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 28, 2003

The Hockey News March 28, 2003

<div class="byline">BY PHILIP COLVIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011028/8191083-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="275" height="235"></div>Alaska-Fairbanks coach Guy Gadowski expected to get solid goaltending this season. He just didn&rsquo;t know it would be from sophomore walk-on Keith Bartusch.When veteran goaltenders Lance Mayes and Preston McKay struggled after the holiday break, Bartusch led Alaska-Fairbanks to a 5-2 win over Lake Superior State Jan. 18, was the No. 1 star in a 2-2 tie with Northern Michigan Feb. 1 and made 40 saves as the Nanooks stopped Ohio State&rsquo;s 17-game home unbeaten streak Feb. 21.Two years ago, after playing junior hockey in Fairbanks, Bartusch went home and considered giving up the game. He was working construction and attending community college when Nanooks assistant coach Tavis MacMillan called to offer him a tryout. Bartusch jumped at the chance. &ldquo;He has worked for everything he has gotten,&rdquo; Gadowsky said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s made the most of the opportunity.&rdquo;ANALYSIS Ferris State clinched its first Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title on the next-to-last day of the season.Further down the standings, tiebreakers were needed to break a three-way tie for fifth place. Northern Michigan (14-13-1) finished fifth on the strength of having more conference wins than Notre Dame and Miami, which finished with identical records (13-12-3).The RedHawks split two regular season games with the Fighting Irish and were awarded the sixth seed on goal differential, 4-3, in those two games.NHL PROSPECT WATCH Northern Michigan freshman Jamie Milam always has been a standout offensive player. But the defenseman has also showed improvement this year in his own end.Rated 181st among North American skaters for the 2003 draft, Milam has an NHL-caliber shot and led Wildcats blueliners in scoring with three goals and 20 points.NOTEBOOK Notre Dame sophomore goalie Morgan Cey stymied Western Michigan freshman Vince Bellissimo with his third penalty shot save of the season Feb 28. Cey also thwarted Michigan&rsquo;s Milan Gajic and Michigan State&rsquo;s Jim Slater this season and stopped Bowling Green&rsquo;s leading scorer, Greg Day, last year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03560/8191076-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="477" height="749"></div>NORTHEASTERNHUSKIESBoston, Mass.Arena Matthews Arena (cap. 4,500)Coach Bruce Crowder, 7th yearNCAA Tournaments ThreeFreshmen 10 Sophomores 9Juniors 6 Seniors 3Enrollment 12,750No. 1 Sport HockeyFamous Alumni Dan McGillis, David Poile, Reggie Lewis &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

Walk-on goalie turns into star for Nanooks

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03503/8190945-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="274" height="205"></div>Saying &ldquo;the first thousand are the toughest,&rdquo; Ottawa 67&rsquo;s coach Brian Kilrea celebrated his 1,000th career Ontario League coaching victory in a very fitting manner.The milestone 4-2 win over the Sudbury Wolves came against the second-winningest coach in Canadian Hockey League history, Bert Templeton, who has 907 victories in his 26-year career. A sellout crowd of 10,238 was at the Ottawa Civic Centre March 9.Kilrea, 68, also has coached in the league for 26 years, all with the 67&rsquo;s.The Ottawa mentor and Scotty Bowman, with 1,244 career wins in the NHL, and onetime Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss John Brophy, who&rsquo;s currendy with the Wheeling Nailers in the East Coast League, are the only coaches in hockey with 1,000 wins. &ldquo;This means I&rsquo;ve been around a long time,&rdquo; joked Kilrea as his all-time record reached 1,000-599-137-10.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04420/8190938-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="256" height="674"></div>Kilrea&rsquo;s first OHL win came in his very first game, 9-5 over the Toronto Marlboros Sept. 27,1974. When he won his 742nd game Jan. 17,1997, he moved past Ken Hodge of the Western League for most wins in CHL history.&ldquo;To ask a team to go out and win 42 games is asking a lot.&rdquo; said Kilrea, who needed 42 victories this season to set the all-time mark. &ldquo;This relieves the pressure on me, but there was more pressure on the kids.&rdquo;NO RUSH Commissioner David Branch said the league has no immediate plans to sanction former Windsor Spitfires coach Tom Webster for cross-checking and slashing left winger Mike James during a practice Feb. 25. Webster resigned two days later.Branch met with James and his father and said they indicated they don&rsquo;t wish to pur-sue the matter. Branch said he&rsquo;ll eventually speak with Webster. The Spitfires won their first five games after GM Mike Kelly became coach.NEW PERSPECTIVE Larry Mavety, who stepped down Dec. 13 as coach of the Kingston Frontenacs to concentrate on his GM duties, said he doesn&rsquo;t know how others can combine the two roles.&ldquo;When Killer (Brian Kilrea), Bert (Templeton) and I started out, owning a team was a hobby for most of these owners,&rdquo; said Mavety, who coached for 22 seasons.&ldquo;Now these teams are million-dollar operations and it&rsquo;s a business. There&rsquo;s a lot more to do than just hockey. Because it is a million-dollar business, there&rsquo;s more work off the ice and there&rsquo;s more work off the ice to put the product on the ice.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Kilrea wins No. 1,000 against longtime foe

<div class="byline">-NANCY MARRAPESE-BURRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02677/8189352-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="257" height="555"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011068/8189359-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="218" height="279"></div>For the first time in his seven-year NHL career, left winger Mike Knuble reached the 20-goal mark, aided in no small part by playing on the Bruins&rsquo; top line with center Joe Thornton and right winger Glen Murray.Knuble not only has surpassed his previous career high in goals (15), but also has a career best 20 assists and 35 points. He hit the 35-mark in 1998-99 when he played for the Rangers.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s certainly been a dream season for me,&rdquo; Knuble said. &ldquo;We wondered when Billy (Guerin) left where goals were going to come from.&ldquo;(PJ. Axelsson) and I have combined for 36. That&rsquo;s two places where a lot of people didn&rsquo;t think we were going to get goals this year. I know P.J. and I are more than happy to oblige.&rdquo;WHAT BOSTON NEEDED Help on defense. The Bruins have been victimized often in both their own zone and the neutral zone, and their overall team defense has been wildly inconsistent.WHAT BOSTON GOT Blueliners Ian Moran from Pittsburgh and Dan McGillis from San Jose. That means veteran Don Sweeney could have his role reduced and Jonathan Girard&rsquo;s icetime during 5-on-5 situations will be cut, which will help both player and team.BOTTOM LINE The newcomers will add a more physical element to the lineup. It has been sorely missing.NOTEBOOK Left winger Sergei Samsonov, who had bone-graft surgery on his right wrist Christmas Eve, has started skating and appears on target to return, either at the end of March or the beginning of April&hellip;Center Joe Thornton recorded his 200th NHL assist against Chicago March 9 and defenseman Sean O&rsquo;Donnell played his 600th NHL game March 11, coincidentally in his hometown-Ottawa-against the Senators. &#9632;

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Knuble giving Bruins new source for goals

Have you spotted these two personalities in the same room at the same time? Submitted by Ryan Harder from Saskatoon, Sask.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0548/8191698-1-eng-US/f0053-052.jpg" title="f0053-05" width="277" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body">CRAIG BUTTON</figcaption></div>Flames GM hears rumors of whether Jarome Iginla will return another year<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-0640/8191691-1-eng-US/f0053-062.jpg" title="f0053-06" width="281" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVID SCHWIMMER</figcaption></div>&lsquo;Friends&rsquo; actor hears rumors of whether cast will return another yearSubmit ideas for Separated at Birth to <a href="mailto:jhodgson@thehockeynews.com">jhodgson@thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011927/8188496-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Atlanta sophomore sniper Ilya Kovalchuk gives his lungs a workout along with the legs.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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YOUNG YELLER

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011874/8188548-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="295" height="331"><figcaption class="caption-body">EDITOR&rsquo;S NOTEBOOK&nbsp;Jason Kay Managing Editor</figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">Message of punishment more important than labeling Vanbiesbrouck</blockquote>You never know someone until you know them, and even then it&rsquo;s a bit of a crap shoot.That&rsquo;s an especially useful (albeit butchered) adage to remember when you read or hear stories about people in the spotlight. When devouring information on the person-alities of personalities, it&rsquo;s advisable to ensure your salt shaker is handy and full of grains. Generalizations get passed around like colds and frequently the story-teller has an agenda, even if it&rsquo;s simply the dubious self-importance that comes with spreading gossip.The hockey world is a microcosm of society when it comes to individual characterizations. Labels are tossed like snowballs, only they don&rsquo;t melt as easily-not even with salt. Player X is bad in the dressing room, Player Y sleeps around, Player Z wants to sleep with Player Y.And Player V, or in this case former Player V, is an evil racist.John Vanbiesbrouck, coach-GM and minority owner of the Ontario League&rsquo;s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, referred to his 19-year-old captain, Trevor Daley, as a &ldquo;nigger.&rdquo; He admitted to uttering the slur &ldquo;several times&rdquo; in a heated conversation with two of his other players. The use of the word in virtually every context is hurtful; in this case, so much so it prompted Daley to leave the team. (See pg. 18 for more.)<h2>SHOULD BE ASHAMED</h2>For that reason alone, Vanbiesbrouck should be ashamed, and there is evidence to suggest he feels contrite.The former star NHL goalie apologized, resigned his positions and accepted responsi-bility. He tried to explain his verbal assault by pointing to the environment in which he was raised in Detroit; that the term insidiously crept into his subconscious vocabulary.On the flip side, Vanbiesbrouck, during his playing days, was known as a decent NHL citizen. He had a few runins with reporters and had a reputation for being occasionally crusty, but mostly was respected for his play and the manner in which he carried himself.So what are we to make of the man now?How about nothing? We still don&rsquo;t know what transpires in Vanbiesbrouck&rsquo;s head and, while it&rsquo;s a journalist&rsquo;s job to explain and provide context and paint pictures, it serves little purpose to form an opinion of his inner thoughts. Vanbiesbrouck may be a latent racist, brimming with hatred towards the black community. Or he may be a man, who in a fit of rage, made a colossal mistake.<h2>ANYTHING TO BE GAINED?</h2>Who knows, except for perhaps Vanbiesbrouck himself? And in this instance, does it really matter? Is there anything to be gained?Attention should instead be focused on the issue and its handling by the OHL. Vanbiesbrouck isn&rsquo;t the first hockey person to utter a racial slur and we&rsquo;re not naive enough to believe he&rsquo;ll be the last, even if that&rsquo;s the universal hope.To that end, his resignation and withdrawal from direct contact with players is appropriate and sends the proper message. A man in a position of authority over impressionable teenagers must be held to an extremely high standard. He&rsquo;s expected not only to lead his kids into battle against the opposition, but also to lead by example.Besides, if you&rsquo;re the next black teen headed for the Soo, would you want to play there if Vanbiesbrouck were still at the helm?Yes, it&rsquo;s agreed Vanbiesbrouck should no longer be an influence in junior hockey dressing rooms; that he eventually did the right thing after saying the wrong thing. But beyond that, let&rsquo;s leave the label-making to the textile industry.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021576/8188541-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="338" height="545"><figcaption class="caption-body">TREVOR DALEY</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031279/8188534-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="335" height="543"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOHN VANBIESBROUCK</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041037/8188527-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="410" height="224"></div> &#9632;

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FEATURES & COLUMNS

Focus on issue, not individual

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05842/8188586-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg" title="f0004-05" width="285" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATS SUNDIN</figcaption></div>MILESTONESPaul Ranheim, RW, 36Phoenix, March 6 at St. LouisPenalty killer skates in 1,000th game.Mats Sundin, C, 32Toronto, March 10 at EdmontonGame-winning goal makes him first Swede to reach 1,000 points in NHL.NHL DEBUTSJesse Fibiger &bull; D, 24San Jose, March 6 vs. MontrealStay-at-homer logs 10:42 in OT win.Simon Gamache &bull; C, 22Atlanta, March 7 vs. FloridaSmall, skilled forward was fourth-last pick in 2000 draft (290th overall).Rob Davison &bull; D, 22San Jose, March 9 at DallasRugged defender plays 12:11-all but eight seconds at even strength.Brad DeFauw &bull; LW, 25Carolina, March 10 vs. ColumbusBurly winger first in franchise history to score twice in NHL debut.Garnet Exelby &bull; D, 21Atlanta, March 11 at New JerseyPhysical blueliner keeps it simple in solid introduction to NHL.Marc-Andre Bergeron &bull; D, 22Edmonton, March 11 at CalgaryOffensive defenseman gets power play time in Battle of Alberta.Miroslav Zalesak &bull; LW, 23San Jose, March 11 vs. St. LouisInjury delayed speedster&rsquo;s debut; he makes up for it by scoring goal.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-06502/8188579-1-eng-US/f0004-062.jpg" title="f0004-06" width="284" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body">JESSE FIBIGER</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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WORTH NOTING

<div class="byline">-MARK BRENDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011879/8188641-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DUN THAT&nbsp;Ranger goalie Mike Dunham has stopped two of three penalty shots against him this season.</figcaption></div>When a referee points to center ice for a penalty shot, should the coach of the shooting team be able to say, &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s OK by you, can I just take a power play instead?&rdquo;For example, imagine if the following scenario played out in an April 4 game later this season between Nashville and Phoenix:Fighting for their playoff lives, the Predators are leading 3-2 with three minutes left in the third period. Desperate for the tying goal, the Coyotes defensemen are in full pinch mode when the puck squirts free to Predators center Rem Murray in his own end. Murray spots teammate Clarke Wilm coming off the bench and sends him in alone on Sean Burke. Teppo Numminen catches Wilm just inside Phoenix&rsquo;s blueline and pulls him down from behind.Under current rules it&rsquo;s a penalty shot for Wilm and neither he nor Predators coach Barry Trotz can do anything about it.But if they could make a decision of penalty shot versus power play, here are some of the things they might consider: Wilm is no sniper and Burke isn&rsquo;t beat easily at the best of times. A stop here would give the Coyotes a huge lift. Nashville would love to have Phoenix&rsquo;s best defenseman in the penalty box for two minutes. They would love even more to take two minutes off the clock.They would also know the chances of Wilm scoring are stacked not just against him, but all NHL shooters. Out of 28 penalty shots this season (as of March 12), goalies have stopped 21 of them. The 25 per-cent shooter success rate is on track to be the fourth-lowest in nearly two decades and not much better than Detroit&rsquo;s league-leading power play success rate of 23.7 per cent.Penalty shots led to goals between 40 and 50 per cent of the time for much of the 1980s and 1990s.Once again, growing goalie equipment is being cited as the main reason for the drop. &ldquo;I really think the reason percentages are down,&rdquo; said New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello, &ldquo;is because shooters see less of the net.&rdquo;If the NHL doesn&rsquo;t give teams the option to decline penalty shots, it should at least give credit to players responsible for making them happen. If Wilm scores, it says here Murray deserves an assist.Fat chance of that happening. Given the trends, we&rsquo;re betting the house on Burke. &#9632;

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Penalty shot or not?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021330/8188686-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="251" height="404"><figcaption class="caption-body">RAY DILAURO</figcaption></div><h2>The Best of the Hockey World</h2>MINOR MIRACLE Ray DiLauro of the East Coast League&rsquo;s Reading Royals scores three third period goals in 40 seconds to help his team rally for a win.SHINING STAR Veteran goaltender Ron Tugnutt records back-to-back shutouts while subbing for injured starter Marty Turco.CANADIENS GET RE-WARD Montreal finally calls up Jason Ward, the AHL&rsquo;s top scorer all season, and he scores a goal and an assist in his first game.<h2>The Worst of the Hockey World</h2>HOUSE OF HORRORS Florida sets a team mark by going winless in 10 straight games, surpassing the record of nine set earlier this season.IN THE DOGHOUSE Phoenix&rsquo;s Andrei Nazarov is suspended two games for sucker-punching San Jose&rsquo;s Dan McGillis.NHL STICKS IT TO YOUNG Dallas winger Scott Young is suspended two games for whacking Columbus&rsquo;s Jaroslav Spacek in the face with his stick.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03858/8188679-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="257" height="412"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDREI NAZAROV</figcaption></div><h2>PENALTY SHOTS</h2>Here are the active NHLers who have taken the most penalty shots. Shooters are 7-for-28 this season, as of March 12.MARIO LEMIEUX, PIT &bull; 6&nbsp;for&nbsp;10PAVEL BURE, NYR &bull; 5&nbsp;for&nbsp;10STEVE YZERMAN, DET &bull; 3&nbsp;for&nbsp;6MARTIN STRAKA, PIT &bull; 3&nbsp;for&nbsp;6<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04534/8188672-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="925" height="776"></div> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06204/8188717-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="285" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEAN LOMBARDI</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05333/8188724-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="169" height="146"></div>From around the NHL&bull; While San Jose failed to deal its veterans (Teemu Selanne, Vincent Damphousse, Mike Ricci, Scott Thornton) at the March 11 deadline, it wasn&rsquo;t for lack of effort. Instead of meeting with the media as planned, Sharks GM Dean Lombardi was so exhausted that he went home, fell asleep and was Late for his team&rsquo;s home game that night against St. Louis.&bull; When Minnesota gets an early lead they&rsquo;re darn near unbeatable. Check that-they are unbeatable. With less than a month left in the regular season, the Wild was a remarkable 17-0-1-0 when it had the lead after one period and 24-0-1-0 with a lead after two.&bull; Tough-sell-of-the-week is that game-worn 1997-98 Dmitri Khristich home white No. 12 Bruins sweater going for $550 at <a href="http://www.nhlgameworn.com">www.nhlgameworn.com</a>. Or maybe the $12,500 2002-03 Mark Messier No. 11 jersey is more to your liking? Just be aware that when you fork over the dough, the players get none of it. The collective bargaining agreement gives teams control over game-worn sweaters. That&rsquo;s one more item for the 2004 checklist&bull; Six of the past seven (and eight of the past 10) NHL player-of-the-week awards have gone to goalies.&bull; The Maple Leafs&rsquo; payroll spiked at the trade deadline, but they should save on travel expenses. With all the draft picks they traded away, they could abstain from the draft. Heck, they could even fire the scouting staff. &#9632;

