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.

February 27, 2007

The Hockey News - Feb-27-07

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012030/8761663-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COVER: JIMMY WIXTROM/AFTONBLADET/WPN; CONTENTS: STEVE BABINEAU/SPORTS ACTION FORSBERG: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; KOPITAR: NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>errier</b>&nbsp;<b>Triple</b> Boston University beat Boston College 2-1 in overtime to earn its third straight Beanpot title and 28th overall. Terriers goalie John Curry was named tournament MVP.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Opening Faceoff

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011810/8762222-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Feb. 27 trade deadline is almost upon us, which means NHL GMs have been scouring the league for rental players who might be difference-makers in the playoffs. This trade matrix shows all 30 NHL teams; 10 distinct types of player; and, whether teams are buyers or sellers. The last name of players who may be available is provided. Many of the players anticipated to be trade bait are unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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COVER STORY

WHO’S BUYIN’? WHO’S SELLIN’?

<div class="byline">Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021232/8762253-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BLUE CHIP</b> Eric Brewer would be a nice addition to any playoff team, but history shows it won&rsquo;t matter much. <span class="photo-credit">(DON SMITH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011580/8762260-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="221" height="241"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b>ack in 1999, the trade deadline was quickly approaching and Bob Gainey was sitting at the head of the table in the Dallas Stars war room getting more anxious with every passing minute.</p><p>His team had won the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy the previous season and was on the way to doing so again, but Gainey watched as the two-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings loaded up on the final day with the likes of Chris Chelios, Wendel Clark, Ulf Samuelsson and Bill Ranford. About a month prior, the Colorado Avalanche grabbed Theoren Fleury.</p><p>And what spectacular things had he done? Well, he signed defenseman Doug Lidster from the scrap heap known as the Canadian national team after the Sweden Games in February and picked up Benoit Hogue and Derek Plante in minor deals.</p><p>He and his staff agonized over what to do until Gainey, in only the way Gainey can, leaned back in his chair and said, &ldquo;Hey, we&rsquo;ve got a good team here. We like the guys we have and we have faith in them.&rdquo;</p><p>And that was it. Derian Hatcher was suspended early in the playoffs and Lidster filled in on the blueline wonderfully. A little more than two months after the trade deadline, the Stars were skating around with the Stanley Cup over their heads.</p><p>All of which is a rather long-winded way of saying those teams that are jockeying for the likes of Peter Forsberg, Bill Guerin, Eric Brewer, Todd Bertuzzi and Keith Tkachuk should realize the block-buster trades for the rental players almost never work out.</p><p>You don&rsquo;t even need a history lesson to realize that. Only one team can win the Stanley Cup, so logic would dictate almost every team that makes a big move at the deadline will fail in its ultimate goal. Name one big-name player in the past 10 years who has been acquired at the deadline and was a vital cog in his team winning the championship.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Almost every team that makes a big move at the deadline will fail in its ultimate goal</blockquote><p>If you came up with Alexander Mogilny for the Devils in 2000, give yourself a red star and go to the head of the class because he&rsquo;s the only one. The Devils gave up Brendan Morrison and Denis Pederson for Mogilny in March, 2000 and Mogilny was a great fit on the Devils second line, scoring four goals and seven points in 23 games as the Devils won the Cup.</p><p>There are exceptions, of course. Butch Goring to the Islanders in 1980 and Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson to the Penguins in 1991 are two. In 1994, The Rangers were in first place and made seven deals on deadline day before going on to win the Cup.</p><p>But it more than often backfires. Back in 1999 when the Avalanche bought Fleury for a couple of months, it should be noted the player they gave up was defenseman Robyn Regehr. The Avalanche went on a decent playoff run, but ultimately failed, losing the conference championship to the Stars. The Red Wings were toast in the second round.</p><h2><b>LONG-TERM GAINS</b></h2><p>But the Red Wings did manage to make their deal work for them in the long run. They signed Chelios to a long-term deal and he was a big part of their Cup-winning team in 2002. Undeterred by their lack of success in 1999, the Avalanche got Ray Bourque at the deadline the next season and came up short again, but he wasn&rsquo;t a rental player. He still had a year left on his deal and was there for the Stanley Cup in 2001.</p><p>Last year, the Carolina Hurricanes gave up five marginal players and a first, second and two fourth round picks to get Mark Recchi and Doug Weight. And while both performed admirably, it was their defense corps, goalie Cam Ward and forwards such as Justin Williams,  Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour and Eric Staal who won the Cup. The Canes probably could have won without either player.</p><p>One team with which the rentals clearly worked was the Edmonton Oilers last season. GM Kevin Lowe landed Dwayne Roloson and Sergei Samsonov at the deadline and Roloson propelled the Oilers into the playoffs and got them to the Stanley Cup final.</p><p>&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re grading the GMs for what they did at the trade deadline last year, Kevin Lowe gets an &lsquo;A&rsquo; for what he accomplished,&rdquo; said Anaheim GM Brian Burke.</p><p>But they still didn&rsquo;t win the Cup and that is what teams are shooting for when they make the big deals at the deadline. More often than not, it&rsquo;s the teams that tweak their rosters with useful depth players that have the most success.</p><h2><b>RETURN TO SENDER</b></h2><p>The problem with rentals is it&rsquo;s more difficult to integrate them into a lineup than it looks. Usually when a team&rsquo;s in position to rent, it already has put together a good season, so inserting a big-name player into the mix has its hazards.</p><p>Team chemistry is an issue and in all cases, somebody on the roster is losing his spot or having his role reduced because of the new guy. And the most perilous part of it is you risk overpaying for a player who might not lead you to your goal, while losing valuable picks/young players in the process.</p><p>&ldquo;Historically, it probably hasn&rsquo;t had the desired level of impact,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;But it depends what you&rsquo;re trying to do. Sometimes it&rsquo;s an upgrade, but often it&rsquo;s adding depth against injury.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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DEPARTMENTS

One winner, but many losers

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NHL Team Reports Trade Tracker

<p><b>CALL THEM</b> the Honda Center Hoodlums.</p><p>The Anaheim Ducks dropped the &lsquo;Mighty&rsquo; from their nickname, but have grown mighty in stature, leaving the rest of the NHL in their bare-knuckled wake. Through mid-February, Anaheim had accumulated 54 fighting majors, 20 more than the team second-most pugilistic team, the Nashville Predators.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011993/8761701-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="826" height="827"></div><p>When asked by a reporter about his team&rsquo;s penchant for punch-ups, GM Brian Burke acknowledged it&rsquo;s part of the master plan. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re going to come into our barn, you better be ready for a square dance,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>On the surface, it&rsquo;s difficult to knock Burke&rsquo;s philosophy. Anaheim has mostly been a tour de force this season. But there is some blarney blended in with the bluster. Consider:</p><p>&bull; In today&rsquo;s NHL, most bouts are enforcer vs. enforcer or fourth-liners trying to make names for themselves. About 70 per cent of the Ducks&rsquo; 54 scraps fall into this category. So if you&rsquo;re San Jose&rsquo;s Kyle McLaren or Dallas&rsquo;s Philippe Boucher, you&rsquo;re probably not worried about retribution from George Parros when you&rsquo;re lining up Andy McDonald or Teemu Selanne.</p><p>&bull; The Red Wings had the fewest fighting majors of any team (six), yet had more points than the Ducks, proving a winning environment doesn&rsquo;t have to include bludgeoning.</p><p>&bull; The Ducks are averaging about one fight per game which, while significantly higher than the league average, isn&rsquo;t quite up to Broad Street Bullies proportions; there&rsquo;s no sign of a &lsquo;Honda Center flu.&rsquo;</p><p>&bull; The &ldquo;extra space&rdquo; theory evaporates in the playoffs, when fights do, too. Carolina proved last season you don&rsquo;t need an enforcer. That&rsquo;s not to say team toughness isn&rsquo;t critical in the spring &ndash; it&rsquo;s huge &ndash; but the thumpers need to be able to play (and a couple of Anaheim&rsquo;s can) or they become useless.</p><p>Don&rsquo;t get us wrong, we give Burke and the Ducks tons of credit. They&rsquo;ve built a juggernaut whose foundation &ndash; featuring Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Selanne &ndash; is sublime talent; it&rsquo;s a club we picked in the pre-season to go all the way. It doesn&rsquo;t hurt they&rsquo;re also beating them in the alleys &ndash; winning and fighting is an attractive combination from a marketing perspective &ndash; but it&rsquo;ll be the minute-munchers and not the head-crunchers who will dictate Anaheim&rsquo;s ultimate success.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031366/8761694-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="812" height="434"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Foul plays in Anaheim

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021675/8761732-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kris Newbury</figcaption></div><h2><b>STOP THE LID FLIPPING</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>e could use the frightening Kris Newbury incident as a departure point for a &ldquo;how-players-really-do-get-hurt-in-fights&rdquo; rant. Or we could find supporting evidence in Matthew Barnaby, whose career hangs in the balance &ndash; and whose sight has been affected &ndash; due to fisticuffs. Then there&rsquo;s Shea Weber, who has also been forced out of the lineup because of a punch-up. And these are just the cases in recent weeks. But we&rsquo;ll forego the pugilistic pulpit because, let&rsquo;s face it, fighting ain&rsquo;t going anywhere anytime soon. Besides, as a publication, we aren&rsquo;t anti-fighting; we&rsquo;re more anti-arguments-that-don&rsquo;t-hold-water. Instead, we&rsquo;ll use this space to implore the NHL to crack down on proper chin-strap usage. As long as fighting is tacitly permitted &ndash; and as long as ice and boards and sticks and fists are hard &ndash; the league should enforce the bare minimum safety regulation of tight straps. Our concern is one day a Newbury-type incident unfolds, with a player&rsquo;s helmet flying off and his head striking the ice &ndash; only, unlike the fortunate Newbury, the player never gets up. The NHL mandates all its on-ice employees wear helmets for protection. It should go the next step and ensure they&rsquo;re being used properly.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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To the Point

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012000/8761794-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Marc-Andre Fleury<span class="photo-credit">(FLEURY: DON SMITH/GETTY IMAGES; FORSBERG: SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SOUNDING OFF</b></h2><h2><b>Right for the throat</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>M</span>ats Sundin sustained a major eye injury last season, yet refuses to wear a visor. Roberto Luongo took a puck to the neck, yet refuses to wear a neck guard. You would think after the near-fatal injury to Clint Malarchuk that all goalies would wear neck protectors, yet only half of them do. It took a serious eye injury for Al MacInnis to decide to wear a visor; unlike Sundin, MacInnis chose to keep it on for the rest of his career. After taking a puck to the neck recently (which shattered his throat guard) you can be sure Marc-Andre Fleury is glad he wears a neck protector. Lose an eye and you&rsquo;re blind for life. Get your throat slashed and there&rsquo;s a good chance you&rsquo;ll bleed to death. I wonder, do these guys have to be told to wear jockstraps?</p><p>STEVE DICKER, PARADISE, NFLD.</p><h2><b>Hab hypocrisy</b></h2><p>I love how Guy Carbonneau was so angry about Colby Armstrong&rsquo;s hit on Saku Koivu when it was 100 per cent legal, but when Sidney Crosby received a stick in the face, all he said was &ldquo;we have to protect the league&rsquo;s players, but on the ice, he&rsquo;s just one of the 20 guys on the other team.&rdquo;</p><p>So it&rsquo;s OK to be hit in the face with a stick, but a legal hit is off-limits?</p><p>If Crosby is just one of the opposing 20 players, then what&rsquo;s Koivu? God? Who&rsquo;s the real whiner?</p><p>MATT JANSENS, CALGARY</p><h2><b>A proper battle</b></h2><p>Cheers to Barry Melrose. He recently appeared on ESPN to talk about the greatest rivalry in pro sports. Melrose made an excellent argument that the rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames was the greatest in all of sports.</p><p>There were also basketball, football and baseball analysts who tried to argue their rivalries were superior. Their arguments were poor and the analysts even had the courtesy to bash hockey and poke fun at Melrose.</p><p>But Melrose remained strong and brought his &lsquo;A&rsquo; game to the table. He remained professional through all of their chirps and earned a lot of respect.</p><p>I believe Melrose is quite possibly the best analyst on TV and I&rsquo;m glad he&rsquo;s doing his job.</p><p>MATT GRAINDA, BLOOMINGTON, IND.</p><h2><b>Hold off, fellas</b></h2><p>I was watching the Thrashers play the Avalanche and after the second holding call of the period, I found myself asking, &lsquo;Why do these players keep reaching in with their one free arm?&rsquo;</p><p>You hear announcer constantly saying, &ldquo;He reaches around the body with his free arm.&rdquo; How is it so hard to remember these calls? Hooking has seemed to drop off, but players still have to grab around waists and shoulders with their free arm.</p><p>When are they going to learn already?</p><p>KYKE SKATBERG, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.</p><h2><b>Captain K.O.</b></h2><p>I can appreciate Scott Mellanby&rsquo;s professionalism and leadership as much as the next guy. In fact, he has been one of my favorite players since his rookie season with the Flyers for exactly those reasons. So kudos to him for the way he is leading by example in Atlanta this year.</p><p>That being said, I feel the need to take exception to Mike Brophy&rsquo;s (Jan. 30 issue) inference that Mellanby was coming to aid of his teammate after he &ldquo;got jumped by Caps players&rdquo; in a Nov. 22 game. What Mellanby was actually doing was payback for payback.</p><p>The apparent reason for this altercation was the pounding Vitaly Vishnevski took at the hands of Donald Brashear.</p><p>It is occurrences like these, not honest-to-goodness, mano-a-mano fights that give the NHL a bad reputation with the general public in the U.S.</p><p>TIM MCINTYRE, BRISTOW, VA.</p><h2><b>Stick magician</b></h2><p>Kristian Huselius and his criticized stick have quietly placed third in shooting percentage, with 25 goals on 109 shots (22.9 per cent) through Feb. 12.</p><p>If you trim it down to players who have taken 100 shots or more, Huselius leads the league. How&rsquo;s that for a guy who didn&rsquo;t look so hot with his precisely cared-for stick in <i>All-Access Pass</i> by The Hockey News? Huselius also has averaged 20 goals per year over five seasons; he failed to reach 20 just once in that span. And he has averaged 43 points per year. Pampered stick or not, the Flames made a good deal.</p><p>JOSIAH HUNTER, BROOKLYN, N.Y.</p><p><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><p><b>WHICH OF THESE RUMORED-TO-BE-AVAILABLE PLAYERS SHOULD BE THE MOST-COVETED AT THE TRADE DEADLINE.</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021432/8761787-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="445" height="489"></div><p><b>Peter Forsberg 47%</b></p><p><b>Sheldon Souray 24%</b></p><p><b>Shane Doan 7%</b></p><p><b>Darcy Tucker 6%</b></p><p><b>Todd Bertuzzi 5%</b></p><p><b>Bill Guerin 4%</b></p><p><b>Keith Tkachuk 4%</b></p><p><b>Eric Brewer 3%</b></p><h2><b>HOW TO REACH US</b></h2><p><b>E-MAIL</b></p><p><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>WEB</b></p><p><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>CANADA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7</p><p><b>USA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947 <i>Include your name, hometown & province/state.</i></p><p><i>Submissions will be edited.</i></p><h2><b>SUBSCRIBE</b></h2><p><b>GET IT AT</b> <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>OR CALL</b> 1.888.361.9768<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Got something to say?

