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.

March 13, 2007

The Hockey News - Mar-13-07

<div class="byline">BY TIM GRAHAM</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01640/8816692-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he call came again, as it does every Feb. 17 from rural Warburg, Alta., the words of his robust parents coming across the line a little fainter.</p><p>Bittersweet is the only way to describe what should be a happy occasion. Instead, a celebration of life is inextricably melded to an unspoken reminder of thieving death, and Lindy Ruff feels that robbery most of all when he hears his mother&rsquo;s wistful voice.</p><p>&ldquo;It was quiet,&rdquo; the Buffalo coach said of how he spent his 47th birthday, &ldquo;just a conversation I had with my parents. They call me every year and just the tone of my mom&rsquo;s voice&hellip;It was a tough day.</p><p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t bring it up. It&rsquo;s just understood.&rdquo;</p><p>Brent Ruff, the youngest of four boys, was born on his big brother&rsquo;s birthday and dreamed of following in his skate tracks. He wore No. 11, half of Lindy&rsquo;s No. 22. &ldquo;Twins 10 years apart,&rdquo; their father, Leeson Ruff, said in a plaintive timbre.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">What it did to my parents for the first while crushed me.<br>Lindy Ruff</blockquote><p>Brent was 16 and a rookie with the Swift Current Broncos when he began to generate buzz as a top candidate for the 1988 NHL draft. He was a crafty and fearless forward with a pedigree. Lindy was Buffalo&rsquo;s captain at the time.</p><p>&ldquo;He was still pretty slight and hadn&rsquo;t filled out yet,&rdquo; Lindy said. &ldquo;He was just starting to turn into a young man, but he didn&rsquo;t get to experience any of that.&rdquo;</p><p>Brent Ruff never celebrated another birthday. He was one of four Swift Current players to die when their team bus skidded off an icy highway Dec. 30, 1986.</p><p>Few commemorated the 20th anniversary of the dreadful accident. Two decades of lonely birthdays, though. That&rsquo;s what hurts.</p><p>&ldquo;That makes it a tougher day, the first few years especially,&rdquo; said Lindy, the father of four. &ldquo;On the inside, it&rsquo;s a painful day, but I don&rsquo;t want it to have any effect on my kids. I try to not let it ruin a birthday, but I don&rsquo;t really feel like celebrating.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s sorrow for what he wasn&rsquo;t able to move on and experience. I just start to feel sad that he wasn&rsquo;t able to carry on.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02388/8816685-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="1504" height="1009"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>10-YEAR GAP</b> Brent Ruff was a bantam player in Leduc, Alta., when brother Lindy was a gritty Sabre. <span class="photo-credit">(LINDY RUFF: ANDY MARLIN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>FOREVER YOUNG</b></h2><p>Brent Ruff is forever 16 in his brother&rsquo;s head, where mental movies play in an endless loop of scenes and story lines that will never be. The wiry frame and peach fuzz linger in thoughts of where he&rsquo;d be now, at 37, and of what he might have done.</p><p>&ldquo;Brent was just a great guy and you could tell he was going to be an awesome player,&rdquo; said Colorado captain Joe Sakic, a teammate on that Swift Current bus. Sakic, born seven months before Brent Ruff, still is playing at an all-star level.</p><p>Lindy vividly remembers every detail about the day Brent died. He and Sabres defenseman Mike Ramsey were bowling in North Tonawanda. They were in the seventh frame when Lindy was summoned to the phone. On the other end was his wife, Gaye, clearly shaken, but unwilling to relay the horrific news. Lindy was adamant and finally forced it out of her.</p><p>&ldquo;That was the toughest,&rdquo; said Lindy, whose heartbreak has ranged from the relatively trivial (No Goal) to critical (his daughter Madeleine survived a brain-tumor operation last year).</p><p>&ldquo;Maybe even tougher was seeing my parents. I think it&rsquo;s probably easier for a brother. But to have your youngest child taken away&hellip;</p><p>&ldquo;What it did to my parents for the first while crushed me. I&rsquo;d never seen my dad with such sorrow. And my mom&hellip;that&rsquo;s what hurts you the most. If I would have lost one of my children&hellip;As a sibling it&rsquo;s hard, but as a parent&hellip;&rdquo;</p><h2><b>AN ICY OVERPASS</b></h2><p>The Broncos pulled out of Swift Current, Sask., for a game that night in Regina. A freezing rain began to fall.</p><p>A couple of miles into the twohour ride awaited an icy railway overpass. The bus fishtailed, dipped into a ditch and slammed into an elevated farm access road. The driveway became a ramp. The bus went airborne and crashed onto its right side.</p><p>&ldquo;I can remember everything like it was yesterday,&rdquo; Sakic said.</p><p>Brent Ruff was gone. Chris Mantyka was taking his last breaths. Trent Kresse and Scott Kruger, Brent&rsquo;s linemates, were thrown from the bus and died.</p><p>Ruff thinks about his brother every time he hears Sakic&rsquo;s name.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s almost instantaneous when you see him playing,&rdquo; Ruff said. &ldquo;He was the most famous guy on that bus. Nobody knew too much of Joe at that time and he turned out to be a hell of a player.&rdquo;</p><p>Sakic has been skating in the NHL since 1988, overlapping Lindy&rsquo;s career by three years. Then Lindy watched Sakic through the eyes of a coach. And yet they never spoke over two decades, not until each was asked before the 2007 All-Star Game, why they hadn&rsquo;t done so.</p><p>&ldquo;It always will be a bond,&rdquo; Sakic said. Rather than leave it unspoken, Sakic said he would be sure to seek out Lindy in Dallas.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll just go talk,&rdquo; Sakic said. &ldquo;Enough time has passed, just to get a chance to talk to him would be great.&rdquo;</p><p>They finally met outside the dressing rooms the day of the All-Star Game. A few weeks later, the normally eloquent coach struggled to explain their encounter.</p><p>&ldquo;It was hard to put it into words,&rdquo; Lindy said. &ldquo;It was kind of strange. We talked a little bit about the bus ride, where everybody was sitting, what happened.</p><p>&ldquo;There isn&rsquo;t a lot to make you feel any better about it. It was pretty emotional. I was just sad.&rdquo;</p><p><i>This feature is an abridged version and reprinted with permission from The Buffalo News.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

IN THIS ISSUE

Birthday link a bittersweet pill

<div class="byline">Al Strachan</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021504/8815105-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SLICK CUSTOMER</b> Ryan Smyth leaves the Oilers as one of the team&rsquo;s most productive (and popular) players. <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012088/8815112-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="221" height="234"></div><p>Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe bungled the Ryan Smyth situation multiple times.</p><p>In a way, Edmonton Oilers fans don&rsquo;t deserve what happened to them on trade deadline day. They love hockey and they love their team. They&rsquo;re as enthusiastic as any fans in the league and they follow the ups and downs of the organization with a rabid passion that is unmatched anywhere.</p><p>Yet as the clock ticked down towards the deadline, the player they love most, on the team they love most, became a casualty of hockey&rsquo;s realities. When Ryan Smyth couldn&rsquo;t come to terms on a new agreement with GM Kevin Lowe, he was shipped off to the New York Islanders.</p><p>The message was clear: Dear fans, thanks for your support and screw you.</p><p>And in that way, the Edmonton fans deserved what they got. They, more than any others in the league, took an anti-player, pro-owner stance during the lockout.</p><p>They gave NHL commissioner Gary Bettman a standing ovation because he promised them a salary cap that would keep those uppity players in their place.</p><p>There were those who told Oilers fans to be wary, that there were much better ways to guarantee the survival of small market teams, but they would have none of it. They wanted a salary cap.</p><p>And they got their salary cap, but it cost them Ryan Smyth.</p><p>ln explaining his decision, Lowe said, &ldquo;The CBA we operate within the NHL today means you need to have a sound hockey strategy and stick to it.&rdquo;</p><p>But Lowe doesn&rsquo;t get off the hook that easily. There&rsquo;s no doubt he too is passionate about his team and he&rsquo;s as much of a hardcore Oiler as anybody out there. But in this case, he botched the deal from start to finish.</p><p>The start came last summer when he told Smyth and his agent Don Meehan he had no intention of negotiating a new deal for Smyth until the current season was over.</p><p>Smyth and Meehan translated that edict in what would seem to be the only manner possible: &lsquo;So you&rsquo;ve given us everything you&rsquo;ve got for 11 years. Now, you have to go out and prove yourself in a 12th year so we can decide whether you&rsquo;re worth a new contract.&rsquo;</p><p>Then, in early January, Lowe changed his mind. He decided he would negotiate a new deal.</p><p>He was still negotiating 20 minutes before trade deadline. Then, with time running out, he shipped Smyth to the Islanders. This new strategy was as fatally flawed as the last one.</p><p>For starters, Lowe should have said to Meehan, &lsquo;Okay, let&rsquo;s forget my earlier insult. I now want Ryan long term and I&rsquo;ll do everything I can to bring that about.</p><p>&lsquo;But you must realize if he&rsquo;s not going to be here next year, I have to get something for him. The trade deadline is Feb. 27. My deadline for a deal is Feb. 20. If it&rsquo;s not done by then, he&rsquo;s going to be on the auction block for a week.&rsquo;</p><p>That way, if the contract didn&rsquo;t get done, Lowe would have had plenty of time to maximize his return.</p><p>After all, Smyth was his most prized asset. Deciding the future of such a valuable commodity should be of paramount importance and if you&rsquo;re going to dispose of it, you should give it the priority it deserves.</p><p>As it was, Lowe didn&rsquo;t get much &ndash; Robert Nilsson, Ryan O&rsquo;Marra and a 2007 first round pick.</p><p>All around the league, stunned GMs moaned that had they known Smyth was available, they&rsquo;d have made a better offer.</p><p>Here&rsquo;s Lowe&rsquo;s statement on that matter: &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t out there shopping him. We had an idea about the marketplace, but I really thought a deal would get done. It came down to the eleventh hour when we realized financially it wasn&rsquo;t getting done.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s a pretty clear admission of both miscalculation and a seriously flawed strategy.</p><p>The next question: Why didn&rsquo;t the deal get done financially?</p><p>Meehan is an experienced agent. His firm, Newport Sports Management, leads the world in hockey clients. If Lowe was offering a fair-market deal, Meehan would have taken it.</p><p>And let&rsquo;s not forget in his previous two contracts, when the Oilers were weeping crocodile tears about their downtrodden status as a small market franchise, Smyth, out of his love for the team and its fans, signed for far less than he could have received elsewhere.</p><p>Now it was the Oilers&rsquo; turn to step up, take into account 12 years of unparalleled service and pay the guy who fills their seats night after night.</p><p>Why not? This is a team that went to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final last year. It pulled in every single dollar a hockey team can pull in.</p><p>But Lowe wouldn&rsquo;t do it. He wouldn&rsquo;t step up to the plate for a guy who never takes a step backwards, who goes where no other teammate will dare to stand, who has seen his bones &ndash; and his face &ndash; shattered while giving his all for the Oilers and come back with just as much resolve as ever.</p><p>The team&rsquo;s response to his request for a contract on par with others of his ilk? &lsquo;Have a nice time on the Island.&rsquo;</p><p>You all remember the NHL&rsquo;s mantra during the lockout, don&rsquo;t you? &lsquo;We&rsquo;re doing it for the fans.&rsquo;</p><p>Sure.</p><h2><b>1. WAYNE GRETZKY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03939/8815098-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="376" height="679"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BBS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>696</b>&nbsp;<b>GAMES</b>&nbsp;<b>PLAYED</b>&nbsp;<b>1,669 POINTS</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04644/8815091-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="517" height="307"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05470/8815084-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="145" height="204"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0010-02

DEPARTMENTS

Lowe blow for Oilers fans

f0012-01

The Rating Game

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011126/8816151-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"></div><p><b>SEE PG. 40 FOR INJURIES | TOP TWO PLAYERS ON PP UNIT PLAY THE POINTS</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0029-01

NHL Depth Charts

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE HOCKEY NEWS IS IN THE BUSINESS</b> of informing and entertaining, crafting relevant stories that resonate with our audience and hopefully create a buzz in the industry.</p><p>That mandate, while embraceable and exciting, has its challenges. Take this week&rsquo;s cover story.</p><p>Internally, we&rsquo;ve been talking much of the season about doing a ranking of the NHL&rsquo;s GMs. It&rsquo;s a story with bite, founded on hard analysis and fitted with lightning rods.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012005/8814687-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="826" height="827"></div><p>Early on in the campaign, we shelved the idea because there hadn&rsquo;t been enough time to properly evaluate each of the 30 men. A legitimate excuse, but one that no longer exists. So when the concept re-emerged as the trade deadline approached, we had to ask ourselves: Is the reward worth the risk?</p><p>Clearly, we decided it is.</p><p>The risk in this case is alienating sources, a concept with which we&rsquo;re familiar. We understand this feature may upset some of the GMs we&rsquo;ve slotted among the lower echelon. But that&rsquo;s the nature of a ranking &ndash; somebody has to finish last.</p><p>The reward is a stellar story that fulfils our mission, a philosophy that is based on feedback we&rsquo;ve received from our readers. And we decided if we&rsquo;re going to take the plunge and potentially rankle NHL team personnel, we wouldn&rsquo;t be milquetoast about it. Senior writer Ken Campbell uses direct language and a 1-through-30 rating system that clearly separates first from worst and all the GMs in between.</p><h2><b>NOTE TO READERS: TWO-WEEK ISSUE</b></h2><p>Another reason we opted to slot the GM story this week is its durable shelf life. Our new production schedule, which features several double issues and glossy specials such as Future Watch 2007 and Draft Preview, means there will be no regular issue of The Hockey News next week.</p><p>Instead, subscribers will receive Future Watch in the coming days&hellip;which, coincidentally, is partially founded on a ranking of 30 NHL franchises.</p><p>Hey, did we ever tell you about the time we slotted a franchise&rsquo;s prospect list at 30th in Future Watch and the head scout &ndash; once a prime source for THN &ndash; decided he&rsquo;d no longer speak to us?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021685/8814680-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="447" height="239"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0004-01