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SNAPSHOTS

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY &#x2022; Senior Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04500/8188755-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">&ldquo;He makes good decisions that make you completely forget he&rsquo;s a rookie.&rdquo;IDOL WORSHIP&nbsp;Barret Jackman says he used to pretend to be Al MacInnis as a kid; now he&rsquo;s playing alongside the future Hall of Famer.</figcaption></div>Barret Jackman could not have picked a better season to be an NHL rookie.For starters, the St. Louis Blues were without superstar defender Chris Pronger and needed somebody to eat up a portion of his many minutes. Jackman, who turned 22 March 5, hasn&rsquo;t made St. Louis fans forget about Pronger, but he has helped ease the pain of his extended absence.Also, with no freshman forward lighting it up offensively, the door is wide open for a player such as Jackman, whose best contributions are in his team&rsquo;s zone, to make a strong bid to be named rookie of the year.If that happens, and it is looking more and more like Jackman is the man to beat, he would be the first defensive defenseman to ever win the Calder. Ten defensemen have been named rookie of the year, all of them for their scoring exploits.<h2>JACKMAN &lsquo;DESERVES&rsquo; CALDER</h2>&ldquo;I have never pushed for a teammate to win the Calder, but I honestly hope Barret wins it because he deserves it,&rdquo; said Al MacInnis. &ldquo;He is a really, really, really good defenseman and a great kid who is respectful of the game and of the older players. The hockey people with the Blues tell me he has never played better than he has this season.&rdquo;Jackman, who had two goals, 14 points and 266 penalty minutes in 75 games for American League Worcester last season, said this season has been a dream come true.The Hockey News Scout says:<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;His biggest asset is his mental toughness. It doesn&rsquo;t matter who he plays against&rdquo; -defense partner Al MacInnis</blockquote>&ldquo;I swear I wake up every morning and pinch myself to see if it&rsquo;s still going as well as I think it is,&rdquo; said the Trail, B.C., native. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting twice as much ice time as I thought I would get. I&rsquo;m playing in the last minute of each period and at the end of the game&hellip;that&rsquo;s highlight film stuff for me.&rdquo;<h2>NO SERIOUS OFFENSIVE THREATS</h2>Make no mistake about it, there are some promising NHL rookies this season who will enjoy long, successful careers. But be serious, the top scoring first-year NHLer is Detroit&rsquo;s Henrik Zetterberg who had 35 points after 67 games. That is not overwhelming in any era. Columbus&rsquo;s Rick Nash shows promise, but his 14 goals and minus-25 are hardly solid Calder endorsements regardless of his tender age. Buffalo&rsquo;s Ales Kotalik has 18 goals, but compared to Teemu Selanne&rsquo;s 76 in 199293, well&hellip;you get the picture.Jackman played one game with the Blues last season, a 5-3 win over Detroit. He was the best player in the game and it served to whet his appetite for this year.&ldquo;It was all I thought about all summer&hellip;making the Blues,&rdquo; Jackman said.Pronger going down with knee and wrist injuries opened the door for someone to take advantage of an opportunity. For MacInnis, who admits he struggled last year and would be contemplating retirement now had he not bounced back, Jackman has been a breath of fresh air.&ldquo;He has helped me as much as I have helped him,&rdquo; said the future Hall of Famer. &ldquo;We were nervous heading into this year wondering who would get Chris&rsquo;s minutes. I couldn&rsquo;t take them at my age. If I were to compare him to an older defenseman, it would be Scott Stevens. I don&rsquo;t think anyone hits as hard as Stevens, but like Stevens he&rsquo;s always in the right position and he&rsquo;s stronger than he looks.&rdquo;Make no mistake, Jackman is no offensive slouch, with three goals and 17 points through 69 games. In a year when points seem hard to come by for newcomers, that&rsquo;s not bad.His &ldquo;pinch me, I must be dreaming&rdquo; season is rapidly concluding. Jackman, though, draws back on the memory of the first preseason game he played with the Blues three years ago.<h2>PRETENDED HE WAS MACINNIS</h2>&ldquo;The first shift I take is with Al and I look across the ice and he&rsquo;s standing there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;All I could think was how, when I was younger playing road hockey, I used to pretend I was him. You know, taking slap shots and scoring. And there I was, playing with Al MacInnis.&rdquo;Playing his way toward the Calder&hellip;perhaps. &#9632;

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Jackman for Calder?

The Hockey News FROM THE EDITORSIn an age where spinning the story has become as critical a skill as passing the puck, it&rsquo;s not often either side in the NHL&rsquo;s CBA wars fails to answer the bell. So when something happens and all you hear is silence, listen up. It means something important is going on.Edmonton&rsquo;s deadline deals that sent Anson Carter to the New York Rangers and Janne Niinimaa to the New York Islanders won&rsquo;t have an impact on who wins the Stanley Cup this season, but they do send another distressing message about the state of the game. If there has ever before been a playoff-bound team sending away its top scorer and top defenseman, we haven&rsquo;t heard of it.And yet on this historic occasion, not a word from the NHL Players&rsquo; Association.Maybe no one asked their opinion. But even so, the PA could have weighed in. It could have issued a statement. Surely there are templates in the files. Change a few words, fill in a few blanks and presto, a press release is born. Maybe something like:&ldquo;The Oilers, like all clubs, are always making decisions how to improve their hockey club. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, each team is free to make its own budget. Fans who are pleased or disappointed with the player personnel moves of individual teams should voice their opinions to those teams. The collective bargaining agreement does not dictate player personnel moves to any GM or team owner.&rdquo;<blockquote class="pullQuote">If there has ever been a playoff-bound team sending away its top scorer and top defenseman, we haven&rsquo;t heard of it.</blockquote>Dictate, no. Strongly suggest, like a thief dangling his hostage from the fifth-story balcony strongly suggests the victim give up the wallet and car keys, absolutely.Carter is eligible for arbitration this summer. That is his right under the CBA. Given his strong season, he would be in line for a significant raise from his current $2.4 million. The Oilers can do nothing to prevent it.Only those who believe the Oilers are trying to get worse instead of better can argue this is a deal they wanted to do to improve on-ice. In this case, as with Niinimaa, as is always the case in these matters, actions speak louder than words.That includes the words of Oilers GM Kevin Lowe, who chose to take a page from the &ldquo;Be Happy With Bread Crumbs&rdquo; book he borrowed from Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick. It was only a month earlier that Patrick found the nerve to suggest the Penguins would be a better team with a bag of pucks and a new Zamboni machine than they were with Alexei Kovalev. If owner Mario Lemieux actually thought Patrick believed what he was saying, the Pens 3-12-0-0 record after the Kovalev trade would have earned Patrick his walking papers. But it didn&rsquo;t. Instead, it earned Patrick the right to gut his team even more at the deadline.The Oilers never overspent. They are not paying the price for loading up on a failed Cup drive. They are a well-run, well-managed club. The proof is in the deals that the remaining Oiler players are lamenting today.How&rsquo;s that for irony: The players left behind are the ones furious with the system. &#9632;

Oilers’ sad-sack dealing another blast to CBA

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011974/8188810-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

<h2>SHARKS WILL MISS NOLAN</h2>Owen Nolan was the heart and soul of the San Jose Sharks. He will truly be missed.Congratulations go out to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have acquired one of the best players in the league. Over the eight years he was with the Sharks, Nolan touched the lives of players, coaching staff and fans.Best of luck to Owen and his wife. His No. 11 will always be remembered as the number of a champion.Steven Ackel, Pleasanton, Calif.<h2>THN WRONG FORUM FOR FEDOROV?</h2>I&rsquo;m sure there is an audience for the Sergei Fedorov/Anna Kournikova story, but I&rsquo;d like to believe The Hockey News isn&rsquo;t the forum for that audience. (THN, March 14)I subscribe to your publication to read about the game of hockey-not about players&rsquo; social lives.Next time you publish a scoop about a player&rsquo;s love life, please don&rsquo;t make it your cover story.Lisa Davis, Lansing, Mich.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>As a lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan I sympathize with the agony Pittsburgh Penguins fans must be going through.The Oilers have had some of the greatest players to ever play the game, only to lose them because they couldn&rsquo;t afford them. Although it was tough on the fans for a few years, Edmonton has managed to put a young, competitive, team on the ice every year.Although we are sure to lose the Ryan Smyths and Mike Comries-barring a favorable CBA agreement-when they become some of the NHL&rsquo;s elite, hockey will go on in Edmonton because owners and management are being financially responsible.Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and GM Craig Patrick are following the same game-plan, and, frustrating as it may be to fans, hockey will go on in Pittsburgh because of it.Chris McAuley, Fort McMurray, Alta.<h2>GM MAKES HABS HAVE-NOTS</h2>While Canadiens GM Andre Savard isn&rsquo;t bad enough to make me long for the days of Rejean Houle, his blunders are alarming.His acquisitions of Donald Audette, Randy McKay and Mariusz Czerkawski have been big-money failures. He gave huge money to a one-year wonder in Jose Theodore and a longtime giveaway machine in Patrice Brisebois.Savard continues to throw good money after bad-a cardinal sin for a Canadian team.Beau Simpson, Errington, B.C.<h2>LEAF SUSPENSIONS STINK</h2>The suspensions to Toronto Maple Leafs Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi are a joke.These guys got five and three game suspensions, respectively, for fighting, but Keith Tkachuk gets four games for cross checking Wes Walz in the throat.Let me get this straight: You get into a fight and get a bigger suspension than you do if you use your stick as a weapon? Like I said, it&rsquo;s a joke.David MacKay, St. Charles, Ont.<h2>MURPHY AN INSPIRATION</h2>Thanks for the great article on Ron Murphy. (THN, March 21)Murphy has shown class and determination in recovering from an accident that left him in a wheelchair. He has found a way to push through everything he has encountered.Best wishes to Ron Murphy.Nick Solaris, Petrolia, Ont.<h2>SATHER A BUSYBODY</h2>Hats off to Glen Sather. He is coach-GM of the worst team money can buy, yet still has time to moan about Garth Snow&rsquo;s equipment, which was inspected and deemed within NHL guidelines.Quit your whining, Glen!Len Cusumano, Massapequa, N.Y.<h2>THN&rsquo;S GUESTS ARE GREAT</h2>I love THN&rsquo;s guest articles. The stories by Denis Potvin (THN, Feb. 21) and Mike Bossy (THN, March 14) were dead-on.Why the powers that be don&rsquo;t listen to them is beyond me. Hopefully, somebody over at the NHL&rsquo;s head office will take notice.Andrew Roy, Ottawa<h2>Got something to say?</h2>U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.Canada: Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7E-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="f0009-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03754/8188865-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Elliott Pap&nbsp;Guest ColumnistGREAT WHITE NORTHWINNING POSE?&nbsp;Goalie Dan Cloutier and the Canucks added only Brad May for the playoff battles ahead. Vancouver believes it will be enough.</figcaption></div>The Vancouver Canucks have been playing with the big boys in the Western Conference all season, but they couldn&rsquo;t play with them in the frenzy of trade deadline acquisitions.The Canucks stood pretty much still on March 11 and made just one minor move, bringing back gritty forward Brad May, a third-liner at best. On paper, the Canucks fell behind by the simple fact every other contender in the West made a significant upgrade.Detroit answered its dire need for a top-four defenseman and acquired one in Mathieu Schneider. Colorado improved its blueline depth and size on the wing by bringing in Bryan Marchment and Bates Battaglia. Dallas shored up with veterans Stu Barnes and Lyle Odelein. St. Louis addressed its goaltending dilemma and added more offense with the acquisitions of Chris Osgood and Valeri Bure.<h2>DAMPHOUSSE DEAL FELL THROUGH</h2>The Canucks? Well, they had a deal in place for San Jose center Vincent Damphousse, but it collapsed when Damphousse tried to lever an extra season out of Vancouver in return for waiving his no-trade clause. Damphousse, 35, still had a year remaining at $4 million and wanted an extension for 2004-05. According to sources, the Canucks would not have had to surrender a player off their roster to obtain Damphousse.<h2>SPIN DOCTORING</h2>So the spin doctoring in Vancouver began in earnest almost as soon as the last seconds ticked off the deadline clock.&ldquo;You know, I heard all summer about how Chicago had gotten better and that Phoenix was way better and that we would be in trouble,&rdquo; said veteran Trevor Linden. &ldquo;I think if you believe in what you have and trust in the chemistry and team discipline you&rsquo;ve built up throughout the year, that is what carries you through.&rdquo;&ldquo;Trades can go either way,&rdquo; added left winger Matt Cooke. &ldquo;Everything is on paper right now and how teams actually make out with these players in their lineup has yet to be seen. You can go to a new situation with new roles and you just never know how it&rsquo;s going to turn out.&rdquo;Coach Marc Crawford ventured that some of the teams making significant moves ran the risk of messing with their harmony.&ldquo;Trades are not an exact science,&rdquo; Crawford said. &ldquo;You have to deal with changes in the locker room and with the chemistry. It&rsquo;s always a difficult balance to strike.&rdquo;That GM Brian Burke was willing to walk that tight rope by bringing in Damphousse is a clear indication Vancouver wanted to add more than just Brad May. Burke conceded everyone around the Canucks had gotten better.&ldquo;You have to say that those teams have improved,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;I think they made trades that made them better, but not to the point where I feel we had to match it. A lot of the pieces teams added are pieces we added before. I think a lot of the future was given away. GMs get too cute at the deadline, gambling too much and end up paying for it.&rdquo;<h2>FUTURE NOW FOR OLDER TEAMS</h2>But for teams with aging cores, the future is now. The object is to win the Stanley Cup and Detroit, with so many key players older than 35, can&rsquo;t worry about the future. Neither can Dallas.Similarly, Patrick Roy isn&rsquo;t going to play forever in Colorado and the Blues have been knocking at the door so long they are desperate to break the damn thing down.The Canucks, with their $35-million payroll, have been outstanding this season. On paper, they appear to have fallen behind their more experienced and wealthier foes. The good news for Vancouver is everyone still has to do it on the ice.-ELLIOTT PAP COVERS THE CANUCKS FOR THE VANCOUVER SUNNo Canadian team has appeared in the Stanley Cup final since Vancouver in 1994.Here are the Canadian finalists over the past 20 years. Winners are represented with a Stanley Cup. (Calgary and Montreal both were finalists in 1986 and 1989.) &#9632;

f0009-03

Canucks fall behind

Before you condemn Theoren Fleury for messing up time and again-which he has-you need to understand what he&rsquo;s up against.I don&rsquo;t have first-hand knowledge of the personal hell Fleury has endured. At times, like last year at the Olympics, it all seemed under control. At other times, the cauldron has boiled over, scorching both Fleury and many of those around him.Only Fleury can possibly know what it&rsquo;s like to be Fleury, but what is clear is this: professional hockey is a difficult world for a recovering alcoholic to live in.<h2>JUNIOR SPONSOR A BREWERY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011946/8188903-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="294" height="391"><figcaption class="caption-body">Paul Romanuk&nbsp;Guest Columnist</figcaption></div>That&rsquo;s not a slam on players, the NHL or the Players&rsquo; Association. The league and union have worked together to set up a substance abuse program and should be applauded for their efforts.But there are things no program can control, including the beer drinking culture in which the world of hockey is steeped.Think not? Name the primary sponsors of almost any broadcast. The major sponsor of junior hockey in Canada is also a brewery-and many of the players in the league can&rsquo;t legally consume their products.(By the way, lest you think this is some teetotaler rant, think again. I drink. I enjoy it. There. Now we can go on.)I&rsquo;ve been involved in hockey most of my life-as a recreational player and, for most of the past 20 years, a play-by-play announcer and reporter. Hockey people are among the finest you&rsquo;ll ever meet. Most players try to remember your name and will try to make time to talk or return phone calls.<h2>BEERS WITH ROYS</h2>Another thing most hockey people have in common is they like a beer or two (or three) after the game, with a meal, on off days, etc. It&rsquo;s common practice to &ldquo;have a few beers with the boys&rdquo; after the game, discussing who played well, trade rumors and solving the problems of the world. I&rsquo;ve shared a few with the likes of agent Don Meehan, goalie Sean Burke, legend Howie Meeker and Canadian Hockey president Bob Nicholson. The knowledge I&rsquo;ve gleaned and friendships I&rsquo;ve forged from many of these &ldquo;over a beer&rdquo; conversations are invaluable.But for alcohol abusers, the few beers turn into seven or 10 and a lost night and massive hangover the next day. That&rsquo;s on a good night. On a bad night you can throw in a drunken argument, maybe a fight or a brush with the law. And, when you&rsquo;re on the road for a long period of time with great gaps of time to fill, it gets to be like Ground-hog Day. Same story, different day.<h2>FLEURY NOT ONLY ONE</h2>Let me reiterate, I have no problem with any of the above for most people. But I do feel sorry for the Fleurys of the hockey world (and believe me, he&rsquo;s not the only one). He makes a living in an environment whose culture of drinking is counterproductive to his well-being. If you a have a propensity for alcohol abuse, the hockey world isn&rsquo;t the world for you. I hope Fleury realizes this. I hope he can deal with his problems once and for all.Theoren, go away. Clean up. Get better. When, and only when, you know you can exist happily in the beer culture of professional hockey, come back. Many hockey people believe that, at the core of your being, exists a good man with a big heart. A lot of us are cheering for you.-PAUL ROMANUK IS A HOCKEY ANALYST BASED IN TORONTO<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021411/8188896-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="284" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">THEOREN FLEURY</figcaption></div><h2>Troubled times</h2>Theoren Fleury has had more than his share of bumps on the road over the past few seasons. Here is a glimpse at the path he has traveled.Feb. 28, 2001 Enters NHL substance abuse program; misses rest of season.2001-02 season Comes under fire several times for behavioral issues. The list includes leaving the Rangers while a game is still in progress, making an obscene gesture at Islanders fans and an alleged incident with the San Jose Sharks mascot.Oct. 8, 2002 Suspended 25 games for violation of aftercare program. Jan. 19, 2003 Gets into fight with bouncer at Columbus nightclub; Hawks teammates Phil Housley and Tyler Arnason also implicated.Feb. 25, 2003 Reportedly scuffles with assistant coach Denis Savard. March 8, 2003 Placed on waivers by Hawks; clears three days later. &#9632;

