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.

July 10, 2007

The Hockey News - Jul-10-07

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TERRY KOSHAN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Dale Mitchell, RW, 74th overall.</i> The Maple Leafs picked up a bundle of energy with their first pick &ndash; which wasn&rsquo;t until the third round &ndash; when they selected Mitchell. From the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, Mitchell is just 5-foot-8, but comes in at 207 pounds and can score. He had 43 goals and 80 points for Oshawa (OHL) this season. He&rsquo;s aggressive for his size and has the tools to compete in the less-obstructive NHL.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-06189/9021206-1-eng-US/f0043-062.jpg" title="f0043-06" width="135" height="144"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Because they traded their first and second round picks to San Jose for goalie Vesa Toskala and winger Mark Bell, the Leafs, with six picks, essentially have a group of projects. None of their selections will be ready for years. Their fourth-rounder, winger Matt Frattin, was second in scoring in Alberta Jr. A this season. The Leafs chose four forwards and two defensemen, but this could be a year where not much fruit is reaped from the draft.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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DEPARTMENTS

No help coming in near future

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Angelo Esposito, C, 20th overall.</i> GM Ray Shero had Esposito as the sixth-best prospect on the board. Central Scouting Service had the Quebec City (QMJHL) star as the top-ranked prospect as recently as mid-season. The Penguins were shocked when the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder was available. Questions about Esposito&rsquo;s passion level apparently led to his precipitous drop. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not sure why he slipped that far, but from our standpoint, we don&rsquo;t care because we really like the player,&rdquo; Shero said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01663/9021068-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="153" height="143"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Pens acquired one center (Tim Brent) and drafted three others with their first four picks. Their second-rounder was 6-foot-4, 202-pound Keven Veilleux from Victoriaville (QMJHL). &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big guy who can play center or wing,&rdquo; Shero said. &ldquo;I think he has a ways to go, like the rest of them.&rdquo; The Pens didn&rsquo;t take a player under 6-foot-1.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

common01

More elite talent in Pens mix

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAN WOOD</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Logan MacMillan, C, 19th overall.</i> The son of former NHLer Bob MacMillan, Logan projects as a No. 2 or 3 center, but surely needs at least another year or two of seasoning. He plans to return to Halifax (QMJHL), where he had 55 points, including 20 goals, and 82 penalty minutes in 68 games. MacMillan is a power forward type, but has room for growth at 6-foot-1 and 172 pounds.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03342/9020334-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="285" height="69"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> In addition to MacMillan, the Ducks went for big forwards in Eric Tangradi of the OHL&rsquo;s Belleville Bulls in the second round, Maxime Macenauer of the QMJHL&rsquo;s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the third round and Justin Vaive of the U.S. national team development program under-18 squad in the fourth round. Vaive is the son of former NHL right winger Rick Vaive. Anaheim also picked up a pair of European goalies with fourth round picks.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Size dictates picks for gritty Ducks

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012070/9018841-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Ducky Days</b></p><p>Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup is soaking up the sun thanks to the Anaheim Ducks becoming the first west coast team in the modern era to win the NHL championship.</p><span class="photo-credit">(COVER: KEENAN: MARC SEROTA/GETTY IMAGES; TAVARES: IAN GOODALL; CONTENTS: SHELLY CASTELLANO)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Opening Faceoff

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>OWEVER THE DRAMA</b> surrounding the Predators unfolds, one thing has become clear: This collective bargaining agreement, the one that promised Utopia, is not delivering exactly as pledged.</p><p>NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had a mantra before, during and even after the lockout that is burned into the brains of those who closely followed the league&rsquo;s labor crisis. It went something like this:</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012047/9018879-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="496" height="496"></div><p><i>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reason that we can&rsquo;t have 30 healthy franchises &ndash; no reason whatsoever.&rdquo;</i> &ndash; Bettman, Feb. 12, 2004.</p><p>And this:</p><p><i>&ldquo;With the right economic system we can have 30 healthy franchises and a true partnership.&rdquo;</i> &ndash; Bettman, Feb. 16, 2005.</p><p>And this:</p><p><i>&ldquo;We actually believe we should have 30 solid franchises, and each should be solid, well-supported in its market.&rdquo;</i> &ndash; Bettman, Oct. 4, 2006.</p><p>Cost-certainty was supposed to guarantee across-the-board security. The Predators did all the right things &ndash; they drafted well, traded well, signed well, competed well &ndash; yet owner Craig Leipold lost a purported $27 million in just two years operating within the &ldquo;right economic system.&rdquo; All the while, his team sucked more dollars than any club from the revenue-sharing pool. Nashville as a big-league hockey market is severely flawed and the new CBA has done little to fix it.</p><p>We aren&rsquo;t shocked, but questions linger, such as: Who&rsquo;s next? If it can happen in Nashville, what about Miami and Atlanta? And if those dominoes fall, what was the 301-day lockout really all about? Losing our game and for some, their livelihoods, was a harsh pill to swallow, but we eventually ingested what we were force-fed. More than two years later, a bitter taste lingers.</p><p><b>AND THE AWARDS GO TO&hellip;</b> Us. At the risk of separating our shoulders to pat ourselves on the back, we thought we&rsquo;d share some good news with you: The Hockey News was named 2007 Magazine of the Year (mid-range circulation) by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. Big shout-outs to all who contribute to our production &ndash; in particular, our stellar editorial and graphic design group. We&rsquo;d also like to thank our loyal readers, a passionate base which helps serve as our inspiration. The honor came one week after our own Adam Proteau earned a Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association award for column of the year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021728/9018872-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="406" height="217"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Utopia starts to crumble

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031419/9018910-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="969" height="834"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDY MARLIN/AM PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>pparently it is possible to rattle Martin Brodeur. The three-time Stanley Cup champion resigned from the NHL&rsquo;s competition committee, saying he didn&rsquo;t feel as though his voice was being heard; that he wasn&rsquo;t making a difference. His specific beef is lack of protection for goaltenders. His point is well-taken; goalies are vulnerable and need to be able to do their job with a high degree of immunity from physical contact. As much as bodies bumping is part of hockey, goalies simply can&rsquo;t be expected to stop pucks when their crease is cluttered with intruders. But as much as puckstoppers need relief from over-anxious attackers, there&rsquo;s no reason goalie armor can&rsquo;t be further downsized. Masked men will claim 100-mph slapshots dictate the need for bulky equipment, but, as has been pointed out numerous times, if a vest capable of stopping a bullet can fit under a jacket, it&rsquo;s hard to believe reducing glove and pad sizes a few inches (especially given equipment manufacturing advances) is going to put goalies in any imminent danger. And hey, if the league gets vigilant about cracking down on crease-crashers, goalies can count on less bruises already.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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CLEARING THE (CREASE) AIR

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012048/9018979-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="930" height="946"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jarome Iginla</figcaption></div><p>&lsquo;Iron Mike&rsquo; is back, and thank goodness. The media loves to rip this guy and this time has been no different. However, Keenan is just what the Flames need.</p><p>Calgary has the tools in place that he can build a successful team around: a power forward in Iginla; a top goaltender in Kiprusoff; a rugged defenseman in Phaneuf; and, a GM who thinks like he does.</p><p>Keenan will provide the extra push the team needs to go to the top. It&rsquo;s really up to the players to respond. For every one player who can&rsquo;t play for him there are five who can. Keenan has won before and if the Flames follow his methods so can they.</p><p>Hockey is a tough sport and he expects his players to perform that way. If not you&rsquo;re gone. <i>(See pg. 18 for more on Keenan.)</i></p><p>FRANK REKAS, PLANTATION, FLA.</p><h2><b>NHL Vs. fans</b></h2><p>What could be more disappointing than a Chris Phillips own goal?</p><p>Not many things, except perhaps the horrible Versus coverage American fans have to endure.</p><p>Was the Versus deal a secret Bettman conspiracy to completely alienate fans from the league? I&rsquo;m starting to think so.</p><p>Versus&rsquo; mistake this time was telling viewers the NHL awards show would be televised at 7 p.m. Even at 6:50 p.m., they ran a commercial promoting the event. When 7 p.m. rolled around and they started showing kickboxing, I thought it must have been some weird cosmic joke. When 7:30 p.m. came, and 8 p.m., and I saw no Brodeur, no Crosby, no Luongo. I wanted to cry.</p><p>I&rsquo;ve always said I needed to marry a Canadian since they would be the only people who would appreciate the sport as much as I do. Now I&rsquo;m going to have to imagine moving there, too, since it seems like there is no reliable way for an American hockey fan to enjoy the sport they love.</p><p>Jaromir Jagr once said his contract in Pittsburgh made him feel like he was, &ldquo;dying alive.&rdquo; Funny, that&rsquo;s exactly how I feel about the Versus-NHL partnership.</p><p>SOFIE RHOADS, PHILADELPHIA</p><h2><b>A dark room</b></h2><p>How sad The Hockey News chose to give Chris Pronger attention with its &ldquo;In The Room With Pronger&rdquo; feature in the June 26 issue.</p><p>In my opinion, Pronger should have been suspended for the remainder of the series following his hit on Dean McAmmond.</p><p>Two one-game suspensions for his playoff dirty play is a disgrace to hockey.</p><p>The fact The Hockey News turns around and gives him attention is a slap in the face to the sport.</p><p>JOE MCDONALD, WILLOW STREET, PA.</p><h2><b>Ear to ear</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021474/9018972-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="438" height="379"></div><p>You might think it was most appropriate that Scott Niedermayer was on the cover of the June 26 issue of The Hockey News, but I think you should have used the picture of me after I found out that the Islanders released Alexei Yashin.</p><p>After all, I had a bigger smile and I have been waiting a longer time.</p><p>JOHN A. RAMACCA, LONG ISLAND, N.Y.</p><h2><b>How about Guy?</b></h2><p>While nobody can argue with this year&rsquo;s Hockey Hall of Fame nominees, every year I find it incredible Guy Carbonneau is never even mentioned.</p><p>Carbonneau is one of the best two-way players the game has seen, has three Stanley Cups and three Selke Trophies as best defensive forward.</p><p>Plus he played more than 1,300 games with 260 goals and 600-plus points. And that doesn&rsquo;t include the playoffs, where he excelled as a leader and a captain.</p><p>RIC TURPIN, VICTORIA, B.C.</p><h2><b>No original sin</b></h2><p>When the NHL first expanded from six to 12 teams back in 1967 they did something very smart: they kept all of the Original Six teams together.</p><p>If you want to create a buzz heard around the world, put the Original Six back in one division.</p><p>Can you imagine each game having nearly 70 years of history?</p><p>Maybe, like a Beatles reunion, it will never happen, but if the league has the courage to put all the Original Six teams back together in one division, the NHL again would be whole and true hockey fans would very thankful.</p><p>SCOTT RATHBURN, FLINT, MICH..</p><p><b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><h2><b>POLL RESULTS</b></h2><p><b>WAS HIRING MIKE KEENAN AS HEAD COACH A GOOD MOVE FOR THE FLAMES?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03950/9018965-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="393" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(IGINLA: DON SMITH/GETTY IMAGES; KEENAN: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>No 38%</b></p><p><b>Ask me in</b></p><p><b>six months 34%</b></p><p><b>Yes 27%</b></p><h2><b>HOW TO REACH US</b></h2><p><b>E-MAIL</b></p><p><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>WEB</b></p><p><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>CANADA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7</p><p><b>USA</b></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947</p><p><i>Include your name, hometown & province/state. Submissions will be edited.</i></p><h2><b>SUBSCRIBE</b></h2><p><b>GET IT AT</b> <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><b>OR CALL</b> 1.888.361.9768<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Burning bright in Calgary

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE BROPHY</div><p><b>FREE AGENT SEASON</b> means different things to different teams.</p><p>For instance, if you&rsquo;re the Anaheim Ducks, coming off a Stanley Cup championship, you may need to chase after one of the more expensive, high-profile unrestricted free agents to replace a retiring star, perhaps Teemu Selanne, in an effort to repeat.</p><p>Or, if you&rsquo;re the Ottawa Senators, you may have spotted a weakness or two you&rsquo;d like to address as you were getting spanked in the final. That could mean getting better role players.</p><p>Now, if you are a team such as the Los Angeles Kings, with a second-year GM trying to re-establish your organization&rsquo;s credibility while getting the team into the playoffs, your thought process may be a little different.</p><p>&ldquo;Unrestricted free agent season probably started for us around last Christmas,&rdquo; says Kings GM Dean Lombardi. &ldquo;Being the new GM, I had an idea of what our players could and couldn&rsquo;t do, but you really don&rsquo;t know for sure until you spend every day watching them.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">By Christmas&hellip; you&rsquo;re telling your scouts to earmark certain players who could be free agents<br>Dean Lombardi</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><p>&ldquo;By Christmas, it&rsquo;s safe to say you&rsquo;re telling your scouts to earmark certain players who could be free agents and could possibly fill one of your holes.&rdquo;</p><p>Teams generally hold meetings with their scouts and rank players as to what they offer and what they may cost. So, when free agent season officially opened, the majority of teams were prepared with a game plan.</p><p>Most teams believe signing free agents is a way to bolster your team, to put it over the top. Some, though, have tried to build through free agency &ndash; the Rangers and Maple Leafs spring to mind &ndash; only to discover it is very difficult, if not impossible to buy a championship.</p><p>&ldquo;I always use the New York Yankees as an example of a team that kept trying to buy a championship through free agency,&rdquo; Lombardi says, &ldquo;but it wasn&rsquo;t until guys like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada came through their system that they were successful. Then they went out and got a guy like Paul O&rsquo;Neill to fill a hole.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012266/9019010-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="2792" height="1895"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ryan Smyth <span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>NHL teams such as the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche have used a similar philosophy to win Stanley Cups in the past decade.</p><p>With that in mind, teams need to be careful they don&rsquo;t go hog-wild spending on free agents now and put themselves in a bind when it comes time to re-sign the players they have developed through the draft. The Kings, for example, may need to sign a big-name free agent in order to get into the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, but need to remain cognizant their own young players such as Anze Kopitar, Mike Cammalleri and Dustin Brown will eventually require significant raises.</p><p>Prior to the opening of free agent season on July 1, some agents will contact teams to see if they will have any interest in their clients. This needs to be done rather informally because a team expressing interest in a player already under contract with another club would face tampering charges &ndash; if they are caught.</p><p>Lombardi says when the big day arrives, teams had better be on their toes. &ldquo;You had better get on the phone right away,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;In some sports you see players take their time to decide what team they&rsquo;ll sign with, but in our sport it&rsquo;s like Wall Street. You have so many players available it creates a frenzy.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>0</b></h2><p><b>Number of goalies drafted in first round. Phoenix picked Joel Gistedt 36th.</b></p><h2><b>4</b></h2><p><b>Finns, total, drafted this year. In 2002, 26 Finns were selected.</b></p><h2><b>35</b></h2><p><b>Spots climbed by Patrick Kane from October to June in ISS&rsquo;s draft rankings</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Welcome to ‘Wall Street’

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><h2><b>RULEBOOK GETS SLIGHT TWEAK</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he NHL board of governors approved four minor rule changes for next season. A penalty shot can now be awarded to a player on a clear breakaway in both the neutral zone and offensive zone. Previously, it was just in the offensive zone. Referees can assess a major and game misconduct when an injury results from an act of interference. Previously, just a minor was called. Faceoffs can only be conducted at one of the nine faceoff dots. Previously, a faceoff could take place at an unmarked patch of ice where a puck left the playing surface. Finally, the term gross misconduct was eliminated from the rulebook.</p><h2><b>NHL CHAIRMAN SHUFFLE</b></h2><p>The NHL board of governors elected Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs as its chairman, replacing Calgary Flames minority owner Harley Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss had served six consecutive two-year terms. Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks was named vice-chair of the board.</p><h2><b>SEARCH COMMITTEE ON THE HUNT</b></h2><p>The NHL Players&rsquo; Association established a five-player search committee in its quest for a new executive director. Following three days of meetings in Toronto, the NHLPA executive board selected Detroit&rsquo;s Chris Chelios, Edmonton&rsquo;s Shawn Horcoff, Calgary&rsquo;s Robyn Regehr, Los Angeles&rsquo; Mike Cammalleri and unrestricted free agent Eric Lindros to head up the search committee. The committee will identify and interview potential candidates for the position formerly held by Ted Saskin, who was fired by the union in May. There is no timetable for the completion of the process. The NHLPA will conduct its annual membership player meeting Aug. 29-31 in Toronto. The NHLPA also announced Vincent Damphousse was resigning as director of business relations to devote time to Le Scandinave Spa, of which he is a co-founder and co-owner.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021378/9019086-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="372" height="372"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>MONG THEM, THEY HAVE</b> 1,779 goals, 5,867 points, 11 Stanley Cups, three Conn Smythe Trophies, two Hart Trophies, three Lady Byngs, one Norris, one Selke, 7,185 penalty minutes and the designation of one of the strongest Hall of Fame classes in hockey history.</p><p>In fact, it could be argued that Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis and Scott Stevens indeed do make up the most formidable group of inductees the Hall of Fame has ever seen, largely because it consists of four players, compared to the days when only three would be inducted. Discuss among yourselves whether this year&rsquo;s class is better than 1972 (Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, Bernie Geoffrion), 1983 (Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Ken Dryden) or 2001 (Jari Kurri, Mike Gartner, Dale Hawerchuk, Slava Fetisov).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012043/9019079-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="234" height="320"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mark Messier</figcaption></div><p>Also receiving induction in the builders&rsquo; category on June 28 was longtime hockey executive Jim Gregory.</p><p>Even the Hall of Fame&rsquo;s selection committee, which has made some, let&rsquo;s say, curious selections in the past, could not pass up on this foursome. What makes this group even more impressive is which players were absent from it because of the Hall&rsquo;s stipulation that a maximum of four inductees can be named per year.</p><p>Igor Larionov, who had perhaps the best combined NHL/international hockey career of anyone in the game&rsquo;s history, failed to make the grade this year.</p><p>So did Adam Oates, one of the premier playmakers of his generation and the man who sits sixth &ndash; ahead of Hall of Famers such as Howe, Marcel Dionne and Mario Lemieux &ndash; on the all-time assists list, with 1,079. Oates is 15th all-time in scoring with 1,420 points and has more assists than a good number of Hall of Famers have total points.</p><p>But he and Larionov and a number of others will have to wait until next summer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Hall foursome the best ever?

