The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

March 2, 2004

The Hockey News March 2, 2004

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IN THIS ISSUE

2003-04 NHL STATISTICS

<h2><b>DOLLARS PER POINT</b></h2><p><i>The free-spending Rangers pay $1.4 million in salary to earn one point in the standings-four times more than the economical Predators</i>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04403/8304465-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="977" height="888"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MONEY TO BURN</b></p><p><i>The Rangers have the NHL&rsquo;s highest payroll, but are in danger of missing the playoffs yet again.</i></p></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02634/8304458-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="701" height="768"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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The Hockey News STATS EXTRA

<div class="byline">-MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06229/8302789-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="277" height="606"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011343/8302803-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>T</b>he risk was low and the upside high, so the Stars addressed their need for a gritty left winger by signing free agent Shayne Corson.</p><p>Corson was last seen leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs in the middle of the 2003 playoffs, a departure Corson attributes to health reasons. He was also a healthy scratch at the time.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02970/8302796-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="232" height="255"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DALLAS STARS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big power forward we could add without trading anybody or picks,&rdquo; said coach Dave Tippett. &ldquo;The past is the past. We&rsquo;re looking at what he can do for us in the future.&rdquo;</p><p>Corson, 37, says he would like to finish his career on a better note.</p><p>&ldquo;The image that the media up there portrayed is not an accurate image,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;What bothered me most is that they said I quit. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot of hard stuff in my life and I&rsquo;ve dealt with all of it. I&rsquo;ve never been a quitter.&rdquo;</p><p>Corson will get a base contract of $250,000, prorated, and bonuses for games played. (See <i>pg. 46 for more on Corson.)</i></p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Trevor Daley, D</i>. Short and stocky at 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, Daley, 20, is a tremendous skater with a cool head. He has to learn to play better within a system.</p><p><i>Antti Miettinen, LW</i>. He showed tremendous skill in his 16 games with the Stars, but was also minus-9 in that span. Down the road he could give Dallas an all-Finn line with Jere Lehtinen and Niko Kapanen.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Goalie <b>Dan Ellis</b> got his first win in his first-ever NHL start Feb. 18, beating Los Angeles 4-3&hellip; Goalie <b>Marty Turco</b> officially has a hairline fracture in a bone in his left foot, but he said it&rsquo;s not bothering him and he wasn&rsquo;t expecting to miss any games.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Need for grit, size on wing makes Corson newest Star

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06216/8301717-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="405" height="1108"></div><p><i>Keith Brown leads all Newfoundland-born NHLers in points, with 342</i>.</p><p><i>Here are the top five:</i></p><p><b>1.KEITH BROWN</b> (79-95) 342 Pts.</p><p><b>2.DAVE PICHETTE</b> (80-88) 181 Pts.</p><p><b>3.DAN CLEARY</b> (&rsquo;97-present) 107Pts.</p><p><b>4.JOHN SLANEY</b> (&rsquo;93-present) 89Pts.</p><p><b>5.TONY WHITE</b> (74-80) 65Pts.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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DEPARTMENTS

NEWFOUNDLAND & NHL

<div class="byline">Jason Kay Editor</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021594/8301517-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="330" height="572"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011897/8301524-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="92" height="94"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>FEES, PLEASE</b></h2><p><i>The nine teams that have joined the NHL since 1991-92 paid a total of $570 million in expansion fees</i>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031297/8301510-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="411" height="1132"></div><p><b>A</b> snapshot of the NHL&rsquo;s financial woes:</p><p>Team X in the U.S. south is averaging 11,511 per game, while Team Y in the west is struggling at 12,794.</p><p>Meantime, the average player salary has skyrocketed 109 per cent over the past six seasons. There is a sense the futures of both franchises are in jeopardy.</p><p>The year is 1998. Fast forward to the present and Team X (Tampa) is now averaging 17,012, while Team Y (Los Angeles) is pulling in 17,758.</p><p>This is the information passed along, via email, by a player agent the day after Arthur Levitt&rsquo;s financial report was made public. The email prompted a day-long chat between the agent and The Hockey News. Here&rsquo;s an edited transcript:</p><p><b>AGENT</b> Both of those teams, whose situations looked hopeless six years ago, will make money this season. It&rsquo;s also worth noting there have been zero franchise relocations or foldings since 1998. The fact is there will always be teams with attendance problems and there will always be teams that lose money. The Levitt report was nothing more than a PR effort on the part of the league.</p><p><b>THN</b> The point you&rsquo;re making is well-taken and it&rsquo;s hard to know what to believe. Gary Bettman was asked at all-star weekend-just days before the Levitt report came out-about an independent audit; had the PA requested one and, if they were to, would the NHL agree to it? He said the league had nothing to hide. Then we find out they were conducting an audit and not telling anyone. That they kept it hush-hush is suspicious. All that said, the owners are winning the propaganda war.</p><p><b>AGENT</b> The PA couldn&rsquo;t care less about the PR war. They feel as long as the people in the room negotiating know the truth, that&rsquo;s all that matters.</p><p>The teams currently in distress-Pittsburgh, Nashville, Carolina-are not in distress because of salaries. A $31-million cap will do nothing to help the Pens or Nashville. They simply don&rsquo;t have enough revenues to compete. The owners chose rapid expansion as a way to make more money and now that some of those franchises aren&rsquo;t thriving it&rsquo;s supposed to be the players&rsquo; fault?</p><p>Anyway, all this is just bull. Levitt said he&rsquo;d never invest in this business, yet in the past 12 months, two billionaires bought teams that were supposedly in distress (Ottawa and Buffalo).</p><p><b>THN</b> Expansion created a false economy, but it still needs to be fixed. If Pittsburgh and Nashville aren&rsquo;t generating enough revenue, there must be a problem. It&rsquo;s dumfounding this industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue and there can&rsquo;t be agreement on how to split the pie.</p><p><b>AGENT</b> To me, it all comes down to good management. The current CBA is the most restrictive towards the players of all the major sports and if the managers do their jobs properly (as they started to last summer) this CBA is fine. GMs such as Brian Burke and Mike Barnett have even admitted frustration with the way some teams spend money.</p><p>The players have already offered a five per-cent pay cut, extension of the entry-level salary (ELS) cap to four years from three, extension of arbitration rights from five years to six and a severe reduction in the ELS cap. That might conservatively cut salaries by 10 per cent. If you take the owners revenue figures, which are highly dubious, but let&rsquo;s trust them for a second and say they can grow revenues by five per cent a year, revenues for next season would be $2.2 billion. If payrolls came down by 10 per cent this summer, then payrolls next season would be $1.35 billion. That would put payrolls at 61 per cent of revenue. There, by doing nothing to the CBA we have dropped payrolls from 75 per cent to 61 per cent of revenues, which should be acceptable.</p><p><b>THN</b> Your proposal sounds reasonable, but if the union is willing to be at 61 per cent based on those figures, why not lock in with &ldquo;cost certainty?&rdquo; One of our columnists wrote about this recently: the crux of the argument isn&rsquo;t about claimed losses and flawed UROs. That&rsquo;s something of a smokescreen. As long as the two sides can&rsquo;t agree on whether to use &ldquo;cost certainty&rdquo; or a &ldquo;marketplace&rdquo; system, nothing else matters. There may not be a great divide between how much revenues should be spent on player costs (or at least it&rsquo;s likely easily bridged); it&rsquo;s all about how to get there.</p><p><b>AGENT</b> This is a collective bargaining process where each side wants the best deal possible for its members. It&rsquo;s pretty straightforward for the union because everyone&rsquo;s on the same page. For the league, it is not that simple because what is best for Toronto may not be what&rsquo;s best for Nashville and that is as much a problem as anything. Anyhow, no need to fret yet. There is lots of time to get this settled and you know it is going to go down to the deadline before anything happens.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041053/8301503-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="439" height="234"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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FEATURES & COLUMNS

Conversation with an agent

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05857/8301562-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg" title="f0004-05" width="308" height="498"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MIKE GREEN</b></figcaption></div><h2><b>MILESTONES</b></h2><p><b>Mike Ried</b> &bull; C, 32</p><p><i>San Jose, Feb. 11 at Detroit</i></p><p>Achieves NHL Milestone Award for playing in 1,000th game.</p><p><b>Bobby Holik</b> &bull; C, 33</p><p><i>NY Rangers, Feb. 14 at Philadelphia</i></p><p>Achieves NHL Milestone Award for playing in 1,000th game.</p><p><b>Sergei Fedorov</b> &bull; C, 33</p><p><i>Anaheim, Feb. 14 at Vancouver</i></p><p>Becomes first Russian to reach 1,000 NHL points.</p><h2><b>NHL DEBUTS</b></h2><p><b>Joe Motzko</b> &bull; RW, 23</p><p><i>Columbus, Feb. 2 at Phoenix</i></p><p>Speedy, gritty winger joined grind Line, was plus-1 and nearly scored.</p><p><b>Brooks Laich</b> &bull; C, 20</p><p><i>Ottawa, Feb. 3 at New Jersey</i></p><p>Projected third-liner got minimal playing time, but looked solid.</p><p><b>Graham Mink</b> &bull; C, 24</p><p><i>Washington, Feb. 3 vs. Tampa Bay</i></p><p>Finally earned recall after being top player in minors for three years.</p><p><b>Mike Green</b> &bull; C, 24</p><p><i>Florida, Feb. 3 at San Jose</i></p><p>Journeyman minor-leaguer went 4-for-7 on draws in 13:22 of ice time.</p><p><b>Antero Niittymaki</b> &bull; G, 23</p><p><i>Philadelphia, Feb. 4 vs. Washington</i></p><p>Showed good lateral movement and lots of poise in holding off Caps.</p><p><b>Chris Kelly</b> &bull; RW, 23</p><p><i>Ottawa, Feb. 5 vs. Toronto</i></p><p>The captain of Binghamton isn&rsquo;t flashy, but effective role player.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-06513/8301555-1-eng-US/f0004-062.jpg" title="f0004-06" width="306" height="499"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANTERO NIITTYMAKI</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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WORTH NOTING

<div class="byline">-MARK BRENDER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05347/8301617-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="834" height="1333"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SLICK SHOOTER</b>&nbsp;<i>Small-town boy Michael Ryder has used a heavy shot to make it big in Montreal</i> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE KAYE/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011900/8301624-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span></b>ontreal Canadiens rookie right winger Michael Ryder, in case you haven&rsquo;t heard, is from the thriving metropolis of Bonavista, Nfld., population roughly 4,400.</p><p>This can have its advantages and its drawbacks.</p><p>On the plus side, it&rsquo;s highly unlikely the town&rsquo;s loyalties will be divided for as long as Ryder is in the NHL. Wherever Ryder&rsquo;s career may take him, the heart of Bonavista will be right there with him, whooping and hollering and tugging on his sweater no matter the color.</p><p>He does not know if there are any &ldquo;Welcome to Bonavista: Home of Michael Ryder&rdquo; signs on the road into town (answer: there are two, plus another at the stadium), but he has been told the once-scorned Hab jerseys have become amazingly popular.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;I talk to a couple friends at home and they say everyone at home changed from Leaf fans to Montreal fans,&rdquo; says the soft-spoken 23-year-old, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll find out what it&rsquo;s like when I go back this summer.&rdquo;</p><p>The disadvantage? Bonavista is &ldquo;so small that when he does go back in the summer, Ryder often faces a three-hour drive to St. John&rsquo;s just to work out. &ldquo;My hometown, it doesn&rsquo;t have the greatest gym,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I go there, but you can only do so much.&rdquo;</p><p>Playing most of the year on the top line with Saku Koivu and Jan Bulis, Ryder has done much more for the Habs than they could have been expected. The hard-shooting, 6-foot-l, 195-pounder was second among rookies in points with 41 in 59 games (behind Islander Trent Hunter&rsquo;s 42 points) and was tied with Boston&rsquo;s Patrice Bergeron for third among rookies with 15 goals.</p><p>Ryder was drafted 216th overall in 1998 out of the Hull Olympiques, where his coach was current Habs bench boss Claude Julien. After spending parts of two seasons in the East Coast League, he has paid his dues for the sudden fame. Today when he walks down the street in Montreal, the locals recognize him and say hello.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little overwhelming sometimes,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;being from a small town and growing up watching hockey all the time. For this to happen, it&rsquo;s unbelievable.&rdquo;</p><p>Better still, by this time next season (if there is a season) Ryder will likely have cracked the top-five Newfoundland-born all-time NHL scoring list. <i>(See chart at right.)</i></p><p>If in six or seven seasons Ryder gets to Keith Brown territory, you can bet they&rsquo;ll post even bigger signs outside Bonavista. Ryder should be able to cover the new gym.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Ryder changes Bonavista’s color

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021350/8301655-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="277" height="442"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARTIN ST-LOUIS</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>MMEDIATE DIVIDENDS</b> Steve Sullivan scores three goals, all on the power play, and sets up another in his first game with the Nashville Predators.</p><p><b>GRAND ACCOMPLISHMENT</b> Anaheim&rsquo;s Sergei Fedorov becomes the first Russian-born player to register 1,000 points in the NHL.</p><p><b>MARTIN&rsquo;S THE MAN</b> Tampa&rsquo;s Martin St-Louis leads all NHL scorers in the new year with 36 points, seven more than the three players tied for second.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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PLUS

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>V</span>INTAGE WHINE</b> Carolina&rsquo;s Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, in the midst of a disappointing season, is upset he wasn&rsquo;t named a candidate for Canada&rsquo;s World Cup team.</p><p><b>HAWKS ARE DOVES</b> Its embarrassing and sad to see an Original Six team such as Chicago pulling the chute early with little hope for the future.</p><p><b>STICK IT</b> Missouri&rsquo;s Troy Mann is suspended for 10 UHL games after the stick he tosses toward his bench flies into the crowd after mikssing on a breakaway.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03874/8301686-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="273" height="440"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TROY MANN</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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MINUS

<p>&bull; In the wake of wide-spread discussion about how to open up the game, scoring increased. For the week ending Feb. 4, the goals-per-game average was 5.90, significantly higher than the season average of about 5.00. The following week (Feb. 5-11) it was 5.33.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04550/8301748-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="309" height="495"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MANNY LEGACE</b></figcaption></div><p>&bull; Everyone thought the puck was in <b>Manny Legace&rsquo;s</b> glove and video showed the glove over the goal line. The ruling from the NHL war room in Detroit&rsquo;s 2-1 win over Edmonton Feb. 16: no goal. There was no footage of the puck actually going into the glove. &ldquo;If you want my opinion I know it was a goal, but we couldn&rsquo;t find the puck,&rdquo; said NHL vice-president <b>Mike Murphy</b>. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t be guessing where the puck is.&rdquo;</p><p>&bull; Toronto coach <b>Pat Quinn</b> said Ottawa&rsquo;s <b>Daniel Alfredsson</b> should have been barred from the NHL for life for his hit on <b>Darcy Tucker</b> in the 2002 playoffs. Hmm, wonder what Quinn would give his team&rsquo;s <b>Gary Roberts</b> for his vicious attack from behind on Islanders defenseman <b>Kenny Jonsson</b> that same season?</p><p>&bull; The NHL couldn&rsquo;t decide between dropping leaflets from a plane or launching a &ldquo;CBA News&rdquo; website. It opted for the website.</p><p>&bull; Broadcaster Harry Neale&rsquo;s solution to low scoring in the NHL: &ldquo;Give goalies a choice-the mask or the cup.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SNAPSHOTS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012113/8301779-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="204" height="106"></div><p><b>The Hockey News</b></p><p><b>FROM THE EDITORS</b></p><p><b>A</b>s Chicago Blackhawks fans lament the dispiriting trade of scoring leader Steve Sullivan for two second round draft picks, this is as fine a time as any to lament the self-inflicted wounds and sad delusions that continue to rot a once-proud franchise from the inside out.</p><p>The tough part is deciding where to begin.</p><p>So let&rsquo;s start with television. The Hawks, remember, don&rsquo;t have games on local TV. Bill Wirtz, president of the team since 1966, doesn&rsquo;t believe in it. He believes televising games keeps fans from filling the seats at the United Center. So now the Hawks don&rsquo;t have games on television or fans in the seats. What fans there are at the United Center don&rsquo;t believe in Wirtz.</p><p>That&rsquo;s because increasingly the Hawks don&rsquo;t have NHL-quality players on the ice. What quality they have, they sometimes trade away for two second round draft picks, claiming they couldn&rsquo;t get a soon-to-be <i>restricted free</i> agent under contract. If the rest of the league held that philosophy, there&rsquo;d be 300 players on the move every season.</p><p>The Hawks fire their GM, refuse to pay him the money he is owed, and then fire the highly qualified scouting staff the out-of-favor GM has assembled out of pure spite. They name a team broadcaster, Dale Tallon, to be part of their front office staff, then can&rsquo;t decide whether he&rsquo;s the GM or the assistant GM. Wirtz publically reprimands Bob Pulford, his senior vice-president-turned-GM. Sadly, Wirtz and Pulford represent the only continuity this franchise has known. Under every rock they turn, the only thing to emerge is chaos. There is no vision, little leadership, meagre hope for the future.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>Wirtz and Pulford represent the only continuity this franchise has known</i></b>.</blockquote><p>When asked what the Hawks plan to do to turn things around, Pulford replied the team would be active in this summer&rsquo;s free agent period &ldquo;and get as many as four top players.</p><p>Of course they will. All those top players will be attracted by the lucrative salaries the Hawks are paying and the high-quality talent that will surround them. In a summer that will be dominated by collective bargaining agreement discussions. Go get &rsquo;em, Bob.</p><p>NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked at the All-Star Game about the problems in the Chicago and whether or not the Wirtzes (father Bill and son Peter) had a resurrection plan.</p><p>&ldquo;There are a number of teams that haven&rsquo;t made the playoffs for a period of time. That&rsquo;s part of the cycle of sports,&rdquo; Bettman said. &ldquo;The Wirtzes are passionate owners and I believe that they will work very hard to rebuild that franchise.&rdquo;</p><p>If only they would stop working so hard. If only they would look outside the Hawk &ldquo;family&rdquo; to hire competent, experienced hockey businessmen with good interpersonal skills whose decisions are motivated by a desire to win. Let these people do their jobs. Make friends with local television. Leave the vindictiveness behind.</p><p>Along with the few diehard Hawk fans left, we suspect such pleas will fall on deaf ears as long as Bill Wirtz is calling the shots.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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THE HOCKEY NEWS EDITORIAL

