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.

October 31, 2006

The Hockey News - Oct-31-06

<p>&#9633; In our recent Pucks & Bucks issue, we listed <b>Teemu Selanne&rsquo;s</b> cap designation at $6 million. His actual salary is only $3.75 million, but he has $2.25 million in possible performance bonuses. Even though he hasn&rsquo;t earned them yet and may not this season, those bonuses count against the cap.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04645/8818172-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="571" height="449"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(AEBISCHER: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&#9632; Is this the year of the backup goalie? Already <b>David Aebischer</b> has crowded <b>Cristobal Huet</b>&rsquo;<b>s</b> crease in Montreal; <b>Ray Emery</b> has taken over for Sens preseason favorite <b>Martin Gerber</b> and veteran <b>Mike Dunham</b> has pushed <b>Rick DiPietro</b> to the end of the bench on Long Island.</p><p>&#9633; Philadelphia coach <b>Ken Hitchcock</b> said all the right things about hockey being a team game while defending goalie <b>Robert Esche</b> after his team was drubbed 9-1 by the Sabres. But that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact Hitch hung his goalie out to dry by leaving him in net the entire game to teach him a lesson about dissing the coach earlier in the season.</p><p>&#9633; The Canucks have gone from having 1&frac12; scoring lines last season to just one this season. Somehow choosing to save money on <b>Anson Carter</b> and overspending to keep <b>Ryan Kesler</b> just doesn&rsquo;t seem like good business moving forward.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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DEPARTMENTS

SNAPSHOTS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0025-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011143/8819445-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg"></div><p><b>SEE PG. 32 FOR INJURIES | TOP TWO PLAYERS ON PP UNIT PLAY THE POINTS</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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NHL Depth Charts

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012229/8817858-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="286" height="315"></div><p><b>COMEBACKS ARE MAKING</b> a comeback, thanks to the new NHL.</p><p>Since the clampdown on obstruction began last season &ndash; and the fact referees no longer put their whistles away in the third period and overtime &ndash; leads are much less safe heading into the third period.</p><p>&ldquo;In the new NHL you can&rsquo;t sit back like you did previously and just defend the lead,&rdquo; says Toronto captain Mats Sundin. &ldquo;You have to keep skating and keep trying to be creative.&rdquo;</p><p>The Leafs found that out the hard way Oct. 12 when they carried a cozy three-goal lead into the third period against New Jersey, only to have Brian Gionta score a natural hat trick to send the game into overtime. The Devils put the icing on the comeback cake by winning in a shootout. The same night, Edmonton&rsquo;s Ryan Smyth also scored a natural hat trick to rally the Oilers past San Jose in the third period.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Before when you were up two goals, you could hook and hold, and clutch and grab.<br>Mats Sundin</blockquote><p>Through 78 games this year, there were 10 instances of a team trailing after two periods that went on to win the contest &ndash; once in regulation, twice in overtime and seven times in the shootout. That&rsquo;s the same rate &ndash; one comeback every 7.8 games &ndash; as last season through the same number of games. Last year, in all, there were 147 in 1,230 contests; one every 8.4 games.</p><p>Comebacks are way, way up, though, when you look back at previous years and how teams did when trailing after two periods. Two seasons ago, there were 81 comebacks in 1,230 games; one every 15.1 games. In &lsquo;02-03 it was once every 12.2 games and once every 15.9 contests in &lsquo;01-02.</p><p>&ldquo;The reason for the comebacks is you can&rsquo;t defend a lead the way you used to,&rdquo; says Leafs coach Paul Maurice. &ldquo;You used to be able to throw (the puck) in deep, not go after it and grind it out. You just can&rsquo;t do that anymore.&rdquo;</p><p>Adds Sundin: &ldquo;When you can&rsquo;t hook and hold in your own end &ndash; and you can&rsquo;t defend that way anymore &ndash; as soon as you lose the initiative and stop being creative, you&rsquo;re giving your opponent a chance to get back in the game.</p><p>&ldquo;Before when you were up two goals, you could hook and hold and clutch and grab and shoot the puck out and just hold on for 20 minutes.&rdquo;</p><p>Dallas coach Dave Tippett said his players are told to keep pressing even when they are skating with the lead.</p><p>&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t continue forechecking, you&rsquo;re going to put yourself in a very difficult position,&rdquo; Tippett said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re too susceptible to penalties when you play in your own end.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021468/8817851-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1560" height="2426"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ryan Smyth <span class="photo-credit">(TIM SMITH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>487 Consecutive sellouts in Colorado, a streak that was snapped Oct. 16</b></p><p><b>16.6 Per cent of NHL games this year that went to the shootout, as of Oct. 19</b></p><p><b>84 Number worn by Guillaume Latendresse, the last unused number in NHL history.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Never given up for dead

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03761/8818473-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="258" height="62"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Ducks knew they were taking a calculated risk when they sent budding star right winger Joffrey Lupul to Edmonton in the Chris Pronger trade.</p><p>Lupul was third on the Ducks with 28 goals last season and added a team-high nine in the playoffs. Replacing that offense is one of the squad&rsquo;s bigger challenges this season and the early returns weren&rsquo;t promising.</p><p>The Ducks produced only nine even-strength goals through six games, with wingers Teemu Selanne and Chris Kunitz scoring all five of their combined goals on the power play. After a resurgent 40-goal season, Selanne had just one through six games despite getting plenty of chances and averaging four shots per game.</p><p>It&rsquo;s too early for GM Brian Burke to look outside the organization for help, but that will definitely be an option later if necessary.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Ducks laying eggs too often on offense

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012038/8817689-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CONTENTS: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; LEAFS: HHOF COVER: ARMSTRONG: HHOF; ALL OTHERS: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Hard focus

<p><b>ACCORDING TO ASTRONOMERS</b> there is no definable center of the universe. Just don&rsquo;t try telling that to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>Canada&rsquo;s biggest city is home of the hockey world&rsquo;s No. 1 sense of entitlement. And it&rsquo;s not difficult to see the logic behind the self-grandeur. The NHL&rsquo;s Canadian office is located here. The Hockey Hall of Fame is located here. The main studios for all three major Canadian hockey broadcasters are located here. The NHL awards are perennially located here. Big games for the World Cups (nee Canada Cup) are frequently located here. The Hockey News is located here.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012006/8817727-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="496" height="496"></div><p>The original Stanley Cup bowl is located here, on display at the Hall 365 days a year.</p><p>The glitch? No Maple Leafs player has held the Cup or even come close in nearly four decades. The incongruence is startling. And, as we mark that impending 40th anniversary, it makes for a compelling cover story for The Hockey News, even at the risk of being labeled Toronto-centric.</p><p>That&rsquo;s a tag of which we&rsquo;re highly sensitive. The center of anyone&rsquo;s universe is the space they&rsquo;re currently occupying. For us, that means much of the hockey information we absorb has a local flavor.</p><p>We safeguard against Toronto osmosis and saturation in our pages in various ways. For starters, of the 40-plus freelance writers we use on a weekly basis, just one is situated in Toronto. The remainder are on the beat around North America, the vast majority in the United States. Our internal editorial team, meantime, is populated with writers and editors who grew up across Canada, supporting various NHL franchises. In fact, of the five senior staffers, just one was raised in Toronto &ndash; and he has never owned a Maple Leafs&rsquo; sweater. The other four rooted for Chicago, Boston, Montreal and the Islanders.</p><p>The point is, a good story is a good story is a good story. Last year, we did a hard-hitting and fair piece on the decay of the Blackhawks, the franchise with the longest current Cup drought. A year earlier, we took a similar tack with the other Original Six disappointment, the Boston Bruins.</p><p>It&rsquo;s a big hockey universe out there with a center that&rsquo;s on wheels. We&rsquo;ll continue to do our best to pursue that moving target and capture the stories that matter most to our audience&hellip;even if, sometimes, they happen in Toronto.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021686/8817720-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="407" height="218"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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No boundaries for good stories

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031377/8817758-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="974" height="834"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jochen Hecht <span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen the Buffalo Sabres unveiled their new logo and uniform earlier this year, the reaction was immediate and passionate. And not in a good way. Many Sabre-watchers, and hockey fans in general, took issue with the design; the more zealous were indignant about the new fashion statement. It reminded us, briefly, of the New York Islanders&rsquo; fisherman debacle of the 1990s, a look that lasted two years, about the same lifespan as most Islander first round draft picks of the era. The difference this time, however, is the Sabres are off to a fantastic start, making the uniform debate already seem trivial. Go figure. NHL team sweaters are a matter of personal taste, but inevitably it&rsquo;s the men inside the duds that really set the tone for each franchise&rsquo;s fan base. By the time teams such as Anaheim, Carolina and Ottawa got good, their once-questionable/laughable jerseys were no longer a focal point. Time, coupled with wins, has a way of healing sartorial scars. For the Sabres, the hurt didn&rsquo;t last very long. According to the NHL, the new Buffalo sweater is the No. 1 selling shirt on the league&rsquo;s website and the team&rsquo;s merchandise sales are up a whopping 900 per cent over last year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012012/8817820-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="929" height="946"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brad Marsh <span class="photo-credit">(MARSH: JOHN GIAMUNDO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>Vision problems</b></h2><p>I wish the hockey media would leave the visor issue alone. I&rsquo;m very tired of hearing about it.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t wear a Kevlar body suit and a space helmet while I&rsquo;m landscaping; why should the players be forced to wear something they feel impedes them?</p><p>Also, who doesn&rsquo;t remember Craig MacTavish flying around with no lid on in the dying throes of those days? Or helmetless Brad Marsh, after being named the third star of a game, skating three loops around center ice as fast as he could like a novice house-leaguer when the two-minute buzzer goes?</p><p>I think forcing visors on the game takes away from the individuality of the players, as forcing everyone to wear helmets did.</p><p>JEREMY HUYGEN, MITCHELL, ONT.</p><h2><b>Pens&rsquo; state</b></h2><p>I&rsquo;m sick and tired of hearing people talk about taking the Penguins away from Pittsburgh, especially now that they have a new Canadian owner. If Mario Lemieux can spend his entire career here and raise his family, I don&rsquo;t know why it can&rsquo;t be good enough for the rest of the hockey world.</p><p>Pittsburgh had the highest rate of improvement in attendance last season and it wasn&rsquo;t because they won a lot of games.</p><p>I was there when &lsquo;The Wizard of Cros&rsquo; became the youngest player in history to score 100 points. It was the last home game of the season and the Pens were in last place, but it was standing-room only.</p><p>Judging by the energy that night you would&rsquo;ve thought Pittsburgh had won a third Stanley Cup. What&rsquo;s good enough for Mario is good enough for me.</p><p>BRIAN SPENCE, EDINBORO, PA.</p><h2><b>Greatest gift</b></h2><p>I am a 36-year-old man (and longtime subscriber) who celebrated the second anniversary of my own kidney transplant over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.</p><p>For obvious reasons, I was deeply touched and impressed by Mike Brophy&rsquo;s Overtime column (Oct. 17) about Sarah Beth Therien and Brandi Shaw&rsquo;s incredible gifts of life.</p><p>The kidney I received was also from a cadaver, but as the column stated, a large number of organs (especially kidneys) are from live donors like Brandi. Either way, the gift of organ donation is the best thing anyone can give to another human, be it as a living donor or upon death. It is the gift of life; what&rsquo;s better than that?</p><p>Unfortunately, there are too many people who do not understand the need for these organs and how they will help other people extend their lives and enjoy good health for many years.</p><p>DAVID HANSON, RICHMOND, B.C.</p><h2><b>The enforcers</b></h2><p>It seems lately that every issue of The Hockey News has a letter from some neanderthal who still thinks that the NHL was a better place before they started enforcing the rules.</p><p>You&rsquo;ll notice I don&rsquo;t call them &lsquo;new rules&rsquo;; it&rsquo;s just the way the game was meant to be played. Like 90 per cent of the fans out there, I love it and I think it&rsquo;s about time. Anyone who misses the clutching, grabbing, and fighting should go find another sport. They were never really a hockey fan, anyway.</p><p>BILL TURNER, THUNDER BAY, ONT.</p><h2><b>Nabbing No. 1</b></h2><p>I am a longtime Sharks fan and even bigger Evgeni Nabokov fan and I feel that San Jose should make a move by trading Vesa Toskala for a good defenseman.</p><p>Nabokov is a good veteran and simply has had the stuff over the years. So Nabby, just keep playing great and you&rsquo;ll be No. 1.</p><p>TY DILELLO, WINNIPEG</p><h2><b>Classy Joe</b></h2><p>I would like to give a big thank you to Mike Brophy for recognizing Joe Sakic as one of the NHL&rsquo;s best centers.</p><p>Not because he&rsquo;s one of my favorite players, but because of the reason written in THN&rsquo;s season opener special (Oct. 3): &lsquo;Future Hall of Famer remains while other stars depart.&rsquo; That to me says it all right there.</p><p>While losing Rob Blake and Alex Tanguay, Sakic put salary cap issues aside and stayed with the Avs for the sake of seeking Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup. Other &ldquo;stars&rdquo; should take a look at Burnaby Joe.</p><p>GARY BANKS, SUMMERFIELD, FLA.</p><h2><b>CORRECTION</b></h2><p><i>In the Oct. 17 issue, Brent Sutter was referred to as Brett Sutter&rsquo;s father. He is actually his uncle. The Hockey News regrets the error.</i></p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><p><b>WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TEAMS IS MOST LIKELY TO END ITS LONG STANLEY CUP DROUGHT?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021443/8817813-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="393" height="362"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRIERE: RICK STEWART/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Buffalo 77%</b></p><p><b>Toronto 8%</b></p><p><b>Vancouver 5%</b></p><p><b>Chicago 3%</b></p><p><b>Philadelphia 3%</b></p><p><b>Boston 1%</b></p><p><b>Los Angeles 1%</b></p><p><b>Phoenix 1%</b></p><p><b>St. Louis 1%</b></p><p><b>Washington 1%</b></p><h2><b>HOW TO REACH US</b></h2><p><b>E-MAIL</b></p><p><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>WEB</b></p><p><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>CANADA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7</p><p><b>USA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947</p><p><i>Include your name, hometown & province/state.</i></p><p><i>Submissions will be edited.</i></p><h2><b>SUBSCRIBE</b></h2><p><b>GET IT AT</b> <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>OR CALL</b> 1.888.361.9768<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Got something to say?

