;Lehoux, the team&rsquo;s first-ever draft pick, improved from 30 points as a rookie in 1998-99 to 92 in his draft year to 135 last season. That hasn&rsquo;t gone unnoticed by the Kings, who selected him 86th overall in 2000.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01983/7207999-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="514" height="476"></div>&ldquo;When we drafted Yanick, he probably lasted as long as he did because there were probably concerns about his commitment to defense,&rdquo; said Kings&rsquo; director of amateur scouting, Al Murray. &ldquo;He has taken some steps in becoming a better overall player.&rdquo;But does that mean the future is now Lehoux or will he need another year of junior seasoning?&ldquo;There&rsquo;s one center job we feel is up for grabs and the contenders are Jared Aulin, Yanick Lehoux, Randy Robitaille, Adam Mair and Steve Kelly,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We hope the best man wins and if that&rsquo;s Yanick, that&rsquo;s great.&rdquo;Here&rsquo;s a look at how the rest of the QMJHL shapes up this season. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish. Last year&rsquo;s records are in parentheses. The top seven teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.<h2>DILIO CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION</h2>1. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (41-23-8-0). Coach-GM: Richard Martel. Kingpin: The sky&rsquo;s the limit for Lehoux. Fresh face: Left winger Jean-Francois Jacques, 16, will be a player down the road. Outlook: Everything depends on Lehoux.2. Rimouski Oceanic (25-45-2-2). Coach: Guylain Raymond. GM: Doris Labonte. Kingpin: Center Thatcher Bell, 19, will vie for the scoring title. Fresh face: Center Marc-Antoine Pouliot, 16, is a blue-chipper. Outlook: Goaltending is a concern.3. Quebec Remparts (22-41-9-5). Coach: Guy Chouinard. GM: Raymond Bolduc. Kingpin: Winger Shawn Collymore, 18, has a quick release. Fresh face: Left winger Sebastien Thinel, 20, will be lethal from close-in range. Outlook: The Remparts have their sights set on 2002-03.4. Chicoutimi Sagueneens (22-40-10-1). Coach: Alain Rajotte. GM: Marc Desforges. Kingpin: Pound for pound, 5-foot-9,147-pound center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 17, is the best around. Fresh face: Winger Tommy Bolduc, 20, takes silly penalties. Outlook: More Bouchards needed.<h2>MARITIME DIVISION</h2>1. Halifax Mooseheads (32-30-10-6). Coach: Shawn MacKenzie. GM: Marcel Patenaude. Kingpin: Right winger Jason King, 20, went from three goals to 48. Fresh face: Center Jean-Michel Boisvert, 19, arrived from Montreal. Outlook: A Nova Scotia battle for division title.2. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (30-384-1). Coach-GM: Pascal Vincent. Kingpin: Defenseman Jean-Philippe Cote, 19, is captain. Fresh face: Center Pierre-Luc Emond, 19, is the best face-off man. Outlook: The Eagles need more stars.3. Moncton Wildcats (23-43-6-2). Coach: Tom Coolen. GM: Darrell Young. Kingpin: Goalie Bill Ruggiero, 20, shone after leaving Plymouth. Fresh face: Winger Steve Bernier, 16, was first pick in the midget draft. Outlook: Youth will be served.4. Acadie-Bathurst Titan (29-39-4-1). Coach: Real Paiement. GM: Pierre Roux. Kingpin: Center Olivier Fillion, 19, was eighth in team scoring. Fresh face: Finn winger Janis Sprukts, 19, is a dandy. Outlook: All or nothing in Bathurst.<h2>LEBEL CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION</h2>1. Drummondville Voltigeurs (31-36-5-6). Coach: Daniel Bissonnette. GM: Michel Georges. Kingpin: Goalie Jean-Francois Racine, 19, is a workhorse. Fresh face: Center Olivier Proulx, 19, should be good for 100 points. Outlook: The Voltigeurs are stocked with high-maintenance stars.2. Shawinigan Cataractes (54-12-6-2). Coach-GM: Denis Francouer. Kingpin: Overage center Dominic Forget, 20, will post huge numbers. Fresh face: Defense prospect Paul-Andre Bourgoin, 17, is a gem. Outlook: The veterans rule the roost.3. Sherbrooke Castors (28-40-4-3). Coach: Joe Canale. GM: Norm Gosselin. Kingpin: Center Nicolas Corbeil, 18, is a steady scorer. Fresh face: Left winger Maxime Boisclair is a mature 16. Outlook: The Castors aren&rsquo;t ready for prime time.4. Victoriaville Tigres (45-24-3-3). Coach: Mario Durochers. GM: John Greene. Kingpin: Center Antoine Vermette, 19, is explosive. Fresh face: Goalie Daniel Manzato, 17, is compared to Mathieu Garon. Outlook: Graduation crushed the Tigres.<h2>WEST DIVISION</h2>1. Montreal Rocket (23-42-7-6). Coach: Gaston Therrien. GM: Serge Savard Jr. Kingpin: Goalie Pascal Leclaire, 19, will push for MVP honors. Fresh face: Karl St-Pierre, 19, anchors the blueline. Outlook: Year 1 at Molson Centre will be a winner.2. Hull Olympiques (34-31-7-7-6). Coach: Guy Lalonde. GM: Charles Henry. Kingpin: Left winger Ales Hemsky, 18, plays a Jari Kurri style. Fresh face: Hull is high on defenseman Martin Vagner, 17. Outlook: Never a bad year.3. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (43-24-5-2). Coach: Bob Mongrain. GM: Sylvain Danis. Kingpin: Left winger Marc-Andre Binette, 20, can score. Fresh face: Center Alexandre Bolduc, 16, will shine. Outlook: The Huskies need to rebuild.4. Val-d&rsquo;Or Foreurs (46-19-7-2). Coach: Claude Bouchard. GM: Stephane Pilotte. Kingpin: Maxime Daigneault, 17, is the next great Quebec goalie. Fresh face: Center Jonathan Gautier, 20, is over from Baie-Comeau. Outlook: Last year&rsquo;s champs will struggle. &#9632;

