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.

September 20, 2005

The Hockey News September 20, 2005

<img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48">NHL personnel moves from Aug. 25 &ndash; Sept. 7<h2>MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM</h2>Aug. 25 Craig Adams, RW, signed one-year contract. Acquired Kip Brennan, LW from Atlanta Thrashers for Mark Popovic, D. Aug. 26 Jordan Smith, D, signed contract. Aug. 30 Kent Huskins, D, Geoff Peters, C, signed one-year contracts. Sep. 7 Ruslan Salei, D, re-signed one-year contract.<h2>ATLANTA THRASHERS</h2>Aug. 25 Acquired Mark Popovic, D, from Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Kip Brennan, LW. Aug. 31 Bob Hartley, head coach, re-signed one-year contract extension through 2006-07.Sep. 1 Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, signed with Khimik (Rus.). Sep. 2 Mike Dunham, G, signed one-year contract.<h2>BOSTON BRUINS</h2>Aug. 27 Tomas Kurka, LW, signed with Kuopio (Fin.). Aug. 30 Hal Gill, D, re-signed contract. Acquired fourth-round draft pick from Edmonton Oilers for Yan Stastny, C. Sep. 7 Jeremy Reich, LW, signed one-year contract, Patrick Leahy, RW, Colton Orr, RW, re-signed one-year contracts, Tyler Redenbach, C, signed three-year contract.<h2>BUFFALO SABRES</h2>Aug. 25 Acquired Toni Lydman, D, from Calgary Flames for third-round draft pick in 2006. Aug. 31 Team agrees to share Rochester (AHL) with Florida.<h2>CALGARY FLAMES</h2>Aug. 25 Acquired third-round draft pick in 2006 from Buffalo for Toni Lydman, D.<h2>CAROLINA HURRICANES</h2>Aug. 30 Rob Zepp, G, signed with SaiPa (Fin.).<h2>CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</h2>No transactions.<h2>COLORADO AVALANCHE</h2>Sep. 5 Andrei Nikolishin, C. signed with Lada Togliatti (Rus.). Riku Hahl, C, signed with Davos (Swi.). Sep. 6 Jeff Ulmer, RW, signed with Hamburg in (Ger.). Sep. 7 Vincent Damphousse, LW, announced his retirement.<h2>COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</h2>Aug. 29 Alex Picard, LW, Tomas Popperle, G, signed three-year entry-level contracts. Sep. 6 Martin Spanhel, LW, signed with Sparta Praha (Cze.).<h2>DALLAS STARS</h2>Aug. 26 Hired Ulf Dahlen as scout for Sweden.<h2>DETROIT RED WINGS</h2>Aug. 25 Jimmy Howard, G, signed three-year entry level contract. Danny Groulx, D, signed with Kassel (Ger.). Aug. 26 Niklas Kronwall, D, signed two-year contract. Sep. 5 Pavel Datsyuk, C, signed with Avangard Omsk in (Rus.). Sep. 7 Henrik Zetterberg, LW, re-signed four-year contract.<h2>EDMONTON OILERS</h2>Aug. 29 Danny Syvret, signed three-year entry-level contract. Jesse Niinimaki, C, signed with Jokerit (Fin.). Aug. 30 Acquired Yan Stastny, C, from Boston Bruins for fourth-round draft pick in 2006; signed Stastny to two-year contract.<h2>FLORIDA PANTHERS</h2>Aug. 25 Roberto Luongo, G, awarded one-year contract by arbitrator. Aug. 26 Dan Focht, D, signed contract, Christian Berglund, LW, signed with Rapperswill-Jona (Swi.). Aug. 31 Phil Osaer, G, signed contract. Team agrees to share Rochester (AHL) with Buffalo. Sep. 2 Eric Beaudoin, LW, signed with Newcastle (UK).<h2>LOS ANGELES KINGS</h2>Sep. 6 Anze Kopitar, C, signed to multi-year entry-level contract. Sep. 7 Yanick Lehoux, C, signed with Geneve-Servette (Swi.).<h2>MINNESOTA WILD</h2>Aug. 26 Acquired Erik Westrum, RW, and Dustin Wood, D, from Phoenix Coyotes for Zbynek Michalek, D.<h2>MONTREAL CANADIENS</h2>Aug. 25 Andrei Markov, D, re-signed two-year contract, Mark Streit, D, signed one-year contract. Karl Dykhuis, D, signed with Mannheim (Ger.). Aug. 29 Gavin Morgan, C, signed with Basel (Swi.). Sep. 2 Jose Theodore, G, re-signed three-year cotnract. Sep. 7 Jeff Paul, D, signed one-year contract.<h2>NASHVILLE PREDATORS</h2>Aug. 29 Martin Erat, LW, re-signed contract. Aug. 31 Greg Classen, C, re-signed contract.<h2>NEW JERSEY DEVILS</h2>Sep. 6 Scott Stevens, D, announced his retirement.<h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</h2>Aug. 30 Robert Nilsson, RW, signed three-year entry-level contract. Sep. 1 Kevin Colley and Rob Collins, C, re-signed one-year contracts. Sep. 2 Travis Brigley, LW, signed contract. Sep. 6 Justin Mapletoft, C, signed with Jokerit (Fin.). Sep. 7 Rick DiPietro, G, re-signed one-year contract.<h2>NEW YORK RANGERS</h2>Aug. 25 Alexandre Giroux, C, Martin Grenier, D, resigned contracts. Aug. 29 Michal Roszival, D, signed contract. Aug. 30 Dominic Moore, C, Bryce Lampman, D, re-signed contracts. Aug. 31 Lucas Lawson, LW, signed with Jyvaskyla (Fin.). Sep. 6 Craig Weller, D, Jed Ortmeyer, C, re-signed contracts.<h2>OTTAWA SENATORS</h2>Aug. 25 Andrej Meszaros, D, signed three-year entry level contract. Aug. 26 Jeff Heerema, RW, Lance Ward, D, signed one-year contracts.<h2>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</h2>Sep. 2 Radovan Somik, RW, signed with Severstal (Rus.).<h2>PHOENIX COYOTES</h2>Aug. 26 Acquired Zbynek Michalek, D, from Minnesota Wild for Erik Westrum, RW, and Dustin Wood, D.<h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</h2>Aug. 26 Milan Kraft, C, signed with Avangard Omsk (Rus.). Aug. 30 Dick Tarnstrom, D, signed one-year contract. Aug. 31 Landon Wilson, RW, signed with Davos (Swi.). Sep. 1 Ryan Malone, LW, re-signed contract. Sep. 2 Lyle Odelein, D, signed contract, Kevin Stevens hired as New England scout.<h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES</h2>Aug. 29 Aris Brimanis, D, signed with Kloten (Swi.).<h2>SAN JOSE SHARKS</h2>Sep. 6 Pat Rissmiller, C, re-signed one-year contract, Jonathan Tremblay, RW, Ryan Clowes, LW, re-signed three-year contracts.<h2>TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING</h2>Aug. 25 Dave Andreychuk, RW, re-signed two year contract. Aug. 26 Morgan Cey, G, Jay Rosehill, D, signed multi-year contracts. Sep. 7 Todd Rohloff, D, signed one-year contract.<h2>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</h2>Aug. 25 Pierre Hedin, D, signed with Mannheim (Ger.). Sep. 7 Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, re-signed two-year contract.<h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</h2>Aug. 30 Mike Brown, RW, Brett Skinner, D, Prestin Ryan, D, signed contracts. Aug. 31 Stan McCammon resigns as CEO. Sep. 1 Brent Johnson, G, signed contract, Jarkko Ruutu, RW, re-signed contract.<h2>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</h2>Aug. 25 David Steckel, LW, signed two-year contract. Aug. 26 Mike Green, D, signed three-year contract. Aug. 30 Bryan Muir, D, signed contract. Aug. 31 Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Jeff Schultz, D, signed to three-year entry-level contracts. Sep. 2 Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, D, signed with Duisberg (Ger.), Jason Ulmer, RW signed with Kassel (Ger.). Sep. 7 Josef Boumedienne, D, signed with ZSC Lions (Swi.). &#9632;

DEPARTMENTS

NHL TRANSACTIONS

<div class="byline">Mike Brophy </div><div class="byline">Senior Writer</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011239/8751179-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="316" height="421"></div><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48">Are you one of those hopeless romantics who always pulls for the underdog, no matter what? Then have I got a team for you.Looking over Washington&rsquo;s roster as training camp neared, it was hard to imagine the Capitals winning a game this season. And you just know that somewhere out there, members of the original Caps team from 1974-75 &ndash; a group of cast-offs that went 8-67-5, scoring 181 goals while surrendering a staggering 446 &ndash; must be thinking they are about to be let off the hook as the worst team in NHL history.I wouldn&rsquo;t bet on the 2005-06 Capitals in a game (or series, for that matter) against the American League-champion Philadelphia Phantoms. Guess who&rsquo;ll be slotted in the 30th position in most NHL pre-season polls?<h2>MOTIVATING PREDICTIONS</h2>&ldquo;Hey, I hope everybody picks us to finish last,&rdquo; says Caps coach Glen Hanlon. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll just use that as motivation. I doubt very many people picked Carolina to go to the final a few years ago&hellip;or Anaheim a few years ago&hellip;or Calgary last season. I&rsquo;m not saying we&rsquo;re going to the final, but it would be a mistake to underestimate our team.&rdquo;With the exception of teenage sensation Alexander Ovechkin, who will be counted on to lead this woe-begotten franchise out of the wilderness, there really isn&rsquo;t much to smile about on a team that eight years ago competed for the Stanley Cup, losing to Detroit in the final.A quick scan of Washington&rsquo;s depth chart reveals, well, no depth. The team&rsquo;s No. 1 center, Andrew Cassels, is coming off a dismal six-goal, 26-point season with Columbus in which he was a ghastly minus-24. On a good team, Cassels is a support player at this stage of his career, not a front-liner.The team&rsquo;s No. 1 defenseman, Brendan Witt, is a No. 3 or 4 defenseman on most teams. Oh, and he has demanded a trade. Steve Eminger, the Caps&rsquo; No. 2 defenseman, had just four assists in 2003-04 and was minus-11. Luckily, he&rsquo;s a kid with a big upside.Hanlon says the team made a decision midway through 2003-04 to purge itself of most of its expensive veterans and begin a youth movement. Now, having good young players is one thing, but do the Caps have the veteran leadership to make sure the kids become all they can be?&ldquo;We have the best captain in hockey who doesn&rsquo;t wear the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in our goaltender, Olie Kolzig,&rdquo;Hanlon insists. &ldquo;When it comes to leadership and setting the example, there&rsquo;s nobody better than him.&rdquo;Talk about being the last man standing. The 2000 Vezina Trophy winner, Kolzig is a pro&rsquo;s pro who has played in two NHL All-Star Games and not long ago shared a dressing room with the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang, Sergei Gonchar and Peter Bondra.<h2>OLD SCHOOL</h2>Now, at 35, he&rsquo;s about to be introduced to a universe that includes Black Eyed Peas, The White Stripes and 50 Cent. Here&rsquo;s a hint, Olie. When the kids walk in with their boxers showing two inches above the waistline of their jeans, it&rsquo;s supposed to look that way. Only God knows why, but kids think it&rsquo;s cool.Kolzig says he hopes to get an idea from GM George McPhee in training camp about the team&rsquo;s direction before deciding if he&rsquo;ll move on when his contract expires after this season.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot to be said for starting and ending your career with one team,&rdquo; Kolzig says. &ldquo;But if the rebuilding process is going to take two, three or four years, then perhaps it&rsquo;s time to look elsewhere. The grass isn&rsquo;t always greener, but a different shade might benefit you.&rdquo;For now, Kolzig accepts that he&rsquo;ll be looked upon to lead a band of kids.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a guy who has always gone out and worked hard and tries to lead by example,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t call guys out or anything like that.&rdquo;The good news? Under the new CBA, a team can turn on a dime. Just look at the Pittsburgh Penguins.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04438/8751165-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="943" height="1518"><figcaption class="caption-body">HEY, POPS! Goalie Olie Kolzig will be counted on to babysit a band of kids in his 15th season of pro hockey. (BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>GOT GOALS?</h2>Five of Washington&rsquo;s top six scorers are back with the team this year. But will it help? The Caps only had four 10-goal scorers in 2003-04.Capital returnees (&rsquo;03-04 stats)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02826/8751158-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="614" height="1242"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03601/8751151-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="1278" height="555"></div><h2>PARTING SHOT</h2><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;This is a dangerous thing to say, but who the @#$% is he? Is he one of the top defenseman in the league? I don&rsquo;t remember that.&rdquo; &ndash; CAROLINA OWNER PETER KARMANOS, ON LOSING OUT ON FREE AGENT ADRIAN AUCOIN</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05342/8751144-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="714" height="444"><figcaption class="caption-body">The American League gets set to mix it up on the same day the NHL season begins, Oct. 5.(LEFT: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES RIGHT: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><h2>Upcoming In The Hockey World</h2>Here&rsquo;s what to look for in the coming weeksWed., Sept. 21&nbsp;Plymouth takes on Saginaw as the OHL season beginsFri., Sept. 23&nbsp;IIHF Continental Cup begins in Romania and TurkeyWed., Oct. 5&nbsp;NHL opening night, with all 30 teams in actionWed., Oct. 5&nbsp;AHL season kicks off with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at BridgeportMon., Nov. 7&nbsp;Neely, Kharlamov, Costello inducted into Hockey Hall of FameDec. 26-Jan. 5&nbsp;World Junior Championship in VancouverFor the latest news, visit <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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Capital punishment

<div class="byline">-ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-08149/8750294-1-eng-US/f0025-082.jpg" title="f0025-08" width="242" height="205"></div>The Canucks may have experienced leadership on the ice, but there is precious little left in the front office.At the conclusion of the 2003-04 season, GM Brian Burke was fired and chief operating officer Dave Cobb left shortly thereafter to join Vancouver&rsquo;s 2010 Winter Olympic committee. Then just days before the Canucks opened their 2005 rookie camp, CEO Stan McCammon resigned to take a job in his hometown of Seattle, from where he had been commuting since 1999.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-07181/8750301-1-eng-US/f0025-072.jpg" title="f0025-07" width="187" height="231"><figcaption class="caption-body">VANCOUVER CANUCKS</figcaption></div>Dave Nonis replaced Burke as GM but neither of the other two positions have been filled. Part-owner Francesco Aquilini, himself a newcomer to the pro sports game, will serve as acting CEO while the search begins for a new commander.&ldquo;We are looking for someone local, someone who has strong ties to the community,&rdquo;Aquilini said.CHECKING IN With Artem Chubarov opting to say in Russia this season, the job of checking center will likely fall to third-year pro Ryan Kesler, who enjoyed a banner season with Manitoba of the American League during the lockout. Right winger Trevor Linden and left winger Matt Cooke are likely candidates to skate alongside Kesler. Both Linden and Cooke are strong skaters with loads of experience and both are good at forechecking. They should complement Kesler and his great wheels. Linden may be forced to take key defensive faceoffs, as Kesler lacks experience in that area.NOTEBOOK Former St. Louis and Phoenix goalie Brent Johnson signed with Vancouver, but is on a two-way contract and will almost certainly start the season in Manitoba. Alex Auld, who has a one-way deal, is virtually guaranteed the backup job behind No. 1 man Dan Cloutier&hellip; Right winger Jarkko Ruutu signed a one-year, $600,000 contract.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Naslund 35Morrison 22D.Sedin 18Bertuzzi 17Carter 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Filling in front office Canucks’ next task

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011993/8749009-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TARNSTROM 15 PP GOALSMALONE 5 PP GOALSJACKMAN 8 PP GOALSKRAFT 8 PP GOALSKOLTSOV 2 PP GOALSTARNSTROM 15 PP GOALSPALFFY 90 PP GOALSLEMIEUX 233 PP GOALSGONCHAR 55 PP GOALSRECCHI 146 PP GOALSLECLAIR 109 PP GOALSDON&rsquo;T FORGET ABOUT JOHN LECLAIR</figcaption></div><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48"> &#9632;

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COVER STORY

PENS WITH PUNCH

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012028/8748404-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

GREAT SCOTT

<div class="byline">Jason Kay Editor</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012213/8748491-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="298" height="330"></div><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48">A few years ago, TSN&rsquo;s Maggie the monkey proved what hockey &ldquo;experts&rdquo; everywhere had long feared: we could be replaced by trained primates.Fortunately, however, our bosses never caught on (either that, or they didn&rsquo;t fancy having poo flung at them on a regular basis). So, instead of losing our jobs to wheel-spinning, outcome-predicting, hairy critters, we endure. Each summer and spring, we puff up, stick out our ribs and chin and boldly proclaim who will succeed and who will fail, knowing full well our own chances of success are little better than 50-50.In a typical year, there already exists a slew of variables and unknowns with which to contend. This year, multiply that by all the new X-factors. The year off, the rule changes, the prospects who&rsquo;ve had another year to develop, the salary cap&hellip;each has an impact on how this season will unfold.So, really, it&rsquo;s anybody&rsquo;s guess who will win the Stanley Cup in 2006. Ours is the Philadelphia Flyers.<h2>FLYERS LOADED FOR CHAMPIONSHIP RUN</h2>In The Hockey News 2005-06 Yearbook (which, coincidentally, is available this very moment on newsstands), we suggest the Flyers have emerged from the labor Armageddon in better shape than their 29 closest rivals. They have a shiny, new superstar in all-world talent Peter Forsberg. They have a beefed-up defense corps, featuring Mike Rathje and Derian Hatcher. They have speed to burn with Simon Gagne and Sami Kapanen. They have other solid blueline returnees with Kim Johnsson and Eric Desjardins. They have two prized prospects ready to make the jump with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. And they have one of the game&rsquo;s best coaches with Ken Hitchcock.So what&rsquo;s not to love?How about the shiny, new superstar who&rsquo;s injury-prone? Or the beefed-up defense corps that may not be agile enough to compete under the new obstruction crackdown? Or the two prized prospects who, though ready and rarin&rsquo; to make the jump, still haven&rsquo;t proven a thing at the NHL level?And what about Philadelphia&rsquo;s goaltending question marks in Robert Esche and Antero Niittymaki? Or the loss of experience and leadership with the jettisoning of Jeremy Roenick, Mark Recchi, John LeClair and Tony Amonte?<h2>STANLEY CUP CRAP SHOOT</h2>Hey, offense and defense aren&rsquo;t the only fences in hockey. The point is, predicting a winner this year is the ultimate crap shoot, and while we stand by our Flyers&rsquo; prediction, there are more teams than ever worthy of Cup consideration.&bull; Defending champion Tampa Bay remains loaded with talent. True, they lost goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to free agency, but remember, John Grahame had better stats than Khabibulin in 2003-04 and Khabibulin hadn&rsquo;t won a playoff round prior to 2003. Don&rsquo;t count out the Lightning.&bull; The upstart Calgary Flames are better on paper than the team that made it to the 2004 final and Jarome Iginla appears poised to raise his game to the next level.&bull; The Ottawa Senators are gambling on the &lsquo;Dominator&rsquo; in goal and a potential dominating new player up front. If Dominik Hasek and Dany Heatley can return to their peak forms, the Sens remain a serious threat.&bull; Scott Niedermayer anchors a defense in Anaheim that may be the NHL&rsquo;s best all-around. If Jean-Sebastien Giguere rebounds and Sergei Fedorov plays to his potential, the Ducks could be mighty again.And there are a host of wild cards. Boston has an interesting new mix. Detroit won the last Presidents&rsquo; Trophy and can&rsquo;t be taken lightly. Pittsburgh is filthy rich up front. Atlanta, Edmonton, Los Angeles&hellip;they all appear stronger from afar.Dizzy from the spinning yet?On the sturdy side, we&rsquo;re set up for an entertaining season and can safely predict this: the outcome of this year&rsquo;s Stanley Cup playoffs will be an improvement over the 2005 version.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021453/8748477-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1468" height="1530"><figcaption class="caption-body">SIMON SAYSThe Hockey News 2005-06 Yearbook picks Simon Gagne&rsquo;s Philadelphia Flyers to win their first Cup since 1975.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04521/8748470-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="402" height="214"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05409/8748463-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="349" height="459"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06284/8748456-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="349" height="459"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07167/8748449-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="349" height="459"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-08102/8748442-1-eng-US/f0006-082.jpg" title="f0006-08" width="349" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>YEAR OFF Here are the number of NHL players on each team&rsquo;s projected roster who did not play in &rsquo;04-05.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03850/8748435-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="441" height="1858"></div> &#9632;