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012018/8817896-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kris Beech <span class="photo-credit">(BEECH: GREG FIUME/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03851/8817903-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="95" height="104"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE WASHINGTON CAPITALS</b> had big things in mind for Kris Beech when they made the center their first pick (seventh overall) in the 1999 NHL draft. Little did they know it would be seven years, three trades and a tour of the NHL and AHL before it would come to fruition.</p><p>The 25-year-old native of Salmon Arm, B.C., is finally starting to fulfill some of the promise that prompted the Caps to choose him ahead of notable &lsquo;99 draftees such as Barret Jackman, Nick Boynton, Martin Havlat and Henrik Zetterberg.</p><p>Hey, better late than never.</p><p>&ldquo;I never lost faith that one day I would be playing regularly in the NHL,&rdquo; says Beech, who split last season between Nashville and Washington in the NHL and Milwaukee and Hershey in the AHL.</p><p>&ldquo;I just figured if I kept working on my game, working on my skills, I&rsquo;d get another chance.&rdquo;</p><p>What makes Beech noteworthy is the fact he is the only player traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in July of 2001 for Jaromir Jagr who is still performing in the NHL. Michal Sivek and Ross Lupaschuk, who were also dealt by Washington to Pittsburgh for Jagr and Frantisek Kucera, are both skating in Europe. Sivek played 38 games for the Pens in 2002-03, scoring three goals and six points, while Lupaschuk was pointless in three games that season.</p><p>Beech had a decent debut with the Pens in &lsquo;02-03, scoring 10 goals and 25 points as a 20-year-old, but was unable to stay up as a full-time NHLer. He was traded to Nashville in 2005 and back to Washington last March.</p><p>Beech says he didn&rsquo;t feel pressure about joining the Penguins as one of the players obtained for Jagr, who helped Pittsburgh win two Stanley Cups, led the NHL in scoring four times and won a Hart Trophy as the league&rsquo;s most valuable player during his 11-year tenure there.</p><p>&ldquo;To be honest, I was actually more excited about getting the opportunity to play with Mario (Lemieux) than anything else,&rdquo; Beech says. &ldquo;In the end, I really didn&rsquo;t think I got much of a chance in Pittsburgh. It was tough, but I never lost sight of my goal.&rdquo;</p><p>Though last season was a whirlwind tour of four cities, it ended on a happy note for Beech, who helped the Hershey Bears win the Calder Cup with 14 goals and 28 points in 21 playoff games. Now in his sixth pro season, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound pivot is more prepared than ever to make his NHL mark.</p><p>&ldquo;The one constant throughout his career has been his good hockey sense,&rdquo; says Washington GM George McPhee. &ldquo;What he didn&rsquo;t have then that he has now is enough strength. Now he is stronger and has the drive to compete.&rdquo;</p><p>McPhee says Beech has the potential to be a solid No. 2 play-making center. He had a goal and four points through five games.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s strong on faceoffs and he sees the ice well,&rdquo; McPhee says. &ldquo;Also, he does a great job on the power play.&rdquo;</p><p>Sounds like Beech can unpack his bags once and for all.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021354/8817889-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="489" height="577"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAGR: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>154</b> Number of goals scored by <b>Jaromir Jagr</b> in 307 games since Pens-to-Caps trade in July, 2001.</p><p><b>14</b> Combined goals for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk and Michal Sivek in 149 NHL games since the trade.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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A trivia answer no longer

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012119/8817934-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="766" height="600"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WANTED</b></p><p>Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Evgeni Malkin is at the center of a dispute over his playing rights this season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MALKIN: GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>RUSSIAN TEAM WILL FIGHT NHL</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>R</span>ussian team Yaroslavl filed a civil lawsuit in a New York court against the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and the NHL and it is expected Metallurg Magnitogorsk will take similar action. The club teams are asking the court to uphold a Russian sport arbitration panel ruling Flames prospect Andrei Taratukhin and Alexei Mikhnov of the Oilers were under contract to Yaroslavl and should not be allowed to play in the NHL. Magnitogorsk will also likely pursue its legal options on Pittsburgh rookie Evgeni Malkin, claiming he has a contract with Metallurg and should not be playing in the NHL. The NHL says the players legally terminated their contracts with their Russian teams by giving notice and the Russian arbitration panel has no jurisdiction in NHL affairs.</p><h2><b>FEMALE PLAYER IN COURT</b></h2><p>An 18-year-old New Brunswick girl will have to explain to a judge why she struck an opposing player from behind at the end of a high school hockey game in April. Annick Noel of Shippagan, N.B., will be tried for aggravated assault after the incident, which occurred at the end of a conference championship game. Marie-Claude Bernard, 15, was celebrating the overtime winner that lifted her Dalhousie, N.B., school to the title when Noel skated across the ice and struck her in the lower back with her stick. Bernard spent nine days in intensive care with a lacerated spleen and was forced to miss the provincial championship tournament and a tryout camp for New Brunswick&rsquo;s Canada Games team. Noel has pleaded not guilty to the charge.</p><h2><b>CBC&rsquo;S LEE STEPS ASIDE</b></h2><p>Nancy Lee, the executive director of CBC Sports and once the No. 23-rated personality in The Hockey News top 100 people of power and influence, resigned to take over as chief operating officer of Olympic Broadcast Services Vancouver. David Masse will serve as acting executive director.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021584/8817972-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WHERE ARE THE BUMS?</b></p><p>The Panthers announced 14,312 for this game against Carolina, but is it really?</p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>OR EACH OF THEIR</b> first three home games, the St. Louis Blues were going against a force much bigger than themselves, and that has nothing to do with the fact they were the worst team in hockey last season.</p><p>Each time the Blues played, they were head-to-head against the St. Louis Cardinals, the local nine that was making a spirited run through the baseball playoffs. That goes a long way toward explaining the fact the Blues averaged just 12,450 fans in those three games, but anytime a team draws just 8,531 fans, there is trouble brewing.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031112/8817965-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="239" height="324"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gary Bettman <span class="photo-credit">(ARENA: ELIOT J. SCHECHTER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>But what was the Atlanta Thrashers&rsquo; excuse? For the first time in forever, the Braves were not in the playoffs, yet the Thrashers were down more than 2,000 per game (14,298 this season compared to 16,446 last season) after four games.</p><p>&ldquo;Our good start hasn&rsquo;t affected our attendance in a positive way,&rdquo; said Thrashers GM Don Waddell.</p><p>St. Louis and Atlanta aren&rsquo;t the only ones experiencing problems. The Chicago Blackhawks, who have fallen into a black hole in their market, drew an announced crowd of just 8,008 for a game against Nashville Oct. 12. Even the Colorado Avalanche, one of the healthiest teams in the league, saw its string of 487 sellouts come to an end when it came up more than 300 short against Chicago Oct. 16.</p><p>After 90 games, the NHL was averaging 16,941 fans per game compared to 17,051 after 89 games last season.</p><p>NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, to the surprise of no one, is saying it&rsquo;s too early to start writing negative stories about attendance. However, he didn&rsquo;t discourage anyone from writing happy-talk pieces last year when the league experienced an early surge after the lockout.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Good seats available

<p><b>THIS WEEK WE ASKED OURSELVES</b></p><p>Which NHLers have had a big &lsquo;fall&rsquo;?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04597/8818003-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="776" height="954"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CARSON: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>10 Tony Tanti</b> 86 points as a rookie, no more than 49 after the age of 25.</p><p><b>09 Chris Kontos</b> Scored 51 points in 1992-93, then never played in the NHL again.</p><p><b>08 Mikael Renberg</b> Cursed by Legion of Doom success, now plays in Lulea.</p><p><b>07 Dale McCourt</b> No. 1 pick overall by Detroit was out of the league by 27.</p><p><b>06 Jimmy Carson</b> Had 100-point seasons with Kings, Oilers, then never broke 70.</p><p><b>05 Roman Cechmanek</b> Goals-against never went above 2.05 as a Flyer, still dumped.</p><p><b>04 Ken Hodge Jr.</b> Topped out with 59 points as a B&rsquo;s rookie, last seen in Cardiff, UK.</p><p><b>03 Chris Valentine</b> Notched 30 goals as a Caps rookie, then exiled to Dusseldorf.</p><p><b>02 Ron Sedlbauer</b> From 40 goals in 1978-79 to 45 total for the rest of his career.</p><p><b>01 Rob Brown</b> Triple digits (115) as a Pens sophomore only did that in minors after.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-04

COUNTDOWN

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011922/8818041-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="256" height="261"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021324/8818034-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="105" height="120"></div><p><b>RW 19</b></p><p><b>Mark Deering from St. John&rsquo;s Nfld., asks Who do you think is the hardest-working player in the NHL?</b>&nbsp;<i>Jonathan Cheechoo of the Sharks.</i></p><p><b>Adrian MacLellan from New Waterford, N.S., asks What would you be doing if you weren&rsquo;t playing hockey?</b>&nbsp;<i>I would be doing something with horses. I love horses.</i></p><p><b>Kelly Kolla from Cudworth, Sask., asks Who in your career has influenced you to become such a great two-way player?</b>&nbsp;<i>My father, Bernie. He was a very good hockey player who was drafted by St. Louis. He always gave me good advice.</i></p><p><b>Blayd Anholt from Amisk, Alta., asks What advice do you have for young players in small towns who want to make it to the NHL?</b>&nbsp;<i>I played in Amisk. Believe in yourself and know that anything is possible.</i></p><p><b>Jason O&rsquo;Connor from Stony Creek, Ont., asks Do you think checking should be allowed in minor hockey?</b>&nbsp;<i>Yes, to a degree. I think it&rsquo;s better and safer for kids to learn how to hit when they are five or six-years-old than at 12 or 13 when you can get hurt.</i></p><p>Visit <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b> to ask your questions of NHL stars!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0009-01

FAN SHOOTOUT WITH Shane Doan

<p><b>HERE AT THE HOCKEY NEWS</b> we don&rsquo;t ask how many, we ask how.</p><p>That&rsquo;s the philosophy behind &lsquo;Campbellnomics,&rsquo; a statistic generated by senior writer Ken Campbell that ranks players, not by goals and assists, but by important goals and assists. We don&rsquo;t care who scored the sixth goal in a 6-2 win, but we want to reward the guy who scored the overtime winner in a 3-2 win.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s how it works: One point is awarded to a player who scores one of the following goals in any game: the first goal of the game, a goal that puts his team into a lead, a goal that pulls his team into a tie, a game-winning goal, an overtime goal and a shootout goal. Assists on any of those kinds of goals are awarded a half a point.</p><p>So if a player scores in overtime in a 1-0 win, he gets four points, one for the first goal, one for putting his team ahead, one for the game-winner and one for the overtime goal.</p><p>Campbellnomics will appear each issue and can be found this week on page 35.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03808/8818072-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="951" height="1108"><figcaption class="caption-body">Daniel Sedin <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-03

Crunching stats that matter

f0010-01

ELSTON

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021505/8818141-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BUT HOW?</b></p><p><b>Randy Robitaille of the Flyers was plus-1 in a 9-1 loss to Buffalo.</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(ROBITAILLE: LEN REDKOLES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03940/8818134-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="857" height="634"><figcaption class="caption-body">Lil Jon & Kari Lehtonen <span class="photo-credit">(LEHTONEN: SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ASK FANS IN</b> Atlanta if they ever see celebrities at Thrashers games, and they&rsquo;ll likely give you an enthusiastic &ldquo;Yeeeeaaaaah!&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s because homegrown hip-hop icon Lil Jon has taken quite a shine to the local hockey team, and it&rsquo;s not from the reflection of the bejewelled &lsquo;pimp cup&rsquo; chalice he is famous for carrying around.</p><p>&ldquo;Hockey still has that aggression, like football and basketball,&rdquo; said the dreadlocked, multi-platinum-selling artist. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fast-paced, it&rsquo;s quick and you can beat on the glass.&rdquo;</p><p>Best known for his high-energy songs and catchphrases &ldquo;Yeeeeaaah!&rdquo; and &ldquo;Okaaaaay!&rdquo;, Lil Jon&rsquo;s history with Atlanta hockey goes back to the days when he used to cheer on the Flames as a youth and then go skating at The Omni, the team&rsquo;s home rink.</p><p>With the Thrashers now representing the &lsquo;ATL,&rsquo; Lil Jon has a new home team to back, and they&rsquo;ve welcomed him with open arms, from the ownership on down.</p><p>&ldquo;When you get shown that love,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;you show it right back.&rdquo;</p><p>The producer/performer has also mugged with the Stanley Cup and has an unlikely new buddy on the team in Finnish netminder Kari Lehtonen.</p><p>&ldquo;The other day, he was like, &lsquo;Yo, I got you on my helmet, man,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Lil Jon (<i>see picture</i>). &ldquo;That&rsquo;s dope. I&rsquo;m just real happy for him (and the goalie&rsquo;s early success this year).&rdquo;</p><p>And Lil Jon&rsquo;s not afraid to make predictions worthy of GM Don Waddell, either. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re definitely going to the playoffs this year,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be carrying that Cup. And if they win, I&rsquo;m buying the whole team pimp cups.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