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE BROPHY</div><p><b>THE</b>&nbsp;<b>NAMES ATOP</b> the NHL scoring parade for the Art Ross Trophy all seem to make sense.</p><p>Sidney Crosby&hellip;uh huh. Alexander Ovechkin&hellip;right on. Martin St-Louis&hellip;been there, done that. Marian Hossa and Dany Heatley&hellip;good deal for both teams. Vinny Lecavalier&hellip;about time. Joe Thornton&hellip;duh, he won it last season. Marc Savard&hellip;finished ninth last year. Daniel Briere&hellip;top scorer on top team. Ray Whitney&hellip;wait a minute&hellip;Ray Whitney?</p><p>Are you kidding?</p><p>Fact is, the 34-year-old Carolina Hurricanes left winger is having the best season of his 14-year NHL career and quietly has been among the league&rsquo;s top scorers all season. So while teammates Eric Staal and Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour get most of the ink and Justin Williams got to play in the NHL All-Star Game (even though Whitney was leading Carolina in scoring at the time), it is Whitney who has been the defending Stanley Cup champion&rsquo;s most consistent player this year.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">When the third one went in through the fivehole I thought to myself, &lsquo;Did that just go in? Are you kidding me?&rsquo;<br>Ray Whitney</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012216/8761832-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="315" height="348"></div><p>&ldquo;I think he is extremely underrated,&rdquo; says Carolina coach Peter Laviolette. &ldquo;He is a guy who displays a certain calmness when he gets the puck, who doesn&rsquo;t rush his plays. He has amazing patience with the puck, particularly when it comes to controlling it in small spaces.&rdquo;</p><p>With 26 goals and 68 points in 59 games, Whitney was on pace for career-highs in goals (36) and points (95). But this shouldn&rsquo;t come as too big a surprise. This is, after all, a guy who as a junior led the WHL in scoring with 185 points in 1990-91; and, as an NHLer in 2002-03, finished 22nd in scoring.</p><p>This year, though, playing on a line with snipers Brind&rsquo;Amour and Williams, Whitney says he is getting plenty of scoring opportunities. That said, he doesn&rsquo;t wake up each morning and check to see if he&rsquo;s still among the NHL&rsquo;s top 10 in scoring.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year I probably would have when the team was playing better, but this season we have not played as well so my focus is on the team,&rdquo; Whitney says.</p><p>San Jose&rsquo;s second choice in the 1991 entry draft (23rd overall), Whitney has done his share of bouncing around the league, with stops in Edmonton, Florida, Columbus and Detroit before arriving in Carolina in time to help the Canes win the Stanley Cup last season.</p><p>While Whitney worries about the state of his team, which is in a battle to make the playoffs, that doesn&rsquo;t mean he isn&rsquo;t having fun. On Feb. 8, for instance, he scored three goals and added two assists in a 5-2 win over Boston. What made his hat trick even more remarkable is the fact he scored all three goals in a span of 100 seconds.</p><p>&ldquo;When the third one went in through the five-hole, I thought to myself, &lsquo;Did that just go in? Are you kidding me?&rsquo;&rdquo; Whitney says.</p><p>So did his teammates tease him about being the next Bill Mosienko (who holds the NHL mark with three goals in 21 seconds)?</p><p>&ldquo;Nah, they&rsquo;re too dumb to bring that name up from the past,&rdquo; says Whitney with a laugh.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021456/8761825-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1648" height="2949"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRIAN BABINEAU/SA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>3 Third period comebacks in Detroit&rsquo;s past four wins over Dallas</b></p><p><b>79 Per cent of Jordan Staal&rsquo;s points have been goals (23 goals, six assists)</b></p><p><b>15 Wins in 34 games for the Wild without Marian Gaborik, vs. 16 in 24 with him</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Carolina’s of Ray hope

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RUI GOMES & KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012006/8761863-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LONG FACES</b> Oilers captain Jason Smith will need some motivational speeches to help get his team over the hump.</figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HAT STARTED OUT AS</b> a hammer-and-tong battle between the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks rounded nicely into a four-team race for the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy as the NHL schedule approached the three-quarter pole.</p><p>Meanwhile, those Edmontonians looking for another miracle run in the playoffs probably shouldn&rsquo;t bother staking out a spot on Whyte Avenue this spring.</p><p>Looking at the schedule down the stretch, it appeared a four-team battle involving Buffalo and the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference and the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference was shaping up as of mid-February.</p><p>In the West, just one point separated the Predators and Red Wings with the two teams scheduled to play each other five more times before the end of the season. In the East, the Sabres and surprising Devils were just four points apart with 25 games remaining on the schedule. The Devils and Sabres were scheduled to play two more times in Buffalo.</p><p>As for the scramble to make the post-season, it looked as though the teams which held the top eight spots in the Western Conference as of mid-February would be able to hold those spots through to the playoffs.</p><p>And that was bad news for the Oilers, whose best hope was the five games they had left against Minnesota, the team they trailed by seven points for the final playoff spot. To make matters worse, the Oilers finish the season with a six-game road trip because of the World Curling Championship.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Looks bleak for Oilers

<p>Which rookies have been underrated this season?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021343/8761894-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="967" height="1220"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JASON SMITH: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES; MIKE SMITH: RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>10 Ryane Clowe</b> Playing with Thornton and Cheechoo helps, but results are results.</p><p><b>09 Mark Giordano</b> Not the easiest blueline to crack. He made Ference expendable.</p><p><b>08 Ian White</b> Month on the shelf, yet Leaf still second in rookie D-man points.</p><p><b>07 Ben Eager</b> In a season without highlights, at least Flyers have new brawler.</p><p><b>06 Maxim Lapierre</b> Ticked off Crosby and Emery. Is Hab the next great agitator?</p><p><b>05 Marc-Edouard Vlasic</b> Remparts wish he was still tearing up the &lsquo;Q,&rsquo; not San Jose.</p><p><b>04 Shane O&rsquo;Brien</b> Filled in admirably on Ducks&rsquo; decimated defense; loves to fight.</p><p><b>03 Mike Green</b> Capitals very protective of blue-chip blueliner with offensive upside.</p><p><b>02 Travis Zajac</b> Devils assured of future offense with Zajac-Parise tandem.</p><p><b>01 Mike Smith</b> Eight wins, three shutouts in first 15 games as a Star. Beware, Marty.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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COUNTDOWN

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012107/8761925-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TWIST OF FATE</b> Former St. Louis enforcer Tony Twist is $5 million richer thanks to a settlement.</figcaption></div><h2><b>TWIST FINALLY SETTLES</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>ormer Blues tough guy Tony Twist reached a $5-million settlement with insurance companies for Todd McFarlane Productions Inc. The agreement was struck seven years after Twist filed a suit because McFarlane used the name &lsquo;Antonio Twisterelli&rsquo; for a mob boss character in his comic series <i>Spawn</i>.</p><h2><b>FIGHTING SIOUX PLAYERS CHARGED</b></h2><p>Jonathan Toews, T.J. Oshie and Robbie Bina, three North Dakota hockey players, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges in Grand Forks city court Feb. 12. The charges stem from an alleged underage drinking incident at a Grand Forks tavern Jan. 28. Toews, 18, and Oshie, 20, were cited for being minors in a licensed premise, while Bina, 24, was cited for &lsquo;escaping custody.&rsquo;</p><h2><b>DOUG ORR PASSES ON</b></h2><p>Douglas Orr, father of legendary defenseman Bobby Orr, passed away Feb. 10. He was 82. Douglas also was a terrific hockey player and track athlete and joined the navy and served in the Second World War. He and his wife, Arva, raised a family of five children in the town of Parry Sound, Ont.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LES BROSZKOWSKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04586/8761963-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="434" height="266"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN</b>&nbsp;<b>PEOPLE THINK</b> of Bobby Clarke, Andre &lsquo;Moose&rsquo; and Dave &lsquo;The Hammer&rsquo; Schultz, a particular phrase comes to mind: &lsquo;Broad Street Bullies.&rsquo;</p><p>In 1973-74, the Philadelphia Flyers earned that nickname with tough play and intimidation. In 1974-75, Schultz had 472 penalty minutes, which is still an NHL record.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021572/8761956-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="512" height="718"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dave Schultz <span class="photo-credit">(IAN TOMLINSON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Whoever came up with that (nickname), it wasn&rsquo;t that difficult: we were playing on Broad Street. We weren&rsquo;t bullies though, I didn&rsquo;t understand that,&rdquo; Schultz jokes.</p><p>As part of our 60th anniversary, The Hockey News is looking back at memorable moments in hockey history.</p><p>&ldquo;(Opposing fans) wanted to see me get my rear end kicked,&rdquo; Schultz says. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t happen too often. We were a great show. We came in and played good hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Schultz knows that a lot of hockey people didn&rsquo;t like the Flyers very much.</p><p>&ldquo;There was a lot of criticism directed our way because we were a pretty tough team, but we were good,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one thing to have different guys with nicknames, but our whole team had a nickname.&rdquo;</p><p>When the Flyers traveled to some cities, the local media would joke &ldquo;the animals were coming&rdquo; and to hide the women and children. But that only inspired the team.</p><p>&ldquo;I think sometimes without us even knowing it, we would live up to our reputation,&rdquo; Schultz says. &ldquo;We had a lot of confidence as a team to win hockey games and we were not going to be intimidated.&rdquo;</p><p>Not only were they tough, the Flyers of the mid-70s were talented, too, capturing back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and &lsquo;75.</p><p>&ldquo;People thought we were lucky and we wanted to prove we deserved the first one, so we won it again,&rdquo; says Schultz, adding the anti-Flyers negativity some-times got him down, but he knew they were a solid squad.</p><p>&ldquo;We had very good talent, some great talent. We were well-coached and (had) great leadership in the dressing room.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-04

Hammer time for Flyers

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031101/8761994-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="137" height="135"></div><p>&#9632; You think <b>Marian Hossa</b> and <b>Dany Heatley</b> check the stats first thing each morning to see how each other did the night before?</p><p>&#9632; Instead of sending the Ducks and Kings to play two regular season games in England next season, why doesn&rsquo;t the NHL send them to a market that it&rsquo;s trying to boost in North America &ndash; say, Nashville?</p><p>&#9632; It happened Feb. 14 at the office of The Hockey News: The editorial staff debated, for about the millionth time, why didn&rsquo;t <b>Marc Crawford</b> choose <b>Wayne Gretzky</b> in the Olympic shootout?</p><p>&#9632; Here&rsquo;s what one NHL pro scout said about the Edmonton Oilers: &ldquo;They spend the first half of the year telling everybody in the world how good they are and the second half not living up to expectations.&rdquo;</p><p>&#9632; On his website, Washington owner <b>Ted Leonsis</b> suggests to fans the Caps play in the toughest division in the NHL because the last two Stanley Cup champions are from the Southeast. Does Teddy Boy really believe Caps followers will buy such nonsense?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0008-03

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE NHL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NATHAN WHITE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021314/8762032-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="480" height="676"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sebastien Savage</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011913/8762039-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="137" height="135"></div><p><b>SEBASTIEN SAVAGE</b> still remembers the moment his life changed forever.</p><p>&ldquo;It comes back every day,&rdquo; said Savage of the on-ice accident that left him paralyzed in October of 2005. A winger for the University of Moncton Blue Eagles, Savage got tied up with an Acadia Axemen player and crashed head-first into the boards.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the worst scenario for me to think about,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>But Savage tries to remain positive about what he can do. He&rsquo;s been living in an Ottawa apartment for eight months and works out at a gym three times a week. He can lift his arms and move his wrists and has some trunk movement as well. He can even get around in a manual wheelchair, although it&rsquo;s tiring so he also uses a power chair.</p><p>&ldquo;Whenever I start moving something else, I see a change,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just very positive and I try to go to the next step, try to do some more.&rdquo;</p><p>Savage&rsquo;s future goals include returning to university and perhaps trying modified cycling or skiing.</p><p>&ldquo;I only skied once and I was on my behind the whole time that night,&rdquo; he joked. &ldquo;So it wouldn&rsquo;t be much of a change.&rdquo;</p><p>Savage credits his girlfriend, Heather Hughes, for helping him make some incredibly tough adjustments.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very lucky to have her, otherwise I don&rsquo;t know where I&rsquo;d be,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to be a good friend,&rdquo; said Hughes, an elementary school teacher. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough, but I can&rsquo;t see why someone wouldn&rsquo;t try.&rdquo;</p><p>Savage said he&rsquo;s also thankful for all the support he has received from the hockey world, which has eased the burden of buying equipment such as wheelchairs and a customized bed.</p><p>The recognition continued when the university all-star team that represented Canada at the recent World University Games in Turin, Italy, gave Savage the nod as its honorary captain.</p><p>&ldquo;He was really dedicated to hockey, he really worked hard and was always in the best shape,&rdquo; said Karl Fournier, a former Blue Eagles teammate who helped Canada win gold in Turin. &ldquo;So we tried to take that as our role model.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;If I would have been playing, it would have been one of my goals to get on that team,&rdquo; Savage said.</p><p>&ldquo;It was nice to be a part of it a little bit.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03800/8762025-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="1418" height="1900"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-02