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Flyers favored, for now

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012003/8748553-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="939" height="1295"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAN&rsquo;S WAYJansen wants players to use their core power. (CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>It&rsquo;s all fine and well that the NHL, through tighter enforcement of interference, is planning to open up the ice and allow the world&rsquo;s top players to shine. Anything that allows players to move faster can&rsquo;t be a bad thing in Dan Jansen&rsquo;s eyes.What Jansen has a problem with, however, is that too many players still will be going too slow.Fortunately, this too can be changed.&ldquo;These guys can do better,&rdquo; insists Jansen, a 40-year-old former Olympic and world champion U.S. speedskater. &ldquo;I mean, they&rsquo;re amazing what they can do with the puck and their agility and everything, but from a strictly technical aspect of skating, they need work.&rdquo;Despite never having worked with elite-level hockey players, Jansen was hired by Chicago GM Dale Tallon to serve as the Hawks&rsquo; skating coach. No NHL team has employed a skating coach since Philadelphia dropped David Roy after 2002-03. Jansen, who got to know Tallon on the celebrity golf circuit, doesn&rsquo;t understand why.&ldquo;I would say the main flaw I see in hockey players &ndash; and it&rsquo;s hard to talk about it without getting too technical &ndash; is you watch a speedskater, he uses his body weight,&rdquo; Jansen says.&ldquo;Your power source isn&rsquo;t necessarily your legs &ndash; your power source is your core. And the main thing (hockey players) do not do well is get their legs underneath their core. Their knees are wide apart and they stay in the center and push, whereas can you get your body weight over that leg and then fall with it so you&rsquo;re using your weight as the power.&rdquo;Jansen will start identifying which Hawk prospects need skating help at rookie camp. Much of his teaching work will be off-ice, he says. It&rsquo;s easier to use off-ice exercises to show players where their power comes from and help them understand why they should do things a certain way.Given that he&rsquo;s never played much hockey himself outside of pick-up games with the speedskating boys (as for doing it wearing speedskates, &ldquo;it can&rsquo;t be done,&rdquo; he says), Jansen knows his credibility could be an issue.&ldquo;There&rsquo;ll be guys that won&rsquo;t want to have anything to do with me,&rdquo; he admits. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04540/8748546-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="900" height="810"><figcaption class="caption-body">Predator Power Nashville averaged 5.2 power plays per game in 2003-04, the most in the NHL.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Hawk speed left to Jansen

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021341/8748584-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="252" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN COLLINS</figcaption></div>FOUR GONE Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis, Vincent Damphousse and James Patrick pack it up after long and distinguished NHL careers.YOU GO, GIRLS Canada knocks off the United States 2-1 in the championship game of the women&rsquo;s Four Nations Cup.COLLINS IT QUITS Veteran linesman Kevin Collins, the fasted man ever to break up a fight, hangs &rsquo;em up after working 1,964 NHL games. &#9632;

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PLUS

HOCKEY HOOLIGANS Hockey Gladiators, the virtual goonfest, has come and gone. Here&rsquo;s hoping it is gone forever.HUH? The mere fact Isles GM Mike Milbury would consider giving Rick DiPietro a 15-year deal makes you wonder if he understands the new CBA.KILLER FINE So much for freedom of speech. Brian Kilrea, the dean of junior hockey coaches, is fined $5,000 for sounding off about new rules.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03841/8748615-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="252" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE MILBURY</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0007-03

MINUS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-06294/8748646-1-eng-US/f0007-062.jpg" title="f0007-06" width="283" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">EVGENI MALKIN</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-05375/8748653-1-eng-US/f0007-052.jpg" title="f0007-05" width="167" height="141"></div>&bull; Penguins prospect Evgeni Malkin wasted no time getting on track with his Russian team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Of the six goals scored by Metallurg in the pre-season Romazan Memorial tournament (Aug. 29 to Sept. 1), Malkin was in on five of them, netting three goals and two assists.&bull; E.J. McGuire has some pretty big shoes to fill. In taking over as the NHL&rsquo;s director of Central Scouting Service, he replaces the highly regarded Frank Bonello. Bonello assumes the role of consultant to the NHL&rsquo;s hockey operations department. Prior to joining the NHL in 1988, Bonello enjoyed a successful 17-year run coaching and managing the Ontario League&rsquo;s Toronto Marlboros, winning two Memorial Cups.&bull; Newly retired Vincent Damphousse enjoyed a string of three seasons during which he led three different Canadian teams in scoring &ndash; Toronto (1990-91), Edmonton (&rsquo;91-92) and Montreal (&lsquo;92-93).&bull; New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur on the impact of rules limiting a goalie&rsquo;s ability to play the puck: &ldquo;I think you&rsquo;ll see a lot more banging and maybe your top defensemen getting hurt because the goalies can&rsquo;t interfere in the play and make plays for their own team.&rdquo; We hope he&rsquo;s wrong, but we think he&rsquo;s right. &#9632;

f0007-06

SNAPSHOTS

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012103/8748684-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="149" height="77"></div>It will take several years to get a good read on Ted Saskin&rsquo;s performance as executive director of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association. His communication with the players and ability to leverage his strong relationship with NHL power brokers into increased revenue growth &ndash; and by extension, salary growth for the players &ndash; will be key areas to watch going forward.Saskin clearly has a good handle on the union&rsquo;s business and there&rsquo;s no reason to believe he&rsquo;s not the right man to succeed Goodenow. Until he has proven himself, however, there&rsquo;s no reason to rush to snap decisions or judgments &ndash; even if the players&rsquo; own leadership mistakenly did.Saskin was named executive director of the union July 28, the same day Goodenow stepped down. At the time, there was little consultation over the snap hiring between the NHLPA executive and union reps and the broader union membership.A month later, Saskin&rsquo;s hiring and long-term contract, reported at between five and seven years, were ratified in a fast-track, late-night conference call that steamrolled over the wishes of a significant number of union representatives who initially said they wanted time to step back and consult with their teammates.Union president Trevor Linden, six vice-presidents and 30 team union reps gathered on the Aug. 31 call to discuss Saskin&rsquo;s contract. As the call progressed, it was clear there was considerable disagreement over whether a vote on Saskin&rsquo;s contract should be held on the call that night. A vote on whether to proceed ended deadlocked, 17-17. (Some team reps had to leave the call, were absent for that vote and rejoined later on).</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo; There&rsquo;s no reason to rush to snap decisions or judgments &ndash; even if the players&rsquo; own leadership mistakenly did.</blockquote>That level of uncertainty should have been enough to put a temporary stop to the exercise. Instead, the discussion that began at 9 p.m. continued on, and ultimately it was decided the vote would be held that night. At about 2 a.m., Saskin&rsquo;s roughly $2-million annual salary &ndash; a 24 per-cent rollback from what Goodenow had been earning &ndash; was approved by a vote of 31-6.The vote was not held by secret ballot, as is specified by the NHLPA constitution. Saskin&rsquo;s supporters argue none of Goodenow&rsquo;s contracts were approved by secret ballot, so the process was consistent with recent practice.It&rsquo;s understandable if Linden, the executive and team union reps who have been immersed in CBA babblespeak for the better part of two years wanted a quick end to the Saskin matter. It&rsquo;s also understandable if those who pushed hard for the union&rsquo;s startling about-face on a salary cap in February have fierce allegiance to Saskin, a man who, to his credit, put his loyalty with the players&rsquo; desire to get a deal done instead of with Goodenow.But in February and once again on Saskin&rsquo;s appointment, the NHL&rsquo;s rank-and-file did not get much of a say in the matter. They did not get a chance to make a case for a search committee, if they wanted one, nor to feel as if they were part of the process.Both times, they deserved better. &#9632;

f0008-01

Saskin ratification vote snubs rank-and-file again

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021569/8748715-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0008-02

THE NEW LOOK NHL

<h2>FORGIVENESS HELPS HEALING</h2>Mark Brender&rsquo;s &ldquo;Humanity in a handshake&rdquo; article was excellent and brought to mind something I have been thinking about writing for a while. (THN, Sept. 6)Steve Moore must feel incredible animosity over this situation, and rightfully so. But he has to move on before the anger eats him alive. Nobody is saying Moore has to forget what Bertuzzi did to him, but for Moore&rsquo;s own good he needs to let his bitterness go.Andrew Nicholls, Ottawa<h2>BALANCED SCHEDULE A MUST</h2>The NHL wants to build rivalries. I&rsquo;m all for it. But depriving fans of the chance to see every one of the league&rsquo;s teams isn&rsquo;t right.Here&rsquo;s how to fix it: each team plays its division opponents eight times, for a total of 32 games. That leaves 50 games for a home-and-home series with 25 other teams.This way, the NHL gets what it wants by building rivalries &ndash; and the fans get the chance to see every team in the league.Jason Moyer, Whitehall, Pa.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>Concerning your interesting sidebar &ldquo;Public Enemy No. 1&rdquo;, I differ on the idea that it will be Dany Heatley in Atlanta. (THN, Sept. 6)Prior to Heatley&rsquo;s arrival, the Thrashers were a glorified American League team. He was the first sign the franchise had a promising future.Heatley was unselfish and a good influence on Ilya Kovalchuk. There&rsquo;s not a person in Atlanta who didn&rsquo;t understand why he wanted a trade. Thrashers fans would love to see Heatley rediscover his vast talents in Ottawa.Who is the Thrashers&rsquo; Public Enemy, then? In my book it&rsquo;s Martin St-Louis. When Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped a St-Louis penalty shot in the last game of the 2003-04 season, Lehtonen skated in the direction of St-Louis afterward, as if to say, &lsquo;Want to try again, Martin?&rsquo;Tampa Bay and Atlanta play each other often this year. St-Louis is the real marked man.Andy Plattner, Atlanta<h2>GO WEST, YOUNG SIDNEY!</h2>Although I am thrilled the NHL is back, I am very disappointed with the league&rsquo;s 2005-06 schedule.I was willing to travel to see Sidney Crosby and the new-look Penguins, looked at the schedule to pick a date, and couldn&rsquo;t believe my eyes &ndash; Pittsburgh doesn&rsquo;t play anywhere west of St. Louis for the entire regular season!Not exactly the greatest marketing of the NHL&rsquo;s newest star&hellip;Tom O&rsquo;Connor, Canby, Ore.<h2>SECOND CHANCES FOR ALL</h2>Todd Bertuzzi and his agent now profess a convenient concern for second chances after Bertuzzi&rsquo;s vicious assault on Steve Moore.Where was Bertuzzi&rsquo;s concern for second chances after Moore&rsquo;s perfectly legal hit on Markus Naslund?Andrew Malcolm, Los Angeles<h2>KEEPING THE BEAT</h2>Thanks to The Hockey News for its coverage during the past year. It must have been difficult with the NHL not in operation.Nonetheless, I looked forward to each issue. You didn&rsquo;t miss a beat.Keith Allridge, Leola, Pa.<h2>HEY OWNERS: REPAY FANS</h2>The players gave a lot to get the NHL back on track. The fans always are giving, so it is time for team owners to do the same.I want to buy the NHL&rsquo;s TV package, but won&rsquo;t since Bill Wirtz blacks out Blackhawks home games.I want to watch the NHL again&hellip;if only I had a reason to.Mark Thompson, Dekalb, Ill.<h2>ARE RANGERS LOST AGAIN?</h2>I agree with Larry Brooks&rsquo; recent Rangers report and find GM Glen Sather&rsquo;s latest &ldquo;direction&rdquo; for the team insulting. (THN, Sept. 6)The Rangers claim to be on a youth movement, yet signed a bunch of mediocre players in the twilight of their careers, guys who will take away from the development of the team&rsquo;s younger players.Must Rangers fans wait until ownership sells the team before the club is run properly?Fred Perlberg, New York<h2>Got something to say?</h2>U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.Canada: Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave.W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7E-mail: <a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a> or visit <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a>Include name, hometown, province/state and phone number.Submissions will be edited. &#9632;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="byline">Mark Brender </div><div class="byline">Senior Writer</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011910/8748791-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="298" height="384"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-04606/8748784-1-eng-US/f0009-042.jpg" title="f0009-04" width="149" height="77"></div>Some things &ndash; say, professional hockey seasons and elections in single-party states &ndash; aren&rsquo;t real easy to lose. In fact, one of the above has never been lost in all of recorded history. The other, just once.There are reasons for this. Single-party elections and pro hockey seasons are things that mean a great deal to a great many people in positions of power. So in theory, at least, carelessness cannot be blamed.Also, in the case of a pro hockey season, it&rsquo;s the kind of thing that has a long build-up before it goes missing &ndash; dire predictions, wailing sirens, grown men shaking their fists, the whole works. This is a different beast than the set of car keys that fell out of your pocket and accidentally got knocked down the sewer and you didn&rsquo;t notice they were gone until you returned to the parking lot after the movie. Losing the keys is an accident, a twist of fate; losing a pro hockey season, if the decision is made to venture down that road, takes years of preparation and planning.Fortunately, when you decide to lose a pro hockey season, that also means you can plan for the consequences.You know even when those 1,230 games come back, there will be other losses to contend with. The league will lose fans. Teams will lose players to other teams because of changes in the structure of the league. And because players supposedly will lose the ability to hook and hold and goalies their ability to play the puck (in an effort to minimize the loss of fans), helpless defensemen will lose their heads getting slammed into the boards and coaches will lose their tempers and penalty timekeepers will lose their marbles trying to keep track of it all.But there is one consequence that no one could have possibly foreseen when the NHL shut down for 2004-05. It is something that hasn&rsquo;t happened in the NHL&rsquo;s world for more than three decades &ndash; and it&rsquo;s something nobody in recent years could have imagined would ever happen again.The NHL has lost a player for no other reason than it couldn&rsquo;t afford to pay the going rate, and it lost him to big bucks in Russia, of all places.Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk is heading not to another team, but to another league on another continent. Datsyuk is gone and gone &ndash; at least until he exercises that &ldquo;out&rdquo; clause, if it exists. But if the rumors out of Russia are true, the out clause is a moot point anyway. Word is Datsyuk will be paid $6 million this season to play for Avangard Omsk, a team part-owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The Wings are assuming the rumor is true; there&rsquo;s no other rational explanation for why they were so far apart with Datsyuk and agent Gary Greenstin in contract talks.Trading Datsyuk isn&rsquo;t much of an option because no NHL team in their right mind would give Datsyuk the $6 million he can apparently get somewhere else.Nothing remotely close to this has happened since Bobby Hull ditched Chicago for the World Hockey Association&rsquo;s Winnipeg Jets&rsquo; million-dollar signing bonus in 1972. And nothing remotely close to this is happening in the other three major North American pro sports.Losing their best offensive player isn&rsquo;t simply a salary cap issue for Detroit (although it is most certainly that as well). It&rsquo;s also about the Wings and the entire NHL getting a painful flashback to the cash-crazy late 1990s. Anaheim allowing Paul Kariya to crack the $10-million barrier with an outlandish contract in the summer of 1999 was the height of free-spending craziness, fueled by corporate dollars and men who cared more about making a splash than a profit.Abramovich, apparently, knows the feeling well.Even if Datsyuk has a change of heart in mid-October and wants to return to Detroit for a more reasonable figure, the salary cap makes it next to impossible for the Wings to accommodate him. Detroit doesn&rsquo;t have the flexibility to leave $4 million of cap space waiting for Datsyuk to come crawling back. Clearing up cap room through a trade once the season is underway is equally improbable.It&rsquo;s not the greatest loss in the world that when NHL returns, Pavel Datsyuk doesn&rsquo;t. But nobody should be surprised if he&rsquo;s not the last.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>THAT WAS THEN</h2>At right are the top five payrolls at the start of the 2003-04 season, when the average team payroll was about $41 million. The salary cap this season is $39 million.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03797/8748777-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="711" height="418"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021311/8748770-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="1325" height="1853"><figcaption class="caption-body">LOST WING?It looks like Pavel Datsyuk has followed the cash&hellip;to Russia. (BARRY GOSSAGE/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0009-01