Lil Jon a big fan

<div class="byline">Tim Graham</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021320/8818203-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SPRUNG A KOTALIK</b></p><p>Ales Kotalik is just one of many Buffalo forwards who enjoy charging around blueliners.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(RICK STEWART/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011834/8818210-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="198" height="205"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>his is being written by candlelight. A squadron of suddenly homeless squirrels, working for acorns, is harnessed to a battery to keep my laptop running. One week after a wicked October snowstorm crippled the Buffalo-Niagara region, homes remain dark. Virtually every tree is splintered like a termite-infested wooden stick on a one-timer.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">They just play so good together. When the defense gets the puck, two guys are just flying up the ice.<br>Jaromir Jagr</blockquote><p>About 400,000 households &ndash; not people, but households &ndash; lost electricity, phones, hot water. The area is devastated.</p><p>Just two days into the ordeal, however, locals defied driving bans, slalomed around downed trees and power lines and headed to HSBC Arena for a diversion. Never mind their flooded homes and busted rooft ops; they couldn&rsquo;t miss an opportunity to see their Sabres.</p><p>The ga-ga capacity crowd of 18,690 exemplified the awesome wonder the Sabres have instilled in their community. That Oct. 14 game against the Rangers wasn&rsquo;t merely one of 41 home dates. It was viewed as another thrilling step to be cherished on the way to a Stanley Cup.</p><p>Who can blame them? Fans will be fans, but they&rsquo;re certainly not delusional in their championship dreams. The Sabres beat the Rangers 7-4 that night, bewildering yet another opponent in the process.</p><p>The Sabres are obnoxiously fast. They possess the NHL&rsquo;s best goaltending tandem. They have nine potential 20-goal forwards. They&rsquo;re remarkably fast. They have their best collection of defensemen in team history. Their coach is the reigning Jack Adams Award winner.</p><p>They&rsquo;re young (only three players over 30), yet experienced. And they&rsquo;re really, really fast, too.</p><p>&ldquo;It is scary,&rdquo; Jaromir Jagr said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like if you put in a Ferrari very good gas. It&rsquo;s just going to go. They just play so good together. When the defense gets the puck, two guys are just flying up the ice.&rdquo;</p><p>One night earlier, it was Dominik Hasek whose head was shaking. The Red Wings had commanded the Sabres in Hockeytown, jumping to an early 2-0 lead and more than quintupling the Sabres in shots late in the second period. The Sabres won in a shootout.</p><p>&ldquo;This is the type of team that has a good chance to win the Cup,&rdquo; Hasek said. &ldquo;Last year they came very close, and this year if they&rsquo;re not the same they&rsquo;re even better.&rdquo;</p><p>And then there was U.S. Olympian Robert Esche, who must have felt a kindred spirit to all the kindling scattered about the storm-ravaged region after the Sabres tore up him and the Flyers in a 9-1 slaughter Oct. 17.</p><p>&ldquo;They score goals; that&rsquo;s all it is,&rdquo; Esche said. &ldquo;They score on their chances and other teams don&rsquo;t. They&rsquo;re just that good.&rdquo;</p><p>So it&rsquo;s the opponents, not the citizens, who feel torn limb from limb.</p><p>The victory over the Flyers gave the Sabres a 6-0 record and the checklist was impressive.</p><p>If anyone doubted whether the Sabres would be as good as they were last spring, when they came within a period of playing for the Stanley Cup despite dressing four AHL defensemen in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, everyone had to be convinced three weeks into the season. Their first nine games were against playoff - qualifying teams. In their first three road games they beat the defending Stanley Cup champs, the top seed in the East from a year ago and the reigning Presidents&rsquo; Trophy winners.</p><p>There were a few question marks surrounding the Sabres in training camp. Would they feel the losses of forwards J-P Dumont and Mike Grier and defenseman Jay McKee? Would they regret not trading backup goalie Martin Biron over the summer? Would concussed center Tim Connolly be missed? Would they experience a hangover? Would a slew of hefty raises &ndash; they had a $29 million payroll last season, but are within $50,000 of the $44 million salary cap this season &ndash; make their players too fat and happy?</p><p>No, no, no, no and no.</p><p>In fact, they&rsquo;ve gotten even more fearsome. Key youngsters such as goalie Ryan Miller and forwards Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek and Paul Gaustad are a year older and wiser.</p><p>The addition of veteran defenseman Jaroslav Spacek complements the Sabres offensive style better than McKee &ndash; who was a great shot-blocker and defensive specialist &ndash; did.</p><p>If Connolly can come back and provide his incredible offensive skills, then opponents might petition the NHL for mercy.</p><p>Devastation has never been so much fun.</p><p>The Sabres have speed to burn and no team is as adept at torching the opposition<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-02

Winter Wonderland

<div class="byline">By Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012034/8818276-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE LAST CUP</b></p><p>The Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate their most recent Stanley Cup championship, after beating Montreal back on May 2, 1967.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(HHOF)</span></figcaption></div><p>9 GMs</p><p>18 coaches</p><p>497 players</p><p>27 million ticket sales</p><p>A kazillion dollars in revenue</p><p><b>DEEP IN THE BOWELS</b> of the Air Canada Centre, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a motorized cart with a trailer attached that lugs around heavy bags of hockey equipment. The cart has a license plate and at the top of the plate it reads, &ldquo;Spirit of &rsquo;67.&rdquo; Below that, in big blue letters, are the words GO LFS. Apparently, it never occurred to the person who made the sign that when you put those two words together, you get GOLFS.</p><p>For an organization that has done so little right for the past 39 years, it is a fitting malapropism. Since last winning the Stanley Cup in 1967, the Maple Leafs have spent far more time in the spring honing their golf games than mounting a serious chase for the championship.</p><p>Should the Leafs not win the Cup this season, that streak will reach a remarkable 40 years. Since that time, the world has grown by three billion people, man&rsquo;s life expectancy has increased by more than seven years and there have been eight prime ministers in Canada and the same number of presidents in the United States. Oh yeah, and the Montreal Canadiens have won the Cup 10 times.</p><p>Or, as the roguish Eddie &lsquo;The Entertainer&rsquo; Shack, one of the players on that victorious &rsquo;67 team, puts it: &ldquo;Wow, 40 years of cowboyin&rsquo; and they still haven&rsquo;t stepped in any s---.&rdquo;</p><p><i>(We&rsquo;re not exactly certain what that means, but it sure is funny.)</i></p><p>Not only have the Leafs not won the Cup in almost 40 years, they haven&rsquo;t even been to a Stanley Cup final. That puts them in company with the Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks. Did we forget to mention the <i>oldest</i> of those teams is the Coyotes, who joined the NHL as the Winnipeg Jets in 1979?</p><p>Leafs GM John Ferguson was <i>in vitro</i> the last time the Leafs hoisted the Stanley Cup and coach Paul Maurice claims he doesn&rsquo;t recall the &rsquo;67 victory despite the fact he was a robust 95 days old when the Leafs won Game 6 of the final over the powerful Montreal Canadiens on May 2, 1967. But they&rsquo;re not alone. There is a whole generation of Leaf fans born in the mid-60s and beyond which has no idea what it is like to see its beloved team compete seriously for the Stanley Cup.</p><p>That will all change in the new NHL. Just ask Johnny Bower, the Hall of Fame goalie who combined with Terry Sawchuk to lead the Leafs to that last Cup. The oldest living Leaf from that championship team, Bower is 81 years old and still refers to the Leafs as &ldquo;we&rdquo; and talks about how much better &ldquo;our&rdquo; blueline corps is this season. Bower is an eternal optimist who is unfailingly confident the Leafs will end the drought in his lifetime.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012008/8818269-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="2291" height="1718"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BLUE STREAK</b></p><p>The Leafs aren&rsquo;t the most futile yet, but they&rsquo;re nearing the mark on several fronts.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNET STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Of course, I&rsquo;m planning on living until I&rsquo;m about 105,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>He may have to wait that long. Then again, the better-than-advertised Leafs could win it all as early as this spring in a league where predicting a Cup winner is the ultimate mug&rsquo;s game. But one thing is certain: If the Leafs do make the playoffs this season, the tin-foil Stanley Cups will come out of the closet and the parades through Toronto&rsquo;s downtown district will resume with every playoff victory. No team in the history of sports has done so little to earn so much unconditional love from its legion of fans.</p><p>After the Leafs knocked the Ottawa Senators out of the playoffs in 2002 and earned a berth in the Eastern Conference final, Alexander Mogilny, two seasons removed from winning a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, sat in his stall and looked at the bedlam that surrounded him and was truly stunned.</p><p>&ldquo;Why is everybody so excited?&rdquo; he asked in bewilderment. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t accomplished anything yet. We&rsquo;ve only made it halfway through the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>But that&rsquo;s heady stuff in Toronto, where fans have been so starved for a winning team they are ready to cling to any shred of optimism. Since winning the Cup in 1967, the Leafs have a winning percentage of .486, good for just 17th among the existing 30 teams and well behind all of their Original Six partners. They&rsquo;ve missed the playoffs 12 times since the last Cup win, including the following season when the league expanded to 12 teams.</p><p>Coming off a dynasty which had seen them win the Cup four times in the previous six seasons, the Maple Leafs were totally unprepared for the universal draft, increased competition and the advent of the World Hockey Association because they were busy basking in their success.</p><p>In fact, according to Toronto <i>Star</i> hockey columnist Damien Cox, who co-authored a book along with former Leafs GM Gord Stellick about the &rsquo;67 win and the franchise&rsquo;s subsequent demise, winning the Cup in 1967 ultimately did the organization far more harm than good.</p><p>&ldquo;Winning the Cup made them think they could do whatever they wanted,&rdquo; Cox said. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t have to play by the same rules as everyone else. They weren&rsquo;t ready for any of what was coming because they weren&rsquo;t a progressive organization. They were reveling in the middle of this dynasty and they weren&rsquo;t doing anything.&rdquo;</p><p>We have no way of knowing whether the Leafs would have won another Cup had the franchise stayed in the Smythe family and out of the grips of Harold Ballard, who was the first to see the Maple Leaf brand for its ability to generate huge revenues beyond just hockey. In doing so, he also ran the Leafs into the ground and made them a laughingstock in the 1980s, a tenure that terminated only after his death and the hiring of Cliff Fletcher as GM in the early 1990s.</p><p>But just as the Leafs have an undue reputation for a tradition of excellence &ndash; not a single Norris Trophy winner ever, no rookie of the year since 1966, only two Hart Trophies and none since Ted Kennedy received it as a retirement gift in 1955 &ndash; they also have not been able to shake their reputation as an organization that puts profits first and winning a distant second.</p><p>In fact, debunking that notion is more difficult now than it was in the Ballard days. A big reason for that is the Leafs&rsquo; majority owner is the Ontario Teachers&rsquo; Pension Plan, whose natural first priority is to provide the greatest return for its constituents, not win Stanley Cups. It&rsquo;s difficult to argue with that when the company that owns the Maple Leafs also owns an NBA franchise, an expansion pro soccer team, leads the league in revenues and owns its own television station and condominium project.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Even the hot dogs taste better when you win.<br>Richard Peddie</blockquote><p>&ldquo;Why wouldn&rsquo;t we want to win?&rdquo; asked Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie. &ldquo;Nobody has ever been able to answer that question. Winning is good business. It&rsquo;s good for sponsorship, suite sales, television deals. Even the hot dogs taste better when you win. Are we doing well (financially)? Yes, but we&rsquo;re very good at it.&rdquo;</p><p>Peddie maintains none of the Leaf shareholders have ever taken any money out of the team and all of it has been re-invested in the franchise. He said the teachers&rsquo; pension plan will make its money on the Leafs by cashing out when it is most beneficial. Some think that will be sooner rather than later.</p><p>&ldquo;They will monetize this investment when they sell it some day, the same way they did with The Toronto <i>Sun</i>, Yellow Pages and Shoppers Drug Mart,&rdquo; Peddie said. &ldquo;They want us to win a Stanley Cup because it will push the enterprise value up.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011786/8818262-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="1760" height="1050"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PROFIT PROPHET</b></p><p>President Richard Peddie insists winning a Cup would make for better business.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn&rsquo;t it?</p><p>The reasons for the Leafs&rsquo; futility over the years are many, but foremost among them has been an inability to procure and keep good young players who will develop into championship leaders. That could very well be changing under Ferguson and some of the early returns are promising. After years of going with expensive veterans, the Leafs have the 11th-youngest roster in the NHL this season and were off to a promising start.</p><p>But the organization will have everyone believe there is no way the Toronto market will support a team that takes a step or two back in order to move forward in the long term. It likely has more to do with the fact the team&rsquo;s board budgets for five home playoff dates every year.</p><p>Maurice has only been coach of the team since the summer, but he certainly has the company line down pat.</p><p>&ldquo;Groups under scrutiny don&rsquo;t have the luxury of going through the death-rebirth-maturity cycle,&rdquo; Maurice said. &ldquo;Look at how many good teams there are in the Southeast Division and why is that?&rdquo;</p><p>Using Maurice&rsquo;s logic, then, the Leafs should have been a juggernaut in the 1990s and remained a top team through the present. For a remarkable 10 straight drafts beginning in 1981, the Leafs had a top-10 pick. That string would have been 11 had the Leafs not traded the third overall pick &ndash; which turned out to be (ouch) Scott Niedermayer &ndash; to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Tom Kurvers in 1991.</p><p>Those drafts yielded the Leafs Jim Benning, Gary Nylund, Russ Courtnall, Al Iafrate, Wendel Clark, Vincent Damphousse, Luke Richardson, Scott Pearson, Scott Th ornton and Drake Berehowsky. Had they drafted better, that group could have looked like this: Clark, Grant Fuhr, Scott Stevens, Cam Neely, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne, Bill Guerin and Martin Brodeur.</p><p>Meanwhile, the notion the Leafs don&rsquo;t have the luxury to rebuild is silly. Even Peddie acknowledges it.</p><p>Consider what he had to say on the subject recently: &ldquo;(NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman said to me about a month ago, &lsquo;If you make the playoffs one out of every two years in the new NHL, you should be happy.&rsquo; And I said, &lsquo;No way, Gary, we can&rsquo;t be there. That can&rsquo;t happen.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>But upon further consideration, Peddie looked at the Leafs&rsquo; 99.9 per-cent renewal rate on season tickets and came to a more logical conclusion.</p><p>&ldquo;We would take a lot of heat,&rdquo; Peddie said, &ldquo;but they would still be here.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>TOP 5 ACTIVE STANLEY CUP DROUGHTS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021517/8818255-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="769" height="411"></div><h2><b>TOP 3 ALL-TIME STANLEY CUP DROUGHTS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031048/8818248-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="742" height="215"></div><h2><b>TORONTO&rsquo;S TROPHY CASE</b></h2><p><b>Hart Trophy &ndash; 2</b> Last: Ted Kennedy, 1955</p><p><b>Norris Trophy &ndash; 0</b> Last: Never</p><p><b>Vezina Trophy &ndash; 6</b> Last: Terry Sawchuk & Johnny Bower, 1965</p><p><b>Calder Trophy &ndash; 9</b> Last: Brit Selby, 1966</p><p><b>Art Ross Trophy &ndash; 7</b> Last: Gordie Drillon, 1938</p><p><b>Conn Smythe Trophy &ndash; 1</b> Last: Dave Keon, 1967</p><p><b>Presidents&rsquo; Trophy &ndash; 0</b> Last: Never</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011820/8818241-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="1244" height="533"></div><h2><b>1967 STATISTICS</b></h2><p><b>Cost of a new home</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> $24,600</p><p><b>Median household income</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> $7,143</p><p><b>Cost of a gallon of gas</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> $0.33</p><p><b>Cost of a dozen eggs</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> $0.49</p><p><b>Cost of a gallon of milk</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> $1.03</p><p><b>U.S. president</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Lyndon B. Johnson</p><p><b>Canadian PM</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Lester B. Pearson</p><h3><b>NEWS SINCE &rsquo;67</b></h3><p><b>1967&gt;</b> Muhammad Ali refuses his draft order for Vietnam</p><p><b>1968&gt;</b> Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated</p><p><b>1969&gt;</b>Neil Armstrong walks on moon</p><p><b>1972&gt;</b> Bloody Sunday massacre in Ireland</p><p><b>1974&gt;</b>Richard Nixon re-signs</p><p><b>1990&gt;</b> Reunification of Germany</p><p><b>&gt;</b>First Gulf War</p><p><b>1993&gt;</b>World Trade Center bombing</p><p><b>1997&gt;</b>Hong Kong is returned to China</p><p><b>2001&gt;</b>9/11 attacks occur</p><h3><b>HITS OF 1967</b></h3><p><b>Top song &gt;</b> &lsquo;Little Bit O&rsquo; Soul&rsquo; by The Music Explosion</p><p><b>Tops on TV&gt;</b>Andy Griffith Show</p><p><b>Top Movie &gt;</b>The Jungle Book<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