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><p>&#9632; If it turns out in any way the Toronto Maple Leafs stood in the path of <b>Jim Balsillie</b> purchasing the Nashville Predators and moving them to Hamilton, the bottom line would be a team that has been poorly run (on the ice), but makes money hand over fist, prevented a franchise that has been the model for success (again, on the ice) that loses money from moving to a situation where it would surely be profitable.</p><p>&#9632; You have to wonder why a rebuilding team like St. Louis would sacrifice a first round pick for <b>Keith Tkachuk</b>. He failed to make his mark in Atlanta and his postseason track record is nothing to write home about. Other than six goals in seven playoff games for Phoenix in 1996-97 (the Coyotes lost in the first round), Tkachuk, 35, has not delivered at the most critical time of the year.</p><p>&#9632; For the record, second overall draft pick <b>James van Riemsdyk</b> spells his surname just the way you see it here &ndash; two words, lower-case &lsquo;v&rsquo;. This comes from van Riemsdyk himself when asked directly by The Hockey News.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

SNAPSHOTS

<div class="byline">WITH Milan Hejduk</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012166/9019155-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="249" height="354"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04626/9019148-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="141" height="141"></div><p><b>RW</b></p><p><b>23</b></p><p><b>Daniel Podborochynski from Regina asks Who are the three best snipers in the NHL?</b></p><p><i>Jaromir Jagr, Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash.</i></p><p><b>Sean Owens from Ft. Myers, Fla., asks How did it feel to win the Cup in 2001 with Ray Bourque and Joe Sakic and all the talent on that team?</b></p><p><i>It was a great feeling and certainly a dream come true. To win alongside those great players was something special.</i></p><p><b>Jenn Dillinger from Kimball, Neb., asks Which player have you learned the most from in your career?</b></p><p><i>Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.</i></p><p><b>Chris Wacholc from Gdansk, Poland, asks The Czech Republic is a small country. How does it produce so many great players?</b></p><p><i>Most kids growing up play hockey and soccer. I also think we have some great hockey coaches who do a terrific job.</i></p><p><b>Bonnie Dawson from Whitehorse, Yukon, asks You and Chris Drury were rookies together. Did it help to have someone growing alongside you?</b></p><p><i>It did. We were roommates for a while. He helped me with my English and adjusting to a new culture. He definitely helped me a lot during my rookie year.</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></div>

FAN SHOOTOUT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT CARLSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021629/9019193-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>INJURY INSIGHT</b></p><p>Teams looking to sign free agents can check the NHL&rsquo;s new injury database.</p></figcaption></div><p><b>THE 2006-07 SEASON</b> was a record year for NHL training and medical staffs.</p><p>Injuries did not surge &ndash; but the way the 30 NHL teams report, maintain and access player medical records made a leap forward.</p><p>The league launched a new computer-based Player Health Management System (PHMS), which it touts as the most advanced in pro sports. The PHMS allows trainers and physicians to enter and store precise reports on any type of injuries or conditions sustained by players. In addition, the PHMS permits storage of diagnostic images such as X-rays, MRI and CAT scans, and has the capacity to track and analyze injury types and trends league-wide.</p><p>The system was developed under the direction of Sutton Medical Technologies, Ltd. of Toronto, following Sutton&rsquo;s unanimous selection by the NHL&rsquo;s Health Management Panel.</p><p>&ldquo;We wanted to move forward with a more comprehensive medical-and injury-recording system,&rdquo; said Julie Grand, NHL senior vice-president and deputy legal counsel.</p><p>NHL trainers, including PHATS president Ray Tufts of the San Jose Sharks, have been impressed with the PHMS. Trainers and physicians are able to enter and access data on any player in their organization via laptops. Some team executives &ndash; GMs, for example &ndash; also can access certain player information.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very cutting edge and you can see live stats and information,&rdquo; Tufts said</p><p>Team personnel can access hockey-specific medical information only on individuals in their organization. However, if teams are considering a trade, the clubs can decide to share info about the players before a deal is finalized. Free agents also can have their files released to teams that are interested in signing them.</p><p>&ldquo;It used be the first time you learned the medical history of a new player was when he walked through your door,&rdquo; said Dave Surprenant, head trainer of the Dallas Stars. &ldquo;Now I can pull up the history when a trade is made. The system is still a work in progress, but I think it&rsquo;s good.&rdquo;</p><p>The PHMS crunches injury info and trends (minus player names) based on injury types, locations, circumstances and other variables.</p><p>&ldquo;You can look at injuries from across the league,&rdquo; said Don Fuller, the Minnesota Wild&rsquo;s head trainer. &ldquo;You can see things like man-games lost and whether it was a thigh, knee or ankle, and whether it was a contusion, strain, fracture or that sort of thing. It&rsquo;s all in real-time.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Hurtin’ records benefits league

<p>What were some numbers of note in 2006-07?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031143/9019224-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="736" height="917"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RANGERS: CHRIS MCGRATH/GETTY IMAGES; HEATLEY: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>10 20,867,278</b> Total official attendance at NHL games this season (average: 16,965).</p><p><b>09 $43.13</b> Average ticket price to an NHL game. You could see Phoenix for $25.41.</p><p><b>08 1,323</b> Regular season games without a Cup for Trevor Linden, to lead active NHLers.</p><p><b>07 5.76</b> Goals per game in 2006-07, down from 6.05 in &lsquo;05-06.</p><p><b>06 100</b> Goals by Dany Heatley since the lockout, the most by any NHL sniper.</p><p><b>05 +58</b> Difference between Thomas Vanek&rsquo;s plus/minus in &lsquo;05-06 (-11) and &lsquo;06-07 (+47).</p><p><b>04 .905</b> Average NHL save percentage, led by Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom (.929).</p><p><b>03 43</b> Playoff games for Chris Pronger in past two years (plus, two one-game bans.)</p><p><b>02 1.97</b> J-S Giguere&rsquo;s Cup-worthy goals-against average in the 2007 playoffs.</p><p><b>01 239</b> Points by San Jose&rsquo;s Joe Thornton since the lockout, to lead all NHL scorers.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-03

COUNTDOWN

<div class="byline">BY D&#x2019;ARCY JENISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021348/9019262-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="530" height="324"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE DIRTY THIRTIES</b> were miserable years for the Montreal Canadiens. For most of that economically blighted decade, the Habs were in a swoon &ndash; losing more games than they won, exiting the playoffs early or missing them altogether and flirting with bankruptcy. The Toronto Maple Leafs, by comparison, were a powerhouse. They won the Stanley Cup in 1932, appeared in the final eight times over the next 10 years and played to a full house almost every night. The Leafs were too strong and the Habs too weak to kindle a competitive rivalry.</p><p>That all changed in 1944. The Canadiens eliminated the Leafs in the semifinal &ndash; in the first-ever meeting in the Stanley Cup playoffs between the two teams &ndash; and Montreal went on to win its first championship in 13 years. The rivalry increased on November 7, 1944, when the Canadiens and Leafs met in the season-opener at the Montreal Forum. As Elmer Ferguson reported in the Montreal <i>Herald</i>, the game was &ldquo;a tale of slug and sock and whose teeth are these?&rdquo; There were 16 penalties, 11 against the Canadiens, which so enraged the fans that they littered the ice with chairs and bottles. Afterward, Montreal center Ray Getliffe said: &ldquo;We hate those Toronto guys so much we want to kill them.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011949/9019255-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="238" height="339"><figcaption class="caption-body">Johnny Bower</figcaption></div><p>That game marked the beginning of a rivalry that burned intensely until the end of the Original Six era in 1967. (To mark our 60th anniversary, The Hockey News is revisiting some of the game&rsquo;s most memorable moments.)</p><p>Montreal and Toronto played each other as many 14 times during the regular season, often fighting for position in the standings or trying to keep their seasons alive. From 1944 to &rsquo;67, they met six times in the semifinal and five times in the final. Passions on the ice were inflamed by larger rivalries between French and English, Catholics and Protestants and Toronto&rsquo;s growing challenge to Montreal&rsquo;s standing as Canada&rsquo;s largest city.</p><p>The 1967 final was the rubber match between the Leafs and Canadiens. The Leafs won with a veteran team that included five players over 35 and 10 over 30; the goalies, in fact, were 38 (Terry Sawchuk) and 41 (Johnny Bower). After that, though, the Leafs went into a 25-year tailspin, while the Habs enjoyed another decade of excellence.</p><p>These days, there is sometimes as much passion in the stands as on the ice. Several thousand Toronto fans, most wearing the colors, usually show up for games at the Bell Centre in Montreal and they make more noise than the hometown crowd when the Leafs take the lead. A smaller, but no less vocal contingent of Canadiens fans take in games at the Air Canada Centre and they can hijack the building when their team is winning.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Rivals forever

<div class="byline">Ken Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021542/9019300-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GENERAL WON&rsquo;T MOTOR</b></p><p>John Tavares will likely be in Oshawa another two seasons.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(IAN GOODALL)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012134/9019307-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="221" height="234"></div><p>COLUMBUS</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Oshawa Generals and the rest of the OHL probably can rest easily this summer, since it&rsquo;s almost certain they will be able to keep the John Tavares cash machine for another two seasons.</p><p>Tavares&rsquo;s agent, Bryan Deasley, met with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly prior to the draft and broached the idea of either granting Tavares an exemption to make him eligible for the 2008 draft or changing the draft cutoff date to Oct. 1. Currently, players must turn 18 by Sept. 15 of their draft year &ndash; and since Tavares was born Sept. 20, 1990, he won&rsquo;t be eligible until 2009.</p><p>&ldquo;I told them generally our inclination in collective bargaining has been to make the draft later, not earlier, so I&rsquo;m not optimistic,&rdquo; Daly said. &ldquo;If you asked me to handicap it, I&rsquo;d guess that our group would not be inclined to make a change.&rdquo;</p><p>So unless Tavares finds a way to play in Europe or the AHL, there&rsquo;s little he can do. That&rsquo;s good for the Generals, who stand to cash in each time Tavares steps on the ice. It&rsquo;s good for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who operate and take some revenues out of the new arena in which the Generals play. And it&rsquo;s good for the other OHL owners, who can sit back and count the money from the full houses Tavares attracts.</p><p>Forget that Tavares is too good for the OHL right now. As a 16-year-old, he scored 72 goals this season; 100 next season is not out of the question. But if he ultimately wants to play in the NHL, he&rsquo;ll wait until &rsquo;09 and forego the chance to make a couple million dollars &ndash; and he&rsquo;ll like it.</p><p>Which brings us to the Canada-Russia Super Series, which Tavares will headline this fall. Apparently to mark the 35th anniversary of the Summit Series, Hockey Canada and the Russian Hockey Federation have cooked up the idea of replicating the eight-game series using under-20 players.</p><p>And what do the players get for participating in the series? &ldquo;Maybe a jacket,&rdquo; said an agent with several players on the Canadian team.</p><p>If the series is a success, Hockey Canada stands to make some money. So does the Canadian Hockey League and the Russian Federation. But the players? Nothing. At least in 1972, they thought they were playing for their pension plan.</p><p>Hey, here&rsquo;s an idea. Why not give the players a cut of the money, or use it to establish an across-the-board fund that would give them some money after their careers?</p><p>CHL president and OHL commissioner Dave Branch rolled his eyes when I brought up the issue at the draft. He said the Super Series is a big financial risk and they&rsquo;ll be lucky to break even. He said players were lining up to play in the Super Series and they were free to turn it down. What he didn&rsquo;t mention is the Super Series is basically a tryout for this year&rsquo;s World Junior Championship team and no player in his right mind would refuse to play.</p><p>He told me I was &ldquo;ill-informed&rdquo; about how junior players are treated. He&rsquo;s right when he says junior hockey has made enormous strides. He&rsquo;s right when he says players more than ever are getting financial help with their educations. But this much, I also know:</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I&rsquo;d guess that our group would not be inclined to make a change <br>Bill Daly</blockquote><p>&bull; The majority of junior players make $50 a week, an amount that hasn&rsquo;t increased in about 20 years.</p><p>&bull; All three leagues have education plans that provide at least $3,000 per year of service, but players can only use them if they don&rsquo;t sign a pro contract. And players who choose to not continue their educations get nothing.</p><p>&bull; Former OHLer Brody Todd, had to sue the league to get his education money this season.</p><p>&bull; Canada will host the World Junior Championship in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and Hockey Canada stands to make millions in profit from each event &ndash; which, in its defense, go right back into development programs.</p><p>&bull; Last fall, an investment executive in Toronto put together a proposal for the CHL to create an education plan that would guarantee costs for all players would be paid. The plan trustee would&rsquo;ve been a respected Canadian trust company and the investment manager would&rsquo;ve been a highly regarded Toronto firm that manages $35 billion in assets. Teams that average 3,500 in paid attendance would&rsquo;ve had to increase ticket prices between one and two dollars to cover the cost of the plan. Numerous calls to the CHL over the course of several months went unreturned.</p><p>How about Hockey Canada channeling some of that money out of development programs and into a meaningful post-career plan for junior players? After all, don&rsquo;t they deserve something for their efforts beyond a gold medal?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

Tavares ready, but NHL isn’t

<div class="byline">John Glennon</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021339/9019345-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SHEA HEY KID</b></p><p>Shea Weber remains a part of a very young and talented defense corps in Nashville.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011853/9019352-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="219" height="237"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>n the span of just four days, the Nashville Predators said goodbye to their best defenseman, their No. 1 goalie and an up-and-coming power forward coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons.</p><p>They picked up not a single player in return for Kimmo Timonen, Tomas Vokoun or Scott Hartnell.</p><p>That&rsquo;s not even touching upon the imminent departure of Peter Forsberg, who may not even wear an NHL uniform again, let alone return to Nashville.</p><p>And Paul Kariya? The odds of his returning to the Predators seemed very unlikely as the free agency season neared.</p><p>So just what&rsquo;s left in Music City after all those payroll-trimming, roster-shearing moves?</p><p>Believe it or not, the makings of a pretty good hockey team.</p><p>Seriously.</p><p>The Predators aren&rsquo;t likely to threaten this season&rsquo;s marks of 51 wins and 110 points, but the team&rsquo;s slide to the bottom of the salary cap shouldn&rsquo;t equate to a tumble to the bottom of the Western Conference standings.</p><p>A tumble right out of Nashville? Of course, that&rsquo;s a very real possibility for the team and clubs that are facing a move historically have not done very well in their final season in the league.</p><p>Could Nashville be different? Consider that the Predators are still a team with:</p><p>&bull; Five talented and experienced scoring forwards: Jason Arnott, J-P Dumont, Martin Erat, David Legwand and Steve Sullivan.</p><p>&bull; A budding offensive star in right winger Alexander Radulov.</p><p>&bull; Five of their top defensemen: Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Greg Zanon and Marek Zidlicky.</p><p>&bull; A goalie in Chris Mason who won 24 games and posted the league&rsquo;s second-best save percentage (.925) this season.</p><p>&bull; Gritty forwards Jordin Tootoo and Jerred Smithson are also under contract, and the Predators have tendered offers to blue-collar forwards Vernon Fiddler and Darcy Hordichuk as well.</p><h2><b>&lsquo;GOOD, YOUNG DEFENSE&rsquo;</b></h2><p>As free agency neared, the Preds were still negotiating with sparkplug center Scott Nichol, who had significant penalty-killing responsibility last season.</p><p>So even if Kariya joins the list of the Preds&rsquo; dearly departed, there&rsquo;s plenty of reason to believe Nashville will contend for a fourth straight playoff berth in 2007-08.</p><p>The biggest challenge might be adjusting to life without Timonen, who had posted five consecutive seasons of 40-plus points and was a key part of both special-team units.</p><p>But the Predators do have a pair of budding young blueline stars in Suter and Weber (who had 17 goals last season), as well as proven talent in Hamhuis, Zanon and Zidlicky. Prospect Kevin Klein is expected to make a smooth transition to the NHL, leaving Nashville looking to fill a seventh spot with a prospect such as Ville Koistinen or a player not yet in the organization.</p><p>&ldquo;We do have such a good, young defense,&rdquo; said GM David Poile. &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s to say we&rsquo;re not better off by getting these guys more ice time and more responsibility at a young age?&rdquo;</p><p>Up front, the Preds won&rsquo;t be as deep offensively as they were in 2006-07, when they tied for tops in the Western Conference with 272 goals (3.32 per game).</p><p>But the lineup will be anchored by a pair of 27-goal centers in Arnott and Legwand and Sullivan has averaged more than a point per game during his Nashville tenure. Radulov will see duty on the top two lines after notching 18 goals in 64 games as a rookie; and Dumont (66 points) and Erat (57 points) are coming off career years.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve clearly got two pretty productive offensive lines and some good complementary players,&rdquo; said Predators coach Barry Trotz. &ldquo;We still need to fill a couple of holes on the third and fourth lines, but overall we&rsquo;re in pretty good shape.&rdquo;</p><p>In goal, Mason will be watched with a critical eye as he looks to fill Vokoun&rsquo;s significant skates. But the late-blooming netminder made a huge impression last season when he was forced to step up after Vokoun&rsquo;s thumb injury. Mason made 21 consecutive starts at one point and went on to a record of 24-11-4, along with a 2.38 goals-against average.</p><p>Overall, it&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s entirely capable of making an impression on Nashville&rsquo;s fans.</p><p>Whether that impression is a lasting one, or the last one, remains to be seen.</p><h2><b>UP & DOWN</b></h2><p>The better the Preds are, it seems the fewer fans they get. Here are season-by-season point totals and attendance, with NHL rank:</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03895/9019338-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="2697" height="457"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-02