With winners come losers

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031376/8814718-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Pronger <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>here are those who paint Anaheim GM Brian Burke as a publicity-seeking blowhard. There are others who view him as one of the best &ndash; if not the very best &ndash; at his craft in the league. Regardless of your personal opinion of Burke, he is to be applauded for not caving to temptation at the last moment and potentially blowing his team&rsquo;s future by taking a bite out of the forbidden apple. Burke made it abundantly clear at the GMs&rsquo; meetings just prior to the trade deadline he felt teams were asking far too much for rental players. So while squads such as Dallas, Atlanta and the Islanders may have mortgaged their future for a shot at the Stanley Cup this year, Burke stood firm and repeated his mantra: There will be just one Stanley Cup parade at the end of the season and the risk of dealing youth and picks isn&rsquo;t always worth it. Burke has done a masterful job making moves in the off-season and early in the year to make his club both a bona fide Cup contender this season and a team that will be good for years to come. To that end, many of the moves he made as GM of Vancouver are helping that team contend, too. Other, more trigger-happy GMs could learn from Burke&rsquo;s m.o.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0004-03

BURKE’S LAW

<h2><b>Buffalo soldiers</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he fighting that ensued in the second period of the Sabres-Sens game Feb. 22 following a questionable hit by Chris Neil on captain Chris Drury was to be expected.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t have a problem with the hit on Drury. Although it may have been a bit late, it was not one that required a penalty to be called. However, I also have no problem with the way the Sabres responded, sending out their big guys to take care of business.</p><p>Drew Stafford, who picked a fight with Chris Neil following the hit, should be commended for sticking up for his captain. Stafford is a recent call-up from the AHL and acted like a seasoned veteran, recording two assists and the winning shootout goal.</p><p>I love how the Sabres responded, as many teams consider them to be fast superstars with no toughness or grit. Think again, people. The Sabres will score on you, then beat you up. This team is the real deal.</p><p>ERIC BONAQUIST, BUFFALO</p><h2><b>Second coming</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;s time we talk about Paul Stastny.</p><p>Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have had the spotlight; now, it&rsquo;s Stastny&rsquo;s turn. We&rsquo;re talking about a second-generation  NHLer who has become an instant star, with a 12-game (and counting) point streak while doing everything Colorado could have ever hoped.</p><p>This kid is only three-quarters through his first NHL season, but already has proven his worth and will be in the league for years to come. He&rsquo;s in on every play and I always look forward to seeing what he&rsquo;ll do next.</p><p>Paul Stastny, it is your time to shine.</p><p>DEVON CULVER,</p><p>MOOSE JAW, SASK.</p><h2><b>Basted Wings</b></h2><p>You hear everyone say that all you need to do to beat the Red Wings is play very physical hockey. If this is true, how come teams only do it in the playoffs and not the regular season?</p><p>The Wings beat teams all the time that are vying for a post-season berth, which makes every game pretty much like a playoff game. So how come those teams don&rsquo;t kill the Wings physically in those games?</p><p>I know the playoffs are different, but if you &lsquo;know&rsquo; how to beat a team, wouldn&rsquo;t you use that advantage in the regular season as well?</p><h2><b>Captain Shanny</b></h2><p>I&rsquo;ve become a Rangers fan since Brendan Shanahan was traded from my beloved Wings. I&rsquo;ve watched most of the Rangers games on Center Ice and I&rsquo;m baffled as to why Jaromir Jagr is captain. Is it to coddle his ego? When does the man ever lead?</p><p>Shanahan has been the go-to guy all year. The other night, with points on the line for the playoffs and Shanahan hurt, I might note, Jagr <i>refused</i> to participate in the shootout. According to the New York <i>Daily News</i>, this was the third time in four games. Grow up, Jagr.</p><p>HEATHER HUNT, FINDLAY, OHIO</p><h2><b>Shut up, Shanny</b></h2><p>Brendan Shanahan&rsquo;s claim a few weeks ago that the league is biased against Jaromir Jagr is ridiculous.</p><p>To quote: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen a superstar in this league treated with so much disrespect.&rdquo; This coming from a guy whose last team (Detroit) made a habit of illegally abusing the world&rsquo;s greatest player, Peter Forsberg.</p><p>I mean, is he serious? Last time I checked, Jagr still had his spleen. No player has taken more abuse over the past 20 years &ndash; let alone a superstar &ndash; than Forsberg.</p><p>And not even when Forsberg was lying in a hospital hoping the poison didn&rsquo;t get far enough to kill him, did he cry in the media about it.</p><p>PAUL MACGILVRAY,</p><p>WILMINGTON, MASS.</p><h3><b><a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></h3><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><p><b>WHICH OF THESE TEAMS MADE THE BEST DEADLINE DEAL(S) TO HELP THEM WIN THIS SEASON?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021442/8814773-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="402" height="542"></div><p><b>Islanders 31%</b></p><p><b>Pittsburgh 15%</b></p><p><b>San Jose 14%</b></p><p><b>Buffalo 10%</b></p><p><b>Detroit 8%</b></p><p><b>Nashville 7%</b></p><p><b>Dallas 5%</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,</p><p>25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100,</p><p>Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7</p><p><b>USA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News,</p><p>P.O. Box 904,</p><p>Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947</p><p><i>Include your name, hometown & province/state.</i></p><p><i>Submissions will be edited.</i></p><h3><b>SUBSCRIBE</b></h3><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>

f0005-02

Got something to say?

<div class="byline">KYLE BAIRD, LONDON, ONT.</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012011/8814804-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="825" height="839"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Terreri<span class="photo-credit">(KEN LEVINE/GETTY IMAGES; SMYTH: JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>E</span>ver since I started getting THN, I have sensed an anti-Devils sentiment from a host of your writers. The last straw came when I read Mike Brophy&rsquo;s article on Roberto Luongo (Feb. 20) and he wrote, &ldquo;&hellip;there all still fans in Jersey &ndash; right?&rdquo; Oh&hellip;very droll. Let me tell you something Mike: we Devils fans are a tough breed. We sat through the 1980s getting our butts kicked, we had Chris Terreri as our starter and actually thought we were good because of it. When we finally win some Cups, we get ragged on because of the style we play. We feel like a bunch of Rodney Dangerfields here. Defense wins championships, so why do you guys love to knock us for it? Be nicer to the Devils, we get enough bad press from everyone else jealous of our success.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-01

Empathy for the Devils

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN COSTELLO</div><p><b>495 Games in a row played by Avs&rsquo; Karlis Skrastins before sitting vs. Anaheim</b></p><p><b>22 Wins, no losses for Dallas in games where the Stars had a two-goal lead</b></p><p><b>29 Teams faxed by Columbus about the availability of Bryan Berard. None bit</b></p><p><b>AN</b>&nbsp;<b>ANGRY LEAFS FAN,</b> in the hours after the trade deadline, voiced his disgust on a Toronto sports talk show as to why his team didn&rsquo;t acquire Gary Roberts from Florida.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re telling me Toronto&rsquo;s offer wasn&rsquo;t better than a &lsquo;Noah Who&rsquo; from Pittsburgh?&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re telling me they wouldn&rsquo;t rather have Brendan Bell or one of our good young defensive prospects?&rdquo;</p><p>No, evidently not.</p><p>What the caller didn&rsquo;t realize is that &lsquo;Noah Who&rsquo; is Noah Welch, one of the top 50 prospects in the game according to a panel of 22 NHL scouts that The Hockey News polled for its annual Future Watch issue.</p><p>Welch, No. 48, is one of a handful of so-called no-name prospects who changed teams at the deadline. Here&rsquo;s a recap of the Future Watch top prospects on the move:</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021467/8814842-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="315" height="348"></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">You&rsquo;re telling me Toronto&rsquo;s offer wasn&rsquo;t better than a &lsquo;Noah Who&rsquo; from Pittsburgh?<br>Disgusted Leafs fan</blockquote><p>Nashville&rsquo;s acquisition of Peter Forsberg from Philadelphia for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and first and third round picks was costly. At No. 21, Parent is the highest-rated top-50 Future Watch prospect to switch teams. Nashville&rsquo;s strong defensive prospect depth enabled it to deal Parent.</p><p>Edmonton picked up a 2007 first-rounder and 2003 and 2005 first-rounders Ryan O&rsquo;Marra and Robert Nilsson from the Islanders for Ryan Smyth. Both O&rsquo;Marra and Nilsson have regressed as prospects. O&rsquo;Marra slipped from No. 36 in Future Watch 2006 to just outside the top 75 in 2007. Nilsson lost his job with the Islanders and was just fifth on the team&rsquo;s top-10 list.</p><p>Edmonton acquired Denis Grebeshkov from the Isles for Marc-Andre Bergeron. Grebeshkov finished two spots outside the top 75 prospects in 2007 after rankings of No. 15 in 2003, No. 29 in &rsquo;04, No. 30 in &rsquo;05 and No. 26 in &rsquo;06. Other prospects moving: Alex Bourret (to the Rangers) was No. 3 on Atlanta&rsquo;s list; Johan Fransson (to L.A.) was No. 7 on Dallas&rsquo;s list; Konstantin Pushkarev (to Dallas) was No. 7 on L.A.&rsquo;s list; and, Dan Carcillo (to Phoenix) was No. 8 on Pittsburgh&rsquo;s list. Neither Shawn Matthias (from Detroit to Florida for Todd Betuzzi) nor Jay Barriball (from San Jose to St. Louis for Bill Guerin) were on top-10 lists.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012228/8814835-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="1300" height="1678"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ryan Parent <span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0006-02

They traded a star for who?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021353/8814880-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="280" height="376"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03850/8814873-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="215" height="154"></div><p><b>Sylvain Rioux from Montreal, asks What song gets you pumped up before a big game?</b></p><p><i>&lsquo;Hillbilly Deluxe&rsquo; by Brooks and Dunn.</i></p><p><b>Mat Clark from Ocean, N.J., asks</b>&nbsp;<b>What goes through your mind when you&rsquo;re facing Jaromir Jagr&rsquo;s line?</b></p><p><i>I try to stay sharp and keep my shifts short. Also, I pay special attention to the line changes the Rangers are making.</i></p><p><b>Matt Pelkey from Guelph, Ont., asks What is the key to winning faceoffs?</b></p><p><i>The best advice I can give you is to never take your eye off the puck. Always watch the referee and try timing the drop.</i></p><p><b>Dylan Buckell from Wawa, Ont., asks At what age did you become a defensive specialist and who was your role model?</b></p><p><i>I didn&rsquo;t become a defensive specialist until my second year in the NHL. But as a kid I really enjoyed watching Doug Gilmour.</i></p><p><b>Davin Van der Zilver from Jackson, N.J. asks What has been the toughest game you&rsquo;ve played in your career so far?</b></p><p><i>The toughest game I&rsquo;ve played was Game 7 against Ottawa in the 2003 Eastern Conference final.</i></p><p>Visit <b><a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b>to ask your questions of NHL stars!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-02

FAN SHOOTOUT WITH John Madden

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RUSS COHEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-04544/8814918-1-eng-US/f0007-042.jpg" title="f0007-04" width="614" height="463"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MAKING HIS MARK</b> Lyon Messier, set to face his father for the first time, is a Texas Tornado defenseman in the NAHL.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012017/8814925-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="133" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>O MOOSE</b> eat their young? Lyon Messier hopes that&rsquo;s not the case, as he&rsquo;s playing his legendary dad for the first time in a charity hockey game. It&rsquo;s the North American League&rsquo;s annual pros-vs.-prospects tilt, hosted this season by the Texas Tornado in Frisco, Tex., March 17.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled about (it),&rdquo; said 46-year-old Mark Messier, who had his No. 11 retired by the Oilers Feb. 27. &ldquo;Having my son out there makes it that much more special.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-05380/8814911-1-eng-US/f0007-052.jpg" title="f0007-05" width="262" height="345"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Messier</figcaption></div><p>The younger Messier, 19, is a puck-moving defenseman with emerging defensive skills, but he&rsquo;s not a premier prospect. He went undrafted in 2006 and is again unranked for this year&rsquo;s 2007 draft.</p><p>&ldquo;My father was a defenseman until he was 18 and then he switched up to forward,&rdquo; Lyon Messier said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really pattern myself after anybody, I just play my game. If I had to say somebody&hellip;Brian Leetch.&rdquo;</p><p>The blueliner showed his nasty side this season when he landed a trademark Messier elbow which led to his first fight. He was sticking up for a teammate that had received a cheap shot.</p><p>&ldquo;I saw (the opponent) with his head down,&rdquo; Lyon said.</p><p>Said Tornado coach Tony Curtale: &ldquo;I think it was a clean hit and Lyon has the ability to do that, he&rsquo;s a good skater and I think he needs to do that more to play at the next level. That&rsquo;s a Scott Stevens-type hit.&rdquo;</p><p>The big question for March 17 is how will he defend his father in the big game? &ldquo;You have to test how good he is with the stick and then if he beats you that way then you have to hit him with the body,&rdquo; Lyon said. &ldquo;Actually, he is pretty solid on his skates.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-04

Moose vs. Lyon

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LES BROSZKOWSKI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021583/8814970-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012118/8814977-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="133" height="139"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04596/8814963-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="434" height="266"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>URING THE 1952-53 SEASON</b>, Dean Prentice and three other ex-members of the Guelph Biltmores, Andy Bathgate, Harry Howell and Ron Murphy, joined the New York Rangers.</p><p>Guelph captured the Memorial Cup the year before and the Rangers were the youngest NHL team in history.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031111/8814956-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="255" height="363"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dean Prentice</figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;It was a lot better going with a couple of guys than going by yourself,&rdquo; Prentice said.</p><p>The Hockey News is celebrating our 60th anniversary and looking back at memorable moments in our past.</p><p>Prentice played 22 years in the NHL, but never won a Stanley Cup.</p><p>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t get in the playoffs, especially when we were with the Rangers,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was there 11 years so it was disappointing when you had to go home early and the other teams were going on in the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>Prentice was traded to Boston during the 1962-63 season and played with the Bruins four seasons before moving to Detroit, where he played with Gordie Howe. In 1969 he went to the Penguins for two seasons and ended his career with the North Stars in 1973-74. &ldquo;When I got to the Rangers I set goals,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to get 20 goals in a season, make so much money and play for 10 years in the league.&rdquo;</p><p>Prentice had 10 seasons with 20 goals. He said the biggest difference between the start and end of his career involved rule changes.</p><p>&ldquo;The penalty rule was the biggest change,&rdquo; Prentice said.</p><p>Before 1956-57, a player always served the full two minutes of a minor penalty.</p><p>Prentice was always happy to see himself in The Hockey News and it helped him keep track of other players.</p><p>&ldquo;It was an honor to see articles about yourself and then to see what was going on in the other leagues and the National League to see where your friends are,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was a special paper for us.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Quick exits for Prentice

