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.

November 22, 2005

The Hockey News November 22, 2005

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04172/8655468-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg"></div><h2>PARTING SHOT</h2><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;Put my equipment on and see if you can do a better job.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ndash; TODD BERTUZZI, TO VANCOUVER SPORTSWRITERS</blockquote>Visit <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> for QUOTE OF THE DAY<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-05147/8655461-1-eng-US/f0044-052.jpg" title="f0044-05" width="778" height="476"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jenny Porter and Angela Ruggiero lead Team USA into the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. (LEFT: RIGHT: JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Tues., Nov. 22&nbsp;The first Crosby vs. Ovechkin battle takes place in PittsburghMon., Dec. 26&nbsp;World junior begins in Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna (B.C.)Sat., Jan. 7&nbsp;Game No. 615 (Carolina vs. Islanders) is NHL&rsquo;s midway pointWed., Jan. 18&nbsp;The CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game takes place in OttawaWed., Jan. 25&nbsp;ECHL All-Star Game in Fresno, Calif.Sat., Feb. 11&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s hockey begins at 2006 Olympics in Turin, ItalyFor the latest news, visit <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

Upcoming In The Hockey World

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04246/8655385-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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DEPARTMENTS

hockeysockpuppettheatre

<h2>WHAT&rsquo;S UP WITH SHOOTOUT HATERS?</h2>I&rsquo;d like to respond to the &ldquo;Shootouts Still Stink&rdquo; letter from Kevin Jeffers (THN, Nov. 8).I don&rsquo;t understand what people have against the shootout. The shootout has been part of international play for quite some time and they even use it to resolve important games, such as in the Olympics.Shootouts award teams an extra point, which will make for a more interesting race in the standings race during the regular season.Chris Antal, Toronto<h2>KEEP PENALTY PARADE COMING</h2>Are too many penalties bringing the NHL down? I say no way.I recently watched a game between Edmonton and Calgary where the referees seemed to revert to the &ldquo;old NHL&rdquo; style of play. What a snorefest it was.Players must learn to adjust. It&rsquo;s great seeing the stars set up sweet goals again.Let the players do what fans came to see &ndash; great plays, not rugby on ice.Mike Mclean, Okotoks, Alta.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>If pro hockey players smartened up and started wearing visors, they would not only protect themselves, but many recreational players would follow their example, too.I recently played in a game and accidentally deflected a puck up into another player&rsquo;s face. Luckily, the visor he was wearing saved him from serious injury.That said, most players in recreational leagues don&rsquo;t wear visors. Apparently, they think it is safe not to, because the pros don&rsquo;t and the puck goes twice as fast in the pro game.How dumb can you be? The regular guy doesn&rsquo;t have a million bucks in the bank or endorsement contracts to survive on if he gets hurt for life by a puck or stick blade.It just goes to show that goaltenders are the smartest players on the ice for following Jacques Plante&rsquo;s lead so many years ago.Richard Rhyner, Anchorage, Alaska<h2>LEAFS CURE WHAT AILS YOU</h2>I was sick last month and my family doctor told me to avoid any excitement.So now, instead of watching the Philadelphia Flyers, I&rsquo;m watching Toronto Maple Leafs games.Riley Brees, Brooks, Alta.<h2>LITTLE HALL OF FAMER?</h2>I think Pat Verbeek deserves induction into the Hall of Fame.A few other potential candidates, particularly Pavel Bure and Claude Lemieux, also deserve to be in the Hall. But any player who scores more than 500 goals in his career, as Verbeek did, should join them.Robert Ramshall, Nottingham, England<h2>GOALIE GRIPES LEGITIMATE</h2>So Mike Brophy doesn&rsquo;t like goalies to talk to the media about equipment restrictions? (THN, Oct. 18)Well, maybe the goalies are fed up with being exposed to puckimpact injuries and being run in their crease. With the removal of the protective thighpads, puck impacts to the knee have gotten more and more dangerous.Jocelyn Thibault, Rick DiPietro and Patrick Lalime have taken direct shots to the knee that have put them on the injured list. And goalies have been getting constantly run by forwards with no fear of the defense.How many goalies have to be injured before something is done?Steve Krautle, Toms River, N.J.<h2>PHOENIX FANS KNOW GAME</h2>I understand Darrell Mansell&rsquo;s letter that expresses displeasure at the Phoenix Coyotes for retiring Bobby Hull&rsquo;s number. (THN, Nov. 1)But disparaging Arizona hockey fans as unknowledgeable is wrong. He doesn&rsquo;t understand that many people who reside in Arizona are from somewhere else &ndash; just like the Coyotes. I&rsquo;m sorry for his loss, but I&rsquo;ll put my hockey knowledge up against his any day of the week.Duane Johnson, Tempe, Ariz.<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="image-hero"><img title="f0004-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031346/8653436-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg"></div>&ldquo;Which of the NHL&rsquo;s early season surprises will fizzle first?&rdquo;Visit <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to have your say on the topic of the day &#9632;

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PUCK POLL

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05885/8653391-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg" title="f0004-05" width="790" height="1058"><figcaption class="caption-body">HI, FLYER Peter Forsberg headlines the NHL&rsquo;s European superstar contingent. (SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011971/8653405-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="82" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041096/8653398-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="201" height="354"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jason Kay EditorEDITOR&rsquo;S NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div>Statistics can be like plasticine, malleable and flexible and prone to being molded into any given shape.That&rsquo;s the disclaimer for the following set of numbers we&rsquo;ve gleaned a month into the &ldquo;My NHL&rdquo; era. Digest the data with a grain of Play-Doh and realize it&rsquo;s still very early and much can change. But it&rsquo;s still fun to pull and squeeze and knead to see what we can create:GOALS PER GAME After four weeks of runaway scoring, Week 5 of the NHL&rsquo;s regular season saw the Offense Express lose some steam. Here&rsquo;s the breakdown:Week 1: 6.29 goals per game.Week 2: 6.08 goals per game.Week 3: 6.42 goals per game.Week 4: 7.00 goals per game.Week 5: 5.91 goals per game.An aberration or the beginning of a trend? And does it even matter? Isn&rsquo;t how games are being officiated and played more important? Absolutely. But goals per game (GPG) is always going to be used as a barometer of openness in the NHL, and with some just cause.Our advice: be aware, not afraid.PENALTY FACTOR Penalty calls by period has remained relatively constant so far this season, with an average of 4.9 minors assessed in the first, 5.0 in the second and 4.4 in the third. This likely means referees are calling games consistently from beginning to end, though not necessarily. Officials could be assessing a similar number of minors throughout, but letting more go at certain times. Or it could mean players are less likely to offend as games wind down.On a related matter, scoring on the power play has increased sharply, from about 1.6 GPG in 2003-04 to 2.3 this season. That stands to reason with minor penalty calls also spiking from about 9.4 per game two years ago to 13.1 this season.What is telling is even-strength scoring has remained consistent despite the fact much less of the game is played at 5-on-5 or 4-on-4. That&rsquo;s a good indicator that the play has opened up at even strength and it&rsquo;s not all about the power play.EUROPEAN IMPACT The overall percentage of non-North American content in the NHL has dipped to its lowest level in five years. One reason for the drop could be the salary cap, which may be prompting older Europeans to stay home and younger ones to stay home longer.Whatever the case, the numbers show the Europeans who are in the NHL are having a big impact so far, prompting speculation about their value in relation to North Americans. A few numbers to noodle, while bearing in mind the overall Euro-content mark is 30.7 per cent:&bull; Eleven of the top 20 scorers (55 per cent) are European&bull; The top two teams in the league through mid-November have significantly more Europeans than the league average. Detroit boasts 10 non-North Americans (42 per cent of its roster), while Montreal has 11 (48 per cent)&bull; Three of the bottom five teams in the league have significantly fewer Europeans than the league average. St. Louis is carrying three Euros (12 per cent of its roster), Washington four (17 per cent) and Chicago five (22 per cent)This doesn&rsquo;t mean Europeans are more skilled than North Americans. Rather, what we take from it is the Europeans who are on NHL rosters tend to have a higher skill level and are benefitting from new rules.Or, it could be an early season curveball.THE .500 CLUB Just how great is the new NHL? Through Nov. 9, 20 of the 30 teams were playing .500 or better, including 12 of 15 in the Western Conference. The math doesn&rsquo;t logically compute until you factor in the overtime and shootout loss points. For example, the Boston Bruins had lost 10 of their first 17 games, but because five losses came in overtime or the shootout, they were above .500 with 19 points (7-5-5). It&rsquo;s a great marketing/PR spin tool for clubs who don&rsquo;t make the playoffs, but who still finish with 82 or more points.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021654/8653384-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="401" height="215"></div> &#9632;

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The numbers game

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MARK BRENDER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021414/8653491-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="925" height="488"><figcaption class="caption-body">OUTNUMBERED Atlanta swarms the net with Philadelphia playing shorthanded. (JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011981/8653498-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="92" height="103"></div>As Boston Bruins president Harry Sinden sees it, goalies aren&rsquo;t the only ones who should be afraid of the 5-on-3 power play.Sinden says the abundance of two-man-advantage situations, combined with hightech sticks and point men shooting to score rather than to set up teammates for rebounds or tip-ins, could see a player get killed after being hit by a high slapshot.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m telling you, I&rsquo;m worried sick about it. I&rsquo;m afraid it&rsquo;s going to happen,&rdquo; said Sinden to the Boston Herald. &ldquo;Someone is going to get killed out there.&rdquo;Sinden toned down his language when contacted by The Hockey News, saying while the situation is very dangerous, he meant his words as a figure of speech.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not a lot you can do about it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a result of the zero-tolerance policy we have.&rdquo;Nowhere is that policy more evident than in the number of 5-on-3s being called this season. The NHL doesn&rsquo;t keep statistics on 5-on-3 advantages, but there&rsquo;s no doubt they are more frequent in NHL rinks than ever before.In the opinion of San Jose GM Doug Wilson, that&rsquo;s the way it should be. Wilson doesn&rsquo;t believe a team should ever get a break on the rules, particularly not when it is already being punished for breaking them.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t reward people that are penalized,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like golf, you either hit it out of bounds or you don&rsquo;t. If you&rsquo;ve just had two bogeys, do you get to kick it back in bounds? No, you don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;Sinden wishes the new rules allowed more leeway for physical battles in the corners and in front of the net. That aside, he doesn&rsquo;t have a problem with the 5-on-3s, dangerous as they may be. &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s zero tolerance when you&rsquo;re at even strength,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;then it should probably be at zero tolerance when you&rsquo;re down a man, too.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Dangerous days of 5-on-3

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03920/8653536-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="306" height="469"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN WHITNEY</figcaption></div><h2>Best of&nbsp;the Hockey World</h2>NICE START Penguins rookie defenseman Ryan Whitney collects seven assists in his first four NHL games.500 CLUB Pierre Turgeon of the Colorado Avalanche becomes the 34th player to score 500 goals in his NHL career.CAN&rsquo;T TAME CANES The upstart Carolina Hurricanes reel off a franchise-record eight straight victories.<h2>Worst of the Hockey World</h2>ENOUGH ALREADY Islanders coach Steve Stirling boots defenseman Janne Niinimaa off the ice during practice for &ldquo;whining.&rdquo;ST. LOUIS SINKING A season-opening three-game losing streak pales in comparison to the Blues&rsquo; latest skid of nine straight defeats.SAFETY HAZARD We love the new NHL and the wide-open play, but crease-crashing must be contained for the good of the game &ndash; and goalies.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04591/8653529-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="318" height="471"><figcaption class="caption-body">JANNE NIINIMAA</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

The number of penalty calls per period are pretty even, with a slight dip in the third.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05385/8653567-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="822" height="813"></div> &#9632;

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TO THE BOX!

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06249/8653598-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="185" height="159"></div>&bull; Welcome to the new salary-capped NHL. Toronto defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo scores his first big-league goal and is promptly sent to the minors the next day so the Leafs can save money. And several other teams are doing it, too.&bull; If the Montreal Canadiens need any material to post on the bulletin board for motivation, they may want to print J-P Dumont&rsquo;s Nov. 8 entry on the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; blog. After suffering back-to-back losses to the Habs, Dumont writes of the upcoming Nov. 25 rematch: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be payback time, not just to win, but to destroy the Canadiens. We have the talent and the players to do nothing less.&rdquo;&bull; Washington defenseman Bryan Muir is either very much in demand or very much on the fringe &ndash; probably the latter. He&rsquo;s approaching career game No. 200 and has played for seven NHL teams: Chicago (64), Colorado (62), Tampa Bay (40), Edmonton (12), Washington (9), Los Angeles (2) and New Jersey (1). What&rsquo;s more, since leaving New Hampshire a decade ago, Muir, 32, has played for six minor pro teams and two in Europe. That&rsquo;s 15 teams in 10 seasons.&bull; If the Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Anson Carter trio is looking for a nickname, we nominate the &lsquo;Three Brothers Line&rsquo;. &#9632;

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SNAPSHOTS

<div class="byline">FROM THE EDITORS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021434/8653629-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012193/8653636-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="152" height="80"></div>The Hockey Hall of Fame is always quick to point out it should not be called the National Hockey League Hall of Fame.While gratefully acknowledging the NHL is one of at least a dozen businesses and organizations serving as a founding or premier sponsor (read: financial supporter), the Hall of Fame wants to recognize excellence in the game, not just excellence in the NHL.We&rsquo;re happy to see the Hockey Hall of Fame take a step in that direction with the induction of a member this year who gained prominence on the international stage.Valeri Kharlamov was one of hockey&rsquo;s greats, a dazzling stick-handler who dominated Russia&rsquo;s top league in the 1970s. Shockingly, he&rsquo;s one of just two honored members in the players&rsquo; category recognized solely for their accomplishments in Europe. Maybe that&rsquo;s because he and Vladislav Tretiak butted their way into our space at the 1972 Summit Series. Would we have noticed them had they not?Whatever the reason, the Hall is recognizing a European and that&rsquo;s a positive and long overdue move. Even if it continues to add one European star per year, it will take decades before the Hall of Fame can truly regard itself as more than a repository of NHL legends.<blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;&lsquo;We hope the decision this year to induct Kharlamov is a sign of more balanced inductions to come.</blockquote>Tretiak was inducted in 1989, but it took another 16 years before the special talent of Kharlamov was honored. A lot of people say Alexander Yakushev was even better &ndash; in Russia and at the 1972 Summit Series.Vsevolod Bobrov, Anatoly Firsov, Alexander Maltsev and Valery Vasiliev are just a few more international legends from the 1950s, &rsquo;60s and &rsquo;70s who are probably too far removed from our hockey consciousness to gain Hall of Fame induction support.Instead, the Hall&rsquo;s selection committee would rather induct lower-case NHL stars such as Bob Pulford, Bill Barber, Guy Lapointe, Clark Gillies and Bernie Federko.That&rsquo;s why we hope the decision this year to honor Kharlamov is a sign of more balanced inductions to come.And while the Hall is at it, it should consider opening a women&rsquo;s wing as well.It has been 15 years since the launch of the first Women&rsquo;s World Championship. That&rsquo;s more than enough time for pioneers and stars to develop, dominate and eventually retire.Angela James, France St-Louis, Geraldine Heaney and the recently retired Cammi Granato should be part of an early class. Their inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame is warranted and just.It seems archaic there&rsquo;s a special category for referees and linesmen &ndash; not to mention awards given to hockey writers and broadcasters &ndash; but nothing of note for women&rsquo;s hockey. &#9632;

