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December 9, 2003
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.
Grinders find touch on hot Florida line
Florida Everblades coach Gerry Fleming knew he was getting instant offense when he signed Brian McCullough this summer. What Fleming couldn't have predicted is a couple of his grinders would be right with McCullough among ECHL scoring leaders. Florida's top line, centered by Brent McDonald with wingers Keith Anderson and McCullough, had 76 points in 16 games. McCullough-third in ECHL scoring for Reading last year-was leading the league with 27 points and was tied with Anderson at the top with 12 goals. Anderson was second in scoring with 25 points. McDonald was fourth, with 24. Anderson, 25, averaged 12 goals and 33 points his first two pro seasons. McDonald, 24, averaged 13 goals and 38 points his first three seasons, including 52 gam for Lowell of the American League last year. The trio has led…
Star ship starting to right after dreadful first quarter
Dave Tippett is hoping what didn't kill the Dallas Stars in the first 21 games of the season will eventually make them better. The second-year Stars coach has been as frustrated as anyone in the organization, flipping lines and changing defense pairs in search of the right chemistry to push his team through one of its worst stretches in the past eight years. And the driving force behind every move is he believes there is a huge upside waiting at the end of the season. “If you look at last season, we really didn't have a lot of adversity,” Tippett said. “And then when we got to the playoffs, we didn't know how to handle it.” There has been plenty of adversity this season. The Stars had their first four-game losing streak since…
Forbes defends list
A report in Forbes ranking the financial worth of NHL franchises has earned the wrath of at least one NHL executive. And the people behind the annual study aren't surprised in the least. “This kind of thing happens every year,” said Forbes senior statistics editor Kurt Badenhausen of the controversy surrounding the report. “Like any business, sports franchises are extremely sensitive as to their value in the marketplace and they don't always react well to outside estimations of what their business is worth.” The study, which named the New York Rangers the league's most valuable franchise ($272 million), was labeled “shoddy” by Richard Peddie, president of Toronto's Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. “(The report) is nothing more than a curiosity,” said Peddie to the Toronto Star. “They do not have access to our numbers,…
NOTEBOOK
Al Sims, a former coach of the San Jose Sharks, came within one game of reaching a dubious Central League record the earliest coaching casualty in CHL history. Only 13 games into the year and sporting a 5-6-2 record, the Corpus Christi Rayz cut Sims loose. In the combined history of the CHL and the Western Pro League, only former Tupelo coach Peter Esdale was shown the door earlier. He was replaced after a 1-11-0 start in 1998-99. It was speculated Sims's rough, old-school style contributed to his firing. Rayz GM Pat Dunn is serving as interim coach.…
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