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.

March 14, 2003

The Hockey News March 14, 2003

<h2>EDMONTON PROSPECT CHARGED</h2>MADISON, Wis. Edmonton Oilers prospect Brad Winchester made a court appearance in Dane County in Wisconsin to answer a felony charge of battery to a police officer. Winchester, 22, is in his senior season as captain of the Wisconsin Badgers. Charges were filed against the 6-foot-5, 220-pound winger after a fight outside a campus bar Feb. 23, just hours after a Badgers game. According to the police report, Winchester was fighting with an unidentified individual when an officer tried to break up the fight. Winchester punched the officer in the nose several times before being subdued with pepper spray by another officer. Winchester faces a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. He was released on a bond. He was a second round draft pick of the Oilers in 2000 and was their No. 8-ranked prospect in Future Watch 2003.<h2>BOURQUE HEADLINES AWARD WINNERS</h2>NEW YORK Raymond Bourque, Willie 0&rsquo;Ree and Ron DeGregorio will receive the Lester Patrick Award and be honored for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Bourque capped a 22-year career with a Stanley Cup win with Colorado in 2001. His previous 21 seasons were spent with Boston, where he won the Norris Trophy five times. The first black man to play in the NHL, 0&rsquo;Ree has contributed greatly to the growth of the game in his position as director of youth development for the NHL and NHL Diversity. DeGregorio has been a player, coach and administrator in U.S. amateur hockey for more than 40 years. The ceremony takes place March 25 in Boston.<h2>ST-PIERRE SEEKS TO JOIN MEN&rsquo;S LEAGUE</h2>MONTREAL Canadian national women&rsquo;s team goalie Kim St-Pierre hopes to join teammate Hayley Wickenheiser in a Finnish men&rsquo;s pro league next season. St-Pierre, 24, had 11 shutouts in 15 games with a. 983 save percentage for the McGill University women&rsquo;s team this season and says she needs to play at another level. &ldquo;Maybe the (McGill) men&rsquo;s team would be a good challenge for me,&rdquo; she said.<h2>SENATORS SALE PROCEEDING</h2>OTTAWA A federal tax ruling that would allow a limited partnership to buy the Ottawa Senators had yet to be finalized, but the sale is proceeding. The partnership is buying the team for $175 million. It is selling 15,050 units to investors at $19,120 apiece. Investors are expected to receive about $69 million in total federal tax benefits.<h2>LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS SABRES SOLD</h2>BUFFALO According to WGR Sportsradio, the NHL accepted gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano&rsquo;s bid to buy the Buffalo Sabres. The report said Golisano submitted a bid Feb. 14, which the NHL accepted the next day. An earlier bid by Golisano failed to satisfy conditions set by Adelphia Communications, one of the Sabres&rsquo; largest creditors. &#9632;

DEPARTMENTS

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011050/8129687-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01937/8129680-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="3137" height="3009"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011018/8129673-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="3124" height="2984"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01954/8129666-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="3163" height="3184"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01657/8129659-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="3100" height="2951"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

2002-03 NHL STATISTICS

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONSStatistics provided by National Hockey League; Players are listed by uniform number, name, games played (GP), minutes played (Min), goals-against average (GAA), wins (W), losses (L), ties (T), empty-net goals (EN), shutouts (SO), goals against (GA), snots against (SA), save percentage (SP). For goalies' individual rankings see page 36.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01553/8129753-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="848" height="1856"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02341/8129746-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="834" height="2045"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03270/8129739-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="260" height="413"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICK LAUME Leads NHL with eight shutouts</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04230/8129732-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="260" height="413"><figcaption class="caption-body">ED BELFOUR Reached 30 wins for eighth time in career.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05207/8129725-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="260" height="413"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARC DENIS Leads league in minutes played and losses.</figcaption></div>SCORING BY NATIONHere are the all-time NHL scoring leaders forplayers born in each of the world&rsquo;s top seven hockey nations. The all-time leader is indicated in yellow; the active chaser is shown in blue.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06188/8129718-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="1978" height="918"></div> &#9632;

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GOALTENDER STATISTICS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-011002/8130112-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div>WHY THIS COULD BE TORONTO&rsquo;S YEAR NHL DIVING EDICT FLAWEDFEDOROV SPEAKS OUT ON: BUSTING UP WITH HIS AGENT HIS FUTURE IN DETROIT AND HIS STORY ON ANNA &#9632;

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SERGEI UNCENSORED

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011911/8126936-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">A young Elvis Presley? Not quite. For the real scoop on the unplugged Sergei Fedorov, see pg. 10.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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SERGEI PLAYS…

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011858/8126981-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">EDITOR&rsquo;S NOTEBOOK&nbsp;Jason Kay Managing Editor</figcaption></div>If the NHL doesn&rsquo;t investigate changing the size of the neutral zone, it may at least be forced into changing the region&rsquo;s name. The way the heavy hitters are voicing their opinion these days, there&rsquo;s little neutrality about the amount of space between the bluelines.Check out this murderers&rsquo; row of neutral-zone attackers:Mario Lemieux, batting leadoff, got the rally started at the 2002 All-Star Game in Los Angeles when he said: &ldquo;Little adjustments we have to make in our game to create more speed, especially in the neutral zone, would create a lot more offense and would be a lot better for the game.&rdquo;Denis Potvin joined the cause roughly a year later with a thought-provoking column he wrote in The Hockey News. &ldquo;The way the neutral zone is set up doesn&rsquo;t allow good players to gain the speed they need to drive the net,&rdquo; the Panthers analyst wrote in our Feb. 21 issue. &ldquo;The neutral zone is too congested because it&rsquo;s too small and that&rsquo;s why teams that work the trap to perfection can become elite teams.&rdquo;Paul Kariya, who echoed Lemieux&rsquo;s sentiments in L.A., hit a shot heard around the hockey world during a conference call Feb. 20. When asked what he thought about Potvin&rsquo;s remarks in The Hockey News, the mightiest Duck said: &ldquo;Whoever decided to move the nets up and put more room where you can&rsquo;t score goals has to be brain dead. Just one of the stupidest rules I&rsquo;ve seen.&rdquo;Don Cherry grabbed the Louisville slugger on Hockey Night in Canada a couple of nights later. &ldquo;They put more room in back of the net, (but) you score from in front of the net. These guys (NHL executives) sit down in the summer and come up with some goofy thing like that. Kariya&rsquo;s right, they should put it back.&rdquo;At first glance, their joint argument appears rooted in logic. When the league moved the nets out one foot from the end boards in 199091, then by two more feet prior to 1998-99, it shrunk the size of the neutral zone by six feet, from 60 to 54. It has meant 10 per cent less real estate for attacking teams to generate speed off the rush before hitting the defending team&rsquo;s blueline.NO PROBLEMS&nbsp;The small neutral zone in tiny Boston Garden didn&rsquo;t affect the high-flying act of superstar Bobby Orr.Their critics, however, maintain the argument is flawed. Old rinks such as the Boston Garden, Chicago Stadium and Buffalo Auditorium were pint-sized and featured compressed neutral zones (roughly 45 feet in Boston and Buffalo; 50 feet in Chicago), yet stars such as Bobby Orr, Denis Savard and Gilbert Perreault, among many others, flourished in those facilities.<h2>SPEED THRILLS IN RIGHT PROPORTIONS</h2>Brad Park, who starred on the Boston blueline from 1975 to 1983, is not opposed to making the neutral zone bigger, but said the Bruins were successful in their cozy home because they played a different style. Speed thrills, he acknowledged, but only in the right proportions.&ldquo;We played more of a puck-control game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our defense was more adept at holding the puck and trying to open up the gap to make decent passes.&ldquo;Speed is good to have, but if you get there too early, it&rsquo;s just as bad as getting there too late. I&rsquo;ve always said this game is about timing, deception and execution. Unless you play a puck-control game you can&rsquo;t generate consistent offense.&rdquo;A case study of scoring at the dinky rinks during the era when all three were in existence at the same time (1970-71 through 1993-94) shows the goals-per-game average was either at or just below the league average for the 24-year span. (See accompanying graphic.)And why, the smaller neutral-zone advocates want to know, would you increase the size of a non-attacking area? Goals from behind the net may be rare, but they&rsquo;re even more infrequent from beyond the blueline.At this point, the issue isn&rsquo;t on the league&rsquo;s agenda, but should the sluggers keep stepping to the plate, the NHL just may be prodded into putting the concept in the on-deck circle.<h2>FRIENDLY CONFINES</h2>The old arenas in Buffalo, Boston and Chicago featured compressed neutral zones. Here&rsquo;s a look at how the teams fared in goals-per-game average over the 24-year period (1970-94) when all three small rinks were in existence.<h2>WORTH NOTING&nbsp;Milestones, notable achievements and NHL debuts.</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021562/8126974-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="296" height="469"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOE NIEUWENDYK</figcaption></div>MILESTONESJoe Nieuwendyk &bull; C, 36New Jersey, Feb. 23 at PittsburghSixteen-year vet becomes 65th player to record 1,000 points.NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTSToronto Maple Leafs5-3 win at Montreal Feb. 22Seventh straight road win is a team record and three shy of NHL record.Jarome Iginla &bull; RW, 25Calgary, Feb. 23 at PhoenixBecame 11th player to score all his team&rsquo;s goals in a four-plus goal game.Dallas Stars5-5 tie at Boston Feb. 25Streak of 10 straight undefeated road games ties franchise record.NHL DEBUTSMike Komisarek &bull; D, 21Montreal, Feb. 19 at BuffaloPhysical rearguard showed poise in regular shifts and on special teams.Cristobal Huet &bull; G, 27Los Angeles, Feb. 20 at PhiladelphiaJust second France native in NHL; allowed two goals in one period.Burke Henry &bull; D, 24Chicago, Feb. 20 vs. PhoenixCast off by Rangers, Flames, versatile D-man played 18 solid minutes.Tomas Kurka &bull; LW, 21Carolina, Feb. 26 at PhoenixCzech prevented Sean Burke shutout with late goal in debut game.Michael Zigomanis &bull; C, 22Carolina, Feb. 26 at PhoenixCreative playmaker, scorer followed up Kurka goal with one of his own.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031269/8126967-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="296" height="472"><figcaption class="caption-body">CRISTOBAL HUET</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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FEATURES & COLUMNS

Sizing up neutral-zone debate

<div class="byline">&#x2013;MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011866/8127036-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHAEL PECA NEW YORK ISLANDERS</figcaption></div>Could a two-time Selke Trophy winner as the NHL&rsquo;s best defensive forward be skating towards the Hart Trophy?Islanders coach Peter Laviolette thinks so.&ldquo;Everyone thinks of Michael Peca as a great defensive forward, but he&rsquo;s so much more than that,&rdquo; Laviolette said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s strong in all areas of the game. When he came back to us, he brought a lot of stability to our club.&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re talking about the most valuable player, anybody who doesn&rsquo;t give him strong recognition should have his head checked.&rdquo;New York made some huge strides last season, but were on the verge of going backwards in 2002-03 while Peca nursed an injured knee incurred in last year&rsquo;s playoffs. The Isles were six games under. 500 when Peca returned to action in mid-November; by late February, they were six games over. 500 and sixth in the East.In eight NHL seasons Peca has carved a reputation as an exceptional defensive forward, a hard-hitting leader who contributes significant offense. He has scored at least 20 in four of his last five years; he had 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games this year. He was a key addition to the long-suffering Islanders last season, helping a team that failed to make the playoffs seven straight years make it back to the spring dance.The Hart Trophy is awarded annually to &ldquo;the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.&rdquo; There have been years when it simply went to the NHL&rsquo;s most productive player or best player on the top team. Recently, though, it has been awarded to deserving players who didn&rsquo;t necessarily lead the league in scoring or play for the best team. Montreal goalie Jose Theodore won last year after performing mir ades to help the Habs gain the final playoff spot in the East; Blues defenseman Chris Pronger captured it in 2000 for his stellar play in both ends.Peca did exactly what was expected of him last season, placing third in team scoring with career highs in assists (35) and points (60). More importantly, he was the leader the Isles bargained for when they acquired him from Buffalo. It has all continued this season.&ldquo;He plays 5-on-5 against the other team&rsquo;s top line, plays late in the period, plays late in the game, takes all the big draws, plays on the penalty kill and power play, plays in 5-on-3 situations as well as 3-on-5, he&rsquo;s a big hitter and a leader in the dressing room,&rdquo; Laviolette said.&ldquo;He fills so many voids. That&rsquo;s his greatest asset. If that&rsquo;s not an MVP, I don&rsquo;t know what is.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Peca touted for MVP

<h2>The Best of the Hockey World</h2>STILL WANNA TRADE ME? Calgary&rsquo;s Jarome Iginla, who could be traded, scores 13 goals in 10 games, including all four in a 4-2 win over Phoenix.FIRST GAME, FIRST GOALS Carolina rookies Michael Zigomanis and Tomas Kurka each score their first NHL goals in their big-league debut.AND HE CAN SCORE, TOO Toronto tough guy Tie Domi establishes a personal single-season high for goals with No. 14.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021319/8127081-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="278" height="424"><figcaption class="caption-body">TIE DOMI</figcaption></div><h2>The Worst of the Hockey World</h2>FOUR GONE CONCLUSION St. Louis left winger Keith Tkachuk is suspended four games for cross-checking Minnesota&rsquo;s Wes Walz in the throat.TAKE A SEAT Chicago right winger Theoren Fleury is a healthy scratch for the first time since his rookie season with Calgary.OILERS SLIDING Edmonton is in danger of slipping out of the playoff race by going winless in seven games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03848/8127074-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="272" height="422"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEITH TKACHUK</figcaption></div><h2>MOST TEAMS</h2>Atlanta&rsquo;s Tony Hrkac has played for nine NHL teams, more than any active NHLer.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04525/8127067-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="918" height="768"></div> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06198/8127112-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="303" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAVEL BRENDL</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05325/8127119-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="167" height="144"></div>From around the NHL&bull; Did the Philadelphia Flyers trade away the next Todd Bertuzzi? Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said you run the risk of losing a future star when you move a youngster with a big upside such as Pavel Brendl, whom the Flyers dealt to Carolina. &lsquo;The risk you take is that one day he&rsquo;ll wake up and play to the level you know he can play at.&rdquo;&bull; Chicago&rsquo;s Tyler Arnason leads all rookies with 16 goals in 63 games. When Teemu Selanne captured the Calder in 1992-93, he had 51 goals after 63 games en route to a 76-goat season. Selanne scored 31 goals in his final 24 games that year &ndash; as many as Arnason and the second-leading rookie goal-scorer, Nashville&rsquo;s Adam Hall, have combined for thus far. The door has opened for St. Louis defender Barret Jackman, a tough stay-at-home type, to claim the award.&bull; NHL fight Leaders: Jody Shelley, Columbus, 22; Peter Worrell, Florida, 17; Jesse Boulerice, Carolina, 16.&bull; If Vancouver&rsquo;s bid for the 2010 Olympics is successful, you&rsquo;d have to think there would be pressure for NHL participation. It would seem logical then that the league will send players to the 2006 Games in Italy. Twenty-eight of 30 players polled by The Hockey News in the Feb. 21 issue said they favored NHL participation.&bull; Florida&rsquo;s Olli Jokinen continues to be the league&rsquo;s most improved player. His 32 goals are 23 more than he scored Last year and 21 better than his single-season high of 11. &#9632;

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SNAPSHOTS

The Hockey NewsFROM THE EDITORSThe NHL&rsquo;s intent to purge diving from the game is a noble one. The course of action it has taken to meet the objective, however, is curious.Diving, to put it bluntly, is cheating. It&rsquo;s lying. And it&rsquo;s embarrassing. Nobody likes it.(Except, of course, the coach, players and fans of the team that benefits from the power play that results from an act of acting. But we digress.)The win-at-all-costs mentality that permeates the game has, many argue, led to a league-wide drama club. Because of the obstruction crackdown, players are trying to get the edge by falling to the ice more easily and frequently than a toddler on his first pair of skates.Whatever the case, diving shouldn&rsquo;t be tolerated and attempts to rid the game of it should be applauded - as long as they&rsquo;re not misguided.Enter the NHL&rsquo;s edict. As of March 1, every game is being reviewed for fakers. Those caught on the NHL&rsquo;s funniest home videos will be slapped with a $1,000 fine and their names will appear on a list that gets posted in each NHL dressing room.We&rsquo;re pretty sure the idea wasn&rsquo;t suggested by George Orwell or Joseph McCarthy because both men are deceased. But it feels too much like Big Brothering and witch hunting. Names on walls for the entire NHL player pool to see each week? Why not just have the &ldquo;offenders&rdquo; wear flashing helmets or pink jerseys or skimpy Speedos?<blockquote class="pullQuote">Why isolate diving? Why not conduct inspections for obstruction and slap offenders with fines and shame lists.</blockquote>As far as the fines are concerned, they&rsquo;re not a bad idea in principle, but they don&rsquo;t fit the big picture.For starters, the games, as much as possible, should be left on the ice. We understand that diving is probably the most difficult call for a referee to make. He has to be 100 percent certain he has it right or it&rsquo;s a double whammy for the team that&rsquo;s getting penalized. And in that split second, can you really be sure somebody is faking?That said, calls are missed - dare we say it - in every game. From offsides to whistles being blown too early to out-and-out mistakes, referees are human and commit the occasional error. Everyone should accept it and move on.Reviewing tapes for dives opens a Pandora&rsquo;s box. Why isolate diving? Why not conduct video inspection for obstruction violators and slap offenders with fines and shame lists?Or better yet, why not start a fight club and post the names of all pugilists in dressing rooms? Don&rsquo;t get us wrong, we&rsquo;re not staunchly anti-fighting, but why is it OK to pummel a guy into submission and escape without a fine, yet if you dive you become a pariah? In the real world, that&rsquo;s akin to penalizing a red-light runner more harshly than a person who commits an assault.Our solution? Revert to the old days when diving was ignored. If an official thinks a player has fallen on purpose he should just let it go. The actor has taken himself out of the play and in most cases the opponent will have assumed control of the puck. Parents know the quiet treatment often works well with kids who are acting up. The grown-up children who fall too easily will soon get the message. &#9632;