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03807/8815008-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="617" height="484"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TIM SMITH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011921/8815015-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="133" height="139"></div><p>&#9632; The Toronto Maple Leafs are certainly no lock to make the playoffs, but with centers <b>Yanic Perreault</b> and <b>Mats Sundin</b>, they&rsquo;ll win most of the faceoffs down the stretch drive.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>&#9632; Theme for the <b>Mark Messier</b> jersey retirement night in Edmonton: &lsquo;It&rsquo;s my party and I&rsquo;ll cry if I want to.&rsquo; Speaking of the seemingly endless jersey retirements, enough of the one-hour celebrations already!</p><p>&#9632; TSN hired everybody they could get their hands on who was ever associated with the NHL for their trade deadline coverage. But <b>Tie Domi</b>, who is under contract with the Canadian cable TV station, was nowhere to be seen. Sort of gives you an idea of how Domi&rsquo;s broadcasting career is going.</p><p>&#9632; It has been suggested Edmonton GM <b>Kevin Lowe</b> did not explore 28 trading partners when moving prized asset <b>Ryan Smyth</b>. Regardless of the fact Lowe insists he had the deal with the Islanders already prepared (in case contract negotiations with Smyth broke down prior to the deadline), some think Lowe should face the same scrutiny that <b>Mike O&rsquo;Connell</b> did after making only a few calls before trading <b>Joe Thornton</b> in one of the worst trades ever. The Bruins fired O&rsquo;Connell.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-03

SNAPSHOTS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-04615/8815046-1-eng-US/f0009-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ACROSS THE POND</b> The Kings and Ducks will take their rivalry over to London, England, to open up next season. <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021323/8815053-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="133" height="146"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>KINGS OF ENGLAND</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he amount of bad teeth in England is actually about to spike thanks to an influx of hockey players. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will begin the 2007-08 campaign with a pair of regular season games at London&rsquo;s state-of-the-art O2 Arena on Sept. 29-30. &ldquo;Our commitment to grow the game globally has never been stronger,&rdquo; said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. The O2 Arena is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the parent company of the Kings. The NHL has previously held pre-season games in England and regular season contests in Japan.</p><h2><b>EAGLESON SELLING MEMORABILIA</b></h2><p>Alan Eagleson is hawking some goods. The founder of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association and its head from 1967 to 1991, Eagleson is selling 98 items of hockey memorabilia through Montreal-based Classic Collectibles. The central item will be a 14-carat, solid gold puck from his first NHL client, Bobby Orr. Eagleson and Orr had a highly publicized falling out after Orr&rsquo;s retirement and the auction is sure to raise the ire of Eagleson&rsquo;s many detractors. The 73-year-old Eagleson spent six months in prison in 1998 after being convicted of fraud and the embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside for the pension fund of NHL players. The month-long online auction can be accessed at <a href="http://www.classicauctions.net">www.classicauctions.net</a>. Eagleson said a &ldquo;substantial&rdquo; donation from the proceeds will go to Toronto&rsquo;s Hospital For Sick Children and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.</p><h2><b>ROENICK MIGHT RETIRE</b></h2><p>Is J.R. ready to skate off into the sunset? Phoenix Coyotes center Jeremy Roenick publicly stated his desire to be traded before the Feb. 27 deadline. When that didn&rsquo;t happen, he began pondering retirement. Roenick suggested that part of the reason Phoenix found no takers for him is because he hadn&rsquo;t received enough playing time in the desert. Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky was not surprised by Roenick&rsquo;s assertion. &ldquo;Do I like what he said?&rdquo; Gretzky mused. &ldquo;No. Do I expect to hear things out of him like that? Probably. It&rsquo;s getting to be old hat and it&rsquo;s getting to be something that I don&rsquo;t even want to talk about anymore.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-04

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-09309/8815622-1-eng-US/f0016-092.jpg" title="f0016-09" width="422" height="441"></div><p><b>O</b>K, Henrik Zetterberg will never become known as Mr. October, he can deal with that. No biggee.</p><p>Mr. February? That&rsquo;s a nice handle. No doubt he&rsquo;d prefer Mr. April or Mr. May when the stakes are a lot higher and the spotlight a bit brighter.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-11259/8815615-1-eng-US/f0016-112.jpg" title="f0016-11" width="712" height="1041"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b><i>Zetterberg produced 13 goals and 25 points in February.</i></b> <span class="photo-credit">(Noah Graham/Getty Images)</span></figcaption></div><p>But for now, February was pretty magical for the 26-year-old left winger from Njurunda, Sweden. He had 13 goals and 25 points in 11 games going into a Feb. 27 match in Chicago as the Detroit Red Wings made a push for first overall in the NHL.</p><p>So what was the deal with October? Zetterberg scored in the Oct. 5 opener against Vancouver, had a goal and assist and couple games later against Phoenix, but that was it for the month.</p><p>He was held off the scoresheet the next nine games. So, two goals, three points in 12 games for the slick Red Wing who had 85 points in 77 games last season.</p><p>Zetterberg had more than a few poolies giving thought to the drop/add button in early November. For those who know Zetterberg, it was just a matter of time before he got things going.</p><p>&ldquo;Hockey, like all sports is all about confidence,&rdquo; Zetterberg told McKeen&rsquo;s. &ldquo;A few games I just was not getting the bounces and at times goalies get hot. Playing with Datsyuk and Holmstrom on a daily basis, I know we will get our chances it is just a matter of time.&rdquo;</p><p>Zetterberg picked up the pace with 10 points in 12 November games, 13 points in 15 December games and 17 points in 14 January games. But February was truly a month to behold.</p><p>Zetterberg had three four-point games (including a hat trick against Phoenix Feb. 17) and two three-point games as he moved into the league&rsquo;s top 20 scorers for the first time this season.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty special player,&rdquo; Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky told the Windsor Star. &ldquo;Guys like Ovechkin and Crosby, who is probably the best player in the game today, and Joe Thornton&rsquo;s a pretty good player, but (Zetterberg) is one of the elite players and he probably doesn&rsquo;t get enough credit for being an elite player. He&rsquo;s definitely in that category of players.&rdquo;</p><p>Runners-up for player of the month for February were Colorado center Joe Sakic (20 points) and Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo (eight wins, 2.12 goals-against average and .934 save percentage).</p><h2><b>FACTS & STATS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-10281/8815608-1-eng-US/f0016-102.jpg" title="f0016-10" width="1752" height="239"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0016-09

PLAYER OF THE MONTH

<div class="byline">Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021046/8815653-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STONED PONI</b> Despite his shootout struggles, Toronto&rsquo;s Alexei Ponikarovsky continues to get the call <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011432/8815660-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="221" height="240"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Viktor Kozlov of the Islanders missed his shootout attempt in a game against Toronto in mid-February, he skated back to the bench with a sizeable grin on his face.</p><p>Ted Nolan should have bag-skated Kozlov into exhaustion the next day. Of course, if Nolan is like a good number of coaches around the NHL these days, there&rsquo;s a good chance he was sharing in the giggles.</p><p>Would Kozlov have come back to the bench with the same dopey grin had he missed on a breakaway in the 4-on-4 overtime just a couple minutes before? Not bloody likely. So why is it &ndash; almost two years after the shootout was introduced and after even someone with the intelligence of the average NHLer knows how important they are &ndash; shootouts continue to be treated by most teams like an amusing sideshow?</p><p>Teams will qualify for the playoffs and others will miss because of the shootout this season. In fact, had the Edmonton Oilers not piled up so many points in the shootout last season, they would have missed the playoffs entirely instead of coming within one game of winning the Stanley Cup. Through late February, it was the difference between the Tampa Bay Lightning leading the Southeast Division and being out of the playoff picture. That&rsquo;s why it boggles the mind that the same coaches who break down each chip off the glass with the precision of a surgeon continue to handle the shootout as an afterthought.</p><h2><b>LACK OF EFFORT</b></h2><p>Following their loss to the Islanders in that February shootout, Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe referred to the shootout as &ldquo;a crapshoot,&rdquo; likely unaware of the double entendre when it comes to his team&rsquo;s historical lack of success during the shootout. But it doesn&rsquo;t have to be a crapshoot. There is always an element of luck and unpredictability when you hold a 1-on-1 skills contest, but teams aren&rsquo;t placing near enough importance on this aspect of the game and by continually chalking it up to a &ldquo;crapshoot,&rdquo; both coaches and players are guilty of copping out the way Jaromir Jagr did in a shootout against the Devils in late February. (Rangers coach Tom Renney said Jagr &ldquo;wasn&rsquo;t interested.&rdquo; Nice, eh?)</p><p>How do you explain Leafs coach Paul Maurice continuing to use Alexei Ponikarovsky, an honest hardworking player who has an average skill level at best? At last count, Ponikarovsky was 0-for-7 in the shootout, yet Maurice keeps tapping him on the shoulder. If Ponikarovsky were a 40-goal scorer who was ringing them off the crossbar, it might be a different story. But this is a 20-goal scorer who seems intent on seeing how hard he can drill the puck into the goalie&rsquo;s chest or pads.</p><p>(For that matter, when do Michel Therrien and Glen Hanlon start telling Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechin, respectively, to grab some bench during a shootout?)</p><p>The Lightning is obviously aided by the fact John Tortorella can throw out Martin St-Louis, Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier for every shootout. But what a lot of people don&rsquo;t know is the 9-1 Lightning probably work on the shootout more than any other team in the league. After every other practice, the Lightning has a breakaway drill that sees each player on the team skate in and challenge the goalies in rapid-fire sequence. That might go a long way toward explaining why Lightning goalies Marc Denis and Johan Holmqvist, who are average in most other categories, are farand-away the best shootout goaltenders in the NHL this season.</p><p>The Buffalo Sabres were right behind the Lightning at 10-3 and, prior to their rash of injuries, used Daniel Briere, Ales Kotalik and one of either Maxim Afinogenov or Thomas Vanek each time. While the Sabres don&rsquo;t have any structured shootout drills, coach Lindy Ruff will often pick a player to do a shootout toward the end of a workout. If he scores, practice is over. If he misses, the skaters do extra laps. That built-in peer pressure is meant to replicate, in a small way, what it&rsquo;s like to do it in front of 18,000 people with an extra point on the line.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">Perhaps the NHL could show a little more conviction in promoting the tie-breaker</blockquote><h2><b>HERE TO STAY</b></h2><p>Perhaps the reason why teams don&rsquo;t take it more seriously is almost everyone in the hockey establishment sees the shootout as a gimmick. Well, this is one gimmick that is here to stay. So why not start working on it in practice the same way you do your special teams, forecheck system and faceoffs?</p><p>And here&rsquo;s an idea. Perhaps the NHL could demonstrate a little more conviction when it comes to promoting the tie-breaker. Quick, who leads the league in shootout goals? Who has the best scoring percentage? Only die-hard stats junkies can rhyme off the answers, but these are the kinds of facts that should be just as readily available and well-known as the race for the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies.</p><p>And if the league can have players battling hammer-and-tong for the MBNA/Mastercard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award and the NHL/Sheraton Road Performer Award, surely it can come up with something to reward the best shootout participants.</p><p>Until then, though, teams will continue to treat it like a &ldquo;crapshoot&rdquo; at their own peril..<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-02