ZERO STANLEY CUPS

<div class="byline">Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021239/8818307-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HOCKEY FIGHT</b></p><p>Brody Todd had to launch a lawsuit to get education money that was promised to him.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011589/8818314-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="201" height="217"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>B</span>rody Todd was, by all accounts, a run-of-the-mill OHL player. The hulking left winger with limited skill bounced around four teams in five years, scored just 93 points in 295 games and faded into hockey oblivion without having been drafted by an NHL team.</p><p>But depending upon what transpires over the next little while, Todd could be remembered as the young man who shook junior hockey to its foundations.</p><p>You see, Todd, now 22, is not going quietly into the night. He and his agent are suing the OHL, the Kingston Frontenacs and league commissioner David Branch. And if Todd doesn&rsquo;t get what he wants, it&rsquo;s possible that one player&rsquo;s crusade for his education money could become a class-action lawsuit on behalf of every player, past and present, who has played in the OHL since Branch took the commissioner&rsquo;s job in 1979.</p><p>&ldquo;Brody Todd literally gave his blood for the OHL for five years and it was a disgrace how he was treated,&rdquo; said Todd Christie, Todd&rsquo;s former agent and legal representative in the lawsuit.</p><p>&ldquo;He is sufficiently pissed off that he&rsquo;s willing to be in it for the long haul and be the guy who challenges the system. I can amend (the lawsuit) at any time and I&rsquo;m perfectly prepared to do it.&rdquo;</p><p>In September, Christie filed a statement of claim with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, suing the Frontenacs for $8,200 (all figures Canadian), which represents $7,000 for his first year of university education &ndash; as agreed to in his contract &ndash; plus $300 per year of off-season training money that Todd never received.</p><p>But in addition to suing the OHL for an additional $10,000, Todd is suing the league, Branch and the Frontenacs for another $150,000. The lawsuit claims the OHL&rsquo;s maximum compensation of $50 per week per player constitutes illegal restraint of trade, as does the OHL draft, which Todd wants abolished. Christie argues the drafts in the OHL, WHL and QMJHL are the only ones in any sport that have not been collectively bargained with the players.</p><p>It will likely never get to trial, since Christie is already in negotiations with OHL lawyer Gordon Kirke (who, incidentally, was once an NHL Players&rsquo; Association agent just as Christie is). And just days after the lawsuit was launched, a $7,000 check mysteriously appeared at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., where Todd is now studying and playing hockey. Branch, who refused to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit, acknowledged the Frontenacs have finally offered their first payment on Todd&rsquo;s education plan.</p><p>But should the lawsuit ever proceed and Todd is victorious, it would be a huge blow to junior hockey operators, who, for decades, have been able to uproot teenagers from their homes, trade them whenever they pleased and pay them poverty wages.</p><p>Christie acknowledged the lawsuit started as an attempt to get Todd&rsquo;s education money, but has grown into something far bigger.</p><p>&ldquo;He wants to make things better for other players and he told me to sue them for whatever I can think of, so that&rsquo;s what I did,&rdquo; Christie said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re going to pay for his schooling, there is no doubt about that. But he stands to make more money with these other issues.&rdquo;</p><p>Todd, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound winger, was drafted in the second round by Kingston in 2000. By the middle of the next season, he went to Frontenacs GM Larry Mavety and demanded a trade. Christie said Mavety told Todd to go home and he would try to trade him, which he did two weeks later. Todd went on to an unspectacular career with the Sudbury Wolves, Ottawa 67&rsquo;s and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds that ended in 2005. But when Todd originally signed with Kingston, the team agreed to contribute $7,000 per year for four years toward his post-secondary tuition, provided he did not sign a pro contract. But when it came to paying last year, the Fronts and OHL maintained his education package was nullified by the fact he quit the team for two weeks in his second season.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Brody Todd literally gave his blood for the OHL for five years&hellip;it was a disgrace how he was treated. <br>Todd Christie</blockquote><p>However, that didn&rsquo;t stop the league from allowing Todd to play for 3-1/2 more seasons in the OHL. The Frontenacs also cancelled Todd&rsquo;s disability insurance.</p><p>At least one agent said while the case has merit, Christie has to share some of the responsibility for allowing the situation to deteriorate. In fact, Christie acknowledges not even he nor Brody knows which of the four OHL teams is responsible for picking up the education package, though they think it should be the Frontenacs.</p><p>&ldquo;The first thing we do when one of our clients is traded is we make sure who is responsible for the education package,&rdquo; the agent said. &ldquo;Christie should have done that.&rdquo;</p><p>As for the $150,000, Christie said that represents what Todd would have earned had the OHL earmarked just 50 per cent of revenues to the players. He rightly points out the league has paid $50 per week since the mid-1970s, even though inflation has since rocketed.</p><p>&ldquo;It would be interesting to hear David Branch in an open court say that salaries and assets for everyone involved in junior hockey have increased except for those of the product, which is the players,&rdquo; Christie said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-02

One young man takes on the OHL

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021281/8818359-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TRIPLE THREAT</b></p><p>New Jersey&rsquo;s Brian Gionta capped off a comeback against Toronto with a natural hat trick.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDY MARLIN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011668/8818366-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="111" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>hursday, Oct. 12, will forever be remembered as the night of the natural hat trick. Edmonton&rsquo;s Ryan Smyth and San Jose&rsquo;s Jonathan Cheechoo did it in the same game, the first time that has happened in 87 years. And Brian Gionta of the Devils led his team with three straight in a comeback win against the Leafs. Gionta also scored in the shootout.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>NORTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>BOSTON</b> The Bruins, the last team to play a home game this season (vs. Calgary Oct. 19), were repaid with a six-game homestand, and 12 of 15 games in Boston through Nov. 24. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a really important part of the season for us,&rdquo; said coach <b>Dave Lewis</b>. Boston was only 16-15-10 at home last year.</p><p><b>BUFFALO</b> Center <b>Chris Drury</b> started the season ablaze, including his first career hat trick in 555 NHL games. To coincide with an 11-game regular season Sabres win streak dating back to last season, Drury had 12 goals and 18 points.</p><p><b>MONTREAL</b> Defensemen <b>Craig Rivet</b> and <b>Mathieu Dandenault</b> were the only Canadiens to play all 82 games last season. But only one will have that opportunity this time. Dandenault is out indefinitely with a torn left hamstring. <b>Mark Streit</b> will take his place.</p><p><b>OTTAWA</b> Coach <b>Bryan Murray</b> wasn&rsquo;t pleased with the play of center <b>Jason Spezza</b>. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s certainly a priority player for us. I think what happens so often, and I keep (saying) this, he just tries to make something out of nothing,&rdquo; Murray said. Spezza agreed with Murray&rsquo;s assessment, saying &ldquo;I am not playing my best hockey.&rdquo;</p><p><b>TORONTO Mats Sundin</b>&rsquo;s shorthanded overtime hat trick goal against Calgary Oct. 14 made him the first Swede to score 500 NHL goals. Toronto gave him gold cuff links with &lsquo;500&rsquo; engraved in them.</p><h2><b>ATLANTIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>NEW JERSEY</b> Defender <b>David Hale</b>, hit in the right eye by a deflected puck in practice, had minor surgery on his retina Oct. 5.</p><p><b>NY ISLANDERS</b> Veteran backup <b>Mike Dunham</b> started three straight games after <b>Rick DiPietro</b> tweaked his groin, and posted two wins and an overtime loss. But there&rsquo;s no goalie controversy. &ldquo;Ricky&rsquo;s our guy&hellip;As soon as he gets the OK to jump on the ice, he&rsquo;ll jump right back in for us,&rdquo; said coach <b>Ted Nolan</b>&hellip;Hall of Famer <b>Mike Bossy</b> returned to the organization as executive director of corporate relations&hellip;Center <b>Mike Sillinger</b> scored his 200th career goal Oct. 16 vs. Nashville.</p><p><b>NY RANGERS Darius Kasparaitis</b>, a scratch for the first five games because of insufficient conditioning, saw his first action against the Devils Oct. 16, his 34th birthday. &ldquo;The best birthday present of my life,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t matter whether I agree with <b>Tom</b> (<b>Renney</b>). He&rsquo;s the coach and I have to respect his decision.&rdquo;</p><p><b>PHILADELPHIA</b> Defenseman <b>Mike Rathje</b> avoided back surgery by getting an epidural injection to release a muscle-entrapped nerve impingement&hellip;A 9-1 defeat at Buffalo Oct. 17 narrowly missed the Flyers&rsquo; record for worst road loss in team history. That was an 11-2 loss at Montreal in 1981&hellip;The day after the defeat, the Flyers waived three players: forwards <b>Petr Nedved</b> and <b>Niko Dimitrakos</b> and defenseman <b>Nolan Baumgartner</b>. Team owner <b>Ed Snider</b> said: &ldquo;The whole damn team stinks.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p><b>PITTSBURGH</b> When forwards <b>Jordan Staal</b>, 18, and <b>Sidney</b>&nbsp;<b>Crosby</b>, 19, and defenseman <b>Kris Letang</b>, 19, each scored against the Rangers Oct. 12, they became the first trio of teenage teammates in 24 years to score in the same game. On Oct. 17, 1982, <b>Dave Andreychuk</b>, <b>Paul Cyr</b> and <b>Phil Housley</b> all scored for Buffalo&hellip; <b>Evgeni Malkin</b>, who missed the first four games with a dislocated shoulder, scored in his NHL debut Oct. 18 against New Jersey.</p><h2><b>SOUTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ATLANTA</b> Left winger <b>Ilya Kovalchuk</b> had the longest goalless streak to start a season in his career: five games&hellip;Right winger <b>Jon Sim</b> scored five goals through six games. He had 17 all last year.</p><p><b>CAROLINA Trevor Letowski</b> escaped with &ldquo;only&rdquo; a concussion and lacerated forehead after a hit by Pittsburgh&rsquo;s <b>Colby Armstrong</b> that knocked him out and sent him to hospital on a stretcher Oct. 14&hellip; <b>Cam Ward</b> started six of Carolina&rsquo;s seven games, including what would have been <b>John Grahame&rsquo;s</b> return to Tampa Bay.</p><p><b>FLORIDA</b> The Panthers scored 17 goals at home and only two on the road while opening 3-0-0 at home and 0-2-1 away&hellip;<b>Jay Bouwmeester</b>, who didn&rsquo;t score last year until March 17, got his first of this season Oct. 13.</p><p><b>TAMPA BAY</b> Right winger <b>Rob DiMaio</b> (concussion) said he wants to keep playing, but wonders if his 18-year career is over.</p><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> The Caps denied a report in a Russian paper that <b>Alex Ovechkin</b> is dealing with a groin problem. &ldquo;If he is,&rdquo; said coach <b>Glen Hanlon</b>, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s not being treated here.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>CENTRAL DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>COLUMBUS</b> The Blue Jackets said they had no plans to send rookie center <b>Gilbert Brule</b> back to junior, despite a slow start&hellip;Defenseman <b>Bryan Berard</b> had back surgery scheduled in Los Angeles Oct. 19 to repair a herniated disc.</p><p><b>CHICAGO</b> With assistant coach <b>Denis Savard</b> in charge of the power play, the Blackhawks were much better than the unit that was the league&rsquo;s worst last season. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got more skill and that&rsquo;s the biggest thing,&rdquo; said Savard, pointing to the additions of <b>Martin Havlat</b>, <b>Bryan Smolinski</b> and <b>Michal Handzus</b>&hellip;The crowd of 8,008 to watch the Hawks play Nashville on Oct. 12 was the smallest in the 12-year history of the United Center.</p><p><b>DETROIT</b> Left winger <b>Brad Norton</b> was in three fights in five games. The Wings had only six fighting majors all of last season.</p><p><b>NASHVILLE</b> In a mildly surprising move, the Preds put defenseman <b>Alex Henry</b> on waivers and sent him to Milwaukee (AHL) after he came off injured reserve, as opposed to re-assigning <b>Greg Zanon</b> or <b>Mikko Lehtonen</b>. The latter two had a combined four games of NHL experience entering this season.</p><p><b>ST. LOUIS</b> Center <b>Petr Cajanek</b> was demoted to the fourth line after some shaky early performances. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s fighting it right now,&rsquo;&rsquo; said coach <b>Mike Kitchen</b>&hellip;With three of the team&rsquo;s top four defensemen sidelined with injuries, <b>Bryce Salvador</b> was logging a lot of ice time. He blocked 18 shots in five games.</p><h2><b>NORTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CALGARY</b> Center <b>Matthew Lombardi</b>, who scored two goals in his hometown of Montreal, had his No. 10 retired by Victoriaville of the Quebec League.</p><p><b>COLORADO</b> Defenseman <b>Jordan Leopold</b>, who hoped to be back by mid-October, had his return from a hernia pushed back to the end of the month.</p><p><b>EDMONTON Ryan Smyth&rsquo;s</b> natural hat trick in 2:01 against San Jose Oct. 12 broke <b>Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s</b> team record of 2:18. Smyth scored on two deflections and a rebound, prompting teammate <b>Ethan Moreau</b> to quip: &ldquo;He scored three goals in 2:01 and the puck was on his stick for a total of four-tenths of a second. That&rsquo;s vintage Smitty.&rdquo;</p><p><b>MINNESOTA</b> Coach <b>Jacques Lemaire</b> signed a three-year contract extension Oct. 12 that would see him complete a decade behind the Wild bench when the deal expires in 2010.</p><p><b>VANCOUVER</b> Right winger <b>Trevor Linden</b>, 36, was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career when he sat out against Edmonton Oct. 17&hellip;Right winger <b>Markus Naslund</b> became the second Canuck in a week to score 300 goals in a Vancouver uniform, in a 6-4 loss to San Jose Oct. 13. Linden did it opening night.</p><h2><b>PACIFIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ANAHEIM</b> After going 3-7 in shootouts last year, the Ducks lost their first two this season, 5-4 to the visiting Isles Oct. 11 and 4-3 at Dallas Oct. 15&hellip;Goalie <b>J-S Giguere</b> and left winger <b>Todd Fedoruk</b> each appeared in their 300th NHL game against the Isles.</p><p><b>DALLAS</b> The Stars fell short of the team record of six consecutive wins to start the season, going 5-0-0 before falling to San Jose 2-0 Oct. 17&hellip;Center <b>Mike Modano</b> became the 43rd NHLer to reach 700 assists with a helper against Anaheim Oct. 15&hellip;Goalie <b>Marty Turco</b> is catching <b>Cesare Maniago</b> (145) for second on the franchise&rsquo;s all-time wins list. Turco, with 142 wins as of Oct. 19, will surely pass <b>Ed Belfour</b> (160) for the franchise record later this season.</p><p><b>LOS ANGELES</b> The Kings signed goalie <b>Jonathan Bernier</b>, the 11th overall pick in June&rsquo;s entry draft, to a three-year, $2.55-million contract. Bernier is a cousin of San Jose winger <b>Steve Bernier</b> and plays in Lewiston (QMJHL).</p><p><b>PHOENIX</b> The nine goals allowed in a 9-2 loss to Detroit Oct. 11 were the most the franchise has allowed in one game since it moved to Phoenix in 1996.</p><p><b>SAN JOSE</b> Left winger <b>Mark Bell</b> returned from injured reserve Oct. 17 after missing three games due to a groin pull and small bone fracture in his left wrist&hellip;Center <b>Patrick Marleau</b> is the proud father of a baby boy, born Oct. 16 in San Jose when his wife, <b>Christina</b>, was induced during the team&rsquo;s day off. It is the couple&rsquo;s first child, whom they named <b>Landon</b>.</p><h2><b>Quick Hits</b></h2><h3><b>UNDER PRESSURE</b></h3><p>The Lightning not only wants <b>Vinny Lecavalier</b> to score 50 goals, coach <b>John Tortorella</b> said he wants the center to lead the league in shots.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011524/8818352-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="697" height="968"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GIORDANO: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>LOCAL FLAVOR</b></h3><p>Talk about a sweet hometown return. Flames rookie blueliner <b>Mark Giordano</b> scored his first two NHL goals in his first game in Toronto against the Leafs. The next game, though, he was a healthy scratch.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021155/8818345-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="444" height="444"></div><h3><b>FLORIDA FEAST</b></h3><p><b>Juraj Kolnik</b>, who wears lucky No. 13, made Panthers fans happy when he scored on Friday the 13th (of October): his goal triggered a chicken wing giveaway.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-02

