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Yearbook 1986
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.
Quebec Nordiques
Le Petit Tigre. There may be no more appropriate nickname in hockey than that of Michel Bergeron—The Little Tiger. He is as intense off the ice as his feisty centerman Dale Hunter is on the ice, leading the Nordiques with an animated style all his own. Not that it always meets with approval. A video show, highlighting errors by officials, following one playoff game last year earned the Nordiques a $5,000 fine. Nor were his remarks suggesting the National Hockey League preferred an all Canadian final not take place (and referees were acting accordingly) well received. Bergeron, like the man he works for—Nordiques’ president Marcel Aubut—is somewhat of a maverick. But does he have the horses for a championship roundup? Certainly a defensive foundation in place. Little attention is paid to the blueliners but they get the…
Minnesota North Stars
There is no more enigmatic team in the National Hockey League than the Minnesota North Stars. Newcomer Kent Nilsson should feel right at home with them. One of the most highly-skilled players in the game today, he nonetheless has failed to live up to expectations. Does that sound familiar to North Star followers? All too familiar, we suspect. Which makes it highly appropriate for Lome Henning, a man who parlayed marginal skills into an eight-year National Hockey League career, to take over as coach of the North Stars. He replaces Glen Somnor, who was named interim coach after the dismissal of Bill Mahoney early in the season. Henning’s coaching career began with the Islanders—for whom he played—three years ago as an assistant to Al Arbour. He took over the Springfield Indians last season when the…
Montreal Canadiens
The Flying Frenchmen are suffering an identity crisis. For years the torch was passed flawlessly from one Gallic great to another—Richard to Beliveau to Lafleur—but it has been dropped with the retirement of Guy Lafleur. The six-time first all-star quit in frustration after just 19 games of the 1984-85 season. He had managed but two goals and three assists. Despite a glorious send-off at the Montreal Forum, there was nobody there to accept Lafleur’s hand-off. So, for the first time in more than 30 years the Forum faithful didn’t have a French-Canadian hero to bestow their affections. True, three of the Canadiens’ top five scorers last season were native sons but still, fans were just as likely to rise as one for an American or a Swede as a Canadian, let alone a French-Canadian. “We call…
Coffey Goes For Broke
Acceptance has not come easily to Paul Coffey. The numbers have consistently spoken extraordinarily well on his behalf—but not all hockey observers, from whom Coffey has elicited an uncommon ambivalence, have done the same. The strangest example occurred following the 1983-84 season when the swift-skating Edmonton Oiler was one of two players nominated for the Norris Trophy which is awarded annually to the NHL’s best defenseman. He didn’t win, losing to Washington Capitals’ Rod Langway. Nor did he make the first all-star team, despite scoring 40 goals and 86 assists for 126 points. Only one other player—Wayne Gretzky—scored more points than him that year. Only one other defenseman—Bobby Orr—had ever scored more points in a single season. Still, Paul Coffey didn't even make the first all-star team! Langway and the Boston Bruins’ Ray Bourque did.…
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