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Hockey Hall of Fame slowly moving forward

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021327/8653698-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="331" height="554"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rich HammondColumnist</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011990/8653705-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="164" height="84"></div>The most emblematic moment of the Kings&rsquo; season so far came at the end of a shootout victory over Nashville.Jeremy Roenick lumbered toward the net, lost control of the puck and pushed it forward. Somehow, both Tomas Vokoun and the puck ended up in the net and the Kings celebrated the victory.Pretty? No. Effective? Yes, and it&rsquo;s a style the Kings are learning to embrace.The clear-cut No. 1 goalie? They don&rsquo;t have one. Roenick, the $5-million center? He&rsquo;s hobbling around, unhappy with his offensive production. The top defenseman? Try 22-year-old Tim Gleason.These are the Los Angeles Kings, a fun-loving, rollicking group that doesn&rsquo;t seem to realize it shouldn&rsquo;t be this good. The Kings are no juggernaut, but they&rsquo;ve spent most of the season in first place in the Pacific Division thanks to a balanced offense, a couple major step-up performances and a favorable schedule.There is a sense the league might have taken the Kings&rsquo; best shot, that their schedule &ndash; they played 10 of their first 15 games at home &ndash; will catch up with them, as will underachieving division foes such as San Jose and Anaheim.But there are also plenty of reasons to suggest the Kings are for real.For one, how about Jason LaBarbera? The 25-year-old goalie wasn&rsquo;t even in the Kings&rsquo; plans until August, when they signed him away from the Rangers system after his excellent 2004-05 season in the American League.It had been unanimously presumed Mathieu Garon, acquired from Montreal in June of 2004, would be L.A.&rsquo;s No. 1 goalie. Except for one thing: coach Andy Murray never make that presumption.LaBarbera, with just five games of NHL experience, outplayed Garon in training camp, earned the respect of his teammates and started the season 5-0-0 while splitting time evenly with Garon. After 12 games Murray scrapped his rotating-goalie system and unofficially made LaBarbera his regular starter.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a weird situation,&rdquo; LaBarbera said. &ldquo;Matty and I are both young guys who are trying to prove ourselves&hellip;but I don&rsquo;t think we really view this as a competition. At the end of the day we&rsquo;re teammates.&rdquo;<h2>LABARBERA IN CREASE CONTROL</h2>Murray won&rsquo;t dare say so (for fear of putting too much pressure on LaBarbera and bruising the ego of Garon, whom the Kings still think has great potential), but numbers don&rsquo;t lie: LaBarbera is the man for now.Speaking of &lsquo;The Man&rsquo;, Roenick and his $5-million contract haven&rsquo;t exactly been a bargain thus far, but that has made the Kings&rsquo; earlyseason run all the more impressive.Roenick seemed on his way to becoming the king of Kings with two opening-night goals, but totaled just one goal and no assists in his next 10 games as he struggled with equipment issues and the overall difficulties of coming back after a year completely away from the game.But two of the Kings&rsquo; less-heralded acquisitions &ndash; Craig Conroy and Pavol Demitra &ndash; picked up the slack.Murray&rsquo;s best move was sliding Alexander Frolov, who had been skating with Roenick and Michael Cammalleri, onto a line with Conroy and Demitra. That trio, more than any other single factor, has kept the Kings atop the standings.Conroy, a respected two-way player, suddenly started to channel the ghost of Marcel Dionne. He has topped 59 points just once in his 10-year NHL career and started this season with one assist in his first six games, but in the next seven he totaled four goals and 14 points, helping the Kings win five of those contests.<h2>LAKERS, DODGERS TRUMP KINGS</h2>Given the breathless analysis of every word spoken by the NBA Lakers&rsquo; Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant, USC&rsquo;s quest for a third consecutive college football championship and the front-office foulups of the Dodgers, hockey hasn&rsquo;t exactly made big headlines in L.A., except when Sean Avery chooses to speak his mind.Roenick, with his dynamic personality, has the ability to capture the imagination of the city&rsquo;s sporting public, but not unless he starts netting some goals and the Kings continue to win.As the Kings have proven thus far, winning doesn&rsquo;t have to be a thing of beauty.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03829/8653691-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="1681" height="2251"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAVOL DEMITRA LOS ANGELES KINGSL.A. STARS The Kings&rsquo; hot start has a lot to do with the performance of these six players. (SHELLY COSTELLANO)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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It’s not how, but how many

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031085/8653750-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012083/8653757-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="90" height="106"></div>To those who insist the new NHL has wiped out the hitting and physical confrontations that used to bring passion to the game, we say your memory is shorter than your golf socks.We say it is an undeniable fact that the NHL of the Dead Puck Era was cursed with a multitude of chemical imbalances. You seem to have forgotten an excess of passion in the bloodstream was never among them.There were physical confrontations all right. There were cross-checks to the back and hooks and slashes and those manly pushing matches in front the net. You insist the new open-ice penalty-filled NHL is inferior for their absence. We say if grabbing a guy&rsquo;s sweater and throwing him to the ice like he was a bale of hay is the extent of your ambition for the courage demanded of a sport&hellip;if that is the height of your vision for what makes hockey noble&hellip; then your powers of recollection aren&rsquo;t the only thing in need of an upgrade.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>REAL HITTERS EMERGE</h2>We say, just as an aside, that skilled players unable to funk it up in the muck weren&rsquo;t the only ones done a disservice by the old NHL. Skilled hitters were similarly undervalued.Hitting done well is an art form, devastating yet beautiful. Most nights what passed as hitting in the clutch-and-grab NHL was no more artful than a rink full of stick figures. So maybe guys will have to learn how to hit again, the right way &ndash; stick down, hands down, lead with the shoulder. There&rsquo;s a reason Calgary rookie defenseman Dion Phaneuf stands out, because there aren&rsquo;t many like him. (And besides, no one was explaining the lack of physicality to Michael Peca as his tooth went flying through the air after the Rick Nash hit.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021552/8653743-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="331" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark BrenderSenior Writer</figcaption></div>If your argument is one of despair that there are no more battles in the trenches, we ask: who ever went to a hockey game to see a trench? We say there&rsquo;s a different kind of courage on the line now.When you&rsquo;ve got the best talent and you don&rsquo;t falter and you don&rsquo;t let up and you don&rsquo;t choke, that&rsquo;s courage.When you can look in the mirror and know that your hands didn&rsquo;t shake and your legs didn&rsquo;t turn to rubber and your brain didn&rsquo;t shut down when the stakes were highest, that&rsquo;s courage.We won&rsquo;t know until the end of the playoffs if the Ottawa Senators have got it or not.But in the meantime, we want Excellence. We&rsquo;d love nothing more than to see a repeat of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, who lost all of eight games all season. Can you imagine that in your passion-filled old NHL?Whoever the post-lockout champion is going to be, we want them to be larger than life while it is still possible, before the salary cap eats up all its stars and spits them out to a half-dozen teams across the league.So we want Ottawa or Detroit or whoever to beat people up on the scoreboard, to keep scoring until the clock runs out or someone turns out the lights. We want them to make somebody look bad with all four lines charging hard. We want the Senators to break the alltime NHL goal differential record of plus-216, just to prove they can. (See chart below.)<h2>NO SLOWING DOWN</h2>After 13 games the high-flying Sens were on pace to be plus-227. (With 64 goals for and 28 against in 13 games, they project to score 404 and give up 177.) The 1976-77 Canadiens are the only post-expansion team to score more than double the goals of their opposition over a full season. We want Ottawa to be the second.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see why not,&rdquo; said captain Daniel Alfredsson. &ldquo;Obviously I think it&rsquo;s going to get tougher in the second half because of the schedule and the Olympics&hellip;But the way we&rsquo;re going now, I don&rsquo;t think we should slow down. We just have to keep pushing ourselves every night and keep trying to improve to be better.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04571/8653736-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="800" height="1038"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEEPING PACE After 13 games, Ottawa was on track to have the best goals-for/goalsagainst differential in NHL history. Here is Ottawa alongside the all-time top five. (DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>Keep trying to improve &ndash; there&rsquo;s courage in that as well.We want to see how the losers react when the score is 7-2 with 13 minutes left in the third and they know they can&rsquo;t keep up. That&rsquo;s when we find out what their insides are made of. We want to see if the kids will keep fighting when they&rsquo;re sucking wind and sucking in the standings, just to prove they&rsquo;ve got heart. They can show far more heart by making it a 7-5 game than through a few passionate postwhistle facewashes.If it&rsquo;s passion you want, watch Alexander Ovechkin&rsquo;s goal celebration with the Caps on the comeback trail. By rewarding teams for skill and smarts and good coaching as well as heart, the new NHL makes all this possible.The big hits have not been outlawed, by the way. They remain an integral part of the game. They are what differentiates hockey from tap dancing on ice. A timely big hit can prove the underdog won&rsquo;t back down, whatever the score. It sends a message that this is a dangerous game they&rsquo;re playing and the pretty boys need to keep their heads up.But you claim you jump just as high and cheer just as loud when your team makes a big hit as when it scores a big goal, and you take pride in making a virtue out of your supposed traditionalist&rsquo;s stance.We say you do that because your boys can&rsquo;t keep up, or you don&rsquo;t have the courage to admit you&rsquo;re not good enough. We say you&rsquo;re only lying to yourself. &#9632;

f0008-03

Going hard for goals

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012055/8653809-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011996/8653816-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="91" height="103"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Manny Legace is one extremely understanding dude.A week after suffering a sprained left knee that caused him to miss three games between the pipes for the Detroit Red Wings, Legace is surprisingly calm when asked about the foe who helped put him on the injured reserve list, longtime shift disturber Matthew Barnaby.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he would have run into me, but once he got pushed by (Jiri) Fischer it gave him a prime opportunity to hit me,&rdquo; Legace says. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t like he was going to do it on purpose. It arose for him and he took advantage of it. He was looking to score, that&rsquo;s all he was doing. You have to give him credit. That&rsquo;s how he stays in the league &ndash; by crashing the net and fighting and all that other stuff. He has to do it. I&rsquo;m not going to blame him, that&rsquo;s what he gets paid to do.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021475/8653802-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="1036" height="832"></div>Many of Legace&rsquo;s puck-stopping brethren are not so forgiving. Goalies from every corner of the NHL world are crying foul as crease-crashing has become as big a part of the &ldquo;new NHL&rdquo; as goal-scoring.Because of the crackdown on obstruction, skaters have more freedom driving to the net and, consequently, there have been numerous collisions with goalies resulting in an alarming number of injuries.Seventeen goalies had missed action due to injury in the first six weeks of the season compared to eight over the same time period in 2003-04.Defensemen who have not yet mastered the art of skating with an opponent and angling him away from the goal (since they can no longer use the stick to impede a forward&rsquo;s progress) watch helplessly like Wal-Mart greeters as their goalies are slammed into.&ldquo;You used to get the familiar faces in your crease, guys whose job it was to get under your skin,&rdquo; says Vancouver goalie Dan Cloutier. &ldquo;Now it seems like it&rsquo;s everybody. Guys are a lot braver now that the D-men can&rsquo;t take them out.&rdquo;Several goalies were out with groin injuries, as the post-to-post lateral movement after a year of inactivity seemed to be taking its toll. But hard-charging forwards were also responsible.The NHL made a conscious effort to increase goals and scoring chances in 2005-06 following the lockout. In doing so, the league targeted goaltenders. It shrunk goalie equipment and limited the areas where netminders can play the puck. The crackdown on obstruction has led to more penalties being called and more power play time, which means tougher minutes for goalies.Whether or not you like the way they are being called, there is no denying games have been more exciting this season. Comebacks, which nearly went extinct in the past decade, are now nightly occurrences. You think a two-goal lead heading into the third period is safe? Think again.That said, a more wide-open game has led to an increase of activity around the net. And when goalie after goalie is being hurt, the league needs to address the issue.Stephen Walkom, NHL director of officiating, says officials have a heightened awareness of play around the crease because of the new rules.&ldquo;When the attacking forward isn&rsquo;t hooked and held, he comes to the net with a lot more speed,&rdquo; Walkom says. &ldquo;When you come to the net with a lot more speed, our guys have to be ready (to make calls) when the goalie is intentionally run into&hellip;or even unintentionally run into if he is inside the paint. He has to be able to do his job.&rdquo; Washington&rsquo;s Olie Kolzig says the NHL needs to make up its mind once and for all what it plans to do to protect goalies.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021564/8653795-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="702" height="707"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;&lsquo;Our job is tough enough&hellip; You don&rsquo;t need 230-pound players falling on you at the same time. &ndash; OLAF KOLZIG</blockquote>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s my biggest issue with the rule changes,&rdquo; Kolzig says. &ldquo;We went from five years ago when you couldn&rsquo;t have a skate lace in the crease to now it&rsquo;s basically no holds barred. I didn&rsquo;t like the old rule five years ago, I thought it was ridiculous, but they could tone it down a little as far as guys crashing into goalies. Our job is tough enough stopping pucks and you don&rsquo;t need 230-pound players falling on you at the same time.&rdquo;So what can the league do?&ldquo;There has got to be some sort of grey area,&rdquo; Kolzig insists. &ldquo;Not the crease itself, but maybe a five-foot barrier from the top of the crease out where guy have to hit the brakes and maybe not go as hard.&ldquo;But then I&rsquo;ve heard goalies will take advantage of that, they&rsquo;re going to dive&hellip;If you have a goalie who does that, you punish them the same as a player. Give them a hefty enough fine and they won&rsquo;t do it.&rdquo;In Legace&rsquo;s case, he was lucky to get away with a mild knee sprain. Others have been less fortunate.Cloutier was crashed into by teammate Nolan Baumgartner Oct. 29 and sustained a concussion that shelved him for more than a week. After losing the puck at his team&rsquo;s blueline, Baumgartner scrambled to get back to help his goalie. Minnesota&rsquo;s Andrew Brunette wound up scoring on the play and, in the process, fell over Cloutier, who hit his head on the left post. Baumgartner then crashed into Cloutier, causing him to hit his head on the right post.New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur got hurt in a goalmouth scramble against Tampa Bay. He thought he had the puck covered, but an opponent was able to dig it out of his glove, forcing Brodeur to slide across in an effort to make a save. He sprained his knee on the play and had missed six games and counting.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011810/8653788-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="1511" height="1422"><figcaption class="caption-body">HEADS UP! Vancouver&rsquo;s Dan Cloutier sustained a concussion after player collisions caused him to hit his head on both goalposts.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;In the old days I had Scott Stevens knocking guys on their ass,&rdquo; Brodeur says.Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Dan Boyle says defensemen are still adjusting to the new standard of obstruction.&ldquo;We work on skating forward with the guy we&rsquo;re guarding,&rdquo; Boyle says. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t play the way we were taught to play. You can&rsquo;t stop a guy from going to the net anymore. If a guy gets an inside step on you, you&rsquo;re basically screwed. You can&rsquo;t hook him.&rdquo;Would a forward really take advantage of being hit to wipe out the opposing goalie? You betcha.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a fine line,&rdquo; says Toronto&rsquo;s Darcy Tucker. &ldquo;You want to protect your goalie because he&rsquo;s the heart and soul of your team. When I&rsquo;m at the other end, though, I want to get the puck in no matter what and if it means going through their goalie, then so be it. If I&rsquo;m going hard to the net, as long as the puck goes in, I don&rsquo;t care what else happens.&rdquo;In some instances, goalies have even been rammed during the shootout. Jeremy Roenick of the Kings did it; so has Steve Sullivan of the Predators.&ldquo;(Former NHLer) Curt Brackenberry used to call it the marsupial play,&rdquo; says Washington coach Glen Hanlon, &ldquo;where, like a kangaroo, you put the puck into your belly and dive into the goal. I&rsquo;m not sure that should be a ploy in the shootout.&rdquo;On top of it all, because of the number of goals being scored, goalies aren&rsquo;t looking so good on the stats sheet, either. Even Brodeur&rsquo;s numbers are off; he was 4-5-0 before being hurt with a 3.61 goals-against average and .883 save percentage.There are a number of reasons why normally solid stoppers have unusually bad numbers this season. For starters, goalie stats &ndash; good and bad &ndash; are often a reflection of how their team is playing. Factor in the opening up of the game, coupled with a year off for many netminders and perhaps the trend shouldn&rsquo;t be so surprising.Not all goalies have been negatively impacted, however.Prior to being injured, Legace was on fire with a 10-1-0 record, 1.76 GAA and .928 save percentage. Others such as Ottawa&rsquo;s Dominik Hasek, Los Angeles rookie Jason Labarbera, Montreal&rsquo;s Jose Theodore and Nashville&rsquo;s Tomas Vokoun have sparkled and have the stats to prove it.&ldquo;The biggest change I&rsquo;ve seen is, with the net being moved back, there are more Grade A scoring chances,&rdquo; says Tampa Bay goalie John Grahame. &ldquo;The plays in front of the net are happening a lot quicker so you don&rsquo;t have that extra half-second to react to shots. Before if you made one or two big saves in a game, it was enough to give your team the lift it needs to win. Now you need to come up with five, six, seven saves to keep your team in it.&rdquo;Walkom says every game is monitored by the league and he likes what he has seen thus far.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to see offensive players beat defensemen and not have defenseman hook and hold them,&rdquo; Walkom says.&ldquo;That said, the officials on the ice are working to call the infractions when they see them. It&rsquo;s all about force. We have taken a degree of force out relative to the crosscheck and we need to make sure if a player is politely moved, he doesn&rsquo;t take advantage of that to wipe out the goalie.&rdquo;<h2>BY THE NUMBERS</h2>+1.15An average of 6.29 goals per game were being scored as of Nov. 9; in 2003-04, the NHL had an average of 5.14 goals per game29.8NHL teams are averaging 29.8 shots per game, up about two shots per game over &rsquo;03-04.19An astounding 19 rookie goalies played in the NHL in the first month of the season. Why? For starters, blame injuries (a lot of call-ups) and the salary cap (you don&rsquo;t have to pay backups much)..896The increase in quality scoring chances has resulted in a (significant) decrease in the NHL&rsquo;s average save percentage. It was .913 in &rsquo;03-04.17Seventeen NHL netminders missed time due to injury in the NHL&rsquo;s first month. Through the same period in &rsquo;03-04, only eight goalies felt the pain.3.06It goes to figure that if goals per game is up, then the netminders&rsquo; goals-against average will rise, too. It did, and how. The league average GAA in &rsquo;03-04 was over half-a-goal lower (2.41). &#9632;

