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.

January 26, 2009

The Hockey News - Jan-26-09

<div class="byline">bycharlieteljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02220/9210102-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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In This Issue

hockeysockpuppettheatre

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03889/9208710-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="282" height="312"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAIGLE: BARRY GOSSAGE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-10121/9208717-1-eng-US/f0007-102.jpg" title="f0007-10" width="131" height="131"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Adam,</p><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span> was recently reading the NHL Guide and Record Book and noticed it said Alexandre Daigle had played 14 seasons. How is this possible? Did he not retire for a long period?</p><p><i>Glen Cuthbert, Hamilton, Ont.</i></p><p>Glen,</p><p>It must&rsquo;ve been a mistake &ndash; something we know all too well occasionally happens in publishing. The 2009 edition of the Guide and Record Book shows Daigle with 10 NHL seasons. The No. 1 pick by Ottawa in 1993 suited up for the Sens, Flyers, Lightning, Rangers, Penguins and Wild, taking a two-season hiatus from 2000 to 2002. Now 33, Daigle has spent the past three years with Davos of the Swiss league.</p><p>Adam,</p><p>If a team pulls its goalie and it happens to ice the puck, this means it cannot put its &lsquo;tender back on the ice, right?</p><p><i>Marc Biliti, Roseville, Mich.</i></p><p>Marc,</p><p>Logical guess, but wrong. The NHL Rulebook allows for teams to put a pulled goalie back in his crease after an icing call. Substitutions can also be made following icings for injured players and if a penalty has been called.</p><p>SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS AT <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-08190/9208703-1-eng-US/f0007-082.jpg" title="f0007-08" width="62" height="62"></div><p>Need more of your questions answered?</p><p>Read Proteau&rsquo;s &lsquo;Ask Adam&rsquo; column every Friday at <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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ASK Adam

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-02206/9210133-1-eng-US/c0004-022.jpg" title="c0004-02" width="312" height="478"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-01319/9210140-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg" title="c0004-01" width="207" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>E</span>VERY YEAR, THE NHL TRADE DEADLINE puzzles me. Every year, I keep thinking this will be the year the Blackberrys go silent for Bob McKenzie and Nick Kypreos and all the others who monitor the annual frenzy with such vigor, minute by minute, updating Timo Hebling&rsquo;s latest home.</p><p>Every year, I&rsquo;m proven wrong &ndash; and the smorgasbord of wheeling and dealing continues unabated. Few GMs subscribe to the philosophy of new Leaf Brian Burke, who insists that more mistakes are made in the run-up to the trade deadline than at any other time in the season. And even that hasn&rsquo;t prevented Burke from occasionally dabbling himself at the deadline &ndash; or at least testing the waters.</p><p>Nowadays, if you ask any GM to describe the most precious commodity in the league, he will tell you the same thing &ndash; the young, cheap talent they harvest annually in ever greater quantities in the NHL draft.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Is this the year the frenzy evolves into a mere flutter?</b></blockquote><p>So why is it that on one day a year, a collective insanity sets in and all manner of rational intelligent managers mortgage big chunks of their future &ndash; the known (prospects) and the unknown (draft picks) &ndash; to acquire that one elusive piece of the puzzle to help them navigate down the playoff path with a little more success?</p><p>Intuitively, these same GMs know their history; and so they understand the number of times a deadline addition makes a significant impact on winning is usually negligible.</p><p>The winners are almost always the sellers, rarely the buyers and this should be the tip-off right here:</p><p>Every year, in all those trading deadline primers that are readied a week in advance, there are always references to Butch Goring and Ronnie Francis and even Larry Murphy. Here&rsquo;s a hint &ndash; if we&rsquo;re digging that deep into the history books for examples of deals that made a difference in a team actually winning a Stanley Cup, that&rsquo;s a further indication of how many other times the decision to sacrifice a first round draft choice or an interesting prospect backfired.</p><p>You need only go back two years and consider the two biggest names to change teams at the deadline &ndash; Ryan Smyth transferring from the Edmonton Oilers to the New York Islanders; and Keith Tkachuk moving from the St. Louis Blues to the Atlanta Thrashers. Both the Islanders and Thrashers exited the playoffs in the opening round that year; and both have taken giant steps backwards in less than two years. Think Atlanta might want to undo the Braydon Coburn-for-Alexei Zhitnik deal &ndash; the other move they made at the &rsquo;07 deadline in the rush for immediate post-season success?</p><p>Last year, you could argue the Penguins actually received good value from their bold trading deadline move &ndash; acquiring Marian Hossa for about 40 regular season and playoff games altogether. Hossa, at least, found some chemistry with Sidney Crosby and was among the leading playoff scorers when the Red Wings finally eliminated Pittsburgh in six games during the Stanley Cup final.</p><p>But Pittsburgh gave up a couple popular players, a first round pick, plus Angelo Esposito, to rent Hossa and now, in a year when things are stuttering along, it wouldn&rsquo;t be bad to have a little of that energy in the lineup.</p><p>But the biggest shadow hanging over this year&rsquo;s deadline is the economy. If the salary cap flattens for next year and then declines the year after, which manager &ndash; in his right mind &ndash; would give up young, cheap, good talent to rent a high-priced player, knowing the odds of keeping said talent beyond the end of the season get slimmer with every new economic catastrophe?</p><p>Thanks to the presence of all those bonus points for overtime and shootout losses, only four or five truly bad teams exist in the NHL, teams far enough off the playoff pace that they can consider themselves sellers at the dead-line anyway. If you&rsquo;re close &ndash; and especially if you&rsquo;re a team such as Florida or Columbus or Atlanta that needs a playoff berth to stabilize the long-term health of the franchise &ndash; then the number of GMs willing to trade players into the market could be limited to the Islanders&rsquo; Garth Snow, the Lightning&rsquo;s Brian Lawton, the Blues&rsquo; Larry Pleau and not many others.</p><p>So when you ponder the names that have been bandied about in trade talk all year &ndash; Jay Bouw-meester, <b>Marian Gaborik</b>, Ilya Kovalchuk &ndash; you wonder, will any of them actually move? And if not, is this the year the frenzy evolves into a mere flutter?</p><p>Or is the desire to win still so great that reason and big-picture thinking will be put aside once again, permitting the NHL&rsquo;s true bottom feeders to do the bold and sensible thing &ndash; dangle their marketable trade bait and see what they can reel in? I don&rsquo;t know if P.T. Barnum was a fisherman or even a hockey fan, but I&rsquo;m pretty sure he had the NHL trade deadline in mind when he suggested there was a sucker born every minute.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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In Every Issue

Trade block

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031000/9208838-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="281" height="332"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RAYCROFT: JOHN RUSSELL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>RAY OF HOPE Andrew Raycroft</b> has recaptured his 2004 Calder form in the Colorado Avalanche crease.</p><p><b>GREAT</b>&nbsp;<b>8</b> Ovechkin had just two goals at the end of October and it&rsquo;s likely he&rsquo;ll finish the year with more than 60 &ndash; again.</p><p><b>FIVE STRAIGHT</b> Canadian kids win again while hometown fans show just how much they love the world juniors.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04696/9208831-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="510" height="583"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RUUTU: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>(DON&rsquo;T) BITE ME Jarkko Ruutu</b> crosses the line by chomping Andrew Peters.</p><p><b>ALL-STAR SNUBS</b> Flawed voting and selection processes mean some deserving players &ndash; Kessel and Hossa to name two &ndash; won&rsquo;t be at all-star weekend.</p><p><b>RED, WHITE AND BOO</b> Team USA once again less the sum of its talented parts at the WJC.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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+ Plus Minus – the BEST and WORST of the hockey world

<div class="byline">DEVIN ENSING, LONDON, ONT.</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021550/9208627-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="881" height="989"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03907/9208634-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="109" height="109"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>I recently stumbled on an interesting concept the NFL has that the NHL should consider adopting &ndash; the Franchise Player Tag.</p><p>Each year, NFL teams have one franchise tag they can put on a potential free agent. They do this so that if a player does not want to stay with the team they have an option to put the tag on him, which keeps him in town for one more year, or allows for compensation if he signs else-where.</p><p>This would have worked wonders in the NHL in small markets such as Buffalo with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury and Atlanta with Marian Hossa (and soon <b>Ilya Kovalchuk</b>).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012315/9208620-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="247" height="203"></div><h2><b>Free Swag!</b></h2><p>Each issue, we&rsquo;ll give a cool THN hat to the top letter.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Tag, you’re it

<blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;Chelios is the last of those players who would play the game simply for the love of it</b></blockquote><h2><b>One cool veteran</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>s a fan of Original Six hockey I, like many, looked with enthusiasm at the Winter Classic New Year&rsquo;s Day between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.</p><p>It was a spectacular game and as a former Illinoisan and Cubs fan, having the greatest game in the world played in Wrigley Field was the thrill of a lifetime.</p><p>However, I was sad to see the last player of my generation and my favorite hockey player, Chris Chelios, sitting on the bench, still nursing his broken leg.</p><p>I could not help but wonder if this is his last season. Frankly, I feel it will be a loss when Cheli does retire; he is the last of those players who would play the game simply for the love of it. His contributions have been many and his spirit and skill have been enjoyable to watch.</p><p>I hope this is not Cheli&rsquo;s last year. Selfishly, I would love to see him come back to the Hawks to finish his storied career.</p><p>Happy 47th Cheli, here&rsquo;s to a few more years on the ice.</p><p>John Wheeler, Nashville</p><h2><b>Say it ain&rsquo;t so, Joe</b></h2><p>Over the past couple of seasons, the San Jose Sharks have been pegged as a Stanley Cup con-tender, but every year they fall on their faces. Maybe the Sharks need to look at a certain player as a major part of the problem.</p><p>Joe Thornton is a superstar in this league from October to March, but then goes on vacation, even if his team is still playing.</p><p>Joe does not have what it takes to be the big-game player everyone wants him to be. This goes back to his time in Boston, where for the last three games of the 2004 Montreal playoff series, he was a non-factor.</p><p>After he was traded to San Jose he lit it up until the playoffs came around, once again. Come trade deadline time, it might benefit the Sharks to begin looking to move Joe, so he will not drag down a very talented team.</p><p>Jason Lajoie, Plaistow, N.H.</p><h2><b>Back to the basics</b></h2><p>As a Chicago Blackhawks season-ticket holder and a fan of the NHL since the Original Six, I am sure I speak for many in my generation in hoping teams such as Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville and Carolina go the route of the Cleveland Barons and disappear.</p><p>Spread their players around in a dispersal draft. Stop this expansion and movement to NASCAR cities.</p><p>Whose bright idea was it to put a second team in Atlanta &ndash; after the Flames failed - arguably the most lethargic U.S. city in supporting professional sports franchises?</p><p>Genuine NHL fans are not going to miss teams like the Florida Panthers and the Atlanta Thrashers if they go belly up.</p><p>Robert E. Strunck, Chicago</p><h2><b>Players of power</b></h2><p>The 100 People of Power and Influence issue was great. I always enjoy seeing some names who don&rsquo;t always get the credit they deserve.</p><p>But on the other hand, how can you put Jim Balsillie at No. 6 ahead of Colin Campbell? You state he is the NHL&rsquo;s main hockey man and Balsillie has no connection to the league at all.</p><p>It&rsquo;s great that we can debate who should be in and who should be left off the list. I think the top five should all be players; after all, they are the ones with the power. People don&rsquo;t pay to go see Gary Bettman, Paul Kelly and Bill Daly.</p><p>Richard Swift, Chemainus, B.C.</p><h2><b>Missing piece?</b></h2><p>I&rsquo;m surprised with the problems some high-profile teams are having so far this season &ndash; namely Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Dallas &ndash; that no one has given Brendan Shanahan a sniff.</p><p>Shanahan would give each of these teams the veteran leadership they need and since it&rsquo;s getting late in the season he shouldn&rsquo;t be that much of a hit against the salary cap.</p><p>Keith Bryant, Oxford, Mich.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Crowd Shots

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012075/9208672-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="375" height="426"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CAMPBELL: PHILLIP MACCALLUM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>What was your &lsquo;welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>I think my first game was in Madison Square Garden. Dan LaCouture gave me an elbow right off the start and I think I had to get in a fight, so it was an eye-opener for me.</p><p><b>Favorite album of all-time?</b></p><p>Big fan of 2Pac &ndash; <i>Greatest Hits</i>.</p><p><b>Favorite movie?</b></p><p><i>Good Will Hunting</i>.</p><p><b>Who is your road roommate and how is he?</b></p><p>Stephen Weiss &ndash; he&rsquo;s very lazy. Doesn&rsquo;t do anything but sleep. Lies in his bed, watches TV.</p><p><b>What was your last job before hockey?</b></p><p>Picking tobacco. I&rsquo;m glad I don&rsquo;t do that anymore. It&rsquo;s hot. It&rsquo;s a tough job. It&rsquo;s a dirty job and something I don&rsquo;t want to do again.</p><p><b>Best trash talk you&rsquo;ve ever heard?</b></p><p>I usually just get stuff about my dad (NHL VP Colin Campbell)&hellip;but probably Sean Avery is the best.</p><p><b>Favorite road city to play in?</b></p><p>Montreal. They&rsquo;re so passionate about hockey. Every play is a big play. They dump it, they&rsquo;re cheering. If it&rsquo;s a good dump, they&rsquo;re cheering. It&rsquo;s a great city.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021408/9208665-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="62" height="62"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>Visit <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to ask your questions of NHL stars!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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2 Minutes in the Box WITH GREGORY CAMPBELL

<p><b>No, I still think it has a place in the game 81%</b></p><p>No, I never thought it had a place 12%</p><p>Yes, I no longer think it has a place 7%</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-05397/9208755-1-eng-US/f0007-052.jpg" title="f0007-05" width="449" height="670"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FIGHT: GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SPIT IT OUT!</b></h2><p>GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST</p><p><i>SEND US AN E-MAIL</i></p><p><a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">letters@thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><i>OR LOG ON</i></p><p><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a></p><p><i>SEND US SNAIL MAIL</i></p><p>Letters, The Hockey News</p><p>25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100</p><p>Toronto, ON., M2N 6S7, Canada</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-06307/9208748-1-eng-US/f0007-062.jpg" title="f0007-06" width="62" height="62"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>BONUS!</b></h2><p>All subscribers get exclusive access on <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a> to digital magazine archives!<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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POLL RESULTS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011991/9208800-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="240" height="240"></div><h2><b>WJC Risers and fallers</b></h2><p>OTTAWA &ndash; By now you all know how the John Tavares vs. Victor Hedman showdown at the 2009 World Junior Championship turned out:</p><p>Tavares in a rout.</p><p>But there were a number of other players eligible for the 2009 NHL entry draft playing, too. None played as well as Tavares, which is why he came out of the tournament the clear No. 1. But several did distinguish themselves with their play and, not surprisingly, others gave scouts reason for concern.</p><p>Here are some of the main ones, after Tavares and Hedman:</p><p><b>Evander Kane, C, Canada</b> A late addition to the Canadian team, Kane started as a fourth-liner and finished the tournament as a point-per-game player who impressed with his hockey sense. &ldquo;He really helped himself,&rdquo; a scout said. &ldquo;He showed he could compete at this level; pretty impressive.&rdquo;</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went up.</p><p><b>Jordan Schroeder, RW, U.S.</b> Schroeder was great when the Americans were playing weak competition, but he and his linemates failed to produce when their team needed them most against Canada in the round robin and Slovakia in the quarterfinal. He still managed 11 points and showed creativity.</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Dropped slightly or significantly, depending on which scout you talk to.</p><p><b>Ryan Ellis, D, Canada</b> Ellis was originally the eighth defenseman and power play specialist, but became Canada&rsquo;s go-to player for blueline offense. A long playoff run with the Windsor Spitfires should enhance his draft status. &ldquo;He has a higher hockey IQ than almost anybody else in the tournament,&rdquo; a scout said. &ldquo;There is no question about his offensive game.&rdquo;</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went up dramatically.</p><p><b>Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi, LW, Sweden</b> Svensson-Paajarvi has a terrific combination of size, skill and speed and proved he could play a robust physical game. He didn&rsquo;t score as much as expected (2-5-7 in six games), but still impressed. &ldquo;I think he raised his stature,&rdquo; one scout said. &ldquo;I was impressed with his skating and his ability to take charge on that team.&rdquo;</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went up.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021385/9208793-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="512" height="690"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/HHOF-IIHF IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Dmitri</b>&nbsp;<b>Kulikov, D, Russia</b> Even though he failed to corral the puck with just moments to go in the semifinal against Canada, allowing Jordan Eberle to tie the game with 5.4 seconds left and setting the stage for a Canadian shootout victory, Kulikov had a very solid tournament. &ldquo;He was very safe and didn&rsquo;t do anything crazy,&rdquo; one scout said, &ldquo;but when he was on the ice, things always seemed to be in Russia&rsquo;s favor. I don&rsquo;t think I saw him get beaten 1-on-1 once.&rdquo;</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Remained the same.</p><p><b>Tomas Tatar, C, Slovakia</b> Tatar wasn&rsquo;t even on any scouts&rsquo; minds coming into the tournament, but you can bet he&rsquo;ll be closely scrutinized the rest of this season after his seven goals ranked him third overall in the tournament. He might now go as high as the second round. &ldquo;He got himself on the radar, that&rsquo;s for sure,&rdquo; a scout said.</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went up dramatically.</p><p><b>Jaroslav Janus, G, Slovakia</b> Janus was passed over in the draft last year and might have been this year if not for his WJC heroics. He almost defeated Team USA single-handedly in the quarterfinal and was spectacular despite losses to Sweden in the semis and Russia in the bronze medal game.</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went up dramatically.</p><p><b>David Runblad, D, Sweden</b> One of five Swedish players who went into the tournament projected by some scouts as a first round pick, Runblad did not play a lot and when he did, he failed to accomplish much.</p><p><i>2009 draft stock:</i> Went down.</p><p>&ndash; KEN CAMPBELL</p><h2><b>All-star showdown</b></h2><p>WHO WILL BE left standing after the NHL&rsquo;s premier snipers take their best shot in Montreal?</p><p>That question will be answered at the conclusion of the SuperSkills competition, which takes place Saturday, Jan. 24, one day before the NHL All-Star Game itself is played Sunday, Jan. 25 at the Bell Centre.</p><p>The SuperSkills will feature many of the old favorites &ndash; fastest skater, hardest shooter, most accurate shooter &ndash; and will once again contain a breakaway event aimed at mimicking some of the magic of the NBA&rsquo;s slam dunk competition. In that segment, six players will be given one full minute each in the offensive zone to complete any kind of crazy scoring maneuver they can conjure up.</p><p>For all we know, Eastern star Alex Ovech-kin will bear down on Western stopper Niklas Backstrom wearing his skates on his hands and holding his stick between his toes. Fans, via mobile phone text messaging, will then vote on a winner.</p><p>The YoungStars game will take place in between SuperSkills events, with a new wrinkle in place. While the game still features the same 3-on-3 format, this year&rsquo;s contest will pit the best rookies against the preeminent sophomores.</p><p>Saturday night&rsquo;s action will conclude with a good old-fashioned shootout showdown involving all 42 all-stars. Each of the six goalies will randomly draw the names of six shooters and the event will proceed under very basic rules: Score and you move on, miss and you&rsquo;re out of the running.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012182/9208786-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="703" height="724"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ALL STAR: JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star Game will once again be a courteous clash between the best of the Eastern and Western Conferences. Fans&rsquo; ability to cast multiple votes online for players led to some questionable starter selections on both sides.</p><p>Four Montreal Canadiens &ndash; goalie Carey Price, defensemen Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov, and right winger Alex Kovalev &ndash; will start for the East. Only Markov&rsquo;s appointment is warranted. In the West, Chicago&rsquo;s Jonathan Toews and Anaheim goalie J-S Giguere were voted in despite subpar seasons.</p><p>&ndash; RYAN DIXON<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Inside the NHL