Preds just fine …at least on ice

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012077/9019425-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>our of the Original Six teams failed to make the playoffs while an Original 26 team, from California of all places, won the Stanley Cup. BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie tried to buy two NHL franchises while the NHL&rsquo;s commissioner, Gary Bettman, seemingly did everything in his power to keep an existing franchise from relocating to Canada where people actually like hockey. Scoring went down; fighting went up.</p><p>It was an interesting season, to say the least.</p><p>But at the end of the day, 2006-07 belonged to Sid the Kid. Because regardless of all else that transpired, Sidney Crosby&rsquo;s emergence as the best hockey player in the world gives hope for the future to a league scratching and clawing to remain relevant. At 19, Crosby assumed the role of face of the NHL &ndash; crowned the league&rsquo;s top player by both his peers and the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association that named him MVP.</p><p>It has been obvious for a long time that Crosby would one day rule the NHL, but the fact he took the helm before his 20th birthday is both remarkable and a tribute to his dedication to excellence. It would be unfair to say he singlehandedly guided the Pittsburgh Penguins into the playoffs, given the team&rsquo;s other youthful talent &ndash; such as Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Ryan Whitney and NHL rookieof-the-year Evgeni Malkin &ndash; but clearly Crosby is the driving force behind a team on the cusp of greatness.</p><p>The first teenager in NHL history to win the scoring title, Crosby had 120 points in 79 games and has served notice nothing will stand between him and the Cup. Crosby has been criticized for his over-the-top intensity on the ice, be it cussing officials who don&rsquo;t call the game the way he sees it to trash-talking opponents who try to take liberties with him. The only question is, how soon before the Penguins win the Cup? The betting is sooner rather than later.</p><p>Crosby provided us with the biggest story of the 2006-07 campaign, but other stories caught our eye, too:</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021619/9019418-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="536" height="309"></div><p><b>TOLD YOU SO</b> The Anaheim fighty Ducks annihilated the Ottawa Senators in five games to capture the Cup, just as we predicted prior to the start of the season. With 71 fights in 82 regular season games, the Ducks were the Broad Street Bullies, Big Bad Bruins and Hanson Brothers all rolled into one.</p><p><b>YOU&rsquo;VE GOT MAIL</b> Ted Saskin, head of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, was banished to the sidelines in May after it was discovered he had been tapping into players&rsquo; e-mails. Saskin never had the confidence of the entire membership and even those who supported him were happy to give him the boot after his foolish indiscretion was exposed.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031043/9019411-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="537" height="379"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>CHRIS CROSSED</b> Saskin&rsquo;s most aggressive adversary was Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios, who just happened to play brilliantly at age 45. Not only did Chelios make a huge impact on the game off the ice, spearheading the move to oust Saskin, he also saved the day for the Wings when Niklas Kronwall and Mathieu Schneider were unavailable in the playoffs. He earned another one-year contract, too.</p><p><b>IN THE NAME OF GLOVE</b> Martin Brodeur established a league record with 48 wins, but being overworked in the regular season &ndash; along with the fact the Devils really aren&rsquo;t <i>that</i> good &ndash; came back to haunt him in the playoffs when his performance, by his own lofty standards, was sub-par. Meanwhile, Roberto Luongo won 47 games for Vancouver and, for the first time in his career, earned a ticket to the playoffs.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011868/9019404-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="608" height="394"></div><p><b>PLAY PEN</b> Malkin burst onto the scene scoring goals (seven in all) in each of his first six NHL games. Though he only scored 26 in his next 72 games, including just two in his final 14 games of the season, Malkin was voted the league&rsquo;s top rookie. Meanwhile, Staal made the team in training camp as an 18-year-old and was this season&rsquo;s Cy Young Award winner going 29-13. (Of course, that&rsquo;s goals and assists.) He also set an NHL rookie mark by scoring seven times when his team was shorthanded.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021313/9019397-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="452" height="320"></div><p><b>SIMPLE SIMON</b> Islanders winger Chris Simon was suspended a minimum 25 games after cracking Rangers pest Ryan Hollweg in the face with his stick. Simon&rsquo;s penalty includes the final 14 games of the &rsquo;06-07 season, five playoff games and the first six games of 2007-08 (if he signs a new contract).</p><p><b>DEVILS LOUS</b> After firing coach Claude Julien with three games remaining in the regular season, New Jersey was a second round casualty with GM Lou Lamoriello filling in behind the bench. Julien&rsquo;s crime? Pushing his team over the 100-point plateau (102) and having them sitting tied for second in the Eastern Conference. Shame on him!</p><p><b>HOLY SMOKES</b> It was a slightly eventful season for the Islanders. They hired Neil Smith as GM; dumped him a few weeks later; made the backup goalie, Garth Snow, the new GM; then signed their starter, Rick DiPietro, to a 15-year contract. Wait, there&rsquo;s more: Chris Simon was suspended for 25 games (see above); Sean Hill tested positive for steroids; they made a big splash at the trade deadline getting Ryan Smyth from Edmonton; Mike Milbury finally left the organization after a 12-year reign of error; and, finally, the team bought out the final four years of expensive and underachieving center Alexei Yashin at a cost of $17.63 million.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03960/9019390-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="473" height="498"></div><p><b>MASTERTON WORTHY</b> Boston rookie Phil Kessel was awarded the Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Kessel missed a month in December after it was discovered he had testicular cancer. He returned in January and completed his first NHL season with 11 goals and 29 points in 70 games &ndash; and a penchant for shootout game-winners &ndash; and the respect and admiration of his teammates, opponents and fans.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-04790/9019383-1-eng-US/f0013-042.jpg" title="f0013-04" width="443" height="366"></div><p><b>AND FINALLY&hellip;</b> Tampa&rsquo;s Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St-Louis formed the league&rsquo;s best 1-2 scoring punch, but the Bolts&rsquo; inconsistent goaltending crushed their Cup hopes&hellip;Colorado&rsquo;s Paul Stastny established a rookie record with points in 20 straight games &ndash; beating the franchise record of 16 set by his dad, Peter, in 1980-81&hellip;Los Angeles rookie whiz Anze Kopitar became the NHL&rsquo;s first Slovenian-born player&hellip;The NHL continued to insist its TV deal with Versus is good for the league. Fans say, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll believe it when we see it.&rdquo;&hellip;Anaheim&rsquo;s Chris Pronger was suspended twice in the playoffs, causing fans in Edmonton to celebrate. The celebration ended, though, when Pronger hoisted the Cup&hellip;Both of the 2006 Cup finalists, Carolina and Edmonton, failed to make the playoffs, marking the first time in NHL history that has happened&hellip;New Jersey defenseman Richard Matvichuk sat out most of the season &ndash; because he was hurt and/or to provide the Devils with cap relief &ndash; then appeared in the playoffs when players aren&rsquo;t paid&hellip;Canada won the world junior, world women&rsquo;s championship and world championship&hellip; Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson tied for the playoff scoring lead with 22 points each&hellip;Remember this name: John Tavares. He broke Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s Ontario League record for goals by a 16-year-old with 72 (The Great One had 70).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

The Season of Sidney

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-05615/9019456-1-eng-US/f0013-052.jpg" title="f0013-05" width="592" height="434"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brad May <span class="photo-credit">(ALL: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>hey should make the NHL trade deadline a national holiday in Canada. That&rsquo;s because Canadian hockey fans seem especially obsessed with teams going for the home run trade. But really, how often does a trade that makes a big splash actually help a team win the Stanley Cup?</p><p>The answer is not often enough to justify two cable TV sports stations in Canada dedicating hours of air time to covering trade deadline day.</p><p>On paper, one of the most insignificant deadline deals &ndash; veteran fourth-liner Brad May joining Anaheim from Colorado for goalie Michael Wall &ndash; had the greatest impact. Although May managed just one assists in 18 playoff appearances and averaged just 7:21 minutes of ice time per game, he was a useful energy player for a team that: a) won the Cup; and, b) played an intimidating style.</p><p>Teams that made a bigger splash at the deadline without making much of an impact in the playoffs include the Islanders, Red Wings, Sharks, Thrashers and Predators.</p><p>The Isles gave up two prospects and a first round pick for Ryan Smyth, who played well, but was unable to lead them out of the first round. Atlanta, meanwhile, surrendered a veteran checker along with first and third round picks in 2007 and a second round pick in 2008 for Keith Tkachuk (Atlanta got the first-rounder back by trading Tkachuk back to St. Louis in June), and then traded prospect Braydon Coburn for veteran defender Alexei Zhitnik. But, like the Isles, Atlanta was bounced in the first round. It was a similar story with San Jose picking up Craig Rivet and Bill Guerin; Todd Bertuzzi joining Detroit and oft-injured Peter Forsberg moving to Nashville.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-05

Deadline Duds

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012055/9019585-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="575" height="390"></div><p>COLUMBUS</p><p class="dropcap"><span>P</span>atrick Kane has always had to answer questions about a lack of physical stature, but one thing he has never been short on is self-confidence.</p><p>After becoming the first teenager in Chicago Blackhawks history to be taken first overall in the NHL draft, Kane spoke glowingly about future Stanley Cups for a franchise that has the longest current championship drought and hasn&rsquo;t won diddly-squat since the Kennedy administration. He also mentioned the likes of fellow No. 1 overall picks Vincent Lecavalier, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby and pointed out that &ldquo;they seem to be taking over the league.&rdquo;</p><p>Now, Kane didn&rsquo;t come out and say that&rsquo;s what he intends to do, but the Blackhawks are quietly hoping that&rsquo;s exactly what he does. If Kane&rsquo;s rookie season with the OHL&rsquo;s London Knights is any indication, the Hawks have a 5-foot-10, 160-pound future star on their hands to go nicely with a bevy of promising young prospects that has the franchise thinking good thoughts for the first time in about a decade. <i>(See pg. 48 for complete NHL entry draft results.)</i></p><p>Kane led all scores in the Canadian Hockey League this season as a major junior freshman, scoring 62 goals and 145 points in just 58 games, the kind of eye-popping statistics the offense-starved Blackhawks could not ignore.</p><p>&ldquo;We need this,&rdquo; said Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing, since we won the (draft lottery and the No. 1 pick), really there has been an about-face in terms of attitude and approach by everyone. It&rsquo;s kind of like we&rsquo;ve wiped the slate clean. Everybody is upbeat and positive. Everybody is enthusiastic about our future.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>DECADE OF INDIFFERENCE</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;s about bloody time, wouldn&rsquo;t you say? The Blackhawks have missed the playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons and have compiled the league&rsquo;s worst cumulative record since 1997-98. Worse than that, they&rsquo;ve been as boring as they&rsquo;ve been bad and are on the verge of irrelevance in one of the NHL&rsquo;s most important markets. This season, the Blackhawks finished second-last in home attendance with an average of just 12,727 a game, including giveaways.</p><p>But could the Hawks really be building something here? Well, shame on them if they aren&rsquo;t. The Blackhawks have followed a path taken by a number of recent champions by stockpiling top draft picks and they hope to be entering the high time of their cycle in the next few seasons. They&rsquo;ve had top-10 picks in each of the past four drafts, taking Jonathan Toews third overall last year, Jack Skille seventh in 2005 and Cam Barker third in 2004.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021550/9019578-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="2715" height="1906"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PROSPECT CENTRAL</b></p><p>Patrick Kane is one of 25 first- or second-rounders the Hawks have drafted since 2000.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;They should be getting better with all the high picks they&rsquo;ve had,&rdquo; one NHL scout said. &ldquo;If they can&rsquo;t get good players with those picks, they&rsquo;re really doing something wrong.&rdquo;</p><p>That doesn&rsquo;t seem to be the case with the Blackhawks. Toews was one of the best players in U.S. college hockey this season and was a standout for Canada in both the world junior and senior championships. Skille left school to sign with the Hawks and contributed four goals and eight points in nine AHL games. Martin Havlat had 57 points despite being limited to just 56 games by injuries, while youngsters Barker, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and James Wisniewski all played valuable NHL minutes on a young defense corps that will develop into a formidable group.</p><h2><b>&lsquo;OPTIMISTIC AND EXCITED&rsquo;</b></h2><p>&ldquo;We had eight first-year pros in our (Norfolk Admirals) farm system last year and they had 108 points and the third-best record in the American League,&rdquo; Tallon said, &ldquo;so we&rsquo;re quite optimistic and excited about our future. We&rsquo;re going to be competitive (next season) and we want to be competitive as fast as we can, but we also don&rsquo;t want to band aid it and give up some of these prospects to get better for a short time.</p><p>&ldquo;When we&rsquo;re ready to hit, we want to be ready to stay there for a long time.&rdquo;</p><p>And that&rsquo;s the dilemma when it comes to Kane. The Blackhawks desperately need to create some excitement in the local market and improve on an offense that was tied for second-worst in the NHL this season. Kane could be one of the answers to that, but there will undoubtedly be a huge adjustment for him should the Hawks decide to keep him in the lineup as a teenaged rookie in 2007-08. By doing that, they&rsquo;ll also use up a valuable season of service that would put Kane one year closer to unrestricted free agency at the age of 25.</p><p>&ldquo;If he&rsquo;s good enough to play with us, that won&rsquo;t factor into it,&rdquo; Tallon said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll do what&rsquo;s best for Patrick Kane.&rdquo;</p><p>But even if they send Kane back for another season with the OHL&rsquo;s Knights, they&rsquo;ll still have the likes of Toews and Skille playing for them, but we&rsquo;re not so sure the Sergei Samsonov experiment is going to work out so well. For his part, Toews is receiving rave reviews and has the potential to be one of the most complete players in the league in a couple of years.</p><p>Count Kane among Toews&rsquo; admirers. The two played together on a summer tournament team four years ago and, as a member of the U.S. team at the WJC, Kane could only watch as Toews scored three goals in the shootout for Canada to defeat Kane&rsquo;s team in the semifinal.</p><p>&ldquo;I was 0-for-2 and he was 3-for-3 in the shootout, so I&rsquo;m going to have to learn some things from him,&rdquo; said Kane of Toews. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a good guy. He&rsquo;s a good two-way center, the kind of guy I&rsquo;d like to play with, you know?&rdquo;</p><p>As a right winger, Kane will almost certainly get that opportunity, if not next season then the one after that. Skille (pronounced SKILL-ee) also is a right winger, but if the Blackhawks move him over to the left side, they have the makings of a terrific top line in the future.</p><p>The Hawks had potentially a strong draft after taking Kane. With the 38th overall pick, they took left winger Bill Sweatt from Colorado College, a player most scouts described as the fastest skater in the draft. Eighteen picks later they took Akim Aliu, a winger with first round talent who played this season with Sudbury (OHL), but has been involved in a number of controversial disciplinary issues. One Chicago scout said Aliu &ndash; who was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada at age 11 &ndash; impressed the Hawks in pre-draft interviews.</p><p>&ldquo;They swung for the fences with that (Aliu) pick,&rdquo; one scout said. &ldquo;Some kids get it a little later and they&rsquo;ll have a really good NHL player if this kid ever gets it.&rdquo;</p><p>But in the short term, the Blackhawks are looking to get a playoff spot for the first time in five seasons and be a little more appealing to watch while doing it.</p><p>&ldquo;We want to bring fun back to the United Center,&rdquo; Tallon said. &ldquo;We want to bring a brand of hockey our fans will appreciate. We want to play an exciting brand of hockey. We want to play a high-tempo, offensive style.&rdquo;</p><p>And for the first time in years, the Blackhawks might just have the players that will allow them to do that.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011832/9019571-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="562" height="385"></div><h2><b>2007 DRAFT BREAKDOWN BY BIRTHPLACE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021425/9019564-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="183" height="102"></div><p><b>102</b></p><p><b>CANADA</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031064/9019557-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="178" height="100"></div><p><b>63</b></p><p><b>UNITED STATES</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04806/9019550-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="183" height="102"></div><p><b>17</b></p><p><b>SWEDEN</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05579/9019543-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="194" height="111"></div><p><b>9</b></p><p><b>RUSSIA</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06475/9019536-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="193" height="112"></div><p><b>5</b></p><p><b>CZECH REPUBLIC</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-07413/9019529-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="195" height="113"></div><p><b>4</b></p><p><b>FINLAND</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-08357/9019522-1-eng-US/f0016-082.jpg" title="f0016-08" width="192" height="111"></div><p><b>4</b></p><p><b>GERMANY</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-09310/9019515-1-eng-US/f0016-092.jpg" title="f0016-09" width="194" height="109"></div><p><b>3</b></p><p><b>SLOVAKIA</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-10282/9019508-1-eng-US/f0016-102.jpg" title="f0016-10" width="196" height="111"></div><p><b>2</b></p><p><b>SWITZERLAND</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-11260/9019501-1-eng-US/f0016-112.jpg" title="f0016-11" width="195" height="110"></div><p><b>1</b></p><p><b>DENMARK</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-12236/9019494-1-eng-US/f0016-122.jpg" title="f0016-12" width="192" height="109"></div><p><b>1</b></p><p><b>NIGERIA</b></p><h2><b>U.S. PLAYERS SELECTED IN PAST 10 DRAFTS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-13216/9019487-1-eng-US/f0016-132.jpg" title="f0016-13" width="509" height="608"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-01