Ignore shootout at your own peril

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL RUSSO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0021-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011165/8815691-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FAB GABBO</b> Minnesota is a different team when Marian Gaborik dresses &ndash; a much better team, that is. <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b>ith a flick of his lethal wrists, he can make goalies look helpless when he picks a spot and releases a shot. When he turns on his jets and accelerates, nobody&rsquo;s catching up.</p><p>Yet, list the top 10 NHL stars and Marian Gaborik might not even enter the mind. That is, unless you happen to be a defenseman who has to hop the boards and try to contain the Minnesota Wild&rsquo;s $6.33-million, 25-year-old star.</p><p>&ldquo;Play him three steps back or he&rsquo;ll make you look stupid,&rdquo; said Vancouver defenseman Willie Mitchell, Gaborik&rsquo;s longtime teammate in Minnesota. &ldquo;Gabby&rsquo;s first three or four steps might be the best in league. If it&rsquo;s a 50-50 puck and Gabby&rsquo;s standing next to you, get back. Because if he gets it, goodbye&hellip;breakaway or 2-on-1.&rdquo;</p><p>Expectations were sky-high in Minnesota after the Wild traded top prospect Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan and a first round pick to Los Angeles for Gaborik&rsquo;s dynamic best friend, fellow Slovak Pavol Demitra.</p><p>The two got off to a breath-taking start, tag-teaming for 15 points and leading the Wild to a 6-0-0 record. Then, Gaborik&rsquo;s skate sunk deep into the Anaheim slush Oct. 20 and the Wild&rsquo;s most important player with a history of abdominal problems was sent limping off with yet another groin injury.</p><p>A conservative approach by the team to ensure he&rsquo;d be healthy for the stretch drive meant Gaborik would miss the next 34 games.</p><p>But since his return Jan. 6, the Wild is 14-5-3. With 20 goals (and 33 points) in 29 games, he leads the NHL at 0.69 goals per game, a 57-goal pace over a full season.</p><p>The Wild is 13-1-1 when Gaborik scores; it&rsquo;s no coincidence the club&rsquo;s 11-game road losing streak came to an end after his return.</p><h2><b>&lsquo;NEEDS TO STAY HEALTHY&rsquo;</b></h2><p>But there&rsquo;s one thing Gaborik needs to be a legitimate superstar.</p><p>&ldquo;He needs to stay healthy for an entire year,&rdquo; said teammate Wes Walz. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t miss half a season, but put numbers up and have people talk about you. You need to do it over a three-, four-year period where you play 80 games a year and score 40 or 50 goals.</p><p>&ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t done that yet.&rdquo;</p><p>Gaborik, a three-time 30-goal scorer who had 38 goals in 65 games last season, said that&rsquo;s his aim. And he plans to stick around Minnesota this summer to strengthen his groin muscles.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the key (to being a star)&hellip;to try to stay healthy,&rdquo; Gaborik said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to try to address it over the summer so it doesn&rsquo;t happen again.&rdquo;</p><p>Walz had already noticed a difference in Gaborik&rsquo;s commitment.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s at the rink early before anybody else,&rdquo; Walz said. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s starting to understand what his body needs in order to be able to keep himself healthy and fit. He&rsquo;s such a freak of nature because he&rsquo;s just a very muscle-bound person. You look at the core of his legs, he&rsquo;s just a strong, strong man.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a reason why he&rsquo;s so explosive.&rdquo;</p><p>With Gaborik back and flying, optimism is high again in Minnesota. In a recent 9-2-1 stretch, Gaborik and Demitra combined for 16 goals and 33 points.</p><p>&ldquo;He can read me&hellip;I can read him,&rdquo; Demitra said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an easy game for both of us.&rdquo;</p><p>Gaborik was dominant during Minnesota&rsquo;s run to the Western Conference final in 2003, finishing third in playoff scoring in goals (nine) and points (17) in 18 games.</p><p>Imagine how good he could be in the post-season alongside Demitra. &ldquo;If those two are flying, they&rsquo;re going to carry us a long ways and win a lot of games for us, just the two of them,&rdquo; said winger Mark Parrish. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m as excited as the fans to see what they can do in the playoffs. God only knows.&rdquo;</p><p><b>WITH GABORIK</b> (20-6-4)</p><p><b>WITHOUT</b>&nbsp;<b>GABORIK</b> (15-17-2)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-01

Gaborik gone Wild, frightening goalies

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02976/8815736-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TRADING FRENZY</b> Bill Guerin&rsquo;s move out west was just one of the big deals made on deadline day, <span class="photo-credit">(CP IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011313/8815743-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="122" height="138"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>B</span><b>ill Guerin</b> was one of the biggest names available at the trade deadline and it was the Sharks who snapped up the St. Louis winger for a 2007 first round pick, agitating winger <b>Ville Niemenen</b> and prospect <b>Jay Barriball</b>. Guerin&rsquo;s first game was a 4-3 shootout loss to Nashville. He was reunited with ex-Bruins teammate <b>Joe Thornton</b> on the top line.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>NORTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>BOSTON</b> Left winger <b>Marco Sturm</b> signed a four-year extension worth $14 million&hellip;<b>Joey MacDonald&rsquo;s</b> addition via waivers may have spelled the end of goalie <b>Hannu Toivonen&rsquo;s</b> second NHL season. Toivonen, sent to Providence (AHL), was 3-7-1 with a 4.42 goals-against average.</p><p><b>BUFFALO</b> How deeply did the injury-ravaged Sabres dip into their reserves? In the week before the trade deadline, they had only two forwards skating with Rochester (AHL): rookies <b>Marek Zagrapan</b> and <b>Dylan Hunter</b>.</p><p><b>MONTREAL</b> Defenseman <b>Craig Rivet</b>, who spent his entire 12-year career with the Canadiens, was traded to San Jose with a fifth round draft choice in 2008. The Habs got the Sharks&rsquo; first round pick and defenseman <b>Josh Gorges</b>.</p><p><b>OTTAWA</b> The Sens picked up winger <b>Oleg Saprykin</b>&nbsp;and a 2007 seventh round pick from Phoenix for a second-rounder in 2008.</p><p><b>TORONTO</b> The Leafs love bringing  back former players of any ilk, and it was <b>Yanic Perreault&rsquo;s</b> turn Feb. 27 when the club re-acquired him from Phoenix. The faceoff specialist had been with the Leafs, who drafted him in 1991, two other times. &ldquo;It feels like <i>Groundhog Day</i> again.&rdquo; Perreault said. &ldquo;You wake up and you&rsquo;re going back to Toronto.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ATLANTIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>NEW JERSEY Martin Brodeur</b> set a career high with his 12th shutout in Pittsburgh Feb. 27 and took aim on <b>Tony Esposito&rsquo;s</b> modern  record of 15 set in 1969-70&hellip; Two days earlier in Washington, backup <b>Scott Clemmensen</b> halted Brodeur&rsquo;s streak of 32 starts with his first win of the season.</p><p><b>NY ISLANDERS</b> The Islanders traded picks and top prospects to acquire top-end wingers <b>Ryan Smyth</b> and <b>Richard Zednik</b>, while keeping pending unrestricted free agent and leading scorer <b>Jason Blake</b>. &ldquo;Our team has worked extremely hard this season and I think the message&rsquo;s been sent that we believed,&rdquo; said first-year GM <b>Garth Snow</b>.</p><p><b>NY RANGERS</b> A rift between <b>Jaromir Jagr</b>&nbsp;and <b>Aaron Ward</b> that evolved out of a shouting match on the bench during a Feb. 3 match in Tampa Bay precipitated the Feb. 27 deal in which Ward was sent to Boston in exchange for fellow blueliner <b>Paul Mara</b>. The Rangers had dangled Jagr, but did not receive any offers they could seriously consider.</p><p><b>PHILADELPHIA</b> The Flyers unloaded a $3.5-million player (<b>Alexei Zhitnik</b>) and a $2.95-million one (<b>Kyle Calder</b>) at the trade deadline for two young defensemen &ndash; Atlanta&rsquo;s <b>Braydon Coburn</b> and Chicago&rsquo;s <b>Lasse Kukkonen,</b> plus goalie <b>Martin Biron</b> from Buffalo for a second round pick. Biron, a free agent in July, said he&rsquo;s willing to talk contract extension.</p><p><b>PITTSBURGH</b> New GM <b>Ray Shero</b> wouldn&rsquo;t take no for an answer in trying to acquire left winger <b>Gary Roberts</b>, 40, from Florida. Roberts had a no-trade clause and said he wanted to play only for Toronto or Ottawa. Shero called him and spoke with his wife. <b>Mario Lemieux</b> and winger <b>Mark Recchi</b> also called Roberts.</p><h2><b>SOUTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ATLANTA</b> The Thrashers have the most favorable schedule of the Southeast Division contenders, with 11 of their final 17 games at home. But Atlanta had lost all seven of their home sellouts&hellip; With <b>Greg de Vries</b>&nbsp;already wearing No. 7, <b>Keith Tkachuk</b> took No. 8 in honor of hero <b>Cam Neely</b>.</p><p><b>CAROLINA</b> The Canes added <b>Anson Carter</b> at the trade deadline, but didn&rsquo;t resolve their blueline logjam. They have nine NHL defensemen on the roster and <b>Anton Babchuk</b> waiting in Albany (AHL).</p><p><b>FLORIDA Jacques Martin</b> coached the 1,000th game of his career, against Tampa Bay March 3&hellip;<b>Olli Jokinen</b> scored his fourth career hat trick in a 6-5 win over Washington Feb. 26. It was the first shootout victory in seven tries for the Panthers.</p><p><b>TAMPA BAY</b> Left winger <b>Andre Roy</b> was suspended three games after gesturing towards officials during a Feb. 23 game against Boston. It&rsquo;s at least his sixth career suspension and he said the league is out to get him. &ldquo;Anyone else, maybe it&rsquo;s a 10-minute misconduct,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s Andre Roy so we&rsquo;ll suspend him.&rdquo;</p><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> After equaling a career-high with five games without a goal, <b>Alex Ovechkin</b> scored three times in two games. His two goals against Florida Feb. 27 were part of a four-point night that matched a career-best.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02837/8815729-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="605" height="1077"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN A RUSSELL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>CENTRAL DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CHICAGO</b> GM <b>Dale Tallon</b> acquired more skill in forwards <b>Jason Williams</b> from Detroit and <b>Nikita Alexeev</b> from Tampa Bay&hellip; Tallon tried, but was unable to move defensemen <b>Adrian Aucoin</b> and <b>Jassen Cullimore</b> because of their big contracts. Aucoin has two years left on his deal for $8 million, while Cullimore is owed $1.9 million next season.</p><p><b>COLUMBUS</b> Center <b>Dan Fritsche</b> sustained a deep cut to his right wrist by the skate of Nashville&rsquo;s <b>Ryan Suter</b>. Fritsche had a twohour surgery to re-attach tendons and an artery. &ldquo;I lost a lot of blood,&rdquo; said Fritsche, who might be out the rest of the season&hellip;Winger <b>Fredrik Modin</b> signed a three-year contract extension worth $9.75 million.</p><p><b>DETROIT</b> The Red Wings lost <b>Henrik Zetterberg</b>, who was leading them in goals (33) and points (68), until mid-March due to an inflamed disc in his back.</p><p><b>NASHVILLE</b> The Predators went to overtime for a fourth straight game Feb. 28, downing San Jose 4-3 in a shootout&hellip;In that game, rookie winger <b>Alexander Radulov</b> scored his first goal since Jan. 1.</p><p><b>ST. LOUIS</b> Assuming the conditional pick in the <b>Bill Guerin</b> trade is used this year, the Blues will have 11 draft picks in June, including three in the first round and eight in the first four rounds.</p><h2><b>NORTHWEST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CALGARY Jarome Iginla</b> used a two-goal performance Feb. 24 to jump past <b>Joe Nieuwendyk</b>&nbsp;into second spot on the Flames&rsquo; all-time goal-scoring list. Iginla finished the night with 315 tallies, one more than the player he was traded for in 1995. <b>Theoren Fleury</b> is the franchise leader with 364.</p><p><b>COLORADO Karlis Skrastins</b> saw his streak of consecutive games end at 495, the NHL record for blueliners. Skrastins sustained a sprained knee at L.A. Feb. 24.</p><p><b>EDMONTON Mark Messier</b> wasn&rsquo;t disappointed his sweater retirement ceremony was overshadowed by <b>Ryan Smyth&rsquo;s</b> trade to the Islanders hours earlier. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m never disappointed in <b>Kevin</b> (<b>Lowe</b>),&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In fact, I&rsquo;m really proud of Kevin. He has to do what&rsquo;s best for the team.&rdquo; Rather than risk negative reaction, Lowe didn&rsquo;t appear on the ice during the ceremony.</p><p><b>MINNESOTA</b> The Wild sent a third round pick to Pittsburgh for center <b>Dominic Moore</b>&hellip;Goalie <b>Niklas Backstrom</b>, 9-2-1 in place of injured <b>Manny Fernandez</b>, sustained a &ldquo;lower body&rdquo; injury against Calgary Feb. 28. His status was uncertain.</p><p><b>VANCOUVER</b> After surrendering  four draft picks for rentals last year, GM <b>Dave Nonis</b> gave up two second-rounders and a fourth to obtain defenseman <b>Brent Sopel</b> and center <b>Bryan Smolinski&hellip;</b>Disappointing center <b>Marc Chouinard</b> was waived and sent to Manitoba (AHL).</p><h2><b>PACIFIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ANAHEIM</b> Left winger <b>Dustin Penner</b> scored two goals Feb. 26 in a 3-2 win at San Jose, giving him 21 for the season and breaking the team&rsquo;s rookie record of 19 set by left winger <b>Chris Kunitz</b> last season&hellip; The Ducks replaced the 2007 first round pick they sent to Edmonton in last summer&rsquo;s trade for defenseman <b>Chris Pronger</b> by acquiring Tampa Bay&rsquo;s top pick in a Feb. 24 deal that sent rookie defenseman <b>Shane O&rsquo;Brien</b> to the Bolts.</p><p><b>DALLAS</b> The Stars gave up a second first round pick in a month to obtain defenseman <b>Mattias Norstrom</b> from L.A. Dallas surrendered their 2007 first round pick for <b>Ladislav Nagy</b> and yielded their 2008 selection for Norstrom. &ldquo;Our team is built for the next couple of years,&rdquo; said GM <b>Doug Armstrong</b>. &ldquo;This shows that this team comes with an expiration date and we want to try to win now.&rdquo;</p><p><b>LOS ANGELES</b> GM <b>Dean Lombardi</b> added five extra draft picks in 2007 and &rsquo;08 since arriving last April. He wants to follow the model he used in San Jose&hellip;<b>Rob Blake</b> ended a 16-game goalless streak when he tied a Feb. 24 game against Colorado with 3.9 seconds left. The Kings won in a shootout.</p><p><b>PHOENIX</b> Defenseman <b>Ed Jova</b><b>novski</b> underwent season-ending abdominal surgery Feb. 28&hellip;Center <b>Jeremy Roenick</b> publicly lobbied to be traded to a contender, but the Coyotes found no takers.</p><p><b>SAN JOSE</b> Center <b>Patrick Mar</b><b>leau</b> became the eighth-youngest player to play 700 games Feb. 24. Marleau was 27 years and 162 days old. If not for the lockout, he could&rsquo;ve been the youngest.</p><h2><b>Quick Hits</b></h2><h3><b>STEADY JOE</b></h3><p>Avs GM <b>Francois Giguere</b> said <b>Joe Sakic</b> won&rsquo;t be going anywhere under his watch: &ldquo;As long as Joe wants to stay, we&rsquo;ll have a place for him here.&rdquo;</p><h3><b>QUICK HIT HEAD</b></h3><p>New Predator <b>Peter Forsberg</b> waited until his fourth game with Nashville to make a splash: He set up <b>Paul Kariya&rsquo;s</b> first goal then scored the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over Detroit Feb. 24.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03627/8815722-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="480" height="480"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>KID DYNAMITE</b></h3><p><b>Sidney Crosby</b>, at 199 points, was set to become the youngest player in history to reach 200. Crosby was 19 years, 205 days old as of Feb. 28. Wayne Gretzky reached 200 points at 19 years, 347 days.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-02