Three’s a crowd for hat tricks

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0019-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03810/8818404-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mats Sundin <span class="photo-credit">(SUNDIN: DAVE ABEL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>WELCOME MATS</b></h2><p>Toronto captain <b>Mats Sundin</b> joins the 500-goal club in impressive style, completing his hat trick with a shorthanded marker in overtime.</p><h2><b>KING OF THE CREASE</b></h2><p>New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur becomes only the third goaltender in NHL history to earn 450 wins, beating Pittsburgh 2-1 for the milestone victory.</p><h2><b>NEW KID IN TOWN</b></h2><p>Much-hyped rookie Evgeni Malkin makes a successful NHL debut for Pittsburgh, scoring his first big-league goal in his first game against the Devils.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04626/8818397-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="1058" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body">Martin St-Louis <span class="photo-credit">(ST-LOUIS & KOLNIK: ELIOT J. SCHECHTER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>FLYING LOW</b></h2><p>The Flyers are bombed 9-1 by the Sabres in Buffalo, leaving Philadelphia with one win in six games while being outscored 26-12.</p><h2><b>HEY GUYS, SEASON&rsquo;S ON</b></h2><p>Tampa Bay&rsquo;s go-to forwards Brad Richards and <b>Martin St-Louis</b> combine for three points and a minus-7 rating in six games.</p><h2><b>ROCKET FAILURE</b></h2><p>Atlanta Thrasher winger Ilya Kovalchuk, a perennial Rocket Richard Trophy candidate, needs six games to find his first goal of the season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-03

Plus/Minus

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011433/8818435-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marco Sturm <span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/SPORTS ACTION)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021047/8818442-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="131" height="144"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> With the opening salvo of NHL regular season games in the books, it&rsquo;s time for an early evaluation of all 30 team rosters.</p><p>While some teams burst out of the gates with exceptionally strong starts (hello, Buffalo and Minnesota) others struggled to find their form in the opening portion of the schedule. Boston, Calgary, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay were on the wrong side of .500 through the first handful of games and searching for answers. Are there holes in the lineup? Are players failing to deliver on expectations? Problems on defense or in goal? Can&rsquo;t score? Poor special teams? An early onslaught of injuries? For every struggling team there is at least one question mark.</p><p>In the NHL team reports, we take a close look at each team&rsquo;s &ldquo;Biggest Need&rdquo; and what can be done about it; whether the club can come up with an internal fix, or figures to look outside the organization.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-01

An early glance at what teams want

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN MANASSO</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04534/8818504-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="144" height="121"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> Scoring hasn&rsquo;t been a problem, but the Thrashers still could use a playmaking center.</p><p>Steve Rucchin gives Atlanta a different look &ndash; he&rsquo;s good on faceoffs and responsible defensively &ndash; and coach Bob Hartley loves the options Rucchin gives the team when paired with Bobby Holik for penalty killing and late-game situations. After a feeling-out process, Glen Metropolit is faring better as the No. 2 center.</p><p>One player whose stock has rapidly fallen is that of Niko Kapanen, who started out as the third-line center and is now on the fourth line (where, for two straight games, he played fewer than five minutes).</p><p>The team&rsquo;s first power play unit doesn&rsquo;t have a center. Slava Kozlov takes faceoffs and is teamed with fellow wingers Scott Mellanby, Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk and defenseman Steve McCarthy. The unit has been good, but a catalyst at center would only help.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0020-04

Creativity at center desired commodity

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05330/8818535-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="132" height="132"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> There was a suspicion rookie Hannu Toivonen and journeyman Tim Thomas might not provide adequate goaltending. But the Bruins were so inconsistent through a 1-3-1 season-opening road trip that it was tough to tell how much the goalies were at fault.</p><p>The glaring problem was a power play that cashed in on just 10 per cent of its chances (3-for-30) through five games. Adding defensemen Zdeno Chara and Paul Mara and center Marc Savard in the summer was supposed to help. Those three totaled 32 power play goals last year, but none through five games.</p><p>Part of the problem may stem from coach Dave Lewis&rsquo; attempt to add a forward (usually Patrice Bergeron) to an unfamiliar spot on the point next to Chara. Given the offensive talent at hand (don&rsquo;t forget Glen Murray, Brad Boyes and Marco Sturm), the Bruins will try to find the right combination in-house.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0020-05

Power play a bear for struggling Bruins

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM GRAHAM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06270/8818566-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="151" height="104"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> Some would argue the Buffalo Sabres are most in need of new uniforms. But from a purely on-ice standpoint, last year&rsquo;s Cup semifinalists could use more defensive depth.</p><p>The Sabres might have their best set of defensemen, No. 1 through No. 6, in franchise history and boast the top goaltending tandem in the league. But one injury at either position and raw reserves will be tested.</p><p>Seventh defenseman Nathan Paetsch has played only two NHL games (one in the playoffs) and there&rsquo;s not much after him. The best blueline call-ups in a pinch are rookie pros Andrej Sekera, Mike Card and Michael Funk.</p><p>Adam Dennis, the OHL&rsquo;s top goalie last season, is also a first-year pro. So Adam Berkhoel, who saw disaster duty with the Thrashers last season, likely would get the call if either Ryan Miller or Martin Biron went down.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-06

Call-up options thin on defensive side

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07228/8818597-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="132" height="112"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The arrival of Alex Tanguay was supposed to address Calgary&rsquo;s offensive shortcomings, but the left winger acquired from Colorado in the off-season started slowly. The causes of those struggles were his desire to set up Jarome Iginla and his tentativeness in figuring out where he fits in the Flames&rsquo; system.</p><p>Still, the onus can&rsquo;t all be on Tanguay. A half-dozen games into the season, wingers Tony Amonte, Kristian Huselius and Jeff Friesen all had failed to score.</p><p>The Flames are publicly saying they have enough scoring in the dressing room, but it&rsquo;s no secret the team actively pursued Olli Jokinen last season to be their No. 1 center.</p><p>Since they have enough cap space to add an impact player down the stretch, especially after the New Year, don&rsquo;t be surprised if the Flames eventually make an aggressive move for one more top-six forward.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0020-07

More Flames needed to spark offense

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08167/8818628-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="144" height="86"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> While the Hurricanes struggled to score early before righting the ship, they don&rsquo;t expect offense to be a persistent problem, not with players such as Eric Staal, Erik Cole and Justin Williams in the lineup.</p><p>A bigger concern is on defense, as Frantisek Kaberle may miss the season after shoulder surgery. The Canes have a regular top five, but are searching for a fit in the sixth and seventh &lsquo;D&rsquo; spots.</p><p>David Tanabe, Andrew Hutchinson and Anton Babchuk have all been given a chance in that position, but none have taken hold of the job &ndash; perhaps because all three are predisposed to offense first.</p><p>The problem was bigger before. The Hurricanes attempted to address it by trading Oleg Tverdovsky and prospect Jack Johnson for defenseman Tim Gleason and center Eric Belanger. But it remains an issue as Carolina is one injury away from a major crisis.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0020-08

Kaberle’s shoulder has Canes on edge

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-09122/8818659-1-eng-US/f0020-092.jpg" title="f0020-09" width="144" height="126"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> Thanks to the addition of Martin Havlat, the Blackhawks appear to have solved their offensive woes. But the defense isn&rsquo;t quite there yet.</p><p>Early on, sloppy defensive play was coach Trent Yawney&rsquo;s biggest concern. He held meetings after only two games to get everyone on the same page in terms of playing with discipline in the defensive zone.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll always reward excellence, but I&rsquo;ll say it again: I am not tolerating mediocrity,&rdquo; Yawney said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here too long and I&rsquo;m sick and tired of it and I&rsquo;ll punish cheaters.&rdquo;</p><p>The Hawks were counting on second-year defensemen Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith to play big minutes as they did as rookies, but both were off to slow starts.</p><p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not going to fly under the radar anymore,&rdquo; Yawney said. &ldquo;Every team we play now knows what they&rsquo;re all about. They need to play better and they will.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0020-09

Seabrook, Keith must be better

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011314/8818690-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="132" height="107"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> The Avs have taken a backwards step on the back end.</p><p>Rob Blake has not been properly replaced and, for the first time since 1995, the Avs have no stud defenseman on their blueline. The days of leaning on the likes of Adam Foote, Ray Bourque and Blake are over. There is hope in the form of Jordan Leopold, when he returns from hernia surgery, but the Avs are still too small on defense. Colorado has a $1.9 million savings in cap money with the retirement of Steve Konowalchuk, which might translate into a decent defenseman via trade.</p><p>Another weakness: Goaltender Jose Theodore could have relieved some pressure on his defense with a few clutch saves in the young season, but he was coming up empty too often. The Avs&rsquo; success hinges largely on the former Hart Trophy winner playing to his potential and he wasn&rsquo;t good enough in the early going.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-01

Era of blueline stud ends with loud thud

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GLENNON</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-10162/8818721-1-eng-US/f0022-102.jpg" title="f0022-10" width="144" height="83"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> While the Predators&rsquo; defensive performance has improved by leaps and bounds since the first two games &ndash; when they surrendered a combined 14 goals &ndash; the biggest weakness is still on the blueline.</p><p>Part of the problem is simply a lack of experience, as Kimmo Timonen was the only top-six Predators defenseman that began the year with more than two seasons of NHL experience. That can sometimes lead to crossed-up assignments in the defensive zone or the failure to move the puck quickly and efficiently.</p><p>Another problem is an over-eagerness to join the rush. Marek Zidlicky, for instance, is a very talented blueliner, but, at times, fails to take care of his own end of the rink.</p><p>One solution is to trade for a veteran defenseman, but Nashville may be content to let its rearguards improve through experience, since they all possess plenty of potential.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-10

Back end improving, but still a concern

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02977/8818752-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="144" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Blue Jackets look pretty good on paper. They&rsquo;ve spent the money, drafted astutely and accumulated enough talent to compete in the Western Conference.</p><p>But what the Jackets need most can&rsquo;t be traded for, nor signed as a free agent. They need an identity.</p><p>Are they a puck-moving, lamp-lighting squad like Buffalo? With Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev, Sergei Fedorov, Fredrik Modin, Anson Carter and David Vyborny, that&rsquo;s not so far-fetched.</p><p>Or are they a physical, grind-it-out team, like Edmonton, Calgary or Nashville? Columbus has a lot of big skaters with two-way skills, so why not?</p><p>The point is, the Jackets &ndash; for all of their potential &ndash; have never had a well-shaped game plan for how they expect to win. Until they define themselves, they&rsquo;ll be prone to inconsistent outings, such as a 5-1 win over Phoenix Oct. 9, followed by a 5-0 loss to the Wild Oct. 14.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-02

Jackets have talent, but need vision

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03745/8818783-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="144" height="91"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Stars are trying to be a little bit of everything, but displayed a lack of speed and physicality on the blueline early in the season.</p><p>With a group of veteran 30-somethings on defense, Dallas is hoping to make up for the dearth of flash and youth with intelligence and team effort.</p><p>While vets such as Darryl Sydor, Jaroslav Modry, Sergei Zubov and Stephane Robidas have not hounded opponents with physical play, they have been strong positionally and have relied on help from the forwards. Still, Dallas was giving up an extra five shots per game over last season and was not punishing opposing forwards.</p><p>Jon Klemm was waiting as a healthy scratch and could add some abrasiveness as the season moves on. In addition, youngsters such as Vadim Kohmitski and Niklas Grossman are with Iowa (AHL) and could be called up if needed.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-03