Welcome to the new reality

<div class="byline">BY RICH CHERE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04639/8748836-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BIG HITTER Scott Stevens took just four elbowing minors in his long career. Was this one of them?</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012073/8748843-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="93" height="96"></div>There is no stopwatch, tape measure or radar gun that can measure the power and ferocity of an open-ice hit. Suffice it to say Scott Stevens set the standard as the hardest hitter in NHL history.Eric Lindros, Slava Kozlov, Shane Willis and a long list of his victims will attest to that. Over a 22-year NHL career that will guarantee him a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Stevens redefined the term &ldquo;physical defenseman&rdquo;. He was respected for his passion and dedication, and feared for the way he lined up unsuspecting opponents for a hit that could ruin a career.&ldquo;I love the physical part of the game,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;I was always a physical player&hellip;I created room for myself and, hopefully, for my teammates. I&rsquo;d like to be remembered as a guy who came to play every night and worked hard.&rdquo;After a layoff of 20 months, which included his own recovery from post-concussion syndrome as well as the labor lockout which wiped out the entire 2004-05 season, Stevens decided Sept. 6 it was time to retire. He will remain with the Devils in a to-be-determined position.His head, he insisted, is fine. Even though he knew he would be vulnerable to another concussion after being hit in the left ear by a Pavel Kubina shot during the 2003 playoffs, that was not what convinced him to hang up his No. 4. During the lockout he had grown comfortable spending time with family and lost some of the drive which helped him lead New Jersey to three Stanley Cups.&ldquo;My health is fine,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is something that has been developing over the years. I&rsquo;ve put a lot of passion and hard work into this game. A few years ago I began wondering why I was coming back. At this point I don&rsquo;t think I could put what I want into the game and be the player I was. I&rsquo;ve had a long time to think about this. I guess it&rsquo;s just time.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Stevens, 41, played more regular season games (1,635) and playoff games (233) than any defenseman in NHL history. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2000 as playoff MVP and, in the minds of some, should have won the Norris in 1994 when he finished four votes behind Ray Bourque in the closest vote ever. Stevens was a two-time first-team all-star (1988, &rsquo;94) and three-time second-teamer (&rsquo;92, &rsquo;97, &rsquo;01).&ldquo;He had a great career,&rdquo; said former teammate Claude Lemieux. &ldquo;Like myself, he probably overachieved with his willingness and dedication to the game. He can retire in peace. He left nothing on the table.&rdquo;He did, on the other hand, leave a lengthy list of opponents on the ice.Stevens drilled Kozlov in Game 2 of the 1995 Stanley Cup final in Detroit. While play was stopped, Detroit&rsquo;s Dino Ciccarelli voiced his displeasure over the hit. Stevens pointed to Ciccarelli near the Wings bench and mouthed: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re next.&rdquo; In Game 7 of the 2000 conference final, Stevens knocked Lindros unconscious as the Flyers forward crossed the blueline. The Devils won the game and went on to win their second Cup. Then there was Willis in Game 2 of the first round of the 2001 playoffs, followed by Canes captain Ron Francis in Game 3. Francis fell down twice after rising to his feet before starting to crawl back to the Carolina bench. Stevens&rsquo; last memorable hit was on Paul Kariya in Game 6 of the 2003 final. Kariya returned to score a goal, but the Devils captured their third Cup in seven games.&ldquo;Scott was a very quiet guy,&rdquo; Lemieux said. &ldquo;He learned to open up as much as he could to be the great captain he was. He was a fairly quiet leader, but certainly not quiet on the ice. Maybe a little like Joe Sakic in the dressing room.&rdquo;And like no one else on the ice.<h2>WHAT ELBOW?</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021491/8748829-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="209" height="122"></div>For all the brutal hits Scott Stevens threw, he rarely got an elbowing penalty. Here is a list of how veteran blueliners compare:<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03931/8748822-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="603" height="567"></div> &#9632;

f0010-04

Retirement fine with Stevens

<div class="byline">- WITH A FILE FROM ROSS MCKEON</div>NHL goalies are breathing a little easier these days.With the announcement Sept. 9 that St. Louis Blues defenseman Al MacInnis is retiring, they no longer will have to face the hardest shooter in the NHL.&ldquo;You know, people ask me all the time who the hardest shooter is and the first name I always said was Al MacInnis,&rdquo; said New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur. &ldquo;And not only that, it was always amazing to me how accurate he was. He was often shooting through legs, but he always seemed to hit the net.&rdquo;MacInnis, 42, concludes his career as the third-highest scoring D-man in NHL history with 1,274 points in 1,416 games. His 340 goals also rank third.&ldquo;The numbers speak for themselves,&rdquo; said former Blues teammate Chris Pronger. &ldquo;Al is a Hall of Famer, no question. He was an integral member of both teams he played for (Calgary, St. Louis), both on and off the ice.&rdquo;The 1999 Norris Trophy winner as the NHL&rsquo;s best defenseman was a first-team all-star four times and second-teamer three times. He won the Conn Smythe in 1989 after leading Calgary to the franchise&rsquo;s only Stanley Cup.After suffering an eye injury in a game against Nashville Oct. 16, 2003, MacInnis missed the rest of the season. He was best known for his blistering slapshot and never gave in to the temptation to play with the one-piece prototype sticks. He stuck with his trusty, old wooden sticks.Meanwhile, veteran center Vincent Damphousse announced his retirement in the city he enjoyed his greatest moment as an NHLer. Damphousse, his wife Allana and son were in Montreal, remodeling a home and looking toward an uncertain future.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05466/8748874-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="675" height="1017"><figcaption class="caption-body">(STEVENS: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; MACINNIS: JOHN RUSSELL/BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>But there was no question about the highlight of his career.&ldquo;My biggest achievement was winning the Cup in front of family and friends,&rdquo; said Damphousse of Montreal&rsquo;s last Cup, in 1993. &ldquo;Winning it in the old Forum, such a storied franchise and being captain is all very special to me.&rdquo;Damphousse played 18 NHL seasons, scoring 1,205 points in 1,378 games. The native of Mt. Tremblant, Que., played for Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal and San Jose. Colorado signed Damphousse last summer to a deal that included a second year if he achieved a certain number of points in the canceled 2004-05 season.A couple of teams were interested in Damphousse&rsquo;s services for this season, but he learned during the lockout that there was more to life than hockey.&ldquo;As training camp approached I wasn&rsquo;t fully committed,&rdquo; he said. Damphousse retires ranking 20th all-time in NHL assists (773) and 38th in scoring. &#9632;

f0010-05

MacInnis, Damphousse done

<div class="byline">BY STEVEN NOBLE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011824/8748919-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="252" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body">DARBY HENDRICKSON</figcaption></div><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48">Darby Hendrickson and Sergei Zholtok went to Europe last fall, like a lot of NHLers. But they could never have foreseen how fatefully and tragically their time overseas would differ from that of every other locked-out NHL player.When the announcement came that the NHL season was in limbo, players realized they would have to find something else to do with their winter. Hendrickson, a scrappy player who spent the 2003-04 season with Colorado, was fine with spending quality time with his pregnant wife and their two children. But he had spent every winter he could remember playing hockey. Deep down, he was itching for action.<h2>FRIENDSHIP DEVELOPED</h2>Zholtok and Hendrickson developed a friendship playing together for the Minnesota Wild in 2002-03. When Zholtok decided to return to his birthplace &ndash; in Riga, Latvia &ndash; to play, he invited Hendrickson to go along and take part in a three-game pre-season tournament, to see if he liked it. There was no way Hendrickson could decline.The day before departing, Zholtok received an offer from Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian league. &ldquo;They were offering him a pretty good deal,&rdquo; Hendrickson said, &ldquo;so he was debating whether or not to take it. I just said, &lsquo;Sergei, whatever you do I respect, but I&rsquo;m going to stay (in Riga).&rsquo;After some debate with his family, Zholtok also decided to stay in his hometown and play with Riga for far less money.Zholtok was extremely proud of Riga&rsquo;s history. &ldquo;He was kind of a tour guide,&rdquo; Hendrickson said. &ldquo;He took me to a place called old Riga. The history and the architecture is hundreds if not thousands of years old. It blows your mind.&rdquo;For a guy who spent most of his life far from where he grew up, Zholtok did what he could to make a difference for his native land. He talked frequently about his involvement with an orphanage for sexually and physically abused kids in Riga and how much it meant to him.&ldquo;He was a hero there,&rdquo;Hendrickson said.&ldquo;His first game back he scored an overtime winner and the whole city was going nuts.&rdquo;In Latvia, Zholtok went out of his way to make sure Hendrickson was comfortable.&ldquo;I missed my family, but I was not homesick,&rdquo; Hendrickson said. &ldquo;He was so welcoming and excited that sometimes I had to tell him, &lsquo;Go home and spend time with your family, I&rsquo;ll check things out on my own, I&rsquo;m independent, I&rsquo;ll be OK.&rsquo;&rdquo;But nobody was OK after that awful night in Minsk, Belarus.&ldquo;Sergei mentioned a little bit before the game that he had a bit of a sore stomach, but it was no big deal,&rdquo; Hendrickson said. &ldquo;He was fine. There was no indication anything was wrong.&rdquo;There were 10 minutes remaining in the game when Zholtok left his shift early. Hendrickson saw him on the bench talking to the trainer and wondered what was wrong. Zholtok was unusually quiet, but assured Hendrickson he was fine.<h2>HEALTH WOES FAMILIAR</h2>But before the game had ended, Zholtok had left the bench. Hendrickson hurried off the ice and down the tunnel to check on his friend&rsquo;s status. He had seen this once before, when Zholtok had collapsed on the ice with Minnesota in 2003 That time everything had turned out all right.Approaching the dressing room this time, Hendrickson&rsquo;s heart skipped a beat. Zholtok lay on the cement floor fighting to breathe.&ldquo;I knew it was serious when I saw the paramedics on the ground with him, but it had happened before so I didn&rsquo;t have a major concern,&rdquo; Hendrickson said. &ldquo;I certainly didn&rsquo;t like what I saw and was uncomfortable&hellip; but I had been in a similar situation before with him.&rdquo;Zholtok&rsquo;s attempts to breathe became more desperate. &ldquo;There was a sense and a feel that something was different,&rdquo; Hendrickson said.Desperate, Hendrickson called Wild medical director Sheldon Burns. Then, kneeling beside his friend, Hendrickson did the only thing he could.&ldquo;I was holding his hand saying, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m here, Sergei. Keep breathing, I&rsquo;m here, Sergei.&rsquo; He was struggling &ndash; how much he actually knew that I was there&hellip;it&rsquo;s hard to know.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021311/8748912-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="1181" height="829"><figcaption class="caption-body">SUPER SKILLSLatvia&rsquo;s Sergei Zholtok, seen here on his last shift, is regarded as the best player his country has ever produced.</figcaption></div>Zholtok died that night, Nov. 3, 2004, at 31. An autopsy determined the cause as heart failure.&ldquo;The last two months of his life I saw him with his family, where he grew up &ndash; he was so proud of it &ndash; he was as happy as a person could be,&rdquo; Hendrickson said. &ldquo;It was a gift for me to be with him and to see him in that environment, interacting with his loved ones and be part of that&hellip;I think of him all the time, but in good ways. I don&rsquo;t relive it as a horror.&rdquo;?<h2>SERGEI ZHOLTOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03878/8748905-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="567" height="458"></div> &#9632;

f0011-01

Latvia’s Zholtok ‘was a hero there’

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY </div><div class="byline">SENIOR WRITER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012017/8748978-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011829/8748971-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="3296" height="2918"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins went on the power play, way back in the 2003-04 season, coach Eddie Olczyk looked down his bench and saw plenty of options in terms of who he could put on the ice &ndash; none of them particularly good.The blueline was fine with high-scoring Dick Tarnstrom and surprising Ric Jackman, but his choice of forwards was thin, to say the least. Going on the power play for Pittsburgh was like arriving late at an all-you-can-eat buffet: the roast beef and chicken is all gone and the only thing left is raw carrots and salad. Not going to get too full on rabbit food.Olczyk&rsquo;s biggest decision was who to put up front with rookies Ryan Malone and Konstantin Koltsov. Would it be the maddeningly inconsistent Aleksey Morozov? Or Rico Fata, who scored a career-best 18 goals, but was minus-46? Or another not-quite-ready-for-prime-time player?&ldquo;The last time we played hockey I honestly believed we could win every shift and every game and that obviously didn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Olczyk says. &ldquo;We have guys who were given an opportunity to play in different situations that they probably wouldn&rsquo;t have, had we had a more experienced team. To have the opportunity to surround the kids with world-class players and difference-makers won&rsquo;t necessarily make the game easier for them, but they&rsquo;ll understand what it takes to have success.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have guys sitting on the bench who can go out there at any time and turn the tide. From that standpoint it will be a huge difference. When I looked down the bench a year-and-a-half ago, I saw a guy who hadn&rsquo;t scored a goal in 30 games (Morozov) and he was supposed to be our go-to guy.&rdquo;Olczyk gets downright giddy when he thinks of the endless line combination possibilities he can wangle this season. He wouldn&rsquo;t go wrong if he threw everyone&rsquo;s name in a hat and simply drew out five.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021504/8748964-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="1605" height="814"><figcaption class="caption-body">OLD LOOKEx-Flyers and new Penguins Mark Recchi and John LeClair will get to play their former team eight times this season. (MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Start with a healthy and rejuvenated Mario Lemieux. If the NHL holds true to its word and clamps down on hooking, holding and interference, Lemieux could be in line to win his seventh scoring title and first since 1996-97, when he amassed 50 goals and 122 points. Lemieux is a master at setting up his teammates and this year, he&rsquo;ll have to do a quick calculation in his head and decide if he wants to dish to Mark Recchi, Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair, Sergei Gonchar, Tarnstrom or Jackman.<h2>AND THEN THERE&rsquo;S SID</h2>Better yet, Lemieux&rsquo;s prime target is more likely to be rookie Sidney Crosby. The Penguins, who have grown accustomed to disappointments as the team struggled to survive in a small market and the NHL&rsquo;s oldest building, were shocked beyond belief when they won the weighted draft lottery that gave them a 6.3 per cent chance of getting the first overall pick.And now, for the first time in a long time, Lemieux has in Crosby somebody who can make him a better player. The two already have developed a strong bond off the ice.You would think with all that has happened in Pittsburgh since we last saw NHL hockey, the Penguins would be the talk of the state of Pennsylvania. You would be wrong. Because as good as they have become, the Penguins still rank behind their intra-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, who have to be part of any conversation about Stanley Cup favorites this season.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;If they call the game the way they say they&rsquo;re going to, we&rsquo;re going to be a tough team to stop.&rdquo; &ndash;PITTSBURGH&rsquo;S MARK RECCHI</blockquote>If Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick did a masterful job of re-establishing the Penguins as a franchise to watch, then what do you say about his counterpart in Philly, Bob Clarke?Imagine losing the likes of Recchi, LeClair, Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick, Alexei Zhamnov, Vladimir Malakhov and Danny Markov and not only keeping your job, but being in a position to successfully run for mayor of the city. That is exactly what Clarke has done.To start with, he pulled off the biggest free agent coup of the summer in signing Peter Forsberg, widely considered to be the most dominant player in the world when he&rsquo;s healthy.The Flyers may not have bumped the NFL&rsquo;s Eagles off the front page of the sports section the way the Penguins did to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but they came close.&ldquo;Prior to the Forsberg signing there was a lot of interest in the team and people would tell me how much they missed hockey,&rdquo; Clarke says. &ldquo;But as soon as we signed Forsberg, (the interest) just exploded. You sign a guy like Forsberg, well, that just doesn&rsquo;t happen very often.&rdquo;While the Penguins have been in struggle mode the past few years, Clarke has done an admirable job keeping his Flyers entertaining and near the top of the standings. They came within a goal of making it to the Stanley Cup final in 2003-04, losing the Eastern Conference final in seven games to the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning.Still, Clarke felt his team needed retooling and he is not one to twiddle his thumbs when changes are required. Before the lockout he signed big, productive winger Mike Knuble as a free agent. Following the new CBA he targeted his blueline and brought to town monsters Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Chris Therien. Then Clarke pulled off the Forsberg deal.<h2>KIDS GETTING COMFORTABLE</h2>Yet what makes the Flyers the league&rsquo;s most intriguing team is not the the veterans who arrive in town; it&rsquo;s the kids in the queue who are ready for prime time. Forwards Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, R.J. Umberger and Patrick Sharp, along with goalie Antero Niittymaki, have tongues wagging in Philadelphia.Not only were they key contributors to the success of the American League-champion Phantoms last season, all could be ready to make the jump to the NHL.&ldquo;We know what our veterans are capable of doing, but you always think the young guys will bring enthusiasm and that&rsquo;s what generally happens,&rdquo; Clarke says. &ldquo;It will have to happen before we can be comfortable.&rdquo;Clarke is especially juiced about the arrival of Carter and Richards.&ldquo;They were two of the better players in the American League playoffs,&rdquo; he boasts. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t as though they were just along for the ride. Without them we don&rsquo;t win.&rdquo;While Patrick was desperately trying to keep his team in the black, dealing away star after star, opposing teams were beating the Penguins black and blue. And as frustrating as it was for Penguins fans to sit back and watch the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang, Alexei Kovalev, Martin Straka and even Bob Boughner leave the team for greener pastures, it is clear Patrick had as good a grasp on what the result of the new and restrictive CBA would mean to his team as anybody in the league. And the man who had some in the hockey world thinking he had lost his touch, gets the last laugh.There was less of a backlash to the lockout year in Pittsburgh than perhaps in any other market because people saw what happened to their team under the old system. Remember, this is a team that boasted the top scorer in the league in nine of 10 years in the 1990s (either Lemieux or Jagr) and had the good fortune to have the who&rsquo;s who of hockey kicking around town. In terms of their coaches alone, legends Bob Johnston, Scotty Bowman and Herb Brooks took turns standing behind the bench. The pillars of the franchise were players such as Lemieux, Jagr, Ron Francis, Larry Murphy, Paul Coffey, Joe Mullen, Bryan Trottier, Luc Robitaille, Kevin Stevens and Recchi.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011807/8748957-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="1492" height="756"><figcaption class="caption-body">POSTER BOYWhile Peter Forsberg&rsquo;s signing provided Philadelphia with a jolt of summer excitement, it&rsquo;s his magical presence on the ice that makes the Flyers a Stanley Cup favorite. (BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>It wasn&rsquo;t just that the Penguins were winning; they were winning with a high-octane, star-studded offense.<h2>KEEPING FANS INFORMED</h2>Perhaps the smartest thing the Penguins did when things went bad was to inform the fans of exactly what they were doing. It did not make people want to watch them as they plummeted to the bottom of the standings, but at least they understood why it was happening and it gave them confidence that Patrick had a plan to rebuild the franchise in the new world.Recchi, for one, was anxious to depart Philadelphia to rejoin the Penguins, the team he broke into the NHL with in 1988 and won a Stanley Cup with in 1991. When he signed with the Penguins prior to the lockout, he says, a lot of his friends questioned his sanity.&ldquo;But I have a lot of trust in Craig and Mario and they assured me the Penguins would be in a position of strength in terms of signing players when the new CBA was done,&rdquo; Recchi says. &ldquo;They had to hit rock bottom before they could climb back up to the top. I knew it was going to happen, but to be honest, I didn&rsquo;t know it would happen this quickly.&ldquo;If they call the game the way they say they are going to, we&rsquo;re going to be a tough team to stop.&rdquo;What happens to the Penguins in the long term remains to be seen. The team is back on solid ice, but that ice is located in the league&rsquo;s oldest arena. Talks regarding a new rink have been in the works for years. Lemieux has made no bones about the fact that if a new arena is not guaranteed by time the lease at Mellon Arena expires in the summer of 2007, the team will relocate.For now, though, the attention is on the upcoming 2005-06 season, when the Penguins will surely be one of the NHL&rsquo;s powerhouse teams. And their longtime rivalry with the Flyers will be in high gear as well, seeing as the clubs meet eight times this year, including back-to-back games twice.&ldquo;I have lived this rivalry for a long time,&rdquo; Olczyk says. &ldquo;The rivalry, regardless of the team&rsquo;s situation &ndash; the records, the injuries, the economics of the city &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t matter, it&rsquo;s still a tremendous rivalry. They have made a lot of moves and we&rsquo;re looking forward to playing against them.&rdquo; &#9632;