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06381/9208869-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="298" height="370"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STAAL: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05509/9208876-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="116" height="131"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>ALARY</b>&nbsp;<b>CAP RESTRAINTS</b> may soon prevent all of the Staal boys from playing together in the backyard rink. Eric has already signed an extension that will pay him $8.25 million annually and <b>Jordan</b> followed suit with a deal that will compensate him $4 million each year beginning next season. Marc only has one year left on his entry level contract and Jared, the youngest brother, could be an NHL rookie next year. The way things are going, poor Henry and Linda Staal may have to trade one of their boys for a grinding, less-expensive Sutter in order to ice a more feasible pond hockey team.</p><p><b>IT WILL BE</b> interesting to see how the Scott Clemmensen contract situation unfolds in the summer. The pending UFA has been fabulous for the Devils while Martin Brodeur recovers from injury. At 31, Clemmensen is in his prime goaltending years and will warrant interest as a No. 1 man. The Devils would love to keep him as insurance, but Clemmensen will surely want more than a $500,000 stipend and five-to-10 games per season as a backup.</p><p><b>DON&rsquo;T FORGET</b> the name John Collins. He&rsquo;s the NHL chief operating officer (we inadvertently referred to him by his old title, VP marketing, in our People of Power issue). He&rsquo;s viewed as an eventual successor to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and rated No. 12 on our list of powerbrokers. The NHL lured him from the NFL&rsquo;s Cleveland Browns in November, 2006.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-06

Snapshots From around the NHL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021662/9208914-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jordan Eberle fired the shot heard around Canada in the semifinal win over Russia.<span class="photo-credit">(EBERLE: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES; HICKEY: DAVE SANDFORD/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012126/9208921-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="103" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>TTAWA &ndash; Shortly after his team&rsquo;s heartbreaking shootout loss to Canada in the semifinal of the World Junior Championship, Russian star Nikita Filatov claimed divine intervention was a huge factor in the game.</p><p>&ldquo;God was with Canada,&rdquo; proclaimed the Columbus Blue Jackets&rsquo; top prospect.</p><p>So, like, they had that going for them. As if Canada needed it, given its history in this tournament and the enormous advantages the team holds over other countries in the WJC, particularly when the tourney is held on home soil.</p><p>If Canada&rsquo;s fifth straight gold medal in this event proved anything, it&rsquo;s that the gap between Canada and the other countries in the world is getting wider in this event. Unless something is done to change the landscape, the tournament risks being further diminished in countries other than Canada and might even be greeted with a collective yawn in the Great White North if its team keeps rolling to predictable victory after victory.</p><p>Think about it: You could very well argue Canada iced its &lsquo;B&rsquo; team for this tournament. Eight players who still possessed junior eligibility were not released by their NHL teams and two others who would have made the roster were injured.</p><p>But despite a few obstacles along the way, Canada won its fifth straight title to match a record it set from 1993 through 1997. And when you think about it, that&rsquo;s how it should be. No other nation has a player pool even close to Canada, a country that pours massive resources and volunteer hours into the sport. Canada has more than 2,000 indoor rinks, while Kazakhstan has eight.</p><p>With Canada ensconced at Scotiabank Place from the first day, it did not face the travel burdens other countries did and was given unfettered access to the Ottawa Senators dressing room while other teams were put in much less stellar accommodations. By the time the 2012 tournament is played in Calgary and Edmonton, the WJC will have been held in Canada or close to its American border for seven of 10 years.</p><p>And that&rsquo;s not about to change. In fact, if International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel had his way, the tournament would be held in Canada every year. A more realistic scenario would see it in Canada three of every four years.</p><p>Unabated, that will create a vicious circle for everyone but Canada. How will other countries compete when they never get to play at home? Hockey Canada makes an enormous amount of money from this tournament, which it plows back into programs that make it an even more formi-dable force in the WJC.</p><p>(As an aside, this year&rsquo;s tournament was expected to generate about $50 million in revenues for the local economy. Hockey Canada&rsquo;s cut was expected to be about $14 million, with $4.9 million of that going to the Canadian Hockey League. That&rsquo;s what you get when the souvenir shop fetches $70 for a golf shirt and $35 for a scarf. So everyone from bartenders and taxi drivers to the Ottawa Senators made money from the WJC, but not a penny went to CHL hockey players, the vast majority of whom make less per hour than a teenager at McDonald&rsquo;s and will never see a game in the NHL. That&rsquo;s obscene.)</p><p>So if the WJC wants to retain the legitimacy it has in Canada and grow the game abroad, some drastic steps have to be taken here.</p><p>I would suggest it&rsquo;s time for Canada to have two teams in the tournament, one team representing players from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces and the other made up of players from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Territories.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>The problem for the IIHF is the WJC is not regarded as a major event outside Canada</b></blockquote><p>The move would force the IIHF to alter its constitution, but would have a two-pronged positive effect. First, it would add another competitive team to a field where the quality drops off dramatically after the top four or five teams. It would also give other nations a better chance at defeating Canada, creating more excitement and unpredictability.</p><p>Of course, Canada&rsquo;s chances of winning the tournament would be diminished, but is that such a bad thing? Even Canadians must be growing a little weary of seeing their team roll over the competition. And there&rsquo;s also the chance Canada East would face Canada West for gold, which would have both positive and negative effects.</p><p>Some will argue these things are cyclical and point out Canada finished eighth at the 1998 WJC and didn&rsquo;t win again for seven years after its last run of gold medals.</p><p>Don&rsquo;t count on that happening anytime soon. Canada continues to churn out great young players and has made strides with its youth programs that will make it almost impossible for others to catch up. Canada won the under-18 World Championship last spring despite the fact it could only choose from players whose junior teams were out of the playoffs or had been eliminated early. The annual under-17 World Hockey Challenge, an event not sanctioned by the IIHF, has five regional Canadian teams playing against the best 16-year-olds from other countries and Ontario has won the tournament the past two years.</p><p>The problem for the IIHF is the WJC is not regarded as a major event outside Canada. Canadians have proved willing repeatedly to pay huge dollars for it both on fan and corporate levels and can mobilize thousands of volunteers to make it all run smoothly.</p><p>Having the event in Canada every year as the IIHF wants would ensure it would be a major spectacle on an annual basis. Of course, Canada would have to share the revenues with all the other participating countries to make it work, but that would be offset by Hockey Canada getting a smaller payout every year instead of an enormous one every three or four.</p><p>So give the tournament to Canada every year; it makes sense. But so does doing something to take away Canada&rsquo;s enormous advantage.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011896/9208907-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="204" height="403"><figcaption class="caption-body">Thomas Hickey</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0012-02