f0010-01

COVER STORY

Target Practice

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031016/8653854-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04611/8653847-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="331" height="554"><figcaption class="caption-body">Martin BrodeurIn the first person</figcaption></div>When the NHL announced the new rules and the size reduction of goalie equipment, I worried that goaltenders were the only ones being targeted in the league&rsquo;s effort to increase scoring and open up the game.I was wrong.After we started to play, it became clear to me defensemen are also affected. All the stuff defensemen learned as kids &ndash; pinning their opponents; putting their stick between their opponent&rsquo;s legs to neutralize them; moving guys from in front of the net; taking the body and not looking at the puck &ndash; they can&rsquo;t do any of that anymore. For defensemen, that is a huge adjustment.That said, there is no denying goaltenders have been affected by the changes. With defensemen limited in what they can do to check opponents, it creates more room for guys around the net, which makes the goalie&rsquo;s job harder. Attacking players have more and better chances because you can&rsquo;t interfere with them. They get in better position for rebounds and they are in the clear more than they were in the old system.As goalies, we now have to be able to move from side to side much quicker and more often than we did in the past. How many times have you seen a goalie swimming on the ice, scrambling to get to the other side of the net? You see goalies waving their gloves and stick trying to stop the shot from a guy who was open at the other side of the net. It is amazing the difference in the opportunities players are getting. Sure, we face more shots, but that&rsquo;s not a big deal for goalies. It&rsquo;s the quality of the chances that is the biggest change. Power plays will give you that.I think one of the main reasons why so many goalies are getting hurt is because they get tired from being forced to react to shots in different ways than we are used to. Goalies often react quickly to shots with no regard for what might happen to their body because we are trained to stop pucks first and ask questions later.Before, if you allowed one or two rebounds, it meant you weren&rsquo;t on your game. Now if you only allow one or two, it means you&rsquo;re having a heck of a game.More power plays have also meant more work for goalies. If you have to kill eight penalties, that&rsquo;s 16 minutes of play that is mostly in your zone. In the old system, a good penalty-killing team like New Jersey playing against even a top power play team might spend no more than 45 seconds in your own zone during a two-minute penalty. Now it&rsquo;s more like 90 seconds. It takes a lot of juice out of your best players and your goalie. So the next thing you know, you start seeing better scoring chances.I&rsquo;m fine with the fact my save percentage may go down and my goals-against average will go up. It&rsquo;s a new league and we&rsquo;re starting fresh. I don&rsquo;t think you can compare the statistics of goalies in today&rsquo;s game to goalies&rsquo; numbers in the past. You won&rsquo;t see guys recording as many shutouts and you won&rsquo;t see guys&rsquo; records being affected by tie games. There is a winner every night. Patrick Roy holds the record for most career wins by a goalie, 551, and he had 131 ties in his career. If half of those ties were wins because of the shootout, he&rsquo;d have over 600 wins.I understand why the NHL made changes. I think people wanted to see more excitement. I will say, though, it is a little bit of smoke and mirrors.Scoring is up mostly because of the number of power play goals being scored. Look at the number of 5-on-3s we see in games now. It&rsquo;s amazing. I don&rsquo;t think 5-on-5 play is any better with the new rules. I&rsquo;m not saying we won&rsquo;t see improvement in the game down the road, but I&rsquo;m not seeing it now. &#9632;

f0012-03

Tougher work for goalies

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH MARK BRENDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021490/8653892-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">SURVIVAL MODE Jacques Demers waited until his NHL career was over before going public.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011972/8653899-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="93" height="104"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>At a Nov. 2 press conference marking the publication of his authorized biography, Jacques Demers: En Toutes Lettres, the former NHL coach made a startling admission: He was behind the bench for more than 1,000 games in the NHL without being able to read or write.Here, Demers, 61, tells The Hockey News how he managed to keep his secret for more than two decades in professional hockey and how his disclosure has set him free. A donation in Demers&rsquo; name is being made to Le Chainon, a women&rsquo;s shelter in Montreal. An English translation of the book is expected in early 2006.Afew days after I went public with my literacy problems, I told my wife Debbie this is the first time in my life I feel entirely free. Now that the secret is out, I feel no shame.The positive public reaction has meant a great deal to me. In the days after the book launch, people all over Quebec came forward and admitted they had the same problem. The New York Times, Washington Post and HBO all wanted to do stories. I&rsquo;m still fairly well known in Quebec because of my work as a hockey commentator, but the interest outside of Quebec surprised me.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031037/8653885-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="331" height="554"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jacques DemersIn the first person (SCOTT LEVY/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>It&rsquo;s funny how things work. When I was a kid, my dad told me I was dumb and that I&rsquo;d never achieve anything in life. Now that things are out in the open, people have said I must have been really intelligent to be able to get away with it all these years.<h2>NO MORE LIVING A LIE</h2>There&rsquo;s no way I could have gone public when I was coaching. It would have ended my career. After my NHL days were over, though, I didn&rsquo;t want to keep living a lie.Three years ago I decided to see a psychiatrist. I hadn&rsquo;t coached in the NHL for three years, yet my anger and anxiety were getting worse, not better. I was always uptight, always hiding. I even hid when I tried to get help, because I thought only people who are crazy go to a psychiatrist. I went in to his office through the back door. I wore a toque so I couldn&rsquo;t be recognized. Hiding was the story of my life.As it turned out, seeing that doctor turned out to be one of the best things I ever did. He told me I was not dyslexic and I didn&rsquo;t have Attention Deficit Disorder. There were other reasons why I never learned to read and write.The doctor said all my anxiety comes from my childhood. I was tired because I couldn&rsquo;t sleep at night because of all the yelling and violence in our home. It was impossible to focus at school. The doctor said if I would have led a normal life when I was young, I would not have had literacy problems.When I was a coach, all the excuses and all the lies about why I couldn&rsquo;t read a letter or write a note were just a way to survive. Besides, I&rsquo;d already been hiding for years. When you live in an apartment and your dad drinks and beats up your mom, the next morning when people are going to work and kids are going to school, they know what happened. I remember people asking me, &ldquo;Is everything OK?&rdquo; And I always answered, &ldquo;No, no, there&rsquo;s no problem, everything is fine.&rdquo;Everything is a big secret. You&rsquo;re embarrassed and you become a loner. You don&rsquo;t want anybody to know your story.<h2>EASY EXPLANATIONS</h2>There was always an easy explanation why I needed help doing something. I don&rsquo;t know how many times I forgot my glasses. When I coached outside Quebec, I said my English wasn&rsquo;t good enough. When I went back to coach Montreal, I said I&rsquo;d been away for so long that I&rsquo;d lost some of my French.I learned to delegate to my assistant coaches and trainers. The trainer in Montreal, Eddy Palchuk, used to fill out the lineup card. Other times it was Charles Thiffault, the assistant coach. In Detroit it was assistant coach Colin Campbell. A pair of public relations people, Susie Mathieu in St. Louis and Bill Jamieson in Detroit, did so much for me.And I never would have survived in Tampa Bay without Jay Feaster and Cliff Fletcher. I was coach-GM and those guys saved my life. I would have been out the door without them.One thing I want to make clear is that I have immense respect for NHL coaches and the entire profession. I don&rsquo;t want anyone to think I didn&rsquo;t take every job seriously.People also need to understand that having literacy problems does not mean I can&rsquo;t read and write at all. During my coaching career I was able to learn certain phrases. I could write &ldquo;Best Wishes&rdquo; when signing an autograph, but if somebody asked me to write a note to his son to keep working hard and stay in school, there was no way. By the end of my coaching days, I was able to fill out a roster myself.My reading has gotten better over the years. When I sit down to read the newspaper it takes me a long time and if somebody interrupts me I lose my focus and have to start over again. But I can do it.What I want to do now is help sell as many copies of the book as I can as a way of honoring my mother&rsquo;s memory. She died of leukemia when I was 16. Some of the proceeds from every book sold are going to a Montreal shelter for battered women and I want to raise as much money for them as possible.The doctors say there are a lot of cases like mine. Now, with the relief of speaking out, the worst of my anxiety is over. I am at peace. I don&rsquo;t have to worry about anything any more. &#9632;

f0014-02

‘The secret is out’

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN BIGGANE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021371/8653937-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GOAL POWER Nathan Horton scored seven of Florida&rsquo;s 33 goals (21 per cent) as of Nov. 9. Here are the most relied-upon NHLers:</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011751/8653944-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="107" height="105"></div>Nineteen months is a long time to be battling the same injury.From January of 2004 through to August of 2005, Nathan Horton fought what seemed like a never-ending battle with a left shoulder problem that he just couldn&rsquo;t get past.&ldquo;It was more frustrating than you can imagine,&rdquo; Horton said. &ldquo;It was too long to be hurt.&rdquo;Horton was fast becoming the Florida Panthers&rsquo; best player as an 18-year-old rookie when, on Jan. 11, 2004, he was tackled from behind by Vancouver defenseman Brent Sopel and ridden into the boards. The diagnosis: a torn rotator cuff and distended bicep muscle.Shelved for six weeks, he returned to play 11 games at the end of the 2003-04 season, then had surgery in April. After six months of rehab, he joined San Antonio of the American League last season, but was in and out of the lineup, playing just 21 games before reinjuring the shoulder in a fight.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>GOT HEALTHIER, HEAVIER IN SUMMER</h2>A second surgery was performed last January and Horton started rehab again, this time with Panthers trainer Jim Pizzutelli, whose home in Buffalo was not far from that of Horton&rsquo;s in Dunville, Ont.&ldquo;Forty-five minutes, or 53 miles,&rdquo; Pizzutelli said. &ldquo;I know. I did it that often.&rdquo;By August, Horton was not only better than ever, but bigger than ever. After checking in at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds in 2003-04, he was a half-inch taller and 15 pounds heavier.&ldquo;I feel good,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot stronger than my first year. It helps. I don&rsquo;t want to get hurt again.&rdquo;Florida selected Horton third overall in 2003, but only after then-GM Rick Dudley &ndash; who originally had the No. 1 pick &ndash; got assurances from Pittsburgh and Carolina that their interests lay elsewhere. The Penguins took goalie Marc-Andre Fleury first; Carolina tabbed center Eric Staal second.While Staal seems to be the class of the group so far, Horton&rsquo;s injury setbacks leave much of his potential unfulfilled. A glimpse of that was shown when he scored six goals in a nine-game stretch from Oct. 13 to Nov. 1. He had a team-high seven goals before going on injured reserve Nov. 7 with a slightly sprained knee that was thought to be short term.GM Mike Keenan feels Horton will mature into a premier power forward and brought in Gary Roberts as a free agent over the summer to help along that process.<h2>&lsquo;THE SKY&rsquo;S THE LIMIT&rsquo;</h2>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big, powerful man and he&rsquo;s got the skill set of some of the top players,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just going to take time to mature.&rdquo;Roberts, who has been credited by Toronto&rsquo;s Jeff O&rsquo;Neill for having a positive effect on his development when the two were in Carolina, sees some similarities.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good skater, Jeff was a good skater,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;(Horton) shoots the puck just like (O&rsquo;Neill). (Horton) just needs confidence.&rdquo;George Burnett, who coached Horton with Oshawa of the Ontario League, compared Horton to Keith Primeau, whom he also coached in junior.&ldquo;The sky is the limit,&rdquo; Burnett said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s skilled, he can play a rugged game, he&rsquo;s smart, he can anticipate and he&rsquo;s a great skater. The key thing for Nathan right now is to have a chance to compete every night and stay healthy.&rdquo;Horton started skating at age 3 and a year later, bigger than other boys his age, he was playing with seven-year-olds. He reached Jr. B at 13 and at 16 was the second overall pick in the OHL draft. In his first OHL season he had 31 goals and 67 points and was second in rookie-of-the-year voting.&ldquo;Most guys don&rsquo;t score that many goals in their fourth year, never mind their first,&rdquo; said Anthony Stewart, who played against Horton in Kingston for two years before they both became 2003 first round picks of the Panthers.The biggest goal of Horton&rsquo;s junior career came against Staal and Peterborough in the first round of the 2003 OHL playoffs, when he scored the Game 7 overtime winner.&ldquo;He had a wonderful series, which really solidified his position at the top of the draft,&rdquo; Burnett said.After a slow start with Florida in 2003-04 &ndash; he had three goals and seven points through 26 games &ndash; Horton hit his stride in early December and by mid-January was being mentioned in Calder Trophy discussions. Then the injury struck, costing him most of the next season-and-a-half, so he has some catching up to do.The time he spent rehabbing with Pizzutelli also spawned a love affair &ndash; with Pizzutelli&rsquo;s dog. Horton became so enamored with the trainer&rsquo;s boxer he went out and bought one of his own. With no one to mind the canine while he&rsquo;s in Florida, he leaves the dog, named Dylan, with his mother Georgina during the season.&ldquo;Dylan turned three pairs of Nathan&rsquo;s girlfriend&rsquo;s shoes into toast in one week,&rdquo; Georgina said. &ldquo;Now I just walk in and there&rsquo;s toilet paper all over the house. He knows he&rsquo;s bad.&rdquo;Horton defended his canine pal. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a nice dog, but he&rsquo;s torn up every shoe in the house. He&rsquo;s potty-trained, so we&rsquo;re getting there. Good thing my mom likes animals.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031035/8653930-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="769" height="1223"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Nathan Horton: Here’s a ‘Who’

