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.

December 30, 2003

The Hockey News December 30, 2003

<div class="byline">BY TOM BOGGIE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span></b>arvard&rsquo;s power play, one of the most feared weapons in the ECAC last year, has been more like a rocking horse this season - a lot of activity, but it doesn&rsquo;t really get anywhere.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05344/7907910-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="364" height="295"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EASTERN</b> COLLEGE</figcaption></div><p>Through 13 games, the Crimson were clicking at just 16 per cent (8-for-50), and as a result Harvard (6-5-1) hadn&rsquo;t been able to put a good run together.</p><p>Crimson coach Mark Mazzoleni knows the problem; now, he just has to find the solution.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year, we had Dom Moore and Brett Nowak out there and opponents had to honor both sides of the ice because we could spread it out more,&rdquo; Mazzoleni said. &ldquo;If teams over-loaded on Dom and Brett, we could run it to the other side to Tim Pettit and Tyler Kolarik. But now, people are stacking one side of the ice against us because we&rsquo;re so predictable.&rdquo;</p><p>Last year, Harvard was successful on nearly 24 per cent of its power play opportunities and Pettit and Kolarik combined for 13 power play goals. Through 13 games this year, they had none. In fact, Pettit, a senior, is in one of the worst slumps of his career, with just one goal.</p><p>Mazzoleni doesn&rsquo;t care how pretty the power play looks, as long as it&rsquo;s effective.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not getting shots to the net and we have to make everyone aware of our deficiency in that area,&rdquo; Mazzoleni said.</p><p><b>SPOTLIGHT</b> Saturday nights have been a nightmare for Princeton. Although the Tigers are 4-9-0, they are 0-7-0 on Saturdays, giving the team a Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde personality. Princeton has given up just eight goals in five Friday games, but has allowed an abysmal 32 goals in seven Saturday games.</p><p><b>NHL PROSPECT WATCH</b> Although Harvard freshman blueliner Dylan Reese was selected to the U.S. team for the World Junior Championship in Finland, he will have to skip the tournament because of a back injury that has kept him out of the lineup since late November, a string of six games.</p><p>Reese was a seventh round pick (209th overall) by the New York Rangers in the 2003 draft.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> St. Lawrence junior winger Stace Page scored his first goal in 18 games when the Saints defeated Mercyhurst 5-2 Dec. 13. Page&rsquo;s first goal of the year came in the Saints&rsquo; opener. Ironically, both of his goals were game-winners.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07269/7907903-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="643" height="1015"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0033-05

DEPARTMENTS

Harvard hurting as plug pulled on power play

<div class="byline">- BOB MCMANAMAN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span></b>hristmas will come two days late for the Coyotes this year. That&rsquo;s because the team finally gets to move into Glendale Arena, its plush, new 17,799-seat arena Dec. 27.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I can wait that long after getting a look inside this place,&rdquo; said left winger Tyson Nash foUowing an open house and the team&rsquo;s first practice at its new home, which drew an estimated crowd of 12,000 fans.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06272/7906950-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="265" height="378"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHOENIX COYOTES</b></figcaption></div><p>Managing partner Wayne Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will christen the building during a pre-game ceremony in the opener against Nashville.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an unbelievable arena, but more than anything else, it&rsquo;s going to give us the ability to practice here on a consistent basis,&rdquo; coach Bobby Francis said. &ldquo;Visiting teams practiced more than we did at our old building (America West Arena)&hellip;but we&rsquo;re going to be able to familiarize ourselves with the boards, the bounces, the shape of the ice surface, and that&rsquo;s a great benefit.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07238/7906943-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="347" height="747"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Cale Hulse, D.</i> The Coyotes weren&rsquo;t exactly sure what they were getting when they signed defenseman Cale Hulse to a three-year, $3.6 million free-agent contract in the summer.</p><p>After 30 games, the answer is evident: Hulse is everything the Coyotes needed and more. He was a plus-9, one of the team&rsquo;s most consistent bangers and his nine assists and 10 points in 30 games are his best numbers in the past five years.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Chris Gratton</b> became the second-youngest NHLer to reach the 800-game mark Dec. 15 against the Wild. <b>Brian Bellows</b> was the youngest at 28 years, 141 days - 39 days quicker than Gratton.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-06

NHL TEAM REPORTS

Fans, players get giddy over snazzy new arena

<div class="byline">BY LARRY MAHONEY</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span></b>hris Serino, Merrimack&rsquo;s sixth-year coach, savored a victory over New Hampshire in mid-December that finally broke a horrible futility streak, but said he had mixed emotions.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03521/7907872-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="355" height="310"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HOCKEY</b> EAST</figcaption></div><p>The Warriors had gone 29 games (0-26-3) without a win over the Wildcats. That depressing run came to a resounding end Dec. 13 when the Warriors shocked the Wildcats 7-2 in Durham, N.H.</p><p>Serino had spent seven years as an assistant at New Hampshire under Wildcats coach Dick Umile, who brought him to the school.</p><p>&ldquo;I really like the people up there,&rdquo; Serino said. &ldquo;Dick is a close friend of mine. When 1 was sick (Serino battled throat cancer), Dick and the people up there were very good to me. So I&rsquo;m not going to gloat over a win like that.&rdquo; SPOTLIGHT UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald was stunned when the Niagara Purple Eagles overcame a 5-0 deficit to defeat his River Hawks 6-5 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell in mid-December.</p><p>&ldquo;It was the most bizarre 27 minutes of hockey I&rsquo;ve ever been associated with,&rdquo; said MacDonald of the Dec. 14 defeat. &ldquo;We had four incredible turnovers and two bad coverages and they scored six goals. Niagara forced the turnovers. They deserve credit.&rdquo;</p><p>Three years ago, MacDonald coached Niagara to its crowning achievement, a 4-1 win over New Hampshire in their NCAA Tournament debut.</p><p><b>NHL PROSPECT WATCH</b> Providence freshman right winger Colin McDonald, selected 51st overall by Edmonton in June, is &ldquo;really starting to learn the college game&rdquo; according to Friars coach Paul Pooley.</p><p>The 6-foot-3,190-pound McDonald had two goals and three points in 14 games. Pooley predicted a strong second half for McDonald.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a smart player and he works hard every day,&rdquo; Pooley said. &ldquo;He can skate, he finishes checks, he can shoot the puck and he competes.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Maine sophomore goalie Jimmy Howard will not play for the U.S. at the World Junior Championship in Finland after sustaining a knee injury when he stepped on a puck during warmups before the Bears&rsquo; 3-2 win over Dartmouth Dec. 13. He&rsquo;s scheduled for a mid-January return.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-03

Win over rival bittersweet for Warriors’ Serino

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011027/7906345-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="291" height="279"></div><h2>NEW JERSEY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05200/7906338-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="333" height="573"></div><h2>COLORADO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06153/7906331-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="354" height="565"></div><h2>DALLAS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-07130/7906324-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="404" height="537"></div><h2>DETROIT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-08105/7906317-1-eng-US/f0021-082.jpg" title="f0021-08" width="384" height="563"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0984/7906310-1-eng-US/f0021-092.jpg" title="f0021-09" width="335" height="572"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1066/7906303-1-eng-US/f0021-102.jpg" title="f0021-10" width="332" height="581"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1153/7906296-1-eng-US/f0021-112.jpg" title="f0021-11" width="352" height="569"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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PLAYOFF SERIES WINS, 1999-03

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021547/7904560-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="411" height="721"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Jason Kay Editor</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011817/7904567-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="108" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">At the same time he&rsquo;s negotiating a deal, he can oversee potential improvements.</blockquote><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>ver the past year, there was a lobby among the group that helps shape our 100 People of Power and Influence list to, for the first time in its five-year history, crown Bob Goodenow No. 1 ahead of GaryBettman.</p><p>But lobbies are for waiting and despite the leverage the NHL Players&rsquo; Association boss holds in this collective bargaining agreement year, his clout still doesn&rsquo;t approach that of the commissioner&rsquo;s. <i>(See pg. 10 for 100 People of Power and Influence.)</i></p><p>That point was driven home during the recent board of governors meetings when, like an addict in a 12-step program, Bettman took the first shuffling strides towards recovery: he finally made an admission. (At least, that&rsquo;s our interpretation and we&rsquo;re sticking with it). He asked GMs to &ldquo;take a good look at the game&rdquo; and said the subject would be discussed at meetings during the all-star break. He followed up by intimating he may form a committee in the summer, comprised of people from all areas of the game to consider changes.</p><p>Whether Bettman&rsquo;s &ldquo;vision&rdquo; is a smokescreen to curry public sentiment duringa CBA-inspired arms race or a sincere attempt to address mounting concerns remains to be seen. But his task force suggestion reinforces the notion that he, more than any other individual, can effect the change so many of us have been clamoring for. At the same time he&rsquo;s (hopefully) negotiating a new deal to keep NHL hockey on the ice, he can oversee the introduction of potential improvements. Now that&rsquo;s power.</p><p>Here are 15 alterations Bettman, the GMs and the provisional committee may want to consider. We&rsquo;re not advocating any one of these necessarily be implemented - not right here or right now, anyway - rather, it&rsquo;s a collection of the most prominent suggestions that have been floated to help ignite excitement.</p><p><b><i>1. Remove red line</i></b> Upside: Combat the trap by allowing long-bomb passes. Downside: Elongated on-side space may prompt teams to become even more defensive.</p><p><b><i>2. Widen bluelines and red line</i></b> Upside: Increase size of the neutral and offensive zones. Downside: Could be difficult adjustment in look and flow of game.</p><p><b><i>3. Make nets bigger</i></b> Upside: Increase and encourage scoring without changing way game is played. Downside: Tradition; nets have always been same size.</p><p><b><i>4. Move nets back towards end boards</i></b> Upside: Increase size of attacking and neutral zones. Downside: Minor tweak that figures to have little impact.</p><p><b><i>5. Servefull two minutes for minors</i></b> Upside: More power play goals. Downside: Game would become PP heavy, detracting from free-flowing, even-strength situations.</p><p><b><i>6. More or full-time 4-on-4</i></b> Upside: Open up ice for skilled players. Downside: Significantly changes dynamics of way game is played and could take jobs away from union.</p><p><b><i>7. More penalty shots</i></b> Upside: Arguably most exciting play in hockey. Downside: Too many would cheapen impact.</p><p><b><i>8. Even smaller goalie gear</i></b> Upside: Increase scoring. Downside: Potential safety-in-workplace issue.</p><p><b><i>9. Three points for a win, one for a tie</i></b> Upside: Encourages teams not to settle for a draw. Downside: Skews points records.</p><p><b><i>10. Limit goalie puckhandling</i></b> Upside: Provide more forechecking opportunities. Downside: Step backwards for what has become an integral part of the position.</p><p><b><i>11. Ban the trap</i></b> Upside: Potential for more wide-open hockey. Downside: Difficult to police.</p><p><b><i>12. Unlimited stick curves</i></b> Upside: Harder shots. Downside: Greater danger for goalies and players standing in front of net.</p><p><b><i>13. Call rules by the book</i></b> Upside: Deterrent to hook, hold, trip. Downside: Attempts so far have been unsuccessful.</p><p><b><i>14. Bigger ice surface</i></b> Upside: More space for skilled players. Downside: Cost-prohibitive and critics don&rsquo;t believe it would lead to more offense.</p><p><b><i>15. Shootouts</i></b> Upside: Exciting reason to stay until the end and see a tie decided. Downside: Breaks with tradition and is an unnatural ending to a game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031258/7904553-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="548" height="289"></div><h2><b>BOB&rsquo;S VISION</b></h2><p><b><i>The American League is moving forward with plans to experiment with a &ldquo;make-the-lines-wider&rdquo; idea, similar to the one Bobby Smith proposed in the 2003-04 edition of The Hockey News Yearbook. One significant difference: the AHL lines will be three feet wide instead of six. See pgs. 6, 30 for more.</i></b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041020/7904546-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="2618" height="1310"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0004-02

FEATURES & COLUMNS

Bettman Has Power To Change

<div class="byline">- JOE STARKEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011819/7904629-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE BOSS</b></p><p><i>Mario Lemieux says his team is a &lsquo;free agent&rsquo; come 2007.</i></p> <span class="photo-credit">(LISA MEYER/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04512/7904636-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="108" height="112"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span></b>onsidering they&rsquo;ve sustained the largest attendance drop in the NHL, have rid themselves of every veteran star who wasn&rsquo;t bound by an ownership commitment and figure to lose $5 million this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins could hardly be considered a flourishing business.</p><p>But they aren&rsquo;t an endangered one, either.</p><p>The hockey world went wild when the Penguins, within a matter of days, announced player/owner Mario Lemieux would forego his $4 million-plus raise, traded their second-highest paid player in Martin Straka and loaned rookie goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to Canada&rsquo;s World Junior team.</p><p>The Toronto <i>Sun</i> went so far as to say, &ldquo;Once again, there is talk that the Penguins may be close to folding.&rdquo; No there&rsquo;s not. But, this team needs a new arena and a revamped NHL economy (read: salary cap and/or revenue sharing) if it&rsquo;s going to stay in Pittsburgh past 2007. The Penguins probably won&rsquo;t go anywhere before that, because their lease with Mellon Arena runs through the 2006-07 season (not that a lease ever stopped a pro franchise team from relocating).</p><p>Once 2007 hits, as Lemieux has stated amid his fight for a new arena, &ldquo;This franchise is a free agent.&rdquo;</p><p>For now, relax, folks. The Penguins have been in &ldquo;survival mode,&rdquo; in the words of GM Craig Patrick, since last trade deadline.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s what that means: The twice-bankrupt franchise refuses to sustain huge losses that would weigh it down once the league institutes a new CBA. If anything, the Penguins are operating with a degree of fiscal sanity that other franchises seem to lack.</p><p>The question of whether hockey will survive long-term in Pittsburgh is legit. More than one plan for a new arena has been floated. The team hopes funding from slot machines will help foot the bill.</p><p>In parting, know this: Coming into the season, the Penguins were nearly at the breakeven point, financially, since Lemieux&rsquo;s group assumed ownership four years ago.</p><p>A lot of teams would like to make that claim.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05314/7904622-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="1225" height="1090"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0005-01

Penguins safe for now

<h2>Best of the Hockey World</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021287/7904674-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="346" height="556"><figcaption class="caption-body">JASON SAAL</figcaption></div><p><b>FILLING ROY&rsquo;S SKATES</b> So much for a goals tending controversy. David Aebischer (15-5-4, 2.12 IGAA and .925 SP) has been superb for the Avs.</p><p><b>WHAT A MONTH</b> D&eacute;troits Pavel Datsyuk scores 11 goals and 19 points in his first 11 games of December to climb atop the NHL scoring race.</p><p><b>OFFENSE-MINDED STOPPER</b> Augusta goalie Jason Saal records the win and registers three assists in a 4-2 ECHL victory over Greenville.</p><h2><i>Worst of the Hockey World</i></h2><p><b>ROAD KILL</b> The Columbus Blue Jackets are the NHL&rsquo;s last remaining team without a road victory having gone 0-10-1-2 in games away from home.</p><p><b>CANES CULPRITS</b> Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour (two goals each) and Ron Francis (minus-11) need to crank it up.</p><p><b>PLAYERS LACK VISION</b> Some ECHL players are up in arms over the league&rsquo;s decision to make wearing visors mandatory.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03830/7904667-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="345" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body">JEFF O&rsquo;NEILL</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0005-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06188/7904705-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="386" height="622"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KEN KLEE</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-07119/7904712-1-eng-US/f0005-072.jpg" title="f0005-07" width="227" height="196"></div><p>&bull; Rookie <b>GM John Ferguson</b> scored huge when he signed free agent defenseman <b>Ken</b> Klee. The veteran blueliner had two goals and 17 points in 32 games for Toronto and was one of two players - Phoenix&rsquo;s <b>Radoslav Suchy</b> is the other - to have already surpassed his points total from Last year (minimum 70 games and 10 points).</p><p>&bull; The average age of the NHL&rsquo;s top three goal-scorers is 21. <b>Rick Nash</b> (19 goals) of Columbus is 19, <b>Ilya Kovalchuk</b> (18 goats) is 20 <b>and Pavel Datsyuk (19</b> goals) of Detroit is 25.</p><p>&bull; By not signing <b>Chris Pronger</b> to a contract extension, the Blues risk ticking off and eventually losing one of the best defensive defensemen in the league. When you consider <b>Al Maclnnis</b> is 40 and <b>Murray Baron</b> and <b>Jeff Finley</b> are both 37, St. Louis could be pretty thin on the blueline down the road. The last time the Blues failed to give pronger an extension, he won the Hart and Norris Trophies and his price went up more than $3 million a year.</p><p>&bull; Hockey has now been shut out 10 consecutive years for the Lou Marsh Award, presented annually to Canada&rsquo;s top athlete. Is it just coincidence that the time period mirrors the decline of scoring and, by extension, a dearth of superstars? Golfer <b>Mike Weir</b> won it this year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-06