Too good too often

f0014-01

Cover Story

5 FOR FIGHTING

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>E LIVED IN THE COUNTRY and you know how things can get when a young person has a house party in a small town. All kinds of uninvited riff-raff show up and before you know it, things can get a little out of hand.</p><p>So there was Don Sanderson, all 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds of him, standing in front of his friend&rsquo;s front door turning people away until two rather sinister looking men approached. He told them to beat it&hellip;just before discovering they were undercover cops.</p><p>&ldquo;They commended him for doing that,&rdquo; recalled Don Sanderson&rsquo;s father, Mike. &ldquo;They said, &lsquo;We don&rsquo;t know who you are, kid, but here&rsquo;s who we are.&rsquo; He said, &lsquo;Oh God, Dad, I felt like an idiot.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Mike recalled another time when he was at work, getting a somewhat frantic call from his son. Expecting the worst, his stomach began to churn at all the possibilities.</p><p>&ldquo;He phoned me at work and said, &lsquo;I have a big problem, I just got a speeding ticket,&rsquo; &rdquo; Mike said. &ldquo; &lsquo;That&rsquo;s your problem?&rsquo; But that was him. &lsquo;Mom, I have a problem at school&hellip;I only got an 80 on something.&rsquo; I can count the number of times on one hand in 21 years when he kept me awake at night.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>DON SANDERSON WAS REMEMBERED AS A LOYAL MAN WHO WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND OR A TEAMMATE</b></blockquote><p>Don Sanderson was a young man with dreams. He was pulling down great marks in the kinesiology program at York University in Toronto and wanted to use what he learned to become a coach. For three years he had a crush on Brooklyn Abbott and, three months ago, finally mustered the courage to ask her out. It was all like a fairy tale to them, Don&rsquo;s father said.</p><p>And it all came to a tragic end when, playing for the Whitby (Ont.) Dunlops of the Major Hockey League, Don Sanderson fell to the ice during a fight Dec. 12 and suffered brain damage so severe that there was never any hope of recovery from the moment his head hit the ice. Despite the fact he hit the back of his head, there was so much trauma to the frontal lobes of his brain that Sanderson would never have been able to function as a human being without life support. (&ldquo;As far as I&rsquo;m concerned, he died on the ice,&rdquo; Mike said.) On New Year&rsquo;s Day, Mike and his ex-wife Dahna, Don&rsquo;s mother, looked at each other and realized there was no miracle coming for their son.</p><p>&ldquo;We both looked at each other and said, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s time. We need to give him his dignity,&rsquo; &rdquo; Mike said. &ldquo;And we obviously made the right choice because as soon as we took him off the respirator, within seven hours he was gone. He went very peacefully. His mom and my wife, Beth, and I, we shared our last moments with him. He took his last breath. It wasn&rsquo;t a gasp, it wasn&rsquo;t a fight. He just took a deep breath and went, and that was it.&rdquo;</p><p>Off the ice, Don Sanderson was remembered as a loyal man who would do anything for a friend or a teammate. He would spend Saturday nights watching <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i> with his grandfather. He would get 2 a.m. calls from friends who were too drunk to drive home and would go and get them. A friend hundreds of miles away was once having trouble with her landlord; within hours, Sanderson was on her doorstep.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04549/9209053-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="939" height="1227"></div><p>And in a strange way, it was that sense of loyalty and doing what he thought was right that might have been the biggest factor in his death. Although the league he was playing in punishes fighting with an automatic ejection, he felt it was his duty to stand up for a team that was in need of an enforcer. He wasn&rsquo;t pretty when he played, his father said, but he&rsquo;d never hesitate to do anything to help his team. It was that quality that attracted the Kitchener Rangers, who drafted him into the OHL. He never made the Rangers, but continued to play in lower junior leagues.</p><p>&ldquo;This year&rsquo;s (Whitby) team was really soft and they admitted it,&rdquo; Mike said. &ldquo;And he took it upon himself to say, &lsquo;If I&rsquo;m going to make this team, I&rsquo;ve got everybody&rsquo;s back and if that gets me playing a bit, I&rsquo;ve got to do it.&rsquo; But that was Don. If the coach said, &lsquo;Stand on your head,&rsquo; he would say, &lsquo;Where do you want me to stand on my head and when, coach?&rsquo; Anything he did, he took it to heart. That might have been his biggest honor, but it was also his biggest downfall.&rdquo;</p><p>For the record, Mike Sanderson is not calling for an outright ban on fighting in hockey in the wake of his son&rsquo;s death. He wants players to have their chinstraps done up more tightly and would like to see stiffer penalties for those whose helmets come off. He still feels badly he wasn&rsquo;t in Brantford the night of his son&rsquo;s last game, but perhaps that&rsquo;s for the best. Perhaps it was meant for Mike Sanderson&rsquo;s last memory of his son not to be that one.</p><p>&ldquo;It all ended too fast for this guy and people say, &lsquo;Something good is going to come out of it,&rsquo; &rdquo; Mike said. &ldquo;And my answer is, maybe for everybody else, but you know what? He&rsquo;s not coming back to me or his mom. There&rsquo;s nothing good coming out of it for us. It hurts. Man, it hurts.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-04

‘It all ended too fast’

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021037/9209091-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Red Wings had a field day at Wrigley, but so, too, did the 40,000-plus spectators. <span class="photo-credit">(BOTH: JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011402/9209098-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="103" height="122"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>C</span>HICAGO &ndash; If you needed any more proof the NHL&rsquo;s out-door game concept was a smashing success that deserves to occur annually, the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field delivered it in spades.</p><p>Hours before the storied baseball park&rsquo;s gates were pulled open New Year&rsquo;s Day, thousands of Blackhawks jerseys and their inhabitants buzzed around the newfound hockey hive. Fathers and sons and wives and daughters gathered among friends (and some Red Wings clad-foes) with unguarded smiles, readily taking advantage of the many photo opportunities that go hand-in-hand with the sort of once-in-a-blue-moon happening this promotion unquestionably had become.</p><p>Even if the reigning Queen and King of Chi-town (Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama, duh) didn&rsquo;t make it out to see the Hawks fall 6-4 to the Wings, <i>Swingers</i> star and Chicago native Vince Vaughn did, dammit. And that made for additional coolness on a blustery, gray afternoon that already had a ton of cool (e.g. Detroit&rsquo;s coaching staff wearing 1940s-era fedoras that made them look like a cross between a trio of Toe Blakes and the Three Amigos) to go with eye-popping skill displays such as the impromptu deke clinic Pavel Datsyuk put on just before he scored Detroit&rsquo;s fourth goal. Everywhere you looked, people were straining to take in as much of the spectacle as their senses would allow. Through both intermissions and even late into the third period when the game was out of Chicago&rsquo;s reach, some 90 percent of the assembled crowd stayed in their seats and stuck it out &lsquo;till the end. Coming from Bail-Out-Quick-To-Beat-The-Traffic-Ville (a.k.a. Toronto, Ontario, Canada) as I do, I found that especially admirable.</p><p>And to think some hockey types snorted and harrumphed when it was suggested an outdoor game would benefit the league and the sport.</p><p>I&rsquo;m pretty sure I read at least two separate editorials asserting that such an over-the-top marketing ploy would steer the children of the hockey community toward actions of moral turpitude and &ldquo;rock n&rsquo; roll&rdquo; music dances, but I said to hell with the social stigma and supported it anyway. After the outdoor games in Edmonton, Buffalo and now Chicago, my faith has been justified.</p><p>Rumors the league will schedule an outdoor game each season are running rampant, and for good reason: TV ratings for the 2009 game were up 12 percent from the previous year, while the 40,818 at Wrigley proved even a formerly dormant team could capture the imagination of their city &ndash; provided they&rsquo;ve got a contending team, of course &ndash; with a limelightful event like this one. So we know the NHL has a superb concept on its hands. And we also know it will be relatively easy to stage future Winter Classics in weather-friendly locales such as New York, Boston, Detroit, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Colorado and the five Canadian cities that have yet to host one.</p><p>That said, what I&rsquo;m really hoping to see from the league &ndash; in terms of future outdoor games, as well as the way it proceeds with all its business extensions &ndash; is a significant degree of creativity employed in the name of giving the customers something new every time out.</p><p>For most of the NHL&rsquo;s history, the willingness to experiment &ndash; the preference to reflexively say &lsquo;yes&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;no&rsquo; &ndash; has just not been part of the culture. That philosophy has, in effect, constricted the game to its detriment (and indeed, found its embodiment in the Hawks&rsquo; thankfully-defunct-and-monumentally-horrendous policy on broadcasting its games on TV).</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Imagine an NHL game in the Alps or Red Square</b></blockquote><p>Only recently have we seen the NHL make a discernible shift toward embracing the game as an entertainment entity. The Winter Classic now qualifies as a distinct example of that pioneering spirit and the league deserves much credit for branching out.</p><p>At the same time, it cannot sit and rest on its laurels, sated by the souped-up press clippings and Oscar-type reviews the outdoor games have garnered. Like the league and game itself, the Winter Classic concept continually must be stretched and squeezed and reshaped and reimagined if it is to have a long-term shelf life.</p><p>So yeah, it&rsquo;d be an unforgettable thrill watching the Rangers and Maple Leafs play at the new Yankee Stadium, or the Canadiens taking on the Bruins at Fenway Park one day.</p><p>But wouldn&rsquo;t it be equally compelling to see, say, the San Jose Sharks engage the Washington Capitals on a rink constructed in front of Berlin&rsquo;s famous Brandenburg Gate? And wouldn&rsquo;t it be out of this world to watch the Canucks battle the Dallas Stars on some rink in the Austrian Alps, or in an open-air stadium in Sweden or Switzerland, or in Moscow&rsquo;s Red Square?</p><p>Damn skippy it would, especially if the NHL is serious about capitalizing on the European market.</p><p>When it comes to the Winter Classic, the only things holding back the league are its imagination, a few zoning bylaws, and a farmer&rsquo;s almanac. They&rsquo;ve mined themselves a gem of a promotion &ndash; but there&rsquo;s a big difference between mining and refining.</p><p>The former is crucial to the process, but it&rsquo;s the latter that largely will define the future of the game, regardless of whether it&rsquo;s played under a roof or under the stars.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03681/9209084-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="601" height="858"><figcaption class="caption-body">Nicklas Lidstrom</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0022-02