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021259/8653975-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="309" height="481"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHIL KESSEL</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011634/8653982-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="100" height="142"></div>Phil Kessel&rsquo;s solid start with the Minnesota Golden Gophers has kept him firmly entrenched as the top prospect for the 2006 NHL entry draft.Kessel remains the No. 1 draft prospect in the November report by International Scouting Services.The 18-year-old freshman center had eight points in eight games for the veteran-laden powerhouse in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Golden Gophers were selected by The Hockey News as the top team among 44 schools in U.S. Div. I college hockey.Kessel had points in five of eight games this season, including a goal and two assists against Minnesota State Oct. 21. He&rsquo;s playing on a line with Blake Wheeler, the fifth overall pick of Phoenix in the 2004 draft, and Ryan Potulny, a third round pick of Philadelphia in 2003.&ldquo;He is incredibly explosive and is a threat every time he is on the ice,&rdquo; the ISS report states. &ldquo;He catches goalies off guard with quick, hard snap shots on the fly.&rdquo;ISS has had Kessel rated first for the 2006 draft since last winter when he shone for the U.S. at the 2005 World Junior Championship. He jumped ahead of Czech 17-year-old left winger Michael Frolik, who remains No. 2 on the ISS list.North Dakota freshman forward Jonathan Toews remains at No. 3 on the November scouting report, while center Peter Mueller of the Everett Silvertips moves up from sixth to fourth.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Mueller, a 6-foot-2 center from Bloomington, Minn., had seven goals and 22 points in 18 games for Everett. He chose to play in the Western League this season rather than accept a scholarship with Kessel at the University of Minnesota.Moving up the most on the ISS November ranking is Rouyn-Noranda defender Ivan Vishnevsky, who went from 91st to 27th. The 2006 NHL draft is next June in Vancouver. &#9632;

f0018-02

Kessel tops scouting chart

<div class="byline">BY THN STAFF</div>The first fruit of the NHL diversity program&rsquo;s labor is ripe, in the form of Tampa Bay goalie Gerald Coleman. The 20-year-old stopper was introduced to hockey through an NHL program in Chicago &ndash; the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois. Coleman was scheduled back up John Grahame Nov. 10 against the Rangers.Coleman was the program&rsquo;s sentative at the 1997 Willie O&rsquo;Ree All-Star Game in Chicago and returned as an alumni coach in 2001.The Romeoville, Ill., native played two years with the U.S. national development team program and three seasons with the Ontario League&rsquo;s London Knights. He started this season with Springfield in the American League.&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be more pleased and proud for Gerald,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Ree, the NHL&rsquo;s first black player and NHL diversity director of youth development. &ldquo;This is a very special milestone for the NHL diversity program. Gerald serves as a role model for all kids who set goals for themselves and work hard to attain them.&rdquo;Founded in 1995, the NHL diversity program provides support to non-profit hockey organizations offering the opportunity to play hockey to economically disadvantaged youngsters of all ages across North America. &#9632;

Coleman a diversity pioneer

<div class="byline">BY NATHAN WHITE</div>The hockey world is rallying to support Sebastien Savage, the 24-year-old University of Moncton player who was paralyzed in a freak accident.The university held a news conference Nov. 2 to announce the formation of the Sebastien Savage Fund. The motto of the four-time national champion is &ldquo;An Aigle Bleu for a day, an Aigle Bleu for life,&rdquo; a phrase former New Brunswick premier and Moncton player Camille Theriault takes to heart.Thanks to Theriault, who&rsquo;s now president of the Federation des Caisse populaires acadiennes, individuals and groups can contribute to the fund at 85 Caisse Populaire locations in Atlantic Canada. National Bank locations will also accept donations.Savage, 24, was paralyzed in an Oct. 22 Canadian university game when he was pursuing a puck with an Acadia opponent, lost his balance and slid head-first into the boards. He sustained a major fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra.Moncton&rsquo;s Oct. 26 game against Saint Mary&rsquo;s was rescheduled for Nov. 16 and will serve as a fundraiser. Fans can buy tickets for prizes such as a signed Sidney Crosby jersey, box seats for a major junior game and a trip for two from CanJet.Moncton donated revenues from its Nov. 2 game and other schools have contributed as well. The University of New Brunswick donated its portion of the Nov. 5 50-50 draw, as did the winner. New Brunswick and Acadia raised $5,000 at games against Moncton.The Quebec League&rsquo;s Moncton Wildcats dedicated their Nov. 11 game to Savage and Moncton kicked off a skate lace bracelet campaign the same night. Savage&rsquo;s former junior team, the Ottawa 67&rsquo;s, also announced fundraising plans are underway. Savage, who hails from that area, was expected to be transferred to a hospital in Ottawa.Donation referrals can contact Linda Schofield at (506) 858-4883 or <a href="mailto:schofil@umoncton.ca">schofil@umoncton.ca</a>. &#9632;

Support rallies for Savage

<h2>PENGUINS WADDLING TO KANSAS CITY?</h2>According to the Kansas City Star, Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive officer of Anshutz Entertainment Group, is eyeing a possible relocation for the Pittsburgh Penguins to Kansas City. The mid-west city, which drew 12,686 fans for an exhibition game between the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, is hoping a new yet-to-open 18,500-seat Sprint Center will attract either an NHL or NBA franchise. The Penguins, who play in the dilapidated Mellon Arena, are trying to obtain a casino license and channel the funds into the club. If the casino license is not granted, the Penguins may not be able to afford a new home in Pittsburgh. Leiweke was confident an NHL franchise will work in Kansas City, saying, &ldquo;The NHL has seen our blueprints, they&rsquo;ve seen all our plans, they know what we&rsquo;re doing here.&rdquo; The expansion Kansas City Scouts lasted just two NHL seasons before moving to Colorado in 1976.<h2>MOORE TO FILE APPEAL</h2>Steve Moore&rsquo;s lawsuit against Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi may not yet be done in Denver. Moore&rsquo;s lawyers plan to appeal Denver district Judge Shelley Gilman&rsquo;s initial ruling that Canada would be a more suitable venue for the case to be dealt with, given Bertuzzi&rsquo;s attack on Moore in March of 2004 took place in Vancouver. &ldquo;I would say shortly the U.S. counsel will be filing notice of appeal and we will be proceeding with that appeal,&rdquo; said Tim Danson, Moore&rsquo;s Toronto-based lawyer. Should Gilman&rsquo;s decision be upheld, Moore has until March of 2006 to file an appeal in Canada. Danson indicated that, should the case eventually be heard in Canada, the proceedings would take place in Toronto rather than Vancouver. &ldquo;Toronto would be the jurisdiction,&rdquo; Danson stated. &ldquo;This is where Steve lives, this is where he&rsquo;s suffering the damages.&rdquo; In addition to Bertuzzi, Moore&rsquo;s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the Canucks, team owner Ocra Bay Hockey Limited Partnership, Vancouver coach Marc Crawford, former GM Brian Burke and former Canuck Brad May, now with Colorado. Moore, who was released by Colorado, is an unrestricted free agent and continues working out in the hopes of one day resurrecting his NHL career.<h2>FORBES CRUNCHES NHL NUMBERS</h2>Business-savvy Forbes magazine compiled and released its take on the new NHL by rating all 30 franchises in various financial ways. According to Forbes, the most valuable team is the Toronto Maple Leafs ($325 million; all figures in U.S. funds) and the least valuable is the Carolina Hurricanes ($65 million). The most expensive game to attend is the New Jersey Devils ($310) and the least expensive is Carolina ($171). The most valuable team brand is Toronto ($41 million) and the least valuable is the Edmonton Oilers ($11 million). The best managed franchises, based on wins-per-player costs the past five seasons with the playoffs counting double is the Ottawa Senators (148 wins-per-player costs points), New Jersey Devils (129) and Tampa Bay Lightning (125). The worst managed franchises include the New York Rangers (44), Washington Capitals (83) and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (83). Forbes also rated players according to their on-ice performance and salary. The top player in each position include goalie Dominik Hasek of Ottawa (224 rating), defenseman Marek Zidlicky of Nashville (432) and center Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh (324). The biggest flops are goalie Olie Kolzig of Washington (61), defenseman Janne Niinimaa of the New York Islanders (61) and center Mike Peca of Edmonton (57).<h2>WOMEN LOOKING FOR HOST CITY</h2>The process of finding a home for the 2007 World Women&rsquo;s Championship, awarded to Canada in May, has begun. The city of Sherbrooke, Destination St. John&rsquo;s (Nfld.), Events Halifax, Hockey Manitoba/-Winnipeg Bid Committee and the Ontario Women&rsquo;s Hockey Association submitted letters of intent to Hockey Canada to bid for the event. &#9632;

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

f0020-02

NHL TEAM REPORTS

SHOTS PER GAME

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011096/8654550-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02827/8654581-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="270" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIK WESTRUM</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011240/8654588-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="90" height="90"></div>Erik Westrum proved at the 2005 World Championship last spring he could excel as a checking forward. Now he&rsquo;s out to show he still knows where the net is, too.Westrum, a big-time scorer in his college days at Minnesota, soared to second in American League scoring five weeks into the Houston Aeros&rsquo; season. The 6-foot, 204-pound center scored seven goals and 23 points as the Aeros vaulted to a 9-4-1-1 start.&ldquo;I think playing in the world championship was a huge help for my confidence,&rdquo; Westrum said. The fifth-year pro, a Minneapolis native, spent his first four seasons in the Phoenix Coyotes organization.&ldquo;I played with Bates Battaglia and Mike Grier and we were matched up against the best players in the world. When we played Finland it was Olli Jokinen and (Saku) Koivu; we played Russia, it was (Alexei) Yashin and (Ilya) Kovalchuk; we played Slovakia, it was (Marian) Gaborik and (Pavol) Demitra.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>In August, Phoenix traded Westrum and defenseman Dustin Wood to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Zbynek Michalek. Westrum&rsquo;s only NHL experience with the Coyotes came in 2003-04, when he scored one goal and two points in 15 games.&ldquo;I was surprised by the trade,&rdquo; said the 1998 seventh-rounder. &ldquo;Me and my wife liked the organization, the people, but at the same time, if you do get traded, getting traded back home is what you&rsquo;d want.&rdquo;The 26-year-old played one pre-season game with the Wild before being assigned to Houston.&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d at least get a chance to prove I can play there,&rdquo; Westrum said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just extra motivation to get back up there.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0030-02

International grinder an AHL sniper

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>The first two months of Jamie Holden&rsquo;s pro career have been a whirlwind. Holden has gone from learning in training camp just how big the jump is from NCAA to the NHL, to making his debut in the ECHL, to emergency duty with the Cleveland Barons just days later &ndash; culminating in American League player-of-the-week honors.Pretty impressive for an undrafted player targeted to play with the ECHL&rsquo;s Fresno Falcons this season.When Dimitri Patzold and Nolan Schaefer were recalled from Cleveland in late October to replace injured Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskalain San Jose, the Barons needed a goalie. Fast.Enter 24-year-old Holden.He lost his debut, but rebounded to post three straight wins, stopping 100 of 105 shots.Holden played four seasons at Quinnipiac in the NCAA before signing with the Sharks.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03597/8654640-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="260" height="261"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL WEST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a big goalie and neither is Nabokov or Toskala,&rdquo; said the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder. &ldquo;A lot of teams look for a big goalie, but San Jose is more about goalies who are athletic and can move. I figured they&rsquo;d give me the most realistic opportunity.&rdquo;SCARY INJURY Rochester captain Chris Taylor thought nothing of the knee-to-thigh hit he received late in the third period of a game against Hamilton. He didn&rsquo;t even need treatment from the trainer afterward.But 12 hours later he was undergoing emergency surgery to relieve a dangerous buildup of pressure in his left thigh, the result of fluid and swelling from the Oct. 29 incident. He&rsquo;s expected to be out until January. The injury, termed compartment syndrome by doctors, required emergency attention because the buildup can shut off blood flow to the muscle and kill it. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful I have a leg,&rdquo; Taylor said. He had two goals and 13 points in eight games.NOTEBOOK Omaha right winger Carsen Germyn&nbsp;led the Knights in scoring with six goals and 10 points through 13 games. The third-year veteran scored just nine goals last season&hellip;Manitoba goalie Wade Flaherty posted back-to-back shutouts &ndash; 4-0 over Cleveland (27 saves) and 2-0 at San Antonio (15 saves)&hellip;Two rookies &ndash; defenseman Andre Benoit, with four goals and 11 points, and left winger Jean-Francois Jacques, with five goals and 10 points &ndash; ranked 1-2 in scoring for Hamilton through 11 games.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04429/8654633-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="1032" height="1560"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Barons&rsquo; Dimitri Patzold was called up by San Jose after posting a .844 save percentage for Cleveland in three starts.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05319/8654626-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="109" height="206"></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/f0030-06254/8654619-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="599" height="293"></div><h3>DENMARK</h3>Member of IIHF since&nbsp;1946&nbsp;Population 5,432,335&nbsp;Registered players 4,255&nbsp;Ice facilities 14&nbsp;Major league (nine teams)&nbsp;2005 champ Herning IK2004-05 top scorers&nbsp;Robert Burakovsky, Aalborg Timo Koskela, Herning Peter Regin, HerningAssociation website <a href="http://www.ishockey.dk">www.ishockey.dk</a>Head office&nbsp;Brondby&nbsp;Official language Danish&nbsp;2005 world ranking No. 14&nbsp;Best world rank No. 10 (1949) &#9632;