f0028-02

Baie-Comeau watch

<div class="byline">By Rob Vanstone</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01870/7208037-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="390" height="276"></div>The Kamloops Blazers are hoping for many happy returns.Kamloops could ice as many as 20 Western League veterans-but only two 20-year-olds-when the 2001-02 season begins.&ldquo;We had to go through the cycle and build ourselves back up after we went to the league championship two years ago,&rdquo; said Blazers&rsquo; GM Mike Moore.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been young for two years-too young on some nights-but we got through it and now we&rsquo;re faced with 20 veteran players, which we haven&rsquo;t had for a few years.&rdquo;Even so, the Blazers aren&rsquo;t exactly old.&ldquo;We had six 16-year-olds a year ago,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll only lose four-maybe five-guys next year out of 23.&rdquo;However, this is the season for which the Blazers have been building.Their talented nucleus includes center Jared Aulin, who had 108 points last season, and right winger Scottie Upshall, whose 42 goals helped him win Canadian Hockey League rookie-of-the-year honors.Kamloops is viewed as one of the teams to beat in the new B.C. Division, which also features top contenders in the Kootenay Ice and Kelowna Rockets.FORWARD THINKING Sask atoon Blades&rsquo; GM Brent McEwen has resigned himself to losing last season&rsquo;s leading scorer, Garrett Bembridge.The 20-year-old, who had 38 goals and 78 points in 72 games in 2000-01, is likely to play in the Calgary Flames&rsquo; system after signing with the team that drafted him in the seventh round (207th overall) in June.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been expecting all along that Garrett won&rsquo;t be here,&rdquo; McEwen said. &ldquo;That won&rsquo;t come as any kind of surprise to us.&rdquo;McEwen hopes another 2001 draftee-New Jersey Devils&rsquo; first-rounder Adrian Foster (28th overall)-will pick up the slack. Foster, 19, has been limited to 12 games and 12 points over the past two WHL seasons because of torn abdominal muscles. Saskatoon chose him third overall in the 1997 bantam draft.&ldquo;If he&rsquo;s healthy, we think he can be an impact guy in the league,&rdquo; McEwen said. &ldquo;Obviously, New Jersey thinks he can be an impact guy.&ldquo;The rehabilitation is going really well, but we&rsquo;re not getting ahead of ourselves. We&rsquo;re looking at the start of the season before he&rsquo;s ready to go.&rdquo;GIANT STEPS The expansion Vancouver Giants posted their first WHL win of any description Sept. 1, edging Kamloops 6-5 on Darren Lynch&rsquo;s overtime goal.The game was played before a capacity crowd of 1,500 at South Surrey Arena, the home of the B.C. Jr. League&rsquo;s South Surrey Eagles. The Giants will play their home games at Pacific Coliseum.NOTEBOOK Jeff Chynoweth is the new GM of the Kootenay Ice. Chynoweth, who also takes on the title of vice-president, succeeds Bob Tory, who left the Ice in May to become GM of the Tri-City Americans. Director of player personnel Roy Stasiuk will assume the role of assistant GM&hellip;Grant Jacobsen, the Regina Pats&rsquo; top center, stretched the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the team&rsquo;s first training camp workout and may miss Regina&rsquo;s Sept. 21 season opener. The St. Louis Blues drafted Jacobsen, 18, in the ninth round (270th overall) in June, but he had to miss the NHL team&rsquo;s camp. &#9632;