SNAPSHOTS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012028/7904743-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="248" height="127"></div><p><b>The Hockey News</b></p><p><b>FROM THE EDITORS</b></p><p><b>D</b>esperate times call for desperate measures.</p><p>While the NHL is to be applauded for addressing a lack of scoring in today&rsquo;s game by announcing plans for eight American League games to be played with wider bluelines and a wider red line (creating more room in the neutral and offensive zones), the league wimped out on going for the gusto.</p><p>The idea was first brought to the public&rsquo;s attention in an article written by former NHL star Bobby Smith for The Hockey News 2003-04 Yearbook. The ex-Phoenix Coyotes GM recommended the bluelines and the center red line be increased from one foot wide to six feet wide.</p><p>In doing so, the offensive zones are stretched two feet, from 73 to 75. Also, the neutral zone increases from 56 feet to 62. A player skating out of his zone with the puck can release a pass at the inside edge of his team&rsquo;s blueline and hit a teammate at the far tip of the other team&rsquo;s blueline 62 feet away. <i>(See pg. 4 for more.)</i></p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i><b>It would look strange at first, but eventually people would get used to the wider lines.</b></i></blockquote><p>As it is now, a similar pass can travel a maximum of 56 feet. So without removing the red line, as many have suggested the NHL try, hockey would have a long-bomb pass - a Hail Mary play, if you will.</p><p>But in experimenting with bluelines that are three feet wide instead of six, the results are less likely to be favorable in terms of opening the game up and increasing scoring. It&rsquo;s almost as though this experiment is being set up to fail.</p><p>Asked if the league would consider trying wider bluelines, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman responded: &ldquo;No. I think as a practical matter in terms of the aesthetics of the rink, at some point it wouldn&rsquo;t make sense.&rdquo;</p><p>In other words, it would look too weird.</p><p>The same league that once frowned at advertising on the boards - but now covers every inch of boards it possibly can to generate extra revenue - and thought it was OK for two teams to wear long pants, suddenly cares about aesthetics?</p><p>Sure it would look strange in the beginning. Just like putting nets up at each end of the rink looks weird, or Boston&rsquo;s ugly third uniform looks weird. But you get used to it.</p><p>Playing the game with lines that are six feet wide would indeed be a radical change, but the integrity of the game wouldn&rsquo;t be compromised. With scoring on the decline (the NHL is barely averaging five goals per game) and the league unwilling to make the nets larger, Smith&rsquo;s plan of six-feet-wide lines seems like a logical way to attempt to increase scoring.</p><p>It will be interesting to see the results of the eight games in the AHL with the bluelines and red line tripled in size.</p><p>Perhaps there will be a significant increase in scoring or, at the very least, more wide-open and entertaining play. If that works, maybe then the NHL will be convinced making the lines even wider will lend itself to a more entertaining game.</p><p>The NHL has a chance to try something radical to make a great game even better, but its conservative posture is getting in the way. In our view, it&rsquo;s better to swing for the fences than go for a bunt single.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-01

THE HOCKEY NEWS EDITORIAL

Overly conservative NHL draws line on bigger lines

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021354/7904774-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JIMMY RUTHERFORD GETTING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0006-02

ELSTON

<h2><b>ROENICK&rsquo;S RANT RULES</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>s the world&rsquo;s No. 1 Jeremy Roenick fan, I was delighted to see him on your cover - and with an article written by the man himself! (THN, Dec. 16)</p><p>Roenick&rsquo;s article says it all and he doesn&rsquo;t hold back on his opinions about the game. I agree with everything he said; it is about time Americans start paying more attention to the sport of hockey.</p><p>Congratulations, J.R., on an amazing article. <i>John Wascher, St. Catharines, Ont.</i></p><p><b>John Wascher, St. Catharines, Ont.</b></p><h2><b>EXPANSION: CAUSE OF NHL&rsquo;S WOES?</b></h2><p>I&rsquo;ve been a hockey fan for almost 50 years and to me, the NHL isn&rsquo;t as exciting as it once was.</p><p>Drastic changes aren&rsquo;t necessary; the biggest problem has been over-expansion. Because of that reason, there are far more marginal players than skilled ones, which is why the trap is all too common. When the Devils recently played the Capitals, Martin Brodeur faced nine shots in the entire game! How exciting that must have been to watch&hellip;</p><p><b><i>Anthony J. Gorgone, Copiague, N.Y.</i></b></p><h2><b>BAN ROAMING GOALIES</b></h2><p>The quality of play in the NHL will continue to suffer unless goalies are banned from roaming away their net as if they were a third defenseman.</p><p>Such roaming completely breaks down the forecheck; thus, less offense is produced. Keeping goalies in their nets is an absolute must.</p><p><i><b>Steven Cohen, Thornhill, Ont.</b></i></p><h2><b>ELSTON&rsquo;S CARTOONS A-OK</b></h2><p>I love Elston&rsquo;s weekly cartoon. It&rsquo;s always the first thing I look at when my new THN issue arrives.</p><p>Keep up the good work, Mr. Elston - and everyone else at The Hockey News, too!</p><p><i><b>Iain Macdonald, Chicago</b></i></p><h2><b>MARSH TRADE THE WORST?</b></h2><p>Adam Proteau&rsquo;s Backchecking article on Brad Marsh made me want to throw up. (THN, Dec. 16)</p><p>Being a Flyers fan, the trading of Mel Bridgeman for Marsh was the second-worst trade in NHL history.</p><p>The worst trade in NHL history? That came on June 8, 1983, when the Flyers traded elite enforcer Behn Wilson for a never-clear-the-crease, stickcheck-only, sad excuse for a defenseman named Doug Crossman.</p><p>Needless to say, Marsh and Crossman were paired together on defense.</p><p><i><b>Michael Skertic, Willingboro, N.</b></i></p><h2><b>MORE WOMEN&rsquo;S COVERAGE</b></h2><p>Thank you for finally printing an article on a U.S. women&rsquo;s hockey player. (THN, Dec. 16)</p><p>Your coverage of Sara DeCosta-Hayes&rsquo; retirement was very much appreciated. It&rsquo;s about time THN recognized star hockey players outside the NHL!</p><p><i><b>Allie Boone, Pittsburgh</b></i></p><h2><b>OUTRAGEOUS TICKET PRICES</b></h2><p>I recently went to a Devils game and, as usual, attendance was pitiful.</p><p>Why? With $70 tickets - considered decent seats - $10 for parking and outrageous prices on food and merchandise, it costs two people upwards of $200 to go to a game. Until ticket prices come down, attendance numbers won&rsquo;t go up.</p><p><i><b>Michael Morgese, Roselle Park, N.J.</b></i></p><h2><b>LETTER OF THE WEEK</b></h2><p>Like Jeremy Roenick, I can&rsquo;t figure out why hockey has not been embraced by sports-mad Americans. (THN, Dec. 16)</p><p>There is no doubt J.R.&rsquo;s personality, talent and patriotism make him a great ambassador for the NHL and hockey in the U.S. He put together a well-written, light hearted article that will surely persuade some non-NHL fans in America to give this exciting and entertaining sport a try. I have never played hockey and can barely skate, but hockey reigns supreme in my house for all of the reasons articulated by J.R.</p><p>That said, at least in this instance, J.R. is preaching to the choir. People who read The Hockey News already know why hockey is such a great sport.</p><p>Still, J.R.&rsquo;s efforts are commendable. We can only hope his message reaches those who are still in the dark about this fantastic sport.</p><p><b><i>Kevin MacGillivray, Basking Ridge, N.J.</i></b></p><h2><b>Got something to say?</b></h2><p>U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.</p><p>Canada: Letters, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont, M2N 6S7</p><p>E-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.</p><p><i>Submissions will be edited.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03752/7904843-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="248" height="127"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011837/7904836-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="2243" height="2666"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><p>He joined the Edmonton Oilers as the homegrown golden boy, the feel-good story of the season.</p><p>Less than three years later, Mike Comrie leaves town as the most vilified player in the 25-year history of the franchise.</p><p>The Oilers, meanwhile, come off looking petty and vindictive - comical, even for letting a gifted young center slip through their fingers. So how did something that started out so good deteriorate into such an uelv mess?</p><p>Business got personal.</p><p>Two stupidly proud men who didn&rsquo;t want anyone thinking the other guy got one over on him let a contract negotiation explode into a four-month soap opera. &ldquo;1 didn&rsquo;t want this to turn into a war because Edmonton is still my hometown,&rdquo; said Comrie after the deal that sent him to Philadelphia.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021225/7904829-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="414" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Rob Tychkowski</b></p><p><i>Guest Columnist</i></p></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Both sides could have handled it better.&rdquo;</p><p>Ya think?</p><p>The cracks in this stormy relationship began in the fall of 2000. By jumping from the NCAA (Michigan) to the Western League (Kootenay), Comrie triggered a CBA loophole (since closed) giving him unrestricted free agency if Edmonton didn&rsquo;t sign him by the summer. Comrie&rsquo;s camp used their position of power - and the enormous pressure in Edmonton not to let the homegrown talent get away - to grind GM Kevin Lowe but good. On Dec. 30,2000, Comrie, who went 91st overall in 1999, landed the third-largest entry level contract in NHL history ($8 million U.S. for 2-1/2 years, most of it in easily attainable bonuses).</p><p>Lowe smiled at the mid-season news conference to announce the signing, but deep down inside the ultra-competitive GM didn&rsquo;t like losing. Two-and-a-half years later it was his turn to wield the hammer. Hoping to average down the contract, he offered Comrie the minimum, a relatively insulting 10 per-cent raise on his $1.025-million base salary.</p><p>That&rsquo;s when things really started to unravel. Within days there were rumours of a trade request. Less than a month into the season, agent Rich Winter said there was &ldquo;zero&rdquo; chance Comrie would ever play for the Oilers again.</p><h2><b>POINT OF NO RETURN</b></h2><p>Comrie reached the point of no return so quickly, without ever returning to the negotiating table, it almost looked like the contract was a convenient excuse to set up an escape, to take the bonus money and run. His track record of walking out on his teams for greener pastures was well-documented: he quit Michigan to play for Kootenay and trigger the UFA clause, then he quit Kootenay in mid-season to sign the big contract in Edmonton. Faced with a pay cut, it looked like he was quitting again. &ldquo;I think this was a case of a player wanting out,&rdquo; Lowe said.</p><p>With a team of impressionable young players and their agents watching closely, Lowe was in no hurry to cave in to a holdout, so on it dragged. Then it got weird. After agreeing to terms with Ducks GM Bryan Murray, Lowe went back to Comrie at the 11th hour and insisted Comrie pay $2.5 million of his own money to seal the deal. The deal died on the spot and Lowe came out of it looking strange and mean-spirited. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t trying to be punitive or damaging to Mike Comrie,&rdquo; said Lowe, adding he received calls of support from several GMs. &ldquo;I just felt this particular deal, with a team in our conference, needed to be topped up.&rdquo;</p><p>Murray didn&rsquo;t see it that way, saying Lowe went back on his word. Comrie called it unethical. The search for a trade continued.</p><h2><b>&lsquo;BEST FOR EVERYBODY&rsquo;</b></h2><p>A week later they sent Comrie to Philadelphia for defenseman Jeff Woywitka, a first round pick in 2004 and a third-rounder in 2005. There was no pay-as-you-go clause. &ldquo;I think both sides could&rsquo;ve maybe done things differentiy, but I don&rsquo;t think at any time I will look back and regret any decisions,&rdquo; Comrie said. &ldquo;This is what I feel is best for everybody involved.&rdquo;</p><p>Doubtful. Comrie&rsquo;s reputation is in shambles; he comes off looking like a spoiled player who put the contractual screws to his hometown team when the CBA worked to has advantage and quit the minute it didn&rsquo;t. Lowe comes off looking spiteful, irrational and guilty, perhaps, of chasing away a talented homegrown asset.</p><p>The Oilers&rsquo; 25th anniversary season was supposed to be remembered for the Heritage Classic. Instead, a juvenile spat overshadowed it. &ldquo;The community doesn&rsquo;t need this,&rdquo; said Oilers board chairman Cal Nichols.</p><p>In the end, Lowe didn&rsquo;t try hard enough to keep Comrie, who didn&rsquo;t try hard enough to stay. Too bad, because from what we&rsquo;ve seen over the last four months, they deserve each other. And Edmonton deserved better.</p><h2><b>YOUTH MOVEMENT</b></h2><p><i>The Flyers are getting a consistent point producer in Mike Comrie. Here&rsquo;s how he compares in career points-per game average with the top young offensiveplayers (24 or younger).</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-03

Oiler fans deserved better

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021441/7904874-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="382" height="619"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ROB RAMAGE</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011915/7904881-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="117" height="159"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>ormer NHL defenseman Rob Ramage is facing two criminal charges stemming from the car accident that killed his friend and NHL Alumni associate Keith Magnuson.</p><p>Ramage, 44, was the driver of a rented car that, according to reports, veered into oncoming traffic, clipped another vehicle and crashed into an SUV about 5 p.m. just north of Toronto Dec. 15. The passenger side of Ramage&rsquo;s car was ripped apart and Magnuson, his travelling companion, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other drivers were seriously injured, but Ramage sustained a broken leg and dislocated hip.</p><p>Police charged Ramage with impaired driving causing death just hours after the crash. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment. The next day, an additional charge of dangerous driving causing death was laid.</p><p>Police said they were able to gather evidence of alcohol from the scene. Roads were wet, but not icy and visibility was clear at the time of the accident.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Ramage and Magnuson were heading to a meeting at the NHL Alumni Association office near the Toronto airport after a funeral reception &rsquo; for Keith McCreary, the chairman of the association who died of cancer Dec. 8. They were two of more than 1,000 family and friends to pay their respects to McCreary.</p><p>Magnuson, 56, was past chairman of the alumni association and Ramage the vice-chairman.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost incomprehensible,&rdquo; NHL alumni president Brian Conacher told the Toronto <i>Sun.</i> &ldquo;To have anything hap pen to all three is devastating.&rdquo;</p><p>Ramage&rsquo;s lawyer, Brian Greenspan, said the 15-year NHLer was in hospital recovering from his injuries, but wants to attend Magnuson&rsquo;s funeral Dec. 20.</p><p>&ldquo;He is recuperating, he&rsquo;s alert and he s obviously on medication,&rdquo; Greenspan told the Toronto <i>Star.</i> &ldquo;The main focus of the Ramage family is on the Magnuson family and extending their condolences and sympathies to them.&rdquo;</p><p>A day after the accident, a justice of the peace went to the hospital to preside over a hearing on the charges. Ramage, who was under police watch at the hospital, was released from custody on a $100,000 bail order. A publication ban on evidence was imposed.</p><p>Ramage, the first overall draft choice of the Colorado Rockies in 1979, played 1,044 games as a sturdy defenseman with eight teams before retiring in 1994. He won Stanley Cups with Calgary in 1989 and Montreal in 1993. He and wife Dawn have three children and five in the St. Louis area where Ramage works as a financial advisor.</p><p>&ldquo;Rob is a terrific guy,&rdquo; said former teammate Mike Gartner. &ldquo;I played with him and against him for probably 15 years and he&rsquo;s just a quality guy. He&rsquo;s a good father and husband and a real community leader.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Ramage charged in crash

<h2><b>ALL BRAWLS ON FIGHTING SHOW</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>ormer NHL enforcer Tony Twist is making a comeback of sorts. The retired 35-year-old St. Louis Blues alum is the first player to sign up for a hockey gladiators show that involves players suiting up for the sole purpose of dropping the gloves and fighting according to <a href="http://hockeygladiators.com">hockeygladiators.com</a></p><p>Manitoba sports promoter Darryl Wolski said he has received positive response from cable-TV distributors DirecTV and Viewer&rsquo;s Choice for his pay-perview hockey fighting tournament. The plan is to round up between 50 and 100 hockey players, each of whom will pay $250 to participate in the tournament. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m fully expecting some sort of backlash from the NHL,&rdquo; Wolski said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re not trying to go out there and put on games.&rdquo; Also signing on is 49-year-old ex-Toronto Maple Leaf Kurt Walker. The event is Sept. 4-5, in Grand Forks, N.D.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-05381/7904912-1-eng-US/f0008-052.jpg" title="f0008-05" width="343" height="552"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TONY TWIST</b></figcaption></div><h2><b>YOUTH GROUPS GET ASSISTANCE</b></h2><p>Fourteen youth hockey organizations are the recipients of $100,000 thanks to NHL ASSIST grants. Among groups receiving funding is the Sutter Brothers&rsquo; Youth Hockey Program in Viking, Alta. Other organizations come from St-Ephrem, Que; Timmins, Ont.; Digby, N.S.; Edmonton; Whitefish, Mont.; Henniker, N.H.; Indianapolis; Eugene, Ore.; Pueblo, Colo.; Rome, N.Y.; Sante Fe, N.M.; Windom, Minn.; and Banska Bystrica, Slo. NHL ASSIST (Assist Skaters and Shooters In Succeeding Together) was established in 1997 to provide monies to youth programs to be used for equipment, ice time and travel to competitions. Since its inception, 89 youth programs worldwide have received $700,000 in support.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-05