f0030-03

Hot Holden reinforces Barons’ net

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div>Lifting the Stanley Cup is the crowning achievement for an NHL player.But the Dayton Bombers learned the silver trophy can have a profound effect &ndash; one that extends well beyond arenas &ndash; during the Cup&rsquo;s visit as part of an NHL-ECHL fundraising tour for hurricane victims.The Bombers and Mike Bolt&nbsp;of the Hockey Hall of Fame transported the Stanley Cup to the Children&rsquo;s Medical Center of Dayton, where 13-year-old bantam hockey player Joe Ross laid partially paralyzed as a result of an injury during a game.A friend of the Ross family contacted the Bombers, and the visit was organized on short notice, about a week after Ross&rsquo;s injury.Ross touched the Cup with his right hand despite experiencing a significant level of paralysis in his arms and legs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07208/8654692-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="238" height="232"><figcaption class="caption-body">NOTEBOOK (CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGE)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;When somebody experiences a spinal cord injury it&rsquo;s so important to keep their spirits up,&rdquo; said Dr. Laurence Kleiner, the center&rsquo;s medical director of neurosurgery. &ldquo;This is a remarkable boost for his morale and there&rsquo;s no question it will help in the recovery process.&rdquo;Bombers goalie Mike Ayers&nbsp;was moved by the experience. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been a part of something this special,&rdquo; Ayers said. &ldquo;Even if we play just a small role in Joe&rsquo;s recovery by lifting his spirits, it&rsquo;s worth it.&rdquo;WORD OF MOUTH The Alaska Aces fined Sullivan Arena public address announcer Bob Lester $2,500, stating Lester made &ldquo;inappropriate remarks&rdquo; during a win over visiting Bakersfield. The Aces directed the money from the fine to Mississippi Sea Wolves staff members affected by Hurricane Katrina.BIG IMPACT New York Rangers prospect Hugh Jessiman had a hat trick in his first game after being demoted from Hartford (AHL) to Charlotte. The 12th overall draft pick in 2003 is a 6-foot-6, 226-pound right winger who left Dartmouth one year early.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07232/8654685-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="172" height="88"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>Fort Wayne Komets goalie Kevin St. Pierre hopes to raise money to fight diabetes after being inspired by a young fan with the disease. St. Pierre is trying to organize a drive where every save he makes will result in fans donating money to help the likes of six-year-old Ethan Shlater, a Komets fan who gets up to four injections a day in his fight against diabetes. &ldquo;Maybe that&rsquo;s why God sent him to me, because he knew I would help,&rdquo; said St. Pierre to the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think kids six and seven years old should have to give themselves shots every day, take their blood pressure and be careful what they eat. It&rsquo;s not fair for an adult and especially not fair for kids.&rdquo; St. Pierre began supporting the battle against diabetes seven years ago in the ECHL.&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08190/8654678-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="153" height="82"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>Before legendary crooner Tony Bennett left for San Francisco &ndash; where he left his heart &ndash; he threw a housewarming party for the expansion Youngstown (Ohio) SteelHounds. Prior to the first game for the SteelHounds at the new 5,700-seat Youngstown Convocation Center, a Bennett concert served as a test run. By most accounts, the concert went off without a hitch, allowing facility employees to get things ready for the SteelHounds. The SteelHounds were appreciative of Bennett, but it was nothing compared to the love shown to them by the city. Youngstown&rsquo;s board of control approved a $2-million no-interest loan to the team for operating expenses &ndash; the first such loan given to a Central League franchise.&ndash; DAVID HENRY<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09163/8654671-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="124" height="96"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>Columbus coach Jerome Bechard wasn&rsquo;t about to commit harakiri when the Cottonmouths went winless in the first month of the Southern Pro League season. He remained upbeat and knows the defending league champions provide an inviting target. &ldquo;Obviously, we strutted around with the (President&rsquo;s) Cup and we got a ring on our finger,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have so many guys back and everyone is going to be pumped up to try to knock us off.&rdquo; With 12 returnees on the roster, Bechard was confident. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy with what I have in my dressing room. It&rsquo;s just a matter of getting these guys on track. We&rsquo;re a talented team, but we&rsquo;re too pretty. We try to make that fancy play instead of keeping it simple.&rdquo; Columbus started the season 0-4-1 with 13 goals scored and 24 against.&ndash; NICK GATES &#9632;

f0030-07

Stanley Cup has power to lift spirits

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02752/8654723-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="257" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body">RYAN SHANNON</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011142/8654730-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="90" height="90"></div>Being a small player is no excuse for small expectations.Cut from his high school varsity team in Darien, Conn., 22-year-old Ryan Shannon of the Portland Pirates has emerged from a four-year career at Boston College as one of the American League&rsquo;s best rookies.Shannon had points in each of Portland&rsquo;s eight games, including seven goals, leading the Pirates to the top of the Atlantic Division. With 12 points and a plus-7 rating, he was the rookie of the month for October.Listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Shannon&rsquo;s size kept him from being drafted, despite an all-star NCAA career in which he scored 150 points in 154 games.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gone through that my whole life,&rdquo; Shannon said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been the smaller guy. Even going through (college), there&rsquo;s always doubts. You just kind of keep a clear head, work your butt off and good things happen. Deep down, I know I can compete at the highest level.&rdquo;Shannon is making others believe, too &ndash; particularly the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. They signed him to a contract last spring and he responded with a goal in four games for their old farm team in Cincinnati.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a big fan of the guy that&rsquo;s short on stature, but big on heart,&rdquo; said Portland&rsquo;s first-year coach Kevin Dineen. &ldquo;Short is a relative term in our game because if there&rsquo;s enough want there, Ryan can be not only an effective player, but a star player at this level.&rdquo;Dineen can relate to Shannon, being an undersized ex-college forward himself who carved out a 19-year NHL career.&ldquo;The guys in the dressing room have been great, giving me advice and being enthusiastic,&rdquo; Shannon said. &#9632;

f0031-02

Big player comes in small package

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div>After starting the season as a first line right winger up in Ottawa, Brandon Bochenskiis back with the Binghamton Senators.With Mike Fisher returning from injury and Martin Havlatfrom suspension, Ottawa demoted Bochenski to Binghamton Oct. 31. He scored one goal in 10 NHL games.&ldquo;The reason is to relieve some pressure from Brandon,&rdquo; said GM John Muckler. &ldquo;We felt he should be assigned to a lower level and get his confidence back and put himself in position to be successful.&rdquo;Bochenski benefited from Jason Spezza&rsquo;s presence in Binghamton during the NHL lockout, leading rookies with 70 points.He earned his way onto Ottawa&rsquo;s roster by scoring six goals in seven pre-season games, but was unable to carry that success into the season. The 2001 seventh-rounder had five points and was plus-4 when he was demoted.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03563/8654782-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="261" height="261"><figcaption class="caption-body">AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</figcaption></div>&ldquo;He knows what he has to do now to play in the National Hockey League,&rdquo; Muckler said.In his first three games with Binghamton, Bochenski had two goals and three points.STREAK ENDS Binghamton got two goals from Jeff Heerema to beat Lowell 3-2, becoming the last American League team to earn a victory. The Senators opened the season with six straight losses before the Oct. 30 win. Binghamton has won division titles in two of its first three seasons.The contest marked a successful return for ex-Lock Monster Heerema. He is Lowell&rsquo;s third all-time leading scorer with 102 points in 112 games.AWARD TIME Wilkes-Barre&rsquo;s Marc-Andre Fleury was goalie of the month for October, posting a 6-0-0 record, 1.17 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.He opened the season with back-toback 26-save efforts before a call-up to Pittsburgh in early October. Fleury returned to Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 17.NOTEBOOK Wilkes-Barre started the season with eight straight wins, three shy of the record set by Rochester in 1984-85&hellip;Jeff&nbsp;Tambellini, a first round pick (27th overall) of Los Angeles in 2003, had a goal and two assists &ndash; and the only shootout goal &ndash; as Manchester beat Hartford 4-3 Oct. 30&hellip;Al Montoya made a franchise-record 51 saves in the Wolf Pack&rsquo;s 3-2 win over Bridgeport Oct. 29&hellip;Phantoms&rsquo; left winger Ben Eager served a four-game suspension for an elbow to the head of Portland&rsquo;s Ladislav Smid.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04429/8654775-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="1033" height="1559"><figcaption class="caption-body">After a demotion from Ottawa, Binghamton&rsquo;s Brandon Bochenski is leading the offense alongside Steve Martins.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05337/8654768-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="110" height="206"></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/f0031-06276/8654761-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="597" height="294"></div><h3>ESTONIA</h3>Member of IIHF since&nbsp;1992&nbsp;Population 1,332,893&nbsp;Registered players 1,854&nbsp;Ice facilities 8&nbsp;Major league (five teams)&nbsp;2005 champ HK Stars Tallinn2004-05 top scorers&nbsp;Kaupo Kaljuste, Panter Tallinn Dmitri Raskidajev, Tartu Sergei Tulzakov, NarvaAssociation email <a href="mailto:ejhl@sport.ee">ejhl@sport.ee</a>Head office&nbsp;Tallinn&nbsp;Official language Estonian&nbsp;2005 world ranking No. 24&nbsp;Best world rank No. 19 (1998) &#9632;

f0031-03

Bochenski looking for confidence

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02807/8654876-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="299" height="303"><figcaption class="caption-body">QUEBEC LEAGUE</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011217/8654883-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="213" height="115"></div><h2>New Cats coach stresses hard work</h2>BY NEIL HODGENew Shawinigan Cataractes coach Eric Veilleuxhas been influenced by Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley.&ldquo;We spent nine years in a row together,&rdquo; Veilleux said. &ldquo;He coached me for two years in Hawkesbury (Jr. A), two years in Laval (Quebec League), three years in Cornwall (American League) and two years in Hershey (AHL). He&rsquo;s my mentor.&rdquo;Shawinigan fired Denis Francoeur&nbsp;Oct. 30 after a 8-9-0-1 start. He was a fixture for 10 seasons with the Cataractes, a record tenure for a coach with the same team in the QMJHL.Francoeur had a 360-241-55 record in the regular season, but his teams lacked playoff success &ndash; five series wins in nine seasons. His 360 wins with the same team is a QMJHL record.Veilleux played eight seasons in the AHL and retired after 2000-01 with Lowell. He coached Jr. A in Hawkesbury, Ont., for four seasons and lost in the semifinal at the Canadian championship last season.As a player, Veilleux won a QMJHL championship with Laval and an AHL title with Hershey.&ldquo;Hard work was the main reason why those teams won and hard work is my motto as a coach,&rdquo; Veilleux said.SURPRISE The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies never imagined being among the league elite at 15-5-1-1 in early November.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re really a team in transition,&rdquo; said coach-GM Andre Tourigny. &ldquo;We have a lot of young guys and a lot of them have key roles on the power play and penalty kill.&ldquo;I was hoping to have maybe a .500 season. To make the playoffs was our objective when the season began and nothing has changed. We&rsquo;re not thinking about winning the championship, but every player here thinks we can win the next game.&rdquo;PRODUCTIVE PUPS The expansion Saint John Sea Dogs had three players in the top six of the rookie scoring race in early November &ndash; forwards Ryan Sparling, Martin Bartos and Felix Schutz.&ldquo;You look at our scoring leaders and they&rsquo;re our kids,&rdquo; said GM Bob LeBlanc, whose team was 7-10-0-2 in early November. &ldquo;Our kids are definitely participating in the success we&rsquo;re having. We&rsquo;re not just relying on our five 20-year-olds.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03586/8654869-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="307" height="772"></div><h2>Wolski battle-ready after stint in NHL</h2>BY JIM CRESSMANLeft winger Wojtek Wolski is the shot in the arm the Brampton Battalion need.The talented forward was returned to his Ontario League team after playing nine NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche. The 19-year-old had two goals and six points, but was a minus-5, worst among Avs forwards.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04422/8654862-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="299" height="238"><figcaption class="caption-body">ONTARIO LEAGUE</figcaption></div>One more NHL game would have activated his rookie contract, which pays $984,200 per season. The Battalion had 55 goals in 17 games, a 3.2 goals per-game average that was fifth-lowest in the OHL. The hope is Wolski, with 83 goals in three OHL seasons, will light the fire. He had three goals and nine points in his first six games back.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s certainly a dimension we were lacking,&rdquo; said coach-GM Stan Butler. &ldquo;Colorado sent him back to get as much ice as possible. They told me there was no doubt he could play special teams at that level, but they want to see improvement 5-on-5.&rdquo;HOPPING MAD London GM Mark Hunter has rejected a CBC Radio allegation that his team neglected schooling last year and he&rsquo;s considering legal action.A documentary on The Inside Track discussed the OHL&rsquo;s education policy relating to the Knights&rsquo; 2004-05 season, in which they dominated the OHL and rolled to the Memorial Cup championship. The program quoted former Knight Corey Perry, now with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, saying as many as 14 players weren&rsquo;t in school.The program also quoted a source close to the team that &ldquo;chronic absenteeism&rdquo; was rampant and a leaked school document said there were absences in one semester of 25, 30 and 37 days.&ldquo;They&rsquo;d better be ready to show me the documents because it&rsquo;s not true,&rdquo; said Hunter, adding that with an older team, many already had graduated.OHL policy says players should attend some form of school and attendance reports are sent to the league and teams.FINDS HOME Center Steve Downie&nbsp;was dealt to Peterborough six weeks after walking out on Windsor. The Spitfires got defenseman Peter Aston and three draft picks. Downie, a first round pick of Philadelphia, left the Spitfires when suspended five games by the team and ordered to take anger management counselling for two fights with rookie Akim Aliu in practice.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05326/8654855-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="308" height="772"></div><h2>Thunderbirds coach back in the USA</h2>BY ROB VANSTONESeattleThunderbirds coach Rob Sumner is back behind the bench after some unwanted time off.Sumner was away from the team for 39 days awaiting a work visa to be approved by the U.S. government. He was left with no choice but to watch Seattle&rsquo;s games on the Western League&rsquo;s website, using the Internet telecasts introduced by the league this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06274/8654848-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="299" height="292"><figcaption class="caption-body">WESTERN LEAGUE</figcaption></div>Sumner missed eight U.S.-based games, in which the team went 3-3-1-1. Assistant coach Blake Knox and GM Russ Farwell split interim coaching duties. Sumner moved back and forth from his parents&rsquo; home in Langley, B.C., or his in-laws in North Vancouver during the hiatus.&ldquo;I would talk to Russ between periods and I would talk to Russ and Blake during the day,&rdquo; Sumner said, &ldquo;but coaching from a distance, there&rsquo;s not much you can do. I left it for those guys and they did a good job.&rdquo;Sumner said the same one-year work visa was approved by the U.S. immigration department in previous years, but a snag arose this time.&ldquo;They denied it initially and once it&rsquo;s denied you have to re-apply and then it&rsquo;s a process that takes a lot of time,&rdquo; he said.Eventually it got to the right desk.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big, big process. I&rsquo;m glad it finally got sorted out.&rdquo;MISFORTUNE .500 The Lethbridge Hurricanes fired coach Lindsay Hofford and GM Darren Stocker after a 7-7-0-2 start.Team president Brian McNaughton cited a desire to move in a &ldquo;new direction.&rdquo; The Hurricanes won two of their last three games with Hofford behind the bench.Hofford had been the Hurricanes coach since Jan. 14, 2004. Stocker was named GM when Bryan Maxwellwas fired in 2003-04. Stocker&rsquo;s hockey-operations responsibilities were assumed on an interim basis by assistant GM Brad McEwen. Luc Theoret, Hofford&rsquo;s assistant, was named interim coach.SILVER CLIPS Everett Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine has a different look. Constantine honored a promise to shave his head if Everett won five consecutive games. The streak was completed with a 2-1 victory at Red Deer Nov. 4.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07227/8654841-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="308" height="771"></div><h2>NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08196/8654834-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="156" height="119"></div>No team has dominated the NAHL like the Texas Tornado, the Dallas-based junior franchise. Founded in 1999, the team has yet to record a season with fewer than 40 wins and has won two straight national Jr. A championships.For all of its players that have come and gone, such as 2005 NCAA all-America goalie David McKee of Cornell and Toronto Maple Leafs farmhand defenseman Andy Wozniewski, the glue to it all has been coach-GM Tony Curtale, a one-time minor league defenseman.&ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t recruit in the true sense,&rdquo; Curtale said. &ldquo;All we&rsquo;ve tried to do is bring in players who want to work hard, improve and move onto the next level.&rdquo;Texas plays in a new building: the 3,700-seat Dr. Pepper StarCenter. The club is co-owned by Stars center Mike Modano.This season, Texas got off to another fine start (11-4-1) and is sporting another crew of talented prospects, including 1987-born defenseman Lyon Messier, the son of recently retired Mark Messier.&ndash; PAUL SHAHEEN<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-10134/8654827-1-eng-US/f0032-102.jpg" title="f0032-10" width="285" height="198"></div><h3>SPOTLIGHT TEAM</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-09163/8654820-1-eng-US/f0032-092.jpg" title="f0032-09" width="158" height="121"></div><h2>SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS</h2>Arena KeyArena Capacity 6,324GM Russ Farwell Coach Rob Sumner29th SEASON IN WHL NHL DRAFT PICKS 90; ranks 15th of 58 CHL teams. Latest: Scott Jackson, 37th, StL, &rsquo;05 Chris Durand, 52nd, Col, &rsquo;05 B. Stamler, 214th, Det, &rsquo;05<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-11113/8654813-1-eng-US/f0032-112.jpg" title="f0032-11" width="1031" height="285"></div> &#9632;