f0010-01

Beer culture no place for Fleury

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011896/8188941-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Brender&nbsp;Contributing Editor</figcaption></div>Matt Cullen and the Star Wars freak were great buddies. As road roomies for five years, they endured together the stench of smelly socks and lengthy losing streaks. Throughout it all, Paul Kariya maintained his composure and straight-laced discipline. Kariya&rsquo;s response to the dismal days in Anaheim was invariably to dig in harder, to retreat inward and make sure he was at least leading by example.&ldquo;When things would go tough,&rdquo; Cullen says, &ldquo;he would really focus on trying to make sure his game was in order and he was doing his job.&rdquo;But now that Cullen is in Florida and the upstart Ducks appear on their way to their first playoff berth in four seasons, propelled by that same south California superstar who has been blessed with two dynamic running mates for the first time in his career, it&rsquo;s time for another reality to be exposed.The painful truth is the captain of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim is&mdash;in the eyes of, let&rsquo;s face it, a man who has probably seen him rest his head on the pillow more times than any other man alive-a bit of a&hellip;Nerd.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of embarrassing, to be honest with you,&rdquo; laughs Cullen, dealt to the Panthers during all-star weekend in the Sandis Ozolinsh trade. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d always want to talk to me about Star Wars and I&rsquo;d just sit back or just laugh and pretend I didn&rsquo;t hear him. He&rsquo;s just fanatic. It&rsquo;s sad, it&rsquo;s really, really pathetic, I think is the word. Yeah, he takes heat. Guys are all over him. He for sure has a nerdy side.&rdquo;He&rsquo;s also a heckuva hockey player, a game-breaker, committed to selfimprovement like the Pope is to Catholicism and Luke is to Leia. He&rsquo;s a teetotaler, a bookworm, an undersized speedster-sniper who feels the pressure of his super-sized contract more than he&rsquo;ll ever let on-and in Cullen&rsquo;s eyes, a nerd all the same.Hey, whatever works. Those Star Wars epics Kariya is so fond of don&rsquo;t come around every day. (Note to George Lucas: give him a cameo and you&rsquo;ve got Ducks ducats for life). The Ducks don&rsquo;t get into the post-season every year, either. Barring a late-season collapse, this nerd is headed for the dance for just the third time in his career. He&rsquo;ll more than take it.What&rsquo;s surprising is the Ducks are doing so well in a year when the stats would suggest-wrongly, it turns out-Kariya is doing less, not more.At 28, he&rsquo;s on pace to score just 28 goals, the lowest full-season total of his nine-year career. His average minutes per game have dropped for five straight years, from 25:32 in 1998-99 to 20:20 this season. Under rookie coach Mike Babcock, Kariya no longer kills penalties, either. He isn&rsquo;t complaining, though-Anaheim&rsquo;s PK unit is tops in the league.<h2>SETTING THE PACE</h2>The secret formula seems to be a combination of great off-season acquisitions by GM Bryan Murray (free agent Adam Oates and trade pick-up Petr Sykora) and innovative coaching from Babcock-innovative for Anaheim, anyway-that has allowed Kariya to do more of what he does best. It&rsquo;s up-tempo, roll-the-lines, pressure-the-puck, all night, all season.With upgraded depth at forward, an improved defense and strong goaltending from J-S Giguere, the flashy Kariya-Oates-Sykora line doesn&rsquo;t have to do it all for the Ducks. Kariya and Co. can focus on setting the offensive pace and let that be enough.&ldquo;(Babcock) wants to keep us fresh and obviously in as many offensive situations as he can,&rdquo; says Kariya, with 24 goals and a team-leading 68 points in 71 games. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a sit-back-and-wait style of game and it was that way for a number of years here.&rdquo;Oates has been a fantastic addition whose on-and off-ice presence has done wonders for the Ducks&rsquo; swagger. After Oates&rsquo;s early season hand injury set things back, Babcock united his three offensive guns Jan. 9 in Colorado and the Ducks followed with a startling 18-9-1-1 run. Oates does the dishing while Kariya and Sykora take turns cleaning up.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03888/8188934-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="3240" height="3260"><figcaption class="caption-body">DUCK DUO&nbsp;Adam Oates and Paul Kariya had talked for several years about Oates one day coming to Anaheim. They&rsquo;re both glad that time has finally arrived.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;There has been too many times in the past when I go into the slot and I&rsquo;ve got two or three guys around me and there&rsquo;s no way I&rsquo;m getting a shot,&rdquo; Kariya says.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what happened a lot this year. So I&rsquo;ve kind of switched it up and let Peter come into that hole and (I) go into the corner with Adam. Scoring or producing offensively is all about creating scoring opportunities and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing well this year.&rdquo;Sykora, for example, had an astounding 11 shots on goal March 7 against Edmonton, a game won by the Oilers, but dominated by Anaheim. The Ducks&rsquo; collective confidence is at an all-time high because they have been playing well even in games they lose.<h2>MUTUAL RESPECT</h2>And in Oates, Kariya has found a kindred spirit similar to what he had before in Teemu Selanne, who was sent packing two years ago. As much as the duo enjoy playing together, they also love talking the game.&ldquo;Sometimes he&rsquo;ll make a play that doesn&rsquo;t work and he&rsquo;ll be like, &lsquo;Did you see that?,&rsquo;&rdquo; Oates says. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Yeah, I did.&rsquo;&rdquo;Oates and Kariya held a mutualadmiration society long before they played together. In Kariya&rsquo;s rookie year, the Ducks played a pre-season exhibition game in San Diego against Oates&rsquo;s Boston Bruins. Kariya asked for one of Oates&rsquo;s sticks. They chatted a bit, shared the college-boy bond-Kariya attended Maine, Oates RPI-and stayed friendly over the years. Oates even mused aloud about one day coming to Anaheim. When Murray called last summer, Oates jumped.<h2>LEARNING TO WIN</h2>Another guy who loves talking is Babcock, an all-for-one, one-for-all fellow who won&rsquo;t allow the contributions of leaders such as Steve Rucchin and Keith Carney and Giguere go unnoticed. Babcock preaches LTW-Learning To Win-and is the type to chastise for cheating and cutting corners after the boys believe they&rsquo;ve played a good game.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had people tell me (Kariya) hasn&rsquo;t played this good in four years,&rdquo; Babcock says. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s not about Paul and it&rsquo;s not about Paul and Adam. It&rsquo;s about the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. As much as you&rsquo;ve asked me about Paul, how about the goaltending here? How about the defense here?&rdquo;Given Babcock&rsquo;s driven nature, their own recent history and a Western Conference race tighter than a pair of too-small underwear, the Ducks have been talking about must-win games since October. Or maybe it just seems that way because they&rsquo;re usually booking tee times by now. Not once until this season had Kariya known what it felt like to be more than five games on the good side of even. Losing isn&rsquo;t noble and neither is jumping ship, yet you have to wonder how much more of the former Kariya could have withstood before the latter became an option he could live with. Or perhaps the Ducks would have made that decision for him.<h2>DREAM COMES CLOSER</h2>Not that this season has been all gravy, either. Patriarch Tetsuhiko Kariya, a retired school teacher and former Canadian national team rugby player, died suddenly in late December of a heart attack. Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya didn&rsquo;t miss a game. &ldquo;With my dad it was a tough time there,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;but everybody has to deal with it at some point in their lives and this is the time.&rdquo;But winning makes everything easier. It brings his dream closer.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to win a Stanley Cup in Anaheim,&rdquo; Kariya says. &ldquo;I want to be a part of a team that starts at the bottom, an expansion team, and goes all the way to the top. And I think we&rsquo;re going in that direction now.&rdquo;If that summit should ever be scaled in Duck-land, the celebrations will bring out the nerd for all to see. The Kariya family doesn&rsquo;t handle alcohol well. His father was allergic to it. The champagne bottle Owen Nolan handed him in Team Canada&rsquo;s dressing room last winter was his first drop in two years. Right there and then he could have flown a Starfighter (Hans) Solo. If his next drink comes before Italy, 2006, that means one thing only.&ldquo;Stanley Cup,&rdquo; he says.&ldquo;Stanley Cup or bust.&rdquo;<h2>DOUGH BOYS</h2>Paul Kariya&rsquo;s $10-tnillion salary takes up nearly 22 per cent of Anaheim&rsquo;s payroll, the third-highest such figure in the league. Here are the top five wage earners as a percentage of total team payroll.Figures used are post-trade deadline and do not necessarily reflect total expenditure by teams this season. &#9632;

f0012-01

COVER STORY

Anaheim Mighty Fine

<div class="byline">BY SCOTT BURNSIDE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011877/8189007-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BACK TO THE FUTURE&nbsp;Doug Gilmour piled up points-and supporters-in his first tour of duty with the Leafs in the mid-1990s (when this picture was taken). He&rsquo;s back in Toronto and the city is abuzz that the team is headed for its first Stanley Cup in 36 years.</figcaption></div>A decade ago the Toronto Maple Leafs rode on the back of a scrawny, iron-willed captain to within a game of the Stanley Cup final.The city was electric with Cup fever and bursting with reverence for the team&rsquo;s emotional leader, Doug Gilmour.Local papers carried breathless accounts of the diminutive warrior&rsquo;s nightly weight loss and of the local restaurants whose restorative pastas (seafood linguine was his carb of choice) allowed Gilmour to fight the next battle.Ten years later, moments after learning he&rsquo;d be returning to the city that knelt at his feet, Gilmour admitted he was scared to death.&ldquo;Playing 20 years in this league and turning 40, I&rsquo;m (still) nervous as heck,&rdquo; said Gilmour, a Leaf season-ticket holder who still owns a house in Toronto and has a daughter living in nearby Oakville.Gilmour&rsquo;s fears are justified.He is no longer the man who, in 1993, recorded 35 playoff points (including a league-high 25 assists) in 21 games. But the Toronto Maple Leafs don&rsquo;t necessarily need him to be that man to erase 36 years of Stanley Cup misery.In recent years, Leaf fans have attacked management&rsquo;s refusal to load up with top-flight, often topsalaried talent at the trade deadline something Detroit and Colorado and New Jersey have done with regularity That&rsquo;s why the apparent about-face this year has been so startling and greeted with such enthusiasm from Leaf fans.By adding Gilmour and fellow greybeards Phil Housley, 39, and Glen Wesley (34 and 1,167 regular season games under his belt at the trade deadline), along with cantanker-ous power forward Owen Nolan, the Maple Leafs have defied their conservative trade history and put the NHL on notice they believe their future is now.The four newcomers join Ed Belfour, 37, Gary Roberts, 36, Jyrki Lumme, 36, and Shayne Corson, 36, in a lineup that is this year&rsquo;s version of last year&rsquo;s geriatric Detroit Red Wings. Those creaky Red Wings silenced critics by winning their third Stanley Cup in six years.Can Gilmour et al. come up with the same answers to similar questions?Certainly if experience is crucial to playoff success, the Leafs have it in spades, having added 4,972 regular season games and 444 playoff games with their deadline deals.But if experience gives the Leafs an edge over their Eastern Conference rivals in Philadelphia, Ottawa and New Jersey, another intangible, that of chemistry, remains very much unclear. Can such a powerful stew of personalities mesh or even coexist in a fashion that allows them to succeed when the stakes are the highest? The addition of the newcomers means some veterans who have been there all season will have to sit out to make room.<h2>GOOD OF THE TEAM</h2>One former Stanley Cup champion said of the Leafs that it&rsquo;s not whether teammates like each other, but whether they believe inherently in the other guys in the room, whether they believe in their hearts every other player will put personal agendas aside for the good of the team.That has not necessarily been the case in Toronto, although coach-GM Pat Quinn and the management team worked throughout last summer and the current campaign to iron out those bugs.The recent benching of veteran Shayne Corson for the first time in his career caused a mini-tempest in the dressing room.Now Quinn has nine defensemen and 15 forwards at his disposal. On one hand Quinn will have the luxury of dressing a lineup specific to each game&rsquo;s needs, be it a fast-paced flow to a more grinding, physical style.<h2>CHANGING OF THE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021424/8189000-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="831" height="1434"></div>It also means he will have five or six veterans sitting each night.The Red Wings, thanks to in-house leadership provided by Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Darren McCarty, were able to seamlessly absorb high-profile stars like Chris Chelios, Brett Hull and Dominik Hasek en route to a championship. Quinn must hope captain Mats Sundin and Gary Roberts can provide the same kind of leadership base in Toronto.&ldquo;While you can never have enough leaders, sometimes there are conflicts,&rdquo; Quinn acknowledged. &ldquo;You have to hope they can park some egos.&rdquo;It was that type of mentality Quinn and managing director Wayne Gretzky employed in selecting Canada&rsquo;s gold medal Olympic team last winter.That kind of commitment was what led Quinn to bring in Belfour when Curtis Joseph bolted town in the off-season and Belfour has responded by being the consummate team player.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011711/8188993-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="258" height="560"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021223/8188986-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="257" height="557"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03857/8188979-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="261" height="560"></div>Quinn, likewise, was impressed with Nolan, whom he acquired from San Jose, in spite of repeated suggestions the Sharks captain was not well-liked in the San Jose dressing room.Which brings us back to Gilmour.The loafs&rsquo; three other additions come with their own subplots and all of them make the Leafs a better team-Nolan&rsquo;s physical presence and scoring talents, Housley&rsquo;s gifted skating and passing skills (particularly on the power play) and Wesley&rsquo;s solid all-around play.But Gilmour is the wild card.<h2>ON-ICE ROLE REDUCED</h2>He is still revered in Toronto. The normally staid Air Canada Centre crowd never fails to erupt whenever Gilmour has been spotted in the stands in recent years. But can the returning hero accept an on-ice role that is not in keeping with such adoration?He says he can.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not here to say I want to play this much or that much,&rdquo; Gilmour said.Still, he opted not to go to Dallas in part because he said management there couldn&rsquo;t assure him of his role once injured players returned to the Stars&rsquo; lineup. And Gilmour was unhappy in Buffalo a few years ago when coach Lindy Ruff shifted him to the wing and reduced his playing time.Certainly he will not see the kind of action that he saw in Montreal, where he was averaging nearly 17 minutes per game.One positive element should be Gilmour&rsquo;s existing relationships with Roberts, Sundin and Tie Domi. The four often dine together when the NHL schedule has allowed.Roberts and Gilmour were teammates on Calgary&rsquo;s 1989 Stanley Cup team. Sundin has credited the man known as &lsquo;Killer&rsquo; with helping to ease his transition from Swedish outsider to Toronto captain. Domi was one of the leaders in pushing Quinn to pursue Gilmour at the deadline.If Gilmour can become part of that core leadership group regardless of his playing time, he will help break down the almost certain conflicts that will arise in the coming weeks.In doing so, Gilmour&rsquo;s contributions will far exceed what he may achieve on the ice and he and the Leafs will have little to fear from their journey back into the past.<h2>AGE CATCHING UP WITH GILMOUR</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04630/8188972-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="1277" height="652"></div> &#9632;

f0014-01

Leafs rejoice in Gilmour’s return

There has been a lot of talk lately about where the NHL&rsquo;s obstruction crackdown has gone. I don&rsquo;t think it has gone anywhere. It&rsquo;s there and it&rsquo;s working.When I was coaching in Columbus this season we had far more scoring chances created off the forecheck than in previous years. Nearly every coach I&rsquo;ve talked to says the same thing. These aren&rsquo;t just casual observations, either. Every NHL team is diligent in charting nightly scoring chances, where they come from and how they are generated. When coaches say they are getting more chances, they have the numbers to back it up.Teams actually want to forecheck now because it&rsquo;s worth the effort. Players can build up speed instead of wasting all their energy fighting through traffic in the neutral zone. They can use that speed to get into the corners because defensemen know they can&rsquo;t hold up rushing forwards. The days of blueliners pretending they are linemen protecting a quarterback are over.<h2>&lsquo;HEARING FORECHECK&rsquo; A GOOD SIGN</h2>Coaches say they know a team is forechecking well when they can &ldquo;hear the forecheck.&rdquo; You&rsquo;ve got to be able to hear the noise, the rattle of glass. This season, it&rsquo;s there.Puck placement and accuracy on dump-ins have never been more important because the payoff, when it&rsquo;s done properly, is so great. Teams that can glue the puck in the corner out of the goalie&rsquo;s reach-Dallas and Philadelphia are two of the best-have a huge forechecking advantage. Any defenseman reaching the puck first doesn&rsquo;t want to rim it around the boards blindly, so his only real option is to play it up the short side along the boards. When that second forechecker follows up the play with a good seal, the offense is in business.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011674/8189052-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="999" height="1987"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHECK IT OUT&nbsp;Marcus Nilson and NHL forwards have had more opportunities to forecheck defensemen such as Tom Poti this season because of the obstruction crackdown.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021306/8189045-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="298" height="402"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dave King&nbsp;Guest Columnist</figcaption></div>Let&rsquo;s continue that thought. Say the second forechecker gets the puck and plays it deeper into the corner or behind the net. Now the cycle is on. This year, the attacking team can keep up the pressure much longer, again because of the more strict enforcement of interference. It used to be that if the play changed sides of the rink on the cycle, it was often a signal for the offense to retreat and recover. The defenseman in front of the net would slip below the goal line to run a screen on any puck pursuit Then his partner would have plenty of time to pick up the puck and make a play.That screen is now a penalty. As a result, the puck pursuit stays alive and there are more footraces and battles all over the ice.<h2>MOBILE DEFENSEMEN HIGHLY VALUED</h2>Teams scouting for defensemen now have to take a long, hard look at mobility and passing skills. To beat the forecheck, defensemen must pivot well and be able to make a good first pass under pressure.In practices, coaches must do more work helping defensemen find ways of creating separation after they retrieve the puck from the corner. They are practicing tight pivots, fakes, evasive maneuvers, anything to give themselves an extra split second to make a strong first play. Last season, defensemen could rely on their partner to create separation.And that partner-the one who used to be a moving pylon-has to be quicker as well. The rule for the defense partner defending against a dump-in is to communicate first, then screen or release. The communication is still happening, but there are far more releases going on than screens this year. That second defenseman must make himself an option for a short pass. He has to think and move instead of being a roadblock.<h2>REFEREES DESERVE CREDIT</h2>The happy irony for the offense is teams with good dump-in skills end up being able to carry the puck into the offensive zone more often. The new rules make tight-gap hockey for the defensive team that much tougher. Quick forwards and the threat of a chip-and-pursue game force defensemen to back off in the neutral zone when facing a rush. We sometimes forget it now, but it was a lot easier to stand up at the blueline when you could tackle the forechecker when he tried to go by. We allowed it to happen for far too long.The NHL and its referees deserve a lot of credit this season. They made a change for the better. Penalty calls are down because players have adjusted. Their reactions have become automated. The game has better pace. The play has been more exciting. The crackdown is working.-DAVE KING COACHED COLUMBUS FROM 2000 TO 2003<h2>INFRACTION BREAKDOWN</h2>Whatever the cause, obstruction calk are down since the start ofthe season. Here&rsquo;s a look at the per-game average through the firstfive months of 2002-03.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03987/8189038-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="733" height="527"></div> &#9632;