Positionally sound, physically soft

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04548/8818814-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="144" height="107"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Red Wings don&rsquo;t anticipate being the second-highest scoring team in the league, like they were last season. Brendan Shanahan is now playing to rave reviews on Broadway and Steve Yzerman has retired.</p><p>But Detroit is on the lookout for an offensive winger and have roughly $2 million in salary cap space to acquire one. Still, the Wings won&rsquo;t be rushed into any moves and may even hold off until the trade deadline before pulling the trigger.</p><p>In the meantime, they hope to compensate from within.</p><p>Detroit believes Jason Williams is capable of producing more than his career-high of 21 goals last season. Johan Franzen, a fourth line grinder last year, is playing on a scoring line and has shown some offensive ability. Veteran checkers Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby are also looking to better last season&rsquo;s numbers, when they combined for 15 goals.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-04

Igniting red light biggest challenge

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05418/8818845-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="126" height="132"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> The ingredients missing most from Edmonton&rsquo;s game in the opening weeks were consistency and discipline.</p><p>The Oilers won four of their first six games, but didn&rsquo;t look particularly sharp in any of them. Dwayne Roloson&rsquo;s solid play in goal gave them a chance to win. The talent is there, but giving up 79 shots in two games and trying to kill eight to 10 penalties a night is not a recipe for long-term success.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not playing at the level we&rsquo;re capable of,&rdquo; said coach Craig MacTavish.</p><p>If there&rsquo;s a personnel issue at the heart of this, it&rsquo;s probably the lack of a puck-moving defenseman who can make a good first pass out of the defensive zone. The Oilers are being hemmed in and ineffective breakouts are preventing their fast forwards from hitting the neutral zone with any speed.</p><p>But there are commodities to trade and space left under the cap.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-05

Slick puck-mover required on blueline

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN BIGGANE</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06334/8818876-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="144" height="139"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEEDS</b> Center might be Florida&rsquo;s deepest position, but Panthers pivots have fallen flat in the faceoff circle.</p><p>Through six games, the Panthers had won only 46.8 per cent of their faceoffs to rank 28th in the league.</p><p>The importance of winning faceoffs on the road was reinforced in the Panthers&rsquo; 2-1 shootout loss at Toronto, when Leafs center Michael Peca won 13 of 17 draws, many in his defensive zone.</p><p>Overall, Florida lost the faceoff battle in five of its first six games, including all three on the road. For a team whose gameplan is to win with puck possession, those numbers are unacceptable.</p><p>Joe Nieuwendyk has long been a faceoff ace, but at 40, his reflexes aren&rsquo;t as sharp as they used to be. Stephen Weiss is getting better, but still learning at 23. Jozef Stumpel, Olli Jokinen and Chris Gratton are no better than average.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-06

Middle men losing costly faceoffs

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH HAMMOND</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07278/8818907-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="132" height="113"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> It was common knowledge for at least a year that the Kings&rsquo; power play needed help. If anything, the unit is regressing.</p><p>Assistant coach John Van Boxmeer took the heat last season and was fired with 12 games left, as the Kings finished with the league&rsquo;s third-worst power play.</p><p>This year, with associate coach Mike Johnston taking control, the Kings are floundering again, despite the return of Rob Blake.</p><p>In a recent four-game stretch, the team went 1-for-30 on the power play &ndash; and allowed a shorthanded goal &ndash; dropping their power play efficiency to 8.5 per cent.</p><p>Personnel is the problem. Coach Marc Crawford has rotated almost all of his skaters into the power play, but he&rsquo;s having to rely too much on youngsters such as Anze Kopitar and Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan and isn&rsquo;t getting enough from established scorers like Blake and Alexander Frolov.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-07

Crawford searching for white knight

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08222/8818938-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="144" height="92"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> It was difficult to identify a pressing need for the Wild after it won its first six games in such diverse and dramatic fashion: two shootout victories, two more in overtime, and a roaring comeback in which they scored the winning goal with 71 seconds left.</p><p>As the season grinds on, though, depth might become an issue, especially at forward. During its opening five-game homestand, Wes Walz (hip flexor), Pascal Dupuis (sprained knee) and Mattias Weinhandl (concussion) went down with injuries. That forced the Wild to dip into its reserves before its first road trip.</p><p>Walz&rsquo;s durability will determine how much responsibility second-year center Mikko Koivu has to absorb. Koivu is up to the challenge, but Minnesota has enough cap space to acquire another experienced and versatile center &ndash; and his pro-rated salary &ndash; if injuries stretch the team too thin.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-08

No huge concerns, but depth an issue

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09188/8818969-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="144" height="97"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> Today&rsquo;s NHL puts a premium on players who can skate and have skill, but there&rsquo;s always a place for the enforcer.</p><p>The Habs lost their guy indefinitely when winger Aaron Downey sustained a concussion against Calgary Oct. 17. Flames blueliner Robyn Regehr caught Downey with a massive &ndash; and legal &ndash; shoulder-to-the-head hit. Downey lay motionless on the ice for a minute and spent the night in a Montreal hospital.</p><p>Meanwhile, injuries to Francis Bouillon and Mathieu Dandenault left the Habs with only six healthy defensemen. Bouillon (knee surgery) isn&rsquo;t expected back until December; Dandenault is out indefinitely with a torn left hamstring.</p><p>That leaves Montreal with no room to maneuver on its blueline and without NHL-caliber depth. It&rsquo;s also the reason why, on most nights, Montreal&rsquo;s goalies could sue for non-support.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0022-09

Shallow defense leaves Habs prone

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011179/8819007-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="541" height="676"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alex Brooks</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02838/8819000-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="126" height="126"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> GM Lou Lamoriello holds his breath a lot these days. Like when Colin White was hit in the ankle with a shot on opening night. And when Brad Lukowich took one in the foot eight days later.</p><p>The Devils are thin on the blueline, primarily because they don&rsquo;t have the cap room to acquire a top defenseman. White didn&rsquo;t miss any time and the injury to Lukowich wasn&rsquo;t deemed serious. But this figures to be a season-long juggling act by coach Claude Julien, who hasn&rsquo;t had more than six healthy &lsquo;D&rsquo; at any time this season.</p><p>With David Hale on long-term injury (damaged retina in his right eye) and Lukowich temporarily sidelined, rookies Johnny Oduya and Alex Brooks along with the inexperienced Jim Fahey all were dressing. It&rsquo;s clearly a weak spot.</p><p>Lamoriello will be looking for a trade that brings the Devils experienced help on defense long before his usual late-winter fine-tuning.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0023-01

No room for injuries on Devils’ defense

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03628/8819045-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="542" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rick DiPietro</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04462/8819038-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="126" height="122"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> Rick DiPietro had a 4.54 goals-against average through three starts, so maybe what the Islanders need most is a mulligan on his 15-year contract.</p><p>But since DiPietro won&rsquo;t be leaving the Island any time soon, let&rsquo;s address a more immediate issue.</p><p>The Isles have to stay out of the penalty box (41 times shorthanded through six games) and figure out how to score when opposing players are toiling in the sin bin.</p><p>New York opened the season 4-for-32 with the man advantage, a sorry figure that could be easily corrected from within. For instance, why was Miroslav Satan manning the point after burying 17 of his 35 goals on the power play last season, mostly while circling down low?</p><p>With around $2 million in available cap space, first-year GM Garth Snow might try to land another offensive defenseman with quarterbacking capabilities.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0023-03

Isles need to find points from point

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05342/8819076-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="541" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jaromir Jagr<span class="photo-credit">(BROOKS, DIPIETRO & JAGR: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-06275/8819083-1-eng-US/f0023-062.jpg" title="f0023-06" width="126" height="121"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> Through seven games, the Rangers were looking for the glass skates they wore last season until it became pumpkin time down the stretch and in the post-season.</p><p>The chemistry seems somewhat out of kilter. So does the power play. And while the Blueshirts certainly have a need for a power play point man who can pound the puck to the net, what they need most of all is Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s return to full strength; specifically, the left shoulder on which he had off-season surgery.</p><p>Unable to get power behind the shot that was the league&rsquo;s singular weapon last season, Jagr has seen defenses clog his passing lanes. Meanwhile, the opposition has repeatedly pounded him into the boards without any response from his Ranger teammates. Jagr&rsquo;s shoulder is improving, though, and when he&rsquo;s fully healthy the team will orbit around him.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-05

Tender shoulder still stalling Jagr

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-07227/8819121-1-eng-US/f0023-072.jpg" title="f0023-07" width="542" height="676"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Spezza <span class="photo-credit">(SPEZZA: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-08193/8819114-1-eng-US/f0023-082.jpg" title="f0023-08" width="144" height="116"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> It&rsquo;s early, but the Senators are badly in need of consistency down the middle, either with the No. 1 or No. 2 center. It hasn&rsquo;t helped that Jason Spezza has struggled, but Mike Fisher also has to do more.</p><p>Nobody would&rsquo;ve thought the Sens would have trouble scoring, but that was the case in the early going. The Senators don&rsquo;t believe they have to go out and look for help up the middle, but GM John Muckler admitted he&rsquo;s considered free agent Yanic Perreault, who spent last season with Nashville.</p><p>Coach Bryan Murray wants Spezza to lose his penchant for giveaways while the team wants Fisher to contribute more offensively.</p><p>A wild card remains rookie Alexei Kaigorodov. He made his NHL debut Oct. 14 against Montreal, playing with Chris Kelly and Patrick Eaves. He didn&rsquo;t look out of place and could earn a bigger role, especially if the vets don&rsquo;t start producing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0023-07

Spezza and Fisher centers of attention

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-09157/8819159-1-eng-US/f0023-092.jpg" title="f0023-09" width="542" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body">Lars Jonsson <span class="photo-credit">(JONSSON: LEN REDKOLES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-10134/8819152-1-eng-US/f0023-102.jpg" title="f0023-10" width="138" height="96"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> There&rsquo;s a good reason why the Flyers put in a call to Brian Leetch, knowing full well it was a long shot the future Hall of Famer would show any interest.</p><p>They need someone to run the back end of their power play. After six games, the Flyers were a mere 4-for-45 with the extra man, near the bottom of the NHL. Little wonder they had scored only 12 goals overall.</p><p>There&rsquo;s hope the return of rookie defenseman Lars Jonsson, sidelined in the pre-season with a high ankle sprain, might help solve the problem. He showed quarterbacking skills before he was injured.</p><p>In the meantime, the Flyers have been using veteran forward Geoff Sanderson in that role. While Sanderson has handled that chore in the past with Columbus and Phoenix, there&rsquo;s still a feeling-out period.</p><p>If Jonsson isn&rsquo;t the answer, maybe the Flyers can send Leetch flowers&hellip;and a blank check.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0023-09

Quarterback search may require audible

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID VEST</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011276/8819190-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="126" height="126"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> In a word, the Coyotes&rsquo; biggest need is offense.</p><p>Phoenix scored just five goals in the four defeats book-ended by misleading wins over the Islanders and Blues. In those losses, Shane Doan, Ladislav Nagy, Mike Comrie and Owen Nolan combined for one goal. Associate coach Barry Smith said Phoenix would have to &ldquo;score goals by committee this year.&rdquo; Well, the committee is struggling.</p><p>Both coach Wayne Gretzky and GM Mike Barnett have said it&rsquo;s too soon to start considering personnel moves and they&rsquo;re willing to give their offense time to jell. Phoenix is about $4 million under the cap, but wasn&rsquo;t planning on dipping into that reserve until later on, if at all.</p><p>Center Steven Reinprecht&rsquo;s fractured clavicle has given Jeremy Roenick another shot on the top line with Doan and Fredrik Sjostrom. Roenick took just four shots on goal through five games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-01

Phoenix flagging under scoring woes

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03653/8819221-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CHIP SHOT</b></p><p>The Pens need Ryan Malone to become a threat from the wing.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MIKE STOBE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02911/8819228-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="138" height="129"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Penguins found some effective role players in the off-season, but they didn&rsquo;t find a high-scoring winger to skate with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t help that Ryan Malone got off to another bad start. He could help solve the problem by becoming a 35-goal guy &ndash; as his talent suggests &ndash; but the fact remains Pittsburgh is without an all-star sniper on the wings.</p><p>The problem won&rsquo;t be solved anytime soon, so the Pens have to live with the workmanlike wingers on the roster. Whoever fills the role will come from outside the organization, as pure scoring wingers are nowhere to be found from within.</p><p>But it&rsquo;s not all bad. Wingers such as Mark Recchi and Colby Armstrong are capable all-around players. Along with Nils Ekman and Malone, they should be good for 20-plus goals particularly when a handful will be tap-ins off the sticks of Malkin and Crosby.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0024-03

Penguins’ wings fail to make team fly

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TOM TIMMERMANN</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04467/8819259-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="138" height="111"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> Goals won&rsquo;t come easily for the Blues.</p><p>St. Louis had a distinctly youthful look last year, but the Blues opted to stock up on veteran forwards in the off-season. Management is hoping the elder statesmen have one or two good seasons left in them, though observers wonder if they&rsquo;re past their prime. Bill Guerin and Martin Rucinsky each have two goals through five games, but Keith Tkachuk has none &ndash; and looks a split-second slower on scoring chances &ndash; while center Doug Weight has been held off the scoresheet entirely.</p><p>The team&rsquo;s most effective unit is its grinders, the line of Jamal Mayers, Dan Hinote and Dallas Drake.</p><p>The Blues also have to find discipline to get their penalty minutes down and have to stay healthy. Having key defensemen Jay McKee, Christian Backman and Barret Jackman miss the early part of the season was not a plan for recovery.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-04

Gateway to goals slammed shut early

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05331/8819290-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="132" height="127"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> For the Sharks? How about a bigger trophy case.</p><p>Except for a third period meltdown on the road against the Oilers, San Jose showed no glaring weaknesses running off a franchise-best start of 5-1-0.</p><p>It could be the team is too young and inexperienced on the back end with rookies Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and second-year men Josh Gorges and Christian Ehrhoff. But not so far.</p><p>It could be the crease is too crowded with Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala both vying for the starting job, that coach Ron Wilson&rsquo;s system of alternating starts is too frustrating. That hasn&rsquo;t been the case yet, with Toskala winning his first three starts and Nabokov posting two shutouts.</p><p>Finally, it could be the sophomore jinx will bite wingers Milan Michalek and Steve Bernier. But they shared the team scoring lead with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-05