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THE NEW STATE OF HOCKEY

<div class="byline">BY MARK WEISENMILLER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011771/8749047-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BACK IN THE UKRAINETampa Bay&rsquo;s Ruslan Fedotenko shows off the Stanley Cup in the Ukraine last year. (FEDOTENKO: EVGENIY SAVILOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Ruslan Fedotenko was seven years old when the worst nuclear accident in history came knocking on his doorstep.Growing up in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, Fedotenko and his family were 70 miles south of the city of Chernobyl, where in April of 1986 an explosion at a nuclear reactor unleashed a wave of poison radiation that contaminated the now-abandoned town to its core. Ukraine health officials have estimated three-and-a-half million people have been affected by Chernobyl-related diseases; Fedotenko&rsquo;s 29-year-old brother Vitalie, who has suffered with bone and stomach problems, may be one of them. The incidence of thyroid-related cancer in Chernobyl-affected areas skyrocketed, particularly among those who were young children at the time of the accident. Now Fedotenko fears for his five-year-old baby brother, David. &ldquo;So far David is healthy, thank God,&rdquo; said the Tampa Bay Lightning winger.Fedotenko, 26, is going through the process of becoming an American citizen. After that, he can get his parents and brothers out of the shadow of Chernobyl and into the U.S. &ldquo;The sooner that all of them are here in America, the more comfortable I&rsquo;ll be, knowing that they are away from all of that,&rdquo; he said.As a member of the defending Stanley Cup champions, Fedotenko has some great memories &ndash; such as scoring both goals in the Cup-clinching Game 7 against Calgary &ndash; but he also remembers those grave days when the name Chernobyl became synonymous with death and cancer.<h2>&lsquo;GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP&rsquo;</h2>&ldquo;I was in what over here is called pre-kindergarten,&rdquo; Fedotenko said. &ldquo;When it happened, we didn&rsquo;t even find out about it for two weeks because of government censorship. Even the firefighters who fought the fire (from the explosion) didn&rsquo;t even fully understand what they were dealing with.&rdquo;Initial media reports were sketchy, but it is now widely accepted that at least 31 firefighters died in the initial accident with many more developing illnesses. &ldquo;Once we found out about the accident, no evacuation could be done because Kiev is a city of four million people and how are you going to move four million people quickly away from such a disaster?&rdquo;Fedotenko remembers having to drink a sweet-tasting, honey-like syrup with every meal, which the Russian government ordered people to drink to reduce the chances of health problems due to radiation poisoning. &ldquo;It had no Soviet emblem on the cans, but what looked to be some sort of Oriental letters on them,&rdquo; Fedotenko said. &ldquo;There was much talk back then that, because the Japanese had experience with radiation when the Americans dropped two atomic bombs on them during World War Two, that the cans came from Japan.&rdquo;With little reason to stay in Tampa Bay during the lockout, Fedotenko spent the time with his in-laws in the Chicago area, teaching at a hockey clinic with his brother-in-law. While he now calls America home, Fedotenko has never forgotten where he came from. He hopes to play for Ukraine at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. Fedotenko last laced up for his nation in the 2002 Olympics, when he suffered &ndash; like other NHLers from the weaker hockey countries &ndash; through the early scheduling debacles of the Salt Lake City Games.&ldquo;I got there for the preliminary rounds,&rdquo; said Fedotenko, who played with childhood teammate Sergei Varlamov of the St. Louis Blues.&ldquo;At the time, I was with the Philadelphia Flyers. Anyway, the Flyers were playing in St. Louis and I remember that the team flew back to Philadelphia, but I stayed in St. Louis and flew on to Salt Lake City. Then we (Ukraine) lost and I had to hurry up and fly back to Philadelphia to get ready for a home game there. I was flying all over the place.&rdquo;As a rising star in the NHL with one Stanley Cup ring already, Fedotenko has a bright future ahead of him. The specter of Chernobyl, though, is always present. Fedotenko is surprisingly pragmatic about how he would deal with the still very-real possibility of getting sick himself due to the Chernobyl fallout.&ldquo;I just go on with my life,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If it happens, it happens.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Survivor to Stanley

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div>When Calgary Flames star Jarome Iginla got really serious about hockey, he was 15 years old and willing to make sacrifices. In order to get an NHL body, he did weight training and put on some pounds. Years later, Iginla knows it isn&rsquo;t just the bulk that makes you a pro.&ldquo;My heart was in the right place,&rdquo; Iginla said. &ldquo;To be honest, I didn&rsquo;t know how to train.&rdquo;With a full year off due to the lockout, Iginla kept himself in game shape with an off-ice training regiment that focused specifically on hockey skills. &ldquo;I was in great aerobic shape, but (lacked) a lot of explosion,&rdquo; he said.It&rsquo;s that type of explosive speed that is crucial for, say, beating a defenseman to a puck that squirts out of the corner. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re battling with a Dman, it&rsquo;s who tires out first,&rdquo; Iginla said. &ldquo;That half-step can make the difference between getting a scoring chance or not.&rdquo;Iginla recently helped launch a Nike hockey training program alongside his trainer Rich Hesketh and Vancouver Canucks star Markus Naslund. The campaign focuses on hockey-specific off-ice exercises.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021384/8749078-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="517" height="644"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAROME IGINLA CALGARY FLAMES (IGINLA: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The lockout-induced rest helped Iginla &ndash; the sniper was able to work certain parts of his body while resting others. &ldquo;I would do upper body, take a month off my legs and vice versa,&rdquo; he said.T.R. Goodman, owner of Pro Camp Sports in California, spent his summer training NHL all-stars such as Mario Lemieux, Rob Blake and Glen Murray, and said the time off did wonders for those who were ailing. &ldquo;We tried to get the trauma out of their bodies,&rdquo; Goodman said. &ldquo;You could see the range of motion in their bodies was much better.&rdquo;But building the perfect hockey player is about more than just exercise. For trainer Charles Poliquin, the man who resurrected Gary Roberts from his career-threatening neck injury, diet is a key element for post-lockout players.&ldquo;Body fat is the best predictor to determine training camp (shape),&rdquo; Poliquin said. The ideal body fat rate for an NHLer is 10 per cent, and every percentage point either way has an exponential affect. &ldquo;Al MacInnis had six-and-a-half per cent,&rdquo; Poliquin said. &ldquo;He played a long time, and hard.&rdquo;Not only does body fat slow you down, but going to training camp out of shape can be dangerous. &ldquo;Give me four months of strength training and you&rsquo;ll never have a groin pull,&rdquo; Poliquin said. &ldquo;The porky pigs are the classic injury guys.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Training: building a hockey body

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04630/8749109-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAVE NEW WORLDThe NHL&rsquo;s players no longer are allowed to hold one another up at faceoffs</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03927/8749116-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="109" height="155"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Looking at the NHL video illustrating the new standard of rules enforcement, you get the impression a player will get tagged with a two-minute minor this season simply for giving an opponent a dirty look.Of course that is an exaggeration &ndash; but not by as much as you might think. If the league follows through with its intention to open things up for the skill players by cracking down on hooking, holding, interference and the like, expect a steady parade to the penalty box until the players get a grasp of what is and what is not acceptable.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no question there&rsquo;s going to be a little period of a feeling-out process, because the way it looks, they&rsquo;re going to be calling lots of penalties and really cracking down,&rdquo; said Rangers center Steve Rucchin. &ldquo;No question, the power play and penalty kill are going to be huge &ndash; at least in the first month of the season.&rdquo;The eight-minute video &ndash; which can be viewed at <a href="http://NHL.com">nhl.com</a> &ndash; shows situation after situation of impeding tactics that are no longer be acceptable.As an example, when teams faced off in the past, the wingers generally tried to hold one another up at the drop of the puck. That will now be an interference penalty. (See photos at top.)Similarly, when a player dumped the puck into the offensive zone, he was usually held up by the opposing defender and often pinned to the boards. Now, the defender will have only an instant to bump his opponent; after that, the player on offense must be allowed to continue in his pursuit of the puck unobstructed&ldquo;Our focus will not be on the number of penalties that are called in a game,&rdquo; says new NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom, who narrates the video. &ldquo;It will be maintaining a high standard of enforcement. If it means there is only one penalty a game, then so be it. If it means there are 20 penalties a game, then we&rsquo;ll live with that.&rdquo;Walkom says he doesn&rsquo;t care how people react to him personally when the first puck is dropped.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not about me, it&rsquo;s about the game,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I never cared what people thought about me when I was a referee and had to make a critical call late in a game. If it was the right call, then I made it.&rdquo;In the video, Walkom makes it clear the NHL&rsquo;s mission is to allow the puck-carrier to move more freely. The same goes for players skating without the puck.&ldquo;People who say they are traditionalists should watch a game from the 1970s,&rdquo;Walkom says. &ldquo;Watch how the puck-carrier was allowed to move without the threat of being mauled. You don&rsquo;t see all the clutching and grabbing that we have seen the past number of years. It became an acceptable practice, but it will no longer be acceptable.&rdquo;By establishing a new standard, the NHL hopes to create more scoring chances and excitement. &#9632;

f0018-04

NHL rules video sets tough law

<h2>NHL, NHLPA TEAM UP</h2>NEW YORK/TORONTO The NHL and NHL Players&rsquo; Association are joining forces to make a $1-million donation to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief fund. In addition to the money, the league and the union are teaming up on an Opening Night game-worn sweater auction, with those proceeds also going to hurricane relief. The sweaters will be auctioned off on <a href="http://NHL.com">nhl.com</a>, <a href="http://nhlpa.com">nhlpa.com</a> and NHL team websites.<h2>EMRICK ON OLN</h2>NEW YORK OLN has turned to Mike Emrick, one of hockey broadcasting&rsquo;s most respected voices, to power up its first season as an NHL rightsholder. The voice of the New Jersey Devils since 1993, Emrick will be the lead play-by-play man for OLN&rsquo;s Monday and Tuesday night telecasts.<h2>NORDS&rsquo; FOUNDER DIES</h2>QUEBEC Marius Fortier, who co-founded the World Hockey Association&rsquo;s Quebec Nordiques with five partners in 1972 and also served as the team&rsquo;s first GM, passed away at the age of 79. Fortier made waves by naming Maurice &lsquo;Rocket&rsquo; Richard as the team&rsquo;s first coach (Richard lasted only two games) and was also a beloved father figure to Nordiques players. &ldquo;I am very sad,&rdquo; said former captain Peter Stastny to the Associated Press, &ldquo;because I just lost my best friend in the world.&rdquo;<h2>CANADA TAKES CUP</h2>HAMEENLINNA, FINLAND A third period goal from Dana Antal gave Canada a 2-1 victory over the United States in the final of the 2005 Four Nations Cup. It was the fourth consecutive year the two teams have met in the final and Canada&rsquo;s third straight 2-1 victory. Antal also scored the winner in 2004. Canada&rsquo;s Hayley Wickenheiser scored her 100th international goal during the tournament. Finland beat Sweden 4-3 in the bronze medal game.<h2>COLLINS LOSES WHISTLE</h2>TORONTO Veteran linesman Kevin Collins is trading in his skates for an office job. The 54-year-old joins the NHL&rsquo;s officiating department as an officiating manager. Collins worked 1,964 regular season games and 11 Stanley Cup finals over 28 years. &#9632;

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0019-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011513/8749171-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIC STAAL CAROLINA HURRICANES</figcaption></div><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="45" height="48">The NHL lockout may have delayed the coming-out party for rising stars such as Eric Staal, but it also gave him a chance to wreak havoc in the American League last season. The eldest of a stable of Staal brothers heading for big things (Marc and Jordan are close on his heels), Eric cracked the AHL&rsquo;s top-10 scoring list last season, notching 26 goals and 77 points in 77 games for the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Carolina Hurricanes&rsquo; affiliate. This year, Staal is expected to shoulder a big load for the Canes after having a fine rookie campaign for the squad in 2003-04.SPOTLIGHT ON 2003-04 GOALS For each NHL team, the &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; box features the five players who scored the most goals in 2003-04. &#9632;

f0019-01

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03804/8749209-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="242" height="205"></div>The Anaheim Mighty Ducks will have a new captain this season.The &lsquo;C&rsquo; opened up with the Aug. 23 trade of center Steve Rucchin to the New York Rangers. Rucchin, who took over in 2003 after the departure of Paul Kariya, had been just the fourth fulltime captain in Ducks history, following Kariya, Troy Loney and Randy Ladouceur.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021148/8749216-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="214" height="231"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS</figcaption></div>Teemu Selanne served as Anaheim&rsquo;s captain for part of 1997-98 while Kariya was unsigned and could fill the role again, but the odds-on favorite is defenseman Scott Niedermayer.Anaheim&rsquo;s prize free agent acquisition wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in New Jersey during much of the 2003-04 season (after Scott Stevens was injured). Niedermayer is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, including in 2003 when the Devils edged the Mighty Ducks in seven games.CHECKING IN The only apparent certainty about Anaheim&rsquo;s checking line is that it will be centered by Samuel Pahlsson. Since joining the Ducks in a 2000 trade with Boston, Pahlsson has developed into a solid two-way forward with an emphasis on checking. His linemates will be determined during training camp. Candidates include newcomers Todd Fedoruk, Travis Moen, Craig Adams and fellow Swede Jonathan Hedstrom.NOTEBOOK The trades of left winger Mike LeClerc and center Steve Rucchin resulted from a desire to leave a cushion below the NHL&rsquo;s $39-million salary cap&hellip;The Ducks signed former Carolina right winger Craig Adams to a one-year contract Aug. 25 and also acquired heavyweight left winger Kip Brennan from Atlanta for minor league defenseman Mark Popovic&hellip;Center Samuel Pahlsson agreed to a two-year, $1.275-million contract on Aug. 24.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Fedorov 31Sykora 23Selanne 16S. Niedermayer 14Lupul 132003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0019-03

Niedermayer best bet for captain’s chair

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN MANASSO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05465/8749247-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="242" height="205"></div>It looks like rookie Kari Lehtonen has a new tag-team mentor.The Thrashers signed free agent goalie Mike Dunham to a one-year, $750,000 contract to fill the void left by Pasi Nurminen, who suffered a career-threatening knee injury while working out in his native Finland.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04621/8749254-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="217" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">ATLANTA THRASHERS</figcaption></div>GM Don Waddell said that in the 33-year-old Dunham, the Thrashers have a player who will fight for the No. 1 job while still nurturing Lehtonen, the team&rsquo;s future franchise goalie. Waddell pointed to Dunham&rsquo;s professionalism in Nashville yielding the No. 1 job to Tomas Vokoun.Dunham, for his part, will be looking to rebound from a sub-par year in 2003-04 with the New York Rangers.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m coming down there wanting to help some days on the ice, some days on the bench and some days in practice,&rdquo; Dunham said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what being a professional athlete is all about.&rdquo;CHECKING IN The third line will probably have Serge Aubin on the left wing, Ronald Petrovicky on the right and Patrik Stefan at center. Aubin and Petrovicky have proven to be two of coach Bob Hartley&rsquo;s favorites for their grit and difficulty to play against. In the middle, Stefan provides size and speed, if not the same physical edge as the other two, and has shown himself to be a responsible two-way player and an excellent penalty-killer.NOTEBOOK GM Don Waddell extended coach Bob Hartley&rsquo;s contract through 2006-07. When Hartley was hired in January of 2003, the Thrashers picked up the final year-and-a-half remaining on Hartley&rsquo;s contract from Colorado, then added two more years plus an option. Waddell wanted to exercise the option before the season began and left open the idea of a longer extension after this season.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Kovalchuk 41Hossa 36Holik 25Kozlov 20Savard 192003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0019-05

Nurminen derailed, so Dunham steps in

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NANCY MARRAPESE-BURRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-07293/8749285-1-eng-US/f0019-072.jpg" title="f0019-07" width="242" height="205"></div>With the losses of free agents Mike Knuble, Martin Lapointe and Sean O&rsquo;Donnell and the addition of players such as Brian Leetch, Travis Green and Dave Scatchard, Boston has a brand new look this year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06349/8749292-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="214" height="223"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOSTON BRUINS</figcaption></div>While it&rsquo;s too soon to say how the changes will play out over the long haul, Bruins defenseman Hal Gill said the incoming grit can&rsquo;t be a bad thing. Gill points to Green&rsquo;s feistiness as something the Bruins needed, not to mention Scatchard&rsquo;s mix of lunchpail work ethic and offensive production.&ldquo;Especially in Boston, they&rsquo;re going to love him,&rdquo; said Gill of Scatchard. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m anxious to see how everyone all gels together.&ldquo;Guys like Knuble had great years for us, but we have guys who can definitely fill holes.&rdquo;CHECKING IN Left winger P.J. Axelsson has the skating and smarts, Scatchard has the big body and scoring touch at center and right winger Tom Fitzgerald has a wealth of experience. Axelsson has long been a fixture on the checking line in Boston and this new trio, should coach Mike Sullivan put them together, will have a chance to contribute at both ends of the ice.NOTEBOOK Right winger Glen Murray said he&rsquo;s excited about new rules designed to open up the game &ndash; if the zero-tolerance edict is actually followed. As for the red line being removed, he said: &ldquo;Personally, I think 10 or 15 games into the season you&rsquo;re going to see a lot of breakaways. The &lsquo;D&rsquo; aren&rsquo;t that smart anyway sometimes, so we&rsquo;ll be way up by center ice and by the time they realize we&rsquo;ll get more room in the two-line passes, (the game) will be trapped up again.&rdquo;&hellip;Coach Mike Sullivan was named an assistant for Team USA at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Murray 32Thornton 23McEachern 17Samsonov 17Leetch 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0019-07

New-look Bruins loading up on grit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM GRAHAM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021035/8749323-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="242" height="205"></div>Of the decisions the Sabres must make in camp, the two most important will be how they handle their goalie overload and defenseman Jay McKee. Both situations could be resolved through trades.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011418/8749330-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="213" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">BUFFALO SABRES</figcaption></div>Martin Biron, Ryan Miller and Mika Noronen all have their upside. Biron has the most experience, but earns $2.1 million. Miller has been tabbed the goalie of the future, but is the only one who doesn&rsquo;t need to clear waivers. Noronen makes the least ($665,000), but would likely fetch the least in a trade.&ldquo;If there&rsquo;s one thing, over time, that&rsquo;s somewhat accepted in the (NHL),&rdquo;GM Darcy Regier said, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s that it&rsquo;s unhealthy to have three goaltenders competing for an extended period.&rdquo;The Sabres haven&rsquo;t been able to sign McKee, the club&rsquo;s longest-tenured player. For the second time, Regier extended the expiration date on McKee&rsquo;s qualifying offer, buying more time to explore a potential deal.CHECKING IN For the first time in many years, the Sabres don&rsquo;t have an obvious checking center. Curtis Brown was traded at the &rsquo;03-04 deadline, although the team did land right winger Mike Grier. Center Adam Mair can step up, but prototypical checkers on the roster are scarce and might need to be added via trade. The Sabres are grooming a few in Rochester, but there probably isn&rsquo;t room for Paul Gaustad, Daniel Paille or Chris Thorburn just yet.NOTEBOOK Sabres GM Darcy Regier shored up the team&rsquo;s blueline by shipping a 2006 third round draft pick to Calgary for defenseman Toni Lydman&hellip;Defenseman James Patrick, a 20-year NHL veteran, announced his retirement Sept. 8. The classy Patrick played in two Canada Cups with the host team, winning a gold medal in 1987.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Briere 28Dumont 22Drury 18Afinogenov 17Hecht 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0020-02