No Hawk hope in Chicago with Wirtz running show

f0006-02

ELSTON

<h2><b>DON&rsquo;T BAN PUCKHANDLING GOALIES</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span> disagree with the NHL&rsquo;s proposal to penalize goalies who handle the puck. Just because a player has become good at a skill doesn&rsquo;t mean that skill should be banished.</p><p>Instead, I think they should make goalies fair game when they leave their crease. If that was the case, goalies would think twice before roaming because of the trouble they might get into. And that way, you limit their ability rather than outlawing it outright.</p><p><i>Jed Firestone, Lincoln Park, N.J</i>.</p><h2><b>CAN A MIRACLE SAVE THE NHL?</b></h2><p>While watching the <i>Miracle</i> movie I was surrounded people wearing hockey jerseys. It was plain to see America&rsquo;s upset of the Soviet Union in 1980 continues to inspire generations of hockey fans.</p><p>I only wish NHL owners and players could sit down and watch <i>Miracle</i> in a movie theater while surrounded by young fans. Maybe they would see people&rsquo;s passion for the sport and it would save us from a labor stoppage.</p><p><i>Barry Daskal, Massapequa, N.Y</i>.</p><h2><b>LETTER OF THE WEEK</b></h2><p>An open letter to those who earn a living via the NHL:</p><p>After this season I&rsquo;m cancelling my Hurricanes season tickets, which I&rsquo;ve held for four years.</p><p>I&rsquo;m tired of being a fan of a smaller-market team which has no chance of beating the big-market, big-payroll teams. And I&rsquo;m sick of paying skyrocketing ticket prices so that belly-aching, whining players can pout their way into huge contracts.</p><p>I&rsquo;m taking the estimated $4,000 I would be spending on tickets next season and buying a large screen TV and subscribing to NHL Center Ice instead.</p><p>I still intend to enjoy hockey on a regular basis next season-if there is one. But until the league institutes a salary cap that makes games more affordable for the average fan, I won&rsquo;t be spending any more money watching it live.</p><p><i>Pat Garrett, Cary, N.C</i>.</p><h2><b>SHOUTOUTS A GREAT IDEA</b></h2><p>A greater emphasis must be placed on winning and the best way to it is to abolish ties and adopt the shootout.</p><p>At the end of every game one team should walk away with two more points than their opponents. Teams have not taken advantage of 4-on-4 overtime as much as many would like.</p><p>This is a very viable option for the NHL to adopt and it is good to see GMs are seriously considering it.</p><p><i>Patrick Clarke, Raleigh, N.C</i>.</p><h2><b>SHOUTOUTS A BAD IDEA</b></h2><p>Shootouts in the regular season are not a good idea. Not only do they turn a team sport into an individual contest that involves only one aspect of the game, but they wouldn&rsquo;t create the buzz all the analysts and columnists seem to believe they would.</p><p>After about a month of shootouts, they would begin to be old news.</p><p><i>Keith Collette, Lancaster, Ohio</i></p><h2><b>SUPPORT HABS, FANS</b></h2><p>What is the deal with Canadiens fans at the Bell Centre? Specifically, why the lack of support at games? Why are Maple Leafs fans louder than Habs fans when they play in Montreal?</p><p>Canadiens fans have no problem booing our players when they&rsquo;re slumping, but cheering them seems to be unheard of. The team needs to know the fans are behind them.</p><p><i>Annie Laforest, Montreal</i></p><h2><b>SUMMIT SERIES OVERRATED</b></h2><p>I was reading Adam Proteau&rsquo;s review of the <i>Miracle</i> movie and it was great, right up until the end. (THN, Feb. 17)</p><p>Why did he have to throw in a comment about the 1972 Summit Series? I am so sick of Canadian fans bringing that series up every time someone mentions &ldquo;The Miracle.&rdquo; Yes, the Summit Series was great, but there have been a lot of great series over the years.</p><p>The Summit Series featured two great teams, but &ldquo;The Miracle&rdquo; had one great team and one no-name team. That&rsquo;s why it will always be a more significant moment in the history of the game.</p><p><i>Jeff Gillette, Buffalo, N.Y</i>.</p><h2><b>Got something to say?</b></h2><p>U.S.A.: Letters,</p><p>The Hockey News,</p><p>P.O. Box 904,</p><p>Buffalo, N.Y.,</p><p>14240-9947.</p><p>Canada: Letters,</p><p>The Hockey News,</p><p>25 Sheppard Ave.W.,</p><p>Suite 100,</p><p>Toronto, Ont.,</p><p>M2N6S7</p><p><b>E-mail</b><a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a> or visit or visit <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a></p><p>Include name, hometown, province/state and phone number.</p><p>Submissions <i>will he edited</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="byline">Derrick Goold Columnist</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021270/8301872-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="325" height="544"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011913/8301879-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="204" height="106"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>fter watching a scrimmage during training camp, a member of the St. Louis Blues management described one of the team&rsquo;s forwards as an &ldquo;almost&rdquo; player. He was almost in the right spot. Almost converting chances into goals. Almost making the most of his opportunity.</p><p>The forward fits right in. The Blues are an almost franchise.</p><p>Good, but never great, the Blues almost always are Stanley Cup contenders. Almost talented enough to hot just compete, but to beat the elite. Almost committed to doing whatever it takes to win, but not quite. They are the grandest tease in hockey. This season the years of trying to overcome their chronic almost status has put them in jeopardy of almost missing the playoffs, something they haven&rsquo;t done once as Sony&rsquo;s Walkman, new in 1979, has evolved into 2004&rsquo;s iPod.</p><p>The Blues&rsquo; plans are converging &mdash; and some collapsing-around them.</p><h2><b>OFFENSE OUT</b></h2><p>Striving to cut costs last summer from a franchise that has lost more than $40 million in each of the past two seasons, the Blues jettisoned offense first. They eagerly dealt winger Cory Stillman, settling for the 62nd pick last summer from Tampa Bay. They also, inexplicably, opted not to re-sign Martin Rucinsky, the first winger to consistently connect with Doug Weight. And the Blues stamped Valeri Bure-a failed rental from Florida that cost them legit prospect Mike Van Ryn-"return to sender."t was a clear sign of the team&rsquo;s defensive direction.</p><p>They could afford to lose a few goals because they were going to allow fewer, coach Joel Quenneville said. The approach made cents. And sense. This year&rsquo;s team would be built around its centers and blueliners Al Maclnnis and Barret lackman, the Norris Trophy finalist and Calder Trophy winner respectively, and a revived Chris Pronger. Training camp showed the Blues could arguably go 10 deep on &lsquo;D&rsquo;. It hinted they had the assets on hand to trade for the winger Weight would inevitably need.</p><p>And now look. Maclnnis (eye surgeries) and Jackman (shoulder) are out for the season. The Blues have used 14 defensemen, including newcomer Eric Weinrich. An anticipated strength has become a problem spot. Wouldn&rsquo;t the quickly judged Van Ryn help now?</p><p>When the Blues need scoring, they can&rsquo;t find it for a variety of reasons. The power play malfunctions easily. The centers haven&rsquo;t elevated the play of journeymen &ldquo;almost&rdquo; wingers as hoped. The Blues expect too much from some stars and let others get away with too little.</p><p>The Blues&rsquo; fence-sitting finally is chafing.</p><p>At the trade deadline in 2001, the Blues acquired Keith Tkachuk and made a decision to go big budget at the expense of talented youth. A few months later they almost landed Dominik Hasek. When they didn&rsquo;t, they traded for Weight. In one year, the Blues upped their payroll some 67 per cent. Ownership wanted to make a pre-CBA expiration dash for the Cup, but not at the expense of the future. Win now while planning for later was the charge.</p><h2><b>WALKING FINE LINE</b></h2><p>GM Larry Pleau saddled the fence and struck a precarious balance. The Blues still lacked draft picks and prospects. They had found some late-round gems, but the real muscle was the dollar. This season, that option has been taken away. Now the Blues can&rsquo;t trade their excess defense because of injury, can&rsquo;t afford to take on large contracts and can&rsquo;t part with draft picks.</p><p>The Blues looked so methodic and precise when building one of the West&rsquo;s best records by Christmas. No wonder. Anything less than perfect Quenneville-system play would lose. That much was proved with the worst stretch in St. Louis in 20 years-six wins in 27 games, including an eight-game winless streak. Quenneville, his job now on the line, was on Jan. 8 one point away from being a coach at the All-Star Game. By the All-Star Game, the Blues were within one point of being out of the playoffs.</p><p>An unacceptable position, the brass says. Because for 24 years, the franchise has had at least a flicker of a Cup chance because it made the playoffs.</p><p>Almost, they&rsquo;ve learned, is better than not at all.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03786/8301865-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="1674" height="2351"><figcaption class="caption-body">MURRAY BARON <span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>BLUE RUN</b>&nbsp;<i>St. Louis&rsquo;s run of 24 straight playoff years is in jeopardy. Here are the NHL&rsquo;s longest active streaks.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-02

Blues pay for fence-sitting

<div class="byline">BY JONATHON JACKSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031050/8301917-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CHAMPIONS</b>&nbsp;<i>The 2002-03 Cullitons celebrate the franchise&rsquo;s sixth OHA title.</i></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012000/8301924-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>Y</b>ou may not have heard of the Stratford Cullitons, but they&rsquo;re among the most successful dynasties in hockey history.</p><p>This Jr. B team from midwestern Ontario has finished first in its league 21 times since 1975; made 24 appearances in the league final; won 13 playoff titles; and, won six Sutherland Cups as Ontario Hockey Association champions. The Cullitons have compiled a 952-21259 record in their first 28 seasons, never finishing below third place in the standings, and have sent 23 players to the NHL.</p><p>And the Midwestern League is no turkey when it comes to amateur hockey. Although it carries the Jr. B label, scouts are almost unanimous in saying it matches the caliber of play in the provincial Jr. A loop (which is one level below major junior).</p><p>Only two other teams in Ontario, both at least 70 years old, can compare to Stratford&rsquo;s success. The Waterloo Siskins have won a record 11 Sutherland Cups, but none since 1994, and the Toronto St. Michael&rsquo;s College Buzzers won the last of their six titles in 1989.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>PRONGER PLAYED FOR CULLITONS</b></h2><p>How do the Cullitons do it?</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s their attention to detail; it&rsquo;s a pretty solid organization through and through,&rdquo; says St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger, a Culliton in 199091. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s going to college or major junior, it&rsquo;s going to prepare you.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021495/8301910-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="608" height="1062"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MVP EDDIE</b>&nbsp;<i>Ed Olczyk broke the league scoring record playing for Stratford in 1982-83.</i></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;The way they treat their players is phenomenal,&rdquo; agrees former NHLer Nelson Emerson, a Culliton from 1984 to 1986 and now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings. &ldquo;Rob Blake and I talk about it all the time. If you were going to bring a junior team into wherever you want to put it in Canada or Ontario, that&rsquo;s exactly who you&rsquo;d want to model your program after.&rdquo;</p><p>Stratford&rsquo;s Jr. B team was called the Warriors-it still maintains the Indian-head logo-until 1975. That&rsquo;s when plumbing and heating contractors Keith and George Culliton arrived as sponsors and Denis Flanagan Sr., a star with the Stratford Indians senior club in the early 1950s, was hired as GM. The Warriors finished 11-24-5 and out of the playoffs in 1974-75, but in 1975-76 the first-place Cullitons went 37-50. The next two years, they were OHA champions.</p><p>&ldquo;My father did a lot of recruiting,&rdquo; says Denis Flanagan Jr., the team&rsquo;s current architect. &ldquo;He put a lot of time and effort into it.&rdquo;</p><p>Also the team&rsquo;s first captain, Flanagan Jr. has coached the club since 1984 and succeeded his father as GM in 1996.</p><p>&ldquo;The one thing we&rsquo;re proud of,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;is that every year the team has been competitive and has always had a chance, come February, to win (a championship).&rdquo;</p><p>Stratford&rsquo;s early success began attracting prospects from across North America. One of the first was current Pittsburgh coach Ed Olczyk.</p><p>&ldquo;It was like a home away from home,&rdquo; says Olczyk, who played for the Cullitons in 1982-83 and broke the league&rsquo;s point-scoring record. &ldquo;It just felt right and it couldn&rsquo;t have worked out any better&hellip;I&rsquo;m proud to say I wore No. 16 for the Cullitons.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>&rsquo;GREAT ATMOSPHERE&rsquo;</b></h2><p>Emerson&rsquo;s appreciation for the team inspired him to stay on even after being drafted by St. Louis. &ldquo;I realized, why rush when I&rsquo;m going to be surrounded by great people, a great staff and be in a situation where I could only develop,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>His enthusiasm also helped attract childhood friend Blake to Stratford in 1986.</p><p>&ldquo;It was a great atmosphere,&rdquo; Blake recalls. &ldquo;They always expected to do well in the playoffs. It&rsquo;s very similar to where I&rsquo;m playing right now in Denver&hellip;and the Flanagans have run that organization as good as any, professional or amateur.&rdquo;</p><p>Tim Taylor, currently with the Tampa Bay Lightning, is one of many Stratford natives who wore the Indian-head jersey. &ldquo;That was my dream,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;When I was growing up I thought, &rsquo;I&rsquo;ll play for the Cullitons and after that I&rsquo;ll go play in the NHL.&rsquo; &ldquo;</p><p>Adds Flanagan: &ldquo;Stratford has a good name out there in the hockey world. Our arena on a Friday night with a good crowd has a lot of atmosphere to it and it&rsquo;s a fun environment for players to play in.&rdquo;</p><p>The Cullitons, who play against teams from Brantford, Cambridge, Elmira, Guelph, Kitchener, Listowel, Orangeville, Owen Sound and Waterloo, have again finished first in the Midwestern League. Their record this year was 42-4-1-1, fueled by a 32-game unbeaten streak.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-03

Stratford success story

<div class="byline">Stu Hackel&nbsp;Seen & Heard</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04546/8301955-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="327" height="544"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BEACON HERALD PHOTOGRAPHY/SCOTT WISHART)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>ssistant coach John Van Boxmeer stood behind the Los Angeles Kings bench at the start of the third period. His team was on a power play against the Columbus Blue Jackets and he remarked that if they could get the puck back to the point and start firing away, he thought they could score. That&rsquo;s just what happened.</p><p>Why was that unusual? From the bench, Van Boxmeer was speaking to TV viewers on Los Angeles Fox Sports Net.</p><p>This new level of access enhances Kings telecasts-produced by Bob Borgen, with Hall of Fame announcer Bob Miller and analyst Jim Fox-which are among the best in the NHL.</p><p>In addition to conversations between the broadcasters and coaches on the bench, Borgen rolls in videotaped segments of coach Andy Murray&rsquo;s pre-game talk to the Kings.</p><p>Airing pre-game speeches or in-game interviews from the bench were unthinkable a few years ago. Credit the Kings for a progressive approach to TV, starting with president Tim Lieweke and down the ranks through GM Dave Taylor and Murray.</p><p>How far can TV go? &ldquo;When TV becomes a distraction, that&rsquo;s the borderline,&rdquo; Taylor says. &ldquo;But our coaching staff, especially Andy, are all very open to this.&rdquo;</p><p><b>THE REAL BROOKS</b> Actor Kurt Russell earned raves for his Herb Brooks portrayal in <i>Miracle</i>, but what kind of man was the real Brooks? In a new book by author/publisher Ross Bernstein, <i>Remembering Herbie</i> (Bernstein Books, 159 pp. $19.95 U.S.), Brooks&rsquo;s friend Larry Hendrickson tells this story:</p><p>A teenage stranger approached Brooks at a restaurant just to introduce himself. Brooks invited him to sit down and have breakfast. The kid proceeded to tell Brooks of his troubled life and that he was considering quitting school. The two talked for an hour and Brooks convinced the kid to stay in school and take steps to reclaim his life. &ldquo;And,&rdquo; Hendrickson relates, &ldquo;Herbie even bought him breakfast.&rdquo;</p><p>Bernstein is donating a portion of the book&rsquo;s proceeds to the Herb Brooks Foundation.</p><p><b>SWEATY STORY</b> Retro jerseys are a currently a hot item in hockey circles. A terrific website, <a href="http://www.nhluniforms.com">www.nhluniforms.com</a>, chronicles with great accuracy and detail the entire history of NHL sweaters, pants, socks and even helmets.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-04