f0016-01

Crackdown really is working

<div class="byline">BY STU HACKEL</div>There&rsquo;s a lot to like in ESPN&rsquo;s behind-the-scenes profile of the Detroit Red Wings on The Season -the personalities, the humor and especially the excellent camera work and editing. One shot is particularly clever: as a Zamboni grooms the ice, the camera angle makes it appear to be a miniature riding along the ledge of the boards in front of the bench.That is somewhat representative of this hour-long program: there&rsquo;s a bit of illusion in it.Part 1 of the Red Wings&rsquo; story on The Season, which chronicles the first half of the 200203 campaign, premiered on ESPN in February and debuted in Canada March 2 on The NHL Network. It will play to a wider Canadian audience March 30 on TSN.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011495/8189083-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="769" height="1033"></div>In it, fans are treated to vivid profiles of marquee names and some of lesser fame. We peek into the Wings dressing room before and after games and practices. We get in-game audio and travel on the team airplane and see snippets of the rookie dinner. There are a lot of laughs and the unmistakable impression of a club with terrific chemistry, which handles adversity and is scary when firing on all cylinders. It makes for good TV.Except reality is more complex than TV and this reality-based show dazzles viewers with great images when it could also get a bit grittier.At the outset, ESPN&rsquo;s Bill Clement lays out Detroit&rsquo;s big question marks: &ldquo;How will Dave Lewis handle replacing a legend? How is Curtis Joseph going to perform with the pressure of replacing Dominik Hasek? And finally, how are all these veterans going to compensate for the loss of Steve Yzerman?&rdquo; None receive a satisfactory response.Nor do we see any real unease after a loss, or interviews with slumping players, or coach Lewis mulling over his learning curve in the top job.Some of the reserve can be attributed to the NHL&rsquo;s heavy involvement in the project. The league justifiably won&rsquo;t permit anything that reflects poorly on the Wings or hockey, but in this case they were too cautious.More than 100 hours of footage were shot and distilled down to an hour for Part 1. It would be fascinating to learn what was in the other 99 hours, because this installment shows a placid and largely harmonious Hockeytown. Perhaps Part 2, which will air in May and cover the Wings&rsquo; second half, will correct that. &#9632;

f0017-01

Winged ride fine TV treat

CHICAGOBlackhawks captain Alexei Zhamnov has an April 9 court date following his arrest in the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove for driving under the influence.The 32-year-old Zhamnov was stopped by police at 1:20 a.m. March 10 when he failed to dim the high beams on his Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicle.The officer who pulled over Zhamnov smelled alcohol, according to the police report. He failed all sobriety field tests and his blood-alcohol level registered.214. The legal limit in Illinois is.08.Zhamnov&rsquo;s wife, Yelena, was the only passenger in the car. Zhamnov was released on $1,000 bond and was driven home by friends.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very humiliated and very embarrassed that he put himself in the situation,&rdquo; said Blackhawks coach Brian Sutter.Zhamnov, Chicago&rsquo;s leading scorer with 52 points through 65 games, was not available to comment. The Hawks started a three-game road trip the day after the incident, which the center did not make because of a broken left ring finger.Sutter said the decision to leave Zhamnov home was made before his arrest and that the incident would not affect his captaincy.The Hawks issued a vaguely worded statement after the incident, saying in part, &ldquo;Zhamnov has a court date set for April and the incident will be dealt with at that time.&rdquo;(See pg. 22 for more on Chicago.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021164/8189114-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="257" height="406"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEXEI ZHAMNOV</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0017-02

Zhamnov arrested for drunk driving

<div class="byline">-DAVE FAY</div><h2>JAGR ADMITS TO GAMBLING DEBT</h2>WASHINGTON Capitals star Jaromir Jagr admits he was &ldquo;stupid&rdquo; to run up huge gambling charges, but maintains the 1998 debts reported in a Sports Illustrated story were paid off. &ldquo;I made mistakes,&rdquo; Jagr said. &ldquo;It was stupid. It wasn&rsquo;t illegal and it was five years ago. Everything was taken care of (debts paid) in 1999.&rdquo; Jagr acknowledged gambling on the Belize-based website CaribSports and running up debts of about $500,000. According to Sports Illustrated, Jagr had agreed to repay the site in nine monthly installments, plus one lump payment. It&rsquo;s alleged that when Jagr stopped making payments, CaribSports owner William Caesar leaked the story. Caesar told the magazine he received just over 20 per cent of the debt as final payment. Jagr wagered mainly on football; his betting portal was configured so he couldn&rsquo;t place a wager on NHL games. Jagr makes $11.5 million a season. The Internal Revenue Service filed a lien against Jagr earlier this year, seeking $3.3 million in alleged unpaid income taxes for the calendar year 2001.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011555/8189145-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="255" height="413"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAROMIR JAGR</figcaption></div><h2>ECHL OWNER APOLOGIZES TO REPORTER</h2>AUGUSTA, Ga. The owner of the East Coast League Augusta Lynx, Peter Gillespie, apologized to Augusta Chronicle reporter Robert Mueller after the writer filed a complaint against Gillespie alleging the Lynx owner had assaulted him. According to police reports obtained by the Chronicle, Mueller, 35, told police Gillespie punched him in the arm and stomach at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center Feb. 25. According to Mueller, who also covers the ECHL for The Hockey News, Gillespie was upset over an article Mueller had written. An argument ensued, during which Gillespie allegedly assaulted Mueller. Gillespie sent a letter of apology to Mueller March 11, assuring the writer of his security while covering the Lynx. Gillespie also issued a statement saying, &ldquo;We respect Rob and look forward to putting this in the past and moving forward in a positive relationship for years to come.&rdquo;<h2>KOURNIKOVA VEXED BY FEDOROV</h2>Tennis star Anna Kournikova is in danger of losing millions in endorsements after the Red Wings&rsquo; Sergei Fedorov revealed they were secretly married, says the Slovak daily Novy Cas. The newspaper quotes Kournikova as saying the two had agreed to keep the marriage and divorce a secret. &ldquo;This revelation may deprive me of some contracts. There is a clause in them that I must not become attached to any man.&rdquo; Fedorov revealed in the March 14 issue of The Hockey News that he and Kournikova were married briefly but are now divorced. &#9632;

f0018-01

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div>A high-ranking NHL executive, requesting anonymity, said John Vanbiesbrouck &ldquo;probably won&rsquo;t work in hockey again&rdquo; after the former goaltender admitted making a racial slur.Vanbiesbrouck, 39, resigned March 10 as coach and director of hockey operations of the Ontario League&rsquo;s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after using a racial epithet in reference to captain Trevor Daley, who is black.According to a March 12 press release issued by the club, Vanbiesbrouck, who owns 25 per cent of the Greyhounds, informed OHL commissioner David Branch he would be divesting himself of his shares. The press release indicated the decision to divest was Vanbies-brouck&rsquo;s own and hadn&rsquo;t been ordered by the OHL.Vanbiesbrouck admitted he used the racial slur &ldquo;more than once&rdquo; when speaking to left winger Mike Amodeo and right winger Jeff Doyle at their billets&rsquo; home about midnight, following a 6-1 loss to the Guelph Storm March 7.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a mistake and consequences have to be paid by me,&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck said.&ldquo;(Resigning is) the only thing to do. I don&rsquo;t want to embarrass anybody any more.&rsquo; Born in Detroit, Vanbiesbrouck said his use of the word comes from his upbringing.&ldquo;I told Trev this is an old wound with me. I grew up with it. I&rsquo;m as sorry as anybody that it&rsquo;s stuck with me.&rdquo; Vanbiesbrouck appeared at an OHL board of governors meeting March 12, where he apologized for making the racial slur.The day after teammates told him of the slurs, Daley left the Greyhounds and went home to Toronto. The 19-year-old was selected 43rd overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2002 NHL entry draft.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021192/8189176-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="254" height="418"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOHN VANBIESBROUCK</figcaption></div>The Greyhounds initially explained Daley&rsquo;s absence as a &ldquo;blowup,&rdquo; with the coach. It wasn&rsquo;t until the Sault Star uncovered the details that the team disclosed the incident.&ldquo;I have a real issue with how this appears to have been tolerated by ownership before it became public,&rdquo; said an OHL owner. &ldquo;Why did they wait?&rdquo; Daley, who met with Branch March 10, said he&rsquo;d return to the team after Vanbiesbrouck announced his resignation. His first game back was set for March 13 in Windsor.&ldquo;John Vanbiesbrouck, to his credit, did not in any way, shape or form attempt to justify what was said,&rdquo; Branch said.Vanbiesbrouck said he offered an apology to Daley, but it wasn&rsquo;t accepted. &ldquo;I can understand that,&rdquo; he said. In a written statement, he also apologized to the city, the Greyhounds organization and the players.Vanbiesbrouck, who spent 19 years in the NHL, retired after last season to join Sault Ste. Marie as an owner and coach-GM. He played three seasons with the Greyhounds in the early 1980s and is one of four former players to have his sweater retired by the team.Associate coach Steve Harrison, who is in his fourth year with team, has been named interim head coach. &#9632;

f0018-02

Vanbiesbrouck will sell after uttering racial slur

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03863/8189207-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="627" height="642"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04576/8189214-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="99" height="107"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>The race to touch the puck on a potential icing call can be very exciting, but it can result in serious injury.The Hockey News asked one player from each of the 30 NHL clubs if notouch icing should be introduced. The result was 17-13 against the idea.Boston Bruins defenseman Sean O&rsquo;Donnell see no reason to alter the existing rule. &ldquo;I like it the way it is. You do get an injury every now and then, but it happens (infrequently). I like it the way it is. I think it speeds up the game.&rdquo;Nashville blueliner Cale Hulse sees it as a safety issue. &lsquo;They should at least try it in the pre-season. I hope there will not be a time tat the decision is made (to implement it) because somebody was seriously hurt.&rdquo;-FOR COMPLETE PLAYER POLL RESULTS, VISIT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a> &#9632;

f0018-03

The Hockey News PLAYER POLL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011325/8189245-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"></div><h2>UNBEATEN STREAKS</h2>Here&rsquo;s the longest undefeated streak produced by each NHL team this season, as of March 12. (Overtime losses are counted as defeats.) Included is each team&rsquo;s record during the streak.Dan Boyle will never be mistaken for a power forward. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he doesn&rsquo;t have the physical dimensions. And as a defenseman for Tampa Bay, about the only thing he knows about power forwards is that it hurts when they drive you into the boards.Power plays, though, are another matter. Boyle, a 26-year-old Ottawa native in his fifth NHL season, has long been regarded as having strong puck skills and the potential to man the point on an NHL power play. This season, potential has given way to production. Boyle ranks among the top 30 in the NHL in power play points-and among the top five defensemen-with 25 of his career-high 50 points (through 70 games) coming on the man advantage. Boyle&rsquo;s previous high in points was 22 with Florida in 2000-01. The Panthers, who signed the undrafted Boyle out of Miami-Ohio (CCHA) in March of 1998, traded him to Tampa on Jan. 7,2002, for a fifth round draft pick.<h2>TRADE DEADLINE WRAP-UP</h2>This week&rsquo;s NHL team reports break down each club&rsquo;s deadline-day dealings, with analysis on what each team needed, what each team got and the bottom line. For senior writer Mike Brophy&rsquo;s take on which teams are better following the March 11 madness-and which teams are worse-see pg. 54. All the player movement can be tracked in the team-by-team transactions on pg. 46.<h2>POWER PLAY POINTS IN SPOTLIGHT</h2>The five players that lead their NHL team in power play points are featured in the &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; box this week Traded players are included with their new team. The player with the most power play points is pictured. The NHL leaders in power play points, as of March 12, are: Markus Naslund, Vancouver, 47; Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh, 42; Ray Whitney, Columbus, 37; Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver, 34; Al MacInnis, St. Louis, and Brad Richards, Tampa Bay, 33. &#9632;

f0020-01

<div class="byline">-DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03685/8189276-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="257" height="551"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02954/8189283-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="214" height="283"></div>Left winger Rob Niedermayer has not lived up to the potential he carried as the fifth overall selection in the 1993 NHL entry draft, nor duplicated the 26-goal, 61-point season he had for the Florida Panthers in 1995-96.Right winger Steve Thomas, set to turn 40 in July, almost certainly doesn&rsquo;t have a whole lot left.The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, nonetheless, were happy to obtain both players at the NHL trade deadline. With the Ducks seemingly headed for their first playoff appearance since 1999, the acquisitions of Niedermayer from Calgary and Thomas from Chicago figured to significantly improve Anaheim&rsquo;s depth, character and grit.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a huge boost,&rdquo; said Ducks captain Paul Kariya. &ldquo;Rob is a terrific skater and does all the little things well, and Stumpy has a heavy shot and goes to the net well and obviously has a lot of experience.&rdquo;WHAT ANAHEIM NEEDED The Ducks, with a predominance of smaller players, wanted to add size, grit and experience to a team that includes 14 players who have never played in the playoffs.WHAT ANAHEIM GOT At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, Niedermayer certainly brings the size. Thomas has more playoff games on his resume (147) than anyone in the Anaheim locker room, while Niedermayer went to the final with Florida in 1996.BOTTOM LINE The additions of Niedermayer and Thomas can only help, particularly given that the Ducks achieved their objective of not giving up anyone off their NHL roster.NOTEBOOK Anaheim avoided a season sweep at the hands of Detroit by scoring its largest victory ever over the Red Wings, a 4-1 decision March 9 at Arrowhead Pond. &#9632;

f0020-03

Ducks add depth with playoffs in sight

<div class="byline">-JEFF SCHULTZ</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05274/8189314-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="258" height="551"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04472/8189321-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="218" height="292"></div>For the first time in four seasons, the Atlanta Thrashers didn&rsquo;t have a closeout sale at the trade deadline. They all but pitched a &ldquo;Private Property&rdquo; sign instead.Aside from a minor deal of sending veteran defenseman Richard Smehlik to New Jersey, the Thrashers made the biggest news with the two forwards they kept: Slava Kozlov, who was coveted by playoff contenders and can be an unrestricted free agent this summer; and Shawn McEachern, who bypassed free agency by signing a two-year, $4 million extension.&ldquo;I like playing in Atlanta and I didn&rsquo;t want to have to move my family again,&rdquo; McEachern said. &ldquo;I think this can be a very good team.&rdquo;GM Don Waddell said Kozlov also was &ldquo;too important to let go&rdquo; and will resume negotiations.Among the veterans the Thrashers have moved at the deadline in the past are Donald Audette, Jiri Slegr and Ray Ferraro.WHAT ATLANTA NEEDED A physical defenseman to provide stability on the blueline. But it was unlikely the Thrashers would be buyers at the deadline, given that they were out of the playoff race.WHAT ATLANTA GOT Not much. Prospect winger Anthony Aquino arrived from Dallas for a sixth round pick and Smehlik was dealt to New Jersey for a fourth.BOTTOM LINE Since injuries kept Smehlik from becoming a lineup staple, the Thrashers are basically the same team as before the deadline.NOTEBOOK A 3-2 win at New Jersey gave the Thrashers 23 wins, tying the franchise record with 14 remaining&hellip;One pleasant surprise has been the play of scrappy rookie center Dan Snyder, who had one goal in 13 games last season, but tallied two in a win at New Jersey to give him eight in 29 games this year. &#9632;

f0020-05

Thrashers retain top performers

<div class="byline">-BUCKY GLEASON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04319/8189390-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="259" height="559"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03428/8189397-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="220" height="281"></div>The Sabres knew immediately what they received when they acquired center Daniel Briere, but for the others they&rsquo;ll just have to wait and see.Briere was all smiles despite leaving a playoff contender in Phoenix for a team that could spend years rebuilding. He already has two things the Sabres needed-a nose for the net and the speed to get there.&ldquo;I want to come in and make an impact,&rdquo; Briere said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be a role player. I want to help the team. I know I&rsquo;ll have the chance to do that and it&rsquo;s going to be up to me to take it.&rdquo;Briere, 25, had 32 goals last season, but just 17 when he was shipped to the Sabres for Chris Gratton. The Sabres also acquired prospects Jakub Klepis from Ottawa (Feb 25. for Vaclav Varada) and Mike Ryan from Dallas (for Stu Barnes). It could take years before they&rsquo;re NHL-ready.WHAT BUFFALO NEEDED GM Darcy Regier was told to chop payroll and find good young players who can help the franchise two years down the road. They wanted someone who can help take the scoring load off right winger Miroslav Satan.WHAT BUFFALO GOT For starters, they lopped some $6 million from the books that should help them with contracts in the off-season. Briere is a young, dynamic player who will help put people in the seats. The prospects provide little more than hope.BOTTOM LINE The Sabres look worse now, but in a few years they could be thankful they made these moves.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Alexei Zhitnik asked to be traded before the deadline, but the Sabres kept him and his $3.55 million salary&hellip;Forward Stu Barnes&rsquo; trade to Dallas marked the second time in three years the Sabres dealt their captain. &#9632;

f0021-04

Briere brings Sabres good hands, wheels

<div class="byline">-ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06165/8189435-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="258" height="557"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05217/8189442-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="217" height="284"></div>In October, when Dean McAmmond was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, he put his Calgary home up for sale. The house stayed on the market all winter or until the second Tuesday of March, when it didn&rsquo;t matter anymore.The first thing McAmmond&rsquo;s wife, Carla, did after hearing her husband had been reacquired by the Flames was contact the realtor and pulled their house off the market. The Flames brought McAmmond back, largely to reunite him with center Craig Conroy and right winger Jarome Iginla on the team&rsquo;s No. 1 line. With McAmmond playing mostly left wing with the pair last season, Iginla and Conroy had career years-Iginla winning his first NHL scoring title, Conroy finishing as a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the league&rsquo;s top defensive forward.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to think that we can pick up exactly where we left off,&rdquo; said McAmmond, upon hearing the news of the trade.WHAT CALGARY NEEDED Improvements in goal, a power play quarterback, more offense from defense and one or more top six forwards to improve scoring.WHAT CALGARY GOT McAmmond is a player who will fill the gap on the top line the gap created by his own departure last fall. Both he and Shean Donovan previously played for coach Darryl Sutter and they add size and speed.BOTTOM LINE By replacing Rob Niedermayer and his $2.1 million salary with two forwards, McAmmond and Donovan, the Flames essentially get two NHLers for the price of one.NOTEBOOK Goalie J.F. Damphousse may possess the biggest long-term upside of all the players acquired at the trade deadline because the Flames needed to plug another young netminder into its system.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-07139/8189428-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="1189" height="802"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy excelled last year on a line with Dean McAmmond.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0021-06