Long road to recovery

<div class="byline">Ansar Khan</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-04607/8762077-1-eng-US/f0009-042.jpg" title="f0009-04" width="732" height="229"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Red Wings don&rsquo;t need a slugger, but they need someone to go to bat for them</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021494/8762084-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="221" height="234"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b>he Red Wings experienced a stretch of games in November when opponents took liberties against them with questionable hits that resulted in several injuries. It prompted defenseman Mathieu Schneider to extol the virtues of an enforcer.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had success without one in the past, but they&rsquo;re kind of like nuclear weapons,&rdquo; Schneider said. &ldquo;If the other team has one, you want to have one. If they have two, you want to have two.&rdquo;</p><p>The Red Wings don&rsquo;t have anyone with such destructive powers, but their lack of a designated tough guy hasn&rsquo;t prevented them from fashioning one of the best records in the league through mid-February.</p><p>That doesn&rsquo;t mean, however, this team shouldn&rsquo;t get bigger, stronger and tougher up front with a move or two before the trade deadline. Size has been an issue for the Wings since the lockout ended.</p><p>They weren&rsquo;t particularly big last season and got even smaller after Brendan Shanahan departed. They keep piling up points, but their recent string of playoff failures has shown the need for more gritty, physical forwards.</p><p>The team accumulated 110, 109 and 124 points in the past three seasons while winning just one playoff round. After each disappointment, players and coaches talk about the need to be better prepared for the spring by playing playoff-type hockey during the regular season &ndash; driving to the net through high-traffic areas to score the difficult goals and being a harder team to play against.</p><p>Coach Mike Babcock saw some encouraging signs during a recent game in Long Island, when the Wings responded to an early physical challenge by the Isles, who crashed and banged their way to a 3-0 lead. Detroit stormed back for a 4-3 overtime victory and, Babcock believes, delivered a message to clubs who feel they can push this team around.</p><p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be honest, that&rsquo;s what teams think they can do to us at playoff time,&rdquo; Babcock said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not going to happen this year. It&rsquo;s not going to be possible. We&rsquo;re not going to get backed off.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012076/8762070-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="1424" height="1488"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PUSHED AROUND</b> Detroit could use a little more grit to get over its recent spring troubles. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Tough talk from the coach. But can the players back it up? It is basically the same group of forwards who lost to Edmonton in the first round last year. So far, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe they won&rsquo;t encounter the same difficulties, even if they add some bulk by the deadline.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not just a matter of having the right personnel, it&rsquo;s also about playing the right style. They&rsquo;re still playing the same European puck-possession system that was successful in the past. That shouldn&rsquo;t change, with talented players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom.</p><p>Realizing they weren&rsquo;t going to score as many goals without a sniper to replace Shanahan, the Wings are playing a more defensive style as forwards are more conscientious about backchecking. As a result, they&rsquo;re severely limiting opponents&rsquo; shots and scoring chances.</p><p>So the system&rsquo;s working as well as ever during the regular season. But, is it the right approach for the post-season? It certainly hasn&rsquo;t led to a lot of goal-scoring.</p><p>That&rsquo;s why it behooves this team to incorporate a different look more often. Play a more blue-collar dump-and-chase style occasionally to better prepare for the playoff grind.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as big an issue as a lot of people make it out to be,&rdquo; Kirk Maltby said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone in here is scared to go get a puck or take a hit.&rdquo;</p><p>But part of the problem is they&rsquo;re taking too many hits and not dishing enough out.</p><p>&ldquo;We have the puck more often than the other team, so we&rsquo;re going to be hit more,&rdquo; said GM Ken Holland, noting the Wings outshot the Oilers by an average margin of 40-26 in last year&rsquo;s first round playoff exit. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like all of a sudden somebody banged us and took the puck away and took it to the net.&rdquo;</p><p>Offense, however, remains a concern. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2002, playoff goals have been hard to come by. To solve that problem, they must sacrifice some skill for grit and be less flashy and more greasy.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-04

Motor city needs grease

<div class="byline">BY RICH HAMMOND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011826/8762122-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Anze Kopitar <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>A</b>nze Kopitar has every right to walk with a bit of a strut these days.</p><p>He&rsquo;s not only one of the most talented youngsters in the NHL, he&rsquo;s also living a stone&rsquo;s throw from the Pacific Ocean and is already considered to be the savior of the downtrodden L.A. Kings.</p><p>Only thing is, nobody has bothered to tell the 19-year-old rookie how cocky he could be.</p><p>Only thing,&rdquo; said GM Dean Lombardi, &ldquo;but when guys go in the training room for a massage, he will always step aside and let the veterans go first. He will put himself at the end of the line. Believe me, that means something to the other guys.&rdquo;</p><p>And so does Kopitar&rsquo;s on-ice play, which has far exceeded expectations this season.</p><p>Kopitar wasn&rsquo;t a sure bet to make the roster coming out of training camp. But now he&rsquo;s the Kings&rsquo; No. 1 center and, as of mid-February, ranked second to Evgeni Malkin among all rookie scorers.</p><p>As the Kings sit in last place in the West and their attendance lags, Kopitar has become the focal point, a beacon of hope for frustrated fans and an emerging force on the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect it would be like this,&rdquo; Kopitar said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had a lot of attention, but I guess that comes when you have a start like I did. Right now, I&rsquo;m just trying to keep it up.&rdquo;</p><p>In his first NHL season, Kopitar has emerged as the Kings&rsquo; most popular player and the team&rsquo;s hope for the future. His game, even at a tender age, is remarkably devoid of flaws. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he has the size to cause trouble and he uses his body effectively to power around defensemen deep in the zone.</p><p>But Kopitar&rsquo;s biggest strengths are his hands and his vision. He has the patience to wait out a goaltender, to pull the puck back when necessary &ndash; even in tight situations in front of the net &ndash; and wait for the precise moment to shoot. And when he does, with a quick snap of his wrists, the puck is in the net.</p><p>&ldquo;I am extremely impressed,&rdquo; said center Michael Cammalleri, Kopitar&rsquo;s partner on the power play. &ldquo;I was 20 when I came into the league and he&rsquo;s younger than that, but he has got great confidence in his game.&rdquo;</p><p>Not overconfidence, though, which has made Kopitar a beloved figure among his teammates.</p><p>As the 11th overall pick in 2005, Kopitar arrived with many questions. A native of hockey-barren Slovenia, his skill level wasn&rsquo;t universally seen as NHL-caliber.</p><p>But the Kings saw it right away. After two weeks in training camp in 2005, Kopitar returned to Sweden to play a second pro season. But 2006 was a different story.</p><p>Kopitar dominated the team&rsquo;s prospect camp in July, quickly earned a roster spot in training camp and got off to a flying start with goals in his first two NHL games. And he has taken it all in stride.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think about it that much,&rdquo; Kopitar said. &ldquo;Growing up back home, I was always kind of the guy people looked to.</p><p>&ldquo;Around 15 or 16 years old, I was always playing with older guys on the first and second line, so you get used to that and you start to feel comfortable.&rdquo;</p><p>More importantly, Kopitar has gone about it the right way. He playfully accepts ribbings from teammates and has been known to make faces while a fellow King is being interviewed on camera.</p><p>Confidence without cockiness. It&rsquo;s a delicate balance most 19-year-olds haven&rsquo;t figured out. And that&rsquo;s why Kopitar already is viewed as a future team leader.</p><p>&ldquo;A lot of guys, after they&rsquo;ve been recruited by colleges and talked to by agents, think by the time they&rsquo;re 18 they&rsquo;ve made it,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;Whatever his parents did in terms of raising him, he&rsquo;s a special person.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021313/8762115-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="553" height="1228"></div><p>*Among Rookies<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

West’s wizard growing up fast

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012021/8762160-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>ETER FORSBERG WAS</b>&nbsp;watching a television monitor at the Philadelphia Flyers practice facility and he simply could not believe his good fortune. It was just prior to last season and the NHL had come out with its instruction video outlining the crackdown on obstruction and stick fouls.</p><p>As soon as somebody hit the stop button and turned on the house lights, Forsberg&rsquo;s new employer, Flyers chairman Ed Snider, turned to his superstar and asked, &ldquo;So, Peter, what do you think?&rdquo;</p><p>Forsberg&rsquo;s face lit up like, well, a guy who had endured years of abuse from no-talent plugs and had just seen an instruction video outlining the crackdown on instruction and stick fouls.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s gonna be great for me,&rdquo; Forsberg said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011996/8762153-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="944" height="1083"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STAR WARS</b> Forsberg has battled injuries this year, but isn&rsquo;t ready to step aside for Sidney Crosby quite yet.<span class="photo-credit">(OPENING SPREAD: JIMMY WIXTROM/AFTONBLADET/WPN; LEFT: LEN REDKOLES/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>The cruel irony is the new NHL hasn&rsquo;t been great for Forsberg. It hasn&rsquo;t even been good. In fact, this season, it&rsquo;s been downright dreadful. The one player who should have benefited most from the new NHL is so battered and bruised from the old one he has no idea how long his body will last, how long it will be before another injury sidetracks him.</p><p>That&rsquo;s not to say Forsberg isn&rsquo;t still one of the best players in the world when he&rsquo;s healthy enough to play. That much was evident as the days ticked down to the trade deadline and Forsberg, looking as though he might finally have his ongoing skate problems solved, was looking every bit the superstar and attracting interest from all sorts of teams taking a run at the Stanley Cup.</p><p>&ldquo;I think if everything works, I still have a lot to give,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how I feel, but maybe I&rsquo;m just fooling myself, too.&rdquo;</p><p>As terrible as the Flyers have been with Forsberg in the lineup this season, they&rsquo;re essentially the Kansas City Scouts circa 1975 without him. Forsberg played in 40 of the Flyers&rsquo; first 56 games; the team hadn&rsquo;t won a single one in which he hadn&rsquo;t played. Without Forsberg, the Flyers were 0-13-3 and had been outscored 68-35. With him, they were a much more respectable 15-20-5 and had been outscored 140-109.</p><p>Through mid-February, Forsberg was on quite a nice clip for a guy playing on the 30th-best team in the NHL. He had played 13 straight games without getting the flu or having a concussion or suffering back spasms or pulling his groin or injuring his wrist or having his ankles and feet hurt so badly he couldn&rsquo;t skate or falling into a manhole or getting hit by space junk. Prior to that, he hadn&rsquo;t gone more than seven games without getting hurt this season. And in those 13 games he had four goals and 17 points and was a plus or even player in 12 of them.</p><p>&ldquo;This last stretch where it looks like he has things figured out with his skates, he has been a dominant player,&rdquo; said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, probably with his eyes, arms, fingers, toes and legs crossed. &ldquo;Right now, he feels better healthwise, than probably since we&rsquo;ve had him. He feels good about himself. He feels good about his game, personally, and I think he likes the direction our team is going. He has been a new man here for the past three weeks to a month.&rdquo;</p><p>So what&rsquo;s a 30th-place team to do? Does it keep Forsberg and sign him to an extension, hoping he can stay healthy enough to lead the franchise back to respectability? Or does it deal him for draft picks and prospects and embark on their long journey back to the NHL&rsquo;s elite without a star player in a market that is very fickle?</p><p>It&rsquo;s a question that will continue to be asked right up to the Feb. 27 trade deadline. But the one that really needs to be answered is what does Forsberg have left to give, either to the Flyers or to a team looking to him to help it win a Stanley Cup?</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the million-dollar question,&rdquo; said Toronto captain and good friend Mats Sundin.</p><p>Actually, it&rsquo;s the $1.26-million question. If someone acquires Forsberg on deadline day, that&rsquo;s how much they&rsquo;ll have to absorb of his $5.75-million salary this season, something that is far easier said than done when the majority of contenders are right up against the salary cap.</p><p>And not included in that would be a huge increase in equipment costs. Even though Forsberg and Peter Hedstrom, his Swedish podiatrist, appear to have found an orthotic system that doesn&rsquo;t leave him in agony, Forsberg estimates he has gone through about 30 pairs of skates this season. If Forsberg can make a pair last three games, that&rsquo;s progress.</p><p>But should the Flyers decide to deal Forsberg, there will be no shortage of interested teams. According to the NHL rumor mill, Holmgren can easily get a top young player and at least one first round pick in exchange for Forsberg. The Nashville Predators, who appear to be the frontrunners, might have to give up Alexander Radulov and two first round picks for him.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s too much, as far as I&rsquo;m concerned, for a player who gets hurt as much as he does,&rdquo; said one GM, whose team would likely be in a position to make a pitch for Forsberg. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not in it right now at that kind of price.&rdquo;</p><p>Over the course of his career through mid-February, Forsberg had missed 244 of a possible 924 games, almost three full seasons. Surgery to remove his spleen and on his ankles and shoulder caused him to miss all of the 2001-02 season. And he has missed a total of 63 games with groin injuries; had three concussions for a total of 11 missed games; has missed 28 games with shoulder surgery; 17 with a bruised thigh; 19 with hip pointers; eight with strained ribs; four with a bad foot; three each with the flu and an elbow injury; two with an ankle injury; and, one each because of back spasms, a bruised leg and wrist and knee injuries.</p><p>So let&rsquo;s start with the premise that, in a best-case scenario, Forsberg can be healthy for 60 games a season for the next three seasons. With his vision, passing skills and physical prowess, that would make him a great player to have on any team.</p><p>&ldquo;In my book, he&rsquo;s the best second-effort player I&rsquo;ve ever played with,&rdquo; said Sundin, who has played with Forsberg on Swedish national and Olympic teams.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like the more people who are chasing him and hitting him, the better he plays. You see it all the time. Some guy is hacking him and he has his visor down and his hair is in his face and his mouthguard is hanging out and then he makes this incredible pass. You wonder how he does it.&rdquo;</p><p>Of course, Forsberg could always start picking his spots. It certainly wouldn&rsquo;t be the first time a star player began playing on the perimeter a little more in the twilight of his career. But the chances of Forsberg pulling back on his physical play are about the same as the Flyers&rsquo; chances of winning the Cup this season.</p><p>&ldquo;When a guy like Forsberg backs off, then you don&rsquo;t get the player you want,&rdquo; said Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock, who coached Forsberg in Philadelphia last season and earlier this season. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the package you get with him. He&rsquo;s the best player in the world for a reason. He&rsquo;s not just a world-class player, but he&rsquo;s a world-class competitor.&rdquo;</p><p>One that has been prone to breaking down, largely because of feet and ankles that have betrayed him. Although his foot problems date back to 1996, his second season in the league, they began to really bother him in 2001, after he had his spleen removed in the playoffs and had surgery on both ankles and a shoulder. Because of the surgeries, his right foot is crooked and until recently, nothing had been able to support his high arch, which left him with constant foot, groin and back problems.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen it before&hellip;He would break down a pair of skates in two games,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;His foot would be rolling around so much in there that after two games, his skates would be like cardboard.&rdquo;</p><p>This past summer, Forsberg once again had surgery on the foot and since then, he and Hedstrom have been on a tireless search for the best orthotic plate for the boot of the skate. For his part, Forsberg can&rsquo;t even remember exactly when his foot problems began.</p><p>&ldquo;But I went through surgery this summer to straighten out the foot and the surgery went great,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;Everybody who looked at the foot afterwards said it was very successful, one of the best they had ever seen. But it was a complicated surgery and maybe it took longer than we thought it would to get it straightened out.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s nothing for Forsberg to put on a new pair of skates for a morning skate, then wear them that night only to repeat the same process a couple of games later.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen anything like it,&rdquo; Holmgren said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what it is. He&rsquo;s got really extra large ankles. That&rsquo;s just the way he was born, more than anything. He still goes through skates like nothin&rsquo;, but you can sort of put up with that when he plays the way he&rsquo;s been playing lately.&rdquo;</p><p>Forsberg&rsquo;s teammates are lobbying hard to keep him in Philadelphia, while the out-of-town calls are sure to intensify as the deadline gets closer. For Forsberg, though, nothing will proceed until he has a better idea about his foot. He has already made $56 million during his career, owns about half of his hometown of Ornskoldsvik in northern Sweden and has a number of business interests. His company was key in getting the financing for a new 7,600-seat rink in Ornskoldsvik and he and Hedstrom have a deal to distribute Crocs shoes.</p><p>Which is more than just a little ironic, considering that his feet have given him so much trouble.</p><p>&ldquo;It all goes back to how the foot feels,&rdquo; Forsberg said. &ldquo;If it feels good, I would like to play. If it doesn&rsquo;t feel good&hellip;it&rsquo;s been such a struggle this year, so I don&rsquo;t even know.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