LA. telecasts treat for fans

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY SENIOR WRITER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011970/8302028-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"></div><h2><b>THE FIRST TIME</b></h2><p><b>GERRY CHEEVERS OFTHE CLEVELAND CRUSADERS PLAYS THE PUCK WHILE HIS TEAMMATE, PAUL SHMYR, FENDS OFF TORONTO TORO WAYNE CARLETON</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021246/8302021-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="111" height="115"></div><p><b>G</b>uess Al Howell hasn&rsquo;t seen that old episode of <i>WKRP in Cincinnati</i>, the one where station manager Arthur Carlson responds to a mass killing of turkeys-birds that died after being tossed from a helicopter as part of a promotion-with the unforgettable words: &ldquo;As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.&rdquo;</p><p>Howell is referring to himself and Dr. Nick Vaccaro, his partner in this World Hockey Association revival dream, as the turkeys. He is joking. Many others aren&rsquo;t.</p><p>Getting a new major league off the ground is not easy, especially when the desire is to have it start next season and at this stage of the game you don&rsquo;t have any confirmed franchises.</p><p>When you ask people in the hockey world about the proposed league, the most frequent response you get is, &ldquo;Do you really think that league will go?&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011746/8302014-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="600" height="672"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEWYORK GOLDEN BLADE HARRY HOWELL READIES TO BLOCK A SLOT</b></figcaption></div><p>Howell insists it will.</p><p>Unlike Dennis Murphy and Gary Davidson, who brought us the original WHA in 1972 to be a rival of the NHL, some competition for the big boys, Howell is not aiming quite so high; at least not right away. The new WHA might not be the next NHL, but he envisions it being a notch above the American League.</p><p>&ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t believe that anyone could ever really compete with the NHL,&rdquo; Howell says. &ldquo;We can dream, but it&rsquo;s not very realistic.</p><p>Best-case scenario is we provide a product that works economically. Our mission statement says that it has to work for the owners-the owner has to make money-the players have to be taken care of in a credible way and it has to be affordable for the fans. If we can accomplish those three things, what level we consider ourselves to be, I&rsquo;m not sure it matters.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011923/8302007-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="358" height="461"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SAKIC</b></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;From what I hear the hockey is going to be pretty exciting. I think they&rsquo;re going to do a good job.&rdquo;</blockquote><p>Howell has a lot of big ideas, as you would expect from someone trying to launch a major hockey league, but few answers as to how things will actually unfold. The answers, he insists, will come shortly. What we do know is teams will have a $10-million salary cap plus one marquee player and Howell is aiming to have at least a 10-team league that will begin play Dec. 26. Each team would play 25 home and 25 road games.</p><p>Howell says there actually could be more than 10 teams. &ldquo;We have teams in other leagues that have indicated they want to be in our league, but they can&rsquo;t make that decision until we prove we are for real,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We think we could end up with 14 or 15 teams.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>WILL STARS PLAY?</b></h2><p>The reason for the late start-up is fundamental. If the NHL locks out its players, the most of them will have enough money to last a while. But if the lockout is lengthy, the players could start to feel a financial pinch and begin to get itchy for a paycheck The WHA would be a viable option for them, just as it was when the first league was born and eventually became home to such NHLers as Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Bernie Parent and Derek Sanderson. Oh, and a couple of teenagers named Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.</p><p>&ldquo;If there is a WHA and you are approached by it, I think it&rsquo;s something you would consider,&rdquo; says Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars.</p><p>Colorado Avalanche defenseman Rob Blake says he&rsquo;d consider it, but cautions, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a two-year-old and six-month-old; I don&rsquo;t know that I would want to move them again. If it looked like it were going to be a whole year situation, then I&rsquo;d have to make that decision.&rdquo;</p><p>Adds Avs teammate Joe Sakic: &ldquo;From what I hear the hockey is going to be pretty exciting. I think they&rsquo;re going to do a good job.&rdquo;</p><p>Then there is Jeremy Roenick of the Philadelphia Flyers, who you might think has a piece of the action.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021511/8302000-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="357" height="461"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ROENICK</b></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;If Bobby Hull can get the WHA started up with eight or nine teams, I could play there. I would love to start a new league.&rdquo;</blockquote><p>&ldquo;If Bobby Hull can get the WHA started up with eight or nine teams,&rdquo; Roenick says, &ldquo;I could play there. I would love to start a new league.&rdquo;</p><p>Howell laughs when reminded of J.R.&rsquo;s enthusiastic endorsement.</p><p>&ldquo;I think we ought to cut him a check,&rdquo; Howell says.</p><h2><b>SHANAHAN HAS DOUBTS</b></h2><p>Detroit&rsquo;s Brendan Shanahan, however, was not so flattering of the new league. &ldquo;Do I think it will happen? No,&rdquo; Shanahan told the Detroit <i>Free Press</i>. &ldquo;If it does happen, it would a bush league&hellip;I think.&rdquo;</p><p>The NHL, thus far, has not acknowledged the potential new league. Ted Saskin, senior director for the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, had this to say: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re aware of public reports of the WHA&rsquo;s organizational efforts. To the extent the league begins next season, there may be some employment opportunities for our members should the NHL owners lock out the players. The WHA&rsquo;s development notwithstanding, we remain committed to reaching a fair agreement with the NHL on a new CBA.&rdquo;</p><p>Bobby Hull, the key signing by the original WHA in 1972, is the new WHA&rsquo;s commissioner. A risky selection, some have suggested, because The Golden Jet tends to shoot from the lip and has been known to make controversial statements. Still, he&rsquo;s a Hall of Famer who has a son, Brett, who is a future Hall of Famer and to have one, let alone two Hulls potentially linked to the league, gives it some credibility.</p><p>&ldquo;He came on board when we were a bit of a dream and has done everything we have asked him to do and more,&rdquo; Howell says. &ldquo;He has been super the way he has handled himself with ownership groups. He has been a great addition to what we are doing.&rdquo;</p><p>But isn&rsquo;t Howell afraid Hull may say something that could undermine what he&rsquo;s trying to accomplish?</p><p>&ldquo;Bobby is Bobby,&rdquo; Howell says. &ldquo;So far he has been nothing but a positive for us. We just can&rsquo;t say enough positive things about him.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03983/8301993-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="359" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BLAKE</b></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;If it looked like a (lockout) were going to be a whole year situation, then I&rsquo;d have to make that decision.&rdquo;</blockquote><p>Hull is enthusiastic about his second association with the WHA and wants to present an exciting, affordable product.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re losing generations of kids because they haven&rsquo;t been able to attend (NHL) games because of high prices,&rdquo; Hull says. &ldquo;We want it so a father can take his wife and two or three kids to a game and not break them for the rest of the year.&rdquo;</p><p>Howell and associates were thrilled when Brett indicated the WHA might be an option for him next season. So much so, Dallas-where Brett has indicated he would like to play, according to Howell-was added to the list of prospective teams that also includes Toronto, Halifax, Saint John (N.B.), Quebec City, Hamilton and Montreal in Canada; and, Houston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Jacksonville and Cincinnati in the United States. Those cities, according to Howell, either have an ownership group in place and/or a lease in hand ready to go. Entry fee for a franchise is $1.5 million, a mere drop in the bucket compared to the $80 million per team the last time the NHL expanded.</p><p>Howell should be cautioned, however: Brett Hull is reportedly telling people he is expressing interest in the WHA because of his dad&rsquo;s involvement and really has no intention whatsoever of jumping to the new loop. Brett Hull did not return a call requesting an interview for this story.</p><p>Regardless, Howell says the WHA head office in Niagara Falls, Ont., has been flooded with faxes from players-some currently in the NHL-expressing interest in joining the new league.</p><p>&ldquo;We get about 30 a day,&rdquo; Howell says. &ldquo;No one seems to question now the NHL lockout is going to happen.&rdquo;</p><p>One NHL GM, who requested anonymity, thinks the WHA is dreaming if it thinks it can stock a team of bona fide NHLers with a $10-million salary cap, even with the addition of one marquee player.</p><p>&ldquo;Using that math, if you sign three players for $2 million each and you have a marquee player on a 20-man roster, that leaves $4 million to be divided by 16 players,&rdquo; said the GM, who added the formation of the WHA has not come up in any NHL GM meetings. &ldquo;That leaves you with $250,000 per player. There are guys in the American League making that much now. If a guy is on a one-way contract in the NHL and making $1 million, would he jump leagues to try to make $1.5 (million) knowing that is as high as he is likely to go? Or does he stay in the NHL knowing if he becomes a good player, he can make $2-3 million?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011751/8301986-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="3367" height="1263"></div><h2><b>TIMELINE</b></h2><p><i>The old WHA crested with 14 teams in the mid-1970s. Here&rsquo;s a look at the number of franchises per year. Logos represent that season&rsquo;s champion.</i></p><p>&ldquo;What you&rsquo;re going to end up with is guys in the NHL who are up and down in the minors and some of the best American League players.&rdquo;</p><p>Howell would not reveal who potential owners are, but did say there are four current NHL players who have expressed interest in jointly owning a franchise.</p><p>Whether or not the WHA will offer any twists, such as 4-on-4 full-time or taking out the center red line or having a shootout to decide regular season ties, remains to be seen.</p><p>&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t finalized anything yet, but we are planning to hold a symposium on the rules where we would invite everyone from players to ownership groups to media; people that have a lot more experience than I would ever hope to have,&rdquo; Howell says.</p><p>Bobby Hull says he favors losing the center red line and adds there won&rsquo;t be a restriction on the size of the curve on a shooter&rsquo;s stick.</p><p>As you might expect, Hull doesn&rsquo;t want the WHA to be a goon league. He once sat out a game in protest when he played in the WHA, because of excessive violence.</p><p>&ldquo;We want to let the talented players play their game and be entertaining and whatever we have to do, that is going to happen,&rdquo; Hull says. &ldquo;When hockey is not played properly, people want to see fights. When the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers were playing their game at the height of their success, guys were moving and there were three- and four-way passes up the ice, people didn&rsquo;t want to see the bullies involved in the game.&rdquo;</p><p>Hull&rsquo;s intention for wide-open hockey is noble, but with the number of unanswered questions still surrounding the embryonic league, it&rsquo;s yet to be proven whether that vision is an oasis or a mirage.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-01

ON THE COVER

BACK TO THE FUTURE

<div class="byline">-ED WILLES</div><p>1.BOBBY HULL Hull&rsquo;s signing with the Winnipeg Jets created a new market for players and guaranteed the survival of the WHA. It has been underplayed by the game&rsquo;s historians, but Hull&rsquo;s defection ranks as one of the most important events in hockey&rsquo;s modern history.</p><p>2.NEW MARKETS At a time when the NHL was a closed shop, the WHA brought major league hockey to smaller Canadian markets, the Sunbelt and the South.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04586/8302073-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="356" height="498"></div><p>3. THE NEW YORK RAIDERS/GOLDEN BLADES/JERSEY KNIGHTS How can you not love a franchise that had three different names and five different ownership groups in two years and played in Cherry Hills on the only ice surface in the game&rsquo;s history which featured moguls.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-05420/8302066-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="358" height="459"></div><p>4.THE HOWES The WHA provided the perfect coda to one of the game&rsquo;s most celebrated careers. The year he turned 50, Gordie recorded 96 points playing on a line with his son Mark.</p><p>5.THE MINNESOTA FIGHTING SAINTS They gave us the Carlsons, Bill Goldthorpe and Gordie Gallant. They played for six weeks without getting paid. Best of all, they had Harry Neale and John Garrett to pass down the stories.</p><p>6. THE QUEBEC NORDIQUES There was always something improbable about major league hockey in the Quebec market, but for 23 years it survived on the fans&rsquo; unconditional love for the game and that affair started with the WHA.</p><p>7. THE HOT LINE Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson brought back speed, skill and art when the game was degenerating into something ugly. There might have been better lines. There haven&rsquo;t been any more important.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-06341/8302059-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="503" height="941"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HULL:BBS; HOWES: O&rsquo;PEE CHEE/HHOF; GRETZKY:BBS; SAKIC, ROENICK, BLAKE:BBS)</span></figcaption></div><p>8.THE BIRMINGHAM BULLS They had more <i>Slap Shot</i> in them than the Charlestown Chiefs and their story is every bit as funny. Well, it is now.</p><p>9.THE BONUS BABIES From Dennis Sobchuk to Pat Price to the Baby Bulls, the WHA forced the 18-year-old draft on the hockey world and ensured there would be a merger with the NHL.</p><p>10. WAYNE GRETZKY The 17-year-old Great One was united with Glen Sather in the WHA&rsquo;s last year and together they formed the nucleus of the most talented team in the game&rsquo;s history.</p><p>(Ed Willes&rsquo;s book on the history of the WHA. <i>Some Beautiful Moments</i>, will be released this September)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-04

TOP TEN

<div class="byline">-ALAN ADAMS</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span></b>urope will be open for business if the NHL shuts down next season, but most teams on the other side of the Atlantic aren&rsquo;t expecting an invasion.</p><p>Officials in Europe say the high cost of insuring NHL stars coupled with the threat of losing players mid-season are factors in determining whether to sign the big names.</p><p>&ldquo;I think the German teams will sign German NHLers, but I&rsquo;m not so sure about other players,&rdquo; says Gernot Tripke, GM of Germany&rsquo;s top league.</p><p>The Germans have 14 import spots per team and once a foreign player plays one shift, the club loses that roster position for the remainder of the season.</p><p>&ldquo;We have 12 teams and they might sign one (star) player per team,&rdquo; Tripke says. &ldquo;If the player does not have an NHL contract (for 2003-04), he would have to be prepared to stay the season.&rdquo;</p><p>The situation is the same in Finland, Switzerland and Sweden.</p><p>&ldquo;If you do not have a contract with an NHL club, you have to sign for one year in Sweden,&rdquo; says Tommy Topel of the Swedish Elite League. &ldquo;If you have a contract, it is up to the club what to do. When the lockout is over, they have to go back.&rdquo;</p><p>Swedish-born NHLers would likely feel a duty to play for their former club teams if they decided to go home. Under that scenario, the MoDo club could be bolstered by Peter Forsberg, Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Markus Naslund. And there has been speculation Todd Bertuzzi would follow Naslund overseas.</p><p>Topel says he doubts MoDo can afford to insure those players and the same cost restraints apply to other teams in the Swedish Elite League.</p><p>&ldquo;I am not sure they will take as many players from the NHL because of the economics of it,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Some of our teams are not in great financial shape.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s the same story in Finland.</p><p>&ldquo;I am afraid our clubs are broke and that will limit them,&rdquo; says Urpo Helkovaara, GM of Finland&rsquo;s top league. &ldquo;They do not have any money in reserve for NHL players&hellip;I feel there will not be an invasion.&rdquo;</p><p>Marc Luthi, GM of Bern of the Swiss National League, says he doubts teams will be in a rent-a-player scenario.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not interested in having a superstar for three games or two months,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;But if a player wants to sign for a year, we&rsquo;ll look at it.&rdquo;</p><p>The way things are looking, the Russian Elite League may be the best option. Salaries are good and an influx of top North American players would elevate that league to the best in the world.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no * doubt in my mind a lot of guys will go over,&rdquo; says New Jersey center Igor Larionov. &ldquo;I actually think they&rsquo;ll start signing guys in June because camps there start in July. They&rsquo;ll be selective. They don&rsquo;t want to sign bulk. They want quality.&rdquo;</p><p>All in all, it&rsquo;s far from an ideal situation for the European leagues.</p><p>&ldquo;It is a nightmare for the clubs,&rdquo; Topel says, &ldquo;because they do not know how to handle this.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021227/8302104-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="924" height="1323"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WILL DANIEL SEDIN RETURN TO MODO?</b><span class="photo-credit">(SEDIN: IHA; TOP: MEL DIGIACOMO/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0013-02

Don’t expect NHLers to flood Euro leagues

<div class="byline">BY RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021443/8302142-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="529" height="794"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011900/8302156-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="104" height="90"></div><p><b>S</b>o many young, rich athletes talk the talk when it comes to appreciating all they have.</p><p>Only a minute number of them understand it from Robyn Regehr&rsquo;s perspective.</p><p>We&rsquo;re not talking about the mean streets of Chicago or projects of Philadelphia. We&rsquo;re talking hard times taken to another level.</p><p>Born in Recife, Brazil, and having spent four years amidst the squalor of Indonesia while his parents Ron and Edith worked as missionaries, the Calgary Flames defenseman can vividly recall the abject poverty around him as a child. The images of the. poor and destitute picking through garbage for a morsel to eat or drinking polluted water remain burned in his brain.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>YOUNGSTER FELT FORTUNATE</b></h2><p>&ldquo;I realized very young how fortunate we were,&rdquo; said Regehr, whose family returned to Rosthem, Sask., a farming town 60 kilometers north of Saskatoon following their years abroad.</p><p>&ldquo;And now, you really appreciate how good we&rsquo;ve got it. The travel and things I experienced at such a young age is pretty amazing. Growing up, we&rsquo;d be in school and teachers would ask if anyone had visited another country. I&rsquo;d often be the only one with my hand up. A lot of people hadn&rsquo;t even been out of Saskatchewan.&rdquo;</p><p>Of course, the images of Indonesia aren&rsquo;t all sad. After all, how many children have a monkey for a pet?</p><p>The Hockey News <i>scout says:</i> &ldquo;<b>He has great size and mobility and can be tough</b>. <b>It&rsquo;s still open how good he&rsquo;ll be.&rdquo;</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031004/8302149-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="214" height="341"></div><p>&ldquo;Barney,&rdquo; Regehr smiles as the memories return. &ldquo;We also had a miniature jungle cat. It was a pretty cool animal.</p><p>&ldquo;I remember people used to come out of the jungle and bring stuff, kinda like traveling salesmen, only they&rsquo;d bring animals they&rsquo;d found and thought people would like.&rdquo;</p><p>If that didn&rsquo;t toughen up Regehr for the NHL&rsquo;s rigors, his early years back in Saskatchewan sure did. Home was a farmhouse devoid of amenities, straight out of &ldquo;Little House on the Prairie.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;I know my mom and dad had friends that couldn&rsquo;t believe they were living like that. We actually had chickens in the basement,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;One of the best stories was when a babysitter came over for the first time, she found that out and was a little freaked out.&rdquo;</p><p>Still, that wasn&rsquo;t the toughest time of his life. On July 4,1999, only a few months after the Flames acquired him from Colorado in the Theoren Fleury trade, Regehr survived a horrific head-on car crash.</p><p>Despite having both legs broken in the accident-the driver of the other vehicle was intoxicated-Regehr recovered in time to suit up for his rookie season before the end of October.</p><p>He even scored in his NHL debut.</p><p>&ldquo;What I think about it now is how quickly it can happen and it can change your life in a second,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Also, a crash like that is very preventable.&rdquo;</p><p>These days Regehr delivers talks to high school students about the dangers of drinking and driving.</p><h2><b>ONWARD AND UPWARD</b></h2><p>Having come from those humble beginnings, the sky&rsquo;s now the limit for the 23-year-old.</p><p>Armed with a five-year, $10.5-million (U.S.) con-| tract, he&rsquo;s a cornerstone to j the Flames future.</p><p>&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have signed him to that length of a contract without that (belief),&rdquo; said Flames coach-GM Darryl Sutter.</p><p>&ldquo;That was one of the advantages of coaching half-a-year (last season), to see where he was at and to know where he can go with it.&rdquo;</p><p>That would be along the lines of Colorado&rsquo;s Adam Foote. At least that&rsquo;s the hope. Undoubtedly, Regehr has the size and skill. He just has to put it all together.</p><p>The Flames have paired him with another 23-year-old, skilled Jordan Leopold. Each averages more than 22 minutes per game. J</p><p>&ldquo;The key thing is that you stick with them,&rdquo; Sutter said of his young duo. &ldquo;Jordan makes Robyn a better player and Robyn makes Jordan a better player. If they can stay together, obviously it&rsquo;s not to that level, but we talk about Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski. They complement each other and that&rsquo;s what we see with those two.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TAKING NOTICE</b></h2><p>Sutter is not alone. Said Denis Gauthier of Regehr: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not where his potential projects him to be yet, he&rsquo;s only 23. With all the minutes he plays, he&rsquo;s only going to get better. With him and Leo (Leopold), this team&rsquo;s in good hands for long time.&rdquo;</p><p>Those around the league are taking notice. Regehr&rsquo;s name was one of 54 players on the early evaluation list for the Canadian team at this summer&rsquo;s World Cup.</p><p>Regehr was greeted by the news recently when he picked up the newspaper. &ldquo;It was a very nice surprise,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little bit extra motivation. There is a lot already with trying to make the playoffs, but knowing people are watching you at the games gives you even more incentive to be on top of your game every night.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04695/8302135-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="1700" height="2836"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN RUSSELL/BBS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>MEAN & MATURE</b></h2><p><i>At 23, and in just his fifth NHL season, Robyn Regehr already is one of Calgary&rsquo;s alternate captains and has earned widespread respect.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-02