McAmmond returns to Flames top line

<div class="byline">-LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02883/8189473-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="255" height="550"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011205/8189480-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="218" height="240"></div>Captain Ron Francis is wondering, in light of recent Carolina Hurricanes transactions, whether he&rsquo;ll soon have to purchase a new language aid.&ldquo;Czech for Dummies,&rdquo; Francis quipped.The Hurricanes trade deadline acquisition of Radim Vrbata from Colorado for fan favorite Bates Battaglia gives Carolina six Czech-speaking players-four acquired in the past 14 months.A seventh, Tomas Kurka, was sent to the minors after a six-game stint with the team.&ldquo;The Czech Republic has really produced some good players over the last few years,&rdquo; said GM Jim Rutherford.Rutherford said he saw the tremendously popular Battaglia, who hadn&rsquo;t scored in 31 games, as a replaceable part.&ldquo;Vrbata is a skilled player who gives us a chance to score more goals,&rdquo; Rutherford said.WHAT CAROLINA NEEDED Younger, cheaper, more skilled-these were the watchwords of the Canes&rsquo; deadline operation. The need for more scoring was made clear by this season&rsquo;s anemic offense.WHAT CAROLINA GOT A second round pick in 2004 for Glen Wesley and a sniper, Vrbata, for Battaglia. Vrbata isn&rsquo;t as polished as Battaglia, but has the potential to be more of a goal-scorer.BOTTOM LINE The Canes couldn&rsquo;t pawn goaltender Arturs Irbe off on anyone, but cut salary and added a pick and a prospect.NOTEBOOK Goalie Arturs Irbe was sent back down to Lowell so the Canes could get a longer look at goalie Patrick DesRochers&hellip;Left winger Brad DeFauw became the 10th rookie to play for the Canes this season, the sixth to make his NHL debut, the seventh to score his first goal and the fourth to do it in his debut. &#9632;

f0022-02

Canes loading up with Czech players

<div class="byline">-TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04477/8189511-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="258" height="559"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03663/8189518-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="215" height="278"></div>The season can&rsquo;t end soon enough for the dysfunctional Chicago Blackhawks.Captain Alex Zhamnov&rsquo;s arrest for drunken driving March 10 in a Chicago suburb was the latest off-ice distraction to strike Team Turmoil.You name it and the Hawks have been through it. There was Theoren Fleury&rsquo;s two-month suspension, Boris Mironov&rsquo;s walkout, the Columbus strip-club fight involving Fleury, Phil Housley and Tyler Arnason, Fleury being put on waivers and now the Zhamnov arrest.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a circus,&rdquo; said winger Steve Thomas on his way out of town at the trade deadline.Fleury has been in the middle of most of the controversies. He reacted to being placed on waivers March 8 by accusing the Hawks of pushing him toward a relapse.&ldquo;They are trying to get me to go out and drink so they don&rsquo;t have to pay me,&rdquo; Fleury told the Chicago Tribune.GM Mike Smith refuted the notion. &ldquo;I think the Blackhawk organization has consistently supported Theo,&rdquo; Smith said.WHAT CHICAGO NEEDED With Smith ready to go with more of a youth movement next season, the Hawks needed to unload aging veterans destined for unrestricted free agency this summer.WHAT CHICAGO GOT Defenseman Sami Helenius, acquired from Dallas for Lyle Odelein, will get a chance to show he belongs in the mix. Smith was also able to add five picks over the next two drafts.BOTTOM LINE Smith did a nice job getting a body and draft picks for players who weren&rsquo;t going to return.NOTEBOOK After dealing left winger Sergei Berezin to Washington, GM Mike Smith said he planned to pursue the winger as an unrestricted free agent this summer. &#9632;

f0022-04

Hawks suffer through train wreck of season

<div class="byline">-ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06270/8189549-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="254" height="554"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05350/8189556-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="210" height="267"></div>The Colorado Avalanche&rsquo;s actions at the trade deadline made one thing clear: Under Tony Granato, the Avs will be bigger and tougher than they were under Bob Hartley.But will they be better?The Avs acquired grinding forward Bates Battaglia and defenseman Bryan Marchment at the deadline, sacrificing youth, speed, skill and draft picks to get them. Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix traded promising young winger Radim Vrbata to the Hurricanes for Battaglia, who was struggling through a horrible season after having the best of his six-year career. Marchment was acquired for two mid-round picks.&ldquo;We felt like we needed more grit for the playoffs,&rdquo; Lacroix said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re thrilled. Battaglia and Marchment give us that.&rdquo;Battaglia, 27, will take Vrbata&rsquo;s place on the second line, with Joe Sakic and Steve Reinprecht. He hadn&rsquo;t scored in 31 games prior to the trade.WHAT COLORADO NEEDED A big, strong forward who could stand in front of the net. Somebody to create room for Sakic on the second line. Also, a third line center who could help out on special teams.WHAT COLORADO GOT Battaglia has the tools to provide the needed muscle on the second line with Sakic. But was he the best forward available? Colorado tried to get Vincent Damphousse, but couldn&rsquo;t agree on contract details.BOTTOM LINE Lacroix was thrilled with his moves, but Avs fans seemed less excited. Grinders like Battaglia are a dime a dozen, while Vrbata could become a star.NOTEBOOK The Avs could have pulled even with Vancouver in the Northwest Division, but let three key points get away in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay March 7 (after a 3-0 lead) and a 2-2 tie to Phoenix March 10 (after leading 2-0 in the third). &#9632;

f0022-06

Emphasis on size under coach Granato

<div class="byline">-AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02755/8189587-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="255" height="557"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011088/8189594-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="215" height="285"></div>The Blue Jackets weren&rsquo;t bluffing when they said they&rsquo;d rather sign left winger Geoff Sanderson than trade him.So when the two sides reached a contractual agreement-three years, a little more than $9 million-all deadline deals were off.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy I&rsquo;m not going anywhere,&rdquo; said Sanderson, who leads the Blue Jackets with 26 goals this season. &ldquo;My family loves it here. It&rsquo;s the perfect fit for all of us.&rdquo;In addition, Sanderson doesn&rsquo;t think it will be too long before the Blue Jackets turn things around, even though they may finish last in the Western Conference for a second straight year.&ldquo;(President, GM and interim coach) Doug MacLean has been real aggressive jumping into the free agent market the last couple of summers,&rdquo; Sanderson said. &ldquo;That was a big part of wanting to stay here.&rdquo;WHAT COLUMBUS NEEDED The Blue Jackets needed to cut the dead wood off their roster and clear some forward space for young players to emerge. Also, they wanted to free up cash to spend on free agents next season and they would have loved to add prospects and high-round draft choices.WHAT COLUMBUS GOT Moving winger Grant Marshall to New Jersey for a conditional draft pick was a great relief for the Blue Jackets, especially since Marshall was due to make $1.6 million next season.That&rsquo;s the only move they made, though, and now they must hope they don&rsquo;t lose leading scorer Ray Whitney, an unrestricted free agent, without compensation.BOTTOM LINE Say what? The worst team in the Western Conference is standing pat?NOTEBOOK The Blue Jackets&rsquo; once-promising season dissolved in a 2-91-1 swoon from Feb. 13 to March 13. Incredibly, Columbus didn&rsquo;t score first in any of those 13 matches&hellip;Negotiations to sign left winger Ray Whitney to an extension have hit a snag. Whitney wants a four-year deal, but the Blue Jackets are offering a three-year package believed to be worth $10 million&hellip;Defenseman Jaroslav Spacek has established a new career high with 39 points. He had 36 in 1999-2000 with Florida. &#9632;

f0023-02

Sanderson happy to remain part of Blue Jackets future

<div class="byline">-CHUCK CARLTON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04401/8189625-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="257" height="556"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03555/8189632-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="215" height="242"></div>Between them, Lyle Odelein and Stu Barnes bring 162 games of playoff experience, including three trips to the Stanley Cup final.At this stage, very little can surprise them, which is why the Dallas Stars wanted the two.&ldquo;They know what it takes in tight games,&rdquo; said Stars coach Dave Tippett. &ldquo;Time and space are very limited in those situations. You have to make decisions in a hurry. They&rsquo;ve both been in those situations before.&rdquo;Rather than go for the big move with a scoring as insurance against Bill Guerin&rsquo;s return, the Stars filled two targeted needs one day before the March 11 trade deadline.Barnes, from Buffalo, gives the Stars a dogged checker, while Odelein, obtained from Chicago, complements a veteran defensive group. The price: little-used defenseman Sami Helenius, prospect Mike Ryan and a couple of draft picks.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s obvious that they have a great product here already,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to try to help in any way-and try not to get in the way.WHAT DALLAS NEEDED Second-half injuries had been whittling away at the Stars formidable depth. Management was worried about having enough experienced defensemen. The fourth line hasn&rsquo;t gelled liked the Stars had hoped outside of Kirk Muller, and the team wanted a veteran who could win key faceoffs and be difficult to play against.WHAT DALLAS GOT Odelein and Barnes have both been through epic playoff battles and remain useful players. Odelein is a physical right-handed shot whose value increases in difficult playoff series even if he has lost a step. Barnes can play on a scoring line or embrace a checking role.BOTTOM LINE By acquiring Odelein and Barnes and giving up nothing from their core group, the Stars sent a message that they remain serious about a run at Stanley Cup.NOTEBOOK In his first comments since undergoing emergency surgery on his thigh, right winger Bill Guerin said he feared losing the leg. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re in that much pain, when you don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s going on, there&rsquo;s a lot of things that go through your head,&rdquo; Guerin said. &#9632;

f0023-04

Stars add veteran depth with hopes of playoff run

<div class="byline">-NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02822/8189663-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="256" height="552"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011162/8189670-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="215" height="268"></div>The night before the trade deadline, the Detroit Red Wings visited the Los Angeles Kings. At one point, Wings forward Brett Hull sidled up to Kings defenseman Mathieu Schneider.&ldquo;I understand we&rsquo;re trying to get you after the game,&rdquo; Hull said.&ldquo;That would be very nice,&rdquo; Schneider responded.During the game, Schneider scored a goal and hit a crossbar.Maybe he &ldquo;was trying to audition a little,&rdquo; said Hull with a smile.If he was, it worked. Hours after the Wings&rsquo; 3-2 victory, Detroit acquired Schneider in exchange for forward Sean Avery, defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov, a 2003 first round pick and 2004 second round pick.&ldquo;We were joking that the goal cost us that first-rounder,&rdquo; laughed left winger Luc Robitaille.WHAT DETROIT NEEDED A skilled veteran defenseman, someone to play the Wings&rsquo; puckpossession style in their top four. With Chris Chelios in and out of the lineup because of injuries and Jiri Fischer recovering from the reconstruction of his left anterior cruciate ligament, the Wings were worried about what they had beyond Nicklas Lidstrom.WHAT DETROIT GOT A perfect fit. Not only is Schneider a skilled veteran who can play the Wings&rsquo; style in their top four, he&rsquo;s 33, signed for next season and next season only-giving the Wings security, but flexibility for the new CBA-and although he cost them two high draft picks, he didn&rsquo;t cost them a regular or top young player.DOTTOM LINE GM Ken Holland made another savvy move.NOTEBOOK The day he was traded to Detroit, defenseman Mathieu Schneider was already comfortable enough to crack some one-liners. Having played for Montreal, Toronto and the Rangers (as well as the Islanders and Kings), he said, &ldquo;Hopefully this is my last stop on the Original Six.&rdquo; When told that coach Dave Lewis might him play with 41-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, Schneider said, &ldquo;Well, playing with Chris will make me feel young again, that&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0024-02

Schneider perfect fit in more ways than one

<div class="byline">-ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04395/8189701-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="254" height="556"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03577/8189708-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="213" height="286"></div>The Oilers tried to sell it as a hockey deal, but the majority of Edmontonians weren&rsquo;t buying. They view Anson Carter to the New York Rangers and Janne Niinimaa to the New York Islanders as nothing more than salary dumps.Edmonton traded its leading scorer in Carter-and promising defenseman Ales Pisa-to the Rangers for six-goal man Radek Dvorak and defenseman Cory Cross. The Oilers then shipped their best defenseman, Niinimaa, to the Isles for Brad Isbister and prospect winger Raffi Torres.The deals did not go over well, as bitter callers burned up the talk radio phone lines criticizing not only the incoming players, but Edmonton&rsquo;s timing-shipping out two of its best guys in the middle of the stretch drive.GM Kevin Lowe put his best spin on the deal. &ldquo;Our goal all along was to try to walk that fine line of improving and staying in the playoff hunt with an eye on the present, the future and our financial responsibilities,&rdquo; Lowe said. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t strictly a money deal&hellip;That played into it, but we feel we&rsquo;re bigger, faster, stronger and most importantly, younger.&rdquo;WHAT EDMONTON NEEDED One of the smallest teams in the league up front, the Oilers were hoping to beef up their forwards as well as add some depth to a blueline that has been hit hard by injuries this year. Supplemental offense and an agitator were also on their wish list.WHAT EDMONTON GOT Isbister and Dvorak bring size at forward-though neither is terribly physical-and could supply secondary scoring, but Edmonton gave up their primary sniper in Carter. In dealing Niinimaa and Pisa they leave themselves very thin on defense.BOTTOM LINE They&rsquo;re definitely not as good as they were before the trade deadline.NOTEBOOK Coach Craig MacTavish couldn&rsquo;t believe his eyes after the Oilers gave up two goals in the first 54 seconds of the third period against Toronto March 10. &ldquo;How do you see that coming?&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We win the opening faceoff and just self-destruct!&rdquo;&hellip;Goalie Tommy Salo won NHL player-of-the-week honors on the strength of 2-1,2-1 and 4-1 wins over San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles March 4-7. &#9632;

f0024-04

Oiler fans don’t believe hype, decry Carter, Niinimaa deals

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05267/8189739-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg"></div>Thursday, March 20 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 8pmETThe Pennsylvania showdown has swung in favor of the Flyers lately, but Mario Lemieux and the Penguins will be up for a mini-series against their state rival. They play each other four times in the final month.Saturday, March 22 Detroit at St. Louis 3pmETDidn&rsquo;t these teams used to be the class of the Norris Division back in the 1980s? Yes, but back then it was affectionately labeled the Snorris Division. They&rsquo;re both serious Stanley Cup contenders now.Tuesday, March 25 Dallas at Vancouver 10pmETBoth teams had setbacks in early March. The Stars struggled with the injury to goalie Marty Turco and the Canucks lost back-to back games for the first time, it seems, since Harold Snepsts was a rookie.<h2>NHL TELEVISION DIRECTORY FOR UPCOMING GAMES &#9632;</h2>