Winter wonders

f0024-01

WESTERN CONFERENCE

f0025-01

EASTERN CONFERENCE

f0026-01

NHL Team Reports Mid-Season Grades

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01679/9209516-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="889" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRANDON TAYLOR/HAMILTON BULLDOGS)</span></figcaption></div><p>AT THE RINK, RYAN WHITE is all business. There might as well be a time clock for him to punch when he arrives at Copps Coliseum.</p><p>&ldquo;He just works,&rdquo; said Hamilton Bulldogs coach Don Lever. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a 9-to-5 job.&rdquo;</p><p>Except White is more than happy to bring the job home with him. Which leads to some interesting battles at his apartment, especially if teammate Greg Stewart stops by.</p><p>&ldquo;We battle for the remote,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;He wants to watch movies and I want to watch hockey. I don&rsquo;t get my mind off the game too much. I like to watch games. I like to keep tabs on my old teammates back in junior.&rdquo;</p><p>Folks are keeping tabs on him, too. Especially within the Montreal Canadiens organization.</p><p>When the season began, the rookie center was flying somewhat under the radar in the Canadiens system. Left winger Max Pacioretty, center Ben Maxwell and defenseman Yannick Weber were all more highly regarded rookies. But the 6-foot, 200-pound White has made an impact.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really been a surprise,&rdquo; Lever said. &ldquo;Hockey sense-wise, he&rsquo;s got it all. And he has surprisingly good hands. If his conditioning (strength-wise) ever gets to the level of his competitiveness, then he&rsquo;ll be quite a find for the organization.&rdquo;</p><p>White was drafted 66th overall in 2006, mid-way through his four-year WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen. By the time he left Calgary, he was the fifth-leading scorer in franchise history (91 goals, 237 points). With Hamilton, he had eight goals and 19 points in 36 games.</p><p>One reason he has perhaps surprised the Canadiens: They once thought he&rsquo;d be better on the wing than center. He played right wing in his first two training camps and while he has filled in their this season, White prefers center.</p><p>&ldquo;I hadn&rsquo;t played wing since I was 16,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel more comfortable up the middle.&rdquo;</p><p>White also doesn&rsquo;t mind being physical, which is important since he&rsquo;s projected to be a third-liner. He produced 89-and 72-point seasons in his final two junior years, but scoring won&rsquo;t be his primary NHL job.</p><p>&ldquo;Everybody likes to be a top-line guy, you always want to score,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;But I try to pride myself on going both ways.</p><p>&ldquo;There has been a lot of learning so far. There are always going to be ups and downs, but I&rsquo;m pretty lucky because the older guys on the team have been very helpful. I just want to work hard and see where I fit in.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02422/9209509-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="208" height="208"></div><h2><b>Ryan White</b></h2><p>Hamilton Bulldogs</p><p>Ht. 6-0</p><p>Wt. 200</p><p>Pos. C</p><p>Age 20</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-04295/9209502-1-eng-US/f0041-042.jpg" title="f0041-04" width="235" height="137"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 27</b></h2><p>White&rsquo;s penalty minutes through the 36 games this season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-01

Prospects Unlimited

Out of the blue comes White

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>f <i>Ripley&rsquo;s Believe It Or Not</i> included hockey stories, Mike Brodeur&rsquo;s tale of 2008-09 might be first on the list. The 25-year-old has gone from a goalie without a contract to the All-Star Classic.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m on cloud nine,&rdquo; said Brodeur, who was 8-3-1 with an AHL-best 1.59 goals-against average and .944 save percentage with the Rochester Americans, the team he joined Dec. 5.</p><p>After spending the past four seasons in the Chicago Blackhawks system, Brodeur joined the Hartford Wolf Pack as a free agent over the summer. But his contract was voided at training camp when doctors didn&rsquo;t like what they saw with his surgically repaired back.</p><p>He signed with the ECHL&rsquo;s Augusta Lynx, but his stay in Georgia ended Dec. 2, when the team folded.</p><p>Luckily, Rochester was in desperate need of a goalie. Brodeur joined the Amerks on a 25-game tryout, started six games in eight days, posted two shutouts and became their No. 1 goalie.</p><p>And now he&rsquo;s the first player ever to earn an All-Star berth after one month on a professional tryout contract.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m kind of at a loss for words,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03341/9209554-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="191" height="269"></div><h2><b>TOP SET-UP MEN</b></h2><h3><b>Cal O&rsquo;Reilly</b></h3><p>Milwaukee Admirals</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-05266/9209547-1-eng-US/f0041-052.jpg" title="f0041-05" width="234" height="133"></div><p>ON TOP</p><h3><b>18 &#10230;</b>&nbsp;<b>POWER PLAY ASSISTS</b></h3><p><b>Tim Stapleton, Tor 17</b></p><p>Danny Syvret, Phi 17</p><p>Kurtis McLean, Bri 16</p><p>Johnny Boychuk, Pro 16</p><p>Tim Brent, Rock 15</p><p>Alexander Sulzer, Mil 15<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0041-03

Goalie gods love Brodeur

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01712/9209599-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="888" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JASON KENNEDY)</span></figcaption></div><p>IT WAS A DOZEN YEARS AGO that the New Jersey Devils took a chance on an unknown, un-proven and undrafted free agent NCAA center.</p><p>John Madden went on to become a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Devils and a mainstay in the lineup, playing 80 or more games in six of his eight NHL seasons.</p><p>A penalty-killer extraordinaire who was the NHL&rsquo;s top defensive forward in 2001, Madden turns 36 in May. By traveling the same road, the Devils may have already found his successor.</p><p>Rod Pelley is a 24-year-old center who is slightly bigger than Madden at 6-foot and 200 pounds, but cut from the same cloth. He spent four years at Ohio State before being signed by New Jersey in 2006.</p><p>After spending the majority of last season as Madden&rsquo;s understudy in the NHL, Pelley began his third pro season on the Devils&rsquo; farm in Lowell, Mass.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a coach&rsquo;s dream, really,&rdquo; said Lowell coach Kurt Kleinendorst. &ldquo;I always felt that he&rsquo;s in the mold of a John Madden. To me, it seemed like that could be a natural transition. Mad Dog&rsquo;s got a few years left in him, but I could see Roddy at some point stepping in and doing what John does for the big club.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the kind of player he is. He&rsquo;s a real good penalty-killer. He&rsquo;s solid defensively. He&rsquo;s just a character guy. He&rsquo;s the kind of guy who will wear the &lsquo;C&rsquo; at some point.&rdquo;</p><p>Currently, Pelley wears the alternate&rsquo;s &lsquo;A&rsquo; for Lowell, where he had five goals, 13 points and was plus-4 through 29 games.</p><p>&ldquo;Looking at their track record, the Devils have done some pretty good work recruiting and signing undrafted players,&rdquo; Pelley said. &ldquo;John Madden is just one example. You&rsquo;ve got Andy Greene, Brian Rafalski, Pascal Rheaume. You go back and you can get some pretty good players there.</p><p>&ldquo;I guess I can take that as a compliment. I&rsquo;m just glad they had a look at me and took a chance.&rdquo;</p><p>Pelley had 17 goals and 29 points in 65 games as a rookie with Lowell in 2006-07, while also getting into nine NHL games. He spent the majority of last season with New Jersey, scoring six points in 58 games.</p><p>Getting that taste of the big-time didn&rsquo;t spoil Pelley upon his return to Lowell this season.</p><p>&ldquo;He enjoyed the experience, but he also loves to play,&rdquo; Kleinendorst said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very intelligent kid. He knows as a young player, he needs to play.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02441/9209592-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="208" height="208"></div><h2><b>Rod Pelley</b></h2><p>Lowell Devils</p><p>Ht. 6-0</p><p>Wt. 200</p><p>Pos. C</p><p>Age 24</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-04274/9209585-1-eng-US/f0042-042.jpg" title="f0042-04" width="235" height="136"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 67</b></h2><p>Number of NHL games the undrafted Pelley has already played.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