Clearing net logjam at top of to-do list

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04529/8749361-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="242" height="205"></div>Anyone who believes Miikka Kiprusoff is a one-year wonder should have a word with Darryl Sutter. But it&rsquo;ll be a very quick word. Asked whether the Calgary Flames netminder who took the league by storm in 2003-04 is the real deal, Sutter succinctly shot back: &ldquo;In my mind he&rsquo;s a proven goalie.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03754/8749368-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="214" height="227"><figcaption class="caption-body">CALGARY FLAMES</figcaption></div>Enough said. Kiprusoff followed up his goals-against-average record setting NHL campaign by backstopping Finland to the World Cup of Hockey final. He also posted a stellar season with Timra of the Swedish Elite League.Still, the quiet and cool-as-a-cucumber goalie knows there will be big expectations on him. Not only because of the three-year, $10 million contract he signed, but also because the Flames are a pre-season favourite.&ldquo;Last year was tough with no NHL,&rdquo; he told the Calgary Sun. &ldquo;I know we&rsquo;re going to have a pretty good team and I&rsquo;m really excited.&rdquo;CHECKING IN Stephane Yelle will be the centerpiece of the Flames shut-down unit. Who will skate with the veteran center remains to be seen, but Darren McCarty has proven to be adept at that role and is a good bet on the right side. The possibilities for the left wing range from the speedy Marcus Nilson, to hulking Jason Wiemer and maybe even rookie prospect Eric Nystrom, the top defensive forward for the University of Michigan.NOTEBOOK As expected, Toni Lydman was traded shortly after the club acquired Roman Hamrlik. Somewhat disappointing to fans was the return, just a third-round draft pick from Buffalo&hellip;There was a push from fans and the media for the club to hoist the Western Conference championship banner at the second home game, against the Oilers. However, the club will hold the celebration at its home opener.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Iginla 41Langkow 21Amonte 20Donovan 18Simon 172003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0020-04

Kiprusoff ready to follow up success

<div class="byline">- LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05326/8749413-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour&rsquo;s leadership for the Canes will be made clear for all to &lsquo;C.&rsquo;</figcaption></div>Carolina owner Peter Karmanos finally has his long-desired salary cap, but he still can&rsquo;t find satisfaction.The CBA hardliner unleashed a stream of invective at the rest of the league and those who have criticized the Hurricanes for spending less than $28 million on salaries this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06266/8749406-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="214" height="183"><figcaption class="caption-body">CAROLINA HURRICANES</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Some of the other general managers don&rsquo;t realize they don&rsquo;t get mulligans anymore,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Philadelphia and Detroit and Toronto, before if they made a $10-million mistake, they&rsquo;d go out and get another player. Those days are gone. We&rsquo;re going to see in the long run how it works out.&rdquo;After being outbid for defenseman Adrian Aucoin, the Canes brought Oleg Tverdovsky back from two seasons in Russia with a three-year, $7.5-million contract. It was Tverdovsky, Karmanos insisted, whom the Canes coveted all along.&ldquo;In Aucoin&rsquo;s case, this is a dangerous thing to say, but who the (expletive) is he?&rdquo; Karmanos mused. &ldquo;Is he one of the top defensemen in the league? I don&rsquo;t remember that. Given a choice between Tverdovsky and Aucoin, I&rsquo;ll take Tverdovsky every day, especially with the new rules.&rdquo;CHECKING IN With the top two scoring lines set, there&rsquo;s a large group of players who could end up in a checking role. Few seem well suited. Faceoff ace Kevyn Adams would be a natural, as would tough guy Jesse Boulerice. Beyond that, the Canes might have to ask a more skilled player &ndash; perhaps Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen, Colin Forbes or Radim Vrbata &ndash; to play a defensive role.NOTEBOOK Center Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour was named the team&rsquo;s fourth captain since moving to North Carolina, replacing departed center Ron Francis.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07224/8749399-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="242" height="205"></div>Stillman 25Vasicek 19Cole 18Whitney 14Brind&rsquo;Amour 122003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0020-05

Spenders still targets of Karmanos carping

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-09118/8749444-1-eng-US/f0020-092.jpg" title="f0020-09" width="242" height="205"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>The Blackhawks didn&rsquo;t have to search very far to fill the hole they had for a second-line center &ndash; just a jump to the left.Coach Trent Yawney&rsquo;s plan is to move Mark Bell over from wing to center.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08163/8749451-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="214" height="223"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</figcaption></div>&ldquo;People forget that he was drafted (eighth overall in 1998) as a center and played in the minors for me at center,&rdquo; Yawney said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very, very good faceoff man. He has great leadership qualities and I think it&rsquo;s going to help him to play at his natural position. I want to give him the opportunity to prove me right or prove me wrong.&rdquo;Bell, 25, is eager to make the switch.&ldquo;Now I&rsquo;ll be able to create some more things for my linemates rather than just go up and down,&rdquo; he said.Yawney also considered moving Tuomo Ruutu from wing to center, but decided against it. &ldquo;Ruutu is a guy who loves to drive to the net, which is why I like him at wing,&rdquo; Yawney said.CHECKING IN Center Curtis Brown is going to anchor the Hawks&rsquo; third line, likely between Martin Lapointe and Matthew Barnaby, although Yawney may look to play Jim Dowd with Brown in certain checking situations. Brown is plus-77 for his career and Yawney plans to match him against opposing top centers.Lapointe is expected to settle back into more of a grinding role after being asked to score in Boston.&ldquo;They brought him in as a first-line guy at $5 million a year and he&rsquo;s not that type of player,&rdquo; said GM Dale Tallon. &ldquo;He needs support to play a toughness role.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Coach Trent Yawney&rsquo;s plan for the opening of the exhibition season was to use a first line of right winger Tuomo Ruutu, center Tyler Arnason and left winger Eric Daze. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be an idiot if I didn&rsquo;t start them together,&rdquo; Yawney said.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Ruutu 23Arnason 22Calder 21Bell 21Barnaby 162003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0020-09

Hawks ring the Bell for pivotal position

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02753/8749482-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="242" height="205"></div>Despite earning NHL all-rookie honors in his first season, John-Michael Liles will earn the league minimum this season.The Indiana native, who led all rookie defensemen in scoring in 2003-04 with 10 goals and 34 points, was a victim of the new salary cap. He&rsquo;ll make just $450,000 this season. Liles was one of the last Avalanche players to sign his qualifying offer, and by that time there wasn&rsquo;t much room left under the team&rsquo;s cap. Negotiations toward a longer-term deal didn&rsquo;t work out and Liles didn&rsquo;t have much leverage for his salary for this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011156/8749489-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="209" height="216"><figcaption class="caption-body">COLORADO AVALANCHE</figcaption></div>The Avs should have plenty of cap space next summer, however, and Liles could be one of the main beneficiaries. He is expected to log heavy minutes for the Avs and might play for Team USA in the 2006 Olympics.CHECKING IN The Avalanche, on paper, figures to have a pretty good checking line. It probably will be Brett McLean between Antti Laaksonen and Dan Hinote, with Ian Laperriere getting some shifts, too. Laaksonen has been one of the NHL&rsquo;s better penalty-killers and is well-schooled in the art of checking after playing for Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota. McLean is a good faceoff man with solid fundamental defensive skills. Hinote is a pest who can draw penalties, ditto for Laperriere.NOTEBOOK The Avalanche continues to take a pounding in the Denver media for signing left winger Brad May, he of the &ldquo;bounty hunter&rdquo; comment toward former Avs center Steve Moore. But May said he has received plenty of support from new teammates such as left winger Steve Konowalchuk&hellip;The Avs had about 100 season-ticket holders cancel their seats, but Colorado had more than enough fans wanting to take them off their hands.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Hejduk 35Sakic 33Tanguay 25Konowalchuk 19Turgeon 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0021-02

Young Liles loses salary cap roulette

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04376/8749520-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="242" height="205"></div>A year off has not sullied the Blue Jackets&rsquo; excitement toward 19-year-old left winger Alexandre Picard.On the day the Jackets signed Picard to a three-year contract worth $984,200 per season (at the NHL level), GM Doug MacLean noted Picard will get a long look in training camp for a spot on the big club. &ldquo;Picard&rsquo;s of a type we need,&rsquo;&rsquo; said MacLean of the No. 8 overall pick in the 2004 draft. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s strong on the wall, he goes to the net and he scores.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03495/8749527-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="216" height="224"><figcaption class="caption-body">COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</figcaption></div>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big part of our future and we think he has a chance to make an impact on our team as early as this season.&rsquo;&rsquo;When MacLean rattles off the Blue Jackets&rsquo; stars of the future, Picard is usually the third or fourth guy out of his mouth, behind Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev and Gilbert Brule.With good reason. Picard has scored 79 goals and 165 points in 134 games with Lewiston of the Quebec League the past two seasons.CHECKING IN The Blue Jackets could be looking at a Geoff Sanderson-Manny Malhotra-Trevor Letowski checking line, giving them a No. 3 line with some scoring punch for the first time in team history. Sanderson is an on-again, off-again scorer who is due for a big year. Malhotra is a burgeoning talent at 25 years old. Letowski, believe it or not, was fifth on the club last season with 15 goals and 32 points.NOTEBOOK The Blue Jackets report that 92 per cent of their season-ticket holders from 2003-04 have re-upped for 2005-06. They project it&rsquo;ll hit 96 per cent before opening night&hellip;Look for Gilbert Brule, the Blue Jackets&rsquo; top pick (sixth overall) in July to sign on with the big club before Oct. 1. &ldquo;I want to get the kid in here and take a look at him (in training camp),&rsquo;&rsquo; said GM Doug MacLean.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Nash 41Vyborny 22Sanderson 16Letowski 15Zherdev 132003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0021-04

MacLean bubbling over talented Picard

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-06208/8749558-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="242" height="205"></div>Dallas has four forward positions up for grabs heading into training camp. And with 10 players signed to one-way contracts, the Stars will likely carry 14 forwards.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05263/8749565-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="214" height="183"><figcaption class="caption-body">DALLAS STARS</figcaption></div>Veterans on the bubble include David Oliver, Mathias Tjarnqvist, Garrett Burnett and Mike Siklenka, with Oliver having the inside track.The top kids to watch include offensive prospects Jussi Jokkinen and Loui Eriksson, as well as Yared Hagos, B.J. Crombeen, Junior Lessard and Vojtech Polak. Jokkinen and Eriksson are clearly the most prized in the group, with Jokkinen contributing 23 goals and 47 points in 56 games for Karpat (Finland) last season.CHECKING IN Forced to shuffle when the Stars had Pierre Turgeon, Niko Kapanen now falls nicely into the checking line center spot. Kapanen is coming off a 2004-05 season where he had 10 goals and 43 points in 43 games for Zug (Switzerland). Coach Dave Tippett will surround him with either Stu Barnes and Jaroslav Svoboda or youngsters Steve Ott and Antti Miettinen.NOTEBOOK The Stars and goalie Marty Turco discussed a contract extension in August, but could not find common ground. Turco said he would like to wait until after the season to continue discussions. Turco can become an unrestricted free agent next summer&hellip;The NHL Players&rsquo; Association has filed a grievance on behalf of Stars defenseman Philippe Boucher, asking for his 2004-05 salary ($2.6 million) because he had not fully recovered from an eye injury&hellip;The Stars held an &ldquo;Icebreaker&rdquo; Sept. 1, inviting fans to a free party that included autographs from top players. More than 7,000 fans attended&hellip; Stars forwards Mike Modano and Bill Guerin were invited to Team USA&rsquo;s Olympic camp. Both are Team USA veterans.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Guerin 34Morrow 25Arnott 21Modano 14Lehtinen 132003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0021-06

Dallas training camp youth’s time to shine

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-08133/8749596-1-eng-US/f0021-082.jpg" title="f0021-08" width="242" height="205"></div>The Red Wings are bracing for the likelihood that their most exciting and explosive player will remain in Russia this season.Center Pavel Datsyuk signed a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk in Russia after weeks of negotiations with the Wings failed. It&rsquo;s a huge blow to a team that struggled to score in the 2004 playoffs and didn&rsquo;t dip into the free agent market because of salary cap constraints. (See pg. 9 for more.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-07172/8749603-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="214" height="208"><figcaption class="caption-body">DETROIT RED WINGS</figcaption></div>Datsyuk&rsquo;s deal reportedly includes an out clause enabling him to return to the Wings by the season opener on Oct. 5, but GM Ken Holland was pessimistic. Datsyuk was reportedly seeking more than $6 million a season, telling a Russian newspaper he should be paid like Boston&rsquo;s Joe Thornton (three years, $20 million).CHECKING IN The projected checking line features two Selke Trophy winners, center Kris Draper (2004) and captain Steve Yzerman (2000), who will likely play right wing. They&rsquo;ll be joined by longtime Draper linemate, left winger Kirk Maltby. The speedy Draper and agitating Maltby have long been two of the NHL&rsquo;s top defensive forwards and penalty-killers.NOTEBOOK Left winger Henrik Zetterberg accepted a four-year, $10.6-million deal Sept. 7. &ldquo;The last time we saw him in a Red Wing uniform he was 23 years old,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s now 25 and really just now coming into the prime of his career. He&rsquo;s a young player we want to build around.&rdquo;&hellip;Though defenseman Chris Chelios turns 44 in January, Holland said he could flourish in a reduced role&hellip;Former Maine goalie Jimmy Howard, the Wings&rsquo; top pick in 2003 (64th overall), will compete for playing time with Joey MacDonald in Grand Rapids (AHL)&hellip;Center Don MacLean, who led the AHL in scoring with St. John&rsquo;s in 2001-02, will vie for one of the final roster spots.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Lang 30Datsyuk 30Shanahan 25Draper 24Yzerman 182003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0021-08

Datsyuk opts for Omsk over Detroit

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1081/8749634-1-eng-US/f0021-102.jpg" title="f0021-10" width="242" height="205"></div>He has Hall of Fame genes, so no wonder GM Kevin Lowe is geared up over Yan Stastny.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty excited about it,&rdquo; said Lowe after signing Peter Stastny&rsquo;s son to a two-year contract. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like to make comparisons. But he thinks the game like his dad. He skates like his dad. And he fits the mold of an Oiler.Maturity-wise he&rsquo;s ready to play in the NHL.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-09104/8749641-1-eng-US/f0021-092.jpg" title="f0021-09" width="180" height="228"><figcaption class="caption-body">EDMONTON OILERS</figcaption></div>And they got the 22-year-old center for a song &ndash; the Bruins traded him for the fourth round pick they originally gave Edmonton for winger Brad Isbister.&ldquo;My father and my agent both thought it best if we parted ways with Boston; they already had their whole team set up. &rdquo; said Stastny, who tied for fourth in German league scoring last year (24 goals and 54 points in 51 games) and played for Team USA at the world junior.&ldquo;The Oilers looked like the right fit. They have a younger organization, more of a skating team. My dad really loves that city. It&rsquo;s the right fit for me.&rdquo;CHECKING IN Left winger Ethan Moreau, as complete a two-way player as the Oilers have, will once again anchor a third line that has served Edmonton well. Utility winger Fernando Pisani will play the right side with center Jarret Stoll, a Craig MacTavish-type. The line is also dangerous offensively, combining for 46 goals in 2003-04.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Jordan Little, the player Edmonton drafted first overall from the CBC reality show Making The Cut, will skate in training camp and likely be assigned somewhere in the Oilers&rsquo; system. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound rearguard played a few games for the AHL&rsquo;s Toronto Roadrunners last season and impressed enough that he&rsquo;ll get another look&hellip;The Oilers have already sold 13,000 season tickets.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Smyth 23Torres 20Moreau 20Pisani 16Dvorak 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0021-10

Father knows best, so Yan now an Oiler

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN BIGGANE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02965/8749672-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="242" height="205"></div>The confidence the Ottawa Senators displayed under Jacques Martin over the past several seasons is an element the Florida Panthers have collectively lacked.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011300/8749679-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="201" height="231"><figcaption class="caption-body">FLORIDA PANTHERS</figcaption></div>Martin will be looking to instill that confidence during the Panthers&rsquo; relatively short 21-day training camp as he moves behind the Florida bench after a successful eight-and-a-half-year stint with the Senators.&ldquo;The better teams around the league play a puck-possession style and that&rsquo;s what I want to play,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;We need to develop the confidence to have the ability to hold onto the puck. That&rsquo;s why the teaching of our system will only begin in training camp; we&rsquo;ll keep working at it the rest of the year as well.&rdquo;CHECKING IN Florida&rsquo;s signing of free agent pivot Jozef Stumpel means Chris Gratton will play on the wing on the third line instead of at center. This opens up the possibility of a Gratton-Stumpel-Niklas Hagman trio, which is chock full of experience &ndash; never a small consideration where Martin and GM Mike Keenan are concerned. The natural question is whether Stumpel, known primarily as an offensive player, will be able to thrive in a defensive role.Speedy veteran Martin Gelinas can also be matched up against other teams&rsquo; top lines. Also, assuming he makes the team, versatile rookie winger Gregory Campbell will see time in a checking role.NOTEBOOK The Panthers have agreed to share the AHL&rsquo;s Rochester Americans with Buffalo this season&hellip; Andy O&rsquo;Brien, Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s personal trainer for the past five years, was named strength and conditioning coach&hellip;Coach Jacques Martin completed his staff by naming Phil Myre goaltending coach and George Kingston as his second assistant coach. Myre earlier worked with Martin in Ottawa.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Roberts 28Jokinen 26Nieuwendyk 22Gelinas 17Horton 14Smyth 232003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0022-02

Project for Panthers is puck possession

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT MCHALE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04541/8749710-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="242" height="205"></div>Before the 2004-05 lockout, recent Kings&rsquo; training camps had been a proving ground for top prospects such as Alexander Frolov, Mike Cammalleri, Yanick Lehoux and Jared Aulin.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03738/8749717-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="193" height="216"><figcaption class="caption-body">LOS ANGELES KINGS</figcaption></div>So far, only Frolov has established himself as an NHLer. Cammalleri scored 46 goals in the American League last season, but scouts still aren&rsquo;t sure he can consistently raise the level of his game. Aulin, meanwhile, was traded to Washington at the end of 2003-04.That leaves Lehoux, the one-time Quebec League junior star who finally seemed ready to turn the corner last year at Manchester before blowing out his knee midway through the season.Instead of returning to L.A. this season, Lehoux signed a $1-million deal with Moscow Dynamo in Russia. He was upset the Kings had offered only a two-way deal.Lehoux never was a favorite of coach Andy Murray, who soured on his work ethic. He also has struggled early in his career overseas.CHECKING IN The Kings&rsquo; checking line of Sean Avery, Eric Belanger, and Trent Klatt is back this season. They are same group that opened the 2003-04 season as the third unit. (Although Klatt was moved up to the first line at mid-season after Ziggy Palffy underwent shoulder reconstruction.) Klatt provides grit and scoring after reaching incentives that guaranteed his contract for this season. Belanger has played center on all four lines during his five-year Kings career. And the pesky Avery is the team&rsquo;s top instigator.NOTEBOOK The Kings signed center Anze Kopitar, their first round pick in the 2005 draft (13th overall), to a multi-year, entry level contract. Kopitar is the first player ever drafted from Slovenia, once part of the former Yugoslavia. He&rsquo;s in training camp, but is expected to play this season in Sweden.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Frolov 24Demitra 23Bure 22Robitaille 22Roenick 192003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0022-04