Regehr burns bright

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03874/8302257-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="620" height="1156"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011732/8302264-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>ill the underachieving Washington Capitals continue to dump salaries and deal highly marketable veterans Sergei Gonchar and Robert Lang? Will the Edmonton Oilers guard against a potential lowering of the age for unrestricted free agency and deal veterans Jason Smith and Ryan Smyth for youngsters?</p><p>These questions and others will be answered on or before the March 9 NHL trade deadline. Below are 10 players, listed alphabetically, who are likely to be wearing different uniforms in a few weeks&rsquo; time.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04643/8302250-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="625" height="1153"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05448/8302243-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="630" height="1156"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-06358/8302236-1-eng-US/f0015-062.jpg" title="f0015-06" width="626" height="1154"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-07300/8302229-1-eng-US/f0015-072.jpg" title="f0015-07" width="625" height="1157"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-08263/8302222-1-eng-US/f0015-082.jpg" title="f0015-08" width="623" height="1152"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-09238/8302215-1-eng-US/f0015-092.jpg" title="f0015-09" width="622" height="1154"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-10212/8302208-1-eng-US/f0015-102.jpg" title="f0015-10" width="630" height="1153"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-11188/8302201-1-eng-US/f0015-112.jpg" title="f0015-11" width="623" height="1153"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-12157/8302194-1-eng-US/f0015-122.jpg" title="f0015-12" width="627" height="1156"></div><h2><b>OTHERS WHO COULD GO</b></h2><p><i>Here are seven other players, listed alphabetically, whose names have been mentioned in the trade rumor mill as teams look to reduce their payroll or gear up for the playoffs</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021243/8302187-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="578" height="388"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0015-03

TRADE BAIT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04757/8302295-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="714" height="694"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011694/8302309-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="102" height="131"></div><p><b>I</b>t&rsquo;s not often skaters feel sorry for the goalies, but apparently they do now.</p><p>After the NHL announced a proposed rule change that would forbid goalies from venturing behind the goal line to play the puck, The Hockey News asked 30 non-goalies, one from each team, if they were in favor of keeping the padded ones in their place, in the crease.</p><p>The answer, by an overwhelming 25-5 majority (83 per cent vs. 17 per cent), was no.</p><p>&ldquo;This,&rdquo; says Rangers center Petr Nedved, &ldquo;will not improve the game.&rdquo;</p><p>Islanders winger Jason Blake disagrees entirely: &ldquo;I like it, I don&rsquo;t want them out there,&rdquo; the winger says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s gonna help guys like me who are always first on the puck, especially on the penalty kill.&rdquo;</p><p>The rationale behind the rule is that scoring chances would increase if teams had a better opportunity to recover the puck and create turnovers on the forecheck. NHL GMs believe the goalie&rsquo;s ability to play the puck snuffs out offensive plays before they develop.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>PLAYER ROLL</h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021325/8302302-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="112" height="119"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Atlanta&rsquo;s Dany Heatley said goalies should be able to venture wherever they wish, provided they&rsquo;re willing to pay the price: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather have them play the puck and be fair game,&rdquo; Heatley said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough not to allow them to do it when they have developed a skill like Martin Brodeur and Rick DiPietro.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Phoenix center Mike Sillinger: &ldquo;The goalies who can handle the puck and act as a sixth skater give their teams an edge and they shouldn&rsquo;t be limited by a rule.&rdquo;</p><p>Boston defenseman Hall Gill believes goalies who try to do too much puck-handling get burned for it anyway. He also worries about the safety of defensemen going back for the puck under the proposed change: &ldquo;It means there are going to be guys coming down on you that much harder and they&rsquo;re going to run you right through the boards.&rdquo;</p><p>Detroit&rsquo;s Brendan Shanahan agreed. &ldquo;I think the defensemen are going to get killed.&rdquo;</p><p>Edmonton blueliner Eric Brewer suggested the proposal could wind up increasing obstruction calls or forcing referees to ignore obstruction: &ldquo;It puts way more emphasis on the forwards to hold the people up (so defensemen don&rsquo;t get hurt) and that&rsquo;s exactly what the league doesn&rsquo;t want.&rdquo;</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>

f0016-04

Poll: Don’t shackle goalies

<div class="byline">-MARK BRENDER</div><p><b>I</b>f the NHL pushes the CBA public relations campaign much higher, they&rsquo;ll have to bring oxygen canisters to their press conferences.</p><p>A few months ago came the rumors, unconfirmed by the NHL, that the league had retained a PR team used by Al Gore during his presidential run to do its collective bargaining spin. Then came the Levitt Report. Now the league is bringing its unmediated message to the masses through a new website, <a href="http://nhlcbanews.com">nhlcbanews.com</a>.</p><p>The site contains a CBA history and glossary of terms, league financial and economic reports, frequently asked questions and selected CBA-related quotes from writers and newspapers across North America-all of them, not surprisingly, supporting the NHL&rsquo;s position.</p><p>Also not surprisingly, the NHL Players&rsquo; Association is less than impressed with the initiative.</p><p>&ldquo;The owners and their commissioner would be wiser to spend as much time promoting the game and the players as they do on their CBA public relations agenda,&rdquo; said senior director Ted Saskin in a release.</p><h2><b><i>Possible lockout has NBA on guard</i></b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031001/8302340-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="429" height="316"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CBATRACKER</b></figcaption></div><p><b>T</b>he prospect of a long work stoppage finally has spurred the two sides into action. Too bad it&rsquo;s the wrong two sides.</p><p>&ldquo;Frankly, the likelihood that the NHL was going to shut down for at least a season if they could not solve their problems,&rdquo; said NBA commissioner David Stern, &ldquo;&hellip;was an element in our decision to exercise the option and run the deal for another year.&rdquo;</p><p>The NBA CBA now expires at the end of 2005-06. The league and its players&rsquo; union are already exchanging ideas.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-03

CBA website noshes NHL line

<h2><b>THEODORE FAMILY COURT DATE</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he father and four half-brothers of Montreal goalie Jose Theodore will appear in court next winter for a preliminary hearing after being charged with conspiracy in an alleged loansharking ring. The hearing is set for Jan. 17, 2005. Theodore&rsquo;s father, Ted Nicholas Theodore, faces 58 of 124 charges laid against 14 accused. Charges against the group also include extortion, gangsterism and uttering threats. Jose Theodore has not been charged in the case.</p><h2><b>CHUCKING KNUCKS IN MINNY</b></h2><p>Before a potential lockout next fall could come a whole bunch of knockouts. The Target Center in Minneapolis has been booked to host Hockey Gladiators Aug. 27-28. Plans call for 32 scrappers, including former NHLers Tony Twist and Link Gaetz, to engage in a fight-off for cash awards including a $100,000 grand prize.</p><h2><b>HALIFAX HOCKEY&rsquo;S HOME?</b></h2><p>A newly discovered illustration of an informal outdoor hockey game has Halifax once again claiming it is the birthplace of hockey. An 1867 sketch by a British military officer shows figures playing on the ice with skates and hockey sticks. The work <i>Curling on the Lakes</i>, on display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, is believed to be the oldest known illustration of ice hockey in the world.</p><h2><b>WOMEN&rsquo;S TEAMS ANNOUNCED</b></h2><p>Hayley Wickenheiser and Cassie Campbell are among 16 returnees from Canada&rsquo;s 2002 Olympic gold medal team for the 2004 Women&rsquo;s World Championship, March 30 to April 6 in Halifax. The U.S. roster has 11 returning Olympians including Cammi Granato and Angela Ruggiero. Visit <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for full rosters.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021181/8302395-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011513/8302402-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="92" height="94"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>H</b>e doesn&rsquo;t score often, but the Vancouver Canucks can be confident they&rsquo;ll almost always come out ahead when Marek Malik is on the ice.</p><p>The 6-foot-5, 215-pound defenseman, a native of the Czech Republic, was dealt to Vancouver by Carolina on Nov. 1,2002. In 127 Canucks games since then, Malik has been plus-46. That includes plus-23 in 58 games this season, tied for third in the NHL. Ottawa defenseman Zdeno Chara leads the league at plus-30.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b> Rookies and first-year players are featured in this week&rsquo;s NHL team reports on pgs. 17-28. (First-year players aged 26 and older at the start of 2003-04 are not eligible for the Calder Trophy.) We profile each new player, focusing on their style of play and impact.</p><p><b>PLUS/MINUS LEADERS IN SPOTLIGHT</b> The &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; boxes in the NHL team reports show each club&rsquo;s five players with the best plus/minus rating. (Minimum of 30 games played.) The player who leads his team in plus/minus is pictured.</p><h2><b>SCORING BY PERIOD</b></h2><p><i>Ottawa has scored the most goals in the NHL through games played Feb. 18, including a league-high 76 in the second period. San Jose has the most first period goals (59), Detroit (71) the most in the third period. St. Louis and Vancouver each have eight overtime goals</i>.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-02

<div class="byline">-DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06339/8302433-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="278" height="596"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>s honored as Mighty Ducks of Anaheim center Sergei Fedorov was to become the first Russian-born player to score 1,000 NHL points, his 1,001st meant even more. Fedorov reached the milestone by setting up a second period goal by defenseman Keith Carney Feb. 14 at Vancouver, then assisted on new comer Petr Schastlivy&rsquo;s goal that gave the Ducks a 2-1 victory over the Canucks.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03860/8302440-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="236" height="310"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;This is pretty special because you don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;ll do something like this,&rdquo; Fedorov said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be something to put in my office. It&rsquo;s been a long road.&rdquo;</p><p>Most of Fedorov&rsquo;s points came during 13 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, before he signed a free agent deal with Anaheim last summer.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Joffrey Lupul, RW</i>. He hasn&rsquo;t found the transition to the NHL easy, but has certainly displayed the ability that gives him star potential.</p><p><i>Chris Kunitz, RW</i>. Unimpressive in camp, but won his way back to Anaheim with a strong performance at Cincinnati (AHL). The Ducks like his willingness to compete.</p><p><i>Garrett Burnett, LW</i>. Signed to fill a role as enforcer, he has been effective at times, but most nights plays very little.</p><p><i>Michael Holtnqvist, RW</i>. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he has the ability to be effective along the walls.</p><p><b>NOTEROOK</b> Long-time minor-leaguer Cam Severson, a left winger who was elevated to give Anaheim some much-needed muscle, scored bis first NHL goal Feb. 18 in a 3-1 victory over visiting Columbus&hellip; After being delayed because of a visa technicality, newly acquired left winger Petr Schastlivy made his Ducks debut Feb. 13 in a 2-1 loss at Calgary. Schastlivy was obtained in a Feb. 4 trade that sent defenseman Fodd Simpson to Ottawa.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0017-06

Fedorov first Russian to post 1,000 points

<div class="byline">-JOHN MANASSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-07273/8302471-1-eng-US/f0017-072.jpg" title="f0017-07" width="278" height="596"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>ith a playoff run looking more and more like a distant possibility, Atlanta GM Don Waddell voiced the possibility that goalie prospect Kari Lehtonen could play some NHL games before the end of the season. Lehtonen, rated by The Hockey News as the NHL&rsquo;s top prospect the past two seasons, was 14-10-1 with two shutouts and a 2.36 goals-against average and .928 save percentage for the Chicago Wolves of the American League.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04631/8302478-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="238" height="303"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ATLANTA THRASHERS</b></figcaption></div><p>He earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Game, but did not play because of a concussion. He also suffered a hamstring strain and was expected to return to full practice around the Feb. 20-22 weekend.</p><p>&ldquo;My plan was that we&rsquo;d get him in some games at the appropriate time,&rdquo; Waddell said. &ldquo;First of all, he&rsquo;s got to get healthy and then playing well. With our schedule in the month of March, we have a lot of games, so that would be a good chance to find a place to bring him up.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Garnet Exelby, D</i>. He has established himself as a physical presence on the Thrashers&rsquo; top defensive pair. They struggled without him from Jan. 24 to Feb. 10, going winless in the eight games he missed because of injuries.</p><p><i>Francis Lessard, RW</i>. The tough guy and frequent healthy scratch has averaged just 4:22 in ice time in 43 games, has one goal and is minus-9. He must improve his skills.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> After going 2-16-2-1 in 21 games in January and February, Atlanta won two out of three with 41 wins at Vancouver and Ottawa&hellip; After failing to record a point in his first three games, right winger <b>Dany Heatley</b> had three goals and six points in his next seven games&hellip; Defenseman <b>Frantisek Kaberle</b> set a personal single-season record for points (27) when he scored against Montreal Feb. 17.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0017-07

Prospect Lehtonen might make debut

<div class="byline">-NANCY MARRAPESE-BURRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-08225/8302509-1-eng-US/f0017-082.jpg" title="f0017-08" width="280" height="601"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>t the start of the season, it appeared Andrew Raycroft and Felix Potvin would split the net-minding chores-the rookie paired with the second veteran. However, Raycroft has emerged as the No.1 guy.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05440/8302516-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="214" height="299"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOSTON BRUINS</b></figcaption></div><p>For far too many years, the Bruins net has been a revolving door of second-tier talent, which in no small part has caused the franchise to fall short in the playoffs. While other teams were able to steal games and even series because of their goaltending, Bruins president Harry Sinden said he believes Raycroft is the real deal.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s made all the difference in the world,&rdquo; Sinden said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s smart and reads the play well.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Patrice Bergeron, C</i>. Bergeron&rsquo;s savvy and maturity earned him a spot on the NHL roster and the 18-year-old is a candidate for the Calder Trophy.</p><p><i>Shaone Morrisonn, D</i>. Playing with workhorse Nick Boynton, Morrisonn moves the puck well and has good instincts.</p><p><i>Andrew Raycroft, G</i>. Early on, it seemed Raycroft was second fiddle to Bergeron among Boston rookies. But at 23, he&rsquo;s showing all the promise the Bruins hoped to see.</p><p><i>Carl Corazzini, C</i>. He came up from the minors because of injuries and added speed and smarts.</p><p><i>Doug Doull, LW</i>. He has answered the bell as a sparkplug for his team and drops the gloves whenever that&rsquo;s needed.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> When <b>Andrew Raycroft</b> reached the 20-victory milestone Feb. 10, it marked the first time a Bruins rookie netminder had achieved that since <b>Marco Baron</b> in 1981-82&hellip;Right winger <b>Glen Murray</b>, coming off two straight 40-plus goal campaigns, had only 12 goals in his first 46 contests this year, but he scored another 12 in his next 13 games.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0017-08