Diving is bad for game, but so is witch hunt

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012074/8127174-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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Elston

<h2>THRASHERS ON THE RISE</h2>The Atlanta Thrashers may not be at the top of the NHL now, but just wait a while.They already have emerging superstars in Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk, established veterans in Shawn McEachern and Slava Kozlov and a top-shelf goalie prospect in Kari Lehtonen. With more leadership and an improved defense corps, coach Bob Hartley will have the Thrashers contending for the Stanley Cup within five seasons.Damelie Funk, Altona, Man.<h2>GIVE JOHNSON A BREAK</h2>I am a huge St. Louis Blues fan and, like other observers, I haven&rsquo;t been too happy with the play of goalie Brent Johnson.However, if the fans and media would stop focusing on every goal he gives up, I think he would regain his confidence. He must feel the pressure coming at him from all sides, which could be a reason for his poor play. Let&rsquo;s give the guy a break and allow him the chance to improve his game.Ryan Sims, Pana, III.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>I disagree with THN&rsquo;s recent editorial touting the use of the shootout to decide regular season games. (THN, Feb. 21)It&rsquo;s an interesting idea, but I cannot support a 1-on-1 contest, no matter how exciting it is for some fans. Hockey is a team sport and that&rsquo;s how games should be decided. In the regular season, we limit overtime for practical reasons, but in the playoffs the contest goes on until one team wins, which is appropriate.In the editorial, THN cited the shootout goal by Peter Forsberg at the 1994 Olympics. While I&rsquo;m sure the people of Sweden were overjoyed with the result, I was utterly disappointed and, if I were a player on the opposing squad (Canada) that had invested so much time and effort, I would&rsquo;ve felt cheated.The shootout does not yet have a place in the NHL. I hope the league&rsquo;s GMs keep it that way.Ed Beebe, Sandia Park, N.M.<h2>YASHIN BASHIN&rsquo;</h2>Dear Alexei Yashin: I&rsquo;m wondering when you&rsquo;ll be renegotiating your huge contract with the New York Islanders.I assume that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;ll be doing - the same thing you tried in Ottawa - so that your pay reflects your level of play. The Islanders should have every right to do the same thing, as you are having a terrible year - even spending time on the fourth line - and deserve a massive cut in pay.Ed Hankinson, Weymouth, N.S.<h2>PECA NHL&rsquo;S MVP</h2>At this point in the season, Michael Peca is the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player.Shake your head if you want, but no player has had a bigger impact on his team than Peca has had on the New York Islanders. Playing a strong two-way game as well as Peca does is the true measure of greatness.Tom Heiser, Bristow, Va.<h2>MORE PRAISE FOR POTVIN</h2>I recently read Denis Potvin&rsquo;s guest column and his insights into the state of hockey show why he was one of the greatest NHL defensemen ever. (THN, Feb. 21)Potvin knows the NHL has discouraged offensive defensemen from doing what they do best. Good for him for speaking up.A. Mantione Jr., Tonawanda, N.Y.<h2>HEY HABS: TRADE THEODORE</h2>Why don&rsquo;t the Montreal Canadiens trade Jose Theodore?Mathieu Garon has similar potential and costs millions less. The Habs could then use their savings to address other needs, such as toughness on defense and a power forward up front.If cost isn&rsquo;t an issue, how about Theodore straight up for Jarome Iginla?Eric Stabler, Nanaimo, B.C.<h2>ARE RANGERS CRYBABIES?</h2>Why would anyone want to play for the New York Rangers?If players want to win a Stanley Cup, they should join a team that plays like a family, not like a bunch of spoiled crybabies.Frank Intravaia, Ozone Park, N.Y.<h2>Got something to say?</h2>U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.Canada: Letters, The Hockey News. 25 Sheppard Awe. W., Suite 100. Toronto. Ont., M2N6S7E-mail: <a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a> or visit <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a> Include name, hometown, province/state and phone number.Submissions will be edited. &#9632;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011876/8127313-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BIG HURT&nbsp;Losing Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour to injury has been a huge blow for the disappointing Canes.</figcaption></div>Even in the midst of this gruesome train wreck of a season, Paul Maurice can still salvage a chuckle from the debris. When told defenseman Bret Hedican considers him the best coach he has ever had, Maurice suggested Hedican was a paid sponsor.&ldquo;For 50 bucks you can get pretty much anything,&rdquo; said the beleaguered Carolina bench boss.Call it quipping by the graveyard. Not bad for a guy who over the past seven years has managed to give the pink slip the slip, despite numerous prognostications to the contrary.And according to GM Jim Rutherford, Maurice will again avoid the hangman this year despite a highly.disappointing showing. And that&rsquo;s as it should be.In a season that has seen coaches of all pedigree take the high dive, from Stanley Cup winner Bob Hartley to rookie Bryan Trottier, it&rsquo;s more than a little remarkable Maurice has not joined the hit parade.<h2>ACT OF CAPITULATION</h2>For certain, dismissing a coach is sometimes warranted. But too often, a firing is the ultimate act of capitulation, and in some ways, an act of cowardice by owners and GMs. For a little while the move may pay off and both fans and the media may be appeased. Mostly, though, the replacements fare no better than the bodies thrown to the wolves.Instead, Rutherford has chosen to once again defy the skeptics and stick with the man who helped put hockey on the map in the land of Dixie. (Maurice&rsquo;s five-year contract extension, worth close to $4 million, may have helped Rutherford decide; regardless, the GM has stood by his coach time after time.)Less than a year ago the Canes were everybody&rsquo;s sweetheart team. By advancing to the Stanley Cup final, they became a beacon to all teams not named the Red Wings, Stars, Rangers or Flyers, an emphatic reminder that a mid-market team without a traditional hockey following could not just survive, but thrive.Scott Burnside&nbsp;ColumnistCarolina&rsquo;s drive to its first-ever final also proved that loyalty can be a term that applies to more than your local Labrador retriever.Often criticized for not making a coaching change since hiring Maurice in 1995, Rutherford was rewarded in spades. Under Maurice, the Canes played a solid, patient, defensive style and upended New Jersey, Montreal and Toronto en route to the final.<h2>FORMULA SUDDENLY LOST?</h2>Did Maurice suddenly lose the magic formula this year? Devastating injuries to Erik Cole and Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour, among others, compounded with offensive woes and inconsistent goaltending to send the Canes off the rails after the Christmas break.But just as Maurice does not suggest last season was a fluke, he will not allow excuses for the team&rsquo;s current predicament.&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re responsible for both seasons,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sitting here trying to tell you that we got to this point on a fluke. We&rsquo;ve unfortunately also earned the right to be in the position we&rsquo;re in now.&rdquo;Is Maurice, the coach with the longest tenure in the NHL, surprised that he continues to enjoy employment with the Hurricanes?&ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult for me to comment on my own job,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Especially when I look at it and at the end of the day the record this season doesn&rsquo;t inspire a lot of confidence.&rdquo; Still, he suggested the turnover of personnel from this year to next might not be as dramatic as some believe.&ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s part of the reason I still think this team is very strong and powerful in its future and its present,&rdquo; Maurice said.That goes for the coach on down.-SCOTT BURNSIDE IS A FREELANCE HOCKEY WRITER BASED IN TORONTO<h2>STAYING POWER</h2>Carolina&rsquo;s Paul Maurice, still the NHL&rsquo;s youngest coach at 36, also has the longest active tenure with one team.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021243/8127306-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="145" height="117"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03765/8127299-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="170" height="262"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAUL MAURICE</figcaption></div>SEASONS 8AGE 36GAMES 625<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04494/8127292-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="143" height="118"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-05341/8127285-1-eng-US/f0007-052.jpg" title="f0007-05" width="171" height="269"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACQUES MARTIN</figcaption></div>SEASONS 81AGE 50GAMES 591<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-06264/8127278-1-eng-US/f0007-062.jpg" title="f0007-06" width="129" height="117"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-07202/8127271-1-eng-US/f0007-072.jpg" title="f0007-07" width="168" height="268"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOEL QUENNEVILLE</figcaption></div>SEASONS 7AGE 44GAMES 513<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-08161/8127264-1-eng-US/f0007-082.jpg" title="f0007-08" width="104" height="121"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-09122/8127257-1-eng-US/f0007-092.jpg" title="f0007-09" width="168" height="267"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAT QUINN</figcaption></div>SEASONS 5AGE 60GAMES 390<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-1096/8127250-1-eng-US/f0007-102.jpg" title="f0007-10" width="152" height="117"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-1180/8127243-1-eng-US/f0007-112.jpg" title="f0007-11" width="167" height="267"><figcaption class="caption-body">BARRY TROTZ</figcaption></div>SEASONS 5AGE 40GAMES 389<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-1265/8127236-1-eng-US/f0007-122.jpg" title="f0007-12" width="110" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-1350/8127229-1-eng-US/f0007-132.jpg" title="f0007-13" width="173" height="267"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARC CRAWFORD</figcaption></div>SEASONS 51AGE 42GAMES 345 &#9632;

f0007-01

In the coaches’ comer

<div class="byline">BY MARK BRENDER &#x2022; Contributing Editor</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011959/8127344-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div>All told, it&rsquo;s a lousy time to be a sports fan in Chicago. The baby Bulls languish on the hardwood. The combined 179 straight championship-less seasons from the White Sox and Cubbies give the hometown faithful an early reason to start crying in their beer. Da Bears are nine months away from da playoffs. Grim as it seems, that leaves the Blackhawks, whose playoff lives are hanging by an unraveling thread that&rsquo;s tied precariously to Jocelyn Thibault&rsquo;s evermaturing psyche.Fortunately, this is not the Jocelyn Thibault of old, it&rsquo;s an older Jocelyn Thibault - and in this case, older is better. Indeed, if there is any hope left in Chicago after a nightmarish 3-13-2-0 Hawks skid, the wisdom and maturity that have come Thibault&rsquo;s way the past two seasons are the only possible reasons for it. &ldquo;He has been our MVP all year,&rdquo; said Hawks right winger Eric Daze. &ldquo;If he lets in a goal he bounces right back and makes the next big save.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t always this way. But if Thibault&rsquo;s conversion to the virtues of positive thinking can get him through this, it can get him through anything.Consider the circumstances: with one game left in February the Hawks were sinking like a lead anchor in the Western Conference playoff race thanks to a pop-gun offense that would have trouble scoring on Tiny Tim. Under the wins-and-losses column, Thibault&rsquo;s 1-7 record for the month was fit for the scrap heap. His six-game losing streak was one short of his career high, the upcoming Philadelphia-Nashville-Colorado-Dallas sked looked like a walk through the graveyard, and it&rsquo;s probably raining outside&hellip;Five years ago in such a situation Thibault would have trudged so low the trainers would have had to check his chin every hour for fresh scrapes, what with all that dragging on the sidewalk. But what&rsquo;s this voice on the phone? This is the new T-Bo, admittedly frustrated, yet still chipper as a lark on the first day of spring, talking about how one win could turn the whole mess around.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to the playoffs this year to make a move, to keep going in the direction I&rsquo;m heading,&rdquo; says the affable 28-year-old, one of the good guys in anyone&rsquo;s books. &ldquo;I really feel that I could impress some people. We&rsquo;ve got to make the playoffs first.&rdquo;<h2>CONTROLLING THE DOUBTS</h2>Thibault&rsquo;s mates may have scored all of nine goals in his previous six games, but he has learned to see through the clouds. Control what you can control. Recognize when your focus is waning and how to put it back on track. These are the new hallmarks of Thibault&rsquo;s game.&ldquo;I think when you go out there and want to do too much, in the past I really got burned doing that,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Sometimes I used to doubt a little bit what I was doing. And when you look over things&hellip;you realize that little moments when you lost your confidence cost you goals for. nothing.&rdquo;Hawks GM Mike Smith doesn&rsquo;t profess to be a goaltending expert, but he knows this much: there has to be something different about the mental makeup of a player who is on the ice for the entire game, but is involved in the action only sporadically. So two years ago Smith asked Thibault if he wanted to be hooked up with Dr. Tony Toneatto, a clinical psychologist in Toronto he&rsquo;d heard about. Thibault said sure, why not, and his stats have improved ever since.Fresh off his first-ever appearance in the All-Star Game after 10 NHL seasons, Thibault was tied for second in the league with seven shutouts, stood third in minutes played and sixth in save percentage among regulars, putting the father of two young girls (with a third on the way this summer) almost exactly where he wanted to be. In a pre-season interview he said his goal was to be among the top five netminders in the league. The Hawks consider it done.The Hockey News&nbsp;Scout says:&ldquo;One goal isn&rsquo;t ruining his night any more. His feet and glove are as quick as ever.&rdquo;&ldquo;I was looking at the best goalies and I really thought they weren&rsquo;t a lot more talented than I was,&rdquo; Thibault says. &ldquo;I was looking at their games and I thought, man, they&rsquo;re not superhuman, you know? I guess it&rsquo;s the same with the best players, the best goalies are mentally strong&hellip;I&rsquo;m better now at realizing when my mind is going the wrong way. I can re-adjust myself, re-adjust my thinking a lot quicker than I could before.&rdquo;A worn-down Thibault may have watched the Hawks&rsquo; final two playoff games last season from the bench, as backup Steve Passmore was given the nod, but according to Smith there was never any doubt about Thibault&rsquo;s staying power. Chicago&rsquo;s decision to sign him to a three-year, $8.3-million deal last season was evidence of that.<h2>GROUNDED AT LAST</h2>&ldquo;The three years I&rsquo;ve been in charge, each year he has come up a notch,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Jocelyn was our goaltender.&rdquo;Maybe it&rsquo;s because Smith knows Thibault is more grounded than he has ever been in his career. Being a father, Thibault says, has helped him gain perspective on hockey. It also helped convince him a few years back to give up flying, a hobby he took up while in Montreal in the late 1990s. Thibault still gets the itch when he sees the planes land and take off on the lake at his summer cottage in Quebec&rsquo;s Eastern Townships, but he knows his wife, Melanie, doesn&rsquo;t like him flying alone.She might also point out he has been doing enough of that with the Hawks already.SOLO FLIGHT?&nbsp;Jocelyn Thibault&rsquo;s stellar effort in goal has been unaerdminea by the Hawks&rsquo; pop-gun offense. &#9632;