Molded like Madden

<div class="byline">&#x2013; PHIL JANACK</div><p>The cellar-dwelling Albany River Rats lead the league in one category: defections.</p><p>Journeyman forward Dan LaCouture left the team after the Christmas break to play for Astana Barys in the Kontinental Hockey League. His move follows that of Matt Murley, who did the same just three days before the regular season opener.</p><p>&ldquo;I told the guys the other day that if it happens again, I&rsquo;m going to take it personally,&rdquo; said first-year Albany coach-GM Jeff Daniels.</p><p>LaCouture, 31, began the season with the Carolina Hurricanes, earning a one-year, two-way contract after a training camp invitation. He had two goals in 11 games for Carolina and six points in 12 games for Albany.</p><p>&ldquo;He came back from the break and skated with us and it was still weighing on his mind,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;He was here, but with his heart he was thinking something else. He felt it was best for himself to go to Russia.&rdquo;</p><p>LaCouture was clearly conflicted.</p><p>&ldquo;The last few weeks have been, every day and all day, just thinking about a decision,&rdquo; LaCouture said. &ldquo;You kind of have to weigh out the next 10 years of your career.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-06215/9209651-1-eng-US/f0042-062.jpg" title="f0042-06" width="109" height="109"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>Hey Ben Lovejoy,</b>&nbsp;<b>EXPECT THE CALL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-05239/9209644-1-eng-US/f0042-052.jpg" title="f0042-05" width="197" height="103"></div><p>The undrafted 24-year-old Wilkes-Barre/Scraton defenseman is enjoying a career year. He has already equalled his career-high points total as a pro and plays consistently against opposition&rsquo;s top offensive lines.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-03344/9209637-1-eng-US/f0042-032.jpg" title="f0042-03" width="190" height="269"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-07183/9209630-1-eng-US/f0042-072.jpg" title="f0042-07" width="183" height="43"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0042-05

Rats flee Albany for Russia

<div class="byline">- DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01702/9209689-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The depressed global economy is having a significant impact on the KHL. <span class="photo-credit">(DIMA KOROTAYEV/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>THE POSSIBILITY OF A 30 PERCENT pay cut for players next season was discussed at a recent meeting of the league&rsquo;s directors.</p><p>But the players&rsquo; association, headed by former NHLer Andrei Kovalenko, is fighting it and the matter was put on the shelf until the end of the season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02473/9209682-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="228" height="248"></div><p>However, it&rsquo;s highly likely the per-team salary cap &ndash; presently in the neighborhood of $25 million &ndash; will be reduced next year.</p><p>The financial difficulties are the result of falling commodity prices &ndash; specifically oil &ndash; negatively impacting team owners. The price of a barrel of oil has dropped from a high of more than $140 just a few months ago to below $45.</p><p>Most Russian hockey teams generate a large portion of their income from sponsorships with local companies and a large number of those are oil and natural gas companies.</p><p>Goran Stubb, head of NHL Central Scouting Bureau for Europe, said he thinks seven or eight KHL clubs could fold at the end of this season.</p><p>Asked if he thinks any clubs from Finland will join the league, Stubb replied: &ldquo;Why should they?&rdquo;</p><p>Russian NTV commentator Sergei Krabu said some players on Siberia-based Metallurg Novokuznetsk had not been paid for two months, but the problem has now been settled.</p><p>League president Alexander Medvedev warned teams slow to pay their players that contracts must be honored and the government might step in if they are not.</p><p>Only time will tell how long the new league will last. Some observers believe teams are simply an expensive hobby for regional governors and oil company directors.</p><p>Attendance at games for the three Moscow-based teams &ndash; Spartak, Moscow Dynamo and Central Army &ndash; is around the 50 percent capacity mark. Of the three, Dynamo plays in the largest arena, with a capacity of 8,700. Attendance is more robust in other parts of the league, with venues filled to 90 percent capacity.</p><p>A league attendance record was set recently when a crowd of 11,800 watched SKA St. Petersburg, coached by Barry Smith, defeat Dynamo Riga.</p><p>Bob Goodenow, former head of the NHLPA and now a KHL consultant, has solicited a sponsorship offer from the trading card company Upper Deck, which could help solve financial problems and the league has been trying to set up its own hockey TV channel.</p><p>TV ratings show soccer away ahead of hockey, although Krabu says those polls are not very reliable. He also said sports, in general, are not getting very high TV ratings.</p><p>Krabu said that for the league&rsquo;s inaugural season, most clubs had budgeted to accumulate only 10 to 15 percent or revenues from ticket sales. Ticket prices range anywhere from $5 to $30.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-01

Krumbling League?

<div class="byline">- RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03392/9209727-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="510" height="634"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HELMINEN: ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04293/9209720-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="205" height="122"></div><p>Back in the 1990s, with most top players heading to the NHL, it seemed certain many of the all-time European records would never be broken.</p><p>But these days, players have longer careers &ndash; for some, into their 40s &ndash; and play more games each year, tilting the record-breaking advantage back.</p><p>Last season, Erik Hamalainen, then 42, became the first player to reach the 1,000-game milestone in the Finnish SM-liiga. <b>Raimo Helminen</b> retired last spring, at 44, as the player with the most games wearing a Team Finland sweater &ndash; 331 between 1984 and 2008.</p><p>Janne Ojanen, 40, did two tours of NHL duty with New Jersey totalling 98 games and played two seasons with Malmo in the Swedish Elitserien, but has still managed to put in another 19 SM-liiga seasons, all with Tappara, Tampere.</p><p>In early January, Ojanen tied Arto Javanainen as the SMliiga&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer. Ojanen scored his 282 goals and 792 points in 857 games. Javanainen, a goal-scoring machine with Assat, Pori and TPS, Turku between 1979 and 1994, tallied 462 goals and 792 points in 668 SM-liiga games.</p><p>&ldquo;It feels good to get this point, there&rsquo;s been so much talk about it,&rdquo; said Ojanen, who missed a month of action due to a broken finger. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care how I get the next point (for the all-time lead), just as long it&rsquo;s a real one, not a (second assist),&rdquo; he joked.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0043-03

Broken records

<p>FROM AN UNKNOWN backup goaltender to Team Canada star to promising NHL prospect.</p><p>Jake Allen&rsquo;s intriguing story began in Newfoundland when he broke into the Quebec League last season with the St. John&rsquo;s Fog Devils, now the Montreal Juniors.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty amazing the way things have worked out,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;I never would&rsquo;ve expected any of this going into last season.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Allen was the first QMJHL product claimed in the 2008 NHL draft, selected 34th overall by the St. Louis Blues.</p><p>The Fredericton, N.B. native had his coming out party while helping Canada strike gold at the 2008 world under-18 championship. He was named the tournament&rsquo;s best goalie and MVP after posting a 1.43 GAA, .948 save percentage, two shutouts and 7-1 record.</p><p>&ldquo;I was playing behind a great goalie in St. John&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Allen said of San Jose prospect Timo Pielmeier. &ldquo;So whenever I had the chance I had to take advantage of it. I started to get some attention in the second half. Then the world under-18s really gave me a boost.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>St. Louis scout Bill Armstrong points out Allen was a hidden gem because he was a backup on a remote island, so scouts had limited viewings of him.</p><p>&ldquo;His stock rose when scouts saw him play against elite competition at the end of the season in the world under-18s,&rsquo;&rsquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very athletic goaltender. One of his attributes is how quick he is for a big guy.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Allen, 18, is a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder who earns high marks for his lateral movement and positional play. He&rsquo;s very good at staying square to the shooter, limiting rebounds and playing the puck.</p><p>Allen admits he needs to be more patient on his feet and track the puck better on high shots. He was among four goalies in Canada&rsquo;s selection camp for this year&rsquo;s world juniors, but didn&rsquo;t crack the roster.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s aggressive, he reads the play well and he&rsquo;s a great athlete,&rsquo;&rsquo; said Montreal coach Pascal Vincent. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s also shown he can deal with pressure. He&rsquo;s our best player.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-06163/9209800-1-eng-US/f0044-062.jpg" title="f0044-06" width="720" height="937"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(AMANDA STEIN)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;He will have a great NHL career. I&rsquo;m sure some teams will be looking at that draft and saying &lsquo;We should&rsquo;ve taken him in the first round.&rsquo;</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really good now and he&rsquo;s going to keep improving because of his attitude and work ethic.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>&ndash; NEIL HODGE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-04218/9209793-1-eng-US/f0044-042.jpg" title="f0044-04" width="354" height="191"></div><h2><b>Jake Allen</b></h2><p>Montreal Juniors</p><p>Ht. 6-1</p><p>Wt. 175</p><p>Pos. G</p><p>Age 18</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-07146/9209786-1-eng-US/f0044-072.jpg" title="f0044-07" width="223" height="44"></div><h3><b>Draft Status</b></h3><p>Selected 34th overall by St. Louis in 2008.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-05187/9209779-1-eng-US/f0044-052.jpg" title="f0044-05" width="171" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 2.90</b></h2><p>Allen&rsquo;s cumulative goals-against average in two major junior seasons.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01605/9209772-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="275" height="153"></div><h2><b>Blades look sharp</b></h2><p>The Saskatoon Blades rebounded from a shaky start to take over top spot in their division. &ldquo;Coming into this year, our goal was to take a playoff spot,&rdquo; said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken. &ldquo;After our first four games, we needed to figure out real quick what we needed to do to succeed, because our record was one win, three losses. We were heading into a tough month in October with lots of road games. Things could have turned real ugly quick.&rdquo; Things turned, all right. But for the better. &ldquo;After going through two real difficult years, to watch our players enjoy this success is satisfying,&rdquo; Molleken said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve learned through adversity and that makes you stronger in the end.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; ROB VANSTONE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02370/9209765-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="332" height="103"></div><h2><b>Increased focus on chinstraps</b></h2><p>Don Sanderson&rsquo;s death has prompted the league to step up its vigilance on the proper wearing of helmets. The league requires chinstraps be fastened properly and participating in a play without a helmet is a minor penalty. And this season the fine for a player removing his helmet prior to a fight was increased to $100, then doubles for each subsequent offence. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re constantly working to ensure a safe environment,&rdquo; said Tim Baker, the league&rsquo;s vice-president. &ldquo;Last year we instituted the mandatory neck/throat protection as a result of the (Richard Zednik) incident.&rdquo; Sanderson, 21, was killed after his head struck the ice following a fight in a senior men&rsquo;s game.</p><p>&ndash; JIM CRESSMAN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03274/9209758-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="262" height="153"></div><h2><b>Gormley has the goods</b></h2><p>Moncton Wildcats rookie defenseman Brandon Gormley, 16, downplays being No. 3 in International Scouting Services&rsquo; 2010 NHL draft rankings. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a nice honor, but that&rsquo;s still a long way away,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Anything can happen between now and then.&rdquo; Gormley, the first overall pick in the 2008 QMJHL draft, is a top-four blueliner who plays a poised, intelligent, two-way game. &ldquo;I think Gormley has very good potential,&rdquo; said Pittsburgh scout Luc Gauthier. &ldquo;I love his game. It&rsquo;s pretty early to say if he will be a first-rounder for sure in 2010, but he&rsquo;s moving in the right direction.&rdquo; Steve Bernier, 16th overall in 2003, is the highest NHL draft pick in Moncton&rsquo;s 14-year history.</p><p>&ndash; NEIL HODGE<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-06