Raycroft finally wins top job in B’s cage

<div class="byline">-JIM KELLEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05400/8302547-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="274" height="601"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011573/8302561-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span></b>ust when you thought it was safe to write off the Buffalo Sabres from playoff contention for a third straight season, the same team that endured a seven-game losing streak and an eight-game winless streak in December is suddenly sizzling.</p><p>A 1-1 tie with the Florida Panthers Feb. 18 ended a four-game win streak, but stretched the Sabres&rsquo; unbeaten streak to five games. They had also won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1-0) and moved above .500 for the first time since very early in the season (27-26-6-1).</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021210/8302554-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="234" height="299"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BUFFALO SABRES</b></figcaption></div><p>The Sabres also vaulted back into the playoff race and trailed the eighth-place Montreal Canadiens by just three points. Oddly enough, the success comes from essentially the same lineup that lost seven straight and with the same coaching staff and management team.</p><p>&ldquo;The team is playing with a lot of confidence,&rdquo; said coach Lindy Ruff. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re taking advantage of every opportunity we&rsquo;re getting now.&rdquo;</p><p>True, but there are other explanations. The youngest team in the NHL whenever 40-year-old defenseman James Patrick is out of the lineup, Buffalo is also playing with more determination, showing more leadership, getting solid goaltending from both Martin Biron and Mika Noronen and, most importantly, manufacturing more goals.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Andrew Peters, RW</i>. Not much in the goal-scoring department, but at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds he&rsquo;s a force to be feared and is capable of downing opponents with one punch.</p><p><i>Derek Roy, C</i>. An offense-minded standout in junior, Roy hasn&rsquo;t put up big numbers yet in the NHL, but he does create opportunities and has dedicated himself to learning defensive responsibilities.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Goalie <b>Mika Noronen</b> is the eighth goalie ever to be credited with a goal in an NHL game, but it was somewhat by default. He was the last Sabre to touch the puck before an errant Leafs pass slid the length of the ice and into the Toronto net after the Leafs had pulled their goalie in favor of an extra attacker. Buffalo won the Feb. 14 tilt 6-4&hellip;Right winger <b>Miroslav Satan</b> had a career-best four-goal afternoon against the Thrashers Feb. 16, with two of the goals bouncing off defensemen and into the net as Buffalo routed Atlanta 7-2.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0018-05

Young Sabres rise from ashes, suddenly playoffs seem possible

<div class="byline">-ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-06312/8302592-1-eng-US/f0018-062.jpg" title="f0018-06" width="275" height="596"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>hen the Flames traded away Derek Morris in October of 2002, they did so thinking Jordan Leopold would eventually emerge as a No. 1 NHL defenseman. In his second season with the team, Leopold is in the process of doing just that. He has been mostly immune from the sophomore jinx, is already eight points ahead of last year&rsquo;s scoring output (with six goals and 21 points in 58 games) and except for a brief slump just before the all-star break, has made a real contribution to the team&rsquo;s unexpectedly good season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03880/8302599-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="232" height="301"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CALGARY FLAMES</b></figcaption></div><p>Asked if he was satisfied with the way the year has gone, Leopold said: &ldquo;You can never be satisfied. I got off to a good start, a good first 50 games, and then I went into a little bit of a mid-season lull.</p><p>&ldquo;I need to concentrate on getting better, working harder and continuing to be confident,&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;You run into a bit of a slump once in a while, you tend not to think as positively as you normally do and it can affect your play. As long as I think positive and do things right and competitively, things should keep going forward.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Matthew Lombardi, C</i>. A smart, heady two-way player, Lombardi unexpectedly made the team in September as a result of an injury to Steve Reinprecht and stayed in the line-up thanks to a run of injuries to other centers. His play has been up-and-down at times this season, but he got his second wind after the all-star break and looks as if he&rsquo;ll be in the NHL for years to come.</p><p><i>Chuck Kobasew, RW</i>. A scorer who didn&rsquo;t score for long stretches of the season (his Feb. 11 goal was his first since Oct 29), Kobasew has nevertheless been supported by the Flames on the grounds he needs NHL minutes in order to make the adjustment to the NHL style.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Stephane Yelle</b>, recovering from a Jan. 14 knee injury, is back skating with the team and was scheduled to accompany the Flames on a late February road swing, mostly through the Eastern Conference. The Flames expect Yelle to rejoin the lineup during the trip, which would give them a chance to stabilize their center position for the home stretch&hellip;Through Feb. 19, center Jarome Iginla had scored 10 goals in eight games to put himself in the race for the Rocket Richard trophy, which he won two years ago.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0018-06

Leopold avoiding sophomore jinx with big contribution to playoff drive

<div class="byline">-LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-07258/8302630-1-eng-US/f0018-072.jpg" title="f0018-07" width="274" height="598"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>hile the Hurricanes would need a miraculous comeback to make the playoffs, there&rsquo;s a comeback of sorts under way in their midst that is only slightly less unlikely.</p><p>The Canes recalled 37-year-old goalie Arturs Irbe, who had been exiled to Johnstown of the ECHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04592/8302637-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="233" height="247"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CAROLINA HURRICANES</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;You can take it as an insult or as a challenge,&rdquo; Irbe said. &ldquo;If you take it as an insult, you are basically giving up. You can&rsquo;t react like that I tried to do my best and I wanted to be back here.&rdquo;</p><p>Irbe followed up his 2001-02 playoff performance with the worst season of his career in 2002-03-his 3.18 goals-against average and .877 save percentage were both worst among the 43 goalies with at least 24 appearances-and sowed dissension in the dressing room with his November demand to be traded after losing the No. 1 job to Kevin Weekes.</p><p>Last summer, GM Jim Rutherford failed to trade or agree on a buyout with Irbe and shipped him to the ECHL. But the Canes&rsquo; struggles and Irbe&rsquo;s salary-he is making $2.7 million this season and will make $2.5 million in 2004-05-led Rutherford to reverse course. Rutherford said two teams had expressed an interest in Irbe, but denied he was being shopped.</p><p>&ldquo;I have not had a team say to me, &rsquo;Bring him back and we&rsquo;ll watch him play,&rsquo; &ldquo;Rutherford said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not showcasing him for any one team.&rdquo;</p><p>Jamie Storr, who was winless in 14 appearances with Carolina (0-8-2), was assigned to Lowell of the American League.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Eric Staal, C</i>. At the tender age of 19, Staal has been the Canes&rsquo; most consistent center-moreso even than Ron Francis and Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour-and best playmaker. His skills are unquestioned. While he grasped the defensive intricacies of the NHL game quickly, he has struggled with fatigue and remains too easily pushed off the puck.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Canes initially thought they had lost right winger <b>Justin Williams</b> for the season to a broken wrist, but it turned out to be a wrist contusion. As a result, his projected return was updated to late February. He had three goals and five points in 10 games since being traded to Carolina from Philadelphia&hellip;Goalie <b>Kevin Weekes</b> is one shutout short of breaking Arturs Irbe&rsquo;s franchise single-season record of six and one short of tying Irbe&rsquo;s career mark of 20.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0018-07

Goalie Irbe’s magical mystery tour finds him back with Hurricanes

<div class="byline">-TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05431/8302668-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="272" height="592"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011444/8302682-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>F</b>or the last seven years, Blackhawks fans have been mostly angry and frustrated.</p><p>Many of them were ticked off again, flooding the Hawks office with phone calls and e-mails, after leading scorer Steve Sullivan was traded to Nashville for a pair of second round draft picks Feb. 15.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021094/8302675-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="230" height="302"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;When I came here in &rsquo;77 we had to do some things that weren&rsquo;t very popular and we built a pretty good hockey team,&rdquo; said GM Bob Pulford, who vowed to be active in the free agent market to replace Sullivan. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to build that hockey team again. I think the fans probably will be (upset), but I think we have to live with that because if we&rsquo;re going to be successful in the next season we have to do things that aren&rsquo;t popular with the fans.&rdquo;</p><p>Pulford said he dealt Sullivan after the right winger rejected a three-year, $7.5-million contract extension. Sullivan presently earns $3 million and planned to take the Hawks to arbitration.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Craig Anderson, G</i>. Anderson has shown much improvement after a shaky start, although his stretches of brilliance can be followed by a soft goal.</p><p><i>Tuomo Ruutu, LW</i>. He hasn&rsquo;t been the impact player he was hyped to be, but Ruutu has been one of Chicago&rsquo;s best players in the second half and still has star potential.</p><p><i>Brett McLean, C</i>. A nuts-and-bolts kind of player, McLean filled in admirably when Alex Zhamnov was hurt. He has been a key to Chicago&rsquo;s penalty-killing success.</p><p><i>Travis Moen, LW</i>. Moen adds a physical element and is responsible defensively, but he must get stronger if he is to fill the role of enforcer down the line.</p><p><i>Johnathan Aitken, D</i>. Aitken has been a big help on an emergency basis and shows flashes of toughness-just not enough to match his 6-foot-4,211-pound frame.</p><p><i>Burke Henry, D</i>. Henry is another steady contributor on an emergency basis who might be worthy of a further look at training camp.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Backup goalie <b>Steve Passmore</b> will miss the rest of the season with torn cartilage in his hip. Specialist <b>Dr</b>. <b>Mark Phillippon</b> was to perform surgery on Passmore in Pittsburgh. The Hawks also lost goalie <b>Jocelyn Thibault</b> to a torn hip muscle in November.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0019-05

Hawks fans vent their frustrations after Sullivan traded to Predators

<div class="byline">-ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06319/8302713-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="272" height="596"></div><p><b>F</b>unny thing about the Avalanche, the look right at home on the road and like Stangers at home.</p><p>Colorado tied a mark held by the 1977-78 Canadiens by gaining points in 24 of its previous 25 road games following a 5-2 victory in Detroit Feb. 14. The one regulation road loss in that time was a 1-0 setback Dec. 19 against Anaheim.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03760/8302720-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="233" height="294"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>COLORADO AVALANCHE</b></figcaption></div><p>But the Avalanche followed up the win over the Red Wings with desultory home losses to Vancouver and Edmonton, by a combined score of 6-1. Colorado&rsquo;s home record stood at 16-103-1, while their road mark was a spectacular 163-7-3.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to figure this out, because we need to make our building a tough place for opponents to play,&rdquo; said Avs defenseman Derek Morris. &ldquo;On the road, we play a simpler game, it seems.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>John Liles, D</i>. The Michigan State grad came out of nowhere in training camp to make the team and has been steady all season. He isn&rsquo;t big, but Liles is solid on his skates, handles the puck well and makes nice outlet passes out of his zone. He&rsquo;s also not afraid to jump into the play offensively,</p><p><i>Phil Sauve, G</i>. Sauve tends to scramble in net and needs to control rebounds more effectively. He has a quick glove hand and a good attitude, though.</p><p><i>Cody McCormick, C</i>. A very physical player with a feisty demeanor, McCormick bested Calgary&rsquo;s Jarome Iginla in a fight, so you know he&rsquo;s strong. His lack of speed cuts down on his chances to contribute offensively.</p><p><i>Steve Moore, C</i>. Moore isn&rsquo;t overly fast, but the Harvard graduate is tough around the net and hits hard-just ask Markus Naslund about that. Moore is adept at cycling the puck down low and stands his ground in front of the net. He can fill in on any line and not embarrass himself.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Steve Moore</b> became the scourge of the greater Vancouver, when he knocked out Canucks star <b>Markus Naslund</b> with a hit to the head Feb. 16. The Canucks cried foul-including coach <b>Marc Crawford</b> via an extended rant to the media-but Moore was neither penalized on the play, nor was he suspended by the league.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0019-06

Surging Avalanche shows consistency, but must improve record at home

<div class="byline">-AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-07271/8302751-1-eng-US/f0019-072.jpg" title="f0019-07" width="273" height="594"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span></b>ar out of the playoff hunt and with their sights set on the future, the Blue Jackets decided it was time to let goaltender Pascal Leclaire make his NHL debut.</p><p>Leclaire, the eighth overall pick in 2001, has &ldquo;taken a big step forward, both on and off the ice (with Syracuse of the American Hockey League),&rdquo; said Blue Jackets goaltending coach Rick Wamsley. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s shown us exactly what we wanted to see.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04585/8302758-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="235" height="301"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</b></figcaption></div><p>Last season, his first as a pro, Leclaire was 821-3 with a .890 save percentage in Syracuse. This season, he is 15-10-3 with a .920 save percentage when he was called up by Columbus.</p><p>A small technical change-Leclaire was crouched too low last season-has made a big difference. He doesn&rsquo;t get beat high as much, but he still has the quickness and agility to drop into a butterfly.</p><p>&ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve played the same way for almost 15 years, you can&rsquo;t just change overnight,&rdquo; Leclaire said. &ldquo;It took me four or five months to get used (to the new stance).&rdquo;</p><p>Now, he&rsquo;s back on track toward an NHL job, perhaps as soon as next season as Marc Denis&rsquo; backup.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to be here,&rdquo; Leclaire said of his first NHL game. &ldquo;This is what I&rsquo;ve dreamed about since I was a little boy.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Nikolai Zherdev, LW</i>. It was a lot of work getting him out of Russia, but the Blue Jackets believe it has been worth it. Zherdev&rsquo;s ability to handle the puck has proven dazzling, but he needs to cheat a little less on the defensive end.</p><p><i>Aaron Johnson, D</i>. Johnson, an offense-minded blueliner whose defense is on the upswing, has fared well in a number of callups from Syracuse of the American League and had a goal and two points in 10 NHL games. Blue Jackets management is impressed with the youngster&rsquo;s approach to the game.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Blue Jackets set a dubious franchise record Feb. 16 against Nashville, piling up three fighting majors in a four-second span of the first period. Center <b>Tyler Wright</b> was assessed the first penalty, followed by left winger <b>Jody Shelley</b> and right winger <b>David Ling</b>&hellip;Goalie <b>Fred Brathwaite</b> was sent to Syracuse of the American League to make room for <b>Pascal Leclaire</b>. The demotion triggered Brathwaite&rsquo;s first trip to the minors since he played two games for St. John (AHL) in 1999-2000.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0019-07

Leclaire corrects technique problem, gets first glimpse of big league

<div class="byline">-NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07193/8302834-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="276" height="605"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span></b>athieu Dandenault has done it all for the Detroit Red Wings this season-left defense, right defense, left wing, right wing md now even center.</p><p>Dandenault played center until junior and he volunteered to try it again. Coach Dave Lewis took him up on the offer and put him between Steve Thomas and Darren McCarty for a game, creating a forechecking line with speed up the middle and grit on the wings.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03699/8302841-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="237" height="287"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DETROIT RED WINGS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;If I would have had it my way a long time ago, I would have stayed at one position and probably gotten better at it,&rdquo; Dandenault said.</p><p>&rsquo;It&rsquo;s just the way my career has gone on. You accept it and you make the best out of every situation. What can I really complain about? Nothing, really. I&rsquo;m in the lineup and I get to flay. Wherever I&rsquo;m needed, then I&rsquo;ll just go play there.&rdquo;</p><p>Don&rsquo;t ask Dandenault to play goal, however.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little smarter than that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The puck stings.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Niklas Kronwall, D</i>. Kronwall was impressive before he sustained a freak lower left leg injury after his skate got caught in a rut during warmup Jan. 24 at Los Angeles. He might be ready to play in late March or early April, but he probably won&rsquo;t get into a playoff game this year.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Brett Hull</b> tied Tampa Bay&rsquo;s <b>Dave Andreychuk</b> for first all-time with 263 power play goals. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a special player,&rdquo; said blueliner Mathieu Schneider. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you can look to any young guys around the league and say they&rsquo;re just natural scorers like that.&rsquo;&rsquo;&hellip;Detroit sold out its 300th straight regular-season game Feb. 14.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0020-07

Dandenault not complaining about Mr. Versatility role

<div class="byline">-ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08137/8302872-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="279" height="606"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span></b>even assists through 38 games and a league-worst power play is not what the Edmonton Oilers expected out of Adam Oates when they signed him to a $1.9-million contract in November. But that&rsquo;s what they got.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04483/8302879-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="220" height="309"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EDMONTON OILERS</b></figcaption></div><p>So it&rsquo;s pretty safe to call the free agent gamble a bust, especially with the playoffs little more than a pipe dream now.</p><p>&ldquo;Very difficult, very frustrated,&rdquo; said the 41-year-old center, who was supposed to fill the void created by Mike Comrie&rsquo;s departure. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m searching for results.&rdquo;</p><p>Oates, who helped the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Stanley Cup final last year, works as hard as anyone, but hasn&rsquo;t produced a lick and was on a dry spell of just one assist in 13 games.</p><p>&ldquo;We expected more offensively,&rdquo; said coach Craig MacTavish, &ldquo;but our lack of offense is certainly not something that he has to be burdened with solely&hellip;</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not hurting us, but at the same time we haven&rsquo;t meshed well together. His numbers speak for themselves.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Jarret Stoll, C</i>. He was recently compared to a young Craig MacTavish by an old Craig MacTavish. Stoll is nothing flashy and won&rsquo;t dazzle you with his stats, but he&rsquo;s reliable, very smart and does all of the little things well. He never hurts the team when he&rsquo;s on the ice-a valuable trait for a 21-year-old in a defense-conscious league.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Netminder <b>Ty Conklin</b> broke two bones in his blocker hand while making a save against Minnesota Feb. 13. Conklin admitted that his had may have been weakened by his fight with goalie <b>Pasi Nurminen</b> during a line-brawl with the Atlanta Thrashers Feb. 11.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0020-08

Frustration eating Oates in year of missing assists

<div class="byline">-DAVID J. NEAL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-0999/8302910-1-eng-US/f0020-092.jpg" title="f0020-09" width="276" height="606"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>njuries are the crudest reminder of how much team-sport athletes love to play their game and feel a part of the gang. Florida Panthers defenseman Branislav Mezei has had two seasons of reminding.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05285/8302917-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="230" height="309"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FLORIDA PANTHERS</b></figcaption></div><p>Mezei, who returned to the lineup Feb. 18 against Buffalo, has spent more time in sick bay than not. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy to skate with the guys and not by myself, just getting the real hockey feeling,&rdquo; Mezei said.</p><p>Mezei&rsquo;s vision in his left eye still is slightly blurry from a shot that deflected into his eye Nov. 22. That took him out of 37 games, bringing his official Panthers total to 107 games missed out of a possible 142.</p><p>A broken ankle and broken foot cost Mezei 70 games in 2002-03.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Nathan Horton, RW/C</i>. The month before Horton tore his rotator cuff, he showed he could help the Panthers win with his hands, his grit in front, his physical game on the boards and his two-way play. He could be the first forward star drafted by the Panthers.</p><p><i>Mike Green, C</i>. Injuries &rsquo; and the promotion of his former San Antonio coach, John Torchetti, to the Panthers job gave the quick Green his shot at being a fourth-line grinder and faceoff man.</p><p><i>Lukas Krajicek, D</i>. Krajicek&rsquo;s considerable offensive skills are counterbalanced by his inability to match up physically defensively. He still could be the next Phil Housley.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Coach <b>John Torchetti</b>, wanting a more vocal leadership presence in the dressing room, took the &lsquo;A&rsquo; away from center <b>Viktor Kozlov</b> and gave it to defenseman <b>Lyle Odelein</b>.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0020-09