Hawks Stock Up

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-14" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-14205/9019616-1-eng-US/f0016-142.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Turris, Kane & van Riemsdyk <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Put one on the board for Wayne Gretzky and his new GM Don Maloney. The Phoenix Coyotes came out with top grade at the NHL draft.</p><p>The Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals each had 10 picks in the seven-round draft June 22-23, but it was the Coyotes who came out with the best quality of picks according to one scouting outlet.</p><p>International Scouting Services recognized the Coyotes completed the draft with the third-ranked prospect (center Kyle Turris), three more prospects ranked in its top 42 and two more in the top 100. That&rsquo;s six premium picks, many of them bargain selections.</p><p>After taking Turris third overall, Phoenix nabbed defenseman Nick Ross 30th. He was ranked 42nd by ISS and was the only first-rounder who didn&rsquo;t attend the draft. In the second round, the Coyotes took Brett MacLean 32nd (ranked 21st by ISS) and Joel Gistedt 36th (ranked 72nd by ISS). Bargains came later when Vladimir Ruzicka was taken 103rd (ranked 40th by ISS) and Maxim Goncharov 125th (ranked 83rd by ISS.)</p><p>&ldquo;Turris has Steve Yzerman written all over him,&rdquo; said Dennis MacInnis, director of scouting at ISS. &ldquo;And MacLean and Ruzicka are guys who could&rsquo;ve easily been firstrounders. Phoenix picked up a lot of promising assets.&rdquo;</p><p>Several other teams ranked highly in terms of quality and quantity when cross-referenced with the ISS list.</p><p>Columbus plucked two of ISS&rsquo;s top eight prospects (Jakub Voracek seventh and Maxim Mayorov at the bargain spot of 94th.)</p><p>Edmonton left with Sam Gagner, Alex Plante, Riley Nash and Milan Kytnar, the seventh-, 28th-, 37th- and 63rd-rated prospects, respectively.</p><p>The Blues picked up four premium prospects all ranked within ISS&rsquo;s top 60, while Chicago grabbed the top-ranked prospect on most scouting services and two others in the top 41.</p><p>Montreal picked up six of ISS&rsquo;s top 100 prospects, the highest being 19th-ranked Ryan McDonagh. Pittsburgh has five top-100 ranked players led by Angelo Esposito, who was ranked No. 11 but slipped to 20th.</p><p>At the other end of the spectrum, Toronto was the only team not to select a prospect within the top 60 on ISS&rsquo;s final list, while Atlanta picked just four prospects in all, only two of whom ranked in ISS&rsquo;s top 100.</p><p>Of course, these are just reference notations only. Each team&rsquo;s scouting department judges prospects in its own way. Nine of ISS&rsquo;s top 100 prospects weren&rsquo;t even drafted, including Vitali Karamnov in the No. 52 spot.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-14

Winning at the draft

f0017-01

First Round Picks

<div class="byline">Story by: Ken Campbell </div><div class="byline">Photo by: </div><div class="byline">Marc Serota</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011711/9020161-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he underlying message in all the calls was pretty much the same. &ldquo;Hey, Mike, good on you getting that Calgary coaching gig. You&rsquo;ll be great.&rdquo;</p><p>If they were being brutally honest, they might have added, &ldquo;Hey, Mike, don&rsquo;t screw it up. You could really have a good thing there in Calgary and there&rsquo;s nothing in the NHL coach&rsquo;s manual that says you have to leave a path of scorched earth and bad feelings everywhere you go. FYI, Jarome Iginla doesn&rsquo;t respond well to negativity and it might be best not to alienate and play a bunch of confusing head games with him. And you may have been a little wrong about that Kristian Huselius guy. He might not exactly be your kind of player, but the guy can produce.&rdquo;</p><p>Mike Keenan will turn 58 shortly after he begins his eighth NHL coaching job next season. The former physical education teacher often talks about &ldquo;teachable moments,&rdquo; those rare times when educators seize the opportunity to get an important message through to their students. The Flames can only hope Keenan has learned a few things himself over the past couple years. But make no mistake, if Flames GM Darryl Sutter was looking for a kinder, gentler Keenan to coach his underachieving team next season, he probably would have never hired Keenan in the first place.</p><p>&ldquo;Fundamentally, your values for the game aren&rsquo;t going to change and I don&rsquo;t pretend to say they have changed,&rdquo; Keenan said in between meeting with his new team on the first day of the NHL draft. &ldquo;If you think you&rsquo;ve hired a guy that&rsquo;s here to change his whole philosophy or approach to the game at this point, you&rsquo;ve made a big mistake. My whole career has been, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s win now.&rsquo; And I think for that reason, Calgary was comfortable in hiring me. That&rsquo;s what the expectations are. (Sutter) wanted to build the program and now that he&rsquo;s got the program to a certain stage, he wants to win with that program.&rdquo;</p><p>Which is one way of saying Keenan&rsquo;s tragic flaw is also what makes him so coveted. Who would have thought Keenan would have been offered another job to coach a team after the way his recent stints have turned out? But it appears there&rsquo;s always a team that needs a steel-toed kick in the pants and Sutter obviously feels Keenan is the man to do it.</p><p>Just ask Pronger, whom Keenan helped transform from a carefree party boy to a Norris and Hart Trophy winner. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re hiring a pit bull,&rdquo; Pronger said, &ldquo;not a cream puff.&rdquo;</p><p>When Keenan steps behind the bench for the Flames first game next season, he will officially become the most-traveled coach in NHL history. The Flames will be Team No. 8 for &lsquo;Iron Mike,&rsquo; one more than the late Roger Nielson coached. (Nielson coached seven teams and was behind the bench for the Ottawa Senators for two games, but was never the head coach.) Keenan hasn&rsquo;t coached a playoff game in 11 years, yet he never seems to be out of work very long.</p><p>&ldquo;If I had just one year to win the Stanley Cup, I&rsquo;d hire him,&rdquo; said Nick Kypreos, who played on Keenan&rsquo;s 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;d only sign him to a one-year contract.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s supposed to be a joke, but perhaps Kypreos is onto something. After a four-year stint in Philadelphia and a five-year run in Chicago as coach and GM, Keenan has jumped from job to job, leaving all kinds of wreckage and bad feelings in his wake. But the man has won a Stanley Cup, been to the final four times, was largely responsible for the emergence of such stars as Pronger, Joe Thornton and Olli Jokinen, and for all his losing in the second half of his career, sits sixth on the all-time wins list. (Of course, it should be mentioned only four coaches in NHL history have lost more games than Keenan and all four have coached at least 96 more games than he has. With nine more losses, Keenan will move ahead of Pat Quinn into fourth spot, assuming Quinn doesn&rsquo;t take another coaching job.)</p><p>More than anything, Keenan&rsquo;s problem is his recent history; he has piled a bunch of bad years on what was shaping up to be one of the greatest coaching careers of all-time. Like the veteran player who hangs on far too long, his glory years are becoming too faded in peoples&rsquo; memories. The perception of Keenan as a maniacal, overbearing control freak seems to have usurped the things he has accomplished as a coach.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d do anything to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Almost anything to win. And I never cared about my own reputation and I would say that most coaches in the NHL wouldn&rsquo;t adhere to that philosophy. They&rsquo;re very protective of their own reputations. If it meant the team would be successful, I would take the criticism.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011200/9020154-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1163" height="1543"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TOP DOG</b></p><p>Chris Pronger says any team that hires Keenan gets a &ldquo;pit bull&rdquo; not a &ldquo;cream puff.&rdquo;</p></figcaption></div><p>But it has been all those moves and all that controversy that has added to Keenan&rsquo;s nomadic persona, even if the numbers don&rsquo;t exactly bear that out. For example, in NHL history, the average life span of a coach with one team is 2.69 seasons, taking into account everyone from Scotty Bowman to one-year wonders. With seven coaching stints in 18 seasons, Keenan&rsquo;s shelf life with a team has averaged 2.57 seasons. Of the 52 men who have coached at least 500 NHL games, Keenan&rsquo;s .538 winning percentage puts him behind 26 and ahead of 25. His winning percentage prior to joining the St. Louis Blues in 1994-95 was .599, since then it has been .450.</p><p>When Keenan gives his version of the events, everything seems so&hellip;</p><p>&ldquo;Logical?&rdquo; Keenan said.</p><p>Yeah, that&rsquo;s it. Logical. According to Keenan, he arrived in St. Louis only to be told the team was cutting payroll and he would have to trade Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull and Al MacInnis. &ldquo;The owners said, &lsquo;We all live here, so you&rsquo;re going to take the heat,&rsquo; &rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;I said, &lsquo;Thanks very much.&rsquo;</p><p>In Boston, he had just one year and almost made the playoffs with a team that played five goalies that season. In Vancouver, he had parts of two seasons and was fired when GM Brian Burke brought in his own guy in Marc Crawford.</p><p>&ldquo;In Vancouver, Burkie fires me and Marc comes in and we had won 15 games and Marc won eight the rest of the year,&rdquo; Keenan said.</p><p>In Florida, Keenan said ownership announced two weeks after he got there the budget would be reduced from $60 million to $30 million. After a bizarre turn of events in which he was fired as coach by Rick Dudley, then hired as GM once Dudley was fired, then resigned as GM this season, one Miami columnist called Keenan&rsquo;s departure, &ldquo;less like a personnel move than a de-licing.&rdquo;</p><p>Ouch.</p><p>&ldquo;We never made the playoffs (in Florida) and they still haven&rsquo;t because, quite frankly, the team isn&rsquo;t good enough,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;Does that mean anything? No, it means you&rsquo;re in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I understood those risks. Florida had five GMs and five coaches. You talk about my methodology and my coaching, but whatever it was, those four other guys don&rsquo;t have the methodology then, either. The reality is the team isn&rsquo;t good enough. The belief of ownership is sometimes skewed. They think the team is going to be in the final and they can&rsquo;t even make the playoffs. You look at a group like Florida (four years ago) and if you say they&rsquo;ll compete for the Stanley Cup, people would say, &lsquo;Are you out of your mind?&rsquo; You&rsquo;ve got Stephen Weiss who shouldn&rsquo;t even be in the league yet and Jay Bouwmeester who still has pimples.&rdquo;</p><p>In Chicago, Keenan said he probably could have stayed as long as Bob Pulford or Tommy Ivan, but a contract dispute ended that relationship.</p><p>The Rangers? That&rsquo;s where Keenan wishes he could have a do-over. &ldquo;That was probably a poor decision on my behalf when I decided to leave New York,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;I think it hurt my career. I think it was a decision that, if you could go back in time, yeah, I regret that decision. I don&rsquo;t dwell on it, but I regret it.&rdquo;</p><p>But Keenan just might have a chance to revive his career with the Flames. Calgary is certainly the best team he has coached in a number of years and in Sutter, he has a GM who, for the first time in several seasons, thinks along the same lines he does. At the draft, the Flames began their transformation in Keenan&rsquo;s image by acquiring defenseman Adrian Aucoin for Andrei Zyuzin. In the deal, the Flames add $2.6 million in salary, but get a player Keenan loves for a soft player who sat in the press box much of the season.</p><p>Keenan talks about his core values, the desire to win, remaining the same, but his methodology &ldquo;evolving.&rdquo; That remains to be seen, but it&rsquo;s probably safe to say he isn&rsquo;t the same guy who, during a Rangers losing streak, approached two players who were playing chess, watched the game for a minute, then flipped the board and sent the pieces flying. He likely wouldn&rsquo;t fold his arms and refuse to coach mid-period or try to send a message that a player&rsquo;s shifts are too long by playing him 13 straight minutes, the way he did once with Alexei Kovalev.</p><p>&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t necessarily make you a better player, he just screws with your mind,&rdquo; Pronger said. &ldquo;You end up saying, &lsquo;Screw him.&rsquo; When I was in St. Louis, after every period I was in his office getting yelled at. One minute he&rsquo;s screaming at me, saying &lsquo;Do you know who I traded you for?&rsquo; Then after the game, I&rsquo;m getting booed mercilessly and he says, &lsquo;Screw the fans. Screw everybody. You&rsquo;re doing well.&rsquo; You don&rsquo;t have a clue what he&rsquo;s talking about. You&rsquo;re sitting there saying, &lsquo;He hates me. He likes me.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Keenan is careful not to compare the Flames to his 1994 New York Rangers, but there are some very interesting parallels. In Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames have an all-world goalie similar to Mike Richter of the Rangers. Their defense is solid and Iginla is entering his prime. But the thing that suits Keenan most is Calgary is a good team that has underachieved the past two seasons.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011358/9020147-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="855" height="566"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WHERE IT ALL BEGAN</b></p><p>Keenan cut his teeth as an NHL coach with Philadelphia in the mid-1980s.</p></figcaption></div><p>Keenan talks about &ldquo;empowering&rdquo; people he thinks are capable and is hoping he can do that with the Flames. It worked with the Rangers, Keenan said, because that group, &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t have to learn it. They had to be reminded.&rdquo;</p><p>And if they ever forget, Iron Mike will be there to give them a reminder. At times it might be subtle, at others it will have all the delicacy of an 18-car pileup.</p><p>&ldquo;If there&rsquo;s an easy way, people will take it. That&rsquo;s human nature,&rdquo; Keenan said. &ldquo;When someone in the group deviates, you say, &lsquo;No, this is the way we&rsquo;re going to do it and if you&rsquo;re overweight, you&rsquo;re going to have to ride the bike.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s not personal. I&rsquo;m not doing it to punish you. I&rsquo;m doing it to help you because you&rsquo;ve told me you want to be part of this group and in order for all of us to have the best chance for success, this is the criteria we have to follow. I don&rsquo;t know that it&rsquo;s all that complicated.&rdquo;</p><p>Looks like it will be an interesting season in Calgary. Let the fun begin.</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON WINS</b></h2><p>Scotty Bowman 1,244</p><p>Al Arbour 781</p><p>Dick Irvin 692</p><p>Pat Quinn 657</p><p>Bryan Murray 613</p><p>Mike Keenan <b>584</b></p><p>Billy Reay 542</p><p>Pat Burns 501</p><p>Toe Blake 500</p><p>Glen Sather 497</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME PLAYOFF WINS</b></h2><p>Scotty Bowman 223</p><p>Al Arbour 123</p><p>Dick Irvin 100</p><p>Pat Quinn 94</p><p>Mike Keenan <b>91</b></p><p>Glen Sather 89</p><p>Toe Blake 82</p><p>Pat Burns 78</p><p>Ken Hitchcock 66</p><p>Fred Shero 63</p><h2><b>Resume</b></h2><p>Mike Keenan</p><p><i>NHL Coach</i></p><h3><b>Coaching History</b></h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021009/9020140-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="105" height="74"></div><p><b>1984-88</b></p><p><i>Philadelphia Flyers</i></p><p>Record: 190-102-28 (.638)</p><p>Playoffs: 32-25 (.561)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03767/9020133-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="105" height="92"></div><p><b>1988-92</b></p><p><i>Chicago Blackhawks</i></p><p>Record: 153-126-41 (.542)</p><p>Playoffs: 33-27 (.550)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04569/9020126-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="86" height="83"></div><p><b>1993-94</b></p><p><i>New York Rangers</i></p><p>Record: 52-24-8 (.667)</p><p>Playoffs: 16-7 (.696)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05434/9020119-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="101" height="81"></div><p><b>1994-97</b></p><p><i>St. Louis Blues</i></p><p>Record: 75-66-22 (.528)</p><p>Playoffs: 10-10 (.500)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>Coaching History</b></h3><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06349/9020112-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="128" height="85"></div><p><b>1997-99</b></p><p><i>Vancouver Canucks</i></p><p>Record: 36-54-18 (.417)</p><p>Playoffs: 0-0</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07292/9020105-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="102" height="102"></div><p><b>2000-01</b></p><p><i>Boston Bruins</i></p><p>Record: 33-34-7 (.493)</p><p>Playoffs: 0-0</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08234/9020098-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="113" height="110"></div><p><b>2001-04</b></p><p><i>Florida Panthers</i></p><p>Record: 45-85-23 (.369)</p><p>Playoffs: 0-0</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09192/9020091-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="150" height="260"></div><p><b>1993-94</b></p><p><i>New York Rangers</i></p><p>Stanley Cup Champions</p><p><b>TOTAL</b> NHL Record: 584-491-147 (.538)/Playoffs: 91-69 (.569)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