f0008-01

Thibault heads up Hawks

<div class="byline">WITH JONATHAN DAVIS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011932/8127473-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"></div>A guitar propped up against the seat cushions. Expensive vases and expansive artwork. A creative writing book placed prominently on the living room table. Enough suits and fine clothes to fill a Fifth Avenue haberdashery. A kitchen island with Detroit Red Wings bar stools, a Formula 1 simulator, a basement mini-disco complete with moonball, a Ducati resting on the plush carpet and a Harley with painted bullet holes on the rear fender.All this and no Anna. But at least all those rumors about Fedorov and Anna being married were&hellip;ah, no reason to spoil the fun just yet.Welcome to the racy world of Sergei Fedorov, a place where sublime hockey talent meets runway style meets the gossip pages. Fedorov has always cut a dashing figure on the ice with his sleek skating and quick-rising shot, but his off-ice escapades have attracted equally heavy attention. His mysterious relationship with Anna Kournikova was fodder for headlines on both sides of the Atlantic, and his decision this season to change agents - unrelated to his break-up with Anna, Fedorov insists - added fuel to the controversy.But with Steve Yzerman back in the lineup and the Wings poised for another Stanley Cup run, Fedorov&rsquo;s focus now turns back to the ice as well. Even heading into a summer of potential unrestricted free agency, he says his future in Detroit looks secure. THN sent Jonathan Davis to visit Fedorov at his Birmingham, Mich., home to talk about Anna, Stanley and life in the spotlight.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011713/8127466-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="3281" height="3321"></div>THN&nbsp;Why did you change agents during the season and leave Octagon to go to IMG?FEDOROV For many reasons, to be honest with you. I wanted to make a fresh start with both my personal and professional life. I needed to make a complete change from what had gone on with the last four years that I was being represented by Octagon. There were some things that happened when I was being rep-resented by Octagon that I found out about after the fact&hellip;I just don&rsquo;t think they had my best interests at heart.(Editor&rsquo;s Note: THN contacted Octagon hockey director Brian Lawton for a response. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s absolutely false,&rdquo; Lawton said. &ldquo;We never wanted anything but the best for Sergei Fedorov. The work we did for him was exceptional. It&rsquo;s difficult for me to understand why he would even say that. I can tell you that he never said that to me.&rdquo;)THN&nbsp;It has been reported you turned down a five-year, $50-million deal. Is this true?FEDOROV What I can say is that there were offers made by the Red Wings, but I don&rsquo;t want to get into specifics of how many years or how much money was involved because I don&rsquo;t want Red Wings fans and hockey fans to get the wrong impression about me. At the time it was made in November I was going through a very difficult situation personally. I really wanted to focus all my energies to just playing hockey. I asked (Wings GM) Ken Holland and (Wings owner) Mr. (Mike) Hitch if they could give me some time to take care of some issues that I needed to deal with both personally and professionally because I was trying to make a fresh start with my life.THN&nbsp;You tried to leave Detroit a few years back when Carolina signed you to an offer sheet. Are you happy with the way things worked out? Any regrets?FEDOROV I really didn&rsquo;t know where my future lied at the time. I didn&rsquo;t have an offer from the Red Wings. I just wanted to play somewhere so I accepted the offer sheet from Carolina. I was very happy when the Red Wings matched the offer.THN&nbsp;Can you picture yourself elsewhere next season?FEDOROV Honestly now, not a chance. It&rsquo;s not even an issue for me at this point&hellip;I&rsquo;m confident that with my new representation from IMG that a deal to keep me in Detroit will be able to get worked out.THN&nbsp;Did your splitting up with Anna Kournikova (she is represented by Octagon) also contribute to your changing agents?FEDOROV Not at all.THN&nbsp;There have been rumors that you and Anna were actually married. True or false?FEDOROV They are true. We were married, albeit brief, and we are now divorced.THN&nbsp;Do you keep in touch with Anna? Are you dating anybody else right now?FEDOROV I don&rsquo;t keep in touch with her and I&rsquo;m not going to be dating anyone for a while.THN&nbsp;Why do you think there is such an infatuation - with both the media and fans - over your relationship with Anna? Does that bother you?FEDOROV It didn&rsquo;t bother me. I think the reason the media made such a big deal was because of the age difference (Anna is 21, Sergei 33). We were friends for quite a while&hellip;We were just so much apart and those things when you fell in love or are falling in love, it happens at such a young age&hellip;It&rsquo;s just impossible because I was a little bit older, I think. People didn&rsquo;t realize we have parents. She has parents, I have parents. Everything was normal as far as I&rsquo;m concerned.THN&nbsp;Because of the age difference, did your teammates ever give you a hard time about it?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011882/8127459-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="766" height="1310"><figcaption class="caption-body">LOVE LOST&nbsp;Anna Kournikova and Sergei Fedorov no longer keep in touch, Fedorov says.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021483/8127452-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1972" height="1768"><figcaption class="caption-body">WHEELIN&rsquo;&nbsp;When his buddies come over, Sergei Fedorov likes to get out the bikes and go for a cruise.</figcaption></div>FEDOROV No, they were quite supportive because they knew we came from the old word and pretty much, to us, it was normal. But no one really knows our story. We didn&rsquo;t really speak about it. I don&rsquo;t think my teammates had any problems. They had problems later, though&hellip;they wanted to support me, I guess.THN&nbsp;Pavel Bure was linked to her as well. Did that ever affect your relationship with him?FEOOROV I still don&rsquo;t know what it was. I read only in magazines what was going on and I basically tried to break up. But she had an explanation and I really believed that it was true and I, sort of&hellip;we patched things up.THN&nbsp;Is it a priority for you to marry a Russian woman, or does it enter into the equation at all?FEDOROV It was back then, but right now I&rsquo;m kind of confused on that issue. I&rsquo;m not really sure where the answer is going to lie.THN&nbsp;Vladimir Konstantinov - what do you think about when someone mentions his name?FEDOROV Sadness. What if. It was a very high price we&rsquo;ve paid for winning. I&rsquo;d trade winning the Stanley Cup for his health and happiness. It has been very tough for me because he is such a close friend. We were roommates back in the Soviet Union. I just don&rsquo;t understand how something like that could happen to a person like him.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03961/8127445-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="834" height="1339"></div>THN&nbsp;There have been suggestions made by some North American players that there should be a European quota in the NHL. In fact, when he was with Pittsburgh, Jaromir Jagr once said his team had too many Europeans.FEDOROV My feeling is the best players should play in the best league in the world, end of story.THN&nbsp;Why do you think the stereotype of Europeans being less committed than North Americans still exists?FEDOROV The European style of play focuses more on the skills and our critics don&rsquo;t like the fact that we don&rsquo;t spend as much energy driving someone through the boards. I remember people accusing many of us on the Wings during our first Stanley Cup run that we just didn&rsquo;t care about winning a Cup. We just wanted to go home for the summer. That was the farthest thing from the truth and we proved it by winning it all.THN&nbsp;It has been nearly 10 years since you became the first European to win the Hart Trophy. Are you surprised you haven&rsquo;t won another one?FEDOROV I&rsquo;m not surprised. The focus in Detroit has been 25 guys all committed to winning a Stanley Cup and that meant making sacrifices. Scotty Bowman&rsquo;s system didn&rsquo;t really allow for a guy to put up 120 points a season. Scotty felt that putting up those types of numbers during the regular season wouldn&rsquo;t make you hungry enough come playoff time. Scotty really liked to treat everyone the same. We rolled four lines, four very dominating lines. Gone were the days of &lsquo;93-94 when I was playing 28 minutes.THN&nbsp;Does it bother you that you haven&rsquo;t put up those 100-point seasons?FEDOROV Not at all, because that&rsquo;s why this team has been so successful and won championships. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong. I&rsquo;d like to score more goals and put up a lot of points, but not at the expense of what we are trying to do as a team.THN&nbsp;Do you feel you&rsquo;ve met your expectations as a player in the NHL?FEDOROV Oh yeah, I&rsquo;ve had a long career. The idea of winning Olympic gold is still out there. But as far as my NHL career goes, I&rsquo;ve won Stanley Cups. I&rsquo;d like to win more and I feel that I&rsquo;ve still got five or six great years ahead of me and a chance to win a few more championships before I will say goodbye to the game.THN&nbsp;What do you think about Brett Hull&rsquo;s comments that 75 per cent of today&rsquo;s players are overpaid? What was the team&rsquo;s reaction to Hull&rsquo;s piece in The Hockey News?FEDOROV On the humorous side, I&rsquo;d like to know which percentage Brett feels he falls under. On the serious side, money is a very touchy subject. I really don&rsquo;t think hockey players are overpaid. The pounding we take on our bodies from an 82-game season plus playoffs, I know when I eventually walk away from the game I&rsquo;m going to be physically handicapped in some form. You have to understand that when a contract is signed the people that are negotiating the deal on both sides are intelligent people and I don&rsquo;t think the people on management side are going to offer a lot of money to someone who just isn&rsquo;t worth it.THN&nbsp;What are some of the differences between the Dave Lewis and Scotty Bowman regimes? Did you feel you ever got to really know Scotty?FEDOROV I felt I got to know to both Scotty the coach and Scotty the person. Obviously there were times that I got upset with Scotty the coach, but eventually the professional relationship was very productive and constructive. It got to the point I would do everything he asked of me. The success he brought to the organization was amazing&hellip;Dave is more of the explaining type while Scotty likes to play mind games. It was his way of keeping you on edge. Dave doesn&rsquo;t have to try and fill Scotty&rsquo;s shoes. He has been with the organization for many years. The players know him - and respect him. We have the talent to defend our title and now it&rsquo;s up to all of us to accomplish that.THN&nbsp;Are you the go-to guy on this team? Do you want that responsibility?FEDOROV I want to be that guy, but I don&rsquo;t know if I am that guy. The first part of the season I felt I was that guy, but as the season progressed that wasn&rsquo;t the case any more. I think the coaches and myself lost confidence in one another. For the past two months hockey has been a job for me. It wasn&rsquo;t until recently when I let my feelings known to the coaching staff that things got better. I&rsquo;m back playing in those key situations and I feel I&rsquo;ve been successful and with that (came) a restored confidence in myself.THN&nbsp;Tell us a funny story about yourself that nobody knows.FEDOROV I have nightmares. I&rsquo;ll wake up in the middle of the night thinking that someone was in my room. I&rsquo;ll get up and go check it out and thankfully no one was there. I&rsquo;ll be looking at the lamp in my bedroom and it would look like it&rsquo;s moving.THN&nbsp;Skating competitions aside, who gets your votes as the best and fastest skater in the NHL?FEDOROV That goes to my comrade Alex Mogilny. But one thing with Alex is you&rsquo;ll never see him make one of those end-to-end rushes. He&rsquo;s a winger, it&rsquo;s just not part of his game. Sorry, Alex.THN&nbsp;Any plans post-retirement?FEDOROV I just want to have some time to do things. I&rsquo;ve been playing hockey for the past 17 years and with the success the Red Wings have had my summers have been very short. I want to find a home, a place where I feel very comfortable. I still don&rsquo;t know where that is even though I love living in Detroit.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011721/8127438-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">J. JONES</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-05576/8127431-1-eng-US/f0013-052.jpg" title="f0013-05" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">C. ALT</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021206/8127424-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">A BRIDGES</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-06481/8127417-1-eng-US/f0013-062.jpg" title="f0013-06" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">K. ALEXIS</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03882/8127410-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">C. CAMERON</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-07438/8127403-1-eng-US/f0013-072.jpg" title="f0013-07" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">J. RUSSELL</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-04732/8127396-1-eng-US/f0013-042.jpg" title="f0013-04" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">K. YAMAGUCHI</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-08406/8127389-1-eng-US/f0013-082.jpg" title="f0013-08" width="174" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body">A DUNBAR</figcaption></div><h2>CELEBRITY MATCH GAME</h2>Sergei and Anna are no more, but hockey players are hardly suffering for celebrity matches. Here are some of the world&rsquo;s hottest puck-performer pairs.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-10351/8127382-1-eng-US/f0013-102.jpg" title="f0013-10" width="1072" height="396"></div><h2>THE STEVE & SERGEI SHOW</h2>Since Sergei Fedorov&rsquo;s rookie year in 1990-91, he and Steve Yzerman have formed the NHL&rsquo;s longest-standing dynamic duo down the middle. Perception holds that Yzerman&rsquo;s injuries in recent years have allowed Fedorov to get more ice time and post bigger numbers, but the stats say otherwise - Fedorov&rsquo;s production is virtually identical whether Yzerman in or out of the lineup.FEDOROV WITH YZERMANFEDOROV WITHOUT YZERMAN<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-09374/8127375-1-eng-US/f0013-092.jpg" title="f0013-09" width="1918" height="832"></div> &#9632;

f0010-01

ON THE COVER

FEDOROV UNPLUGGED

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011865/8127518-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CALE HULSE NASHVILLE PREDATORSMARKUS NASLUND VANCOUVER CANUCKS</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021412/8127511-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="290" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Bossy&nbsp;Guest Columnist</figcaption></div>Of all the song lyrics out there, I always thought Elvis Presley&rsquo;s &ldquo;caught in a trap&rdquo; would be the least accurate to describe a hockey game. But in today&rsquo;s NHL those words can be used night after night to explain a victory or a loss. Seldom do we hear of a team using its offensive skills or its creativity to overwhelm another team&rsquo;s defensive play. A 50-goal scorer is a rarity, 40-goal scorers are few and far between and a 30-goal scorer is considered to have had a great year. Yes, the NHL is caught in a trap most nights and fans are walking out.I never understood the reason for increasing the amount of space behind the nets, from 10 feet to 11 prior to the 1990-91 season. (And from 11 feet to 13 in 1998-99.) Whose idea was this? Will the GM who thought of this please explain why he wanted to give players more room behind the net. Are wraparound attempts so exciting that we had to increase the number of times we see them from twice a game to 10 times?&ldquo;Jacques Lemaire over his blueline&hellip;over to Lafleur streaking down the right side&hellip;Lafleur winds up&hellip;he scores!&rdquo;Remember those kinds of goal descriptions? They were so electrifying they had people walking into arenas, not out of them.Now, NHL hockey is all about the neutralzone trap and cycling. Is everybody as tired as I am of seeing players cycle the puck for 30 seconds at a time, hoping their opponent will lose an edge or get interfered with so the offensive player can come out of the corner for a wraparound attempt? Why is there so much cycling? It&rsquo;s because of the trap, of course!Players can hardly carry the puck into the offensive zone anymore because there are five defenders between the bluelines. Can you imagine - with the size and speed of today&rsquo;s NHLers - having to go through five opponents in the neutral zone? Here&rsquo;s another question: Where do you think they got that extra room behind the nets? From between the bluelines? Ding, ding, ding! Right answer! Back when I played I had a winger assigned to check me all night. You heard me right&hellip;one winger. Today&rsquo;s best players have to get through five players before they even reach the offensive zone.<h2>PLAYERS, NUT SYSTEMS, ARE SUPERIOR</h2>We have sucked the creativity out of today&rsquo;s game and replaced it with systems. The best players have fallen into the trap, believing that the system is better than they are.It is not.Has anyone noticed the best way to defend a power play is to rush the puckcarrier? My coach with the Islanders, Al Arbour, always stressed two things about the power play:1. Having a man advantage doesn&rsquo;t mean you relax and work less.2. Creating mini 2-on-1s is the key to a successful power play.It&rsquo;s not as if today&rsquo;s NHL players don&rsquo;t have the talent or skill. And there are a lot of smart guys out there. I know they constantly practise set plays. Believe me, we did, too, but if the play isn&rsquo;t there&hellip;improvise. There&rsquo;s more than one way to get goals on the power play.Is scoring down or is the desire to score down?Is there less scoring or are players expected to score less?The final thing I want to bring up here is the issue of money, because I can already hear people saying, &ldquo;&hellip;another article by another bitter ex-player&hellip;&rdquo;You know what?I&rsquo;m happy everybody is making so much money and believe me, I would have taken it, too.Maybe &ldquo;motivation&rdquo; is the key word in the NHL&rsquo;s scoring debate. Players aren&rsquo;t motivated to score more goals because, simply put, they don&rsquo;t have to.We are &ldquo;caught in a trap&rdquo; but &ldquo;we can walk out&rdquo; or, I should say, &ldquo;skate out.&rdquo;How? Smaller goalie equipment? Bigger nets? Eliminate the red line? Increase the size of the ice surface?I think it comes down to motivation. Scorers find a way to score.<h2>NHL SCORING BY MONTH</h2>Here is the average number of goals scored per game in each month of the 2002-03 NHL season. Overall, the average number of goals per game this year is 5.31, as of Feb. 26.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03980/8127504-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="1616" height="394"></div> &#9632;

f0014-01

Stars trapped in endless cycle

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO &#x2022; Senior Editor</div>Calling diving an &ldquo;embarrassing&rdquo; act that &ldquo;demeans our game,&rdquo; the NHL issued an anti-diving crackdown memo to GMs, coaches and players.The edict called for league officials in Toronto to monitor all dives or embellishments by means of videotape, beginning with March 1 games and continuing through the playoffs.Players found guilty of diving, or as the league terms it &ldquo;crossing the embarrassment line,&rdquo; will have their names placed on a weekly divers list to be posted in NHL dressing rooms. The divers are fined $1,000 each offense.Signed by NHL vice-president Colin Campbell, the memo says the new process is &ldquo;independent from what is being called and will not affect how diving is viewed by officials. Not all dives will result in a fine, only the disgracefill ones that demean our game.&rdquo;The plan was approved by the GMs at their meeting in February. Because the memo (in the league&rsquo;s opinion) does not constitute a rule change, it did not have to consult the Players&rsquo; Association. NHL vice-president, media relations Frank Brown wouldn&rsquo;t comment on whether the PA was consulted.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011661/8127573-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="628" height="638"><figcaption class="caption-body">If the NHL thinks Jason Blake is taking a dive, they&rsquo;ll fine the Islander $1,000 and post his name in league dressing rooms.</figcaption></div>NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow was unavailable for comment. A TSN report suggested Goodenow believes the movement is flawed in many ways, including its implementation in the middle of a season. The NHLPA also believes if players are fined, coaches and GMs should be as well because some encourage diving to draw penalties. TSN said.&ldquo;You&rsquo;re taught from an early age to try and drop a lot of times to draw penalties,&rdquo; said Vancouver&rsquo;s Trevor Linden, NHLPA president.Said San Jose&rsquo;s Kyle McLaren: &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s going to determine what diving is? If it&rsquo;s an independent person sitting there in one room, he&rsquo;s not playing the game.&rdquo;Veteran defenseman Murray Baron likes the new edict: &ldquo;Some guys arc really good at it and they seem to get a couple of calls every game. I&rsquo;m all for it if they&rsquo;re giving the guys fines.&rdquo;The league issued a 10-minute videotape to all teams showing offending dives.The NHL instituted a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for diving in 1992-93. It has been an infrequent call since then, but during this season&rsquo;s crackdown on obstruction, many observers have noticed an increase in dives, but not necessarily diving penalties. I-WITH FILES FROM KEVIN WOODLEY &#9632;

f0016-01

NHL to embarrass divers

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021293/8127604-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="679" height="696"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03975/8127611-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="107" height="118"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Whose shot do you fear the most?Al MacInnis is a Blue. Those he nails with his slapshot are black and blue.In a poll of NHL goalies, one from each team, 30 per cent named the hard-shooting St. Louis defenseman as the player whose shot they fear the most. Alexei Kovalev of the Rangers ranked second at 13 per cent.&ldquo;Al MacInnis, because it hurts when it hits you,&rdquo; said Corey Schwab of the Devils. &ldquo;(His shot) hit me in the left shoulder once and it ripped my jersey. I never saw that happen before.&rdquo;Added Mike Dunham of the Rangers: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s bad enough at even strength, but when it&rsquo;s on the power play and he&rsquo;s at the top of the circle with time to set up, the only way you can stop it is to get lucky.&rdquo;Said Ottawa&rsquo;s Patrick Lalime: &ldquo;You see the puck on his stick, he slaps it and the next thing you know it&rsquo;s coming right at you.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-02