Sharks take bait on sniper Guerin

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04461/8815781-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="801" height="606"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jeremy Williams <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011178/8815788-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="122" height="137"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>SHOOT MORE, KID</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>oronto&rsquo;s <b>Jeremy Wil</b><b>liams</b> scores his first NHL goal of the season in his first game on his first shot&hellip;just like last year. Two games, two shots, two goals.</p><h2><b>GOOD TIME TO GET HOT</b></h2><p><b>Jason Spezza</b> (17 points in nine games) and <b>Wade Redden</b> (six points in four) pick a perfect time of year to start lighting it up in Ottawa.</p><h2><b>DEADLY DOZEN</b></h2><p>New Jersey Devils veteran goalie <b>Martin Brodeur</b> records a personal-best 12th shutout, blanking Sidney Crosby and the Penguins 1-0.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-05341/8815774-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="1410" height="1067"><figcaption class="caption-body">Robert Lang <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>ROAD KILL</b></h2><p>With the fewest number of wins on the road in the Western Conference &ndash; seven &ndash; the Calgary Flames risk being first round playoff casualties.</p><h2><b>BETTER BACKUPS</b></h2><p>Last year&rsquo;s Stanley Cup featured backup goalies, so did contenders such as Vancouver and Calgary blow it by not upgrading at the deadline?</p><h2><b>OLD LANG, SIGH</b></h2><p>Maybe newcomer <b>Todd Bertuzzi</b> can help jump-start Detroit&rsquo;s <b>Robert Lang</b>, who was pointless in nine consecutive games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-04

Plus/Minus

f0024-02

Team Toughness

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04451/8816231-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STEPPING UP</b> Undrafted Charles Linglet is making his presence felt with the Peoria Rivermen.</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011175/8816238-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="88" height="88"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span></b>our years after his junior career ended, <b>Charles Linglet</b> finally has an NHL contract. But just because the St. Louis Blues upgraded his American League-only deal, don&rsquo;t look for him to be riding shotgun alongside <b>Doug Weight</b> anytime soon. Before the 24-year-old can make any impact with the Blues, he&rsquo;ll have to improve his skating.</p><p>Still, Linglet is at least on the radar screen. Undrafted despite a 52-goal, 123-point season with Baie-Comeau in the Quebec League in 2001-02, he has improved his skating and defensive play and has become a key forward with the Peoria Rivermen.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05354/8816224-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="268" height="325"></div><p>&ldquo;He has got an incredible skill set,&rdquo; said Peoria coach <b>Dave</b>&nbsp;<b>Baseggio</b>. &ldquo;He has a nose for the net, a great shot and great hands.&rdquo;</p><p>The left winger spent his first two-plus seasons in the ECHL, earning a promotion to Peoria last season. This year he had 26 goals and 40 points in 50 games. He ranked ninth in the AHL in goals as February came to a close.</p><p>&ldquo;This has been a big step in his career,&rdquo; Baseggio said. &ldquo;Last year he was just a fourthline guy who played the power play. Now he&rsquo;s a top-two line guy because he&rsquo;s a better 5-on-5 player.&rdquo;</p><p><b>HUNTING SEASON</b> In mid-December Manitoba trailed the Rochester Americans by 12 points in the North Division, but the Moose used a 10-1 run to claim sole possession of first place.</p><p>It was the first time all season the Amerks didn&rsquo;t hold at least a share of the division lead.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been pushing to catch Hamilton and Rochester the last month and a half and we finally did it,&rdquo; said Moose rookie coach <b>Scott Arniel</b>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m tired of being the hunter. I want to be the hunted.&rdquo;</p><p><b>FIRST-TEAMER? Curtis McEl</b>-<b>hinney</b> has barged his way into the Calgary Flames&rsquo; future goaltending picture with a sensational second pro season.</p><p>McElhinney, Calgary&rsquo;s sixthround pick (176th overall) in 2002, was second in shutouts (six), third in wins (24) and fifth in goalsagainst average (2.21) for the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.</p><p><b>LIKE OLD TIMES</b> Syracuse defenseman &nbsp;<b>Derrick Walser</b> and goalie <b>Tomas Popperle</b> experienced that deja vu sensation.</p><p>Teammates a year ago with the German League-champion Berlin Polar Bears, Walser and Popperle were front and center for the Crunch in a 2-0 win over Manitoba. Walser scored the first goal and Popperle made 30 saves for his fourth shutout.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Houston Aeros center <b>Bryan Lundbohm</b>&nbsp;is thinking more than just defense as a penalty-killer. He has scored two shorthanded goals and assisted on four&hellip;Four months after goalie <b>Justin Pogge</b> posted his first pro shutout, the Toronto Marlies rookie earned No. 2. He made 15 saves in a 3-0 win over Rochester&hellip;Fourth-year Hamilton right winger <b>Duncan Milroy</b> is having his best season, ranking 20th in AHL scoring with 23 goals and 52 points in 52 games. He was rewarded with a five-game call-up to Montreal, where he registered an assist for his first NHL point.</p><h2><b>POWER RANKINGS</b></h2><p>As of March 1, 2007</p><h3><b>AHL TOP 10</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06292/8816217-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="563" height="586"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-07245/8816210-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="280" height="384"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVID KOCI</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-08197/8816203-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="152" height="131"></div><p><b>GP G A PTS</b></p><p>34 0 1 1</p><h3><b>TOP BADBOYS</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-09169/8816196-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="569" height="543"></div><h2><b>BINGHAMTON SENATORS</b></h2><p><b>5th Season in AHL</b></p><p><b>Best Season</b></p><p>47-21-5-7 in 2004-05</p><p><b>Arena</b> Broome County</p><p>Veterans Memorial</p><p><b>Exec. VP</b> Tom Mitchell</p><p><b>Coach</b></p><p>Dave Cameron</p><p><b>Career Leaders</b></p><p>(GP-G-A-Points)</p><p><b>Denis Hamel</b></p><p>235 124 112 236</p><p><b>Jason Spezza</b></p><p>123 54 117 171</p><p><b>Antoine Vermette</b></p><p>161 62 73 135</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-11114/8816189-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="183" height="146"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1286/8816182-1-eng-US/f0031-122.jpg" title="f0031-12" width="209" height="286"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0031-04

Making strides toward Blues

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02780/8816276-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="280" height="382"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DENNIS SIEVERS/WWW.SIEVERSPHOTO.COM)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03588/8816269-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="187" height="175"></div><p>Five months into his first pro season, Josh Tordjman has proven he can stop the puck.</p><p>But at 6-foot-1 and somewhere between 150 and 155 pounds, some wonder if the San Antonio Rampage stopper (by far the lightest player in the league) is secretly putting his food per diem into a retirement account.</p><p>&ldquo;I eat more than anyone would believe,&rdquo; said Tordjman, an undrafted Montreal native who signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes last July. &ldquo;I just don&rsquo;t gain weight. I eat as much as anyone on our team except (6-foot-5, 235-pound Ryan) Flinn. That guy&rsquo;s a waste disposal.&rdquo;</p><p>Tordjman eats up pucks. As February came to a close, the 22-year-old rookie was 10-12-1 with a 2.67 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.</p><p>Signed after a super overage season a year ago with Moncton in the Quebec League, Tordjman started in the ECHL, but earned a quick promotion.</p><p>&ldquo;He has a very solid foundation in the net, he&rsquo;s not a flip-flop goalie,&rdquo; said Rampage coach Pat Conacher. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s just not relying on positioning. Athletic ability sets him apart and he has such a positive attitude. He&rsquo;s the last guy off the ice and if guys want him to stay out longer, he does.</p><p>&ldquo;And, no, he&rsquo;s not a big guy but he plays big in the net.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0031-02

Flyweight a big player

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02833/8816314-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="281" height="378"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03607/8816307-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="181" height="167"></div><p>Never having been traded before in his pro career, Joe Motzko initially wasn&rsquo;t sure how to deal with change.</p><p>Rather than worry about &lsquo;why,&rsquo; Motzko just did what he does best: play hockey.</p><p>Motzko was dealt Jan. 26 by Columbus along with center Mark Hartigan to Anaheim for forwards Zenon Konopka and Curtis Glencross.</p><p> Motzko, 26, signed with Columbus as a free agent in 2003 and was one of Syracuse&rsquo;s top scorers. The fourth-year right winger had just returned from a seven-game NHL stint when the move was made.</p><p>&ldquo;Being this was the first time I was traded, there was kind of a shock value,&rdquo; Motzko said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that was maybe out there the whole year. There was some talk, but the timing of it surprised me.&rdquo;</p><p>The 6-foot, 196-pound Motzko wasted no time proving his stock with Portland. He had four goals and eight points and was plus-1 in 10 games with the Pirates, giving him 17 goals and 44 points in 43 games this season.</p><p>&ldquo;It might be a good thing for me, who knows,&rdquo; said Motzko, who represtend Portland at the All-Star Game. &ldquo;New scenery is always good. I was in the middle of my fourth year with Columbus. I&rsquo;m excited to get settled in here and see what happens.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-02

Dealing with a trade

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04442/8816352-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MILESTONE MAN</b> Dennis Bonvie has 92 NHL games under his belt to go along with 800 in the AHL. <span class="photo-credit">(JOHN KASKO/KDP PHOTO)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011254/8816359-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="196" height="90"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he city of Binghamton, N.Y., is determined to prove bigger isn&rsquo;t always better. Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena will host the AHL all-star festivities in 2008. The announcement came 16 days after the AHL Senators finalized both a five-year extension with Ottawa and its lease for the building.</p><p>&ldquo;It is indeed a privilege for us to partner with the AHL and showcase the best young players in the world,&rdquo; said <b>Tom Mitchell</b>, Binghamton&rsquo;s part owner and executive vice-president of operations. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re also excited to be able to bring tremendous national and international exposure to our community.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05346/8816345-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="268" height="325"></div><p>Binghamton&rsquo;s arena seats 4,710 for hockey, which is the fewest in the AHL. The smallest crowd to watch the league&rsquo;s All-Star Game since its 1995 revival came in 1998, when a sellout 6,230 turned out at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, N.Y.</p><p>Though the Senators ranked 21st of 27 teams with an average crowd of 3,938 through 29 home dates, that figure represented 83.6 per cent of building capacity. Just Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (98.8) and Manitoba (84.7) had higher percentages, and Syracuse (82.9) and Hershey (81.2) were the only other cities more than 80 per cent.</p><p>Except for a five-year gap from 1997-2002, Binghamton has housed an AHL team since the 1977-78 season. The arena opened in 1973 and hosted the United League All-Star Game in 2001 and underwent many improvements before the Senators debut in 2002-03.</p><p><b>HELPING HAND</b> In addition to lending the experience of 1,157 NHL games to Portland&rsquo;s defense, former Pirates assistant coach <b>Eric Weinrich</b> has also contributed offensively.</p><p>Weinrich, 40, had eight points in his first 13 games since coming out of retirement Jan. 25. Originally on a 25-game tryout, he signed an NHL contract with Anaheim in mid-February.</p><p>Weinrich netted his first goal of the season in a 4-3 shootout loss at Albany Feb. 24. It was Weinrich&rsquo;s first AHL tally since the 1989-90 season, when he had 12 goals and 60 points in 47 games and was named the league&rsquo;s top defenseman.</p><p><b>SHORT STAY</b> For a guy who hadn&rsquo;t played in two months, <b>Scott Clemmensen</b> looked sharp.</p><p>Backup to <b>Martin Brodeur</b> in New Jersey, Clemmensen had played just three games this season and none since mid-December, before getting a start for Lowell Feb. 21 against Worcester.</p><p>Clemmensen stopped all 35 shots in a 3-0 win for his fourth career AHL shutout and first since 2004-05 with Albany.</p><p><b>MOVIN&rsquo; UP</b> Already the AHL&rsquo;s all-time penalty minutes leader, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton winger <b>Dennis Bonvie</b>&nbsp;is climbing another career list. During a weekend road trip to Binghamton, Bonvie became the 27th player in league history to appear in 800 games in a 5-4 win and celebrated by scoring his second goal of the season. He moved past <b>Dave Creighton</b> for 26th with No. 801 the next night, a 4-2 victory.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-04

Big moment in Binghamton

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div><p><b>ECHL</b></p><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>daho goaltender Steve Silverthorn is the last line of defense. But the second-year pro deflects credit for his success just as well as he brushes aside opponents&rsquo; shots.</p><p>Silverthorn had a leaguebest 26 wins.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06291/8816390-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="168" height="164"></div><p>&ldquo;Our team&rsquo;s playing well,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a great core defensively and that makes my job a lot easier. It&rsquo;s not by any means all me. The biggest factor is how we&rsquo;re coming together defensively.&rdquo;</p><p>The 26-year-old ranked third in the ECHL with five shutouts and posted a solid 2.66 goals-against average.</p><p>Even more impressive was Silverthorn&rsquo;s three consecutive shutouts during a back-and-forth week in the AHL and ECHL.</p><p>With the AHL&rsquo;s Iowa Stars, Silverthorrn shut out Hamilton and Toronto on back-to-back nights. He returned to the Steelheads two days later and blanked Phoenix.</p><h2><b>DOUBLE MILESTONE</b></h2><p>Trenton&rsquo;s Scott Bertoli had a two-goal, four-point game that included his 500th professional point in a 7-1 win over Cincinnati.</p><p>In the same game, Trenton&rsquo;s Jim Henkel netted his 100th career goal.</p><h2><b>HIGH-PERCENTAGE SHOTS</b></h2><p>Gwinnett set a team record for fewest shots, putting 12 attempts on net in a 3-1 victory over South Carolina.</p><p>The Gladiators have one of the league&rsquo;s most explosive offenses, with 99 power play goals. But Gwinnett had established a previous record-low 18 shots a night earlier against Florida.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0032-06