The Flames hired Mike Keenan for one reason: Win Now

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02776/9020206-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MARC-ED MAN</b></p><p>Marc Denis says he&rsquo;s anxious to compete for the No. 1 job at Tampa&rsquo;s training camp.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011155/9020213-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="122" height="138"></div><p>&rarr; Murray taking calls on Redden</p><p>&rarr; Leafs search for senior advice</p><p>&rarr; Doug Armstrong&rsquo;s regrets</p><p>Tampa Bay GM <b>Jay Feaster</b> said he expects <b>Marc Denis</b> to be in training camp. Denis had one of the worst statistical seasons of any NHL goalie in 2006-07 &ndash; with a 3.19 goals-against average and .883 save percentage &ndash; and many expected him to be out of the organization. Instead, he&rsquo;ll be battling with <b>Johan Holmqvist</b>, who took over this season when Denis faltered, and rookie <b>Karri Ramo</b>. &ldquo;(Denis) handled himself so professionally through the whole thing,&rdquo; Feaster said. &ldquo;(He said) he intends to come to camp ready to prove he can be the No. 1 guy.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>NORTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>BOSTON</b> The decision to relieve coach <b>Dave Lewis</b> and associate <b>Marc Habscheid</b> caught everyone off guard in mid-June, coming more than two months after the season. GM <b>Peter Chiarelli</b> hired ex-Montreal and New Jersey coach <b>Claude Julien</b> less than a week later; Lewis and Habscheid will be offered jobs in the organization. Chiarelli also decided to let assistant GM <b>Scott Gorton</b> and longtime scout <b>Daniel Dore</b> go after the draft.</p><p><b>BUFFALO</b> GM <b>Darcy Regier</b> and coach <b>Lindy Ruff</b> were both signed to new deals by the Sabres. Ruff inked a three-year deal with an option for a fourth, while Regier agreed to a two-year pact.</p><p><b>MONTREAL</b> There was second-guessing when the Habs didn&rsquo;t take <b>Angelo Esposito</b> with the 12th overall pick. GM <b>Bob Gainey</b> said the Montreal native was &ldquo;definitely on our list.&rdquo; Gainey said he tried to trade for a third first-round choice, the Canadiens also selected 22nd overall, to secure Esposito, who went 20th overall to Pittsburgh&hellip; Montreal waived <b>Tony Salmelainen</b>, acquired from Chicago in the <b>Sergei Samsonov</b> deal.</p><p><b>OTTAWA</b> Coach-GM <b>Bryan Murray</b> had two calls &ndash; including one from the Oilers &ndash; about <b>Wade Redden</b>, but didn&rsquo;t make a deal. Murray wants to speak with Redden before making a decision.</p><p><b>TORONTO</b> GM <b>John Ferguson</b> traded for goalie <b>Vesa Toskala</b>, who had better stats this season than Leafs No. 1 <b>Andrew Raycroft</b>, from San Jose on the first day of the draft. Said Raycroft: &ldquo;Why should I be upset about this? This makes us a better team.&rdquo;&hellip;The Leafs are searching for somebody to fill a senior adviser role. It&rsquo;s believed <b>John Muckler</b> is on Toronto&rsquo;s list after <b>Scotty Bowman</b> reportedly turned down an offer.</p><h2><b>ATLANTIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>NEW JERSEY</b> By signing <b>Matthew Corrente</b> (drafted 30th overall in 2006), the Devils squashed talk they might let the defenseman go because of off-ice behavior issues&hellip;Blueliner <b>Johhny Oduya</b> was not given a qualifying offer.</p><p><b>NY ISLANDERS</b> The Isles will not attempt to re-sign veteran defenseman <b>Sean Hill</b>, who still has to serve 19 games of a 20-game suspension after flunking a test for performance-enhancing drugs&hellip;Winger <b>Sean Bergenheim</b>, the Isles&rsquo; first round pick in 2001, signed a $500,000, one-year deal after playing this season in Russia.</p><p><b>NY RANGERS</b> The Rangers did not offer defenseman <b>Karel Rachunek</b> a qualifying offer. It was an uncharacteristic move by GM <b>Glen Sather</b>, who likes to keep as many assets as possible.</p><p><b>PHILADELPHIA</b> The Flyers made a pre-emptive strike and traded their second first-round pick (23rd overall) to Nashville for the bargaining rights to defenseman <b>Kimmo Timonen</b> and winger <b>Scott Hartnell</b>. Both signed six-year deals (worth $37.8 million -and $25.2-million, respectively).</p><p><b>PITTSBURGH</b> Veteran wingers <b>Gary Roberts</b> ($2.5 million) and <b>Mark Recchi</b> ($2 million) both resigned for a year. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re extremely excited to keep this going forward,&rdquo; Recchi said&hellip;<b>Tim Brent</b>, acquired from Anaheim, gives the Pens a much-needed right-handed center in the faceoff circle.</p><h2><b>SOUTHEAST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ATLANTA</b> The Thrashers resigned defenseman <b>Steve McCarthy</b> for one year at $725,000&hellip;Denying rumors, GM <b>Don Waddell</b> said he wouldn&rsquo;t trade winger <b>Marian Hossa</b>, who can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s as bad a rumor as I&rsquo;ve ever heard,&rdquo; Waddell said.</p><p><b>CAROLINA</b> In late June, winger <b>Scott Walker</b> signed a three-year, $7.5-million extension with a no-trade clause&hellip;Defenseman <b>Bret Hedican</b>, who considered retirement because of hip problems, is expected to play next season.</p><p><b>FLORIDA</b> For the second straight year, the Panthers made the biggest trade at the draft, both involving goalies. This year, they acquired <b>Tomas Vokoun</b> from Nashville for a 2008 first-round pick and a pair of second-rounders. Last year, they dealt <b>Roberto Luongo</b> to Vancouver&hellip;Winger <b>Nathan Horton</b> signed a six-year extension worth $24 million.</p><p><b>TAMPA BAY</b> Center <b>Chris Gratton</b> was acquired from Florida for a 2008 second round pick. It&rsquo;s Gratton&rsquo;s third tour with Tampa.</p><p><b>WASHINGTON</b> The Caps unveiled a new logo and uniform, returning to the red, white and blue scheme that dominated the team&rsquo;s jerseys until 1995.</p><h2><b>CENTRAL DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CHICAGO</b> GM <b>Dale Tallon</b> sent <b>Jassen Cullimore</b>, who underachieved in Chicago, to Montreal with winger <b>Tony Salmelainen</b> for right winger <b>Sergei Samsonov</b>. That deal, combined with sending <b>Adrian Aucoin</b> to Calgary, chopped $2.6 million off the payroll.</p><p><b>COLUMBUS</b> Russian winger <b>Maxim Mayorov</b>, who might be a steal at 94th overall, has the same agent, <b>Rollie Hedges</b>, as malcontent right winger <b>Nikolai Zherdev</b>.</p><p><b>DETROIT</b> GM <b>Ken Holland</b> said contracts wouldn&rsquo;t be offered to forwards <b>Robert Lang</b> and <b>Kyle Calder</b>&hellip;Left winger <b>Igor Grigorenko</b>, the Wings&rsquo; top pick (62nd overall) in 2001, was scheduled to attend the prospect camp in early July.</p><p><b>NASHVILLE</b> BlackBerry king <b>Jim Balsillie</b> appeared to be out of the mix to buy the Preds as owner <b>Craig Leipold</b> turned his attention to striking a deal with California businessman <b>William (Boots) DelBiaggio</b>, who, it&rsquo;s believed, would eventually try to relocate the team to Kansas City. DelBiaggio&rsquo;s offer was reportedly almost $50 million less than the $238 million Balsillie would have paid.</p><p><b>ST. LOUIS</b> The Blues put captain <b>Dallas Drake</b>, 38, on waivers and planned to buy him out&hellip;St. Louis made a qualifying offer to goalie <b>Jason Bacashihua</b>, but not <b>Curtis Sanford</b>.</p><h2><b>NORTHWEST DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>CALGARY</b> By re-signing goalie prospect <b>Brent Krahn</b>, the team&rsquo;s first round pick (ninth overall) in 2000, it appears he and <b>Curtis McElhinney</b> will battle it out for the backup job behind <b>Miikka Kiprusoff</b>.</p><p><b>COLORADO</b> The Avalanche gave center <b>Tyler Arnason</b> a two-year, $3.35-million deal. Arnason, with 49 points in 82 games, could have become an unrestricted free agent.</p><p><b>EDMONTON</b> The Oilers hired <b>Rick Olczyk</b> to help replace assistant GM <b>Scott Howson</b> (who&rsquo;s now the GM in Columbus). A Cornell law school graduate and brother of former NHLer <b>Ed Olczyk</b>, Rick will oversee the salary cap intricacies previously handled by Howson.</p><p><b>MINNESOTA</b> The Wild was unable to trade <b>Manny Fernandez</b> at the draft, meaning the team might have $7.4 million worth of goalies, including starter <b>Niklas Backstrom</b>, when the season begins.</p><p><b>VANCOUVER</b> GM <b>Dave Nonis</b> made two minor moves at the draft, acquiring speedy center <b>Ryan Shannon</b> from Anaheim and minor league blueliner <b>Jimmy Sharrow</b> from Atlanta. Nonis gave up prospect wingers <b>Jason King</b> (to the Ducks) and <b>Jesse Schultz</b> (to the Thrashers) in the deals.</p><h2><b>PACIFIC DIVISION</b></h2><p><b>ANAHEIM</b> After winning their first Stanley Cup, the Ducks re-signed goalie <b>Jean-Sebastien</b>&nbsp;<b>Giguere</b> (four years, $24 million); defensemen <b>Sean O&rsquo;Donnell</b> (two years, $2.5 million) and <b>Kent Huskins</b> (two years, $1.25 million); and, forwards <b>Travis Moen</b> (two years, $1.825 million) and <b>George Parros</b> (two years, $1.1 million)&hellip;Anaheim gave a one-year contract extension, through 2008-09, to head coach <b>Randy Carlyle</b>.</p><p><b>DALLAS</b> GM <b>Doug Armstrong</b> said he regretted trading away his first round pick this year (to Phoenix for <b>Ladislav Nagy</b>) and said he&rsquo;d be more careful in the future. The Stars are also without a first-rounder in 2008 after acquiring <b>Mattias Norstrom</b> from the Kings.</p><p><b>LOS ANGELES</b> The Kings bought out <b>Alyn McCauley</b>, who never quite recovered from off-season knee surgery and was limited to 10 games this season. He signed a three-year, $6-million contract last summer; the Kings will take a salary cap hit of $666,667 in each of the next four seasons.</p><p><b>PHOENIX</b> Defenseman <b>Nick Boynton</b> and center <b>Kevyn Adams</b> were waived. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s trying to move a couple contracts to free up roster space and potentially some salary space,&rdquo; GM Don Maloney told the Arizona <i>Republic</i></p><p><b>SAN JOSE</b> By trading goalie <b>Vesa Toskala</b> and winger <b>Mark Bell</b> to Toronto at the draft, the Sharks whittled $3.175 million from the payroll. That money was basically used to sign 32-year-old defenseman <b>Craig Rivet</b> to a four-year, $14-million deal.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011064/9020199-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="590" height="1003"></div><h2><b>Quick Hits</b></h2><h3><b>RIGHT AT HOME</b></h3><p>The host Blue Jackets selected winger <b>Trent Vogelhuber</b> with the 211th and final pick of the 2007 entry draft, making him the first native of central Ohio to be drafted into the NHL.</p><h3><b>YES, HE SAID IT</b></h3><p>Here&rsquo;s a draft-day promise that Maple Leafs fans will want to hold on to: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be the one carrying the (Stanley) Cup through the streets for the Leafs.&rdquo; &ndash; <b>Dale Mitchell</b>, Toronto&rsquo;s first pick (74th overall) at the 2007 prospect derby in Columbus.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02684/9020192-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="444" height="443"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MITCHELL: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES; ESPOSITO: GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>PENS GET &lsquo;ESPO&rsquo;</b></h3><p><b>Angelo Esposito</b>, the No. 1-rated draft prospect at mid-season, wasn&rsquo;t upset at falling to 20th. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been happier in my life, other than winning the Memorial Cup,&rdquo; he said of potentially joining Crosby & Co. in Pittsburgh.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-02

Lowdown

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03531/9020251-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="1058" height="801"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chris Chelios <span class="photo-credit">(CHELIOS: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>U.S.A. A-OK!</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>atrick Kane</b> goes first overall to the Hawks, leading a strong group of Americans drafted this year &ndash; including 10 in the first round and a record 63 in total.</p><h2><b>BIG 5-0 IN SIGHT</b></h2><p>Veteran defenseman <b>Chris Chelios</b>, 46 next January, signs on for another year with the Red Wings as he inches closer to his goal of playing at 50.</p><h2><b>FAMILIAR FACE</b></h2><p>Respected former NHLer <b>Steve Larmer</b> reconnects with the NHL Players&rsquo; Association after re-signing in protest of <b>Ted Saskin&rsquo;s</b> leadership.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04439/9020244-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="1057" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body">Evgeni Malkin <span class="photo-credit">(MALKIN: MIKE STOBE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>ENOUGH, ALREADY!</b></h2><p>The soap opera that has become the sale and inevitable relocation of the Nashville Predators is a sad ending to what was a good NHL season.</p><h2><b>MISSING MALKIN</b></h2><p>Hopefully he had a legitimate reason, but top rookie <b>Evgeni Malkin</b> of the Penguins was conspicuous by his absence at the NHL awards.</p><h2><b>YOU&rsquo;RE IN, YOU&rsquo;RE OUT</b></h2><p>First, Boston GM <b>Peter Chiarelli</b> tells coach <b>Dave Lewis</b> he&rsquo;ll be back. Then, he hands the veteran bench boss the pink slip.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Plus / Minus

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01754/9020296-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="2285" height="1383"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COLUMBUS DISCOVERED</b></p><p>The hockey world turned its eyes to the NHL entry draft in Columbus in late June.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>D</span>RAFT RECAP</b> Every year the smiling, young faces of the chosen few march up to the stage at the NHL draft. But the smiles are often gone by September as precious few draftees are ready to compete for NHL jobs and even less are on the brink of impacting their new team.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02449/9020289-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="145" height="160"></div><p>This issue&rsquo;s NHL team reports are dedicated to detailing facts about the first name each team called at the draft and profiling the weekend as a whole for all 30 clubs.</p><p>Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk headlined a strong class for the U.S. as the pair were selected with the top two picks, the first time Americans have ever gone 1-2.</p><p>The Rangers and Penguins are hoping they got steals with late first-rounders Alexei Cherepanov and Angelo Esposito, while Detroit hopes it uncovered another Swedish secret in Joakim Andersson.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

The foundation for future success

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GUY CURTRIGHT</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Spencer Machacek, RW, 67th overall.</i> Without a pick in the first two rounds, the Thrashers were glad to get Machacek, who they had ranked as a late firstrounder. The 18-year-old didn&rsquo;t have a breakout season offensively, but GM Don Waddell called him a &ldquo;winner&rdquo; and a &ldquo;high-character guy.&rdquo; The native of Lethbridge, Alta., will surely return to Vancouver (WHL), where he had a strong playoff run with the Giants this spring.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04276/9020365-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="159" height="134"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Rather than add any draft picks, the Thrashers ended up trading away one of the five they had. They dealt their second pick in the third round (78th overall) to Pittsburgh for rugged center Chris Thornburn. The four picks were the fewest ever for the Thrashers, who took three forwards and a defenseman. Atlanta likes the potential of its fourthrounder, Finnish center Niklas Lucenius.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-04