Oft-injured blueliner Mezei finally healthy, happy Cat

<div class="byline">-MATT MCHALE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04331/8302948-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="278" height="597"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011083/8302962-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he Kings approached the month of March with a great chance to return to the playoffs after missing last year. But they will go the distance with an inconsistent Roman Cechmanek.</p><p>Cechmanek was pulled three times in a seven-game stretch that ended with a 4-3 loss to Dallas Feb. 18.</p><p>Acquired from Philadelphia last May, Cechmanek was erratic early in the season, then missed almost a month after getting struck in the left hip during a collision in Nashville Dec. 11. The time off helped Cechmanek, he said, but he is again under the gun.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02693/8302955-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="220" height="292"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LOS ANGELES KINGS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I have to keep my focus,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;After I came back from the injury, things were good. Now I have to do better.&rdquo;</p><p>Cechmanek returned from the all-star break with an impressive victory against Minnesota Feb. 10, but was pulled after allowing four goals in four minutes of an 8-3 loss to Buffalo Feb. 13. It was the first time the Kings allowed eight goals in a game since Jan. 18,1999.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Dustin Brown, RW</i>. Brown impressed everyone with his skill and poise at age 19. The only thing he didn&rsquo;t do was score.</p><p>But on Nov. 29 he suffered a high right ankle sprain and has played just three games since.</p><p><i>Tomas Zizka, D</i>. Zizka was recalled from the American League when Lubomir Visnovsky got hurt. Zizka showed he can move the puck and may replace Jaroslav Modry next season if Modry leaves as an unrestricted free agent.</p><p><i>Esa Pirnes, C</i>. Pirnes has brought speed and energy to the Kings&rsquo; fourth line. He has worked well with Brown, but also was hit by injuries.</p><p><i>Scott Barney, RW</i>. Barney, who missed three full seasons battling a bad back, could be one of the great comeback stories if he can stay healthy. The Kings see his potential and want him in the mix.</p><p><i>Tim Gleason, D</i>. Gleason played well after the Kings acquired him from Ottawa at last year&rsquo;s trade deadline. His game tailed off and he hasn&rsquo;t been a regular, but the Kings like his maturity.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> A day after his 38th birthday, left winger <b>Luc Robitaille</b> scored his 15th goal of the season and added an assist in a loss to Dallas Feb. 18. The multi-point night gave Robitaille 1,357 points-12 fewer than <b>John Bucyk</b> for the most by a left winger.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0021-04

Cechmanek’s inconsistency puts goalie under the gun

<div class="byline">-BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05226/8302993-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="275" height="599"></div><p><b>N</b>ot since his days as backup to Ed Belfour in Dallas had Manny Fernandez spent so much time opening the door to the players&rsquo; bench.</p><p>Such was the new reality for Minnesota&rsquo;s No. 2 goalie, who idled for eight games and 23 days between starts before playing in a 4-4 tie at New Jersey Feb. 17. It was his first game since coach Jacques Lemaire designated all-star Dwayne Roloson as the team&rsquo;s starting goalie after two-plus seasons of competition between the netminders.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03443/8303000-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="237" height="269"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MINNESOTA WILD</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Four weeks&hellip;1 knew it was going to be tough,&rdquo; Fernandez said.</p><p>The start capped a tumultuous week for the athletic and emotional Fernandez, who accepted his newly defined role while his name was being bandied about in rumors as the March 9 trade deadline approached.</p><p>&ldquo;Down the stretch, (Roloson is) going to be the guy that&rsquo;s going to help this team,&rdquo; Fernandez said. &ldquo;I support the decision. I&rsquo;m staying behind it. I have to clear my mind as much as I can without thinking about anything else that&rsquo;s going on in my life or sur rounding this whole story and be accountable to the team.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Brent Burns, RW</i>. The towering right winger roared out of training camp with refreshing energy and personality and produced early in the year, but plateaued by mid-season as the Wild rode a veteran lineup through the last days of post-season contention. The 18-year-old Burns still is growing into his 6-foot-4 frame. His slashing style could make him a menace on the power play.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> After scoring only six goals through Jan. 30, center <b>Sergei Zholtok</b> doubled his output in the next two weeks to rocket to the top of the Wild&rsquo;s goalscoring leader board&hellip; Struggling right winger Marian Gaborik bagged his sixth career hat trick against the New Jersey Devils Feb. 17, the second three-goal performance in franchise history. Left winger <b>Antti Laaksonen</b> had the other hat trick&hellip;<b>Jason Marshall</b> picked up a goal and five points in 12 games after an emergency recall from Houston (AHL), putting the defenseman one point behind his 45-game offensive total in Minnesota last year.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0021-05

Fernandez adjusting to life as Wild’s backup goaltender

<div class="byline">-HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06285/8303031-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="279" height="598"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011224/8303045-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>C</b>ontrary to popular belief, the Canadiens aren&rsquo;t a one-man team. But it is beginning to appear they are little more than a two-man team.</p><p>For the first time this season, the Canadiens lost four consecutive games (Feb. 10-17). Three of those defeats came without Sheldon Souray, the team&rsquo;s best defenseman. Souray is expected to miss at least six weeks with a sprained left knee. The injury occurred late in a 2-1 loss at Florida Feb. 10.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02899/8303038-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="237" height="270"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MONTREAL CANADIENS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s our best defenseman, so of course we&rsquo;re going to miss him, especially on the power play,&rdquo; said Stephane Quintal, Souray&rsquo;s partner. &ldquo;But there&rsquo;s nothing we can do. We just have to find a way to win without him.&rdquo;</p><p>That will only be possible if goalie Jose Theodore raises his game. Theodore, who has carried the Habs for most of the season, lost eight of 10 starts through Feb. 19. His goals-against average was 3.08 over that span, while his save percentage was a mediocre .891.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Michael Ryder, RW</i>. Ryder is among the NHL&rsquo;s rookie scoring leaders with 15 goals and 41 points in 59 games. Many of his best scoring chances come from his determination to move from the net to the corner and shoot often.</p><p><i>Mike Komisarek, D</i>. Komisarek dressed for 21 games last season, but was used sparingly. He&rsquo;ll play more now that Souray is injured. Komisarek provides a physical force, but must avoid being caught out of position.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Andreas Dackell</b> returned to the lineup Feb. 14 against Ottawa after missing 10 games with a cyst on his left knee.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0022-06

Injury to stellar Souray outs pressure on Theodore

<div class="byline">-DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07234/8303076-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="275" height="597"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>hen the Predators traded for Steve Sullivan they not only acquired a guy who had scored at least 20 goals five years running, they also got, at $3 million for this season, the highest-priced player in franchise history.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03680/8303083-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="238" height="271"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b></figcaption></div><p>And after one game, he looked to be worth every penny.</p><p>Acquired Feb. 16, Sullivan scored a franchise-record three power play goals and added an assist in a 7-3 victory over San Jose Feb. 19.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been a lot of trades (in my career),&rdquo; said GM David Poile, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s the best (debut) ever.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Dan Hamhuis, D</i>. Hamhuis&rsquo;s poise and vision while in possession of the puck have helped make the team more dangerous in transition and offset his mistakes in his own end. He rarely commits the same error twice.</p><p><i>Robert Schnabel, D</i>. He has yet to establish himself among the team&rsquo;s top six blueliners, but Schnabel&rsquo;s size (6-foot-5) and competitiveness have earned him a longer look.</p><p><i>Jordin Tootoo, RW</i>. Tootoo has thrived in a fourth line role. His style regularly gets opponents off their game, yet he rarely gets called for any sort of retaliation.</p><p><i>Marek Zidlicky, D</i>. Zidlicky&rsquo;s instinct and skill are undeniable-he is the team&rsquo;s best stickhandler-and although he must learn to compete better, he is the sole reason the Predators&rsquo; power play has improved.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Scott Walker</b> signed a three-year, $6-million contract extension Feb. 17. The Predators&rsquo; all-time leader in goals and penalty minutes, Walker started this season as the highest-paid forward in franchise history at $1.95 million per year.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0022-07

Acquisition of Sullivan pays immediate dividends

<div class="byline">-RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08187/8303114-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="275" height="598"></div><p><b>T</b>he news wasn&rsquo;t all bad for the defending Stanley Cup champions.</p><p>Sure, Scott Stevens remained out indefinitely with a head injury and, as GMs took a swipe at his stickhandling skills, Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s goals-against average swelled to 3.00 since early February. But right winger Jamie Langenbrunner was back in form after missing 28 games because of left knee surgery. One of the team&rsquo;s top offensive threats, Langenbrunner said he was finally getting it together.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04492/8303121-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="226" height="298"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW JERSEY DEVILS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Mentally, I finally figured out the game again. Stop thinking and play,&rdquo; Langenbrunner said. &ldquo;Lou (Lamoriello) took me aside after a game and said: &rsquo;Take your head out of it. Just play.&rsquo; He didn&rsquo;t want me to think too much.&rdquo;</p><p>Langenbrunner, whose goal Feb. 15 against Los Angeles was his first since Nov. 15, was instrumental in New Jersey&rsquo;s three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1-0) as coach Pat Burns used him on a speedy line with Jeff Friesen and Sergei Brylin.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Paul</i></p><p><i>Martin, D</i>. Martin has seen his duties increase in the absence of Scott Stevens. Burns likes Martin&rsquo;s skating and his ability to get shots through from the point.</p><p><i>David Hale, D</i>. After twisting his left knee Feb.3, Hale missed five games. He hasn&rsquo;t seen as much ice time as Martin, but the University of North Dakota star has shown the ability to play physically without spending an undue amount of time in the penalty box.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> After meeting with coach <b>Pat Burns</b> and <b>GM Lou Lamoriello</b>, center <b>Igor Larionov</b> was told he wouldn&rsquo;t return to the lineup unless there was an injury. Larionov was a healthy scratch in five straight games.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0022-08

Langenbrunner gets healthy, starts to find scoring touch

<div class="byline">-PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09167/8303152-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="274" height="597"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span></b>veryone has been asking Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro how he expects to be affected by the proposed rule changes for next season prohibiting goalies from handling the mirk behind the net.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05364/8303159-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="224" height="307"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b></figcaption></div><p>While DiPietro has established himself among the NHL&rsquo;s top stick-handling net-minders, he also has improved other facets of his game so dramatically GM Mike Milbury didn&rsquo;t mind voting in favor of the change.</p><p>&ldquo;The fact of the matter is, yes, his puck-handling is terrific, but he&rsquo;s terrific enough at stopping the puck and he&rsquo;s getting better all the time,&rdquo; Milbury said of DiPietro, the No.l pick in the 2000 draft. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s ultimately what being a goalie is all about.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Trent Hunter, RW</i>. The Isles haven&rsquo;t missed injured forwards Alexei Yashin and Mark Parrish as much as feared, mostly because Hunter&rsquo;s game has matured in every aspect to make him the team&rsquo;s leading scorer and most consistent and clutch forward. He should be a shoo-in as a Calder Trophy finalist.</p><p><i>Justin Papineau, C</i>. With Sean Bergenheim back in Finland and Justin Maplesoft and Eric Godard back at with Bridgeport of the American League, Papineau was the lone rookie of the original Opening Night quintet remaining as of Feb. 19. Coach Steve Stirling has attempted to squeeze more playing time out of the speedy Papineau, who has earned power play time in addition to his regular fourth line duties.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Mark Parrish</b>, out since Jan. 1 with a sprained left ankle, resumed practising with the team and remained on target for a late February return.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0022-09

Proposed goalie restrictions no worry to Milbury, Isles

<div class="byline">-LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03592/8303190-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="277" height="600"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011178/8303204-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>W</b>ith both the past and present embarrassments of significant proportions, the future is all that&rsquo;s left for Ranger fans.</p><p>A large piece of that future appeared to have arrived with Fedor Tyutin, the highly regarded 20-year-old defenseman who made his NHL debut Feb. 14 in Philadelphia.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02838/8303197-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="214" height="296"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEW YORK RANGERS</b></figcaption></div><p>The 40th overall selection in 2001, Tyutin played with poise and effectiveness, despite the fact it was his first game following five weeks of rehab on his right knee, which he injured in an American League game Jan. 8. Tyutin then recorded his first NHL point, an assist, in his Garden debut Feb. 16 against Ottawa. It appears as though he is in New York to stay.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very exciting for me-except, of course losing the games,&rdquo; the Russian-born Tyutin said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been training for this my entire hockey career and I am ready to play in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>The Rangers originally had wanted Tyutin to play the entire season in Hartford in order to gain pro experience, but injuries to four of the team&rsquo;s top seven defensemen prompted the recall. &ldquo;Fedor has great awareness,&rdquo; said coach-GM Glen Sather. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to over-hype him, but I don&rsquo;t know if he&rsquo;s ever going back to the minors.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Jed Ortmeyer, RW</i>. The 25-year-old Ortmeyer has done exactly what&rsquo;s been asked of him in his first pro season after having been signed over the summer as a free agent out of the University of Michigan. The only freshman to crack the roster, he has played with energy and enthusiasm in a fourth line role that has included responsibilities on the penalty kill.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Bobby Holik</b> paid a visit to Jeremy Roenick at St. Vincent&rsquo;s Hospital in New York after the Feb. 12 game in which Roenick suffered a concussion and had his jaw shattered when struck by a slapshot from defenseman <b>Boris Mironov</b>. That was the same game in which a collision between Holik and <b>Keith Primeau</b> resulted in a concussion for the Philadelphia center&hellip;Missing two mid-February games with a groin-related problem, right winger <b>Jaromir Jagr</b> revealed he&rsquo;d had sore ribs upon reporting to the Rangers after a trade from Washington Jan. 23.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0024-03

Rookie Tyutin a bright spot in Rangers’ forgettable year

<div class="byline">-BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he news caught Peter Bondra by surprise. While the Senators&rsquo; newly-acquired winger had heard the rumors he would be dealt &gt;y the Capitals for the previous month, he was till caught off-guard when he was called to meet with Washington GM George McPhee. Just after arriving at the Capitals&rsquo; practice facility the morning after playing to a 1-1 tie with Ottawa Feb. 17 at the MCI Center, Bondra got word he was traded to the Senators in exchange for a second round pick in 2005 and prospect center Brooks Laich, who has been toiling in the American League.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05278/8303242-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="306" height="373"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>OTTAWA SENATORS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I was disappointed and I was shocked,&rdquo; Bondra said. &ldquo;I was almost sick when I heard the news.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been with this team for 14 years, I&rsquo;ve played my whole career here and you never think you&rsquo;re going to be traded.&rdquo;</p><p>Getting Bondra, who likely will play the point on the second power play unit, is another step in the Senators&rsquo; pursuit of the Stanley Cup. GM John Muckier believes the team is very close to its goal.</p><p>&ldquo;What you want to have is all the tools in place,&rdquo; said Muckier, who still planned to listen to and make offers as the March 9 trade deadline drew near. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re never done. We&rsquo;re going to continue to see if there are areas where we can improve this hockey club.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Antoine Vermette, LW</i>. After winning a spot on the roster in training camp, Vermette used his speed to establish himself as a solid penalty killer. He is a natural center, although he hasn&rsquo;t looked uncomfortable on the left side. A shoulder injury has kept Vermette on the sidelines since mid-February.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Senators signed free agent right winger Rob Ray to a contract Feb. 13 because they like the character-building role he played for them down the stretch last year. Of course, he also will bring a physical presence when required. Ray, who didn&rsquo;t get into a playoff game last season, had been working as a television analyst in Buffalo. &ldquo;This will be a lot easier than my last job trying to make the Sabres look good,&rdquo; Ray said with a laugh. &ldquo;I tried the real world and let me tell you that the real world sucks.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04408/8303235-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="279" height="604"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0024-05

Senators expect Bondra to bolster power play point

<div class="byline">-WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02723/8303280-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="242" height="279"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011060/8303287-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>C</b>an Jeremy Roenick do without hockey? Can hockey do without one of its most colorful characters?</p><p>Roenick, 34, suffered his ninth career concussion and multiple fractures of his left jaw when he was struck by a shot off the stick of New York Rangers defenseman Boris Mironov Feb. 12.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>A week later, Roenick was scheduling visits to various neurologists, including noted concussion expert Dr. Karen Johnston in Montreal, to determine the fate of his hockey life.</p><p>Roenick was not ruling out retirement.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of contemplating going on, I can&rsquo;t say it (retirement) hasn&rsquo;t entered my mind because it has, talking to a lot of people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think in the next couple weeks we&rsquo;ll see how I feel, see what the specialists say.&rdquo;</p><p>Longtime friend and linemate Tony Amonte said Roenick&rsquo;s love for the game might be a determining factor if doctors don&rsquo;t come up with a strong recommendation either to play on or retire.</p><p>&ldquo;The guy doesn&rsquo;t know anything else,&rdquo; Amonte said. &ldquo;He loves the game probably more than anybody I&rsquo;ve played with. It&rsquo;s tough to hear him say that he&rsquo;s thinking about walking away.</p><p>&ldquo;But on the other hand I know how much he loves to play and I know the desire that&rsquo;s there to win that first Stanley Cup&hellip; I know he&rsquo;s got his eye on the big prize.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Joni Pitkanen, D</i>. Probably the best freshman defenseman in the league, Pitkanen has been effective at both ends of the rink, leading the Flyers in plus-minus. He has bounced back strong from occasional benchings.</p><p><i>Patrick Sharp, C</i>. Coming on strong since the trade of Justin Williams, Sharp has surprised coach Ken Hitchcock with good positional play.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Left winger <b>John LeClair</b> scored the 328th goal of his Flyer career, tying him with <b>Rick MacLeish for</b> fifth on the franchise&rsquo;s all-time list&hellip;The Flyers dropped all four games to Tampa Bay this season, only the sixth time in team history they failed to gain either a win or tie in a regular season series of at least four games.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04324/8303273-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="279" height="598"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0025-02