Emerging from the Fog Devils

<p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>T WAS A REVELATION of sorts when Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves identified sophomore defenseman Brendan Smith as the team&rsquo;s most consistent player during the first half of the season.</p><p>After all, the Badgers haven&rsquo;t been very consistent. They were 0-6-1 in October, the worst start in the program&rsquo;s history. They followed with a 10-1-2 stretch that took them into 2009.</p><p>Those two segments were defined mainly by a star-studded defense corps that started poorly (a combined minus-16 in the first seven games) and gradually got its act together (plus-19 over the ensuing 13 outings).</p><p>In all, Wisconsin&rsquo;s blueline has three NHL first-rounders (Smith, Montreal&rsquo;s Ryan McDonagh and Anaheim&rsquo;s Jake Gardiner) and two second-rounders (Carolina&rsquo;s Jamie McBain and Columbus&rsquo; Cody Goloubef).</p><p>Eaves said Smith, chosen 27th overall by Detroit in 2007, stands out because of the way he stayed committed to his strengths.</p><p>&ldquo;His ability to skate, handle the puck and shoot,&rdquo; Eaves said. &ldquo;His ability to be competitive.&rdquo;</p><p>Smith, listed at 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds, has become a go-to force one year after his freshman season was plagued by a back injury and a persistent lack of awareness in the defensive zone. Part of that may be due to the fact Smith, a native of Mimico, Ont., was a forward early in his Jr. A career. In fact, he spent a season of youth hockey playing wing on a line with Sam Gagner of the Edmonton Oilers and potential 2009 No. 1 overall pick John Tavares while the three were with the Toronto Marlboros.</p><p>&ldquo;One of the things Brendan has to work on&hellip;is his play without the puck,&rdquo; Eaves said. &ldquo;Because he&rsquo;s so gifted with the puck and has those natural offensive abilities, this has been a little bit of a pull for him in terms of learning those things.&rdquo;</p><p>Smith was plus-1 and had seven goals and 18 points, second on the Badgers in scoring after 21 games. His best weapon is an electric slapshot, possibly the team&rsquo;s best.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01518/9209880-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="703" height="925"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GREG ANDERSON)</span></figcaption></div><p>Smith said Eaves identifying him as the team&rsquo;s most consistent rearguard was &ldquo;a huge compliment&rdquo; and confirmed his personal commitment to patience.</p><p>&ldquo;Instead of forcing it, I play better when I let the game come to me,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ve understood that a little bit more.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; ANDY BAGGOT</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-06187/9209873-1-eng-US/f0045-062.jpg" title="f0045-06" width="282" height="282"></div><h2><b>Brendan Smith</b></h2><p>Wisconsin Badgers</p><p>Ht. 6-2</p><p>Wt. 184</p><p>Pos. D</p><p>Age 19</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-08102/9209866-1-eng-US/f0045-082.jpg" title="f0045-08" width="222" height="44"></div><h3><b>Draft Status</b></h3><p>Selected 27th overall by Detroit in 2007</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-07167/9209859-1-eng-US/f0045-072.jpg" title="f0045-07" width="167" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 0.8</b></h2><p>Smith is the top-scoring Badger blueliner with 0.8 points per game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02330/9209852-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="298" height="109"></div><h2><b>Zac is back and much better</b></h2><p>For Lake Superior State junior Zac MacVoy, the second time around was the charm. After spending his freshman year at Michigan, MacVoy played a season in the USHL before transferring to Lake Superior State. The big power forward led the Lakers in scoring last season and is doing it again this year. &ldquo;After I left Michigan, I matured a lot and developed as a person,&rdquo; said MacVoy, 21. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t mature enough that first year to handle the CCHA.&rdquo; The undrafted, ultra-competitive MacVoy plays in all situations and wants the puck at key times.</p><p>&ndash; PHILIP COLVIN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03276/9209845-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="318" height="143"></div><h2><b>Sislo starting to stir things up</b></h2><p>Mike Sislo was a checker during his freshman season at New Hampshire and had three goals and eight points in 38 games. But the 5-foot-11, 172-pound Sislo was elevated to a scoring line this season and has a team-high 12 goals through 18 games. &ldquo;I developed and learned a lot last year and I worked hard in the off-season,&rdquo; said the undrafted right winger. He has also benefited from playing on both special team units. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an animal. He&rsquo;s the strongest kid on our team and it&rsquo;s paying off,&rdquo; said Wildcats junior right winger Bobby Butler.</p><p>&ndash; LARRY MAHONEY</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-04244/9209838-1-eng-US/f0045-042.jpg" title="f0045-04" width="324" height="101"></div><h2><b>Pisellini leaves school</b></h2><p>Quinnipiac freshman goalie Nick Pisellini established himself as one of the top rookie-of-the-year candidates during the first semester. But Pisellini left school prior to Christmas, returning home to Itasca, Ill., where his father, Gino, was seriously ill. The undrafted Pisellini, 18, was second in the nation in both goals-against average (1.38) and save percentage (.948). He has returned to the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he played the previous two seasons, and was in net for two games in early 2009. There is no timetable for Pisellini&rsquo;s return to school.</p><p>&ndash; TOM BOGGIE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-05217/9209831-1-eng-US/f0045-052.jpg" title="f0045-05" width="389" height="85"></div><h2><b>Mystery illness afflicts Lucia</b></h2><p>Minnesota has suffered its share of injuries this season, but no health issue created more of a stir than Don Lucia&rsquo;s. The Gophers coach wasn&rsquo;t on the bench for the first four games following the holiday break and could miss more time as physicians try to determine the problem. While assistant coach John Hill runs the team, Lucia is undergoing a battery of tests to determine what is causing persistent flu-like symptoms. Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said major problems have been ruled out, but he didn&rsquo;t know when Lucia would return.</p><p>&ndash; ANDY BAGGOT<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