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031020/7904950-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="877" height="826"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04533/7904943-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="134" height="143"></div><p><b><i>What city has the loudest arena in the NHL?</i></b></p><p><b>N</b>oise, in an opposition arena, can be annoying, intimidating and downright harmful to the ear drums. Detroit, apparently, is the loudest place to go.</p><p>In a poll of 30 NHLers, one from each team, seven (23 per cent) said Detroit is the NHL&rsquo;s most uproarious madhouse. Ten more split between Minnesota and San Jose.</p><p>&ldquo;When it gets crazy in Detroit, its pretty loud,&rdquo; said Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Andre Roy.</p><p>&ldquo;(They&rsquo;re) very rambunctious and loud,&rdquo; said Montreal&rsquo;s Craig Rivet.</p><p>The Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota certainly lives up to its name.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year in the playoffs, I felt sick to my stomach,&rdquo; said Nashville&rsquo;s Jeremy Stevenson, a former Wild winger. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how loud it was. It was overwhelming. Goose bumps right down to your toenails.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Especially when you throw in those horns,&rdquo; said Chicago&rsquo;s Ville Nieminen.</p><p><b>FOR COMPLETE PLAYER POLL RESULTS, VISIT <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0008-03

PLAYER POLL

<p><b>I</b>t&rsquo;s a given that players don&rsquo;t get paid during a lockout, but what happens to the front office and coaching staffs?</p><p>One published report suggested coaches are being told they will only receive 50 to 70 per cent of their salaries as long as a work stoppage is on. Assistant coaches, the report said, would have to do some scouting or work with the NHL club&rsquo;s minor league affiliates. GMs&rsquo; salaries are not necessarily any safer. Some GMs have provisions in their contracts that include reduced salaries during a work stoppage.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-06302/7904981-1-eng-US/f0008-062.jpg" title="f0008-06" width="498" height="372"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0008-06

Coaches and GMs docked in lockout

<div class="byline">BY TIM SASSONE</div><p><b>T</b>here were few things Keith Magnuson loved more than being a Chicago Blackhawk.</p><p>&ldquo;Keith Magnuson was probably the proudest Blackhawk ever,&rdquo; said former Hawks coach Billy Reay. &ldquo;The one thing Maggie always wanted to do was play for the Blackhawks.&rdquo;</p><p>Magnuson, the heart and soul of some powerhouse Hawks teams in the early 1970s, died Dec. 15 in a car accident in the Toronto area.</p><p>The 56-year-old Magnuson was a passenger in a car driven by ex-NHLer Rob Ramage, who faces two charges - impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death. Magnuson and Ramage were returning to Toronto from the funeral of NHL Alumni Association chairman Keith McCreary in Bolton, Ont.</p><p>The Hawks organization was devastated by the death of one of the most popular players i franchise history and someone who spent countless hours during his playing career and after it giving back to the community through charity work.</p><p>&ldquo;Keith was an outstanding human being,&rdquo; said Hawks owner Bill Wirtz. &ldquo;His contributions to the hockey world and the Chicagoland community are endless.&rdquo;</p><p>Magnuson&rsquo;s friends and ex-team-mates had a difficult time putting into words the enormity of their loss.</p><p>&ldquo;The rest of us Blackhawks alumni are the Indians and we&rsquo;ve lost our chief,&rdquo; said Denis Savard.</p><p>This is just devastating, said Stan Mikita. &ldquo;Even the opposition liked Maggie. He was a true Blackhawk.&rdquo;</p><p>There have been greater players for the Hawks, but none more loyal to the organization. Magnuson spent his entire 11-year career as a rugged defenseman with Chicago, coached the team for a season and a half when Bill Wirtz asked him to, then in 1987 helped start the Blackhawks Alumni Association. He played with a passion that matched his flaming red hair. He wasn&rsquo;t the best fighter of his era, but he stood up to anyone and everyone willing to drop the gloves.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>Even the opposition liked Maggie. He was a true Chicago Blackhawk.</i></b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;He was the absolute epitome of what wearing that jersey is all about,&rdquo; said Darren Pang, the ESPN analyst who played for the Hawks in the mid-1980s. &ldquo;There probably wasn&rsquo;t a more passionate or overachieving player ever to play for the Blackhawks.</p><p>&ldquo;He played only 10 years, but it seemed like 20. He gave every single ounce that he had in those 10 years. After those 10 years, he had nothing else to give.&rdquo;</p><p>Magnuson had to retire at 32 early in 1979-80 because of injuries. At the end of his career, he had served 1,442 penalty minutes, which stood as the Blackhawks record until Chris Chelios passed him.</p><p>&ldquo;He was the ultimate warrior,&rdquo; said Hawks assistant GM Dale Talion of his former defense partner. &ldquo;He would do anything for you as a teammate. He would fight anybody and do it three times if he had to.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011777/7905012-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="904" height="1398"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(THN ARCHIVES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Magnuson is survived by his wife, Cindy, and children Kevin and Molly.</p><p>&ldquo;In life, you meet very few people who are a notch above the rest,&rdquo; said Blackhawks GM Bob Pulford. &ldquo;Keith was one of those people.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-01

Car crash daims Blackhawk warrior

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY-Senior Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021377/7905057-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011884/7905064-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="140" height="99"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>GOAL MAN</h2><p><b>Sheldon Souray leads NHL defensemen in goals and has already more than doubled his previous single-season high.</b></p><p><b>Q</b>uick, guess who leads all NHL defensemen in goals this season.</p><p>Rob Blake? He&rsquo;s tied for second with seven. Al Maclnnis? He&rsquo;s hurt. Ed Jovanovski? He has six, the same number he scored all last season, but it&rsquo;s not him, either.</p><p>Try Sheldon Souray. Try eight goals in 32 games - five more than his single-season best. Wait a minute, isn&rsquo;t he injured? No, that was last year. And the year before. And the year before that Since joining Montreal from New Jersey Nov. 17, 2001, the Elk Point, Alta., native has been hurt more often than he has been healthy. In fact, he missed all last season because of a wrist injury. A similar wrist ailment cost him 44 games the year before and he sat out the first 29 games of 2000-01 with an injury to the muscle wall of his stomach.</p><h2><b>SLOW RECOVERY</b></h2><p>You say all the things about trying to your spirits up, but it&rsquo;s hard,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;I have always been training to come J so it&rsquo;s not as if I wasn&rsquo;t skating. But y time you get close - you practice with e team and take all the steps you have to ake to get back in the lineup - and then the s, &lsquo;Oh, by the way we took X-rays and your wrist is cracked again&hellip; you need another surgery.&rsquo; It sucks the wind right out of your sails.&rdquo;</p><p>Souray&rsquo;s sails have been at full mast this season.</p><p>After four wrist surgeries, he is finally playing (relatively) pain-free. Oh, there is the occasional painful shiver in his hand after the odd shot, or when he takes a guy out along the boards, but it&rsquo;s down to every second or third game.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like when you hit a golf ball and you&rsquo;re a little off in your swing,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;The vibrations kill you. You go back to the bench and, honestly, it&rsquo;s like you&rsquo;ve broken your hand.&rdquo;</p><p>With the Canadiens in a rebuilding mode, the fact the 27-year-old Souray was returning came as pleasant news. Nobody, though, expected him to be as prominent as he has been.</p><p>&ldquo;I guess before he was thought of as a defensive defenseman,&rdquo; said Habs assistant coach Rick Green.</p><p>&ldquo;He still does very well, but he has been given the opportunity on the power play and he&rsquo;s really intelligent as far as when he chooses to jump into the play to help out on offense. Also, he has one of the hardest shots on the team, if not the league. And right now he has it pretty much under control in terms of hitting the net.&rdquo;</p><p>When he first joined the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, Souray set his sights on hitting anything that moved. Though he was a scorer in junior, the Devils needed a physical defenseman to follow in the footsteps of Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko. Souray was up to averaging more than 17 minutes a game with the Devils in his third season with the team, 1999-2000, when they decided they needed more experience on the blueline in what proved to be their second run to the Stanley Cup. He was traded to Montreal for Vladimir Malakhov.</p><p>It was tough watching the Devils hoist the Cup over their heads that spring, especially since the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs, but Souray doesn&rsquo;t dwell on the negative.</p><p>&ldquo;The worst thing was (coach) Robbie Ftorek and I weren&rsquo;t on the same page and he got fired eight games after I was traded,&rdquo; Souray said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04582/7905050-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="633" height="969"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03855/7905043-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="261" height="424"></div><h2>The Hockey News <i>scout says.</i></h2><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;He has responded favorably to additional ice time and responsibility in Montreal.&rdquo;</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;But at the end of the day, it&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s best for your career that really matters. I thank my lucky stars that I started my career with the Devils. The way the treat you is very professional, but it&rsquo;s very strict. I played with Scott Stevens, who is my idol. I had Larry Robinson and Jacques Lemaire as my coaches. It doesn&rsquo;t get much better than that. But here I have a chance to be a top-four guy. Who knows if I ever would have had that chance in Jersey?&rdquo;</p><h2><b>HAT TRICK HOPES</b></h2><p>Three of Souray&rsquo;s goals have come with the man advantage, while one was shorthanded. He has one game-winner. Souray scored in the Habs&rsquo; sec- "s ond game of the year and has had three two-goal games. He has been oh-so-close to recording a hat trick, something he hopes he&rsquo;ll get another shot at this year.</p><p>&ldquo;Against Edmonton we were I on the power play and (Mike) Ribeiro threw it out to me and I * had a wide-open net,&rdquo; Souray said. &ldquo;I just missed. Then against Washington, if there were two more seconds in the fe game I would have scored i my third. I intercepted a M pass at center and the Capitals had pulled their goalie. Just as I went to shoot, the buzzer sounded. Damn.&rdquo;</p><p>Souray said one of the biggest reasons for his success this season is because he got to watch so much hockey last year from the press box.</p><p>&ldquo;When you sit out that long, you have a chance to really watch closely how the game is played,&rdquo; Souray said.</p><p>&ldquo;The other thing is, you have plenty of time to evaluate what you can bring to the table. The way my career had gone in the NHL really wasn&rsquo;t a good indication of the kind of player I am. I was young, single and playing in the NHL. I maybe got off-track a little now and then. Now it&rsquo;s a totally different situation. I&rsquo;m not taking anything for granted and I&rsquo;m having fun. I feel very lucky to be back playing again.&rdquo;</p><p>The Habs feel lucky, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

Healthy dose of Souray

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011674/7905095-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Trevor Lindon</b></p><p><i>Vancouver Canucks center NHLPA president No. 13</i></p> <span class="photo-credit">(FREESTYLE/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>f you&rsquo;re looking for a telltale sign this summer whether CBA optimism or pessimism is carrying the day, count the number of Swedish players who put their houses up for sale in anticipation of a move back home for a year. The betting is there will be a lot of them.</p><p>Real estate agents in Vancouver, don&rsquo;t say you weren&rsquo;t warned.</p><p>It&rsquo;s only natural the looming labor crisis, pitting a league set on a salary cap against a players&rsquo; union dead set against one, takes front and center in our exclusive fifth annual People of Power and Influence ranking. Eleven of the top 13 I names on the list, including No. 1 Gary Bettman, No. 2 Bob Goodenow and No. 13 Trevor Linden as president of the players&rsquo; association, will be directly involved in the talks.</p><p>The broader list, of course, includes people from all corners of the hockey world, including players, owners, agents, league and NHLPA personnel and even equipment manufacturers.</p><p>The ranking was determined over a course of several months through consultation with people throughout the hockey industry.</p><p>Profiles were written by senior writer Mark Brender. Alan Adams served as consultant. The project was assembled and edited by senior special sections editor Brian Costello.</p><h2><b>POWER GRID</b></h2><p><i>Here&rsquo;s a breakdown of the top 100 people of power by category:</i></p><p>25 NHL GMs/Coaches</p><p>14 Media</p><p>12 NHL Players</p><p>12 Ownership</p><p>11 Miscellaneous</p><p>l0 NHL</p><p>7 Agents</p><p>4 NHLPA</p><p>3 International</p><p>2 television<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

COVER STORY

100 PEOPLE OF PEOPLE OF POWER & INFLUENCE

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>here&rsquo;s going to be a lot of decade-old <i>deja vu</i> in the late summer of 2004 as the CBA talks heat up for real. In many public ways, it&rsquo;s going to be 1994 all over again.</p><p>We know the NHL will continue to insist it is on the brink of imminent collapse as justification for the changes it is pursuing. Case in point: In the fall of 1994, commissioner Gary Bettman, 18 months into his new job and with an average league salary of $572,000, said the league was in a &ldquo;tenuous financial condition.&rdquo; This time, with an average league salary of $1.8 million, Bettman is talking about &ldquo;problems that are undeniable,&rdquo; which undeniably amounts to the same thing.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>I have a responsibility to lead the game through this.</i></blockquote><p>We also know the players will continue to suggest the owners are cooking the books, or at the very least are trying to make the players pay for management mistakes. What we don&rsquo;t yet know - and isn&rsquo;t the suspense driving you nuts? - is whether Chris Chelios or somebody else will threaten Bettman&rsquo;s family. It&rsquo;s a definite maybe.</p><p>But in the private ways, the behind-the-scenes-ways, all the ways that matter, this is nothing like 1994. For a number of reasons, Bettman has the kind of power this time that he could never have exercised before:</p><p>&bull; On June 20, 2000, the NHL board of governors gave Bettman &ldquo;supermajority&rdquo; power. That means if Bettman recommends governors accept a CBA proposal, he needs a simple majority to carry the day. Here&rsquo;s the catch: If Bettman does not like a deal, he needs just eight of 30 governors with him to block it.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011837/7905140-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="414" height="682"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Mark Brender</b></p><p><i>Senior Writer</i></p></figcaption></div><p>In other words, if Bettman doesn&rsquo;t feel he has enough &ldquo;costcertainty&rdquo; and a small market cabal of Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, Phoenix and Pittsburgh agrees, there ain&rsquo;t no deal.</p><p>It&rsquo;s unlikely to play out that way, of course. If Bettman alienates all the doves, he&rsquo;ll have his own job security problems no matter what happens with the CBA. But Bettman insists the supermajority vote proves there&rsquo;s no split anvwav.</p><p>&ldquo;This was the owners statement that this league and all of its franchises are unified&hellip;There is no question that unity is there and it would be a serious miscalculation for anybody to doubt it.&rdquo;</p><p>Does the knowledge that Bettman has a supermajority affect Bob Goodenow&rsquo;s perception of how hard he can push, or how much he might be able to drive a wedge between hawkish and dovish owners, and still expect to get a deal done? Only Goodenow knows for sure.</p><p>&bull; The league did not have a $300-million lockout slush fund in 1994. Bettman says there wasn&rsquo;t enough time to prepare; he had only been on the job for a year and a half, after all. This time, teams won&rsquo;t be forced back to the ice because they need revenue to stay afloat - and, by extension, Bettman won&rsquo;t be forced to negotiate a deal he doesn&rsquo;t want.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03943/7905133-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="876" height="977"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021455/7905126-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1932" height="1914"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>AND ANOTHER THING&hellip;</b>&nbsp;<i>Gary Bettman says the owners are always kept abreast of latest developments in CBA talks.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><p>&bull; Bettman has 10 years of interaction with owners and GMs to fall back on. Most GMs who have gotten to know him say Bettman doesn&rsquo;t get enough credit for his hockey knowledge; if he ever was an out-of-his-element basketball guy, that&rsquo;s no longer the reality. That gives him a lot of credibility on the hockey side. And on the business side, Bettman is quick to point out that 23 teams have new owners since he became commissioner.</p><p>That&rsquo;s 23 owners he has personally welcomed into the league - make that <i>allowed</i> into the league. He had to approve of every one. Some mighty fine personal capital, that.</p><p>&ldquo;I would never run away from the fact that as commissioner of this league, I have a responsibility to lead the game through this process,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;The fact of the matter is, I do it with the advice and consent and full engagement of the teams and owners.&rdquo;</p><p>Bettman says owners are always updated of the latest developments, most recently at the December governors&rsquo; meetings. That&rsquo;s a far different thing from setting the agenda.</p><p>&ldquo;The only two people who really really know what&rsquo;s going on right now are Bettman and Goodenow,&rdquo; said one GM who attended the meetings. &ldquo;You may expand that to (NHL VP Bill) Daly and (NHLPA counsel Ted) Saskin because they do a lot of the nuts and bolts. But even other people that talk about this, it&rsquo;s really rhetoric at this point and it will be right through to the end. It&rsquo;s just really those four people that really know what&rsquo;s going on here and ultimately what the deal is going to be.&rdquo;</p><p>Goodenow has 700 players to control and keep happy. Bettman has 30 owners - and the help of a gag order enforceable by a $100,000 fine. Who has the easier job?</p><p>For the salary escalation, for the professionalism he instilled compared to what came before, go ahead and call Goodenow hockey&rsquo;s most influential figure over the past decade. For power in the here and now, it&rsquo;s Bettman in a landslide.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Bettman’s power play