Roenick talks to experts, weighs Cup vs concussions

<div class="byline">-JERRY BROWN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05231/8303318-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="277" height="598"></div><p><b>T</b>he plan looked good on paper.</p><p>The Phoenix Coyotes surround newcomer Mike Comrie with two wingers, Shane Doan and Brian Savage, who know how to finish scoring chances. If the Coyotes could stay afloat in the playoff hunt until Mike Johnson returned from shoulder surgery, hopefully by the end of February, Phoenix could reunite him with old linemates Ladislav Nagy and Daymond Langkow for the stretch run.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03494/8303325-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="213" height="307"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHOENIX COYOTES</figcaption></div><p>Two legitimate scoring lines. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to sneak into the post-season. &ldquo;That was the plan,&rdquo; admitted Phoenix coach Bob Francis.</p><p>So much for the plan. The Coyotes lost four of their first five games after the all-star break, Johnson&rsquo;s return was delayed and then Nagy collided awkwardly with ex-Coyote Keith Tkachuk-the same guy he was traded for three years ago-and suffered a season-ending wrist injury.</p><p>No Nagy, who led the team with a career-high 24 goals. No Johnson, who scored one goal in 11 games this season. One win in a horrible 11-game stretch dating back to late January.</p><p>So what&rsquo;s Plan B? Ten points out of the playoffs with less than two dozen games remaining, that plan would appear to involve golf courses and television sets.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>JeffTaffe, C</i>. A smart, skilled player with a big-league shot has been asked to play fourth line minutes, with predictably inconsistent results. He has shown playmaking abilities and power play skills, but speed and competitive edge remain question marks. Taffe needs to take another step to become a big piece of the future.</p><p><i>Freddie Sjostrom, LW</i>. Sjostrom looks better in the NHL than he did in the minors. He has great speed, enough skills to be effective and a lot of heart and toughness. When he&rsquo;s on, he&rsquo;s fun to watch.</p><p><i>Matthew Spiller, D</i>. He wasn&rsquo;t overwhelmed after making the jump from juniors to the NHL. Big and strong, Spiller runs around at times, but knows how to use his assets.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Captain <b>Shane Doan</b> signed a three-year, $11.75-million contract extension. He could have become a restricted free agent this summer.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0025-05

Coyotes’ best-laid plans fizzle into disappointment

<div class="byline">-JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05369/8303356-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="275" height="598"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011193/8303370-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>L</b>ooking for ice time? Pittsburgh is the place, as defenseman Ric Jackman found out upon being acquired from Toronto for Drake Berehowsky.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02846/8303363-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="232" height="307"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</b></figcaption></div><p>Jackman, drafted fifth overall by Dallas in 1997, logged more than 23 minutes in his Pittsburgh debut Feb. 12 and provided some much-needed offense from the blueline. He had two goals and three points in his first four games.</p><p>Jackman hopes Pittsburgh, his fourth NHL city, is a long-term stop. He has battled off-ice issues and often was a healthy scratch in Toronto.</p><p>&ldquo;I need to get out there and play in all situations,&rdquo; Jackman said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really glad to be here. This is my new family.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Brooks Orpik, D</i>. Picked to play in the Young-Stars game at all-star weekend, Orpik has given the Penguins a strong physical presence and appears to be ticketed for a leadership role.</p><p><i>Ryan Malone, LW</i>. With 17 goals in 59 games this season, Malone could become the first Penguins rookie since Shawn McEachern in 1992-93 to score 20. He plays with the rare combination of power and finesse.</p><p><i>Sebastien Caron, G</i>. After a strong first-year showing, which resulted in a new, four-year contract, Caron has struggled mightily and has been demoted twice to the American League. His confidence clearly is lacking.</p><p><i>Konstantin Koltsov, RW</i>. Koltsov still is learning to harness his blazing speed. The hope is that his hands and head will someday catch up.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Penguins set an NHL record with their 12th consecutive home loss, 8-4 to Toronto Feb. 16. Their winless streak stretched to 16 games (0-15-1-0), two short of tying a franchise record set in 1983.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0026-05

Jackman’s ice time rises with Penguins

<div class="byline">-DERRICK GOOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06301/8303401-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="279" height="603"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>l Maclnnis said he&rsquo;s playing the waiting game because of extensive nerve damage to his left eye and the potential for injuring his healthy right eve should he attempt to return to hockey.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03687/8303408-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="231" height="294"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ST</b>. <b>LOUIS BLUES</b></figcaption></div><p>Maclnnis said he is considering retirement.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a decision I&rsquo;ll make down the road,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Maclnnis, 40, had surgeries on both eyes Oct. 17, three games into the season. Even with an artificial lens, he has a blind spot in the left eye. Because of nerve damage there is the potential for permanent loss of some of his vision.</p><p>He has been skating, but the Blues do not expect him back this season.</p><p>&ldquo;If anything ever happened to my good eye,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d lose a lot of things I can do in everyday life.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Christian Backman, D</i>. A lanky, offense-minded defenseman, he amazes with his decision making and play-making.</p><p><i>Mark Rycroft, RW</i>. The only Blues forward to play in the team&rsquo;s first 58 games, he has seized the role of sparkplug.</p><p><i>Mike Danton, LW</i>. Unlike his controversial days in New Jersey, he has been a zip-lipped agitator. He has played on the power play and scored timely goals.</p><p><i>Matt Walker, D</i>. After missing the first 56 games with chronic groin pain, the big-bodied tough guy fought less than 10 seconds into his first shift of the season.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> With center <b>Pavol Demitra</b> out with a hip pointer, left winger <b>Keith Tkachuk&rsquo;s</b> 24 goals through 57 games were twice as many as the next closest healthy Blue&hellip; During the dregs of the Blues season, center <b>Petr Cajanek</b> had only one point, an assist, in a 15-game stretch&hellip;Before scoring twice on Valentine&rsquo;s Day, the Blues power play was l-for-29 and had cost them some games.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0026-06

Maclnnis could retire to avoid vision loss

<div class="byline">-ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07259/8303439-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="279" height="600"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he Sharks are experimenting with hulking defenseman Mike Rathje planted in front of the net to try and revive a struggling power play. In addition, rookie forward Niko Dimitrakos is playing the point to give another unit a four-forward look. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something different,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-6 Rathje, who sometimes played forward in junior hockey. &ldquo;I stand in front of my net and see shots coming all the time, so it&rsquo;s kind of like the same thing.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04498/8303446-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="237" height="308"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SAN JOSE SHARKS</b></figcaption></div><p>Dimitrakos played the point both in college and during his time with the Sharks&rsquo; American League affiliate in Cleveland.</p><p>&ldquo;(The power play) felt smoother and looked better,&rdquo; said coach Ron Wilson. &ldquo;It might wake a few guys up who didn&rsquo;t get a chance to play on the power play.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Rob Davison, D</i>.Davison, a strong, steady, physical player, grabbed a roster spot during training camp and hasn&rsquo;t let go since. Not offensively gifted, Davison keeps his game simple and does a good job of clearing the front of the net</p><p><i>Niko Dimitrakos, RW</i> Dimitrakos has shown strong offensive skills and versatility. Coach Ron Wilson likes Dimitrakos&rsquo;s ability to get the puck out of his end efficiently.</p><p><i>Christian Ehrhoff, D</i>. Ehrhoff is a flashy player with strong skating skills and a lethal shot. Still learning how to defend during his first season on smaller North American rinks, he is a catalyst on the power play because of his ability to move the puck and get it set up.</p><p><i>Tom Preissing, D</i>. A very pleasant surprise, Preissing stepped into the NHL after four years of collegiate hockey without missing a beat. He is very strong in moving the puck out of his zone with a first pass.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> The Sharks set a team record with 50 shots on net in a 2-1 overtime win Feb. 14 at Columbus.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0026-07

Forward thinking improves power play

<div class="byline">-DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04384/8303477-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="346" height="749"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011139/8303491-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>M</b>artin St-Louis is beginning to get consideration as the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player.</p><p>&ldquo;If you use the words most valuable player to the team, then, yeah, he&rsquo;s right up there,&rdquo; said Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02770/8303484-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="237" height="300"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TAMPA BAY LIGHTINGS</b></figcaption></div><p>ESPN analyst and former Los Angeles Kings coach Barry Melrose said St-Louis and New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur are his top two candidates, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;m not sure who I&rsquo;d have at No. 3.</p><p>&ldquo;This guy,&rdquo; Melrose said of St-Louis, &ldquo;is a big-time MVP candidate.&rdquo;</p><p>As of Feb. 16, St-Louis was tied for third in the league with 65 points, tied for fourth with 29 goals and first with seven shorthanded goals and nine shorthanded points. He also was plus-23 which bolsters a case for the Selke Trophy, and his 18 penalty minutes made a case for the Lady Byng.</p><p>&ldquo;I said in my mid-season report, I considered him a top-five candidate,&rdquo; said <i>USA Today&rsquo;s</i> Kevin Allen, president of the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association, which votes for most of the major individual awards. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s supposed to be the most outstanding player for your team. He has been phenomenal to the Lightning&rsquo;s success.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Dmitry Afanasenkov, RW</i>. He has tremendous skills and works exceptionally hard. If only he could finish. Afanasenkov had only four goals through 50 games and a lowly 5.48 shooting percentage on 73 shots.</p><p>Still, his skating speed and ability to maneuver with the puck has earned him time on the power play, while his tenacious play has brought time on the penalty-kill.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Left winger <b>Tim Taylor</b> is back taking faceoffs after healing from an unspecified broken hand bone, sustained Jan. 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. That means Taylor is back at center and veteran center <b>Dave Andreychuk</b> has returned to left wing&hellip;The Lightning swept the season series 4-0-0-0 from the Philadelphia Flyers, making them just the fourth team to ever sweep Philly in a series of four games or more&hellip;From Jan. 3 through Feb. 16, Tampa Bay&rsquo;s 85 goals led the league.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0027-04

Sizzling St-Louis vaults into Hart Trophy contention

<div class="byline">-KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05253/8303522-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="348" height="748"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b>t is almost impossible to be the most valuable player on a team when you&rsquo;re not playing, but that&rsquo;s exactly what goalie Ed Belfour was doing through the first half of February.</p><p>With his historically bad back giving him all kinds of trouble, Belfour missed six of seven games. The Maple Leafs went just 2-3-1-0 in the games Belfour missed and gave up at least four goals in each contest. Backup Trevor Kidd, who played in five of the six games, gave up 22 goals and posted a save percentage of .832.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03549/8303529-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="214" height="307"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</b></figcaption></div><p>A 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins Feb. 17 illustrated the Leafs are not the same team without Belfour, particularly in the way they clear the zone while missing one of the best puck-handling goalies in NHL history.</p><p>Coach Pat Quinn thought Toronto&rsquo;s defense corps was every bit as culpable as Kidd for the team&rsquo;s woes.</p><p>&ldquo;There is no defensive savvy going on at all around our net,&rdquo; Quinn said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care who&rsquo;s in net, you get scared when the guys in front of you are handling the situation the way we&rsquo;re handling them.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Matt Stajan, C</i>. Stajan plays with a poise and sense of responsibility well beyond his 20 years and had a very respectable 11 goals and 22 points through 56 games. His plus-8 rating was among the best on the team and while he must get bigger in the upper body, Stajan has consistently rewarded the Leafs for the confidence they&rsquo;ve placed in him.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Right winger <b>Tie Domi</b> was fined $1,000 and the Maple Leafs were fined $5,000 in connection with an incident when Domi tossed an autographed stick over the glass and into the Columbus bench in a 4-1 win Feb. 12. The stick was intended for Blue Jackets&rsquo; enforcer <b>Jody Shelley</b>&hellip; Right winger <b>Alexander Mogilny</b>, who had hip surgery in November, on his impending return to the lineup: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just like when you&rsquo;re about to have sex. You get all excited."&hellip;</p><p>Right winger <b>Owen Nolan</b> had his most productive game as a Leaf Feb. 16 against Pittsburgh with two goals and four points&hellip;In three games against the Penguins this season, the Leafs are 3-0-0-0 and have outscored Pittsburgh 17-6.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0027-05

Belfour’s injured back cause for great concern

<div class="byline">-ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04419/8303560-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="278" height="598"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011180/8303574-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="92" height="94"></div><p><b>C</b>anucks captain Markus Naslund has unhappily joined the ranks of NHLers suffering from a concussion.</p><p>Naslund was nailed by an elbow from Avalanche rookie Steve Moore Feb. 16 after the Canuck had failed to reach a loose puck while stretching out for it. Replays showed Moore brought up his left elbow, but he was not penalized by referees Rob Martell and Dan Marouelli, which incensed Canucks players and management.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02820/8303567-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="220" height="303"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</b></figcaption></div><p>Naslund, the NHL scoring leader at the time of the incident, was expected to miss at least two weeks. It was the first concussion of his career.</p><p>&ldquo;I was in a vulnerable position and, basically, he took advantage of that,&rdquo; Naslund said. &ldquo;He got me with an elbow to the jaw and that&rsquo;s how I got knocked out&hellip;that&rsquo;s how I hit my head on the ice twice.&rdquo;</p><p>Canucks coach Marc Crawford, who was furious after the game, was calmer the next day.</p><p>&ldquo;Injuries are unfortunate and they&rsquo;re part of the game,&rdquo; Crawford said. &ldquo;But senseless ones aren&rsquo;t part of the game and that&rsquo;s what we have to get out of the game.&rdquo;</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Jason King, RW</i>. After scoring 11 goals before the end of November, King was a Calder Trophy candidate. He then dried up, went 23 games without a goal and was sent to the American League in early February.</p><p><i>Wade Brookbank, D</i>. The 26-year-old journeyman enforcer is strictly in the lineup for his muscle and gets only a handful of shifts a game either on defense or at left wing.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Trevor Linden</b> became the Canucks&rsquo; all-time games played leader, passing <b>Stan Smyl&rsquo;s</b> record of 896 when he suited up against Colorado Feb. 16&hellip;After beginning the season 9-0-1-0 on home ice, the Canucks won just five of their next 19 at GM Place (5-10-4-0)&hellip;Goaltender <b>Dan Cloutier</b> had four shutouts at the 60-game mark, with all four coming on the road (against Calgary, Edmonton, New Jersey and Colorado).</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0028-04

Crawford crows foul over hit that Injures Naslund

<div class="byline">-JASON LA CANFORA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05316/8303605-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="277" height="598"></div><p><b>W</b>ith tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat, Peter Bondra said goodbye to the only franchise he had ever known.</p><p>Bondra, the franchise&rsquo;s leader in virtually every offensive category, was saddened by the deal that sent him to Ottawa Feb. 18 in return for prospect Brooks Laich and a second round pick in 2005.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03603/8303612-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="237" height="305"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Obviously, I&rsquo;m disappointed,&rdquo; said Bondra, who became choked up several times while speaking to the media. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough&hellip;This is home and it&rsquo;s hard to leave.</p><p>&ldquo;I just want to take the chance to thank all the fans for their support and even the team and organization to give me the career that I had here.&rdquo;</p><p>Bondra joins veterans Steve Konowalchuk and Jaromir Jagr as departures from the Capitals this season as a result of owner Ted Leonsis&rsquo; insistence on chopping payroll. Olaf Kolzig, Robert Lang, Sergei Gonchar and Michael Nylander are believed to be the next in line to go.</p><p><b>ROOKIE REPORT</b>&nbsp;<i>Alexander Semin, LW</i>. Semin has shown flashes of brilliance, but must work harder defensively. His lack of focus has perturbed the coaching staff at times and he was recently scratched for several games to send a message.</p><p><i>Josef Boumedienne, D</i>. Boumedienne has started to establish himself at this level, but sometimes gets lost in his own zone. Still, he is a great skater and passer and has been playing upwards of 20 minutes a game.</p><p><i>Darcy Verot, C</i>. A classic pest who has earned his teammates&rsquo; respect by dropping the gloves with the likes of Tie Domi, Verot has a tendency to take unnecessary minor penalties, but has been surprisingly effective and could be a sold fourthliner.</p><p><i>Maxime Ouellet, G</i>. Consistency remains a problem for Ouellet. He has all the talent and fundamental precision to be &hellip; an elite goalie and could get his chance as a regular starter soon if Olaf Kolzig is dealt.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> Center <b>Michael Nylander</b> was progressing towards a Feb. 21 return from a broken leg that caused him to miss the first three-quarters of the season.</p><h2><b>SPOTLIGHT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h2>

f0028-05

Mainstay Bondra dealt; who’s next on block?