Lehoux leaves Kings for riches in Russia

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05410/8749762-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wes Walz returns to Minnesota to anchor the Wild&rsquo;s checking unit.</figcaption></div>After severing ties with forwards Richard Park and Andrew Brunette, the Wild needed to add scoring and experience up front.They quietly plugged the hole by acquiring center Todd White from the salary cap-stressed Ottawa Senators in a draft-day trade.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06326/8749755-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="214" height="199"><figcaption class="caption-body">MINNESOTA WILD</figcaption></div>White joins a team moving forward with a core of familiar veterans and maturing prospects, which makes him their marquee off-season addition.White averaged 22 goals and 55 points his first two seasons in Ottawa until a broken foot halved his production in 2003-04. He signed a two-year deal with the Wild worth $2.95 million.CHECKING IN Former Selke Trophy finalist Wes Walz is back for his fifth season centering the Wild&rsquo;s checking unit.The team relies heavily on Walz&rsquo;s speed, tenacity and experience dogging the sport&rsquo;s best playmakers to set the tone. The departures of Antti Laaksonen and Park create openings on Walz&rsquo;s wings.Stephane Veilleux has plenty of energy and a scoring touch to fill the role on the left side while minor-league veteran Kyle Wanvig is poised to muscle his way into a right wing job.NOTEBOOK Minnesota&rsquo;s surplus of defensemen gave center Erik Westrum a chance to come home. The Wild acquired the former University of Minnesota Gopher from Phoenix in a trade that sent defenseman Zbynek Michalek to the Coyotes&hellip; Coach Jacques Lemaire, bristling at the notion his team is a band of trapping drones: &ldquo;We work more on offense than anything else,&rdquo; Lemaire said. &ldquo;They want to categorize my team and my style as a defensive coach&hellip;I don&rsquo;t care. We&rsquo;re trying to score goals like a lot of teams.&rdquo;<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07270/8749748-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="242" height="205"></div>Daigle 20Rolston 19Gaborik 18Walz 12Chouinard 112003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0022-05

Minnesota high on their White knight

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09186/8749793-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="242" height="205"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>One day after the image-conscious Montreal Canadiens avoided including Jose Theodore&rsquo;s name and picture in their season-ticket newspaper advertisements, the goaltender signed a new long-term deal. Coincidence? We&rsquo;ll never know.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08216/8749800-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="212" height="194"><figcaption class="caption-body">MONTREAL CANADIENS</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I wanted a long-term contract and I was confident that we could reach an agreement,&rdquo; said Theodore, who signed a three-year, $16 million deal, relinquishing the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.He initially rejected a qualifying offer of one year at $4.5 million. Theodore was scheduled to earn $6.5 million during the lockout season. He now matches Alex Kovalev as Montreal&rsquo;s highest-paid player.&ldquo;(Theodore) made it clear from the beginning that he wanted to be here,&rdquo;GM Bob Gainey said. Theodore is a former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner who posted six shutouts and a 2.27 GAA in 2003-04.CHECKING IN Look for Radek Bonk to center Montreal&rsquo;s checking line. Not only will Bonk provide the team with size (6-foot-3 and 212 pounds), he scored more than 20 goals in four consecutive seasons. He&rsquo;ll likely be flanked by Niklas Sundstrom and Jan Bulis. Bulis is a solid two-play player and a strong skater, while Sundstrom is a smart player with experience. Steve Begin, a solid two-way center, is a viable option behind Bonk.NOTEBOOK With his new contract, goalie Jose Theodore becomes the NHL&rsquo;s fourth-highest paid netminder&hellip; Russian defenseman Andrei Markov signed a two-year deal with Montreal. He scored six goals and 28 points in 69 regular season games during the 2003-04 season. With those signings, right winger Michael Ryder, a restricted free agent, is the only player looking for a new contract.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Zednik 26Ryder 25Ribeiro 20Dagenais 17Souray 152003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0022-09

Theodore snags a deal with the Habs

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02827/8749831-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="242" height="205"></div>Tomas Vokoun has been basking in the glow of victory for months. For him, that is something different.Vokoun, Nashville&rsquo;s top netminder since Dec. 2003, backstopped the Czech Republic to a victory at the World Championship and was named the tournament&rsquo;s top goaltender.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011168/8749838-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="214" height="191"><figcaption class="caption-body">NASHVILLE PREDATORS</figcaption></div>&ldquo;It was the first time I ever won something,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In professional hockey, I&rsquo;d never been a part of a team that won a championship.&rdquo;That performance has established the 29-year-old as the leading candidate to play for the Czechs at the 2006 Olympics and has raised his overall profile in the hockey world. Vokoun has been Nashville&rsquo;s No. 1 since Dec., 2003, and his ability even was noted by Paul Kariya as one of the factors in his decision to sign as a free agent with the Preds.&ldquo;People in the know&hellip;the coaches, the GMs, they know (Vokoun) is a good goalie,&rdquo; said coach Barry Trotz. &ldquo;The casual fan and the so-called experts, they&rsquo;re starting to figure it out.&rdquo;CHECKING IN Nashville always has been at its best when Greg Johnson is its third center. He always is good on faceoffs, has speed to challenge any of the league&rsquo;s top forwards and enough offensive ability to make overly aggressive units pay. Scott Hartnell is not the prettiest skater in the world but goes hard down his wing and has the strength to move people once he arrives. Adam Hall is effective along the boards and in the corners at both ends of the ice and is unfailingly responsible in his defensive assignments.NOTEBOOK The Predators&rsquo; search for depth at center has taken them back in time. In late August both Randy Robitaille and Greg Classen were signed as free agents. Robitaille played 131 games for Nashville over parts of three seasons while Classen appeared in 90 contests.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Walker 25Sullivan 24Hartnell 18Legwand 18Erat 162003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0023-02

Vokoun starting to attract attention

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04453/8749869-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="242" height="205"></div>Zach Parise saw his first potential shot at playing in the NHL sabotaged last year by a labor lockout, which only raised everyone&rsquo;s level of anticipation.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03619/8749876-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="174" height="219"><figcaption class="caption-body">NEW JERSEY DEVILS</figcaption></div>The 21-year-old center is set to make the most of his first training camp with the New Jersey Devils. &ldquo;Anything short of making the team will not be a success for me,&rdquo; Parise said.Based on his performance in the AHL (58 points in 73 games) and for Team USA at the world championship last year, the Devils feel Parise is poised to make the jump, but say he still has to prove himself. The team&rsquo;s first round pick in 2003 is prepared for the challenge.&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m as ready (for the NHL) as I&rsquo;m ever going to be,&rdquo; he said.CHECKING IN The Devils have two of the best defensive forwards in the business with center John Madden and left winger Jay Pandolfo. Right winger Jamie Langenbrunner is the leading choice to complete what has arguably been the Devils&rsquo; most important line in recent years.NOTEBOOK Unable to agree on a long-term contract extension, left winger Patrik Elias signed his qualifying offer. He can become an unrestricted free agent after this season&hellip; Assistant coach Bobby Carpenter will take a one-year leave of absence to take care of his father, who suffered a stroke in June&hellip;Despite suffering a broken pubis bone while playing for Alaska in the ECHL last spring, center Scott Gomez was in top shape working out with fitness consultant Vladimir Bure&hellip;Goalie Martin Brodeur on his first camp without defenseman Scott Niedermayer: &ldquo;I still think I&rsquo;m going to show up and he&rsquo;s going to be there&hellip;he&rsquo;s everywhere I&rsquo;ve been, like Scott Stevens.&rdquo; Stevens, 41, officially announced his retirement Sept. 6. (See pg. 10 for more on Stevens.)<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Elias 38Gionta 21Friesen 17Gomez 14Brylin 142003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0023-04

Parise determined to earn NHL job

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-06269/8749907-1-eng-US/f0023-062.jpg" title="f0023-06" width="242" height="205"></div>And you thought Alexei Yashin was given a long-term contract.The Islanders and franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro briefly engaged in discussions on a whopping 15-year contract that would have kept the goalie on Long Island for the rest of his career.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05335/8749914-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="192" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">NEW YORK ISLANDERS</figcaption></div>The offer, reportedly worth nearly $70 million, was shelved because DiPietro likely would&rsquo;ve had to cover the insurance premiums on the final 10 years of the deal. DiPietro, who eventually agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, was pleased by the commitment shown by Isles&rsquo; owner Charles Wang and GM Mike Milbury.&ldquo;We were ready to do it,&rdquo; DiPietro told Newsday. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of disappointing we couldn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;In 2001, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman criticized the Isles for the 10-year Yashin contract. Wang also offered since-departed captain Michael Peca a 10-year deal.CHECKING IN The Islanders will turn to either newcomer Mike York or enigmatic Oleg Kvasha to center their new checking line.Shawn Bates has emerged as a staple checking winger the past three seasons, with two-way forwards such as Jason Blake, Mark Parrish and Trent Hunter also used in that role.NOTEBOOK Right winger Mark Parrish remains a restricted free agent and GM Mike Milbury was seeking trade offers. Parrish can become unrestricted next summer&hellip; New York signed 2003 No. 1 pick center Robert Nilsson (15th overall) to a three-year contract&hellip;Along with goalie Rick DiPietro and Parrish, pesky winger Jason Blake was invited to try out for Team USA&rsquo;s Olympic squad. Ex-Isles coach Peter Laviolette is the team&rsquo;s head coach&hellip;Former NHLer Jack Capuano was hired to complete Steve Stirling&rsquo;s coaching staff.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Satan 29Hunter 25Parrish 24Blake 22York 162003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0023-06

DiPietro almost an Islander for life

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-08188/8749945-1-eng-US/f0023-082.jpg" title="f0023-08" width="242" height="205"></div>Nobody can accuse the New York Rangers of clinging to their glory days.With Mark Messier expected to retire prior to training camp, and Brian Leetch beginning his first year as a Bruin, defenseman Darius Kasparaitis enters camp with the longest continuous tenure on Broadway &ndash; two seasons (not counting the lockout). He joined the Blueshirts as a free agent during the summer of 2002.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-07222/8749952-1-eng-US/f0023-072.jpg" title="f0023-07" width="205" height="223"><figcaption class="caption-body">NEW YORK RANGERS</figcaption></div>Due to injuries and attrition, of all the players in camp, only five played for the Rangers in the club&rsquo;s last NHL game: forwards Jamie Lundmark, Garth Murray and Jozef Balej and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Thomas Pock. Of that group, only Tyutin is assured a spot on the opening night roster.CHECKING IN Coach Tom Renney, unlike predecessors Glen Sather and Bryan Trottier, believes in line matching. The question is whether he&rsquo;ll utilize veteran center Steve Rucchin as his checking line pivot behind offensive centers Michael Nylander and Martin Straka, or whether Straka will open on the wing, thus propelling Rucchin into a more offense-minded role. If Rucchin isn&rsquo;t the checking center, Blair Betts will be given a long look. Ville Niemenen and Jed Ortmeyer are the likely checking-line wingers.NOTEBOOK After previously signing forwards Martin Straka and Martin Rucinsky, the Blueshirts added yet another of right winger Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s countrymen with the addition of 26-year-old free agent defenseman Michal Rozsival. The former Penguin, who missed the 2003-04 season with a knee injury, played last year in the Czech Republic&hellip;Former Ranger goaltender Mike Richter will be a volunteer coach at Yale, where he is taking courses.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Jagr 31Rucchin 20Rucinsky 14Straka 10Poti 102003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0023-08

Rangers continue rebuilding project

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-10130/8749983-1-eng-US/f0023-102.jpg" title="f0023-10" width="242" height="205"></div>The Dominator is ready for action. While goaltender Dominik Hasek has played only 14 games the past three seasons, he showed up in Ottawa for training camp in good shape and prepared for the challenge to lead this club to the promised land.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-09152/8749990-1-eng-US/f0023-092.jpg" title="f0023-09" width="210" height="217"><figcaption class="caption-body">OTTAWA SENATORS</figcaption></div>Hasek, 40, who was ready to come out of retirement last year after signing with the Sens, spent 10 days on the ice in the Czech Republic before making the trip to North America.&ldquo;I feel good. I&rsquo;m ready to go,&rdquo; said Hasek, who is coming off surgery to repair a chronic groin problem that forced him to walk away from a comeback attempt with Detroit in 2003-04.The Sens were glad to hear Hasek was feeling good because he had considered retirement if the lockout wasn&rsquo;t settled by September, but those thoughts were erased once a deal was done.&ldquo;The thing I know about Dominik Hasek is he wants to come back and prove people wrong,&rdquo; said Sens GM John Muckler. &ldquo;He wants to go out and get the job done. I don&rsquo;t think you lose your skills in this game.&rdquo;CHECKING IN The Sens have a lot to decide in training camp and positioning is one of them. There&rsquo;s a chance Mike Fisher could be moved to the wing to form a checking line with Peter Schaefer and Antoine Vermette. A lot of roles have to be decided because in the past that job was always left to Radek Bonk, who was traded to Montreal via L.A. Fisher is hard-nosed and can easily replace Bonk while Schaefer&rsquo;s defensive skills are well known. Vermette has to win the job at camp.NOTEBOOK The Sens have given up on trying to get center Alexei Kaigorodov out of Russia. The club came to an agreement with the their skilled 2002 draft pick, but he has elected to stay in Russia this season.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Alfredsson 32Havlat 31Spezza 22Smolinski 19Redden 172003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0023-10

Healthy Hasek has something to prove

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02898/8750021-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="242" height="205"></div>He might have finished the 2004-05 season as the best center in minor pro hockey, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean Jeff Carter will be playing that position with the Philadelphia Flyers.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011262/8750028-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="213" height="198"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</figcaption></div>Although Carter was clearly the top American League skater in the Philadelphia Phantoms&rsquo; impressive Calder Cup win last season, he finds himself in a logjam at center with the Flyers. Peter Forsberg, Keith Primeau and Michal Handzus are givens. That leaves coach Ken Hitchcock with a decision: Carter, or another 20-year-old hot shot, Mike Richards.Carter is a righthanded shot and might be shifted to the wing simply because his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and strength allow him to better handle work along the boards.With veterans John LeClair, Mark Recchi and Tony Amonte gone, scoring from the wing is an early season issue.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to play Carter, Forsberg and (Simon) Gagne as a line,&rsquo;&rsquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;The reason we&rsquo;re doing that is Peter has always had someone who takes faceoffs on the right side of the ice. That&rsquo;s going to be Jeff&rsquo;s job. (Carter) is going to play some right wing and some center. I think he&rsquo;s more than capable of doing that.&rdquo; (See pg. 12 for more on Philadelphia.)CHECKING IN The Flyers used a line of Primeau, Sami Kapanen and Donald Brashear to counter top scoring lines in parts of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.Kapanen supplies speed, Brashear muscle and Primeau a long-reaching presence in the middle. Primeau and Kapanen can also light the lamp, having each posted multiple 20-plus goal seasons.NOTEBOOK According to a team spokesperson, season ticket sales were selling well before the Aug. 3 signing of Peter Forsberg. Now the team might exceed its pre-lockout total of about 17,000 subscribers.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Gagne 24Knuble 21Handzus 20Forsberg 18Johnsson 132003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0024-02

Congestion at center forces Carter to wing

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JERRY BROWN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04456/8750059-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="242" height="205"></div>Cale Hulse looked around the dressing room at more than two dozen of his new teammates, all in town a week before training camp and shook his head.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03642/8750066-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="184" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHOENIX COYOTES</figcaption></div>&ldquo;This is by far the best team I&rsquo;ve ever been on,&rdquo; said Hulse, likely a fifth or sixth defenseman on the revamped Coyotes. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t help but be excited by what the organization has put together. This is an awesome opportunity and a lot of people around here sense it.&rdquo;Not everyone does, though. While some prognosticators figure the reconfigured Coyotes as a playoff team &ndash; especially with Wayne Gretzky behind the bench &ndash; others see a rebuilding project that will again languish in the cellar.&ldquo;Some of that is the lack of exposure here and that&rsquo;s fine,&rdquo; Hulse said.CHECKING IN The Coyotes have been pining for a cagey, hard-nosed checking center who can score and Mike Ricci fits the bill nicely. On the wings they&rsquo;ll go with either speed (Oleg Saprykin, Jason Chimera, Fredrik Sjostrom, Boyd Devereaux) or muscle (Mike Rupp, Tyson Nash, Mike LeClerc). Bet on speed.NOTEBOOK The Coyotes hired Chris Broadhurst as their new trainer. He replaces Gord Hart, one of the last links to the Winnipeg Jets&hellip;Phoenix enjoyed great attendance at pre-training camp workouts held at Glendale Arena. As many as 20 players, led by captain and right winger Shane Doan, right winger Brett Hull and center Mike Ricci took part&hellip;Some of the Coyotes&rsquo; wives are as famous as the players themselves. Besides Janet (Jones) Gretzky, defenseman Cale Hulse is married to actress Gena Lee Nolin; center Petr Nedved is married to supermodel Veronica Varekova; and, defenseman Sean O&rsquo;Donnell is married to Sopranos actress/model Allison Dunbar.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Doan 27Hull 25Nagy 24Nedved 19Comrie 122003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0024-04

Improved Coyotes can’t wait to skate

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05322/8750111-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ryan Malone was one of Pittsburgh&rsquo;s few pleasant surprises in 2003-04.</figcaption></div>Ryan Malone admittedly settled for less money than he wanted &ndash; and he just might settle in as the Penguins&rsquo; second line center.Skating mostly on the left wing in 2003-04, Malone finished fourth among NHL rookies with 22 goals. He was seeking at least $1 million as a restricted free agent, but accepted Pittsburgh&rsquo;s firm offer of $750,000 with the knowledge he is eligible for arbitration after the season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not always about the money,&rdquo; said Malone, 25, a Pittsburgh native who did not want to entertain the possibility of playing for another team. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about the opportunity at hand &ndash; and it&rsquo;s a good opportunity to be here.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06256/8750104-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="206" height="231"><figcaption class="caption-body">PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</figcaption></div>With the news Evgeni Malkin, the No. 2 overall pick in 2004, is staying in Russia for at least one more year, the Pens have a hole in the middle. Coach Eddie Olczyk is non-committal about who will fill in behind Sidney Crosby on the second line, but Malone, who has experience playing center, appears to be a logical choice. Lasse Pirjeta also could get a look. (See pg. 12 for more on Pittsburgh.)CHECKING IN The Penguins have the makings of a decent shutdown line with the likes of Pirjeta, Konstantin Koltsov and Colby Armstrong. Pirjeta is a 6-foot-4 center with sound defensive skills. Koltsov might be the NHL&rsquo;s fastest player and isn&rsquo;t afraid of contact. Armstrong thrives on irking people and has the skill to match his in-your-face attitude.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Dick Tarnstrom was awarded a one-year, $1.6-million arbitration award&hellip;The Pens were expected to hire former minor league goalie Shane Clifford, a Pittsburgh native, as their new goaltending coach. Clifford coached goalies for the ECHL&rsquo;s Johnstown Chiefs, Robert Morris University and the WHL&rsquo;s Everett Silvertips.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-07212/8750097-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="242" height="205"></div>Recchi 26LeClair 23Malone 22Palffy 16Tarnstrom 162003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0024-05