Sterling stopper

<div class="byline">BY PAUL SHAHEEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02761/8816463-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="815" height="1560"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>OH BROTHER</b> Blake Kessel, the younger sibling of Bruins rookie Phil, is headed to the NCAA in 2008.</figcaption></div><p><b>BLAKE KESSEL ISN&rsquo;T</b> the famous one.</p><p>He&rsquo;s the younger one.</p><p>But that hasn&rsquo;t stopped the 17-year-old brother of Boston Bruin Phil Kessel from forging his own successful path.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011128/8816470-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="189" height="61"></div><p>A 6-foot-2, 210-pound defenseman, Blake is skating this season for the United States League&rsquo;s Waterloo Black Hawks, where he has put up a solid six goals and 21 points in 41 games.</p><p>But as of fall 2008, he&rsquo;ll be wearing the blue and white of the University of New Hampshire.</p><p>Ranked 76th among North American skaters for the 2007 NHL draft, Kessel doesn&rsquo;t mind flying below the radar.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s sort of nice to be honest,&rdquo; said the native of Verona, Wis. &ldquo;My brother had a lot to deal with and I&rsquo;ve learned much from watching him. He and I are very close and we skate together pretty much all summer.&rdquo;</p><p>While Phil gets most of the accolades, Blake&rsquo;s coach P.K. O&rsquo;Handley sees him in a special class all his own.</p><p>&ldquo;The way Blake prepares, I&rsquo;d recommend him to anybody,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Handley said. &ldquo;His play is actually deceiving. You might wonder if a guy that big can get around a rink. Well, we play on an Olympic-size sheet and he gets around our rink just fine.&rdquo;</p><p>Speedy? Yes, but Kessel has even more.</p><p>&ldquo;His biggest assets may be his stick and his smarts,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Handley said. &ldquo;He defends well and he defends quick and that allows him to get in to offensive situations.&rdquo;</p><p>While his brother is the star forward, Blake sees the game from an entirely different point of view.</p><p>&ldquo;I could never be a forward, I don&rsquo;t like forwards,&rdquo; Blake joked. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s something about playing defense I really like. You can see the whole play develop, you can make plays, see the ice and make things happen.&rdquo;</p><h3><b>Eye on Europe</b></h3><h4><b>Olausson retires, awaits transplant</b></h4><p>Fredrik Olausson&rsquo;s long career has finally come to an end. The 41-year-old Swedish defenseman announced his retirement after two failed operations to restore full capacity to his liver. Since the 1980s, Olausson has suffered from ulcerative colitis, a bowel condition similar to Crohn&rsquo;s disease. As a further development, he also suffers from primary sclerosing cholangitis, a liver disease that causes inflammation, which leads to scarring and hardening of the liver. Olausson underwent two operations where the doctors tried to open major blockages in bile ducts. Those failed and now Olausson is waiting for a liver transplant. &ldquo;My biggest goal now is to be completely healthy again,&rdquo; said Olausson, who played 12 games for Farjestad, on the teams website. Farjestad GM Hakan Loob understood the circumstances. &ldquo;Hockey takes a backseat in this situation and the most important thing is, Fredrik gets well.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03598/8816456-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="190" height="115"></div><p><b>&ndash; RISTO PAKARINEN</b></p><h3><b>United League</b></h3><h2><b>Selling off IceHogs, investing in Hounds</b></h2><p>The Rockford IceHogs may be leaving the United League, but owner Craig Drecktrah isn&rsquo;t going anywhere. Drecktrah, who owns 49 per cent of the IceHogs, purchased the Chicago Hounds from longtime UHL owner Eric Margenau. &ldquo;I really enjoy hockey and enjoy owning a team,&rdquo; Drecktrah told the Rockford <i>Register Star</i>. Drecktrah and IceHogs majority owner Kris Tumilowicz are expected to sell the team to Centre Events, which manages the Rockford MetroCentre. That would pave the way for an American League team to move to Rockford. Through 25 home games during its first UHL season, Chicago was ninth in the 10-team league with an average attendance of 2,065 in the new 11,000-seat Sears Centre.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04476/8816449-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="187" height="83"></div><p><b>&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE</b></p><h3><b>Central League</b></h3><h2><b>Thunderous race finishes with a trick</b></h2><p>The race to 300 goals between Wichita Thunder teammates Travis Clayton and Jason Duda is over. Clayton, a 10-year veteran center, eclipsed the 300-goal mark with a hat trick against the Amarillo Gorillas. Duda, an 11-year veteran left winger, was right behind Clayton with two goals in the same game, but only got to 297. Clayton is the third player in league history to score 300 goals, joining Joe Burton (565 goals) and Paul Jackson (312 goals)&hellip;The Tulsa Oilers honored Millard &lsquo;Sonny Boy&rsquo; Wakeford with a team-signed goalie stick and a certificate from the mayor. The 100-year-old Wakeford played for the Oilers from 1928 to 1942 and still holds team records for games played (580) and is second in goals (217) and assists (193).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05395/8816442-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="176" height="125"></div><p><b>&ndash; DAVID HENRY</b></p><h3><b>Southern Pro League</b></h3><h2><b>Crombie now coach, gets win in debut</b></h2><p>Chris Crombie was on injured reserve waiting for broken ribs to mend when Pee Dee ownership made a coaching change. Now, he&rsquo;s behind the bench. Crombie, a tenth round pick of the Boston Bruins in 1992, replaced Mark Richards as coach. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been with these guys all season and battled for them and now I&rsquo;m asking them to battle for me,&rdquo; Crombie said. Rookie goalie Leni DiCostanzo, who went to camp with Elmira (UHL), beat Fayetteville 4-3 in overtime for his first pro win in Crombie&rsquo;s debut. &ldquo;The first night, I gave him the game-winning puck, which was also my first coaching win,&rdquo; Crombie said. &ldquo;Not in a million years would I have kept it from him. The next night I gave him a puck to commemorate his first shutout.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-06345/8816435-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="169" height="133"></div><p><b>&ndash; NICK GATES</b></p><h3><b>Canadian University</b></h3><h2><b>York and Lakehead always run long</b></h2><p>York Lions goalie Kevin Druce spent his Valentine&rsquo;s Day making 84 saves in a heart-breaking 3-2 playoff loss to Lakehead that featured four extra periods. &ldquo;I had a weird feeling from the first puck drop,&rdquo; said Druce, a former OHLer, of his incredible performance. &ldquo;It felt like an overtime game right away. But pressure doesn&rsquo;t get to me. I try to draw off it.&rdquo; Lakehead&rsquo;s Mike Wehrstedt beat Druce with a blast through the pads 13 seconds into the fourth OT. The Thunderwolves needed another OT winner from Wehrstedt three nights later to eliminate York in their best-of-three OUA West quarterfinal. The game marked the sixth consecutive time over three consecutive years York and Lakehead required overtime to settle a playoff game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-07303/8816428-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="165" height="111"></div><p><b>&ndash; JEFF RENAUD</b></p><h3><b>The Women&rsquo;s Game</b></h3><h2><b>Team Canada vets still play big role</b></h2><p>There will be no youth movement for Canada at the 2007 Women&rsquo;s World Championship. Forward Danielle Goyette, 41, checks in as the oldest player on the team and the tournament. Her inclusion is a surprise given the depth of Canada&rsquo;s under-22 team. Canadian coach Mel Davidson insists &ldquo;there were no spots awarded that are not on merit. Goyette has looked after herself very well and maintained a healthy lifestyle, but most importantly she still has the ability to skate with the rest of the players,&rdquo; she said. Canada will enter the tournament, being held in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Man., April 3 through 10, with an average age of 26.7. Four Canadian skaters are over 30, while the youngest is 20-year-old Meghan Agosta.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-08246/8816421-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="183" height="141"></div><p><b>&ndash; ELIZABETH ETUE</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-02

Younger Kessel on the rise

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02854/8816529-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="827" height="1136"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Spotlight</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ONE EXAMPLE STICKS OUT</b></p><p>when Everett Silvertips GM Doug Soetaert is asked to discuss Zach Hamill&rsquo;s affinity for hockey.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011267/8816536-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="153" height="116"></div><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a kid who used to walk to school with his hockey stick, kind of bouncing rocks off the end of his stick all the way to school and all the way back,&rdquo; Soetaert said of the 18-year-old center.</p><p>While growing up in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Hamill would also take his in-line skates to school.</p><p>&ldquo;I did it all the time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We used to play road hockey at school.&rdquo;</p><p>Hamill continues to play roller hockey with his friends during the off-season. His passion for hockey, in whatever form suits the occasion, contributed to Soetaert&rsquo;s decision to make Hamill the expansion Silvertips&rsquo; first-ever draftee in 2003.</p><p>After scoring more than a point per game last season, Hamill has busted loose this year and sits second in league scoring.</p><p>&ldquo;He gets more gratification out of making plays than he does scoring goals some nights,&rdquo; Soetaert said. &ldquo;He has made some unbelievable plays.&rdquo;</p><p>Soetaert even went as far as to compare Hamill&rsquo;s comportment to that of a true hockey legend.</p><p>&ldquo;A very good comparison is Steve Yzerman,&rdquo; Soetaert said. &ldquo;Zach has the same vision, the same work ethic, the same quiet demeanor. He doesn&rsquo;t go out of his way to look for any recognition. He goes about his business.&rdquo;</p><p>Hamill is flattered by the comparison, considering his favorite players while growing up were Yzerman and another understated superstar, Joe Sakic.</p><p>&ldquo;You look up to a guy like Yzerman,&rdquo; Hamill said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a proven winner. I want to win a Memorial Cup so people will think of me as a winner.&rdquo;</p><p>Hamill plays a strong allaround  game and is ranked 19th by International Scouting Services for the 2007 draft. He missed being eligible for the 2006 draft by eight days.</p><p>Although Hamill has modest dimensions he has been able to thrive in the tight-checking WHL.</p><p>But that couldn&rsquo;t be accomplished without determination, which is a trait shared by his parents (Scott and Lonnie).</p><p>&ldquo;My mom has three jobs,&rdquo; Hamill said. &ldquo;My dad gets up for work early every morning and comes home late.</p><p>&lsquo;That&rsquo;s where I get my work ethic. They work for everything they get.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ZACH HAMILL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03676/8816522-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="966" height="231"></div><h3><b>Western League</b></h3><h2><b>Jorgensen helping Blazers get back on winning path</b></h2><p><b>BY ROB VANSTONE</b></p><p>The Kamloops Blazers&rsquo; leading marksman wants his team to leave its own mark.</p><p>&ldquo;You want to create your own identity,&rdquo; said center <b>Reid Jorgensen</b>, the team&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer with 39 in 58 games. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not <b>Scott Niedermayer</b>. We&rsquo;re not <b>Jarome Iginla</b> (both former Blazers). Those guys are such special players that you can&rsquo;t even come close to trying to compare us to those guys who played here.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04535/8816515-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="153" height="116"></div><p>&ldquo;You try to establish your own identity and that goes through the team success.&rdquo;</p><p>Kamloops, which hasn&rsquo;t won a playoff series since 1999, is enjoying a resurgence this year.</p><p>&ldquo;It means so much more, being able to contribute to help the team be successful,&rdquo; said the 21-year-old center who underwent elbow surgery in mid-February that will sideline him until mid-March.</p><p>&ldquo;If you score 100 goals, but you don&rsquo;t have many wins, it doesn&rsquo;t feel that good.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Moose Jaw winger <b>Garrett Robinson</b>, who suffered severe head injuries in an Oct. 22 car accident, is shooting for a return to the lineup. He dropped the ceremonial first puck in Moose Jaw Feb. 23. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m back here in the place I want to be and the place I want to play next year,&rdquo; the 18-year-old said.</p><h3><b>Ontario League</b></h3><h2><b>League to educate players about major junior ropes</b></h2><p><b>BY JIM CRESSMAN</b></p><p>The OHL is taking a pro-active approach to prospective players by offering an under-16 program of excellence.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05438/8816508-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="190" height="65"></div><p>&ldquo;We want them to have a realistic view of the way major junior works so the experience is more successful,&rdquo; said <b>Joe Birch</b>, the league&rsquo;s director of recruitment and education services.</p><p>It&rsquo;s an introduction to highperformance hockey and will inform players and parents of the opportunities and the difficult decisions that may arise. The initial year starts with 240 players eligible for the 2008 OHL draft.</p><p>&ldquo;I remember at 15, I wanted to be a player but I didn&rsquo;t understand what it took to be a player,&rdquo; Birch said.</p><p>There will be on-and office training, hockey-specific sports psychology, nutrition and drug and alcohol awareness sessions and speakers from all levels of hockey.</p><p>&ldquo;We want them to be aware there are other venues where they can stay in the sport other than playing and coaching,&rdquo; said Birch, an ex-OHL and CIS defenseman.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> London center <b>Sam Gagner</b>, a likely top 10 pick in this year&rsquo;s NHL draft, was sidelined several games with a concussion after being injured on a check by Erie&rsquo;s <b>Patrick Lee</b> after Gagner scored. Lee was suspended eight games.</p><h3><b>Quebec League</b></h3><h2><b>Eagles don&rsquo;t ruffle feathers in hopes chemistry stays</b></h2><p><b>BY NEIL HODGE</b></p><p><b>Pascal Vincent</b> is in his seventh season with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, the longest current coaching tenure in the Quebec League.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06393/8816501-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="148" height="136"></div><p>And he has a good feeling about this team, which sat second in league standings.</p><p>&ldquo;This is the best team we&rsquo;ve had in my time here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the most complete team with balance throughout the lineup. We also had a strong team in 2003-04, but this year we&rsquo;re more tight-knit with better chemistry.&rdquo;</p><p>The Eagles posted its best record in franchise history in 2003-04, but got upset in the second playoff round. The team has only gone beyond the second round once under Vincent, falling in the league semifinal in 2001-02.</p><p>&ldquo;We made too many trades and hurt our chemistry in 2003-04,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You try to learn from your mistakes. We kept our team together in the trade period this year and only made one big move by acquiring (defenseman) <b>Luc Bourdon</b>.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Lewiston was in the CHL top 10 rankings for 14 consecutive weeks, sitting as high as No. 3. The Maineiacs were the only QMJHL team in the rankings four times during this stretch and they led the league at 41-14-2-4.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0034-02