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/f0030-02795/8303674-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="243" height="391"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KYLE WELLWOOD</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011179/8303681-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="111" height="112"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>s Christmas approached, Kyle Wellwood A. was among the American League&rsquo;s top 10 scorers and lovin&rsquo; life on the ice with the St. John&rsquo;s Maple Leafs.</p><p>Two months later, the rookie center is still lovin&rsquo; life, he has just found it&rsquo;s not quite as easy as it seemed. Wellwood remains the AHL&rsquo;s top rookie scorer, with 12 goals and 38 points through 50 games, but he and his coach in St. John&rsquo;s, Doug Shedden, aren&rsquo;t satisfied.</p><p>&ldquo;I really feel the numbers could be better,&rdquo; Shedden said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very creative guy with great vision and he&rsquo;s a good passer. Could he work harder? Yes. He has to learn to move the puck quicker and he can&rsquo;t be out there two minutes and expect to be productive.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Expectations have hindered Wellwood, a fourth round draft pick (134th overall) by Toronto in 2001.</p><p>&ldquo;It came a little too early for me and I think that hurt me a bit,&rdquo; Wellwood said. &ldquo;You get in a good stretch and then you start not working for your points as much. That&rsquo;s something that has to change if you want to be an elite player.&rdquo;</p><p>Smallish at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds and not fast, Wellwood still has a good chance to play in the NHL because of his puck skills.</p><p>&ldquo;If he cuts down on his shifts and works like a Doug Gilmour, then he could possibly be a Doug Gilmour-type player,&rdquo; Shedden said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not overly fast, but if there&rsquo;s a loose puck, watch him jump on it.&rdquo;</p><p>Wellwood already has one Gilmour trait: he&rsquo;d rather pass than shoot, as proven by his rookie-leading 26 assists compared to 12 goals.</p><p>&ldquo;I always find the puck ends up in the net more when I&rsquo;m passing,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a better passer than shooter. I only seem to shoot when I have a great chance.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-02

Wellwood trying to outgrow bad habits

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b>merican League president <b>Dave Andrews</b> is open to accommodating the wishes of the NHL and adopting three rule modifications, including the shootout, for next season.</p><p>The NHL has asked the AHL to use the shootout to break ties, to award three points for a regulation win and to expand the width of bluelines and the center red line from one to two feet.</p><p>The issues may come up for a vote at spring meetings in May, though it is more likely the board of governors will be asked for a ruling at the annual summer meeting in July.</p><p>&ldquo;We are more than willing to put in place any changes that we think and the NHL thinks will improve the game,&rdquo; Andrews said. &ldquo;We had actually discussed looking at the 3-2-1 point system before we heard from the NHL. It gives coaches an incentive to open up their offense. It discourages you from playing for a tie and trying to win the one-goal game late.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03571/8303733-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="269" height="261"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div><p>When the AHL used the shootout in 198687, Rochester won the Southern Division title on the final day of the regular season with a shootout win over the second-place Binghamton Whalers. Purists didn&rsquo;t like the shootout and voted it out the following year.</p><p>&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m a little old school when it comes to the shootout, but it isn&rsquo;t a question of whether we like it, it&rsquo;s whether it improves the game,&rdquo; Andrews said. &ldquo;I believe our board will support bringing the shootout on board.&rdquo;</p><p><b>STEPPING UP</b> When the Detroit Red Wings recalled AHL all-star goalie <b>Marc Lamothe</b>, the Grand Rapids Griffins kept right on winning. In fact, they didn&rsquo;t even allow a goal for two games, thanks to <b>Joey MacDonald</b>.</p><p>The third-year pro, a free agent signee by Detroit in 2001, posted a 4-0 shutout with 22 saves against Manitoba on Feb. 13, then made 35 saves in a 3-0 win over Houston the next night. It gave MacDonald three consecutive shutouts and helped the Griffins extend a franchise-record home unbeaten streak to 12.</p><p><b>SMOOTH SAILING</b> The Milwaukee Admirals are showing they could be a dominant playoff force, using a 10-1-2-1 hot streak to build the AHL&rsquo;s third-best record (28-14-6-3) as of mid-February. They&rsquo;re doing it with talented youth like rookie right winger <b>Timofei Shishkanov</b> (19 goals), second-year right winger <b>Darren Haydar</b> (13 goals) and rookie left winger <b>Scottie Upshall</b> (10 goals in 22 games), plus veterans like center <b>Tony Hrkac</b> (39 points) and left winger <b>Mathieu Darche</b> (21 goals).</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05300/8303726-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="1080" height="1598"><figcaption class="caption-body"><i>Domenic Pittis is a former 100-point man for Rochester (1998-99) and is second on the team this season with 38 points in 46 games.</i></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06238/8303719-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="165" height="158"></div><h2><b>HOCKEY NATION AT A GLANCE</b></h2><p><i>The International Ice Hockey Federation is the world&rsquo;s governing body for hockey. In each issue this season, we profile one of 63 national association members</i>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07195/8303712-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="602" height="292"></div><h2><b>UKRAINE</b></h2><p><b>Member of HHF</b> since 1992</p><p><b>Pop</b>. <b>of country</b> 48,396,470</p><p><b>Registered players</b> 1,728</p><p><b>No</b>. <b>of ice facilities</b> 7</p><p><b>Major league</b> (six teams)</p><p>Ukraine Highest Division</p><p><b>2003 champ</b> Sokol Kiev</p><p><b>2003 top scorers</b></p><p>Nikolaj Koljada, Atek Kiev</p><p>Oleg Timcenko, Druzba-78 Denis Zabludovskij, Politechnik</p><p><b>Association website/e-mail</b></p><p><a href="http://www.hockey.org.ua">www.hockey.org.ua</a></p><p><a href="mailto:icehockey@sport.kiev.us">icehockey@sport.kiev.us</a></p><p><b>Head office</b> Kiev</p><p><b>2003 world ranking</b> No. 11<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-03

AHL willing to test out NHL’s twists

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>hree Florida Everblades players were arrested in North Naples, Fla., after police allegedly spotted one of them riding on the roof of a SUV and another hanging out of a window</p><p>Forward <b>Chad Larose</b>, 21, was charged with driving under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor. Forward <b>Brandon Coalter</b>, 25, and defenseman <b>Jared Newman</b>, 21, were charged with disorderly intoxication, which is a second-degree misdemeanor, and riding on the exterior of a vehicle, a civil infraction.</p><p>The team, which had been mired in its worst losing skid of the season and is in danger of missing the ECHL playoffs for the first time in its six-year history, did not immediately take disciplinary action against the players.</p><p>&ldquo;In this country, you&rsquo;re innocent until proven guilty,&rdquo; said team president <b>Craig Brush</b>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04407/8303764-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="246" height="232"><figcaption class="caption-body">NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div><p>According to the police reports, sheriff&rsquo;s deputies saw the players and two other men leaving a local bar around 2 a.m. on Feb. 12. Four people entered the car and Coalter jumped on the roof.</p><p>The reports said Newman was hanging outside the rear left passenger door while Larose drove down the middle of two lanes, causing two vehicles to swerve out of the way.</p><p>The men were arrested and taken to Naples Jail Center, where Larose took a breath-alcohol test and registered a blood-alcohol count of 0.082, above the 0.08 legal limit. Newman and Coalter were released on $500 bail, while Larose was released on $750 bail. Their first court appearance is scheduled for March 11.</p><p><b>ARCHIE&rsquo;S RETURN</b> Johnstown Chiefs goalie <b>Arturs Irbe</b>, who started Feb. 13 for the first time since undergoing wrist surgery in late November, defeated Toledo 4-3 in overtime and made 29 saves. Then the news got even better, as the Carolina Hurricanes recalled Irbe Feb. 17. Canes GM Jim Rutherford said he expected Irbe to see NHL action soon. <i>(See pg. 18 for more.)</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-04

Trio of Everblades in trouble with law

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02723/8303795-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="243" height="388"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHNNY POHL</b></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011087/8303802-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="111" height="112"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b> knee injury cost Johnny Pohl nearly two months of his rookie season last year, but the Worcester IceCats center still managed 58 points in 58 games in 2002-03.</p><p>He also represented the U.S. at the World Championship in Finland and led the Americans with seven points in six games.</p><p>Naturally, the St. Louis Blues expected big things from him this season. They surely weren&rsquo;t counting on Pohl&rsquo;s mustering just eight goals and 14 points in 36 outings through late January.</p><p>The former University of Minnesota star understands people might be disappointed, but he doesn&rsquo;t want to be judged purely on statistics.</p><p>&ldquo;Coming into the season, I wanted to be a good player,&rdquo; said Pohl, who prefers Johnny to John. &ldquo;I never set a number or a goal for my point totals.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;All I know is good players in the AHL get a chance to play at the next level, whether you&rsquo;re scoring 58 points a season or 15. It&rsquo;s all about getting better and I&rsquo;d have to say I&rsquo;m improving.&rdquo;</p><p>Pohl has picked up his production, including six points in a recent five-game stretch, and was up to 10 goals and 23 points in 43 AHL games. &ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;ve had some tough times, but I&rsquo;m getting a lot of chances,&rdquo; Pohl said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been trying to improve the little things in my game. When I&rsquo;m at my best, I&rsquo;m playing aggressively and being strong on the puck. For me, hockey&rsquo;s as simple as that.&rdquo;</p><p>Coming from college hockey, where international-sized rinks are common, Pohl said he&rsquo;s still feeling his way around NHL-sized arenas.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s absolutely no room in the pro game whatsoever; even the small guys are bigger,&rdquo; said Pohl, the No. 3-ranked prospect on St. Louis in Future Watch 2004. &ldquo;You have to squeeze your way around the rink.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-02

Pohl satisfied despite soph slump

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span></b>ike the majority of goaltenders, <b>Peter Budaj</b> and <b>Tom Lawson</b> of the Hershey Bears don&rsquo;t care for the proposed rule change that would penalize netminders for playing the puck below the goal line. Also up for consideration is limiting the size of goalie leg pads.</p><p>Even so, the two American League goalies don&rsquo;t think the NHL GMs&rsquo; proposal is something to get all worked up over. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure they&rsquo;re going to change the rules,&rdquo; Budaj said, &ldquo;but whatever they do, we have to adjust. It&rsquo;s not a goalie&rsquo;s job to complain. Our job is to stop the puck. Even if they change the rules, our job doesn&rsquo;t change.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been trying to increase goal-scoring the past 10 years by cutting the goalie&rsquo;s equipment down almost every year,&rdquo; Lawson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about equipment, it&rsquo;s about teams playing defensive styles. Defense wins hockey games.&rdquo;</p><p>Hershey coach <b>Paul Fixter</b> wonders if looking backward rather than forward wouldn&rsquo;t be a better idea.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03540/8303840-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="269" height="261"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Maybe we should look to the past and maybe go back to things like serving all two minutes for a minor penalty, or not letting teams ice the puck when they&rsquo;re shorthanded,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Those were things that you used to do in hockey.&rdquo;</p><p><b>OUT OF ACTION</b> Two East Division teams lost key offensive players in early February. Binghamton right winger <b>Brad Tapper</b> suffered a Grade III concussion when he was checked head-first into the boards from behind by Hershey&rsquo;s <b>Shane Willis</b> Feb. 6. Tapper is sidelined indefinitely and Willis got slapped with a five-game suspension.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&rsquo;s leading scorer <b>Kris Beech</b> broke his collarbone Feb. 11 after getting tangled up with Toronto Roadrunners left winger <b>Nate DiCasmirro</b>. Although Pens coach Michel Therrien thought the hit was worthy of a boarding penalty, no call was made. Beech is expected to miss six weeks.</p><p><b>HONORING A LEGEND</b> During its annual all-star event, the AHL introduced a new award to honor its all-time leaders in goals, assists, points and games played. Effective at season&rsquo;s end, the league&rsquo;s top goal-scorer will receive the <b>Willie Marshall</b> Award. Marshall, a center, played 20 AHL seasons from 1952-1972, winning three Calder Cup titles.</p><p><b>NOTEBOOK</b> A 5-3 loss at Springfield Feb. 15 lengthened the Albany River Rats road winless skid to 14 straight games (0-9-2-3). The Rats responded to the slump Feb. 17 by firing coach <b>Dennis Gendron</b> and replacing him with <b>Rob Ftorek</b>, who previously coached Albany from 1993-94 through 1995-96. Gendron will remain with the New Jersey organization.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04409/8303833-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="1076" height="1588"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brent Johnson didn&rsquo;t claim the starting job in two years in St. Louis, so this season the Blues sent him to Worcester to work on his game.</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0031-03

Rule change doesn’t faze Bear goalies

<div class="byline">-PAVEL BARTA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05321/8303871-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="475" height="186"></div><p><i>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this sea-. son. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses:</i></p><p>&bull; <b>Fredrik Norrena</b>, 30, G (Tampa Bay). In his second year with Vastra Frolunda (Sweden), the Finnish native led netminders with a 1.76 GAA and .936 save percentage in 36 games.</p><p>&bull; <b>Dave Chyzowski</b>, 32, LW (free agent). Second overall pick in 1989 played 126 games with Islanders and Chicago. In first year with Graz in Austria, he&rsquo;s among leaders with 17 goals and 27 points in 23 games.</p><p>&bull; <b>Alexander Drozdetsky</b>, 22, RW (Philadelphia). Flashy sniper was 94th overall choice in 2000. He was the best goal-scorer on AK Bars Kazan in the Russian league, notching 15, and 24 points in 48 games.</p><p>&bull; <b>Claude Lemieux</b>, 38, RW (free agent). Three-time Stanley Cup champion has played only for charity this season. Signed with Zug in Switzerland Feb. 9 and played his first game, fittingly, on Friday the 13th.<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/f0031-06263/8303902-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="207" height="111"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span> franchise-record 15-game home unbeaten streak had the Kalamazoo Wings in position to make the United League playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Coach Mark Reeds, in his first year in Kalamazoo after four seasons coaching the Missouri River Otters, molded the Wings into the UHL&rsquo;s No. 2 defensive team. The Wings are allowing 2.86 goals per game and goalie Chad Alban had five shutouts. Through 48 games, the Wings were fifth in the standings with a 25-16-7 record. Kalamazoo went 10-0-5 during the streak and had the UHL&rsquo;s second-best home record at 13-3-6.<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/f0031-07223/8303933-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="207" height="115"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Tulsa Oilers are more than welcome in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Blazers set the Central League&rsquo;s single-game attendance mark Feb. 7, drawing 16,929 to the Ford Center in a 6-2 loss to the rival Oilers. That surpassed the mark of 16,873 set last season, also with Tulsa in town. Oklahoma City, which has led all minor pro hockey leagues in attendance the past three years, has drawn a total of 3.6 million fans over its 12 seasons, an average of 9,284 a game&hellip;New Florida (NHL) coach John Torchetti was CHL coach of the year with the San Antonio Iguanas in 1994-95.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-07

<div class="byline">-NICK GATES</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08183/8303964-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="145" height="130"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>inston-Salem president John Baker not only believes his underachieving T-Birds can make the playoffs, but that they can win a championship as well. &ldquo;I still think we&rsquo;ve got the best team in the league,&rdquo; he said. So when Winston-Salem dropped 15 of 17 games to fall to 16-23, Baker fired Mike LaZazzera, the coach and director of hockey operations, and replaced him with Randy Irving. LaZazzera was ejected from several games and suspended four times for a total of 17 games. Baker said the losing streak, not LaZazzera&rsquo;s antics, necessitated the change.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0031-08

<div class="byline">-SCOTT ANDERA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09157/8303995-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="164" height="126"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SPORTS ACTION)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>hree WHA2 all-stars received a shock when they were called on to play a couple of games for the ECHL&rsquo;s Florida Everblades. The banged-up Ever-blades got help from Orlando defenseman Mike Fournier, Lakeland forward Jimmy Callahan and Miami forward Kevin Swider. The call from Florida GM Craig Brush stunned Swider, who wavered before accepting. &ldquo;I was contemplating it,&rdquo; said Swider to The <i>News-Press</i> of Fort Myers. &ldquo;It was such short notice, but I had to give it a shot.&rdquo; Swider, with a goal and three points, was the only WHA2 player to tally points for the Everblades.<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/f0032-02778/8304033-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="266" height="289"><figcaption class="caption-body">QUEBEC LEAGUE</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011161/8304040-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="230" height="125"></div><p><b>T</b>he Rimouski Oceanic felt Quebec League referees needed to start treating <b>Sidney Crosby</b> differently.</p><p>The Oceanic, saying they believed on-ice officials frequently turned a blind eye to infractions committed on their 16-year-old superstar, threatened not to dress him in two road games to protest. After a few days of backlash, though, Rimouski changed its stance, saying the team was considering sitting Crosby because he was tired and it was a good time to rest him. Crosby is a huge draw around the league and the Oceanic may have been wagering that leaving him on the sidelines would draw enough of a reaction from fans and other teams that the QMJHL front office would be forced to take the matter seriously.</p><p>But league commissioner <b>Gilles Courteau</b>-speaking before Rimouski backed off its &ldquo;protest&rdquo; threat-said he hadn&rsquo;t received any official complaints from the Oceanic all year on the matter and was surprised by the rogue measure.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like being threatened if that&rsquo;s the case and if that&rsquo;s what Rimouski wants to do,&rdquo; Courteau said. &ldquo;There are ways to submit something to the league office, through a specific procedure. This is the way it should have worked. I don&rsquo;t think this is the way they should have done it.&rdquo;</p><p>The Oceanic&rsquo;s displeasure boiled over after a loss to the Halifax Mooseheads. They claimed Crosby was manhandled by the Mooseheads, but Halifax GM <b>Marcel Patenaude</b> said there were no major incidents that set it apart from any other game.</p><p>&ldquo;We played a normal physical game like we do against any team,&rdquo; Patenaude said. &ldquo;Plus, the way Sidney plays is very intense and very involved so there are always physical matchups&hellip;That&rsquo;s part of hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Initially, there were also reports Crosby&rsquo;s agents and parents had floated the idea of sending him to Europe to play professionally next year. But agent Pat Brisson denied that speculation.</p><p><b>VOLT DONE FOR SEASON</b> Drummondville Voltigeurs left winger Kevin Mailhiot will miss the rest of the season after sustaining the sixth concussion of his career. Montreal-based head injury specialist Dr. Karen Johnston recommended he sit out until next year as a precaution.</p><p><b>VINCENT&rsquo;S VICTORIES</b> Cape Breton Screaming Eagles coach-GM Pascal Vincent recorded the 150th win of his career. Vincent has been behind the Cape Breton bench since 1999.</p><h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05311/8304026-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="276" height="731"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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March 2, 2004

2003-04 NHL STATISTICS

The Hockey News STATS EXTRA

Need for grit, size on wing makes Corson newest Star

NEWFOUNDLAND & NHL