Malone didn’t need to hit salary jackpot

<div class="byline">- TOM TIMMERMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-09145/8750142-1-eng-US/f0024-092.jpg" title="f0024-09" width="242" height="205"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Since Barret Jackman won the Calder Trophy in 2002-03, he has appeared in just 15 NHL games due to injuries and the lockout. That makes the start of this season&rsquo;s camp a big deal for him.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-08172/8750149-1-eng-US/f0024-082.jpg" title="f0024-08" width="213" height="215"><figcaption class="caption-body">ST. LOUIS BLUES</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m nervous about the start of camp,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been so long. I&rsquo;m excited, but I feel like a rookie again.&rdquo;A shoulder injury that eventually required surgery shortened Jackman&rsquo;s sophomore season of 2003-04. Last season, the defenseman played for the United League&rsquo;s Missouri River Otters, where he was able to satisfy himself that the shoulder was good to go.&ldquo;It was nice to play hockey and be part of a team again,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said, &ldquo;but the level&rsquo;s not the same.&rdquo;This camp also will differ because Jackman will have to become a leader on a team that has traded Chris Pronger and likely will be without Al MacInnis.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always tried to be a leader, no matter how young I was,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said.CHECKING IN The uncertainty of the Blues&rsquo; line combinations filters down to its checking line, as there is no clear idea who will be on it. Some guys are logical fits, but their goalscoring skills may cause management to employ them elsewhere. Speedy and aggressive Ryan Johnson would be the leading candidate to center the line. Dallas Drake can play the wing, but the Blues may not be able to sacrifice his offense. Mark Rycroft is another quick, tenacious winger who can throw his body around, while Aaron Downey is an energy guy more likely to stop teams from scoring than score himself.NOTEBOOK Blueliner Al MacInnis met with GM Larry Pleau to discuss whether or not MacInnis will return to the team, but no decision had been reached as of early September. MacInnis hasn&rsquo;t played since the start of the 2003-04 season, when he needed eye surgery that kept him out for the remainder of the campaign.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Tkachuk 33McAmmond 17Weight 14Drake 13Sillinger 132003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0024-09

Jackman ‘nervous’ as camp kicks off

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02782/8750180-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="242" height="205"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>San Jose left winger Alexander Korolyuk will leave the NHL for the second time in three years, despite knowing he could make $1.2 million this season &ndash; the same salary he earned when he posted career highs in goals (19) and points (37) in 63 games in 2003-04.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011133/8750187-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="213" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">SAN JOSE SHARKS</figcaption></div>An arbiter made the salary ruling after Korolyuk, a restricted free agent, was one of two players league-wide taken to arbitration as part of the new CBA.Sharks GM Doug Wilson wanted the 29-year-old winger to know exactly what he could be making in the NHL rather than playing at home in Russia. Ultimately, Korolyuk chose to return home.&ldquo;This was not unexpected and I respect Alex for making this family decision,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;This creates the opportunity for additional ice time for players like Marco Sturm, Niko Dimitrakos and Milan Michalek. If and when Alex decides to return to the NHL, we look forward to him playing for the San Jose Sharks.&rdquo;The Sharks retain the rights to Korolyuk, who spent 2002-03 with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia.CHECKING IN Rookie Marcel Goc already has the reputation as a strong two-way center and may play between Scott Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo. Cheechoo is not a prototypical checking winger, but probably fits the role better defensively than any of San Jose&rsquo;s three other most experienced right wingers &ndash; Michalek, Dimitrakos and Scott Parker.NOTEBOOK The Sharks are donating $10,000 in cash and $20,000 in merchandise to the Red Cross and have donated auction items to three radio stations for Hurricane Katrina relief&hellip;The Toledo Storm of the ECHL will serve the Sharks as a secondary minor league affiliate. San Jose also shares an affiliation with the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Marleau 28Cheechoo 28Ekman 22Sturm 21McCauley 202003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0025-02

Korolyuk’s home run creates opportunities

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TOM JONES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04366/8750218-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="242" height="205"></div>Coming off a Stanley Cup championship with a young nucleus, Lightning GM Jay Feaster should have been able to prop his feet up and wait for his team to hit the ice again for another run at the Cup.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03545/8750225-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="217" height="224"><figcaption class="caption-body">TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING</figcaption></div>Instead, he endured the most trying summer of his career.&ldquo;I think our team got hurt by the (salary cap) more than any other team,&rdquo; said Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t the teams who had high payrolls who were really hurt. It was a team like ours, which is an up-and-coming team with young stars who want to get paid and deserve to get paid. Jay&rsquo;s job wasn&rsquo;t easy.&rdquo;Feaster really had no shot at re-signing goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who signed with Chicago. As it was, Feaster had to get creative to re-sign Martin St-Louis and Vinny Lecavalier. St-Louis will average $5.25-million for six years, while Lecavalier will average $6.8-million over four years.In addition, Feaster brought back key parts Dan Boyle, Ruslan Fedotenko, picked up a reliable veteran goalie in Sean Burke and had enough money to re-sign veteran leaders Andreychuk and Taylor.And, Feaster believes, there will still be cap room left to re-sign Brad Richards next summer.CHECKING IN While the Lightning is known for a wide-open offensive style with two high-octane scoring lines, the checking unit is experienced and effective. Andreychuk has gone from one of the game&rsquo;s great goal-scorers to a quality checker and faceoff man. Tim Taylor adds more experience and is comfortable in his role, while Dmitry Afanasenkov brings speed and energy.NOTEBOOK The Lightning resigned captain Dave Andreychuk to a two-year deal worth $1.326-million. Andreychuk turns 42 a week before the season opener.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>St-Louis 38Lecavalier 32Modin 29Richards 26Andreychuk 212003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0025-04

Feaster fares well amid cap constraints

<div class="byline">- KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-06214/8750256-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="242" height="205"></div>Just when it looked as though Karel Pilar would have his best opportunity to stick as an NHL defenseman, his season and career are in jeopardy.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05266/8750263-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="177" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body">TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</figcaption></div>The 27-year-old was diagnosed in late August for the second time in his career with viral myopathy, a virus that hardens the heart muscle and makes it difficult for blood to flow through the body. The main symptoms are headaches and dizziness.Pilar was diagnosed with the illness during the 2002-03 season and missed all but 17 games. This bout is not considered to be as serious and Pilar was expected to miss two-to-three months.That would put him close to the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents in order to have them play this season. Earlier in the summer, Pilar turned down his $450,000 qualifying offer.That leaves the Leafs even thinner on what is already a suspect blueline. Pilar had been expected to be the No. 6 man. That job will now be fought for by the likes of Carlo Colaiacovo, Staffan Kronvall and Andy Wozniewski.CHECKING IN When Eric Lindros was drafted in 1991, nobody would have thought he would ever be a checking line center, but that&rsquo;s precisely what could end up happening this season. The Leafs have Mats Sundin and Jason Allison down the middle and both are offensive players and Matt Stajan does not have the physical strength to handle a checking role. That leaves Lindros, possibly with Tie Domi and Chad Kilger on the wings.NOTEBOOK Ed Belfour, 40, is the second-oldest goalie in the league, but that and a wonky back won&rsquo;t deter him from carrying his regular workload. &ldquo;I feel comfortable with 60 games,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve played 70, 74 and that can be quite a bit. But 60 is a good number for me.&rdquo;<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Sundin 31Tucker 21McCabe 16O&rsquo;Neill 14Stajan 142003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0025-06

Heartbreaking news for Leafs’ rearguard

<div class="byline">-DAVE FAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-1097/8750332-1-eng-US/f0025-102.jpg" title="f0025-10" width="242" height="205"></div>The cornerstone is in place as are some of the pieces of the foundation. Now it remains to be seen how long it takes for the Capitals to complete their rebuilding project.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-09120/8750339-1-eng-US/f0025-092.jpg" title="f0025-09" width="198" height="231"><figcaption class="caption-body">WASHINGTON CAPITALS</figcaption></div>Left winger Alexander Ovechkin, the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, is already playing summer hockey with some of his new teammates, who openly admit the rookie&rsquo;s elevated talent level leaves them shaking their heads.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the greatest talent I ever faced,&rdquo; said goaltender Olie Kolzig after one workout. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the complete package &ndash; speed, size, skill, he can do it all.&rdquo;Ovechkin, 20 on Sept. 17, is helping the team increase its presence in Washington, making many public appearances.&ldquo;He wants to know what he can do to help grow the game,&rdquo; said Ovechkin&rsquo;s agent Don Meehan. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s refreshing to me after being in this business for a long time &ndash; and he&rsquo;s legitimate, trust me.&rdquo;CHECKING IN The checking line almost certainly will include centers Jeff Halpern and Brian Sutherby with wingers Chris Clark, Boyd Gordon and Brian Willsie, or some combination therein. All have the potential to score, all can be physical when appropriate, all are intelligent and, most important, all are very responsible defensively. Halpern can be extremely effective and tireless in this role.NOTEBOOK Left winger Alexander Semin, who was suspended last season when he chose not to report to the American League, has indicated he will report this year. No decision on discipline has been made&hellip;Peter Bondra, an unrestricted free agent who owns nearly every part of the Capitals record book that doesn&rsquo;t involve goaltending, continues to negotiate with Washington. The left winger was traded to Ottawa during the Capitals&rsquo; 2003-04 salary dump.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Halpern 19Zubrus 12Willsie 10Semin 10Clark 102003-04 Goals &#9632;

f0025-10

Kolzig on Ovechkin: ‘the greatest talent’

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011267/8750377-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="96" height="96"></div>In life, some people aspire to keep up with the Joneses. In hockey, Peter Sarno tries to keep up with the Spezzas.The veteran American League center hopes his most productive season as a pro will finally translate into significant NHL playing time.Sarno, 26, signed as a free agent with Columbus. While he&rsquo;ll likely start the season with the AHL&rsquo;s Syracuse Crunch, he&rsquo;ll be prominent on the depth chart when it comes to call-ups.&ldquo;Peter Sarno is the kind of skilled playmaker at the center position that fills a need within our organization,&rdquo; said Jim Clark, assistant GM for the Blue Jackets.Sarno finished sixth in AHL scoring with 16 goals and 82 points with the Manitoba Moose last season. His 66 assists were second only to scoring champ Jason Spezza (85 assists, 117 points). Mike Cammalleri was second in scoring (109 points) and third in assists (63).</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02906/8750370-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="222" height="360"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER SARNO</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I was up there with (Los Angeles prospect) Mike Cammalleri and Jason Spezza in scoring, guys who have been regulars in the NHL,&rdquo; Sarno said. &ldquo;If I&rsquo;m able to play with them and produce, then I don&rsquo;t know why I can&rsquo;t do it at the NHL level.&rdquo;That was Sarno&rsquo;s mindset in 2004-05, when the NHL was locked out and nearly all young prospects played in the AHL. A sixth round draft pick in 1997 (141st overall) by Edmonton, his only NHL playing time came in 2003-04 with the Oilers, when he scored one goal in six games.&ldquo;There were a lot of young NHL players playing in the AHL and I wanted to prove not only to myself but to the NHL that I was able to compete at their level,&rdquo; said Sarno, a former Ontario League scoring champ with the Sarnia Sting. &#9632;

f0026-02

Sarno wants to take game to next level

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04544/8750422-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="988" height="1464"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rochester Americans defenseman Brandon Smith scored four goals and 18 points in 2004-05, his 11th season in the AHL.</figcaption></div>The oldest marriage in the American League is adding a third partner. Finding the free agent market barren, the Buffalo Sabres invited the Florida Panthers to share its affiliation with the AHL&rsquo;s Rochester Americans. The Sabres have been the Amerks&rsquo; parent team for 27 years, a partnership more than twice as old as any other in the league.Buffalo GM Darcy Regier said a new clause in the NHL&rsquo;s collective bargaining agreement &ndash; which requires any called-up AHLer earning more than $75,000 to be placed on waivers before the player can be sent back down &ndash; has greatly reduced the size of the free agent pool. Many borderline NHLers opted for bigger money in Europe.The Panthers have been without a farm team since they were bought out of their share in the San Antonio Rampage last June. The arrangement is for one year; the Sabres&rsquo; working agreement in Rochester expires after this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03736/8750429-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="239" height="240"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div>Florida GM Mike Keenan said the dual affiliation will be evaluated by all parties &ldquo;because neither of us (himself and Regier) &ndash; and probably 28 other general managers &ndash; know how the landscape will look in the NHL. It&rsquo;s not out of the realm of possibility that it could continue.&rsquo;&rsquo;COLLEGE LEGEND The Minnesota Wild has gone to school to find a teacher for its kids with the Houston Aeros.Rob Daum, who spent the past 10 seasons coaching at the University of Alberta, was hired to coach the Aeros. He replaces Todd McLellan, who joined the Detroit Red Wings as an assistant coach.Daum, 47, compiled a 345-79-32 record with the Golden Bears. Before joining the college ranks, Daum coached Lethbridge in the Western League from 1993 to 1995.&ldquo;He has been a John Wooden of Canadian college hockey,&rsquo;&rsquo; said Tom Lynn, the Aeros GM and assistant GM of the Wild. &ldquo;His combined experience in developing young players and producing winning teams stood out clearly in our search for the best person to coach the Aeros.&rsquo;&rsquo;TV ON LINE The AHL, in conjunction with B2 Networks, will make the live picture from every game available over the Internet for $6. For example, fans in Toronto can watch the Marlies play in Iowa, and Manitoba fans can watch the Moose in Peoria. &ldquo;We had a good trial run last year and this will be a way to grow our brand, grow our league and increase revenue,&rdquo; said Chris Nikolis, the AHL&rsquo;s vice-president of sales and marketing.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05409/8750415-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="147" height="141"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>HOCKEY NATION AT A GLANCE</h2>The International Ice Hockey Federation is the world&rsquo;s governing body for hockey. In each issue this season, we profile some of the 64 national association members.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06338/8750408-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="535" height="266"></div><h2>SOUTH AFRICA</h2>Member of IIHF since 1991Pop. of country 42,718,530Registered players 515No. of ice facilities 52004 champ Wildcats KrugersdorpHead office Parklands2005 world ranking No. 38Best world rank No. 28 (1992)<h2>UNITED ARAB EMIRATES</h2>Population 2,523,915Registered players 195No. of ice facilities 3E-mail <a href="mailto:webmaster@uaeihf.com">webmaster@uaeihf.com</a>Best world rank No. 28 (1983) &#9632;

f0026-04

Sabres set to share Amerks

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div>Hurricane Katrina made the upcoming ECHL season a secondary concern in Biloxi, Miss.Katrina delivered a catastrophic blow to the Gulf Coast Aug. 29. Biloxi, home of the ECHL Mississippi Sea Wolves, was hit particularly hard as the hurricane slammed the city with devastating and deadly force.The condition of the 9,100-seat Mississippi Coast Coliseum wasn&rsquo;t entirely clear in the early stages of the disaster because of communication problems. ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna had the Sea Wolves organization, its fans and the entire region in his thoughts.&ldquo;At this point, hockey is secondary,&rdquo; McKenna said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re worried about all the folks in that area in general. We&rsquo;re worried specifically about our team, their front office staff, their families and friends in that area. We want to make sure everyone is OK. Once we find out the situation, we&rsquo;ll turn our attention to hockey.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07289/8750460-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="221" height="215"><figcaption class="caption-body">NOTEBOOK (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>ROYAL HIRING The Reading Royals named Karl Taylor as the team&rsquo;s fourth coach. Taylor replaced Derek Clancey, who is an assistant coach with Reading&rsquo;s American League affiliate in Manchester.Taylor was a guest coach at the Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; rookie development camp this summer after serving two seasons as the first full-time head coach at the University of Waterloo (Ont.).STEEL THE ONE New Idaho Steelheads coach Derek Laxdal knows he faces a challenge in replacing John Olver, who led Idaho to the 2004 Kelly Cup title.Olver resigned in the off-season, citing a desire to coach his sons at the college level. Laxdal spent the past 2-1&frasl;2 years with the Central League&rsquo;s Wichita Thunder.&ldquo;The first thing my wife said was that I&rsquo;ve got some big shoes to fill,&rdquo; said Laxdal to The Idaho Statesman. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;ve asked what size John Olver wears.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0026-07