FOR PET’S SAKE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021506/8762191-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>ere are the 10 active NHL players with the most playoff points. Forsberg&rsquo;s points per playoff game (1.17) is the highest &ndash; and fifthbest all-time. Overall, Forsberg is 17th in post-season scoring.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-02

TOP 10 PLAYOFF PERFORMERS

<div class="byline">BY STEPHEN LEITHWOOD</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011657/8762298-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE</b>&nbsp;<b>CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT</b> of Jean Pronovost&rsquo;s NHL career felt like anything but.</p><p>The high-flying right winger popped 52 goals for the Penguins in 1975-76, but had trouble savoring the moment.</p><p>&ldquo;I wish it was a long-lasting moment, but it&rsquo;s such a downer after you&rsquo;ve done it,&rdquo; Pronovost said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like reaching the top of the mountain and you say, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s next?&rsquo; It was really mind-boggling that I wasn&rsquo;t totally happy. I scored 33 the next year, but it&rsquo;s not 52.&rdquo;</p><p>Pronovost was the 11th of 12 children. Two of his older brothers, Claude and Marcel, preceded him in the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;My idol used to be Gordie Howe,&rdquo; Pronovost said. &ldquo;Because Gordie used to play with my brother Marcel, he took Gordie to our home one time. And to meet that man, my eyes were as big as balloons. I idolized that guy.&rdquo;</p><p>Originally property of the Bruins, Pronovost was sold to the Pens in 1968 after winning a Memorial Cup with Niagara Falls in junior. He hit the 40-goal barrier four times, thanks in part to the chemistry he shared with his linemates.</p><p>&ldquo;All three of us had our own expertise,&rdquo; he recalls. &ldquo;Syl (Apps Jr.) was the passer, I was the scorer and Lowell (McDonald) balanced the line with defensive abilities.&rdquo;</p><p>But Pronovost grew disenchanted with the Pens&rsquo; losing ways.</p><p>&ldquo;I love football,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When I was playing in Pittsburgh, (the NFL&rsquo;s Steelers) won four Super Bowls. I used to go to games. At the time Pittsburgh was called the &lsquo;City of Champions,&rsquo; except the Pittsburgh Penguins.&rdquo;</p><p>Pronovost requested a trade and landed in Atlanta. He was Pittsburgh&rsquo;s all-time leader in goals and points at the time.</p><p>&ldquo;Atlanta was completely different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The climate was much better. We had beautiful springs and that was part of the problem. When April came around in Atlanta, it&rsquo;s no longer hockey weather, it&rsquo;s golf weather. So some of the boys, that&rsquo;s what they were looking forward to. You get into the playoffs and you&rsquo;ve got people thinking about golfing.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021275/8762291-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="738" height="176"></div><p>After retiring as a Washington Capital following the 1981-82 season, Pronovost spent 15 years behind the bench as a coach &ndash; first at McGill University in Montreal, then three years in the QMJHL.</p><p>Now 61, Pronovost lives with wife Diane in Pierrefonds, Que., outside of Montreal. Semi-retired, he enjoys spending time with his four kids and driving a school bus for five hours a day.</p><p>&ldquo;Two-and-a-half (hours) in the morning and two-and-a-half in the afternoon. I&rsquo;m very content in what I&rsquo;m doing right now.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

Goals vs. Cups

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03756/8762343-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011422/8762350-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="122" height="138"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021038/8762336-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="1431" height="898"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>THE KID&rsquo;S ALL RIGHT</b> Stephen Walkom said Sidney Crosby is getting a bad rap for his alleged whining. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>S<b>tephen Walkom</b>, the NHL&rsquo;s director of officiating, had this to say on whether <b>Sidney Crosby</b> is a whiner on the ice:</p><p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s time to stomp that rumor,&rdquo; Walkom said. &ldquo;I think Sidney was a new player in the league last year. Did he talk more to the referees last year, in a way that maybe some of the fans perceived as whining? He could have. I can assure you this year, he&rsquo;s been a pro on the ice. All I&rsquo;ve heard from my guys is how grown up he is for his age and how much respect they have for him for how he talks to them on the ice.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>NORTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>BOSTON</b> The Feb. 10 trade that brought defenseman <b>Andrew Fe</b><b>rence</b> and winger <b>Chuck Kobasew</b> to Boston left the Bruins temporarily shorthanded. Kobasew is out until at least late February with a dislocated elbow.</p><p><b>BUFFALO</b> Forward <b>Paul Gaus</b><b>tad</b>, a valuable bruiser on a team of skill players, was lost for the season Feb. 7 with a severed tendon in his ankle. One night later, big-ticket summer catch <b>Jaroslav Spacek</b> broke his hand blocking a shot and is out until early March.</p><p><b>MONTREAL</b> A 5-2 loss at New Jersey Feb. 14 was the Habs&rsquo; fifth in a row, dropping them to 8-15-1 since Dec. 23. Montreal surrendered the opening goal in nine straight games and are in danger of missing the playoffs.</p><p><b>OTTAWA</b> Goalie <b>Ray Emery</b>&nbsp;was suspended three games for clubbing Habs center <b>Maxim Lapierre</b> in the head with his stick Feb. 10. He was upset with the amount of traffic in his crease. &ldquo;I do think it&rsquo;s harsh,&rdquo; Emery said. &ldquo;I talked to (NHL VP) <b>Colin Campbell</b> and told him I realized it was a mistake and I didn&rsquo;t intend to hurt anyone.&rdquo;</p><p><b>TORONTO</b> There was relief when center <b>Kris Newbury</b> escaped serious injury after he was knocked out in a fight with Pittsburgh&rsquo;s <b>Ronald Petrovicky</b> Feb. 10. &ldquo;Sometimes accidents happen,&rdquo; Newbury said. &ldquo;I think (fighting) belongs in the game. It&rsquo;s part of what I do and what I get paid for.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ATLANTIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>NEW JERSEY</b> After being hit in the right cheekbone by a deflected puck, center <b>John Madden</b> said he would permanently wear a visor when he returns from the 11-stitch gash&hellip;Defenseman <b>RichardMatvichuk</b>, (off-season back surgery) said he&rsquo;d be disappointed if the Devils acquired a defenseman and it prevented them from having enough cap room to activate him.</p><p><b>NY ISLANDERS</b> Winger <b>Jason Blake</b>, slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, ruffled management by talking to the media. &ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t want to sign me, maybe they should trade me and get something that&rsquo;s good for them. If I&rsquo;m not signed by the (trade deadline), I&rsquo;m going to test the market and don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ll be back,&rdquo; Blake told <i>Newsday</i> Feb. 11. Two days later, he claimed to be &ldquo;just frustrated&rdquo; and added, &ldquo;I just want (management) to know I&rsquo;m an Islander at heart. It&rsquo;s not like I&rsquo;m looking for a new home, because I&rsquo;m not.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NY RANGERS</b> When <b>Ryan Holl</b><b>weg</b> took a pass from <b>Jaromir Jagr</b> and beat Lightning goalie <b>Johan Holmqvist</b> Feb. 9, it marked the winger&rsquo;s first goal and point of the season, in his 53rd game. <b>Colton Orr</b> also scored his first career goal that night in his 66th match. &ldquo;It was fun to see those guys score,&rdquo; Jagr said. &ldquo;Like in football, it&rsquo;s fun to see big, fat guys score touchdowns and celebrate. Uh oh, don&rsquo;t tell those guys I said that.&rdquo;</p><p><b>PHILADELPHIA</b> The Flyers honored <b>Keith Primeau</b> prior to the Feb. 12 game against Detroit. In his address, Primeau said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll always give credit to the fans of Philadelphia for creating my identity as a player and as a person and for that I humbly thank you.&rdquo;&hellip; Goalie <b>Michael Leighton</b> won his first two games as a Flyer, beating St. Louis and Detroit.</p><p><b>PITTSBURGH Sergei Gonchar</b> played his 800th game Feb. 14 against Chicago. &ldquo;I never thought I&rsquo;d play in that many,&rdquo; he said.</p><h2><b>SOUTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ATLANTA</b> The Thrashers obtained  center <b>Eric Belanger</b> from Nashville for defenseman <b>Vitaly Vishnevski</b>. It was hoped he could kill penalties; Atlanta&rsquo;s penalty kill had dropped to last in the league&hellip;The Thrashers claimed winger <b>Denis Hamel</b>&nbsp;off waivers from Ottawa Feb. 10&hellip;After a 15-game goal drought, winger <b>Slava Kozlov</b> scored twice against Colorado Feb. 8.</p><p><b>CAROLINA</b> The Canes re-obtained &nbsp;<b>Josef Vasicek</b> from Nashville for <b>Eric Belanger</b>. Vasicek played his first five seasons in Carolina before being traded to the Preds last summer.</p><p><b>FLORIDA Ed Belfour</b> got his first shutout of the year and 76th of his career, tying <b>Tony Esposito</b> for eighth all-time in a 1-0 win at Montreal Feb. 13&hellip;<b>Chris Gratton</b> scored his 200th career goal in a 5-2 win over Phoenix Feb. 10.</p><p><b>TAMPA BAY</b> Coach <b>John Tortorella</b> is likely to go with the same six defensemen the rest of the season. So little-used <b>Luke Richardson</b> will be the team&rsquo;s eye in the sky, watching games from the press box and giving feedback.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05265/8762329-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="751" height="1106"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHARA: SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY; KABERLE: ELSA/GETTY IMAGES; ZETTERBERG: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES; EMERY: CP PHOTO)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> Frustrated after a 2-for-29 power play funk, coach <b>Glen Hanlon</b> reconfigured the unit in an umbrella style, using <b>Alex Ovechkin</b> as a rover with <b>Alexander Semin</b> at center point. The new look led to Ovechkin&rsquo;s man-up goal Feb. 10, breaking a careerlong, four-game goal drought.</p><h2><b>CENTRAL DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CHICAGO</b> The power play started to show life after coach <b>Denis Savard</b> put <b>Martin Havlat</b> at the left point. &ldquo;They asked me if I ever played the point and I started laughing,&rdquo; Havlat said. &ldquo;I never did, but it worked.&rdquo;</p><p><b>COLUMBUS</b> Coach <b>Ken Hitch</b><b>cock</b> tossed right winger <b>Nikolai Zherdev</b> out of practice a day after a 5-4 loss to Chicago. Zherdev was in the lineup the next game, but Hitchcock said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to get him to buy into the idea of team. And we&rsquo;ll do it. One way or another, we&rsquo;ll get there.&rdquo;</p><p><b>DETROIT</b> After going winless (0-4-1) in his first five NHL decisions, <b>Joey MacDonald</b> beat Calgary 7-4 Feb. 11.</p><p><b>NASHVILLE</b> The Preds&rsquo; 5-0 win over San Jose Feb. 14 was their 10th shutout this season&hellip;Center <b>David Legwand</b></p><p>hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career and right winger <b>Martin Erat</b> hit the 50-point mark for the first time in his career that night.</p><p><b>ST. LOUIS</b> After beating Columbus Feb. 14, the Blues improved to 5-1-0 in the second game of backto-back games.</p><h2><b>NORTHWEST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CALGARY</b> The Flames acquired highly-sought free agent-to-be defenseman &nbsp;<b>Brad Stuart</b> and center <b>Wayne Primeau</b> from Boston for defenseman <b>Andrew Ference</b> and right winger <b>Chuck Kobasew</b>&hellip; <b>Tony Amonte</b> was a healthy scratch at Detroit Feb. 11, for the first time since his rookie season.</p><p><b>COLORADO Marek Svatos</b>, a 32-goal scorer in 61 games as a rookie last season, was a healthy scratch in Colorado&rsquo;s 2-0 shutout of Anaheim Feb. 13. He played just five minutes in a previous game against Dallas, with coach <b>Joel Quenneville</b> saying Svatos was &ldquo;really struggling.&rdquo;</p><p><b>EDMONTON</b> When <b>Fernando Pisani</b> took a blindside hit from Atlanta&rsquo;s <b>Andy Sutton</b>, he became the third key Oilers forward to miss time with a concussion (<b>Ales Hemsky</b> and <b>Jarret Stoll)</b>.</p><p><b>MINNESOTA</b> One week after alluding to &ldquo;chemistry changes,&rdquo; GM <b>Doug Risebrough</b></p><p>traded outof-favor left winger <b>Pascal Dupuis</b> to New York for Rangers winger <b>Adam Hall</b>&hellip;<b>Marian Gaborik</b> and <b>Pavol Demitra</b>, finally reunited, had a combined 10 points in a win over Carolina and an OT loss to Vancouver.</p><p><b>VANCOUVER Roberto Luongo</b> became the first goalie in team history to win 30 games in his first season with the club.</p><h2><b>PACIFIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ANAHEIM</b> The Ducks hosted 17 fathers of players &ndash; and one fatherin-law &ndash; during road games Feb. 15 in Phoenix and Feb. 17 in Los Angeles, as well as a Feb. 18 home game against the Kings.</p><p><b>DALLAS</b> The Stars hope rookie goalie <b>Mike Smith</b> continues to push <b>Marty Turco</b>&nbsp;for the No. 1 job. Smith won three games in a row in February, twice earning victories in relief of Turco, and had a career-best shutout streak of 131:06&hellip;Dallas is 2-8-5 against Detroit under coach <b>Dave Tippett</b>, blowing three third period leads in the past four losses.</p><p><b>LOS ANGELES</b> The Kings were finalizing plans to play the first two games of next season in London,  England against Anaheim. The games would be played at an arena owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group, the parent company of the Kings&hellip;The Kings signed center <b>Derek Armstrong</b> to a two-year, $3-million extension Feb. 14. He&rsquo;s a team-best plus-16.</p><p><b>PHOENIX</b> The Coyotes traded leading scorer <b>Ladislav Nagy</b> to Dallas because coach <b>Wayne Gretzky</b> said it became clear the team would be unable to re-sign the impending unrestricted free agent before July 1&hellip;Captain <b>Shane Doan</b> signed a five-year contract extension worth about $23 million Feb. 14.</p><p><b>SAN JOSE</b> Goalie <b>Evgeni Nabokov</b> and wife <b>Tabitha</b> welcomed their second child Feb. 12, son <b>Andrei Nabokov</b>.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-03

