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May 17, 2002
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.
Ex-Hab finds way in San Jose
In his final days with the Montreal Canadiens, Vincent Damphousse was a shadow of the player he had been. It was as though the pressure cooker that was Habland had finally gotten to him. So you’d suspect a move west to San Jose, the land of sunshine and lower expectations (at least by the fans and media) must have been a huge relief. In Montreal, skate two bad shifts in a row and there’s a two-page spread in the next day’s newspaper on your declining ability and how it will affect the Canadian dollar. In San Jose, go 23 games without a goal, as Damphousse did in 1999-2000, and you still da man. That said, don’t suggest the pressure to win in San Jose is less than it is in Montreal. Rather, considering…
Hitchcock best bet for coaching job
Of the seven teams now golfing in the East, Washington is kicking itself the hardest. The Caps could have done some damage in the post-season - if only they had played well enough to get there. The Rangers’ search for a new coach was progressing slowly as team president-GM Glen Sather vowed to explore all options. Still, it appeared the favorite for the job remained former Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock. Sather interviewed Hitchcock and took him on a tour of the team’s new practice facility, being built in suburban Greenburgh, N.Y., prior to Hitchcock’s flight to Sweden, where he served as an assistant coach for Canada in the World Championship. The only other outside candidate known to have been interviewed by Sather was ex-Buffalo coach Ted Nolan. Ranger insider Walt…
Opportunity to hold Cup moves Robitaille
Luc Robitaille sat down with his wife, Stacia, after last season, and they had a long talk. Luc had played 15 years in the NHL, 12 of them in Los Angeles. They loved it there. But after a 37-goal, 88-point season, the Kings had offered a one-year, $2.5-million contract. That was a $l-million pay cut. What’s more, to the Robitailles, the Kings weren’t making a commitment to win, and Luc was longing for a Stanley Cup. Stacia told Luc the time had come for him to go - and go to a winner. “I agreed with her,” Robitaille said. So when the Detroit Red Wings offered him a contract in July and guaranteed him two years for a total of $9 million - and a shot at Stanley - Robitaille signed in a heartbeat. He had…
McLennan has minor inconvenience
For three seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Jamie McLennan was the perfect backup. He went a combined 38-27-8 with a 2.21 goals-against average, playing from 19 to 33 games a year. He even won the Bill Masterton Trophy for dedication to hockey in 1997-98, his first full NHL campaign. Which is why the Minnesota Wild were wild to claim him from the Blues during the 2000 expansion draft. But McLennan’s stay in Minnesota lasted just one season. He lost his job last fall to Dwayne Roloson and ended up with the Houston Aeros as the American League’s highest-paid goaltender (nearly $1 million a year). But for much of the season, he didn’t play up to his earnings. McLennan went 25-18-4 with a 2.74 GAA and .905 save percentage. “It was an up and down…
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