f0032-02

MAJOR JUNIOR REPORT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02740/8654949-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="299" height="241"><figcaption class="caption-body">CENTRAL COLLEGIATE</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011098/8654956-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="94" height="93"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>Fighting Irish flushing out their demons</h2>BY PHILIP COLVINWith his team on the verge of going into the dumper after three straight losses, Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson sent his troops a literal message.When Jackson took over at Notre Dame this year, he had the team&rsquo;s returning players write down the things they hated about last season on an index card and then burned them in a wastebasket at center ice to symbolize it was time to move on.But after the Fighting Irish began the season with three losses, Jackson believed his players still hadn&rsquo;t put last year&rsquo;s 5-27-6 record &ndash; and the season-ending 19-game winless skid &ndash; behind them.So, between periods of a game against Princeton Oct. 29, Jackson took the jar that contained the ashes of the index cards and flushed it down a dressing room toilet. That night Notre Dame broke its 22-game winless streak with a 2-0 win over the Tigers.&ldquo;That got rid of last year and we&rsquo;re looking forward to better things,&rdquo; said Notre Dame senior left winger Mike Walsh, a 2002 New York Rangers draft pick (143rd overall).NHL PROSPECT WATCH Michigan State&rsquo;s Corey Potter plays a lot and scores very little.The senior defenseman logs more than 25 minutes a game, clears the crease and rarely ventures deep into the offensive zone.He&rsquo;s agile enough to stay with quicker forwards and is a good passer out of the zone, but he hadn&rsquo;t scored since his freshman year.A 2003 fourth round pick of the Rangers (122nd overall), Potter broke his 78-game scoreless streak when he netted his first goal since Feb. 21, 2003, in a 5-4 overtime win against Northern Michigan Nov. 4.NOTEBOOK Playing 5-on-5, Michigan hasn&rsquo;t had done to brag about. But on the power play, it&rsquo;s a different story. The Wolverines, who led the nation with 24 power play goals and a 33 per-cent success rate in nine games, won seven contests and scored a power play goal in every game. Junior T.J. Hensick, freshmanAndrew Cogliano and sophomores Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter are the go-to forwards.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03579/8654942-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="520" height="333"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS</figcaption></div>Top PlayerBryan LergEast Lansing, Mich.Arena Munn Ice (6,470)Coach Rick Comley, 4th yr.NCAA Titles Two2005-06 roster breakdownU.S.-born 24 (13 Mich, 3 Minn.)Cdn.-born 5 (3 Ont., 1 Nfld.)Latest NHL draft picksA.J. Thelen, 12th, Min, &rsquo;04David Booth, 53rd, Fla, &rsquo;04Corey Potter, 122nd, NYR, &rsquo;03<h2>Schmidt likes outlook, system of new coach</h2>BY LARRY MAHONEYWins have been hard to come by for Merrimack, but resilient senior defenseman Bryan Schmidt hasn&rsquo;t allowed the disappointment to impair his outstanding career.In fact, Schmidt was a second-team All-Hockey East selection a year ago when the Warriors finished 8-26-2 overall and 1-22-1 in Hockey East.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04458/8654935-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="299" height="255"><figcaption class="caption-body">HOCKEY EAST</figcaption></div>His 13 goals tied for the national lead among defensemen and he also chipped in 18 assists in 36 games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d give up the points for more wins,&rdquo; said the undrafted 6-foot-2, 230-pounder. &ldquo;To win only one game in Hockey East was tough, especially when you&rsquo;re playing a game you love. But I just took it day by day and kept going. I was surprised by how well I did.&rdquo;The Warriors have a new coach in Mark Dennehy and a new system. Schmidt, a second-year captain, is excited about the direction. &ldquo;Things are looking up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The team is coming together real well. We&rsquo;re playing harder. Coach Dennehy is positive and has brought us a lot of energy and knowledge of the game. Once we get a handle on the new system, I think we&rsquo;re going to surprise a lot of people.&rdquo;Schmidt had four points in eight games and the Warriors were 3-5-0 overall.NHL PROSPECT WATCH Boston University senior left winger John Laliberte, a 2002 fourth round draft pick of Vancouver (114th overall), has evolved into a consistent point-producer for the Terriers with 34 points in 44 games covering last season and early this season.&ldquo;He has played pretty well for us, but he hasn&rsquo;t dominated down low like he did most of last year,&rdquo; said coach Jack Parker, who expects Laliberte to become more of a force as the season progresses.NOTEBOOK Northeastern left winger Ryan Ginand&rsquo;s second period hat trick in a span of 7:44 &ndash; during a 6-4 loss to New Hampshire Nov. 4 &ndash; was the first hat trick by a rookie in a league game since 2000&hellip;Boston University coach Jack Parker claimed his 300th Hockey East win in a 4-2 triumph over Vermont Nov. 4.<h2>Sniper Weller rediscovering magic touch</h2>BY TOM BOGGIEAfter a couple waves of his magic wand, Clarkson sophomore left winger ShawnWeller is no longer the invisible man.Drafted in the third round by Ottawa (77th overall) in 2004, Weller came to Clarkson with high expectations. He scored two goals in his first game, but then it was all downhill.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05380/8654928-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="299" height="243"><figcaption class="caption-body">EASTERN COLLEGE</figcaption></div>Weller didn&rsquo;t score in the next 29 games and ended his rookie 2004-05 season with just 14 points.&ldquo;Certainly he was frustrated, but the thing we stressed and pushed was for him to find other ways to contribute,&rdquo; said coach George Roll. &ldquo;He still had a physical presence and continued to play hard.&rdquo;This season, Weller is back to doing what he does best &ndash; scoring goals. Through eight games, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder had a teamhigh six goals. The magic touch is obvious &ndash; the Golden Knights were 4-0-0 in games in which Weller scored; 1-2-1 when he didn&rsquo;t.&ldquo;The biggest thing is Shawn never stopped working hard and that&rsquo;s what Ottawa loves about him,&rdquo; Roll said.NHL PROSPECT WATCH It didn&rsquo;t take long for Yale freshman defenseman Brennan Turner to mark his territory.When a handful of skirmishes broke out at the end of a Yale-Cornell game, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Turner &ndash; a 2005 fifth round pick (134th overall) of Chicago &ndash; squared off with 6-foot-5 Cornell sophomore Sasha Pokulok (the 14th overall pick in 2005 by Washington). The bout resulted in Turner receiving a game misconduct in his collegiate debut.Yale coach Tim Taylor&nbsp;was prophetic in describing Turner. &ldquo;He is a bone-crushing checker who will add an immediate physical presence.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Cornell coach Mike Schafer drew a one-game suspension after a Cornell-Michigan State game. While the Spartans stayed on the ice to celebrate their 4-3 win, several objects were thrown from the stands. Schafer went on the ice to calm the situation and grabbed Michigan State defenseman Corey Potter&rsquo;s jersey to guide him off the ice.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07292/8654921-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="520" height="336"><figcaption class="caption-body">CORNELL BIG RED</figcaption></div>Top PlayerMatt MoulsonIthaca, N.Y.Arena Lynah Rink (3,836)Coach Mike Schafer, 11th yr.NCAA Titles Two2005-06 roster breakdownU.S.-born 6 (2 N.Y., 1 Texas)Cdn.-born 19 (6 Ont., 4 B.C.)Latest NHL draft picksSasha Pokulok, 14th, Wsh, &rsquo;05Jon Gleed, 212th, Mtl, &rsquo;04Mitch Carefoot, 237th, Atl, &rsquo;04<h2>Instant replay makes its mark in draft WCHA</h2>BY ANDY BAGGOTSix NHL first round picks made freshmen debuts with Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams this season, but it was another coming-out party that garnered more initial attention.All 10 schools began using instant replay Oct. 28, three weeks later than scheduled due to shipping problems, according to WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod. The NCAA gave McLeod its blessing on the conference-wide system after instant replay was used on a trial basis at Colorado College and Denver last season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06332/8654914-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="299" height="213"><figcaption class="caption-body">WESTERN COLLEGIATE</figcaption></div>Overhead cameras and replay equipment were installed at league rinks by XOS Technologies, Inc., of Sanford, Fla., at a cost of $20,000 per site.A replay is used only at the discretion of the referee, who has access to a TV monitor at ice level. A replay operator, employed by the WCHA, will show the play in question as directed by the referee. The referee makes the decision with no input from the operator.In the first weekend of use, WCHA referees asked for six replays, but no on-ice calls were overturned.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very happy with how things went for the first weekend,&rdquo; McLeod said.NHL PROSPECT WATCH North Dakota has three freshmen who were 2005 NHL firstrounders: center T.J. Oshie (24th overall, St. Louis), defensemen Brian Lee (ninth, Ottawa) and Joe Finley (27th, Washington).They drew rave reviews when the Fighting Sioux opened 5-1-1, but then came a three-game losing streak.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve gone from, &lsquo;Did you think they would make the step this quickly?&rsquo; to now, &lsquo;Are we going to hang ourselves?&rsquo; &rdquo; said North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol after his team lost two games to Wisconsin.Oshie led the team with three goals and nine points in 10 games, while Lee had six points.NOTEBOOK The WCHA Final Four will continue to be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., through 2011, according to a contract extension worked out between the league and the facility. &#9632;

f0033-02

U.S. COLLEGE REPORT

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011235/8655001-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011153/8654994-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="6274" height="3051"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011002/8654987-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="3090" height="3042"><figcaption class="caption-body">RED STREAK Montreal is off to a scorching start thanks to a balanced offensive attack.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0034-01

2005-06 NHL STATISTICS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011087/8655032-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0038-01