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t has been more than a decade since Bob Goodenow became executive director of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association and to say he has had a dramatic impact on the business of hockey would be putting it mildly.</p><p>Goodenow is mainly associated with salary escalation. Under his watch, the average wage has increased from $276,000 in 1990-91 to $1.8 million last season.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>He watches as many as three games at the same time.</i></blockquote><p>But Goodenow has done much more for the union membership than be the public face of rising salaries.</p><p>He instituted a policy where player agents had to be certified by the NHLPA or NHL teams could not deal with them. He has transformed the NHLPA from being Alan Eagleson&rsquo;s private fiefdom to being a strong business entity, helping increase its revenues through licensing and other methods.</p><p>Eagleson will long be remembered for serving jail time for stealing from players and for having a cozy relationship with owners. Goodenow let it be known that things would be different under his guidance. He has become a formidable advocate for players, which is exactly what he&rsquo;s supposed to do.</p><p>Goodenow was born in Detroit in 1952. As a kid, he was a teammate of Mark and Marty Howe on a junior team. He then went to Harvard, where he captained the hockey team. He also played for the U.S. national team and spent two seasons with Flint in the International League. He earned his law degree from the University of Detroit in 1979.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011683/7905185-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="415" height="682"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Alan Adams</b></p><p><i>Columnist</i></p></figcaption></div><p>Now, here are some things you don&rsquo;t know about Bob Goodenow.</p><p>1. His first job after getting his law degree was working for management. He went to work for Unisys Corp, representing the company in its labor negotiations with unions. His life was threatened once during negotiations and he had a permit to carry a hand gun. He credits that experience in helping give him insight into management&rsquo;s mindset.</p><p><b>2.</b> Goodenow is a voracious reader. He reads at least seven newspapers a day, along with business journals, current affairs magazines and sports business newsletters. When he travels he carries two briefcases, one filled with P.A. business and the other a white plastic bag weighed down with magazines and books.</p><p>3. Goodenow is a movie fan and he and his wife Wendy - they have three children - go to the movies two or three times a month. When he&rsquo;s home, he watches as many as three NHL games at the same time on a bank of TV screens he has in his office.</p><p>4. Goodenow is big on information technology and the NHLPA is on the cutting edge when it comes to wireless systems and the non-paper office.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03862/7905178-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="883" height="983"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021175/7905171-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="1949" height="1923"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HARD AT WORK</b> His grandfather <i>taught him construction, but Bob Goodenow prefers to build players salaries than houses.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p>5. He has an eclectic taste of music and listens to everything from classical to big time jazz and country music. He likes to listen to music when he&rsquo;s driving.</p><p>6. He prefers red wine over white, enjoys fine eating and is also a huge fan of chicken wings. He works out when he can, a couple of times a week</p><p>7. Goodenow is horrible at golf, but knows his way around a tennis court and has a personal challenge going with his son, Joe, who is with Pensacola of the ECHL in his second year of pro hockey.</p><p>8. He identifies with injured players. When he was in his final year of high school, Goodenow was playing in a national championship hockey tournament when his face was crushed. He had to have major face reconstruction and missed the title game.</p><p><b>9.</b> He takes interest in people he meets. A friend recalled a time when Goodenow was introduced to his wife and the usual &ldquo;what do you do&rdquo; question was asked. When the woman replied she had just finished taking her doctorate, Goodenow spent the next 20 minutes talking about her field of expertise. In subsequent conversations Goodenow picked up from where they had left off.</p><p>10. Goodenow has been to 13 straight World Championship tournaments in Europe.</p><p>11. During the height of the 1994 lockout, Goodenow took a phone call from the owner of the house he was renting, informing him that he was being evicted. Goodenow arranged to meet the owner at a coffee shop and wound up buying the house.</p><p>12. His grandfather worked in construction and taught him how to pour concrete, frame houses and windows and how to put on a roof. Goodenow has rarely used those skills.</p><p>13. Goodenow is loyal to his friends. When Russian Ice Hockey Federation president Valentin Sych was gunned down outside of Moscow, most hockey officials thought the Russian capital was too dangerous a place to visit and didn&rsquo;t go to the funeral. Goodenow and Sych had shared a few meals and traveled together. Goodenow flew to Moscow for the funeral and left without a hair on his head being harmed.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-01

IN THIS ISSUE

Goodenow unmasked

f0014-01

PEOPLE OF POWER & INFLUENCE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0019-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021031/7905940-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011377/7905947-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="153" height="155"></div><h2><b>Team Unsung Hero</b></h2><p><b>Anaheim</b> Martin Gerber, G</p><p><b>Atlanta</b> Andy Sutton, D</p><p><b>Boston</b> Andrew Raycroft, G</p><p><b>Buffalo</b> James Patrick, D</p><p><b>Calgary</b> Stephane Yelle, C</p><p><b>Carolina</b> Marty Murray, RW</p><p><b>Chicago</b> Brett McLean, C</p><p><b>Colorado</b> Jim Cummins, RW</p><p><b>Columbus</b> Andres Eriksson, D</p><p><b>Dallas</b> Rob DiMaio, RW</p><p><b>Detroit</b> Kris Draper, C</p><p><b>Edmonton</b> Ty Conklin, G</p><p><b>Florida</b> Byron Ritchie, C/RW</p><p><b>Los Angeles</b> Cristobal Huet, G</p><p><b>Minnesota</b> Jim Dowd, C</p><p><b>Montreal</b> Sheldon Souray, D</p><p><b>Nashville</b> Mark Eaton, D</p><p><b>New Jersey</b> Brian Gionta, RW</p><p><b>NY Islanders</b> Shawn Bates, LW</p><p><b>NY Rangers</b> Jussi Markkanen, G</p><p><b>Ottawa</b> Chris Phillips, D</p><p><b>Philadelphia</b> Kim Johnsson, D</p><p><b>Phoenix</b> Cale Hulse, D</p><p><b>Pittsburgh</b> Kelly Buchberger, RW</p><p><b>St. Louis</b> Jeff Finley, D</p><p><b>San Jose</b> Vesa Toskala, G</p><p><b>Tampa Bay</b> Chris Dingman, LW</p><p><b>Toronto</b> Ken Klee, D</p><p><b>Vancouver</b> Matt Cooke</p><p><b>Washington</b> Dainius Zubrus, C</p><p><b>E</b>dmonton defenseman Jason Smith has never gone over-board on offense in the NHL.</p><p>At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, the Oilers captain has never had I to. His impact was felt more in the defensive end, where his physical play, crease-clearing ability and shotblocking set the tone for the team. This year, though, Smith has added an offensive dimension. He had 13 points in 31 games, already more than last season&rsquo;s 12 points in 68 games. And his plus-14 rating is tied for sixth in the league - not bad on a team that&rsquo;s last in its division and minus-10 in goal differential.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b> The most underrated overachiever on each NHL club is featured in the NHL team reports (pgs. 19-28). Find out who has been doing the grunt work - and doing it well-on every team.</p><p><b>POWER PLAY ICE TIME IN SPOTLIGHT</b> The &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; boxes in the NHL team reports show the top five players on each club in power play ice time per game (minimum of 10 games). The player who leads his team in nower nlav ice time is pictured.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-02

NHL TEAM REPORT SPOTLIGHT

UNSUNG HEROES

<div class="byline">- DAN WOOD</div><p><b>M</b>ighty Ducks GM Bryan Murray did the best he could to downplay his disappointment over the whole Mike Comrie fiasco.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03705/7905985-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="295" height="386"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANAHEIM</b> MIGHTY DUCKS</figcaption></div><p>Despite agreeing with Oilers counterpart Kevin Lowe on a deal that would have made Comrie a Duck, Murray wound up with nothing when Edmonton instead dealt him to Philadelphia Dec. 16. The hangup in the Comrie-to-Anaheim swap was Lowe&rsquo;s unprecedented stipulation that Comrie return $2.535 million in bonus money he had received over the past two seasons.</p><p>Before finalizing the trade with Philadelphia, Lowe telephoned Murray to try to rework their deal, which called for the Oilers to receive junior prospect Corey Perry and a first round pick in the 2004 entry draft.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06298/7905978-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="350" height="756"></div><p>&ldquo;He wanted to change what he was asking for,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;When I talk to GMs and I agree to a deal, it&rsquo;s a deal. There is probably a lot (more) to be said, but I&rsquo;ll keep it to myself.&rdquo;</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Martin Gerber, G.</i> With 2003 Conn Smythe Trophywinner Jean-Sebastien Giguere enduring a rough opening third of the season, the Ducks would have been out of playoff contention if not for Gerber&rsquo;s strong play. With six wins and two ties in his first 12 decisions, Gerber was in net for 14 of Anaheim&rsquo;s 29 points through mid-December. Gerber also had a 2.12 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Dan Bylsma,</b> who missed the season&rsquo;s opening 31 games after undergoing off-season knee surgery, received medical clearance to return to the lineup Dec. 16&hellip;The Ducks sold out for just the second time this season in advance of their Dec. 19 home game against Colorado, but fans missed a chance to see former Anaheim captain <b>Paul Kariya,</b> who remained sidelined by a wrist injury.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-03

GM Murray steaming after Lowe’s flip-flop

<div class="byline">- JOHN MANASSO</div><p><b>D</b>any Heatley&rsquo;s coming back! Dany Heatley&rsquo;s coming back! Not so fast, folks.</p><p>The Thrashers were a bit overanxious in announcing Dec. 15 that Heatley would skate for the first time since his Oct. 7 knee surgery.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04537/7906023-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="296" height="380"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ATLANTA</b> THRASHERS</figcaption></div><p>Early that day, GM Don Waddell said Heatley would hit the ice for the first time since Heatley&rsquo;s Sept. 29 car crash that resulted in the death of teammate Dan Snyder. Waddell said Heatley would skate on his own for six weeks before he could practice with the team, but said he was &ldquo;way ahead of schedule.&rdquo;</p><p>However, later in the day, the team announced Heatley would not skate because he experienced soreness that day during his rehab. The team did not call it a setback and said Heatley would continue to rehab the following day.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-07258/7906016-1-eng-US/f0019-072.jpg" title="f0019-07" width="351" height="750"></div><p>&ldquo;It may be a week,&rdquo; Waddell said of Heatley&rsquo;s next attempt to skate.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Andy Sutton, D.</i> At plus-11, Sutton was tied for the NHL&rsquo;s fifth best mark among defensemen in the league. He has grown into the big, defensive stalwart the Thrashers were hoping for when they acquired him from Minnesota Jan. 22,2002 in exchange for Hnat Domenichelli. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder is a good skater with decent offensive instincts. Bob Hartley&rsquo;s system does not allow Sutton to jump into the rush often (he had one goal, six points), but he does possess the skills.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Goalie <b>Jani Hurme</b> flew to Los Angeles to consult with back specialist <b>Robert Watkins</b> (who has performed surgery on Toronto&rsquo;s <b>Gary Roberts</b> and Philadelphia&rsquo;s <b>John LeClair)&hellip;</b>The Thrashers were shut out by the Islanders (4-0) and Capitals (5-0) in consecutive games for the second time in franchise history, the other time being Nov. 8 and 10,2001.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-04

Setback stalls return to ice tor Heatley

<div class="byline">- MIKE LOFTUS</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>ed Donato&rsquo;s eyes were wide open when he became a Bruin for the second time over the summer, but he promised he&rsquo;d be ready if a door opened in Boston, too.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05402/7906061-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="287" height="381"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOSTON</b> BRUINS</figcaption></div><p>Signed as a free agent to provide organizational depth and fill an experience/leadership role at the American League level, Donato gave the B&rsquo;s a lift following a Dec. 5 callup from Providence. With several wingers injured and the Bruins slumping, Donato engineered a three-game points streak that included a game-tying shorthanded goal in a 1-1 draw at Florida (Dec. 10) and a shorthanded assist on a critical goal in a 3-2 victory Dec. 13 at Ottawa, which ended Boston&rsquo;s 0-2-3-0 winless streak.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-08227/7906054-1-eng-US/f0019-082.jpg" title="f0019-08" width="348" height="752"></div><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why you play,&rdquo; said the 34-year-old forward, who had three 20-goal seasons and played 465 games for Boston from 1991-92 through 1998-99. &ldquo;! wouldn&rsquo;t have signed if I didn&rsquo;t think I was capable of helping the team at the NHL level.&rdquo;</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Andrew Raycroft, G.</i> Raycroft wasn&rsquo;t expected to become the undisputed No. 1 goalie this season, but he has eased veteran Felix Potvin to reserve status with above average performances (1.88 goals-against average in his first 20 games) and consistent results. He only lost back-to-back starts once through Dec. 16 and allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of 20 appearances.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Left winger Ted <b>Donato&rsquo;s</b> goal at Florida Dec. 10 was his first this season and Boston&rsquo;s first shorthanded of the year. Drawing assists were defenseman <b>Sean O&rsquo;Donnell,</b> who hadn&rsquo;t recorded a point in Boston&rsquo;s first 27 games, and goalie <b>Andrew Raycroft,</b> who got his first NHL point&hellip;Left winger <b>Rob Zamuner</b> had a day to forget Dec. 16: he learned he&rsquo;d cleared waivers, then broke his nose in that night&rsquo;s 1-1 tie at Montreal.</p><p><i>Spotlight boxes show average power play ice time per game.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-05

It’s Donato to rescue for slumping Bruins

<div class="byline">- JIM KELLEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02909/7906099-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="288" height="396"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BUFFALO SABRES</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011274/7906106-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="109" height="117"></div><p><b>T</b>he hype of a new beginning and a better team for long-suffering Sabres fans appears to be just that: hype.</p><p>The Sabres headed into the Christmas trade embargo losers of six straight after a second humiliating loss to Pittsburgh. The losses dropped the Sabres to last place in the Northeast Division and within very visible range of last place in the Eastern Conference.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>After the loss to the Penguins, a story in the Buffalo <i>News</i> cited sources that said owner Tom Golisano was &ldquo;incensed&rdquo; regarding the team&rsquo;s play, that he was &ldquo;misled&rdquo; about the abilities of right winger Miro Satan and that Satan may well be traded.</p><p>When contacted, Golisano said he isn&rsquo;t in a position to assess talent and that he leaves those decisions to Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05254/7906092-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="346" height="784"></div><p>The team&rsquo;s leading scorer in each of the last five seasons, Satan had nine goals and 14 points in 32 games since signing a new two-year deal worth approximately $10 million.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>James Patrick, D.</i> Patrick is 40, nearly twice the age of some of the Sabres. At a time when he should be a role player, he is among the team&rsquo;s steadiest defensemen and is a leader on and off the ice. Though his speed is somewhat suspect, Patrick is a steadying influence on a still very young defense and has a dedicated and positive attitude that has kept the younger D-men focused in the face of adversity.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> A combination of a groin strain and healthy scratches kept defenseman Andy <b>Dehnore</b> out of the lineup for seven consecutive games&hellip;The Sabres lost five straight despite scoring first in four of the games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-02

Extended losing streak earns wrath of ownership

<div class="byline">- ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><p><b>F</b>or Martin Gelinas, the milestone passed without much fanfare.</p><p>His 1,000th NHL game came Dec. 9 in a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild and even though he scored the Calgary Flames only goal, the achievements were overshadowed by the fact the team lost for the only time in a month (9-1-2-2).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03645/7906144-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="287" height="401"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CALGERY FLAMES</b></figcaption></div><p>Gelinas and his linemates, Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan, are making major contributions, offensively and defensively, to a Flames team which had surged into a playoff spot in the Western Conference. McAmmond had four game-winners through Dec. 16, Donovan had five and Gelinas was the defensive glue that kept the line together.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not known for the best scoring touch or as the best passer,&rdquo; Gelinas said. &ldquo;I try to be an all-around good player and work hard. If you enjoy what you do, you can do it for a long time.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06201/7906137-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="347" height="778"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Stephane Yelle, C.</i> Underappreciated because he doesn&rsquo;t produce much offense, Yelle&rsquo;s role on the team became infinitely more important through the second quarter, thanks to injuries which knocked three regular centers (Craig Conroy, Steve Reinprecht and Blair Betts) out of the lineup.</p><p>Sutter uses him as the first center off the bench in a penalty killing role.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> With 12 goals in Calgary&rsquo;s first 29 games, right winger <b>Shean Donovan</b> was one shy of his career high 13, set in 1995-96 with San Jose&hellip;Calgary&rsquo;s best faceoff man through the first two months was right winger <b>Jarome</b> Iginla, who had a 62.3 per-cent success rate on the draw. Iginla has been taking more faceoffs because of the team&rsquo;s injury problems at center.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-03

