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June 28, 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.
Dominant second half sign of things to come if team stays on track
After their rousing 28-9-3-3 second half, the Vancouver Canucks are behaving like a team that feels it is on its way. The Canucks don’t have many holes to fill, although there’ll likely be a couple unless impending unrestricted free agents Andrew Cassels and Scott Lachance unexpectedly re-sign with Vancouver. Cassels, a center, had not even received an offer from the club through mid-dune, while defenseman Lachance had rejected the deal offered to him. THREE BURNING QUESTIONS 1. Who will replace Andrew Cassels on the second line? GM Brian Burke hopes to promote from within and there’s plenty of candidates, such as promising pivots Henrik Sedin, Harold Druken and Artem Chubarov. 2. Will the team pick up the option on backup goalie Peter Skudra? A year ago, the Canucks did not pick up Bob Essensa’s…
WEST COAST LEAGUE
The West Coast League season ended with big news at the top and bottom of the standings. At the top, Fresno won its first league championship with a 4-2 series win over Idaho. The Falcons clinched in double-overtime on the Steelheads’s home ice. That was fitting, since the home team won only one game of the series. Meanwhile, the Anchorage Aces were revealed to be almost $2 million in debt and finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Acting commissioner Adam Keller said the league remained committed to a team in Anchorage, although perhaps under different ownership. To add to the complications, former NHLer and Aces coach Butch Goring sued the team for breach of contract. The Aces have countersued.…
Expect few changes from contender
Colorado’s hopes of defending its 2001 Stanley Cup championship unraveled in the final two games of the Western Conference final against Detroit. “We had a great season,” said captain Joe Sakic. “Did we ruin the season? No, we were one game away from the final. We’re disappointed with the way we finished, but that’s all. Is it hard to win two Cups in a row? It’s a hard trophy to win even once.” The Avalanche will be a postseason contender again next season with a solid core of premier players such as forwards Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk, defensemen Rob Blake and Adam Foote and goalie Patrick Roy to build around. THREE BURNING QUESTIONS 1. Will Martin Skoula attain the consistency he needs to become a front-line defenseman? Skoula is only…
‘Caniacs’ cherish Cup chase
‘I love playing at home. The fans are out of control.’- Bates Battaglia RALEIGH, N.C Down here, they call them Caniacs. That’s the term for the wildly fanatical followers of the Carolina Hurricanes. They’re the fans known for their enthusiastic beer-buzzed pre-game tailgate parties and for standing during the game rather than sitting…even when it goes into triple overtime. And if you think you’ve heard noise at a hockey arena before, until you’ve been to Raleigh’s Entertainment and Sports Arena, you ain’t heard nuthin’ yet. “It can actually be a problem,” said Canes right winger Jeff O’Neill. “Sometimes you can’t hear the coach calling for line changes.” But as refreshing as the Caniacs - and their beloved Hurricanes - are, the big question is: will they still be around next year? Will they be basking in…
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