f0029-01

Kamloops’ roster stacked with WHL vets

<div class="byline">By Willy Palov</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02560/7208068-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="389" height="288"></div>The Quebec Remparts aren&rsquo;t about to write off this season, but they can&rsquo;t help getting excited for next year.The early favorites to win the hosting rights for the 2003 Memorial Cup, the Remparts are putting the pieces in place to become a powerhouse for that year.GM Raymond Bolduc beams with pride when he talks about the players who will be ready to peak in 2002-03. He already has 2001 New York Rangers&rsquo; draft picks Shawn Collymore (139th overall) and Petr Preucil (206th) pegged as his veteran scorers for next season and he has high hopes that three of his youngsters will be impact players by then.Sixteen-year-old center Cory Urquhart scored 25 goals in 60 games last year as a Quebec League rookie and at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, is still growing. First round pick Jeff MacAuley (12th overall) was touted as the best defenseman at the 2001 midget draft and second round pick Josh Hennessey (19th overall) was described by another QM JHL GM as the best player in the entire draft.A Massachusetts native who considered playing only for Quebec or Halifax, Hennessey is a gifted skater and passer that blew Bolduc away on a scouting trip last winter.&ldquo;I only saw him once and I knew right away he was going to be a star,&rdquo; Bolduc said. &ldquo;People are going to be talking about this player when they see him.&rdquo; Like Urquhart, Hennessey, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound center, isn&rsquo;t eligible until the 2003 NHL draft. MacAuley can&rsquo;t be taken until 2004.&ldquo;I think Josh and Cory are going to be first round picks,&rdquo; Bolduc said. &ldquo;And if Jeff keeps improving, he will go high, too. We&rsquo;re very excited about our young players.&rdquo;ON THE WAY BACK The Victoriaville Tigres swear he&rsquo;ll be 100 per cent by opening night, but Antoine Vermette&rsquo;s health was an ongoing concern during training camp.The 19-year-old center suffered a first-degree concussion at Canada&rsquo;s world junior team summer evaluation camp in early August and still was too groggy to return to the ice a month later.&ldquo;The doctors tell us he&rsquo;s going to be fine, but you always worry these days when it comes to head injuries,&rdquo; said Victoriaville GM John Greene.&ldquo;You could make a case that he&rsquo;s the top player in the league, so that tells you what it would mean if he was out of our lineup.&rdquo;Vermette scored 57 goals and 119 points in 71 games last season to-finish seventh in league scoring.RUSSIA CALLING The Sherbrooke Castors aren&rsquo;t expecting sympathy cards from the rest of the league, but still are feeling the sting of defenseman Artem Ternavsky&rsquo;s decision not to return.The 6-foot-3, 209-pound blueliner bailed on the Castors after one season so he can play in the Russian Second Division.&ldquo;Artem would have played a lot for us this year, but we couldn&rsquo;t talk him out of his decision,&rdquo; said coach Joe Canale. &ldquo;He had his mind made up and we have to live with it. But I&rsquo;d be lying if I said it didn&rsquo;t hurt our hockey team.&rdquo;Ternavsky, 18, was a fifth round pick (160th overall) of the Washington Capitals last June. &#9632;