SCOREBOARD

Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNov. 5 Trevor Gillies, LW, recalled from Portland (AHL). Nov. 8 Zenon Konopka, C, Trevor Gillies, LW, sent to Portland. Injuries Todd Fedoruk, LW, back, day-to-day. Sergei Fedorov, C, groin, day-to-day. Sandis Ozolinsh, D, rib, mid-Nov. Atlanta Thrashers&nbsp;Nov. 7 Scott Barney, C, sent to Chicago (AHL). Nov. 9 Adam Berkhoel, G, recalled from Chicago. Injuries Patrik Stefan, C, oblique, day-to-day. Kari Lehtonen, G, groin, late Nov. Steve Shields, G, knee, late Nov. J-P Vigier, RW, foot, late Nov.Boston BruinsNov. 5 Jay Leach, D, recalled from Providence (AHL). Nov. 6 Acquired 2006 fifth-round pick from Chicago for Andy Hilbert, C, J. Leach, D, Jordan Sigalet, G, Eric Nickulas, C, to Providence. Nov. 7 J. Leach, D, E. Nickulas, C, recalled from Providence. Nov. 9 E. Nickulas, C, to Providence. Injuries Brad Isbister, C, groin, day-to-day. Brian Leetch, D, knee, early Dec. Ian Moran, D, knee, indefinite. Jiri Slegr, D, back, day-to-day. Pat Leahy, RW, finger, indefinite.Buffalo SabresNov. 3 Jason Pominville, RW, Derek Roy, C, recalled from Rochester (AHL). Nov. 5 Jason Pominville, RW, sent to Rochester, Jeff Jillson, D, recalled from Rochester. Nov. 6 J. Jillson, D, sent to Rochester. Nov. 9 J. Jillson, D, recalled from Rochester. Injuries Toni Lydman, D, groin, day-to-day. Ryan Miller, G, thumb, late Dec. Jay McKee, D, foot, day-to-day.Calgary FlamesNov. 3 Adam Pardy, D, sent to Omaha (AHL). Injuries Chris Simon, LW, torso, mid-Nov. Matthew Lombardi, C, ankle, early Dec. Bryan Marchment, D, ribs, mid-Nov. Carolina Hurricanes&nbsp;No transactions. Injuries Glen Wesley, D, groin, day-to-day. Andrew Hutchinson, D, hip, dayto-day.Chicago BlackhawksNov. 3 Martin St-Pierre, C, signed contract. Nov. 6 Acquired Andy Hilbert, C, from Boston for fifth-round draft pick in 2006. Nov. 7 Martin St-Pierre, C, sent to Norkfolk (AHL). Nov. 8 Mark Cullen, C, recalled from Norfolk. Nov. 9 Andy Hilbert, C, sent to Norfolk. Injuries Tuomo Ruutu, RW, back, indefinite. Eric Daze, RW, back, indefinite. Colorado Avalanche Nov. 3 Paul Healey, LW, to Lowell (AHL). Nov. 8 P. Healey, LW, recalled from Lowell. Injuries none.Columbus Blue JacketsNov. 6 Steven Goertzen, RW, sent to Syracuse (AHL). Nov. 8 S. Goertzen, RW, recalled from Syracuse. Injuries Rick Nash, LW, knee, mid-Dec. Gilbert Brule, C, sternum, late Nov. Rostislav Klesla, D, hand, late Dec.Dallas StarsNov. 4 Mathias Tjarnqvist, LW, recalled from Iowa (AHL). Nov. 6 Acquired Nathan Perrott, RW, from Toronto for sixth-round draft pick in 2006. Nov. 8 Junior Lessard, RW, Janos Vas, LW, sent to Iowa. Injuries none.Detroit Red WingsNov. 4 Jimmy Howard, G, sent to Grand Rapids (AHL). Nov. 5 J. Howard, G, recalled from Grand Rapids. Nov. 8 Brett Lebda, D, recalled from Grand Rapids, J. Howard, G, sent to Grand Rapids. Injuries Niklas Kronwall, D, ACL, late Feb. Jason Woolley, D, groin, mid-Nov.Edmonton OilersNov. 4 Danny Syvret, D, Dan Smith, D, recalled from Hamilton (AHL). Nov. 6 Ty Conklin, G, recalled from Hamilton. Injuries Marc-Andre Bergeron, D, finger, indefinite. Cory Cross, D, MCL, indefinite. Marty Reasoner, C, hand, day-to-day. Mike Peca, C, concussion, day-today. Igor Ulanov, D, toe, mid-Nov. Florida Panthers&nbsp;Nov. 8 Gregory Campbell, RW, recalled from Rochester (AHL). Injuries Chris Gratton, C, hip, day-to-day. Nathan Horton, RW, knee, indefinite. Joe Nieuwendyk, C, back, mid-Nov. Rostislav Olesz, LW, knee, late Nov.Los Angeles KingsNov. 3 Jeff Giuliano, C, recalled from Manchester (AHL). Nov. 8 Ken Belanger, LW, sent to Manchester. Injuries Luc Robitaille, LW, ankle, late Nov. Mike Weaver, D, foot, day-to-day. Valeri Bure, RW, back, indefinite. Minnesota Wild Injuries Marc Chouinard, C, shoulder, late Nov. Andrei Zyuzin, D, knee, day-to-day. Todd White, C, groin, late Nov.Montreal CanadiensNov. 9 Yann Danis, G, sent to Hamilton (AHL). Raitis Ivanans, RW, waived. Injuries Jan Bulis, LW, shoulder, indefinite. Radek Bonk, C, groin, mid-Nov. Cristobal Huet, G, knee, day-to-day. Nashville Predators Nov. 7 Jerred Smithson, C, recalled from Milwaukee (AHL). Injuries Steve Sullivan, LW, groin, day-to-day. Adam Hall, RW, ankle, dayto-day. Scott Walker, RW, hernia, indefinite. Scott Nichol, C, foot, day-to-day.New Jersey DevilsNov. 3 Pascal Rheaume, C, sent to Albany (AHL), Tuomas Pihlman, LW, recalled from Albany. Nov. 5 Cam Janssen, RW, recalled from Albany, T. Pihlman, LW, sent to Albany. Injuries Martin Brodeur, G, knee, day-to-day.New York IslandersNov. 8 Justin Mapletoft, C, signed with Sodertalje (Swe.). Injuries Petteri Nokelainen, C, knee, mid-Nov. New York Rangers&nbsp;No transactions. Injuries Martin Rucinsky, LW, knee, late Nov. Ottawa Senators No transactions or injuries.Philadelphia FlyersInjuries Keith Primeau, C, concussion, indefinite. Eric Desjardins, D, concussion, indefinite. Turner Stevenson, RW, hip, mid-Dec. Sami Kapanen, RW, shoulder, late Nov. Phoenix Coyotes Nov. 4 Steve Gainey, LW, signed one-year contract. Nov. 5 Yanick Lehoux, C, claimed off waivers from Los Angeles. Injuries Brian Boucher, G, groin and knee, mid-Nov. Denis Gauthier, D, finger, mid-Nov. Petr Nedved, C, shoulder, mid-Nov. Tyson Nash, LW, hip, mid-Nov.Pittsburgh PenguinsInjuries John LeClair, LW, face, indefinite. Shane Endicott, C, ankle, mid-Nov. Dick Tarnstrom, D, MCL, early Dec. Andre Roy, RW, orbital, late Nov. St. Louis Blues Nov. 3 Eric Boguniecki, RW, sent to Peoria (AHL). Nov. 8 Peter Sejna, LW, sent to Peoria, Dennis Wideman, D, recalled from Peoria. Nov. 9 E. Boguniecki, RW, recalled from Peoria. Injuries Keith Tkachuk, LW, ribcage, late Nov. Christian Backman, D, shoulder, mid-Nov.San Jose Sharks Nov. 4 Steve Bernier, RW, recalled from Cleveland (AHL). Nov. 5 Dimitri Patzold, G, sent to Cleveland. Injuries Scott Thornton, LW, groin, mid-Nov. Scott Parker, RW, concussion, indefinite.Tampa Bay LightningNov. 9 Brian Eklund, G, Nick Tarnasky, C, sent to Springfield (AHL). Gerald Coleman, G, recalled from Springfield. Injuries Sean Burke, G, groin, indefinite.Toronto Maple Leafs&nbsp;Nov. 6 Acquired sixth-round draft pick in 2006 from Dallas for Nathan Perrott, RW. Nov. 8 Carlo Colaiacovo, D, recalled from Toronto Marlies (AHL). Nov. 9 Carlo Colaiacovo, D, sent to Toronto Marlies. Injuries Aki Berg, D, knee, indefinite. Marius Czerkawski, RW, shoulder, day-to-day.Vancouver CanucksNov. 3 Rob McVicar, G, Josh Green, LW, sent to Manitoba (AHL). Nov. 4 R. McVicar, G, J. Green, LW, recalled from Manitoba. Nov. 6 R. McVicar, G, J. Green, LW, sent to Manitoba. Nov. 7 R. McVicar, G, recalled from Manitoba. Nov. 8 R. McVicar, G, sent to Manitoba. Injuries Tyler Bouck, LW, groin, indefinite. Matt Cooke, LW, jaw, indefinite.Washington Capitals&nbsp;Nov. 3 Tomas Fleischmann, LW, Nolan Yonkman, D, recalled from Hershey (AHL). Nov. 4 Jakub Klepis, C, recalled from Hershey. Nov. 8 Petr Sykora, RW, sent to Pardubice (Cze.). Injuries Danius Zubrus, C, groin, day to-day. Nolan Yonkman, D, hip, day-to-day. Jeff Friesen, LW, groin, day-to-day. Stephen Peat, RW, hand, day-to-day. Ivan Majesky, D, knee, day-to-day. &#9632;

Transactions for Nov. 3-9

<div class="byline">BY STEVE NOBLE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02654/8655094-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KEN LEVINE/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011013/8655101-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="92" height="103"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Sometimes people do remember who finished second.It was the end of the 1990-91 season and rookie Boston center Ken Hodge Jr. had scored 30 goals and 59 points in 70 games to challenge Chicago goalie Ed Belfour for the Calder Trophy. Ultimately, Hodge had to settle for runner-up and a berth on the allrookie team. Not bad, but for the son of a star, making a name for yourself can sometimes be the hardest thing to do.His father, Ken Hodge Sr., led the Bruins in the early 1970s with Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. It was natural for the son to follow in his father&rsquo;s footsteps. &ldquo;I always wanted to play hockey,&rdquo; Hodge Jr. said. &ldquo;A lot of kids don&rsquo;t get to live their dreams, so I feel fortunate.&rdquo;The dream became more realistic at university. Hodge lit up the NCAA while at Boston College, with 60 goals and 154 points in 99 games. Success in the NHL took longer.&ldquo;I signed in 1987 with Minnesota when Herb Brooks went in to coach, thinking that might be an opportunity,&rdquo; Hodge said. &ldquo;But things didn&rsquo;t work out. They fired Herb the following year and brought in Pierre Page.&rdquo;Page traded Hodge to Boston in the summer of 1990 for a draft pick that turned out to be Jere Lehtninen.&ldquo;It was frustrating,&rdquo; said Hodge of his time in Minnesota. &ldquo;I was down with Kalamazoo and I was leading the team in scoring; the second season I was the second-leading scorer and I saw a bunch of guys getting called up around me.&rdquo;A strong Bruins squad seemed an unlikely fit; they had made it to the Stanley Cup final the year before. But Boston coach Mike Milbury gave Hodge a chance.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03506/8655087-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="540" height="817"></div>&ldquo;It was an unbelievable experience,&rdquo; Hodge said. &ldquo;One I&rsquo;ll never ever forget. I could have played for free that year.&rdquo;Hodge describes his first game as the most memorable. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think my feet touched the ground. To this day I can&rsquo;t remember that first shift; I don&rsquo;t remember anything about it.&ldquo;Usually when you get called up you don&rsquo;t get to play with top guys. I walked in the first day and saw myself with Bob Carpenter and (recently inducted Hall of Famer) Cam Neely&hellip;I was like, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve got to be kidding me!&rsquo; &rdquo;After his 30-goal rookie campaign, Hodge was hobbled by a knee injury and played only 42 games the next season, netting six goals. He was traded to Tampa Bay, where he collected two goals and nine points in 25 games in 1992-93 before being sent to the minors. Hodge Jr. doesn&rsquo;t feel he got the ice time he needed to develop, and after stints in the International and American Leagues, he headed to Europe. His final season was with the Cardiff (Wales) Devils in 1997-98. &#9632;

f0039-02

Son of a gun

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02430/8655146-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="331" height="554"><figcaption class="caption-body">Alan AdamsGuest Columnist</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01706/8655153-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="110" height="109"></div>Just as rust never sleeps, dust never settles on Cam Neely&rsquo;s bones.Over a 13-year career that ultimately saw him become a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Neely played a fast-paced game. He was the type of player who could beat you as easily with a goal as he could with his fists. There were other power forwards before him, but Neely was the player who defined the term.Neely had never visited hockey&rsquo;s shrine until the Hall of Fame weekend and he made it a memorable occasion. There was so much to do and so many friends to see the kid who grew up in Western Canada and rose to fame in Beantown hardly had time to stop and take in all the Hall has to offer.Before he took his place among the honored members, Neely strolled around the Hall, looking at exhibits and studying the pictures of guys on his new team &ndash; Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Serge Savard, just to mention a few. It left him wanting more.&ldquo;I grew up in Saskatchewan and British Columbia and didn&rsquo;t get here very much,&rdquo; said Neely, overwhelmed by the latest chapter in his life. &ldquo;I am definitely making a point of it to bring my family back here. It is unbelievable. To see the old jerseys and sticks and the history this great game has, I&rsquo;m looking forward to taking a walk around here with them.&rdquo;</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Playing against Neely was no walk in the park. He could score, hit and fight, sometimes all in the same period. The more intense the battle, the better Neely played.As far as Neely he is concerned, the Hall broke with tradition in inviting him to join.&ldquo;It is great to be recognized for the way I played the game,&rdquo; said Neely, who finished with 395 goals, 694 points and 1,241 penalty minutes in 726 games. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not strictly about goals and assists and for me I think it meant as much to get a big hit as it was a big goal. I knew the impact it had on my team and the other team. To be recognized for that is something that is special.&rdquo;There is no doubt Neely&rsquo;s opponents knew when he was on the ice.&ldquo;I could feel there was a little more room, the way I played, if I got a couple of big hits early,&rdquo; Neely said. &ldquo;I could feel I had more space, maybe in the front of the net. I tried to make sure I did get the opportunity to get a big hit early.&rdquo;He admits his temper sometimes got the better of him.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to lose the fight. I always felt if I could get the first shot in, it makes for a better result. I have always had this temper and when I lose it, I lose it. That is from an early age and my brother can attest to it.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04260/8655139-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="580" height="524"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03324/8655132-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="2344" height="1975"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>After playing his first three seasons in Vancouver, Neely discovered after his trade to the Bruins that his game was perfectly tailored for the Boston Garden, which had a smaller ice surface and tighter corners than other NHL arenas of its era. &ldquo;The building was great for me,&rdquo; he said.And so were the fans. Neely&rsquo;s bruising style was appreciated by the Bruin faithful.&ldquo;Blue-collar city, blue-collar fans,&rdquo; Neely said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re great sports fans. They understand the game. They know if you&rsquo;re working hard or not. The way I played, they loved a solid bodycheck as much as a pretty goal. I just had that great connection right from the early going.&rdquo;Two days before his induction ceremony, Neely beamed with pride as he walked out onto the ice at Toronto&rsquo;s Air Canada Centre to drop the puck in the Hall of Fame Game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Maple Leafs.And on the big night itself, when his Hall of Fame ring was too small to navigate over the knuckle on his ring finger, he cracked a joke as he slipped the ring on his right baby finger.The temper that used to strike fear in his opponents was nowhere to be found.Later, he gave a passionate and poised acceptance speech at the official induction.As he took questions from the media, Neely was kidded about his minor role in the movie Dumb and Dumber. One writer reminded him about Claude Lemieux&rsquo;s review of Neely: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember which one he was, Dumb or Dumber.&rdquo;If this would have been a game, there is no doubt Neely would have taken justice into his own hands. He did not suffer fools easily.But this was Hall of Fame weekend, after all, and nothing was going to spoil it.&ldquo;I am not pounding on doors looking for work,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There are enough unemployed actors without work.&rdquo;Neely hasn&rsquo;t slowed one iota since retiring from the NHL. He keeps a Hall of Fame pace through his charity work &ndash; the Cam Neely Foundation has raised more than $11 million for cancer research &ndash; plus speaking engagements and serving as a Bruins ambassador.<h2>CAM NEELY</h2>BORN June 6, 1965, Comox, B.C.AGE 40<h3>CREDENTIALS</h3>Second-team all-star four times; 50 goals in 44 games in 1993-94 was third-fastest in NHL history; ranks 12th in goals-per-game (.544).<h3>QUOTABLE</h3>&ldquo;My teammates and I all knew the name on the front meant a lot more than the name on the back.&rdquo;&ndash; Neely, thanking his teammates<h3>CURRENT OCCUPATION</h3>Runs the Cam Neely Foundation &#9632;

f0040-02

True grit welcome

Valeri Kharlamov may have died more than two decades ago, but his memory lives on.Kharlamov was one of the greatest players in the history of hockey in the Soviet Union. An eight-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, he was killed along with his wife in a 1981 car crash.He is interred in Moscow&rsquo;s Kuntsevskoe Cemetery, where Russian heroes are buried. Fans erected a memorial at the site of the automobile accident and former NHLer Steve Shutt remembers visiting it during a trip to Moscow a few years ago.&ldquo;We stopped by the side of the road and there was a monument with a puck and a stick,&rdquo; Shutt said.Like other members of the Soviet Union&rsquo;s 1972 Summit Series team, Kharlamov was an unknown commodity when he took the ice for Game 1, but it didn&rsquo;t take long for the 5-foot-8 Russian to turn heads. He scored twice and the Canadians took down his number.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03292/8655191-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="437" height="393"></div>By the end of Game 2, crusty Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard said he would pay $1 million to get the Russian into his lineup.&ldquo;He was like a combination of Pavel Bure and Joe Sakic,&rdquo; said Harry Sinden, who coached Canada. &ldquo;Our wingers could not get the puck from him.&rdquo; The only way Canada could stop him was the infamous Bobby Clarke slash in Game 6. Kharlamov was ineffective in Game 7 and didn&rsquo;t play Game 8.&ldquo;The skill level was unbelievable,&rdquo; said Murray Costello, inducted into the Hall as a builder. &ldquo;He could skate. He had great tenacity and he was tough. But the skill level was the thing. It was outstanding.&rdquo;On the day his father was enshrined in the Hall, Kharlamov&rsquo;s son, Alexander, was asked whether he harbored grudges against Clarke. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hockey,&rdquo; said Alexander, the Washington Capitals&rsquo; first round draft pick in 1994. &ldquo;You see my nose? It&rsquo;s broken maybe five times. It&rsquo;s hockey.&rdquo;Kharlamov is the second player born and trained in the former Soviet Union to be inducted into the Hall, based only on his Russian league and international accomplishments. Goalie Vladislav Tretiak was inducted in 1989.Back in Moscow, Alexander has a place for his father&rsquo;s mementos. That&rsquo;s where the Hall of Fame ring is going.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my ring,&rdquo; Alexander said. &ldquo;I will take it home. I have a collection of (his father&rsquo;s) medals and trophies. This is the first ring for my father. I know he really liked playing in Canada.&rdquo;&ndash; ALAN ADAMS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02367/8655184-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="621" height="758"></div><h2>VALERI KHARLAMOV</h2>BORN Jan. 14, 1948, MoscowDECEASED Aug. 27, 1981, in car crash<h3>CREDENTIALS</h3>Won 10 World or Olympic gold medals; USSR player of the year in 1972 and 1973; 367 goals, 662 points in 541 games; leader of Russian national team.<h3>QUOTABLE</h3>&ldquo;He was tough. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if he was playing in Russia or in Canada, he was playing the game with heart.&rdquo;&ndash; Son Alexander Kharlamov, on his father&rsquo;s playing style &#9632;