Snooze button pushed on draft day

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE LOFTUS</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Zach Hamill, C, eighth overall.</i> With Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron and Phil Kessel on the roster, the last thing the Bruins needed was another center. Clearly, though, they don&rsquo;t think Zach Hamill is just another center. The B&rsquo;s, in fact, see parts of Joe Sakic and Chris Drury in Hamill&rsquo;s all-around game and were impressed Hamill felt his time under defense-conscious Kevin Constantine at Everett (WHL) helped him become a better player. &ldquo;We think he can be a star in our league,&rdquo; said Bruins chief scout Scott Bradley.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05236/9020396-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="146" height="146"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Four of Boston&rsquo;s six picks were defensemen. Twoway blueliner Tommy Cross was selected 35th overall after Boston sent second and third round picks to Chicago to move up from No. 38. Perhaps the most intriguing selection was German defenseman Denis Reul, a 6-foot-4, 214-pounder whom GM Peter Chiarelli said &ldquo;impressed and intimidated&rdquo; during interviews.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0040-05

Two-way center tabbed for stardom

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM GRAHAM</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>T.J. Brennan, D, 31st overall.</i> He&rsquo;s not merely on the fast track, he&rsquo;s zipping along the Autobahn. Brennan didn&rsquo;t play competitive hockey until he was 10. Just two years ago, he played in a suburban Philadelphia club league. A scout from St. John&rsquo;s (QMJHL) saw him on a pickup team and brought him to Newfoundland, where he used a 97-mph slapshot to score 16 goals and 41 points in 68 games. He&rsquo;ll return there to polish his defensive skills.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-06210/9020427-1-eng-US/f0040-062.jpg" title="f0040-06" width="160" height="106"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Sabres&rsquo; positional selections were scattershot: two goalies, three defensemen and three forwards, but all were North Americans. They admittedly reached on most picks because, as the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy winners, they picked late in each round. Their second pick of the second round, Mississauga (OHL) defenseman Drew Schiestel, was stunned to go 59th. He was ranked 223rd by International Scouting Services.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-06

First pick quick on learning curve

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RANDY SPORTAK</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Mikael Backlund, C, 24th overall.</i> Speedy, skilled and smart, Backlund was ranked second among European skaters by Central Scouting after an injury-filled season for Vasteras (Swe.), scoring only one goal and three points in 18 games. A likely second-line player known for his passing abilities, he&rsquo;s also willing to shoot, shown by the tournament-best six goals he scored for Sweden at the World under-18 Championship. Backlund is probably two years away from playing in North America.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-07189/9020458-1-eng-US/f0040-072.jpg" title="f0040-07" width="146" height="125"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Calgary may have discovered offense this year, but defense is still its bread and butter. The Flames are trying to re-stock a once-plentiful crop of blueline prospects. Calgary drafted John Negrin, a big, smooth-skating defenseman with offensive upside, in the third round. The Flames then opted for 6-foot-6 Keith Aulie, a defensive rearguard, in the fourth round.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0040-07

Backlund, back end focus of selections

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Brandon Sutter, C, 11th overall.</i> While eight of the nine players the Canes had targeted at No. 11 were still available, they figured it was hard to go wrong with a Sutter. The ninth member of the Sutter family to be drafted, Brandon is a gangly 6-foot-3 and the Canes love his hockey sense. Sutter already has some connections to Carolina. Not only did his father Brent coach goalie Cam Ward in Red Deer (WHL), Brandon was the waterboy during Ward&rsquo;s tenure with the Rebels.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01642/9020489-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="159" height="96"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The big news was the trade the Hurricanes didn&rsquo;t make. While they picked up depth goaltender Michael Leighton, they were pushing hard to make a deal for a defenseman. That trade didn&rsquo;t materialize. The Canes also were consistent with their selections, taking three forwards from the WHL and two players from Plymouth (OHL), a team owned by Canes owner Peter Karmanos.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Staals and Sutters joining forces

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL RUSSO</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Colton Gillies, C, 16th overall.</i> The Wild so wanted the rugged Saskatoon (WHL) forward, it traded the 19th and 42nd picks to Anaheim to move up three spots. Drafting the physical, yet offensively deficient player has 100 per cent to do with how the Wild was manhandled in the first round against the Ducks. &ldquo;I saw what was happening,&rdquo; said assistant GM Tom Thompson. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t big enough. We weren&rsquo;t competitive enough. This guy is a competitive, up-and-down, physical, nasty player.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-1090/9020527-1-eng-US/f0041-102.jpg" title="f0041-10" width="159" height="102"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Wild picked up five players 6-foot-1 and taller. The Wild snagged 6-foot-5 Spokane (WHL) defenseman Justin Falk 110th overall. It then took Kelowna center Cody Almond in the fifth round. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s my pet project,&rdquo; Thompson said. In the sixth round, the Wild took Finland&rsquo;s Harri Ilvonen, an offensive defenseman who flew across the ocean and began to fret he wouldn&rsquo;t be drafted.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-10

Bigger means better, hopes Minnesota

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TIM SASSONE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Patrick Kane, RW, first overall.</i> Hawks GM Dale Tallon had his pick of the litter, but offered a very simple reason to take Kane. &ldquo;What he does is what we need,&rdquo; he said. What the 5-foot-10, 160-pounder does is score and the Hawks were among the worst teams in the league offensively. Chicago hopes Kane can step right in and play. &ldquo;Size is not an issue with him,&rdquo; said coach Denis Savard. &ldquo;As long as you have passion and&hellip;play the game you&rsquo;re capable of playing, you&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02390/9020558-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="159" height="138"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Hawks nabbed two second-rounders with high-end potential. Speedy Colorado College left winger Bill Sweat went 38th overall before Chicago took London forward Akim Aliu 56th. The Hawks weren&rsquo;t deterred by off-ice issues Aliu has had with past OHL teams. &ldquo;When we&hellip;asked him about those situations we were impressed with his intelligence, his realism,&rdquo; Tallon said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-02

Talent infusion hits Windy City

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADRIAN DATER</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Kevin Shattenkirk, D, 14th overall.</i> Shattenkirk projects to be a slightly bigger version of Colorado&rsquo;s John-Michael Liles. He captained the U.S. national team development program under-18 squad this season, where he finished as the top-scoring D-man with 12 goals and 34 points in 48 games. He was named the best defenseman at the World under-18 Championship and will attend Boston University in the fall.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03312/9020589-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="146" height="119"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Avs took another U.S.-born defenseman headed to BU this fall &ndash; Colby Cohen &ndash; with their second pick (45th overall). Cohen played in the United Stales League this year and led defensemen with 60 points. Colorado liked his skill and size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds). The third pick (49th overall) saw the Avs take a goalie, Trevor Cann, who played with Peterborough (OHL). Avalanche chief scout Ted Hampson called Cann the best goalie in the draft.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0041-03

Avs add offense by adding defense

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Jakub Voracek, RW, seventh overall.</i> Voracek left his home in the Czech Republic at 16, hoping to hasten his trek to the NHL. &ldquo;He knew very little English and absolutely nobody,&rdquo; said new Jackets GM Scott Howson. &ldquo;Look at him today. That speaks volumes to me.&rdquo; In Voracek, the Blue Jackets see a future star with great size, vision and playmaking ability. He&rsquo;ll spend one more season in Halifax (QMJHL) before getting a serious look at making the Blue Jackets in 2008-09.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04267/9020620-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="156" height="135"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Columbus traded all three of its fifth round picks to Dallas to select Russian winger Maxim Mayorov 94th overall. Mayorov was expected to go in the top 20. &ldquo;His name was glaring on our sheet,&rdquo; Howson said. &ldquo;We had him in our top 40, so we kept knocking on doors until somebody said yes (to a trade).&rdquo; The Jackets hope second-rounder Stefan Legein will be a Darcy Tucker clone.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-04

Czech’s guts impresses Jackets

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MIKE HEIKA</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Nico Sacchetti, C, 50th overall.</i> A bit of a long shot, Sacchetti is a scrappy center with a nose for the net who just finished his junior year in high school and is expected to play for Omaha (USHL) next season. After that, he plans to skate for the University of Minnesota. So when the Stars picked him, they did so with patience in mind. &ldquo;We like how he competes, we like his offensive upside, we like his leadership,&rdquo; said assistant GM Les Jackson. &ldquo;We think he&rsquo;s going to be a great player.&rdquo; Listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, Sacchetti doesn&rsquo;t turn 18 until Aug. 21.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05242/9020651-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="158" height="101"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Among the seven forwards selected by the Stars was winger Austin Smith, who was born and raised in Dallas. An energy player ticketed for Penticton (BCJHL) next season, the Stars insist Smith wasn&rsquo;t chosen because he&rsquo;s a local product. &ldquo;We would have taken him no matter where he was born,&rdquo; Jackson said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-05

Feisty Sacchetti a few years away

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ANSAR KHAN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Brendan Smith, D, 27th overall.</i> Assistant GM Jim Nill called Smith &ldquo;our type of player&rdquo; because of his skills. He&rsquo;s a good skater who likes to join the rush and is creative with the puck, tailor-made for a puck-possession team that generates much of its attack with its mobile defensemen. But Smith, who&rsquo;ll attend the University of Wisconsin after playing junior-A in Toronto, is several years away from the NHL. He has grit, but needs to add weight to his 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-06219/9020682-1-eng-US/f0041-062.jpg" title="f0041-06" width="159" height="118"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Wings hope they uncovered a couple of sleeping centers with Swede Joakim Andersson in the third round and sixth-rounder Zack Torquato, who went 178th overall after being ranked 36th among North American skaters at mid-season by Central Scouting. Detroit had its fewest picks (five) since 1969, but believes it can meet its annual goal of getting two NHL players out of the draft.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-06

Slick skater fits blueline mold

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Sam Gagne, C, sixth overall.</i> The Oilers were under significant pressure in making their highest draft pick since 1996, but seeing the son of former NHLer Dave Gagner available at No. 6 relieved all of it. He&rsquo;s a skilled, versatile forward with a good pedigree and standout numbers (118 points in 53 games) in a solid London (OHL) program. The creative playmaker will spend another season in the OHL, but isn&rsquo;t far from taking his shot at the NHL.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-07191/9020713-1-eng-US/f0041-072.jpg" title="f0041-07" width="140" height="146"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> With three picks in the first round, Edmonton stockpiled for the future with an emphasis on character and hockey sense. With the 15th overall pick, it landed 6-foot-5, 220-pound Calgary (WHL) defenseman Alex Plante; in the 21st spot it took Salmon Arm (B.C. Jr. A) center Riley Nash. They won&rsquo;t be NHLers anytime soon and neither one is a real head-turner, but both are the kind of smart, solid players every team needs.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0041-07

Three first-rounders cap big day for Oil

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRIAN BIGGANE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Keaton Ellerby, D, 10th overall.</i> Having a big (6-foot-4), rangy defenseman whose skating ability has been compared to Jay Bouwmeester&rsquo;s on the board was too enticing for the Panthers to pass up. Ellerby has not progressed as quickly as some expected, but he will play in the Canada-Russia junior series in September. Two more years in junior will bring Chris Pronger-type size and physicality.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-08155/9020744-1-eng-US/f0041-082.jpg" title="f0041-08" width="159" height="154"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Right winger Michal Repik, the WHL&rsquo;s leading playoff scorer and championship-clinching goal-scorer for the Vancouver Giants at the Memorial Cup, is a smallish 5-foot-10, but otherwise has all the tools. Florida&rsquo;s director of scouting, Scott Luce, compared third-rounder Evgeni Dadonov (RW) to Pavel Datsyuk and said he plays &ldquo;a North American game.&rdquo; Seventhrounder Ryan Watson (LW) was the best player in Ontario junior-B while playing in Cambridge.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-08

Panthers keen on physical Ellerby

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH HAMMOND</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Thomas Hickey, D, fourth overall.</i> The Kings, in search of a top defenseman, eschewed conventional wisdom and shocked observers by grabbing Hickey, ranked 26th among North American-based skaters by Central Scouting. Hickey has strong puck-moving skills and is a solid power play contributor, but needs to get stronger. He&rsquo;ll likely spend two more years in Seattle (WHL). He projects as a top-four defenseman.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-09119/9020775-1-eng-US/f0041-092.jpg" title="f0041-09" width="146" height="126"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> With the first of their two second round picks, the Kings selected center Oscar Moller, who was actually ranked higher (20th) by Central Scouting than Hickey. Moller is a dynamic scorer who needs to be more physical. That&rsquo;s not a problem for the Kings&rsquo; other second-rounder, Wayne Simmonds, who has become known for his fighting skills in the OHL. Simmonds is no slouch on offense, either, scoring 23 goals in 66 games with Owen Sound.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0041-09

Off the board pick a solid puck-mover

<div class="byline">&#x2013; HERB ZURKOWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="286" height="315"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Ryan McDonagh, D, 12th overall.</i> Scouts are drooling over the American blueliner&rsquo;s game. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder defends his zone well, is an adept skater and has good lateral movement. McDonagh is a two-time winner of the Mr. Hockey award, given to the best high school player in Minnesota. He had 10 goals and 33 points in 23 games with Cretin-Derham and will head to the University of Wisconsin in the fall. He&rsquo;s expected to add size, skill and grit.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01670/9020806-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="159" height="108"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> With their second choice (22nd overall), the Habs selected Max Pacioretty, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound left winger projected to be a power forward. Pacioretty, who scored 21 goals and 63 points in 60 games with Sioux City (USHL), skates hard and plays physically. He&rsquo;s headed to the University of Michigan. Montreal selected six defensemen and three forwards. Five of their nine picks are Americans.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Habs get their man, draft five Americans

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JOHN GLENNON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03315/9020844-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CASE FOR &lsquo;D&rsquo;</b></p><p>The Predators got a good puckhandler with Jonathon Blum.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Jonathon Blum, D, 23rd overall.</i> Nashville continued a successful trend by using its top pick to select Blum, much the same way the team chose blueliners Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Kevin Klein, Ryan Parent and Cody Franson with high picks over the past few years. The Preds like Blum, a California native, for his hockey sense, puck-moving ability and passing skills. He&rsquo;ll play for Vancouver (WHL) again next season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02407/9020851-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="159" height="92"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> One day after trading Tomas Vokoun, the Predators picked up Central Scouting&rsquo;s top-rated goalie in Dearborn, Mich., native Jeremy Smith in the second round. Nashville took forwards with its next five picks, hoping to restock a system light in that department. Overall, the Preds took Americans with four of their nine selections, including a pair of U.S. kids &ndash; Ryan Thang and Ben Ryan &ndash; who will be teammates at Notre Dame this year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-03

Defense a priority once again for Preds

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RICH CHERE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Mike Hoeffel, LW, 57th overall.</i> Once again, the Devils took a chance by drafting a highly rated prospect who was bypassed by other teams because of a past injury. Hoeffel, a 6-foot-2, 186-pound winger, was rated among the top 30 but had season-ending surgery in March after tearing the ACL in his left knee. The native of North Oaks, Minn., whose idol is Devils center Zach Parise, said doctors assured him he&rsquo;d be fully recovered by the fall. He&rsquo;ll attend the University of Minnesota. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen our scouts feel that good at the draft table in a long time,&rdquo; said GM Lou Lamoriello.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04251/9020882-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="139" height="140"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Devils, who did not have a first-rounder because they traded it to San Jose to get Vladimir Malakhov off their payroll, went for size and strength over speed. Their first three picks, including 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner Corbin McPherson, are American, continuing a Devils trend.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0042-04

Devils take gamble on injured winger

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETER BOTTE</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Mark Katic, D, 62nd overall.</i> Calling him &ldquo;a defenseman made for the new game,&rdquo; GM Garth Snow was happy to nab the undersized (5-foot-11, 184 pounds) puck-rusher from the OHL&rsquo;s Sarnia Sting with the Isles&rsquo; first pick in the third round after dealing away the team&rsquo;s top two picks in trade deadline deals. Isles scouts projected Katic, who notched five goals and 40 points in 68 games last season, as a second-rounder for his vision, puckhandling and power play quarterbacking ability.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05216/9020913-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="139" height="135"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Isles have enjoyed uncanny success in recent years uncovering NHL-ready defensemen in the later rounds (Radek Martinek, Bruno Gervais, Chris Campoli) and they hope that streak continued in Columbus. They snagged United States League blueliner Blake Kessel, brother of Boston&rsquo;s Phil Kessel, in the sixth round and Quebec defenseman Simon Lacroix in the seventh.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0042-05

Drafting more defensive gems?