Gelinas hits 1,000 games; Flames eye playoff spot

<div class="byline">- LUKE OECOCK</div><p><b>P</b>aul Maurice made his reputation as a coach with defense. A lack of offense, however, cost him his job.</p><p>With the Hurricanes last in scoring and sliding out of contention for the second straight season, Maurice was fired and replaced by former Islanders coach Peter Laviolette.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04438/7906182-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="291" height="330"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CAROLINA</b> HURRICANES</figcaption></div><p>GM Jim Rutherford decided that Maurice&rsquo;s defense-first philosophy was holding the team back and went for Laviolette, whose Islanders teams were always encouraged to attack.</p><p>&ldquo;We almost play our games like they&rsquo;re play-off games - that tight-checking, low-scoring game,&rdquo; Rutherford said. &ldquo;There are a lot of teams the same way in this league, but they&rsquo;ve found out a way to win and we haven&rsquo;t.&rdquo;</p><p>Rutherford secretly contacted Laviolette in November and kept in touch with him until the team&rsquo;s recent slump - three wins and 19 goals in 14 games - forced his hand.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07173/7906175-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="347" height="773"></div><p>Maurice, the NHL&rsquo;s longest-serving coach at the time of his dismissal, leaves with a career record of 268-307-99 since joining the franchise in 1995.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Marty Murray, LW.</i> Acquired in the off-season to add depth at forward, Murray has played on all four lines, killed penalties and has seen some power play duty. Of late, Murray has been one of the few Canes scoring with three goals and five points in a seven-game stretch.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> During <b>Paul Maurice&rsquo;s</b> tenure, there were 86 coaching changes in the NHL&hellip;In addition to Maurice, assistants <b>Randy Ladouceur</b> and <b>Don Edwards</b> were also fired. Assistant coach <b>Kevin McCarthy</b> was retained and joined by Jeff Daniels, who retired in November.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-04

GM counts on Laviolette to bring offense to table

<div class="byline">- TIM SASSONE</div><p><b>C</b>oach Brian Sutter&rsquo;s job appears to be safe even with the Blackhawks winning just once in a stretch of 17 games.</p><p>&ldquo;As a coach, your job is to get as much out of your players and to get them to compete hard every night,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;I would say we&rsquo;re getting lots out of them.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-219/7906220-1-eng-US/f0020-212.jpg" title="f0020-21" width="287" height="394"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CHICAGO</b> BLACKHAWKS</figcaption></div><p>In fairness to Sutter, he lost his three best players to injury in goalie Jocelyn Thibault, center Alex Zhamnov and left winger Eric Daze. Not only are Thibault, Zhamnov and Daze productive, their veteran leadership was being counted on to help with a roster full of youth.</p><p>Sutter is in the third and final year of his contract and so far there has been no talk from the Hawks about an extension.</p><p>&ldquo;We made a commitment to play a bunch of kids,&rdquo; Sutter said. &ldquo;That was our only option and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing. We&rsquo;re finding out how quick they&rsquo;re going to get there (and) if they&rsquo;re going to get there. Nobody expected the injuries to happen.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08124/7906213-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="345" height="777"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Brett McLean, C.</i> The rookie&rsquo;s emergence as a dependable center has helped offset Zhamnov&rsquo;s injury. McLean was third in team scoring after 28 games with 15 points and was the Hawks&rsquo; only plus player.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a Godsend,&rdquo; Sutter said.</p><p>Only Steve Sullivan was averaging more ice time than McLean among the forwards.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Alexei Zhamnov</b> is expected to return from back surgery at some point after Christmas&hellip;When defenseman <b>Burke Henry</b> was recalled from Norfolk Dec. 11, he became the 11th rookie to play for the Hawks this season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-21

Major injuries take toll in tough year for Sutter

<div class="byline">- ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03396/7906258-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="292" height="370"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>VOLORADO</b> AVALANCHE</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04291/7906265-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="109" height="113"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span></b>ou never know what Pierre Lacroix is going to do, as there are few NHL GMs with a better poker face than his. But as the season ages, more and more Avalanche insiders are convinced David Aebischer is the team&rsquo;s goalie for keeps.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Only an injury or a dramatic drop-off in Aebischer&rsquo;s play might prompt Lacroix to deal for a more proven goalie for Colorado&rsquo;s playoff run. But how many Stanley Cups have been won by the suppos-edly more reliable goalies out there, veterans such as Olaf Kolzig, Curtis Joseph, Sean Burke and Jose Theodore? The answer is zero.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02640/7906251-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="351" height="753"></div><p>Aebischer has his name on the Cup (granted, as a backup to Patrick Roy) and entered late December with 14 victories, putting him among the NHL leaders, with a sterling .927 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average.</p><p>&ldquo;Abby&rsquo;s been our best player lately,&rdquo; said defenseman Adam Foote.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Jim Cummins, RW.</i> Andrei Nikolishin has been the Avs&rsquo; biggest surprise as a player, but the media has sung his praises. Cummins, however, has been doing a lot of good things under the radar. The veteran enforcer has been solid on the ice in limited minutes, sticking up for teammates and chipping in with the odd point. Cummins has also contributed off-ice leadership - he can dress down teammates with the best of them. He often draws loud yuks from teammates for his needles on Paul Kariya. Kariya, who drives a Lexus, was praised for his choice of automobiles by Cummins &mdash; if Kariya &ldquo;were a 50-year-old man,&rdquo; that is.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Both left winger <b>Paul Kariya</b> and center <b>Peter Forsberg</b> hoped to return to the lineup by the end of December, with Kariya&rsquo;s return from a sprained wrist looking more certain that Forsberg&rsquo;s from an abdominal injury.</p><p><i>Spotlight boxes show average power play ice time per game.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-03

Aebischer settles in as Avs’ No. 1 goalie

<div class="byline">- AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02838/7906383-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="288" height="375"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011156/7906390-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="110" height="112"></div><p><b>T</b>he Blue Jackets were dead-set on being a better road team in 2003-04.</p><p>To that end, they made a handful of moves, most notably letting Ray Whitney walk via free agency and signing gritty center Todd Marchant as an unrestricted free agent.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>The result? The Blue Jackets are worse on the road than they&rsquo;ve ever been - and that&rsquo;s really saying something.</p><p>As of Dec. 17, Columbus was 0-11-1-2 away from Nationwide Arena, the NHL&rsquo;s only winless team. In those 14 games, the Blue Jackets were outscored by 28 goals.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s mid-December and we haven&rsquo;t won on the road,&rdquo; said goaltender Fred Brathwaite. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s frustrating. Disappointing. Embarrassing.&rdquo;</p><p>But it&rsquo;s nothing new. The Blue Jackets are now 26-91-12-7 on the road in their three-plus seasons. Last season, they were the only NHL club to win 20 home games and not make the playoffs.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03621/7906376-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="349" height="751"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Anders Eriksson, D.</i> The Blue Jackets were without four of their top six defense-man for more than a month. Still, the pain has been lessened by the steady play of Eriksson, a journeyman defender with a reputation of inconsistency. With a plus-1 rating in 17 games, he&rsquo;s the only Blue Jacket who is not a minus player.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Blue Jackets reached a buyout agreement of $600,000 with Espen <b>Knutsen,</b> clearing the way for the center to return to Europe. He&rsquo;s most likely to join Dynamo of the Russian Elite League&hellip;Center <b>Andrej Nedorost</b> has been loaned to Metallurg of the Russian Elite League. The Blue Jackets retain rights.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-02

Columbus embarrassed by brutal road record

<div class="byline">- MIKE HEIKA</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>f the Stars want to get back on track this season, they must start winning on the road. Dallas was 3-11-2-0 on the road heading into late December, a shocking stat considering the road success this team has enjoyed for the past seven years. The Stars have won 18 or more road games for seven consecutive seasons, including an 18-12-9-2 mark last season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04440/7906428-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="290" height="324"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DALLAS STARS</b></figcaption></div><p>There are explanations that vary from bad luck to lack of scoring, but the real reason is probably a team with holes that are exposed on the road. The Stars have been searching for chemistry all season with their defensemen, using Sergei Zubov with either Teppo Numminen or Don Sweeney.</p><p>&ldquo;Whatever the problems are, we just have to fix them,&rdquo; said coach Dave Tippett. &ldquo;We're taking steps and we're getting better, but we have to get a lot better.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05325/7906421-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="343" height="750"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Rob DiMaio, RW.</i> DiMaio's face is a patchwork of red, purple, black and blue, and he is forever getting cut and clipped. On a team full of skill players, DiMaio brings some very needed grit. A favorite of coach Dave Tippett, DiMaio gives the team a solid 13 minutes every night and has chipped in four goals and nine points in 31 games. &ldquo;He's a warrior and he helps drag other people into the battle,&rdquo; Tippett said.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Defenseman <b>Sergei Zubov</b> played 37:04 in a 1-1 tie with Chicago Dec. 14. That was the most of any player in a regular season game since Islanders blueliner <b>Adrian Aucoin</b> logged 38:21 Oct. 17,2002&hellip;The Stars went seven consecutive games scoring one goal or less from Nov. 30 to Dec. 14. Only five teams have done that since World War II.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-04

Play away from home key to any turnaround

<div class="byline">- NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA</div><p><b>H</b>ow good has Pavel Datsyuk become?</p><p>&ldquo;He might be the most talented guy in the league,&rdquo; said linemate Brett Hull. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s awesome.&rdquo;</p><p>Datsyuk is 25 and in his third NHL season - and at one point this season he was leading the NHL in scoring. That&rsquo;s not bad for a little guy - Datsyuk is 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds - the Wings took in the sixth round, (171st overall) in 1998.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06253/7906466-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="290" height="356"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DETROIT RED WINGS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Some of the things he has done are truly amazing,&rdquo; said Panthers coach-GM Rick Dudley, who saw Datsyuk score against Florida on a backhand - with his back to the net at the left hash marks. &ldquo;Those are not normal skills. Those are way, way up there in the stratosphere. You just shake your head after he does them. But he does them on a consistent basis. He&rsquo;s a special player.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07214/7906459-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="346" height="749"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Kris Draper, C.</i> The center of the Grind Line, Draper has always been central to the Wings&rsquo; success. But he has been getting better and better and he has taken another step this season, elevating himself into the company of teammates such as Brendan Shanahan. Through 33 games, he was tied with Shanahan for third on the team with 13 goals &ndash; only two short of his career high - and he hadn&rsquo;t stopped being a defensive stalwart.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Goalie <b>Curtis Joseph</b> went 4-0-01 after returning from the American League and played so well in one game that the fans chanted &ldquo;Cujo!&rdquo; at Joe Louis Arena. &ldquo;You hear that and it&rsquo;s very encouraging,&rdquo; said Joseph, in limbo since <b>Dominik Hasek</b> came out of retirement in July. &rsquo;"You try to play hard and work hard and they appreciate that.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-06

Datsyuk’s tremendous skills drawing league-wide raves

<div class="byline">- ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he way Kevin Lowe sees it, it&rsquo;s never a bad deal when you trade someone who can&rsquo;t get out of Edmonton fast enough for someone who can&rsquo;t wait to get here.</p><p>So that&rsquo;s what he did when he moved hold-out center Mike Comrie to the Philadelphia Flyers for 20-year-old defenseman Jeff Woywitka and two draft picks (first round in 2004, third round in 2005).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08173/7906504-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="281" height="382"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EDMONTON DILERS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;There seems to be a huge premium on defense in the NHL and when you can get a solid defenseman that has the upside Woywitka does, you go after him,&rdquo; Lowe said. &ldquo;We feel this solidifies our back end for a lot of years.&rdquo;</p><p>Woywitka has credentials. He was named outstanding defenseman in the WHL and was a cornerstone of Canada&rsquo;s World Junior team last season. He started this season with the American League Philadelphia Phantoms.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09158/7906497-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="346" height="753"></div><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to be part of the Oilers organization,&rdquo; Woywitka said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve grown up watching them. It&rsquo;s a dream come true now. It&rsquo;s a good place for a young player.&rdquo;</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Ty Conklin, G.</i> Conklin&rsquo;s NHL experience consisted of four games two seasons ago, so when Tommy Salo went down for a month with a hip injury, the season seemed hanging by a thread. However, Conklin has been calm, cool and steady and was in goal for eight of the team&rsquo;s first 12 wins.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Defenseman <b>Scott Ferguson</b> is the only Oilers blueliner without a goal this season, but the ribbing has been minimal: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not hearing too much about it from the boys,&rdquo; Ferguson said, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s just because they all know I can&rsquo;t score.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-08

Comrie-for-Woywitka trade thrills GM Lowe, Oilers

<div class="byline">- DAVID J. NEAL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02714/7906542-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="284" height="384"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FLORIDA PANTHERS</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011040/7906549-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="102" height="104"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b>efore most Panthers games, they should play the video of former President Ronald Reagan testing a press conference microphone with, &ldquo;The bombing starts in five minutes.&rdquo; It would be appropriate, as the Panthers defensive zone often resembles the &ldquo;Cocaine Cowboys&rdquo; era that inspired the <i>Miami Vice</i> TV show. But the guy most often facing the barrage of shots has tried not to let the situation get to him.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;At a certain point earlier in the year, I think I did,&rdquo; said goalie Roberto Luongo. &ldquo;Since the Washington game (a 3-2 win Nov. 22), I had a different approach to the game than I had before.&rdquo;</p><p>Luongo sees 33.6 shots per game this season. In his first 28 appearances, he faced 30 shots or more 20 times. He ranked anywhere from No. 1 to 10 in the league in save percentage this season, but hovered in the bottom third of the NHL in goals-against.</p><p>&ldquo;Tve been handling (a heavy workload) my whole career,&rdquo; Luongo said.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Byron Ritchie, C.</i> Ritchie&rsquo;s raw energy and abrasiveness rubs off on the rest of the Panthers. What he brings was most apparent when he missed 15 games with a sprained knee. Upon returning, he, Craig MacDonald and Marcus Nilson combined to form a checking line. Rookie right winger Nathan Horton said you couldn&rsquo;t help but play a hard physical shift when you follow Ritchie&rsquo;s line onto the ice. Ritchie also kills penalties and leads the team in faceoff percentage.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03516/7906535-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="345" height="750"></div><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Defensive prospect Lukas <b>Krajicek</b> finally made his season debut with the Panthers Dec. 12. Krajicek spent 17 games in San Antonio (AHL) getting in game shape after losing training camp to prolonged shoulder surgery recovery. Krajicek lived up to his scouting reports - he had a goal and two points in his first four games, but also gave up the game winner against Detroit Dec. 15 carrying the puck a foot in front of his own crease&hellip;Right winger <b>Nathan Horton</b> has warm memories of Nashville&rsquo;s Gaylord Entertainment Center. He was drafted No. 3 overall at the arena last June and, in his first game back there Dec. 17, scored a goal.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-02

Luongo very accustomed to barrage of pucks

<div class="byline">- MATT MCHALE</div><p><b>I</b>t already has been a long season for Joe Corvo, but the Kings second-year defense-man is beginning to make news on the ice.</p><p>Corvo, 26, convicted of a year-old assault charge in late October, is starting to show the offensive skill the Kings figured would put him on the first power play unit this season. During a four-game stretch in mid-December, Corvo recorded two assists and finally got his first goal of the season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04368/7906587-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="282" height="365"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LOS ANGELES</b></figcaption></div><p>It came Dec. 16 and was the game-winner against the Edmonton Oilers. It ended a string of 49 games without a goal.</p><p>&ldquo;I have been coming up doughnuts the whole year,&rdquo; Corvo said. &ldquo;It felt good that Matty Norstrom got the puck to me and I did something with it.&rdquo;</p><p>Norstrom, the Kings captain, has helped counsel his defensemate since the trial, which resulted in a two-year suspended sentence. Corvo also received a three-game suspension by the Kings and did not get back in the lineup for another eight games.</p><p>&ldquo;I think he has been more assertive since coming back,&rdquo; Norstrom said. &ldquo;He can be a tremendous asset for this team.&rdquo;</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Cristobal Huet, G.</i> The erratic play of starting goaltender Roman Cechmanek has forced Huet into a more prominent role with the Kings and he has responded with two shutouts in limited duty. Huet, the only Frenchman in the NHL, twice stepped in when Cechmanek was pulled during games and took over for several games in mid-December when Cechmanek suffered a strained hip in a collision with Nashville&rsquo;s David Legwand. So far the high point of Huet&rsquo;s season was Nov. 22 when he shut out the Avalanche 2-0 in Denver.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05274/7906580-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="348" height="742"></div><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Noah Clarke</b> became the first L.A.-born player to appear in a game for the Kings Dec. 16 against Edmonton and recorded an assist in the game. Clarke, a four-year starter at Colorado College, was recalled from Manchester (AHL) a day earlier&hellip;In that game against the Oilers, defenseman <b>Lubomir Visnovsky</b> scored his first goal in 20 games. After 10 games this season, Visnovsky led all NHL defensemen with four goals.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-04