Head zebra backs up Sid

<h2><b>PLUCKED WINGS</b></h2><p>The Wings&rsquo; 1-0 loss in St. Louis Feb. 8 snapped a 175-game streak without being shut out. It had been the NHL&rsquo;s longest active streak.</p><h2><b>D-FICIENT</b></h2><p>The trades of <b>Brad Stuart</b> and <b>Milan Jurcina</b> left the Bruins with only two defensemen who had scored goals for them. <b>Zdeno Chara (left)</b> had nine, <b>Paul Mara</b> three.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011158/8762381-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="394" height="394"></div><h2><b>GREAT RETURN</b></h2><p>Canes defenseman <b>Fran</b><b>tisek Kaberle</b> scored the game-winner in his season debut after off-season shoulder surgery, against Montreal Feb. 6. His last goal was the Game 7 winner in the Stanley Cup final.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-01

Quick Hits

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03497/8762419-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="980" height="742"><figcaption class="caption-body">Henrik Zetterberg</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02755/8762426-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="122" height="138"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>&lsquo;LITTLE Z&rsquo; LIGHTS IT UP</b></h2><p>Detroit sniper <b>Henrik Zetterberg</b> fires eight goals and 20 points in a nine-game span as the Red Wings heat up in the Western Conference.</p><h2><b>NICE TIME TO GET HOT</b></h2><p>Ottawa goaltender <b>Martin Gerber</b>, who started the season poorly, shuts out Florida for his sixth victory in seven starts.</p><h2><b>DON&rsquo;T LOOK NOW, BUT&hellip;</b></h2><p>The Tampa Bay Lightning,  on the strength of <b>Vinny Lecavalier</b>, <b>Martin St-Louis</b> and goalie <b>Johan Hol mqvis</b>t, suddenly look like champs again.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04378/8762412-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="2003" height="1516"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ray Emery</figcaption></div><h2><b>TAKE THREE FOR SLASH</b></h2><p>Ottawa Senators goaltender <b>Ray Emery</b> is suspended three games for slashing Montreal&rsquo;s <b>Maxim Lapierre</b> in the face with his stick.</p><h2><b>MONTREAL&rsquo;S FREE FALL</b></h2><p>The Canadiens&rsquo; losing streak coincides with a one-goal-in-22-games slump for captain <b>Saku Koivu</b> &ndash; and zero-in-14 for <b>Chris Higgins</b>.</p><h2><b>SLUMPING SOPHOMORE</b></h2><p>Anaheim right winger <b>Corey Perry</b> suffers through a lengthy dry spell, going pointless in nine games as the Ducks&rsquo; offense sputters.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-03

PLUS/MINUS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011271/8762747-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"></div><p><b>SEE PG. 33 FOR INJURIES | TOP TWO PLAYERS ON PP UNIT PLAY THE POINTS</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0026-01

NHL Depth Charts

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04432/8762792-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="268" height="268"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03603/8762785-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="1229" height="1331"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STAR REBORN</b> Vojtech Polak is making a much better impression in his second pro season in Iowa. <span class="photo-credit">(PORTRAITS BY DEENA & CO)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>T</b>he name hasn&rsquo;t changed, but <b>Vojtech Polak</b> is a changed man this season.</p><p>As a rookie a year ago, Polak displayed skills, but not necessarily passion, as he learned the pro game with the Iowa Stars.</p><p>&ldquo;He came with a sense of entitlement,&rdquo; said Iowa coach <b>Dave Allison</b>. &ldquo;A lot of young guys don&rsquo;t know how hard it is, that in order for his skill to come out, his effort has to come out.&rdquo;</p><p>Effort by the 21-year-old Czech right winger hasn&rsquo;t been questioned this season. He had 16 goals and 35 points through 42 games and was plus-2. Included was a four-goal game Feb. 3. A year ago, Polak scored 12 goals and 34 points in 60 games and was minus-5.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1184/8762778-1-eng-US/f0027-112.jpg" title="f0027-11" width="88" height="88"></div><p>&ldquo;He really came back with a changed attitude,&rdquo; Allison said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s really dug in, in terms of work ethic in all three zones. He wants to be a good player at this level and the next level will take care of itself.&rdquo;</p><p>A second round pick (36th overall) by Dallas in 2003, Polak has played two NHL games this season.</p><p><b>FINDING THE NET</b> After going more than four months without a goal, Toronto right winger <b>Aleksander Suglobov</b> found the net for the first time this season Feb. 10. The fourth-year veteran scored again the next game, helping the Marlies post back-toback victories.</p><p>Suglobov started the season with the Maple Leafs, but didn&rsquo;t have a point in 14 NHL games. He finally scored in his eighth game with the Marlies.</p><p><b>GOOD CALL</b> Peoria goalie <b>Jason Bacashihua</b> bailed out Rivermen captain <b>Aaron MacKenzie</b> by stopping <b>Danny Irmen</b> on a penalty shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, preserving a 4-3 victory over Houston.</p><p>The penalty shot was awarded when MacKenzie covered the puck in the crease, a call he didn&rsquo;t dispute but rather praised referee <b>Terry Koharski</b> for making.</p><p>&ldquo;I give Koharski credit for having the guts to call that,&rdquo; MacKenzie told the <i>Journal-Star</i> of Peoria.</p><p><b>SHARP AS EVER</b> Second-year goalie <b>Jimmy Howard</b>&nbsp;of Grand Rapids missed six weeks with an ankle injury, but returned the same way he left the ice &ndash; by posting a shutout. Howard, a member of the AHL&rsquo;s all-rookie team in 2005-06, made 28 saves in a 4-0 win at Iowa. He recorded a 32-save shutout in a 3-0 win over Rochester on New Year&rsquo;s Eve, then hurt his ankle in practice.</p><p><b>MAKING A MARK</b> In four pro seasons, <b>Nicolas Corbeil</b>&nbsp;has yet to make a mark above the ECHL level, playing just 17 AHL games before this year.</p><p>But Corbeil is making a bid to stay with the Milwaukee Admirals by scoring six goals in eight games during a February callup. That included a hat trick in a 4-3 win over Houston Feb. 11.</p><p>Corbeil was a third round pick (88th overall) by Toronto in 2001, but never signed with the Leafs.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Houston Aeros played 10 straight one-goal games and won just twice (2-5-3-0)&hellip;The Hamilton Bulldogs scored seven second period goals against Rochester and rookie goalie <b>Adam Dennis</b> in a 9-5 thumping Feb. 11.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0027-04

Attitude adjustment

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011216/8762830-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="264" height="373"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02837/8762823-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="141" height="147"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>Climbing the charts</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen the Montreal Canadiens were slotting prospects to fill the Hamilton Bulldogs&rsquo; roster, no one used a Sharpie to write down Matt D&rsquo;Agostini&rsquo;s name. They didn&rsquo;t even use a pencil.</p><p>D&rsquo;Agostini was expected to start his pro career in the ECHL and work his way to the American League. But the rookie right winger turned too many heads at the Bulldogs&rsquo; camp to be sent anywhere and with two months to go in the regular season his performance belies his draft status. A sixth round pick (190th overall) in 2005, D&rsquo;Agostini has 12 goals and 29 points in 36 games.</p><p>&ldquo;He has deceptive speed, real good hands, he&rsquo;s probably one of the best I&rsquo;ve seen on the boards as far as taking passes and making plays &ndash; and he has a ton of things to learn,&rdquo; said Bulldogs coach Don Lever.</p><p>There are a few things D&rsquo;Agostini does that can&rsquo;t be taught. Like his ability to scoot past a defenseman on the rush.</p><p>&ldquo;He has an unbelievable outside move,&rdquo; Lever said. &ldquo;He has that little stutter-step that makes the defenseman think he can step up, and then he goes right around him. It&rsquo;s kind of like a (Mike) Bossy juke.&rdquo;</p><p>And it comes naturally.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not something I plan, I just go out and skate,&rdquo; said the 6-foot, 190-pound D&rsquo;Agostini. &ldquo;Skating has always been one of the keys to my success.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-01

AHL PROFILE WITH Matt D’Agostini

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05293/8762903-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="502" height="176"></div><p>As of Feb. 15, 2007</p><h2><b>AHL TOP 10</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-06216/8762896-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="360" height="456"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-07178/8762889-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="281" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRIAN SIPOTZ</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-08151/8762882-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="146" height="140"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1272/8762875-1-eng-US/f0027-122.jpg" title="f0027-12" width="158" height="48"></div><p><b>TOP PLUS/MINUS MEN</b></p><p><b>PLAYER PLUS</b></p><p>Brian Sipotz, Chi 28</p><p>Darren Haydar, Chi 27</p><p>Alexandre Giroux, Her 26</p><p>Andrei Kostitsyn, Ham 23</p><p>Eric Fehr, Her 20</p><p>Zenon Konopka, Syr 20</p><p>Brett Sterling, Chi 20</p><p>Ben Walter, Prov 19</p><p>David Van der Gulik, Oma 19</p><p>Two players tied 18</p><h2><b>WORCESTER SHARKS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-09123/8762868-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="160" height="145"></div><p><b>1st Season in AHL</b></p><p><b>Best Season</b></p><p>24-18-9 in 2006-07</p><p><b>Arena</b></p><p>DCU Center</p><p><b>GM</b> Wayne Thomas</p><p><b>Coach</b></p><p>Roy Sommer</p><p><b>Career Leaders</b></p><p>(GP-G-A-Points)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-10105/8762861-1-eng-US/f0027-102.jpg" title="f0027-10" width="382" height="387"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0027-05

POWER RANKINGS

<div class="byline">- PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02877/8762941-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="264" height="368"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03655/8762934-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="187" height="170"></div><h2><b>Standard set by Darche</b></h2><p>Far and away the team&rsquo;s scoring leader, Mathieu Darche has provided the Worcester Sharks with something just as valuable as points.</p><p>A 30-year-old veteran in his seventh pro season, the Montreal native has proven to be the ultimate role model for the San Jose Sharks&rsquo; youth movement.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been real important for us,&rdquo; said assistant coach David Cunniff. &ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t had steady linemates, but he&rsquo;s battled through that and he&rsquo;s always contributed in the room.</p><p>&ldquo;He holds everyone accountable. He might get his points and, if we lose, he&rsquo;s unhappy. What better way to teach young guys that hopefully one day will play for the Sharks that you never accept losing, no matter how well you do individually.&rdquo;</p><p>With 25 goals and 53 points through 49 games, Darche was on pace to surpass his pro career highs set in 2002-02 with the Syracuse Crunch.</p><p>He has 26 NHL games to his credit, none since 2003-04. He spent last year in Germany before returning for another crack at the big time.</p><p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to have any what-ifs when I&rsquo;m done,&rdquo; Darche said. &ldquo;Even if I still play when I&rsquo;m 38, I&rsquo;ll still hope to get called up. When I&rsquo;m here, I&rsquo;m 100 per-cent Worcester Sharks, and I want to make the team better.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-02