The Hockey News PLAYER POLL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011484/8127642-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DMITRY YUSHKEVICH LOS ANGELES KINGS</figcaption></div><h2>FREE AGENT WATCH</h2>Here are the number of potential unrestricted free agents and a key UFA for each team. See NHL team reports for a complete listing of UFAs and significant restricted free agents.After toiling in the trenches for two teams in his first 10 NHL seasons, Dmitry Yushkevich has already suited up for two clubs in 2002-03 - and will likely add a third jersey to his collection before this campaign concludes.Yushkevich, a 5-foot-11 208-pound rock of a defenseman, spent three years in Philadelphia and seven in Toronto before being traded to Florida last July. He played 23 games for the Panthers, but as a potential unrestricted free agent come July 1, Florida sent Yushkevich to Los Angeles for prospects in late November, rather than let him walk away for nothing at the end of the season.Now L.A., slipping out of the playoff race, might do the same thing. The 32-year-old, who counts among his strengths the ability to block shots, clear the crease and take the body with authority, is exactly the type of no-nonsense defender that Cup-contending teams chase in the weeks leading up to the (March 11) trade deadline. Detroit and Toronto, among others, have been reported as possible destinations.FREE AGENT WATCH This week&rsquo;s NHL team reports highlight each club&rsquo;s potential unrestricted free agents, plus significant restricted free agents. Included is analysis on priority signings as well as players who may be available at the trade deadline and during the off-season. The list at left shows the number of potential unrestricted free agents for each team and a key UFA.<h2>GOALS PER GAME IN SPOTLIGHT</h2>The five players that lead their NHL team in goals per game are featured in the &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; box this week (minimum of five goals). The player with the highest goals-per-game average is pictured. Vancouver&rsquo;s Markus Naslund, with 41 goals in 63 games, leads the NHL at 0.65 goals per game, followed by Ottawa&rsquo;s Marian Hossa (0.62 GPG), Colorado&rsquo;s Milan Hejduk (0.58 GPG), Boston&rsquo;s Joe Thornton (0.56 GPG) and Vancouver&rsquo;s Todd Bertuzzi (0.54 GPG). &#9632;

f0017-01

NHL TEAM REPORTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03836/8127673-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="276" height="581"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021153/8127680-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="218" height="289"></div>With the Mighty Ducks on their way to a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time since 1999, right winger Mike Leclerc wanted nothing more than to be involved.Unfortunately for Leclerc, lingering problems with his surgically repaired left knee made his lineup presence an ongoing question mark as the Ducks entered the final quarter of the season.Leclerc, 26, underwent an arthro-scopic procedure Nov. 19 to repair a torn lateral meniscus and clean up additional cartilage damage, but has been bothered since by swelling, inflammation and pain. He returned to the lineup Dec. 11 after having missed 11 games, then sat out 11 more in January and two more in February.&ldquo;It feels like a wasted year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just want to play hockey. The team is winning, the guys are having fun and you want to be a part of it.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Ducks eligible to become unrestrict-ed free agents and Anaheim&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Patrie Kjellberg, RW; Fredrik Olausson, D.While Olausson has been a valuable locker room leader, his lack of playing time and the January acquisition of offensive-minded defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh appear to make Olausson expendable.Restricted: Marc Chouinard, C; Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G; Niclas Havelid, D; Paul Kariya, LW; Mike Leclerc, RW; Samuel Pahlsson, RW; Petr Sykora, RW; Vitaly Vishnevski, D. With Kariya, Sykora and Giguere up for new contracts, GM Bryan Murray faces a busy summer.NOTEBOOK A 4-0 win at Carolina Feb. 23 was Anaheim&rsquo;s 29th of the year, matching last season&rsquo;s total, and gave the Ducks 70 points, one more than all of 2001-02, with 20 games remaining. &#9632;

f0017-03

Lingering knee injury hampers Leclerc

<div class="byline">&#x2013;JEFF SCHULTZ</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05426/8127711-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="276" height="585"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04613/8127718-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="223" height="290"></div>Byron Dafoe is challenging Damian Rhodes&rsquo; title as a company health plan&rsquo;s worst nightmare.Rhodes won only 14 games in four seasons, suffered a blur of groin, hamstring, knee and hernia injuries and currently earns $2.75 million on the end of his Thrashers&rsquo; contract with the East Coast League&rsquo;s Greenville Grrrowl.Dafoe, signed Nov. 20 as an unrestricted free agent to rescue the goalie-inept team, has had a similar fate. He played only 17 games, going 5-11-1 with an NHL-worst 4.36 goals-against average and. 862 save percentage. He suffered three groin injuries and now is preparing to undergo seasonending surgery for a sports hernia.&ldquo;We have to hope he&rsquo;ll bounce back and be the player we thought he&rsquo;d be,&rdquo; said GM Don Waddell.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Thrashers who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Atlanta&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Tony Hrkac, C; Slava Kozlov, RW; Shawn McEachern, LW; Jeff Odgers, RW; Damian Rhodes, G; Ben Simon, C; J-P Vigier, RW.Kozlov and McEachern have drawn interest from other teams, but the Thrashers would like to keep both. McEachern will be hurt in contract talks because of recent back surgery.Restricted: Lubos Bartecko, LW; Marc Savard, C; Andy Sutton, D; Per Svartvadet, LW. Savard, who has provided offense at center and is the team&rsquo;s top faceoff man, will be the most difficult Thrasher to re-sign. Sutton will earn a significant salary bump after his performance this season.NOTEBOOK The impressive play of centers Dan Snyder and Ben Simon led the Thrashers to trade center Pascal Rheaume to New Jersey Feb. 24 for a conditional draft pick. &#9632;

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Goalie woes continue as Dafoe out for year

<div class="byline">&#x2013;MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021179/8127749-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="282" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011542/8127756-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="220" height="281"></div>In early December when they led the NHL with a 19-4-3-1 record, everyone expected the Bruins to march to first round home-ice advantage in the playoffs.But as March approached, the Bruins hoped the return of two key defensemen would help them solidify their end of the ice and make it possible for them simply to qualify for post-season play.The absence of Sean O&rsquo;Donnell and Hal Gill was that obvious. Boston went 2-5-3-0 in the first 10 games O&rsquo;Donnell missed with a strained knee ligament, allowing 39 goals. When Gill (broken finger) joined O&rsquo;Donnell on the sidelines, the B&rsquo;s went 0-3-3-0 and gave up 23 more goals.The return of O&rsquo;Donnell and Gill, who both hoped to be playing by the first week of March, meant a break for the young, overburdened blueline trio of Bryan Berard (25 years old), Nick Boynton (24) and Jonathan Girard (22). All three were playing close to 30 minutes on a regular basis.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Bruins who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Boston&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Jeff Hackett, G; Don Sweeney, D.Hackett, who slumped almost immediately after arriving Jan. 23 in a three-team trade, wants a contract extension that will allow him to finish his career in Boston, but the B&rsquo;s were taking a wait-and-see attitude.Restricted: P-J Axelsson, LW; Bryan Berard, D; Nick Boynton, D; Hal Gill, D; Jonathan Girard, D; Brian Rolston, C; Sergei Samsonov, LW; Jozef Stumpel, C.Samsonov, who has played only seven games because of wrist surgery, is the key man to sign here. But Rolston&rsquo;s potential for a second straight 30-goal season and Boynton&rsquo;s emergence as a solid two-way defender will make those negotiations crucial, as well.NOTEBOOK Though he hadn&rsquo;t won in six starts (0-1-4-1) since Feb. 18, goaltender Steve Shields posted three straight ties through Feb. 25 to seemingly supplant Jeff Hackett as the club&rsquo;s No. 1&hellip;Right winger Glen Murray snapped out of a slump with three goals in back-to-back games Feb. 23-25 against the New York Islanders and Dallas to reach the 32-goal mark and make a second straight 40-goal season possible. &#9632;

f0018-02

Battered blueline recovering, but B’s hot start a distant memory

<div class="byline">&#x2013;BUCKY GLEASON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04568/8127787-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="281" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03851/8127794-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="228" height="289"></div>The Sabres&rsquo; game of musical goaltenders took another turn when they sent heralded rookie Ryan Miller back to the American League for more seasoning.Miller helped stabilize the Sabres with a hot streak in January, but also was partly responsible for the slump that followed. The Sabres decided they would play Martin Biron as much as possible while giving Miller the first-string role in Rochester.The situation leaves Mika Noronen, who was recalled from Rochester, in the middle. Noronen struggled early in the season and was farmed out when Miller was called up from the AHL on New Year&rsquo;s Eve.Buffalo might be showcasing one of its goalies for a possible trade, but it was more likely the Sabres were simply trying to straighten out a problem position in an attempt to salvage something positive from a lost season.They also want to make sure Miller&rsquo;s long-term development isn&rsquo;t stunted by their current problems.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Sabres who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Buffalo&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Rob Ray, RW.The Sabres&rsquo; tough guy has been with the team 14 years, but his time in Buffalo is running out He&rsquo;s hoping to play at least one more season regardless of what happens with Buffalo.Restricted: Curtis Brown, C; Chris Gratton, C; Jay McKee, D; Miroslav Satan, RW; Rhett Warrener, D.Satan heads the list with his $3.55-million salary, but Brown, Gratton, McKee and Warrener are veteran contributors. Negotiations won&rsquo;t go anywhere until a new owner is in place.NOTEBOOK The Sabres traded right winger Vaclav Varada and a fifth round pick in 2003 to Ottawa for the rights to 18-year-old center Jakub Klepis, who was the Senators&rsquo; first choice in the 2002 draft (16th overall). Varada had spent his entire NHL career in Buffalo (376 games)&hellip;Right winger Maxim Afinogenov played his first 12 games without recording a point, before scoring in back-to-back games against Tampa Bay and Florida&hellip;Left winger J-P Dumont was a healthy scratch Feb. 23 against the Lightning, a first since his rookie year. &#9632;

f0018-04

Three kids mean crowded crease, so Miller back in minors…for now

<div class="byline">&#x2013;ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-06297/8127825-1-eng-US/f0018-062.jpg" title="f0018-06" width="274" height="581"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05382/8127832-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="216" height="284"></div>Martin Gelinas&rsquo; performance with the Flames this year has mirrored that of the team. After a decent beginning, he has slipped significantly.A month into the season, Gelinas was scoring at nearly a point-a-game pace (13 points in his first 14 contests), which had him on the edge of the NHL&rsquo;s top 25 scorers. In fact, back on Nov. 7 he was tied with Joe Thornton, Bill Guerin, Sergei Fedorov and Vince Lecavalier.But since then his numbers have fallen off and he has been playing mainly on a checking unit.Still, Gelinas believes the Flames are not that far away from turning the comer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one goal, one break,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of time, it boils down to older guys in the room, sitting back and saying: &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s keep going and do the little things we have to do to win.&rsquo; I&rsquo;m one of those guys. Maybe I&rsquo;ve got to teach the young kids a little better.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Flames who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Calgary&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Craig Berube, LW; Dave Lowry, LW.Lowry&rsquo;s career was resurrected when Darryl Sutter was appointed coach. It&rsquo;s unlikely the Flames will exercise their $975,000 option on next year, but they could bring him back later at a lower salary. Berube, Calgary&rsquo;s only true tough guy, will also likely be back.Restricted: Chris Clark, RW; Chris Drury, C; Toni Lydman, D; Robyn Regehr, D; Stephane Yelle, C.Signing Drury ($2.5 million) is GM Craig Button&rsquo;s most significant challenge up front. Publicly, Drury says he&rsquo;s happy in Calgary and wants to come back.NOTEBOOK Right winger Jarome Iginla scored all four goals in a 4-2 Calgary win over Phoenix Feb. 23, giving him 28 in 64 games. He won&rsquo;t get to 52 again, his NHL-best mark of last season, but Iginla needed only four more goals to record the second-highest total in his career. Prior to last year, Iginla&rsquo;s goal-scoring totals had been remarkably consistent - 28,29 and 31 in the previous three seasons&hellip;Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss said Feb. 27 that the team&rsquo;s seven-man ownership group was bracing for losses &ldquo;significantly greater&rdquo; than the $6.7-million (Cdn.) shortfall for which the club had budgeted. It&rsquo;s possible the Flames will lose more than the record $8.4 million it lost three years ago. &#9632;

f0018-06

Gelinas maintains positive view despite Flames’ sub-par season

<div class="byline">&#x2013;LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02946/8127863-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="274" height="588"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011316/8127870-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="220" height="240"></div>Their season headed for a quiet ending, the Hurricanes decided to take a look at three youngsters - and one 36-year-old familiar face.Goalie Arturs Irbe&rsquo;s 11-day exile in the American League ended when he was recalled to Carolina along with rookies Mike Zigomanis, Tomas Kurka and Bruno St-Jacques. Trade interest in Irbe had been lukewarm at best. &ldquo;I just think he has spent enough time there,&rdquo; said GM Jim Rutherford. &ldquo;He has played and done everything we&rsquo;ve asked of him. A player of his caliber shouldn&rsquo;t have to spend any more time (in the minors).&rdquo;The AHL stint was Irbe&rsquo;s first since 1996. He went 2-2-1 with a 3.32 goals-against average.&ldquo;It was fun, because I had a pretty good feeling there,&rdquo; Irbe said. &ldquo;I felt confident. The guys showed a lot of respect.&rdquo;Forwards Zigomanis and Kurka will replace Pavel Brendl, who became the latest injured Hurricane. Brendl had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee - an injury he said predates his trade from Philadelphia to Carolina.Brendl and St-Jacques were acquired Feb. 7 for Sami Kapanen and minor leaguer Ryan Bast.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Hurricanes eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Carolina&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Jeff Daniels, LW; Glen Wesley, D.Wesley has the longest continuous tenure of any Carolina player, but the Canes haven&rsquo;t been able to extend his contract and the workhorse defenseman is available for the right price.Restricted: Bates Battaglia, LW; Erik Cole, RW; Jan Hlavac, LW; David Tanabe, D; Josef Vasicek, C; Kevin Weekes, G.The most interesting negotiations could be with Weekes. Irbe is clearly on his way out - though he&rsquo;s under contract through next season - leaving Weekes, 27, as the franchise&rsquo;s No. 1 goalie.NOTEBOOK Right winger Jeff O&rsquo;Neill was hit by the stick of Phoenix defenseman Teppo Numminen in the first period of a 4-2 loss to the Coyotes Feb. 26. He didn&rsquo;t return to the game, but wasn&rsquo;t expected to miss any more time&hellip;After the loss to Phoenix, Carolina hadn&rsquo;t won on the road since Jan. 4 - a span of 13 games, two short of the franchise record. &#9632;

f0020-02

Irbe’s stint in minors a short-lived experiment

<div class="byline">&#x2013;TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04465/8127901-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="279" height="585"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03678/8127908-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="216" height="284"></div>Theoren Fleury&rsquo;s future with the Blackhawks is more uncertain than ever.Coach Brian Sutter made Fleury a healthy scratch for games Feb. 23 against Dallas and Feb. 25 against Philadelphia, leaving the 34-year-old right winger confused, angry and disappointed.Fleury hadn&rsquo;t been a healthy scratch since his rookie year in Calgary in 1988-89.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very hurt, very hurt - extremely hurt that this is going on right now,&rdquo; Fleury said. &ldquo;The coaches and the GM&hellip;feel at this point I&rsquo;m more a hindrance to the team than a help. But when I get my opportunity, when I get my chance, I&rsquo;ll shove it up everybody&rsquo;s (rear end) once again. I guarantee that.&rdquo;The Hawks weren&rsquo;t happy with Fleury&rsquo;s production (no points in nine straight games) or his conditioning. It&rsquo;s possible management will buy out the final year of Fleury&rsquo;s contract, which calls for him to make $4.5 million next season.&ldquo;We brought him here to make a difference and it hasn&rsquo;t worked out,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;He has had a lot of help here. Now he has got to be accountable and take responsibility for that.&ldquo;We want more from him,&rdquo; Sutter continued. &ldquo;I want more from him than just him saying, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve got to play me,&rsquo; or &lsquo;I need more minutes,&rsquo; because that hasn&rsquo;t worked, OK?&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Blackhawks who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Chicago&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Sergei Berezin, LW; Mike Eastwood, C; Chris Simon, LW; Steve Thomas, RW.Berezin might be the only unrestricted free agent the Hawks bring back All of the team&rsquo;s UFAs will be made available before the March 11 trade deadline.Restricted: Mark Bell, LW; Steve McCarthy, D; Steve Passmore, G.Bell and McCarthy are part of Chicago&rsquo;s future. Passmore could be gone if GM Mike Smith goes after a proven veteran backup.NOTEBOOK The Hawks&rsquo; 3-13-2-0 record from Jan. 15 to Feb. 25 was the worst in the NHL, with management admitting the Jan. 18 strip-club brawl in Columbus involving right winger Theoren Fleury and others was the start of the freefall. &ldquo;Columbus has been a factor,&rdquo; said GM Mike Smith. &#9632;