f0029-02

Rem parts prepping to host, win ’03 Cup

<div class="byline">By Jim Cressman</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03365/7208099-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="393" height="213"></div>London Knights&rsquo; left winger Rick Nash is the real deal, but the 17-year-old doesn&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a big deal. Nash could be the first player chosen in the 2002 NHL entry draft.&ldquo;I think Nash is going to be a very high pick,&rdquo; said Frank Bonello, the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Service director. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reason he can&rsquo;t be No. 1.1 think we can expect to hear much of the same buildup for him that surrounded Jason Spezza.&rdquo;Nash, who hails from Brampton, Ont., will turn 18 just four days before the draft. He&rsquo;s already 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, after adding more than 15 pounds this summer.A skilled, smooth-skating forward, who has been turning heads.since breaking into the Ontario League last season, Nash led the Knights with 31 goals and was second with 66 points while playing only 58 games.He played in the world under-17 championship during the Christmas break and starred for Canada at the Six Nations Cup under-18 tournament in the Czech Republic last month, scoring twice and collecting five points in the final as Canada humbled Russia 9-4.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really worry about it,&rdquo; said Nash of the attention he&rsquo;ll receive this season.&ldquo;Take it and have fun with it. At the same time you&rsquo;ve got to keep your head above water, but not let it get too high. I have to stay on my game. I have to try and pretend the scouts are not there.&rdquo;Knights&rsquo; coach Lindsay Hofford said Nash is ready to handle whatever comes along this season because he&rsquo;s mature beyond his 17 years.&ldquo;When he came in (last season), he was thrust into the role of a much older player, which he handled,&rdquo; Hofford said. &ldquo;The way he deals with the media has improved a lot. He&rsquo;s a lot more confident. If you&rsquo;re going to be a pro athlete, it&rsquo;s a lot more important now to handle the media. It&rsquo;s a prerequisite of going to the NHL.&rdquo;RANGERS GIVE BACK A 7-year-old girl named Samantha and her family are off to Disney World, thanks to the Kitchener Rangers and their fans. Hundreds of supporters attended the fourth annual fan appreciation event at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Sept. 3, with proceeds going to the Children&rsquo;s Wish Foundation.More than $5,000 was raised, which includes a matching amount from the team. The charity grants wishes to children, aged three to 18, who suffer from high-risk, life-threatening illnesses.BREAK TIME The OHL will take a few days oft&rdquo; between the end of the season and the start of the playoffs this year. In other years, the schedule ended on a Friday and the playoffs began the next day.This year, the regular season ends Sunday, March 17, with the playoffs not beginning until Friday, March 22. The season also will open a week earlier, on Sept. 13.&ldquo;It just wasn&rsquo;t enough time for anybody,&rdquo; said London Knights&rsquo; GM Mark Hunter of the old system.Traditionally, attendance for the first couple of playoff games has been poor because in many cases, teams and fans didn&rsquo;t know the first round matchups and scheduling until the final night of the regular season. &#9632;

f0029-03

Nash dashing up 2002 draft ladder

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01982/7208154-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0030-01

2001-02 WESTERN LEAGUE SCHEDULE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01903/7208185-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0031-01

2001-02 ONTARIO LEAGUE SCHEDULE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0033-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01872/7208254-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01982/7208247-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="3103" height="3586"></div> &#9632;

f0033-01

NHL DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0035-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01926/7208285-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0035-01