f0024-05

BIG THREE GAMES OF THE WEEK

<div class="byline">-DAVID J. NEAL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02709/8189770-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="255" height="553"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011043/8189777-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="218" height="285"></div>The Florida Panthers and defenseman Igor Kravchuk, an unrestricted free agent, couldn&rsquo;t reach an agreement on a contract last summer for the full 2002-03 NHL season. But, at the trade deadline, the Panthers felt they needed a solid veteran defenseman and Kravchuk needed an NHL team.So, Kravchuk was signed for the season&rsquo;s last month with an option for next season that kicks in if the Panthers make the playoffs. Kravchuk, who has played for coach Mike Keenan in Chicago and St. Louis, had spent the season skating in Russia with retired players.&ldquo;Practicing 11 months is one thing,&rdquo; Kravchuk said. &ldquo;Playing is another. I&rsquo;m not trying to fool anybody. Hopefully, the transition will be a lot quicker than it usually takes.&rdquo;WHAT FLORIDA NEEDED A power winger or a big center. Both would add size and scoring up front and the latter would at least be a good matchup for the big centers taking over the East. The Panthers made a play for the Islanders&rsquo; underachieving winger Brad Isbister, but weren&rsquo;t willing to give up the equivalent of defenseman Janne Niinima to get him.WHAT FLORIDA GOT A veteran defenseman in Kravchuk and a good defense prospect in Mike Van Ryn, a second round draft pick and rid of disappointing Valeri Bure&rsquo;s salary. If Van Ryn develops into a regular next season, the Panthers will have enough puckhandling defensemen to trade one for the kind of forward they were unable to get at the deadline.BOTTOM LINE This year&rsquo;s team is unaffected and the future might have been brightened. Following the trade deadline, the Panthers were tied with Buffalo as the two youngest teams in the league with an average age of 25.5 years. Florida also had the fourth-lowest payroll at $23.3 million.NOTEBOOK After beating Carolina Dec. 4 at home, the Panthers set a franchise-record with a nine-game home winless streak. Then after beating Carolina Jan. 18 at home, Florida broke that record with a 10-game home-winless streak&hellip;Panthers coach Mike Keenan hasn&rsquo;t run practices since the replacement of assistants Paul Baxter and George Kingston by Duane Sutter and possible Keenan successor John Torchetti. The change was designed to put more teaching into practices. &#9632;

f0025-02

Veteran defender Kravchuk returns as Panthers playoff hopes fade

<div class="byline">-MATT MCHALE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04315/8189808-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="258" height="550"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03482/8189815-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="218" height="283"></div>Sean Avery has a Stanley Cup ring, but never played in the third period of a tied game.Avery had Brett Hull for a roommate in Detroit, but with the Kings, it&rsquo;s linemates Jonathan Sim and Craig Johnson who are going to take him where he really wants to go.The newest King is learning the hard way he is no longer playing with the mighty Red Wings. Thirty-six hours after he and defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov were obtained for veteran Mathieu Schneider, Avery was playing on a losing team, but realizing L.A. was the land of opportunity.&ldquo;I was pretty disappointed,&rdquo; Avery said. &ldquo;But you know I didn&rsquo;t even know if I was going to be on their playoff roster. Here I get a chance to show what I can do.&rdquo; The Kings, who dropped out of the playoff race in early March, also received two draft picks in the Schneider deal, including Detroit&rsquo;s first round selection this year. The Kings also shipped veteran Bryan Smolinski to Ottawa for the rights to defenseman Tim Gleason, a first round pick by the Senators in 2001 ago who remains unsigned.WHAT LOS ANGELES NEEDED Claiming they would lose between $8-10 million this season, the Kings needed to unload salary after dropping out of the playoff race. Schneider&rsquo;s contract calls for him to make $3.75 million next season and Smolinski was headed toward unrestricted free agency.WHAT LOS ANGELES GOT Avery is a fourth line forward and Kuznetsov a top-six defensive player who will play with Aaron Miller. Avery is a gritty player who can spark a team. The Kings also got Detroit&rsquo;s first round pick this year and a second-rounder next season. Los Angeles now has three first round picks in the upcoming draft, considered one of the deepest ever.BOTTOM LINE Schneider was productive, healthy and never more valuable than right now. The draft picks could be more valuable than the players. The Kings weren&rsquo;t planning to re-sign Smolinski and said they&rsquo;ll use the money they save on him this summer.NOTEBOOK The day before the deadline, the Kings signed defenseman Aaron Miller to a four-year, $14-million contract. He was eligible for unrestricted free agency. If the Kings could not complete the deal, Miller would have been traded. &ldquo;This certainly is a different team than it was yesterday,&rdquo; Miller said. &#9632;

f0025-04

Avery, Kuznetsov wing into L.A. ready for new responsibilities

<div class="byline">-BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-06180/8189846-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="258" height="551"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05226/8189853-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="228" height="249"></div>The Wild signed goalie Dwayne Roloson to a three-year contract extension, securing one-half of the two-goalie system that has the team marching toward its first-ever playoff berth.Roloson, 33, who would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season, agreed to a deal that annually will pay him about $2 million in base salary, although that could jump to $3 million if he reaches certain performance incentives.Sharing duties with Manny Fernandez this season, Roloson has consistently ranked among the top goaltenders in goals-against average and save percentage.Coach Jacques Lemaire, who has alternated Roloson and Fernandez, said he would go with one goalie if the Wild make the playoffs, but that job remains up for grabs. Fernandez, 28, also has had a fabulous season. He will be a restricted free agent after this season, but the Wild intend to keep both goalies and will make a qualifying offer to Fernandez.WHAT MINNESOTA NEEDED The Wild were trying to add a low-cost defenseman. They were eyeing 32-year-old Janne Laukkanen, a former Penguin whom the New York Rangers placed on waivers. But the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose standing allowed them to pick just ahead of the Wild, claimed him.WHAT MINNESOTA GOT In a minor league swap, the Wild traded defenseman Lawrence Nycholat to the Rangers for goalie Johan Holmqvist. Otherwise, GM Doug Risebrough stood pat at the deadline for the second consecutive year.BOTTOM LINE Risebrough was unwilling to mortgage any part of the franchise&rsquo;s future just to stretch a potential first round series against a powerhouse, like Detroit or Dallas.NOTEBOOK With defenseman Brad Bombardir injured, right winger Cliff Ronning assumed the Wild captaincy, a first for the 17-year NHL veteran. The Wild typically rotate captains each month, although coach Jacques Lemaire said he planned to roll over Bombardir, his March captain, for the stretch drive. Ronning has the most experience in the Minnesota dressing room. He was an alternate in Vancouver in the mid-1990s and later with expansion Nashville. But he has never been the one to steer the team or bargain with officials on his own. &#9632;

f0025-06

Wild extends Roloson’s contract, will partner Fernandez be next?

<div class="byline">-SEAN FARRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02830/8189884-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="255" height="553"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011174/8189891-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="215" height="253"></div>The Canadiens need Jose Theodore to outdo last season&rsquo;s stretch-drive heroics if they want to avoid missing the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons.But don&rsquo;t count on it after a nine-game winless streak all but killed their post-season hopes. Theodore came up with a big outing in a 3-1 win over Nashville March 12 to end the streak, giving the Habs their first win in nearly a month.The win in Nashville brought Montreal within five points of the New York Islanders for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference, but the 10th place Canadiens had only 12 games left to make up the shortfall, and the rebuilt New York Rangers stood between them and the final berth.WHAT MONTREAL NEEDED GM Andre Savard wanted to free up some room on his payroll by moving over-priced underperformers such as Patrice Brisebois and Mariusz Czerkawski. The trading deadline hasn&rsquo;t been moved back to Christmas yet, though, so there were no gifts under Savard&rsquo;s tree.WHAT MONTREAL GOT Not much. Savard got a token sixth round pick from Toronto in this year&rsquo;s draft in return for Doug Gilmour. As a result, the Canadiens GM is likely more popular with Maple Leafs fans.DOTTOM LINE The Canadiens would miss Gilmour in the playoffs-if they weren&rsquo;t going to miss the playoffs themselves.NOTEBOOK In the wake of the Doug Gilmour trade, right winger Jason Ward was recalled from American league Hamilton. Ward, the Canadiens&rsquo; first round pick in 1997 (11th overall), made his debut with Montreal in 1999-2000, but hadn&rsquo;t played in the NHL since 2001. Ward had 31 goals and 41 assists to lead the AHL with 72 points when he was called up. &#9632;

f0026-02

Playoff dreams fading for wilting Canadians

<div class="byline">-DAVID DOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04486/8189922-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="254" height="553"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03672/8189929-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="219" height="250"></div>For the first time in franchise history the Predators gathered talent rather than cast it off.They did not pick up any high-priced superstars and, with the exception of goalie Wade Flaherty, got players with contracts beyond this season.Still, the differences from previous campaigns at this time was welcome, particularly for a team that won just two of its first 20 games.&ldquo;Management put forth the effort to help us,&rdquo; said right winger Scott Walker. &ldquo;We all realize we&rsquo;re going to do everything we can do. It hasn&rsquo;t been easy. We&rsquo;ve had a lot of injuries to deal with, a lot of team meetings, but we bared down and got to this point.&rdquo;WHAT NASHVILLE NEEDED Another sizable stay-at-home defenseman to offset the wealth of smaller offensive types; a winger who can score to help maximize good depth and speed at center; a veteran goalie in case the unthinkable-Tomas Vokoun gets injured-happens.WHAT NASHVILLE GOT Left winger Oleg Petrov effectively was a replacement for Andreas Johansson, who has been out since Feb. 16 with rib and hip injuries and was plugged into Johansson&rsquo;s spot on the top line. Goalie Wade Flaherty took his seat on the bench, where he is expected to stay. Todd Warriner, claimed off waivers, adds a checking presence.BOTTOM LINE If the Predators make the playoffs, it won&rsquo;t be because they bought their way in. For the most part, they stuck with their guys.NOTEBOOK Kimmo Timonen had a seven-game points streak (1-7-8), the longest in franchise history by a defenseman&hellip;Goalie Wade Flaherty became the 41st player to dress for the Predators this season, which matched the franchise high set in 2001-02. &#9632;

f0026-04

Preds take new route on trade deadline day

<div class="byline">-RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06290/8189960-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="257" height="555"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05358/8189967-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="210" height="276"></div>In the midst of the NHL feeding frenzy known as the trade deadline, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello pushed himself away from the table.After picking up gritty right winger Grant Marshall and veteran defenseman Richard Smehlik, a couple of role players, the day before, Lamoriello said he did not believe a major deal would have helped the Devils.And he claimed the franchise&rsquo;s tight finances were not a factor.&ldquo;Something could have been done,&rdquo; Lamoriello said. &ldquo;To do it, we would have changed parts but, to my mind, it would not have made us a better team. We made the decision not to do anything because, in our minds, we could not get better.&rdquo;WHAT NEW JERSEY NEEDED The Devils failed on their two biggest needs. Lamoriello was unable to land a top goal-scorer to remove some of the offensive pressure and there was no truce between coach Pat Burns and one of his key players. Scott Gomez, deep in the coach&rsquo;s doghouse, was a healthy scratch the night of the deadline.WHAT NEW JERSEY GOT By picking up Marshall, the Devils got tougher while Burns was determined to see whether Smehlik could help the club&rsquo;s struggling power play as a point man. Most of all, it showed defense remained the team&rsquo;s focus.BOTTOM LINE Unable to land a top gun, the Devils will have to find another way to get past Philadelphia, Toronto and Ottawa, all of whom improved at the trade deadline.NOTEBOOK According to those involved in getting a new arena built in Newark, N.J., the the project seemed to be dead barring an inter-vention from philanthropist Raymond Chambers. GM Lou Lamoriello said he still held out hope, but the arena may have become victim of a major state budget deficit and Chambers&rsquo; decision to pull out. &#9632;

f0026-06

Marshall, Smehlik added to Devils’ mix

<div class="byline">-PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02752/8189998-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="256" height="554"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011121/8190005-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="217" height="289"></div>The Islanders failed to land the proven goalscorer they sorely needed, but GM Mike Milbury dramatically altered his team&rsquo;s defensive structure in two separate deals before the March 11 trade deadline.The most significant incoming player was former Edmonton defenseman Janne Niinimaa, obtained with a draft pick for underachieving winger Brad Isbister and prospect Raffi Torres.The Isles believe Niinimaa, 27, will combine with Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson to form one of the NHL&rsquo;s most mobile two-way defense units. &ldquo;With the rule changes&hellip;puckhandling defensemen are at a premium,&rdquo; Milbury said. &ldquo;We think (Niinimaa) makes our top-4 pretty formidable.&rdquo;The Isles&rsquo; other big move was shipping veteran goalie Chris Osgood-and his $4-million contract-to St. Louis for forward prospect Justin Papineau. Milbury acknowledged the Isles weren&rsquo;t likely to re-sign Osgood, thereby accelerating the full-time arrival of top prospect Rick DiPietro in a tandem with veteran Garth Snow.WHAT ISLANDERS NEEDED A goal-scorer. Maybe two. Someone to coax the expected production out of Alexei Yashin. With plenty of big-names available, it seemed only a failure to move salaries (i.e. Osgood, Isbister) would preclude Milbury from landing one of the forwards he&rsquo;d expressed interest in, such as Buffalo&rsquo;s Miroslav Satan, Columbus&rsquo;s Geoff Sanderson or Andrew Cassels or Los Angeles&rsquo;s Ziggy Palffy.WHAT ISLANDERS GOT None of those players were moved; Milbury settled for marginal NHLer Randy Robitaille, who thrived under coach Peter Laviolette for 1998-99 Calder Cup-champion Providence, from the Penguins for a fifth-round pickROTTOM LINE The money not spent on another scorer might result in further lost revenue for owner Charles Wang if the Isles are caught by the rival Rangers for the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s final playoff berth.NOTEBOOK Penalty killing center Claude Lapointe, an Islander since 1996 but an unrestricted free agent this summer, was dealt to Philadelphia for a fifth-round pick. &#9632;

f0027-02

Niinimaa upgrades blueline, but scoring still a concern

<div class="byline">-LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04373/8190036-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="254" height="554"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03532/8190043-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="213" height="272"></div>As far as Glen Sather can tell, not very much changed in the decade he had been away from coaching.&ldquo;You want to know the big change? Everybody uses more technical language these days,&rdquo; said Sather, who, before anointing himself as Bryan Trottier&rsquo;s successor Jan. 30, hadn&rsquo;t been behind an NHL bench since the end of the 1993-94. &ldquo;Everybody has his own favorite clich&eacute; or terminology. I don&rsquo;t know if people think they sound smarter that way or what, but that&rsquo;s the only difference I notice. The game&rsquo;s the same. That doesn&rsquo;t change. Neither does coaching.&rdquo;After enduring a 2-4-1-1 start, Sather led his team to a 5-1-2 run that inserted the Blueshirts into serious competition for their first playoff berth in his three years as GM, and the franchise&rsquo;s first post-season appearance since 1997.&ldquo;I treat the players like men,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Coaching is bringing your players&rsquo; different personalities together so that they&rsquo;re united in achieving a common purpose.&rdquo;Asked whether he would retain his dual role-in addition to serving as team president-next year, Sather insisted he hadn&rsquo;t begun to address his future.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t think about that now. I can&rsquo;t even give two seconds to it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s too much to do right now.&rdquo;WHAT RANGERS NEEDED The Rangers were looking for a size-and-strength winger, preferably a left winger, to complement the team&rsquo;s plethora of skill-oriented forwards.WHAT RANGERS GOT In heisting Anson Carter from Edmonton, the Rangers acquired a talented goal-scorer who isn&rsquo;t quite a classic power forward, but is far more comfortable and effective in traffic and in puck battles than Radek Dvorak, the winger they yielded in the trade.BOTTOM LINE Even while flipping steady veteran defensemen Cory Cross for young blueliner Ales Pisa in the Carter trade, the deal appears to be can&rsquo;t-miss for the Rangers.NOTEBOOK GM Glen Sather was leaning toward breaking up the ineffective Eric Lindros-Alex Kovalev combination. In 10 games as linemates, Lindros assisted on just one Kovalev goal while Kovalev assisted on just one Lindros score. &#9632;

f0027-04

Sather leads new-look team to late-season playoff push

<div class="byline">-BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02783/8190074-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="253" height="548"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011162/8190081-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="213" height="282"></div>Trying to pave the road to the Stanley Cup, Ottawa Senators GM John Muckier was a busy man at the trade deadline.As the NHL&rsquo;s trade clock struck midnight on March 11-actually, 3 p.m. (EST)-Muckier helped the Sens improve for the playoffs by picking up Los Angeles Kings center Bryan Smolinski and Buffalo Sabres tough guy Rob Ray. Ottawa had earlier acquired winger Joey Tetarenko from Florida.&ldquo;You only get so many chances at winning a Stanley Cup and we feel like we&rsquo;re a bona fide contender,&rdquo; Muckier said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a chance and we&rsquo;ve got to go for it. We owe it to the players, we owe it to the fans, we owe it to the city.&ldquo;Yes, it would have been nice to get three all-stars. Everybody wants to do that. But we feel like we&rsquo;re a better hockey club. We&rsquo;ve been able to add depth and experience.&rdquo;In Ray, the Senators get a character player who can play a role if the going gets tough in the playoffs. Smolinski, 31, adds skill to the lineup.On the downside, Smolinski becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1 and Ottawa gave up a top blueline prospect in Tim Gleason to get him.WHAT OTTAWA NEEDED Grit up front and help on the left side. The Senators were tired of hearing how they weren&rsquo;t tough enough in the playoffs. But Muckier also wanted to make sure he added experience.WHAT OTTAWA GOT Getting Ray and Tetarenko will help address a need for grit up front. Adding Smolinski from the Kings is a bonus for the Sens.BOTTOM LINE Ottawa did better than Muckier could have imagined with a zero budget. They didn&rsquo;t give up a single NHL player, limited spending and got what they needed.NOTEBOOK After spending his entire 14-year career with the Sabres, right winger Rob Ray was happy to join the Senators. &ldquo;Having had the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup in 1999, and going to a contender, I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s an opportunity that you can refuse,&rdquo; Ray said. &ldquo;Every player wants to have that chance in his career.&rdquo; The Sabres are out of playoff contention&hellip;Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was thrilled about the moves the club made at the trade deadline. &ldquo;This is the most excited I&rsquo;ve ever been going into the playoffs,&rdquo; he said. &#9632;

f0030-02

Muckler: Sens owed it to fans to beef up for post-season

<div class="byline">-WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04396/8190112-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="251" height="548"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03559/8190119-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="220" height="253"></div>Detroit may hold the rights to be called &ldquo;Hockeytown,&rdquo; but in Tony Amonte&rsquo;s opinion, just going to a good old hockey town like Philadelphia was enough to get him excited.Amonte, acquired by the Flyers from Phoenix in a March 10 trade, said he was happy to be getting back to intense hockey and a reunion with U.S. Olympic teammates Jeremy Roenick and John LeClair.The 32-year-old right winger grew up in Boston and played in New York and Chicago-all hockey strongholds-before heading to the desert.Now, nine months after signing a four-year, $24-million free agent contract with the Coyotes, Amonte is back east again.&ldquo;I know you&rsquo;ve heard all the cliches before, but I&rsquo;m really happy to be here,&rdquo; Amonte said. &ldquo;Getting to see all you guys (in the media)&hellip;this is hockey central, this is great. It&rsquo;s a whole different atmosphere than where I came from.&rdquo;WHAT PHILADELPHIA NEEDED The Flyers were looking for another scorer and a defenseman who could serve as a quarterback for their power play. Why scoring? Of the 16 teams currently holding playoff spots, the Flyers had the fewest goals. Part of that was due to only eight power play goals from their defense.WHAT PHILADELPHIA GOT Amonte should help the scoring woes, but a deal failed to materialize for defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who took his 10 power play goals from Los Angeles to Detroit. Amonte will play right wing on Roenick&rsquo;s line and get plenty of power play time. That should help 26th-rated power play unit. Schneider might have filled an equally pressing need.BOTTOM LINE The Flyers batted.500 at deadline. They should be better with the additions of Amonte and Claude Lapointe, a skilled penalty killer acquired from the Islanders March 9, but might have to use Mark Recchi or Sami Kapanen as point men on the power play.NOTEBOOK Center Claude Lapointe scored in his first game as a Flyer during a 2-1 overtime loss at Washington March 10&hellip;Left winger Simon Gagne injured his groin for a third time this season in a March 7 game and was expected to be out until at least late March. &#9632;

f0030-04

Amonte great fit for offense, but where’s blueline help?