f0020-04

Fleury feeling ‘very hurt’ after benching by Sutter

<div class="byline">&#x2013;ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02669/8127939-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="282" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011059/8127946-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="212" height="278"></div>Happy days are here again, with the Colorado Avalanche finally getting red-hot following a first-half malaise that cost Bob Hartley his coaching job.Nevertheless, Colorado could not close the Northwest Division gap on first-place Vancouver, which was riding a 14-game unbeaten streak, as of Feb. 26. The Avalanche went 13-1-1-1 in one recent stretch - and still lost ground in the division standings.The Avs very much want to establish their own NHL record for most division titles in a row (this would be their ninth), but they stood eight points back of the Canucks with only 20 games left.&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t been in a battle like this for the division,&rdquo; said Avs captain Joe Sakic. &ldquo;Hopefully, there&rsquo;s still time left to get it.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Avs who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Colorado&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Greg de Vries, D.After a slow start, de Vries has been one of the Avs&rsquo; better players in the second half. He could command $3 million per year or more on the open market.Restricted: Peter Forsberg, C; Alex Tanguay, LW.Perhaps the Avs wish they had signed Forsberg to more than a one-year extension when he returned to the team late last season. His next deal could fetch him a lot more than the $9.5 million he&rsquo;s making this year.NOTEBOOK Colorado was one of a handful of teams interested in acquiring Buffalo center Chris Gratton. The Avs feel he would make a solid third line center for the playoffs&hellip;Left winger Alex Tanguay tied his career high with an 11-game point streak, following a 4-2 Colorado victory over Edmonton Feb. 26. &#9632;

f0021-02

Avs finding Vancouver tough team to catch

<div class="byline">&#x2013;AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04312/8127977-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="283" height="587"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03421/8127984-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="216" height="285"></div>The Blue Jackets&rsquo; once-promising season unraveled with an atrocious six-game losing streak, which tied for the second-longest skid in franchise history.In losses to Chicago, Phoenix, Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver and Nashville, Columbus was outscored 32-5 - and didn&rsquo;t score at all at even strength.Not coincidentally, the club&rsquo;s three potential unrestricted free agents have been slumping. Geoff Sanderson had only two goals in his last 20 games, Ray Whitney hadn&rsquo;t scored in 14 games and Andrew Cassels hadn&rsquo;t connected in 12. The Blue Jackets are headed for a third straight lastplace finish in the Central Division.&ldquo;Our top scorers have dried up all at once,&rdquo; lamented coach-GM Doug MacLean.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Blue Jackets who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Columbus&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Andrew Cassels, C; Geoff Sanderson, LW; Ray Whitney, LW.MacLean&rsquo;s stated preference is to re-sign all three players. Mired in scoring slumps, their trade value is dropping. Whitney may be close to inking a long-term deal to stay.Restricted: David Vyborny, RW.Vyborny was on the verge of going back to Europe after last season, but has saved his NHL job by hitting career highs in goals (15), assists (21) and points (36) after only 59 games.NOTEBOOK Following left winger Rick Nash&rsquo;s goal in a 1-0 win over San Jose Feb. 12, Columbus went a mind-boggling 473 minutes and 15 seconds - almost eight hours - without an even-strength goal&hellip;Enforcer Jody Shelley was suspended two games by the NHL for roughing up Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart during a 6-0 loss Feb. 21. It was Shelley&rsquo;s second suspension this season. &#9632;

f0021-04

Untimely UFA slumps limit trade options

<div class="byline">&#x2013;CHUCK CARLTON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06162/8128015-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="281" height="581"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05212/8128022-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="221" height="250"></div>For his 500th career game earlier this season, his Dallas Stars teammates gave goaltender Ron Tugnutt a golf cart, so he knows the importance of a mulligan.He allowed four goals on 19 shots against Anaheim in his first game after Marty Turco sprained his ankle, but Tugnutt was unbeaten in the next five games. In the process, he helped the Stars tie the franchise record of 10 consecutive road games without a loss.&ldquo;The one against Anaheim, I was more or less going to get my feet wet; it was the one after that that was most important to me,&rdquo; said Tugnutt, who bounced back to defeat San Jose 3-1.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Stars who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Dallas&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Ulf Dahlen, LW; Derian Hatcher, D; Kirk Muller, C.Hatcher has a league-best plus-36 rating and is getting rave reviews for his leadership. The team&rsquo;s possible sale will prevent any negotiations until after the playoffs, which makes it likely Hatcher will test the market.Restricted: Richard Matvichuk, D; Marty Turco, G.If he has a strong playoff and finishes in the top three in Vezina Trophy voting, Turco could be looking at quadrupling his $850,000 salary in arbitration.NOTEBOOK Right winger Bill Guerin returned to Boston Feb. 25 for the first time since signing a free-agent contract with the Stars. Crowd reaction was mixed as Guerin had one goal on seven shots. &ldquo;It was one of the harder games I ever had to play,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m definitely glad it&rsquo;s over.&rdquo;&hellip;The Stars have experimented with a power line of Guerin, center Jason Arnott and left winger Ulf Dahlen. &#9632;

f0021-06

Veteran Tugnutt stars as stand-in for Turco

<div class="byline">&#x2013;NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02872/8128053-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="280" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011195/8128060-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="219" height="270"></div>He could have just quit.Steve Yzerman won an Olympic gold medal for Canada, won his third Stanley Cup for the Red Wings and did it all on a wrecked right knee last season. It would have been a fitting finale to a Hall of Fame career.But he didn&rsquo;t quit.Yzerman underwent an osteotomy, a procedure that realigns the knee to redistribute weight. It is usually done on elderly people with degenerative bone disease, and never had been performed on a professional athlete.After months of rehab, Yzerman returned Feb. 24 against the L.A. Kings.&ldquo;I really enjoyed being back out on the ice,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not perfect, but generally I was pleased with how I felt. I felt better than I expected.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Red Wings who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Detroit&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Sergei Fedorov, C; Brett Hull, RW; Igor Larionov, C; Darren McCarty, RW; Jason Woolley, D; Steve Yzerman, C.The Wings have resumed negotiations with Fedorov, but they aren&rsquo;t talking to anyone else yet. GM Ken Holland has said he wants Hull back; Hull has said he wants to come back. Yzerman isn&rsquo;t going anywhere, but the knee complicates plans.Restricted: No significant restricted free agents.NOTEBOOK When an arm infection felled right winger Darren McCarty Feb. 6, the Wings moved Brendan Shanahan from left wing to right wing. Shanahan responded by going to the net more, asserting himself physically and putting up points. Assistant coach Joe Kocur said Shanahan had been &ldquo;very effective.&rdquo; Associate coach Barry Smith went even further: &ldquo;Brendan Shanahan is playing his best hockey of the season.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0022-02

Yzerman’s return ‘better than expected’

<div class="byline">&#x2013;ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04469/8128091-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="279" height="586"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03654/8128098-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="216" height="289"></div>Just when the Edmonton Oilers thought it couldn&rsquo;t get any worse, it did.In a season where Mike Comrie, Ryan Smyth and Jason Smith all missed at least a month with injuries, goalie Tommy Salo sustained a groin pull and center Mike York, a broken wrist, in the third period of a 4-2 loss at Colorado Feb. 26.York&rsquo;s broken scaphoid bone did not necessarily mean an extended absence - an optimistic return date was mid-March. Salo, who had no history with a groin pull, was unsure how long he&rsquo;d be out. Although Smyth and Smith are expected back March 4, the injuries were bad news for the Oilers, hanging onto the last playoff spot.York was second in goals (21) and points (47) when he hurt himself in a harmless looking collision. Salo sustained his injury straining for a shot heading wide.Edmonton&rsquo;s slump since the allstar break was 2-6-1-2.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Oilers who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Edmonton&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Todd Marchant, C.Marchant, who is having a career year, won&rsquo;t be dealt before the trade deadline as long as Edmonton is still in the hunt for a playoff spot.Restricted: Anson Carter, RW; Mike Comrie, C; Jason Smith, D; Ryan Smyth, LW.All four are core Oilers. Carter will be eligible for arbitration and might price himself out of the team&rsquo;s budget. Comrie is set to command around $3 million a year.NOTEBOOK Coach Craig MacTavish, on the run of injuries and losses: &ldquo;You can go home after the game and get yourself in the fetal position for a couple of hours. But you have to eventually come out of it and come to the rink like men.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0022-04

Playoff bid in jeopardy as injuries mount

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAVID J. NEAL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06266/8128129-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="282" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05345/8128136-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="222" height="294"></div>Where do you find a bunch of guys, mostly in their early-to-mid 20s, happier away from the sun and thong bildnis of South Florida? Try the Panthers locker room.The Panthers are threatening to become one of the most win-challenged teams at home in the modem era. That wouldn&rsquo;t be so weird if they weren&rsquo;t also a good road team. From Oct. 30 to Feb. 22, only in a January five-game losing streak did Florida fail to get a point in a road game.The contrast - or at least discussing it - is starting to get to the players.&ldquo;People are just talking about that now,&rdquo; said goalie Roberto Luongo.&ldquo;Not only players, fans and media.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Panthers eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Florida&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Stephane Matteau, LW.Matteau has continued the tradition of failed Panthers free agent signings. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is old. Panthers coach Mike Keenan, who has coached him in four cities, has increased his playing time recently to show the rest of the organization Matteau&rsquo;s value.Restricted: Kristian Huselius, LW; Olli Jokinen, C; Viktor Kozlov, C; Andreas Lilja, D; Peter Worrell, LW. They&rsquo;ll try to lock up Jokinen, Huselius and Lilja for a few years. But will they try to go long term with the 28-year-old Kozlov and or risk a new, lowered unrestricted free agency age in 2004?NOTEBOOK Defenseman Mathieu Biron has never scored against older brother, Buffalo goalie Martin Biron. In overtime Feb. 24, Mathieu stickhandled into the slot, saw the puck pop up on him and baseball batted it just wide. Martin said he told teammate Mika Noronen, &ldquo;If he would have gotten that goal, I probably would have retired right on the spot.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0022-06

Cats perform better when they’re straying

<div class="byline">&#x2013;MATT MCHALE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02746/8128167-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="282" height="586"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011078/8128174-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="214" height="288"></div>Jason Allison was hoping to return to the Kings lineup March 1 for a rematch with the Atlanta Thrashers, the team that ruined his season with a knee-on-knee hit by Andy Sutton.Allison couldn&rsquo;t go, and only started light skating in the week before the game. But Allison&rsquo;s biggest problem now is not the knee or the hip flexor that was hurt overcompensating for the knee.Allison has a severely sprained neck and received an injection in late February to relieve lingering pain.&ldquo;We are encouraged by his progress but there is no pushing an injury like that,&rdquo; said GM Dave Taylor. &ldquo;We want him in the line-up but we don&rsquo;t want to rush him.&rdquo;Allison, who has 78 assists and 102 points in 99 games with the Kings, has played just 26 games this season.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Kings who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Los Angeles&rsquo; high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Craig Johnson, RW, Aaron Miller, D, Felix Potvin, G, Bryan Smolinksi, C, Dmitry Yushkevich, D.The Kings&rsquo; late surge into the playoff picture kept their unrestricted free agents in L.A. short-term. Smolinski leads the club with seven game-winning goals, and either of Yushkevich or Miller would stabilize any team&rsquo;s blueline.Restricted: Adam Deadmarsh, C; Jamie Storr, G. The Kings need to qualify Deadmarsh with a minimum $3-million offer. And while Storr is not the No. 1 goalie, the Kings like what he brings to the rink and don&rsquo;t want to part ways with him.NOTEBOOK Strength and conditioning coaches Joe Horrigan and Dave Good were fired by the Kings. Horrigan and Good were credited with developing a conditioning pro-gram that helped revive the career of former King Luc Robitaille. &#9632;

f0023-02

Litany of injuries slows Allison’s return

<div class="byline">&#x2013;TOM JONES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04394/8128205-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="281" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03547/8128212-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="227" height="261"></div>Even Wild coach Jacques Lemaire is giving in.As the Wild&rsquo;s amazing season rolls along, hockey people from Washington to Winnipeg acknowl-edge, much to their surprise, that the Wild likely would qualify for the postseason in this, its third season.Lemaire, though, would have none of that talk. He avoided talk of the playoffs as if it were a four-letter word, and cringed when the media spoke to him about the post-season.Not anymore.Sensing his team could use a boost of confidence, Lemaire told the Wild the playoffs were a real possibility.&ldquo;I told them that if they can play well, they will get one shot&mdash;and only one shot - to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Lemaire said. &ldquo;They are capable of doing it.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Wild players eligible to become unre-stricted free agents and Minnesota&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Dwayne Roloson, G; Cliff Ronning, LW.It can be argued Roloson has meant more to the Wild this season than any other Wild player. Roloson has enjoyed a career year and could command No. 1 goalie money. Ronning coming back will depend on how much the Wild has to pay to keep its other restricted free agents.Restricted: Pascal Dupuis, LW; Manny Fernandez, G; Marian Gaborik, RW; Matt Johnson, RW; Willie Mitchell, D; Andrei Zyuzin, D. Most teams usually have one big restricted free agent to sign in the off-season. The Wild have six, and all have been integral in the team&rsquo;s successful season. Topping the list is Gaborik.NOTEBOOK Left winger Bill Muckalt, out since the sixth game of the season with a dislocated shoulder, is skating daily and hopes to return before the end of the regular season. &#9632;

f0023-04

With playoffs in sight, Lemaire readies Wild

<div class="byline">&#x2013;HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-06226/8128243-1-eng-US/f0023-062.jpg" title="f0023-06" width="279" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05288/8128250-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="220" height="253"></div>Although the Canadiens could miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, GM Andre Savard and his staff received a vote of confidence from president Pierre Boivin.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re on a five-year plan and we&rsquo;re ahead of schedule,&rdquo; Boivin said. &ldquo;For sure, we&rsquo;d like to win now and make the playoffs, but we can&rsquo;t lose sight of the promising future our hockey staff has put in place. We&rsquo;re very optimistic about our future.&rdquo;The Canadiens were in last place when Savard replaced Rejean Houle Nov. 20, 2000. Savard has worked meticulously improving the team&rsquo;s depth while attempting to draft blue-chip prospects.Savard&rsquo;s job isn&rsquo;t in danger, even should the Canadiens miss the playoffs.&ldquo;Absolutely, without question,&rdquo; Boivin said.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Canadiens who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Montreal&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Doug Gilmour, LW.Gilmour has been talking about retirement since the Original Six days, it seems, but he&rsquo;s still effective when he plays near 15 minutes a game. He&rsquo;s making $2.25 million this year and will be 40 in June, so the Habs won&rsquo;t overspend.Restricted: Saku Koivu, C; Andrei Markov, D. Although few, if any, negotiations have occurred, both players will be re-signed. Koivu leads the team in points and shows no signs of the abdominal cancer that sidelined him most of last season. Markov, meanwhile, has blossomed into Montreal&rsquo;s best defenseman.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Stephane Quintal could be sidelined until mid-March with a pulled left ham-string&hellip;Realizing they lack toughness and size, the Canadiens claimed 6-foot-3, 215-pound left winger Gordie Dwyer off waivers from the New York Rangers. &#9632;

f0023-06

Savard’s GM job safe despite lukewarm year

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02811/8128281-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="280" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011150/8128288-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="219" height="253"></div>The Predators tied a franchise record with four straight victories and won six of seven from Feb. 13 to Feb. 25 because they consistently got early leads - and then built on them.In those six victories (by a combined score of 23-5), the Predators scored first every time and outscored the opposition by a total of 8-0 in the first period. Three times Nashville&rsquo;s opponent failed to score at least through the second period.&ldquo;We seem to be playing so much better when we have the lead,&rdquo; said defenseman Cale Hulse.The surge had the Predators at 61 points (24-25-9-4) through 62 games. The latest they ever have been. 500 or better was through 57 games (24-24-7-2 in 2000-01).FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Predators who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Nashville&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Brent Gilchrist, RW; Bill Houlder, D; Cale Hulse, D.Hulse&rsquo;s chances of being traded have been reduced by the Predators&rsquo; recent play (7-2-1-0 in their first 10 games after the all-star break), which had some talking about playoff possibilities. &ldquo;If we continue to play this level of hockey&hellip;I&rsquo;m in favor of keeping all of our guys,&rdquo; said GM David Poile.Restricted: Denis Arkhipov, C; Scott Hartnell, LW; Andreas Johansson, LW; David Legwand, C; Rem Murray, LW; Karlis Skrastins, D; Kimmo Timonen, D.This is a critical off-season for the franchise, which has kept a consistently low payroll for four years. Its best defenseman (Timonen), leading scorer (Legwand), the last two players to score 20 goals (Arkhipov last season, Johansson this season) and the player who helped stabilize things this season (Murray) all need new deals.NOTEBOOK Right winger Adam Hall set a new record for goals by a Predators rookie when he scored his 14th on Feb. 23 at Toronto&hellip;Center Denis Arkhipov led the Predators with 20 goals last season, but he did it one goal at a time. He had the first multi-goal night of his NHL career Feb. 20, in his 180th game, when he scored twice against Calgary. &#9632;