Loud numbers, calm demeanor

<div class="byline">BY ANDY BAGGOT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02824/8816602-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="988" height="1357"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Spotlight</b> <span class="photo-credit">(NEIL ANDERSEN (ST. CLOUD STATE))</span></figcaption></div><p><b>ST. CLOUD STATE</b> coach Bob Motzko had a pretty good idea what kind of player he was getting when he recruited Austrian winger Andreas Nodl.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011184/8816609-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="149" height="149"></div><p>After all, it was Motzko who paved the way for another Austrian standout, Thomas Vanek, to hone his game in the WCHA after a decorated stint in the United States League.</p><p>Motzko recruited Vanek to Minnesota, where the natural goal-scorer helped lead the Gophers to consecutive NCAA titles in 2002 and &rsquo;03. Vanek was Buffalo&rsquo;s first round pick (fifth overall) in 2003 and currently is an offensive mainstay for the Sabres.</p><p>When Motzko took over at St. Cloud two years ago, he brought in Nodl, who is following in the footsteps of Vanek and becoming a dominant force in league.</p><p>Through 32 games, Nodl was third among NCAA freshmen with 15 goals and 40 points. He has a good chance of doing what Vanek did in 2003, namely earn WCHA rookie-of-the-year honors.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely one of the exciting players to come into the WCHA that we see every year,&rdquo; Motzko said.</p><p>Nodl, listed at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, was chosen by Philadelphia with the 39th pick of the 2006 draft. Prior to college, he played two USHL seasons with Sioux City, racking up 29 goals and 59 points in 58 games in his final year.</p><p>He has a powerful stride, soft hands and an unteachable knack for scoring goals.</p><p>Nodl, 20, entered the final two weeks of the regular season with a shot at winning the WCHA scoring title.</p><p>His emergence is a main reason why the Huskies were in title contention after being picked by league coaches to finish fifth.</p><p>Austria isn&rsquo;t known as a hotbed of NHL talent, but there has been a noticeable surge of late. In addition to Vanek and Nodl, Wisconsin had goalie Bernd Bruckler and Massachusetts had defenseman Thomas Pock. Vanek, Bruckler and Pock were all first-team all-Americas in 2004.</p><p>Bruckler is now playing for the Espoo Blues of the Finnish Elite League, while Pock is in the NHL with the New York Rangers.</p><p>Nodl, a native of Vienna, said seeing that threesome come to the U.S. and flourish had a major impact.</p><p>&ldquo;They were just huge for Austria,&rdquo; said Nodl to the Madison (Wis.) <i>Capital Times</i>. &ldquo;They gave all the youth hope.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>ANDREAS NODL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03676/8816595-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="966" height="231"></div><h3><b>Central Collegiate</b></h3><h2><b>Summers zips forward after 20-game &lsquo;D&rsquo; stint</b></h2><p><b>BY PHILIP COLVIN</b></p><p>On a team that includes speedsters <b>T.J. Hensick</b> and <b>Andrew Cogliano</b>, Michigan freshman <b>Chris Summers</b> still stands out. A top-end skater with a smooth stride, Summers spent the first 20 games of the season on the Wolverines blueline before moving to forward when an injury left Michigan short up front. Playing on a line with Cogliano and <b>Chad Kolarik</b>, Summers scored three goals in three games while manning the wing for the offense-rich Wolverines. &ldquo;We needed a strong skater to play up with Cogliano,&rdquo; said Michigan coach <b>Red Berenson</b>. Cogliano was certainly impressed with Summers: &ldquo;He looks like Pavel Bure out there. He&rsquo;s always flying around.&rdquo; A first round pick (29th overall) of Phoenix last June, Summers grew up playing forward before switching to the blueline when he was 14. He also played some wing in junior with the U.S. national team development program.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04547/8816588-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="193" height="72"></div><h3><b>Hockey East</b></h3><h2><b>Matheson moves around, but always makes impact</b></h2><p><b>BY LARRY MAHONEY</b></p><p>He is one of the nation&rsquo;s most versatile players. Massachusetts-Amherst senior <b>Mark Matheson</b> plays both center and defense. Sometimes he&rsquo;ll even change positions during a game, depending on what his team needs. In addition, he&rsquo;s a forward on the penalty kill and mans the point on the power play. &ldquo;I enjoy it,&rdquo; said the undrafted Matheson, who led the Minutemen with 12 goals in 31 games. &ldquo;It gets me out there more. I get really involved in the game.&rdquo; The Calgary native, who had seven goals in 93 college games entering this season, was a defenseman until midway through last year. &ldquo;We had a defi ciency at center and Mark has great puck skills and is a strong skater,&rdquo; said UMass coach <b>Don Cahoon</b>. &ldquo;He has had a tremendous year. Not too many kids could deal with this kind of change.&rdquo; Added Matheson: &ldquo;This year has gone really well&hellip;I&rsquo;ve been in the right place at the right time.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05462/8816581-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="197" height="89"></div><h3><b>Eastern College</b></h3><h2><b>Luthi Engineers offense from RPI&rsquo;s blueline</b></h2><p><b>BY TOM BOGGIE</b></p><p>For three years, RPI senior <b>Jake Luthi</b> was recognized as a steady, reliable defenseman. But this year, opposing coaches also have seen how much damage he can do on offense. The undrafted Luthi, 24, finished the regular season with four goals and 26 points, tying senior forward <b>Kirk MacDonald</b> for the team scoring lead. It marked the first time an Engineers defenseman has been at the top of the team&rsquo;s scoring chart. Once first-year coach <b>Seth Appert</b> took the reins off his defensemen, Luthi blossomed. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve given Jake and our defensemen the freedom to jump into the play on the rush and in the offensive zone,&rdquo; Appert said. &ldquo;Jake is an excellent skater who also possesses a strong snap shot.&rdquo; The 6-foot, 195-pounder is a leader on a young blueline. &ldquo;Jake has seen his offensive freedom, confidence and ice time all increase because of his play and our inexperienced defense corps,&rdquo; Appert said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-06419/8816574-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="208" height="77"></div><h3><b>Western Collegiate</b></h3><h2><b>Huskies clamp down, watch points spike</b></h2><p><b>BY ANDY BAGGOT</b></p><p>Two statistics define the improvement Michigan Tech has made this season and both are products of coach <b>Jamie Russell&rsquo;s</b> attention to defense. A year after giving up 35 or more shots in a game 24 times, the Huskies have allowed that many only once through 34 outings. And a year after allowing 144 goals in the regular season, they were on pace to give up 78. &ldquo;That was a point of emphasis going into the year,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;We had to reduce the time we spent in our end.&rdquo; That attention to defensive detail helps explain why Tech had 25 points in league play after 26 games, its best output since the WCHA lowered the number of games from 32 to 28 in 1997-98. The Huskies have one of the best penalty-killing units in the nation and a reliable goaltending combo in <b>Michael-Lee Teslak</b> and <b>Rob Nolan</b>. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a team full of guys who are very responsible defensively and understand what it takes to win,&rdquo; Russell said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-07372/8816567-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="212" height="47"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0035-02

Austrian import lights it up

f0036-01

2006-07 Statistics

<div class="byline">BY ROMAN J. USCHAK</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE UNIVERSITY OF</b> Connecticut has a storied reputation for basketball and a growing one for football, but it also once turned out a pretty good hockey player in Todd Krygier.</p><p>A native of Chicago Heights, Ill., who grew up in Michigan, Krygier is second among all-time Huskies scorers with 99 goals and 200 points. He was there from 1984 to &rsquo;88, when Connecticut played its home games on an outdoor rink. Krygier then parlayed his selection by the Hartford Whalers in the 1988 NHL supplemental draft (now defunct) into a 12-year pro career after leaving early from UConn, where his brothers also starred.</p><p>&ldquo;I had a year (of eligibility) left and was working on my (masters degree in business),&rdquo; Krygier said.</p><p>&ldquo;During that year, the scouts were looking at me and coming to my games. I just wanted to keep playing.&rdquo;</p><p>After a year-and-a-half apprenticeship in the American League, Krygier burst onto the NHL scene the following season, tallying 18 goals and 30 points in 58 games with Hartford.</p><p>&ldquo;I made the Whalers in camp, but was sent back to work on a few things,&rdquo; said Krygier, who never topped the offensive totals he put up in his rookie year. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t want to go down again and the next time I was called up, I stayed nine years.&rdquo;</p><p>He remained in Hartford for one more season before stops in Washington and Anaheim.</p><p>Krygier developed asthma during his playing days, but didn&rsquo;t let it deter him. With treatment, the condition eventually went away.</p><p>The last NHL stop for Krygier was a familiar one, as he returned for one last go with the Caps. He dressed for 13 games during Washington&rsquo;s run to the 1998 Cup final, where the Capitals were swept in four games by Detroit.</p><p>He retired in 2000 following two seasons with the old International League&rsquo;s Orlando Solar Bears.</p><p>&ldquo;That was a great experience,&rdquo; said Krygier, who helped Orlando  to within one win of a Turner Cup title. &ldquo;I became a better person. I learned a lot of life lessons and met some great friends I still have now.&rdquo;</p><p><b>POSITION</b> LW</p><p><b>SHOOTS</b> Left</p><p><b>HEIGHT</b> 5-11</p><p><b>WEIGHT</b> 180</p><p><b>BORN</b> Oct. 12, 1965</p><p><b>DRAFTED</b> 16th overall by Hartford (in 1988 supplemental draft)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02417/8816730-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="730" height="176"></div><p>Krygier, 41, is back in Northville, Mich., with his wife Kim and their five children, where he runs his own State Farm auto insurance agency. He also coaches the hockey team at Novi High School and has mentored his three sons in youth hockey at various points.</p><p>&ldquo;One of my daughters also plays hockey,&rdquo; Krygier laughed, &ldquo;and she&rsquo;s been all over me to coach her, too.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01633/8816723-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="1183" height="1261"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BBS GETTYIMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0043-02

Making it stick

<div class="byline">Adam Proteau</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02301/8816761-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DRURY DUTY</b> Buffalo&rsquo;s Chris Drury had his No. 23 retired by Fairfield College in Connecticut. <span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01524/8816768-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="221" height="233"></div><p>Read Adam&rsquo;s blog daily on <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>I&rsquo;M NOT AN ESPECIALLY</b> superstitious guy. But every now and again, I do take some pleasure examining the subtle and overt harmonies between otherwise separate events, and wondering whether they&rsquo;re more than sheer coincidence.</p><p>So it was with semi-bated breath that I went to see <i>The Number 23</i>, the new Jim Carrey movie that originated out of the actor&rsquo;s real-life fascination with numerology.</p><p><b>BAD FILM, BUT COOL IDEA</b></p><p>The &lsquo;thriller&rsquo; didn&rsquo;t thrill me at all, as I tend to prefer the talking-out-his-butt Carrey over the morose/dangerous Carrey.</p><p>However, the movie did alert me to the many ways you can connect the number 23 to the NHL.</p><p>So allow me to don my tinfoil fedora and spook the bejeebers out of you with some fun &lsquo;23&rsquo; factoids (and a cool &lsquo;23&rsquo; graphic):</p><p>&bull; Since the NHL was formed in 1917, the Montreal Canadiens have won StanleyCups.</p><p>&bull; The Maple Leafs haven&rsquo;t won a Cup since 1967. Add up 1+9+6+7, and what do you get? Yup,.</p><p>&bull; The NHL officially named Gary Bettman as the first commissioner in league history on Dec. 11, 1992. Dec. 11 = 12/11. 12+11 =.</p><p>&bull; How many players on an NHL roster? That&rsquo;s right,.</p><p>As well, Wayne Gretzky has a particular connection to the number. Consider:</p><p>&bull; When he set the record as the youngest NHLer to score 1,000 points, Gretzky was.</p><p>&bull; One of the many NHL records he holds is for longest consecutive assist streak: games (1990-91).</p><p>&bull; He became the league&rsquo;s alltime leading scorer on March, 1994.</p><p>&bull; In his final 82-game season, Gretzky finished with goals.</p><p>&bull; Gretzky&rsquo;s first day as a retired player was April 19, which equals 4/19. Add those, and you get.</p><p>&bull; The three-year waiting period for the Hockey Hall of Fame was waived for Gretzky on June, 1999.</p><p>&bull; Gordie Howe played in NHL all-star games. And when you add the digits individually, Howe&rsquo;s all-time NHL stats (801 goals and 1,049 assists) total.</p><p>&bull; The first U.S. NHL franchise was awarded to Boston in 19.</p><p>&bull; Bobby Hull played years in the NHL and WHA. In his early days as a Blackhawk, he originally wore numbers 16 and 7 (which equal you-know-how-much) before settling on No. 9.</p><p>&bull; In the 1972 Summit Series, Serge Savard had to wear No. as the No. 18 he wore with the Habs was taken by Jean Ratelle.</p><p>&bull; Savard had been recovering from the second of two broken legs, which restricted him to playing just games in the 1971-72 season.</p><p>&bull; Savard did not dress for Game 1 of the series, but played Games 2 and 3 (?) before taking a shot off the ankle in practice and missing Game 4 and 5.</p><p>&bull; When he returned for Game 6, Canada won 3-2.</p><p>&bull; Oh yeah&hellip;Savard&rsquo;s birthday? Jan. 22 (1 + 22 =.)</p><p>&bull; Players who had-year NHL careers: Dave Andreychuk, Al MacInnis, Steve Yzerman, Ron Francis and Stan Mikita.</p><p>&bull; When Yzerman won his third and final Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2000-01, he played playoff games and recorded points.</p><p>&bull; The inaugural Canada Cup tournament took place in 1976 (1+9+7+6 =).</p><p>&bull; Famous No. s: Bob Gainey, Turk Broda, Pat Quinn, Eddie Shack, Scott Gomez, Bob Nystrom, Mathieu Schneider.</p><p>&bull; The most goals Gainey ever scored in a single season for Montreal was, in 1980-81.</p><p>&bull; Through his first 44 games this season, Buffalo&rsquo;s Thomas Vanek had goals, assists and was a plus-.</p><p>&bull; Chris and Ted Drury are the only players in the history of Connecticut&rsquo;s Fairfield College Preparatory School to have their numbers retired. They both wore No..</p><p>&bull; When Chris Drury was knocked senseless by Ottawa&rsquo;s Chris Neil in late February, the Senators winger had just recorded his rd point of the season.</p><p>&bull; NHLers drafted rd overall: Scott Hannan, Steve McCarthy, Ray Whitney, Travis Green, Jiri Slegr, Grant Marshall, Todd Bertuzzi, Ron Sedlbauer, Tim Gleason, Ryan Kesler, Andrej Meszaros and Ben Eager.</p><p>&bull; Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan (selected rd overall in 1997) was born on Jan..</p><p>&bull; Through February, Hannan led the Sharks this season in average ice time at :05.</p><p>&bull; Hannan scored his first goal of the 2006-07 season against Calgary on Dec..</p><p>&bull; As well, the next NHL goal he scores will be the rd of his career.</p><p>&bull; Strangest of all, Hannan wears No. 22. Get with the program, Scotty!</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">The Montreal Canadiens have won 23 Stanley Cups since the NHL was founded in 1917.</blockquote><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0044-02