Corvo starts contributing with points from the point

<div class="byline">- BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02782/7906625-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="296" height="348"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MINNESOTA WILD</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011113/7906632-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="110" height="111"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>n acquiring enigmatic center Eric Chouinard from Philadelphia and waiving original franchise player Darby Hendrickson, the Wild accelerated their season-long makeover with another emotional transaction.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Hendrickson, the club&rsquo;s lone Minnesota native whose first Wild goal christened the Xcel Energy Center, lost his job as the team continued shedding veteran role players for younger talent.</p><p>Chouinard was the 16th overall pick in 1998 by Montreal after a dynamic junior career in which he scored 148 goals in 180 games for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior League, but he failed to five up to expectations in limited NHL duty with the Flyers.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03538/7906618-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="344" height="750"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Jim Dowd, C.</i> The oldest player on a team that becomes younger with every transaction, Dowd quietly turned in a productive and versatile first third of the season. Dowd, who turned 35 Christmas Day, doesn&rsquo;t play more than 14 minutes per game. But he has centered every line, playing alongside Marian Gaborik one night and Matt Johnson the next, while occasionally punching in on the power play. His 12 assists through 32 games were second only to Andrew Brunette and Dowd was on pace to top his disappointing, 25-point 2002-03 season.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Sergei Zholtok</b> scored his 100th NHL goal - twice - in one road trip. After being credited for a power play goal Dec. 15 in Phoenix, Zholtok fished out the puck for his mantle. Hours later, it was awarded to center Jason Wiemer on a tip. Two nights later in Colorado, Zholtok officially reached the century mark&hellip;The Wild killed 31 consecutive power plays before the Avs snapped the streak Dec. 17&hellip;How steep has the offensive climb been for the Wild this season? It took them 31 games to score an empty-net goal.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-02

Chouinard joins Wild; Hendrickson waived

<div class="byline">- HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><p><b>H</b>e might be undersized, but 5-foot-8, 200-pound defenseman Francis Bouillon is pulling his weight for the Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve used him in a lot of different situations and he&rsquo;s very consistent,&rdquo; said assistant coach Rick Green, who works with the defensemen. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a competitor and he&rsquo;s hungry.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04361/7906670-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="289" height="339"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MONTREAL CANADIENS</b></figcaption></div><p>Bouillon, who played 24 NHL games last season - four with Nashville and 20 with Montreal - was considered a longshot to crack the roster out of training camp. Although he has a two-way contract, the Canadiens kept him over veterans Karl Dykhuis and Patrick Traverse, both assigned to Hamilton of the AHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05244/7906663-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="346" height="750"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Sheldon Souray, D.</i> He was never considered a star during his five seasons in the NHL. But, at the very least, Souray is making a strong case for comeback player of the year. He didn&rsquo;t play last season, because of a wrist injury that required numerous surgeries and could have ended his career.</p><p>This season, Souray leads all Montreal defensemen, with eight goals and 16 points in 32 games. The 6-foot-4,223 pounder brings much-needed size to a team considered soft and small. <i>(See pg. 10 for more on Souray).</i></p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> After missing six weeks with a broken ankle, right winger <b>Jason Ward</b> was assigned to Hamilton (AHL) for conditioning&hellip;De<b>fenseman Patrice Brisebois, who has</b> a groin injury, won&rsquo;t likely return until after Christmas&hellip;Center <b>Steve Begin</b> is suffering from a nerve problem in his left shoulder and will undergo an MRI&hellip;Right winger <b>Donald Audette,</b> who missed nine games with a separated shoulder, and center <b>Joe Juneau,</b> who missed five with a back problem, have returned&hellip;Center <b>Yanic Perreault</b> leads the team in power play (five) goals and points (nine).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-04

Bouillon simmering on Montreal blueline

<div class="byline">- DAVIO BOCLAIR</div><p><b>A</b>dam Hall is not simply a role player for the Predators. The 23-year-old right winger quickly is becoming a role model.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the consummate two-way player who can play a skill game (or) a mucking game,&rdquo; said coach Barry Trotz.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06191/7906708-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="291" height="336"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b></figcaption></div><p>Hall led all NHL rookies last season with eight power play goals, but spent most of the first two months of this season in a defensive role. When the offense began to struggle, he was elevated to the first line alongside David Legwand and Scott Hartnell.</p><p>With a shorthanded assist Dec. 16 against Vancouver, Hall became the seventh player on the team with points in both shorthanded and power play situations.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-07161/7906701-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="345" height="752"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Mark Eaton, D.</i> Through 28 games he was the team leader at plus-8. That on a team where 16 of the 25 players on the roster or injured reserve at that time were even or below. The 26-year-old has been the key to the off-season overhaul of the defense because he was moved up to the first pairing with Kimmo Timonen, which puts him against an opponent&rsquo;s best forwards. He has more than held his own.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> With two assists Dec. 13 against Florida, center <b>Greg Johnson</b> became the second player ever to score 200 points (75 goals, 125 assists) for Nashville. The first was center <b>Cliff Ronning..</b>.Nashville players fought 22 times, including a franchise-record nine in a single contest against Detroit, in the first 11 games. In the next 18, Predators were involved in a total of nine fights. One possible explanation for the change is that left winger <b>Jim</b> McKenzie was not in the lineup for the first 11. &ldquo;Certainly I try to (keep the peace),&rdquo; he said&hellip;Goaltender <b>Tomas Vokoun&rsquo;s</b> 14 victories in the first 25 games already was the second-highest total of his career.</p><p><i>Spotlight boxes show average power play ice time per game.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-06

Hall doing it all in sophomore year

<div class="byline">- RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02668/7906746-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="289" height="374"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW JERSY DEVILS</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01998/7906753-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="109" height="111"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he decision was clear-cut. If doctors took out damaged cartilage in Jamie Langenbrunner&rsquo;s left knee back on Nov. 29, the Devils right winger would be back on the ice quickly. If they chose to repair the tear, it would be a longer rehab.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Langenbrunner, who injured his knee attempting to hit Anaheim&rsquo;s Sandis Ozolinsh Nov. 26, then had the knee lock up two nights later in Dallas, was thankful the right decision was made.</p><p>&ldquo;They fixed the cartilage instead of taking a piece out, which they had planned to do,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Because of the tear, (Dr. Barry Fisher) would have had to take almost all of the cartilage out. The damage was too (great).&rdquo;</p><p>The original estimate of 2-3 weeks turned into 4-5 weeks, but the Devils were hoping Langenbrunner would return in early January.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not finished yet,&rdquo; said Bums of New Jersey&rsquo;s success without Langenbrunner. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d still love to have him back. Everybody has to step up. We ask that of players all the time.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03445/7906739-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="352" height="754"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Brian Gionta, RW.</i> Size and strength are the characteristics GM Lou Lamoriello covets in his wingers, but the 5-foot-7 Gionta continued to show that grit comes in many forms. With Langenbrunner and Turner Stevenson both injured, Gionta quietly became the team&rsquo;s key right winger. He played tough, finished his checks better than bigger forwards and led the team through 29 games with three game-winning goals.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Turner Stevenson</b> was suffering from an infection related to the testicular surgery he had in early October. He was being treated with antibiotics&hellip; Defenseman <b>Scott Niedermayer,</b> who can become a restricted free agent this summer, had not received any offer from the Devils regarding a contract extension.</p><p><i>Spotlight boxes show average power play ice time per game.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0025-02

Langenbrunner’s knee slowly getting better

<div class="byline">- PETER BOTTE</div><p><b>T</b>he feeling around Long Island last summer was goalie Rick DiPietro would be the key to the franchise taking the next step into contention.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04284/7906791-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="281" height="388"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b></figcaption></div><p>But veteran Garth Snow was the one called upon to backstop the team&rsquo;s December turn-around following a seven-game losing streak. And he did, leading the Isles back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture with three wins and an overtime loss in starting four straight games through Dec. 17. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always had a lot of confidence in Snowy,&rdquo; said captain Michael Peca. &ldquo;He proved a long time ago that he&rsquo;s an above-average goal-tender in this league.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05203/7906784-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="353" height="751"></div><p>DiPietro&rsquo;s 2.35 goals-allowed average and .902 save percentage suggest he hasn&rsquo;t played poorly this season, but the No. 1 draft pick in 2000 hasn&rsquo;t been able to sustain consistency in opening the season with a 7-8-1-0 record. And Snow, who has fought the &ldquo;career backup&rdquo; tag throughout his 11 years in the NHL, once again proved his value.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Shawn Bates, LW.</i> The versatile Bates has rebounded strongly following a fallback 2002-03 season, in which he posted just 42 points. Coach Steve Stirling believes Bates, who was among the team&rsquo;s scoring leaders, and rookie linemate Trent Hunter have been the team&rsquo;s most consistent forwards this season. Bates, who shifted to center while Dave Scatchard missed seven weeks with a shoulder injury, was returned to Michael Peca&rsquo;s left wing on a hot two-way line, with the impressive Hunter on the other side.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Trent Hunter</b> took over the NHL lead among rookies with his 12th goal in a 5-4 win over New Jersey Dec. 16&hellip;Center Michael Peca scored goals in two straight games Dec. 1316 following a 15-game stretch without a goal.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0025-04

Snow provides relief for slumping Isles

<div class="byline">- LARRY BROOKS</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>n hockey, it&rsquo;s known as the &ldquo;Gordie Howe hat trick&rdquo; - scoring a goal, adding an assist and getting into a fight, all in the same game. The Rangers, meanwhile, have their very own, unique variation - the &ldquo;Jason MacDonald hat trick&rdquo;.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-06165/7906829-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="283" height="372"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW YORK RANGERS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Getting thrown out of the game, getting thrown off the team plane, getting thrown out of the country,&rdquo; was how one Ranger described MacDonald&rsquo;s night Dec. 13, one day after the 29-year-old made his NHL debut after a decade in the minors.</p><p>When MacDonald&rsquo;s tie-down came undone and he subsequently lost his jersey in a second period fight against Toronto&rsquo;s Nathan Perrott, he got an automatic game misconduct. But that was only the beginning of his travails.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-07145/7906822-1-eng-US/f0025-072.jpg" title="f0025-07" width="353" height="753"></div><p>For when the team&rsquo;s charter flight home landed in Buffalo that night to clear U.S. customs, it was discovered MacDonald - a Canadian citizen - lacked proper documentation. Escorted off the plane by customs agents, he was denied entry to the U.S. and driven across the border to Fort Erie, Ont., where he began procedures to gain re-entry to the U.S.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Jussi Markkanen, G.</i> Stepping into the breach after Mike Dunham suffered a hip flexor in mid-November, Markkanen went 4-0-1-0 with a 1.68 goals-against average in six starts (Nov. 16 to Dec. 12). He was giving the Rangers their best backup support since Glenn Healy subbed for Mike Richter.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Defenseman <b>Boris Mironov</b> received a two-game suspension after earning a match penalty for his cross-check to Adam <b>Mair&rsquo;s</b> head in the Rangers&rsquo; 3-1 win over Buffalo Dec. 12. Mair, who got a one-game sentence, instigated the incident by going after Mironov with his stick raised. &ldquo;Cheap shots like that are going to cost him,&rdquo; said an unrepentant Mironov. &ldquo;If he&rsquo;s going to play that way, so am I.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0025-06

MacDonald gets boot from game, plane, U.S.

<div class="byline">- BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02783/7906867-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="289" height="365"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>OTTAWA SENATORS</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011121/7906874-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="108" height="115"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span></b>ust call Bruins rookie center Patrice Bergeron public enemy No. 1 in Ottawa. After losing defenseman Anton Volchenkov to right shoulder surgery for 3-4 months as a result of hit from Bergeron, the Senators then learned winger Vaclav Varada is gone for at least a month with a knee injury.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Volchenkov was nailed into the boards in a game Dec. 8 at Boston and Varada took an open-ice hit from Bergeron Dec. 13 at the Corel Centre. Surgery on his knee hasn&rsquo;t been ruled out.</p><p>The news on Volchenkov was also a sursprise. The hard-hitting defenseman dislocated his shoulder and losing both Varada and Volchenkov is tough for the club because they both bring a physical presence on the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;You lose those guys and you don&rsquo;t have a physical element,&rdquo; said coach Jacques Martin. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to pick up the slack with those guys missing.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03631/7906860-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="347" height="753"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Chris Phillips, D.</i> There is nothing fancy about his game, but Phillips has achieved a level of consistency. His production is down a little this season, but Phillips has been very good at getting the puck out of the zone. Martin has tried giving Phillips more responsibility and he has become a player who has show management he can be relied upon.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Senators were hoping to have center Mike Fisher back from elbow surgery before Christmas, but his comeback was put off. He wasn&rsquo;t given clearance for physical play, but he did expect to return shortly after the holidays. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s feeling pretty good,&rdquo; Fisher said of the injury. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just got to get it to the point where I can have contact.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-02

Volchenkov, Varada sidelined by Bergeron

<div class="byline">- WAYNE FISH</div><p><b>A</b>ll Mike Comrie wanted for Christmas was a pair of skates. With his feet in them.</p><p>Comrie never thought he&rsquo;d be idle through the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays as his contract dispute with Edmonton dragged on.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04451/7906912-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="298" height="342"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I had no idea,&rdquo; said the 23-year-old after he was dealt to the Flyers Dec. 16 for defenseman Jeff Woywitka, a first round draft pick in 2004 and a third rounder in 2005. &ldquo;It was a learning experience.&rdquo;</p><p>What did he learn?</p><p>&ldquo;You learn sometimes things don&rsquo;t work out (in your hometown) and you can move on,&rdquo; Comrie said.</p><p>GM Bob Clarke was happy to acquire the 23-year-old Comrie and his playmaking skills.</p><p>&ldquo;(Comrie) gives us a different look,&rdquo; said Clarke, who wanted to begin contract talks with agent Ritch Winter immediately. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a different look that teams who play against us are going to have to be aware of.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05335/7906905-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="349" height="750"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Kim Johnsson, D.</i> Coach Ken Hitchcock said Johnsson is the team&rsquo;s biggest surprise on defense this season. Promoted to the top power play unit, Johnsson has displayed poise in snap-decision situations.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> With the acquisition of center <b>Mike Comrie</b> Dec. 16, the Flyers didn&rsquo;t have room for <b>Eric Chouinard,</b> so they sent the right winger to Minnesota for a fifth round draft pick in 2004.. <b>.Comrie</b> took a shot at Oilers GM <b>Kevin Lowe</b> for his attempt to get back $2.5 million from the player when a proposed trade with Anaheim went bad. The request was &ldquo;a little bit unethical,&rdquo; Comrie said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard of deals being held up in the 11th hour, but this was the 13th.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-04

End of ‘learning experience’ sees Comrie come to Flyers

<div class="byline">- JOE STARKEY</div><p><b>R</b>ookie coach Eddie Olczyk was pushing the right buttons for the improving Penguins, who went 3-3-0-1 to start December.</p><p>Center Milan Kraft, a healthy scratch for two games, responded with three goals in the next two. Left winger Ramzi Abid, scratched in five straight games, had four points in his next three. Center Brian Holzinger, left winger Tomas Surovy and defenseman Brooks Orpik also responded to being scratched.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-08196/7906988-1-eng-US/f0026-082.jpg" title="f0026-08" width="293" height="381"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</b></figcaption></div><p>However, when defenseman Josef Melichar played poorly, Olczyk used a different tact: He made Melichar an alternate captain for a game. Melichar responded with two strong efforts.</p><p>&ldquo;Everyone seems to be listening to (Olczyk) real well,&rdquo; said GM Craig Patrick. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re responding to everything he wants.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-09174/7906981-1-eng-US/f0026-092.jpg" title="f0026-09" width="346" height="746"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Kelly Buchberger, RW.</i> OK, so he didn&rsquo;t have a single point through 30 games. What he did was personify the essence of the Penguins&rsquo; rebuilding effort: He has continued to fight - literally - against long odds.</p><p>Buchberger has dropped the gloves with likes of Donald Brashear, Eric Cairns and Darren McCarty this season and led the Penguins in penalty minutes with 61. He has also been a regular penalty killer and a positive influence on road roommate Ryan Malone, who was having an outstanding rookie season. Young players couldn&rsquo;t find a better role model. <b>NOTEBOOK</b> As of mid-December, the Penguins had the NHL&rsquo;s hottest power play, going 10 of 38 (26.3 per cent) through eight games. Up to that point, they had converted 12 of 115 chances for a league-worst rate of 10.4 per cent.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-08