AHL PROFILE WITH Mathieu Darche

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04463/8762979-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MILESTONE GAME</b> Hershey&rsquo;s Bruce Boudreau coached his 1,000th professional game Feb. 7. <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN DANIEL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011255/8762986-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="196" height="90"></div><p><b>I</b>n addition to his game, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton&rsquo;s <b>Jonathan Filewich</b> has spent this season expanding his mind.</p><p>While netting 21 goals in 50 games, one shy of his total in 73 games as a rookie, the second-year right winger has filled his free time by taking college correspondence courses.</p><p>Filewich is enrolled at Athabasca University, a university created by the Alberta government that serves some 32,000 students a year in long distance and online education.</p><p>&ldquo;I know my hockey career&rsquo;s not going to last forever,&rdquo; Filewich said. &ldquo;About two years ago, someone said, &lsquo;Why don&rsquo;t you take a course, one at a time?&rsquo; It&rsquo;s gone well so far.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05355/8762972-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="268" height="268"></div><p>After the Penguins final practice before he represented the team at the all-star festivities in Toronto, Filewich rushed home to take his final exam in psychology.</p><p>&ldquo;I got a 77 and my final mark was an A,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I love to read, so I read an hour or two every day. Obviously, I&rsquo;m not going to get a degree anytime soon. It&rsquo;s been great so far and it&rsquo;s kept my mind busy.&rdquo;</p><p>Drafted 70th overall by Pittsburgh in 2003, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Filewich leads Wilkes-Barre with 41 points, five more than he scored all last season and is second with a plus-12 rating.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really set the highest goals, point-wise,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I just want our team to win. I have scored a lot more goals and got more points than maybe I initially set out to do, but now I expect it out of myself.&rdquo;</p><p><b>BUMPY ROAD</b> After setting a single-season AHL record with 27 road wins in 2005-06, Portland has struggled away from home.</p><p>Before victories at Wilkes-Barre Feb. 9 and Norfolk Feb. 10, the Pirates went more than two months without winning a road game. With 10 weeks left in the regular season, Portland was 8-9-2-3 away from home, tied with Philadelphia, San Antonio and Syracuse for the second-fewest road wins in the league.</p><p><b>SO HAPPY TOGETHER</b> Having first joined forces in 2002-03, the Ottawa and Binghamton Senators will continue their marriage for at least the next five years.</p><p>The two sides reached an agreement that will last through 2011-12. Binghamton also had a deal in principle on a matching five-year lease with the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.</p><p>Nearly half of Ottawa&rsquo;s current 22-man roster has spent some time in Binghamton.</p><p><b>STREAK ENDS</b> A 4-2 loss to Albany Feb. 9 ended Norfolk&rsquo;s team-record 14-game home winning streak, dating back to Dec. 4.</p><p>The Admirals hadn&rsquo;t lost in regulation on home ice since Dec. 1, winning 25 of 28 games (25-1-2-0). Their loss to Portland Feb. 10 marked the first time since Dec. 2-3, 2005 they had dropped two straight at home.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Hershey&rsquo;s <b>Bruce Boudreau</b> coached his 1,000th pro game Feb. 7, a 5-2 win over Portland. It was his 312th career victory, tops among active AHL coaches&hellip;Springfield snapped a nine-game losing streak Feb. 10, the night it retired <b>Rob Murray&rsquo;s</b> No. 23.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-04

Scholarly pursuits

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>s first impressions go, goalie Derek Gustafson wasn&rsquo;t particularly thrilled by his debut with the defending Kelly Cup-champion Alaska Aces: Two wins in eight starts and a pair of three-game losing streaks through Nov. 25.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-06304/8763017-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="181" height="174"></div><p>&ldquo;I never had really been through a slump,&rdquo; said Gustafson, 27. &ldquo;To start the season off like that with a brand new team was hard to go through when expectations were so high. You go back to the basics at practice and (I) try to not put too much pressure on myself. I tried to relax.&rdquo;</p><p>The formula has worked. Gustafson, who has four career NHL games with Minnesota, erased memories of that 2-6 start by posting a 17-2-1 record since then. He has 19 wins overall and four shutouts for the West Division-leading Aces.</p><p>&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t get out to the start he would have liked,&rdquo; said Alaska coach Davis Payne. &ldquo;But through hard work, patience and re-establishing some fundamentals, he&rsquo;s put himself right where we expected he would be.&rdquo;</p><p>The Gresham, Ore., native was perfect during eight starts in January, earning league saver of the month honors.</p><h2><b>ROADRUNNER SCARE</b></h2><p>Phoenix defenseman Dave Pszenyczny had surgery Feb. 10 at Alaska Regional Hospital to repair multiple severed tendons and arteries in his right forearm, the team announced.</p><p>Pszenyczny, 21, was cut by the blade of an Alaska player&rsquo;s skate as the players battled for the puck along the boards during a Feb. 9 game at Sullivan Arena. He is on the 30-day IR.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-06

Problem solved

<div class="byline">BY DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02754/8763097-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="790" height="772"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011116/8763104-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="175" height="125"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>URING THE MIDDLE</b> of a six-game, 12-day road trip, the Youngstown Steelhounds scheduled an off-day while traveling 14 hours from Amarillo, Texas, to Shreveport, Louisiana.</p><p>There wasn&rsquo;t any sightseeing. The team took a short detour to New Orleans and pitched in with the huge relief effort that&rsquo;s still ongoing more than 18 months after Hurricane Katrina struck.</p><p>Team trainer Mike Ermatinger organized the project with the help of local relief groups and the Steelhounds went to work in one of the hardest-hit areas.</p><p>Rather than construction work, the Steelhounds did demolition work, tearing down parts of three houses that sustained major flood damage. The job included removing sheetrock, carpeting, appliances and personal items left behind.</p><p>&ldquo;The carpet was still soaking wet, even after all this time,&rdquo; said Steelhounds coach Kevin Kaminski. &ldquo;It was kind of like a ghost town.&rdquo;</p><p>Said Steelhounds center John Wheaton: &ldquo;Downtown (New Orleans) was awesome, but on the outskirts it was really bad. It was crazy. Nobody was there.&rdquo;</p><p>The scene certainly stuck with winger Tab Larder.</p><p>&ldquo;The area was completely destroyed,&rdquo; he said &ldquo;You&rsquo;d see all the furniture in one corner of the room because the level of the water was over the house and when the water went down that&rsquo;s where it settled.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite the desolation and devastation, the Steelhounds left New Orleans with a feeling of hope.</p><p>&ldquo;Knowing you helped somebody that had nowhere to live feels good,&rdquo; Wheaton said.</p><p>Kaminski was left with similar emotions.</p><p>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t get everything done, but the way I look at it is three families are much closer to getting back into their houses,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;That is something that will stay with me the rest of my life.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03525/8763090-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="524" height="686"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HELPING HOUNDS</b> Youngstown players and coaches helped out with Hurricane Katrina relief.</figcaption></div><h3><b>Eye on Europe</b></h3><h2><b>Noronen adjusts to Russian League</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04381/8763083-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="190" height="115"></div><p>Frustrated with the prospect of another NHL season with little or no ice time, goalie Mika Noronen decided to head east, signing with AK Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League. &ldquo;I was a little nervous at first, but it&rsquo;s been great,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I started the first five games of the season and now the coach alternates me and Aleksander Eremenko.&rdquo; Living in Russia has been an adjustment for Noronen, as has the Russian style of hockey. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not as straightforward and they cycle the puck back more instead of just dumping it in. The rinks are bigger, the game is slower, so the skilled players really stand out in Russia,&rdquo; said Noronen, before adding with a laugh, &ldquo;and there are a lot of skilled players there.&rdquo; In May, Noronen will be, as he put it, &ldquo;unemployed&rdquo; again. &ldquo;I become a free agent in the NHL which hopefully opens up some doors,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;At the same time, I wouldn&rsquo;t mind staying in Kazan, either.&rdquo;</p><p><b>&ndash; RISTO PAKARINEN</b></p><h3><b>United League</b></h3><h2><b>Commish leaving to join B2 network</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05314/8763076-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="187" height="83"></div><p>After 10 years as commissioner, Richard Brosal is leaving the UHL to become executive vice-president of sales and marketing for the B2 Network. Brosal, who will leave June 1, said he&rsquo;ll be in charge of B2&rsquo;s day-to-day operations. The B2 Network provides Internet video feeds of UHL games as well as several other leagues. &ldquo;I love this league and I love this industry,&rdquo; said Brosal, 47. &ldquo;Part of my willingness to accept this position is its tie to hockey. I&rsquo;m very excited about working with the NHL and the AHL and the ECHL and all the different leagues.&rdquo; Brosal, who signed a long-term contract, will also become a part-owner of the network. His biggest accomplishment in the UHL was helping get health insurance for the players.</p><p><b>&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE</b></p><h3><b>Canadian University</b></h3><h2><b>Lukin suspended for testing positive</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06256/8763069-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="165" height="111"></div><p>Former Calgary Dino Jarret Lukin has been suspended for two years following an anti-doping rule violation. The announcement was made by the CIS Feb. 9. Lukin participated in an unannounced in-competition doping control conducted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport on Nov. 3. His sample contained cocaine metabolite, which is prohibited and carries with it a two-year period of ineligibility. Once notified, Calgary suspended the 23-year-old, but he launched an appeal. A tribunal hearing was convened Jan. 31, but ruled against the second-year forward. Lukin signed with the Florida Everblades two days before his appeal, but ECHL officials will uphold the suspension pending an investigation.</p><p><b>&ndash; JEFF RENAUD</b></p><h3><b>Southern Pro League</b></h3><h2><b>Sich feeling good and firing up Antz</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07204/8763062-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="169" height="133"></div><p>Robert Sich is making the best of a bad situation. The forward who was left without a job when the Florida Seals folded in January was selected third overall by Fayetteville in the league&rsquo;s one-round dispersal draft. He scored five goals and chipped in 12 points in his first seven games with the FireAntz, who were starving for offense. &ldquo;I was fortunate to play with a couple of good forwards (Josh Welter and Tim Velemirovich) and that second game we clicked,&rdquo; Sich said. &ldquo;I scored a couple of goals and it was great to get the monkey off my back early and things have been rolling.&rdquo; The 23-year-old never gave up on the season. &ldquo;I had some teams to fall back on, even if it was the Quebec League,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was fortunate to get a few bites.&rdquo;</p><p><b>&ndash; NICK GATES</b></p><h3><b>North American League</b></h3><h2><b>Bandits raise bar, host NTDP squad</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08172/8763055-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="156" height="119"></div><p>Care to come early to this year&rsquo;s Frozen Four? The North American League has just the excuse you need. The St. Louis Bandits will battle the U.S. National Team Development Program under-17 squad in an exhibition contest at Scottrade Center, home of the NHL&rsquo;s Blues, two days before the Frozen Four kicks off on April 5. Co-owned by Brett Hull, the Bandits, the class of the league at 34-8-2, were looking to raise the bar of team branding; hence, the reason for the game. &ldquo;We were looking for a way to celebrate the game while spurring some interest in our team and our league,&rdquo; said Bandits coach-GM and co-owner Jon Cooper. &ldquo;With the Frozen Four in St. Louis, we thought this could be a great way to tie everything in.&rdquo;</p><p><b>&ndash; PAUL SHAHEEN</b></p><h3><b>The Women&rsquo;s Game</b></h3><h2><b>University game features more skill</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09151/8763048-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="165" height="111"></div><p>Karen Hughes likes what&rsquo;s happening in Canadian university women&rsquo;s hockey. &ldquo;The overall caliber of player is better,&rdquo; said the 14-year coaching veteran at the University of Toronto. &ldquo;And there is a smaller gap between the best and the worst, so you see more kids who are more skilled. The age group who are going to university now have been playing since they were six and seven years old in Ontario and this is happening in other parts of the country.&rdquo; Hughes said changes in funding has encouraged participation. As of next year, firstyear players can get scholarships worth up to $3,500. &ldquo;The number of players funded will vary by school,&rdquo; she said. Previously, players could only apply for funding after their first year.</p><p><b>&ndash; ELIZABETH ETUE</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0029-02