f0024-02

Preds tear oft win streak, set sights on post-season

<div class="byline">&#x2013;RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04384/8128319-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="280" height="582"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03566/8128326-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="196" height="278"></div>Joe Nieuwendyk wasn&rsquo;t sure what was more difficult - scoring 500 goals or collecting 1,000 points in his NHL career.But the Devils center was certain there will be a lot fewer players in the future reaching those coveted milestones.&ldquo;Whichever is harder, the game has obviously changed,&rdquo; said Nieuwendyk after reaching the 1,000-point plateau by scoring a goal Feb. 23 in Pittsburgh. &ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t as many 50-goal scorers or 100-point guys. I&rsquo;m pleased with both (accomplishments). The game is getting tougher and the goalies are getting better. The days of (Wayne) Gretzky scoring 90 goals and (Brett) Hull scoring 80, I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ll see them again.&rdquo;Just as he did when he scored his 500th goal Jan. 17 in Raleigh, N.C., Nieuwendyk made his milestone count in a one-goal victory. He used linemate Jamie Langenbrunner as a screen in firing a shot under the crossbar past Penguins goalie Sebastien Caron.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Devils who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and New Jersey&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Tommy Albelin, D; Ken Daneyko, D; Jim McKenzie, LW; Joe Nieuwendyk, C; Pascal Rheaume, C.Nieuwendyk said he has spoken once to Devils GM Lou Lamoriello about a possible contract extension, but didn&rsquo;t expect anything to happen until after the season ended. Daneyko believed he has played well enough this season to merit at least another year and the club will probably keep its elder statesman with a one-year deal that will allow him to retire as a career Devil.Restricted: Jeff Friesen, LW; Brian Gionta, RW; Oleg Tverdovsky, D; Colin White, D.Friesen has played well enough this season to fit into the team&rsquo;s long-range plans, but Lamoriello will likely wait until after July 1 to begin talks. Tverdovsky, in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.6 million, was believed to be on the block before he was sidelined for a lengthy period with postconcussion syndrome.NOTEBOOK Unhappy with their production, coach Pat Burns once again split up linemates Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez. &#9632;

f0024-04

Joe joins another elite club after notching 1,000th point

<div class="byline">&#x2013;PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02701/8128357-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="280" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011033/8128364-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="217" height="290"></div>He was acquired with the playoffs in mind, but Jason Wiemer&rsquo;s physical style already has earned him a niche in the Islanders&rsquo; lineup.Whereas brawny forwards like Brad Isbister, rarely stand up for their teammates, Wiemer often has avenged liberties taken against the team&rsquo;s skilled players.The nine-year veteran also has been a regular contributor on coach Peter Laviolette&rsquo;s most consistent two-way forward line all season, with Dave Scatchard and Jason Blake.The Isles got Wiemer from Florida for defense prospect Branislav Mezei last summer. Through games of Feb. 26, Wiemer had totaled nine goals, 22 points and 95 penalty minutes.&ldquo;He brings so much that isn&rsquo;t counted in the stats, so sometimes it&rsquo;s hard to see how effective he is unless you&rsquo;re playing with him,&rdquo; said Blake, who is pushing Alexei Yashin for the team scoring lead.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Islanders who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and New York&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Kevin Haller, D; Claude Lapointe, C.Lapointe bypassed free agency to sign a three-year deal with the downtrodden Islanders in 2000, but GM Mike Milbury might go with a cheaper fourth-line option such as Bridgeport (AHL) center Justin Mapletoft next season.Restricted: Brad Isbister, LW; Kenny Jonsson, D; Chris Osgood, G; Jason Wiemer, LW.The key decision will be in goal, where Garth Snow&rsquo;s second-half emergence and Rick DiPietro&rsquo;s future perhaps make Osgood&rsquo;s $4-million salary expendable. The ever-unproductive Isbister ($1.8 million) also could be traded.NOTEBOOK With goaltender Garth Snow making 10 straight starts in Chris Osgood&rsquo;s absence with an ankle injury, Rick DiPietro was farmed out Feb. 21 to get more playing time at Bridgeport (AHL). Steve Valiquette was recalled from Bridgeport to serve as Snow&rsquo;s backup. Osgood was practising and close to returning to the lineup as of Feb. 26. &#9632;

f0025-02

Hard-nosed winger Wiemer earns plaudits as policeman

<div class="byline">&#x2013;LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04308/8128395-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="285" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03474/8128402-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="213" height="280"></div>The Rangers are likely to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season. But there has been one ray of sunshine - the development of 22-year-old rookie Jamie Lundmark, perhaps the only highly regarded young forward in the organization.After getting just one point in his first 17 NHL games and twice being sent to Hartford (AHL), Lundmark has made steady progress since his Jan. 8 promotion to Broadway, notching seven goals and 14 points while going plus-four in 22 games leading up to a critical clash with Boston Feb. 27.Drafted ninth overall as a center out of Moose Jaw in 1999, Lundmark has played both wings this season, and with the season entering the stretch, was on Bobby Holik&rsquo;s left side while getting second power play unit time.&ldquo;Bobby likes to have a winger with speed and creativity who can make plays and that describes Jamie,&rdquo; said coach/GM Glen Sather.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Rangers who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and New York&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Cory Cross, D; Ted Donato, C; Janne Laukkanen, D; Brian Leetch, D; Sandy McCarthy, RW; Boris Mironov, D.Quite likely the team&rsquo;s most important player, Leetch would be the most sought-after rental on the market and could be expected to bring a bounty back to Manhattan in return, except that he has a no-trade clause, and has never indicated any interest in waiving it.Restricted: Alexei Kovalev, W; Tom Poti, D.As one of the NHL&rsquo;s best players and now eligible for arbitration, Kovalev could get upwards of $8 million per season.NOTEBOOK When center Bobby Holik made his first visit to the Meadow-lands as a Ranger Feb. 25, after 10 years with the New Jersey Devils, his teammates prepared him at the morning skate by booing No. 16 every time he touched the puck. When the game ended in a 3-3 tie, Holik spoke to the serenading he received from the capacity crowd. &ldquo;I was surprised at how well synchronized the fans were,&rdquo; No. 16 said. &ldquo;It was very well done. I have to give them credit!&rdquo; &#9632;

f0025-04

Lundmark starting to show potential on line with Holik

<div class="byline">&#x2013;BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02818/8128433-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="283" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011162/8128440-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="208" height="287"></div>The trip from worst to first didn&rsquo;t take long for new Senators left winger Vaclav Varada.One minute the feisty forward was preparing to suit up for the last-place Buffalo Sabres in Washington; the next thing he knew he was being summoned to a meeting to find out he&rsquo;d been dealt to the first-place Senators.Trying to add the missing pieces to the puzzle for the playoffs, the Sens acquired the Varada from Buffalo for 2002 first-rounder Jakub Klepis (16th overall). Ottawa also received Buffalo&rsquo;s fifth round draft pick in 2003.&ldquo;We feel over the long haul we&rsquo;re going to make a strong run to the Stanley Cup and this helps us,&rdquo; said Sens GM John Muckier.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Senators who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Ottawa&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Magnus Arvedson, LW; Jody Hull, LW.Unless the Sens can get a warm body at the trade deadline, Arvedson will finish the season in Ottawa, but there are no guarantees he&rsquo;ll be back. Varada&rsquo;s arrival means there might not be much room for Arvedson in any case.Restricted: Wade Redden, D; Martin Havlat, RW; Martin Prusek, G. The biggest negotiations this summer will surround Redden and Havlat. Arbitration may price Redden out of Ottawa&rsquo;s range.NOTEBOOK Right winger Daniel Alfredsson told the Ottawa Sun he&rsquo;d be willing to surrender his right to unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2004, in exchange for a contract extension&hellip;Toronto businessman Sam Reisman injected the Sens with some much-needed cash in February. Reisman bought $5 million of the $20-million debt Ottawa owes Fleet National Bank of Boston. &#9632;

f0026-02

Sens shore up grit factor with acquisition of Varada

<div class="byline">&#x2013;WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04476/8128471-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="278" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03661/8128478-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="222" height="259"></div>Roman Cechmanek&rsquo;s English might still need some work, but when he reads the words &ldquo;questionable post-season performer,&rdquo; nothing is lost in the translation.Consecutive exceptional regular seasons have ended in disappointing playoff fashion for the Flyers goalie.He was a Vezina finalist in 2000-01, but lost a duel to Buffalo&rsquo;s Dominik Hasek in the playoffs. Last year the 32-year-old was better - 1.85 goals-against average in the playoffs - but still wasn&rsquo;t in net for Ottawa&rsquo;s clincher in Game 5, as backup Brian Boucher got the start.This season Cechmanek is again finding his rhythm in the stretch. A 2-0 win over Chicago Feb. 25 gave him back-to-back shutouts for the first time this year. &ldquo;I know I have to be better for the playoffs,&rdquo; Cechmanek said.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Flyers who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Philadelphia&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Donald Brashear, LW; Eric Desjardins, D; Joe Sacco, RW.The one player the Flyers can&rsquo;t afford to lose is Desjardins. GM Bob Clarke said negotiations will begin as soon as Desjardins hires a new agent.Restricted: Sami Kapanen, RW; Justin Williams, RW. Williams is out after undergoing anterior-cruciate ligament surgery. Kapanen got off to a slow start with the Flyers, notching only one goal in nine games. The Flyers have been adamant about not entertaining trades for these two wingers.NOTEBOOK Finnish prospect Joni Pitkanen (fourth overall in 2002) underwent his second knee operation to repair a torn meniscus. &#9632;

f0026-04

Cechmanek’s playoff results will be measure of success

<div class="byline">&#x2013;BOB MCMANAMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06284/8128509-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="275" height="582"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05351/8128516-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="190" height="290"></div>Though they were desperately clinging onto their playoff hopes, the Coyotes have lost too much money and too many games not to undergo some major renovations at the trade deadline, said managing partner Wayne Gretzky.&ldquo;We look to stabilize this franchise both on and off the ice and when you&rsquo;re (so many) points out of a playoff spot and you&rsquo;re losing $25 million, obviously you&rsquo;re not in a perfect situation,&rdquo; Gretzky said. &ldquo;So anything that can make this organization a better team, we&rsquo;re going to look at. Nobody&rsquo;s untouchable.&rdquo;The most popular names rumored to be on the block are goalie Sean Burke, defenseman Teppo Numminen and left winger Brad May.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Coyotes eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Phoenix&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Brad May, LW; Scott Pellerin, LW; Paul Ranheim, RW.Ranheim and Pellerin were stop-gap acquisitions who likely don&rsquo;t figure into the future. Management is interested in bringing May back, but indications were that he wants more than Phoenix is willing to spend, so he could be trade bait.Restricted: Ramzi Abid, LW; Zac Bierk, G; Mike Johnson, RW; Daymond Langkow, C; Danny Markov, D; Deron Quint, D; Ossi Vaananen, D.Negotiations should be smooth for Abid and Bierk, but the Coyotes will have to dole out to please Langkow, Johnson and Markov, part of the core group Phoenix plans to build upon.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Drake Berehowsky made his season debut Feb. 26 after missing the first 61 games of the season following major surgery on his right knee. &#9632;

f0026-06

Post-season or not, Coyotes must cut payroll

<div class="byline">&#x2013;JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-08204/8128547-1-eng-US/f0026-082.jpg" title="f0026-08" width="274" height="586"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07249/8128554-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="220" height="290"></div>Seven games into his NHL career, left winger Tomas Surovy had six points and was getting mentioned regularly in the same breath with some of the NHL&rsquo;s top players. That&rsquo;s because he had skated his way onto the Pittsburgh Penguins&rsquo; top line with Mario Lemieux and Martin Straka and used his quick release to score against Martin Brodeur, Tommy Salo and Patrick Roy.&ldquo;I may be playing well, but it doesn&rsquo;t mean anything,&rdquo; said the 21-year-old native of the Czech Republic. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t stop. The next practice, it has to be hard work, the next game hard work. It&rsquo;s still hard work.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Penguins who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Mario Lemieux, C; Kent Manderville, C; Ian Moran, D; Jamie Pushor, D.The only way Lemieux goes on the market is in the highly unlikely event that he sells his share of the team. Manderville would be a big loss because of his penalty killing. Moran is a good bet to stay; Pushor is not.Restricted: Jan Hrdina, C; Hans Jonsson, D; Ville Nieminen, RW; Randy Robitaille, C; Dick Tarnstrom, D.Hrdina, Jonsson and Robitaille might cost too much to keep. Tarnstrom likely will seek a major raise on his $475,000 salary from this season.NOTEBOOK Fans were warming up to players acquired for right winger Alexei Kovalev. Right winger Mikael Samuelsson and left winger Rico Fata had combined for nine points in six games after the trade, three more than Kovalev. &#9632;

f0026-08

Surovy beating top goalies In fast-paced start to career

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DERRICK GOOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02741/8128585-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="285" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011109/8128592-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="217" height="276"></div>Leave it to the St. Louis Blues to shake up their goaltending situation, have a goalie drop out with injury and lose their leading scorer all in 24 hours.As soon as they brought up rookie goalie Curtis Sanford, the dominoes started to fall.Netminder Brent Johnson left his first practice against Sanford with a pulled groin.And left winger Keith Tkachuk was suspended for four days for a cross-neck cross-check to Minnesota center Wes Walz.&ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s a desperate time for our team,&rdquo; said center Doug Weight.The Blues faded out of the Central Division lead as they played without Tkachuk, Weight, Petr Cajanek, Chris Pronger, et al. Against Edmonton Feb. 27, the Blues had seven players who played in American League Worcester this season and two players claimed off waivers.&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t made any excuses all year,&rdquo; said blueliner Al MacInnis. &ldquo;Why start now?&rdquo;FREE ARENT WATCH Here are the Blues eligible to become unrestricted free agents and St. Louis&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Rich Pilon, D; Shjon Podein, LW.Pilon has played eight games and two training camps with the Blues because of ongoing, and, at times, befuddling wrist problems. More than just his brief Blues era could be over, as Pilon ponders retirement. If the Blues will have Podein back, he&rsquo;ll be happy to go one more year.Restricted: Fred Brathwaite, G; Pavol Demitra, C; Brent Johnson, G; Cory Stillman, LW; Bryce Salvador, D.Johnson hasn&rsquo;t had a strong enough season to get any leverage when it comes to earning No. 1 goalie money, especially when he cannot claim to be No. 1. The Blues are likely going to have to make a commitment to Demitra that reflects his position as a cornerstone of the team. Salvador has played his way into contention for the blueline foundation for the post-Madnnis years.NOTEBOOK The Blues backed off acquiring goaltender Sean Burke because the price in players was too high. But both he and Carolina&rsquo;s Arturs Irbe remain a possibility before the March 11 deadline. &#9632;

f0027-02

Johnson, Tkachuk on shelf for vastly different reasons

<div class="byline">&#x2013;ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04362/8128623-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="279" height="585"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03521/8128630-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="215" height="289"></div>The San Jose Sharks won consecutive games at home for just the third time this season immediately following disparaging comments made by bench boss Ron Wilson.The new coach had seen enough after a 3-0 loss to the Islanders Feb. 19.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m embarrassed. I might be the most confused person in North America, maybe the world, right now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;As soon as they made it 2-0, we didn&rsquo;t have any fight left. Guys are getting hit by the other team and (there&rsquo;s) no fight back.&ldquo;You&rsquo;re asking the wrong guy. If somebody punched me in the head I&rsquo;d punch back, I know that. And we don&rsquo;t have that right now. We&rsquo;re willing to surrender. And I&rsquo;m embar-rassed about that. I take that personally.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m personally sick and tired of hearing what a great group of guys, how they care about each other, how they battle,&rdquo; Wilson continued. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen it. Maybe it&rsquo;s me. But that&rsquo;s what I stay up at night and try to figure out.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Sharks who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and San Jose&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Bryan Marchment, D.Marchment does not appear to be in San Jose&rsquo;s future plans and is certain to attract interest at the March 11 trade deadline.Restricted: Matt Bradley, RW; Scott Hannan, D; Miikka Kiprusoff, G; Alexander Korolyuk, LW; Patrick Marleau, C; Marco Sturm, LW.Marleau, Hannan and Sturm will be the key players to get signed and in camp on time. The Sharks still have high hopes for Korolyuk, who is playing this season in his native Russia after failing to come to an agreement with San Jose.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Brad Stuart and left winger Scott Thornton each suffered concussions against Columbus Feb. 21. Stuart was nailed three times by Blue Jackets enforcer Jody Shelley, who was suspended two games for the incident. &ldquo;If (Shelley) has a score to settle, do it like a man,&rdquo; Stuart said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an embarrassment to the league. Anyone who does something like that isn&rsquo;t worthy to put on an NHL jersey.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0027-04