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY BROOKS</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Alexei Cherepanov, RW, 17th overall.</i> The Rangers had contemplated attempting to trade up to as high as third overall in order to select the talented Russian winger, so one can only imagine the mixture of astonishment and glee at the club&rsquo;s draft table when Cherepanov slid to the Blueshirts at 17th. Apparently scared off by the lack of an NHL transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian Federation, 15 clubs including Edmonton twice &ndash; passed on the top-rated European skater. Cherepanov participated in the Rangers&rsquo; prospect camp after the draft, but will return to Omsk this season. He has an escape clause in his contract that will allow him to join the Rangers for 2008-09.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06198/9020944-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="139" height="134"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Without third -and fourth-rounders, the Rangers somewhat surprisingly dedicated their second round pick to selecting 6-foot-4 goalie Antoine Lafleur from P.E.I. (QMJHL).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0042-06

Picking Cherepanov a treat at No. 17

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>James O&rsquo;Brien, C, 29th overall.</i> The 18-year-old University of Minnesota center was the youngest player in the NCAA last season. Coach-GM Bryan Murray kicked off a new era by deciding to go for size. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound O&rsquo;Brien still has a lot of maturing to do, but the Sens believe he has a good chance to make the team down the road.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07168/9020975-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="156" height="125"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> A lot teams passed on Russians, but Ottawa opted to pick skilled Russian winger Ruslan Bashkirov in the second round. He has been playing for the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) and is a nice fit. &ldquo;We had him rated ahead of (O&rsquo;Brien) and we felt when we saw him there, we had to take him.&rdquo; The Senators drafted only four players. Murray traded Ottawa&rsquo;s final three picks for a fourth-rounder next year. &ldquo;I asked our scouts if there was anybody they really wanted and they said, &lsquo;No,&rsquo; so we made the deal,&rdquo; Murray said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-07

Sens go for size and slick Russian

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WAYNE FISH</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>James van Riemsdyk, LW, second overall.</i> Van Riemsdyk blushed only slightly when John LeClair&rsquo;s name came up as a point of comparison. The Flyers&rsquo; first pick has the size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and penchant for finding open space near the net to be likened to the three-time 50-goal scorer. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re both big guys, both pretty good in front of the net, strong in the corners,&rdquo; van Riemsdyk said. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s accomplished so much and I haven&rsquo;t accomplished anything yet.&rdquo; The Middletown, N.J., native played on the U.S. under-18 squad this year and is headed to the University of New Hampshire.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-08142/9021006-1-eng-US/f0042-082.jpg" title="f0042-08" width="152" height="107"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Flyers thought enough of defenseman Kevin Marshall to trade up in the second round to get him. He&rsquo;s an in-your-face player. In the third round, the Flyers went after a typical Broad Street Bully in 6-foot-6, 235-pound winger Garrett Klotz, who had 17 fights this year.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-08

Power forward staying humble

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID VEST</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Kyle Turris, C, third overall.</i> The Coyotes need scorers and Turris is certainly that. In 2006-07, he notched 66 goals and 121 points in 53 games with Burnaby (B.C. Jr. A). Turris, who turns 18 Aug. 14, needs to develop physically before turning pro. He&rsquo;s at least two years away from an NHL roster spot. Turris is headed to the University of Wisconsin in the fall.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-09120/9021037-1-eng-US/f0042-092.jpg" title="f0042-09" width="139" height="140"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> Phoenix drafted three forwards, two defensemen and two goalies. The Coyotes pounced on right winger Brett MacLean when he slipped to the second round (32nd overall). MacLean, who played with John Tavares in Oshawa (OHL), is a proven scorer (47 goals, 100 points in 2006-07). New GM Don Maloney has said goaltending depth is a priority; the Coyotes nabbed Swede Joel Gistedt, the top European netminder in the draft according to Central Scouting, four picks after taking MacLean.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0042-09

Turris and tenders brought on board

<div class="byline">&#x2013; TOM TIMMERMANN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02441/9021113-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GREAT DANE?</b></p><p>The Blues are betting center Lars Eller will be the best player to ever come out of Denmark.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Lars Eller, C, 13th overall.</i> Only a couple players from Denmark have ever reached the NHL, but the Blues are hoping they&rsquo;ve got another in Eller, an 18-year-old center who was playing in Sweden. He&rsquo;s considered a good playmaker wiThexcellent speed and puck-handling skills. The Blues had the No. 9 pick, but when they couldn&rsquo;t get Jakub Voracek (drafted seventh overall by Columbus), they traded down with San Jose. Eller had 18 goals and 55 points in 39 games in the Swedish junior league.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03364/9021106-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="152" height="123"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Blues traded up for their second pick, getting stay-at-home American defenseman Ian Cole with the 18th overall selection. Cole was ranked 81st among North American skaters by Central Scouting, but St. Louis likes his size and strength. The Blues, looking to stockpile talent, used seven of their 10 picks on forwards. Second-rounder Simon Hjalmarsson is a linemate of Eller in Sweden.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-02

Blues trade down to get Dane Eller

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ROSS MCKEON</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Logan Couture, C, ninth overall.</i> GM Doug Wilson swung two trades to go from no first round pick to choosing in the top 10 and that&rsquo;s because his scouting staff felt Couture is a bonafide prospect despite not being a great skater. Couture possesses the skills of a top-six forward, but battled injury and mononucleosis this season and needs to gain more strength and conditioning before making the leap to pro hockey.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04267/9021144-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="146" height="140"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> With their second first round pick &ndash; acquired via trade &ndash; the Sharks jumped on blueliner Nicholas Petrecki (28th overall), a 6-foot-3, 213-pound bruiser. San Jose also nabbed a pair of goalies to restock one of the league&rsquo;s best pipelines for NHL netminders, taking German-born Timo Pielmeier and Vancouver (WHL) standout Tyson Sexsmith. Sexsmith is generally regarded as the better prospect, but the Sharks didn&rsquo;t see any difference between the pair so they took both.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0043-04

Lure of Couture prompts trade

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Dana Tyrell, C, 20th overall.</i> Tyrell has all the traits for which the Lightning was looking. He can score, with 30 goals last season for Prince George (WHL), he&rsquo;s feisty and can skate like the wind. He also is a character player and could be a captain next season for the Cougars. He is three or four years away from the NHL, but the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder is expected to develop quickly thanks to a great work ethic. He tops out as a second-liner in the NHL.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05229/9021175-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="139" height="137"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Lightning wanted to restock a minor league system depleted of forwards who can score and skate. Of Tampa&rsquo;s nine picks, seven were forwards. Not all had big stats, but they&rsquo;re character players with upside. Most of all, they&rsquo;re fast. In fact, between Tyrell and Matt Marshall, taken 150th overall out of Nobles High School in Massachusetts, GM Jay Feaster said: &ldquo;We think we have two of the best skaters in the draft.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0043-05

Jolt of speed, skill overall theme

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELLIOTT PAP</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Patrick White, C, 25th overall.</i> After trying unsuccessfully to trade up and select local boy Kyle Turris, the Canucks opted for Plan B and picked right-handed center Patrick White out of Grand Rapids, Minn. White won&rsquo;t be confused with Turris, at least not yet, but he has good size &ndash; 6-foot-1, 190 pounds &ndash; and is considered a decent offensive player. He&rsquo;s headed for the University of Minnesota where he is expected to spend two or three seasons developing.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-07161/9021237-1-eng-US/f0043-072.jpg" title="f0043-07" width="146" height="140"></div><p><b>DRAFT RECAP</b> The Canucks&rsquo; depth chart was weakest at center, so GM Dave Nonis tried to rectify that by drafting three pivots. After taking stay-at-home blueliner Taylor Ellington in the second round, the Canucks selected Baie-Comeau center Charles-Antoine Messier and Russian winger Ilja Kublokov in the fifth round. Nonis wasn&rsquo;t sure how his new prospects would pan out: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a crapshoot&hellip;but we think we&rsquo;ve selected some good players.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0043-07

Middle men order of the day

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PETE KERZEL</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>OP PICK</b>&nbsp;<i>Karl Alzner, D, fifth overall.</i> The Caps got the physical, puck-moving defenseman they coveted. Hailed as the most NHL-ready blueliner in the draft, the 18-year-old is 6-foot-2, 206 pounds and growing. He&rsquo;s lauded for his instincts, positioning and commitment to defense while possessing good hands and vision. Alzner, who played with Calgary (WHL) this year, won&rsquo;t be handed a position in camp, but all signs indicate he&rsquo;ll play with the big boys very soon.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-08132/9021268-1-eng-US/f0043-082.jpg" title="f0043-08" width="151" height="95"></div><p><b>DRAFT PICK</b> Washington&rsquo;s first three selections were defensemen, including two in the second round. Josh Godfrey, 19, out of Sault Ste. Marie (OHL), was a sleeper pick whose 99-mph slapshot intrigued the Caps. Ted Ruth, a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, is a hard-hitting but mobile stay-at-home specialist. Center Phil Desimone, 20, went in the third round and is the United States League&rsquo;s MVP.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-08

Alzner very close to making an impact

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04193/9021362-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NO PROMOTION</b></p><p>An AHL-only contract will keep Aaron MacKenzie playing strictly for Peoria next season.</p></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01563/9021369-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="88" height="88"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>Greg Ireland</b> has gone from assistant coach, to interim head coach, to head coach and now to former coach.</p><p>Ireland, who was promoted to Grand Rapids Griffins coach when <b>Danton Cole</b> was fired midway through 2004-05, was told he won&rsquo;t be rehired.</p><p>In two and a half seasons with Ireland as coach, the Griffins were 109-65-8-10. That included an American League-best 115 points in 2005-06, when they reached the Western Conference final.</p><p>Ireland&rsquo;s future became cloudy when Grand Rapids and Detroit extended their affiliation agreement. The Red Wings assumed control from the Griffins for the hiring of coaches.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-05164/9021355-1-eng-US/f0044-052.jpg" title="f0044-05" width="275" height="270"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>West</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;We are very appreciative of the job Greg did for us both as a head coach and an assistant over the last four seasons,&rdquo; said Griffins GM <b>Bob McNamara</b>.</p><p>Assistant coach <b>Jim Paek</b> was retained and will return for a third season.</p><p><b>PEORIA FAN</b> Defenseman <b>Aaron MacKenzie</b> said goodbye to any chance of playing in the NHL next season and instead accepted a raise in AHL pay to remain with the Peoria Rivermen.</p><p>Rather than extend a qualifying offer to MacKenzie, the parent St. Louis Blues worked out an AHL-only contract for him. The 26-year-old product of Denver University has played 259 AHL games over the past four seasons with the Blues&rsquo; AHL affiliates in Peoria and Worcester.</p><p><b>EUROPEAN FLAVOR</b> The Milwaukee Admirals will have an abundance of European talent following the signings of five players by the parent Nashville Predators.</p><p>The Preds inked Finnish forward <b>Antti Pihlstrom</b>, Austrian center <b>Oliver Setzinger</b>, and three defensemen: <b>Janne Niskala</b> of Finland, <b>Richard Stehlik</b> of Slovakia and <b>Alexander Sulzer</b> of Germany.</p><p><b>ADDING SPICE</b> The Iowa Stars will add cheerleaders next season, but the hope is to emulate the parent Dallas Stars, not the Dallas Cowboys and their famous cheerleaders.</p><p>&ldquo;Our intention is not for sex appeal,&rdquo; said <b>Holly Kjeldgaard</b>, assistant GM and director of marketing for Global Spectrum at the Iowa Events Center, a partner with the AHL team.</p><p>Besides leading cheers, the Ice Girls will assist with promotions, some may skate with the shovel to remove snow buildup during timeouts and they&rsquo;ll also &ldquo;become an extension of the team off the ice at community events,&rdquo; Kjeldgaard said.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve worked in sports long enough and I&rsquo;ve worked in other leagues and you have to stir things up and give fans something new,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;Maybe this is a way to reach young female fans.&rdquo;</p><p>The Stars hope it spices up attendance. Iowa averaged 5,120 in its debut season of 2005-06 and dropped to 4,818 this season.</p><p>The Hamilton Bulldogs have a dance squad that, among other duties, performs on the Bulldogs bench between periods. Three other teams that have cheer squads &ndash; Hartford, Albany and Bridgeport &ndash; rank in the bottom third in league attendance.</p><h2><b>POWER RANKINGS</b></h2><p>2006-07 attendance</p><h3><b>AHL WEST</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-06141/9021348-1-eng-US/f0044-062.jpg" title="f0044-06" width="588" height="745"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-07125/9021341-1-eng-US/f0044-072.jpg" title="f0044-07" width="260" height="367"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CAREY PRICE</b></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0892/9021334-1-eng-US/f0044-082.jpg" title="f0044-08" width="130" height="139"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0982/9021327-1-eng-US/f0044-092.jpg" title="f0044-09" width="255" height="82"></div><p><b>TOP PLAYOFF GOALIES</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-1072/9021320-1-eng-US/f0044-102.jpg" title="f0044-10" width="562" height="546"></div><h3><b>MANCHESTER MONARCHS</b></h3><p><b>6th Season in AHL</b></p><p><b>Best Season</b></p><p>51-21-7-1 in 2006-07</p><p><b>Arena</b></p><p>Verizon Wireless</p><p><b>GM</b> Ron Hextall</p><p><b>Coach</b></p><p>Mark Morris</p><p><b>2006-07 Leaders</b></p><p>(GP-G-A-Points)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-1351/9021313-1-eng-US/f0044-132.jpg" title="f0044-13" width="391" height="304"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-1162/9021306-1-eng-US/f0044-112.jpg" title="f0044-11" width="213" height="150"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-1254/9021299-1-eng-US/f0044-122.jpg" title="f0044-12" width="191" height="268"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRAD WHITE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0044-04

Wings clip Ireland

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02337/9021407-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="264" height="367"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03247/9021400-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="187" height="205"></div><p>Jean-Guy Trudel is finally coming home. He just doesn&rsquo;t want to stay there long.</p><p>The 31-year-old left winger, a veteran of 11 pro seasons, has signed a two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues. While Trudel is projected to be the veteran leader and go-to scorer for the Peoria Rivermen, he still has NHL aspirations.</p><p>Trudel, whose played just five career NHL games, enjoyed playing the past four seasons with Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss League, but never completely gave up on his NHL dream.</p><p>&ldquo;After four years in Europe, I really wanted my last chance at the NHL,&rdquo; Trudel said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m giving myself a shot.&rdquo;</p><p>If he can&rsquo;t crack the Blues lineup, playing with the Rivermen isn&rsquo;t a bad alternative. Trudel&rsquo;s wife, Amy, is a Peoria native and the couple makes their home in the Illinois city.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been all over the place (playing hockey) so this will make life a little more normal,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a win-win situation. Hopefully I won&rsquo;t be home. But even if I start here, hopefully I get my shot.&rdquo;</p><p>Trudel was encouraged after speaking with Blues coach Andy Murray, who spent his share of time behind the bench in Europe.</p><p>&ldquo;He gives guys a chance if they earn it,&rdquo; Trudel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been over in Europe and came back and got his shot.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-02

Final spin for Trudel

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02305/9021438-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="261" height="366"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01482/9021445-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="203" height="90"></div><p>Other than a fluke neck injury that kept him out of the playoffs, Matt Lashoff deemed his first full pro season a success.</p><p>Boston&rsquo;s first pick, 22nd overall, in 2005, Lashoff played 64 games in Providence, where he led the team&rsquo;s blueliners with 11 goals and 36 points, and tied for the team lead with nine power play goals.</p><p>He was named to the AHL&rsquo;s all-rookie team and made his NHL debut for the Bruins, picking up two assists in 12 games.</p><p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t really have asked for it to go much better,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Obviously, you want to be in the NHL all year, but being able to get a solid taste up there and come back and kind of translate what I learned in Providence was huge for me.&rdquo;</p><p>In the regular season finale with Manchester, Lashoff was hurt when a Monarchs player, trying to avoid the defenseman, instead fell on top of him. Lashoff&rsquo;s arms were pinned down and he went head-first into the end boards. Providence upset Hartford in the first round before taking Manchester to seven games in the Atlantic Division final.</p><p>&ldquo;It was pretty tough sitting out that playoff run, especially with the team we had and me being here most of the year and being a big part of it,&rdquo; said Lashoff, 20. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working out this summer and it feels really good.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-02

Lashoff on track

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03252/9021483-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALL IN THE FAMILY</b></p><p>Portland coach Kevin Dineen will be assisted by his big brother Gord next season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(LISA MEYER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>For the fourth time in five years, <b>Gord Dineen</b> finds himself coaching in a different AHL city. This time, though, it will be a family affair</p><p>Dineen, 44, was hired by the Portland Pirates to assist his younger brother, coach <b>Kevin Dineen</b>, reuniting two members of one of hockey&rsquo;s most successful coaching families.</p><p>&ldquo;Gord has a tremendous resume in the AHL,&rdquo; Kevin said. &ldquo;He has a great knowledge of the defensive aspects of the game and he has helped many young players reach their potential. He&rsquo;ll be a strong addition to the Portland Pirates.&rdquo;</p><p>Unlike Kevin, 43, who had no coaching experience when he was hired by Portland in 2005, Gord has been behind the bench for AHL teams in Louisville, Springfield, Utah and San Antonio. He was also a player-assistant in the IHL and coach of ECHL teams in Macon and Richmond.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04220/9021476-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="270" height="268"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>East</b></figcaption></div><p>Gord and Kevin are sons of Bill Dineen, who was the first man and one of only two to win back-to-back <b>Louis Pieri</b> Awards as the AHL&rsquo;s top coach. Kevin won the award in 2005-06.</p><p>Joining Gord as a new Pirates assistant is <b>Matt Laatsch</b>, 26, a volunteer coach at the University of Denver this season who played four years for the Pioneers. Kevin Dineen played at Denver from 1981-83.</p><p>They replace <b>Bruce Crowder</b>, who was not brought back after two seasons with the team, and <b>Eric Weinrich</b>. Injuries to Portland&rsquo;s defense this season led Weinrich to turn in his whistle and resume his playing career, which he plans to continue.</p><p><b>FILLING THE NEST</b> Edmonton, embarking on its first season of an affiliation in Springfield, hired <b>Jeff Truitt</b> to assist new coach <b>Geoff Ward</b>.</p><p>The 42-year-old Truitt comes to the AHL after seven years with Kelowna in the Western League, the last three as coach. Truitt was also an assistant in the WHL for Lethbridge from 1994-97. This will be his first pro job.</p><p><b>COMING UP ACES</b> Manchester&rsquo;s sixth annual <b>Ace Bailey</b> Golf Classic raised a record $43,663 for charity. Money raised went to the Monarchs Care Foundation and the Level II Special Care Nursery at Catholic Medical Center. The tournament is named in honor of the L.A. Kings director of pro scouting who died in the terrorist attacks on New York City Sept. 11, 2001.</p><p>Manchester assistant coach <b>Scott Pellerin</b> played with the winning foursome in the best-ball format. Also in the field were current Monarchs <b>Brendan Buckley</b>, <b>Jeff Giuliano</b>, <b>Peter Harrold</b>, <b>Petr Kanko</b>, <b>Ryan Murphy</b>, <b>Doug Nolan</b> and coach <b>Mark Morris</b>, former coach <b>Jim Hughes</b> and ex-Albany River Rats coach <b>Robbie Ftorek</b>.</p><p><b>CALLING KYLE</b> To boost their depth at center as well as bolster their new AHL farm team in Norfolk, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed <b>Kyle Wanvig</b> to a one-year, two-way contract.</p><p>After being acquired by Tampa Feb. 1, Wanvig, 26, had 11 goals and 18 points in 23 games for the Springfield Falcons.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-03