NHL PRE-SEASON PRIMER

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01816/7208354-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="293" height="376"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Brophy&nbsp;Senior Writer</figcaption></div>To most people, Dominik Hasek is the best goalie in the world. To Martin Biron, Hasek is a human speed bump on the path of the young Sabre netminder&rsquo;s career. A great teacher and inspiration as well, mind you, but unquestionably a speed bump.So with Hasek gone, traded to Detroit during the off-season, the road is clear for the 24-year-old Biron to claim Buffalo&rsquo;s crease as his own.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited,&rdquo; Biron said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready. I&rsquo;m going to training camp knowing I&rsquo;m fighting for a job that hasn&rsquo;t been available for the past eight years because it was Dorn&rsquo;s.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going in thinking I&rsquo;m the No. 1 goalie. I&rsquo;m going in trying to prove I deserve it. I have to earn it.&rdquo;Hasek has won six Vezina Trophies and copped back-to-back Hart Trophies as the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player in 1997 and 1998. This summer, the Sabres had the choice of keeping Hasek-by picking up the $9-million option on his contract-or letting him get away as an unrestricted free agent. Rather than let him go for nothing, they picked up the option and then flipped him to Detroit for left winger Slava Kozlov, a first round pick in 2002 and future considerations.That leaves Buffalo with Biron, highly regarded youngster Mika Noronen, 22, and veteran Bob Essensa, who was signed in the off-season. The Sabres also have collegiate star Ryan Miller, who captured the Hobey Baker Award in his sophomore season at Michigan State.Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff is convinced Biron is up to the challenge of being No. 1. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a lot of confidence in him,&rdquo; Ruff said. &ldquo;His attitude is the No. 1 thing that gives you confidence. He doesn&rsquo;t get down and he works very hard at his game.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not a kid who goes in there and waits for things to come to him. He&rsquo;s aggressive. He makes things happen.&rdquo;Though he has played just 68 NHL games, Biron is convinced he&rsquo;s ready. It helps when you have a rinkside seat watching the best netminder on the planet perform nightly It also helps that, two years ago when Hasek missed 40 games with a groin injury, Biron was Buffalo&rsquo;s go-to goalie. The excitable youngster responded very well to the pressure, with a 19-18-2 record, 2.42 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and five shutouts.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02537/7208347-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="1537" height="1378"><figcaption class="caption-body">Martin Biron says he&rsquo;s out to prove he&rsquo;s worthy of being Buffalo&rsquo;s No. 1 goaltender.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;He steadied the ship for us and he was one of the big reasons why we made it into the playoffs,&rdquo; Ruff said.As much as it pained him to be relegated to the bench most nights, Biron said he benefited from the experience.&ldquo;Being with Dorn every day for the past two years was incredible,&rdquo; Biron said. &ldquo;Watching the way he handles the media, the pressure, the position&hellip;it was great. The biggest thing I learned was he wants to put himself in a position to make a difference in the game. He thrives on the pressure.&ldquo;Dom showed me it&rsquo;s not always about physical ability. It&rsquo;s how you approach the game mentally. His focus is better than most professional athletes. And he never quits on a shot. There were times in junior where I&rsquo;d be out of position and see a shot coming and I&rsquo;d think, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t get that one.&rsquo; Dom would never think that. He finds a way to get at shots. As long as the puck is in play; as long as he thinks he can stop it, he&rsquo;ll do whatever it takes to make the save.&rdquo;Biron, chosen 16th overall in 1995 by the Sabres, has paid his dues. After a splendid junior career with Beauport and Hull of the Quebec League-he was named major junior&rsquo;s goalie of the year in 1995-Biron was an instant success at the pro level with Rochester in the American League. He led the AHL in goals-against average during the regular season and in the playoffs, had a league-high six shutouts and was named goalie of the year in 1998-99. Only time will tell if he has what it takes to be an impact NHL goalie.&ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t been given much of a. chance to play, but he&rsquo;s going to get it now,&rdquo; said Sabres&rsquo; veteran winger Rob Ray. &ldquo;Obviously when he has played, he played well. One thing about him is, he&rsquo;s confident. Not cocky, confident.&rdquo;Biron has already played an entire season&rsquo;s worth of games in his mind. He knows there will be higher expectations this time with Hasek out of the picture.&ldquo;I think it will be different this time,&rdquo; Biron said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the same game, the same pressure and basically the same guys, but in a way it will be different.&ldquo;Before, I knew I was just filling in for somebody who would be returning during the season. I just wanted to give him a chance to bring us into the playoffs. If I had us in a top-eight spot when he came back, I knew I had done my job.&rdquo;And there&rsquo;s no reason to believe he won&rsquo;t get the job done again&ndash;especially now that it&rsquo;s all his.<blockquote class="pullQuote">He&rsquo;s not a kid who goes in there and waits for things to come to him. He&rsquo;s aggressive. He makes things happen. Sabres&rsquo; coach Lindy Ruff on Martin Biron</blockquote> &#9632;

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OVERTIME

Biron: Ready, willing & able

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03405/7208385-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jaromir Jagr returns to Pittsburgh Dec. 21</figcaption></div>Here&rsquo;s what to look for in the coming monthsSat., Sept. 15 Colorado opens pre-season against Djurgarden in Stockholm, Swe.Sat., Sept. 15 San Jose and St. Louis open pre-season in Anchorage, AlaskaThurs., Sept. 20 Eric Lindros&rsquo; Rangers play pre-season game in PhiladelphiaFri., Sept. 28 NHL holds waiver draftWed., Oct. 3 Ottawa visits Toronto on NHL&rsquo;s regular season opening nightWed., Oct. 3 Defending champion Colorado opens season in PittsburghFri., Oct. 5 Dallas opens American Airlines Center when it hosts VancouverMon., Nov. 12 Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in TorontoFri., Dec. 21 Jaromir Jagr makes first visit to Pittsburgh since tradeFor the latest news, visit <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a><h2>Next Issue</h2>Season OpenerFrom a preview of Roman Cechmanek&rsquo;s encore year to a ranking of the top players by position to a complete primer on 2001-02, get the inside word on the new NHL campaign in our Season Opener special issue. &#9632;

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September 21, 2001

Emphasis on youth in Nashville; how far can kids carry team?

2001-02 QUEBEC LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Two-sport talent

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