Benchings, leadership posts work wonders for Olczyk

<div class="byline">- DERRICK GOOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02708/7907026-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="289" height="373"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ST. LOUIS</b> BLUES</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011067/7907033-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="109" height="113"></div><p><b>A</b>s soon as he heard, Barret Jackman dialed up Matt Walker and both were beaming at the news: &lsquo;Stone Cold&rsquo; was coming.</p><p>After eight seasons in the minors, five of which featured more than 200 penalty minutes, &rsquo;Stone Cold&rsquo; Steve McLaren was coming to the NHL for his first regular season game. A teammate almost took him to the wrong rink for his first practice, and McLaren quickly said:</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve waited 28 years to get here. Don&rsquo;t (screw) this up.&rdquo;</p><p>Coach Joel Quenneville said McLaren was &ldquo;wound tighter than a drum&rdquo; before his debut Dec. 16. On his second shift, he did what he does best - fight. McLaren sought Columbus&rsquo; Jody Shelley and exchanged right hands. After years of earning the hardest paycheque in hockey - defending minor leaguers - he had five glorious NHL penalty minutes.</p><p>&ldquo;I was shaking a little bit, the nerves were going,&rdquo; McLaren said. &ldquo;I had a job to do.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03490/7907019-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="347" height="753"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Jeff Finley, D.</i> Steady, uncannily reliable and sagely poised, Finley was a healthy scratch for the season opener and hasn&rsquo;t sat since. He&rsquo;s been a corner-stone of the Blues&rsquo; penalty kill and plays a fundamentally inconspicuous game. Finley has even been caught aggressively joining the offense, but never at the expense of his stay-at-home reputation.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Blues&rsquo; 2-1 victory Dec. 16 against Columbus was their sixth overtime victory of the season, tying a franchise record&hellip; Goalie <b>Reinhard Divis,</b> a Blues farmhand, set a Worcester (AHL) record with 203 minutes, 21 seconds of shutout hockey over nine periods.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-02

‘Stone Cold’ McLaren makes most of NHL debut

<div class="byline">- DAN WOOD</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span></b>oach Ron Wilson&rsquo;s system of rotating captains in 10-game segments is allowing the Sharks to give two core players - Patrick Marleau and Mike Rathje - a taste of lettered leadership the club would love to make permanent down the road.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04335/7907071-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="292" height="393"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SAN JOSE SHARKS</b></figcaption></div><p>Both high first-round draft picks, Marleau and Rathje got off to slow starts this season, but each has rebounded to the point where giving them leadership makes sense.</p><p>&ldquo;Patty Marleau has done everything you could ask from him the last two months,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;Rathje is playing his best hockey since I&rsquo;ve been here. He&rsquo;s been doing it while other players have been out and taking over a leadership role.&rdquo;</p><p>Marleau and Rathje are assisting Alyn McCauley, who is wearing the captain&rsquo;s designation. McCauley was part of the trade with the Leafs last year that sent San Jose&rsquo;s last permanent and long-time captain, Owen Nolan, to Toronto.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05224/7907064-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="347" height="750"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Vesa Toskala, G.</i> Toskala stepped in for an injured Evgeni Nabokov, ignored an awkward three-goalie situation and helped to right the Sharks with a superb l&iacute;-game stretch. Toskala so impressed teammates and management in losing just twice and surrendering two or fewer goals 10 times that he jumped to IB status once Nabokov came back. San Jose was 3-6-8-2 and in 13th place in the West when Toskala took over and was 9-8-9-2 and tied for the final playoff spot when Nabokov returned.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Sharks surpassed their previous best of seven straight games at home without a loss on Dec. 12 with a 2-2 tie against Edmonton. San Jose was 4-0-4 over its past eight home games at that point.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-04

Leadership roles pegged for Marleau and Rathje

<div class="byline">- DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>re the Lightning's struggles the result of its own success? Coach John Tortorella believes there could be a correlation between the respect the team earned last season and through an 11-2-2-1 start.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-06160/7907109-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="298" height="383"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TAMPA BAY</b> LIGHTING</figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I think we gained some respect in the league last year in how we played and how hard we played,&rdquo; Tortorella said. &ldquo;Now teams play us hard, so we have to bring it to another level, and I don't think we've done that.&rdquo;</p><p>Tampa Bay was on a 2-8-2 stretch through Dec. 16 in which it scored just 18 goals.</p><p>Slumps gripped Vinny Lecavalier (two goals in 17 games), Martin St. Louis (two in 19), Brad Richards (one in 22) and Cory Stillman (none in 13).</p><p>&ldquo;We played with an edge and we've lost that,&rdquo; Tortorella said. &ldquo;We think it's simply going to come back to us. That's simply not going to happen. It's not the way it works in this league.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-07133/7907102-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="350" height="753"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Chris Dingman, LW.</i> He plays on a line that many times is assigned to check an opponent's top scorers. He is tough as they come along the wall when battling for a puck and is willing to fight. He was minus-7 through Dec. 16, but given that he had not scored a goal, it's still not too shabby. Dingman does the grunt work for Tampa Bay, never complains and always works hard A goal would be nice for Dingman - he had not scored since Oct. 26, 2002 - but not necessary for him to do his job.</p><p><b>NOTEROOK</b> Right winger <b>Ben Clymer</b> and defenseman <b>Dan Boyle</b> returned Dec. 16 after missing four games each with concussions sustained Dec. 6 against Buffalo.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-06

Bolts seek missing edge to escape downward spiral

<div class="byline">- KEN CAMPBELL</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span></b>arcy Tucker has established a good-season, bad-season pattern throughout his career. Fortunately for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he&rsquo;s now on the positive side of that pendulum.</p><p>Tucker scored his 10th goal of the season in a 3-0 win over Tampa Bay Dec. 16, which gave him as many goals this year as he had in all of 2002-03. His miserable campaign last year came on the heels of a career-high 24-goal season in 2001-02.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-08113/7907147-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="300" height="399"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TORONTO</b> MAPLE LEAFS</figcaption></div><p>Tucker was part of Toronto&rsquo;s rebound from a poor start to first overall in the NHL in mid-December. He has found a match with linemates Robert Reichel and Tie Domi. &ldquo;They have played a big part in the way things have gone for me,&rdquo; Tucker said.</p><p>It has been suggested Tucker has improved because his brother-in-law, the controversial Shayne Corson, is no longer with the team, but Tucker doesn&rsquo;t buy it.</p><p>&ldquo;Shayne was with the team two years ago when I had 24 goals,&rdquo; Tucker said. &ldquo;Nobody was saying anything about that then.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-09102/7907140-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="347" height="753"></div><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Ken Klee, D.</i> The free agent signee from Washington was a big reason why the much-maligned defense corps was surprisingly efficient through the first third of the season. After 32 games, Klee had two goals and 17 points, which equalled his point total for all of last season and was just three off his career high. More importantly, Klee was a steadying force for the unpredictable Aki Berg and was logging large minutes.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> A report in the Toronto <i>Star</i> said an unidentified woman whose uncle worked at Maple Leaf Gardens is alleging former owner <b>Harold Ballard</b> sexually abused her for several years. A trial date has yet to be set in the case.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-08

Tucker’s terrific turnaround helped by Domi, Reichel

<div class="byline">- ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02762/7907185-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="278" height="387"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>VANCOUVER</b> CANUCKS</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011106/7907192-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="109" height="112"></div><p><b>G</b>oalie Johan Hedberg claimed earlier this season he was not injury prone, but he would have a hard time convincing anyone in Vancouver.</p><p>For the fourth time since training camp, Hedberg suffered an injury that put him on the sidelines, although this time the injury was actually inflicted by an opponent. Hedberg sustained a hairline fracture in his left wrist after a collision with Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Konstantin Koltsov. Hedberg is expected to be out until early January.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>His other three injuries were: a skate laceration in training camp (by farmhand Brandon Reid); a pre-season charley horse (crashed inte by teammate Mattias Ohlund); and, a bruised ankle (hit by call-up Fedor Fedorov during a morning skate). &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not the way I wanted to spend Christmas, that&rsquo;s for sure,&rdquo; said Hedberg who is 5-1-2-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Matt Cooke, RW.</i> A sparkplug forward who creates big hits on the forecheck, Cooke&rsquo;s absence from the roster for a batch of games in December (due to a pinched nerve in his neck) was noticeable. The injury sent stingers down Cooke&rsquo;s left arm and a dagger into the Canucks lineup. Without Cooke&rsquo;s energy shifts, the Canucks appeared less intense as a team.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Canucks went through a 17-game stretch from Nov. 11 to Dec. 17 where they won just one game in regulation time, 5-2 over Montreal Nov. 25. They won six overtime games, while losing four in regulation, two in overtime and tying four others&hellip; Center Mats <b>Lindgren,</b> who has been sidelined all season since October back surgery, had a major setback in his recovery and had to have a second surgery that will keep him out until February&hellip;Center <b>Henrik Sedin,</b> with just one goal all season, was a healthy scratch for the first time in his four-year career when he sat out against Dallas Dec. 17&hellip;Right winger <b>Jason King,</b> who was the NHL&rsquo;s rookie of the month in November, did not collect a point in his first six appearances in December. He was also a healthy scratch for one game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03554/7907178-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="344" height="753"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0028-02

Injury-riddled Hedberg suffers bad break No. 4

<div class="byline">- JASON LA CANFORA</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>G</span></b>len Hanlon made an immediate impact upon taking over as coach of the Washington Capitals, winning two of his first three games and drastically altering the team's mood and style of play.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04380/7907230-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="294" height="386"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WASHINGTON</b> CAPITALS</figcaption></div><p>In the span of a week, Hanlon implemented sweeping changes, intent on getting the woefully underachieving club back in the playoff hunt.</p><p>He has reconfigured three of the team's lines and two of its defensive pairs and become a positive force behind the bench and a constant source of encouragement for his players. Practices are high-tempo and crisp and a teaching atmosphere has been established, with chairs arranged in a classroom setting for video meetings and every nuance of drills and instructions broken down to its smallest element.</p><p>Fixing Washington's serious defensive problems was Hanlon's primary goal and the team posted its first shutout of the season in his third game, a 5-0 pasting of Atlanta Dec. 16. Checkers Jeff Halpern and Mike Grier, who languished under previous coach Bruce Cassidy, are thriving again while given top assignments and the team's 5-on-5 play is greatly improved, thanks to a more aggressive style and high-energy approach.</p><p>&ldquo;I definitely have more fun playing the way we are now,&rdquo; said right winger Peter Bondra. &ldquo;The coach is always telling you to move your feet and skate. It's the kind of game I want to play.&rdquo;</p><p><b>UNSUNG HERO</b>&nbsp;<i>Dainius Zubrus, C.</i> While all the attention for Washington's offensive turnaround went to Jaromir Jagr and Robert Lang, Zubrus has become a force at both ends of the ice. Hanlon made him his primary checking option and Zubrus continues to contribute heavily on the power play and penalty kill as well. He had 10 goals and 21 points in 31 games after scoring 13 goals all last season.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Goalie <b>Maxime Ouellet</b> got his third NHL start, and first with Washington, and came away with his first win and a 37-save shutout over Atlanta Dec. 16&hellip;The Caps hired <b>Jay Leach</b> to serve as an assistant coach Dec. 16. Leach formerly worked in the NHL as an assistant in Hartford, L.A., Atlanta and New Jersey.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05289/7907223-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="345" height="751"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0028-04

Hanlon makes his mark with high-energy approach

f0029-01

DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="byline">By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02743/7907292-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="303" height="483"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LIBOR USTRNUL</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011103/7907299-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="135" height="135"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>ff the ice, it&rsquo;s fast and faster for Libor Ustrnul. Be it driving his BMW, Mercedes or the Honda Prelude with super-fuel turbo power, Ustrnul likes his cars and likes the power and speed they provide.</p><p>But on the ice, the Chicago Wolves defenseman is all Mack truck. There are no dashing displays of flash and flare, just raw power in mountain form from the 6-foot-5, 235 pound Ustrnul.</p><p>A second round pick of Atlanta in 2000, the 21-year-old native of Steruberk, Czech Rep., is making a major impact by delivering big checks.</p><p>&ldquo;He hits guys so hard he gets penalties,&rdquo; said Wolves coach John Andersor &ldquo;He just overpowers them and they (the referees) think he&rsquo;s trying to murder guys. There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with the hits.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Ustrnul is in his second pro season, though his rookie season was shortened to 40 regular season games by injuries t and his grandfather&rsquo;s death.</p><p>&ldquo;He may be a little behind because he missed so many games,&rdquo; Anderson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s in Atlanta&rsquo;s plans, it just might take a year or two before he&rsquo;s in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>When he does get there, he won&rsquo;t be judged by the points he puts up. Through 22 games, Ustrnul had one goal. Last season he had just one goal and one assist.</p><p>&ldquo;But you need defensive defensemen,&rdquo; Anderson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s usually first on the puck in our zone and he can take a little punishment to get the puck out.&rdquo;</p><p>He needs refinement, however. His stickhandling is adequate at best. He also must be more aware of his surroundings.</p><p>&ldquo;He needs to take that peek when he goes back for the puck, so he knows what his options are before he gets the puck,&rdquo; Anderson said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-02

Watch out for truck named Ustrnul

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><p><b>T</b>he American League&rsquo;s on-ice laboratory is again in action, with Canadian teams being used as lab rats for an experiment in wider lines.</p><p>The red line and bluelines will be widened from one foot to three feet for eight games, starting on Dec. 27 and 28 between St John&rsquo;s and host Hamilton. The other games are: Manitoba at Toronto Dec. 28; Hamilton at Toronto Dec. 30; Manitoba at St. John&rsquo;s Jan. 6 and 7; and, Toronto at Manitoba Jan. 23 and 24. The idea is to create more space in the offensive zone and multi-purpose the amount of space in all three zones.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03525/7907337-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="326" height="324"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div><p>Former NHL star <b>Bobby Smith</b> suggested wider lines in a story he wrote for The Hockey News 2003-04 Yearbook But his idea called for six-foot-wide lines, thereby opening up passing lanes and creating the illusion of a larger ice surface without changing the dimensions.</p><p>&ldquo;When you can create more space within the boundaries of our ice surface, I think it will be a good thing,&rdquo; said Bulldogs coach <b>Doug Jarvis.</b></p><p>Jarvis has no objections of league games being used as a testing ground. &ldquo;You look at it as an opportunity to see if this is something that will better the game of hockey. I think everyone wants to be part of something that will improve the game of hockey, if it needs improving.&rdquo; The NHL, in the past, has used the AHL to test 4-on-4 manpower situations in overtime and the two-referee system before changing the NHL&rsquo;s rules. <i>(See pg. 6 for more.)</i></p><p><b>PLAYER CRUNCH</b> In a span of three days, the Syracuse Crunch lost two major cogs to their offense. Center <b>Espen Knutsen</b> was bought out of his contract by parent Columbus and the Blue Jackets allowed left winger <b>Andrej Nedorost</b> to join a team in Russia.</p><p>Knutsen, twice the Blue Jackets] leading scorer, was shipped to Syracuse in early December after scoring no goals and four assists in 14 games. He played two AHL games (one goal, one assist) while waiting for his buyout from Columbus to be finalized.</p><p>Nedorost had two assists in eight AHL games after scoring two goals in nine games for Columbus. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure his heart was in it,&rdquo; said Crunch coach <b>Gary Agnew. &ldquo;</b>He might have looked at Columbus&rsquo; depth and figured he wasn&rsquo;t going to get a chance.&rsquo;</p><p><b>ONA BINGE</b> St. John&rsquo;s winger <b>Kyle Wellwood</b> said linemate <b>Harold Druken</b> may be the most talented player in the AHL. Druken was trying to prove him right. In four games back after a month-long stay with Toronto, the fifth-year center scored three goals and nine points. With 10 goals and 20 points in 12 games, Druken had the AHL&rsquo;s highest points-per-game average (1.7).</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04363/7907330-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="1355" height="2000"><figcaption class="caption-body"><i>Colorado College grad Mark Cullen is in his second season with the Houston Aeros. The Minnesota native had nine points in 15 games.</i></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0030-03