Sharks chomping opponents early on

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06264/8819321-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="132" height="132"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> The weakest part of the Lightning&rsquo;s game is the power play, amazing considering the amount of offensive skill available.</p><p>Through six games, Tampa Bay was 3-for-35 with the man advantage, including an awful 0-for-22 streak.</p><p>According to coach John Tortorella, it&rsquo;s an attitude problem. The Bolts have lost the grit that made them Stanley Cup champions.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not a lack of effort by the coaching staff, which has put the team through its paces. In fact, in a recent 90-minute practice, 45 were devoted to the power play. In the next game, the power play went 0- for-7 in a 1-0 loss to Atlanta.</p><p>The situation is part of a larger problem in which the top two lines have contributed almost nothing offensively. Through six games, Ryan Craig had four goals &ndash; one less than Vinny Lecavalier, Ruslan Fedotenko, Martin St-Louis, Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal combined.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-06

Power play blues shocker to Bolts

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE ZEISBERGER</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-07220/8819352-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="122" height="130"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> Entering the season, the Leafs expected to be deep on the blueline and wafer-thin up front.</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t take long for that theory to get turned upside down.</p><p>Concerns regarding the forwards have been alleviated by a hard-skating group that helped the Leafs lead the NHL in shots per game (38.8 through six outings). Meanwhile, the defense needs another experienced stalwart.</p><p>Injuries to Pavel Kubina (knee) and Andy Wozniewski (shoulder) early in the season left the Leafs with just three veteran D-men (Bryan Mc-Cabe, Tomas Kaberle, Hal Gill).</p><p>GM John Ferguson, kicking some tires, contacted the handlers of free agent Brian Leetch who, during his brief stint with the Leafs in 2004, called McCabe &ldquo;the best partner I&rsquo;ve played with.&rdquo;</p><p>But Leetch is still contemplating retirement. If he does return, the Rangers, Flyers and Bruins are his top choices.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-07

Dearth of defense has Leafs exposed

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-08180/8819383-1-eng-US/f0024-082.jpg" title="f0024-08" width="132" height="127"></div><p><b>BIGGEST NEED</b> Canucks coach Alain Vigneault was wearing his lab coat early on, trying to find some chemistry for a second scoring line.</p><p>Vigneault opted to partner Markus Naslund with the Sedin twins for an outstanding first unit &ndash; 22 points through seven games &ndash; but that left center Brendan Morrison without a viable offensive threat on either of his wings.</p><p>The Canucks tried ex-Canadien Jan Bulis on both sides of Morrison; they also tried ex-Sabre Taylor Pyatt as well as returning Canuck forwards Matt Cooke and Ryan Kesler, who&rsquo;s usually a center.</p><p>Entering late October, the ever-changing Morrison line was still looking for answers.</p><p>&ldquo;We have to get something going,&rdquo; said Morrison, who had just two points in seven games. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m frustrated by it, no question. There&rsquo;s no reason why we shouldn&rsquo;t be scoring.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-08

Second-line story: Flux on the flanks

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVE FAY</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-09152/8819414-1-eng-US/f0024-092.jpg" title="f0024-09" width="132" height="123"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>IGGEST NEED</b> The Capitals are in the midst of a massive rebuilding program and the area that needs the most help is defense, which also happens to be the most sought-after commodity in the league.</p><p>The Caps have most of the parts in-house, but miss the one thing that can&rsquo;t be hurried &ndash; experience. The top pair, Brian Pothier, 29, and Shaone Morrisonn, 23, are good together and getting better. The second unit has Ben Clymer, 28, and Steve Eminger, 23, and the jury is debating. Clymer is going back to his natural position and needs time to adjust; Eminger has some good nights, but more mediocre nights than he should at his age. Jamie Heward, 35, is tutoring Mike Green, 21, on the finer points of the NHL.</p><p>What is missing is a Brendan Witt-type; respectable on &lsquo;D&rsquo; and also excellent at taking the body. A solid threat from the point on power plays would also be beneficial.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0024-09

Old hands wanted for Caps defense

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02917/8819483-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="256" height="350"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011283/8819490-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="85" height="85"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03744/8819476-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="170" height="116"></div><p>For Adam Dennis, the toughest part of pro hockey early on wasn&rsquo;t the sharp-shooters he faced, it was signing his name.</p><p>Dennis, named goaltender of the year in the Ontario League last season, didn&rsquo;t agree to his three-year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres until the second week of the American League season.</p><p>&ldquo;It was definitely something that was on my mind 24/7,&rdquo; Dennis said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad it&rsquo;s done now and I can starting focusing on on-ice activities.&rdquo;</p><p>He proved the wait was worth it. Dennis stopped 40 shots in his AHL debut for the Rochester Americans, a 3-2 victory at Binghamton, living up to the billing as the next talented young goalie to enter the Sabres system.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he could have been tested any more than he was,&rdquo; said Amerks coach Randy Cunneyworth. &ldquo;That was certainly a great first game.&rdquo;</p><p>Dennis, 21, won an OHL-record 44 games with London last season, breaking the mark set by Wendell Young 23 years earlier. He also helped the Knights win the Memorial Cup in 2005.</p><p>Drafted 182nd overall by Buffalo in 2005, Dennis is trying to continue a Sabre trend of uncovering star stoppers in the late rounds. Buffalo selected Ryan Miller 138th overall in 1999.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-02

A menace to shooters

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04551/8819577-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALEXANDER ON FIRE</b></p><p>Rookie Alexander Radulov&rsquo;s professional career is off to a roaring start.</p></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05416/8819584-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="134" height="162"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ade Flaherty</b> may not be happy with the Vancouver Canucks, but after a week to calm down and refocus, the veteran goalie was back doing what he does so well: stopping pucks.</p><p>Flaherty, demoted by the Canucks just as the NHL regular season began, returned to the Manitoba Moose for the second week of the season and was in goal for a 3-0 loss and 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phantoms. He allowed three goals on 36 shots in the two games and also assisted on <b>Nathan Smith&rsquo;s</b> winning goal Oct. 14.</p><p>The 38-year-old Flaherty was a second team AHL all-star last season when he went 26-17-4 for the Moose with a 2.40 goals-against average (second in the league) and .919 save percentage (fifth best). He led the AHL with six shutouts.</p><p>He went through the entire NHL camp figuring to be <b>Robert Luongo&rsquo;s</b> backup, only to be sent back to Manitoba when Vancouver claimed <b>Dany Sabourin</b> off waivers from Pittsburgh. Sabourin was the first team all-star in the AHL last season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.</p><p>&ldquo;I guess I was a fool talking myself into thinking I had a shot,&rdquo; Flaherty told the Winnipeg <i>Free Press</i>.</p><p>Flaherty admitted he briefly considered retirement, but opted to rejoin the Moose with the hopes of proving he can help the Canucks.</p><p>&ldquo;I still think I have a shot,&rdquo; he said.</p><p><b>THE REAL DEAL</b> Since the Nashville Predators started sending their prospects to Milwaukee, <b>Scottie Upshall</b>, <b>Martin Erat</b>, <b>Simon Gamache</b> and <b>Darren Haydar</b> all spent considerable time with the Admirals.</p><p>None, however, managed to produce five points in a game, which is what rookie right winger <b>Alexander Radulov</b> did Oct. 13.</p><p>Radulov scored one goal and set up four in a 7-5 to Chicago. The next night he scored the tie-breaking goal in a 5-1 victory over the Wolves in Chicago.</p><p>Radulov, Nashville&rsquo;s first round pick (15th overall) in 2004, had three goals and seven points in his first three AHL games.</p><p><b>SLOW START</b> Center <b>Donald MacLean</b> knows why he was wanted in San Antonio and the AHL&rsquo;s reigning MVP started to deliver in a 5-4 shootout win over Houston Oct. 15.</p><p>After finding the net just once in four games, MacLean scored two goals in regulation and added another in the shootout.</p><p>&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t done much offensively and that&rsquo;s what they brought me here for,&rdquo; MacLean, who netted 56 goals last season, told the San Antonio <i>Express-News</i>.</p><p>His second goal of the game &ndash; in the second period &ndash; gave the Rampage their first lead in 11 periods.</p><p><b>WHAT A DAY</b> Houston had some travel issues on the second weekend of the season.</p><p>The Aeros flight from Des Moines, Iowa, was canceled so the team was forced to bus to Omaha, fly to Dallas, then bus to San Antonio on game day to play that evening. Despite 12 hours of travel, the Aeros (0-4-1) earned their first point of the season in a 5-4 shootout loss.</p><h2><b>POWER RANKINGS</b></h2><p>As of Oct. 18, 2006</p><h3><b>AHL TOP 10</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06345/8819570-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="512" height="678"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07295/8819563-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="256" height="350"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MATHIEU BIRON</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-08235/8819556-1-eng-US/f0026-082.jpg" title="f0026-08" width="127" height="116"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-09200/8819549-1-eng-US/f0026-092.jpg" title="f0026-09" width="241" height="82"></div><h3><b>TOP DEFENSEMEN</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-10176/8819542-1-eng-US/f0026-102.jpg" title="f0026-10" width="514" height="498"></div><h3><b>MANCHESTER</b></h3><p><b>6th Season in AHL</b></p><p><b>Best Season</b></p><p>51-21-4-4 in 2004-05</p><p><b>Arena</b></p><p>Verizon Wireless</p><p><b>GM</b> Ron Hextall</p><p><b>Coach</b></p><p>Mark Morris</p><p><b>Career Leaders</b></p><p>(GP-G-A-Points)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-13137/8819535-1-eng-US/f0026-132.jpg" title="f0026-13" width="349" height="271"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-12145/8819528-1-eng-US/f0026-122.jpg" title="f0026-12" width="173" height="114"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-11162/8819521-1-eng-US/f0026-112.jpg" title="f0026-11" width="191" height="265"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT PAULUS)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0026-04

Flaherty fights for position

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02848/8819622-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="256" height="347"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011227/8819629-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="190" height="86"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03612/8819615-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="142" height="138"></div><p>Blake Comeau admits being a bit awe-struck when he first joined the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for last year&rsquo;s playoffs.</p><p>It was the first taste of pro hockey for the talented right winger, drafted 47th overall by the Islanders in 2004.</p><p>&ldquo;It was pretty flattering when they called me in,&rdquo; Comeau, 20, said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something you work your whole childhood for, to get a chance at the NHL, and it&rsquo;s a bit surreal when you get to this level.&rdquo;</p><p>The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Comeau had three assists in seven post-season games. More importantly, he came away with a sense he belonged.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year gave me an opportunity to get adjusted to this level a little bit,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot different than junior hockey. You&rsquo;re playing against men, not 16- and 17-year-old kids. It was a big help for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Comeau, who led Canada to a gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Championship, has looked right at home. He scored nine points in his first three games.</p><p>&ldquo;I definitely feel comfortable with these guys and things obviously started on the right note,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When (the Islanders) sent me down, they said they wanted me to develop and get some ice time, keep skating and keep my feet moving and play gritty and contribute offensively, as well.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0027-02

Fast start for Comeau

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04441/8819660-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GREAT START</b></p><p>Joey Tenute is one of 14 Hershey Bears returning to defend their Calder Cup title.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05301/8819667-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="134" height="162"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>A total of 14 players returned from last year&rsquo;s championship team, but the Hershey Bears aren&rsquo;t interested in the past.</p><p>Just as they&rsquo;re not feeling pressure to become the first team in 15 years to defend their title, or the first in league history to win 10 Calder Cups.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not thinking that way,&rdquo; said captain <b>Lawrence Nycholat</b>. &ldquo;Every team needs to find its own identity. It was great we were able to win last year and we have a lot of guys back.</p><p>&ldquo;That said, it&rsquo;s a different year. Even with those guys, we have a different team and a different makeup. We&rsquo;ve got to cherish that we were able to win last year, but we don&rsquo;t want to dwell on it too much. We want to move forward and make our own name for ourselves.&rdquo;</p><p>Winning their first four games &ndash; all on the road &ndash; the Bears got off to a great start. They returned to the Giant Center Oct. 21 to raise the ninth AHL championship banner in the franchise&rsquo;s storied 69-year history.</p><p>Twenty of Hershey&rsquo;s 22 skaters produced at least one point in the team&rsquo;s opening trip, led by <b>Joey Tenute</b>, <b>Eric Fehr</b> and Nycholat with five points apiece. Twelve players had at least one goal.</p><p>&ldquo;We feel good about the team,&rdquo; Nycholat said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a tough division.&rdquo;</p><p><b>IN TODD WE TRUST</b> New coach <b>Todd Richards</b> gave his Wilkes-Barre team an early indication this is a different year.</p><p>To help build team unity, Richards has used a unusual practice drill with his players. Skating in pairs, one player wore a blindfold and his partner had to shout instructions to get him around a series of cones set up on the ice and pick up a loose puck.</p><p>Once there, the blindfolded player then had to shoot into an empty net. Richards said it was a technique used in Milwaukee when he was an assistant to <b>Claude Noel</b>.</p><p>&ldquo;I think it teaches how important communication is,&rdquo; Richards told Wilkes-Barre&rsquo;s <i>Times Leader</i>. &ldquo;It builds trust among your teammates. Granted, they&rsquo;re not going fast, but you still have to trust.&rdquo;</p><p><b>RING OF HONOR</b> Albany River Rats forwards <b>Keith Aucoin</b> and <b>David Gove</b> don&rsquo;t have their names on the Stanley Cup, but they got the next best thing.</p><p>Rats coach-GM <b>Tom Rowe</b> presented the two veterans with Stanley Cup rings in a brief and informal locker room ceremony following practice Oct. 11.</p><p>Though they did not play in a game, Aucoin and Gove practiced and traveled with the Carolina Hurricanes throughout the postseason. Carolina moved its farm team from Lowell to Albany this year.</p><p>&ldquo;It really says something about the organization,&rdquo; Gove said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re really thankful. Everybody wants one of those.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES Barry Boudreau</b>, younger brother of Hershey coach <b>Bruce Boudreau</b>, was killed in a traffic accident Oct. 8 in Toronto&hellip;Aucoin scored his 100th career AHL goal in a 3-2 win over Hamilton Oct. 14&hellip;<b>Sean Burke</b> had 30 saves in his AHL debut as Springfield edged Hartford 3-2 Oct. 7.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-04