The number 23 has place in NHL

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03223/8816827-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg"></div><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 He was MVP at the recent All-Star Game</p><p>4 He was in net for the West at the All-Star Game</p><p>9 &lsquo;Gretz&rsquo; now calls this state home</p><p>10 Meeker or Morenz (or Mandel)</p><p>11 Eddie &lsquo;The ___&rsquo; Belfour</p><p>12 Billy ___ was with the Isles for three of their four Cups</p><p>13 Syl ___ Jr. was the unlikely All-Star Game MVP in 1975</p><p>15 ___ Gartner was MVP in 1993</p><p>18 He was All-Star Game MVP in 2003</p><p>21 The Blackhawks&rsquo; Tuomo ___, pictured</p><p>23 Brandon is home of the ___ Kings</p><p>24 Jeff ___ skated with the Wild in 2001</p><p>25 Officiated</p><p>26 He&rsquo;s GM in Calgary</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>1 An Atlanta team, but not on ice</p><p>2 Sending the puck the length of the rink</p><p>3 Supporters</p><p>5 One who shows you to your seat</p><p>6 Home of &lsquo;The Broadway Blueshirts&rsquo;</p><p>7 Brian ___ was NHL VP for years</p><p>8 Veteran coach ___ Crawford</p><p>14 Dion ___ was last to score at the All-Star Game</p><p>15 West all-star from San Jose</p><p>16 Something to do after the game</p><p>17 The ___ Cup went to the IHL champions</p><p>19 Flexible</p><p>20 Pull</p><p>22 Defeat unexpectedly</p><p>Answers in next issue & online @ <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION <b>ACROSS</b> 1. DALLAS, 4. NASSAU, 9. NIAGARA, 10. DRESS, 11. TASTE, 12. BRENDAN, 13. ADAM, 15. CONN, 18. ART ROSS, 21. ROMAN, 23. SCOTT, 24. PAYROLL, 25. DUTTON, 26. REBELS. <b>DOWN</b> 1. DONUTS, 2. LEAFS, 3. ANAHEIM, 5. ANDRE, 6. SHELDON, 7. UNSUNG, 8. LAMB, 14. DETROIT, 15. CARLYLE, 16. PASSED, 17. ANGLES, 19. OUTDO, 20. SEPT., 22. MOOSE.</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 Rachel Ruskowski.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04193/8816820-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="280" height="268"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TEEMU SELANNE</b></figcaption></div><p>&lsquo;Finnish Flash&rsquo; is prince of illusions when he has the puck</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05170/8816813-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="280" height="275"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RUFUS SEWELL</b></figcaption></div><p>British actor is Prince Leopold in <i>The Illusionist</i></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><h3><b>Providence Reds circa 1970</b></h3><p>For a league with an historically transient membership, the AHL still has its royalty. You can count on the Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans being there every fall &ndash; and Providence, too, although the name has changed.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-06145/8816806-1-eng-US/f0045-062.jpg" title="f0045-06" width="544" height="454"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GAMEWORNAUCTIONS.NET)</span></figcaption></div><p>Before the P-Bruins, Providence boasted the legendary Reds, named after the rooster (they later became the Rhode Island Reds). While other incarnations featured Rangers-style diagonal lettering, the 1970 sweater saw the famous mascot taking a mighty swing at a puck, with stripes curving around the shoulders.</p><p>&ndash; Ryan Kennedy</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-07130/8816799-1-eng-US/f0045-072.jpg" title="f0045-07" width="1683" height="840"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0045-03

Last Minute of Play

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><p>Phoenix Coyotes</p><p>PosC Age30</p><p>Birthplace Edmonton, Alta.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01446/8816865-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="281" height="379"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02273/8816858-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="174" height="174"></div><h2><b>START THE CLOCK</b></h2><p><b>What was your &lsquo;welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>My first game in Vancouver. After the warmup, when we were ready to go out on the ice for the game, Kelly Buchberger told me I should lead the team out. I started skating and got all the way to the sideboards before realizing I was the only one out there.</p><p><b>Best</b>&nbsp;<b>nickname you&rsquo;ve ever heard?</b></p><p> &lsquo;Geico&rsquo; for Mike Zigomanis, because he looks like the caveman in those commercials.</p><p><b>If</b>&nbsp;<b>you were taking someone around Phoenix, what would they have to do?</b></p><p>Bring sunscreen. And go golfing.</p><p><b>Favorite video game when you were young?</b></p><p><i>Legend of Zelda</i> for the old Nintendo.</p><p><b>Whose</b>&nbsp;<b>autograph do you want?</b></p><p> (Former baseball player) Steve Sax, because I had his card in my helmet when I played Little League.</p><p><b>Where do you want to go that you haven&rsquo;t been?</b></p><p>South Africa.</p><p><b>Favorite junk food?</b></p><p>Reese&rsquo;s peanut butter cups.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s your drink?</b></p><p>Root beer.</p><p><b>Which NHLer do you admire most?</b></p><p>Joe Sakic.</p><p>TIME&rsquo;S UP!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

2 MINUTES IN THE BOX WITH Stephen Reinprecht

<p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>s a subscriber to The Hockey News, you can expect the best in subscription services. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact us at one of the following contact points. Please be prepared to provide your mailing information and account number from your label.</p><p><b>CONTACT INFO</b> 1-888-361-9768</p><h2><b>MAIL</b></h2><p><b>IN Canada:</b></p><p>The Hockey News</p><p>PO Box 904, STN B</p><p>Toronto ON M2K 2T6 0904</p><p><b>IN U.S.A:</b></p><p>PO Box 904</p><p>Buffalo NY 14240-</p><p><b>U.K. and Europe:</b></p><p>The Hockey News</p><p>Barker&rsquo;s Worldwide Publications</p><p>Units6/7 The Elms Centre,</p><p>Normandy Surrey, UK GU3 2DF</p><p>P :-(44) 1483-811971</p><p>F :-(44) 1483-811972</p><p>E: <a href="mailto:sales@bwwp.co.uk">sales@bwwp.co.uk</a></p><h2><b>ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES</b></h2><p>North America: $55.95 (plus $3.92 GST in Canada) U.K. and Europe: &pound;159.95 Outside</p><p>Europe: $269.95 U.S.D. for airmail</p><h2><b>SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRY, BILLING AND RENEWAL NOTICES</b></h2><p> You can determine when your subscription expires by checking your mailing label. Our labels and notices are produced in advance of issues and notices being mailed. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for renewals and requests for address changes to avoid missing any issues. It is possible for that your payment or renewal notice will cross in the mail with our next notice. If you receive yet another notice, please let us know.</p><h2><b>ADVERTISER MAIL</b></h2><p> From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations that want to let you know about a product or service, such as other magazine or book offers, that might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/or e-mail), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. For the complete privacy policy please view &ldquo;Privacy Policy&rdquo; at <a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a></p><h2><b>BACK ISSUES</b></h2><p> Please contact us with the cover date or volume and issue number of the issue you are interested in. Please be advised that not all issues are available, and only for a limited time. Photos and images in the magazine are not available for purchase separately due to licensing restrictions.</p><h2><b>PHOTOS IN THE HOCKEY NEWS</b></h2><p>The Hockey News does not reproduce and distribute photos that appear in issues.</p><p><b>Complete subscriber services are available online <a href="http://TheHockeyNews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

The Hockey News At Your Service

<div class="byline">Mike Brophy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="C0004-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-02186/8816920-1-eng-US/c0004-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joe Thornton <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/c0004-01300/8816927-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg" title="C0004-01" width="221" height="237"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen the Boston Bruins unceremoniously ran Joe Thornton out of Beantown &ndash; a transaction that still mystifies many &ndash; it was on the basis he would never lead the Bruins to glory. The Bruins, who got fleeced in the deal that sent the huge center to San Jose, took years of frustration and mismanagement and placed it at the skates of their young star.</p><p>Bad call.</p><p>Thornton, you&rsquo;ll recall, went on to become the first player in NHL history to win both the Art Ross Trophy as the league&rsquo;s top scorer and Hart Trophy as most valuable player in a season in which he had been traded. And GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell, who traded Big Joe, was fired.</p><p>O&rsquo;Connell somehow became convinced Thornton didn&rsquo;t have it in him to be a leader. A lot of that stemmed from Boston&rsquo;s last playoff appearance, in 2003-04, when Thornton was held pointless in a seven-game upset at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. Which would be fine, except for one small detail &ndash; Thornton soldiered on in the series despite the fact he had three broken ribs. Where others would have packed it in, he kept playing. Somehow the Bruins found fault in this.</p><p>San Jose GM Doug Wilson says it is that type of leadership and commitment that makes Thornton a valuable member of the Sharks and the man the boss expects to ultimately lead his team to post-season glory.</p><p>&ldquo;I think his play this season has been even better than it was last year,&rdquo; Wilson says. &ldquo;What you need to understand about this year, though, is he broke two toes early and he kept on playing. We couldn&rsquo;t even keep him off the ice for practices. Then he broke a finger and kept playing&hellip;kept practising. Then he got strep throat.</p><p>&ldquo;Joe set the tone for this team. When his teammates see what he has gone through and he just kept playing, how can they not give it their all? There are not many players who would have kept on playing after going through what Joe has gone through this year.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>He broke two toes</b>&nbsp;<i>and kept playing,</i>&nbsp;<b>then he broke a finger</b>&nbsp;<i>and kept playing.</i><br>&ndash; Sharks GM Doug Wilson</blockquote><p>Thornton may be a laid-back dude, but he&rsquo;s no dummy. He understands a professional athlete&rsquo;s reputation is determined largely by winning and losing. In that regard, he is a lot like recently retired Steve Yzerman. A gifted center, Yzerman enjoyed many banner years with the Red Wings and was even chosen the Lester B. Pearson Award winner as the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player as selected by his peers in 1989. But it wasn&rsquo;t until the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup and he hoisted the trophy over his head that Yzerman&rsquo;s reputation as a sure-fire Hall of Famer was cemented.</p><h2><b>&lsquo;IT&rsquo;S ALL ABOUT WINNING&rsquo;</b></h2><p>&ldquo;I have no problem with people talking about that at all,&rdquo; Thornton says. &ldquo;I think players should be judged on their playoff success. That&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s all about: winning. Players are judged on whether or not they win championships.&rdquo;</p><p>Thornton, who is 27 and in his ninth big-league season, says he is looking forward to the challenge of guiding the Sharks into the playoffs. After leading the NHL in scoring with 29 goals and 125 points last year, he had just two goals and nine points in 11 playoff games as San Jose lost in six games in the second round to Edmonton, despite having a 2-0 series lead.</p><p>Thornton has yet to enjoy that one big breakout spring. Not counting his first season in Boston, when he played sparingly and managed just seven points in 55 games, Thornton has averaged 1.01 points per game in the regular season. His average drops to 0.58 in the playoffs. That will certainly need to change if the Sharks are to succeed in the highly competitive Western Conference this year.</p><p>Thornton&rsquo;s not the only one, though. As we get closer to the playoffs, there are several NHLers who will be under pressure to elevate their game in the post-season.</p><p>You think Dallas goalie Marty Turco wouldn&rsquo;t like to do something to change his playoff history? He has a reputation of being a great regular season stopper (although he has struggled at times this year), but a goalie that falls flat in the playoffs. Detroit sniper Pavel Datsyuk led the Red Wings in scoring last season with 87 points in 75 games, but managed just three assists in five games as his team was dusted in the first round. He has not scored a post-season goal in 26 games.</p><p>Hey, at least those guys have been to the playoffs. Consider the plight of Florida&rsquo;s Olli Jokinen. He&rsquo;s in his eighth year in the NHL and has never been to the dance. Not to mention, Jokinen&rsquo;s old teammate, Roberto Luongo, he of seven NHL seasons and no playoff games.</p><p>Thornton says he can&rsquo;t wait for the playoffs to begin.</p><p>&ldquo;The older you get, the more you realize you&rsquo;ll only get so many cracks at it,&rdquo; says Thornton who was sixth in NHL scoring with 16 goals and 80 points in 63 games.</p><p>&ldquo;With the team we have now, I think we have a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup. I&rsquo;ll be prepared going into the playoffs and raring to go. You saw what happened to Edmonton last year. Whoever gets in has a chance at winning and that&rsquo;s exciting. I think we&rsquo;re one of the teams that can do it.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Search for your favorite player or team

March 13, 2007

Birthday link a bittersweet pill

Lowe blow for Oilers fans

The Rating Game

NHL Depth Charts