Outburst by ‘confused’ Wilson leads to better performances

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02795/8128661-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="286" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011150/8128668-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="218" height="284"></div>Add Tampa Bay to the growing list of teams claiming big financial losses.President Ron Campbell said Palace Sports & Entertainment will lose between $10 million and $15 million on its operations in Tampa, which include the Lightning and the St. Pete Times Forum, of which it owns the lease. That brings the company&rsquo;s claimed losses since it took over the team and arena in June of 1999 to between $48 million and $53 million.Campbell said a new collective bargaining agreement that would level the financial playing field for all teams is key to the company not selfing the Lightning.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Lightning who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Tampa Bay&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Dave Andreychuk, LW; Darren Rumble, D; Tim Taylor, C.Andreychuk, in his 21st NHL season, is expected to retire, while Taylor has said he wants to play another two years. The Bolts can ill afford to lose either players, both team leaders.Restricted: Dan Boyle, D; Brad Lukowich, D; Fredrik Modin, LW; Vinny Prospal, C; Brad Richards, C; John Grahame, G.Prospal will be a Group V free agent, meaning he could opt for unrestricted free agency. With a career-high 58 points through 61 games, he is in line for a big raise from the $1.55 million he is making this season.NOTEBOOK Right winger Dave Andreychuk scored the 609th goal of his career Jan. 25 against Anaheim. The marker moved him past former Bolt Dino Ciccarelli into 12th place all-time, one goal behind Bobby Hull. &#9632;

f0028-02

Bolts owners say new CBA vital to stemming losses

<div class="byline">&#x2013;KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04404/8128699-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="276" height="589"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03584/8128706-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="212" height="293"></div>Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin should know a scorer when he sees one and he thinks Tie Domi can complete the transformation from thug to 20-goal scorer this season.Domi, who led the Leafs with 119 penalty minutes, was doing his part to make Sundin&rsquo;s prediction become reality. Domi&rsquo;s goal in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders Feb. 25 was his 14th of the season, establishing a new personal best.&ldquo;Mats said he wants to have the 20-40 (goals) club between us,&rdquo; Domi said. &ldquo;I said to him, &lsquo;Easy there, bud.&rsquo; Forty for him is realistic, but I don&rsquo;t know about 20 for me.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Leafs who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Toronto&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: None.Restricted: Nik Antropov, C; Wade Belak, D; Jonas Hoglund, LW; Bryan McCabe, D; Alyn McCauley, C.Only McCabe has arbitration rights and after the poor season he has had offensively, it&rsquo;s doubtful he&rsquo;ll risk going that route. Antropov, and possibly McCauley, are due for raises.NOTEBOOK With two goals in the 5-2 win over the Islanders, center Mats Sundin was two points shy of the 1,000 mark for his career. Sundin also hit the 30-goal mark for the 10th time in his career&hellip;The Leafs were reportedly the team most interested in San Jose right winger Owen Nolan&hellip;Veteran left winger Shayne Corson was a healthy scratch for five straight games through Feb. 25&hellip;Left winger Gary Roberts had four goals and seven points in his first five games after returning from double shoulder surgery. &#9632;

f0028-04

Domi’s offensive breakout nets enforcer career mark

<div class="byline">&#x2013;ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06256/8128737-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="277" height="585"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05304/8128744-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="199" height="284"></div>The Canucks passed the NHL&rsquo;s three-quarter pole like a Kentucky thoroughbred, trampling a 26-year-old club record along the way.The Canucks went undefeated for a 14-game stretch (10-0-4-0) to shatter their previous best of 10, first set in 1977 (5-0-5) and matched earlier this year (10-0-0-0). Included in those totals were victories over Western Conference powers Colorado, Detroit and St. Louis in an eight-day span. The Canucks were also on pace to set a franchise record for points in a season, needing only to gain 17 points in their final 19 games to top the 101 they collected in 1992-93 under Pat Quinn.FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Canucks who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Vancouver&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Murray Baron, D; Trent Klatt, RW.What you see is what you get with steady defenseman Baron and bulldog winger Klatt. Neither is currently negotiating and will likely be kept waiting until summer so management can see how the stretch run and playoffs shake down.Restricted: Bryan Allen, D; Dan Cloutier, G; Trevor Letowski, RW; Marek Malik, D; Sami Salo, D; Daniel Sedin, LW; Henrik Sedin, C; Peter Skudra, G.Cloutier is the biggest name up for contract here. The feisty goalie has established himself as a starter with consecutive 30-win seasons.NOTEBOOK Center Brendan Morrison had a week to remember Feb. 17-23 when he scored two winning goals (one in overtime, one shorthanded) and set up two more game-winners (one in overtime, one in regulation). &#9632;

f0028-06

Canucks’ undefeated streak smashes 26-year-old record

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAVE FAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-08193/8128775-1-eng-US/f0028-082.jpg" title="f0028-08" width="282" height="581"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-07225/8128782-1-eng-US/f0028-072.jpg" title="f0028-07" width="212" height="286"></div>A year ago the Capitals sat down to a players-only gathering during a road trip to see if they could end a three-game losing streak and try to salvage what was turning into a disaster of a season. They closed the year 9-2-1-1, but missed the playoffs by two points.This season, after three straight losses and with their grasp on the division lead in jeopardy, the Caps held another meeting, hoping to pull everything together for a late rush at the playoffs - and the No. 3 seed in the East as well.&ldquo;When you look at our games,&rdquo; said blueliner Sergei Gonchar, &ldquo;obviously there was no urgency. That&rsquo;s what we were talking about - everybody has to play hard. There was no finger-pointing because it&rsquo;s everybody, all of us. It&rsquo;s not like one person is letting us down, it&rsquo;s the whole team not playing hard for 60 minutes, the whole team not coming out hard.&rdquo;FREE AGENT WATCH Here are the Capitals eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Washington&rsquo;s high-profile restricted free agents:Unrestricted: Sebastien Charpentier, G; Calle Johansson, D; Ken Klee, D; Michael Nylander, C.It&rsquo;s hard to imagine not keeping core defense vets Johansson and Klee, while Nylander is the offensive center the team sought.Restricted: Jason Doig, D; Mike Grier, RW.The Capitals have a habit of not rushing into contract negotiations, so no talks are under way with any potential free agents.NOTEBOOK The injury bug finally bit the Caps. Washington went nearly a month without losing a single man-game to injury, but a rash of back and hand injuries had the team juggling personnel to fill out the lineup. &#9632;

f0028-08

Players-only meetings becoming rite of passage

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011019/8128813-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0029-01

NHL DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>Jim Clark admits the first time he ever saw Andrej Nedorost play - during a scouting trip to Germany three years ago - there was nothing to suggest the forward was a potential star.&ldquo;Other than go up and down his wing and work hard, you never noticed him,&rdquo; said Clark, the assistant GM for Columbus. &ldquo;But there was something there that we liked.&rdquo;The Blue Jackets were about the only ones who saw that something in the native of Trencin, Slovakia. They selected Nedorost in the final round of the 2000 draft with pick No. 286.He&rsquo;s no relation to Colorado rookie Vaclav Nedorost, the 14th pick that year. While Andrej isn&rsquo;t tearing up the American League as a second-year pro, he is starting to play with consistency.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011151/8128844-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="234" height="371"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDREJ NEDOROST</figcaption></div>&ldquo;He has to earn it, but I still believe he I has a legitimate shot to be part of our (NHL) team next season,&rdquo; Clark said.The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Nedorost had 12 goals and 28 points in 49 AHL games as February came to a close. He had played four NHL games during two brief recalls, picking up one assist.But the Crunch&rsquo;s season-long struggles have hurt everyone, Nedorost said. After posting the AHL&rsquo;s second-best record last season, the Crunch were 17-34-6-3 this year.&ldquo;Everybody wants guys from a winning team and we&rsquo;re losing too much,&rdquo; said Nedorost, 22. &ldquo;Everybody wants a positive guy who can win.&rdquo;They also want a solid, strong-skating player with good skills, which describes Nedorost. What the Blue Jackets haven&rsquo;t determined is whether Nedorost will be a banging, grinding winger or a someone expected to score.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a question we haven&rsquo;t answered,&rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;Longer term, I think he can be a second line guy who can score 20 goals because he&rsquo;s a good skater and has puck skills.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0030-01

Crunch’s Nedorost trying to find niche

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>When the season began, San Antonio Rampage coach John Torchetti met with each of his players to discuss expectations.&ldquo;I asked Mike Green what the knock on him has been and he said he needs to be more competitive,&rdquo; Torchetti recalled.That&rsquo;s no longer a knock on the undrafted center/right winger who is in his third minor pro season. After bouncing back and forth from lower leagues to the American League the past two years, Green has established himself as a solid two-way forward in the AHL.Green, a free agent signee by the Florida Panthers in April of 2000, was San Antonio&rsquo;s leading scorer at the end of February with 20 goals and 44 points through 61 games.&ldquo;He has been one of our top three forwards every game,&rdquo; Torchetti said. &ldquo;We figured he&rsquo;d get us 40 points, since he had 11 in 22 games last season (with Cincinnati). He has a great shot and he brings the same game every night.&rdquo;<h2>AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02773/8128903-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="242" height="242"></div>WELCOME BACK David Oliver missed 29 games for the Utah Grizzlies due to hernia surgery, but the veteran right winger made up for lost time in a big way upon his return.In his first eight games back on the ice, Oliver scored five goals and assisted on seven others in helping the Grizzlies climb closer to earning a first round playoff bye.YES, I CAN PLAY After going 45 games without a goal, watching a handful of games from the press box and often being used as the spare-part player, right winger Karel Mosovsky was given significant ice time for the Rochester Americans when injuries knocked four key forwards out of the lineup.He took advantage of his enhanced role and proved he could play, scoring three goals and five points in a six-game stretch.&ldquo;I was thinking maybe I wasn&rsquo;t good enough,&rdquo; said Mosovsky, a fourth round draft pick (117th overall) by Buffalo in 1999. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad I can contribute, to know they now know (the coaches and Sabres) I&rsquo;m able to play in the league when I do play.&rdquo;WHO&rsquo;S HUNGRY? After recently watching his forwards allow a 3-on-2 break to Rochester, his defenseman fail to box out Jason Botterill and his rookie goalie, Pascal Lelaire, lose the rebound in the crease, Syracuse Crunch coach Gary Agnew spread the blame for the resultant goal among everyone.&ldquo;What do they call it in the restaurant business, the combo platter?&rdquo; Agnew said.&ldquo;It was a combination of errors, which most goals are.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03551/8128896-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="1022" height="1495"><figcaption class="caption-body">Utah defenseman Mark Wotton checks Chicago center Kamil Piros. Wotton, a ninth-year pro, has seven goals and 28 points in 55 games.</figcaption></div><h2>SCOUTING REPORT</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05284/8128889-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="130" height="178"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04388/8128882-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="264" height="428"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTIN CIBAK</figcaption></div>POSITION Left wingerAGE 22SIZE 6-1, 195HOMETOWNLiptovmikulas, SlovakiaLAST AMATEUR CLUBMedicine Hat (WHL)2002-03Springfield Falcons<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06225/8128875-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="375" height="79"></div>NHL AFFILIATIONTampa Bay LightningNOTEWORTHYDrafted 252nd overall in 1998&hellip;Had 73 points in 48 games as a 15-year-old in Slovakian junior league&hellip;Played two years in the Western League&hellip;Scored one goal and six points in 26 NHL games last season.BOTTOM LINECibak is a nice passer and a hard-working, reliable two-way player, but he&rsquo;ll never be a scorer at the pro level. His NHL upside is as a checker on the fourth line. &#9632;

f0030-02

Green plays giant role in Texas

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div>Round 1 of the East Coast League&rsquo;s labor negotiations began with president-CEO Brian McKenna submitting the league&rsquo;s first-draft proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement to the players&rsquo; union.As far as Professional Hockey Players&rsquo; Association executive director Larry Landon and the player representatives are concerned, the league came out punching - below the belt.&ldquo;For a guy who has played seven years in the league, their proposal is basically a slap in the face,&rdquo; said Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies veteran Stefan Rivard.According to Landon, the ECHL proposed drastic changes to the current CBA, which expires May 31. They include reducing the salary cap by 30 per cent, the elimination of health insurance for players&rsquo; families and reducing the veteran limit from four players to one.&ldquo;They want to see young men put their lives on the line for $350 a week,&rdquo; Landon said.McKenna said the league&rsquo;s goal is to continue evolving as a feeder league for the American League and NHL. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to be a destination league for older players,&rdquo; McKenna said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07187/8128934-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="216" height="215"></div>GETTING THE WORD OUT The Arkansas RiverBlades have the ECHL&rsquo;s leading scorer in winger Buddy Smith, a growing fan base and a new marketing plan called Sports-Vision that the league is hailing as visionary.&ldquo;The idea is to provide a 12-month branding program,&rdquo; said Max Hooper, the senior VP of Equity Broadcasting, which owns the River-Blades. &ldquo;(Advertisers) buy a package that gets their message out to different venues (hockey and arena football). It&rsquo;s a tremendous value.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK The Johnstown Chiefs, a charter member of the ECHL since 1988, played their 1,000th game Feb. 22 at home against the Toledo Storm&hellip;Louisiana IceGators broadcaster Andy Davis, who played briefly for Division III SUNY-Geneseo, was signed as an emergency backup goalie. &#9632;

f0030-07

League, union at loggerheads already

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>Providence center Matt Herr has been a game-breaker for the Bruins this season - and a major contributor to the team&rsquo;s success.The 26-year-old native of Hackensack, N.J., stung opponents with 11 game-winning goals through Feb. 23, easily the best total in the American League this season. It was also within two of the AHL record, which has stood for nearly 50 years. Dune Fisher of the Hershey Bears tallied 13 game-winners in 1953-54.Herr, whose team was comfortably atop the North Division, was modest about his achievements.&ldquo;Somebody has to get the game-winners,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The odds are better if you&rsquo;re scoring some goals. That&rsquo;s how I look at it. That&rsquo;s just about luck.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011059/8128965-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="236" height="374"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATT HERR</figcaption></div>Herr is having a career season, potting 29 goals and 60 points through 58 games.In comparison, Herr totaled a modest 18 goals and 34 points in 60 games last season with Hershey.&ldquo;I think last season I had three or four game-winners right off the bat and then never had another one all year,&rdquo; Herr said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re going to score one or two goals every night, but your team doesn&rsquo;t win regularly, there aren&rsquo;t any game-winners.&rdquo;Herr deflected attention from himself, pointing out that the Bruins, who are a solid second in the Eastern Conference behind Hamilton, has been the beneficiary of balanced scoring.&ldquo;The team&rsquo;s playing real well. Especially guys like myself, Lee Goren, Martin Samuelsson, Andy Hilbert. We&rsquo;ve all had pretty solid seasons so far,&rdquo; said Herr, who played three games for the Boston Bruins earlier this year.&ldquo;When it comes down to the end, I want those winners in the Calder Cup, not now. I don&rsquo;t care too much about them now.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0031-01

Herr making a habit of playing hero

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03521/8128996-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="996" height="1489"><figcaption class="caption-body">With Providence leading the AHL&rsquo;s North Division standings, goal-tender Andrew Raycroft is looking forward to lots of playoff action.</figcaption></div>One of the great, but unheralded, coaching performances this season is in Portland, where Tim Army had the Pirates solidly in the American League post-season mix.Army spent the previous nine years in the NHL as an assistant coach - four with Anaheim and then five with Washington. The Portland posting is his first shot at being the top guy.&ldquo;Tim&rsquo;s a great coach because he really makes sure you do it right,&rdquo; said Pirates center Trent Whitfield. &ldquo;He has really driven that into us&hellip;I think the guys have responded.&ldquo;He watches video for hours and hours. He&rsquo;ll correct you if you&rsquo;re off two feet. He&rsquo;ll ask you to move this way or that little bit to keep you from getting in trouble. It&rsquo;s good, because it&rsquo;s working.&rdquo;At 28-20-7-5, Portland was fifth in the Eastern Conference, an improvement from last season when the Pirates finished with a losing record and out of the playoffs.<h2>AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02702/8129003-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="239" height="242"></div>PACK TRADE FOR SKILL The Hartford Wolf Pack traded some toughness to acquire a potentially explosive forward for the drive to the playoffs.Center Cory Larose, the AHL&rsquo;s leading rookie scorer a year ago, was acquired from Houston Feb. 20 for rugged forward Jay Henderson.&ldquo;We needed offense and Houston was looking to change up its mix and get grittier,&rdquo; said Wolf Pack GM Al Coates.The 27-year-old Larose, a native of Campbellton, N.B., instantly became the Wolf Pack&rsquo;s leading scorer, with 18 goals and 56 points in 58 games to his credit when he joined the team.Ironically, Henderson, who was traded away for a sniper, scored three goals through three games with Houston, while Larose had one assist though three with Hartford.NOTEBOOK The Manitoba Moose held its fourth annual Follow Your Dreams Aboriginal Youth Day Feb. 23, packing a season-high crowd of 12,386 fans into Winnipeg Arena, more than half of them to hear pre-game speaker Jordin Tootoo, a right winger with Western League Brandon. Tootoo, who is Inuit, starred for Canada at the 2003 World Junior Championship&hellip;The Hamilton Bulldogs were the first team to clinch an AHL playoff berth, with a 7-3 victory over Milwaukee Feb. 21&hellip;The Springfield Falcons were getting with the bobblehead craze. A March 1 promotion for a game against Worcester would see the Falcons hand out a bobblehead doll of coach Marty McSorley to the first 3,000 kids in attendance. &#9632;

f0031-03

Coach Army has Pirates marching

<div class="byline">&#x2013;PAVEL BARTA</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04391/8129034-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="94" height="102"></div>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this season. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses.&bull; Sergei Zinoyjev, C/RW, 23 (Boston). Selected 73rd overall in the 2000 draft by the Bruins, Zinovjev is enjoying another solid season, with 11 goals and 27 points in 40 games with Russian league Kazan.&bull; Jorgen Jonsson, C, 30 (free agent). The older brother of Islanders&rsquo; Kenny Jonsson, he played 81 NHL games in 199900. Jonsson is the top forward on Farjestad, scoring 16 goals and 38 points in 47 games.&bull; Mikko Luoma, D, 26 (Edmonton). Selected 181st overall in 2002, Luoma is the top defenseman on Finnish league Tappara Tampere with four goals and 17 points in 49 games.&bull; Dwayne Norris RW, 33 (free agent). Norris played 20 games with Quebec and Anaheim in three NHL seasons. He is second in scoring for German league Cologne with 15 goals and 37 points in 46 games. &#9632;</div>

f0031-04

EYE ON EUROPE

<div class="byline">&#x2013;BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05306/8129065-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="189" height="102"></div>The struggling Rockford IceHogs won three of their first five games under new coach Scott Burfoot, who replaced the fired Scott Bell. The IceHogs were 23-26-5 and ninth in the 10-team United League when the change was made Feb. 13. Burfoot was Bell&rsquo;s assistant from 1999-2001 before coming out of retirement this season. He played three games before going back behind the bench. Burfoots first move was to acquire right winger Kevin Kerr from Elmira. Burfoot&rsquo;s teammate on Flint&rsquo;s 1996 Colonial Cup title team, Kerr is the UHL&rsquo;s all-time goal-scoring leader. &#9632;