Youngstown reaches out

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011264/8763163-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="775" height="1065"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>BRAD MARCHAND RAN</b> the full gamut of emotions last season with the Moncton Wildcats.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02847/8763170-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="148" height="136"></div><p>There was the thrill of capturing the QMJHL title, followed by the pain of losing to the Quebec Remparts in the Memorial Cup final.</p><p>&ldquo;That was a tough way to end a great season,&rdquo; said the 18-year-old, who&rsquo;s now with the Val d&rsquo;Or Foreurs. &ldquo;You think about it all summer. It makes me even more hungry to go back to this year&rsquo;s Memorial Cup and finish the job.&rdquo;</p><p>Val d&rsquo;Or, which is among the league&rsquo;s top powers, counts heavily on Marchand, Boston&rsquo;s fourth round pick (71st overall) in 2006.</p><p>The Halifax, N.S., native helped Canada capture gold at this year&rsquo;s World Junior Championship and also at the 2005 under-18 Junior World Cup. And he won bronze with Team Atlantic at the 2005 world under-17 tournament.</p><p>&ldquo;He has lots of winning experience,&rdquo; said Val d&rsquo;Or coach Eric Lavigne. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a spark plug, a key leader for us. I use him a lot&hellip;power play, penalty kill and regular shift. He&rsquo;s very dangerous offensively and is an energetic player who always wants the puck.</p><p>&ldquo;He likes to play against top lines. When he has a challenge, he&rsquo;s better, which is a great quality. He wants to be on the ice in key situations.&rdquo;</p><p>The 5-foot-9, 183-pound center combines speed, skill and a fiery competitive spirit. His gritty and creative style is suited for the new NHL, but he needs to improve his defensive play.</p><p>Marchand was disappointed with his first NHL training camp in the fall, which has served as extra motivation to work hard on his game this season.</p><p>&ldquo;Boston&rsquo;s camp was faster and the guys were even better than I realized,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was an eye-opener.</p><p>&ldquo;It showed me I&rsquo;ve got to make the simple plays. Stop trying to beat everyone 1-on-1.&rdquo;</p><p>Another step in Marchand&rsquo;s development came as part of Team Canada at the world junior in Sweden.</p><p>&ldquo;It was a great learning experience being in that environment,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re always expected to win gold when you&rsquo;re Team Canada and we had some extra pressure because we hadn&rsquo;t won the tournament in Europe for 10 years.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to remember every second of that winning experience. Hopefully, I can follow it up with a Memorial Cup and make this season perfect.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>Spotlight</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03614/8763156-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="966" height="231"></div><h3><b>Western League</b></h3><h2><b>Yellow Horn gunning for 50 after exceeding expectations</b></h2><p><b>BY ROB VANSTONE</b></p><p><b>Colton Yellow Horn</b> set a goal for goals.</p><p>He entered the 2006-07 season with the objective of scoring 40 times &ndash; a projection that turned out to be low. Through 54 games, the Tri-City Americans left winger had 39 goals, tying him with Kamloops Blazers center <b>Reid Jorgensen</b> for the league lead.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04444/8763149-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="153" height="116"></div><p>&ldquo;Now I want to get 50,&rdquo; Yellow Horn said. &ldquo;Hopefully that happens. That would be a great accomplishment.&rdquo;</p><p>The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder is a good bet to double last season&rsquo;s goal total of 25, which he produced with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Lethbridge dealt him to Tri-City the day he returned from a free agent tryout with the Toronto Maple Leafs in September.</p><p>&ldquo;You go to an NHL camp and it&rsquo;s a whole lot faster up there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I worked a lot more on my shot and my speed than I had before. They weren&rsquo;t exactly where I wanted them to be.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Moose Jaw Warriors fired coach <b>Steve Young</b> 10 months after he took the team to the league final. Young, who had a 19-30-3 record this year, was replaced by assistant <b>Rene Lemire</b>&hellip;The Red Deer Rebels&rsquo; <b>Brent Sutter</b> is the 16th coach in WHL history to reach the 300-win plateau.</p><h3><b>Ontario League</b></h3><h2><b>Greyhounds coach unsure of role with Canadian squad</b></h2><p><b>BY JIM CRESSMAN</b></p><p><b>Craig Hartsburg</b> hasn&rsquo;t decided if he wants to spend a third year with Canada at the World Junior Championship.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05333/8763142-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="190" height="65"></div><p>He was coach of Team Canada this year, guiding the team to its first gold medal on European ice since 1997 in Geneva. And he was an assistant under <b>Brent Sutter</b> when Canada captured gold in Vancouver in 2006.</p><p>The 2008 world junior is in the Czech Republic.</p><p>&ldquo;At this point, I&rsquo;m not really thinking about it too much,&rdquo; Hartsburg said.</p><p>The third-year coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds said coaching the national juniors takes a toll on the people back home.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big commitment,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just Christmas, there&rsquo;s the summer part of it, there&rsquo;s the lead up.</p><p>&ldquo;To be away from your team, your family, time wise, it&rsquo;s a huge commitment. I&rsquo;ve done it two years in a row now and it has been a great experience.&rdquo;</p><p>Hockey Canada will run the national junior coaching interviews during the Memorial Cup in May in Vancouver.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Kingston Frontenacs, Kitchener Rangers, London Knights, Oshawa Generals, Saginaw Spirit and Sarnia Sting will bid for the 2008 Memorial Cup. The winner will be announced in early May.</p><h3><b>Quebec League</b></h3><h2><b>Bergeron gives back, helps less fortunate kids</b></h2><p><b>BY NEIL HODGE</b></p><p>Edmonton Oilers defense-man <b>Marc-Andre Bergeron</b> hasn&rsquo;t forgotten his roots.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06267/8763135-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="148" height="136"></div><p>He purchased 350 tickets per season (for three years) to Shawinigan Cataractes games, to be donated to less fortunate children. The deal will see Bergeron buy a total of 1,050 tickets for $10,500.</p><p>Bergeron played three seasons for the Cataractes and completed his QMJHL career in 2000-01.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very proud to say Marc-Andre played his junior hockey in Shawinigan and this is a very nice gesture on his part,&rdquo; said Cataractes president <b>Louis Caron</b>. &ldquo;This will benefit many kids who may not normally have the opportunity to attend a game.</p><p>&ldquo;Marc-Andre is from the Shawinigan region and he&rsquo;s doing well in the NHL. He&rsquo;s a big name here with many people following his career. He wanted to do something for the Cataractes and the kids in the community and we certainly appreciate this noble gesture he&rsquo;s making.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Memorial Cup-champion Quebec Remparts are on pace to break the QMJHL attendance record of 308,616 they established in 1971-72. The Remparts, averaging 9,770 fans per game &ndash; which projects to 341,950 over a full season &ndash; had a 24.5 per-cent increase compared to the same time last year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0030-01

Marching to success

<div class="byline">BY TOM BOGGIE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011164/8763236-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg"></div><p><b>NICK DODGE&rsquo;S COLLEGE</b>&nbsp;career veered very early on.</p><p>Three years ago, Dodge was prepared to spend four years wearing the blackand-orange of the Princeton Tigers. The center was going to be one of the Tigers&rsquo; biggest recruiting coups.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02771/8763243-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="149" height="149"></div><p>But everything changed in the spring of 2004, when Princeton coach Len Quesnelle was fired.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, there was no coaching staff and there was no communication as to what was going on,&rdquo; said Dodge, now a junior at Clarkson. &ldquo;After a couple of months, I thought I should be looking at other schools, just to be safe.&rdquo;</p><p>Some unsolicited advice from a family friend started Dodge on the road to Clarkson.</p><p>&ldquo;I really didn&rsquo;t know anything about Clarkson,&rdquo; Dodge said. &ldquo;Craig Conroy&rsquo;s uncle (Conroy was a Hobey Baker finalist at Clarkson in 1994) is a good friend of ours back home. He told me about Clarkson, about the tradition and everything, and said I should give it a shot.&rdquo;</p><p>It was obviously the right choice. Not only is Dodge, drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, one of Clarkson&rsquo;s most reliable scorers, he has also brought leadership to a team that features nine NHL draft picks. He was the first sophomore in Clarkson history to be named an alternate captain and wears the &lsquo;C&rsquo; this year.</p><p>&ldquo;The guys look up to him because he works so hard,&rdquo; said Clarkson coach George Roll. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the type of kid who&rsquo;s willing to block a shot late in the game, anything it takes to get a win.&rdquo;</p><p>Dodge has an enviable mix of speed and great hands. He was named the Golden Knights MVP last year, is a terrific penaltykiller and one of the best faceoff men in the ECAC.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s something you can practice as much as you want,&rdquo; said Dodge, a finance major who was valedictorian of his high school class. &ldquo;Everyone has their own technique and my technique works for me.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s impossible to speculate what Dodge&rsquo;s Princeton experience would have entailed, but he admits playing around so many NHL prospects has its advantages.</p><p>&ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve got a group of players like that, you have to elevate your game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The guys here are on top of their game and are always looking to better themselves for the future, so it&rsquo;s an easy place to succeed.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>Spotlight</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03581/8763229-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="966" height="231"></div><h3><b>Central Collegiate</b></h3><h2><b>Irish fight to top spot, but can&rsquo;t get complacent</b></h2><p><b>BY PHILIP COLVIN</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04444/8763222-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="193" height="72"></div><p>After Notre Dame took over the No. 1 ranking in the national polls for the first time in the program&rsquo;s 39-year history in early February, the Fighting Irish coaching staff hoped their players would enjoy the recognition and then forget it as quickly as possible. &ldquo;We talked to the guys &ndash; not in a rah, rah kind of way &ndash; about it,&rdquo; said Notre Dame coach <b>Jeff Jackson</b>. &ldquo;They earned it and it&rsquo;s great to get recognized, but it doesn&rsquo;t mean a whole lot really. It&rsquo;s more important we stay focused because we still have a lot of hockey to play and a lot of room for improvement.&rdquo; Notre Dame&rsquo;s success is rooted in a deep roster. Senior goalie <b>David Brown</b>, a Hobey Baker Award candidate along with junior forward <b>Mark Van Guilder</b>, led the nation in wins (23) and goals-against average (1.72). &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a special group of kids,&rdquo; said assistant coach <b>Andy Slaggert</b>. &ldquo;But you don&rsquo;t hang any banners for being ranked No. 1.&rdquo;</p><h3><b>Hockey East</b></h3><h2><b>Bunch of brick walls dominating creases</b></h2><p><b>BY LARRY MAHONEY</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05349/8763215-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="197" height="89"></div><p>Hockey East&rsquo;s goalies are having a banner year. Entering the final three weeks of the regular season, Boston University&rsquo;s <b>John Curry</b> (1.76), Vermont&rsquo;s <b>Joe Fallon</b> (1.82) and New Hampshire&rsquo;s <b>Kevin Regan</b> (1.94) were second, third and fourth in the nation in goalsagainst average. Curry and Fallon were 1-2 in shutouts with six and five, respectively. Five goalies had GAA&rsquo;s under 2.30 and six had save percentages of .920 or better. Backup goalies had produced six shutouts and freshmen had eight. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always had a lot of good goaltenders, but, from top to bottom, we&rsquo;ve never had anything like this,&rdquo; said Boston University coach <b>Jack Parker</b>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing. And it&rsquo;s not just upperclassmen.&rdquo; New Hampshire coach <b>Dick Umile</b> agreed, citing talented goalie coaches, great athleticism at the position and the huge technical strides goalies have made in the past 10 years as reasons for the surge.</p><h3><b>Eastern College</b></h3><h2><b>Romano refutes doubts, leads Cornell in goals</b></h2><p><b>BY TOM BOGGIE</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06287/8763208-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="208" height="77"></div><p>It&rsquo;s time for critics to stop looking for a chink in <b>Tony Romano&rsquo;s</b> armor. First, there was the knock about his size. When the New Jersey Devils drafted him in the sixth round last June, Cornell&rsquo;s freshman center was listed at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds. He&rsquo;s since added 15 pounds to his frame. Then, some questioned whether he could make the transition from the Tier III Atlantic League to Div. I hockey. But after 25 games, he was Cornell&rsquo;s second-leading scorer with 21 points and shared the team lead with nine goals. &ldquo;His offensive instincts just jump off the ice at you,&rdquo; said Cornell coach <b>Mike Schafer</b>. A native of Smithtown, N.Y., Romano developed his skills under the tutelage of <b>Aleksey Nikiforov</b>, a former player for the fabled Dynamo Riga team. Romano has worked under Nikiforov since he was three years old and also played for him with the AJHL&rsquo;s New York Bobcats.</p><h3><b>Western Collegiate</b></h3><h2><b>Seawolves scampering to keep coach Shyiak</b></h2><p><b>BY ANDY BAGGOT</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07242/8763201-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="212" height="47"></div><p>Alaska-Anchorage athletic director <b>Steve Cobb</b> wants to keep second-year coach <b>Dave Shyiak</b>, but that decision is not in the school&rsquo;s hands. Shyiak was born and raised in Manitoba and is seeking a green card that will give him permanent resident status in the U.S. As part of that process, the school had to solicit applications for the job in order to show there are no qualified American workers able, willing, qualified and available to take the job. Five candidates applied, including one-time Anchorage assistant <b>Frank Bretti</b> and former Denver and Wisconsin assistant <b>Troy Ward</b>. &ldquo;Dave&rsquo;s an extremely well-qualified Division I hockey coach,&rdquo; said Cobb to the Anchorage <i>Daily News</i>. &ldquo;What he&rsquo;s done here is extraordinary.&rdquo; The school has submitted a permanent labor certification application to the U.S. Department of Labor. The process usually takes 30 to 60 days to be resolved.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-01