Damage to Sea Wolves still unclear

<div class="byline">BY ROBIN SHORT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-09122/8750498-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="240" height="239"></div>Television footage showing the destruction of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina has been difficult to watch for Bridgeport Sound Tigers center Kevin Colley.Many have visited the Big Easy, one of America&rsquo;s most popular tourist destinations, but Colley lived in the city while toiling for the now-defunct New Orleans Brass of the ECHL.&ldquo;I was there for about three months and just loved it,&rdquo; Colley said. &ldquo;I have some fairly close friends still there so it&rsquo;s heartbreaking to see what has happened.&ldquo;I know some guys I played with, (former Boston Bruin and Ottawa Senator) Jeff Lazaro and Steve Cheredaryk, retired there. I wonder how they&rsquo;re doing? It&rsquo;s so unfair.&rdquo;Colley is a well-travelled six-year pro, having played with 11 different teams in the ECHL and American League. His tenure in New Orleans lasted 31 games during the 2000-01 season and it was one he recalls with fondness.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011214/8750491-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="222" height="360"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN COLLEY</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We had a lot of fun there, down on Bourbon Street,&rdquo; he said with a chuckle. &ldquo;I sure hope that city recovers.&rdquo;Colley lived about 15 minutes from downtown and he remembers how heavy rainstorms would create havoc in the below-sea-level city.&ldquo;There were times when even a big rainstorm would leave the highways under water and we couldn&rsquo;t make it to the rink,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They say the city is sinking, that it&rsquo;s built on bad ground. I don&rsquo;t know.&ldquo;But seeing what&rsquo;s left after Katrina went through, you wonder what its future will be.&rdquo;As for Colley, he recently signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. He appeared in 59 games for the Sound Tigers last season, registering 11 goals and 24 points until a neck injury sidelined him for the season. &#9632;

f0027-09

Colley reflects on his stay in Big Easy

<div class="byline">BY ROBIN SHORT</div>New Hershey Bears assistant coach Bob Woods is thanking his lucky stars he elected to move his family from Biloxi, Miss., to Pennsylvania in August.As a result, the Woods family was safe when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi gulf coast Aug. 29.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in contact with friends down there and what you see on TV, (multiply) it by 10,&rdquo; said Woods to the Harrisburg Patriot-News. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t even imagine. It&rsquo;s like a war zone down there. All you see is garbage and wood lying around.&rdquo;Woods sold his Biloxi home before leaving the state, but the deal hadn&rsquo;t closed by the time Katrina hit. Fortunately, the home &ndash; which is located on high ground a half-mile from the ocean &ndash; survived the storm relatively unscathed, with the exception of some roof and chimney damage.Woods, who played for the Bears, was coach of the ECHL&rsquo;s Mississippi Sea Wolves for four years until he was hired as Bruce Boudreau&rsquo;s assistant in Hershey. (Boudreau also coached the Sea Wolves in the late 1990s.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02835/8750550-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="240" height="239"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div>Steffon Walby, who also played in Hershey, is the new Mississippi coach and, with his family, fled to Pensacola, Fla., before Katrina hit.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think his house turned out too bad, either,&rdquo; said Woods of Walby.VETERAN RETURNS Phantoms defenseman John Slaney is returning to Philadelphia for at least one more year. The 33-year-old inked a one-year AHL deal with the Phantoms. Since it&rsquo;s a minor league deal, Slaney wasn&rsquo;t restricted to $75,000, the greatest amount of money most NHL clubs are offering minor-leaguers. A clause in the new CBA dictates that players who earn more than $75,000 and are recalled to the NHL must clear waivers before being sent back down. &ldquo;Because of that, a lot of veterans are signing AHL contracts,&rdquo; Slaney said.WELCOME BACK Manchester inked former Monarchs captain Richard Seeley to a one-year deal. Seeley, who maintains an off-season home in Manchester, skated for Bridgeport and Norfolk last season.GUIDING LIGHT Portland coach Kevin Dineen is a rookie behind the bench, but he&rsquo;ll be able to tap into plenty of experience with new assistant Bruce Crowder. Crowder, who like Dineen is a former NHLer, coached at Northeastern University for the past nine years. Before that he led the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.MORE SIGNINGS Ottawa bolstered its affiliate in Binghamton by signing right winger Jeff Heerema, a 1998 first round pick (11th overall).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03601/8750543-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="988" height="1474"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran John Slaney returns for another year on the Philadelphia Phantoms blueline, a spot he has called home since 2001.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04430/8750536-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="147" height="141"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>HOCKEY NATION AT A GLANCE</h2>The International Ice Hockey Federation is the world&rsquo;s governing body for hockey. In each issue this season, we profile some of the 64 national association members.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05291/8750529-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="539" height="262"></div><h2>LUXEMBOURG</h2>Member of IIHF since 1912Pop. of country 462,690Registered players 295No. of ice facilities 1Head office LuxembourgE-mail <a href="mailto:amscheier@pt.lu">amscheier@pt.lu</a>2005 world ranking No. 42Best world rank No. 31 (1992)<h2>LIECHTENSTEIN</h2>Population 33,436Registered players 92No. of ice facilities 2 (outdoor)Head office SchaanwaldWebsite <a href="http://www.leiv.li">www.leiv.li</a>E-mail <a href="mailto:info@leiv.li">info@leiv.li</a> &#9632;

f0027-02

Timely move to Hershey for Woods

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-06214/8750581-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="189" height="96"></div>The United League&rsquo;s final coaching vacancy was filled when Danton Cole re-signed with the Motor City Mechanics. Cole, who began last season coaching the Grand Rapids Griffins before being fired, was hired by Motor City with 20 games left in the regular season. He led the Mechanics to an 18-2-0 record with a lineup that included Chris Chelios, Derian Hatcher, Bryan Smolinski and Sean Avery. &ldquo;I coach the same way, whether I&rsquo;m coaching NHL guys, AHL guys or UHL guys,&rdquo; said Cole to the Macomb Daily. Motor City, which won just three of its first 24 games, missed qualifying for the playoffs by eight points after the late surge that saw them win their final 12 games on the road. Cole, 38, began his coaching career in the UHL, winning the Colonial Cup in 2002 with Muskegon. &#9632;

f0027-06

NOTEBOOK

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-07176/8750612-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="161" height="87"></div>Located in the northwest part of Louisiana near the Texas-Arkansas state line, the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, are a long way from New Orleans. However, not far enough to prevent the Mudbugs from lending a helping hand to the people ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Mudbugs chipped in with relief efforts quickly, the first being a special two-night hamburger cookout hosted in the parking lot of the CenturyTel Center&hellip;The Central League announced two expansion franchises for the 2006-07 season &ndash; Prescott Valley (Az.) and Broomfield (Colo.). The Colorado Eagles filed a lawsuit in Arizona state court attempting to block Broomfield before the league&rsquo;s official announcement&hellip;The Youngstown (Ohio) Steelhounds reached an affiliation agreement with the American League&rsquo;s Cleveland Barons. &#9632;

f0027-07

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-08149/8750643-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="153" height="119"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Eric Naud didn&rsquo;t run for political office this spring, but he played a passionate part in the successful public campaign to keep hockey in Florence, S.C., after the Pee Dee Pride (ECHL) shut down. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been here for so long,&rdquo; the 27-year-old said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a ceramic tile business and my wife has got a good job.&rdquo; The native of LaSalle, Que., had more than a personal agenda. &ldquo;I have a lot of (hockey) friends and they are like my own family,&rdquo; said the first player signed by the Pee Dee Cyclones this summer. &ldquo;The true fans are excited because they didn&rsquo;t want to lose hockey.&rdquo; The father of two admits he is no young buck, but his focus remains the same. &ldquo;We never brought the fans a championship with the old team,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;maybe with the new team we will bring them one.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0027-08

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03652/8750681-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="242" height="205"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011252/8750695-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="205" height="110"></div>The Acadie-Bathurst Titan have nowhere to go but up after finishing last overall in the Quebec League the past two seasons. And it appears they&rsquo;re ready to begin the ascent.&ldquo;Our target is to be in good shape at Christmas so that we&rsquo;re not worrying about making the playoffs,&rsquo;&rsquo; said GM Sylvain Couturier. &ldquo;I think we can look to be in the top half of the league. We should be in the middle of the pack hopefully.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02874/8750688-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="221" height="203"><figcaption class="caption-body">QUEBEC LEAGUE</figcaption></div>The Titan acquired key veterans in offseason trades &ndash; forwards Petr Pohl and Olivier Labelle from Gatineau and defensemen Frederick Sonier from Halifax and Billy Bezeau from Prince Edward Island. The Titan have been rebuilding the past two seasons and went through growing pains with a lot of 16-and 17-year-olds.&ldquo;You look at our team now and there&rsquo;s a bunch of 18-year-olds,&rdquo; Couturier said. &ldquo;The biggest thing is that our young talent has had a chance to mature over the past two years. With the experience they gained and the guys we added in trades, I think it&rsquo;s a good mix.&ldquo;(Rookie forwards) Mathieu Perreault and Tommy Joly have been impressive also. Perreault was the second overall pick in the (QMJHL) draft.&rdquo;PICK A WINNER Matt Marquardt was passed over twice in the Ontario League draft and he couldn&rsquo;t be happier. The 18-year-old forward from North Bay, Ont., signed as a free agent with the Moncton Wildcats, the host team for the 2006 Memorial Cup.&ldquo;In the end, it was for the best because I got to choose where I wanted to go,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My gut feeling said Moncton was the place for me and I love it here.&rdquo;Marquardt, 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, played Jr. A in Brockville, Ont., last season. His agent, Larry Kelly, said 11 major junior teams and several U.S. colleges pursued him for this season.&ldquo;This guy is the real deal,&rdquo; said Moncton coach Ted Nolan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got good size, great vision, a good shot and the sky is the limit for this kid. He works hard and we&rsquo;ll work with him. You&rsquo;ll probably see him in the pro game one day.&rdquo;NEW DIGS The Shawinigan Cataractes will move out of the Jacques Plante Arena, built in 1937, and into a new 4,000-seat rink for 2007-08.&ldquo;It ensures the survival of the Cataractes in Shawinigan and I hope that it will have a snowball effect since we need to renew most arenas in Quebec,&rdquo; said commissioner Gilles Courteau.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2>Luc BourdonHt: 6-2 Wt: 199<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-12146/8750674-1-eng-US/f0028-122.jpg" title="f0028-12" width="264" height="73"></div>NHL rights: Vancouver Canucks, D, 10th overall in 2005val-d&rsquo; or &#9632;

f0028-03

Sight set on playoffs for on-the-rise Titan

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div>The Ontario League will use the two-man refereeing system for half its regular season games and all playoff games. Commissioner David Branch said two referees are necessary to implement the new standards of rule enforcement. These initiatives are specifically directed at obstruction.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04461/8750740-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="262" height="89"><figcaption class="caption-body">ONTARIO LEAGUE</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Our commitment to opening up the game and allowing our skilled players the optimum opportunity to showcase their skills was discussed at a series of meetings involving our board of governors, general managers, coaches and on-ice officials,&rdquo; Branch said. &ldquo;The new standard of enforcement and rules will be best achieved and maintained with the two-man system.&rdquo;The OHL adopted most of the new rules that will be in the NHL, including the three-player shootout to decide all tied games at the end of overtime during the regular season. The league is experimenting with that during the exhibition schedule.&ldquo;A shootout is conducted at the end of each game, regardless of the score, to provide an opportunity for players, officials and fans to become accustomed to this new feature,&rdquo; Branch said.KILLER GAGGED The Ottawa 67&rsquo;s were fined $5,000 one day after coach-GM Brian Kilrea spoke out against the rule changes.&ldquo;It is most unfortunate that one of the most esteemed coaches in major junior hockey should express his opinions in the fashion he chose,&rdquo; said OHL commish David Branch. &ldquo;The league is committed to effecting positive change to our game through these new initiatives and the support of all our coaches, managers, officials, players and fans is absolutely essential in effecting the type of change that we desire for our game.&rdquo;Kilrea, 70, the Canadian Hockey League&rsquo;s winningest coach, is upset that the OHL has put limits on the number of midget, European and U.S. players, eliminated the red line and has prohibited coaches from changing lines after intentional icings.&ldquo;A lot of moves are made and you wonder who did it,&rdquo; said Kilrea to the Ottawa Sun.&ldquo;Which of the men in power voted for it? Let us know instead of keeping us in the dark. I don&rsquo;t want to be a mushroom in the corner anymore&hellip;a big mushroom.&rdquo;WELCOME BACK High-scoring Mark Mancari returned to the Ottawa 67&rsquo;s as a possible overager after failing to sign with the Buffalo Sabres. He was a seventh round pick in 2004.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05353/8750733-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="242" height="205"></div>Benoit PouliotHt: 6-2 Wt: 180<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-13133/8750726-1-eng-US/f0028-132.jpg" title="f0028-13" width="266" height="74"></div>NHL rights: Minnesota Wild, LW, 4th overall in 2005sudbury &#9632;

f0028-04

Branch sticking to two-referee system

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div>Vancouver Giants GM Scott Bonner hopes Western League operators do not let concerns for their own clubs obstruct the latest crackdown on obstruction.&ldquo;I think it will have the desired effect, providing that we give the refs the ability to call the game the way that we&rsquo;re asking them to,&rsquo;&rsquo; Bonner said. &ldquo;At times, people in hockey say, &lsquo;We want you to call everything because that&rsquo;s the only way we&rsquo;re going to get the power plays and the infractions and the goal-scoring will go up.&rsquo; Then, in some cases, we&rsquo;re hypocritical because we go back to them and say, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re calling too many penalties. You&rsquo;re slowing the game down.&rsquo; We&rsquo;re giving the refs a lot of mixed messages.&rsquo;&rsquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06302/8750785-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="264" height="199"><figcaption class="caption-body">WESTERN LEAGUE</figcaption></div>Previous crackdowns have come off the rails when coaches and GMs complained over what they said was overly picky officiating.&ldquo;So then they ease up on the calls and then obstruction comes back in and here we go again, we&rsquo;re right back to where we started,&rsquo;&rsquo; Bonner said.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to set out a plan and stick to it, as painful as it&rsquo;s going to be for a while for teams to adjust. You&rsquo;re going to have a lot of players, while they&rsquo;re getting used to the new rules, having a lot of penalty minutes. It&rsquo;s going to cost you games at times, but you&rsquo;ve got to stick to the plan and the big picture. As long as we can do that, I think we&rsquo;ll be successful.&rsquo;&rsquo;MOORE ON THE MOVE Medicine Hat&rsquo;s Willie Desjardins has become the seventh WHL coach to also take on the GM&rsquo;s responsibilities. Desjardins assumed the dual role following the resignation of Mike Moore, who spent the 2004-05 season as Medicine Hat&rsquo;s GM. Moore, 40, joined the Tigers in the summer of 2004 after Rick&nbsp;Carriere stepped down. Moore left to become the athletic director of the Edge School for Athletes, a private school in Calgary. He was previously the Kamloops Blazers GM from 1998 to 2003.The other coaches who also handle player-personnel matters are Dean Chynoweth (Swift Current Broncos); Kevin Constantine (Everett Silvertips); Kelly Kisio (Calgary Hitmen); Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon Wheat Kings); Lorne Molleken (Saskatoon Blades) and Brent Sutter (Red Deer Rebels).MAN ON A MISSION Kamloops right winger Nathan Grochmal, 19, has decided to forego his final two seasons of major junior eligibility to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.<h2>SPOTLIGHT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-07260/8750778-1-eng-US/f0028-072.jpg" title="f0028-07" width="242" height="205"></div>Benoit PouliotHt: 6-2 Wt: 180<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-14117/8750771-1-eng-US/f0028-142.jpg" title="f0028-14" width="266" height="75"></div>NHL rights: Minnesota Wild, LW, 4th overall in 2005vancouver &#9632;

f0028-06

Crackdown confusion frustrates Giants GM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PAUL SHAHEEN</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-08221/8750816-1-eng-US/f0028-082.jpg" title="f0028-08" width="140" height="107"></div>Thirty years is a long time, but in many ways, the North American League is starting all over again.As a new season beckons, the NAHL is allowing the Ann Arbor (Mich.)-based U.S. national under-17 team, an affiliate member for some time, to vie for the league&rsquo;s playoff crown.Additionally, the NAHL will have a record 20 clubs, ranging from Youngstown, Ohio, to Santa Fe, N.M., and two more (Wasilla and Fairbanks) in Alaska.&ldquo;The NAHL has been through many phases, but this one may be the most exciting as we&rsquo;ve now created a league with a true national footprint,&rdquo; said league commissioner Mike Santos. &ldquo;And we intend to keep expanding that footprint.&ldquo;We get inquiries almost every day from cities all over the U.S., but the key for our growth is to have solid, responsible ownership in markets where fans will appreciate the commitment that characterizes U.S. junior hockey.&rdquo; &#9632;</div>

f0028-08

NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-09197/8750861-1-eng-US/f0028-092.jpg" title="f0028-09" width="260" height="206"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-10181/8750854-1-eng-US/f0028-102.jpg" title="f0028-10" width="149" height="111"></div>Arena Agridome Capacity 5,750 GM Brent Parker Coach Curtis Hunt38th SEASON IN WHL NHL DRAFT PICKS 160; ranks 7th of 58 CHL teams. Latest: D. Reinhart, 177th, Clb, &rsquo;05 M. Trojovsky, 130th, Car, &rsquo;03 D. Yacboski, 257th, Col, &rsquo;03</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-11164/8750847-1-eng-US/f0028-112.jpg" title="f0028-11" width="457" height="263"></div> &#9632;

f0028-09

REGINA PATS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011260/8750930-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="363" height="587"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02844/8750923-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="249" height="258"></div>PHOENIX COYOTES POS. DefenseAGE 22BIRTHPLACE Baudette, Minn.<h2>KEITH BALLARD</h2>Start the clock&hellip;Strangest superstition you&rsquo;ve ever seen?&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand guys who take off their equipment, head to toe, in between periods if they&rsquo;re not playing well. What a hassle.&rdquo;Reality TV: passing fad, or here to stay?&ldquo;I hope it&rsquo;s a fad. I can&rsquo;t stand most of it. I like The Apprentice, but everybody thinks they can tape some aspect of their lives and turn it into a TV show. Please, no more.&rdquo;Best trash talk you&rsquo;ve heard?&ldquo;Anything my old teammate Justin Cox says. He&rsquo;s either talking to the other side or to us &ndash; and it&rsquo;s usually hilarious either way.&rdquo;Worst motivational line a coach used on you?&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like coaches who try scaring you into playing better. I&rsquo;ve never seen that work.&rdquo;Ugliest jersey you&rsquo;ve seen?&ldquo;I played for Utah last year and our Christmas jersey was terrible. A big teddy bear on the front, with little Christmas decorations all over. Hard to command respect with that on your chest.&rdquo;Most embarrassing CD you own?&ldquo;Brian McKnight I&rsquo;m not too proud of. And I&rsquo;ve got a Mariah Carey CD, although it&rsquo;s nice to know I probably couldn&rsquo;t find it if I tried.&rdquo;Time&rsquo;s up! &#9632;

f0030-01

TWO MINUTES IN THE BOX

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div>Answers in next issue and @ <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a><h2>ACROSS</h2>1 Jaromir Jagr spent last season in this remote Russian region4 Easy goals, usually undeserved7 Forward line8 Toronto was last a Cup ___ in 196710 Strikes an opponent with one's raised &lsquo;lumber&rsquo;12 The Panthers play near this Florida city13 Toss out14 A Calgary team, but not the one that went to the last Cup final18 Bryan Trottier was one19 Minor-league teams are known as ___ clubs20 A 1967 expansion club21 Craig ___ was taken second in the 1985 draft (Wendel went first)<h2>DOWN</h2>1 Tampa Bay belongs to the ___east Division2 Ex-Flyer dubbed &lsquo;Pell Mel&rsquo; was first overall draft pick in 19753 Excuse4 Player 'between the pipes'<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03612/8750961-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="968" height="952"></div>5 Kind of pass6 Doesn&rsquo;t dress: 2 wds.9 They help in coaching clubs11 Bobby Orr&rsquo;s junior team12 Canucks&rsquo; ___ Ohlund, pictured15 Bob ___ was a long-time official (or Austin Powers portrayer who's a huge Leafs' fan)16 The Flyers' ___ Gagne17 'Battle' province: abbr.<h2>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION</h2>ACROSS 1. ST. LOUIS, 4. CHRIS, 7. NASH, 8. BOB MASON, 10. ALEXANDERS, 12. BLAKE, 13. MAINE, 14. DUHATSCHEK, 18. ATTITUDE, 19. JEAN, 20. OWNER, 21. SEVENTY. DOWN 1. SONJA, 2. LAS VEGAS, 3. STOOD, 4. COMPROMISE, 5. ROSS, 6. SAN JOSE, 9. DALE HUNTER, 11. EIGHTEEN, 12. BUFFALO, 15. AIDES, 16. KENNY, 17. STAN. &#9632;

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September 20, 2005

NHL TRANSACTIONS

Capital punishment

Filling in front office Canucks’ next task

PENS WITH PUNCH