f0031-05

NOTEBOOK

<div class="byline">&#x2013;CHADD CRIPE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06249/8129096-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="204" height="66"></div>Idaho center Joe Rybar&rsquo;s dream is to become a doctor. The Fernie, B.C.-native has applied to four Canadian medical schools and, if he&rsquo;s accepted, he&rsquo;ll likely retire. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to help people,&rdquo; Rybar said. The 28-year-old graduated from Minnesota-Duluth with a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. Rybar is in the top three on the Steelheads in goals (21), points (56) and plus-minus (plus-16) through 55 games. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very serious in the way he approaches hockey and the way he approaches his medical career,&rdquo; said coach John Olver. &#9632;

f0031-06

<div class="byline">&#x2013;DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07213/8129127-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="189" height="107"></div>Heather Cranford, who gained fame from her appearance on the reality TV series The Bachelor, got the pick of the litter from the Central League&rsquo;s Fort Worth Brahmas. As part of a Valentine&rsquo;s Day promotion, she quizzed a trio of players, selected by fans from a pool of six in a website poll. Among her questions to the players, Cranford asked if they had ever been put in the penalty box during a date. Cranford selected 21-year-old rookie blueliner Lee Jacobson. Jacobson, who is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, is a native of Chicago. They went on a Valentine&rsquo;s Day date. &#9632;

f0031-07

<div class="byline">&#x2013;NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08175/8129158-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="209" height="75"></div>Former NHLer Ron Duguay won two of his first three games behind the bench of the Atlantic Coast League Jacksonville Barracudas. Duguay, 45, replaced Kurt Wickenehiser, who resigned with the team mired in last place. Duguay scored a goal and four points in six games with Jack-sonville this season, but retired to concentrate on coaching. He said it wasn&rsquo;t a difficult decision. &ldquo;No matter what level you&rsquo;re playing, you have to be in great shape and I wasn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said Duguay, who made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in 1977. &#9632;

f0031-08

<div class="byline">BY WILLY PALOV</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011133/8129196-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="258" height="278"></div>Hopes were high for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens heading into the 2002-03 season.They had the Quebec League&rsquo;s defending scoring champion and best player in Pierre-Marc Bouchard due back as an 18-year-old, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers was primed for a huge season after proving himself as a legitimate No. 1 goalie last year and wingers Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and Christian Larrivee were coming off 100-point seasons. But everything changed when Bouchard unexpectedly stuck with the NHL&rsquo;s Minnesota Wild.Chicoutimi management held out slim hope through the first three months of the season that Bouchard would be back, but that hope died when word came down that he would definitely not return.Deciding in mid-December it would be best to turn their attention to the future, the Sagueneens dealt Parenteau, the QMJHL&rsquo;s leading scorer, to the Sherbrooke Castors for forwards Maxime Boisclair, 17, and Yan Gaudette, 18, and a second round draft pick.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02760/8129189-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="281" height="705"></div>&ldquo;The reaction from the players was we just had to work harder,&rdquo; Drouin-Deslauriers said. &ldquo;We have been doing that and we may not have the same team on paper, but the game is still played on the ice. We still have a lot of hockey left and anything can happen.&rdquo;The Sagueneens will finish no higher than sixth in the Dilio Conference and are in jeopardy of being knocked to seventh by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.RED-HOT REMPARTS The Quebec Remparts are proving they will be worthy Memorial Cup hosts.They reeled off a nine-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 44-18. The hot stretch came after the league trading period, during which GM Raymond Bolduc overhauled Quebec&rsquo;s defense.The acquisitions were Alexandre Rouleau from Val-d&rsquo;Or, Aaron Johnson from Rimouski and Evan Shaw from Cape Breton.&ldquo;We are really happy with (Rouleau),&rdquo; said coach Eric Lavigne. &ldquo;He is playing very solid. At the start of the season defense was maybe our weakest area, but now it may be our strongest.&rdquo;FAN FRENZY Fans in Charlottetown wasted no time showing their enthusiasm for their new franchise. A few days after it was announced the Montreal Rocket would relocate to the P.E.I. capital for 2003-04, more than 500 season tickets were sold. The Rocket&rsquo;s season-ticket base for 2002-03 was a paltry 187. &#9632;

f0032-01

Sagging Sagueneens not tossing in towel

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03550/8129234-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="277" height="206"></div>Eric Staal is used to being in the spotlight after honing his hockey skills in the headlights.The Peterborough Petes center, the top-rated prospect among North American skaters for this year&rsquo;s NHL draft, grew up in Slate River, Ont., outside Thunder Bay. His father, Henry, owns a 550-acre sod farm and each winter builds a 50-foot by 100-foot outdoor rink, with headlights illuminating the ice surface.&ldquo;It was huge for me growing up,&rdquo; said Staal, fifth in Ontario League scoring with 34 goals and 88 points in 58 games. &ldquo;My three younger brothers and I would just go out there and play. We didn&rsquo;t do anything serious, just went out, fooled around for hours and had fun.&rdquo;Washington Capitals scout Steve Bowman said outdoor rinks teach a player to think. That&rsquo;s evident in Staal&rsquo;s game.&ldquo;Steve Shutt, in Ken Dryden&rsquo;s book (The Game), talked about being the little guy waiting in the weeds,&rdquo; Bowman said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to read the play and anticipate the play, then pounce on the puck. The game is fun when it&rsquo;s unstructured and without parents. Kids make up their own rules. Kids have a great sense of justice.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04392/8129227-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="278" height="694"></div>Staal was home at Christmas and spent time playing 2-on-2 with his brothers.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a throwback,&rdquo; said Petes GM Jeff Twohey. &ldquo;He plays for the right reasons and goes about his business quietly. The money in the NHL will be nice, but I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s why he has such an inner drive.&rdquo;BATTLING NETMINDERS Goalies TJ. Aceti of the Erie Otters and Chris Houle of the London Knights were suspended two games each for fighting.It was the second fight during the same stoppage in a Feb. 21 game and began when Houle skated the length of the ice to challenge Aceti after he punched Knights captain Danny Bois following a goal.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty bitter with myself,&rdquo; Houle said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in the stretch drive and I should be in the lineup.&rdquo;The Knights and Otters, in heated Western Conference races, lost their next two games without their top goalies.50/50 WINNERS Matt Foy joined Ottawa 67&rsquo;s linemate and OHL scoring leader Corey Locke as the league&rsquo;s third 50-goal scorer. Plymouth&rsquo;s Chad Larose is the other player to hit 50.It&rsquo;s the first time since 1981-82, when Moe Lemay and Jeff Vaive each scored 50, that the 67&rsquo;s have had two players reach that plateau. &#9632;

f0032-03

Creative farm hockey fuels Staal’s passion

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05299/8129286-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="270" height="271"></div>Bob Tory is leading the Western League in job descriptions.Tory - the Tri-City Americans&rsquo; vice-president, GM and part-owner - has added the title of interim coach. He stepped behind the bench after firing coach Shaun Clouston Feb. 20, when the Americans had a 17-39-2-3 record.Tri-City posted a victory and a tie in its first two games under Tory and Jim Hiller, who began this season as Clouston&rsquo;s assistant.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just taking it one day at a time and enjoying the experience,&rdquo; said Tory of coaching. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a situation you don&rsquo;t plan for.&ldquo;It was unfortunate that we had to make a coaching change in mid-season, but at the time that occurred, it made the most sense to go on the bench and finish the year and support Jim Hiller and try to get through a nice, smooth transition.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06249/8129279-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="278" height="703"></div>Tory will look for a full-time successor in the off-season.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not professing to be a coach,&rdquo; Tory said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a situation where it was unfortunate that our club underachieved and there was a decision to be made on the status of the coaching.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m taking over for the remainder of the season so that we can do a proper search for a coach for next year. Obviously, the number and quality of candidates in the off-season is a lot greater than it is at this time.&rdquo;MORE OF MOORE The Kamloops Blazers have signed GM Mike Moore and director of player personnel Randy Hansch to two-year contract extensions, with a club option for a third season.&ldquo;We are extremely pleased with the development and progress of the hockey team and that is a credit to the job Mike has done in his five years here,&rdquo; said Blazers&rsquo; president Colin Day.Moore was the WHL&rsquo;s Western Conference executive-of-the-year last season. Hansch has been in charge of player personnel since 1995.NOTEBOOK Kamloops center Erik Christensen became the first WHLer this season to hit the half-century mark when he scored his 49th and 50th goals in a 5-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice Feb. 23&hellip;When the Kelowna Rockets stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 games, they were only five shy of the WHL singleseason record - set by the 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings. Kelowna has clinched first place in the B.C. Division. The Seattle Thunderbirds have won the U.S. Division.<h2>SPOTLIGHT TEAM</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08181/8129272-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="216" height="212"></div>BRAMPTON BATTALIONArena Brampton Centre Capacity 4,995 GM Stan Butler Coach Stan Butler<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-09150/8129265-1-eng-US/f0032-092.jpg" title="f0032-09" width="450" height="256"></div> &#9632;

f0032-05

Tri-City owner Tory adds coaching duty

<div class="byline">&#x2013;PAUL SHAHEEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07210/8129317-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="377" height="119"></div>Boston University won more than just a game when they took the fabled Beanpot Tournament championship in mid-February. They also nabbed a highly prized United States League recruit.Des Moines defenseman Tom Morrow, a fast-rising player who is eligible for the 2003 NHL draft, was on his official visit to Boston University when the Terriers took the title. The win so impressed the 6-foot-6, 206-pound native of Afton, Minn., that he immediately accepted the school&rsquo;s scholarship offer for next season.&ldquo;A player his size is usually looked at as a defensive defenseman,&rdquo; said Des Moines coach Bob Ferguson, &ldquo;but he contributes on offense and makes good decisions getting the puck out of the zone.&rdquo;Morrow, 19, went undrafted out of high school last year, but Ferguson predicts that won&rsquo;t happen this time. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting a lot of calls,&rdquo; Ferguson said.Morrow is the 66th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting Service. &#9632;

f0032-07

UNITED STATES LEAGUE

<div class="byline">BY PHILIP COLVIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011025/8129369-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="280" height="236"></div>Nebraska-Omaha forward Gus Groslie has retired from hockey after a series of concussions affected his play with the Mavericks.Groslie had difficulty concentrating and had been bothered by anxiety and shaking after a hit suffered in his last game against Ohio State Jan. 25.The sophomore from Moorhead, Minn., took nine months off last spring after being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, before returning to the Mavs&rsquo; lineup Nov. 1. Groslie had two goals and five points in 17 games this season.&ldquo;I notice it, but it&rsquo;s not going to cause that much damage to my life,&rdquo; Groslie said. &ldquo;But in the same regard, I am worried about it and I don&rsquo;t want it to get any worse.&rdquo;Groslie will remain on scholarship and continue to spend time with the team.SPOTLIGHT First-place Ferris State&rsquo;s 23-8-1 overall record this season is its best ever in the program&rsquo;s 25-year Division I history.Ferris State&rsquo;s success can be traced to its top fine of left winger Chris Kunitz, center Jeff Legue and right winger Derek Nesbitt. The trio has accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the team&rsquo;s total goal-and point-scoring.DRAFT WATCH 2003 With two goals in his first five games, 6-foot-3,185-pound freshman defenseman Corey Potter of Michigan State impressed the Spartans&rsquo; coaching staff with his steady play, competitiveness and playmaking.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a quick skater for his size, who passes well and knows the game even better,&rdquo; said coach Rick Comley.Rated 80th overall among North American skaters eligible for the 2003 draft by Central Scouting, Potter injured his shoulder Nov. 29, sitting out three games. He returned to the lineup Dec. 28 and went 14 games without a goal, finally scoring against Michigan Feb. 15. He added his fourth of the season against Northern Michigan Feb. 21.NOTEBOOK Michigan forward Jeff Tambellini and goalie Al Montoya are truly top of their class. Tambellini is tied with Minnesota forward Thomas Vanek with 24 goals, the most by a rookie in the country, while Montoya is tied with Ferris State&rsquo;s Mike Brown for the national lead with 23 wins, and owns the top goals-against average among freshmen, 2.23.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02700/8129362-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="282" height="232"></div>Top PlayerMartin Kariya<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03542/8129355-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="191" height="68"></div>MAINE<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04428/8129348-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="177" height="85"></div>BLACK BEARS Orono, MaineArena Alfond Arena (cap. 5,641)Coach Tim Whitehead, 2nd yearNCAA Titles 1993 and 1999Freshmen 5 Sophomores 8 Juniors 7 Seniors 7 Enrollment 10,700No. 1 Sport HockeyFamous Alumni Paul Kariya, Stephen King, Gary Thome &#9632;

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Maverick retires after sustaining concussions

<div class="byline">BY LARRY MAHONEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05354/8129400-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="280" height="251"></div>According to Boston University coach Jack Parker, junior goalie Sean Fields has been his team&rsquo;s most valuable player this season.But Fields says he has received a lot of help.&ldquo;The guys in front of me have made my life pretty easy. They&rsquo;ve been keeping the shots to the outside and taking care of the guys in front,&rdquo; said Fields, who entered the final weekend of the Terriers&rsquo; regular season with a 19-10-3 record and. 910 save percentage. He was also named MVP in the venerable Beanpot Tournament.&ldquo;He has had a tremendous year,&rdquo; said Maine coach Tim Whitehead. &ldquo;He has been a difference-maker for them.&rdquo;Fields has worked on all aspects of his game and has focused on becoming more consistent.&ldquo;Last year, I had a hot streak and then I had a couple of bad games. This year, I&rsquo;m trying to be consistent throughout. I&rsquo;m trying to avoid the peaks and valleys,&rdquo; said Fields, who stopped 156 of 164 shots during a recent six-game winning streak.SPOTLIGHT Maine senior center Tommy Reimann, who played three games on defense at the outset of the 2001-02 season, was moved back to the blueline Feb. 22 and responded with a steady performance in a 4-0 win over UMass-Amherst. Maine coach Tim Whitehead made the move because of Maine&rsquo;s inexperience and turnover problems on defense.&ldquo;I was really impressed with how he played after not practising on defense at all this season. He gave us a big boost. He&rsquo;s a smart player,&rdquo; Whitehead said.DRAFT WATCH 2003 Providence freshman defenseman James Pemberton has been solid for the surging Friars. A stay-at-home type, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder was ranked 65th overall among North American skaters eligible for the 2003 draft by Central Scouting.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got good size, a good stick and a good shot,&rdquo; said Providence coach Paul Pooley. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s also a good skater and he likes to learn. From the start of the season until now, he&rsquo;s a much better player.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Merrimack junior center and scoring leader Marco Rosa was lost for the season with a broken wrist sustained in a 6-1 win over Boston College Feb. 15. &#9632;

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Terriers’ Fields earning kudos for net magic

<div class="byline">BY TOM BOOGIE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06308/8129452-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="279" height="241"></div>Dartmouth freshman Hugh Jessiman didn&rsquo;t attract a lot of attention when he was playing in prep school, but he&rsquo;s more than making up for it now.The 6-foot-5 Jessiman, ranked 35th overall among North American skaters for the 2003 draft by Central Scouting, is a virtual lock for Eastern College Athletic Conference rookie of the year honors, and is part of the fine freshman class that has kept the Big Green in the hunt for the ECAC title.Although the big winger had 25 goals and 52 points in 18 games during his final year at The Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn., recruiters weren&rsquo;t knocking down his door.&ldquo;Brunswick isn&rsquo;t a place that you see a boatload of (Division I-level) kids come out of,&rdquo; said Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. &ldquo;We had to go find him. We had first seen him as a 15-year-old, and we just kept our eye on him.&rdquo;Through 27 games, Jessiman was Dartmouth&rsquo;s leading scorer with 18 goals and 37 points.&ldquo;He has great hands, and he really thinks the game,&rdquo; Gaudet said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s so creative. He makes passes that make you think he has eyes in the back of his head.&rdquo;ANALYSIS One reason RPI will finish in the lower third of the conference was a shoulder injury to senior defenseman Dan Eberly.Eberly missed seven games after getting hurt against Colgate Jan. 17. RPI went 0-6-1 in the next seven games while he was sidelined.NHL PROSPECT WATCH Vermont has had a rollercoaster season, but the one constant has been the play of junior left winger Jeff Miles.Miles, selected 268th overall by Chicago in 2001, has 29 points in 29 games for the Catamounts. He has been especially effective on special teams, scoring seven power play goals and two when the Cats have been shorthanded.NOTEBOOK Colgate forward Scooter Smith kept a Raiders&rsquo; streak alive, scoring two goals in a 4-3 win over RPI Feb. 22. Smith upped his goal total to 21 with the two markers, making it the 15th straight year Colgate had at least one 20-goal man&hellip;Cornell finished the season unbeaten (13-0-0) at home, the first time the Big Red had gone undefeated at home since 1970-71.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07275/8129445-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="286" height="235"></div>Top PlayerJon Francisco<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08224/8129438-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="194" height="70"></div>MINNESOTA-DULUTHBULLDOGS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-09192/8129431-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="213" height="54"></div>Duluth, Minn.Arena Duluth Entertainment Center (cap. 5,333)Coach Scott Sandelin, 3rd yearNCAA Tournaments FourFreshmen 6 Sophomores 12 Juniors 4 Seniors 5 Enrollment 9.700No. 1 Sport HockeyFamous Alumni Brett Hull, Chico Resch, Dan Devine &#9632;

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March 14, 2003

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

2002-03 NHL STATISTICS

GOALTENDER STATISTICS

SERGEI UNCENSORED