Quick shift keys success

f0032-01

BLADEMASTER

<div class="byline">Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011145/8763354-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FIVE NEAT GUYS</b> Would the NHL be better-served with a hockey guy or a shrewd showman in its No. 1 job? <span class="photo-credit">(AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02745/8763361-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="220" height="233"></div><p>Read Adam&rsquo;s blog daily on <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03617/8763347-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="255" height="355"><figcaption class="caption-body">Eddie Gossage</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04477/8763340-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="256" height="348"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bill Daly</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-05403/8763333-1-eng-US/f0036-052.jpg" title="f0036-05" width="255" height="358"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Cuban</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-06351/8763326-1-eng-US/f0036-062.jpg" title="f0036-06" width="256" height="352"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Burke</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-07315/8763319-1-eng-US/f0036-072.jpg" title="f0036-07" width="256" height="356"><figcaption class="caption-body">Paul Beeston</figcaption></div><p><i>The scene: NHL headquarters, New York City. The subject: Gary Bettman, standing on the steps of a waiting helicopter, smiling broadly and waving the peace sign above his head at reporters, then launching into the Manhattan sky after his final day as NHL commissioner.</i></p><p><b>FOR NHL FANS,</b> the above scenario would very likely be the Hallmark/Kodak moment to end all Hallmark/Kodak moments. I don&rsquo;t know that a ticker-tape parade would follow Bettman&rsquo;s departure, but I do know there&rsquo;d be no shortage of near-delirious hockey fans prepared to wave their hands in the air like they just don&rsquo;t care after hearing the news.</p><p>Of course, being loathed for a multitude of reasons &ndash; some valid, some not &ndash; is something that goes along with the territory for any pro sports commissioner.</p><p>But as the head of a league with (a) American TV ratings that are slightly better than the Al-Jazeera network; and (b) fundamentalist Canadian fans who would sooner watch players actually shoot each other than watch an NHL shootout, Bettman is in a particularly tough spot. I think the front-line phone-answerer in Enron&rsquo;s employee complaints department had it easier.</p><p>I&rsquo;m also perfectly aware how unlikely it is Bettman will be deposed before the end of his current contract (believed to run until the summer of 2012).</p><p>If the lockout season could be viewed as the breakup of Wham!, Bettman was George Michael and Bob Goodenow was whoever the hell the other guy was. The commish delivered cost certainty to the owners and there&rsquo;s one mother of a tip associated with that kind of courier business.</p><h2><b>BUT WHAT IF?</b></h2><p>Still, all allegedly good things must come to an end. And though Bettman is slated to celebrate his 20th anniversary as head honcho before his deal is up for renewal, you never know what circumstances could arise to make him step down before then.</p><p>With that in mind, we canvassed a few league observers and came up with five notable candidates to replace Bettman:</p><p><b>Bill Daly:</b> In the minds of most NHL types, the league&rsquo;s vice-president and deputy commissioner is the logical successor for the gig. And it&rsquo;s difficult to disagree.</p><p>Daly understands the game, is great with the media, knows where the bodies are buried and would be much better than his predecessor at playing non-contact patty cake during TV interviews with Ron MacLean.</p><p><b>Eddie Gossage:</b> Reports in late January had the Texas Motor Speedway president already approached to run the NHL. Naturally, he denied the rumors, but Gossage&rsquo;s marketing mastery would be manna from heaven for hockey types.</p><p>Gossage also has experience going around in circles, making him ideally suited to debate Bill Wirtz over the Hawks&rsquo; policy for broadcasting home games on TV.</p><p><b>Paul Beeston:</b>&nbsp;The former president of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays, Beeston was very much at the fore of smoothing out highly contentious relations between baseball&rsquo;s owners and its players&rsquo; union.</p><p>He has established ties that stretch across pro sports boundaries and would undoubtedly raise the respect level of a league that has been run down more times than Lindsay Lohan&rsquo;s reputation.</p><p><b>Brian Burke:</b> Having served as NHL senior vice-president and director of hockey operations for five years, the Ducks GM likely isn&rsquo;t at all interested in the headaches that would follow were he to assume Bettman&rsquo;s position.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Mark Cuban would drool uncontrollably at the proposition of going headto-head with David Stern</blockquote><p>However, there are more than a few who believe the league must move forward projecting as much passion as the hard-core fans who suffer through thick or thin with their teams.</p><p>Even if you disagree with some of Burke&rsquo;s opinions, there is no arguing the man is as passionate about hockey as they come.</p><p><b>Mark Cuban:</b> Snicker all you want, but if the NHL truly appreciates the value of showmanship and publicity, Cuban would be the perfect man for the job.</p><p>The Dallas Mavericks owner and wildly successful entrepreneur can offer the league even closer ties to his high-definition TV channel and would likely drool uncontrollably at the proposition of going head-to-head against his NBA nemesis, commissioner David Stern.</p><p>Would Cuban ever accept such an offer? Not without at least a partial lobotomy, he wouldn&rsquo;t.</p><p>But if he owned a stake in a team and placed it in trust (hey, if MLB commish Bud Selig can get away with it for nearly a decade, anyone should be able to), Cuban would have all the motivation &ndash; and more importantly, the power &ndash; required to steer the NHL in the radical new direction it so desperately requires.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-01

Bye to Bettman? Not very likely

<h2><b>2 MINUTES IN THE BOX WITH</b>&nbsp;<b>Richard Park</b></h2><p>New York Islanders</p><p>PosRW Age30</p><p>Birthplace Seoul, South Korea</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03553/8763427-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="265" height="367"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04462/8763420-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="166" height="161"></div><h2><b>START THE CLOCK</b></h2><p><b>What was your &lsquo;Welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>It has to be my first game (with Pittsburgh in 1994-95). That&rsquo;s something you always remember.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s the best thing about your hometown?</b></p><p>Los Angeles? Everything. The weather, the people, the ocean&hellip;</p><p><b>Whose autograph do you want?</b></p><p>Right now I&rsquo;d have to say either Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin.</p><p><b>What was your favorite video game when you were a kid?</b></p><p>The Legend of Zelda.</p><p><b>Where would you like to go that you haven&rsquo;t been before?</b></p><p>Fiji.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s the best jersey you&rsquo;ve seen?</b></p><p>I like the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; third jersey this year, the retro one.</p><p><b>What is your favorite off-ice hobby?</b></p><p>Going to the beach.</p><p><b>Which current NHL player do you most admire?</b></p><p>Marian Hossa.</p><p><b>Favorite meal?</b></p><p>I&rsquo;ll go for some Korean cuisine.</p><p><b>What do you do on team flights?</b></p><p>Play cards. (The Islanders) are all sharks.</p><p>TIME&rsquo;S UP!</p><p>&ndash; RYAN KENNEDY</p><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Bob ___ scored just 17 times in 13 NHL seasons (or, a Montreal university)<br>4 He wears the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in Calgary<br>9 The Stanley Cup was not awarded in 1919 due to the death of this legend<br>10 Tony ___ was a scrapper with St. Louis and Quebec<br>11 Former netminder ___ Vachon<br>12 Home of hockey&rsquo;s Spitfires<br>13 Hawk great ___ Mikita<br>15 One of the Espositos<br>18 Country made for skating<br>21 Ex-Oiler ___ Siltanen<br>23 A ___ puck belongs to no one<br>24 Foster Hewitt&rsquo;s old booth<br>25 The Minnesota Fighting ___ of the old WHA<br>26 Nashville&rsquo;s Jordin ___</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>1 St. Michael&rsquo;s ___ (or, five-minute penalties)<br>2 Randy ___ was with the Oilers for all five Cups<br>3 Don&rsquo;t pull (a goalie, say): 2 words<br>5 Taunt: 2 words<br>6 Roger ___ succeeded the other Esposito as Rangers coach<br>7 Flyers goalie ___ Niittymaki 8 To be up and then lose is to ___ a lead<br>14 Former Maple Leaf enforcer, a native of 12 Across<br>15 Site of the first All-Star Game<br>16 Former Bruin and Blackhawk ___ Marotte<br>17 He&rsquo;s the Stars all-time leading scorer, pictured<br>19 Al Eagleson was one<br>20 Mississauga is home of the OHL&rsquo;s Ice___<br>22 Dave Semenko is now an Oiler ___</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07323/8763413-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="1025" height="1025"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(By Larry Humber Answers in next issue & online @thehockeynews.com)</span></figcaption></div><p>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION <b>ACROSS</b> 1. BRUINS, 4. LONDON, 9. RESERVE, 10. NAMES, 11. NOTRE, 12. FERENCE, 13. PECA, 15. SAKU, 18. MARLEAU, 21. UNGER, 23. CLOUD, 24. EXPRESS, 25. SUFFER, 26. CLASSY. <b>DOWN</b> 1. BARONS, 2. UPSET, 3. NORRENA, 5. OWNER, 6. DOMINIK, 7. NEDVED, 8. JEFF, 14. EHRHOFF, 15. STUMPEL, 16. SMACKS, 17. CROSBY, 19. EDDIE, 20. USED, 22. GLENS.</p><h2><b>SEPARATED AT BIRTH</b></h2><p>Have you spotted these two personalities in the same room at the same time? Submitted by The Hockey News reader Mike Robinson.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05413/8763406-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="265" height="257"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARK GIORDANO</b></figcaption></div><p>Flames rookie defenseman has made noise this year</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06361/8763399-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="235" height="259"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MR. BEAN</b></figcaption></div><p>Famous British comedian rarely made any noise</p><p>Submit ideas for Separated at Birth to <a href="mailto:separated@thehockeynews.com">separated@thehockeynews.com</a></p><h2><b>JERSEY HOUND</b></h2><p><b>St. Louis circa 1986</b></p><p>Colors may change, stripes may move. But teams such as the Flyers, Kings and Blues (the survivors of the NHL&rsquo;s first expansion fleet) came in with great logos and two of them have stuck with them.</p><p>While the Kings have changed crowns several times, St. Louis shows how to properly play around with a jersey without losing the impact. The Blue Note will always stand on its own (like the Flyer &lsquo;P&rsquo;), but this 1980s jersey adds the team name in bold with great results.</p><p>&ndash; Ryan Kennedy</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02693/8763392-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="571" height="1119"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JERSEY: BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0037-03

Last Minute of Play

<div class="byline">charlieteljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011021/8763458-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0037-01

hockeysockpuppettheatre

<div class="byline">Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="C0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-01298/8763489-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Eric Lindros <span class="photo-credit">(RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-02184/8763496-1-eng-US/c0004-022.jpg" title="C0004-02" width="221" height="237"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">Every<sub>shift</sub>&nbsp;<b>Lindros</b> skates</blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>takes him</i>&nbsp;<b>further away</b> from the Hall.</blockquote><p><b>T</b>here was a time, not so long ago in fact, when the Dallas Stars were the perfect model for what many envisioned the new NHL to be.</p><p>The Stars were fast and chock-full of gifted, offense-minded forwards as well as defensemen who could chip in when the was outcome on the line. Speed was the name of the game and the Stars could set most opponents back on their heels with their lightning-quick attack.</p><p>Dallas was big&hellip;strong&hellip;intimidating.</p><p>Early in the new millennium, Mike Modano was one of the flashiest players in the league. Jason Arnott was the poster child for power centers. Sergei Zubov was one of the most underrated offensive forces from the blueline in the league. Jere Lehtinen was the NHL&rsquo;s best twoway winger. Marty Turco was emerging as a No. 1 goalie. Veterans Pierre Turgeon and Bill Guerin were supposed to put Dallas over the top, while kids such as Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott and Trevor Daley could be worked in slowly until they were ready for prime time.</p><p>And what about the Stars of today? Now, they&rsquo;re the New Jersey Devils of the Deep South.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;d go that far,&rdquo; says Dallas coach Dave Tippett. &ldquo;New Jersey has a defined group of skilled players&hellip;guys like (Scott) Gomez, (Patrik) Elias and (Brian) Gionta who do most of their scoring. I don&rsquo;t think we have a defined group of skilled guys like that. I don&rsquo;t mean that to sound derogatory&hellip;what it means, though, is we need everybody working hard and playing up to potential for us to win.&rdquo;</p><p>Not even the arrival of Ladislav Nagy (eight goals in 55 games) in a trade with Phoenix will be enough to change this team&rsquo;s style.</p><p>That&rsquo;s right, the Stars have become a grind&rsquo;em out group with little pizzazz. Wanna know exactly how much things have changed in Dallas? The Stars have won four games this season in the, uh, new NHL by scores of 1-0. Now it&rsquo;s true there have been entertaining 1-0 games through the years. But <i>four</i> of them in little more than half a season? Bet that&rsquo;s at least three games&rsquo; worth of time spent watching the Stars fans wish they had back. And while other coaches receive kudos for the jobs they are doing with more successful teams, it should be acknowledged that few have done so much with so little as Tippett in Dallas.</p><h2><b>ELITE LONG SHOTS</b></h2><p>Simply stated, the Stars have too many question marks to be considered anything more than a long shot this season.</p><p>Start with Modano. An injuryfilled campaign had him at just 11 goals and 22 points in 33 games. A point-a-game player throughout his career, Modano, 36, has not been a force at center since finishing 11th in league scoring in &rsquo;02-03. There&rsquo;s little about his game that would suggest he has enough left in the tank to lead his club through a gruelling two-month playoff.</p><p>Turco, who usually reserves his worst hockey for the playoffs, has been inconsistent and was pulled in back-to-back starts in mid-February. Tippett says his No. 1 stopper is suffering from fatigue and he plans to give him rest before the playoffs begin.</p><p>Hey, maybe this is the year Turco does an about-face and provides his team with saves when they need them most &ndash; in the postseason.</p><p>Morrow, who replaced Modano as captain this year, has been plagued by a wrist injury that will keep him out of the lineup until the end of March.</p><p>Then there&rsquo;s Eric Lindros. He joined the NHL as a sure-fire Hall of Famer in 1992, but injuries have helped conspire to make him ordinary. With just five goals through 44 games, Lindros has been a huge disappointment in Dallas after a pretty good showing in Toronto last year. Every shift he skates takes him further away from the Hall.</p><p>&ldquo;Eric is playing a good team game,&rdquo; says Tippett, &ldquo;But to be honest we wish he would score a little more.&rdquo;</p><p>And the Stars also were expecting more from Jeff Halpern, signed as a free agent from Washington; he had six goals in 53 games.</p><h2><b>SILVER LINING</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;s not all bad news in Dallas. Defenseman Philippe Boucher has emerged as one of the hardestshooting blueliners in the league and was a deserving participant in the NHL All-Star Game. And Zubov is enjoying yet another solid season, too.</p><p>With 70 points through 56 games, the Stars should have a lock on a playoff spot. Though he admits it has been a trying year, Tippett remains positive.</p><p>&ldquo;In years past, things almost went too smoothly for us, so that when we ran into a little bit of adversity, we weren&rsquo;t quite prepared to handle it,&rdquo; the coach says. &ldquo;Hopefully going through a little adversity this season will have hardened this team so that when the tough time of year arrives, the playoffs, we&rsquo;ll be better prepared.</p><p>&ldquo;There are certain things that need to be happening for us to have a shot at winning games and hard work is very high on that list.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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February 27, 2007

Opening Faceoff

WHO’S BUYIN’? WHO’S SELLIN’?

One winner, but many losers

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