Bears bull into new year

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-06221/8819698-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="156" height="151"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>C</span>raig Kowalski didn&rsquo;t know exactly what to expect when Florida Everblades coach Gerry Fleming summoned him to his office after a practice during training camp.</p><p>The third-year goaltender&rsquo;s mind was eased when he saw the grin on his coach&rsquo;s face.</p><p>Fleming handed Kowalski a package. Inside was the Stanley Cup ring Kowalski earned as an emergency third goalie during the Carolina Hurricanes&rsquo; Cup win in June.</p><p>&ldquo;I knew I was receiving one, I just didn&rsquo;t know when,&rdquo; said Kowalski, who practiced with the Hurricanes every day during their Stanley Cup run. &ldquo;I was surprised. Gerry called me into his office. He had a big smile on his face. He handed me the package and said, &lsquo;You have to open it right here.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Kowalski&rsquo;s reaction was understandable: &ldquo;I just thought, &lsquo;Wow.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Kowalski, 25, won 12 games with the Everblades last season and six more with Lowell in the AHL. His role with the Hurricanes was even more memorable.</p><p>&ldquo;Being on the ice with some of those guys like Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour, guys I watched growing up, I see how they prepare every day and how good they really are,&rdquo; He said.</p><h2><b>HEAVYWEIGHT EVENT</b></h2><p>Bakersfield Condors fans packed the 9,000-seat Ice Sports Center and donated 2,500 pounds of canned food to the Bakersfield Homeless Center in conjunction with the team&rsquo;s Open House and Family Day. Admission was free with the donation of two canned food items.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-06

Kowalski’s Cup ring

<div class="byline">BY BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02888/8819729-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="750" height="1423"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>IN THE CHASE</b></p><p>Fort Wayne broadcaster Bob Chase has been calling play-by-play action since 1953.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY FORT WAYNE KOMETS)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011267/8819736-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="172" height="77"></div><p><b>BOB CHASE IS</b> in very exclusive company.</p><p>The 80-year-old is in his 54th season of calling games for the Fort Wayne Komets and trails only Vin Scully (57 years) and Foster Hewitt (55) in terms of longevity in the broadcast booth.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m having the greatest time I&rsquo;ve ever had,&rdquo; said Chase, who doesn&rsquo;t plan on retiring any time soon. &ldquo;People ask me all the time, &lsquo;My God, what are you doing? You ought to be retired.&rsquo; I get up every morning at 3, I&rsquo;m at work by 4, I do the morning sports and I&rsquo;m done by 9.&rdquo;</p><p>His only concession after all these years is he no longer does the morning sports the day after road games.</p><p>Since his tenure began in 1953, Chase, still the sports director at WOWO-AM, estimates he has called play-by-play for 3,500 to 4,000 games. The only time he hasn&rsquo;t been behind the mic was eight years ago, when he missed about 20 games because of quadruple bypass heart surgery.</p><p>And his skills aren&rsquo;t limited to hockey. Chase covered Big Ten football for 13 seasons and called the &lsquo;Game of the Century&rsquo; between Notre Dame and Michigan State in 1966. He also called the 1954 Indiana state high school basketball championship game that was the basis for the movie <i>Hoosiers</i>.</p><p>He&rsquo;s had offers to move up to a high level, but Chase and his wife of 56 years, Murph, never made the move from Fort Wayne, where they raised four children.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been so privileged to do so many things, the whole job has been a dream job for me,&rdquo; said Chase, who began calling hockey games while attending Northern Michigan University for a few extra bucks while earning his accounting degree.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never really had a bad day. I like my work. If I didn&rsquo;t like my work, I wouldn&rsquo;t be here. It&rsquo;s always been fresh.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-02

Still calling Komet shots

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03665/8819767-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="174" height="106"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Jokerit Helsinki signed Ryan VandenBussche to a month-long contract, it didn&rsquo;t know what was coming. The signing was big news due to the fact VandenBussche had been charged with assaulting three police officers last June in Canada.</p><p>Jokerit GM Matti Virmanen said he wasn&rsquo;t aware of VandenBussche&rsquo;s brush with the law. In his third game in Finland, VandenBussche fought IFK&rsquo;s Pasi Nielikainen on his first shift, just as newspapers speculated would happen the day before. Finnish police thought the duel seemed premeditated and decided to investigate the fight as an assault. One upset Finnish fan decided to give the police a taste of their own medicine and filed charges against hockey players involved in more than 175 fights in the past 10 years. The police didn&rsquo;t blink, opting to proceed with 20 of the cases. The attorney general will eventually decide if the players will be charged.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-03

VandenBussche followed by trouble

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEFF RENAUD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04473/8819798-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="153" height="103"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he doctor is out. Dr. Vern Stenlund will step down as coach of the Windsor Lancers after the 2006-07 season. An associate professor in the faculty of education at the University of Windsor, Stenlund is one of only a handful of part-time head coaches in CIS hockey. &ldquo;I took this over as a short-term commitment and it stretched into five years,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is a part-time position that requires full-time involvement.&rdquo; Stenlund, who was drafted by the California Golden Seals and played four NHL games with the Cleveland Barons in 1977, said he has &ldquo;a couple&rdquo; more books he wants to write and plans to devote more time to the Chevrolet Safe and Fun Program, which he co-founded with Bobby Orr.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-04

Opening nightmare despite red carpet

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05365/8819829-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="159" height="113"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span>apanese imports have long been a major force in the American auto and technical industries. Japan may not be looking at professional hockey with the same Godzilla-like zeal, but the sun is rising. Three Japanese players were invited to CHL camps, with left winger Kazuma Takahashi making the pre-season roster with Corpus Christi. Takaioshi Kawamoto and Hironori Kobayashi earned camp invites with the Austin Ice Bats. Takahashi, 28, is the most promising. He was a star in Japan, playing five pro seasons. &ldquo;It will be interesting to see if (Takahashi) can translate that into the North American style of play,&rdquo; said Rayz coach Ken McRae. Takahashi will be the second Japanese player to play in the CHL if he makes the team.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-05

Japanese players land in CHL camps

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06314/8819860-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="161" height="120"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>untsville Havoc coach John Gibson doesn&rsquo;t hold back when advertising for a back-up to star stopper Matt Carmichael. &ldquo;I explain the situation right off the bat,&rdquo; Gibson said, before reciting his pitch: &ldquo;Listen, I&rsquo;ve got the league&rsquo;s best returning at No. 1. I&rsquo;m looking for a young guy who is willing to learn from him, not be a headache and push me for playing time. Basically, you&rsquo;re going to play 10-12 games, barring an injury.&rdquo; Nick Niedert and rookie Lenny Mosca are fighting for the job. The winner must be satisfied with having the best seat in the arena unless he makes the best of a rare start. &ldquo;Carmie knows if I play a No. 2 on Thursday and he&rsquo;s lights out, I&rsquo;ll play him again Friday,&rdquo; Gibson said. &ldquo;If his backup is hot, I&rsquo;ll ride him out.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-06

No Havoc needed from back-up role

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PAUL SHAHEEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-07268/8819891-1-eng-US/f0028-072.jpg" title="f0028-07" width="172" height="55"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span>ust call him one of the Jersey Boys. Eighteen year-old Indiana winger Michael Del Mauro is part of the ever-growing number of New Jersey players edging onto the junior A landscape. He&rsquo;s also a guy who can tough it out in the classroom just as much as on the ice. Next fall, he&rsquo;ll be headed to Harvard. Not ranked for the 2007 NHL draft by International Scouting Services, Del Mauro combined for 47 goals, 90 points and 100 penalty minutes in 53 games last season with Deerfield Academy and the junior New Jersey Rockets. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a wonderful opportunity for Michael to go to an Ivy League school,&rdquo; said Ice coach Jack Bowkus. &ldquo;Even if hockey doesn&rsquo;t work out, it&rsquo;s a wonderful education to have in your back pocket. He&rsquo;s going to do well.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-07

Another Jersey Boy making an impact

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELIZABETH ETUE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-08228/8819922-1-eng-US/f0028-082.jpg" title="f0028-08" width="150" height="92"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>win sisters Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux are about to get their first international experience with Team USA. The 17-year-old sisters are the youngest members of the 19 players named to the 2006 U.S. women&rsquo;s team competing in the Four Nations Cup in Kitchener, Ont., Nov. 7-11. The remaining three roster spots will be filled at Team USA&rsquo;s training camp in early November. &ldquo;Our preliminary roster includes some very experienced international players, along with some really talented up-and-comers,&rdquo; said Mark Johnson, the women&rsquo;s coach at Wisconsin who will serve as bench boss for the U.S. The roster includes 11 players who have previously skated for Team USA&rsquo;s senior women&rsquo;s team and eight newcomers.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-08

Lamoureux twins crack U.S. roster

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02762/8819960-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="930" height="1277"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MIKE DEMBECK)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011127/8819967-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="134" height="124"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>AKUB VORACEK WAS</b> the first overall pick in the 2006 CHL import draft. The Halifax Mooseheads right winger may also be first to the podium in the 2007 NHL draft.</p><p>Voracek, 17, sits No. 2 in the International Scouting Services rankings for the 2007 NHL draft, behind Ottawa&rsquo;s Logan Couture and ahead of Quebec&rsquo;s Angelo Esposito.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s a consensus first overall at this point,&rdquo; said Los Angeles scout Grant Sonier. &ldquo;I really think it&rsquo;s still up in the air. There&rsquo;s probably five or six contenders right now and Voracek is one of them.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s arguably the top guy in the Quebec League for next year&rsquo;s draft.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s saying a lot considering Esposito has long been considered a front-line challenger to go No. 1 in &rsquo;07.</p><p>Voracek jumped on the scene while playing at the Junior World Cup under-18 championship in his home country of the Czech Republic last summer.</p><p>&ldquo;He was known before that, but that&rsquo;s where he really grabbed a lot of attention,&rdquo; Sonier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a kid with a little of everything &ndash; size, speed, scoring touch, character. He&rsquo;s got some real jump and explosiveness. He&rsquo;s shown he&rsquo;s willing to battle for loose pucks.&rdquo;</p><p>Voracek doesn&rsquo;t speak English, but his play has done the talking for him.</p><p>He has made a smooth adjustment to North American hockey, beginning his QMJHL career with an 11-game points streak.</p><p>He has great composure with the puck and he&rsquo;s considered equally a goal-scorer and playmaker.</p><p>&ldquo;He almost has a North American style,&rdquo; said Halifax coach Cam Russell, a former NHL defenseman. &ldquo;He has tremendous skills, great vision and great work ethic to go with it. He&rsquo;s first on the puck. I have yet to see him be the second man on the puck. There&rsquo;s a lot of times he&rsquo;ll take the shot, miss the net and be the first on the puck in the corner.</p><p>Columbus scout Jim Clark considers Voracek a complete package.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good puck-mover,&rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;He has a pro-calibre shot, good vision and makes great plays. He&rsquo;s been a dominant player in games I&rsquo;ve watched him.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s obviously a top 10 pick and it&rsquo;s up to him to show the scouting fraternity how high he should go.&rdquo;</p><p>The biggest knock on Voracek is he too often looks to pass. Russell says he&rsquo;s encouraging him to shoot more.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>Spotlight</b></h2><h3><b>JAKUB VORACEK</b></h3><p><b>Height:</b> 6-1 <b>Weight:</b> 188</p><p><b>GP</b> 12 <b>G</b> 6 <b>A</b> 8 <b>Pts</b> 14</p><p><b>Draft Status:</b> Projected No. 2 overall by International Scouting Services for &rsquo;07.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03534/8819953-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="210" height="210"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-02

Czech-ing in at top spot?

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04390/8819998-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="144" height="109"></div><p>Calgary Hitmen defenseman <b>Dylan Yeo</b> may eventually become an Idol.</p><p>&ldquo;A couple of guys wanted me to go on Canadian Idol,&rdquo; said Yeo, a talented 19-year-old singer who hails from Prince Albert, Sask. &ldquo;I was actually going to to do it last year, but I found out I had to go to my home province for an audition. There was no way I was going from Calgary to Regina during the hockey season.</p><p>&ldquo;Maybe when I&rsquo;m done hockey, I&rsquo;ll check into it.&rdquo;</p><p>Yeo, a self-described &ldquo;sing-in-the-shower guy&rdquo; sang &lsquo;O Canada&rsquo; before a Hitmen home game Oct. 6 at the Pengrowth Saddledome.</p><p>&ldquo;It went really well,&rdquo; said Yeo, out of the lineup until November due to a broken wrist. &ldquo;I was actually quite nervous while I was singing. I wasn&rsquo;t nervous before. But it was fun. I enjoyed it.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Everett Silvertips are getting mileage out of an incident in which coach <b>Kevin Constantine</b> made his players wear their equipment during a four-hour bus ride after a pre-season game (which resulted in a $5,000 fine and a four-game suspension.) An early-season promotion granted free admission to the Everett Events Center for every fan who wore full hockey gear, minus skates and stick.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0029-04

‘Sing-in-the-shower guy’ might one day be an Idol

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05323/8820029-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="172" height="59"></div><p>Windsor Spitfires co-owner and coach <b>Bob Boughner</b> isn&rsquo;t worried his team will face gate competition in a few years.</p><p>Just days after city council approved a new arena to replace the 81-year-old Windsor Arena, Ice Track Corporation purchased the dormant Cincinnati AHL franchise and plans to have the team playing in a new 6,500-seat arena in neighboring Tecumseh in 2008-09.</p><p>The AHL&rsquo;s board of governors granted conditional approval to the sale. Windsor will also build a 6,500-seat arena that will become the Spitfires&rsquo; new home.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really not that big of a concern,&rdquo; said Boughner, who along with <b>Warren Rychel</b> purchased the Spitfires last spring. &ldquo;I just really don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s a market for an AHL team in Windsor.</p><p>&ldquo;I know a lot of people who are just waiting for a new rink to be built. It&rsquo;s time.&rdquo;</p><p>The AHL team will be part of Ice Track&rsquo;s $55-million deal that will see Windsor Raceway and its millions in slots revenue move to Tecumseh from south Windsor.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The new General Motors Centre in Oshawa will be the site of one of two Canada-Russia Challenge games hosted by the OHL Nov. 27. The other OHL-Russia game will take place in Sarnia Nov. 23.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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October 31, 2006

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