<div class="byline">-BOB MCMANAMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06230/8190150-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="253" height="553"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05290/8190157-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="199" height="282"></div>The Coyotes made one of the most surprising free agent signings of the summer when they inked right winger Tony Amonte. But it was no surprise to see Phoenix among the busiest movers and shakers at the trade deadline.Amonte and his four-year, $24-million contract clearly weren&rsquo;t working out in Phoenix. So the club cut its losses and, during a flurry of deals, acquired a pair of two-way centers in Buffalo&rsquo;s Chris Gratton and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Jan Hrdina while toughening up the blueline in obtaining Brad Ference from Florida.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen a guy work as hard as Tony did, but unfortunately it just didn&rsquo;t work out,&rdquo; said managing partner Wayne Gretzky of Amonte, who was dealt to Philadelphia for second and third round draft picks and prospect Guillaume Lefebvre, later shipped to Pittsburgh.Though the Coyotes are on the hook for $3 million of deferred salary owed to Amonte, they trimmed the payroll to $35 million from $40 million, got bigger down the middle and greatly improved in the faceoff circles, where Gratton and Hrdina rank among the league leaders.WHAT PHOENIX NEEDED Size down the middle and quality faceoff help. Facing close to $30 million in annual operating losses, Phoenix also wanted to purge some veteran salaries for youth and/or draft picks, including at least one first-rounder.WHAT PHOENIX GOT Bigger at center with Gratton and Hrdina and meaner on the blueline with Ference. However, the Coyotes didn&rsquo;t get the first round draft selection they coveted.BOTTOM LINE Phoenix improved and managed to keep stalwarts Teppo Numminen and Sean Burke, which pleased Coyotes fans.NOTEBOOK St. Louis thought it could strike a deal for goaltender Sean Burke, but the Coyotes insist the Blues didn&rsquo;t offer nearly enough&hellip;Before they dealt left winger Brad May back to Vancouver for a high, conditional draft pick, the Coyotes made May, eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, what they called a firm, two-year contract extension. May declined&hellip;The Coyotes couldn&rsquo;t get more for right winger Tony Amonte because Flyers GM Bobby Clarke told them he could have obtained right winger Teemu Selanne from San Jose for a fourth round pick. &#9632;

f0030-06

Coyotes improve down middle with additions of Gratton, Hrdina

<div class="byline">-JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02710/8190188-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="257" height="557"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011070/8190195-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="216" height="289"></div>Pittsburgh kept $4-million forward Martin Straka, but still got an early start on its spring cleaning.On the busiest trading day in franchise history, GM Craig Patrick made five deadline deals involving 13 players. And for the first time, he admitted the Penguins are in a rebuilding phase.&ldquo;It has been creeping on us since about 1995, slowly eating away at us until we&rsquo;re finally here,&rdquo; he said.Right winger Matt Bradley (San Jose) and left winger Ramzi Abid (Phoenix), a potential power forward, are the best of the seven newcomers, although Bradley is out for the season with a broken wrist. Abid scored two goals against the Penguins earlier this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy who can be a real impact player for us,&rdquo; Patrick saidWHAT PITTSBURGH NEEDED The Penguins were after young players, draft picks and a reduced payroll. The team&rsquo;s priorities changed drastically in a month, although perhaps it should have started the rebuilding process long before that. This team needs to position itself for the prospect of a new CBA that includes a salary cap. As Patrick put it: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in survival mode.&rdquo;WHAT PITTSBURGH GOT Patrick took a step in the right direction by cutting more than $1 million in committed salary for next season. He unloaded players he might not have retained this summer (Ian Moran, Randy Robitaille, Shean Donovan) and underachievers (Wayne Primeau, Jan Hrdina). In return, he landed some draft picks and some promising players.BOTTOM LINE Expect more of the same this summer.NOTEBOOK At the trade deadline, the Penguins were mired in a nine-game losing streak, two short of the club record set in 1983&hellip;The Penguins were expecting three sellouts even after nine straight losses. The reason? Mario Lemieux Bobblehead Night, Kevin Stevens Bobblehead Night and a game against the arch-rival Flyers, for which many fans had long ago purchased tickets&hellip;Right winger Eric Meloche scored his first NHL goal March 9 at Ottawa, banking a shot off Senators defenseman Wade Redden. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll remember it the rest of my life,&rdquo; Meloche said. &#9632;

f0031-02

GM Patrick busy on deadline day, admits Pens in rebuilding mode

<div class="byline">-DERRICK GOOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04398/8190226-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="259" height="556"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03528/8190233-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="218" height="273"></div>With less than 10 minutes to go before the trade deadline the Blues were still in negotiations for Phoenix goaltender Sean Burke. But then the Coyotes fired back with a galactic offer: three first round picks and Barret Jackman for Burke.GM Larry Pleau declined and called in the backup plan.Shortly before the deadline, the Blues traded for New York Islanders goalie Chris Osgood. He&rsquo;s not the guy they wanted, but he&rsquo;s the guy they got-for young center Justin Papineau and an exchange of draft picks. St. Louis also got Valeri Bure from Florida-a winger who fits the Blues&rsquo; need for speed-for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.Osgood, Detroit&rsquo;s starter when they won the Stanley Cup in 1998, has run hot and icy this season, but is thrilled to be back in the Western Conference. He might also bring contagious animosity toward the Red Wings.&ldquo;I enjoy proving people wrong,&rdquo; Osgood said.WHAT ST. LOUIS NEEDED The inability of Brent Johnson to protect points and recover from his perilous spiral of soft goals forced the Blues to deal for Osgood, the only netminder traded on deadline day. The Blues also craved a rightside defenseman for depth-a differencemaker if Chris Pronger&rsquo;s return from injury goes poorly.WHAT ST. LOUIS GUT While not the big name to infuse the Blues with trust, Osgood comes with solid credentials. He went 6-1-2 in December and hoisted the Islanders into the playoff race, but the Blues said he&rsquo;ll have to battle for the No. 1 spot. Bure could be the long-awaited winger for Doug Weight.BOTTOM LINE Their acquisitions didn&rsquo;t have the punch the Blues desired, but the predicaments of Bure and Osgood mirror the team&rsquo;s fortunes this season: returning from injury-or disappointment-with something to prove.NOTEBOOK Judging by immediate returns, the Blues&rsquo; best deadline-day pickup? Center Petr Cajanek, who returned from a broken leg for the first time in 24 games March 11 and produced two assists. Moreover, Cajanek&rsquo;s return gave the Blues a three-line attack again&hellip;Left winger Cory Stillman is on course to break his career high of 57 points. He already has his fifth 20-goal season&hellip;As of March 13, right winger Dallas Drake needed three goals for his first 20-goal season. &#9632;

f0031-04

Unable to land big dog Burke, Blues net Osgood from Isles

<div class="byline">-ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06255/8190264-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="255" height="557"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05312/8190271-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="207" height="288"></div>Once the Sharks decided to dump some salary, they made sure the cheaper talent coming back would address other needs.In left winger Alyn McCauley and center Wayne Primeau, the Sharks get younger up front, add new potential leadership candidates and have something to show for trades that sent forwards Owen Nolan and Matt Bradley packing. Also, edgy defenseman Bryan Marchment was dealt to Colorado for a pair of mid-round draft picks this June.McCauley could be asked to provide more offense than in Toronto, but his role still figures to include penalty killing and strong two-way play. Primeau gives the Sharks much-needed size and depth at center.The Sharks, too, are excited about the prospects of 20-year-old Brad Boyes developing into a second line center. Acquired along with McCauley and a first round pick in 2003 for Nolan, Boyes is expected to compete for a roster spot next season after finishing out this, his first minor pro campaign in Cleveland.WHAT SAN JOSE NEEDED The Sharks wanted to improve speed on the forward lines and change the chemistry in the room. In addition, getting the forwards more aligned age-wise with the defense corps and net-minders was a goal of the organization.WHAT SAN JOSE GOT Role players McCauley and Primeau and Boyes, a prospect who could make the Nolan trade look good down the road. In addition, San Jose has stockpiled 15 picks for the 2003 draft, including at least nine in the first five rounds (two compensatory picks will be determined later), which gives the team ammunition for draft-day deals.BOTTOM LINE The Sharks are better off in the payroll department, but not as talented on the ice. The fire sale didn&rsquo;t bum as deep as predicted, but San Jose is clearly rebuilding up front while trusting its youth on defense and in goal.NOTEBOOK A team record for consecutive successful penalty kills reached 45 before being snapped in Dallas March 9&hellip;The Sharks have had nine different rookies make their NHL debut this season. Forwards Miroslav Zalesak and Chad Wiseman, along with defensemen Jesse Fibiger and Rob Davison, all made their debuts after March 4&hellip;Center Mike Ricci snapped a 21-game goalless streak March 8 in Phoenix. &#9632;

f0031-06

Drastic roster overhaul avoided; Nolan only big name to go

<div class="byline">-DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02770/8190302-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="253" height="555"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011145/8190309-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="218" height="280"></div>Eight years later, Marc Bergevin made his return. The defenseman, who played for the Lightning when the franchise was bom in 1992 until 1995, was re-acquired at the trade deadline for center Brian Holzinger.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a brand new organization and a brand new team and I&rsquo;m looking forward to it,&rdquo; Bergevin said.Bergevin, 37 and in his 19th NHL season, was acquired along with defenseman Janne Laukkanen, who was claimed from the New York Rangers off waivers, to provide the Lightning&rsquo;s blueline with some depth.Before the moves, the Lightning had only eight defensemen on the roster, including Jassen Cullimore, out since December after shoulder surgery.Feaster wanted to be 10 deep.&ldquo;Obviously, as an athlete you want to play,&rdquo; Bergevin said. &ldquo;I understand they played 70 games without me and have people in place. Whatever I&rsquo;m asked to do, that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ll do. I&rsquo;m a team guy.&rdquo;WHAT TAMPA BAY NEEDED With Cullimore on the sidelines and no set timetable for his return, a stayat-home defenseman was the first priority, though someone who could help run the power play also was coveted. That need diminished somewhat in the past month as the power play began to click.WHAT TAMPA BAY GOT Insurance, basically. Coach John Tortorella is in no hurry to change the lineup and that means Bergevin and Laukkanen will be lucky to get any playing time. Tampa Bay was careful to get players who could handle such situations.BOTTOM LINE The Lightning didn&rsquo;t hit the home run it hoped to, but the team is better off because it can better weather injuries.NOTEBOOK Right winger Dave Andreychuk scored his 610th goal March 7 in a 4-3 win over Colorado to tie Bobby Hull for 11th all-time. It also increased Andreychuk&rsquo;s NHL record to 257 power play goals. &#9632;

f0032-02

Bergevin rejoins Bolts, ready for any role

<div class="byline">-KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04399/8190340-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="252" height="556"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03558/8190347-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="212" height="289"></div>As a season-ticket holder, Doug Gilmour likes what he sees in the Maple Leafs. As a player, Gilmour is thrilled to be a part of the action for what will almost certainly be the last season of his career.When the Leafs re-acquired their former captain, all-time playoff scorer and one of their biggest fan favorites at the trade deadline, they left no doubt about their intentions to end a 36year Stanley Cup drought this spring.Less than a week after acquiring right winger Owen Nolan, the Leafs rounded out their shopping spree on deadline day with Gilmour, 39, and defenseman Phil Housley, 39, the alltime scoring leader among U.S.-born players. Two days earlier, they had nabbed defenseman Glen Wesley from Carolina.&ldquo;When I get the opportunity, I&rsquo;m going to give it all I&rsquo;ve got one last time,&rdquo;Gilmour said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m here to try to win a Stanley Cup.&rdquo;WHAT TORONTO NEEDED The Maple Leafs&rsquo; biggest need was for a top-four defenseman who could play effectively at both ends of the ice and give them 20 minutes a game. They tried to get Aaron Miller, then Janne Niinimaa, to fill that void.WHAT TORONTO GOT The Leafs got a wealth of playoff experience and made big upgrades to their depth. They got some skill on the backline in Wesley and Housley and grit up front with Nolan and Gilmour. Wesley moves into their top four and Housley gives them playoff insurance.BOTTOM LINE The Leafs picked up four quality players with good pedigrees and gave up just one fourth line forward off their roster in return. They instantly became a serious Stanley Cup contender.NOTEBOOK Center Mats Sundin scored his 1,000th career point with the winning goal in a 3-2 win over Edmonton March 10. Prior to the milestone, Sundin had just one point in his previous six games. &#9632;

f0032-04

Return of Gilmour caps Leaf deals

<div class="byline">-ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06254/8190378-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="252" height="555"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05305/8190385-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="207" height="283"></div>May Day! May Day!The Canucks weren&rsquo;t under attack before the NHL&rsquo;s trade deadline, but they still were crying &ldquo;May Day&rdquo; after re-acquiring gritty left winger Brad May from Phoenix.The Canucks surrendered a 2003 conditional draft pick that will be determined by how deep they go in the playoffs and whether May, a potential unrestricted free agent, re-signs with them. The choice will be either a second-or third-rounder.May left the Canucks following the 1999-2000 season after management decided not to qualify him. He is now completing the final year of the contract he signed with Phoenix.Not surprisingly, May was tickled pink to be going to a contender and back to a city he enjoyed.&ldquo;At this time in my life, the passion is hockey and I want to get to a place that honestly has that feeling,&rdquo; said May, 31. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite exciting.&rdquo;WHAT VANCOUVER NEEDED GM Brian Burke went into the deadline looking to shore up his roster with a depth forward and a depth defenseman. Vancouver&rsquo;s blueline was only seven deep, not counting minor-leaguers Bryan Helmer and Nolan Baumgartner. And workhorse Mattias Ohlund is out until early April after arthroscopic knee surgery.WHAT VANCOUVER GOT In May, the Canucks got a player with oodles of character and grit and a little more upside on offense.BOTTOM LINE The Canucks split 50/50 in filling their needs. They might regret not picking up an NHL-experienced defenseman if they run into injury problems during the playoffs.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Mattias Ohlund, initially diagnosed with a bruised left knee Feb. 27, is expected to be out until early April after an MRI discovered bone chips in the joint. He had surgery March 3. &#9632;

f0032-06

Canucks tweak lineup, bring back gritty May

<div class="byline">-DAVE FAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02705/8190486-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="257" height="555"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011036/8190493-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="209" height="291"></div>For some players, the passing of the trade deadline means new life, with teams&rsquo; roster limits waived and a chance to play again.For Washington Capitals defenseman J.F. Fortin, his time may have come.Fortin, 24, appeared to blossom last season, but didn&rsquo;t have the same intensity this season. He was a spare, then went on the injured reserve with back spasms. His last game was Dec. 30.&ldquo;I hope he shakes the rust off in a hurry because you don&rsquo;t have a lot of time to play your way onto the roster,&rdquo; said coach Bruce Cassidy. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an opportunity-he&rsquo;s got to look at it that way. Go out and just keep it simple until he gets his legs back under him.&rdquo;Overall this season, Fortin had one assist and 20 penalty minutes in 29 games and was averaging 15:53 of ice time.WHAT WASHINGTON NEEDED The Capitals needed a veteran defenseman they could insert into their top six, someone who could safely move the puck with one pass and guard the crease. They also needed a playoff-savvy veteran for the fourth line to help stabilize things.WHAT WASHINGTON GOT The Capitals dealt a fifth round pick in 2003 to Chicago for veteran left winger Sergei Berezin, who can help with the offense, but is small (5-foot-10,197 pounds) and won&rsquo;t be a physical impact player. The Caps can always use offense, but a reliable defender is what was needed most.BOTTOM LINE That&rsquo;s what stymied the Capitals-the bottom line. Shoring up the defense should have been their No. 1 priority.NOTEBOOK Right winger Jaromir Jagr and left winger Kip Miller have both become victims of slashes across the wrist/hands and are missing games as the Caps try to lock up a playoff berth.KOLZIG NO. 1Olaf Kolzig has collected 210 wins since taking up residence in the Capitals&rsquo; crease in 1989. Here are the 10 goalies who have the most wins in a Washington uniform.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03547/8190479-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="199" height="358"><figcaption class="caption-body">Olaf Kolzig</figcaption></div>210 wins 1989-2003<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04433/8190472-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="198" height="355"><figcaption class="caption-body">Don Beaupre</figcaption></div>128 wins 1988-94<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05358/8190465-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="200" height="355"><figcaption class="caption-body">Al Jensen</figcaption></div>94 wins 1981-87<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06312/8190458-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="197" height="357"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Carey</figcaption></div>70 wins 1994-97<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07277/8190451-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="198" height="358"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pete Peeters</figcaption></div>70 wins 1985-89<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08226/8190444-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="200" height="355"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pat Riggin</figcaption></div>67 wins 1982-86<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-09194/8190437-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="200" height="358"><figcaption class="caption-body">Clint Malarchuk</figcaption></div>40 wins 1987-89<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-10164/8190430-1-eng-US/f0033-102.jpg" title="f0033-10" width="199" height="354"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Mason</figcaption></div>35 wins 1983-87, &lsquo;89-90<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-11148/8190423-1-eng-US/f0033-112.jpg" title="f0033-11" width="199" height="356"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Low</figcaption></div>30 wins 1974-77<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-12133/8190416-1-eng-US/f0033-122.jpg" title="f0033-12" width="199" height="358"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Hrivnak</figcaption></div>28 wins 1989-93 &#9632;

f0033-02

Fortin gets opportunity to leave mark on Caps

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011166/8190524-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0034-01