Bench brothers

<div class="byline">BY MIKE MASTOVICH</div><p>Victoria bagged a pair of top scorers from the same family tree by reaching terms with the Goldie brothers.</p><p>First, the Salmon Kings brought back Wes Goldie, who led Victoria with a single-season record 41 goals and 74 points this year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05195/9021514-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="168" height="164"></div><p>GM Dan Belisle then inked younger brother Ash Goldie, who just happened to lead Long Beach with 39 goals and 74 points.</p><p>&ldquo;Both Wes and Ash have proven themselves as talented goal-scorers and their experience in the ECHL will be an asset to our team,&rdquo; said Salmon Kings coach Mark Morrison.</p><p>Wes, 28, has 272 points, including 155 goals, in six ECHL seasons. Ash, 26, is a third-year pro who netted 61 goals in two seasons with the Ice Dogs. Long Beach won&rsquo;t have a team next winter and the Ice Dogs players became unrestricted free agents.</p><p><b>CHARITY CASE</b> Five ECHL teams recently announced they combined to donate $528,223 to charity this season. Stockton ($237,000); Dayton ($83,412); Reading ($82,000), Phoenix ($75,811) and even idle Mississippi ($50,000) made the results of their charitable efforts public in late June.</p><p><b>OVER THERE</b> Cincinnati lost top players Jason Deitsch and Mike Wirll to teams in Germany. Deitsch, the first Cincinnati native to play for the Cyclones, had 71 points this season. Wirll netted an ECHL-best 47 goals, including 16 with Cincinnati after a Feb. 14 trade to the Cyclones.</p><p>Alaska veteran Joe Talbot and his 26 goals are headed to England.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-05

Goldie reunion

<div class="byline">BY RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02300/9021545-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LEAN YEAR</b></p><p>Niklas Lucenius was the first Finn selected in this year&rsquo;s draft. Atlanta took him 115th overall.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MARC SEROTA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span> DANE WAS SELECTED</b> in the first round and a there was a Nigerian second-rounder, but the first Finn drafted was Niklas Lucenius, 115th overall by Atlanta.</p><p>That was the lowest the first Finn in a draft has ever been selected. Just four Finns total were drafted this year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01468/9021552-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="190" height="115"></div><p>For years, there has been discussion about the quality of the Finnish junior coaching system, but with Team Finland in the World Cup final and winning medals in both the Olympics and the World Championship, the criticism has been easy to deflect.</p><p>However, this year&rsquo;s draft is seen as a sure sign of the deteriorating quality of Finnish hockey.</p><p>&ldquo;Looking back five years, the Finnish draft results have been modest,&rdquo; said Goran Stubb, head of European Central Scouting. &ldquo;Finnish hockey people should analyze what (coaching) mistakes have been made (in junior). This should serve as a wakeup call.&rdquo;</p><p>Just five years ago, in 2002, a record 26 Finns were selected. That year, five Finns were first-rounders including Kari Lehtonen.</p><p>St. Louis assistant GM Jarmo Kekalainen, a Finn, sees a trend.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know the junior coaching system well enough to say what, if anything, is wrong, but if 30 NHL teams with the professional scouting organizations can&rsquo;t find more that four players to draft, it says a lot,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>In 1989, only three Finns were picked.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you can say the entire Finnish junior system is flawed, but sure, this is an embarrassment,&rdquo; said Sakari Pietila, a Finnish League coach and former European head scout for Chicago.</p><p>Pietila believes rule changes have affected European prospects.</p><p>&ldquo;According to the new agreement with the IIHF, a club has to offer the player a contract within two years from the draft and that makes them more cautious with drafting Europeans,&rdquo; he said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0046-02

Finnish freefall cause for concern

<div class="byline">&#x2013; JEFF RENAUD</div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he student-athlete experience is heightened when recruits play for the Royal Military College Paladins, where training officer-cadets for service in the Canadian Forces becomes the top priority. &ldquo;The mantra here at RMC is developing leaders,&rdquo; said Adam Shell, a former player and assistant at McGill, who was recently named coach of the Paladins. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a balance with academics, athletics, even social, and of course the military aspect obviously doesn&rsquo;t hurt in the development of leaders. My job will be to cultivate the skill level.&rdquo; The 26-year-old replaces Jim Hulton, the new assistant GM and coach of the Mississauga Ice Dogs. Due to the level of commitment &ndash; four years of subsidized schooling en lieu of five years military service &ndash; the Kingston-based school is not a haven for major junior graduates, so most of its roster is comprised of junior-A players like the incoming Rob Graydon and Mitch Monette.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03214/9021583-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="160" height="108"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-03

Carving leaders at Military College

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he United League has changed its name to the International Hockey League while hiring former Kalamazoo Wings GM Paul Pickard to replace Richard Brosal as commissioner. After losing five teams since the end of the season, the name was changed to promote a new image. The league also raised active roster limits from 18 players to 19. Games will be called tighter in the neutral zone, looser in front of the nets and when there&rsquo;s a dive and another minor on the same play, only the diving minor will be called. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to promote physical hockey,&rdquo; Pickard said. &ldquo;The extra roster spot could be (used for a) specialty-type player that has a physical presence.&rdquo; Port Huron also was an awarded an expansion team after the Flags folded in May.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04172/9021614-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="185" height="93"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-04

New name, rules could alter game

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DAVID HENRY</div><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>o more playoff mulligans. The CHL changed its much-criticized playoff format during its 2007 summer conference in Phoenix. No longer will the highest-seeded teams to lose in the best-of-seven first round be eligible to play in the conference semifinal. For the 2007-08 season, the top five teams from each conference will earn playoff spots. The fourth and fifth seeds will play a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing alongside the top three seeds to the conference semifinals&hellip;The Lubbock Cotton Kings were granted a one-year suspension of operations by the league after failing to reach an arena agreement with the City of Lubbock. Cotton Kings ownership has discussed moving the franchise to nearby San Angelo, Texas.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-05134/9021645-1-eng-US/f0046-052.jpg" title="f0046-05" width="176" height="125"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-05

Forgiving format altered for next year

<div class="byline">&#x2013; NICK GATES</div><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>even minor-pro hockey teams have crashed and burned in Winston-Salem. Nevertheless, all it took was a visit to North Carolina to convince veteran forward Allan Sirois to become the first to sign with the Twin City Cyclones, who relocated after two seasons in Pee Dee (Florence, S.C.). &ldquo;Playing hockey is still the best job ever,&rdquo; said the 32-year-old Sirois, who has played parts of 11 ECHL seasons. &ldquo;I could give it up, but this league plays 52 games, fewer than other leagues, and it&rsquo;s a little less demanding on the body and allows for time to spend with the family.&rdquo; Twin City coach-GM Mark Richards, who held the same positions in Pee Dee, told the Winston-Salem <i>Journal</i> he&rsquo;s glad to have Sirois&rsquo; offensive ability in the mix.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-06118/9021676-1-eng-US/f0046-062.jpg" title="f0046-06" width="169" height="133"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-06

Sirois won’t quit ‘best job ever’

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PAUL SHAHEEN</div><p class="dropcap"><span>G</span>ive credit to defenseman Nicholas Petrecki for sticking to his guns. Having been drafted ninth overall by PlymouThat the 2005 OHL draft, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of Clifton Park, N.Y., stuck it out with the Omaha Lancers for two years to keep his college options open. Now, Petrecki&rsquo;s patience has paid off. Next fall, the rugged blueliner will head to Boston College as an NHL first-rounder after San Jose traded up to select him 28th overall. Considered the most physical defenseman at this year&rsquo;s draft, many felt Petrecki would have gone much higher had he played major junior. That didn&rsquo;t phase the Sharks. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t want to leave there without him,&rdquo; San Jose director of scouting Tim Burke told the San Jose <i>Mercury News</i>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0795/9021707-1-eng-US/f0046-072.jpg" title="f0046-07" width="189" height="61"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-07

Rugged blueliner tabbed for teal

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ELIZABETH ETUE</div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he University of Calgary had a disastrous season, finishing 7-13-1-1. In the hopes of turning things around, the Dinos hired three-time Olympic medallist Danielle Goyette as coach. Wasting no time, Goyette launched the team&rsquo;s first summer training program. The Dinos are also now a part of the Olympic Oval program, home to the Oval Xtreme team where Goyette, 41, played since 1999 and also the training facility for elite players. This is Goyette&rsquo;s first coaching gig, but her old Xtreme coach, Tomas Pacina, believes she will transition well. &ldquo;Technically, skating and tactically she knows the game as well as anybody I know,&rdquo; he said. Goyette will decide whether or not to continue her national team career in the fall.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0867/9021738-1-eng-US/f0046-082.jpg" title="f0046-08" width="160" height="107"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0046-08

Goyette joins Dinos in first coaching role

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02300/9021776-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="930" height="1277"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PERFOTO GHYSLAIN BERGERON)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>FRANCOIS BOUCHARD</b> shares a special bond with his role model.</p><p>He&rsquo;s trying to follow in the footsteps of his 23-year-old brother, Minnesota center Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and so far he&rsquo;s doing a good job.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01449/9021783-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="148" height="136"></div><p>They&rsquo;re the only brothers to ever win the QMJHL scoring title.</p><p>Pierre-Marc finished atop the league scoring race with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in 2001-02. Francois accomplished the feat this season as an 18-year-old right winger for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar after managing 45 goals and 125 points in 68 games.</p><p>&ldquo;Pierre-Marc is my idol,&rdquo; said Francois, selected 35th overall by Washington in 2006. &ldquo;I really look up to him. When you see your big brother in the NHL it&rsquo;s something special. It motivates me. Watching him pushes me even harder.</p><p>&ldquo;We talk on the phone a lot during the season and I train with him each summer. He tells me what it takes to be a professional hockey player and gives me advice. We&rsquo;ve always been close. When we played street hockey together growing up he would often teach me things.&rdquo;</p><p>Bouchard, 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds, was named to the QMJHL second all-star team this season. The third-year veteran topped 100 points for the second straight season after 24 points as a rookie.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made a good progression, but not just in terms of points,&rdquo; said the native of Sherbrooke, Que. &ldquo;I also worked hard to improve my defensive play and I was plus-21 this season.&rdquo;</p><p>Bouchard still hasn&rsquo;t signed with Washington.</p><p>&ldquo;I think the main thing is his vision, his offensive instincts and how quick his hands are with the puck,&rdquo; said Baie-Comeau coach Eric Dubois.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a good shot at making the NHL some day.</p><p>&ldquo;He works hard in practice and in the off-season with his brother. His brother has a big influence on him. He&rsquo;s made improvements with his physical play, his battles for loose pucks and his defensive game, but these are all areas he has to keep working on.&rdquo;</p><p>The knock on Bouchard used to be his work ethic.</p><p>&ldquo;All his life he was among the top players without having to work hard,&rdquo; Dubois said. &ldquo;He just got by on his skills. He has learned in junior that you need work ethic to go along with your skills and he just keeps getting better each season.&rdquo;</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>Spotlight</b></h2><p><b>FRANCOIS BOUCHARD</b></p><p><b>Height:</b> 6-0 <b>Weight:</b> 180</p><p><b>GP</b> 68 <b>G</b> 45 <b>A</b> 80 <b>Pts</b> 125</p><p><b>Draft Status:</b> Selected 35th overall by Washington in the 2006 NHL draft</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03239/9021769-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="230" height="230"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0047-02

Impressive family first

<div class="byline">BY ROB VANSTONE</div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Everett Silvertips&rsquo; new coach isn&rsquo;t new in one respect. <b>John Becanic</b> has been with the Western League team since its introductory faceoff.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-04181/9021814-1-eng-US/f0047-042.jpg" title="f0047-04" width="153" height="116"></div><p>Becanic has been promoted from assistant to coach following the departure of <b>Kevin Constantine</b> to the AHL&rsquo;s Houston Aeros. Constantine and Becanic worked together for four seasons.</p><p>&ldquo;The only real difference from what I&rsquo;ve done in the past is you either get a lot of credit for (results) or you get a lot of blame,&rdquo; said Becanic, 41. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the reality of it.&rdquo;</p><p>Becanic prefers to emphasize shared responsibility. The all-for-one approach helped Everett reach the league final in its inaugural season and boast the WHL&rsquo;s best record this year.</p><p>&ldquo;Yes, it&rsquo;s an unbelievable challenge (replacing Constantine), but I think every good coach would want (it that way),&rdquo; Becanic said. &ldquo;Nobody wants to get it the easy way.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Other teams which have hired new coaches in the off-season include the Prince Albert Raiders (<b>Bruno Campese</b>), Moose Jaw Warriors (<b>Dave Hunchak</b>) and the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings (<b>Steve Pleau</b>). <b>Drew Schoneck</b>, the Prince George Cougars coach, signed a contract extension through 2008-09.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-04

New Silvertips boss won’t change team mentality

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div><p><b>Mario Cicchillo</b> was in the right place at the right time.</p><p>With <b>Mike Kelly</b> stepping down as coach to help new owner <b>Bill Burke</b> with the team&rsquo;s move from Mississauga to St. Catharines, Cicchillo was promoted from associate coach to fill the role with the Niagara IceDogs. The franchise begins play in its new city in September after nine seasons as the Mississauga IceDogs.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-05136/9021845-1-eng-US/f0047-052.jpg" title="f0047-05" width="190" height="65"></div><p>Kelly moves up to senior advisor after going behind the bench last season and guiding the IceDogs to the most wins in franchise history under some trying conditions. The team had been sold to Toronto St. Michael&rsquo;s Majors owner <b>Eugene Melnyk</b>, who in turn was attempting to sell it so he could move the Majors to Mississauga&rsquo;s Hershey Centre.</p><p>Rumors swirled all season as to where the team was headed, but the IceDogs still won 43 games. Cicchillo joined them as an assistant coach in 2003 after coaching at the junior-A level.</p><p><b>NOTES</b> Before San Jose GM <b>Doug Wilson</b> took Ottawa center <b>Logan Couture</b> with the ninth overall pick, he called his old coach &ndash; and Couture&rsquo;s current coach &ndash; <b>Brian Kilrea</b>. Wilson played for &lsquo;Killer&rsquo; during his junior days in the mid-70s..<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-05

IceDogs move to new city, promote assistant coach

<div class="byline">BY NEIL HODGE</div><p>The Moncton Wildcats&rsquo; <b>Nicola Riopel</b> is on the rebound. The goalie was passed over in the 2007 NHL draft.</p><p>Riopel was sixth among North American puckstoppers in Central Scouting&rsquo;s rankings.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-06112/9021876-1-eng-US/f0047-062.jpg" title="f0047-06" width="148" height="136"></div><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to use this as a source of motivation for next season,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to prove to the NHL teams that they made a mistake. I can&rsquo;t let this affect my confidence. My goal is to be in the top three goalies (in the QMJHL) next season.&rdquo;</p><p>Moncton coach <b>Danny Flynn</b> had a blunt message for the youngster.</p><p>&ldquo;I told him there&rsquo;s a part of your game that the pros don&rsquo;t like,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s do our research, see what they think you need to work on and then work hard to improve that area of your game.</p><p>&ldquo;When something bad happens you can deal with it in two ways. You can feel sorry for yourself, sit there and prove to them that everything they thought about you was true or you can come back with a vengeance, eager to work on your game and prove everybody wrong.&rdquo;</p><p><b>NOTES</b> The Quebec Remparts, Rimouski Oceanic and United States League&rsquo;s Indiana Ice and Omaha Lancers will compete in a four-team pre-season tournament Sept. 7-8 in Quebec City.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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July 10, 2007

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More elite talent in Pens mix

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Opening Faceoff