Smith a rock among jewels

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-03235/9209946-1-eng-US/f0046-032.jpg" title="f0046-03" width="296" height="148"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01508/9209960-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="218" height="155"></div><h3><b>ECHL</b></h3><h2><b>Fresno fallout moves coach</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>C</span>oach Matt Thomas had a solid landing after his division-leading Fresno Falcons unexpectedly folded on Dec. 22, becoming the league&rsquo;s second team to suspend operations this season. A week later, the last-place Stockton Thunder hired Thomas to replace Chris Cichocki, the only coach in Thunder history. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a chance to work with a great group of players and build on a great relationship with the Edmonton Oilers organization,&rdquo; said Thomas, who in five seasons coaching Fresno and Atlantic City had 179 wins and never missed the playoffs. &ldquo;Our goal doesn&rsquo;t need to be modest. Ours is to win the Pacific Division.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; MIKE MASTOVICH</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02327/9209953-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="203" height="155"></div><h3><b>NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Working for his wings</b></h2><p>Back in the day, a boy named &lsquo;Fabian&rsquo; was a teen heart-throb. These days, Jason Fabian is winning the hearts of Bismarck Bobcats fans. Fabian, a 19-year-old center from Roseau, Minn., is not a scoring machine, but with 17 points through 26 games, he&rsquo;s become a solid all-around contributor and is on his way to the Air Force Academy (ranked No. 14 nationally in early January) in the fall of 2010 after one more season in Bismarck. &ldquo;The goal is to get bigger, faster and stronger over the next year and half,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Fabian. &ldquo;Also, I would like to have better hands for the Division I level.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; PAUL SHAHEEN</p><h3><b>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>New goal king in the minors</b></h2><p>Bloomington Prairie Thunder winger Don Parsons broke Kevin Kerr&rsquo;s minor league record for career goals when he scored No. 678 during a 7-4 loss to the Flint Generals. But the 17-year veteran hardly felt like celebrating. &ldquo;Individual things are individual things, but my team lost,&rdquo; Parsons, 39, told the Bloomington <i>Pantagraph</i>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not even worth talking about. It&rsquo;s just a bad feeling.&rdquo; Kerr held the record for almost four years. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a credit to (Parsons&rsquo;) longevity,&rdquo; Kerr said. Robin Bouchard, 35, of the Central League&rsquo;s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees sits second among active players with 603 career goals.</p><p>&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-04192/9209939-1-eng-US/f0046-042.jpg" title="f0046-04" width="265" height="155"></div><h3><b>CENTRAL LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Hip hop hockey player</b></h2><p>As a high school basketball player in Ajax, Ont., Tulsa Oilers left winger Brett McConnachie took up freestyle rapping just to fit in on the team. These days, he&rsquo;s also known as &lsquo;The Bowx&rsquo; (<a href="http://myspace.com/thekidpbox">myspace.com/thekidpbox</a>), a southern rapper with three albums under his belt and 70,000 copies sold. McConnachie&rsquo;s musical success has him considering giving more time to hip hop than hockey. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not quite ready to give up hockey,&rdquo; said McConnachie, who passed on an offer to pursue music full time. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping to find some-one who understands hockey is something I&rsquo;ve always done. We&rsquo;ll see how it goes.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; DAVID HENRY</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-05152/9209932-1-eng-US/f0046-052.jpg" title="f0046-05" width="255" height="155"></div><h3><b>SOUTHERN PRO LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Three quickies for Havoc sniper</b></h2><p>Travis Kauffeldt admits he can do a little bit of everything as a hockey player. But what the Huntsville Havoc forward does best is score goals. Kauffeldt leads the league with 22, three of which came as a natural hat trick at Knoxville against the league&rsquo;s stingiest defense. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, the puck just kept coming to me,&rdquo; said the 23-year-old from Bancroft, Ont., who needed only 3:01 to accomplished the feat. Knoxville&rsquo;s Kevin Swider &ndash; looking for his fifth scoring title in the five-year history of the league &ndash; is on a 100-point pace, but Kauffeldt and teammate Karlis Zirnis are within striking distance.</p><p>&ndash; NICK GATES</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-06131/9209925-1-eng-US/f0046-062.jpg" title="f0046-06" width="240" height="155"></div><h3><b>CANADIAN JR. A</b></h3><h2><b>Tender tallies historic goal</b></h2><p>Todd Gill played more than 1,000 NHL games, but had never seen a goalie score a goal. Clarke Saunders, who stops pucks for Gill&rsquo;s Brockville Braves in Ontario&rsquo;s Central Junior League, changed that with the first goalie goal in team history and what&rsquo;s believed to be just the second such tally in league history &ndash; goalie Dusty Traylen scored for the Nepean Raiders in 2000-01. Saunders picked up a dump-in behind his net, took a look up ice and lifted a long wrist shot over everyone that slid into the empty net. &ldquo;We had a two-goal lead and I thought I might as well try it,&rdquo; said Saunders, who kept the historic puck.</p><p>&ndash; NATHAN WHITE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-07108/9209918-1-eng-US/f0046-072.jpg" title="f0046-07" width="252" height="155"></div><h3><b>CANADIAN UNIVERSITY</b></h3><h2><b>UNB stuns NCAA champ</b></h2><p>For the first time in the history of Canadian university hockey, the reigning NCAA champion played against a CIS opponent in Canada. More surprisingly, the Boston College Eagles were clipped by the New Brunswick Varsity Reds 5-3 in front of 3,500 fans at Aitken University Centre in Fredericton. The Eagles, boasting 11 NHL draft choices, were playing in UNB&rsquo;s annual holiday tournament, the Pete Kelly Challenge Cup, but must have left their &lsquo;A&rsquo; game in Beantown. Boston College won a rematch the next night by a 4-2 count, but lost a shootout tiebreaker to give the Reds the weekend win.</p><p>&ndash; JEFF RENAUD</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-0878/9209911-1-eng-US/f0046-082.jpg" title="f0046-08" width="246" height="155"></div><h3><b>THE WOMEN&rsquo;S GAME</b></h3><h2><b>Andersson back on blades</b></h2><p>Retirement didn&rsquo;t agree with Gunilla Andersson. The all-time leader in games played (240) for Team Sweden is back in the saddle following an eight-month retirement after the 2007 World Championship. Andersson, 33, had a tough time combining competitive hockey with her job as an electronic equipment purchaser for Elfa in Stockholm. She admitted lacking the motivation to continue playing after the 2007 worlds, but her passion is back and Andersson is now playing with Segel-torp and the Swedish national team this season in preparation for the &rsquo;09 worlds in Hameen-linna, Finland this April.</p><p>&ndash; CASSIE CAMPBELL-PASCALL<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0046-03

Hardcore Hockey BEST OF THE REST

<div class="byline">by Nicolas Chabot</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0795/9210019-1-eng-US/f0047-072.jpg" title="f0047-07" width="240" height="240"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>NE OF THE BEST STORIES of the 2009 World Junior Championship was the Slovakian team, which finished fourth despite dire pre-tournament predictions. <b>Tomas Tatar</b>, who led the team with 11 points (he played a part in half of his team&rsquo;s goals), was ranked first among Slovakian skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Service&rsquo;s preliminary ranking released this past November.</p><p>Are 10 teams too many? That&rsquo;s a question many are again asking after this year&rsquo;s WJC. Looking at period-by-period numbers, it&rsquo;s hard point to argue. The disparities in goals per-period and shots per-period between the top teams and the bottom dwellers, not to mention Kazakhstan scored just four goals all tournament while Canada averaged better than 7.5 per game, fall heavily on the side of trimming the tournament participants.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01479/9210012-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="580" height="832"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHILLIP MACCALLUM/HHOF-IIHF IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02320/9210005-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="596" height="743"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03256/9209998-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="1508" height="800"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-1045/9209991-1-eng-US/f0047-102.jpg" title="f0047-10" width="62" height="62"></div><p>Can&rsquo;t get enough numbers? Visit our online &lsquo;Stats&rsquo; section every day at <a href="http://thehockeynews.com">thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0047-07

World Junior Championship

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-04145/9210064-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03162/9210071-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="155" height="148"></div><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><p>By Larry Humber</p><p>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></p><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Both Henri Richard and Jean Beliveau played ___ seasons for the Habs</p><p>4 This number has twice been retired in Montreal</p><p>9 Hangs up one&rsquo;s skates</p><p>10 Montreal&rsquo;s Mike Komisarek is from West ___, NY</p><p>11 Former NHLer ___ McEachern</p><p>12 Nickname of &lsquo;Sid the Kid&rsquo;s&rsquo; junior team</p><p>13 San Jose&rsquo;s Jonathan Chee___, pictured</p><p>15 Angles of sticks from the shaft to the blade</p><p>18 Dean Lombardi is GM in Los ___</p><p>21 Stephane ___ spent 13 NHL seasons in goal</p><p>23 Cutting</p><p>24 Ken Dryden&rsquo;s best-selling hockey book</p><p>25 Passes the puck, ___ off</p><p>26 Hits hard</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>1 Beat badly (or, Atlanta&rsquo;s mascot)</p><p>2 Sixth skater, ___ attacker</p><p>3 Where they first hoisted the Cup in 1914</p><p>5 Visitors wear the ___ sweaters</p><p>6 Newsy ___ was Habs captain in their early years</p><p>7 Anticipate</p><p>8 Where Canada won Olympic hockey gold in 1952</p><p>14 Chris ___ is Saku Koivu&rsquo;s linemate</p><p>15 Guy ___ had 136 points in 1976-77, a Habs record</p><p>16 Serge ___ was Habs GM for more than a decade</p><p>17 Nickname of Erie&rsquo;s OHL team</p><p>19 In much of Quebec, the L in NHL</p><p>20 Puts a teammate in scoring position, ___ up</p><p>22 Eric, Jordan or Marc</p><p>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS 1. MORENZ, 4. SAVARD, 9. LEMAIRE, 10. RULES, 11. OATES, 12. BALANCE, 13. YVAN, 15. JEAN, 18. ASSISTS, 21. RADIO, 23. INTER, 24. LAMBERT, 25. HARVEY, 26. DRYDEN DOWN 1. MOLSON, 2. RAM IT, 3. NEILSON, 5. APRIL, 6. ATLANTA, 7. DISHED, 8. HERB, 14. VISITOR, 15. JAROMIR, 16. DANISH, 17. BOSTON, 19. SERGE, 20. SALT, 22. DREAD</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-05106/9210057-1-eng-US/f0049-052.jpg" title="f0049-05" width="151" height="151"></div><h2><b>JERSEY Hound</b></h2><p>If Hockey Canada can&rsquo;t solve its flap with the International Olympic Committee over the use of its official logo on the sweater for 2010, all may not be lost after all.</p><p>Canada&rsquo;s throwback alternate jersey from the world juniors this year was a classic, taking the cool elements of the original Summit Series sweater and modernizing it just enough to not look dated. Adding mini-maple leafs to the arms was just the cherry on top.</p><p>&ndash; Ryan Kennedy</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01308/9210050-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="748" height="683"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TEAM CANADA</b></p><p>WJC 2009</p> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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January 26, 2009

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