f0041-03

From Russia with skill

It was the last day of 1987 and the scene was the storied Luzhniki Arena in Moscow.Canada was leading the Soviet Union 3-2 at the 1988 World Junior Championship going into the final period. The teams were renewing a bitter rivalry less than a year after both had been booted out of the WJC for an ugly on-ice brawl.Murray Costello was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association at the time. He was relaxing in the stands when he spotted a top Russian official known to drop by the referee&rsquo;s room between periods.Costello and close friend Ed Chynoweth, then president of the Canadian Hockey League, made a beeline to the door and blocked the entrance to the room, their arms crossed across their chests.&ldquo;Nobody was getting in,&rdquo; recalled Costello with a laugh.Canada held on for a 3-2 win and went on to earn the gold medal.Costello has cast a long shadow over Canada&rsquo;s hockey landscape ever since he assumed the presidency of the grassroots organization in 1979. He retired in 1998.His legacy includes a national program of excellence that spawned Canada&rsquo;s illustrious junior program; the 1994 merger of the CAHA and Hockey Canada; and, the growth of women&rsquo;s hockey.Costello is especially proud of the program of excellence.&ldquo;I was really sick and tired of going overseas and hearing the Europeans say that &lsquo;Canadians can&rsquo;t play this game and they are just slugs and corner men&rsquo; and we had no skill,&rdquo; Costello said. &ldquo;So we had to teach our kids to play the tenacious Canadian game, but always in control, and once we started to do that, the kids responded so very, very well.&rdquo;Costello recounted the time he played near his hometown of South Porcupine, Ont., when a freezing rain storm made roads treacherous.&ldquo;We decided that rather than showering in the arena we&rsquo;d skate home down the highway &ndash; with the only fear being we&rsquo;d hit black ice,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The coach was a little concerned but he knew there&rsquo;d be no cars on the road. We showered in our own dressing room back home. And we won the game.&rdquo;Costello stays involved in hockey as a member of the executive council of the International Ice Hockey Federation.&ldquo;There are only a select few of us who get to take our childhood passion for a game and turn it into a lifelong livelihood,&rdquo; Costello said. &ldquo;And then in the end, be rewarded for doing it.&rdquo;&ndash; ALAN ADAMS<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04249/8655222-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="621" height="708"><figcaption class="caption-body">(KHARLAMOV: BBS/GETTY IMAGES; COSTELLO: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; MESSINA: GEORGE KALINSKY/MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)</figcaption></div><h2>MURRAY COSTELLO</h2>BORN Feb. 24, 1934, South Porcupine, Ont. AGE 71<h3>CREDENTIALS</h3>President of the CAHA (Hockey Canada) for 18 years; launched program of excellence.<h3>QUOTABLE</h3>&ldquo;It was the shock of my life. He left me there one confused kid.&rdquo;&ndash; Costello, on his brother Les quitting hockey for the priesthood<h3>CURRENT OCCUPATION</h3>Retired; on IIHF CouncilValeri Kharlamov may have died more than two decades ago, but &#9632;

f0041-04

Costello a true Canuck

<h2>ELMER&nbsp;FERGUSON MEMORIAL AWARD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05226/8655274-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="485" height="393"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06204/8655267-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="302" height="393"></div>Distinguished Hockey WritingHELENE ELLIOTT<h3>CREDENTIALS</h3>Trailblazer among female hockey journalists; covered nearly every Cup final since 1980; worked in Chicago and New York before moving to Los Angeles.<h3>CURRENT OCCUPATION</h3>NHL columnist at Los Angeles Times<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1542/8655260-1-eng-US/f0041-152.jpg" title="f0041-15" width="330" height="331"></div><h2>FOSTER&nbsp;HEWITT MEMORIAL AWARD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-07182/8655253-1-eng-US/f0041-072.jpg" title="f0041-07" width="302" height="393"></div>Outstanding Work as a BroadcasterSAL MESSINA<h3>CREDENTIALS</h3>Colorful analyst on New York Rangers radio and television broadcasts for more than 30 years; previously a minor league goalie in old Eastern League.<h3>CURRENT OCCUPATION</h3>Retired<h2>2006 CANDIDATES FOR THE HALL</h2>Top candidates for next year are:Patrick Roy A goaltending legendPavel Bure Pure speed, skill, offenseDoug Gilmour 14th in all-time pointsMike Richter Won Stanley, World CupsPhil Housley Fourth in D-man scoringTom Barrasso 13th in all-time wins &#9632;

f0041-05

HALL OF FAME

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01609/8655347-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="364" height="535"></div><h2>TWO MINUTES IN THE BOX</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05208/8655354-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="178" height="59"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02400/8655340-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="174" height="241"></div>LONG BEACHICE DOGSPOS. LWAGE 21BIRTHPLACEHalifax, N.S.<h3>CORY URQUHART</h3>Start the clock&hellip;What&rsquo;s your favorite TV show?&ldquo;Laguna Beach (on MTV). &rdquo;Ever get distracted by the Jumbotron?&ldquo;Every game. The guy in Long Beach tends to only put good-looking girls on the screen. There&rsquo;s a lot of fine-looking ladies at Long Beach games and he finds them all.&rdquo;Strangest superstition you&rsquo;ve seen?&ldquo;Guys will flush their stick in the toilet if they&rsquo;re not playing well, then tape it up and use it again. &rdquo;Most embarrassing CD in your collection?&ldquo;Christina Aguilera &ndash; just for the CD cover.&rdquo;Music you&rsquo;re listening to right now?&ldquo;Rehab. They&rsquo;re an alternative country band a teammate turned me on to.&rdquo;Funniest trash talk you&rsquo;ve heard on the ice?&ldquo;It happened to me the other day. It was my turn during the shootout and the puck was rolling, so I didn&rsquo;t even get a shot off. One of the guys from the other team yelled out, &lsquo;Next time cycle it, why dontcha!&rsquo; I had no comeback for that. Then it happened to one of their guys, so I didn&rsquo;t hesitate to say it right back!&rdquo;Time&rsquo;s up!&ndash; RYAN KENNEDY<h3>ACROSS</h3>By Larry Humber Answers in next issue and @<a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a>1 NHL&rsquo;s top rookie in 2003 (with 18 Across)4 City where Avalanche is based9 Lyle ___ helped Habs to Cup10 Plus-___ is a meaningful stat11 The backs of skates12 No. 1 overall draft pick in 198713 Sign15 ___-ending sends you to the box18 See 1 Across21 Pictured, is heard on HockeyNight in Canada23 Shoot puck away from goal area24 Expand25 Allan Cup is for ___ amateurs26 Bob Cole is a play-___-___ man<h3>DOWN</h3>1 Mike ___ of this paper2 Jeff ___ tended net for the Leafs, Flames and others3 Nelson ___ spent time in eightcities in his 12 NHL seasons5 Hall of Famer ___ Lach6 First name of the first player drafted in 19987 A ___ shot may catch a goalie on the mask8 Tie14 He keeps Don Cherry in line on Hockey Night in Canada15 Max ___ twice topped the NHL scoring list in the 1940s16 Tosses out17 __ Roenick rarely tongue-tied19 First name of only active NHL owner20 Price or Picard22 The first playoff month<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03335/8655333-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="1085" height="1069"></div>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTIONACROSS1. OTTAWA, 4. FRIARS, 9. ATLANTA, 10. BRIAN, 11. GORDS, 12. SAN JOSE, 13. IGOR, 15. BRAD, 18. LANGKOW, 21. LEACH, 23. ETHAN, 24. SCOOTER, 25. SUREST, 26. FRENCH. DOWN 1. ORANGE, 2. TYLER, 3. WINDSOR, 5. ROBYN, 6. ARIZONA, 7. SINDEN, 8. PATS, 14. GONCHAR, 15. BELFOUR, 16. FLYERS, 17. CHURCH, 19. KINGS, 20. WEST, 22. ACTON.<h2>SEPARATED AT BIRTH</h2>Have you spotted these two personalities in the same room at the same time?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06170/8655326-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="373" height="409"><figcaption class="caption-body">CLAUDE JULIEN</figcaption></div>No-nonsense Montreal coach has Habs soaring in 2005.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-07149/8655319-1-eng-US/f0043-072.jpg" title="f0043-07" width="373" height="409"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY BERGMAN</figcaption></div>No-nonsense Summit Series defenseman had Canada roaring in 1972.Submit ideas for Separated at Birth to<a href="mailto:jhodgson@thehockeynews.com">jhodgson@thehockeynews.com</a><h2>ON THE FLY</h2><h3>WHO AM I?</h3>I was drafted by Boston in 1991, then traded to the West Coast in 1997. Since then, I&rsquo;ve moved back and forth from Boston to the same West Coast team again and again. I now play in Florida. Who am I?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-08124/8655312-1-eng-US/f0043-082.jpg" title="f0043-08" width="323" height="472"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-09108/8655305-1-eng-US/f0043-092.jpg" title="f0043-09" width="247" height="600"></div>The &lsquo;White Knight&rsquo; AwardGoes to Atlanta&rsquo;s latest goalie, Steve Shields. Signed to help out the injuryriddled Thrashers, Shields promptly hurt his knee in warmups.<h3>TRIVIA</h3>Who was named the NHL All-Star Game&rsquo;s most valuable player in 1981?a. Mike Liutb. Mike Bossyc. Mike Gartnerd. Mike EavesThe correct answer to the Trivia/Who Am I questions will appear in next week&rsquo;s issue of The Hockey News and at <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a>Last week&rsquo;s Trivia: C. Mtl vs. CgyLast week&rsquo;s Who Am I: Blackhawks winger Martin Lapointe. &#9632;

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LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02280/8655423-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="331" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Brophy Senior Writer</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01498/8655430-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="92" height="103"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&lsquo;&lsquo;If Team USA continues its youth movement, a few veterans might get the snub.</blockquote>My nose was a little out of joint when I was not included among those named to the long list for Canada&rsquo;s Olympic hockey team. The men&rsquo;s team, that is.Eighty-one players named and The Great One can&rsquo;t find room for a one good one?I got over it.I wonder, though, how many Canadian players who are off to extremely good starts this season will not fret over the fact they are left off Canada&rsquo;s final roster? And if Team USA continues with its youth movement, a few veterans might get the snub.And by the way, Sidney Crosby &ndash; like other phenoms before him, such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Eric Lindros &ndash; should be an automatic for Team Canada.Here&rsquo;s a look at some Canadian and American players who are in the midst of playing their way on &ndash; or off &ndash; their respective country&rsquo;s Olympic team.<h2>CANADA</h2>ERIC STAAL, C, CAROLINA A year in the American League appears to have worked wonders for this budding star. Staal registered points in 13 of Carolina&rsquo;s first 14 games and was among the league leaders in goals and points. His speed and drive to the net, along with undeniable creativity, suggest he&rsquo;d be a perfect fit for the larger ice surface.JASON SPEZZA, C, OTTAWA Spezza and Dany Heatley have formed a dynamic duo in Ottawa, so why not ship them overseas together? Seems logical, but logic also suggests Canada has a logjam at center with the likes of Joe Sakic, Joe Thornton, Vinny Lecavalier and Mario Lemieux.BRYAN MCCABE, D, TORONTO The tough defender was supposed to struggle with the crackdown on obstruction; instead, he has prospered. McCabe was a second-team all-star in 2003-04, but didn&rsquo;t get a sniff when Canada pieced together its World Cup team.TODD BERTUZZI, RW, VANCOUVER A year-and-ahalf off has not been kind to the speedy power forward, who struggled early to regain his form. Wayne Gretzky and Co. need to decide if he&rsquo;s worth the risk or if they will go with a younger, hotter hand.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03215/8655416-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="1294" height="701"><figcaption class="caption-body">HOT HAND Colorado defenseman John-Michael Liles is a strong candidate to make Team USA. (DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES)</figcaption></div>JAY BOUWMEESTER, D, FLORIDA The young blueliner played well at the World Cup, but is off to a slow start. Bouwmeester wasn&rsquo;t exceptional playing in the AHL last season, either.<h2>UNITED STATES</h2>JOHN-MICHAEL LILES, D, COLORADO Some wondered if he had the toughness to excel in the NHL. But the crackdown on obstruction, which opens up the game to skilled individuals, has played right into his hands. Smallish at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Liles has demonstrated a successful knack for knowing when to jump into the play.BRIAN GIONTA, RW, NEW JERSEY Gionta could be Team USA&rsquo;s answer to Martin St-Louis. He&rsquo;s a mighty mite who has no fear whatsoever when he drives to the net. On a team that is struggling to find itself, Gionta, with nine goals through 15 games, will shatter his single-season best of 13.RYAN MILLER, G, BUFFALO A winner at every level he has played, Miller stole the starter&rsquo;s job out from under Martin Biron and was coasting along quite nicely until breaking his thumb Nov. 2 in a morning skate. If Rick DiPietro is to be Team USA&rsquo;s starter, Miller will at the very least push Robert Esche for the backup job.SCOTT GOMEZ, C, NEW JERSEY The NHL&rsquo;s top rookie in 2000 led the league in assists in 2003-04 with 56, but was slow out of the gate this year. His skating could be an issue, though the fact Team USA lacks veteran depth could help his cause.KEITH TKACHUK, LW, ST. LOUIS It&rsquo;s hard to imagine Tkachuk being left off Team USA under normal circumstances regardless of any youth movement. But these are not normal times, are they? Tkachuk was sent home from training camp to lose weight and then played in just two games upon his return before injuring his ribs by accidentally butt-ending himself.TY CONKLIN, G, EDMONTON After being named outstanding goalie at the 2004 World Championship, Conklin lost the U.S. starting job to DiPietro in 2005. He was expected to be Edmonton&rsquo;s No. 1 goalie this season, but has battled injuries and been upstaged by Jussi Markkanen. Things don&rsquo;t look good for Conklin in Turin. &#9632;

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November 22, 2005

Upcoming In The Hockey World

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PUCK POLL