NHL DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>After missing virtually one calendar year because of three concussions, Domenic Pittis finally is back on the ice and scoring goals.The American League&rsquo;s 1998-99 scoring champion had three goals and 14 points in 14 games, as of mid-March.But the happiest moment for Pittis wasn&rsquo;t his immediate impact on the Milwaukee Admirals&rsquo; offense when he returned on Feb. 21. It was when he was run over on the ice.&ldquo;I got kind of blindsided and hit hard and it was relief because I realized I was OK,&rdquo; said Pittis, who has scored five goals and 16 points in 82 career NHL games with Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Edmonton and Nashville.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011090/8190555-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="224" height="363"><figcaption class="caption-body">DOMENIC PITTIS</figcaption></div>Over the past 13 months, it seemed every time Pittis got hit, he got hurt. He sustained his first serious concussion just after the 2002 Olympic break, when Oilers teammate Georges Laraque plowed into him in practice. Pittis didn&rsquo;t return until the final game of last season.This year, after signing with Nashville as a free agent, Pittis was steamrolled by San Antonio tough-guy winger Rocky Thompson in Milwaukee&rsquo;s third game and sustained another concussion.He missed a week, played three games for the Admirals, then was recalled by the Predators. Just 20 seconds into his second NHL game, Nov. 10 at Colorado, he tumbled into the boards and sustained another concussion.A role player with the Oilers the past two seasons, Pittis was hoping for a more promi-nent position in Nashville. Instead, he endured an arduous 14-week recovery.&ldquo;There were times when I was pretty concerned because I wasn&rsquo;t getting any better and I was sleeping all the time,&rdquo; Pittis said. &#9632;

f0035-01

First hit gives Pittis confidence boost

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>Had the Colorado Avalanche not offered Charlie Stephens a contract last summer, he was prepared to enroll at the University of Western Ontario and study kinesiology.Now, six months into his rookie season with the American League&rsquo;s Hershey Bears, Stephens is getting a lesson in a different subject: criminal justice.Stephens, 21, and his brother William, 24, were arrested by Harrisburg, Pa., police and charged with simple assault, assault by mutual scuffle and disorderly conduct. The charges stem from a 3 a.m. fight in a Wal-Mart parking lot March 5.Of concern is how a conviction could affect Stephens&rsquo; ability to work in the U.S. because of stringent guidelines now in place under the new Homeland Security Act.The Stephens brothers reportedly agreed to meet Jason Sauter, whom they had confronted earlier that night at a Harrisburg bar, at the store parking lot to settle their differences.The brothers were located after witnesses told police of Stephens&rsquo; personalized Ontario license plate on the vehicle leaving the scene. Following their arrest, they were released from jail after posting $10,000 in bail.Stephens, a starter for Canada in the AHL All-Star Classic, and Bears officials wouldn&rsquo;t comment on the incident.<h2>AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02761/8190614-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="247" height="248"></div>MOVIN&rsquo; UP San Antonio coach John Torchetti was promoted by the parent Florida Panthers March 6 when Mike Keenan&rsquo;s assistants, Paul Baxter and George Kingston, were fired, but Torchetti will return to the Rampage for the playoffs. (Duane Sutter, who had been Florida&rsquo;s director of player development, was also named a Panthers assistant coach.)Scott Allen, Torchetti&rsquo;s assistant in San Antonio, was promoted to head coach. He had spent the previous five seasons coaching the Johnstown Chiefs in the East Coast League. The Rampage, 30-23-10-2 under Torchetti, defeated Grand Rapids 5-3 in Allen&rsquo;s debut Allen turns 37 on April 6.30/30 VISION When the Utah Grizzlies rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 at Cleveland March 9, Barons goalie Vesa Toskala became the first AHL goaltender with back-to-back 30-loss seasons since Marcel Paille in 1965-66 and &lsquo;66-67.WEST TIDBITS San Antonio goalie Chris Mason made 55 saves, an AHL high for the season, in a 4-1 loss to Houston&hellip;Mike Weaver&rsquo;s overtime goal gave Chicago a 3-2 win over Houston as the Wolves tied the AHL record for most OT wins in a season (eight). Rochester and Hartford each won eight last season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03625/8190607-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="1035" height="1502"><figcaption class="caption-body">A college standout at Minnesota-Duluth last season, defenseman Andy Reierson has one goal and 11 points for San Antonio this year.</figcaption></div><h2>SCOUTING REPORT</h2>GARNET EXELBY<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04501/8190600-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="263" height="424"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05421/8190593-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="169" height="164"></div>POSITIONDefensemanAGE 21 SIZE 6-1, 210HOMETOWNCraik, Sask.LAST AMATEUR CLUBRegina (WHL)2002-03 Chicago Wolves<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06382/8190586-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="394" height="125"></div>NHL AFFILIATIONAtlanta ThrashersNOTEWORTHYDrafted 217th overall in 2000&hellip;Debuted as a rugged pro with Chicago in 2001-02, racking up 257 penalty minutes in 75 games&hellip;Made his NHL debut March 11 at New Jersey.NHL AFFILIATIONThis barrel-chested defender is better suited as a pro than he was as a junior. He loves to hit and fight and stay involved. Only his skating and lateral movement is below average. &#9632;

f0035-02

Bears could lose rookie after fight

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div>There never was much doubt that Syl Apps would carry the family torch in hockey.But the 26-year-old captain of the Trenton Titans also is keeping alive the family tradition of philanthropy. The grandson of Hall of Famer Syl Apps and son of longtime NHL center Syl Apps Jr., Apps III has launched a charitable foundation known as the Syl Apps Character Project (www.thecharacterproject.org).Working in conjunction with the local Boys and Girls Club, Apps has taken underprivileged kids skating, hosted them at Titans games and tutored them.&ldquo;My philosophy is to give kids opportunities they normally wouldn&rsquo;t have, like play a sport or take an art class or go to a concert or hockey game,&rdquo; said the Princeton University grad.QUICK HAT TRICK Reading Royals defenseman Ray DiLauro compared it to a dream, but for the Trenton Titans, it was more like a nightmare.<h2>NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07347/8190645-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="216" height="220"></div>DiLauro scored three goals in 40 seconds in the third period to force overtime and the Royals went on to win 4-3 in a shootout against Trenton March 5.The feat was 10 seconds off the East Coast League record, held by Wheeling&rsquo;s Darren Schwartz, who scored three goals in 30 seconds against Roanoke Valley in 1992.HOMELESS? Owners of the U.S. Bank Arena have terminated the Cincinnati Cyclones&rsquo; lease, claiming the team has failed to promote hockey and other special events.The Cyclones ownership group, which includes former ECHL president Rick Adams and former New York Rangers GM Neil Smith, filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction.NOTEBOOK The Baton Rouge Kingfish announced that 4,000 season tickets must be sold by March 28 to keep the team alive. Through March 6, just 121 had been sold&hellip;Veteran Rod Taylor, released by South Carolina less than a month after becoming the ECHL&rsquo;s all-time scoring leader, was signed by Peoria. &#9632;

f0035-07

Apps reaching out to underprivileged

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>Still a bit gangly, a shade cautious, center Brad Boyes has gained strength and confidence in his first pro season.The 20-year-old had notched 23 goals and 51 points in 65 games for St. John&rsquo;s when he was traded to the San Jose Sharks organization in the March 5 deal that sent right winger Owen Nolan to Toronto.Now with the Cleveland Barons, the rookie pro from Mississauga, Ont., isn&rsquo;t likely to experience a halt in his development.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m having fun,&rdquo; said Boyes, the former Erie Otters star who was twice the Ontario League&rsquo;s MVP. &ldquo;The (St. John&rsquo;s) coaches have sure helped me and there are different guys who have helped me with different things.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011060/8190676-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="226" height="359"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAD BOYES</figcaption></div>&ldquo;(Defenseman) Anders Eriksson has helped me about coming back into our zone and getting the puck, things like where to be. And (left winger) Dougy Doull&hellip;says he can notice when I&rsquo;m not playing well and he can tell me in his way to just bear down a little bit. He notices the little things that make a difference.&rdquo;One thing that has made a difference with Boyes has been his assertiveness, a remarkable trait for the OHL&rsquo;s 2001-02 most sportsmanlike player of the year. Boyes has collected a modest, but career-high total of 45 penalty minutes.&ldquo;Sometimes you just need to protect yourself,&rdquo; said the 6-foot, 181-pounder. &ldquo;At this level, guys are a lot stronger and bigger than they are at the junior level. They hit harder and sometimes, you have to make sure to hit back.&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to let guys intimidate you. I try to go and play my game, but if somebody does something to me or my teammates, there&rsquo;s a good chance I&rsquo;m going to do something about it&hellip;but nothing too crazy.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0036-01

Growing Boyes adjusting to men’s game

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>In his first game back from a six-game suspension for abuse of an official, Binghamton goalie Ray Emery instigated a brawl and drew his second banishment of the season.After the final buzzer of a 6-5 win against Rochester March 5, the baby Sens netminder chased and attacked Americans left winger Denis Hamel.Emery, who is black, later said the attack was payback for Hamel&rsquo;s alleged use of a racial slur during a game between the two teams in December.Hamel vigorously denied Emery&rsquo;s allegation and American League vicepresident Jim Mill said he found no evidence of such a slur being uttered, as it had not been reported by officials and no one from either team, including coaches, had reported it.Mill then banished Emery for a further three games for instigating the fight.Also suspended, for three games each, were Binghamton center Alexandre Giroux and Rochester forward Joe Ritson, for their part in the brawl. Both teams were also fined for the post-game altercation.Emery had received a six-game suspension for shooting a puck at and bumping referee Jay Sharrers Feb. 18 at Hamilton. After the incident, Emery had expressed remorse and said he would learn from the experience.<h2>AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02693/8190714-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="245" height="245"></div>PIRATES PUNISHED Portland lost the services of two key players as a result of suspensions arising from a fight-filled game against Providence.In the aftermath of the March 8 game, Pirates left winger Graham Mink was banished for a total of nine games, six for physical abuse of linesman Brad Weeden and three for a blindside hit to the head that gave Bruins right winger Martin Samuelsson a concussion.Pirates right winger Peter Ferraro was suspended three games for a slash on Bruins center Andy Hilbert.FOSTER MAKES A SPLASH Albany left winger Adrian Foster certainly made an impact when he returned to the River Rats lineup in early March.The 21-year-old has suffered from chronic abdominal muscle trouble going back to major junior and had another setback this season at training camp.After rehab, three weeks of skating and just one practice, Foster returned to the River Rats lineup March 7. In his second game back, March 9, he scored a pair of goals against Rochester to spark a 4-2 win.NOTEBOOK First overall Hamilton might be saying a few prayers Saint John doesn&rsquo;t make the playoffs. The Flames were 5-2-0-0 against Hamilton in seven meetings.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03576/8190707-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="1007" height="1485"><figcaption class="caption-body">Lowell blueliner Kaspars Astashenko, in his second season with the Lock Monsters, has notched six goals and 17 points through 47 games.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0036-02

Sens’ Emery suspended once again

<div class="byline">-PAVEL BARTA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04444/8190745-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="451" height="183"></div>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this season. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses.&bull; Mike Maneluk, LW, 29 (free agent). Maneluk played 83 NHL games from 1999-2001. He was leading all playoff scorers in the Swiss league with four goals and seven points through five games with Lugano.&bull; Andrei Medvedev, G, 20 (Calgary). Selected 56th overall by the Flames in 2001, the Spartak Moscow backup remains the top young Russian goalie. He had a.920 save percentage through 14 games.&bull; Radek Hamr, D, 28 (free agent). Czech blueliner played 11 games for Ottawa. He was the fourth-leading scorer among Swedish league blueliners with seven goals and 26 points in 49 games with Farjestad.&bull; Andrei Podkonicky, C/LW, 24 (free agent). Slovak Podkonicky played six games with Florida in 2000-01. He had 17 goals and 31 points in 50 games for German league Iserlohn Roosters. &#9632;

f0036-04

EYE ON EUROPE

<div class="byline">-BRENBAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05370/8190776-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="191" height="106"></div>Adirondack left winger Hugo Belanger notched his 1,000th career point Feb. 27 in a 6-5 loss to Port Huron. Belanger joins Port Huron&rsquo;s Jason Firth, Rockford&rsquo;s Kevin Kerr and Missouri&rsquo;s Lonnie Loach as active United League players with 1,000 points. Entering March, Belanger led the league in scoring, with 123 points&hellip;With a 7-2 win over Flint March 3, Kalamazoo had their first four-game winning streak of the year, moving them out of last place for the first time since Oct. 27&hellip;Flint went 2-3-0 during a brutal stretch that saw the Generals play five games in five nights. &#9632;

f0036-05

NOTEBOOK

<div class="byline">-CHADD CRIPE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06322/8190807-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="203" height="64"></div>Three former West Coast League greats have come out of retirement late in the 2002-03 season. Fresno assistant coach Greg Spenrath-third in league history in penalty minutes-and San Diego assistant Martin St-Amour-a two-time 60-goal scorer-have jumped over the bench to help out their respective teams. Last year&rsquo;s cowinner of the playoff MVP, Matt Oates, rejoined the Steelheads at the deadline to add pro players. Earlier this year, Idaho received a major lift from adding former Tacoma right winger Dampy Brar, who retired from the WCHL last season. &#9632;

f0036-06

<div class="byline">-DAVE HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07294/8190838-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="188" height="103"></div>Austin was the first Central League team to clinch a post-season berth, but it may be the last to host a true home playoff game. Due to a scheduling conflict with a month-long rodeo at the Ice Bats&rsquo; home arena, the Travis County Expo Center, the team will play at least the first round of the playoffs at nearby Chaparral Ice Center. Ice Bats&rsquo; fans may find it tough to corral playoff seats. Capacity at the Chaparral Ice Center will only be around 1,000. Considering Austin averages 4,305 fans a game, there will be a stampede for tickets. &#9632;

f0036-07

<div class="byline">-NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-08263/8190869-1-eng-US/f0036-082.jpg" title="f0036-08" width="209" height="74"></div>Tom Stewart admits it&rsquo;s a &ldquo;close call&rdquo; as to whether he&rsquo;s a better hockey player or golfer. The Macon Trax player-coach, who leads Atlantic Coast League scoring with 37 goals and 88 points in 53 games, qualified to be an assistant pro two years ago. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know whether I&rsquo;m going to pursue that avenue or not,&rdquo; said Stewart, who is a premier candidate for ACHL MVP. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard when you become a (club) pro, you don&rsquo;t golf any more and I enjoy playing too much.&rdquo; The Brantford, Ont., native lives in Macon year-round and shoots in the lows 70s. &#9632;

f0036-08

<div class="byline">BY WILLY PALOV</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01946/8190907-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="276" height="281"></div>The Quebec League finalized its playoff format for next season to accommodate new franchises in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Lewiston, Me. The Montreal Rocket is relocating to Charlottetown and the Sherbrooke Castors to Lewiston.Because the 16-team league already had adopted a three-division alignment for 2003-04 to account for the changing landscape, the playoffs will switch to a slightly more complicated four-part system next year.In the first round, the division winners receive a bye and the three last-place teams are eliminated. That will leave 10 teams to play in five best-of-7 series.The matchups, to be determined by the overall standings, will go as follows: No. 4 vs. No. 13, No. 5 vs. No. 12 and so on.The second round will have four best-of-7 series with the matchups again being determined by regular season rankings. It will be No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02639/8190900-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="256" height="680"></div>The third round will operate in a similar fashion and the final will feature a series between the remaining two teams. For the third and fourth rounds, all series will switch from a 2-3-2 road/home schedule to the current 2-2-1-1-1 format.To compensate the three first-place teams that earn byes, the QMJHL devised a formula whereby each team receives a sum of money based on its average regular season attendance. The league also will drop two games from the regular season schedule. Teams will play 70 games in 2003-04.COOL PROULX Baie-Comeau Drakkar center Olivier Proulx reached a milestone when he notched his 400th career point. Proulx, 20, needed 262 games spread over five seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Drummondville Voltigeurs and Drakkar to achieve the mark. He is just the 49th player in QMJHL history to do it.PEAK FOR POINTS Both the Halifax Mooseheads and Baie-Comeau Drakkar set franchise records for points in a season. The Mooseheads surpassed their old mark of 96 points in their 68th game of the 72-game schedule and the Drakkar blew past their previous high of 90 in just their 64th game. The Drakkar also set a new record for wins with 42&hellip;The Chicoutimi Sagueneens lost center Christian Larrivee with a torn ligament in his right knee. He won&rsquo;t be available until the third round of the playoffs, if Chicoutimi makes it that far. &#9632;

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March 28, 2003

Walk-on goalie turns into star for Nanooks

Kilrea wins No. 1,000 against longtime foe

Knuble giving Bruins new source for goals

SEPARATED AT BIRTH