Wider lines on trial for eight games

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he ECHL became the first pro league in North America to mandate visors this season, a rule unilaterally implemented at the board of governors meetings last January.</p><p>Now, more than two months into the season, some players have not warmed up to the rule and have told Professional Hockey Players&rsquo; Association executive director <b>Larry Landon,</b> who is visiting ECHL cities to discuss union issues.</p><p>The visor mandate was not negotiated during last summer&rsquo;s labor dispute, but was included in a new four-year collective bargaining agreement signed in September.</p><p>Bravado, comfort and personal choice remain the biggest arguments against mandatory visors. &ldquo;I was one of the few players wearing a visor last year and I didn&rsquo;t like hearing all the time that I was a pussy,&rdquo; said Augusta defenseman <b>Martin Lapointe.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07180/7907368-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="297" height="289"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NOTEBOOK</b></figcaption></div><p>Most players believe visors cause more harm than good, especially during fights. Players are allowed to remove their helmets to fight, but that isn&rsquo;t always an option. &ldquo;By the end of the year, more guys are going to end up with broken hands than the number who will be saved from injury,&rdquo; said Augusta enforcer <b>Nick Greenough.</b> Others think visors have led to more stick-work and dirtier play.</p><p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you think the NHL would mandate visors if they really helped?&rdquo; said Peoria veteran <b>Brendan Brooks</b> in the Peoria <i>Journal Star.</i> &ldquo;It hinders my vision. My injury risk increases.&rdquo;</p><p><b>COAST TO SHOW</b> Goalie <b>Joey MacDonald,</b> 23, was assigned to Toledo from Grand Rapids of the American League Jan. 9, but received a pleasant surprise as he was about to leave for Ohio. He got a call from Detroit, which told him he was going to Buffalo to back up Curtis Joseph. MacDonald was 5-1-2 with Grand Rapids.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Reading goalie <b>Cody Rudkowsky</b> had a .944 save percentage in five straight wins&hellip;Augusta goaltender <b>Jason Saal</b> recorded three assists in a 4-2 win over Greenville Dec. 12.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-07

Some players give visor thumbs down

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06212/7907399-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="717" height="352"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05271/7907406-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="200" height="193"></div><h2><b>LATVIA</b></h2><p><b>Member of IIHF since</b> 1931</p><p><b>Pop. of country</b> 2,366,515</p><p><b>Registered players</b> 2,740</p><p><b>No. of ice facilities</b> 10</p><p><b>Major league</b> (six teams) Latvia Championat</p><p><b>2003 champ</b> Liepajas Metalurgs</p><p><b>2003 top scorers</b></p><p>Romans Nikitins, Liepajas</p><p>Juris Ozlos, Liepajas</p><p>Raivis Brencans, Jelgavas</p><p>Association website/e-mail</p><p><a href="http://www.hockey.lv">www.hockey.lv</a></p><p><a href="mailto:lhf@apollo.lv">lhf@apollo.lv</a></p><p><b>Head office</b> Riga</p><p><b>2003 world ranking</b> No. 10<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-06

HOCKEY NATION AT A GLANCE

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02673/7907437-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="304" height="489"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MATT HERR</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span></b>att Herr isn&rsquo;t immune. The thoughts creep into his mind like everyone else&rsquo;s. What if this is it? What if the American League is as far as he can go?</p><p>&ldquo;It goes through all the guys&rsquo; heads,&rdquo; Herr said. &ldquo;Life in the AHL is not a smooth journey. Talk to anyone who has played in the league for more than three or four years. It&rsquo;s an up-and-down struggle and that thought is always in the back of your mind.&rdquo;</p><p>The Providence center is in his sixth pro season. With more than 330 AHL games and 235 career points, the 27-year-old has enjoyed success with Portland, Philadelphia, Hershey as well as the P-Bruins, where he was a first-team all-star last season.</p><p>Minor pro production, though, hasn&rsquo;t translated into full-time NHL duty. In fact, he has played just 58 NHL games for Washington, Florida and Boston since 1998-99.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011018/7907444-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="135" height="134"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;Of course it makes you mad sometimes because everybody starts out wanting to play in the NHL,&rdquo; Herr said. &ldquo;But when you&rsquo;re in the AHL, you have to make the most of your time and never give up that dream.&rdquo;</p><p>While still chasing an elusive, permanent NHL roster spot, the University of Michigan graduate is preparing himself for life after hockey.</p><p>Herr is working toward a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He expects to complete the online program in February, 2005. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d love to play until I&rsquo;m 34,&rdquo; Herr said, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;m getting ready in case the time comes where someone tells me it&rsquo;s time to go. I&rsquo;d rather leave the game on my own terms.&rdquo;</p><p>Herr isn&rsquo;t ready for that because he still loves playing. &ldquo;My wife, Laura, says, &rsquo;What other job can you do where you still get to act like you&rsquo;re 13 or 14?&rsquo; &rdquo; Herr said. &ldquo;And she&rsquo;s right.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-02

Bruins’ Herr taking realistic approach

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><p><b>L</b>ife on the road is a necessity in the American League, where three games in three nights often dictates brutal travel itineraries.</p><p>Worcester IceCats coach <b>Don Granato</b> knows other AHL bench bosses envy his team&rsquo;s schedule. And for that, he can thank Worcester&rsquo;s favorable geography in central Massachusetts.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re spoiled, there&rsquo;s no question about that,&rdquo; Granato said. &ldquo;We may have the best spot in the league, because of all our short trips. I think we spend just 13 nights in a hotel the entire year.&rdquo;</p><p>Atlantic Division rivals Hartford, Lowell, Manchester, Portland, Providence and Springfield are all within a two-hour drive and the IceCats play 29 of their 40 road games against those six teams.</p><p>&ldquo;It helps in a sense that we&rsquo;re better rested than most teams,&rdquo; Granato said, &ldquo;but a lot of the benefit of going on the road is that you can only hang out with the team.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03498/7907482-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="327" height="325"></div><p>&ldquo;We only have 13 nights when you do that, where you go back to the hotel after practice and hang out with your teammates when you&rsquo;re on the road. You&rsquo;re not doing that when you&rsquo;re at home. We welcome a little bit of travel, that&rsquo;s for sure.&rdquo;</p><p><b>LONG TIME COMING</b> After 464 minor league games and 1,770 penalty minutes, Worcester left winger <b>Steve McLaren</b> finally reached the NHL. The St. Louis Blues summoned the 28-year-old from Worcester Dec. 13 after Reed <b>Low</b> sustained cracked ribs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>In 24 games for the IceCats this season, McLaren had two goals, three points and a team-leading 112 penalty minutes.</p><p><b>BEAR BAITING</b> The Philadelphia Phantoms own the Hershey Bears this season. The Phantoms swept the Bears in an early November three-game set and beat the Bears two more times by midDecember. Philadelphia outscored Hershey by a combined 21-8. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to explain,&rdquo; said Phantoms coach John Stevens. &ldquo;I guess we just match up well with them.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Washington Capitals recalled goalie <b>Maxime Ouellet</b> from Portland Dec. 15. Ouellet, who was chosen 22nd overall by Philadelphia in 1999, had a .918 save percentage in 21 AHL games&hellip;The New Hampshire Lottery introduced a &ldquo;Pucks for Bucks&rdquo; scratch-and-win instant game featuring eight Manchester Monarchs players and the team mascot, Max. The top prize available on the $3 game is $30,000.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04371/7907475-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="1330" height="1981"><figcaption class="caption-body"><i>Third-year pro center Jeff Panzer is chugging along at his accustomed 50-plus point pace with the road-savvy Worcester IceCats</i> <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>EYE ON EUROPE</b></h2><p><i>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this season. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses:</i></p><p>&bull; <b>Norm Maracle,</b> 29, G (free agent). He played in 66 games in five NHL seasons. He is one of the top goalies in the Russian league, with a .934 save percentage in 23 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.</p><p>&bull; <b>Petr Tenkrat,</b> 26, RW (Columbus). Tenkrat totaled 113 NHL games in two seasons. He began 2003-04 with Voskresensk in Russia, but moved to Oulu of the Finnish league, where he has nine points in 10 games.</p><p>&bull; <b>Niklas Nordgren, 24, LW</b> (Carolina). Nordgren was picked 195th overall by the Canes in 1997. He has 12 goals and 24 points in 25 games with Timra of the Swedish league.</p><p>&bull; <b>Oleg Petrov,</b> 32, LW (free agent). Petrov played 382 NHL games in eight NHL seasons, mostly with Montreal. He leads Servette Geneve of the Swiss league in scoring with 18 goals and 34 points in 27 games.</p><p><b>- PAVEL BARTA</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-03

Cats helped, hindered by geography

<div class="byline">- PAVEL BARTA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05296/7907513-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="600" height="237"></div><p>&bull; <b>Norm Maracle,</b> 29, G (free agent). He played in 66 games in five NHL seasons. He is one of the top goalies in the Russian league, with a .934 save percentage in 23 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.</p><p>&bull; <b>Petr Tenkrat,</b> 26, RW (Columbus). Tenkrat totaled 113 NHL games in two seasons. He began 2003-04 with Voskresensk in Russia, but moved to Oulu of the Finnish league, where he has nine points in 10 games.</p><p>&bull; <b>Niklas Nordgren, 24, LW</b> (Carolina). Nordgren was picked 195th overall by the Canes in 1997. He has 12 goals and 24 points in 25 games with Timra of the Swedish league.</p><p>&bull; <b>Oleg Petrov,</b> 32, LW (free agent). Petrov played 382 NHL games in eight NHL seasons, mostly with Montreal. He leads Servette Geneve of the Swiss league in scoring with 18 goals and 34 points in 27 games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-05

EYE ON EUROPE

<div class="byline">- BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06240/7907544-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="253" height="133"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>o team in the United League has to spend more time on the bus than Richmond (Va.), yet that didn't stop the expansion RiverDogs from skating to the top of the standings. Richmond, which is an average of 700 miles from the other 11 UHL cities, played 13 of 19 games on the road and came away with a 10-3-0 mark. That helped the Dogs start the season with a 15-6-0 record. Coach Rod Langway credited much of his team's hot start to GM Jeff Croop and assistant coach Don Martin. &ldquo;They recruited the team,&rdquo; Langway said. Richmond's shortest trip is 400 miles to Elmira, N.Y.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-06

NOTEBOOK

<div class="byline">- DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07209/7907575-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="258" height="141"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>l Sims was unemployed for all of two weeks before he found another Central League job - and he didn't even have to leave Texas to do it. Just 14 days after Corpus Christi sent Sims packing with a 5-6-2 record, Fort Worth hired the former San Jose Sharks coach (1996-97). The Brahmas were mired in an 11-game losing streak when Sims took over from Bill Inglis, who was let go after a 2-15-3 start. &ldquo;I'm not expecting to work miracles,&rdquo; said Sims to the Fort-Worth <i>Star Telegram.</i> &ldquo;1 certainly wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe I could make this team better.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-07

<div class="byline">- NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08172/7907606-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="183" height="163"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>inston-Salem is the South East League&rsquo;s resident road warriors. The T-Birds went 6-3-0 during a six-week road trip (games are played on weekends) to remain in first place despite the grueling travel. &ldquo;It can do wonders for team unity,&rdquo; said coach Mike LaZazzera to the Winston-Salem <i>Journal. &ldquo;</i>These guys definitely know each other well now.&rdquo; Said defenseman Dave LoPresti: &ldquo;There have been days when we traveled and got right off the bus to play. That&rsquo;s tough&hellip;We&rsquo;re all anxious to play at home and we hope people remember us. It will be different to hear some cheers when we score.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-08

<div class="byline">- SCOTT ANDERA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09149/7907637-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="206" height="153"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>P</span>aul Vincent is better acquainted than most on how it feels to be traded. The 28-year-old center has played for 22 different teams in 10 different leagues over his 11-year career. He was traded from Lakeland to Alabama Nov. 19. Vincent, who has ripped Lakeland for six goals in four games, said changing teams is the least of the worries for he and wife, Leslie, after a trade. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t love packing and moving, that&rsquo;s for sure, but we&rsquo;ve met a lot of great people,&rdquo; Vincent said. &ldquo;You never expect it to happen, but I can only control my situation and make the best of it.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-09

<div class="byline">BY WILLY PALOV</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011087/7907682-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="277" height="150"></div><p><b>Steve Bernier</b> is the first to admit he hasn&rsquo;t lived up to expectations so far this season.</p><p>The burly Moncton Wildcats right winger came into 2003-04 primed to build on his 101-point sophomore season of a year ago. Bernier, the No. 1 overall midget pick in 2001, arrived at training camp bubbling with confidence after being selected 16th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2003 NHL draft.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02736/7907675-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="362" height="360"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>QUEBEC</b> LEAGUE</figcaption></div><p>But the 18-year-old posted ordinary numbers during the first half, with 21 goals and 38 points in 31 games heading into the holiday break. Even though he concedes he is producing less than he had hoped, he said the stats don&rsquo;t tell the ftill story.</p><p>&ldquo;I had a slow start,&rdquo; Bernier said. &ldquo;But it was just that I was missing a lot of chances and I think that will come soon. As soon as I score a couple of goals I will be back where I was last year.</p><p>&ldquo;But if you look at our line, our statistics aren&rsquo;t bad. We feel like we are scoring OK, but we feel like we are proving to ourselves we can play well defensively. I am proud of that.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03530/7907668-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="345" height="903"></div><p>Heading into the season, Bernier was a strong candidate for Canada&rsquo;s national junior team, but he didn&rsquo;t even receive an invitation to try out. He was stung by the snub, but accepts some of the blame.</p><p>&ldquo;That was something very big for me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;For as long as I have played hockey, I watched the world junior every year. I was very disappointed not to get invited to the camp, but I said to myself I have another year next year and if I improve my skating and some details with my game, maybe I will get invited next year.&rdquo;</p><p><b>300 AND GOING</b> The Quebec League&rsquo;s longest-serving coach has added another milestone. <b>Denis Francoeur</b> of the Shawinigan Cataractes, who also serves as the team&rsquo;s GM, secured his 300th career win to put him 10th on the league&rsquo;s all-time list. Francoeur is in his eighth season behind the Cataractes&rsquo; bench.</p><p><b>FANS WANT MORE Don Cherry</b> didn&rsquo;t like it, but <b>Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s</b> rare wraparound goal is a big hit with fans.</p><p>After receiving several requests for video footage of the center&rsquo;s lacrosse-style goal in a 7-1 win over the Quebec Remparts Nov. 28, the Rimouski Oceanic created a CD-ROM of the highlight play along with photos and other Crosby information to sell to fans. Cherry criticized the goal, calling Crosby, 16, a &ldquo;hot dog.&rdquo; Cherry later said he was trying to warn Crosby for the player&rsquo;s own safety.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-01

Snake-bitten Bernier searches for antidote

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>eff Perry&rsquo;s</b> firing by the Sarnia Sting raised more questions than it answered. Perry was canned Dec. 15 with the Sting one point out of first place in the West Division.</p><p>In a tersely worded statement, Sting director of operations <b>Dino Ciccarelli</b> said: &ldquo;The environment being fostered by Jeff Perry was not conducive to the well-being of the players and the team.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04374/7907720-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="367" height="274"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ONTARIO</b> LEAGUE</figcaption></div><p>Ciccarelli later said the firing was not a hockey decision. &ldquo;We checked into some things that happened over the past few days and the organization made the decision to make a change.&rdquo;</p><p>Ciccarelli said Perry won&rsquo;t be paid for the final year-and-a-half of the two-year contract that was signed prior to this season. Perry said he&rsquo;ll hire a lawyer.</p><p>Three days before his firing, Perry benched <b>Daniel Carrillo</b> and <b>John Hecimovic,</b> two of the team&rsquo;s top scorers, early in a 6-1 loss at Guelph. They played the next night in a 3-2 win over London, but didn&rsquo;t show up for practice the next day.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05289/7907713-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="343" height="902"></div><p>&ldquo;It came as quite a shock,&rdquo; said Perry of his firing. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very disappointed. I don&rsquo;t want to go into much detail, but the issue of the two players brought this to a head.&rdquo;</p><p>Perry guided the Sting to a 41-19-7-1 record last season, the best in the franchise&rsquo;s 22-year history, dating back to 1981 when it began in Cornwall.</p><p>Perry, who took over late in 2000-01, was 90-70-16 overall. Assistant coach <b>Greg Walters</b> and GM <b>Terry Doran</b> are the interim coaches. Ciccarelli said he won&rsquo;t coach.</p><p><b>DRUG DEAL</b> Ontario League commissioner <b>David Branch</b> said the Canadian Hockey League has been working since June on procedures for drug-related matters.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been nothing on the radar screen, it&rsquo;s just that there&rsquo;s been an absence of clear policies,&rdquo; said Branch after agent <b>Gilles Lupien</b> alleged 40 per cent of Quebec League players are using drugs. &ldquo;Most of these things you can walk into a corner drug-store and buy. (But) the World Doping Agency has decreed a number of these substances illegal and we want to make sure our players have a clear understanding.&rdquo;</p><p><b>TEAM PLAYER</b> Kitchener defenseman <b>Andre Benoit,</b> the first player cut from the Canadian national junior team&rsquo;s camp Dec. 14, jumped on a plane for Ottawa and an afternoon game with the 67&rsquo;s and assisted on his team&rsquo;s first three goals in a 4-1 win.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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December 30, 2003

Harvard hurting as plug pulled on power play

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PLAYOFF SERIES WINS, 1999-03